Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Nature of Enterprise-Service-Fit in the Context of Digital Services

Many different companies compete with each other to offer users similar digital services. For instance, traditional banks compete with companies like Apple or Google in providing digital payment services. These companies strongly differ in their strengths and weaknesses, and we argue that users might evaluate the same service differently depending on the company providing it. We introduce the concept of “enterprise-service-fit” and argue that it is beneficial if users perceive a company’s resources to fit a service’s requirements. Using a grounded theory approach, we explore what constitutes enterprise-service-fit in the context of digital services and discover five dimensions on which a company’s resources might fit a service’s requirements. We also offer some preliminary insights regarding potential consequences of fit. We contribute to research concerned with users’ evaluations of digital services that has so far overlooked an interaction between company and service characteristics.
Mutations in the 5′ End of the Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 Polypurine Tract Affect RNase H Cleavage Specificity and Virus Titer

ABSTRACT The RNase H activity of retroviral reverse transcriptases (RTs) degrades viral genomic RNA after it has been copied into DNA, removes the tRNA used to initiate negative-strand DNA synthesis, and generates and removes the polypurine tract (PPT) primer used to initiate positive-strand DNA synthesis. The cleavages that remove the tRNA and that generate and remove the PPT primer must be specific to generate linear viral DNAs with ends that are appropriate for integration into the host cell genome. The crystal structure of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) RT in a complex with an RNA/DNA duplex derived from the PPT revealed that the 5′ end of the PPT deviates from traditional Watson-Crick base pairing. This unusual structure may play a role in the proper recognition of the PPT by HIV-1 RT. We made substitution mutations in the 5′ end of the PPT and determined their effects on virus titer. The results indicated that single and double mutations in the 5′ end of the PPT had modest effects on virus replication in a single-cycle assay. More complex mutations had stronger effects on virus titer. Analysis of the two-long-terminal-repeat circle junctions derived from infecting cells with the mutant viruses indicated that the mutations affected RNase H activity, resulting in the retention of PPT sequences on viral DNA. The mutants tested preferentially retained specific segments of the PPT, suggesting an effect on cleavage specificity. These results suggest that structural features of the PPT are important for its recognition and cleavage in vivo.
Order Imbalance and the Dynamics of Index and Futures Prices

This study uses transaction records of index futures and index stocks, with bid/ask price quotes, to examine the impact of stock market order imbalance on the dynamic behavior of index futures and cash index prices. Spurious correlation in the index is purged by using an estimate of the “true” index with highly synchronous and active quotes of individual stocks. A smooth transition autoregressive error correction model is used to describe the nonlinear dynamics of the index and futures prices. Order imbalance in the cash stock market is found to affect significantly the error correction dynamics of index and futures prices. Order imbalance impedes error correction particularly when the market impact of order imbalance works against the error correction force of the cash index, explaining why real potential arbitrage opportunities may persist over time. Incorporating order imbalance in the framework significantly improves its explanatory power. The findings indicate that a stock market microstructure that allows a quick resolution of order imbalance promotes dynamic arbitrage efficiency between futures and underlying stocks. The results also suggest that the unloading of cash stocks by portfolio managers in a falling market situation aggravates the price decline and increases the real cost of hedging with futures. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Jrl Fut Mark 27:1129–1157, 2007
Monolithic VCSEL–PIN Photodiode Integration for Bidirectional Optical Data Transmission

We present the monolithic integration, properties, and operation of 850-nm wavelength AlGaAs/GaAs-based vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs) and PIN (p-doped-intrinsic-n-doped) photodetectors. The stacked layer structure requires sophisticated fabrication methods, but enables the use as, e.g., low-cost transceiver (TRx) devices. The TRx chips reported here are especially designed for bidirectional short-reach optical data links using a single butt-coupled standard multimode fiber (MMF). Photodiodes (PDs) with three different epitaxial layer structures are investigated. Devices with a 3-μm-thick intrinsic region show a responsivity of >0.6 A/W and have the lowest dark currents and highest 3-dB bandwidths of around 8 GHz. The maximum small-signal bandwidth of the VCSEL is 12.5 GHz. The parasitics of both devices are extracted by modeling the reflection spectra from S-parameter measurements. Investigations regarding the mutual influence between the closely integrated devices in full-duplex operation are carried out. The optical crosstalk is below -11 dB and the maximum electrical crosstalk between VCSEL and PIN PD of around -50 dB is nearly negligible. The butt-coupled MMF with a core diameter of 50 μm allows maximum fiber alignment tolerances in the range of 14-26 μm. Data transmission in the 10-Gb/s range is demonstrated in half-duplex and full-duplex mode.
Risk drivers pose to themselves and other drivers by violating traffic rules

ABSTRACT Objective: Violation of traffic rules is a major contributing factor in both crashes and fatalities in the United States. This study aims at quantifying risk that drivers pose to themselves and other drivers by violating traffic rules. Method: Crash data from 2010 to 2013 were gathered for the state of North Carolina. Descriptive analysis was carried out to identify frequent traffic violations and who were committing the traffic violations that resulted in crashes. A multinomial logit model was then developed to examine the relation between different traffic violations and driver injury severity. Additionally, odds ratios were estimated to identify the likelihood (probability) of severe or moderate injury to the driver and other drivers due to a driver violating a traffic rule that led to a crash. Results: Exceeding the speed limit is more likely to result in severe injury compared to disregarding traffic signals. However, going the wrong way is more likely to result in severe injury to other drivers when compared to any other traffic violation. Driving under the influence of alcohol is 2 times more likely to result in severe injury than driving under the influence of drugs. These 2 traffic violations by a driver are almost equally likely to result in severe injury to other drivers. Conclusions: Drivers often perceive that violating traffic rules will not result in a crash or severe injury. However, the results from this study show that a majority of the traffic violations lead to severe injury to the violator as well as to other drivers. The findings from this study serve as documented evidence to educate drivers about the risk they pose to themselves and to other drivers by violating traffic rules and encourage the adaptation of safe driving behavior in order to contribute toward reaching the “zero traffic deaths” vision. They also help make policy changes pertaining to penalty points and fines for violating a traffic rule.
Protein Kinase C f Is Required for Epidermal Growth Factor–Induced Chemotaxis of Human Breast Cancer Cells

Chemotaxis plays an important role in cancer cell metastasis. In this study, we showed that epidermal growth factor (EGF) was a more potent chemoattractant than chemokine SDF-1 a / CXCL12 for human breast cancer cell MDA-MB-231. Different inhibitors were used to evaluate the involvement of 12 protein kinase C (PKC) isotypes in the chemotactic signaling pathway. Chelerythrine chloride, an inhibitor of all PKC isotypes, blocked chemotaxis, whereas inhibitors of classic and novel PKC, such as Go¨6976, Go¨6850, or calphostin C, only impaired EGF-induced chemotaxis to a minor extent by e 32% inhibition. These data suggested that atypical PKC were involved. The ligand-induced actin polymerization and cell adhesion were also similarly dependent on atypical PKC. Immunofluorescent staining showed an EGF-induced, LY294002-sensitive translocation of PKC f from the cytosol to the plasma membrane, indicating that EGF was capable of activating PKC f , probably via phosphoinositide 3 kinases. A myristoylated PKC f pseudosubstrate blocked the chemotaxis with an IC 50 of 20 A mol/L. To expand our investigation, we further showed that in MCF-7 and T47D, two additional human breast cancer cell lines, EGF-activated PKC f and the PKC f pseudosubstrate, inhibited chemotaxis. Taken together, our data suggest that PKC f is an essential component of the EGF-stimulated chemotactic signaling pathway in human breast cancer cells. (Cancer Res 2005; 65(4): 1433-41)
A Small-Angle Neutron and X-ray Contrast Variation Scattering Study of the Structure of Block Copolymer Micelles: Corona Shape and Excluded Volume Interactions

Small-angle neutron and X-ray scattering data have been obtained for micelles of d-polystyrene−polyisoprene (d-PS−PI) of relatively high molecular weight in n-decane. Contrast variation was performed using mixtures of hydrogenated and deuterated decane. Three samples were investigated with d-polystyrene and polyisoprene molar masses of, respectively, 12 000 and 48 000, 40 000 and 40 000, and 40 000 and 80 000. For the two latter samples, the concentration of the polymer was also varied. The data obtained at relatively high resolution were analyzed together with small-angle X-ray scattering data using scattering functions recently derived from Monte Carlo simulations for a model with a spherical core and a corona of semiflexible chains interacting with a hard-core potential. The scattering from the model can be generated by assuming an analytical form of the radial distribution of the corona and an effective single chain form factor of the random-phase approximation type. In the analysis of the experimenta.
Laminin‐1 induces E‐cadherin expression in 3‐dimensional cultured breast cancer cells by inhibiting DNA methyltransferase 1 and reversing promoter methylation status

This study determines the role of laminin‐1 in promoting metastatic colonization during breast cancer. For this purpose, human mammary epithelial cell lines representing normal (MCF‐10A), adenocarcinoma (MCF‐7), and malignant carcinoma (MDA‐MB‐231) were propagated in 3‐dimensional cultures composed of laminin‐1, collagen I, or mixtures of the two, and analyzed by Western blot, immunocytochemistry, semiquantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction, and methylation‐specific PCR. Here we demonstrate that laminin‐1 decreases methylation of the E‐cadherin promoter, resulting in increased mRNA and protein expression for malignant mammary epithelial cells. This decreased methylation is associated with dramatic changes in the cellular and structural morphology as well as a 70‐fold decrease in DNA methyltransferase 1 (DNMT1) and a 6‐fold decrease in cadherin 11 protein expression. To control for specificity of laminin‐1 interactions, cells were also cultured on 2‐dimensional plastic substrata and collagen I hydrogels for analysis, and the MCF‐10A and MCF‐7 were used as nonmalig‐nant controls. Using a 3‐dimensional model, we present evidence that laminin‐1 is capable of inducing epige‐netic change by inhibiting expression of DNMT1 and preventing methylation of the E‐cadherin promoter, resulting in E‐cadherin expression and the formation of cell‐cell bonds in malignant carcinoma. —Benton, G. , Crooke, E. , George, J. Laminin‐1 induces E‐cadherin expression in 3‐dimensional‐cultured breast cancer cells by inhibiting DNA methyltransferase 1 and reversing promoter methylation status. FASEB J. 23, 3884‐3895 (2009). www.fasebj. org
Impact of somatostatin analogs versus surgery on glucose metabolism in acromegaly: results of a 5-year observational, open, prospective study.

OBJECTIVE The aim of the study was to investigate the 5-yr impact of surgery and somatostatin analogs (SSA) on glucose metabolism in acromegaly. DESIGN We conducted an observational, prospective, comparative, nonrandomized study. PATIENTS The 100 patients (48 women, 52 men; median age, 49 yr) in the study were grouped as follows for treatment: SSA only (group A; n = 34); SSA followed by surgery (group B; n = 20); surgery only (group C; n = 30); and surgery followed by SSA (group D; n = 16). RESULTS At diagnosis, 28% had impaired glucose tolerance, and 22% had diabetes mellitus; fasting glucose levels (4.13-10.60 mmol/liter) were best predicted by age (t = 2.88; P = 0.0049) and disease duration (t = 1.99; P = 0.049). After 60 months, fasting glucose levels reduced (-4.9 +/- 19.7%) in group A only, whereas they did not change in the other groups. In the 68 nondiabetic patients at baseline, fasting glucose levels increased by 0.7 +/- 11.2%, 7.5 +/- 10.3%, 4.3 +/- 10.4%, and 4.3 +/- 14.8% (P = 0.28), from groups A to D, respectively. Percentage change of fasting glucose in all patients receiving SSA was 1.9 +/- 12.3%, and in those not receiving SSA it was 6.4 +/- 10.8% (P = 0.13). Overall, prevalence of new onset of diabetes during SSA treatment was nine of 55 (16.4%) vs. three of 23 after surgery (13.0%, P = 0.98). Deterioration of glucose tolerance was correlated with increased body mass index (r = 0.49, P < 0.0001) and not with use of SSA or surgery (r = 0.06; P = 0.53), control or not of GH (r = -0.10, P = 0.31) and IGF-I (r = -0.12; P = 0.22). CONCLUSIONS The results of this study demonstrate a similar deterioration of glucose tolerance after 60 months in patients receiving SSA or cured with surgery. Increase in body mass index was the major predictor of deterioration of glucose tolerance.
Improving 2‐DE gel image denoising using contourlets

One of the most commonly used methods for protein separation is 2‐DE. After 2‐DE gel scanning, images with a plethora of spot features emerge that are usually contaminated by inherent noise. The objective of the denoising process is to remove noise to the extent that the true spots are recovered correctly and accurately i.e. without introducing distortions leading to the detection of false‐spot features. In this paper we propose and justify the use of the contourlet transform as a tool for 2‐DE gel images denoising. We compare its effectiveness with state‐of‐the‐art methods such as wavelets‐based multiresolution image analysis and spatial filtering. We show that contourlets not only achieve better average S/N performance than wavelets and spatial filters, but also preserve better spot boundaries and faint spots and alter less the intensities of informative spot features, leading to more accurate spot volume estimation and more reliable spot detection, operations that are essential to differential expression proteomics for biomarkers discovery.
Human‐specific increase of dopaminergic innervation in a striatal region associated with speech and language: A comparative analysis of the primate basal ganglia

The dopaminergic innervation of the striatum has been implicated in learning processes and in the development of human speech and language. Several lines of evidence suggest that evolutionary changes in dopaminergic afferents of the striatum may be associated with uniquely human cognitive and behavioral abilities, including the association of the human‐specific sequence of the FOXP2 gene with decreased dopamine in the dorsomedial striatum of mice. To examine this possibility, we quantified the density of tyrosine hydroxylase‐immunoreactive axons as a measure of dopaminergic innervation within five basal ganglia regions in humans, great apes, and New and Old World monkeys. Our results indicate that humans differ from nonhuman primate species in having a significant increase in dopaminergic innervation selectively localized to the medial caudate nucleus. This region of the striatum is highly interconnected, receiving afferents from multiple neocortical regions, and supports behavioral and cognitive flexibility. The medial caudate nucleus also shows hyperactivity in humans lacking a functional FOXP2 allele and exhibits altered dopamine concentrations in humanized Foxp2 mice. Additionally, striatal dopaminergic input was not altered in chimpanzees that used socially learned attention‐getting sounds versus those that did not. This evidence indicates that the increase in dopamine innervation of the medial caudate nucleus in humans is a species‐typical characteristic not associated with experience‐dependent plasticity. The specificity of this increase may be related to the degree of convergence from cortical areas within this region of the striatum and may also be involved in human speech and language. J. Comp. Neurol. 524:2117–2129, 2016. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Early millet use in northern China

It is generally understood that foxtail millet and broomcorn millet were initially domesticated in Northern China where they eventually became the dominant plant food crops. The rarity of older archaeological sites and archaeobotanical work in the region, however, renders both the origins of these plants and their processes of domestication poorly understood. Here we present ancient starch grain assemblages recovered from cultural deposits, including carbonized residues adhering to an early pottery sherd as well as grinding stone tools excavated from the sites of Nanzhuangtou (11.5–11.0 cal kyBP) and Donghulin (11.0–9.5 cal kyBP) in the North China Plain. Our data extend the record of millet use in China by nearly 1,000 y, and the record of foxtail millet in the region by at least two millennia. The patterning of starch residues within the samples allow for the formulation of the hypothesis that foxtail millets were cultivated for an extended period of two millennia, during which this crop plant appears to have been undergoing domestication. Future research in the region will help clarify the processes in place.
Herpesvirus saimiri‐based endothelin‐converting enzyme‐1 shRNA expression decreases prostate cancer cell invasion and migration

The zinc metalloprotease, endothelin‐converting enzyme‐1 (ECE‐1), which converts the mitogenic peptide endothelin‐1 (ET‐1) from its biologically inactive precursor big‐ET‐1, is commonly upregulated in prostate cancer (PC) cells. Consequently, we have sought to suppress ECE‐1 expression by using RNAi as a potentially novel therapeutic approach. Therefore, a synthetic 64‐nt short‐hairpin RNA (shRNA), designed to target the ECE‐1 gene, was expressed in an Herpesvirus saimiri (HVS)‐based delivery vector. ECE‐1 expression in cells transduced with the vector was examined by real‐time PCR and Western blotting. The effects of ECE‐1 knockdown on PC cell migration and invasion were studied using a scratch assay and Matrigel invasion. These studies, in vitro and ex vivo, demonstrated that the HVS‐shRNA viruses could infect and silence ECE‐1 expression effectively in human PC cells. Furthermore, it was observed that ECE‐1 knockdown in either stromal cells or epithelial cells could significantly reduce invasion of PC‐3 cells in coculture by 33 and 31%, respectively. In addition, suppressed migration was also observed in HVS‐ECE‐1 shRNA‐infected PC‐3 cells compared to uninfected and HVS‐GFP‐infected control cell cultures. These findings highlight the potential tumor‐suppressing effect of ECE‐1 knockdown in cancer cells and novel strategies for future therapeutic developments in advanced PC.
Histopathological and Clinical correlation of leprosy in a rural population of South India "

Leprosy, also known as Hansen’s disease, is a chronic specific infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium leprae. Leprosy is one of the major health problems of developing countries including India 1,2,3,4 . The microorganism has a predilection for the skin and nerves, resides mainly within the mononuclear phagocytic cells. The disease is clinically characterized by one or more of the three cardinal signs: thickened peripheral nerves, hypopigmented or erythematous skin patches with definite loss of sensation, and acid-fast bacilli detected on skin smears or biopsy material.The present study aims to describe the clinical pattern of the disease, and to correlate clinical diagnosis with histopathogical findings with AFB (acid-fastbacilli-M.leprae) status.Forty six cases of leprosy reporting to dermatology department ofKamineni Institute of Medical Sciences (KIMS) hospital, Narketpally over a period of two yearsfrom March 2013 to April 2015 were includedin the study. Biopsy tissues were processed and histopathological findings were studied on Hematoxylin and Eosin stained sectionsand modified Fite-Faraco stain for detection of acid-fast bacilli. The study included46 cases out of which (50%) were clinically diagnosed as borderline tuberculoid (BT) followed by tuberculoid(TT) (21.75%),lepromatous leprosy(LL) (10.87%) and least were borderline leprosy (BL) (8.69%), mid borderline leprosy(BB) (8.69%). The histopathologicallydiagnosis was BT(43.48%), TT (17.39%) followed by BB(15.22%),LL(13.05%), and BL(10.86%). Thus, correlation of clinical and histopathological diagnosis appears to be more useful for accurate classification of leprosy and to facilitate appropriate therapy to prevent undesirable complication.
MicroRNA regulation of cyclooxygenase-2 during embryo implantation

The implantation process is complex, requiring reciprocal interactions between implantation-competent blastocysts and the receptive uterus. Because microRNAs (miRNAs) have major roles in regulating gene expression, we speculated that they participate in directing the highly regulated spatiotemporally expressed genetic network during implantation. Here, we show that two miRNAs, mmu-miR-101a and mmu-miR-199a*, are spatiotemporally expressed in the mouse uterus during implantation coincident with expression of cyclooxygenase-2, a gene critical for implantation. More interestingly, our in vitro gain- and loss-of-function experiments show that cyclooxygenase-2 expression is posttranscriptionally regulated by these two miRNAs. We report on miRNA-mediated regulation of uterine gene expression in the context of implantation. We believe that many other critical genes related to this process are also regulated by miRNAs. Thus, elucidating the physiological roles of uterine miRNAs will help us better understand the genetic control of implantation, the gateway to a successful pregnancy.
Analysis of a High-Power-Factor Electronic Ballast for High Brightness Light Emitting Diodes

This paper analyzes the performance of a high-power-factor AC-DC converter for the supply of high-brightness light emitting diodes (HBLEDs). The considered topology is a D2 one (i.e. a topology that, working in continuous conduction mode, has a voltage conversion ratio that is a function of the duty-cycle squared), working in one of its possible discontinuous modes. No line-frequency energy storage element is used so that the LED current is pulsating at twice the line frequency, with a small high-frequency ripple on top. The impact of such pulsating current supply on LED optical performance and reliability is also evaluated by comparison with standard DC current supply