Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
An empirical micro matching model with an application to Italy and Spain

A large literature investigates the role of frictions in explaining labor market dynamics. Their presence is often summarized by an aggregate matching function relating the number of job matches to total unemployment and total vacancies. Most empirical specifications, however, are only reduced forms with no microfoundation. Further, for many countries, empirical research on the matching function cannot be carried out because data on vacancies are simply not available. This paper looks at a job match as a transition from non-employment into employment. This transition is decomposed in two parts, one determined by the matching technology and one by individual search intensity. We show how the microfounded model of Pissarides (1979) can be identified using only microdata on labor market transitions. This enables us to obtain a measure of market tightness even without information on the demand side of the market. The method is then applied to estimating the Italian and Spanish matching functions using data from the quarterly labor force surveys.
Infinitely many positive solutions of fractional nonlinear Schrödinger equations with non-symmetric potentials

We consider the fractional nonlinear Schrodinger equation \begin{document}\begin{equation*}(-Δ)^su+V(x)u=u^p \mbox{ in }\mathbb{R}^N, u→0~\mathrm{as}~|x|→+∞,\end{equation*} \end{document} where \begin{document}$V(x)$\end{document} is a uniformly positive potential and $p>1. $ Assuming that \begin{document}\begin{equation*}V(x)=V_{∞}+\frac{a}{|x|^m}+O\Big(\frac{1}{|x|^{m+σ}}\Big)~\mathrm{as}~|x|→+∞,\end{equation*} \end{document} and \begin{document}$p,m,σ,s$\end{document} satisfy certain conditions, we prove the existence of infinitely many positive solutions for \begin{document}$N=2$\end{document} . For \begin{document}$s=1$\end{document} , this corresponds to the multiplicity result given by Del Pino, Wei, and Yao [ 24 ] for the classical nonlinear Schrodinger equation.
Fusion of Knowledge-Intensive and Statistical Approaches for Retrieving and Annotating Textual Genomics Documents

This paper represents a continuation of research into the retrieval and annotation of textual genomics documents (both MEDLINE ® citations and full text articles) for the purpose of satisfying biologists’ real information needs. The overall approach taken here for both the ad hoc retrieval and categorization tasks within the TREC genomics track in 2005 was one combining the results of several NLP, statistical and ML methods, using a fusion method for ad hoc retrieval and ensemble methods for categorization. The results show that fusion approaches can improve the final outcome for the ad hoc and the categorization tasks, but that care must be taken in order to take advantage of the strengths of the constituent methods.
METCAM / MUC 18 is a novel tumor and metastasis suppressor for the human ovarian cancer SKOV 3 cells

Background: Increased expression of METCAM/MUC18, a trans-membrane cell adhesion molecule in the Ig-like gene superfamily, has been associated with the malignant progression of epithelial ovarian carcinomas. To investigate if this is a fortuitous correlation or if METCAM/MUC18 actually plays a role in the progression of the cancer, we tested effects of enforced expression of METCAM/MUC18 on in vitro behaviors, in vivo tumorigenesis, and in vivo malignant progression of human ovarian cancer SK-OV-3 cells, which minimally expressed this protein. Methods: For in vitro and in vivo tests, we transfected human METCAM/MUC18 cDNA gene into SK-OV-3 cells in a mammalian expression vector pcDNA3.1+ and obtained G418-resistant (G418) clones, which expressed various levels of human METCAM/MUC18. To mimic physiological situations, we used pooled METCAM/MUC18-expressing and control (vector) clones for testing effects of human METCAM/MUC18 over-expression on in vitro motility and invasiveness, and on in vivo tumor formation and metastasis in female athymic nude mice. Effects of METCAM/MUC18 on the expression of various downstream key factors related to tumorigenesis were also evaluated by Western blot analyses. Results: The over-expression of METCAM/MUC18 inhibited in vitro motility and invasiveness of SK-OV-3 cells. SK-OV-3 cells of the control (vector) clone (3D), which did not express human METCAM/MUC18, supported the formation of a solid tumor after SC injection of the cells at dorsal or ventral sites and also formation of solid tumor and ascites after IP injection in the intraperitoneal cavity of nude mice. In contrast, SK-OV-3 cells from the METCAM/MUC18-expressing clone (2D), which expressed a high level of METCAM/MUC18, did not support the formation of a solid tumor at SC sites, or formation of ascites in the intraperitoneal cavity of nude mice. Expression levels of downstream key factors, which may affect tumor proliferation and angiogenesis, were reduced in tumors induced by the METCAM/MUC18-expressing clone (2D). Conclusions: We conclude that increased human METCAM/MUC18 expression in ovarian cancer SK-OV-3 cells suppressed tumorigenesis and ascites formation in nude mice, suggesting that human METCAM/MUC18 plays a suppressor role in the progression of ovarian cancer, perhaps by reducing proliferation and angiogenesis.
Propeller-activated resonances and the fate of short-period cataclysmic variables

We show that the combination of a weak magnetic propeller and accretion disc resonances can effectively halt accretion in short-period cataclysmic variables (CVs) for large fractions of their lifetimes. This may help to explain the discrepancy between the observed and predicted orbital period distributions of CVs at short periods. Orbital resonances cause the disc to become eccentric, allowing material to fall back on to the donor star or out of the system. A weak magnetic field on a rapidly spinning primary star propels disc material outwards, allowing it to access these resonances. Numerical and analytic calculations show that this state can be long lived (similar to 10(11) yr). This is because the magnetic propeller is required only to maintain access to the resonances, and not to push matter out of the Roche lobe, so that the spin-down time-scale is much longer than that for a classical propeller model.
Repeated Assessments of Informed Consent Comprehension among HIV-Infected Participants of a Three-Year Clinical Trial in Botswana

Background Informed consent (IC) has been an international standard for decades for the ethical conduct of clinical trials. Yet frequently study participants have incomplete understanding of key issues, a problem exacerbated by language barriers or lack of familiarity with research concepts. Few investigators measure participant comprehension of IC, while even fewer conduct interim assessments once a trial is underway. Methods and Findings We assessed comprehension of IC using a 20-question true/false quiz administered in 6-month intervals in the context of a placebo-controlled, randomized trial for the prevention of tuberculosis among HIV-infected adults in Botswana (2004–2009). Quizzes were offered in both Setswana and English. To enroll in the TB trial, participants were required to have ≥16/20 correct responses. We examined concepts understood and the degree to which understanding changed over three-years. We analyzed 5,555 quizzes from 1,835 participants. The participants' highest education levels were: 28% primary, 59% secondary, 9% tertiary and 7% no formal education. Eighty percent of participants passed the enrollment quiz (Quiz1) on their first attempt and the remainder passed on their second attempt. Those having higher than primary education and those who took the quiz in English were more likely to receive a passing score on their first attempt (adjusted odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals, 3.1 (2.4–4.0) and 1.5 (1.2, 1.9), respectively). The trial's purpose or procedures were understood by 90–100% of participants, while 44–77% understood randomization, placebos, or risks. Participants who failed Quiz1 on their initial attempt were more likely to fail quizzes later in the trial. Pass rates improved with quiz re-administration in subsequent years. Conclusions Administration of a comprehension quiz at enrollment and during follow-up was feasible in a large, international collaboration and efficiently determined IC comprehension by trial participants. Strategies to improve understanding of concepts like placebos and randomization are needed. Comprehension assessments throughout a study may reinforce key concepts.
Linearity and time-scale invariance of the creep function in living cells

We report here the creep function measured in three cell types, after a variety of interventions, and over three time decades (from 3ms to 3.2 s). In each case the response conformed to a power law, implying that no distinct molecular relaxation times or time constants could characterize the response. These results add to a growing body of evidence that stands in contrast to widely used viscoelastic models featuring at most a few time constants. We show instead that the ability of the matrix to deform is time-scale invariant and characterized by only one parameter: the power law exponent that controls the transition between solid-like and liquid-like behaviour. Moreover, we validate linearity by comparison of measurements in the time and frequency domains.
Modeling and Synthesis of Alumina Whiskers Based on the Vapor Deposition Process

This study simulated the bulk structure and surface energy of Al2O3 based on the density of states (DOS) and studied the synthesis and microstructure of one-dimensional Al2O3 whiskers. The simulation results indicate that the (001) surface has a higher surface energy than the others. The growth mechanism of Al2O3 whiskers follows vapor–solid (VS) growth. For the (001) surface with the higher surface energy, the driving force of crystal growth would be more intense in the (001) plane, and the alumina crystal would tend to grow preferentially along the direction of the (001) plane from the tip of the crystal. The Al2O3 grows to the shape of whisker with [001] orientation, which is proved both through modeling and experimentation.
Learning methods for long-term channel gain prediction in wireless networks

Efficiently allocating resources and predicting cell handovers is essential in modern wireless networks; however, this is only possible if there is an efficient way to estimate the future state of the network. In order to accomplish this, we investigate two learning techniques to predict the long-term channel gains in a wireless network. Previous works in the literature found efficient methods to perform this prediction with the aid of a GPS signal: in this work, we predict the future channel gains using only past channel samples, without any geographical information.
Identification of Histidine 45 as the Axial Heme Iron Ligand of Heme Oxygenase-2*

A truncated, soluble, and enzymatically active form of human heme oxygenase-2 (ΔHHO2) was expressed inEscherichia coli. To identify the axial heme ligand of HO-2, His-45 to Ala (ΔH45A) and His-152 to Ala (ΔH152A) mutants have been prepared using this expression system. ΔH45A could form a 1:1 complex with hemin but was completely devoid of the heme degradation activity. A 5-coordinate-type ferrous NO EPR spectrum was observed for the heme-ΔH45A complex. The ΔH152A mutant was expressed as an inclusion body and was recovered from the lysis pellet by dissolution in urea followed by dialysis. The solubilized fraction obtained, however, was composed of a mixture of a functional enzyme and an inactive fraction. The inactive fraction was removed by Sephadex G-75 column chromatography since it eluted out of the column at the void volume. The gel filtration-purified ΔH152A exhibited spectroscopic and enzymatic properties identical to those of wild-type. We conclude, in contrast to the previous reports (McCoubrey and Maines (1993) Arch. Biochem. Biophys. 302, 402–408; McCoubrey, W. K. , Jr., Huang, T. J., and Maines, M. (1997) J. Biol. Chem. 272, 12568–12574), that His-45, but not His-152, in heme oxygenase isoform-2 is the proximal ligand of the heme and is essential for the heme degradation activity of the enzyme. His-152 appears to play a structural role in stabilization of the heme oxygenase protein.
Anti-Sm B Cell Differentiation in Ig Transgenic MRL/Mp-lpr/lpr Mice: Altered Differentiation and an Accelerated Response1

To determine the regulation of B cells specific for the ribonucleoprotein Sm, a target of the immune system in human and mouse lupus, we have generated mice carrying an anti-Sm H chain transgene (2-12H). Anti-Sm B cells in nonautoimmune 2-12H-transgenic (Tg) mice are functional, but, in the absence of immunization, circulating anti-Sm Ab levels are not different from those of non-Tg mice. In this report, we compare the regulation of anti-Sm B cells in nonautoimmune and autoimmune MRL/Mp-lpr/lpr (MRL/lpr) and bcl-2-22-Tg mice. Activation markers are elevated on splenic and peritoneal anti-Sm B cells of both nonautoimmune and autoimmune genetic backgrounds indicating Ag encounter. Although tolerance to Sm is maintained in 2-12H/bcl-2-22-Tg mice, it is lost in 2-12H-Tg MRL/lpr mice, as the transgene accelerates and increases the prevalence of the anti-Sm response. The 2-12H-Tg MRL/lpr mice have transitional anti-Sm B cells in the spleen similar to nonautoimmune mice. However, in contrast to nonautoimmune mice, there are few if any peritoneal anti-Sm B-1 cells. These data suggest that a defect in B-1 differentiation may be a factor in the loss of tolerance to Sm and provide insight into the low prevalence of the anti-Sm response in lupus.
The Role of Working Memory and Information Processing Speed on Wisconsin Card Sorting Test Performance in Parkinson Disease Without Dementia

Introduction: Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST) performance is often compromised in Parkinson disease (PD). Objective: We aimed to investigate (a) the role of working memory (WM) and information processing speed (IPS) in the WCST performance of PD without dementia and (b) the profile of PD without dementia optimal WCST performance. Methods: 73 nondemented patients with PD were examined in WCST, WM (Digit Span Backwards [DSPANB] and Arithmetic subscale, Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale [WAIS]), and IPS (Digit Symbol subscale-WAIS and Trail Making Test, part A [TMT-A]) and compared to a group of 48 healthy participants. The group with PD was further divided into 2 subgroups on the basis of their WCST performance, number of categories achieved (CAT):0-2 and CAT:3-6, and comparisons were performed. Results: The DSPANB correlated significantly and was the only neuropsychological variable that significantly contributed to the WCST perseverative errors (WPERRORS) performed by the PD group. Differences in the cognitive performance between CAT:3-6 and CAT:0-2 PD subgroups were no longer significant after controlling for age and general level of intelligence (full IQ [FIQ]). Age and FIQ significantly contributed to the WPERRORS performed by CAT:3-6 PD subgroup, while DSPANB was the only variable that significantly contributed to their WCST overall performance. Conclusions: Our findings address the relationship between WM and inflexible behavior exhibited by PD without dementia, argue for the importance of lower age, higher education, and level of intelligence for the successful performance on WCST; yet, the differences in cognitive performance regardless of the duration of illness within our patients with PD provide support to cognitive reserve concept.
A graph-theoretic modeling on GO space for biological interpretation of gene clusters

MOTIVATION With the advent of DNA microarray technologies, the parallel quantification of genome-wide transcriptions has been a great opportunity to systematically understand the complicated biological phenomena. Amidst the enthusiastic investigations into the intricate gene expression data, clustering methods have been the useful tools to uncover the meaningful patterns hidden in those data. The mathematical techniques, however, entirely based on the numerical expression data, do not show biologically relevant information on the clustering results. RESULTS We present a novel methodology for biological interpretation of gene clusters. Our graph theoretic algorithm extracts common biological attributes of the genes within a cluster or a group of interest through the modified structure of gene ontology (GO) called GO tree. After genes are annotated with GO terms, the hierarchical nature of GO terms is used to find the representative biological meanings of the gene clusters. In addition, the biological significance of gene clusters can be assessed quantitatively by defining a distance function on the GO tree. Our approach has a complementary meaning to many statistical clustering techniques; we can see clustering problems from a different viewpoint by use of biological ontology. We applied this algorithm to the well-known data set and successfully obtained the biological features of the gene clusters with the quantitative biological assessment of clustering quality through GO Biological Process.
Reproducible network experiments using container-based emulation

In an ideal world, all research papers would be runnable: simply click to replicate all results, using the same setup as the authors. One approach to enable runnable network systems papers is Container-Based Emulation (CBE), where an environment of virtual hosts, switches, and links runs on a modern multicore server, using real application and kernel code with software-emulated network elements. CBE combines many of the best features of software simulators and hardware testbeds, but its performance fidelity is unproven. In this paper, we put CBE to the test, using our prototype, Mininet-HiFi, to reproduce key results from published network experiments such as DCTCP, Hedera, and router buffer sizing. We report lessons learned from a graduate networking class at Stanford, where 37 students used our platform to replicate 18 published results of their own choosing. Our experiences suggest that CBE makes research results easier to reproduce and build upon.
Investigating Immune Gene Signatures in Peripheral Blood from Subjects with Allergic Rhinitis Undergoing Nasal Allergen Challenge

Nasal allergen challenge (NAC) is a human model of allergic rhinitis (AR) that delivers standardized allergens locally to the nasal mucosa allowing clinical symptoms and biospecimens such as peripheral blood to be collected. Although many studies have focused on local inflammatory sites, peripheral blood, an important mediator and a component of the systemic immune response, has not been well studied in the setting of AR. We sought to investigate immune gene signatures in peripheral blood collected after NAC under the setting of AR. Clinical symptoms and peripheral blood samples from AR subjects were collected during NAC. Fuzzy c-means clustering method was used to identify immune gene expression patterns in blood over time points (before NAC and 1, 2, and 6 h after NAC). We identified and validated seven clusters of differentially expressed immune genes after NAC onset. Clusters 2, 3, and 4 were associated with neutrophil and lymphocyte frequencies and neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio after the allergen challenge. The patterns of the clusters and immune cell frequencies were associated with the clinical symptoms of the AR subjects and were significantly different from healthy nonallergic subjects who had also undergone NAC. Our approach identified dynamic signatures of immune gene expression in blood as a systemic immune response associated with clinical symptoms after NAC. The immune gene signatures may allow cross-sectional investigation of the pathophysiology of AR and may also be useful as a potential objective measurement for diagnosis and treatment of AR combined with the NAC model.
Revisiting biographical disruption: Exploring individual embodied illness experience in people with terminal cancer

Biographical accounts of illness offer useful insights into the social and adaptive processes of living with chronic illness. Yet there are concerns that the underlying theoretical assumptions of a reflexive self seeking to maintain meaning may not reflect the lived experience of individuals. A narrative emphasis may neglect the importance of emotional/felt experiences; while an analytical focus on disruptive processes may not adequately reflect the totality of actual events. In this study, we explored how well biographical theory supports understanding of individual lived experience. Narratives from 19 individuals identified from General Practice lists with a terminal diagnosis of cancer were analysed using the holistic-form approach described by Lieblich. Participants described an ongoing process of living their life, ‘managing’ disruptive events and maintaining an overall sense of well-being (narrative form = biographical flow). For a minority, continuity was lost when people’s capacity to continue living their everyday lives was overwhelmed (narrative form = fracture). The identified emphasis was on individual creative capacity in the face of terminal illness, highlighting the importance of embodied experience in understanding outcome and need. Maintaining continuity was draining: exhaustion precipitated fracture and thus need for external help to restore continuity. By focusing on feelings associated with overall narrative form, rather than individual disruptive events, we highlight the context in which disruptive events are experienced, and individual perceptions of their relative importance. We conclude that combining narrative and emotion offers new insights into the value of understanding of biographical accounts of illness in the context of individual creative capacity. We discuss the possibilities for new approaches to clinical assessment and management of need.
Allometric scaling of RNA, DNA, and enzyme levels: an intraspecific study.

The activities of oxidative and glycolytic enzymes show body size-dependent relationships across a wide variety of taxa; however, the mechanistic basis remains unknown. We sampled white epaxial muscle from rainbow trout ( Oncorhynchus mykiss) spanning a 100-fold range in body mass. We measured activities of enzymes from aerobic and anaerobic metabolic pathways, RNA [total RNA and mRNA, pyruvate kinase (PK), citrate synthase (CS), and MyoD mRNA], and total DNA. Total RNA and DNA showed a biphasic relationship with body size, with a break point occurring after fish reached 1 yr of age. In contrast, total RNA/total DNA was constant across the entire size range. Neither CS activity nor CS mRNA levels scaled with body mass. PK activity and PK mRNA levels increased in parallel in yearling fish only ( r 2 = 0.91, P < 0.01). This suggests that although PK expression is transcriptionally regulated in yearlings, the molecular mechanisms regulating expression change with growth and age. This was supported by a positive correlation between MyoD and PK mRNA levels ( r 2 = 0.17, P < 0.05).
GM-CSF Autoantibody-positive Pulmonary Alveolar Proteinosis with Simultaneous Myeloproliferative Neoplasm

Pulmonary alveolar proteinosis (PAP) is classified as autoimmune, secondary, or genetic. We herein describe a 69-year-old man with autoimmune PAP, simultaneously diagnosed with myeloproliferative neoplasm (MPN). Two years after the diagnosis, the MPN progressed to acute myeloid leukemia, and the patient died from an alveolar hemorrhage during remission induction chemotherapy. Throughout the clinical course, no progression of PAP was observed, despite the progression to leukemia. There are few reports of autoimmune PAP with hematological malignancy, and this case demonstrated that an evaluation for GM-CSF autoantibodies is important for distinguishing the autoimmune and secondary forms of PAP, even if the patient has hematological malignancy.