Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Mismatch negativity and tone discrimination in cochlear-implanted patients

As reported in Table 4, the subjects with better SPA (CF, LD, GP, LF, ST) showed significantly better (p < 0.01) SRS, WRS and Sp/Tr than those with poorer SPA (PF, DR, SS, CK, SH). There was no significant difference between the subjects with better and those with poorer SPA in terms of age, PTA, DRA and number of active electrodes (Table 2). ADL, PTC Q10 dB, TS, and TD varied considerably across the subjects. The only statistical difference between poorer SPA subjects and better SPA ones was the worse frequency selectivity, as indicated by significantly smaller (p < 0.01) PTC Q10 values (Table 3).
Profile of Placental Alkaline Phosphatase Expression in Human Malignancies: Effect of Tumour Cell Activation on Alkaline Phosphatase Expression

Cellular alkaline phosphatases (ALP) are increasingly recognised as important markers for monitoring tumour cell behaviour in human malignancies. Colorimetric, flow-cytometric, and immunocytochemical assays were employed to assess the influence of activation on expression of cellular ALP in human tumour cell lines. The results showed the following: (1) Testis tumour biopsies (16/16) unlike bladder (0/14) and head and neck (0/16) tumours showed positive staining for ALP, particularly the placental type, i.e. PLAP, although this was not always present on all the cells of non-seminoma biopsies. (2) The intensity of ALP expression differed widely in tumour cell lines. Based on biochemical analysis, the profile of ALP fell into two categories: (a) low expressing (MW 70 kD, placental type ALP) like Hep2 and KB lines, and (b) those expressing both low and high molecular (MW 95 kD) bands like testis lines Tera II and Ep2102. In all cases treatment of tumour cell lysates with heat prior to biochemical analysis showed the disappearance of the higher and sharpening of the lower molecular weight ALP band. (3) Exposure of tumour cells to epidermal growth factor (EGF) expressing EGF receptor led to a decreased ALP expression by as much as 54% as assessed by biochemical or flow-cytometric techniques. These data demonstrated that testis tumour tissues and cell lines expressed ALP which were different from others. The data also showed that exposure of tumour cell lines expressing EGFr to EGF resulted in suppression of ALP expression. These observations are consistent with the notion that EGFr and PLAP expression may be taken as a marker of proliferation and differentiation in human malignancies, respectively.
Loop-generated bounds on changes to the graviton dispersion relation

We identify the effective theory appropriate to the propagation of massless bulk fields in brane-world scenarios, to show that the dominant low-energy effect of asymmetric warping in the bulk is to modify the dispersion relation of the effective 4-dimensional modes. We show how such changes to the graviton dispersion relation may be bounded through the effects they imply, through loops, for the propagation of standard model particles. We compute these bounds and show that they provide, in some cases, the strongest constraints on nonstandard gravitational dispersions. The bounds obtained in this way are the strongest for the fewest extra dimensions and when the extra-dimensional Planck mass is the smallest. Although the best bounds come for warped 5-D scenarios, for which M5 is O(TeV), even in 4 dimensions the graviton loop can lead to a bound on the graviton speed which is comparable with other constraints.
Risk Matrix for Prediction of Advanced Disease in a Population-based Study of Patients with Crohn's Disease (the IBSEN Study)

Background:Identifying patients with Crohn's disease with increased risk of subsequent complications is essential for appropriate treatment. Based on exploratory analysis, we developed a prediction model for assessing the probability of developing advanced disease 5 and 10 years after diagnosis. Methods:A population-based cohort of 237 patients with Crohn's disease diagnosed from 1990–1994 was followed for 10 years. In the 5-year analysis, advanced disease was defined as having intestinal resection, progression in disease behavior, or need for thiopurines. The analysis was limited to patients with uncomplicated disease at diagnosis who were alive (n = 140), excluding those who were lost during follow-up (n = 8). For the 10-year analysis, advanced disease was defined as having surgery, excluding those who had surgery within the first 30 days (n = 7), those who died (n = 18), or were lost during follow-up (n = 22). Based on the best fitted multiple model, the probabilities of advanced disease were computed for selected baseline levels of the covariates and the results were arranged in a prediction matrix. Except for ASCA, all predictors were measured at diagnosis. Results:ASCA status, disease location, age, and need for systemic steroids were included in the 5-year prediction matrix. The probabilities of advanced disease during this period varied from 8.6% to 92.0% depending on the combination of predictors. The 10-year matrix combined ASCA status, disease behavior, age, and need for systemic steroids; the probabilities of advanced disease ranged from 12.4% to 96.7%. Conclusions:Our prediction models revealed substantial differences in the probability of developing advanced disease in the short and intermediate course of Crohn's disease, suggesting that a model-based prediction matrix is useful in early disease management.
Saffron Flavor: Compounds Involved, Biogenesis and Human Perception

In recent years, saffron has increased in interest for both scientists and consumers, as it is the only spice able to give to food flavor, color and aroma to foods. In relation to flavor, picrocrocin is considered as mainly responsible for saffron’s bitter taste, but other compounds structurally related to picrocrocin and flavonoids have been identified and could contribute to such a property. Further studies are necessary to establish picrocrocin sensory perception, as only its taste detection threshold has been established (10 mgL). Even though it is well known that picrocrocin content is directly affected by the dehydration process of the spice, its generation pathway remains unclear. In this paper a comparison between the classical hypothesis and the alternative one is therefore presented. Among its flavor properties, picrocrocin is an excellent marker of saffron purity because till now its presence it is only reported in saffron. Also, it is especially useful in unmasking sophisticated adulterations carried out with pigments from Gardenia jasminoides, which contain the same carotenoid family as saffron. For both reasons, it is important to accurately determine picrocrocin content in order to gain the trust of saffron dealers and also for consumer satisfaction. This review summarizes the available methodologies for this proposal, giving emphasis to the gaps contained in the current ISO 3632 Standard, normally used in the international market. _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Fast full-search motion estimation based on multilevel successive elimination algorithm

An improved fast full-search algorithm for motion estimation is proposed. The computational process of the sum of absolute difference and the multilevel successive elimination algorithm (MSEA) are theoretically analysed. Based on these analyzes, a new detection criterion and an estimation of the starting level are proposed in order to reduce the computations required for judging invalid candidate blocks. The simulation results show that the proposed algorithm achieves a computational timesaving of about 40% compared with the MSEA.
Methotrexate‐induced posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome

What is known and Objective: Posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome (PRES) is described clinically as an acute neurologic deterioration characterized by headache, change in mental status and seizures. Although the mechanism(s) for this syndrome is not fully understood, PRES results from vasogenic edema in areas of the brain supplied by the posterior circulation. Methotrexate (MTX)‐induced neurotoxicity is a well‐known complication of therapy in the paediatric population but is uncommon in adults.
Research Commentary - Information Technology Substitution Revisited

Taking advantage of the opportunities created by the price adjusted performance improvement in information technology IT depends in part on the ability of IT capital to substitute for other inputs in production. Studies in the information systems literature and most economics training examining the substitution of IT capital for other inputs use the Allen elasticity of substitution AES. We present a less-well-known measure for the elasticity of substitution, the Morishima elasticity of substitution MES. In contrast to the AES, which is misleading when there are three or more inputs-such as non-IT capital, labor, and IT capital-the MES provides a substitution measure where the scale is meaningful, and the measure differs depending on which price is changing. This is particularly important for IT capital, because prices have been declining, and there is evidence that IT capital can substitute for non-IT capital or labor in a qualitatively different way than non-IT capital and labor substitute for each other. Methodologically, we also show the impact of imposing local regularity-for example, monotonicity of output from increases in inputs-which we do through Bayesian methods employed to estimate the underlying functions that are used to calculate various measures of substitution. We demonstrate the importance of the MES as an underrecognized measure of substitution and the impact of imposing local regularity using an economy-wide industry-level data set covering 1998-2009 at the three-digit North American Industry Classification System code level. Our MES results show that reductions in the price of IT capital increase the quantity of IT capital in use, but are unlikely to change the input share of IT capital-the value of IT capital as a proportion of the value of all inputs-in contrast to major studies using the AES. In addition, estimates for both elasticities of substitution are more stable after imposing local regularity. Both of these advances-that is, the MES and imposing local regularity-have the potential to impact future work on IT productivity, IT pricing, IT cost estimation, and any type of analysis that posits the substitution of IT capital for non-IT capital or labor.
The Distribution in Length of Vented Water Trees

The length and number distributions of vented water trees have been measured in different olefinic dielectric materials; peroxide crosslinked polyethylene, silane crosslinked polyethylene and thermoplastic EPR base resin. Measurements were carried out in the nominally uniform field region in compression ion molded Rogowski-profiled samples. We note the difference in shape of the length distribution density observed and that reported for bow-tie trees. It is argued that these results imply that the distribution of inception times is peaked and material dependent.
Genius begins at home: Shared social identity enhances the recognition of creative performance

The present research examines the extent to which the recognition of creative performance is structured by social group membership. It does this by analysing the award of merit prizes for Best Actor and Actress in a Leading Role for the international award of US-based Oscars and British-based BAFTAs since BAFTA's inception of this category in 1968. For both awards, the exclusive assessment criterion is the quality of artists' performance in the international arena. Results show that US artists won a greater proportion of Oscars than BAFTAs (odds ratio: 2.10), whereas British artists won a greater proportion of BAFTAs than Oscars (OR: 2.26). Furthermore, results support the hypothesis that these patterns are more pronounced as the diagnostic value of a quality indicator increases - that is, in the conferring of actual awards rather than nominations. Specifically, US artists won a greater proportion of Oscar awards than nominations (OR: 1.77), while British artists won a greater proportion of BAFTA awards than nominations (OR: 1.62). Additional analyses show that the performances of in-group actors in movies portraying in-group culture (US culture in the case of Oscars, British culture in the case of BAFTAs) are more likely to be recognized than the performances of in-group actors in movies portraying the culture of other (out-)groups. These are the first data to provide clear evidence from the field that the recognition of exceptional creative performance is enhanced by shared social identity between perceivers and performers.
Allomorphic responses in Serbian pseudo-nouns as a result of analogical learning

Allomorphy is a phenomenon that occurs in many languages. Several psycholinguistic studies have shown that allomorphy, if present, co-determines cognitive processing. In the present paper we discuss allomorphic variations of Serbian instrumental singular form of pseudo-nouns as emerging from analogical learning. We compare the predictions derived from memory-based language processing models with results from a previous experimental study with adult Serbian native speakers. Results confirm that the production of suffix allomorphs in Serbian instrumental singular masculine nouns can be accounted for by memory-based learning and simple analogical inferences. The present findings are in line with a growing body of research showing that memory-based learning models make relevant predictions about the cognitive processes involved in various linguistic phenomena.
The cell adhesion nectin‐like molecules (Necl) 1 and 4 suppress the growth and tumorigenic ability of colon cancer cells

A key step in human colon cancer development includes the hyperactivation of Wnt/β‐catenin signaling and the induction of β‐catenin‐TCF target genes that participate in colon cancer progression. Recent studies identified members of the immunoglobulin‐like cell adhesion molecules (IgCAM) of the L1CAM family (L1 and Nr‐CAM) as targets of β‐catenin‐TCF signaling in colon cancer cells. L1 was detected at the invasive front of colon cancer tissue and confers metastasis when overexpressed in cells. In contrast to L1, we did not detect in colon cancer cells significant levels of another IgCAM family of molecules, the nectin‐like (Necl) receptors Necl1 and Necl4, while Necl4 was previously found in the normal small intestine and colon tissues. We studied the properties of colon cancer cells in which Necl4 and Necl1 were expressed either alone, or in combination, and found that such cells display a wide range of properties associated with tumor suppression. Expression of both Necl1 and Necl4 was the most efficient in suppressing the tumorigenicity of colon cancer cells. This was associated with enhanced rates of apoptosis and change in several apoptosis‐related markers. In contrast to its capacity to suppress tumorigenesis, Necl4 was unable to affect the highly malignant and metastatic capacities of colon cancer cells in which L1 was overexpressed. Our results suggest that various IgCAM receptor families play different roles in affecting the tumorigenic function of the same cells, and that Necl1 and Necl4 can fulfill a tumor suppressive role. J. Cell. Biochem. 108: 326–336, 2009. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Cutting Edge: Accelerated Autoimmune Diabetes in the Absence of LAG-3

Lymphocyte activation gene-3 (LAG-3; CD223) is a CD4 homolog that is required for maximal regulatory T cell function and for the control of CD4+ and CD8+ T cell homeostasis. Lag3−/− NOD mice developed substantially accelerated diabetes with 100% incidence. Adoptive transfer experiments revealed that LAG-3 was primarily responsible for limiting the pathogenic potential of CD4+ T cells and, to a lesser extent, CD8+ T cells. Lag3−/− mice exhibited accelerated, invasive insulitis, corresponding to increased CD4+ and CD8+ T cell islet infiltration and intraislet proliferation. The frequencies of islet Ag-reactive chromogranin A-specific CD4+ T cells and islet specific glucose-6-phosphatase-specific CD8+ T cells were significantly increased in the islets of Lag3−/− mice, suggesting an early expansion of pathogenic clones that is normally restrained by LAG-3. We conclude that LAG-3 is necessary for regulating CD4+ and CD8+ T cell function during autoimmune diabetes, and thus may contribute to limiting autoimmunity in disease-prone environments.
Use of information and communication technology to support employee-driven innovation in organizations: a knowledge management perspective

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate how organizations focusing on employee-driven innovation (EDI) use information and communication technologies (ICT)-based tools in their innovation work. EDI involves systematic exploitation of knowledge resources in organizations. Thus, the role of ICT for efficient knowledge management is important in this respect. Design/methodology/approach – In-depth interviews with employees, managers and union representatives from 20 organizations focusing on EDI were conducted. The sample included organizations from eight different industries, representing both private and public sectors. Findings – The results show that ICT-based tools can support the processes of acquisition, dissemination and exploitation of knowledge, which are important aspects of EDI. However, use of ICT-based tools has to be aligned with organizational structures and professional role conduct to be efficient. Practical implications – This study contributes to practice by highlighting several factors that organizations should emphasize to succeed with application of external and internal knowledge in their innovation work. Originality/value – This study applies a knowledge management perspective on the role of ICT-based tools to support EDI in organizations. The findings contribute to an improved understanding of organizational conditions for succeeding with use of ICT-based tools in innovation work, and emphasize that perspectives on knowledge management, technology management and human resource management have to be combined to understand how EDI can be promoted by using ICT in organizations.
MiR-1254 suppresses HO-1 expression through seed region-dependent silencing and non-seed interaction with TFAP2A transcript to attenuate NSCLC growth

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of small non-coding RNAs, which direct post-transcriptional gene silencing (PTGS) and function in a vast range of biological events including cancer development. Most miRNAs pair to the target sites through seed region near the 5’ end, leading to mRNA cleavage and/or translation repression. Here, we demonstrated a miRNA-induced dual regulation of heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) via seed region and non-seed region, consequently inhibited tumor growth of NSCLC. We identified miR-1254 as a negative regulator inhibiting HO-1 translation by directly targeting HO-1 3’UTR via its seed region, and suppressing HO-1 transcription via non-seed region-dependent inhibition of transcriptional factor AP-2 alpha (TFAP2A), a transcriptional activator of HO-1. MiR-1254 induced cell apoptosis and cell cycle arrest in human non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) cells by inhibiting the expression of HO-1, consequently suppressed NSCLC cell growth. Consistently with the in vitro studies, mouse xenograft studies validated that miR-1254 suppressed NSCLC tumor growth in vivo. Moreover, we found that HO-1 expression was inversely correlated with miR-1254 level in human NSCLC tumor samples and cell lines. Overall, these findings identify the dual inhibition of HO-1 by miR-1254 as a novel functional mechanism of miRNA, which results in a more effective inhibition of oncogenic mRNA, and leads to a tumor suppressive effect.
Regulation of Epstein-Barr Virus OriP Replication by Poly(ADP-Ribose) Polymerase 1

ABSTRACT Poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) is an abundant, chromatin-associated, NAD-dependent enzyme that functions in multiple chromosomal processes, including DNA replication and chromatin remodeling. The Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) origin of plasmid replication (OriP) is a dynamic genetic element that confers stable episome maintenance, DNA replication initiation, and chromatin organization functions. OriP function depends on the EBV-encoded origin binding protein EBNA1. We have previously shown that EBNA1 is subject to negative regulation by poly(ADP-ribosyl)ation (PARylation). We now show that PARP1 physically associates with OriP in latently EBV-infected B cells. Short hairpin RNA depletion of PARP1 enhances OriP replication activity and increases EBNA1, origin recognition complex 2 (ORC2), and minichromosome maintenance complex (MCM) association with OriP. Pharmacological inhibitors of PARP1 enhance OriP plasmid maintenance and increase EBNA1, ORC2, and MCM3 occupancy at OriP. PARylation in vitro inhibits ORC2 recruitment and remodels telomere repeat factor (TRF) binding at the dyad symmetry (DS) element of OriP. Purified PARP1 can ribosylate EBNA1 at multiple sites throughout its amino terminus but not in the carboxy-terminal DNA binding domain. We also show that EBNA1 linking regions (LR1 and LR2) can bind directly to oligomers of PAR. We propose that PARP1-dependent PARylation of EBNA1 and adjacently bound TRF2 induces structural changes at the DS element that reduce EBNA1 DNA binding affinity and functional recruitment of ORC.
Identification of a doubly spliced viral transcript joining the separated domains for putative protease and reverse transcriptase of hepatitis B virus

Hepatitis B virus (HBV), like retroviruses, replicates through reverse transcription. However, the identity and mechanism for the synthesis of HBV reverse transcriptase remain unknown. The open reading frame (ORF) for HBV putative reverse transcriptase (pol), as a consequence of overlapping with the whole ORF of envelope proteins (hepatitis B surface antigens), includes a hypervariable region at the N terminus. Thus, compared with retroviruses, it is unlikely that HBV reverse transcriptase is translated from complete pol ORF in the full-length pregenomic RNA. We have now detected in infected human livers a novel doubly spliced RNA in which one splicing event removed the hypervariable region of the pol gene but retained the conserved region homologous to retroviral reverse transcriptase. The other splicing event deleted the central region of hepatitis B core antigen and thus brought the protease domain which is important for maturation of reverse transcriptase close to that of pol. For this sequence organization, the spliced RNA as the possible template for the synthesis of HBV reverse transcriptase is discussed.
Understanding and optimizing the amplitude modulated control for multiple‐slice continuous arterial spin labeling

Multiple‐slice perfusion imaging by continuous arterial spin labeling (CASL) is made possible by amplitude modulation (AM) of the labeling RF pulse, but perfusion sensitivity is reduced relative to the single‐slice technique. A computer model of the Bloch equations for velocity driven adiabatic fast passage was developed to elucidate the compromised sensitivity to perfusion of the AM control technique for CASL. Calculations were performed over ranges of RF pulse amplitude, B1; magnetic field gradient, G; phase, ϕ, and frequency, f, of the modulation function; velocity, v, and relaxation times, T1 and T2, of blood. It was found that unless f > 2πB1, ϕ determines the performance of the AM control; excessively high B1 or v reduces the efficiency of the AM control; and T1 relaxation dominates if f is too great. In vivo, in rat brain (n = 5) at 2.35 T, the sensitivity of the AM technique to perfusion was 70% of the sensitivity of single‐slice CASL. Magn Reson Med, 2005. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.