Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Influence of fingolimod on basic lymphocyte subsets frequencies in the peripheral blood of multiple sclerosis patients – preliminary study

Background Fingolimod is a drug administered orally to adult patients treated for relapsing remitting course of multiple sclerosis (MS). Mode of action of fingolimod is based on intense S1P1 receptor stimulation and “arresting” lymphocytes in lymphatic organs. Objective of the research was to assess changes in the frequencies of basic lymphocyte subsets in patients treated for multiple sclerosis with the use of fingolimod. Material and methods Study group comprised of 25 previously untreated adult patients with MS. Venous blood samples were collected from each patient before and one month, three months and six months after treatment initiation. Peripheral blood lymphocyte immunophenotype was assessed with a set of monoclonal antibodies bounded to appropriate fluorochromes and flow cytometer FACSC alibur. Statistical analysis of the results was conducted using Statistica 9.0 software. Results Before fingolimod administration median of lymphocyte subsets percentage in each patient was in reference range. After 1 month of treatment we noticed significant changes in frequencies of following lymphocyte subsets: NK cells – 51.22% (p = 0.016), T CD4+ cells – 11.58% (p = 0.01), T CD4+:T CD8+ cells ratio – 0.61 (p = 0.005). After 3 and 6 months of treatment there was further increase of deviation from normal state. Conclusions The use of fingolimod is associated with profound changes in lymphocyte subsets distribution, which might bear a risk of the development of cellular immune deficiency symptoms.
Big Data Approach as an Institutional Innovation to Tackle Hong Kong’s Illegal Subdivided Unit Problem

While applications of big data have been extensively studied, discussion is mostly made from the perspectives of computer science, Internet services, and informatics. Alternatively, this article takes the big data approach as an institutional innovation and uses the problem of illegal subdivided units (ISUs) in Hong Kong as a case study. High transaction costs incurred in identification of suspected ISUs and associated enforcement actions lead to a proliferation of ISUs in the city. We posit that the deployment of big data analytics can lower these transaction costs, enabling the government to tackle the problem of illegal accommodations. We propose a framework for big data collection, analysis, and feedback. As the findings of a structured questionnaire survey reveal, building professionals believed that the proposed framework could reduce transaction costs of ISU identification. Yet, concerns associated with the big data approach like privacy and predictive policing were also raised by the professionals.
Design and development of a cognitive assistant for the architecting of earth observing satellites

The aim of this thesis is to develop a cognitive assistant for architecting earth observation satellite systems. The motivation for such a system comes from both the recent commercial success of different cognitive assistants as well as the existing challenges in system architecture in general, including earth observation satellite systems. This system has been developed using a layered architecture, where the first layer is a set of front-ends which are deployed on different client machines, including computers, virtual reality headsets, and physical embodiments. The next layer is a server which distributes the requests the user makes from all the front-ends to the different back-ends, which are the ones responsible for performing the basic functionalities of the system. A system of skills, pieces of software which provide the functionalities the end user uses, is built on top of this server. Finally, the back-ends and the skills use different data sources to perform their functionalities. This report describes the whole architecture of the system, with special emphasis on the “Historical Database” and the “Historian Skill”, which I have developed by myself, unlike other parts of the system where the development effort was shared. The final result of this thesis is Daphne, the first open-source cognitive assistant to support the high-level design of earth observation satellite systems by helping reduce the cognitive load of the systems engineer.
Corporate Governance and Mindfulness: The Impact of Management Accounting Systems Change

The International Federation of Accountants (2009) argues that a governance structure should go beyond conformance with regulations and equally support a performance dimension that can lead to better outcomes. This paper explores the relationship between these two governance dimensions and the capacity for mindfulness, utilizing organizational theory that describes high reliability organizations. Survey data was obtained from top-level accounting professionals in a sample of 124 Canadian firms. Regression results support the hypothesis that both the conformance and performance dimensions of governance are significant determinants of the capacity for mindfulness. Additional analysis shows that the explanatory power of this relationship persists when management accounting systems change is low but it is significantly greater under conditions of high management accounting systems change. The latter finding is notable in that the most important determinants of the capacity for mindfulness emerge from the performance dimension and not the conformance dimension, which has implications for achieving a balanced governance structure.
Predicting turnover behaviour of direct salespeople

The purpose of this article is to enhance the understanding of the turnover behaviour of distributors in direct selling organisations. The study examined how the antecedents and outcomes of five endogenous variables (intention to quit, organisational commitment, job satisfaction, performance and perceptions of the marketing mix) interrelate to explain and predict the turnover behaviour of direct salespeople. The key findings of this study are that organisational commitment is the best predictor of the turnover behaviour of distributors, and perceptions of the marketing mix the best predictor of job satisfaction. Of the three antecedents of performance (customer profile, perceptions of the marketing mix and organisational commitment), organisational commitment has the strongest predictive power.
Stabilization of α‐chymotrypsin upon PEGylation correlates with reduced structural dynamics

Protein stability remains one of the main factors limiting the realization of the full potential of protein therapeutics. Poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) conjugation to proteins has evolved into an important tool to overcome instability issues associated with proteins. The observed increase in thermodynamic stability of several proteins upon PEGylation has been hypothesized to arise from reduced protein structural dynamics, although experimental evidence for this hypothesis is currently missing. To test this hypothesis, the model protein α‐chymotrypsin (α‐CT) was covalently modified with PEGs with molecular weights (MW) of 700, 2,000 and 5,000 and the degree of modification was systematically varied. The procedure did not cause significant tertiary structure changes. Thermodynamic unfolding experiments revealed that PEGylation increased the thermal transition temperature (Tm) of α‐CT by up to 6°C and the free energy of unfolding [ΔGU (25°C)] by up to 5 kcal/mol. The increase in stability was found to be independent of the PEG MW and it leveled off after an average of four PEG molecules were bound to α‐CT. Fourier‐transformed infrared (FTIR) H/D exchange experiments were conducted to characterize the conformational dynamics of the PEG‐conjugates. It was found that the magnitude of thermodynamic stabilization correlates with a reduction in protein structural dynamics and was independent of the PEG MW. Thus, the initial hypothesis proved positive. Similar to the thermodynamic stabilization of proteins by covalent modification with glycans, PEG thermodynamically stabilizes α‐CT by reducing protein structural dynamics. These results provide guidance for the future development of stable protein formulations. Biotechnol. Bioeng. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Mucosal and Invading Bacteria in Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease Compared with Controls

Background: Endogenous intestinal bacteria and/or specific bacterial pathogens are suspected of being involved in the pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD). The aim of this study was to investigate IBD tissues for different bacterial population groups harbouring the mucosal surface and/or invading the mucosa. Methods: Tissue sections from surgical resections from the terminal ileum and/or the colon from 24 IBD patients (12 active ulcerative colitis (UC), 12 active Crohn disease (CD)) and 14 non-IBD controls were studied by fluorescent in situ hybridization on a quantifiable basis. Results: More bacteria were detected on the mucosal surface of IBD patients than on those of non-IBD controls ( P < 0.05). Bacterial invasion of the mucosa was evident in 83.3% of colonic specimens from the UC patients, in 55.6% of the ileal and in 25% of the colonic specimens from the CD patients, but no bacteria were detected in the tissues of the controls. Colonic UC specimens were colonized by a variety of organisms, such as bacteria belonging to the gamma subdivision of Proteobacteria , the Enterobacteriaceae , the Bacteroides/Prevotella cluster, the Clostridium histolyticum/Clostridium lituseburense group, the Clostridium coccoides/Eubacterium rectale group, high G + C Gram-positive bacteria, or sulphate-reducing bacteria, while CD samples harboured mainly bacteria belonging to the former three groups. Conclusion: Pathogenic events in CD and UC may be associated with different alterations in the mucosal flora of the ileum and colon.
A Melding of the Minds: When Primatology Meets Personality and Social Psychology

Social and personality psychology and behavioral primatology both enjoy long histories of research aimed at uncovering the proximate and ultimate determinants of primate—human and nonhuman—social behavior. Although they share research themes, methodologies, and theories, and although their studied species are closely related, there is currently very little interaction between the fields. This separation means that researchers in these disciplines miss out on opportunities to advance understanding by combining insights from both fields. Social and personality psychologists also miss the opportunity for a phylogenetic analysis. The time has come to integrate perspectives on primate social psychology. Here, the authors provide a historical background and document the main similarities and differences in approaches. Next, they present some examples of research programs that may benefit from an integrated primate perspective. Finally, the authors propose a framework for developing a social psychology inclusive of all primates. Such a melding of minds promises to greatly benefit those who undertake the challenge.
Interaction between Monetary Policy and Income Inequality in a Deposits Market

The paper studies the impact of income inequality on the monetary policy and the feedback, in a partial equilibrium framework. Wealth differences of depositors play crucial role in determining aggregate deposits, available for loans. Non-homothetic structure of depositors' return function makes distribution of deposits relevant for the aggregate. Unequal distribution of resources leads to a lower (deposit) price elasticity for the rich relative to the poor, and this results in higher markups and lower level of collected total deposits. Interaction between monetary policy and income inequality leads the following results: (i) higher inequality reduces the power of monetary policy in terms of depositors' responsiveness to the policy changes and (ii) expansionary (contractionary) monetary policy increases (decreases) savings differences. The model provides a new source of financial friction, relevant for economies with high income inequality.
The implicit benefit of learning without errors

Two studies examined whether the number of errors made in learning a motor skill, golf putting, differentially influences the adoption of a selective (explicit) or unselective (implicit) learning mode. Errorful learners were expected to adopt an explicit, hypothesis-testing strategy to correct errors during learning, thereby accruing a pool of verbalizable rules and exhibiting performance breakdown under dual-task conditions, characteristic of a selective mode of learning. Reducing errors during learning was predicted to minimize the involvement of explicit hypothesis testing leading to the adoption of an unselective mode of learning, distinguished by few verbalizable rules and robust performance under secondary task loading. Both studies supported these predictions. The golf putting performance of errorless learners in both studies was unaffected by the imposition of a secondary task load, whereas the performance of errorful learners deteriorated. Reducing errors during learning limited the number of error-correcting hypotheses tested by the learner, thereby reducing the contribution of explicit processing to skill acquisition. It was concluded that the reduction of errors during learning encourages the use of implicit, unselective learning processes, which confer insusceptibility to performance breakdown under distraction.
An Overview of Guillain-Barré Syndrome

Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS) is an acute, autoimmune polyradiculoneuropathy that carries great patient morbidity, and significant mortality, worldwide. The manifestations are highly heterogeneous at the clinical, electrophysiological and biochemical levels, which means that it is better to conceptualise GBS as a spectrum of disorders rather than a singular one. Despite the diverse range of presentations, the management of GBS is relatively stereotyped, albeit guided by the level of clinical severity. Treatment is largely restricted to general supportive measures, Intravenous Immunoglobulin (IVIG) and Plasma Exchange (PLEX), with no current role for oral or intravenous corticosteroids in clinical practice. Several validated prognostic-scoring systems, which can predict the probability of long-term residual disability, may assist in targeting intensive therapies to high-risk patient groups. The aim of this article is to provide a practical overview of GBS, with particular emphasis on the clinical presentation, investigation and management of this important spectrum of neurological conditions.
Chapter 6 MBE growth of high-mobility 2 DEG

This chapter was originally published in the book Molecular Beam Epitaxy. The copy attached is provided by Elsevier for the author's benefit and for the benefit of the author's institution, for non-commercial research, and educational use. This includes without limitation use in instruction at your institution, distribution to specific colleagues, and providing a copy to your institution's administrator.
Regulatory fit at work: gravitational effects and associations with employee well-being

ABSTRACT Using a task approach, this study examined the extent to which employee regulatory focus would “gravitate” employees towards promotion- versus prevention-oriented tasks within their jobs, and whether a subsequent regulatory fit/misfit would be associated with their well-being (i.e., mental health and job satisfaction). In a pre-study among 37 employees, we determined the regulatory focus of work tasks from the Netherlands Skill Survey, which are relevant to the general working population, resulting in a selection of 7 promotion and 11 prevention tasks. For our main study, we used the Dutch Longitudinal Internet Studies for the Social Sciences (LISS) panel and collected data from 1,606 respondents. In 2011, we collected respondents’ regulatory focus and in 2012, we collected their work tasks and well-being. Promotion-oriented employees considered both promotion and prevention tasks to be highly relevant in their jobs, and this relevance was associated with their mental health. Prevention-oriented employees, however, did not respond to the relevance of promotion or prevention tasks and generally reported lower well-being, irrespective of the regulatory focus of their tasks. We tentatively conclude that promotion focus gravitates employees towards job with a richer task content, containing both promotion and prevention tasks.
Run-time power and performance scaling in 28 nm FPGAs

The ability of scaling power and performance at run-time enables the creation of computing systems in which energy is consumed in proportion of the work to be done and the time available to do it. These systems favour active energy-efficient states in which useful computation is performed at low energy instead of using inactive energy savings modes that incur large latency and energy penalties to enter and exit modes in which the system is halted. This is particular useful in servers that spend most of their time at around 30% utilisation and are rarely fully idle or at maximum utilisation. A feature of an energy proportional computing system is that it must exhibit a wide dynamic range with multiple levels of energy and performance available. In this context, this study investigates how these levels can be obtained in commercially available state-of-the-art 28 nm field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) and characterises its benefits. Adaptive voltage and frequency scaling is employed to deliver proportional performance and power in these FPGA devices. The results reveal that the available voltage and frequency margins create a large number of performance and energy states with scaling possible at run-time with low overheads. Power savings of up to 64.98% are possible maintaining the original performance at a lower voltage.
Title The Sodium Iodide Symporter ( NIS ) and Potential Regulatorsin Normal , Benign and Malignant Human Breast Tissue

Introduction: The presence, relevance and regulation of the Sodium Iodide Symporter (NIS) in human mammary tissue remains poorly understood. This study aimed to quantify relative expression of NIS and putative regulators in human breast tissue, with relationships observed further investigated in vitro. Methods: Human breast tissue specimens (malignant n = 75, normal n = 15, fibroadenoma n = 10) were analysed by RQ-PCR targeting NIS, receptors for retinoic acid (RARa, RARb), oestrogen (ERa), thyroid hormones (THRa, THRb), and also phosphoinositide-3-kinase (PI3K). Breast cancer cells were treated with Retinoic acid (ATRA), Estradiol and Thyroxine individually and in combination followed by analysis of changes in NIS expression. Results: The lowest levels of NIS were detected in normal tissue (Mean(SEM) 0.70(0.12) Log10 Relative Quantity (RQ)) with significantly higher levels observed in fibroadenoma (1.69(0.21) Log10RQ, p,0.005) and malignant breast tissue (1.18(0.07) Log10RQ, p,0.05). Significant positive correlations were observed between human NIS and ERa (r = 0.22, p,0.05) and RARa (r = 0.29, p,0.005), with the strongest relationship observed between NIS and RARb (r = 0.38, p,0.0001). An inverse relationship between NIS and PI3K expression was also observed (r = 20.21, p,0.05). In vitro, ATRA, Estradiol and Thyroxine individually stimulated significant increases in NIS expression (range 6–16 fold), while ATRA and Thyroxine combined caused the greatest increase (range 16–26 fold). Conclusion: Although NIS expression is significantly higher in malignant compared to normal breast tissue, the highest level was detected in fibroadenoma. The data presented supports a role for retinoic acid and estradiol in mammary NIS regulation in vivo, and also highlights potential thyroidal regulation of mammary NIS mediated by thyroid hormones. Citation: Ryan J, Curran CE, Hennessy E, Newell J, Morris JC, et al. (2011) The Sodium Iodide Symporter (NIS) and Potential Regulators in Normal, Benign and Malignant Human Breast Tissue. PLoS ONE 6(1): e16023. doi:10.1371/journal.pone. 0016023 Editor: Marian Ludgate, Cardiff University, United Kingdom Received September 8, 2010; Accepted December 3, 2010; Published January 19, 2011 Copyright: 2011 Ryan et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. Funding: This study was supported by funding from Cancer Research Ireland (www.cancer.ie/research) (J. Ryan), Health Research Board of Ireland (www.hrb.ie) (R. M. Dwyer, J. Newell), and the National Breast Cancer Research Institute (NBCRI) (www.nbcri.ie). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript. Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist. * E-mail: roisin.dwyer@nuigalway.ie
The Medium of Exchange in Acquisitions: Does the Private Information of Both Acquirer and Target Matter?

We present a direct test of the choice of the medium of exchange in acquisitions when both acquirers and targets possess private information about their own intrinsic values. We test three hypotheses: first, whether acquirers are more likely to choose a stock offer as their equity is more overvalued; second, whether acquirers facing a greater extent of information asymmetry in evaluating targets are more (or less) likely to use a stock versus a cash offer; and third, whether a cash offer deters competing bids. Our findings are as follows. First, acquirers choosing a stock offer are overvalued and those choosing a cash offer are correctly valued. Second, the greater the extent of acquirer overvaluation, the greater the likelihood of it using a stock offer; further, the greater the extent of information asymmetry faced by an acquirer in evaluating its target, the greater its likelihood of using a cash offer. Third, the extent of an acquirer's under- or overvaluation significantly affects the abnormal returns to its equity upon the acquisition announcement. Finally, the use of cash by an acquirer deters competing bids. We conclude that private information held by both acquirers and targets together determine the medium of exchange.
Title A Data-Driven Approach to Measure Web Site

Web site navigability refers to the degree to which a visitor can follow a Web site’s hyperlink structure to successfully find information with efficiency and ease. In this study, we take a data-driven approach to measure Web site navigability using Web data readily available in organizations. Guided by information foraging and information-processing theories, we identify fundamental navigability dimensions that should be emphasized in metric development. Accordingly, we propose three data-driven metrics—namely, power, efficiency, and directness—that consider Web structure, usage, and content data to measure a Web site’s navigability. We also develop a Web mining–based method that processes Web data to enable the calculation of the proposed metrics. We further implement a prototype system based on the Web mining– based method and use it to assess the navigability of two sizable, real-world Web sites with the metrics. To examine the analysis results by the metrics, we perform an evaluation study that involves these two sites and 248 voluntary participants. The evaluation results show that user performance and assessments are consistent with the analysis results revealed by our metrics. Our study demonstrates the viability and practical value of data-driven metrics for measuring Web site navigability, which can be used for evaluative, diagnostic, or predictive purposes.