Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Retaining Users in a Commercially-Supported Social Network

: A commercially-supported social network has become an emerging channel for an organization to communicate with and provide services to customers. The success of the commercially-supported social network depends on the ability of the organization to keep the customers in participating in the network. Drawing from the theories of information adoption, information systems continuance, and web usability, the author develops a model to explore how a commercially-supported social network can encourage customers to continue participating and using the information in the network. The theoretical model will be proved through an online survey of customers using the commercially-supported social networking sites of several high technology companies operating in the same sector. The result will be compared with previous studies to learn about the explanatory power of the research model, and to identify the main factors determining users’ intention to continue using a commercially-supported social network. Theoretical and practical implications, and limitations are discussed.
How profitable is risk selection? A comparison of four risk adjustment models.

To mitigate selection triggered by capitation payments, risk-adjustment models bring capitation payments closer on average to individuals' expected expenditure. We examine the maximum potential profit that plans could hypothetically gain by using their own private information to select low-cost enrollees when payments are made using four commonly used risk adjustment models. Simulations using a privately insured sample suggest that risk selection profits remain substantial. The magnitude of potential profit varies according to the risk adjustment model and the private information plans can employ to identify profitable enrollees.
Preclinical Evaluation of Human Hematolymphoid Function in the SCID‐hu Mouse

Work in the SCID-hu system has progressed significantly over the past 3-4 years. Reliable SCID-hu constructs can now be created for the evaluation of long-term multilineage human hematopoiesis, human immune function, and HIV infection of human hematolymphoid organs in vivo. Given these constructs, a variety of therapeutically important modalities can now be discovered and developed with a relevant in vivo model, prior to the time that they are moved into the clinic. With further progress in this and other preclinical models, useful therapies for important human disease states will hopefully be forthcoming at an even faster pace.
Alloantigen-Induced CD25+CD4+ Regulatory T Cells Can Develop In Vivo from CD25−CD4+ Precursors in a Thymus-Independent Process 1

The capacity of naturally occurring autoreactive CD25+CD4+ regulatory T cells (Treg) to control immune responses both in vivo and in vitro is now well established. It has been demonstrated that these cells undergo positive selection within the thymus and appear to enter the periphery as committed CD25+CD4+ Treg. We have shown previously that CD25+CD4+ Treg with the capacity to prevent skin allograft rejection can be generated by pretreatment with donor alloantigen under the cover of anti-CD4 therapy. Here we demonstrate that this process does not require an intact thymus. Furthermore, generation of these Treg is not dependent on the expansion of CD25+CD4+ thymic emigrants, because depletion of CD25+ cells before pretreatment does not prevent Treg development, and Treg can be generated from CD25−CD4+ precursors. Taken together, these results clearly demonstrate that CD25+CD4+ Treg can be generated in the periphery from CD25−CD4+ precursors in a pathway distinct to that by which naturally occurring autoreactive CD25+CD4+ Treg develop. These observations may have important implications for the design of protocols, both experimental and clinical, for the induction of tolerance to autoantigens or alloantigens in adults with limited thymic function.
Where Do Good Innovation Ideas Come From? Exploring the Influence of Network Connectivity on Innovation Idea Quality

This paper aims to add to innovation management theory and practice by exploring the interrelationship between innovation idea quality and idea providers' network connectivity, using social network analysis. The study uses a database from a company that has worked systematically with idea management over a long period of time and today has a well-established information technology system that collects ideas from a large number of employees. In addition to the idea database, a number of interviews with key individuals within innovation were conducted to create rich contextual knowledge and understand more in detail how ideas are handled in the company. The analysis indicated that there is a clear interrelationship between the network connectivity and the quality of the innovation ideas created. The analysis was done for all the innovation ideas and then for ideas created by single individuals and by groups, respectively. In all three analyses the proportion of high-quality innovation ideas increased, as a step function, between the least connected group and the group thereafter. There is apparently a need for a certain amount of relations to increase the proportion of high-quality innovation ideas generated. Regarding only ideas provided by single individuals, more connections within the network resulted in a higher proportion of high-quality ideas. A different pattern was seen for ideas provided by groups as the proportion of high-quality innovation ideas grew with some increase in the connectivity of groups but declined with a further increase in connectivity. The findings suggest a number of implications for ideation management. To increase the number of high-quality innovation ideas created by individuals, the possibility to interact with other people should be supported and facilitated. However, in these settings, where individuals work with others in different groups, the most connected groups perform worst in terms of the proportion of high-quality ideas generated, which points to the necessity to consider a multitude of factors when managing ideation.
A cluster-randomized trial of enhanced labor ward-based PMTCT services to increase nevirapine coverage in Lusaka, Zambia

Objective:Determine whether enhanced labor ward-based services for prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV (PMTCT) would improve nevirapine (NVP) coverage. Design:Cluster-randomized trial at 12 public-sector delivery centers in Lusaka, Zambia. Methods:Following a baseline surveillance period, 12 labor wards were randomized, six to offer opt-in HIV testing to women of unknown serostatus (with NVP administration as indicated) and to assess NVP adherence among known HIV-infected women. The six control labor wards provided the standard of care. The NVP coverage endpoint was defined as the proportion of HIV-infected/exposed women/infant pairs with confirmed NVP ingestion. We used generalized estimating equations (GEE) to determine the odds of coverage associated with the intervention and ultimately used the parameters for the estimated GEE model to estimate relative risk. Results:Between October 2005 and January 2006, 7664 women gave birth at participating clinics. We collected anonymous-linked blood from 7592 (99%) umbilical cords; tested 7438 (97%) for HIV, 1618 (22%) were seropositive, and of these, 1279 (79%) were tested for NVP. At baseline (preintervention), the probability of HIV-infected/exposed women/infant pairs receiving NVP in treatment clinics (42%) was 0.89 times the probability of being covered in control clinics (53%) whereas during the intervention period the probability of treatment clinic coverage (52%) was 1.22 the probability control clinic coverage (43%), representing a multiplicative effect of 1.37 upon the RR at baseline (ratio of relative risks 1.37, bootstrapped 95% CI, 1.04–1.77). Conclusion:Labor ward-based PMTCT programs are feasible and can have a significant, positive impact on NVP coverage.
Robust adaptive beamforming using LMS algorithm with SMI initialization

The least mean squares (LMS) algorithm is a simple adaptive beamforming algorithm that is well suited for continuous transmission systems. The LMS algorithm converges slowly when compared with other complicated algorithms, such as recursive least squares (RLS) (Shubair, R.M. and Merri, A., 2005). On the other hand, the sample matrix inversion (SMI) algorithm has a fast convergence behavior. However, because its speedy convergence is achieved through the use of matrix inversion, the SMI algorithm is computationally intensive. Moreover, the SMI algorithm has a block adaptive approach for which it is required that the signal environment does not undergo significant change during the course of block acquisition. The paper develops an algorithm for robust adaptive beamforming by combining the attributes of the LMS algorithm and SMI algorithm. This new algorithm uses the LMS algorithm, which is simple to implement and not computationally intensive, but with SMI initialization in order to ensure fast convergence. Numerical results verify the improved convergence, accuracy, and computational efficiency of the combined LMS/SMI algorithm.
Impact of urban heat island on regional atmospheric pollution

The purpose of this work is to study the impact of an urban land cover on local meteorology and spatial distribution of atmospheric pollutants over the Paris region. One anticyclonic episode from the ESQUIF campaign was simulated using the meso-scale meteorological and chemical Meso-NHC model coupled to the town energy balance (TEB) urban canopy model. A control simulation was also performed without implementing TEB in order to quantify the effect of the urban parameterization. Both meteorological and chemical model outputs were evaluated against the data collected during the experiment and most of the results are improved when TEB is applied. The simulation indicates the formation of an urban heat island (UHI) over Paris which is stronger at night than during day. The structure of the atmospheric boundary layer is also strongly influenced by the city. The present study shows that both nocturnal and diurnal urban effects have an important impact on the primary and secondary regional pollutants, more specifically the ozone and the nitrogen oxide (NOx). The spatial distribution and the availability of pollutants are significantly modified by the urbanized area mainly due to enhanced turbulence. r 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
All-atom empirical force field for nucleic acids: I. Parameter optimization based on small molecule and condensed phase macromolecular target data

Empirical force-field calculations on biological molecules represent an effective method to obtain atomic detail information on the relationship of their structure to their function. Results from those calculations depend on the quality of the force field. In this manuscript, optimization of the CHARMM27 all-atom empirical force field for nucleic acids is presented together with the resulting parameters. The optimization procedure is based on the reproduction of small molecule target data from both experimental and quantum mechanical studies and condensed phase structural properties of DNA and RNA. Via an iterative approach, the parameters were primarily optimized to reproduce macromolecular target data while maximizing agreement with small molecule target data. This approach is expected to ensure that the different contributions from the individual moieties in the nucleic acids are properly balanced to yield condensed phase properties of DNA and RNA, which are consistent with experiment. The quality of the presented force field in reproducing both crystal and solution properties are detailed in the present and an accompanying manuscript (MacKerell and Banavali, J Comput Chem, this issue). The resultant parameters represent the latest step in the continued development of the CHARMM all-atom biomolecular force field for proteins, lipids, and nucleic acids. c © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Comput Chem 21: 86–104, 2000 ∗Present address: Center for Structural Biology, Department of Bioscience, Karolinska Institutet, S-141 57, Huddinge, Sweden Correspondence to: A. D. MacKerell; e-mail: amackere@rx. umaryland.edu Contract/grant sponsor: NIH; contract/grant number: 51501 This article includes a longer version available as Supplementary Material from the authors upon request or via the Internet at ftp.wiley. com/public/journals/jcc/suppmat/21/86 or http://journals.wiley. com/jcc/ Journal of Computational Chemistry, Vol. 21, No. 2, 86–104 (2000) c © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. CCC 0192-8651 / 00 / 020086-19 ALL-ATOM EMPIRICAL FORCE FIELD FOR NUCLEIC ACIDS. I
The Accommodative Response to Subthreshold Blur and to Perceptual Fading during the Troxler Phenomenon

A study is reported which shows that accommodation can be stimulated by a blur stimulus which is below the threshold for visual perception. It is also shown that perceptual fading of the target, caused by stabilization of the retinal image (Troxler phenomenon), can eliminate the accommodative response causing it to default to its resting level. The first finding suggests a way in which the visual system can filter the percept of blur out of our conscious awareness and still effectively utilize the blur as a steady-state error for the accommodative control system. The second finding is consistent with a locus for the Troxler phenomenon in the early afferent part of the visual pathway, ie the retinal ganglion cells.
Measurement of the Neutral Copper Vapor Density around Current Zero of a 500-A Vacuum Arc Using Laser-Induced Fluorescence

The technique of laser-induced fluorescence was applied to measure the time dependence of the copper vapor density from 280 ¿s before to 400 ¿s after current zero of a vacuum arc driven by a sinusoidal current of 500-A rms. Atomic densities between 5 × 1017 m-3 and 5 × 1014 m-3 were observed at the center of the gap with a local resolution of better than 1 mm3. The observed densities were more than an order of magnitude smaller than those predicted by model calculations according to Rich and Farrall [16], and the density decay after current zero occurred much more slowly than expected. Both findings indicate that the correlation of recovery of dielectric strength to metal vapor density after current zero is different from the recovery criterion based on the ratio of the mean free path for atomic collisions to the gap length.
Expression of Foreign DNA Is Associated with Paternal Chromosome Degradation in Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection-Mediated Transgenesis in the Mouse1

Abstract The efficiency of intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI)-mediated transgenesis is often limited by poor embryo development. Because our previous work indicated that impairment of embryo development is frequently related to chromosomal abnormalities, we hypothesized that foreign DNA and/or conditions used to enhance integration of the DNA might induce chromosome damage. Therefore, we examined the chromosomes of mouse embryos produced by transgenesis with the EGFP gene. Spermatozoa were processed with three methods that cause membrane disruption: freeze-thawing, Triton X-100, or Triton X-100 followed by a sucrose wash. Membrane-disrupted spermatozoa were mixed with EGFP plasmids and injected into metaphase II oocytes. Three endpoints were evaluated: paternal chromosomes of the zygote, embryo capacity to develop in vitro, and expression of the transgene at the morula/blastocyst stage. In all pretreatments, we observed a significant decrease (approximately 2-fold) in the frequency of normal karyoplates when spermatozoa were incubated with exogenous DNA as compared with the treatment when no DNA was added. As predicted, embryo development was correlated with the integrity of the paternal chromosomes of the zygote. Searching for the possible mechanism of chromosome degradation, we used the ion chelators EGTA and EDTA and found that they neutralize the harmful effect of the transgene and stabilize the paternal chromosomes. In the presence of chelating agents, however, the number of embryos expressing EGFP produced with ICSI-mediated transgenesis decreased significantly. The results suggest that treatment of spermatozoa with exogenous DNA leads to paternal chromosome degradation in the zygote. Furthermore, the mechanisms of disruption of paternal chromosomes and the integration of foreign DNA may be closely related.
Intonational rises and interaction structure in Sydney Aboriginal English

Despite their ubiquity in intonational research, high rising terminal (HRT) intonation contours have not been investigated in Aboriginal varieties of Australian English. This paper investigates the form, alignment and use of declarative rises in the Aboriginal English spoken in Sydney. It is shown that Aboriginal speakers used five distinct types of declarative rises: high rises, low and high-range lowonset rises, and low and high-range fall-rises. Rises of the five categories were realised differently both with regard to alignment and f0 excursion. When tested against discourse context, the rises were found to have longer trajectories in interactions with little competition for dominance, and shorter excursions when either participant was dominating the floor.
Interferon-ε Protects the Female Reproductive Tract from Viral and Bacterial Infection

A Role for IFN-ɛ Type I interferons (IFNs) are critical cytokines involved in host defense against pathogens, particularly viruses. IFN-ɛ is an IFN-like gene encoded within the type I IFN locus in mice and humans whose function has not been characterized. Fung et al. (p. 1088) created mice with a genetic deletion in Ifn-ɛ and found that, like other type I IFNs, IFN-ɛ signals through the IFN-α receptors 1 and 2. However, unlike these other cytokines, which are primarily expressed by immune cells and are induced upon immune cell triggering, IFN-ɛ was expressed exclusively by epithelial cells of the female reproductive tract in both mice and humans and its expression was hormonally regulated. IFN-ɛ–deficient mice were more susceptible to infection with herpes simplex virus 2 and Chlamydia muridarum, two common sexually transmitted pathogens. The cytokine interferon-ε is expressed in the female reproductive tract and protects against sexually transmitted diseases. The innate immune system senses pathogens through pattern-recognition receptors (PRRs) that signal to induce effector cytokines, such as type I interferons (IFNs). We characterized IFN-ε as a type I IFN because it signaled via the Ifnar1 and Ifnar2 receptors to induce IFN-regulated genes. In contrast to other type I IFNs, IFN-ε was not induced by known PRR pathways; instead, IFN-ε was constitutively expressed by epithelial cells of the female reproductive tract (FRT) and was hormonally regulated. Ifn-ε–deficient mice had increased susceptibility to infection of the FRT by the common sexually transmitted infections (STIs) herpes simplex virus 2 and Chlamydia muridarum. Thus, IFN-ε is a potent antipathogen and immunoregulatory cytokine that may be important in combating STIs that represent a major global health and socioeconomic burden.
Examining Complementary Effects of IT Investment on Firm Profitability: Are Complementarities the Missing Link?

Prior research has documented that IT investment increases market returns. Economic theories predict such returns to be recognized in accounting profitability; this relationship remains ambiguous in prior literature. We reexamine the relationship between IT investment and firm profitability. Our approach is unique in that we examine complementarities between distinct IT components. We document that a firm’s investments in IT components exhibit different impacts on its profitability conditional on the level of investments in complementary components.
Insulin Secretion in Heart Failure

Insulin secretion tests were carried out before and after treatment in patients with severe congestive heart failure. Before treatment the plasma insulin level and the insulin secretion response to intravenous tolbutamide were significantly reduced in all patients. In patients who made a good clinical recovery the plasma insulin level and the insulin secretion response were significantly improved. Patients who had a poor response to medical treatment showed little improvement in their insulin secretion test. This suppression of insulin secretion is probably due to the reduced blood flow to the pancreas together with a high level of circulating catecholamines.
Cell stress modulates the function of splicing regulatory protein RBM4 in translation control

RNA-binding motif protein 4 (RBM4) plays a regulatory role in alternative splicing of precursor mRNA. We show here that cell stress such as arsenite exposure induces phosphorylation of RBM4 at serine 309 and also drives its cytoplasmic accumulation and targeting to stress granule via the MKK3/6-p38 signaling pathway. Accordingly, RBM4 suppresses cap-dependent translation in a cis-element-dependent manner. However, RBM4 concomitantly activates internal ribosome entry site (IRES)-mediated translation likely by promoting the association of translation initiation factor eIF4A with IRES-containing mRNAs. Overexpression of RBM4 therefore mimics the effect of cell stress-induced signaling on translation initiation control. Whereas arsenite treatment promotes RBM4 loading onto IRES mRNAs and enhances RBM4–eIF4A interactions, a nonphosphorylatable mutant of RBM4 was unresponsive to arsenite stress and failed to activate IRES-mediated translation. Thus, our results uncover a previously unrecognized paradigm for the RNA-binding protein RBM4 in its phosphorylation-modulated dual action as a suppressor of cap-dependent and enhancer of IRES-mediated translation in response to stress signals.
Double‐stranded RNA induces iNOS gene expression in Schwann cells, sensory neuronal death, and peripheral nerve demyelination

Inflammation in the peripheral nervous system (PNS) is one of the characteristics of virus‐induced peripheral neuropathy. In this inflammatory response, Schwann cells are actively involved. Previously, toll‐like receptor 3 (TLR3) was reported as a receptor for double‐stranded RNA (dsRNA) that induces antiviral and inflammatory responses in cells of the innate immune system. In this study, we investigated the expression and putative role of TLR3 in Schwann cells. TLR3 was constitutively expressed in Schwann cells. Stimulation with polyinosinic–polycytidylic acid, a synthetic dsRNA analogue, induced the expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) gene in Schwann cells. Studies on the intracellular signal transduction pathways using iSC, an immortalized Schwann cell line, revealed that dsRNA induces the activation of NF‐κB, p38, and c‐Jun N‐terminal kinase (JNK). The activation of NF‐κB, p38, JNK, and dsRNA‐dependent protein kinase is required for dsRNA‐mediated iNOS gene expression. However, the activation of PI3 kinase and GSK‐3β inhibited iNOS gene induction, a process mediated by their inhibitory effects on NF‐κB and p38 activation. dsRNA‐induced NO production caused neuronal cell death in cultured dorsal root ganglion. Finally, the introduction of dsRNA into the rat sciatic nerve induced iNOS gene expression and peripheral nerve demyelination in vivo. Taken together, these data suggest that viral RNA may induce inflammatory Schwann cell activation via TLR3 and peripheral nerve damage in the PNS. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.