Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
High‐Resolution Molecular Validation of Self‐Renewal and Spontaneous Differentiation in Clinical‐Grade Adipose‐Tissue Derived Human Mesenchymal Stem Cells

Improving the effectiveness of adipose‐tissue derived human mesenchymal stromal/stem cells (AMSCs) for skeletal therapies requires a detailed characterization of mechanisms supporting cell proliferation and multi‐potency. We investigated the molecular phenotype of AMSCs that were either actively proliferating in platelet lysate or in a basal non‐proliferative state. Flow cytometry combined with high‐throughput RNA sequencing (RNASeq) and RT‐qPCR analyses validate that AMSCs express classic mesenchymal cell surface markers (e.g., CD44, CD73/NT5E, CD90/THY1, and CD105/ENG). Expression of CD90 is selectively elevated at confluence. Self‐renewing AMSCs express a standard cell cycle program that successively mediates DNA replication, chromatin packaging, cyto‐architectural enlargement, and mitotic division. Confluent AMSCs preferentially express genes involved in extracellular matrix (ECM) formation and cellular communication. For example, cell cycle‐related biomarkers (e.g., cyclins E2 and B2, transcription factor E2F1) and histone‐related genes (e.g., H4, HINFP, NPAT) are elevated in proliferating AMSCs, while ECM genes are strongly upregulated (>10‐fold) in quiescent AMSCs. AMSCs also express pluripotency genes (e.g., POU5F1, NANOG, KLF4) and early mesenchymal markers (e.g., NES, ACTA2) consistent with their multipotent phenotype. Strikingly, AMSCs modulate expression of WNT signaling components and switch production of WNT ligands (from WNT5A/WNT5B/WNT7B to WNT2/WNT2B), while upregulating WNT‐related genes (WISP2, SFRP2, and SFRP4). Furthermore, post‐proliferative AMSCs spontaneously express fibroblastic, osteogenic, chondrogenic, and adipogenic biomarkers when maintained in confluent cultures. Our findings validate the biological properties of self‐renewing and multi‐potent AMSCs by providing high‐resolution quality control data that support their clinical versatility. J. Cell. Biochem. 115: 1816–1828, 2014. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
NOX 5 NAD ( P ) H oxidase regulates growth and apoptosis in DU 145 prostate cancer cells

Sukhdev S. Brar,1 Zachary Corbin,1 Thomas P. Kennedy,1 Richelle Hemendinger,2 Lisa Thornton,3 Bettina Bommarius,4 Rebecca S. Arnold,4 A. Richard Whorton,5 Anne B. Sturrock,6 Thomas P. Huecksteadt,6 Mark T. Quinn,7 Kevin Krenitsky,8 Kristia G. Ardie,8 J. David Lambeth,4 and John R. Hoidal6 Departments of 1Internal Medicine, 2General Surgery, and 3Emergency Medicine and the Cannon Research Center, Carolinas Medical Center, Charlotte, North Carolina 28232; 4Department of Pathology Laboratory Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia 30322; 6Division of Respiratory, Critical Care, and Occupational (Pulmonary) Medicine, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah 84132; 7Department of Veterinary Molecular Biology, Montana State University, Bozeman, Montana 59717; 8Genomics Collaborative, Incorporated, Blue Bell, Pennsylvania 19422; and 5Department of Pharmacology and Cancer Biology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina 27710
Summer 5-27-2016 Investment Timing Game of B 2 B E-commerce Platforms Under Network Externality

In the competitive investment environment of B2B E-commerce platform, the first mover has the advantage of network externality while the followers have the advantage of declining IT cost. Aimed to investigate the optimal Information Technology (IT) investment timing strategy under the interplay of network effect and declining IT cost, this paper develops an option game model under the uncertainty environment where the market demand is stochastic and the random command shock follows a geometric Brownian motion process. By solving this option game model, we offer the payoffs and threshold of platform as leader, follower or simultaneous investor. Equilibrium results show that there exist two kinds of equilibrium strategies, simultaneous equilibrium and sequential equilibrium when we take into account the interaction of network effect and IT cost decline and platforms choose which strategy depend on the relative magnitudes of network externality and IT cost decline level.
Magnetic anisotropy modified by electric field in V/Fe/MgO(001)/Fe epitaxial magnetic tunnel junction

Single-crystalline V/Fe(0.7 nm)/MgO(1.2nm)/Fe(20 nm) magnetic tunnel junctions are studied to quantify the influence of an electric field on the Fe/MgO interface magnetic anisotropy. The thinnest Fe soft layer has a perpendicular magnetic anisotropy (PMA), whereas the thickest Fe layer acts as sensor for magnetic anisotropy changes. When electrons are added at the PMA Fe/MgO interface (negative voltage), no anisotropy changes are observed. For positive voltage, the anisotropy constant decreases with increasing bias voltage. A huge 1150 fJ V−1 m−1 anisotropy variation with field is observed and the magnetization is found to turn from out-of-plane to in-plane of the sample with the applied voltage.
A Practical Layered Multiplexed-Coded Relaying Scheme for Wireless Multicast

We design and implement a practical layered multiplexed-coded decode-forward (LMDF) relaying strategy for a wide-band wireless multicast network. The proposed LMDF scheme relies on layering at the source, with the individual layers provided unequal power allocation through a simple bit-mapping operation to quadrature amplitude modulation constellations. At the relay, LMDF utilizes a multiplexed-coded approach that, with a single transmission, caters for the disparity in the number of layers decoded at different destinations. Under a practical setup of hard-decision decoding and coding across the subcarriers of orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) modulated transmissions, we derive the information theoretic achievable rates of LMDF and use the IEEE 802.11 TGn channel model for performance evaluations. LMDF is then implemented using convolutional codes, with the relay's code optimized specifically keeping its multiplexed nature in mind. In addition to simulations, we also evaluate the performance of LMDF through a system-level implementation by using the National Instruments USRPs 2921. We conduct over-the-air experiments in an indoor office environment using an OFDM-based physical layer, and illustrate the considerable performance benefits of LMDF over benchmarks such as conventional two-hop decode-forward.
Optimisation of process algebra models using evolutionary computation

We propose that process algebras and evolutionary algorithms have complementary strengths for developing models of complex systems. Evolutionary algorithms are powerful methods for finding solutions to optimisation problems with large search spaces but require an accurately defined fitness function to provide valid results. Process algebras are an effective method for defining models of complex interacting processes, but tuning parameters to allow model outputs to match experimental data can be difficult. Defining models in the first place can also be problematic. Our long term goal is to build a framework to synthesise process algebra models. Here we present a first step in that development: combining process algebra with an evolutionary approach to fine tune the numeric parameters of predefined models. The Evolving Process Algebra (EPA) framework is demonstrated through examples from epidemiology and computer science. Program track — Computational Intelligence in Bioinformatics and Computational Biology
Determinants of the adoption of Web-based educational technology: a preliminary data analysis of New Zealand tertiary educators

The purpose of this research is to examine the determinants of the adoption of Web-based educational technology for New Zealand educators. An integrated research model, drawing on the technology acceptance model, the theory of planned behavior and innovation diffusion theory, was developed to guide the work. Interviews were conducted with 32 educators who have adopted or managed Web-based educational technology in five New Zealand universities. The findings reveal that the five most influential factors are control beliefs in terms of access to technology and availability of technology and behavioral beliefs in terms of compatibility, relative advantage, and student demand.
Interactive visual summaries for detection and assessment of spatiotemporal patterns in geospatial time series

Numerous measurement devices and computer simulations produce geospatial time series that describe a wide variety of processes of System Earth. A major challenge in the analysis of such data is the complexity of the described processes, which requires a simultaneous assessment of the data’s spatial and temporal variability. To address this task, geoscientists often use automated analyses to compute a compact description of the data, ideally comprising characteristic spatial states of the process under study and their occurrence over time. The results of such automated methods depend on the parameterization, especially the number of extracted spatial states. A particular number of spatial states, however, may only reflect certain spatial or temporal aspects. We introduce a visual analytics approach that overcomes this limitation by allowing users to extract and explore various sets of spatial states to detect characteristic spatiotemporal patterns. To this end, we use the results of hierarchical clustering as a starting point. It groups all time steps of a geospatial time series into a hierarchy of clusters. Users can interactively explore this hierarchy to derive various sets of spatial states. To facilitate detailed inspection of these sets, we employ the concept of interactive visual summaries. A visual summary is the depiction of a set of spatial states and their associated time steps or intervals. It includes interactive means that allow users to assess how well the depicted patterns characterize the original data. Our visual interface comprises a system of visualization components to facilitate both the extraction of sets of spatial states from the hierarchical clustering output and their detailed inspection using interactive visual summaries. This study results from a close collaboration with geoscientists. In an exemplary analysis of observational ocean data, we show how our approach can help geoscientists gain a better understanding of geospatial time series.
Reading with rods: the superiority of central vision for rapid reading.

PURPOSE To investigate why the central portion of the visual field is normally the optimal region for pattern recognition. METHOD The study uses a reading paradigm in which the text can only be seen with rod vision. Reading rates were measured as the text was positioned in different parts of the visual field. RESULTS Observers obtained the highest reading rates when rod-generated images were viewed at or near the fovea. CONCLUSION The superiority of the central field for reading is neither linked to some exclusive property of the cone visual system, nor is it primarily related to visual sensitivity or spatiotemporal resolution. The superiority of reading in the central field is associated with some aspect of the visual cortical processes.
Challenging patient safety culture: survey results.

PURPOSE The purpose of this paper is to measure patient safety culture in five Belgian general hospitals. Safety culture plays an important role in the approach towards greater patient safety in hospitals. DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH The Patient Safety Culture Hospital questionnaire was distributed hospital-wide in five general hospitals. It evaluates ten patient safety culture dimensions and two outcomes. The scores were expressed as the percentage of positive answers towards patient safety for each dimension. The survey was conducted from March through November 2005. In total, 3,940 individuals responded (overall response rate = 77 per cent), including 2,813 nurses and assistants, 462 physicians, 397 physiotherapists, laboratory and radiology assistants, social workers and 64 pharmacists and pharmacy assistants. FINDINGS The dimensional positive scores were found to be low to average in all the hospitals. The lowest scores were "hospital management support for patient safety" (35 per cent), "non-punitive response to error" (36 per cent), "hospital transfers and transitions" (36 per cent), "staffing" (38 per cent), and "teamwork across hospital units" (40 per cent). The dimension "teamwork within hospital units" generated the highest score (70 per cent). Although the same dimensions were considered problematic in the different hospitals, important variations between the five hospitals were observed. PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS A comprehensive and tailor-made plan to improve patient safety culture in these hospitals can now be developed. ORIGINALITY/VALUE Results indicate that important aspects of the patient safety culture in these hospitals need improvement. This is an important challenge to all stakeholders wishing to improve patient safety.
Challenges and Benefits for Adopting the Paradigm of Cloud Computing

Cloud computing is a rapidly emerging technology that has removed the saddle of buying licensed software and heavy hardware. By exploiting this technology, clients are able to access resources remotely by using a simple web browser. They are not required to maintain hardware devices or software applications, so it saves managing cost and time for organizations. Many industries, such as banking, healthcare, and education, are moving towards the cloud due to the efficiency of services provided by the pay-per-use pattern. The utilization and payment process of cloud computing is similar to other common utilities such as electricity. As the users of electricity are only required to pay for the amount of electricity consumed throughout the month. Similarly, cloud providers charge the users based on the exploitation of a cloud system or resources such as processing power used, transactions carried out, bandwidth consumed, data transferred, or storage space occupied. Cloud computing is a completely internet dependent technology where client data is stored in the data center of a cloud provider. There are various challenges for adopting cloud computing such as privacy, interoperability and reliability. Beside these challenges, there are also several benefits for adopting this technology such as cost savings, easy scalability, and increased productivity. This research paper introduces a big picture of cloud computing and analyzes the key challenges as well as benefits of adopting the paradigm of cloud computing.
Acute respiratory distress syndrome: an audit of incidence and outcome in Scottish intensive care units

This prospective audit of incidence and outcome of the acute respiratory distress syndrome was conducted as part of the national audit of intensive care practice in Scotland. All patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome in 23 adult intensive care units were identified using the diagnostic criteria defined by the American‐European Consensus Conference. Daily data collection was continued until death or intensive care unit discharge. Three hundred and sixty‐nine patients were diagnosed with acute respiratory distress syndrome over the 8‐month study period. The frequency of acute respiratory distress syndrome in the intensive care unit population was 8.1%; the incidence in the Scottish population was estimated at 16.0 cases.100 000−1.year−1. Intensive care unit mortality for acute respiratory distress syndrome was 53.1%, with a hospital mortality of 60.9%. In our national unselected population of critically ill patients, the overall outcome is comparable with published series (Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II standardised mortality ratio = 0.99). However, mortality from acute respiratory distress syndrome in Scotland is substantially higher than in recent other series suggesting an improvement in outcome in this condition.
Portable sleep monitoring and awaking system based on EEG, ECG, tri-axis accelerometers and LED array panel

This article is about implementation by simplifying Electroencephalography (EEG) monitoring system, and combining tri-axis accelerometers and 3-lead Electrocardiography (ECG) to develop a ubiquitous sleep monitoring and awaking system. Also, the system helps users sleep deeper and wake up comfortably by neurofeedback networks. The neurofeedback networks basically consist of EEG and ECG sensors and tri-axis accelerometers with a System-on-Chip (SoC) design for real-time bio-signal analysis: Time-frequency domain analysis of heart rate variability (HRV). This sleep monitoring awaking system is implemented by a LED array panel and speaker which emits blue lights with specific wavelength which can suppress secretion of melatonin and make sounds in different needs and conditions, which will guide the users to fall into normal circadian rhythm and improve sleep quality.
Anxiety and increased 5-HT1A receptor response in NCAM null mutant mice.

Mice deficient in the neural cell adhesion molecule (NCAM) show behavioral abnormalities as adults, including altered exploratory behavior, deficits in spatial learning, and increased intermale aggression. Here, we report increased anxiety-like behavior of homozygous (NCAM-/-) and heterozygous (NCAM/-) mutant mice in a light/dark avoidance test, independent of genetic background and gender. Anxiety-like behavior was reduced in both NCAM+/+ and NCAM-/- mice by systemic administration of the benzodiazepine agonist diazepam and the 5-HT1A receptor agonists buspirone and 8-OH-DPAT. However, NCAM-/- mice showed anxiolytic-like effects at lower doses of buspirone and 8-OH-DPAT than NCAM+/+ mice. Such increased response to 5-HT1A receptor stimulation suggests a functional change in the serotonergic system of NCAM-/- mice, likely involved in the control of anxiety and aggression. However, 5-HT1A receptor binding and tissue content of serotonin and its metabolite 5-hydroxyindolacetic acid were found unaltered in every brain area of NCAM-/- mice investigated, indicating that expression of 5-HT1A receptors as well as synthesis and release of serotonin are largely unchanged in NCAM-/- mice. We hypothesize a critical involvement of endogenous NCAM in serotonergic transmission via 5-HT1A receptors and inwardly rectifying K+ channels as the respective effector systems.
Cutting Edge: The Absence of C3 Demonstrates a Role for Complement in Th2 Effector Functions in a Murine Model of Pulmonary Allergy1

Asthma is a chronic disease of the lung resulting from airway obstruction. Although the initiating causes are not entirely clear, the airway inflammation in asthma is associated with Th2 lymphocytes and their cytokines, particularly IL-4, which play a prominent role in this disease by regulating airway hyperresponsiveness, eosinophil activation, and IgE synthesis. Historically, complement was not thought to contribute to the pathogenesis of asthma. However, using C3-deficient mice in an allergen-induced model of pulmonary allergy, we demonstrate that complement may impact key features of this disease. When challenged with allergen, mice deficient in C3 exhibit diminished airway hyperresponsiveness and lung eosinophilia. Furthermore, these mice also have dramatically reduced numbers of IL-4-producing cells and attenuated Ag-specific IgE and IgG1 responses. Collectively, these results demonstrate that C3-deficient mice have significantly altered allergic lung responses and indicate a role for the complement system in promoting Th2 effector functions in asthma.
The Impacts of Corporate Environmental Management Systems - A Comparison between EMAS and ISO 14001**

Abstract: The authors present and discuss the results of empirical research on the implementation of standardised environmental management systems in companies. As there are basically two competing standards – the European Eco-management and Audit Scheme (EMAS) and the worldwide ISO 14001 – the focus of the paper is on potential different and common features of the corporate implementation, experiences and impacts. Although the methodical approaches of the empirical research projects differ to a great extent, their results are quite similar: the experiences of companies with environmental management systems do not really differ with respect to the formal standards underlying them but to the cor-porate culture and the strategic importance environmental orientation has for the company. There are some more or less important differences in the formal demands of the two standards (e. g. the duty to publish an environmental report within EMAS but not within ISO 14001), but these differences do not really lead to different corporate practices. The widespread opinion- especially in Austria and Germany - that EMAS leads to ‘star performance’ in environmental management cannot be confirmed by empirical findings. In addition to these results this paper points out the occurring problems of empirical research in the field of environmental management. Many of the given statements by the corporate actors cannot be verified by researchers and therefore have to be handled carefully. This leads to the proposition that companies have to evaluate their grade of sustainability themselves and should publish the results to make it possible for the stakeholders to make a comparison. The main task for the scientific community then would be to develop the necessary indicators, bench-marks, standards and so on to help the companies.
A Scalable Association Rules Mining Algorithm Based on Sorting, Indexing and Triming

Apriori is an influential and well-known algorithm for mining association rules. However, the main drawback of Apriori algorithm is the large amount of candidate itemsets it generates. Several hash-based algorithms, such as DHP and MPIP, were proposed to deal with the problem. DHP employs hash functions to filter out potential-less candidate itemsets. MPIP further improves DHP by employing minimal perfect hashing functions to avoid generation of candidate itemsets. Though MPIP results in a very promising mining efficiency, the memory space required in MPIP increases rapidly as the number of items grows. To obtain even better mining efficiency while reducing the memory space required, a sorting-indexing-trimming (SIT) algorithm for mining association rules is proposed in this paper. SIT uses the sorting, indexing, and trimming techniques to reduce the amount of itemsets to be considered. Then, to utilize both the advantages of Ariori and MPIP, a revised MPIP algorithm is employed to deal with 2-itemsets, and a revised apriori algorithm to deal with Mtemsets for k>2. Though the memory space required in SIT is less than MPIP, from the experiment results, SIT outperforms both Apriori and MPIP.
Balancing Energy and Quality Awareness: A MAC-Layer Duty Cycle Management Solution for Multimedia Delivery Over Wireless Mesh Networks

Energy consumption has been a critical factor for mobile video applications. The quality of content delivery over wireless mesh networks consisting of such devices is also considered important. Existing energy-aware research and industrial effort focuses on reducing high-energy-consuming working periods of mesh devices at the expense of decreasing the quality of video content. This paper proposes AOC-MAC, an energy-quality-balanced solution, deployed at the medium access control (MAC) layer, which works in conjunction with an energy-aware routing algorithm for wireless mesh devices. The simulation and perceptual test results are also presented to investigate the performance of the proposed solution. In particular, the impacts of content delivery data rate, mesh network topology scale, and mesh device mobility are studied. Results demonstrate that AOC-MAC obtains up to 23% energy savings at roughly the same content delivery quality level in comparison with the IEEE 802.11s MAC protocol.