Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Developmental expression of Na+ currents in mouse Purkinje neurons

As Purkinje neurons mature during postnatal development, they change from electrically quiescent to active and exhibit high frequency spontaneous action potentials. This change in electrical activity is determined by both alteration in ion channel expression and the acquisition of synaptic input. To gain a better understanding of the development the intrinsic electrical properties of these neurons, acutely isolated Purkinje neurons from mice aged postnatal day 4 (P4) to P18 were examined. This included recording action potential frequency, threshold, height and slope, and input resistance and capacitance. Changes in a number of these properties were observed, suggesting significant changes in voltage‐gated Na+ currents. Because voltage‐gated Na+ currents, including the transient, resurgent and persistent currents, are known to play important roles in generating spontaneous action potentials, the developmental changes in these currents were examined. A large increase in the density of transient current, resurgent current and persistent current was observed at times corresponding with changes in action potential properties. Interestingly, the developmental up‐regulation of the persistent current and resurgent current occurred at rate which was faster than the up‐regulation of the transient current. Moreover, the relative amplitudes of the persistent and resurgent currents increased in parallel, suggesting that they share a common basis. The data indicate that developmental up‐regulation of Na+ currents plays a key role in the acquisition of Purkinje neuron excitability.
Key Determinants of R&D Expenditures in the Us Telecommunications Equipment Industry

R&D is of prime importance for firms in the volatile telecom equipment industry in order to remain competitive, develop new products, and innovate. However, R&D spending is criticized a lot during periods of distress and economic recessions. The paper investigates the predictability of research and development expenses in telecommunications equipment (hardware) firms in the United States. Historically, AT&T was controlling the sector being a leader in R&D investments. Our study deals with reported annual financial information of nearly two hundred firms for a period of nearly thirty years. Through our models we find that last year's market value, sales and capital expenditure are all positive correlated and significant in predicting year's end R&D spending. Cash reserves is of less importance. The net income factor is not important in explaining R&D spending in this growth industry.
Improvement of overall survival in advanced stage mantle cell lymphoma.

PURPOSE Mantle cell lymphomas (MCLs) represent a clinically aggressive lymphoma subtype with a poor prognosis. To explore a potential progress in outcome a historical comparison was performed using data from the Kiel Lymphoma Study Group (KLSG; 1975 to 1986) and the German Low Grade Lymphoma Study Group (GLSG; 1996 to 2004). PATIENTS AND METHODS All patients with the histologically confirmed diagnosis of advanced-stage nonblastoid MCL were eligible. To minimize the potential heterogeneity of different risk profiles frequency matching was pursued. In addition, we adjusted for potential confounding variables by multiple Cox regression. RESULTS A total of 520 patients were assessable, 150 from KLSG and 370 from GLSG studies. The median overall survival was 2.7 years for KLSG patients as compared with 4.8 years for GLSG patients (P < .0001). The 5-year survival rates were 22% in the KLSG group (95% CI, 13% to 31%) as compared with 47% for GLSG treated patients (95% CI, 38% to 55%). The hazard ratio adjusted for performance status, lactate dehydrogenase, and age was 0.44 for GLSG patients (95% CI, 0.32 to 0.59). CONCLUSION Median overall survival of patients with advanced nonblastoid MCL almost doubled during the past 30 years. Potential reasons for this apparent improvement in overall survival include the application of anthracycline-containing regimens and new approaches, such as antilymphoma antibodies or stem cell transplantation. Advances in general supportive care, new diagnostic tools, and general improvement of life span might have also reinforced this effect. However, our results are questioning the validity of historical comparisons which had been frequently applied in previous trials.
UbiA prenyltransferase domain–containing protein-1 modulates HMG-CoA reductase degradation to coordinate synthesis of sterol and nonsterol isoprenoids

UBIAD1 (UbiA prenyltransferase domain–containing protein-1) utilizes geranylgeranyl pyrophosphate (GGpp) to synthesize vitamin K2. We previously reported that sterols stimulate binding of UBIAD1 to endoplasmic reticulum (ER)–localized 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl (HMG) CoA reductase. UBIAD1 binding inhibits sterol-accelerated, ER-associated degradation (ERAD) of reductase, one of several mechanisms for feedback control of this rate-limiting enzyme in the branched pathway that produces cholesterol and nonsterol isoprenoids such as GGpp. Accumulation of GGpp in ER membranes triggers release of UBIAD1 from reductase, permitting its maximal ERAD and ER-to-Golgi transport of UBIAD1. Mutant UBIAD1 variants associated with Schnyder corneal dystrophy (SCD), a human disorder characterized by corneal accumulation of cholesterol, resist GGpp-induced release from reductase and remain sequestered in the ER to block reductase ERAD. Using lines of genetically manipulated cells, we now examine consequences of UBIAD1 deficiency and SCD-associated UBIAD1 on reductase ERAD and cholesterol synthesis. Our results indicated that reductase becomes destabilized in the absence of UBIAD1, resulting in reduced cholesterol synthesis and intracellular accumulation. In contrast, an SCD-associated UBIAD1 variant inhibited reductase ERAD, thereby stabilizing the enzyme and contributing to enhanced synthesis and intracellular accumulation of cholesterol. Finally, we present evidence that GGpp-regulated, ER-to-Golgi transport enables UBIAD1 to modulate reductase ERAD such that synthesis of nonsterol isoprenoids is maintained in sterol-replete cells. These findings further establish UBIAD1 as a central player in the reductase ERAD pathway and regulation of isoprenoid synthesis. They also indicate that UBIAD1-mediated inhibition of reductase ERAD underlies cholesterol accumulation associated with SCD.
Improved registration of DCE-MR images of the liver using a prior segmentation of the region of interest

In Dynamic Contrast-Enhanced MRI (DCE-MRI) of the liver, a series of images is acquired over a period of 20 minutes. Due to the patient’s breathing, the liver is subject to a substantial displacement between acquisitions. Furthermore, due to its location in the abdomen, the liver also undergoes marked deformation. The large deformations combined with variation in image contrast make accurate liver registration challenging. We present a registration framework that incorporates a liver segmentation to improve the registration accuracy. The segmented liver serves as region-of-interest to our in-house developed registration method called ALOST (autocorrelation of local image structure). ALOST is a continuous optimization method that uses local phase features to overcome space-variant intensity distortions. The proposed framework can confine the solution field to the liver and allow for ALOST to obtain a more accurate solution. For the segmentation part, we use a level-set method to delineate the liver in a so-called contrast enhancement map. This map is obtained by computing the difference between the last and registered first volume from the DCE series. Subsequently, we slightly dilate the segmentation, and apply it as the mask to the other DCE-MRI volumes during registration. It is shown that the registration result becomes more accurate compared with the original ALOST approach.
Physical activity and exercise training in multiple sclerosis: a review and content analysis of qualitative research identifying perceived determinants and consequences

Abstract Purpose: This systematic review was conducted to provide rich and deep evidence of the perceived determinants and consequences of physical activity and exercise based on qualitative research in multiple sclerosis (MS). Method: Electronic databases and article reference lists were searched to identify qualitative studies of physical activity and exercise in MS. Studies were included if they were written in English and examined consequences/determinants of physical activity in persons with MS. Content analysis of perceived determinants and consequences of physical activity and exercise was undertaken using an inductive analysis guided by the Physical Activity for people with Disabilities framework and Social Cognitive Theory, respectively. Results: Nineteen articles were reviewed. The most commonly identified perceived barriers of physical activity and exercise were related to the environmental (i.e. minimal or no disabled facilities, and minimal or conflicting advice from healthcare professionals) and related to personal barriers (i.e. fatigue, and fear and apprehension). The most commonly identified perceived facilitators of physical activity were related to the environment (i.e. the type of exercise modality and peer support) and related to personal facilitators (i.e. appropriate exercise and feelings of accomplishment). The most commonly identified perceived beneficial consequences of physical activity and exercise were maintaining physical functions, increased social participation and feelings of self-management and control. The most commonly identified perceived adverse consequences were increased fatigue and feelings of frustration and lost control. Conclusions: Results will inform future research on the perceived determinants and consequences of physical activity and exercise in those with MS and can be adopted for developing professional education and interventions for physical activity and exercise in MS. Implications for Rehabilitation Physical activity and exercise behaviour in people with multiple sclerosis (MS) is subject to a number of modifiable determinants. Healthcare professionals working to promote physical activity and exercise in those with MS should choose to endorse the positive benefits of participation. Future physical activity interventions for those with MS may be improved by incorporating behavioural management strategies.
Delay- and Disruption-Tolerant Networking

Delay- and disruption-tolerant networking (DTN) grew out of attempts to develop an interplanetary Internet but has evolved into an active area of networking research, with applications in space networking, military tactical networking, and networking for various challenged communities. The DTN Research Group provides an open forum in which DTN researchers and developers can collaborate to further develop this experimental technology.
Network-based management of subjective judgements: a proposal accepting cyclic dependencies

The architecture of an uncertainty manager (UM) based on belief revision concepts is proposed. It automatically maintains the consistency of related propositions according to a given theory of uncertainty. Facts are represented as nodes of a network, whose links stand for inferential dependencies among the connected nodes. Each node is associated to a measure of the confidence the UM has in it. The effect of any change in the network is propagated throughout the whole network to preserve consistency. The motivations to accept cyclic dependencies among propositions in such a network are discussed, and the solutions to the problems arising are presented. A theory of uncertainty suitable for representing subjective linguistic estimates is proposed as a solution to the representation of uncertainty coming from subjective judgements. The UM can work with any uncertainty theory whose definition satisfies the general framework presented. >
The use of the Internet for hospitality and travel-related activities.

The purpose of the study was to address the use of the Internet by consumers when searching for information and purchasing products and services in the travel and tourism industry. It identifies which sector(s) consumers are using the Internet for, and why they use the sites they choose. A survey (response rate was 37.9%) was conducted using a telephone interviewing system for the data collection. It found that hotel and motel sites are used most often, with respondents searching for information, savings and convenience as the motivating factors for purchasing these services through the Internet. The study concludes with future research suggestions for attracting consumers to the e-travel/tourism sites. In addition, the research identifies ways to better serve consumers and lists the products and services e-consumers are looking for from the hospitality and travel/tourism industry.
Effects of body weight at, and lighting regimen and growth curve to, 20 weeks on laying performance in broiler breeders

1. A total of 4000 Ross broiler breeders were reared to a 20-week target body weight of 1·55, 2·16 (standard), 2·50 or 2·84 kg, using either a convex or concave growth curve. Each treatment group was either exposed to a conventional broiler breeder lighting regimen, with a series of weekly one-hour increments in photoperiod from 8 h at 19 weeks to a 16-h maximum, or maintained from 4 d on a 17-h photoperiod. 2. Each 100 g increment in body weight at 20 weeks was associated with a significant increase of 0·55 kg in cumulative food intake, and a 1·5-d advance in sexual maturity. However, leaner body weights at 20 weeks resulted in smaller body weight gains between 20 and 60 weeks (− 2·4 g/d/kg body weight at 20 weeks), and an increased production of double-yolked eggs. Neither egg production nor mean egg weight was affected by 20-week body weight. 3. Birds fed to produce more rapid early growth had higher feed intakes to 20 weeks, but reached sexual maturity 7 d later than birds permitted accelerated growth from 15 weeks. Growth curve did not influence body weight gain in lay, egg production or mean egg weight. 4. Birds maintained on 17-h photoperiods reached sexual maturity 27 d later, produced 7 fewer eggs to 60 weeks, and had a mean egg weight 1·2 g heavier than birds photostimulated at 19 weeks. Lighting treatment did not affect food intake to 20 weeks, the proportion of double-yolked eggs or body weight gain between 20 and 60 weeks. 5. Birds fed to have a faster growth early in the rearing phase and maintained on 17-h photoperiods produced 11 fewer eggs than those fed to have accelerated growth at the end of the rearing phase, yet there was only one egg difference between the growth-curve groups for the conventionally lighted birds, which was not significant. 6. The earlier sexual maturity of the conventionally lighted birds compared with those maintained on 17-h photoperiods either indicates that broiler breeders require an increment in photoperiod to stimulate rapid gonadal development or that broiler breeders exhibit juvenile photorefractoriness that takes longer to be dissipated when birds are not given a period of short days. 7. The findings suggest that a nutritional stimulus late in rearing is only necessary for satisfactory egg production if birds have not received a concurrent increment in photoperiod.
Zarządzanie kompetencjami publicznych zakładów opieki zdrowotnej poprzez doskonalenie kapitału społecznego

Streszczenie. Przedmiotem zainteresowania autorek było zarządzanie kompetencjami publicznych zakładów opieki zdrowotnej poprzez doskonalenie kapitału społecznego. Aktywność na rzecz rozwoju kompetencji publicznych zakładów opieki zdrowotnej wymaga doskonalenia kapitału społecznego poprzez wykorzystanie nowoczesnych koncepcji zarządzania, tj. organizacyjne uczenie się i zarządzanie wiedzą, kulturę organizacji, partycypacyjne formy zarządzania, koncepcję TQM czy też benchmarking.
Global and regional financial safety nets: lessons from Europe and Asia. Bruegel Working Paper 2013/06 [07?], November 2013

The Asian financial crisis (1997) and the European crisis (2009) have both contributed to the development and deepening of regional safety net arrangements. This paper analyses the relationships between global and regional financial safety nets, and uncovers the potential tensions and operational challenges associated with the involvement of several institutional players with potentially different interests, analytical biases and governance. The G20 has acknowledged the importance of these new players for the international monetary system, but the principles for cooperation between the IMF and regional financing arrangements are far too broad and ad hoc to contribute to a coherent and effective architecture. This paper tries to establish some lessons learned from the Asian financial crisis in 1997 and the current European crisis in order to enhance the effectiveness, efficiency, equity and governance of these arrangements. In particular, it proposes changes to the IMF articles of agreement to allow for lending or guarantees to regional arrangements directly and it establishes some key desirable features and practices of regional mechanisms that should be adopted everywhere to ensure some global consistency, particularly in the field of macroeconomic surveillance, programme design and conditionality.
Tubal Sterilization: A prospective long term investigation of 218 sterilized women

The present study is a long-term investigation of 218 consecutively sterilized women in Akershus County, Norway. The operations were performed in 1973-74, when the access to sterilization was regulated by a legislation from 1934. The women were interviewed personally, and a clinical examination was performed before sterilization, at discharge from hospital, three months, one and six years later. At each occasion the participation was about 95%, and only one woman was lost to follow-up. The women in this series lived in stable social conditions, their average age was 33.7, their parity 2.8. They were not socially distinguishable from women of the same age in the county at large, but there were important socially and age related differences within the series. Their contraceptive usage was widespread, but inconsistent. Family planning was the all-dominant motive. Forty per cent of the women had been suggested the sterilization by a doctor, 30% at abortion application. The operations were performed as laparoscopic electrocoagulation of the tubes or as a Pomeroy resection. Five pregnancies were recognized in the study period, four of these in the laparoscopy group. There were few serious complications, but 20% had a diversity of complaints at the three month interview. At six years seven women had complaints attributed to the operation. The large majority of the series was satisfied with the sterilization. Almost half the women would have preferred an even earlier operation, and six years after the sterilization 85% of the women had told friends about it, and 71% of these had directly recommended sterilization to someone. Six years after the sterilization 74% said the operation should be more widespread, 69% believed postoperative regret was uncommon, and the impact on postoperative marital life was mainly positive. However, during the study period, 18% of the women had experienced regret, ambivalence or periodic depression because of their sterilization. The rate of, and reasons for regret varied with time. The rate increased; at six years 6% of the women would have preferred the sterilization undone, and in 10% of the couples at least one of the partners held that view. At one year, the primary reason for regret was a feeling of having been persuaded by the doctor at abortion application. Six years after the sterilization the desire for a child with a new spouse was the principle reason. There was no association between regret and age or parity at operation. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
Technology-aided programs to support exercise of adaptive head responses or leg-foot and hands responses in children with multiple disabilities

Objective: Assessing the effectiveness of technology-aided programs to help three children with multiple disabilities exercise adaptive head or leg-foot and hands responses independently. Method: The response selected for the two children included in Study I was head rotation (i.e. movements of at least 25 degrees to the left that could start from a full right position as well as from other positions). The responses selected for the child included in Study II involved forward movement of the left leg-foot and forward movement of his hand(s) to touch objects. Tilt or optic microswitches were used to monitor the responses and a computer system regulated the stimuli contingent on them. Results: The responses targeted in the two studies showed large frequency increases during the intervention phases of the studies (i.e. when followed by stimulation). Conclusion: Technology-aided programs can be a useful resource to help children with multiple disabilities exercise relevant responses independently.
Methotrexate/iatrogenic lymphoproliferative disorders in rheumatoid arthritis: histology, Epstein–Barr virus, and clonality are important predictors of disease progression and regression

Patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) may develop lymphoproliferative disorders (RA‐LPD). Immunosuppressive states due to methotrexate (MTX) and Epstein–Barr virus (EBV) reactivation have been regarded as causes. Sometimes spontaneous regression occurs after withdrawal of MTX. The objective of this study was to identify factors predictive of relapse and survival in patients with RA‐LPD, and spontaneous regression in patients with RA‐LPD treated with MTX (MTX‐LPD).
Does Degree Earned Matter? An Empirical Analysis of CEOS from Large Firms

In this paper the educational backgrounds of the Highest Paid Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) in the United States are examined. Specifically, the extent to which the specific degree earned affects the salary received and other variables are examined. The data for the study is the Forbes 800 CEO compensation data. The time period for this study is the thirteen years from 1987-1999. The results indicate that the total compensation that individuals earn as the CEO of the firm depends upon the undergraduate and graduate degree that the individual earns. Those with differing degrees are found to have been with the firm for a differing number of years, earned their undergraduate and graduate degrees at different ages, started working for the firm at different ages, became the CEO at differing ages, and were with the firm for differing number of years prior to becoming the CEO.
SENTINETS: User Classification Based on Sentiment for Social Causes within a Twitter Network

Introduction Available sentiment classifiers typically describe statements as either positive or negative. While helpful for consumer products or marketing initiatives, this sort of binary classification is limiting for other types of sentiments, particularly those related to social causes. Our research contribution is the creation of new orthogonal sentiment classifiers unique to social causes. This new classification helps capture a more nuanced sentiment along level of support (enthusiastic/passive) and the degree of enthusiasm (enthusiastic/passive) toward a cause. Twitter data is noisy and content specific, making it difficult for any topic-specific approach. However, our findings show that Enthusiastic and Supportive tweets were more densely present in tweets about social causes in Twitter.