Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Large, stratified, and mechanically functional human cartilage grown in vitro by mesenchymal condensation

Significance The ability to regenerate functional cartilage from adult human mesenchymal stem cells would have tremendous clinical impact. Despite significant efforts, mechanically functional human cartilage has not been grown in vitro. We report engineering of functional human cartilage from mesenchymal stem cells, by mimicking the physiologic developmental process of mesenchymal cell condensation. Condensed mesenchymal bodies were induced to fuse and form mechanically functional cartilaginous tissue interfacing with bone, without using a scaffolding material. We demonstrate that this simple “biomimetic” approach can be used to generate centimeter-sized, anatomically shaped pieces of human cartilage with physiologic stratification and mechanical properties. Functional human cartilage grown from a patient’s own cells using this method could greatly accelerate the development of new therapeutic modalities for cartilage repair. The efforts to grow mechanically functional cartilage from human mesenchymal stem cells have not been successful. We report that clinically sized pieces of human cartilage with physiologic stratification and biomechanics can be grown in vitro by recapitulating some aspects of the developmental process of mesenchymal condensation. By exposure to transforming growth factor-β, mesenchymal stem cells were induced to condense into cellular bodies, undergo chondrogenic differentiation, and form cartilagenous tissue, in a process designed to mimic mesenchymal condensation leading into chondrogenesis. We discovered that the condensed mesenchymal cell bodies (CMBs) formed in vitro set an outer boundary after 5 d of culture, as indicated by the expression of mesenchymal condensation genes and deposition of tenascin. Before setting of boundaries, the CMBs could be fused into homogenous cellular aggregates giving rise to well-differentiated and mechanically functional cartilage. We used the mesenchymal condensation and fusion of CMBs to grow centimeter-sized, anatomically shaped pieces of human articular cartilage over 5 wk of culture. For the first time to our knowledge biomechanical properties of cartilage derived from human mesenchymal cells were comparable to native cartilage, with the Young’s modulus of >800 kPa and equilibrium friction coeffcient of <0.3. We also demonstrate that CMBs have capability to form mechanically strong cartilage–cartilage interface in an in vitro cartilage defect model. The CMBs, which acted as “lego-like” blocks of neocartilage, were capable of assembling into human cartilage with physiologic-like structure and mechanical properties.
Learning a Prior Model for Automatic Liver Lesion Segmentation in Follow-up CT Images

Liver tumors that are not surgically removed need to be closely monitored. A common procedure for their assessment involves acquiring CT images every few months and rating disease status based on the largest diameters of a subset of the lesions. The most prominent benefits of automatic lesion segmentation methods in this context are minimization of time consuming interaction and the possibility of volumetric measurements. While existing methods could be applied to each image individually, we propose to incorporate information gained from previous images of the same patient to enhance the segmentation. We learn a Probabilistic Boosting Tree that has an internal representation of tumor growth from a set of training images. Provided a baseline lesion segmentation, it can generate a patient specific lesion prior to guide the segmentation in a follow-up image. In this paper, we describe and compare different methods for building the growth model and integrating it into a segmentation system. The validity of the approach is shown in an experimental evaluation on a database of 14 patients. On the 17 pairs of baseline and follow-up images in this database, segmentation performance was measured once without and once with the proposed prior. When comparing the points of 90% sensitivity from each experiment, introducing the prior improved the precision of the segmentation from 82.7% to 91.9%. This corresponds to a reduction of the number of false positive voxels per true positive voxel by 57.8%.
The leukocyte/neuron cell surface antigen OX2 binds to a ligand on macrophages

The OX2 membrane glycoprotein contains two immunoglobulin superfamily (IgSF) domains and seems likely to interact with other cell surface proteins. A soluble chimeric protein with the two IgSF domains of OX2 engineered onto domains 3 + 4 of rat CD4 antigen was expressed. To detect possible weak interactions, the chimeric protein was coupled to fluorescent covaspheresTM to provide a highly avid display of OX2. The OX2 covaspheres bound macrophages but not other cell types. The specificity of the interaction was demonstrated by blocking with Fab fragments of the OX2 monoclonal antibody (mAb). A new mAb, MRC OX88, was raised against macrophages which also blocked the interaction and presumably recognizes the ligand. The epitope for the MRC OX2 mAb and a site for ligand binding were mapped to domain 1 by site‐directed mutagenesis. The OX2 antigen is present on thymocytes, some lymphocytes, neurons and endothelial cells; thus, it has the potential to mediate interactions between these cell types and macrophages.
In Reply to: “Is the SCID mouse model applicable to human acute lung injury?”

1. National Blood Transfusion Committee Usage of Group O RhD Negative Audit Group. Audit of the Usage of Group O RhD Negative Red Cells. Summary for East of England Regional Transfusion Committee region. NHS Blood and Transplant (National Health Service). [cited 2009]. Available from: URL: http://www.transfusionguidelines. org.uk/ docs/pdfs/rtc-eeng_audit_o_neg. pdf 2. Frohn C, Dumbgen L, Brand JM, Gorg S, Luhm J, Kirchner H. Probability of anti-D development in Dpatients receiving D+ RBCs. Transfusion 2003;43:893-8. 3. Lee PC, Roberts JM, Catov JM, Talbott EO, Ritz B. First trimester exposure to ambient air pollution, pregnancy complications and adverse birth outcomes in Allegheny County, PA. Matern Child Health J 2012. 4. VanderWeele TJ, Lantos JD, Lauderdale DS. Rising preterm birth rates, 1989-2004: changing demographics or changing obstetric practice? Soc Sci Med 2012;74:196-201. 5. Pasupathy D, Wood AM, Pell JP, Fleming M, Smith GC. Advanced maternal age and the risk of perinatal death due to intrapartum anoxia at term. J Epidemiol Community Health 2011;65:241-5.
Retrospective clinical comparison of Celsior solution to modified blood Wallwork solution in lung transplantation for cystic fibrosis.

OBJECTIVE To compare the preservative effects of Celsior solution and modified blood Wallwork solution in lung transplantation. METHODS From 1989 to 2000, 44 lung transplantations for cystic fibrosis were performed: 26 grafts were preserved with modified blood Wallwork solution and 18 with Celsior solution. RESULTS Preoperative status of the 2 groups was similar. The ratio of arterial oxygen to fraction of inspired oxygen and the pulmonary vascular resistance on the first postoperative day did not differ significantly between the 2 groups. Early death was 4% (SD, 20%) in the Wallwork group versus 11% (SD, 32%) in the Celsior group (not significant). No death was related to graft failure. The forced expiratory volume in 1 second during the first month after transplantation was 63% (SD, 19%) in the Wallwork group versus 63% (SD, 16%) in the Celsior group (not significant). CONCLUSION Because the solution does not need to be prepared on site and does not require blood from the donor, Celsior seems better than Wallwork solution for preserving lung grafts.
Managerial Use of Broad Scope MAS Information - A Function of JIT and ICT : An Exploratory Study

Is managerial use of the broad scope MAS (management accounting systems) information a function of JIT implementation and ICT? This study attempts to address the above question. The research propositions are developed following the relevant literature on MAS information, ICT and JIT. Seventy-six general managers, each in charge of one strategic business unit (SBU) within their respective organizations, participated in the study. Data was collected from the SBU general managers using a survey questionnaire. The results reveal that just-in-time manufacturing (JIT) implementation and managers' use of information and communication technology (ICT) are determinants of their use of the broad scope MAS information.
Deep Probabilistic Modeling of Natural Images using a Pyramid Decomposition

We introduce a new technique for probabilistic modeling of natural images that combines the advantages of classic multi-scale and modern deep learning models. By explicitly representing natu-ral images at different scales we derive a model that can capture high level image structure in a computationally efﬁcient way. We show experimentally that our model achieves new state-of-the-art image modeling performance on the CIFAR-10 dataset and at the same time is much faster than competitive models. We also evaluate the proposed technique on a human faces dataset and demonstrate the potential of our model to generate nearly photorealistic face samples.
The Evolution and Future of National Customer Satisfaction Indices

Customer satisfaction has emerged as an important benchmark for gauging business performance. Satisfaction increases customer loyalty and retention, which over time increases revenues and lowers costs to increase profitability (Johnson 1998; Reichheld 1996). Satisfaction benchmarking has taken on national and international significance with the development of national satisfaction barometers and indices in Sweden (Fornell 1992), Germany (Meyer 1994) and the United States (Fornell et al. 1996). Other countries, including New Zealand, Taiwan and Austria, have tested indices on a smaller scale while still others are undertaking similar projects. There is also a proposal for a European Customer Satisfaction Index (ECSI), a joint effort across nations in the European Union. It remains to be seen whether these indices will develop on a global level and, importantly, in what form. Of critical importance to the validity and reliability of such indices is that the methods and models used to measure customer satisfaction and related constructs continue to learn, adapt, and improve over time. The goal of this report is to facilitate this learning, adaptation and improvement process. We begin with a discussion of the foundations for making broad-based comparisons of satisfaction across individual, industries, and nations. We then describe the evolution of national satisfaction indices, including details of the current model being used in the United States and Sweden, and review evidence of the comparability of satisfaction measures across industries and countries. Both the strengths and weaknesses inherent in the current approaches are detailed. Finally, we propose a series of improvements for measuring and modeling satisfaction going forward.
Effects of monoclonal antibody against PMSG administered shortly after the preovulatory LH surge on time and number of ovulations in PMSG/PG-treated cows.

Normally cyclic heifers received 2500 i.u. PMSG i.m. at Day 10 of the oestrous cycle and 15 mg prostaglandin (PG) i.m. 48 h later. From 30 h after PG the LH concentration in the peripheral blood was estimated every hour using a rapid RIA method which allowed the LH concentration to be known within 4 h. Monoclonal antibody against PMSG was injected in the jugular vein of 29 heifers at 4.8 h after the maximum of the preovulatory LH peak; 28 heifers were not treated with anti-PMSG (controls). Peripheral blood concentrations of PMSG, LH, progesterone and oestradiol were compared. Ovaries were collected by ovariectomy at fixed times, 22-30 h after the LH peak, and numbers were counted of small (2-10 mm), large (greater than 10 mm) and ovulated follicles, and of follicles with a stigma. In anti-PMSG-treated cows, the PMSG concentration fell sharply to non-detectable levels within 2 h of the treatment, indicating that PMSG was neutralized in these cows at the onset of final follicular maturation. In all cows, the concentration of oestradiol showed a significant decrease at about 8 h after the LH peak. After anti-PMSG treatment ovulations took place from 24 until 30 h after the LH peak, whereas in control cows follicles had already ovulated at or before 22 h and ovulations continued until 30 h. At 30 h 90% of the follicles had ovulated in anti-PMSG-treated cows vs 72% in the controls, resulting in 15 and 8 ovulations per cow respectively (P less than 0.05). Also, administration of monoclonal antibody against PMSG synchronized final follicular maturation and shortened the period of multiple ovulations. In conclusion, neutralization of PMSG shortly after the preovulatory LH peak suppresses adverse effects of PMSG on final follicular maturation, leading to an almost 2-fold increase of the ovulation rate.
Cloud-Cover Statistics and Cloud Attenuation at Ka- and V-Bands for Satellite Systems Design in Tropical Wet Climate

Cloud-cover statistics, low cloud base height, frequency of precipitation, 0°C isothermal height, and integrated cloud liquid water and cloud attenuation have been obtained for the tropical rain forest climatic zone of Africa. The cumulative distribution of integrated cloud liquid water content shows a departure from the ITU-R model. A comparison of cloud attenuation at Ka-and V-bands show that the ITU-R model underestimates the attenuation up to about 1.7 and 2.3 dB at 30 and 50 GHz, respectively.
Income Falsification on Mortgage Applications During the Housing Bubble

We develop new measures to detect income falsification on mortgage applications during the housing bubble. We find that regulators failed to prevent income falsification. Additionally, regulatory requirements imposed on Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac (the “GSEs”) to promote lending in regulator-defined “underserved areas,” encouraged securitizers to purchase mortgages with falsified income from those areas, for resale to the GSEs. There were also regulations that required lenders that wished to merge across state lines to demonstrate that they were serving “community needs. ” These regulations are found to have a similar effect. They encouraged lenders to make loans with falsified income to low-income areas, and may have also caused lenders to buy poor quality securitized loans. These findings provide a systemic explanation for the rise in poor quality subprime mortgages, particularly securitized mortgages.
Mutational Analysis of the Promoter Recognized by Chlamydia and Escherichia coli σ28 RNA Polymerase

ABSTRACT σ28 RNA polymerase is an alternative RNA polymerase that has been postulated to have a role in developmental gene regulation in Chlamydia. Although a consensus bacterial σ28 promoter sequence has been proposed, it is based on a relatively small number of defined promoters, and the promoter structure has not been systematically analyzed. To evaluate the sequence of the σ28-dependent promoter, we performed a comprehensive mutational analysis of the Chlamydia trachomatis hctB promoter, testing the effect of point substitutions on promoter activity. We defined a −35 element recognized by chlamydial σ28 RNA polymerase that resembles the consensus −35 sequence. Within the −10 element, however, chlamydial σ28 RNA polymerase showed a striking preference for a CGA sequence at positions −12 to −10 rather than the longer consensus −10 sequence. We also observed a strong preference for this CGA sequence by Escherichia coli σ28 RNA polymerase, suggesting that this previously unrecognized motif is the critical component of the −10 promoter element recognized by σ28 RNA polymerase. Although the consensus spacer length is 11 nucleotides (nt), we found that σ28 RNA polymerase from both Chlamydia and E. coli transcribed a promoter with either an 11- or 12-nt spacer equally well. Altogether, we found very similar results for σ28 RNA polymerase from C. trachomatis and E. coli, suggesting that promoter recognition by this alternative RNA polymerase is well conserved among bacteria. The preferred σ28 promoter that we defined in the context of the hctB promoter is TAAAGwwy-n11/12-ryCGAwrn, where w is A or T, r is a purine, y is a pyrimidine, n is any nucleotide, and n11/12 is a spacer of 11 or 12 nt.
A novel distributed algorithm to solve self-organizing network of multicast routing

Multicast routing is a very important research issue in self-organizing networks and distributed systems. It is also a challenging and hard problem for high-performance networks of the next generation. Due to it is NP-completeness, many heuristic methods have been employed to solve the problem. This paper proposes distributed algorithm for optimized self-organizing network of multicast routing (DOSMR). Because self-organizing networks have a dynamic nature, the algorithm of solving this problem is required to meet the dynamic characteristics. The proposed algorithm node information is stored in the routing table to calculate the hops of multicast tree routing. The simulation results show the proposed algorithm superiority to the methods based on DCMPH.
Fabrication and characterization of Yb-doped Y2O3 powders and thin films

Abstract Yttrium oxide (Y2O3) and ytterbium (Yb)-doped Y2O3 particles were synthesized via the sol-gel method from the aqueous solution of their nitrate salts. The synthesized powders were then deposited on Corning glass substrates using an electron beam evaporation technique to examine the growth morphology of the thin films. The effect of the Yb dopant concentration on the microstructure and morphology of the Y2O3 powders and thin films was investigated using various characterization techniques. The synthesized powders and fabricated thin films have body-centered cubic structures with space group Ia-3. Based on the X-ray peak broadening, crystallite size and lattice parameters were evaluated with the Williamsom-Hall and Cohen-Wagner methods. The lattice parameter and crystallite size decrease with increasing Yb concentration. The intensities of the Raman peaks decrease due to microstructural disorder caused by the increase in the Yb dopant concentration. The band gap values of the powders also decrease depending on the dopant concentration, similar to the lattice parameter and crystallite size. While the synthesized powders have a sponge-like morphology, they exhibit different morphological structures depending on the dopant concentration when converted into thin films.
New myocardial infarction definition affects incidence, mortality, hospitalization rates and prognosis

Aims To analyse differences in myocardial infarction incidence, mortality and hospitalization rates, 28-day case-fatality and two-year prognosis using two myocardial infarction case definitions: the classical World Health Organization definition (1994) and the European Society of Cardiology/American College of Cardiology definition (2000), which added cardiac troponin as a diagnostic biomarker. Design Population-based cohort of 4170 consecutive myocardial infarction patients aged 35–74 years from Girona (Spain) recruited between 2002 and 2009. Methods Incidence, mortality rates standardized to the European population and 28-day case-fatality were calculated. To estimate the association between case definition and prognosis, Cox models were fitted. Results Use of the 2000 European Society of Cardiology/American College of Cardiology definition significantly increased myocardial infarction incidence per 100,000 population (238.3 vs. 274.5 in men and 54.1 vs. 69.7 in women). Applying this definition decreased the 28-day case-fatality rate from 26.9% to 23.4% in men, and from 31.0% to 24.1% in women. In the acute phase, patients diagnosed only by increased troponins were significantly less treated with thrombolysis (34.4% vs. 2.0%), angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (71.7% vs. 65.0%) and percutaneous coronary intervention (41.1% vs. 31.7%). Case-fatality at 28 days was significantly better in cases diagnosed only by troponin increase (0.2 % vs. 9.7%), but two-year cardiovascular mortality was higher (7.5% vs. 3.7%). Conclusions Inclusion of cardiac troponins in myocardial infarction diagnosis increased annual incidence and decreased case-fatality. Diagnosis based only on increased troponins was associated with worse outcome. This group of patients at high risk of death should receive aggressive secondary prevention therapy.
Does Gender Equality work for Sustainable Development in Central Africa Countries? Some Empirical Lessons

It is commonly argued that Central Africa countries need economic growth and gender equality to ensure economic well-being and improve the living standards of the population. This paper, based on the Kuznets curve associated to environmental analysis, aims to analyze the relationship between gender equality and sustainable development. The cross-sectional analysis, with data from 11 countries in Central Africa in 2010, was used. Results find a positive correlation between gender equality and sustainable development. When the Multidimensional poverty index increases, environmental problems reduce, translating the role of gender in sustainable development in all Central Africa countries.
How factors in creditor countries affect secondary market prices for developing country debt

Bank loans to many developing countries trade at a discount on the secondary market. These discounts are typically assumed to reflect only the repayment prospects of the borrower country. But the authors demonstrate that factors in the creditor countries have a major impact on secondary market prices. Their empirical investigation suggests a systematic relationship between secondary market prices and the size distribution of banks' portfolios. There is a strong negative correlation between discounts in the secondary market and U.S. banks' heavy exposure to developing country debt. It is estimated that every US$4 billion increase in a large bank's exposure to a country reduces the discount 10 to 15 cents on the dollar. The authors find that discounts and total bank capital are positively correlated over time : a US$8 billion increase in the capital of the largest U.S. banks increases discounts by nearly 25 cents on the dollar. They explain their results with a simulation model of a representative bank with minimum capital requirements, flat-rate deposit insurance, and limited liability. The bank's portfolio adjustment decision involves trading risky foreign loans in the secondary market or making short-term domestic loans. The model yields a negative relationship between the banks' exposure to developing countries and discounts in the secondary market.
The caspase family in urochordates: distinct evolutionary fates in ascidians and larvaceans

Background information. Caspases are cysteine proteases that mediate apoptosis (programmed cell death) initiation and execution. Apoptosis is a conserved mechanism shared by all metazoans, although its physiological function and complexity show considerable taxon‐dependent variations. To gain insight into the caspase repertoire of putative ancestors to vertebrates, we performed exhaustive genomic searches in urochordates, a sister taxon to vertebrates in which ascidians and appendicularians display chordate characters at early stages of their development.