Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Enolase-alpha is frequently down-regulated in non-small cell lung cancer and predicts aggressive biological behavior.

PURPOSE Enolase-alpha is a cytoplasmic glycolytic enzyme important in the formation of phosphoenolpyruvate. Enolase-alpha and c-myc binding protein (MBP-1) originate from a single gene through alternative use of translational starting sites. Both enolase-alpha and MBP-1 can bind to the P2 element in the c-myc promoter and compete with TATA-box binding protein (TBP) to suppress transcription of c-myc. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN To determine a potential role of enolase-alpha in vivo, we analyzed enolase-alpha expression in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) tissues from 46 patients by Western blotting and immunohistochemical analysis. RESULTS Twelve (26%) of the 46 tumors showed a significantly reduced enolase-alpha expression. Although no statistically significant association was observed between the down-regulation of enolase-alpha and pathological stage, tumor histology, or differentiation, the patients whose tumors showed reduced enolase-alpha expression had a significantly poorer overall survival compared with those without down-regulation of this molecule (P = 0.0398). CONCLUSIONS Our results indicate down-regulation of enolase-alpha is common in NSCLC and may play an important role in lung tumorigenesis.
Transactive memory in distributed organizations

Transactive memory systems (TMS) are systems of directories that are used to locate and use knowledge in groups. Previous research indicates that, by supporting group cognitive activities, TMS are important determinants of group performance. This paper applies the concept of TMS to knowledge sharing in organizations. The three process dimensions of TMS – directory maintenance, information storage and information retrieval – were used to identify the characteristics of TMS in a case study organization. TMS directories are stored in several types of media, and the processes for maintaining and using these directories varies. The authors conclude that organizational knowledge sharing may be assisted by information systems developed to support TMS, and suggest how an understanding of the nature of an organization’s TMS might be used to design information systems and management interventions to improve knowledge sharing.
Voice control of home appliances using Android

This paper presents the development of home appliances based on voice command using Android. This system has been designed to assist and provide the support to elderly and disabled people at home. Google application has been used as voice recognition and process the voice input from the smart phone. In this paper, the voice input has been captured by the android and will be sent to the Arduino Uno. Bluetooth module in Arduino Uno received the signal and processed the input signal to control the light and fan. The proposed system intended to control electrical appliances with relatively user-friendly interface and ease of installation. We have demonstrated up to 20 meter of range to control the home appliances via Bluetooth.
TRANSACTION COSTS AND THE PERFORMANCE OF MARKETS FOR POLLUTION CONTROL

Tradeable-permit systems are at the center of current interest and activity in market-based reforms of environmental policy, because these systems can offer significant advantages over conventional approaches to pollution control. Unfortunately, claims made for their relative costeffectiveness have often been exaggerated. Transaction costs, which are ubiquitous in these markets, reduce trading levels and increase abatement costs. Furthermore, in some cases, equilibrium permit allocations and hence aggregate control costs are sensitive to initial permit distributions, providing an efficiency justification for politicians' typical focus on permit distribution mechanisms. These and other findings are consistent with available empirical evidence on the performance of pollutioncontrol markets. TRANSACTION COSTS AND THE PERFORMANCE OF MARKETS FOR POLLUTION CONTROL Robert N. Stavins*
The 0.1-100 keV spectrum and variability of Mrk 421 in a high state

ABSTRA C T The results of a BeppoSAX target of opportunity (TOO) observation of the BL Lac object Mrk 421 during a high-intensity state are reported and compared with monitoring X-ray data collected with the BeppoSAX Wide Field Cameras (WFC) and the RXTE All Sky Monitor (ASM). The 0.1‐100 keV spectrum of Mrk 421 shows continuous convex curvature that can be interpreted as the high-energy end of the synchrotron emission. The source shows significant short-term temporal and spectral variability, which can be interpreted in terms of synchrotron cooling. The comparison of our results with those of previous observations when the source was a factor 3‐5 fainter shows evidence for strong spectral variability, with the maximum of the synchrotron power shifting to higher energy during high states. This behaviour suggests an increase in the number of energetic electrons during high states.
The Relationship between Parental Educational Attainment and Perceived Racial Discrimination among African-American Female Adolescents

Background : Perceived racial discrimination acts as a considerable stressor for African-Americans and is associated with adverse health outcomes among adults and adolescents. The relationship between perceived discrimination and socioeconomic dimensions has been studied among adult African-American populations to assess the role of social patterning in reports of discrimination. However, less is known about the relationship between parental educational attainment and adolescents’ perceived discrimination. Methods : We explored the relationship between parental educational attainment and adolescents’ reports of racial discrimination using written surveys from 135 African-American female adolescents seeking family planning services at an urban hospital-based adolescent clinic in Pennsylvania. Dimensions of perceived discrimination that were captured in this study included personal experiences, vicarious racial discrimination, and perceived discrimination against African-Americans as a group. Parental educational attainment was categorized as “some or completed high school/GED” and “some or completed college. ” To account for missing parental education data, a sensitivity analysis was performed in which missing data were recoded into parental education categories and used in chi-square cross tabulations. Results : Most of the sample (mean age = 17.04; SD = 1.33) had completed high school or were currently enrolled in school, and were living in single-parent homes. Close to half (41.5%) of
Automated Free Text Classification of Economic Activities Using VG-RAM Weightless Neural Networks

We tackle the problem of automating the categorization of companies according to their economic activities using business descriptions in free text format as input. This categorization is vital to fundamental aspects of national governmental administration such as short, medium and long term planning and taxation. As the number of categories considered is very large (more than 1000 in the Brazilian scenario), the automatic text categorization problem targeted here is challenging. We have applied and compared the use of two different techniques to deal with it: the Vector Space Model, a well known text categorization technique; and Virtual Generalizing Random Access Memory Weightless Neural Network, or VG-RAM WNN. To our knowledge, this is the first report on using VG-RAM WNN for text categorization.
RNA Interference Targeting Transforming Growth Factor-β Enhances NKG2D-Mediated Antiglioma Immune Response, Inhibits Glioma Cell Migration and Invasiveness, and Abrogates Tumorigenicity In vivo

Transforming growth factor (TGF)-β is the key molecule implicated in impaired immune function in human patients with malignant gliomas. Here we report that patients with glioblastoma, the most common and lethal type of human glioma, show decreased expression of the activating immunoreceptor NKG2D in CD8+ T and natural killer (NK) cells. TGF-β is responsible for the down-regulation of NKG2D expression in CD8+ T and NK cells mediated by serum and cerebrospinal fluid of glioma patients in vitro. Moreover, TGF-β inhibits the transcription of the NKG2D ligand MICA. Interference with the synthesis of TGF-β1 and TGF-β2 by small interfering RNA technology prevents the down-regulation of NKG2D on immune cells mediated by LNT-229 glioma cell supernatant and strongly enhances MICA expression in the glioma cells and promotes their recognition and lysis by CD8+ T and NK cells. Furthermore, TGF-β silencing results in a less migratory and invasive glioma cell phenotype in vitro. LNT-229 glioma cells deficient in TGF-β exhibit a loss of subcutaneous and orthotopic tumorigenicity in nude mice, and NK cells isolated from these mice show an activated phenotype. RNA interference targeting TGF-β1,2 results in a glioma cell phenotype that is more sensitive to immune cell lysis and less motile in vitro and nontumorigenic in nude mice, strongly confirming TGF-β antagonism as a major therapeutic strategy for the future treatment of malignant gliomas.
Cereals and Gender Roles: A Historical Perspective

This paper examines the historical origins of contemporary differences in norms and beliefs about the role of women in society within Africa. I test the hypothesis that traditional cultivation of different crop types influenced the historical gender division of labor and the evolution and persistence of gender norms. Anthropological accounts suggest that societies that have relied historically on the cultivation of cereals (as opposed to root or tuber crops) for their diet have developed a specialization of production where women were tended to work within the home, and this, in turn, gave rise to less equality in gender roles. Using ethnicity to link individuals today to their ancestors' agricultural practices and exploiting variation in the cultivation of different crops across ethnic groups, I find that, consistent with existing hypotheses, women from ethnicities that derived their subsistence from the cultivation of cereals in the pre-colonial era are today less likely to be in the labor force, have higher levels of fertility, and are less likely to participate in household decisions. In addition, women belonging to these groups are more likely to have attitudes favoring gender inequality and domestic violence. To address causality, I use land suitability for cereals relative to suitability for roots or tubers as an instrument for the actual cultivation of cereal grains in the pre-colonial period. Examining the causal mechanisms, I show that cultural norms and beliefs, which are transmitted over generations and through the marriage market represent important channels explaining long-run persistence.
English-medium instruction in Dutch higher education: a policy reconstruction and impact study

English has been introduced as the medium of instruction in three- quarters of Master’s -degree programs in the Netherlands and one- quarter of Bachelor’s degree programs. The principal driving force behind this trend is internationalization, with the harmonization and Anglicization of higher education applied as means to that end. There is increasing criticism of this development within educational institutions and the Dutch House of Representatives. The main criterion is that the use of English should not undermine the quality of the education provided. The required level of proficiency in English for teaching and receiv- ing academic education is C1 of the CEFR (Common European Framework of Reference). For native speakers of Dutch (L1), both verbal information processing and text production in English (L2) burden the work- ing memory more than their own language would. Relatively little research has been conducted into the impact of English-medium instruction on the aca- demic performance of Dutch students, and many of those studies that do exist are based on self-reporting rather than objective measurements. Semi-experimental research indicates that lecturers using L2 English are less clear, precise, redundant, and expressive, and also improvise less. Findings in respect of academic performance are inconsistent: some studies point to a decline, others find no effect on stu dents’ perfor- mance. Research into the impact of L2 as a medium of instruction is generally hindered by the non-ran-dom allocation of students to the language in which they are taught and a lack of objective measurements.
Classifying text messages for the haiti earthquake

In case of emergencies (e.g., earthquakes, flooding), rapid responses are needed in order to address victims’ requests for help. Social media used around crises involves self-organizing behavior that can produce accurate results, often in advance of official communications. This allows affected population to send tweets or text messages, and hence, make them heard. The ability to classify tweets and text messages automatically, together with the ability to deliver the relevant information to the appropriate personnel are essential for enabling the personnel to timely and efficiently work to address the most urgent needs, and to understand the emergency situation better. In this study, we developed a reusable information technology infrastructure, called Enhanced Messaging for the Emergency Response Sector (EMERSE), which classifies and aggregates tweets and text messages about the Haiti disaster relief so that non-governmental organizations, relief workers, people in Haiti, and their friends and families can easily access them.
RNA-binding proteins with prion-like domains in ALS and FTLD-U

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease) is a debilitating, and universally fatal, neurodegenerative disease that devastates upper and lower motor neurons. The causes of ALS are poorly understood. A central role for RNA-binding proteins and RNA metabolism in ALS has recently emerged. The RNA-binding proteins, TDP-43 and FUS, are principal components of cytoplasmic inclusions found in motor neurons of ALS patients and mutations in TDP-43 and FUS are linked to familial and sporadic ALS. Pathology and genetics also connect TDP-43 and FUS with frontotemporal lobar degeneration with ubiquitin-positive inclusions (FTLD-U). It was unknown whether mechanisms of FUS aggregation and toxicity were similar or different to those of TDP-43. To address this issue, we have employed yeast models and pure protein biochemistry to define mechanisms underlying TDP-43 and FUS aggregation and toxicity, and to identify genetic modifiers relevant for human disease. We have identified prion-like domains in FUS and TDP-43 and provide evidence that these domains are required for aggregation. Our studies have defined key similarities as well as important differences between the two proteins. Collectively, however, our findings lead us to suggest that FUS and TDP-43, though similar RNA-binding proteins, likely aggregate and confer disease phenotypes via distinct mechanisms.
Evaluation of X-Chromosome Inactivation Patterns in Patients with Acute Myeloid Leukemia during Remission

The aim of this study was to evaluate the patterns of X-chromosome inactivation during the remission in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) at the RNA level. Two hundred normal females and 45 female patients with AML entered the study. The frequency of heterozygosity was 48.5% (119/245) for P55, 40% (93/245) for IDS, and only 28.9% (71/245) for G6PD. Some individuals were heterozygous for more than one gene polymorphism. Overall, one hundred normal individuals proved showed to be heterozygous for at least one of the above polymorphisms. 92/100 (92%) normal females showed a polyclonal pattern. Clonal patterns were observed in 44/45 (98%) AML patients at presentation. Of 27 patients who were followed after remission, 23 (85.2%) patients showed a clonal pattern. Ten patients were available for a longer followup (up to 12 months) and the clonal pattern was observed in seven patients. It can be concluded that clonality at remission is a frequent event in AML and does not necessarily mean relapse of the disease. There is also a possibility of conversion of clonality to polyclonality over time.
Tourism: A Critical Business

A research and practice gap is identified demonstrating tourism to be an insufficiently critical business. Initially the idea of critical tourism is addressed in two ways. First, an array of meanings is exposed from which the idea of critical theory is developed. Next, discussion turns to how critical approaches can contribute to good management and governance of tourism by providing understandings that technical rationality can overlook. Finally, the limited extent of critical tourism research is established. The article concludes that tourism should be a critical business and offers pointers for such an agenda. For although positivist research informed by technical rationality is crucial to the better operational management of tourism, critical research is essential for setting an agenda for ethical management, governance and coexistence with the wider world. Indeed it is critical to deep, long-term sustainability and even the survival of tourism.
Divisions of Research & Statistics and Monetary Affairs Federal Reserve Board , Washington , D . C . Monetary Policy , Real Activity , and Credit Spreads : Evidence from Bayesian Proxy SVARs

This paper studies the interaction between monetary policy, financial markets, and the real economy. We develop a Bayesian framework to estimate proxy structural vector autoregressions (SVARs) in which monetary policy shocks are identified by exploiting the information contained in high frequency data. For the Great Moderation period, we find that monetary policy shocks are key drivers of fluctuations in industrial output and corporate credit spreads, explaining about 20 percent of the volatility of these variables. Central to this result is a systematic component of monetary policy characterized by a direct and economically significant reaction to changes in credit spreads. We show that the failure to account for this endogenous reaction induces an attenuation bias in the response of all variables to monetary shocks. We thank Domenico Giannone, Yuriy Gorodnichenko, Jim Hamilton, David Lopez-Salido, Andrea Prestipino, Giorgio Primiceri, Juan Rubio-Ramı́rez, Jón Steinsson, Mark Watson, Egon Zakraǰsek, Tao Zha, and seminar and conference participants at the Federal Reserve Board, the 2015 SED Annual Meetings, the EFSF workshop at the 2015 NBER Summer Institute, Cornell University, Colgate University, and Emory University. All errors and omissions are our own responsibility. The views expressed in this paper are solely the responsibility of the authors and should not be interpreted as reflecting the views of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System or of anyone else associated with the Federal Reserve System. ∗Federal Reserve Board of Governors. Email: dario.caldara@frb.gov †Federal Reserve Board of Governors. Email: edward.p.herbst@frb.gov
The determinants and consequences of emotional responses towards tourist destinations.

For years, the central tenet in consumer research has assumed a highly rational model of consumer behaviour. Under this perspective, consumers are seen to intentionally choose brands or purchase products solely on the basis of reasons (Holbrook et al. 1990). However, a number of scholars challenge this assumption and since the early 1980s, research has shifted to reactive view, focussing on the experiential aspects of consumption. A number of studies have investigated the role of emotion in aspects of consumption such as satisfaction and behavioural intentions. Similarly, emotions play an important role in tourism given its pleasure-seeking activities and the hedonic nature of the experience (Otto and Ritchie, 1996). Emotional reactions to the tourism experience influence satisfaction, behavioural intention, attitude judgements and destination choice. Yet, research on the affective dimensions of tourists' experience remains sparse with empirical evidence appearing only recently (Ekinci and Hosany, 2006). More specifically, no studies exist to understand tourist emotional responses towards destinations visited. Accordingly, this research attempts to contribute to the literature by addressing two key questions; what is the structure of tourists' emotional responses towards tourist destinations? ; and what are the determinants and consequences of these emotional responses? The research question were tested by means of two empirical studies (Study 1: N=200; Study 2: N=520). In order to examine the first research question. Study 1 adopts a rigorous and methodologically sound approach to scale development. For the second objective, to investigate the determinants of tourists' emotional responses. Study 2 builds on cognitive the appraisal theories of emotions. In turn, how these emotions influence post-consumption behaviours such as satisfaction and intention to recommend are also examined. This research makes several theoretical contributions to the literature and offers important implications for destination marketers. In particular, a reliable and valid destination emotion scale (DES) was developed, consisting of three salient dimensions: joy, love and positive surprise. At the same time, consistent with theory, there was a significant effect of cognitive appraisals on emotional responses. Based on the study findings, a destination emotion model is proposed, linking appraisals, emotional responses and post-consumption evaluations. Finally, a number of future research agendas are highlighted.
Does cannabis use predispose to chronic airflow obstruction?

Cannabis (derived from the ubiquitous plant, Cannabis sativa , and also known as marijuana) is the most widely used illicit drug worldwide, as well as the second most commonly smoked substance after tobacco, with an estimated 166 million users (3.9% of 15–64 yr olds) 1. Its wide popularity is due to the euphoric effects of its major psychoactive ingredient, Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). Since the gas and particulate phase constituents of the smoke of marijuana are at least qualitatively similar to those of tobacco, the major exception being the nicotine in tobacco and the ∼60 cannabinoid (THC-like) components in marijuana 2, 3, there has long been concern that regular smoking of marijuana might increase the risk of developing chronic airflow obstruction and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), by analogy with the well-known detrimental effects of tobacco. Several studies have documented that smokers of marijuana, even in the absence of tobacco smoking, show a higher prevalence of symptoms of chronic bronchitis than nonsmokers 4–7. However, the association between marijuana smoking and airflow obstruction is less clear. Several groups of investigators have addressed the latter question by measuring lung function in convenience samples or stratified random population samples of users and nonusers of marijuana and/or tobacco both cross-sectionally 4–6, 8–10 and longitudinally 11–13. The most recent study of the possible association of marijuana use with lung function abnormality appears in this issue of the European Respiratory Journal 14. Previously published studies have yielded conflicting results relating to marijuana use and lung function. An early cross-sectional study of 74 young (mean age 24 yrs) habitual marijuana smokers showed no differences in either spirometric indices or sensitive measures of small airways function (closing volume or percentage change in nitrogen concentration …
Employing think-aloud protocol to connect user emotions and mouse movements

This paper describes unobtrusive method for user confusion detection by monitoring mouse movements. A special computer game was designed to collect mouse logs. Think-aloud protocol was used in order to identify the states of confusion. Features extracted from mouse movement's logs were used in training dataset. Support Vector Machines, Logistic Regression, C4.5 and Random Forest were used to build classification models. Model generated by Random Forest yield to best classification results with f-score 0.938.