Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Neurologic Defects and Selective Disruption of Basement Membranes in Mice Lacking Entactin-1/Nidogen-1

Entactin-1 (nidogen-1) is an ubiquitous component of basement membranes. From in vitro experiments, entactin-1 was assigned a role in maintaining the structural integrity of the basement membrane because of its binding affinity to other components, such as type IV collagen and laminin. Entactin-1 also interacts with integrin receptors on the cell surface to mediate cell adhesion, spreading, and motility. Targeted disruption of the entactin-1 gene in the mouse presented in this study revealed a duplication of the entacin-1 locus. Homozygous mutants for the functional locus lacked entactin-1 mRNA and protein and often displayed seizure-like symptoms and loss of muscle control in the hind legs. The behavior patterns suggested the presence of neurologic deficits in the central nervous system, thus providing genetic evidence linking entactin-1 to proper functions of the neuromuscular system. In homozygous mutants, structural alterations in the basement membranes were found only in selected locations including brain capillaries and the lens capsule. The morphology of the basement membranes in other tissues examined superficially appeared to be normal. These observations suggest that the lost functions of entactin-1 result in pathologic changes that are highly tissue specific.
Basic Reading Through Dance Program

This study evaluates the effectiveness of an arts-based educational program, Basic Reading Through Dance. Basic Reading Through Dance is a 20-session, curriculum-based reading intervention for first-grade students developed by Whirlwind, a not-for-profit organization. There were a total of 721 first-grade students from Chicago public schools who participated in the study, with 328 students from 6 schools receiving the program and 393 students from 9 schools serving as controls. The program was designed to improve reading skills, as assessed by the PhonoGraphix Test, such as code knowledge (alphabet sounds) and phoneme segmentation (separating letter sounds within spoken words). Results suggest that the students who participated in the program improved significantly more than control students on all reading skills that were assessed.
Pacific Asia Conference on Information Systems ( PACIS ) 2010 Relationship and Contract Issues of IT Outsourcing – Descriptive Case Studies in China Regions

In spite of the continuous increase in IT outsourcing activities globally, a major percentage of outsourcing deals failed or suffered from serious problems. In China regions where IT outsourcing practice is still at its initial stage, the situation is even serious: there lacks systematic guidance in terms of how to negotiate decent contracts and how to develop sound relationships. In view of this, the current research develops a research framework based on the theories in Economics, Management and Marketing fields, and investigates the effects of both relationship and contract on IT outsourcing success. To support the research framework, evidence was collected from two descriptive case studies conducted in Hong Kong and Mainland China. The case analysis implies the dimensionalities of relationship and contract. What is more, IT outsourcing success is mainly evaluated from the technological benefits client company could gain. A significant contribution of this study to theory is to look into IT outsourcing phenomenon with a balanced view and through an integrated theoretical lens. For practitioners, this research removes executives’ doubts about simultaneously employing both relationship (soft side) and contract (hard side) as governance mechanisms in managing IT outsourcing deals.
Evaluation of Four Commonly Used DNA Barcoding Loci for Chinese Medicinal Plants of the Family Schisandraceae

Many species of Schisandraceae are used in traditional Chinese medicine and are faced with contamination and substitution risks due to inaccurate identification. Here, we investigated the discriminatory power of four commonly used DNA barcoding loci (ITS, trnH-psbA, matK, and rbcL) and corresponding multi-locus combinations for 135 individuals from 33 species of Schisandraceae, using distance-, tree-, similarity-, and character-based methods, at both the family level and the genus level. Our results showed that the two spacer regions (ITS and trnH-psbA) possess higher species-resolving power than the two coding regions (matK and rbcL). The degree of species resolution increased with most of the multi-locus combinations. Furthermore, our results implied that the best DNA barcode for the species discrimination at the family level might not always be the most suitable one at the genus level. Here we propose the combination of ITS+trnH-psbA+matK+rbcL as the most ideal DNA barcode for discriminating the medicinal plants of Schisandra and Kadsura, and the combination of ITS+trnH-psbA as the most suitable barcode for Illicium species. In addition, the closely related species Schisandra rubriflora Rehder & E. H. Wilson and Schisandra grandiflora Hook.f. & Thomson, were paraphyletic with each other on phylogenetic trees, suggesting that they should not be distinct species. Furthermore, the samples of these two species from the southern Hengduan Mountains region formed a distinct cluster that was separated from the samples of other regions, implying the presence of cryptic diversity. The feasibility of DNA barcodes for identification of geographical authenticity was also verified here. The database and paradigm that we provide in this study could be used as reference for the authentication of traditional Chinese medicinal plants utilizing DNA barcoding.
Personality traits and occupational stress among Chinese academics

The primary objective of this study was to examine the predictive power of personality traits for occupational stress among Chinese university academics. Two hundred and forty-six participants responded to the NEO Five-Factor Inventory and the Occupational Stress Inventory-Revised. Results indicated that the strongest predictor for occupational stress is neuroticism, with those higher on neuroticism being more vulnerable to role overload and psychological strain. An equally important predictor is conscientiousness, with academics higher on conscientiousness reporting more frequent use of adaptive coping strategy and less susceptible to the feeling of role insufficiency. Extraversion and openness contributed modestly to occupational stress, while agreeableness was the least important factor in occupational stress. Implications of these findings are discussed concerning faculty members and university senior managers.
Berlin's Creative Industries: Governing Creativity?

This paper aims at discussing the issue of governing creativity exemplifying the case of Berlin. Berlin has a fast growing creative industry that has become the object of the city's development policies and place marketing. The core question is: What are the spatial‐organizational driving forces of creativity in Berlin—can they be steered by public administration? The point of departure of this paper is the four “paradoxes of creativity” formulated by DeFillippi, Grabher and Jones in 2007 that describe organizational dilemmas linked to epistemological problems of the study of creativity. For our analyses, we refer to and make use of the various existing databases and recent studies on Berlin's creative industries, in particular the attempts of the Berlin Senate to assess the economic contribution of creative industries. We will show the potential for self‐organization—and thus self‐governance—of creativity and creative industries in Berlin. This potential is linked to the activities of communities of practice that make use of Berlin's specific urban fabric. The “paradoxes of creativity” that have become obvious in the case of Berlin's creative industries concern, for instance, the tension between the autonomy of creative production, on the one hand, and the necessities of professionalization on the other. The local communities of practice—of which most of Berlin's creative industries are made—serve both as quality evaluation circles and drivers of creativity and innovation.
Female–male differences in conversational interaction

ABSTRACT This article describes a preliminary experiment looking at possible differences in how females and males interact in conversation. The article analyzes data from an experiment where two females and two males talked to each other in all possible pairs; a total of 60 minutes of conversation (six dyads) was transcribed. The goal was to isolate quantifiable entities related to controlling or directing the conversation. We looked at issues such as who talked how much, how fluently or confidently – and how the two people in the conversation interacted in terms of interruptions and indications of support, agreement, or disagreement. The findings from such a small sample are only relevant to suggest hypotheses for further research. However, we noticed a number of interesting differences: the female speakers used more 1st person pronouns and fewer 3rd person references than the male speakers; the female speakers used mm hmm at a much higher frequency than the male speakers; the female speakers also interrupted each other more; and the female/female conversation seemed more fluent than the other conversations, as measured by number of disfluencies and number of affirmative transitions upon speaker change. All of these differences suggest that this area is a fruitful one for further investigation. (Conversational analysis, gender differences)
Differential regulation of keratinocyte chemokinesis and chemotaxis through distinct nicotinic receptor subtypes

Nicotinergic agents can act as both chemokines and chemoattractants for cell migration. Epidermal keratinocytes both synthesize acetylcholine and use it as a paracrine and autocrine regulator of cell motility. To gain a mechanistic insight into nicotinergic control of keratinocyte motility, we determined types of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors and signaling pathways regulating keratinocyte chemokinesis and chemotaxis, using respective modifications of the agarose gel keratinocyte outgrowth assay. Random migration of keratinocytes was significantly (P<0.05) inhibited by hemicholinum-3, a metabolic inhibitor of acetylcholine synthesis, as well as by the α-conotoxins MII and AuIB, preferentially blocking α3-containing nicotinic acetylcholine receptors. The use of antisense oligonucleotides specific for nicotinic-acetylcholine-receptor subunits and knockout mice demonstrated pivotal role for the α3β2 channel in mediating acetylcholine-dependent chemokinesis. Signaling pathways downstream of α3β2 included activation of the protein-kinase-C isoform δ and RhoA-dependent events. The nicotinergic chemotaxis of keratinocytes was most pronounced towards the concentration gradient of choline, a potent agonist of α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor. The α7-preferring antagonist α-bungarotoxin significantly (P<0.05) diminished keratinocyte chemotaxis, further suggesting a central role for the α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor. This hypothesis was confirmed in experiments with anti-α7 antisense oligonucleotides and α7-knockout mice. The signaling pathway mediating α7-dependent keratinocyte chemotaxis included intracellular calcium, activation of calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein-kinase II, conventional isoforms of protein-kinase C, phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase and engagement of Rac/Cdc42. Redistribution of α7 immunoreactivity to the leading edge of keratinocytes upon exposure to a chemoattractant preceded crescent shape formation and directional migration. Application of high-resolution deconvolution microscopy demonstrated that, on the cell membrane of keratinocytes, the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor subunits localize with the integrin β1. The obtained results demonstrate for the first time that α3 and α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors regulate keratinocyte chemokinesis and chemotaxis, respectively, and identify signaling pathways mediating these functions, which has clinical implications for wound healing and control of cancer metastases.
Modelling the Process of Family Influence on the Young Adult Consumer Behaviour

Abstract Family influences on consumer behaviour have been analysed from two different approaches: from the individual's susceptibility to different types of influence, and from the consequences produced in consumer behaviour. The aim of this paper is to establish a model in which susceptibility to family influence and influence on patterns of consumption in relation to a product are integrated within the process of influence. Therefore, an empirical study aimed at young consumers has been conducted. Findings show that young adults' susceptibility to informational influence from their parents results in family awareness and in family influence on patterns of consumption. Finally, this influence leads young adults to purchase the same brands as their parents.
“¿Qué Estoy Haciendo Aquí? (What Am I Doing Here?)”: Chicanos/Latinos(as) Navigating Challengesand Inequalities During Their First Year of Graduate School

Based on in-depth qualitative interviews, this study analyzed the challenges and structural inequities that Chicanos/Latinos(as) encountered and resisted during their first year of graduate school. Grounded in intersectionality theory, this study analyzed how race, class, and gender inequalities that are embedded in the graduate schooling process impinged on first-year Chicano/Latino(a) doctoral students. Findings reveal that academic transition challenges; isolation and alienation; clashes with traditional academic culture and the graduate school curriculum; and racist, sexist, and classist microaggressions constituted the most salient hurdles for Chicanos/Latinos(as) as they transitioned into graduate study. Respondents, however, challenged these structural inequalities through their deployment of various resistance strategies. Overall, the study underscores the importance of both analyzing the first-year doctoral education experience of Chicanos/Latinos(as) and utilizing intersectionality theory for analyzing Chicanos/Latinos(as)’ educational experiences.
MY TICKET, MY "SELF": LOTTERY TICKET NUMBER SELECTION AND THE COMMODIFICATION AND EXTENSION OF THE SELF

Thirty-seven states and the District of Columbia hold state lotteries, which generate over $36 billion annually. Although the basic social act of lottery participation has changed little historically, elements of contemporary lotteries have fundamentally changed the nature of the lottery experience. In this paper I focus on one of these fundamental changes−the production of the individual lottery ticket. Many lottery participants select their lottery ticket numbers. Why do players choose their numbers? One explanation is that such behavior represents the player's individual belief that he or she is able to harness metaphysical forces on his or her behalf. Utilizing the Symbolic Interactionist perspective, I argue that lottery ticket numbers selected by participants often commodify and extend the self. In addition, participants appear to utilize the production of lottery tickets to situate themselves within the embedded context of their primary group or reference group. When this occurs, discussion about lottery play is included in the group's routines of action. In many cases, the player's lottery ticket numbers represent important personal and social events, or status changes (such as wedding dates) that affirm the affective bonds among the members of the group. In addition, the production of personalized lottery tickets often leads to the creation of cultural material that is meaningful, and perhaps truly understandable, only to the members of the group.
The Price and Quantity of IT-Related Intangible Capital

The new business practices and information structures associated with IT-related intangible capital (ITIC) account for a significant fraction of the market value of modern firms. We use a newly-constructed IT data series along with Hall’s Quantity Revelation Theorem to create ITIC price and quantity measures in a panel of US firms. We find that that ITIC values dropped significantly after the dot-com bust, but that this was mostly due to fluctuations in price. ITIC quantities rose steadily until about 2000, and then begin to fall but at a slow rate. As a fraction of firms’ total assets, ITIC quantities rose from about 20% in 1995 to about 40% in 2006. We also estimate that ITIC depreciates at a rate of about 7% a year, which is closer to the estimated depreciation rate for physical capital than for R&D capital.
Bayesian Evaluation of DSGE Models with Financial Frictions

We evaluate two most popular approaches to implementing financial frictions into DSGE models: the Bernanke et al. (1999) setup, where financial frictions enter through the price of loans, and the Kiyotaki and Moore (1997) model, where they concern the quantity of loans. We take both models to the US data and check how well they fit it on several margins. Overall, comparing the models favors the framework of Bernanke et al. (1999). However, even this model is not able to make a clear improvement over the benchmark New Keynesian model, and the Kiyotaki and Moore (1997) underperforms it on several margins. Furthermore, none of the extensions explains the 2007-09 recession as significantly more “financial” than several previous ones.
Population Structure and Eigenanalysis

Current methods for inferring population structure from genetic data do not provide formal significance tests for population differentiation. We discuss an approach to studying population structure (principal components analysis) that was first applied to genetic data by Cavalli-Sforza and colleagues. We place the method on a solid statistical footing, using results from modern statistics to develop formal significance tests. We also uncover a general “phase change” phenomenon about the ability to detect structure in genetic data, which emerges from the statistical theory we use, and has an important implication for the ability to discover structure in genetic data: for a fixed but large dataset size, divergence between two populations (as measured, for example, by a statistic like FST) below a threshold is essentially undetectable, but a little above threshold, detection will be easy. This means that we can predict the dataset size needed to detect structure.
Instructional strategies for studying content area texts in the intermediate grades.

THIS STUDY explored the efficacy of utilizing systematic instruction in teaching study skill strategies to fifth-grade students who had adequate reading (decoding) skills but demonstrated deficiencies in study skills. The method used was based on Robinson's (1941) SQ3R method, principles of task analysis, and direct instruction. Forty-five fifth-grade students with reading scores on a standardized achievement test of less than 1 year below grade level, and scores of less than 50% on two individual tests of study skills were randomly assigned to one of three samples: a treatment condition with systematic instruction in study skills, or one of two comparison conditions (independent seatwork on the same materials with feedback from teachers or no instruction). After 4 days of training, students were given a passage to study from a fifth-grade social studies text; they were then asked to retell important elements of the passage, and finally given a short answer test on important facts in the passage. Two weeks later, the testing process was repeated. Results indicated students receiving systematic instruction in study skills performed significantly higher on the factual short answer test on both occasions, F(1,42) = 47.91, p <. 001. No significant differences were found on the retell measures. Several issues, including the use of free retell as measures of comprehension and the organization of textbooks, are discussed.
SIGLEC1 is a biomarker of disease activity and indicates extraglandular manifestation in primary Sjögren's syndrome

Objectives To evaluate the interferon (IFN) biomarkers sialic acid binding Ig like lectin 1 (SIGLEC1, CD169) and IFN-γ-inducible protein-10 (IP-10) in patients with primary Sjögren's syndrome (pSS). Methods 31 patients fulfilling the American-European criteria for pSS were included. Disease activity was obtained by EULAR Sjögren's syndrome disease activity index (ESSDAI). SIGLEC1 expression on monocytes was analysed using flow cytometry. IP-10 concentrations were determined using Bioplex human Cytokine 27-plex kit. Spearman rank test (SRT) was used for correlation analysis and Mann-Whitney U (MWU) to test for differences between glandular and extraglandular manifestations. Results An activated IFN system was detected by an upregulation of SIGLEC1 expression in 64.5% and by elevated serum level of IP-10 in 78.9% of our patients with pSS. In a subsequent analysis SIGLEC1 expression was found to be upregulated more frequently in patients with extraglandular manifestations (16/16, 100%) compared to patients with exclusively glandular involvement (4/15, 27%). SIGLEC1 expression could significantly discriminate between these two disease subgroups (p=0.0001, MWU) with a positive predictive value (PPV) of 80% for extraglandular disease. Moreover, the expression correlated with disease activity (p=0.005, r=0.54, SRT). Serum IP-10 levels neither differed significantly between glandular and extraglandular disease nor correlated with ESSDAI. Conclusions Our results indicate that increased SIGLEC1 expression characterises patients with systemic involvement and high disease activity. Therefore, SIGLEC1 determination might be of value for subset definition, risk stratification and differential therapeutic considerations in pSS.
Binarity of transit host stars - Implications for planetary parameters

Context. Straight-forward derivation of planetary parameters can only be achieved in transiting planetary systems. However, planetary attributes such as radius and mass strongly depend on stellar host parameters. Discovering a transit host star to be multiple leads to a necessary revision of the derived stellar and planetary parameters. Aims. Based on our observations of 14 transiting exoplanet hosts, we derive parameters of the individual components of three transit host stars (WASP-2, TrES-2, and TrES-4) which we detected to be binaries. Two of these have not been known to be multiple before. Parameters of the corresponding exoplanets are revised. Methods. High-resolution “Lucky Imaging” with AstraLux at the 2.2 m Calar Alto telescope provided near diffraction limited images in i' and z' passbands. These results have been combined with existing planetary data in order to recalibrate planetary attributes. Results. Despite the faintness ( Δ mag ~ 4) of the discovered stellar companions to TrES-2, TrES-4, and WASP-2, light-curve deduced parameters change by up to more than 1 σ . We discuss a possible relation between binary separation and planetary properties, which – if confirmed – could hint at the influence of binarity on the planet formation process.