Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Academia or the private sector? Sorting of agents into output-maximizing institutions

This paper develops an equilibrium sorting model with utility maximizing researchers who differ in their ability on one side of the market, and on the other side universities and an outside sector. In equilibrium, the top of the ability distribution is allocated to the academic sector, while the bottom of the ability distribution is allocated to the outside sector. For low values of the outside option, the academic sector is unaffected by it and exit from academia happens involuntarily. For higher values of the outside option, the academic sector is constrained by the outside sector and the universities are unable to satisfy their demands for researchers. In this case all exit from academia is voluntary and, furthermore, an increase in the value of the outside option decreases the difference in average quality between the higher and lower ranked universities.
Spectrum sensing for spreading communication system based on free probability theory

Based on free probability theory, a new scheme for frequency band sensing of spreading communication system is proposed. Unlike previous studies in the field, the new scheme does not require the knowledge of the spreading sequences of users and is related to the asymptotic free behavior of random matrices. Simulation result shows that the convergence characteristic holds true even for a small number of observations, which makes the new scheme well suited for realistic time-varing scenario. The sensing performance of new scheme is also much better than that of classical energy detection scheme.
Placental and Embryonic Growth Restriction in Mice With Reduced Function Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor Alleles

Embryos lacking an epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) exhibit strain-specific defects in placental development that can result in mid-gestational embryonic lethality. To determine the level of EGFR signaling required for normal placental development, we characterized congenic strains homozygous for the hypomorphic Egfrwa2 allele or heterozygous for the antimorphic EgfrWa5 allele. Egfrwa2 homozygous embryos and placentas exhibit strain-dependent growth restriction at 15.5 days post-coitus while EgfrWa5 heterozygous placentas are only slightly reduced in size with no effect on embryonic growth. Egfrwa2 homozygous placentas have a reduced spongiotrophoblast layer in some strains, while spongiotrophoblasts and glycogen cells are almost completely absent in others. Our results demonstrate that more EGFR signaling occurs in EgfrWa5 heterozygotes than in Egfrwa2 homozygotes and suggest that Egfrwa2 homozygous embryos model EGFR-mediated intrauterine growth restriction in humans. We also consistently observed differences between strains in wild-type placenta and embryo size as well as in the cellular composition and expression of trophoblast cell subtype markers and propose that differential expression in the placenta of Glut3, a glucose transporter essential for normal embryonic growth, may contribute to strain-dependent differences in intrauterine growth restriction caused by reduced EGFR activity.
Construction of a modular dihydrofolate reductase cDNA gene: analysis of signals utilized for efficient expression

Dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) modular genes have been constructed with segments containing the adenovirus major late promoter, a 3' splice site from a variable region immunoglobulin gene, a DHFR cDNA, and portions of the simian virus 40 (SV40) genome. DNA-mediated transfer of these genes transformed Chinese hamster ovary DHFR- cells to the DHFR+ phenotype. Transformants contained one to several copies of the transfected DNA integrated into the host genome. Clones subjected to growth in increasing concentrations of methotrexate eventually gave rise to lines containing several hundred copies of the transforming DNA. Analysis of the DHFR mRNA produced in amplified lines indicated the following. (i) All clones utilize the adenovirus major late promoter for transcription initiation. (ii) A hybrid intron formed by the 5' splice site of the adenovirus major late leader and a 3' splice site from a variable-region immunoglobulin gene is properly excised. (iii) The mRNA is not efficiently polyadenylated at sequences in the 3' end of the DHFR cDNA but rather uses polyadenylation signals downstream from the DHFR cDNA. Three independent clones produce a DHFR mRNA containing SV40 or pBR322 and SV40 sequences, and the RNA is polyadenylated at the SV40 late polyadenylation site. Another clone has recombined into cellular DNA and apparently uses a cellular sequence for polyadenylation. Introduction of a segment containing the SV40 early polyadenylation signal into the 3' end of the DHFR cDNA gene generated a recombinant capable of transforming cells to the DHFR+ phenotype with at least a 10-fold increase in efficiency, demonstrating the necessity for an efficient polyadenylation signal. Attachment of a DNA segment containing the transcription enhancer (72-base pair repeat) of SV40 further increased the biological activity of the modular DHFR gene 50- to 100-fold.
In Vitro Preparation of Nonenzymatically Glucosylated Human Transferrin, α2-Macroglobulin, and Fibrinogen with Preservation of Function

Human transferrin, α2-macroglobulin, and fibrinogen were incubated with [3H]-glucose. After a 7-day, 37°C incubation at 20 mM glucose, transferrin incorporated 1.1 mol of glucose/mol protein; α2-macroglobulin, 10 mol of glucose/mol; and fibrinogen, 3.8 mol of glucose/ mol, or approximately 14 μmol of glucose/g for each protein. These results were the same for glucose labeled in the 1 or 6 position. No radiolabel was incorporated into the proteins during incubations with glucose labeled in the 2 position. The rate and extent of iron binding were identical for both glucosylated and nonglucosylated transferrin. Glucosylated transferrin bound to Wil-2 human lymphoblast cells with a Kd = 33 nM and receptor number of 3.4 × 105 receptors/cell; nonglucosylated transferrin with a Kd = 31 nM and receptor number of 3.9 × 105 receptors/cell. Glucosylated and nonglucosylated α2-macroglobulin showed the same conformational change as determined on native PAGE after reaction with trypsin, plasmin, or methylamine and had the same activity in the Ganrot assay after reaction with trypsin or plasmin. The clearance of 125I-labeled, methylamine-treatedα2-macroglobulin from the mouse circulation was identical for both glucosylated and nonglucosylated α2-macroglobulin, t1/2 = 3 min. α2-Macroglobulin that was first glucosylated then reacted with methylamine bound to mouse peritoneal macrophages with a Kd of 2.5 nM and receptor activity of 370 fmol/mg cell protein. α2-Macroglobulin that was first reacted with methylamine and then glucosylated bound with a Kd of 3 nM and receptor activity of 320 fmol/mg cell protein. Glucosylated fibrinogen had the same clotting time as control fibrinogen. The crosslinking by factor XIII and degradation by plasmin were the same for glucosylated and control fibrin as determined on SDS-PAGE. Glucosylated fibrinogen was degraded by plasmin to yield identical fragments on SDSPAGE as the control fibrinogen; however, glucosylated fibrinogen was degraded at a slightly slower rate. Platelet binding studies showed a Kd of 6.6 × 10−7 M and receptor number of 33,000 sites per cell for control fibrinogen and a Kd of 6.8 × 10−7 M and receptor number of 28,000 sites per cell for glucosylated fibrinogen.
The Role of Phospholipids in Plasma Membrane ATPase Activity in Vigna radiata L. (Mung Bean) Roots and Hypocotyls.

Root and hypocotyl plasma membrane H(+)-ATPases were partially purified from deoxycholate-solubilized fractions of microsomes in mung bean (Vigna radiata L.) plants in the presence of glycerol. Certain properties of the ATPases and the manner in which phospholipids affect their activity were compared. Root ATPase was similar to hypocotyl ATPase with respect to substrate specificity, salt stimulation, pH dependence, K(m) for ATP.Mg(2+) and inhibitor sensitivity, except for inhibition by vanadate. Both purified ATPases required phospholipids for their activation. Optimum concentrations of exogenously added phospholipid mixture (asolectin) to hypocotyl and root ATPase mixture were 0.03% and 1.0%, respectively. Root ATPase activation did not decrease if more than 1.0% asolectin was added. Qualitatively, phosphatidylserine and phosphatidylcholine brought about greater ATPase activation than other phospholipids. The hypocotyl ATPase was activated by phosphatidylinositol, phosphatidylserine and phosphatidylglycerol to a greater extent than the root ATPase. Root, but not hypocotyl ATPase, was slightly inhibited by the addition of phosphatidylinositol, phosphatidylethanolamine, and phosphatidic acid. The hypocotyl plasma membrane contained phosphatidylinositol + phosphatidylserine, phosphatidylglycerol and phosphatidic acid, and unsaturated fatty acids in greater abundance than the root plasma membrane. The differential activation of the plasma membrane ATPases may arise from these differences.
Diagnostic imaging using positron emission tomography for gynecological malignancy

Imaging has played a pivotal role in the management of gynecological malignancy. Positron emission tomography (PET), particularly 18F‐fluorodeoxyglucose (18F‐FDG) PET to reflect cellular glycolytic metabolism, is being increasingly used and has proven superior to conventional imaging including ultrasonography, computed tomography (CT), and magnetic resonance imaging. Studies of and evidence for the utility of 18F‐FDG PET/CT for the detection of local or metastatic disease, treatment planning, response assessment, restaging of recurrent disease, and prognostic assessment are growing. We review the latest evidence for and limitations of 18F‐FDG PET/CT in the diagnosis of gynecological malignancy. Moreover, we also describe the benefits of and evidence for other tracers.
A model of a secure intelligent trade agent

In this paper, we propose a model of a secure intelligent trade agent. In building this agent, we adapt our agent to use with a secure and efficient electronic cash (executable digital-cash, x-cash) [1] to enable agents to carry funds and make payments on-site without running the risk of “pick-pocketing”. It is a means of binding an offer to accompanying goods or payment, enabling the processes of searching and paying to be unified. The result is a mechanism by which electronic trades can occur in a highly distributed setting with strong security guarantees. This model provides an interface by which users obtain the certificates from the bank and authorizing them to make payments. The user can login to the agent repository (AR) for issuing offer programs w. The program w along with the certificate constitutes a piece of x-cash. An agent together with the executable digital cash (x-cash) which represents a buyer will be sent across the Internet via “asymmetric proxy reencryption protocol [2,9], executing methods (w) on a number of merchant’s server (on remote server systems). It takes as input some item, and outputs the amount which the buyer is willing to pay for that item. If the seller wishes to sell an item (Q), he/she can take the x-cash and the item Q to the buyer’s bank. By running the program (w) on Q, The buyer’s bank can determine how much to pay the seller. The buyer’s bank may then hold the item for buyer or otherwise arrange to send it to him. The trade is thus completed in a secure fashion without any direct contacts between seller and buyer. Intelligent trade agents must be able to buy goods and pay for them without any human intervention. In this paper, we introduce a model of agent based system, describe some variants and sketch proofs of its security properties
The Value Relevance of the Qualified Going Concern Opinion

This paper examines the impact of going concern opinions on the market value of firms. Our results suggest that firms with going concern opinions tend to have lower market value than firms without such opinion modification. In addition, we find that the pricing multiples of earnings are lower for firms with the going concern opinions. For firms with going concern opinions, their market value is predominately determined by the book value of equity. The impact of going concern opinions on the firm valuation and the pricing multiples is incremental to that of the financial distress level of a firm. However, our results do not support any differential valuation implication of expected versus unexpected going concern opinions. We also do not observe any difference in the valuation implication of going concern opinions for firms in intangible-intensive industries versus those in other industries.
The simplified model of soil dielectric constant and soil moisture at the main frequency points of microwave band

Surface soil moisture is an important parameter in draught monitoring and crop yield estimation, it is important to obtain spatial-temporal soil moisture information in large range. Microwave signal is much related to dielectric constant of object observed, and soil dielectric constant is determined by soil moisture, which was the basis of the use of microwave remote sensing technology for soil moisture monitoring. To solve the transformation of soil moisture and soil dielectric constant, the Dobson semi-empirical model was used to build a simulated database, and then the Hallikainen formula calibrated by the least square regression method at 1.26/1.4/3.2/5.3/6.9 and 9.6GHz frequency-points were performed to set up the simplified models to transform the real part of the dielectric constant to the soil volumetric moisture content. The validations were performed shows that the simplified models have good accuracy and practicability.
Consumer Demand for Health Information on the Internet

The challenges consumers face in acquiring and using information are a defining feature of health care markets. In this paper, we examine demand for health information on the Internet. We find that individuals in poor health are more likely than those in better health to use the Internet to search for health information and to communicate with others about health and health care. We also find that individuals facing a higher price to obtain information from health care professionals are more likely to turn to the Internet for health information. Our findings indicate that demand for consumer health information depends on the expected benefits of information and the price of information substitutes.
The Relationship between Job Characteristics and Retirement

We study the influence of job characteristics on prospective retirement as measured by the probability of working past age 62 or 65. The characteristics fall into three broad classes: physical and mental requirements, job flexibility including employer accomodation to older workers, and financial aspects such as pensions and health care insurance. Using data from the Health and Retirement Survey, we find that physical and mental job requirements have a rather small influence on prospective retirement, whereas measures of job flexibility and financial aspects of the job are important determinants.
A panel of macroautophagy markers in lymphomonocytes of patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

Abstract A potential role for macroautophagy dysfunction in the pathogenesis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) was hypothesized after the demonstration that selected markers are up-regulated in post mortem samples obtained from both patients and animal models of disease. We hypothesized that a putative dysfunction of this catabolic pathway could be operative also in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) obtained from ALS patients, since these cells represent an accessible model for studying molecular pathogenesis events in neuropsychiatric disorders. Beclin-1 and LC3II immunoreactivity were assessed in PBMC from 15 ALS patients and 15 controls by Western blot analysis. The expression of Atg12 mRNA was also assessed by real-time PCR. No significant difference was observed for all these parameters between patients and controls, although PBMC displayed a clear macroautophagy induction following exposure to rapamycin and lithium. Finally, we excluded a putative interference of riluzole demonstrating that LC3II immunoreactivity did not change in riluzole-treated SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells. In conclusion, the results of our pilot study do not support the idea of a systemic macroautophagic dysfunction in ALS, although they confirm that PBMC are a suitable peripheral marker for monitoring the effects of drugs interfering with this catabolic pathway.
Monocular Fisheye Lens Model-Based Distance Estimation for Forward Collision Warning Systems

Recently, smart vehicle technology gains increasing attractions for the driving security. In this context a front-view camera plays an important role in avoiding collision between vehicles. This paper presents a distance measurement system for driver safety. The proposed method consists of three steps: (i) estimation of distortion function, (ii) tracking features in the license plate region, and (iii) distance estimation by geometry analysys. The major contribution of this work is an accurate estimation of distance using a single, wide field-of-view lens camera.
Expression of ras‐like proteins in embryonic and adult cells of Xenopus laevis

A polyclonal antibody raised against v‐Ha‐ras p21 was purified and its specificity was checked on Ha‐ras transformed cell lines. It was used to immunoprecipitate p21 from different Xenopus laevis cell types: brain cells, blood cells, and embryonic material. By one‐dimensional Western blot analysis, we show that ras p21 is synthesized very early in oogenesis and accumulates throughout vitellogenesis. The ras p21 content, estimated to be 1.1 ng in the full‐grown oocyte, remains constant during oocyte maturation and egg cleavage. Increase in the amount of ras p21 occurs at the beginning of neurulation. Two‐dimensional Western blot patterns reveal the presence of multiple molecular forms of p21 in all Xenopus cell types studied. The numerous resolved polypeptides were ascribed to the expression of at least two different ras genes. Furthermore, specific charge modification of the ras polypeptides are observed in brain, blood, and embryonic cells. During oogenesis and early embryonic development, differences in two‐dimensional patterns mainly concern variations in the relative amounts of the different polypeptides. The results are discussed in relation to the well documented synthesis activities of the growing oocyte and of the early developing embryo.
Team Composition & Conditional Cooperation: Temporary Agents Permanent Agents or Both?

On the workplace agents differ in length of their contract. Nevertheless there is no extensive research on the optimal composition of teams regarding contracts. I will investigate theoretically the optimal team composition for different levels of conditional co-operators in society. Conditional co-operators are inclined to cooperate if other people also cooperate. In empirical research the existence of conditional co-operators is extensively discussed and proven. By adding renewable temporary contracts and mutual learning my analysis will be extended. I have found the following main results. If more than half of society consists out of conditional co-operators, two permanent agents is the optimal composition. If there are only few or no conditional co-operators in society, two temporary agents is the optimal composition. For shares of conditional co-operators in society in between, a mixed team is optimal.
Direct inhibition of G1 cdk kinase activity by MyoD promotes myoblast cell cycle withdrawal and terminal differentiation

MyoD has been proposed to facilitate terminal myoblast differentiation by binding to and inhibiting phosphorylation of the retinoblastoma protein (pRb). Here we show that MyoD can interact with cyclin‐dependent kinase 4 (cdk4) through a conserved 15 amino acid (aa) domain in the C‐terminus of MyoD. MyoD, its C‐terminus lacking the basic helix–loop–helix (bHLH) domain, or the 15 aa cdk4‐binding domain all inhibit the cdk4‐dependent phosphorylation of pRb in vitro. Cellular expression of full‐length MyoD or fusion proteins containing either the C‐terminus or just the 15 aa cdk4‐binding domain of MyoD inhibit cell growth and pRb phosphorylation in vivo. The minimal cdk4‐binding domain of MyoD fused to GFP can also induce differentiation of C2C12 muscle cells in growth medium. The defective myogenic phenotype in MyoD‐negative BC3H1 cells can be rescued completely only when MyoD contains the cdk4‐binding domain. We propose that a regulatory checkpoint in the terminal cell cycle arrest of the myoblast during differentiation involves the modulation of the cyclin D cdk‐dependent phosphorylation of pRb through the opposing effects of cyclin D1 and MyoD.
Estimating the Dynamic Response of a Voltage Controlled Oscillator based on Large-Signal Network Analyser Measurements

In this paper, a fast estimation method is proposed to obtain the maximum-likelihood estimation of the instantaneous frequency of the output wave of a voltage controlled oscillator (VCO) from a large signal network analyzer (LSNA) measurement. A 1650 MHz device that is swept over a 4 MHz frequency range is characterized to show the applicability and the speed of the proposed technique.
Use of electroacupuncture and transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation in reproductive medicine: a group consensus

With the rapid development of assisted reproductive technology, various reproductive disorders have been effectively addressed. Acupuncture-like therapies, including electroacupuncture (EA) and transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation (TEAS), become more popular world-wide. Increasing evidence has demonstrated that EA and TEAS are effective in treating gynecological disorders, especially infertility. This present paper describes how to select acupoints for the treatment of infertility from the view of theories of traditional Chinese medicine and how to determine critical parameters of electric pulses of EA/TEAS based on results from animal and clinical studies. It summarizes the principles of clinical application of EA/TEAS in treating various kinds of reproductive disorders, such as polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), pain induced by oocyte retrieval, diminished ovarian reserve, embryo transfer, and oligospermia/asthenospermia. The possible underlying mechanisms mediating the therapeutic effects of EA/TEAS in reproductive medicine are also examined.
A New Adaptive Kalman Filter for Single-State Integrator Systems: Application to Battery State-of-Charge Estimation

Optimal energy management in HEV is primordial. A key element of energy management strategies is the battery pack State-Of-Charge (SOC). In a real-time setting, a most commonly used tool to estimate the SOC is the Kalman filter-based techniques, and more especially adaptive Kalman filtering. In this paper, we consider a particular class of Linear Time-Invariant (LTI) Single-Input Single-Output (SISO) system suited to a lot of battery types. Then, we propose a new form of adaptive Kalman filter which is more convenient to use than the original adaptive Kalman filter. Finally, we highlight the effectiveness of the proposed approach on the SOC estimation problem of a four lead-acid battery pack.