Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Identifying Sorting: In Theory

We argue that using wage data alone, it is virtually impossible to identify whether Assortative Matching between worker and ﬁrm types is positive or negative. In standard competitive matching models the wages are determined by the marginal contribution of a worker, and the marginal contribution might be higher or lower for low productivity ﬁrms depending on the production function. For every production function that induces positive sorting we can ﬁnd a production function that induces negative sorting but generates identical wages. This arises even when we allow for non-competitive mismatch, for example due to search frictions. Even though we cannot identify the sign of the sorting, we can identify the strength, i.e., the magnitude of the cross-partial, and the associated welfare loss. While we show analytically that standard ﬁxed eﬀects regressions are not suitable to recover the strength of sorting, we propose an alternative procedure that measures the strength of sorting in the presence of search frictions independent of the sign of the sorting.
Maintenance therapy with low‐dose azacitidine after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation for recurrent acute myelogenous leukemia or myelodysplastic syndrome

Recurrence is a major cause of treatment failure after allogeneic transplantation for acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) and myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), and treatment options are very limited. Azacitidine is a DNA methyltransferase inhibitor with activity in myeloid disease. The authors hypothesized that low‐dose azacitidine administered after transplant would reduce recurrence rates, and conducted a study to determine a safe dose/schedule combination.
Targeted Delivery of microRNA-29b by Transferrin-Conjugated Anionic Lipopolyplex Nanoparticles: A Novel Therapeutic Strategy in Acute Myeloid Leukemia

Purpose: miR-29b directly or indirectly targets genes involved in acute myeloid leukemia (AML), namely, DNMTs, CDK6, SP1, KIT, and FLT3. Higher miR-29b pretreatment expression is associated with improved response to decitabine and better outcome in AML. Thus, designing a strategy to increase miR-29b levels in AML blasts may be of therapeutic value. However, free synthetic miRs are easily degraded in bio-fluids and have limited cellular uptake. To overcome these limitations, we developed a novel transferrin-conjugated nanoparticle delivery system for synthetic miR-29b (Tf-NP-miR-29b). Experimental Design: Delivery efficiency was investigated by flow cytometry, confocal microscopy, and quantitative PCR. The expression of miR-29b targets was measured by immunoblotting. The antileukemic activity of Tf-NP-miR-29b was evaluated by measuring cell proliferation and colony formation ability and in a leukemia mouse model. Results: Tf-NP-miR-29b treatment resulted in more than 200-fold increase of mature miR-29b compared with free miR-29b and was approximately twice as efficient as treatment with non-transferrin–conjugated NP-miR-29b. Tf-NP-miR-29b treatment significantly downregulated DNMTs, CDK6, SP1, KIT, and FLT3 and decreased AML cell growth by 30% to 50% and impaired colony formation by approximately 50%. Mice engrafted with AML cells and then treated with Tf-NP-miR-29b had significantly longer survival compared with Tf-NP-scramble (P = 0.015) or free miR-29b (P = 0.003). Furthermore, priming AML cell with Tf-NP-miR-29b before treatment with decitabine resulted in marked decrease in cell viability in vitro and showed improved antileukemic activity compared with decitabine alone (P = 0.001) in vivo. Conclusions: Tf-NP effectively delivered functional miR-29b, resulting in target downregulation and antileukemic activity and warrants further investigation as a novel therapeutic approach in AML. Clin Cancer Res; 19(9); 2355–67. ©2013 AACR.
Modeling of sedimentation of polydisperse spherical beads with a broad size distribution

This article deals with experimental and theoretical studies of the sedimentation of polydisperse agarose beads with broad particle size distributions. A light-extinction principle was used to measure the variation of solid concentration in the suspension with time and settling distance. Di4erent experimental conditions have been used to show the in5uence of solid concentration and liquid density and viscosity on the settling behavior of the beads. The sedimentation process was described mathematically by a system of conservation law using Masliyah’s hindered settling function. The physical properties of the beads and the optical properties of the suspension were carefully examined to enable a reliable comparison between experimental and simulation results. The model gives good predictions under all the conditions studied, showing its soundness in formulating the hindered settling process of polydisperse particles in a suspension. 2003 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.
Impact of epilepsy on patient's physical and psychosocial functioning: iraqi study

Background: Epilepsy is a common neurological disease, which affect people of all ages. It is stigmatizing, unpredictable and disabling illness. The primary objective of this study was to assess the physical and psychosocial problems facing patients with epilepsy. A total of 100 patients with epilepsy were compared with 100 normal subjects to find out the differences between the two groups regarding the physical and psychosocial problems. The questionnaire was generated from previous studies and the short form healthy survey (SF- 36). It was modified and tested for validity and reliability. Results: The mean age of our patients was 32.5 years. 69% from them were single and 68% were male. The result showed that there were statistically differences between the two groups regarding all of the four domains p=0.000. Most of the patients complained from threat to death (88%) and they were affected by the social stigma (86%), more than half of the number of the sample didn’t know why the attack happened (78%), while half of them were unable to control their disease in spite of taking medication. Conclusions: This is an Iraq study prepared to understand the effect of epilepsy on patient's physical and psychosocial functioning. It was found that epilepsy has a great impact on patient's life especially on patients psychological functioning with significant differences. Understanding patient's problems can lead to a good progress in nursing assessment, intervention, and reaching the ultimate goal in controlling these problems that are more likely improve quality of their life.
MODELLING THE EFFECTS OF MATERNAL SOCIO-DEMOGRAPHIC CHARACTERISTICS ON THE PRETERM AND TERM BIRTH WEIGHT DISTRIBUTIONS IN GREECE USING QUANTILE REGRESSION

Summary The present study aims at modelling the effects of maternal socio-demographic characteristics on the birth weight distribution in Greece. The analysis is based on nationwide vital registration micro-data; 103,266 single live births recorded in 2006 are considered. Quantile regression models, allowing for the effects of covariates to vary across the conditional distribution of the dependent variable, birth weight, are applied to preterm and term births separately. The statistical analysis shows that the effects of most factors differentiate across the birth weight distributions. Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) coefficients, on the other hand, systematically underestimate effects at the lower tail and overestimate effects among heavier babies. Hence, quantile regression has a strong advantage over the OLS method. The findings also indicate that birth weight distributions of term and preterm infants are distinct and should be analysed separately. For both distributions female sex, primiparity, age of mother over 35 and prior history of stillbirths and child deaths are related to lower birth weight while higher educational attainment has a protective effect. Among term births, illegitimacy, living in big metropolitan areas and immigrant status of the mother are also significant predictors. For preterm births the impact of age of mother, parity and, in particular, prior stillbirths or deceased children is very pronounced.
Dimerisation of N-acetyl-l-tyrosine ethyl ester and Aβ peptides via formation of dityrosine

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is characterised by the formation of amyloid deposits composed primarily of the amyloid β-peptide (Aβ). This peptide has been shown to bind redox active metals ions such as copper and iron, leading to the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and formation of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). The generation of H2O2 has been linked with Aβ neurotoxicity and neurodegeneration in AD. Because of the relative stability of a tyrosyl radical, the tyrosine residue (Tyr-10) is believed to be critical to the neurotoxicity of Aβ. This residue has also been shown to be important to Aβ aggregation and amyloid formation. It is possible that the formation of an Aβ tyrosyl radical leads to increased aggregation via the formation of dityrosine as an early aggregation step, which is supported by the identification of dityrosine in amyloid plaque. The role of dityrosine formation in Aβ aggregation and neurotoxicity is as yet undetermined, partly because there are no facile methods for the synthesis of Aβ dimers containing dityrosine. Here we report the use of horseradish peroxidase and H2O2 to dimerise N-acetyl-l-tyrosine ethyl ester and apply the optimised conditions for dityrosine formation to fully unprotected Aβ peptides. We also report a simple fluorescent plate reader method for monitoring Aβ dimerisation via dityrosine formation.
Institutional Investors ' Annual Focus List Under the spotlight : institutional investors and firm responses to the Council of

This article looks at how a negative third-party quality signal, in the form of external monitoring of firm performance by an investor group, prompts a response from both institutional investors and the firms publicly identified as poor performers. Using a sample of 93 firms placed on the Focus List of the Council of Institutional Investors from 2000 to 2005 and a comparison group of 96 firms in the bottom quartile in stock performance from the S&P500, the authors find that institutional investors respond to this negative third-party signal by reducing their holdings in firms that received this public repudiation. However, this reduction in holdings is moderated by the independence of the board of the targeted firm. This result suggests institutional investors pay particular attention to the governance characteristics of underperforming firms. Lastly, the authors found that targeted firms with more independent boards respond by increasing the intensity of incentives of the CEO, thus signaling their responsiveness to investor concerns.
Genome Halving with an Outgroup

Some genomes are known to have incurred a genome doubling (tetraploidization) event in their evolutionary history, and this is reflected today in patterns of duplicated segments scattered throughout their chromosomes. These duplications may be used as data to “halve” the genome, i.e. to reconstruct the ancestral genome at the moment of tetraploidization, but the solution is often highly non-unique. To resolve this problem, we adapt the genome halving algorithm of El-Mabrouk and Sankoff to take account of an external reference genome. We apply this to reconstruct the tetraploid ancestor of maize, using either rice or sorghum as the reference.
Fuzzy control system designs using redundancy of descriptor representation: a fuzzy Lyapunov function approach

This paper presents fuzzy control system designs using redundancy of descriptor representation. A wider class of Takagi-Sugeno fuzzy controllers using the redundancy is employed to derive stabilization conditions for both common Lyapunov functions and fuzzy Lyapunov functions. We show that the fuzzy Lyapunov function approach is less conservative than the common Lyapunov function approach. A design example also illustrates the utility of the fuzzy Lyapunov function approach using redundancy of descriptor representation.
Kernel change-point detection

We tackle the change-point problem with data belonging to a general set. We propose a penalty for choosing the number of change-points in the kernel-based method of Harchaoui and Cappe (2007). This penalty generalizes the one proposed for one dimensional signals by Lebarbier (2005). We prove it satisfies a non-asymptotic oracle inequality by showing a new concentration result in Hilbert spaces. Experiments on synthetic and real data illustrate the accuracy of our method, showing it can detect changes in the whole distribution of data, even when the mean and variance are constant. Our algorithm can also deal with data of complex nature, such as the GIST descriptors which are commonly used for video temporal segmentation.
Hyperbaric Oxygen and Ginkgo Biloba Extract Ameliorate Cognitive and Memory Impairment via Nuclear Factor Kappa-B Pathway in Rat Model of Alzheimer's Disease

Background:Hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) and Ginkgo biloba extract (e.g., EGB 761) were shown to ameliorate cognitive and memory impairment in Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, the exact mechanism remains elusive. The aim of the present study was to investigate the possible mechanisms of HBO and EGB 761 via the function of nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-&kgr;B) pathway. Methods:AD rats were induced by injecting &bgr;-amyloid 25–35 into the hippocampus. All animals were divided into six groups: Normal, sham, AD model, HBO (2 atmosphere absolute; 60 min/d), EGB 761 (20 mg·kg−1·d−1), and HBO/EGB 761 groups. Morris water maze tests were used to assess cognitive, and memory capacities of rats; TdT-mediated dUTP Nick-End Labeling staining and Western blotting were used to analyze apoptosis and NF-&kgr;B pathway-related proteins in hippocampus tissues. Results:Morris water maze tests revealed that EGB 761 and HBO significantly improved the cognitive and memory ability of AD rats. In addition, the protective effect of combinational therapy (HBO/EGB 761) was superior to either HBO or EGB 761 alone. In line, reduced apoptosis with NF-&kgr;B pathway activation was observed in hippocampus neurons treated by HBO and EGB 761. Conclusions:Our results suggested that HBO and EGB 761 improve cognitive and memory capacity in a rat model of AD. The protective effects are associated with the reduced apoptosis with NF-&kgr;B pathway activation in hippocampus neurons.
How to Tune Sparse Network Coding over Wireless Links

Despite their high computational complexity, Random Linear Network Coding (RLNC) techniques have been shown to offer a good robustness against packet erasure wireless channels. Some approaches have been recently proposed to reduce such computational burden, for both encoder and decoder elements. One of those approaches are the so- called Tunable Sparse Network Coding (TSNC) techniques, which advocate limiting the number of packets that are combined to build a coded packet. They also propose dynamically adapting the corresponding sparsity level, as the transmission evolves, although an optimum tuning policy has not been yet found. In this paper we present a TSNC implementation that exploits a novel analytical model to estimate the probability of generating an innovative packet (linearly independent combination), given the current status at the decoder. Taking advantage of the model's accuracy, the proposed scheme offers a better trade-off between computational complexity and network performance. Furthermore, we broaden the analysis of TSNC techniques by thoroughly assessing their behavior over wireless networks using the ns-3 platform. The results yield a remarkable complexity reduction (approx. 3.33x less complexity), without jeopardizing network performance.
Error analysis of a finite element method for the Willmore flow of graphs

In Theorem 2.2 the choice of the discrete initial value u0h needs to be modified in order to guarantee higher order convergence for ew(0) = ŵh(0) − wh(0). Instead of choosing the initial value u0h as the minimal surface projection û0h of the continuous initial value u0 according to (2.17), we proceed as follows: Let ŵ0h be the solution of (2.22) at time t = 0. We then define the discrete initial value u0h as the solution of the equation ∫
OPTIMIZING CROPPING SYSTEMS UNDER LIMITED IRRIGATION CONDITIONS

Research was initiated in 2001 and conducted through 2010 under sprinkler irrigation at Tribune, Kansas to evaluate limited irrigation in several no-till crop rotations on grain yield, water use, and profitability. Crop rotations were 1) continuous corn, 2) corn-winter wheat, 3) corn-wheat-grain sorghum, and 4) corn-wheat-grain sorghum-soybean. Irrigation was limited to 10 inches annually with 5 inches applied to wheat, 15 inches to corn (when in rotation with wheat), and 10 inches to grain sorghum, soybean, and continuous corn. Crop water productivity and yield of corn was greater when grown in rotation than with continuous corn. The length of the rotation did not affect grain yield or crop water productivity of grain sorghum or winter wheat. Continuous corn was generally the most profitable cropping system. However, changes in prices or yields could result in multi-crop rotations being more profitable, indicating the potential for alternative crop rotations to reduce risk under limited irrigation.
Association of -1082 interleukin-10 gene polymorphism in Peruvian adults with chronic periodontitis

Objectives: The aim of this study was to assess association of the -1082 IL-10 gene polymorphism with chronic periodontitis CP in a Peruvian population. Study Design: Samples of venous blood and DNA were obtained from 106 Peruvian subjects: a) 53 periodontally healthy; and b) 53 with CP. The association of the -1082 IL-10 promoter sequences was assessed by Polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorfism (PCR-RFLP). Student’s t test were used to assess the clinical parameters, as well as the χ2 test and the odds ratio (OR), with 95% confidence intervals (CI) used performed for estimates regarding genotype and allele frequencies. Results: There were statistically significant differences between groups regarding the mean bleeding on probing, mean attachment level and mean probing depth (p < 0.00001) indicating that the matching based on the evaluated groups was adequate. The χ2 test found a statistically significant imbalance of genotypes between groups (p = 0.0172). The prevalence of CP was significantly higher in subjects harboring at least one A allele at position -1082 (AA and GA genotypes) in comparison to patients with the GG genotype (OR = 2.96; CI: 0.52; 5.41; p = 0.0099). Equally, subjects with the AA genotype were significantly associated to a diagnosis of CP (OR = 2.71; CI: 0.38; 5.04; p = 0.0231). On the other hand, subjects presenting a healthy periodontal status presented at least one G allele in comparison with the AA genotype (OR = 0.37; CI: 0.05, 0.69; p = 0.0231). For subjects with the GG genotype, the same positive association was observed (OR = 0.34; CI: 0.06, 0.62; p = 0.0099). There were no significant differences between groups amongst subjects with the GA genotype (OR = 1.19; CI: 0.22, 2.16; p = 0.6774). Conclusions: Within the limits of this study, IL-10 gene polymorphism at position -1082 does not appear to be associated to CP. Conversely, subjects with AA genotype seem to be at an increased risk of developing CP. Key words:According to MeSH documentation, chronic periodontitis, cytokines, genetic polymorphism, interleukin-10, periodontal disease.
Regulation of Phototropic Signaling in Arabidopsis via Phosphorylation State Changes in the Phototropin 1-interacting Protein NPH3*

Phototropism, or the directional growth (curvature) of various organs toward or away from incident light, represents a ubiquitous adaptive response within the plant kingdom. This response is initiated through the sensing of directional blue light (BL) by a small family of photoreceptors known as the phototropins. Of the two phototropins present in the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana, phot1 (phototropin 1) is the dominant receptor controlling phototropism. Absorption of BL by the sensory portion of phot1 leads, as in other plant phototropins, to activation of a C-terminal serine/threonine protein kinase domain, which is tightly coupled with phototropic responsiveness. Of the five phot1-interacting proteins identified to date, only one, NPH3 (non-phototropic hypocotyl 3), is essential for all phot1-dependent phototropic responses, yet little is known about how phot1 signals through NPH3. Here, we show that, in dark-grown seedlings, NPH3 exists as a phosphorylated protein and that BL stimulates its dephosphorylation. phot1 is necessary for this response and appears to regulate the activity of a type 1 protein phosphatase that catalyzes the reaction. The abrogation of both BL-dependent dephosphorylation of NPH3 and development of phototropic curvatures by protein phosphatase inhibitors further suggests that this post-translational modification represents a crucial event in phot1-dependent phototropism. Given that NPH3 may represent a core component of a CUL3-based ubiquitin-protein ligase (E3), we hypothesize that the phosphorylation state of NPH3 determines the functional status of such an E3 and that differential regulation of this E3 is required for normal phototropic responsiveness.
The efficacy of cetuximab in a tissue-engineered three-dimensional in vitro model of colorectal cancer

The preclinical development process of chemotherapeutic drugs is often carried out in two-dimensional monolayer cultures. However, a considerable amount of evidence demonstrates that two-dimensional cell culture does not accurately reflect the three-dimensional in vivo tumour microenvironment, specifically with regard to gene expression profiles, oxygen and nutrient gradients and pharmacokinetics. With this objective in mind, we have developed and established a physiologically relevant three-dimensional in vitro model of colorectal cancer based on the removal of interstitial fluid from collagen type I hydrogels. We employed the RAFT™ (Real Architecture For 3D Tissue) system for producing three-dimensional cultures to create a controlled reproducible, multiwell testing platform. Using the HT29 and HCT116 cell lines to model epidermal growth factor receptor expressing colorectal cancers, we characterized three-dimensional cell growth and morphology in addition to the anti-proliferative effects of the anti–epidermal growth factor receptor chemotherapeutic agent cetuximab in comparison to two-dimensional monolayer cultures. Cells proliferated well for 14 days in three-dimensional culture and formed well-defined cellular aggregates within the concentrated collagen matrix. Epidermal growth factor receptor expression levels revealed a twofold and threefold increase in three-dimensional cultures for both HT29 and HCT116 cells in comparison to two-dimensional monolayers, respectively (p < 0.05; p < 0.01). Cetuximab efficacy was significantly lower in HT29 three-dimensional cultures in comparison to two-dimensional monolayers, whereas HCT116 cells in both two-dimension and three-dimension were non-responsive to treatment in agreement with their KRAS mutant status. In summary, these results confirm the use of a three-dimensional in vitro cancer model as a suitable drug-screening platform for in vitro pharmacological testing.
CALCULATING THE DEGREE DISTANCE OF PARTIAL HAMMING GRAPHS

If G is a connected graph with vertex set V (G), then the degree distance of G is defined as DD(G) = ∑ {u,v}∈V (G)(deg u + deg v)d(u, v), where deg u is the degree of vertex u, and d(u, v) denotes the distance between u and v. In the chemical literature, DD(G) is better known under ‡Corresponding author. MATCH Communications in Mathematical and in Computer Chemistry MATCH Commun. Math. Comput. Chem. 63 (2010) 411-424