Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Skin keratinocytes pre‐treated with embryonic stem cell‐conditioned medium or BMP4 can be directed to an alternative cell lineage

Abstract. Objectives: In this study, we have investigated whether secreted factors from embryonic stem cells (ESCs) could reprogramme keratinocytes and increase their potential to be directed into alternative cell lineages. Materials and methods: Contact and non‐contact co‐cultures of skin keratinocytes and murine ESCs were used initially to confirm any reprogramming ability of ESC‐conditioned medium (CM). Immunofluoresence was used to assess nuclear expression of octamer‐4 (Oct‐4), as well as to confirm neuronal protein expression in neuroectodermally directed keratinocytes. Transcript expression changes were evaluated using semiquantitative reverse transcription‐polymerase chain reaction. Western blotting, accompanied by densitometry analysis, was used to evaluate protein expression following morphology changes. Results: We found that keratinocytes treated with ESC‐CM changed their morphology and were stimulated to express the pluripotency regulator, Oct‐4, and its target transcripts, Sox‐2, Nanog, Utf1 and Rex‐1. We demonstrate that at least one of the reprogramming factors is bone morphogenetic factor‐4 (BMP4). Pre‐treated keratinocytes could be specifically directed to differentiate into cells of the neuronal lineage. The majority of responsive keratinocytes were the epidermal stem cell population, with a small percentage of transit‐amplifying cells also being affected. Conclusions: Our results suggest that ESC‐CM contains a number of factors, including BMP4, which are capable of reprogramming mouse skin keratinocytes to make them more developmentally potent, as evidenced by their ability to be re‐differentiated into cells of the neuronal lineage. Our findings also imply a continuum of differentiation within the basal keratinocyte population. An increase in developmental potential combined with directed differentiation could increase the therapeutic relevancy of somatic cells.
On moments and related quantities in insurance surplus analysis

In risk theory, the time to ruin is one of the central quantities. The Laplace transform, density and moments of the time to ruin have been studied by many authors under different risk model assumptions. The Gerber-Shiu function proposed by Gerber and Shiu (1998) provides an analytic tool in studying these quantities. For example, Dickson and Willmot (2005) inverted the Gerber-Shiu function with respect to the Laplace transform parameter of the time to ruin by Lagrange’s implicit function theorem, and hence obtained the density of the time to ruin. The main focus of this thesis is to study the moments involving the time to ruin by using Gerber-Shiu function as the analytic tool. An introduction on the Gerber-Shiu function and different risk models is first given in Chapter 1. In Chapter 2, the moments of the time to ruin are studied as generalized versions of the Gerber-Shiu function in dependent Sparre Andersen models. It is shown that structural properties of the Gerber-Shiu function hold also for the moments of the time to ruin. In particular, the moments continue to satisfy defective renewal equations. These properties are discussed in detail in Chapter 4 under the model of Willmot and Woo (2012) where Coxian interclaim times and arbitrary time-dependent claim sizes are assumed. In Chapter 3, another very general class of dependent Sparre Andersen models with Coxian claim sizes (e.g. Landriault et al. (2014)) is considered. An analytical form is provided for the moments of the time to ruin under this class, which involves solving linear systems of equations. In Chapter 5, the number of claims until ruin is taken into consideration under a Sparre Andersen model with exponential claim sizes. The joint density of the time to ruin, the number of claims until ruin and other ruin-related quantities is identified. The joint moments of these quantities can then be obtained from this joint density. In Chapter 6, the insurance surplus process is studied under a generalized MAP risk iii model introduced in Cheung et al. (2011). With Coxian claim sizes, the moments of the time to ruin are in the form of a linear sum of Erlang densities. The associated coefficients of this linear sum are shown to satisfy linear systems of equations. Finally, a brief conclusion of this thesis and a discussion of future research are given in Chapter 7.
Turning innovativeness into domestic and international corporate venturing: the moderating effect of high family ownership and influence

Stemming from socioemotional wealth preservation arguments, the aim of this paper is to analyse whether high family ownership and influence moderate the relationship between innovativeness and modes of corporate venturing activities (national vs. international venturing). The main hypotheses are tested on a sample of 235 firms using structural equation modelling techniques in the form of partial least squares regression. Our main findings suggest that there is a significant positive relationship between innovativeness and corporate venturing activities, both in family and non-family firms. This relationship is much stronger for national than international corporate venturing. Moreover, high family ownership and influence negatively affect only the innovativeness-national venturing relationship, while this negative effect is less manifest for the case of international venturing.
PRIMARY SCHOOL TEACHERS' KNOWLEDGE, ATTITUDES AND VIEWS ON BARRIERS TO INCLUSION IN JORDAN

This study explores teachers’ knowledge and attitudes toward the inclusion of students with special education needs (SEN) in mainstream schools in Jordan. It also examines the barriers the teachers perceived to hinder successful inclusions. The study sample consisted of 87 primary school teachers who responded to an open-ended questionnaire asking about their knowledge, experiences, attitudes and barriers toward inclusion. Teachers’ responses were qualitatively analyzed with the guidance of the research questions. Findings showed that teachers do not have enough and appropriate knowledge about inclusion due to the lack of preparation they received in their teacher education programs. Teachers also have negative attitudes toward the inclusion of students with special needs (SEN) attributed to various barriers. These barriers included the negative attitudes of the students and schools staff toward students with special needs, underprepared school environment, unsuitable curriculum and evaluation modules and lack of family and society’s support. The study concluded that without changing the infrastructure of the educational system where all necessary components to build inclusive education are accounted for, inclusion will remain an unrealistic idea.
The DUET gene is necessary for chromosome organization and progression during male meiosis in Arabidopsis and encodes a PHD finger protein

Progression through the meiotic cell cycle is an essential part of the developmental program of sporogenesis in plants. The duet mutant of Arabidopsis was identified as a male sterile mutant that lacked pollen and underwent an aberrant male meiosis. Male meiocyte division resulted in the formation of two cells instead of a normal tetrad. In wild type, male meiosis extends across two successive bud positions in an inflorescence whereas in duet, meiotic stages covered three to five bud positions indicating defective progression. Normal microspores were absent in the mutant and the products of the aberrant meiosis were uni- to tri-nucleate cells that later degenerated, resulting in anthers containing largely empty locules. Defects in male meiotic chromosome organization were observed starting from diplotene and extending to subsequent stages of meiosis. There was an accumulation of meiotic structures at metaphase 1, suggesting an arrest in cell cycle progression. Double mutant analysis revealed interaction with dyad, a mutation causing chromosome cohesion during female meiosis. Cloning and molecular analysis of DUET indicated that it potentially encodes a PHD-finger protein and shows specific expression in male meiocytes. Taken together these data suggest that DUET is required for male meiotic chromosome organization and progression.
Steady Delivery: Wireless Local Positioning Systems for Tracking and Autonomous Navigation of Transport Vehicles and Mobile Robots

For many players in the service and manufacturing sectors, the cost associated with transportation processes is a key factor in competitiveness and market success. Innovations such as wireless connectivity, RF identification (RFID), and the Internet of Things have already transformed these industries, and this trend-stimulated by modern wireless technologies, wave-based imaging systems, and autonomous driving-is set to continue.
Selective Laser Trabeculoplasty in the Treatment of Open-angle Glaucoma

PurposeTo determine the effect of selective laser trabeculoplasty (SLT) on different types of open-angle glaucoma (OAG) in terms of intraocular pressure (IOP). Methods and MaterialsIn this prospective, nonrandomized, interventional study, patients with OAG, unresponsive to maximum tolerable antiglaucoma medication, were enrolled. One thirty six eyes were studied. Distribution of glaucoma type was 91 primary OAG eyes (POAG, 66.9%), 22 pseudoexfoliative glaucoma (PEX, 16.2%) eyes, and 23 pigmentary glaucoma (PG, 16.9%) eyes. Main outcome measures were IOP and number of antiglaucoma medications used before operation, at 1 day, at 1 week, and at 1 to 18 months after surgery. Using the standard approach 360-degree SLT was done. ResultsThe mean follow-up was 16.6±4.3 months. The mean preoperative IOP was 22.0±3.7 mm Hg, and reduced to 18.3±3.7 mm Hg at last visit. The overall mean IOP decrease was 3.6±2.6 mm Hg (16.3%) on the last visit compared with before surgery, indicating a reduction of 16.7% in POAG, 16.6% in PEX, and 14.5% in PG. Comparison of IOP values at 6 and 16 months showed an increase of 0.5 and 2.7 mm Hg in total sample and PG group. IOP reduction was significantly less among diabetic patients. ConclusionsSLT resulted in a significant IOP reduction of 16.3% at 16 months after surgery. The level of IOP reduction did not vary in POAG, PEX, and PG groups. A significant increase in IOP was observed in PG group after 6 months. The procedure seemed least effective in diabetic patients.
Eliminating operand read latency

Programs generally exhibit load or memory operand read latencies that account for a significant portion of pipeline interlocks or stalls. In this paper we present an approach for the prediction of operand read data during the instruction fetch stage of a pipelined processor. For the X86 programs studied many have a significant percentage of such operand data that can be predicted with a high accuracy.
High prevalence of atopy, but not of asthma, among children in an industrialized area in North Italy: The role of familial and environmental factors – a population‐based study

The prevalence of atopy and asthma, and their association with familial and environmental factors were investigated among 13‐ to 14‐yr‐old children living in Brescia, an industrialized town in North Italy. All the 1450 children attending primary school in the town were invited to participate, and 967 of them (66.7%, 493 males) provided a valid questionnaire filled in by their parents at home. We used a modified version of the questionnaire adopted in the Italian Study of Respiratory Disorders in Childhood and Environment, which is an extended version of the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC) questionnaire. Six hundred and twenty‐eight subjects underwent skin prick test (SPT), and 308 of them (49%) were positive for at least one of the 12 allergen extracts commonly employed. Ninety‐nine children (10.2%) had a physician's diagnosis of asthma – 12.4% of the males and 8.0% of the females (p = 0.03). The prevalence of wheezing in the past 12 months was 6.2%. Atopy was found in 76.8% of the subjects with, and in 45.6% of those without physician's diagnosis of asthma (p < 0.001). Analysis by multiple logistic regression showed an inverse association between physician‐diagnosed asthma and female sex (odds ratio, OR = 0.5); presence of relatives in the bedroom in initial years of life (OR = 0.6); attending day care (OR = 0.4) and infant school (OR = 0.4); a positive association with parental history of wheezing (OR = 2.5) and asthma (OR = 3.8); and the child's history of asthmatic bronchitis (OR = 31.9) and atopic eczema (OR = 3.8) in the first 2 yr of life. The strength of the associations did not change when restricting the analysis to atopic asthma. In conclusion, atopy and clinical asthma among 13‐ to 14‐yr‐old adolescents are significantly associated with some familial and environmental factors, providing further support for the hygiene hypothesis. Prevalence of atopy, but not of asthma, is high in this industrialized area. The strong association found between atopy and clinical asthma suggests that atopy may play a role in causing asthma in genetically predisposed children only.
Velocity estimation of moving targets using SAR

A new scheme is presented for the velocity estimation of moving targets in synthetic aperture radar (SAR) imaging. First, the moving target is imaged using a range-Doppler algorithm, where clutter lock, range correction and focus filtering are automatically done. Then, the parameters obtained in this algorithm are used to estimate the velocity of the moving target. The Doppler centroid is used to estimate the velocity of the moving target in range. The out-of-focus coefficient is used to estimate the velocity of the moving target in azimuth. Especially, the ambiguity of the Doppler centroid is resolved according to the range-correction coefficient and the out-of-focus coefficient. This scheme is accurate and computationally efficient.
Differences in spontaneous mutation frequencies as a function of environmental stress in soil fungi at “Evolution Canyon,” Israel

When various wild strains of Penicillium lanosum and Aspergillus niger were placed in the same mild laboratory environment, their frequencies of new spontaneous mutations were clearly related to whether they had been isolated from a region of high or low microclimatic stress. In the mild environment, the total frequencies of conidial color and morphological mutations in P. lanosum, summed over all relevant loci, ranged from 0.29% to 2.4% for six strains from the north-facing, less stressful “European” slope (ES/NFS) of “Evolution Canyon” I, compared with 6.5–11.6% for five strains from the south-facing “African” slope (AS/SFS), which is a much more stressful environment, being harsher, drier, more fluctuating in temperature, and receiving up to eight times more UV radiation than the opposite slope. The corresponding figures for A. niger were 0.42–1.50% for three strains from the ES/NFS and 2.3–4.9% for six strains from the AS/SFS. The more mutagenic environment of the AS/SFS than of the ES/NFS means that, in Evolution Canyon, the mutation frequency differences between the very stressful environment and the less stressful environment are probably even larger than the 4- and 6-fold differences found here in a mild laboratory environment. The evidence from these two filamentous fungi, which have no sexual cycle, is that there are inherited differences in spontaneous mutation rates according to the levels of stress in the environment, and this feature may well be adaptive. Evolution Canyon I is at Nahal Oren, Mount Carmel, Israel.
Inactivation of Bmp4 from the Tbx1 Expression Domain Causes Abnormal Pharyngeal Arch Artery and Cardiac Outflow Tract Remodeling

Maldevelopment of outflow tract and aortic arch arteries is among the most common forms of human congenital heart diseases. Both Bmp4 and Tbx1 are known to play critical roles during cardiovascular development. Expression of these two genes partially overlaps in pharyngeal arch areas in mouse embryos. In this study, we applied a conditional gene inactivation approach to test the hypothesis that Bmp4 expressed from the Tbx1 expression domain plays a critical role for normal development of outflow tract and pharyngeal arch arteries. We showed that inactivation of Bmp4 from Tbx1-expressing cells leads to the spectrum of deformities resembling the cardiovascular defects observed in human DiGeorge syndrome patients. Inactivation of Bmp4 from the Tbx1 expression domain did not cause patterning defects, but affected remodeling of outflow tract and pharyngeal arch arteries. Our further examination revealed that Bmp4 is required for normal recruitment/differentiation of smooth muscle cells surrounding the PAA4 and survival of outflow tract cushion mesenchymal cells.
Social Ties, Social Capital, and Recruiting Managers in Transnational Ventures

ABSTRACT Social capital provides access to resources; however, how migrant entrepreneurs use social capital in the recruitment of managers for their transnational ventures is less understood. The authors conducted eight in-depth interviews with transnational entrepreneurs of Indian origin in the United Kingdom and nine confirmatory interviews with managers of their transnational ventures. Findings show that transnational entrepreneurs substitute or complement international and local social capital in the recruitment of managers contingent on whether they (a) live in the United Kingdom or India and (b) use social ties in the United Kingdom or India to recruit managers. Implications for research, policy and management are discussed.
Segmented independent component analysis for improved separation of fetal cardiac signals from nonstationary fetal magnetocardiograms

Abstract Fetal magnetocardiograms (fMCGs) have been successfully processed with independent component analysis (ICA) to separate the fetal cardiac signals, but ICA effectiveness can be limited by signal nonstationarities due to fetal movements. We propose an ICA-based method to improve the quality of fetal signals separated from fMCG affected by fetal movements. This technique (SegICA) includes a procedure to detect signal nonstationarities, according to which the fMCG recordings are divided in stationary segments that are then processed with ICA. The first and second statistical moments and the signal polarity reversal were used at different threshold levels to detect signal transients. SegICA effectiveness was assessed in two fMCG datasets (with and without fetal movements) by comparing the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of the signals extracted with ICA and with SegICA. Results showed that the SNR of fetal signals affected by fetal movements improved with SegICA, whereas the SNR gain was negligible elsewhere. The best measure to detect signal nonstationarities of physiological origin was signal polarity reversal at threshold level 0.9. The first statistical moment also provided good results at threshold level 0.6. SegICA seems a promising method to separate fetal cardiac signals of improved quality from nonstationary fMCG recordings affected by fetal movements.
Evidence for recombination in scorpion mitochondrial DNA (Scorpiones: Buthidae)

There has been very little undisputed evidence for recombination in animal mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) provided so far. Previous unpublished results suggestive of mtDNA recombination in the scorpion family Buthidae, together with cytological evidence for a unique mechanism of mitochondrial fusion in that family, prompted us to investigate this group in more details. First, we sequenced the complete mtDNA genome of Mesobuthus gibbosus, and chose two genes opposing each other (16S and coxI). We then sequenced 150 individuals from the natural populations of four species of Buthidae (Old World genera Buthus and Mesobuthus). We observed strong evidence for widespread recombination through highly significant negative correlations between linkage disequilibrium and physical distance in three out of four species. The evidence is further confirmed when using five other tests for recombination and by the presence of a high amount of homoplasy in phylogenetic trees.
Evaluation of CD56 and CD57 immunostainings for discrimination between endocrine ductal carcinoma in situ and intraductal papilloma

Endocrine ductal carcinoma in situ (E‐DCIS) is an intraductal carcinoma characterized by endocrine features and expression of neuroendocrine markers. E‐DCIS and intraductal papilloma (IDP) resemble in their clinical features. However, the former is an intraductal carcinoma, and the latter is an intraductal benign lesion. It is sometimes difficult to distinguish E‐DCIS from IDP because both can show near solid intraductal cellular proliferation. Discrimination between lesions is important not only histopathologically, but also clinically. This study aimed to evaluate the applicability of CD56 and CD57 for the discrimination between E‐DCIS and IDP. Specimens were obtained from 17 E‐DCIS patients as the subject group, and 27 IDP patients as the control group, diagnosed in St Marianna University Hospital. E‐DCIS was diagnosed using Chromogranin A, Synaptophysin, and Grimelius stainings by the premise of histopathological features. These specimens were subjected to CD56, CD57 immunostainings. Staining results were compared between E‐DCIS and IDP. In our study, CD56 revealed significant differences for distinguishing E‐DCIS from IDP as determined by Fisher's test (cutoff: not less than 33–67%< immunopositivity, P < 0.05). We found that not only E‐DCIS but also IDP revealed immunopositivity for CD56. However, it is considered that E‐DCIS diagnosis is possible by diffuse immunopositivity of CD56 after having been based on histopathology.
Chromosome 1 alterations in breast cancer: allelic loss on 1p and 1q is related to lymphogenic metastases and poor prognosis.

The development of human breast cancer is characterized by a variety of genetic alterations, and cytogenetic analyses have documented the consistent involvement of both arms of chromosome 1. In the present study, molecular markers detecting restriction fragment length polymorphisms were used in pairwise screening of normal and tumor DNA to determine the frequency of allelic imbalance in breast tumors. Loss of heterozygosity (LOH) in the polymorphic epithelial mucin (PEM or MUCI) gene at 1q21 was found in 16% of 89 informative (constitutionally heterozygous) cases, whereas gain in intensity of one allelic band was more frequent (37%), a total of 47% of cases manifesting either allelic loss or gain. Three additional tumors manifested a structural alteration. Allelic loss or gain in the PEM gene was not associated with other prognostic factors, e.g., tumor size, lymph node status, steroid receptors. DNA ploidy, S phase fraction, protooncogene amplification, histological type, or patient age. However, LOH in the PEM gene was significantly correlated with early disease recurrence (P = 0.006). LOH on 1p was found in 27% of 117 informative cases, using probes for either D1S57 or D1Z2 located at 1p33-p35 and 1p36, respectively. Somatic allelic imbalance on 1p and 1q seemed to be independent events and not the effect of loss of a whole chromosome 1. LOH on 1p was significantly correlated to the presence of lymph node metastasis, to larger tumor size, and to DNA nondiploidy, but not correlation was found to disease outcome at this limited duration of follow-up (median 29 months).