Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Axon regeneration in organotypic slice cultures from the mammalian auditory system is topographic and functional.

In vitro models have frequently been employed to investigate the specificity of the formation of axonal projections during both development and regeneration. Such studies demonstrated pathway, target, and laminar specificity, yet they did not tackle the problem of topography. Here, we addressed the issue of regeneration of spatial specificity at the topographic level by lesioning a precisely organized projection from the auditory system of neonatal rats in organotypic slice culture and by analyzing regeneration capacity. Lesioning had no effect on the survival of axotomized neurons or the structure of the auditory nuclei. Anterograde and retrograde biocytin tracing demonstrated that the projection regenerated topographically at the supracellular level. Whole-cell patch-clamp recordings revealed that the regenerated projection was functional. Topographic regeneration was not impaired by blocking spike activity with tetrodotoxin or glycinergic transmission with strychnine. However, if lesioning was performed after the slices had been incubated for 1 week, regeneration capacity was lost despite good survival of neurons. The loss of the regeneration capacity in vitro occurs at a developmental stage that corresponds to the age when the capacity for axonal reorganization is lost in vivo. We conclude that the developmental processes occurring in vivo and in vitro are comparable in this system, which is why we think that essential aspects of the loss of regeneration capacity may be addressed with our culture model in the future.
Neurocytoma Is a Tumor of Adult Neuronal Progenitor Cells

Central neurocytoma (CN) is a rare periventricular tumor, whose derivation, lineage potential, and molecular regulation have been mostly unexplored. We noted that CN cells exhibited an antigenic profile typical of neuronal progenitor cells in vivo, yet in vitro generated neurospheres, divided in response to bFGF (basic fibroblast growth factor), activated the neuroepithelial enhancer of the nestin gene, and gave rise to both neuron-like cells and astrocytes. When CN gene expression was compared with that of both normal adult VZ (ventricular zone) and E/nestin:GFP (green fluorescent protein)-sorted native neuronal progenitors, significant overlap was noted. Marker analysis suggested that the gene expression pattern of CN was that of a proneuronal population; glial markers were conspicuously absent, suggesting that the emergence of astroglia from CN occurred only with passage. The expression pattern of CN was distinguished from that of native progenitor cells by a cohort of differentially expressed genes potentially involved in both the oncogenesis and phenotypic restriction of neurocytoma. These included both IGF2 and several components of its signaling pathway, whose sharp overexpression implicated dysregulated autocrine IGF2 signaling in CN oncogenesis. Both receptors and effectors of canonical wnt signaling, as well as GDF8 (growth differentiation factor 8), PDGF-D, and neuregulin, were differentially overexpressed by CN, suggesting that CN is characterized by the concurrent overactivation of these pathways, which may serve to drive neurocytoma expansion while restricting tumor progenitor phenotype. This strategy of comparing the gene expression of tumor cells to that of the purified native progenitors from which they derive may provide a focused approach to identifying transcripts important to stem and progenitor cell oncogenesis.
Shiga toxin 2-induced intestinal pathology in infant rabbits is A-subunit dependent and responsive to the tyrosine kinase and potential ZAK inhibitor imatinib

Shiga toxin producing Escherichia coli (STEC) are a major cause of food-borne illness worldwide. However, a consensus regarding the role Shiga toxins play in the onset of diarrhea and hemorrhagic colitis (HC) is lacking. One of the obstacles to understanding the role of Shiga toxins to STEC-mediated intestinal pathology is a deficit in small animal models that perfectly mimic human disease. Infant rabbits have been previously used to study STEC and/or Shiga toxin-mediated intestinal inflammation and diarrhea. We demonstrate using infant rabbits that Shiga toxin-mediated intestinal damage requires A-subunit activity, and like the human colon, that of the infant rabbit expresses the Shiga toxin receptor Gb3. We also demonstrate that Shiga toxin treatment of the infant rabbit results in apoptosis and activation of p38 within colonic tissues. Finally we demonstrate that the infant rabbit model may be used to test candidate therapeutics against Shiga toxin-mediated intestinal damage. While the p38 inhibitor SB203580 and the ZAK inhibitor DHP-2 were ineffective at preventing Shiga toxin-mediated damage to the colon, pretreatment of infant rabbits with the drug imatinib resulted in a decrease of Shiga toxin-mediated heterophil infiltration of the colon. Therefore, we propose that this model may be useful in elucidating mechanisms by which Shiga toxins could contribute to intestinal damage in the human.
Factors That Enhance Consumer Trust in Human-Computer Interaction: An Examination of Interface Factors and Moderating Influences

The Internet coupled with agent technology presents a unique setting to examine consumer trust. Since the Internet is a relatively new, technically complex environment where human-computer interaction (HCI) is the basic communication modality, there is greater perception of risk facing consumers and hence a greater need for trust. In this dissertation, the notion of consumer trust was revisited and conceptually redefined adopting an integrative perspective. A critical test of trust theory revealed its cognitive (i.e., competence, information credibility), affective (i.e., benevolence), and intentional (i.e., trusting intention) constructs. The theoretical relationships among these trust constructs were confirmed through confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling. The primary purpose of this dissertation was to investigate antecedent and moderating factors affecting consumer trust in HCI. This dissertation focused on interface-based antecedents of trust in the agent-assisted shopping context aiming at discovering potential interface strategies as a means to enhance consumer trust in the computer agent. The effects of certain interface design factors including face human-likeliness, script social presence, information richness, and price increase associated with upgrade recommendation by the computer agent were examined for their usefulness in enhancing the affective and cognitive bases for consumer trust. In addition, the role of individual difference factors and situational factors in moderating the relationship between specific types of computer interfaces and consumer trust perceptions was examined. Two experiments were conducted employing a computer agent, Agent John, which was created using MacroMedia Authorware. The results of the two experiments showed that certain interface factors including face and script could affect the affective trust perception. Information richness did not enhance consumers’ cognitive trust perceptions; instead, the percentage of price increase associated with Agent John’s upgrade recommendation affected individuals’ cognitive trust perceptions. Interestingly, the moderating influence of consumer personality (especially feminine orientation) on trust perceptions was significant. The consequences of enhanced consumer trust included increased conversion behavior, satisfaction and retention, and to a lesser extent, self-disclosure behavior. Finally, theoretical and managerial implications as well as future research directions were discussed.
From Acceptance to Outcome: towards an Integrative Framework for Information Technology Adoption

Decades of research on information technology (IT) adoption have resulted in a large number of different models and theories. While the number of theoretical models has significantly increased our knowledge on IT adoption, we lack an integrative view of the different stages of the adoption process. In this paper, we review the primary theories from both the acceptance and post-acceptance stage of IT adoption. In addition, we synthesize the different theories and their constructs in a reference framework for IT adoption. We conceptualize individual IT adoption as a dynamic process, in which use patterns, beliefs, and individual motivations change over time. Our framework provides an end-toend view of IT adoption, spanning the adoption process from acceptance antecedents to outcomes. Eventually, we suggest opportunities for future research based on the different stages of our framework. We believe that our framework will be helpful to develop more complete and actionable theories, and to provide clarity on the concepts and stages related to IT adoption.
Forward inference in risky choice: Mapping gaze and decision processes

The study of cognitive processes is built on a close mapping between three components: overt gaze behavior, overt choice, and covert processes. To validate this overt–covert mapping in the domain of decision‐making, we collected eye‐movement data during decisions between risky gamble problems. Applying a forward inference paradigm, participants were instructed to use specific decision strategies to solve those gamble problems (maximizing expected values or applying different choice heuristics) during which gaze behavior was recorded. We revealed differences between overt behavior, as indicated by eye movements, and covert decision processes, instructed by the experimenter. However, our results show that the overt–covert mapping is for some eye‐movement measures not as close as expected by current decision theory, and hence question reverse inference as being prone to fallacies due to a violation of its prerequisite, that is, a close overt–covert mapping. We propose a framework to rehabilitate reverse inference.
Investigation of the Awareness and Habits of Secondary School Students about Cleanliness and Hygiene from Various Variables

Cleanliness, hygiene and personal hygiene habits have an extremely important place in maintaining and developing an individual’s physical and spiritual health. In contrast, it has been observed that research on student behaviour for cleaning and hygiene applications has been limited in the literature. In this case, “What are the cleaning and hygiene habits of students? ” It has emerged as a necessity to answer the question. In this study, mixed blending method has been used. The study group consisted of 1300 students, studying in 12 different secondary schools in the city of Kars. In order to collect data, personal information form, “Personal Cleansing and Hygiene Habits Scale” developed by the researcher and open-ended questions were used. It was observed that the general cleaning and hygiene levels of the students were not statistically significantly different according to gender variables (p>.05). In terms of the personal hygiene and hygiene habits of the students’ significant differences have been found according to their parents’ education status, the number of individuals in their families and the level of their education. Significant differences have been found in terms of the personal hygiene and hygiene habits of the students according to their parents’ education status, the number of individuals in their families and the level of their education (p
Costs and Benefits of “Friendly” Boards during Mergers and Acquisitions1

Although recent regulations call for greater board independence, finance theory predicts that independence is not always in the shareholders’ interest. In situations where it is more important for the board to provide advice than to monitor the CEO, more independent directors can decrease firm value because the CEO is not willing to share inside information with independent directors. I test this prediction by examining the connection between takeover returns and board “friendliness” using social ties between the CEO and board members as a proxy for less independent, more “friendly” boards. I find that social ties are associated with higher bidder announcement returns when advisory needs are high but with lower returns when monitoring needs are high. These effects intensify as the proportion of the board socially connected to the CEO increases and are not driven by correlations between social ties and other board characteristics. The evidence suggests that friendly boards can have both costs and benefits depending on the specific needs of the company.
Chandra X-Ray Observations of the 0.6 < z < 1.1 Red-Sequence Cluster Survey Sample

We present the results of Chandra observations of 13 optically selected clusters with 0.6 < z < 1.1, discovered via the Red-Sequence Cluster Survey (RCS). All but one are detected at S/N > 3, although three were not observed long enough to support detailed analysis. Surface brightness profiles are fitted to β models. Integrated spectra are extracted within R2500, and TX and LX information is obtained. We derive gas masses and total masses within R2500 and R500. Cosmologically corrected scaling relations are investigated, and we find the RCS clusters to be consistent with self-similar scaling expectations. However, discrepancies exist between the RCS sample and lower z X-ray-selected samples for relationships involving LX, with the higher z RCS clusters having lower LX for a given TX. In addition, we find that gas mass fractions within R2500 for the high-z RCS sample are lower than expected by a factor of ~2. This suggests that the central entropy of these high-z objects has been elevated by processes such as preheating, mergers, and/or AGN outbursts, that their gas is still infalling, or that they contain comparatively more baryonic matter in the form of stars. Finally, relationships between red-sequence optical richness (Bgc,red) and X-ray properties are fitted to the data. For systems with measured TX, we find that optical richness correlates with both TX and mass, having a scatter of ~30% with mass for both X-ray-selected and optically selected clusters. However, we also find that X-ray luminosity is not well correlated with richness and that several of our sample members appear to be significantly X-ray faint.
Low Prices Are Just the Beginning : Price Image in Retaii i \ 1 anagement

Recent managerial evidence and academic research has suggested that consumer decisions are influenced not only by the prices of individual items but also by a retailer's price image, which reflects a consumer's impression of the overall price level of a retailer. Despite the increasing importance of price image in marketing theory and practice, existing research has not provided a clear picture of how price images are formed and how they influence consumer behavior. This article addresses this discrepancy by offering a comprehensive framework delineating the key drivers of price image formation and their consequences for consumer behavior. Contrary to conventional wisdom that assumes price image is mainly a function of a retailer's average price level, this research identifies several price-related and nonprice factors that contribute to price image formation. The authors further identify conditions in which these factors can overcome the impact of the average level of prices, resulting in a low price image despite the retailer's relatively high prices, as well as conditions in which people perceive a retailer to have a high price image despite its relatively low average price level.
Superoxide Dismutase: A Predicting Factor for Boar Semen Characteristics for Short-Term Preservation

Superoxide dismutase (SOD), total antioxidant capacity (TAC), and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) in seminal plasma were evaluated on the basis of receiver operating characteristics (ROC) analysis as predictors for distinguishing satisfactory from unsatisfactory boar semen samples after storage. SOD on day 0 correlated significantly with progressive motility (r = −0.686; P < 0.05) and viability (r = −0.513; P < 0.05) after storage; TBARS correlated only with motility (r = −0.480; P < 0.05). Semen samples that, after 3 days of storage, fulfilled all criteria for semen characteristics (viability > 85%, motility > 70%, progressive motility > 25%, and normal morphology > 50%) had significantly lower SOD levels on the day 0 than those with at least one criterion not fulfilled (P < 0.05) following storage. SOD levels of less than 1.05 U/mL predicted with 87.5% accuracy that fresh semen will suit the requirements for satisfactory semen characteristics after storage, while semen with SOD levels higher than 1.05 U/mL will not fulfill with 100% accuracy at least one semen characteristic after storage. These results support the proposal that SOD in fresh boar semen can be used as a predictor of semen quality after storage.
Evaluation of Simple Distributional Compositional Operations on Longer Texts

Distributional semantic models have been effective at representing linguistic semantics at the word level, and more recently research has moved on to the construction of distributional representations for larger segments of text. However, it is not well understood how the composition operators that work well on short phrase-based models scale up to full-length sentences. In this paper we test several simple compositional methods on a sentence-length similarity task and discover that their performance peaks at fewer than ten operations. We also introduce a novel sentence segmentation method that reduces the number of compositional operations.
Founder effects and the evolution of asymmetrical sexual isolation in a rapidly-speciating clade

Sexual isolation resulting from differences in mate choice behaviors is a hallmark of rapidly-speciating lineages. When present, asymmetrical sexual isolation may provide insights into the mechanisms responsible for the evolutionary change in mate signaling traits. In particular, Kaneshiro's hypothesis suggests that divergence in sexual characters between populations may arise in allopatry when 'derived' founding populations are subject to severe population bottlenecks, accompanied by a relaxation of sexual selection relative to 'ancestral' source populations. In the present study, we tested predictions of asymmetrical sexual isolation between two allopatric species of Hawaiian Laupala crickets, representing 'ancestral' (L. makaio) and 'derived' (L. nigra) taxa. While crickets in this genus are notable for rapid divergence of male courtship songs, these species share similar song types, thus suggesting that patterns of sexual isolation are likely due to other mating cues. Analysis of behavioral responses in conspeci- fic and heterospecific 'no-choice' mating trials revealed pronounced asymmetrical isolation in the direction predicted by Kane- shiro's hypothesis, wherein we observed a significant reduction in mating success for crosses involving 'derived' males paired with 'ancestral' females, compared to the reciprocal heterospecific and both conspecific pairings. Further dissection of courtship behaviors suggested this difference did not reflect male mate choice, but rather, marked reduced spermatophore acceptance rates by 'ancestral' females paired with 'derived' males. The results are discussed with respect to founder effect models of speciation and the potential role of chemosensory signals in mate choice in these species (Current Zoology 59 (2): 230−238, 2013).
Simulating high-z Gamma-ray Burst host galaxies

We investigate the nature of high-z host galaxies of long Gamma-Ray Bursts (LGRBs) by means of state-of-the-art numerical simulations of cosmic structure formation and evolution of galaxies. We combine results from different runs with various box sizes and resolutions. By assigning to each simulated galaxy the probability to host a LGRB, assumed to be proportional to the mass of young stars, we provide a full description of the physical properties of high-z LGRB host galaxy population. We find that LGRBs at z > 6 are hosted in galaxies with typical star formation rates SFR ≃ 0.03 − 0.3 M⊙ yr −1 , stellar masses M⋆ ≃ 10 6 −10 8 M⊙, and metallicities Z ≃ 0.01−0.1 Z⊙. Furthermore, the ratio between their doubling time and the corresponding cosmic time seems to be universally equal to ∼ 0.1 − 0.3, independently from the redshift. The distribution of their UV luminosity places LGRB hosts in the faint-end of the galaxy luminosity function, well below the current capabilities of space- or groundbased optical facilities. This is in line with recent reports of non-detection of LGRB hosts using extremely deep HST and VLT observations. In conclusion, high-z LGRBs are found to trace the position of those faint galaxies that are thought to be the major actors in the re-ionization of the Universe.
Transcriptional Regulation of Osteoblasts

The differentiation of osteoblasts from mesenchymal precursors requires a series of cell fate decisions controlled by a hierarchy of transcription factors. These include RUNX2, Osterix (OSX), ATF4 and a large number of nuclear coregulators. During bone development, initial RUNX2 expression coincides with the formation of mesenchymal condensations and precedes the branching of chondrogenic and osteogenic lineages. Given its central role in bone development, it is not surprising that RUNX2 is subject to a variety of controls. These include posttranslational modification, especially phosphorylation, and interactions with accessory nuclear factors. Specific examples of RUNX2 regulation to be reviewed include phosphorylation by the ERK/MAP kinase pathway and interactions with DLX5. RUNX2 is regulated via phosphorylation of critical serine residues in the proline/serine/threonine domain. In vivo, the transgenic expression of constitutively active MAP kinase in osteoblasts accelerated skeletal development, while a dominant-negative MAPK retarded development in a RUNX2-dependent manner. DLX5-RUNX2 complexes can be detected in osteoblasts and this interaction plays a critical role in maintaining osteoblast-specific expression of the bone sialoprotein gene. These studies allow us to begin understanding the complex mechanisms necessary to fine-tune bone formation as mesenchymal progenitors progress down the osteoblast lineage.
Debt Enforcement around the World

Insolvency practitioners from 88 countries describe how debt enforcement will proceed against an identical hotel about to default on its debt. We use the data on time, cost, and the likely disposition of the assets (preservation as a going concern vs. piecemeal sale) to construct a measure of the efficiency of debt enforcement in each country. This measure is strongly correlated with per capita income and legal origin and predicts debt market development. Several characteristics of debt enforcement procedures, such as the structure of appeals and availability of floating charge finance, influence efficiency.
Overview and Analysis of the Performances of ZigBee- based Wireless Sensor Networks

Wireless sensor networks (WSN) consists of light-weight, lowpower and small size sensor nodes (SNs). They have ability to monitor, calculate and communicate wirelessly. In this paper we present a performance evaluation of ZigBee which is IEEE 802.15. 4 standard, including the Physical (PHY) layer and Media Access Control (MAC) sub-layer, which allow a simple interaction between the sensors. We provide an accurate simulation model with respect to the specifications of IEEE 802.15. 4 standard. We simulate and analyzed two different scenarios, where we examine the topological features and performance of the IEEE 802.15. 4 standard using OPNET simulator. We compared the three possible topologies (Star, Mesh and Tree) to each other.