Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Myelin disorders and stem cells: as therapies and models

Myelin disorders burden millions of people around the world, yet existing therapies are inadequate to cure them. Current remedies commonly treat the symptoms with minimal to no effect on the actual cause of the disorder. The basis and/or the mechanism of demyelination is not known for many of the disorders either. In recent years, stem cells of variable origin have been used in clinical trials as transplant agents to restore the defective biochemical process or the damaged tissue. We summarize the outcomes of these trials for demyelination disorders. The capability of reprograming mature cells into stem cells equips researchers with a new tool to replicate disease phenotypes in cell culture dishes for basic research and therapeutic screens. The applications of in vitro myelination disorder models are also discussed. The combined outcome of the discussed studies offers a promising future as stem cell transplantation generally results in decreased symptoms and improved quality of life. However, the mechanism of action of the interventions is not known and in cases of negative outcomes the reasons are usually obscure. Further basic science studies along with clinical interventions should close the knowledge gap and should help spread the positive results to a larger population.
Multiple criteria decision support system for the assessment of energy generation technologies considering the dimension of values

Comprehension of the effect of energy generation technologies on the natural environment, human health and safety leads to a new and responsible approach to the choice and development of technologies. When it comes to preparing energy growth scenarios and handling issues related to the choice and assessment of technologies, environmental studies must be in a particular spotlight. One way to make quantitative and qualitative assessment of the effect of technologies on the environment is through a thorough integrated analysis, which, in addition to economic and technical solutions, also considers other aspects of concern to the public. A changed environment demands for systems of criteria which help consider its changes, the attitudes of the general public, public sentiments toward the effect of technologies, public values and community involvement in the process of important decision-making. The article examines how the dimension of values affects the analysis of the impact of environmental factors on the value of energy generation technologies. It presents a set of criteria for the assessment of energy generation technologies; the set, in addition to technological, economic and environmental criteria, includes criteria which reflect the values. The article also introduces the expert decision support system EGTAV-SPS, which helped assess the effect of environment on energy production technologies.
Low turn-on voltage and series resistance of polarization-induced InGaN-GaN LEDs by using p-InGaN/p-GaN superlattice

We have demonstrated high-performance InGaN-GaN multiple quantum-wells light-emitting diodes (LEDs) using polarization-induced (PI) p-InGaN-GaN superlattice. Electrical measurements show that PI LEDs produce much lower series resistance and turn-on voltage (at 20 mA) as compared to those of normal LEDs without the superlattice. It is also shown that the output power and photon wavelength of the PI LEDs remain electrically stable up to a high stress region of 200 mA. However, those of normal LEDs become electrically and optically degraded in excess of 120 mA. These results show that the use of the PI effect is very effective to the improvement of the electrical properties of LEDs.
Development and Investigation of an Antenna System With Reconfigurable Aperture

The concept and results of investigation of a waveguide slot antenna with reconfigurable aperture is presented. Solutions are based on the utilized semiconductor material, which allows one to design the electronically reconfigurable antennas. The key element of the reconfigurable antenna is a surface PIN (SPIN) diode whose conductivity changes proportionally to the plasma density. SPIN structures can be activated selectively and cause, in turn, the generation of the desired shapes of radiation pattern. It allows one to extend the function possibilities of waveguide slot antennas compared with the conventional one.
Substrate preference and phosphatidylinositol monophosphate inhibition of the catalytic domain of the Per‐Arnt‐Sim domain kinase PASKIN

The Per‐Arnt‐Sim (PAS) domain serine/threonine kinase PASKIN, or PAS kinase, links energy flux and protein synthesis in yeast, regulates glycogen synthesis and protein translation in mammals, and might be involved in insulin regulation in the pancreas. According to the current model, binding of a putative ligand to the PAS domain disinhibits the kinase domain, leading to PASKIN autophosphorylation and increased kinase activity. To date, only synthetic but no endogenous PASKIN ligands have been reported. In the present study, we identified a number of novel PASKIN kinase targets, including ribosomal protein S6. Together with our previous identification of eukaryotic elongation factor 1A1, this suggests a role for PASKIN in the regulation of mammalian protein translation. When searching for endogenous PASKIN ligands, we found that various phospholipids can bind PASKIN and stimulate its autophosphorylation. Interestingly, the strongest binding and autophosphorylation was achieved with monophosphorylated phosphatidylinositols. However, stimulated PASKIN autophosphorylation did not correlate with ribosomal protein S6 and eukaryotic elongation factor 1A1 target phosphorylation. Although autophosphorylation was enhanced by monophosphorylated phosphatidylinositols, di‐ and tri‐phosphorylated phosphatidylinositols inhibited autophosphorylation. By contrast, target phosphorylation was always inhibited, with the highest efficiency for di‐ and tri‐phosphorylated phosphatidylinositols. Because phosphatidylinositol monophosphates were found to interact with the kinase rather than with the PAS domain, these data suggest a multiligand regulation of PASKIN activity, including a still unknown PAS domain binding/activating ligand and kinase domain binding modulatory phosphatidylinositol phosphates.
Modeling instructional material using ontology

The purpose of this research is to review the process of ontology development for usage in instructional design. Ontology, which is a set of formally named objects, concepts, entities and the relationships among them in a particular domain is developed to allow sharing of knowledge and reusing of information. Out of three techniques for ontology development, the research favors semi-automatic development of ontology rather than manual or automatic development. Research then presents the process of semi-automatic ontology development using ontology learning. The findings of this research include the techniques involved in ontology learning phases and the tools users can use to embark on the development. Reviewing on the findings may help instructional designers in building ontologies faster, allowing them to be used for content development or as instructional materials.
Sectoral Reallocation of Labour as a Limit on Total Factor Productivity Growth in Slovenia

This article analyses the impact of sectoral reallocation of labour on the growth of total factor productivity in the Slovenian economy. Using the estimation of the standardised and structural components of labour productivity growth, and the stochastic frontier growth accounting framework, we can establish three main conclusions. First, failure to reallocate labour from less toward more productive industries is significantly impeding the growth of total factor productivity in Slovenia and hence reducing its foreign competitiveness. Second, classical economic policy measures aimed at accelerating growth of total factor productivity, such as increased competition among firms on the basis of trade liberalisation and the inflow of foreign direct investment, are not appropriate. Third, controversially, there is no short-run policy measure that can be undertaken with the aim of reallocating labour among industries, since it depends upon the nature of the individual's acquired level of education. What remains is education policy that will stimulate permanent education and provide workers with the skills that enable them to respond rapidly to the changes in the national production structure throughout the period of the individual's active employment.
A logit analysis of the car market

The model presented associates demands for differentiated products, defined by a nested multinomial logit model, to an oligopolistic supply offered by multiproduct firms. An application is performed on the French car market. The characteristics of the vehicles and of the individuals that have an influence on the choices and the producer margins are defined.
Investigating interactions between epicardial adipose tissue and cardiac myocytes: what can we learn from different approaches?

Heart disease is a major cause of morbidity and mortality throughout the world. Some cardiovascular conditions can be modulated by lifestyle factors such as increased exercise or a healthier diet, but many require surgical or pharmacological interventions for their management. More targeted and less invasive therapies would be beneficial. Recently, it has become apparent that epicardial adipose tissue plays an important role in normal and pathological cardiac function, and it is now the focus of considerable research. Epicardial adipose tissue can be studied by imaging of various kinds, and these approaches have yielded much useful information. However, at a molecular level, it is more difficult to study as it is relatively scarce in animal models and, for practical and ethical reasons, not always available in sufficient quantities from patients. What is needed is a robust model system in which the interactions between epicardial adipocytes and cardiac myocytes can be studied, and physiologically relevant manipulations performed. There are drawbacks to conventional culture methods, not least the difficulty of culturing both cardiac myocytes and adipocytes, each of which has special requirements. We discuss the benefits of a three‐dimensional co‐culture model in which in vivo interactions can be replicated.
Quoting Multiasset Equity Options in the Presence of Errors from Estimating Correlations

Anyone using an option valuation model needs estimates of returns volatility. But volatility has been found to be hard to forecast accurately, partly because it varies randomly over time. Fortunately, the market provides a directly observable volatility estimate in the form of the implied volatility that can be backed out from an option’s market price. But for several increasingly popular types of options, the payoff distribution depends both on stock volatilities and also on the correlations among them. For such options, including basket options and options on the max or on the min, there are no dependable sources of implied correlations to use in pricing them. Correlations must be estimated from historical data, which leads to substantial estimation risk. In this article, Fengler and Schwendner describe a block bootstrap procedure that allows an investor to evaluate a multiasset option’s exposure to parameter risk from imperfectly estimated correlations. The results are translated into minimum bid-ask spreads that are required to account for this additional source of risk.
Why successful in situ adaptation with environmental stress does not prevent people from migrating? Empirical evidence from Northern Thailand

This article examines the relationship between rainfall-related events and trends, livelihood and food security and migration in rural upland communities in Thailand. This study was conducted as one of eight case studies within the framework of the ‘Where the Rain Falls’ Project. This article is based on empirical research in four villages in the Province Lamphun, Northern Thailand. The households’ livelihood in the research area is characterized by a high level of on and off-farm diversification and integration into national and global market structures. Migration – internal as well as international – is widespread. Based on the data gathered in a multi-method field-based research design, the study observed that while households are exposed to various rainfall related stressors, such as the extreme rainfall in 2011 which resulted in heavy floods in the Central Plains of Thailand, migration is not considered as a primary coping and risk mitigation strategy. Environmental factors are furthermore not the primary explanatory factor for pattern of mobility. The study highlights the complex relationship between environmental factors including rainfall and migration beyond determinism notions of environmental migration. This study points out that while migration might not be caused by rainfall-related events and trends, through migration induced translocal connectedness, the social resilience of exposed households and communities can be strengthened.
Exploiting Stochastic Resonance to Enhance the Performance of Digital Bang-Bang PLLs

In this paper, the multifaceted behavior of bang-bang digital phase-locked loops is explored. It is proved that a stochastic resonance phenomenon occurs at the balance between the quantization and intrinsic noise of the digitally controlled oscillator, which resides into the loop. How this condition maximizes the signal-to-noise performance is shown. The loop parameter value that yields stochastic resonance is provided in closed form.
What Can Probability Forecasts Tell Us About Inflation Risks?

A crucial but often ignored element of inflation expectations is the amount of perceived inflation risk. This paper estimates the degree of uncertainty and asymmetry in the probability forecasts of the Survey of Professional Forecasters (SPF) using a new methodology. The main conclusion from our analysis is that, when monitoring inflation expectations, limiting attention to a point prediction is not sufficient. The analysis of inflation expectations should take into account inflation risks. As an example, we show that our measures of inflation risks can better explain why inflation scares happened in the bond market during the Volcker disinflation. JEL Classification: C16, C42, E31, E47
Vegetationserhebungen mit Feldcomputer im Projekt «Waldvegetation der Schweiz» | Field Computer for Forest Vegetation Relevés in Switzerland

Since 1996, the Swiss Federal Institute for Forest Snow and Landscape Research (WSL) has been using a field computer for vegetation releves. A database and a vegetation releve program (Tally) were specifically developed for this purpose. The field computer is particularly recommended for extensive and long-term vegetation projects, as the data quality is continuously verified by plausibility tests during the process of entering data into the computer.
Interactions between House Prices, Stock Prices and Monetary Policy—Using Recursive VAR

This paper uses a recursive VAR model to analyze the effects of monetary policy shock and the role of house price and stock price shocks. The data come from the first quarter of 1993 to the second quarter of 2010 in Taiwan. There is empirical evidence suggesting that house prices and stock prices do not play the role of a transmission mechanism for monetary policy shocks. When house prices increase, stock prices undergo a simultaneous and significant increase, but this effect gradually disappears. As house prices increase, the interest rate is simultaneously and positively affected; this effect is insignificant until after the second quarter. As stock prices increase, house prices are positively affected, which is consistent with the sign of the expected value, but the effect is insignificant. Under increasing stock prices, the interest rate simultaneously increases, and this effect is significant during the third and tenth quarters.
The Impact of CABLE on Teaching Computer Programming

This paper reports the second of two studies on the impact of a Cognitive Apprenticeship-Based Learning Environment (CABLE) in the teaching of computer programming. The pedagogical model used in this study employs a combination of instructional strategies including directive support, responsive cognitive apprenticeship, collaborative learning, stimulating metacognition, using technologies via the use of tele-apprenticeship and online discussion. In an earlier study, students who participated within the CABLE project scored more highly on test scores, relative to comparable students who did not participate within CABLE, but these effects were found to be restricted to high-ability students. In the present study, students who participated within CABLE scored more highly than those participating within the non-CABLE group. However, with an enhanced CABLE environment, the benefits of CABLE were now evident in both ability groups, with the effects being more prominent within the low-ability group.
Firms' Investment under Financial and Infrastructure Constraints: Evidence from In-House Generation in Sub-Saharan Africa

Abstract While it is well known that financing and infrastructure constraints negatively affect economic development, the correlations between these constraints have been underexplored in the economics literature. This paper focuses on the implications of financing and infrastructure constraints by studying firms’ investments in electric generators as a response to public power interruptions. A theoretical model demonstrates that financial constraints lower economic returns on owning electric generators, making firms less likely to install private generators if the public power supply becomes unreliable. The empirical results show that, controlling for other factors, firms with a lower cost of external financing are more likely to own private generators in areas where the public power supply is less reliable. Observed correlations among reliability of power supply, financial constraints, and investment in electric generators thus appear consistent with the hypothesis that underdeveloped financial markets and inadequate infrastructure can be a greater barrier for economic development than either of these constraints separately.
Myocardial infarction after percutaneous coronary intervention: a meta-analysis of troponin elevation applying the new universal definition.

AIM Elevation of Troponin after scheduled percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is a recognized consequence. We sought to evaluate the prognostic significance and impact of the newly published definition of PCI-related myocardial infarction (MI) according to which any troponin elevation >3 times the upper reference limit identify a peri-procedural MI. METHODS Search of BioMedCentral, CENTRAL, mRCT and PubMed (updated May 2008). Outcomes of interest were: MACE [the composite of all cause death, MI, repeat target vessel PCI (re-PCI) and coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG)]; single end points were also assessed. RESULTS Fifteen studies have been included totalling 7578 patients. Troponin elevation occurred in 28.7% of the procedures. The incidence of PCI-related MI according to the new definition was 14.5%. During the hospitalization, any level of raised troponin was associated with an increased risk of MACE [OR 11.29 (3.00-42.48), Number needed to harm (NNH) 5], death [OR 7.16 (1.95-26.27), NNH = 100], MI [OR 30.85 (6.05-157.38), NNH = 4] and re-PCI [OR 4.13 (1.23-13.88), NNH = 50]. Patients with PCI-related MI had an increased risk of death [OR 17.25 (2.71-109.96), NNH = 100] and re-PCI [OR 10.86 (3.2-36.94), NNH = 25]. At follow up of 18 months any troponin elevation was associated with an increased risk of MACE [OR 1.48 (1.12-1.96), NNH = 20], death [OR 2.19 (1.59-3.00), NNH = 50], MI [OR 3.29 (2.71-6.31), NNH = 33] and re-PCI [OR 1.47 (1.06-2.03), NNH = 25]. In patients with PCI-related MI the risk of MACE was further increased: OR 2.25 (1.26-4.00), NNH = 3. An increase of the troponin level below the cut-off was not associated with MACE. CONCLUSION A diagnosis of MI according to the new guidelines applies to 15% of patients undergoing PCI and these patients are at high risk of further adverse events both during the hospital stay and at 18 months.
Direct optimization method to study constrained systems within density-functional theory

Consider a system with an arbitrary constraint on its electron density (e.g., that there are N charges on a certain group of atoms). We show that in Kohn-Sham density functional theory, the minimum energy state consistent with the constraint is actually a maximum with respect to the constraint potential, and that this solution is unique. This leads us to an efficient algorithm for calculations on constrained systems. Illustrative studies are shown for charge transfer in the zincbacteriochlorin-bacteriochlorin complex, polyene and alkane chains.
Expatriate selection: good management or good luck?

The management of expatriation has grown in importance as the numbers of multinational companies has grown significantly since the 1970s. However, public and non-government sector organizations have long traditions of managing expatriates. This paper presents the results of research that compared the manner in which Australian private, public and non-government sector organizations selected their expatriates. The results confirm the numerous reports in the international human resource management (IHRM) literature that, in private sector organizations, selection is carried out largely on the basis of technical competence, with minimal attention being paid to the interpersonal skills and domestic situations of potential expatriates. The limited role of HR managers in this process is also identified. The selection practices of public sector organizations reflect the merit selection policies of this sector. The non-government sector organizations' selection practices differ markedly from those of the organizations in the other two sectors, in that psychological testing is widely used and the family is treated as a unit and included in the selection process.
Cell type – specific regulation of von Willebrand factor expression by the E 4 BP 4 transcriptional repressor

Mechanisms of tissue-restricted patterns of von Willebrand factor (VWF) expression involve activators and repressors that limit expression to endothelial cells and megakaryocytes. The relative transcriptional activity of the proximal VWF promoter was assessed in VWF-producing and -nonproducing cells, and promoter activity was highest in endothelial cells followed by megakaryocytes. Only basal VWF promoter activity was seen in nonendothelial cells. Here we identify a negative response element located at nucleotides (nts) 96/ 105 and demonstrate, using chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) analysis, that in vivo this sequence interacts with the E4BP4 transcriptional repressor. Differences in size and relative abundance of nuclear E4BP4 were observed. In HepG2 cells, low levels of larger forms of E4BP4 are present that directly interact with the negative response element. In VWF-expressing cells, high levels of smaller forms predominate with no evidence of direct DNA binding. However, in endothelial cells, mutation of the VWF E4BP4 binding motif not only restores but also further elevates VWF promoter activity, suggesting that E4BP4 may be part of a coordinated binding complex. These observations implicate this binding motif in repressing both activated and basal levels of VWF transcription by different cell type–specific mechanisms, and support the hypothesis that E4BP4 sequesters negative regulators of transcription, thereby enhancing activated gene expression. (Blood. 2005;105: 1531-1539)