Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
When Do Acquisitions Facilitate Technological Exploration and Exploitation?

Previous research has suggested that firms need to balance exploitation and exploration. Acquisitions can be used as a way to explore (i.e., develop new areas of technological expertise) or exploit (i.e., reinforce existing technological capabilities). This article examines acquisitions in the semiconductor industry to answer the following question: Under what conditions do acquisitions facilitate exploitation and/or exploratory activity by the acquirer firm? The authors posit that an acquirer firm’s ability to develop such exploratory innovation is a function of three key factors: opportunity available to the acquirer firm for exploration, ability of the acquirer firm to effectively assimilate and establish innovations in new technologies, and extent of control of target firm postacquisition. The results demonstrate strong support for the hypotheses indicating the benefits of target technological uniqueness and for the moderating effects of commonality between acquirer and target firms in geographic bases for exploration. However, the findings contradict expectations about the effects of mergers and suggest that merger enables the acquirer to engage in effective exploration. For exploitation, the authors find negative effects of target technological uniqueness and positive effects of commonality of geographic bases.
Genetic differentiation of Culex pipiens (Diptera: Culicidae) in China

Abstract The population genetic structures of Culex pipiens Linnaeus were evaluated in China over a 2000 km transect that encompasses the two subspecies, C. p. pallens and C. p. quinquefasciatus. Four polymorphic allozyme loci were investigated in 1376 mosquitoes sampled from 20 populations across four provinces. These loci were not statistically dependent with no apparent heterozygote deficit or excess. On a regional scale (intra-province), a low (Fst=0.007–0.016) and significant genetic differentiation was found, with no clear geographical pattern. On a wider scale (inter-province), the genetic differentiation was higher (Fst=0.059), and an isolation by distance emerged. The results are compared with previous population genetic surveys of this mosquito species in different geographic areas over the world. The overall pattern suggests that Culex pipiens requires considerable distance (500–1000 km) to show isolation by distance, irrespective of the subspecies (C. p. pipiens, C. p. quinquefasciatus and C. p. pallens) or the geographic location.
The Hedgehog Inhibitor Cyclopamine Reduces β-Catenin-Tcf Transcriptional Activity, Induces E-Cadherin Expression, and Reduces Invasion in Colorectal Cancer Cells

Colorectal cancer is a major global health problem resulting in over 600,000 deaths world-wide every year with the majority of these due to metastatic disease. Wnt signalling, and more specifically β-catenin-related transcription, has been shown to drive both tumorigenesis and the metastatic process in colorectal neoplasia, yet its complex interactions with other key signalling pathways, such as hedgehog, remain to be elucidated. We have previously shown that the Hedgehog (HH) signalling pathway is active in cells from colorectal tumours, and that inhibition of the pathway with cyclopamine induces apoptosis. We now show that cyclopamine treatment reduces β-catenin related transcription in colorectal cancer cell lines, and that this effect can be reversed by addition of Sonic Hedgehog protein. We also show that cyclopamine concomitantly induces expression of the tumour suppressor and prognostic indicator E-cadherin. Consistent with a role for HH in regulating the invasive potential we show that cyclopamine reduces the expression of transcription factors (Slug, Snail and Twist) associated with the epithelial-mesenchymal transition and reduces the invasiveness of colorectal cancer cells in vitro. Taken together, these data show that pharmacological inhibition of the hedgehog pathway has therapeutic potential in the treatment of colorectal cancer.
Exploiting Web Images for Semantic Video Indexing Via Robust Sample-Specific Loss

Semantic video indexing, also known as video annotation or video concept detection in literatures, has been attracting significant attention in recent years. Due to deficiency of labeled training videos, most of the existing approaches can hardly achieve satisfactory performance. In this paper, we propose a novel semantic video indexing approach, which exploits the abundant user-tagged Web images to help learn robust semantic video indexing classifiers. The following two major challenges are well studied: 1) noisy Web images with imprecise and/or incomplete tags; and 2) domain difference between images and videos. Specifically, we first apply a non-parametric approach to estimate the probabilities of images being correctly tagged as confidence scores. We then develop a robust transfer video indexing (RTVI) model to learn reliable classifiers from a limited number of training videos together with the abundance of user-tagged images. The RTVI model is equipped with a novel sample-specific robust loss function, which employs the confidence score of a Web image as prior knowledge to suppress the influence and control the contribution of this image in the learning process. Meanwhile, the RTVI model discovers an optimal kernel space, in which the mismatch between images and videos is minimized for tackling the domain difference problem. Besides, we devise an iterative algorithm to effectively optimize the proposed RTVI model and a theoretical analysis on the convergence of the proposed algorithm is provided as well. Extensive experiments on various real-world multimedia collections demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed robust semantic video indexing approach.
Repetition Priming in Dementia of Alzheimer's Type in Japanese

Background: Memory is profoundly impaired in patients with dementia of Alzheimer's type (DAT). However, the study of priming, which is thought to be implicit memory, is relatively scarce in DAT. In Japan there is only one study, which investigated repetition priming in DAT and the relationship between the severity of dementia and repetition priming in DAT has never been examined. Therefore, we studied repetition priming in patients with various severity of DAT from the standpoint of familiarity of words.
Technology in Culture: The Meaning of Cultural Fit

The Argument The thesis of this paper is that there are three basic processes by which a technological innovation is fitted into an existing culture: (1) Rejection, in situations where all interested groups are satisfied with a traditional technology and reject apparently superior innovations because they would force unwanted changes in technology and ideology; (2) Acceptance, in situations where a new technology is embraced by all because it appears to serve the same social and ideological functions as an inferior, or inoperative, traditional technology; and (3) — most commonly in complex societies — conflict over acceptance or rejection, in situations where a new technology introduced or proposed by one group, who perceive it as advancing their interests, is resisted by another group, who perceive it as threatening their welfare. A traditional tripartite concept of culture is employed, distinguishing technology, social organization, and ideology. Four case studies are introduced to illuminate the issue: the Thonga tribesmen of Mozambique, whose occupation as gold and diamond miners at first suited perfectly the requirements of the Thonga lineage and marriage system; the Yir Yoront of Australia, an aboriginal group who found that the steel axe introduced by whites disrupted the patriarchal status system and confounded their mythology; the Senecas, an American Indian tribe that for generations rejected male plow agriculture because their way of life was organized around female horticulture, but who took up male agriculture at the urging of a prophet when traditional male roles disintegrated on the reservation; and the anthracite miners and mine operators of nineteenth-century Pennsylvania, who discovered that fundamental changes in both social organization and ideology were needed in order to cope with catastrophically high rates of industrial accidents attendant on the new system of deep-shaft mining.
Static Detection of Vulnerabilities in x86 Executables

Several approaches have been proposed to perform vulnerability analysis of applications written in high-level languages. However, little has been done to automatically identify security-relevant flaws in binary code. In this paper, we present a novel approach to the identification of vulnerabilities in x86 executables in ELF binary format. Our approach is based on static analysis and symbolic execution techniques. We implemented our approach in a proof-of-concept tool and used it to detect taint-style vulnerabilities in binary code. The results of our evaluation show that our approach is both practical and effective
Cellular and molecular mechanisms of goblet cell metaplasia in the respiratory airways

ABSTRACT The mucociliary system, consisting of mucus-secreting goblet cells and ciliated cells, generates a constant overturning layer of protective mucus that lines the airway epithelium. Mucus hypersecretion and the pathophysiological changes associated are hallmarks of many pulmonary diseases including asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and cystic fibrosis. Excessive mucus production leads to airway obstruction and, because there is currently no effective treatment, contributes to morbidity and mortality of many patients. Goblet cell differentiation and mucus production are subject to extensive control. An emerging concept is that not all goblet cells are phenotypically identical suggesting that specific molecular pathways orchestrate mucin overproduction. This paper attempts to describe the cellular and molecular mechanisms governing the differentiation of goblet cells in pulmonary diseases, a prerequisite for the development of new therapeutic agents.
Description of the constitutive activity of cloned human melatonin receptors hMT1 and hMT2 and discovery of inverse agonists

Abstract: Melatonin receptors have been described to activate different G protein–dependent signaling pathways, both in laboratory, heterologous, cellular models and in physiological conditions. Furthermore, the constitutive activity of G protein–coupled receptors has been shown to be key in physiological and pathological conditions. In the case of melatonin receptors, information is rather scare and concerns only MT1 receptors. In the present report, we show that the G protein–coupled melatonin receptors do have a constitutive, nonmelatonin‐induced signaling activity using two cellular models of different origins, the Chinese hamster ovary cell line and Neuro2A, a neuroblastoma cell line. Furthermore, we show that this constitutive activity involves mainly Gi proteins, which is consistent with the common knowledge on the melatonin receptors. Importantly, we also describe, for the first time, inverse agonist properties for melatonin ligands. Although it is clear than more in‐depth, biochemistry‐based studies will be required to better understand by which pathway(s) the constitutively active melatonin receptors transfer melatonin information into intracellular biochemical events; our data open interesting perspectives for understanding the importance of the constitutive activity of melatonin receptors in physiological conditions.
SOCCA: A Security-Oriented Cyber-Physical Contingency Analysis in Power Infrastructures

Contingency analysis is a critical activity in the context of the power infrastructure because it provides a guide for resiliency and enables the grid to continue operating even in the case of failure. In this paper, we augment this concept by introducing SOCCA, a cyber-physical security evaluation technique to plan not only for accidental contingencies but also for malicious compromises. SOCCA presents a new unified formalism to model the cyber-physical system including interconnections among cyber and physical components. The cyber-physical contingency ranking technique employed by SOCCA assesses the potential impacts of events. Contingencies are ranked according to their impact as well as attack complexity. The results are valuable in both cyber and physical domains. From a physical perspective, SOCCA scores power system contingencies based on cyber network configuration, whereas from a cyber perspective, control network vulnerabilities are ranked according to the underlying power system topology.
Few Remaining Dreams: Community Colleges Since 1985

In recent years, three schools of thought—human capital economics, sociological contradictions theory, and the new structuralism—have contributed to discussions of the role of community colleges in American postsecondary education. An evaluation of this work suggests that the circumstances of community colleges have, in several respects, changed for the worse in the years since publication of the author’s book, The Diverted Dream (with Jerome Karabel). The community college student population has become more homogeneous in social class background and test scores, faculty work conditions have deteriorated, and dropout rates remain very high. One solution to the persisting performance problems of community colleges would be to split the colleges into three parts: one modeled on private-sector vocational training, another organized as two-year branches of four-year institutions, and a third as a community center for courses of avocational interest.
Structural Analysis of Glycosaminoglycans and Proteoglycans by Means of Raman Microspectrometry

Raman spectra have been determined for hyaluronan, chondroitin-4-sulfate, chondroitin-6-sulfate, aggrecan monomers and aggregates. The nature of the saccharides and the pattern of sulfation can be discerned. There were only small spectral changes with pH and ionic composition. Differences between hydroxyl vibrations, bulk water and solution conditions are shown. The spectrum of aggrecan is dominated by chondroitin sulfate contribution. The sulfation pattern and ratio of protein to glycosaminoglycan and the secondary structure of the core protein were determined.
Generating Attention, Inhibition, and Memory: A Pilot Randomized Trial for Preschoolers With Executive Functioning Deficits

This goal of this study was to assess the initial feasibility and efficacy of a play-based intervention targeting executive functions (EF) and parent–child relationships in preschoolers compared with an active control group. Preschoolers with EF deficits (M age = 3.7 ± 0.47, predominantly White boys) and their parents were randomized to intervention (n = 36) or active control (n = 32) conditions. Child performance on EF tasks, parent and masked teacher ratings of EF and behavior, and masked clinician ratings of severity were collected at baseline and at 3 and 6 months postbaseline. Partial eta-squared effect sizes at . 02 or higher comparing performance across the two groups was considered evidence of meaningful, albeit small, intervention effects. Intervention effects were observed for parent ratings of inattention, hyperactivity/impulsivity, and number/severity of problems experienced in various home situations, teacher ratings of severity of problems in various school situations, parent and teacher ratings of overall impairment, and clinician ratings of impairment. Intervention effects for functional improvements were maintained at the 6-month follow-up. No effect of the intervention was observed on the objective EF measures, although parent ratings of emotional control were improved for children in the intervention group. An intervention utilizing play-based activities targeting EF, when administered in a structured way by parents, is a promising approach for improving behavior in preschoolers with self-regulation deficits. More work is needed to investigate potential impact on EF and to disentangle mechanisms of action. It may be that the intervention’s focus on the structure and quality of parent–child interactions is a mediator of outcomes, rather than improved EFs.
Types of Personality: A Factorial Study of Seven Hundred Neurotics

Seven hundred neurotic soldiers, unselected except for the omission of all cases in which there were signs of physical injury of illness having a bearing on the neurosis, were rated by the psychiatrists in charge on 38 traits; scores on an intelligence test were also available. These 39 variables were intercorrelated, and the resulting matrix of 741 correlations factor analysed. The following results emerged from this study: 1. Four factors, one with positive saturations only, the other three with both positive and negative saturations, accounted for 40 per cent, of the variance. 2. The first factor extracted accounted for 14 per cent, of the variance, and was identified as a general factor of neuroticism, instability, or lack of integration. 3. The second, bipolar factor accounted for 12 per cent, of the variance, and was identified as a general factor of introversion, desurgency, or inhibition, dividing the patients into an hysterical and an affective group. 4. The third, bipolar factor accounted for 8 per cent, of the variance, and was identified as a general factor of hypochondriasis or neurasthenia, dividing traits stressing preoccupation with the health of the body from traits of a more psychological type. 5. The fourth, bipolor factor accounted for 6 per cent, of the variance, and seemed to be of little general interest. it divided the men examined into a social misfit group on the one hand, and a psychological conflict group on the other. 6. Evidence from work on questionnaires, ratings, experimental studies and animal studies was found to corroborate the existence of the two factors of integration and inhibition; these factors were also shown to fit in will with the conceptual framework of clinical and academic psychology.
Re/membering the Nation: Gaps and Reckoning within Biographical Accounts of Salvadoran Émigrés

In the aftermath of the 1980–1992 Salvadoran civil war, biography and history have become linked, as the Salvadoran state reclaims its dispersed citizenry, and as Salvadorans who emigrated as young children reclaim their own pasts. Such reclaimings compel biographies as part of state neoliberal financial strategies that encourage remitting, but also as collective history projects that challenge injustice. Juxtaposing state narratives, in which war and violence are often elided, with immigrant youths’ accounts, which seek accountability, reveals how biographies narrate yet disrupt neoliberal notions of the self.
A semi-autonomous tracked robot system for rescue missions

In this paper we describe our work in integrating the results of two previous researches carried on on two different robots. Both robots are designed to help human operators in rescue missions. In the first case, a wheeled robot has been used to develop some software modules. These modules provide the capabilities for autonomously explore an unknown environment and build a metric map while navigating. The second system has been designed to face more challenging scenarios: the robot has tracks and flippers, and features a semi-autonomous behavior to overcome small obstacles and avoid rollovers while moving on debris and unstructured ground. We show how the set of software modules of the first system has been installed on the tracked robot and merged with its semi-autonomous behavior algorithm, and we discuss the results of this integration with a set of experiments.
Antiallodynia and antihyperalgesia effects of ceftriaxone in treatment of chronic neuropathic pain in rats

Objective Neuropathic pain is a chronic and disabling syndrome with complex pathogenesis. It has been suggested that the function of glutamate transporters (GLTs) has a major role in the development of neuropathic pain. This study was performed to evaluate various doses of ceftriaxone, a beta-lactam antibiotic, on the symptoms in the rat chronic constriction injury (CCI) model of neuropathic pain. This drug has been recently introduced as a selective up-regulator and activator of GLT1. Methods Neuropathy was induced in adult male Wistar rats and animals were treated intraperitoneally with 100–400 mg/kg of ceftriaxone for seven consecutive days immediately after surgery. Gabapentin (100 mg/kg, i.p.) was used as a reference drug. von Frey filaments, acetone drop and radiant heat methods were used to assess mechanical allodynia, thermal allodynia and thermal hyperalgesia, respectively. Results Ceftriaxone in the repeated doses for 7 days showed significant antiallodynic and antihyperalgesic effects especially at a dose of 200 mg/kg twice a day. Conclusion The results suggest that ceftriaxone as a modulator of glutamate uptake could provide beneficial effects in the treatment of chronic neuropathic pain, especially allodynia that is less sensitive to the most available drugs.
Developing metacognitive behaviour in physical education classes: the use of task-pertinent learning strategies

Research in motor learning and sport pedagogy has shown that task-pertinent learning strategies enhance the learning and performance of self-paced motor tasks. Strategy research has typically been conducted under laboratory conditions in which artificial self-paced tasks were executed under well-controlled conditions. The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of three learning strategies in an instructional unit of basketball taught by a physical education (PE) teacher within the school curriculum. Fifty-six female participants (mean age = 12.5 years) were randomly assigned to four learning conditions: (a) the Five-Step Approach (5-SA), (b) a nonawareness strategy, (c) an awareness strategy, and (d) a control (no-strategy guidance). The task of the study was the basketball free throw. It was found that the 5-SA and the nonawareness participants performed more accurately than the awareness and the control participants. In addition, the strategy participants increased their preparation intervals compared with the control participants. It was concluded that learning strategies can facilitate accuracy of performance when applied during PE classes. Accepted under the editorship of Susan Capel.