Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
In vivo tissue engineering of functional skeletal muscle by freshly isolated satellite cells embedded in a photopolymerizable hydrogel

The success of skeletal muscle reconstruction depends on finding the most effective, clinically suitable strategy to engineer myogenic cells and biocompatible scaffolds. Satellite cells (SCs), freshly isolated or transplanted within their niche, are presently considered the best source for muscle regeneration. Here, we designed and developed the delivery of either SCs or muscle progenitor cells (MPCs) via an in situ photo‐cross‐linkable hyaluronan‐based hydrogel, hyaluronic acid‐photoinitiator (HA‐PI) complex. Partially ablated tibialis anterior (TA) of C57BL/6J mice engrafted with freshly isolated satellite cells embedded in hydrogel showed a major improvement in muscle structure and number of new myofibers, compared to muscles receiving hydrogel + MPCs or hydrogel alone. Notably, SCs embedded in HA‐PI also promoted functional recovery, as assessed by contractile force measurements. Tissue reconstruction was associated with the formation of both neural and vascular networks and the reconstitution of a functional SC niche. This innovative approach could overcome previous limitations in skeletal muscle tissue engineering. —Rossi, C. A. , Flaibani, M. , Blaauw, B. , Pozzobon, M. , Figallo, E. , Reggiani, C. , Vitiello, L. , Elvassore, N. , De Coppi, P. In vivo tissue engineering of functional skeletal muscle by freshly isolated satellite cells embedded in a photopolymerizable hydrogel. FASEB J. 25, 2296‐2304 (2011). www.fasebj. org
IL-33 mediates antigen-induced cutaneous and articular hypernociception in mice

IL-33, a new member of the IL-1 family, signals through its receptor ST2 and induces T helper 2 (Th2) cytokine synthesis and mediates inflammatory response. We have investigated the role of IL-33 in antigen-induced hypernociception. Recombinant IL-33 induced cutaneous and articular mechanical hypernociception in a time- and dose-dependent manner. The hypernociception was inhibited by soluble (s) ST2 (a decoy receptor of IL-33), IL-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1ra), bosentan [a dual endothelin (ET)A/ETB receptor antagonist], clazosentan (an ETA receptor antagonist), or indomethacin (a cyclooxygenase inhibitor). IL-33 induced hypernociception in IL-18−/− mice but not in TNFR1−/− or IFNγ−/− mice. The IL-33-induced hypernociception was not affected by blocking IL-15 or sympathetic amines (guanethidine). Furthermore, methylated BSA (mBSA)-induced cutaneous and articular mechanical hypernociception depended on TNFR1 and IFNγ and was blocked by sST2, IL-1ra, bosentan, clazosentan, and indomethacin. mBSA also induced significant IL-33 and ST2 mRNA expression. Importantly, we showed that mBSA induced hypernociception via the IL-33 → TNFα → IL-1β → IFNγ → ET-1 → PGE2 signaling cascade. These results therefore demonstrate that IL-33 is a key mediator of immune inflammatory hypernociception normally associated with a Th1 type of response, revealing a hitherto unrecognized function of IL-33 in a key immune pharmacological pathway that may be amenable to therapeutic intervention.
Inhibitory Activities of 11 Antimicrobial Agents and Bactericidal Activities of Vancomycin and Daptomycin against Invasive Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Isolates Obtained from 1999 through 2006

ABSTRACT We assessed MICs and minimal bactericidal concentrations of vancomycin, daptomycin, and nine other antimicrobials against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus isolates obtained from 1999 through 2006. No vancomycin, daptomycin, or linezolid resistance was observed. Clindamycin, gentamicin, and ciprofloxacin resistance decreased significantly. No tolerance to vancomycin or daptomycin was observed, nor was MIC creep seen.
Information security and mutual trust as determining factors for information technology outsourcing success

Information security and mutual trust have been the major stumbling blocks in the adoption of information technology outsourcing (ITO), clients were skeptical about possibilities of ITO as a mean of bridging the gap between information technology (IT) and business community. This development had made it difficult for ITO to be practiced in isolation. Business transaction is done between two or more interested parties, it is imperative for the parties to operate successfully only in an environment where mutual trust and information security are guaranteed and respected. This research looks into the impact of information security and mutual trust on ITO contracts, by investigating how the ITO suppliers (big organizations and small and medium enterprises SME) in Malaysia interpret the concept of information security and mutual trust and their effects on ITO dealings. This research finds out that information security and mutual trust were considered as the bedrocks of ITO success especially among the SMEs while big organizations see information security and mutual trust as organization’s ladder to success. Though, many interviewees considered information security as an integral part of mutual trust. Interviews were conducted among some ITO suppliers in Malaysia and MAXQDA is used as the analysis tool. Key words: IT outsourcing, information security, mutual trust, developing countries, ITO suppliers/vendors, small and medium-scale enterprises SMEs, globalization.
Interorganizational Entrepreneurship in a Global Arena

The evolution of interorganizational networks is shaped by micro and macro processes. At the micro level organizational dyads negotiate relationships in light of their own cost—benefit analysis. At the macro level resources flow through networks and are mobilized by coalitions. Current research is beginning to examine integrating mechanisms which link network dynamics to dyadic relationship formation. In this paper we examine interorganizational brokerage as an integrating mechanism linking micro and macro network processes. We focus on the formation of networks in the global television industry. The Children's Television Network (CTW) has licensed and co‐produced its flagship program “Sesame Street” in many countries around the globe. Recently, it has expanded beyond a strategy based on direct first‐order linkages to one of brokerage and interorganizational entrepreneurship, entailing the formation of second‐order linkages—linkages between organizations with which CTW has direct first‐order relationships. In the aftermath of the Oslo Peace Agreement, CTW acted as a broker and sponsor of a joint venture between Israeli and Palestinian broadcasters. The main challenge facing CTW was a high degree of distrust between the parties motivated by fears of opportunistic exploitation. Such fears typically result in high transaction costs, making joint venture formation difficult, if not impossible. In its capacity as broker, CTW worked to reduce transaction costs. This was done by providing resources where needed, and by facilitating interaction and trust building between the parties. We describe CTW's tactics during the formation of this joint venture, and we analyze the outcome of the joint venture from the point of view of CTW's overall strategy. We conclude by discussing CTW's network and brokerage strategy in the aftermath of the joint venture.
Dutch Disease Investigated: Empirical Evidence from Selected South-East Asian Economies

The objective of this paper is to investigate Dutch Disease hypothesis by analyzing foreign inflows power to appreciate real exchange rate as well as calculate the degree of contraction in the tradable sector among selected South East Asian countries over 1981-2007. Using static and dynamic panel data techniques, the study first estimates real exchange rate appreciation due to surge in foreign inflows and then estimates contraction in the tradable and expansion in the non-tradable sector. On the basis of empirical estimation the study confirms the Dutch Disease hypothesis in the countries of analysis.
Human neural stem cells: a new tool for studying cortical development in Down's syndrome

The clinical characteristics of Down's syndrome (DS), or trisomy 21, are caused by errors that occur during development. In addition to mental retardation, DS individuals have craniofacial abnormalities, clinical defects of the heart, gut and immune system, as well as predisposition to certain diseases, such as leukemias and Alzheimer's disease. To explain the developmental mechanisms that cause these traits, it is necessary to look at how developmental processes in DS compare to normal development. The neurological characteristics of DS are established during the prenatal and early postnatal period in humans, when the bulk of brain development occurs. Mouse models of DS have provided a useful way of studying DS neural development. However, there are clearly significant differences between rodent and human biology that may not be reflected in mouse models. Recent advances in stem cell biology now allow the generation of human neural tissue in the culture dish ( Ostenfeld & Svendsen 2003). Stem cells offer a novel model system to study alterations in neuron development in developmental disorders such as DS.
A goal programming/constrained regression review of the Bell system breakup

The recently implemented court decision to break up Bell (=American Telephone & Telegraph Co.) to accord with U.S. anti-trust laws represents a highly significant policy decision which is proving to be influential in other countries as well as the U.S. The telecommunication industry is of such size and importance that even relatively small economies that might be lost with Bell's breakup as a "natural monopoly" could involve substantial welfare losses to consumers and producers. Studies commissioned by the U.S. Justice Department that approached this topic by econometric methods reported that the evidence failed to support the contention that Bell was a natural monopoly. Here a goal programming/constrained regression, as developed in the Management Science literature, uses the same functional form and the same data but nevertheless reverses the main findings of the econometric studies in every one of the 20 years covered. This kind of difference in results obtained by two different methods of analysis points up a need for drawing on persons from different disciplines who are capable of checking each other's methodologies when important policy decisions may be influenced by results that depend on the methodologies that these disciplines customarily use. Advantages of doing this are further illustrated by data deficiencies that escape detection by the econometric methods employed in the Justice Department-commissioned studies.
Intellectual capital disclosure trends: some Malaysian evidence

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the trend of intellectual capital disclosures (ICD) over a three‐year period (2008‐2010), when the Malaysian business environment was characterized by a number of major events such as the recent 2008/2009 global financial crisis and corporate governance restructuring.Design/methodology/approach – A checklist was constructed to measure the extent and quality of ICD in Malaysian corporate annual reports. The extent of ICD was measured on a dichotomous basis (0, 1) while the quality of ICD was measured using a four‐point scale (0‐3). Findings – The results showed an increasing trend of the ICD and a significant overall increase by the sample Malaysian companies. The results also revealed that there are significant differences between the categories of the IC disclosures, with external capital related information accounting for the largest portion. However, only human capital disclosures significantly increased over time.Practical implications – The time series.
Security analysis of the Bootstrap protocol for deny-by-default Mobile Ad-hoc Networks

In previous work, we proposed a “Bootstrap” protocol for establishing neighbor relationships, between two mobile nodes in a mission critical deny-by-default Mobile Ad-hoc Network. In this paper, we formally characterize the security properties of this Bootstrap protocol, striving to answer the following questions: 1) To what extent can an adversary undermine the correctness and performance of the Bootstrap protocol? 2) To what extent can the Bootstrap protocol be improved in anticipation of an adversary? Our analyses employ a combination of formal logic and two standard automated model checkers, SPIN and PRISM. Two types of threats are considered, which we call the subverted node and the subverted link. In the subverted link analysis, we further categorize the adversary into two variants, which we call dark-red or light-red in correspondence with having detailed Bootstrap-protocol-specific knowledge or only generic neighbor setup knowledge, respectively. The subverted node analysis shows that the adversary cannot TCP-SYN-flood-like attack nor deadlock the good node within the Bootstrap protocol. The subverted link analysis shows that the adversary cannot undermine the correctness of the protocol, in the sense that the protocol's performance is only degraded in a bounded manner by the dark-red adversary or in a benign manner by the light-red adversary.
Intergenerational Effects of Welfare Reform on Educational Attainment

This paper estimates the impact of the fundamental welfare reforms of the 1990s on the educational attainment of children in low-income families. Using administrative records and individual survey data spanning the early 1990s to the mid-2000s, we find large positive effects of welfare reform: income gaps in school enrollment and dropout rates narrow by more than 20 percent. Unlike the significant and growing relative gains in the years following state welfare reforms, we find no evidence of relative gains for low-income adolescents in the years preceding the reforms. These findings are robust under alternative definitions of the treatment and control groups and after controlling for contemporaneous economic and policy changes.
Classification of Motor Imagery EEG Based on a Time-Frequency Analysis and Second-Order Blind Identification

In this paper, two methods for the classification of motor imagery electroencephalogram (EEG) recordings in a brain computer interface (BCI) task was described. The first one is based on a time-frequency analysis of EEG signals. The original EEG signals are converted to time-frequency signals by a function of short time Fourier transforms (STFTs). In another method, we applied second-order blind identification (SOBI), a blind source separation (BSS) algorithm to preprocess EEG data. Subsequently in both of two methods, Fisher class separability criterion was used to select the features. Finally, classification of Motor Imagery EEG evoked by a sequence of randomly mixed left and right motor imagery was performed by a linear classifier or back-propagation neural networks (BPNN), using as inputs the two STFTs time- frequency signals or the two SOBI-recovered SI components or the two EEG channels C3/C4. The results showed that classification accuracy of Motor Imagery EEG was significantly improved by STFTs or SOBI preprocessing.
Nested Deletions of the SRL Pathogenicity Island ofShigella flexneri 2a

ABSTRACT In this study, we determined the boundaries of a 99-kb deletable element of Shigella flexneri 2a strain YSH6000. The element, designated the multiple-antibiotic resistance deletable element (MRDE), had recently been found to contain a 66-kb pathogenicity island (PAI)-like element (designated the SRL PAI) which carries the Shigella resistance locus (SRL), encoding resistance determinants to streptomycin, ampicillin, chloramphenicol, and tetracycline. The YSH6000 MRDE was found to be flanked by two identical IS91 elements present at the S. flexneri homologs of the Escherichia coli genesputA and mdoA on NotI fragment D. Sequence data from two YSH6000-derived MRDE deletants, YSH6000T and S2430, revealed that deletion of the MRDE occurred between the two flanking IS91 elements, resulting in a single IS91 element spanning the two original IS91 loci. Selection for the loss of tetracycline resistance confirmed that the MRDE deletion occurred reproducibly from the same chromosomal site and also showed that the SRL PAI and the SRL itself were capable of independent deletion from the chromosome, thus revealing a unique set of nested deletions. The excision frequency of the SRL PAI was estimated to be 10−5 per cell in the wild type, and mutation of a P4-like integrase gene (int) at the left end of the SRL PAI revealed that int mediates precise deletion of the PAI.
Glaucocalyxin A: a review

Glaucocalyxin A is a natural ent-Kaurane diterpenoid. It has been widely studied for some important biological activities like cytotoxicity and anti-tumour, anti-bacterial, anti-oxidative, anti-coagulative, anti-thrombotic, immune and anti-neuroinflammatory activities. The aim of the present article is to review the available information on Glaucocalyxin A including sources, biological activities and derivatives and also have a look at the future perspectives.
Modified Harada-Ito procedure in bilateral superior oblique paresis

BACKGROUND Patients with bilateral superior oblique palsies may complain of diplopia and torsion, especially in downgaze. They are difficult to manage surgically, although bilateral modified Harada-Ito procedures may be of value. METHODS A retrospective review was carried out of patients treated with bilateral Fells' modified Harada-Ito procedures for bilateral superior oblique palsy between 1989 and March 2000, the patients being identified from operating records. RESULTS Twenty-three patients were identified (9 females and 14 males) with a mean age at presentation of 37 years (range 19 to 75). In 20 cases (87%) the aetiology was trauma (14 due to traffic accidents). All patients had diplopia at presentation (3 specifically mentioned torsion) with a mean duration of 22.5 months. Eleven patients had abnormal head postures and 13 were binocular. Mean vertical deviation was 3.2 ? for distance and 4 ? for near. Maximum torsion ranged from 5° (previous surgery) to 24° excylotorsion with a mean of 13°. Thirteen patients had a V pattern. After surgery the mean vertical deviation was 1.5 ? for distance and 1 ? for near. Ten patients were symptom free, 8 had reduced diplopia and 5 were unchanged. The worst torsion post-op ranged from 1° of intorsion to 11° of excyclotorsion (mean 4°). Further vertical muscle surgery was required in 10 (43%) patients. Mean follow-up was 13.5 months. CONCLUSIONS In these patients bilateral modified Harada-Ito procedures successfully reduced torsion and decreased symptoms. Many patients require subsequent surgery to improve other aspects of their motility problem.
Nash bargaining model of HMO premiums

This paper estimates a model of commercial HMO premiums based on Nash's axiomatic approach to bargaining between HMOs and employers. The bargaining models incorporate variables that measure the ‘power’ of the parties to affect the division of potential gains from a contract. It is found that an increase in the number of competing HMOs increases the employer's bargaining power and leads to lower premiums, especially for for-profit HMOs. It is also found that employers’ bargaining power over non-profit HMOs is positively related to the ratio of the HMO's administrative expenses/total expenses.
ENHANCING POTENTIAL AND REALISED ABSORPTIVE CAPACITY: MACRO–MICRO DYNAMIC INTEGRATIVE DESIGN

Absorptive capacity has played a distinctive constructive role in fostering innovation in organisational research in recent decades. Enhancing absorptive capacity is essential to ensure a firms long-term competitiveness. The foundation of absorptive capacity relies greatly on prior related knowledge and diversity of background concerning an aggregated system that can explain how the entire mechanism works. Regarding more direct efforts to explore systematically the interdependence between existing construct variables and others new constructs to label the capabilities of a firm to enhance this capability, the outcomes remain surprisingly rare. Till date, researchers' understanding of the key macro–micro (organisation-individual) linkage of acquiring, assimilating, transforming, and exploiting development has not been examined comprehensively. Thus, the premise of this research is to propose a "macro–micro dynamic integrative design" that will shift the learning landscape of absorptive capacity that internally can drive more effective learning and capability development.
The complexity of Decision Problems for Linear Temporal Logics

There are a variety of temporal logics appropriate for a variety of reasoning tasks. The underlying model of time appropriate to the application can range from discrete natural numbers and integers to dense linear real numbers or to algebras of intervals and trees. The temporal language can be built from a few simple temporal connectives, if they are adequately expressive or we can have many more connectives, or add metric information or fix points if we can afford to risk sacrificing the speed of reasoning to gain increased expressiveness. The author has recently shown the surprising result that as far as computational complexity of reasoning is concerned, it is just as easy to reason with an adequately expressive language over real numbers time, as it is to reason with traditional simple operators on the discrete natural numbers flow of time. In this paper we build on that new result to give an account of the computational complexity of all the decision problems for any temporal logic using standard style temporal connectives over any of the common classes of linear flows of time. In particular we show that all the standard logics have decision prob-
CEO and Board Chair Roles Held Jointly or Separately: Much Ado About Nothing?

Executive Overview CEOs who jointly serve as board chairs have been the focus of considerable controversy of late. Powerful organizational constituents including the California Public Employees Retirement System (CalPERS) and the New York City Pension Fund have targeted firms that rely on the joint structure. These shareholder groups prefer a non-executive director serving as board chair. Governance activists have made similar recommendations, most notably in the Cadbury Report, a governance reform document written in the United Kingdom. The central concern of reform activists is that joint service as CEO and board chair erodes the corporate system of checks and balances and compromises independence between directors and firm officers. Not surprisingly, CEOs rarely share this concern. More than 80 percent of large firm CEOs also serve as board chair. They believe the joint leadership structure provides a unified focus and communicates strong leadership to the external community. Accordingly, we pose the q.
Myelinated nerve endings in human skin

We used immunohistochemical techniques and confocal microscopy to study the morphometry of myelinated nerve endings in glabrous and hairy skin. A total of 30 healthy volunteers took part in this study designed to assess the possibility of obtaining reliable information on myelinated fibers using samples of hairy skin and to determine whether differences exist between myelinated terminations from different sites. We obtained consistent information on cutaneous myelinated terminations using hairy as well as glabrous skin samples. Myelinated endings from hairy and glabrous skin differ in density and distribution. However, from a comparison of our findings with data from nerve biopsy studies, we conclude that all cutaneous myelinated terminations are thinner terminal branches of large myelinated Aβ fibers, whereas cutaneous terminations of small myelinated Aδ fibers lose their myelin before entering the dermis and become indistinguishable from C‐fiber terminations. The classic criteria, based on fiber size, used to distinguish myelinated fiber subgroups in sensory nerves are therefore not suitable for identifying myelinated terminations in the skin. Muscle Nerve, 2007