Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Retention of white perch and striped bass larvae: Biological-physical interactions in Chesapeake Bay estuarine turbidity maximum

Physical and biological properties of the Chesapeake Bay estuarine turbidity maximum (ETM) region may influence retention and survival of anadromous white perch (Morone americana) and striped bass larvae (Morone saxatilis). To evaluate this hypothesis we collected data in five cruises, three during May 1998 and two during May 1999, in upper Chesapeake Bay. Time series of freshwater discharge, water temperature, wind, and water level explain differences in ETM location and properties between cruises and years. During high flows in 1998, a two-layer response to wind forcing shifted the ETM up-estuary, while a high discharge event resulted in a down-estuary shift in the salt front and ETM location. In 1999, extremely low discharge rates shifted the salt front 15 km up-estuary of its position in 1998. During 1999, the ETM was less intense and apparently topographically fixed. Gradients in depth-specific abundance of ichthyoplankton were compared with salinity and TSS concentrations along the channel axis of the upper Bay. During 1998, the high flow year, most striped bass eggs (75%) and most early-stage white perch larvae (80%) were located up-estuary of the salt front. In addition, most striped bass (91%) and white perch (67%) post-yolk-sac larvae were located within 10 km of maximum turbidity readings. Total abundance of white perch larvae was lower in 1999, a low freshwater flow year, than in 1998, a high flow year. In 1999, striped bass larvae were virtually absent. White perch (1977–1999) and striped bass (1968–1999) juvenile abundances were positively correlated with spring Susquehanna River discharge. The ETM regions is an important nursery area for white perch and striped bass larvae and life-history strategies of these species appear to insure transport to and within the ETM. We hypothesize that episodic wind and discharge events may modulate larval survival within years. Between years, differences in freshwater flow may influence striped bass and white perch survival and recruitment by controlling retention of egg and early-stage in the ETM region and by affecting the overlap of temperature/salinity zones preferred by later-stage larvae with elevated productivity in the ETM.
The value chain approach imposes increased expectations on logistics management

As business organisations move toward network structures, and virtual models replace vertical organisations (or begin to become part of them), it is time to consider the role of logistics management in light of these developments. The value chain / value creation system (VCS) has introduced a radical view concerning the ownership and use of assets, processes and capabilities; ownership has been replaced by access and collaboration. This working paper considers the challenges confronting logistics management and explores the ways in which logistics management may become involved in these developments. (a)
Problems With the Application of E-government in Turkey: The Kars Pilot

This research aims to highlight problems encountered in the application of e-government in Turkey, including findings from the Kars Pilot Project. It also examines public administration authorities, the general public's knowledge of technology, and the practise of e-government, together with interested parties in all of these. To ensure quality of data, research methods included a questionnaire and also benefitted from secondary data. The leaders of 12 public administration authorities contributed to data collection. Within the conclusions of this work it will be seen that the pilot project in Kars would seem to have suffered from a surfeit of problems, albeit the majority of them temporary; and the work also focuses on other issues outside the Kars experience. In particular it would seem that there are issues concerning the underlying legal framework; weaknesses in the technology and in websites; users lack appropriate knowledge and there are insufficient specialist employees; weaknesses in the reliability of the systems and problems with costs were also revealed. At the same time weaknesses were encountered within the population in terms of ability to access pass-worded e-government and low levels of telephone and internet connectivity.
Ethanol and PTZ effects on siRNA‐mediated GABAB1 receptor: Down regulation of intracellular signaling pathway in prenatal rat cortical and hippocampal neurons

GABAB receptors (R) are widely expressed and distributed in the nervous system, and have been implicated in variety of neurodegenerative and pathophysiological disorders. However, the exact molecular mechanism regarding responsibility of GABAB1R in downstream signaling pathway is not well understood. The present study was undertaken to explore the downstream signaling and role of GABAB1R upon acute ethanol and pentylenetetrazol (PTZ) exposure for (20 min) in cortical and hippocampal neuronal cell cultures by using GABAB1R RNA interference (i) (30 nM, 48 h) at gestational days 17.5. The results showed that GABAB1R and protein kinase A‐α (PKA) showed decreased expression upon ethanol and PTZ exposure in cortical and hippocampal neurons during transfected and nontransfected conditions, whereas these effects could lead to significant changes in phosphorylation of cAMP‐response element binding protein (p‐CREB) expression where GABAB1R was knocked down. Furthermore, intracellular Ca+2 concentrations were also reduced in some groups after transfection with GABAB1R RNAi. These results showed a critical role of GABAB1R upon ethanol and PTZ exposure by modulating downstream signaling pathway. Finally, these findings suggested that inhibition of GABAB1R results in the modulation of PKA, p‐CREB pathway may play a role in long‐term changes in the nervous system, and may be an underlying cause of ethanol's effects. Synapse 64:181–190, 2010. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Far from dominating EU decision-making, France and Germany are among the least successful EU states at negotiating legislation and budget contributions.

A common assumption is that the largest EU countries get their way most often in negotiations within the EU’s institutions. Contrary to this perspective, Jonathan Golub finds that smaller states like Finland tend to be far more successful at negotiating EU legislation than countries like France and Germany. He also finds little evidence for the idea that Member States might ‘buy influence’ by trading legislative outcomes for contributions to the EU budget. Indeed, the same countries which are successful at negotiating legislation are also likely to pay less than their fair share into the budget.
Safety profile of semagacestat, a gamma-secretase inhibitor: IDENTITY trial findings

Abstract Objective: Semagacestat, a γ-secretase inhibitor, demonstrated an unfavorable risk–benefit profile in a Phase 3 study of patients with Alzheimer’s disease (IDENTITY trials), and clinical development was halted. To assist in future development of γ-secretase inhibitors, we report detailed safety findings from the IDENTITY study, with emphasis on those that might be mechanistically linked to γ-secretase inhibition. Research design and methods: The IDENTITY trial was a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of semagacestat (100 mg and 140 mg), in which 1537 patients age 55 years and older with probable Alzheimer’s disease were randomized. Treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs) are reported by body system along with pertinent laboratory, vital sign, and ECG findings. Results: Semagacestat treatment was associated with increased reporting of suspected Notch-related adverse events (gastrointestinal, infection, and skin cancer related). Other relevant safety findings associated with semagacestat treatment included cognitive and functional worsening, skin-related TEAEs, renal and hepatic changes, increased QT interval, and weight loss. With few exceptions, differences between semagacestat and placebo treatment groups were no longer significant after cessation of treatment with active drug. Conclusions: Many of these safety findings can be attributed to γ-secretase inhibition, and may be valuable to researchers developing γ-secretase inhibitors.
Review of the efficacy of individualized chemotherapy selected by in vitro drug sensitivity testing for patients with cancer.

PURPOSE The purpose of this study is to review the potential efficacy of individualized chemotherapy selected by in vitro drug sensitivity testing (DST) compared with empiric regimens for patients with cancer. METHODS MEDLINE and CANCERLIT were searched for articles published (in English) about prospective clinical trials in which patients were treated with chemotherapy that was selected with the use of in vitro DST. RESULTS We identified 12 prospective studies that examined the benefit of chemotherapy selected by DST. Five hundred six patients (33%) were treated with chemotherapy that was selected with the use of in vitro DST. The mean response rate for patients treated with in vitro-selected therapy was 27% (range, 10% to 100%; n = 12 studies) compared with 18% (range, 0% to 100%; n = 7 studies) for patients treated with empiric therapy. Five studies (only one randomized) evaluated the impact of chemotherapy selected by in vitro DST on patient survival. Three studies showed that survival was 1 to 4 months longer for the 238 patients treated with empiric chemotherapy compared with that of the 65 patients treated with chemotherapy that was selected by in vitro testing. Two nonrandomized studies showed that survival was 4 or 19 months longer for 27 patients treated with chemotherapy selected by in vitro testing compared with that of 80 patients who were treated with empiric chemotherapy. CONCLUSION Only one third of patients entered in prospective trials of in vitro DST were actually treated with an in vitro best regimen. The response rates seem to be better with in vitro selected chemotherapy regimens than with empiric regimens, but the impact on survival has not been adequately addressed.
The occurrence of natural antibodies in rabbit sera in relation to the paracolon group of organisms

1. Naturally occurring agglutinins to paracolon bacilli have been found in seven out of ten sera from non-immunized rabbits and in one anti-Salmonella and two anti-paracolon immune rabbits' sera after complete absorption with the immunizing strain. 2. The a antigen of Stamp & Stone, which is known to occur as a natural agglutinin, has been demonstrated in one out of nine paracolon bacilli. 3. Rabbits which before immunization show agglutinins to the immunizing strain or to an α antigen should not be used for the preparation of diagnostic antisera for intestinal Gram-negative bacilli.
Impaired temporal, not just spatial, resolution in amblyopia.

PURPOSE In amblyopia, neuronal deficits deteriorate spatial vision including visual acuity, possibly because of a lack of use-dependent fine-tuning of afferents to the visual cortex during infancy; but temporal processing may deteriorate as well. METHODS Temporal, rather than spatial, resolution was investigated in patients with amblyopia by means of a task based on time-defined figure-ground segregation. Patients had to indicate the quadrant of the visual field where a purely time-defined square appeared. RESULTS The results showed a clear decrease in temporal resolution of patients' amblyopic eyes compared with the dominant eyes in this task. The extent of this decrease in figure-ground segregation based on time of motion onset only loosely correlated with the decrease in spatial resolution and spanned a smaller range than did the spatial loss. Control experiments with artificially induced blur in normal observers confirmed that the decrease in temporal resolution was not simply due to the acuity loss. CONCLUSIONS Amblyopia not only decreases spatial resolution, but also temporal factors such as time-based figure-ground segregation, even at high stimulus contrasts. This finding suggests that the realm of neuronal processes that may be disturbed in amblyopia is larger than originally thought.
Time-Frequency Distributions Based on Conjugate Operators *

New classes of quadratic time-frequency representations (QTFRs), such as the affine, hyperbolic, and power classes, are interesting alternatives to the conventional shift-covariant class (Cohen's class). This paper studies new QTFR classes that retain the inner structure of Cohen's class. These classes are based on a pair of "conjugate" unitary operators and satisfy covariance and marginal properties. For each class, we define a "central member" generalizing the Wigner distribution, and we specify a transformation by which the class can be derived from Cohen's class.
Research on reliability of board level package-on-package in drop test

Packaging components are key parts for portable electronics, such as notebooks, cameras and cell phones. The mechanical shock resulted from mishandling during transportation or customer usage may cause solder joint failure of packages, which leads to malfunction of product. Therefore, the reliability performance of solder balls under drop impact loading has become an important topics to researchers and the electronic product manufactures. Here, the study on the stacked package-on-package (POP) is completed in free drop test, according to the condition B in the drop test standard of JEDEC. The dynamic strain responses at some key positions of the Printed Circuit Board (PCB) are recorded by strain gages to study the board level response under impact, and the behavior of dynamic resistance of POP components is well understood. These researches will provide a feedback link to the performance of the PCB with POP packages in accidental drop.
Business‐to‐business relationship quality: An IMP interaction‐based conceptualization and measurement

Although relationship quality is recognized as a central construct in the relationship marketing literature, relatively little attention has been paid to the issues of: the dimensions of relationship quality, and the directional relationship between relationship quality and related service evaluation outcomes. This study seeks to provide alternative conceptualization of business‐to‐business relationship quality based on the well‐established IMP interaction model and to clarify the relationship between relationship quality and service quality. The findings from an empirical study, support the hypothesis that relationship quality, defined as a higher‐order construct of cooperation, adaptation, and atmosphere, has a positive impact on service quality.
Genomic analysis of human microRNA transcripts

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are important genetic regulators of development, differentiation, growth, and metabolism. The mammalian genome encodes ≈500 known miRNA genes. Approximately 50% are expressed from non-protein-coding transcripts, whereas the rest are located mostly in the introns of coding genes. Intronic miRNAs are generally transcribed coincidentally with their host genes. However, the nature of the primary transcript of intergenic miRNAs is largely unknown. We have performed a large-scale analysis of transcription start sites, polyadenylation signals, CpG islands, EST data, transcription factor-binding sites, and expression ditag data surrounding intergenic miRNAs in the human genome to improve our understanding of the structure of their primary transcripts. We show that a significant fraction of primary transcripts of intergenic miRNAs are 3–4 kb in length, with clearly defined 5′ and 3′ boundaries. We provide strong evidence for the complete transcript structure of a small number of human miRNAs.
Molecular Heterogeneity in Primary Breast Carcinomas and Axillary Lymph Node Metastases Assessed by Genomic Fingerprinting Analysis

Molecular heterogeneity within primary breast carcinomas and among axillary lymph node (LN) metastases may impact diagnosis and confound treatment. In this study, we used short tandem repeated sequences to assess genomic heterogeneity and to determine hereditary relationships among primary tumor areas and regional metastases from 30 breast cancer patients. We found that primary carcinomas were genetically heterogeneous and sampling multiple areas was necessary to adequately assess genomic variability. LN metastases appeared to originate at different time periods during disease progression from different sites of the primary tumor and the extent of genomic divergence among regional metastases was associated with a less favorable patient outcome (P = 0.009). In conclusion, metastasis is a complex process influenced by primary tumor heterogeneity and variability in the timing of dissemination. Genomic variation in primary breast tumors and regional metastases may negatively impact clinical diagnostics and contribute to therapeutic resistance.
A Deterministic Algorithm for Reconstructing Images with Interacting Discontinuities

Abstract The most common approach for incorporating discontinuities in visual reconstruction problems makes use of Bayesian techniques, based on Markov random field models, coupled with stochastic relaxation and simulated annealing. Despite their convergence properties and flexibility in exploiting a priori knowledge on physical and geometric features of discontinuities, stochastic relaxation algorithms often present insurmountable computational complexity. Recently, considerable attention has been given to suboptimal deterministic algorithms, which can provide solutions with much lower computational costs. These algorithms consider the discontinuities implicitly rather than explicitly and have been mostly derived when there are no interactions between two or more discontinuities in the image model. In this paper we propose an algorithm that allows for interacting discontinuities, in order to exploit the constraint that discontinuities must be connected and thin. The algorithm, called E-GNC, can be considered an extension of the graduated nonconvexity (GNC), first proposed by Blake and Zisserman for noninteracting discontinuities. When applied to the problem of image reconstruction from sparse and noisy data, the method is shown to give satisfactory results with a low number of iterations.
Protection Against Squamous Cell Carcinoma and Cervical Adenocarcinoma Afforded by Cervical Cytology Screening: A Cross-Sectional Study

Objective The objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of cervical cytology screening on the prevalence of cervical cytological results in women, as a function of age and test interval. Methods This is a cross-sectional study of cytology screening data of 2,002,472 tests obtained from previously screened women and 217,826 tests from unscreened women. The central cytopathology laboratory database was analyzed. The tests were collected for screening purposes from Campinas metropolitan region, Brazil. A prevalence ratio (PR) with a 95% confidence interval was calculated for the screened women, in relation to the unscreened women, and for different tests intervals. Protection afforded by screening (1-PR) was calculated. Results For high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion, the PR was 0.97 (0.83–1.13) for women aged 20 years or younger and 0.99 (0.86–1.14) for women aged 20 to 24 years, decreasing significantly in women aged 25 to 29 years (PR, 0.63 [0.52–0.76]). The PR for squamous cell carcinoma, adenocarcinoma in situ (AIS), and invasive adenocarcinoma showed a significant reduction in all age groups older than 30 years. For the age group ranging from 30 to 59 years, protection for squamous cell carcinoma, AIS, and invasive adenocarcinoma was 83% or higher for screening intervals from 1 to 5 years. Protective effect was not demonstrated for screening intervals longer than 5 years for AIS and invasive adenocarcinoma. Conclusions Cytology screening is effective at preventing cytological high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion, squamous cell carcinoma, AIS, and invasive adenocarcinoma. On the basis of cytological results, protection against AIS and invasive adenocarcinoma was observed with screening intervals shorter than 5 years. Cytological screening in women 25 years or younger should be critically evaluated.
Values and motivations of private forest owners in the United States: a framework based on open-ended responses in the national woodland owner survey

The National Woodland Owner Survey (NWOS) is a recurring and comprehensive national survey of private forest landowners in the United States, and is a social complement to the U.S. Forest Service Forest Inventory and Analysis program's biologic resource inventory. An open-ended question in the NWOS explores private forest owners' motivations and values related to their woodland. This paper describes the system of values and motivations that emerged from analysis of responses to the open-ended question. Respondents expressed diverse and multidimensional motives.
Prospective evaluation of two clinical scores for acute asthma in children 18 months to 7 years of age.

OBJECTIVES The objective was to evaluate the discriminatory ability of two clinical asthma scores, the Preschool Respiratory Assessment Measure (PRAM) and the Pediatric Asthma Severity Score (PASS), during an asthma exacerbation. METHODS This was a prospective cohort study in an academic pediatric emergency department (ED; 60,000 visits/year) conducted from March 2006 to October 2007. All patients 18 months to 7 years of age who presented for an asthma exacerbation were eligible. The primary outcome was a length of stay (LOS) of >6 hours in the ED or admission to the hospital. Clinical findings and components of the PRAM and the PASS were assessed by a respiratory therapist (RT) at the start of the ED visit and after 90 minutes of treatment. RESULTS During the study period, 3,845 patients were seen in the ED for an asthma exacerbation. Of these, 291 were approached to participate, and eight refused. Moderate levels of discrimination were found between a LOS of >6 hours and/or admission and PRAM (area under the receiver-operating characteristic curve [AUC] = 0.69, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.59 to 0.79) and PASS (AUC = 0.70, 95% CI = 0.60 to 0.80) as calculated at the start of the ED visit. Significant similar correlations were seen between the physician's judgment of severity and PRAM (r = 0.54, 95% CI = 0.42 to 0.65) and PASS (r = 0.55, 95% CI = 0.43 to 0.65). CONCLUSIONS The PRAM and PASS clinical asthma scores appear to be measures of asthma severity in children with discriminative properties.
IgG4-related disease.

From Harvard Medical School ( J.H.S., V.D.) and the Departments of Medicine (Division of Rheumatology, Allergy, and Immunology) (J.H.S.) and Pathology (V.D.), Massachusetts General Hospital — both in Boston; and the Institute of Liver Studies, King’s College Hospital, London (Y.Z.). Address reprint requests to Dr. Stone at the Rheumatology Unit, Massachusetts General Hospital, 55 Fruit St., Yawkey 2C, Boston, MA 02114, or at jhstone@partners.org.
International knowledge gaining: challenges and barriers among university spin-off firms

Industrial competence is increasingly dispersed across the globe, urging young high-technology firms to build knowledge relationships across national and continental boundaries. However, building such relationships is hampered by numerous barriers following from short in experience and education of founders of these firms. In this paper, we examine the role of absorptive capacity of a specific category of firms, university spin-offs, in building knowledge networks, specially the spatial reach involved. In a sample of 105 spin-offs, in the Netherlands and Norway, we find that around 60 per cent of the firms employ knowledge relationships abroad, almost 35 per cent of them outside of Europe. The main underlying absorptive capacity factors are a high education level (PhD), participation in market/business-related training, and low newness of realized innovations, the last indicating support from an established market position in knowledge networking with a larger reach. A final result is that international knowledge networks associates with higher levels of firm growth regarding employment.