Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Endogenous Cerberus activity is required for anterior head specification in Xenopus

We analyzed the endogenous requirement for Cerberus in Xenopus head development. `Knockdown' of Cerberus function by antisense morpholino oligonucleotides did not impair head formation in the embryo. In contrast, targeted increase of BMP, Nodal and Wnt signaling in the anterior dorsal-endoderm (ADE) resulted in synergistic loss of anterior head structures, without affecting more posterior axial ones. Remarkably, those head phenotypes were aggravated by simultaneous depletion of Cerberus. These experiments demonstrated for the first time that endogenous Cerberus protein can inhibit BMP, Nodal and Wnt factors in vivo. Conjugates of dorsal ectoderm (DE) and ADE explants in which Cerberus function was `knocked down' revealed the requirement of Cerberus in the ADE for the proper induction of anterior neural markers and repression of more posterior ones. This data supports the view that Cerberus function is required in the leading edge of the ADE for correct induction and patterning of the neuroectoderm.
Role of health insurance and a usual source of medical care in age-appropriate vaccination.

OBJECTIVES We examined the associations of having health insurance and having a usual source of medical care with age-appropriate childhood vaccination. METHODS Simulations were conducted with multivariate logistic regression models and a nationally representative sample of children to assess the likelihood of age-appropriate vaccination. RESULTS Simulated provision of health insurance and a usual source of medical care produced substantial increases in the likelihood of doses being received age-appropriately. Increases in the likelihood of a child's being up to date were also observed, but these increases typically were smaller than for age-appropriate vaccination. CONCLUSIONS Changes in childhood vaccination status should be assessed in age-appropriate terms, because measures of "up to date" status may not capture the effects of immunization interventions.
Problems, visions and concerns of pre-service music and general education teachers in Greece resulting from their teaching practice in music

This study explores music education teaching practice in Greece, collecting data from three university departments: two music departments (M1 and M2) and one primary education department (P) during the academic year 2006–2007. The project was based on data from 84 students (N = 84). Fieldwork in students' teaching practice comprised a selection of: (1) daily teaching plans, (2) students' self-evaluation diaries for each of their teaching lessons and (3) note-keeping from the regular meetings between the academic instructor and the students during the teaching practice period. Data from each of the three university departments are first described separately; then a comparison among the three departments is made, which is based on the following three strands: (1) what problems students faced, (2) what kind of help they needed the most and (3) what they gained out of their teaching practice.
Human Resource Management and the Appropriation-Learning Perspective

This paper posits the concept of "appropriation" to explain the underlying ethos and rationale for seeking to secure the contribution of people to organizational functioning. Human resource management (HRM) practice is therefore largely underpinned by the objective of appropriating the human resource "value. " This is ignored by the practitioner-oriented literature which has a financial interest in helping organizations to secure this value, and by the academic literature which is unwilling to confront the contradictions and uncomfortable truths inherent in such activities. The traditional approach to appropriation is characterized by such concerns as skill-formation, commitment to the organization, shared corporate values, and a reliance on formally constituted governance structures with a putative integrative ethos. This paper advocates a reconstitution of the appropriation regime to incorporate the concepts of knowledge and learning. We draw from the innovation management literature to highlight the problematic nature of appropriation and to clarify the implications of appropriation to the management of the knowledge that resides in people. Finally, we suggest how future research might proceed within an Appropriation-Learning (A-L) perspective.
Insulin Regimens and Clinical Outcomes in a Type 1 Diabetes Cohort

OBJECTIVE To examine the patterns and associations of insulin regimens and change in regimens with clinical outcomes in a diverse population of children with recently diagnosed type 1 diabetes. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS The study sample consisted of youth with type 1 diabetes who completed a baseline SEARCH for Diabetes in Youth study visit after being newly diagnosed and at least one follow-up visit. Demographic, diabetes self-management, physical, and laboratory measures were collected at study visits. Insulin regimens and change in regimen compared with the initial visit were categorized as more intensive (MI), no change (NC), or less intensive (LI). We examined relationships between insulin regimens, change in regimen, and outcomes including A1C and fasting C-peptide. RESULTS Of the 1,606 participants with a mean follow-up of 36 months, 51.7% changed to an MI regimen, 44.7% had NC, and 3.6% changed to an LI regimen. Participants who were younger, non-Hispanic white, and from families of higher income and parental education and who had private health insurance were more likely to be in MI or NC groups. Those in MI and NC groups had lower baseline A1C (P = 0.028) and smaller increase in A1C over time than LI (P < 0.01). Younger age, continuous subcutaneous insulin pump therapy, and change to MI were associated with higher probability of achieving target A1C levels. CONCLUSIONS Insulin regimens were intensified over time in over half of participants but varied by sociodemographic domains. As more intensive regimens were associated with better outcomes, early intensification of management may improve outcomes in all children with diabetes. Although intensification of insulin regimen is preferred, choice of insulin regimen must be individualized based on the child and family’s ability to comply with the prescribed plan.
Faculty perceptions of instrumental and improvement reasons behind quality assessments in higher education: the roles of participation and identification

While the stated aim of quality assessments is to improve the quality of the products and services offered by universities, some faculty view them as instrumental in justifying government budget cuts in education. By means of a survey administered to more than 300 faculty from 20 academic programmes undergoing quality assessments, we studied perceptions of the reasons behind the assessments. The results of our analysis show that faculty participation in the assessment process significantly decreases the chances that faculty believe quality assessments are carried out for instrumental reasons. In addition, those who believe assessments are carried out for quality improvement reasons are more likely to rate the assessments as legitimate and to be more identified with the academic programme that is being assessed. This study emphasizes the significance of faculty attributions about quality assessments and shows that faculty participation is crucial in overcoming initial scepticism towards external interventions.
International Journal of Production Research Combining Rfid with Ontologies to Create Smart Objects Combining Rfid with Ontologies to Create Smart Objects

This article may be used for research, teaching, and private study purposes. Any substantial or systematic reproduction, redistribution, reselling, loan, sub-licensing, systematic supply, or distribution in any form to anyone is expressly forbidden. The publisher does not give any warranty express or implied or make any representation that the contents will be complete or accurate or up to date. The accuracy of any instructions, formulae, and drug doses should be independently verified with primary sources. The publisher shall not be liable for any loss, actions, claims, proceedings, demand, or costs or damages whatsoever or howsoever caused arising directly or indirectly in connection with or arising out of the use of this material. Radio frequency identification (RFID) technology has long been known for its ability to uniquely identify objects. Recent years have witnessed a significant increase in storage capacity on the tag, which is giving rise to a new set of application scenarios. As the tag itself can carry relevant context information, processes can be managed locally rather than relying on a centralised system infrastructure. This in turn results in a massive interoperability challenge. We propose to solve this problem by combining RFID technology with ontologies to create smart objects in the context of manufacturing process control. The idea is to store information originating from an SAP ERP system using the PSL Ontology (ISO 18629) for representing processes and time directly on the RFID tags. As an item flows through a manufacturing process, information about the item can be stored on its tag. This information, along with the PSL axioms, can be used to make inferences about the manufacturing process and the item in particular. In this paper, we discuss our formalisation of an ontology for the SAP data model and show an example of translating data from an SAP ERP system into PSL axioms, and answering queries about a manufacturing process. 1. Introduction In today's global economy, manufacturing enterprises must employ increasingly effective and efficient information systems. Such systems should result in the seamless integration of manufacturing applications and exchange of manufacturing process information between applications within and across enterprise boundaries. A new approach to achieve this integration has been the notion of proactive computing, in which information systems act in anticipation of future problems, needs, or changes of the user. To be proactive, a computer system must understand the user's context and how it changes over time. Within manufacturing …
Pejvakin, a Candidate Stereociliary Rootlet Protein, Regulates Hair Cell Function in a Cell-Autonomous Manner

Mutations in the Pejvakin (PJVK) gene are thought to cause auditory neuropathy and hearing loss of cochlear origin by affecting noise-induced peroxisome proliferation in auditory hair cells and neurons. Here we demonstrate that loss of pejvakin in hair cells, but not in neurons, causes profound hearing loss and outer hair cell degeneration in mice. Pejvakin binds to and colocalizes with the rootlet component TRIOBP at the base of stereocilia in injectoporated hair cells, a pattern that is disrupted by deafness-associated PJVK mutations. Hair cells of pejvakin-deficient mice develop normal rootlets, but hair bundle morphology and mechanotransduction are affected before the onset of hearing. Some mechanotransducing shorter row stereocilia are missing, whereas the remaining ones exhibit overextended tips and a greater variability in height and width. Unlike previous studies of Pjvk alleles with neuronal dysfunction, our findings reveal a cell-autonomous role of pejvakin in maintaining stereocilia architecture that is critical for hair cell function. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Two missense mutations in the Pejvakin (PJVK or DFNB59) gene were first identified in patients with audiological hallmarks of auditory neuropathy spectrum disorder, whereas all other PJVK alleles cause hearing loss of cochlear origin. These findings suggest that complex pathogenetic mechanisms underlie human deafness DFNB59. In contrast to recent studies, we demonstrate that pejvakin in auditory neurons is not essential for normal hearing in mice. Moreover, pejvakin localizes to stereociliary rootlets in hair cells and is required for stereocilia maintenance and mechanosensory function of the hair bundle. Delineating the site of the lesion and the mechanisms underlying DFNB59 will allow clinicians to predict the efficacy of different therapeutic approaches, such as determining compatibility for cochlear implants.
A Quantitative Test For Form Closure Grasps

Grasp and manipulation planning of slippery objects often relies on the 'lform'closure" grasp, which can he maintained regardless of the external force applied to the object. Despite its importance, a quantita- tive test ,for form closure valid for any number of contact points is not availuhle. The primary contribution of this paper is the introduction of such a test formulated as a lineor program, of which the optimal objective value provides a measure of how far a grasp is from losing ,form closure. While the test is formulated for frictionless grasps, we discuss how it can be modified to identify grasps with 'yrictional fortn closure. " I. IX'l'IiODUClTOX
Carboplatin and doxorubicin in treatment of pediatric osteosarcoma: a 9-year single institute experience in the Northern Region of Thailand.

BACKGROUND Osteosarcoma is the most common primary bone tumor in childhood and adolescence. Carboplatin, a platinum-derived agent, is used as neoadjuvant chemotherapy for pediatric osteosarcoma because of its anti-tumor activity and had low toxicity as compared to cisplatin. OBJECTIVE To determine demographic data, prognostic factors and outcome of childhood osteosarcoma treated with a carboplatin-based chemotherapeutic protocol at Chiang Mai University. METHOD A retrospective analysis was conducted on 34 osteosarcoma patients aged less than 18 years and treated between 2003 and 2011. RESULTS Overall limb-salvage and amputation rates were 23.5% and 70.6%, respectively. With the mean follow-up time of 29.5 months (1.5-108.9), the Kaplan-Meier analysis for 3-year disease-free survival (DFS) and 3-year overall survival (OS) were 20.2±7.7% and 47.1±9.5% respectively. Patients who had initial pulmonary metastasis were at significantly greater risk for developing recurrence (p=0.02, OR=7; 1.2-40.1) and had a tendency to have lower 3-year OS compared to those without initial pulmonary metastasis (28.1±13%, 63.1±12.3%, respectively, p=0.202). On univariate analysis, age at diagnosis and patients who were declined surgery were significantly associated with lower 3-year OS (p=0.008 and <0.05, respectively). However, age at diagnosis, sex, tumor size and histological subtypes were not found to significantly affect recurrence or survival. CONCLUSIONS In our study, the survival rate was far lower than those reported from developed countries. These might indicate the ineffectiveness of carboplatin in combination with doxorubicin as frontline treatment of pediatric osteosarcoma, especially in those with initial pulmonary metastasis. Refinement in risk and treatment stratification and dose intensification for pediatric osteosarcoma constitutes a future challenge to improve outcomes, especially in metastatic patients who may need a more intensive regimen.
New Right, New Racism: Race and Reaction in the United States and Britain

Acknowledgements - Introduction: The New Right: Storm-Troopers in the Name of Liberty - Race and the Right Turn: The Symbolic Conflict Approach - The New Right Racial Backlash: A New Racism? - The New Right in the United States: Colorblind Discourse and the Politics of Reverse Racism - The British New Right: A Discourse of Culture, Nation, and Race - The New Right and the Racial State - Conclusion: Challenging the New Right: Combating the New Racism - Endnotes - Bibliography - Index
Molecular Epidemiology of Aspergillus fumigatus Isolates Recovered from Water, Air, and Patients Shows Two Clusters of Genetically Distinct Strains

ABSTRACT There has been an increase in data suggesting that besides air, hospital water is a potential source of transmission of filamentous fungi, and in particular Aspergillus fumigatus. Molecular characterization of environmental and clinical A. fumigatus isolates, collected prospectively during an 18-month period, was performed to establish if waterborne fungi play a role in the pathogenesis of invasive aspergillosis. Isolates recovered from water (n = 54) and air (n = 21) at various locations inside and outside the hospital and from 15 patients (n = 21) with proven, probable, or possible invasive aspergillosis were genotyped by amplified fragment length polymorphism analysis. Based on genomic fingerprints, the environmental A. fumigatus isolates could be grouped into two major clusters primarily containing isolates recovered from either air or water. The genotypic relatedness between clinical and environmental isolates suggests that patients with invasive aspergillosis can be infected by strains originating from water or from air. In addition, 12 clusters with genetically indistinguishable or highly related strains were differentiated, each containing two to three isolates. In two clusters, clinical isolates recovered from patients matched those recovered from water sources, while in another cluster the clinical isolate was indistinguishable from one cultured from air. This observation might open new perspectives in the development of infection control measures to prevent invasive aspergillosis in high-risk patients. The genetic variability found between airborne and waterborne A. fumigatus strains might prove to be a powerful tool in understanding the transmission of invasive aspergillosis and in outbreak control.
Empowerment and Experiential Education

Experiential settings hold great potential for empowering participants. Beginning with an overview of how empowerment has been defined and conceptualized in the literature, this article examines the construct of empowerment in experiential education settings as a process and an outcome. A summary of how empowerment has been applied and measured in experiential settings is described through a review of the research in this area. This article concludes with recommendations and implications for researchers and practitioners in the field of experiential education who seek to understand ways in which programs can facilitate and foster the development of empowerment.
The Settlement-Orientation vs. the Problem-Solving Style in Custody Mediation

While empirical studies have generally demonstrated the value of mediation in divorce, little research has been conducted on the specific models of mediation that are most efficacious in such disputes. This article reports the results of an intensive analysis of 32 cases of custody mediation conducted at the Essex County (NJ) Family Court. One-half of the cases represented predivorce parental disputes; one-half were postdivorce disputes. Nearly half of the cases were characterized by extremely high levels of parental conflict. Mediator behavior was assessed in one 1 1/2–2-hour closing case conferences, supplemented by the examination of audio or video recordings of mediation in 62% of the cases. The effectiveness of mediation was assessed by a postmediation telephone interview and by an analysis of court records, both conducted approximately 18 months after the termination of mediation. Two contrasting styles of enacting the mediator role were identified: The settlement-oriented style (SOS) and the problem-solving style (PSS). Mediators tended to use one or the other style. The SOS mediators were primarily concerned with getting a “settlement” and staying “neutral”; PSS mediators were more focused on understanding the causes of the conflict through persistent question asking and were willing to depart from strict “neutrality” in cases where the conflict was being fueled by particularly destructive behaviors in one of the parents. SOS was the mediator style in 59% of the cases, PSS in 41%. Compared to SOS, PSS produced a more structured and vigorous approach to conflict resolution during mediation, more frequent and durable settlements, and a generally more favorable attitude toward the mediation experience. SOS was not necessarily bad, but PSS was better.
An Additive Effect of Protective Host Genetic Factors Correlates With HIV Nonprogression Status

Introduction:In HIV-positive individuals, complex multifactorial mechanisms control viral infection. In addition to viral and immunological factors, the host genetic background also plays an important role. Our objective was to evaluate how various genetic factors associated with delayed AIDS onset. Methods:Thirty HIV+ long-term nonprogressors (LTNPs) and 30 known progressors were analyzed. Host genes were analyzed in peripheral blood mononuclear cells DNA: CCR5 and HLA were polymerase chain reaction typed. HLA-C5′, HCP5 polymorphisms, and CCL3L1 copy number were determined using real-time polymerase chain reaction. Results:The CCL3L1high-copy-CCR5 deletion genetic risk groups was overrepresented in LTNPs. However, separately, neither CCL3L1 nor CCR5 were significantly associated with clinical outcome. HLA seemed as a strong nonprogression determinant, mainly HLA-B and the less-studied HLA-C. HLA-Cw0102 and HLA-C5′ had an impact on LTNP phenotype along with HLA-B5701 and B2705. The presence of allele combinations like HLA- B*5701-Cw0602, HLA-B*2705-Cw0102, or HLA-B*3801-Cw1203 had the strongest effect in non-progression. As for HCP5, no independent effect was observed. The studied factors had additive effects, and although the number of patients was small, it seemed that carrying a high number of protective alleles associated with progression delay. Conclusions:We showed the additive load of protective host factors was predictive of nonprogression, and that HLA-associated factors were predominant in this global effect.
Electoral Competition with Informed and Uninformed Voters

I present a model of electoral competition in which candidates raise campaign contributions by choosing policies that benefit interest groups and then expend those contributions to influence voters who are uninformed about the policies. Informed voters, however, vote based on those policies, so candidates face a trade-off between choosing a policy to generate funds to attract the uninformed vote and choosing a policy to attract the informed vote. Electoral equilibria are characterized for two categories of policies: particularistic and collective. In the case of particularistic policies, the equilibrium policies of the candidates are separated if the proportion of uninformed voters is sufficiently high, and the degree of separation is an increasing function of that proportion. The model is extended to include the public financing of elections and incumbency advantages. For the case of collective policies, the candidates locate at the median of the ideal points of the informed voters, and contributions are zero.
Automatic detection and classification of prosodic events

Automatic Detection and Classification of Prosodic Events Andrew Rosenberg Prosody, or intonation, is a critically important component of spoken communication. The automatic extraction of prosodic information is necessary for machines to process speech with human levels of proficiency. In this thesis we describe work on the automatic detection and classification of prosodic events – specifically, pitch accents and prosodic phrase boundaries. We present novel techniques, feature representations and state of the art performance in each of these tasks. We also present three proof-of-concept applications – speech summarization, story segmentation and non-native speech assessment – showing that access to hypothesized prosodic event information can be used to improve the performance of downstream spoken language processing tasks. We believe the contributions of this thesis advance the understanding of prosodic events and the use of prosody in spoken language processing towards the goal of human-like processing of speech by machines.