Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
MicroRNA-124a is a key regulator of proliferation and monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 secretion in fibroblast-like synoviocytes from patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

OBJECTIVE To elucidate the role of microRNA (miRNA) in the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), we analyzed synoviocytes from RA patients for their miRNA expression. METHODS Synoviocytes derived from surgical specimens obtained from RA patients were compared with those obtained from osteoarthritis (OA) patients for their expression of a panel of 156 miRNA with quantitative stem-loop reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. The miRNA whose expression decreased or increased in RA synoviocytes as compared with OA synoviocytes were identified, and their target genes were predicted by computer analysis. We used an in vitro system of enhancing the expression of specific miRNA by transfection of precursors into synoviocytes, and then we performed proliferation, cell cycle, and apoptosis assays, as well as enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays for cytokine production. The effects of transfection on predicted target protein and messenger RNA (mRNA) were then examined by Western blot analysis and luciferase reporter assay. RESULTS We found that miR-124a levels significantly decreased in RA synoviocytes as compared with OA synoviocytes. Transfection of precursor miR-124a into RA synoviocytes significantly suppressed their proliferation and arrested the cell cycle at the G1 phase. We identified a putative consensus site for miR-124a binding in the 3'-untranslated region of cyclin-dependent kinase 2 (CDK-2) and monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 (MCP-1) mRNA. Induction of miR-124a in RA synoviocytes significantly suppressed the production of the CDK-2 and MCP-1 proteins. Luciferase reporter assay demonstrated that miR-124a specifically suppressed the reporter activity driven by the 3'-untranslated regions of CDK-2 and MCP-1 mRNA. CONCLUSION The results of this study suggest that miR-124a is a key miRNA in the posttranscriptional regulatory mechanisms of RA synoviocytes.
Testosterone administration promotes regeneration of chemically impaired spermatogenesis in rats

Aim: It has been proposed that gonadotropin‐releasing hormone (GnRH) analog administered after testicular damage stimulates the recovery of spermatogenesis. However, GnRH analogs suppress the function of sex accessory organs. In this study, we investigated whether testosterone also stimulates the regeneration of rat spermatogenesis after exposure to busulfan.
Improving IT Market Development through IT Solutions for Prosumers

With the IT markets rapidly changing, organisations are looking at alternative ways of improving their economic status through using the prosumer to improve IT solutions. This whole concept of using the prosumer involves organisations coming away from the traditional way of thinking about the producers and consumers as individual entities. IT companies frequently face product development challenges from industrial or societal innovations pressure. Organisations are responding to these trends within the IT sector by developing new products and improving existing products. This chapter looks at what key factors are associated with prosumers’ and how organisations can harness this power through personalisation. Personalisation through prosumers’ can improve the software development cycles and innovations through incorporating individual expert skills.
Deriving Value from Platforms in IDM

In this chapter, we will discuss what value is and how a firm in the Interactive Digital Marketplace may garner it with a fundamental technology option. Firms often come to a crossroad, choosing whether to keep a platform open or closed. This decision is never direct or ever simple. We explore the various value propositions that a firm may derive by keeping the platform open versus closed and see how the firm has to look both ways, inwards and outwards, to arrive at a solution. Market forces, though invisible, are strongly felt by the firm. This chapter also investigates how these forces affect this decision. Lastly, we propose an overarching framework that we hope may prove useful in aiding the reader with this difficult decision. DOI: 10.4018/978-1-61350-147-4.ch010
Adaptive compliance control of a multi-legged stair-climbing robot based on proprioceptive data

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to describe an innovative compliance control architecture for hybrid multi‐legged robots. The approach was verified on the hybrid legged‐wheeled robot ASGUARD, which was inspired by quadruped animals. The adaptive compliance controller allows the system to cope with a variety of stairs, very rough terrain, and is also able to move with high velocity on flat ground without changing the control parameters. Design/methodology/approach – The paper shows how this adaptivity results in a versatile controller for hybrid legged‐wheeled robots. For the locomotion control we use an adaptive model of motion pattern generators. The control approach takes into account the proprioceptive information of the torques, which are applied on the legs. The controller itself is embedded on a FPGA‐based, custom designed motor control board. An additional proprioceptive inclination feedback is used to make the same controller more robust in terms of stair‐climbing capabilities. Findings – The robot is well suited for disaster mitigation as well as for urban search and rescue missions, where it is often necessary to place sensors or cameras into dangerous or inaccessible areas to get a better situation awareness for the rescue personnel, before they enter a possibly dangerous area. A rugged, waterproof and dust‐proof corpus and the ability to swim are additional features of the robot. Originality/value – Contrary to existing approaches, a pre‐defined walking pattern for stair‐climbing was not used, but an adaptive approach based only on internal sensor information. In contrast to many other walking pattern based robots, the direct proprioceptive feedback was used in order to modify the internal control loop, thus adapting the compliance of each leg on‐line.
Prevalence of snoring and facial profile type, malocclusion class and dental arch morphology among snorer and nonsnorer university population

Objectives: The objectives of this study were to determine the prevalence of snoring in an adult male university population, and to test the null hypothesis that there is no difference in facial profile shape, malocclusion type, or palatal morphology among snorer and nonsnorer. Materials and Methods: Berlin questionnaire was given to 840 students and employees aged 18–45 years (24 ± 40). Both snorers and nonsnorers were assessed for the facial profile type, malocclusion type, and palatal morphology. Chi-square and Student's t-test were used to compare the difference between the two groups. Results: The prevalence of snoring was 16.28%. The most frequent findings among snorer were straight profiles (52.0%), Class I malocclusion (74.7%), and V palatal shape (16.0%), respectively. The Chi-square test revealed a significant difference in terms of V-shaped palatal morphology (P < 0.05); higher neck circumference (NC) (P < 0.007); upper arch length was significantly shorter (P < 0.038); and the inter- first upper premolar distance was significantly narrower (P < 0.013). Conclusion: The null hypothesis is rejected. Snoring in our university population is associated with V-shape palatal morphology, increased NC and decrease in the upper arch length, and inter- first upper premolar distance.
Use of the Bootstrap Method to Develop a Physical Fitness Test for Public Safety Officers Who Serve as Both Police Officers and Firefighters

Physical fitness testing is a common tool for motivating employees with strenuous occupations to reach and maintain a minimum level of fitness. Nevertheless, the use of such tests can be hampered by several factors, including required compliance with US antidiscrimination laws. The Highland Park (Texas) Department of Public Safety implemented testing in 1991, but no single test adequately evaluated its sworn employees, who are cross-trained and serve as police officers and firefighters. In 2010, the department's fitness experts worked with exercise physiologists from Baylor Heart and Vascular Hospital to develop and evaluate a single test that would be equitable regardless of race/ethnicity, disability, sex, or age >50 years. The new test comprised a series of exercises to assess overall fitness, followed by two sequences of job-specific tasks related to firefighting and police work, respectively. The study group of 50 public safety officers took the test; raw data (e.g., the number of repetitions performed or the time required to complete a task) were collected during three quarterly testing sessions. The statistical bootstrap method was then used to determine the levels of performance that would correlate with 0, 1, 2, or 3 points for each task. A sensitivity analysis was done to determine the overall minimum passing score of 17 points. The new physical fitness test and scoring system have been incorporated into the department's policies and procedures as part of the town's overall employee fitness program.
Relationship between leptin and lung function in young healthy children

To the Editor: Leptin, a product of the obese (ob) gene, was discovered as a hormone that plays a key role in regulating energy intake and expenditure. Over the past years, interest in the other functions of this pleiotropic hormone has increased. Leptin is primarily produced by adipocytes and is produced in lower amounts in other tissues. In the human lung, expression of leptin has been described in bronchial epithelial cells and alveolar macrophages [1]. Leptin receptors have a universal distribution that includes the respiratory system. The lung has mainly the Ob-Rb isoform, which is considered to be the fully functional receptor and most effective isoform [2]. Receptors have been identified in human bronchial and alveolar epithelial cells, bronchial smooth muscle cells, and bronchial submucosa [3]. The presence of these receptors together with evidence of local leptin production supports the concept that leptin may play a role in the regulation of airway diameter, lung development and the pathogenesis of respiratory diseases. The role of leptin in lung development has only been studied in animals and it is not known if these findings can be extended to the development of healthy human lungs. In this study we evaluated the relationship between plasma leptin levels and lung function in healthy young children and we assessed whether this relationship was modulated by the amount of adipose tissue deposits, the main source of leptin. Participants in this study were children from the Wheezing Illness Study Leidsche Rijn (WHISTLER), an ongoing population-based birth cohort [4]. At the age of 8 years, participants were invited for a follow-up visit. During this visit, information on the child and parents was gathered by questionnaire and weight and height were measured. Spirometry was performed conforming to the latest American Thoracic Society/European …
Research on the amplitude mismatch in dual-microphone device

Array-based speech enhancement technology uses the spatial information for noise suppression, especially for situation that the desired speech and ambient noise originate from different orientations. For pocket mobile devices, such as hearing aid and cochlear implant, the size constraint is one of the keys in product design, so the dual-microphone system is more suitable for these applications. However, the actual microphone is different from the ideal one in theoretical analysis and algorithm design, and the mismatch between microphones always exists. The nuances of the microphone sensitivity and the gain difference in dual-channel amplifiers can both result in amplitude mismatch. This paper focuses on the research of amplitude-mismatch characteristic and the corresponding influences in beamforming and noise suppression.
Visual callosal projections in the adult ferret

Abstract The laminar and tangential organization of visual callosal projections of areas 17 and 18 were investigated in the adult ferret, using histochemical methods to visualize axonally transported horseradish peroxidase (HRP). Normal adult ferrets were given injections of HRP throughout one visual cortex or had gelfoam soaked in HRP applied to the transected corpus callosum. The ferret callosal cell distribution has a greater tangential extent in area 18 than in area 17. In addition, the radial organization of callosal cells in areas 17 and 18 differs: three times as many infragranular cells are present in area 18 than in area 17, although the number of supragranular cells is similar for both areas 17 and 18. Since the projections of alpha retinal ganglion cells are reported to be exclusively contralateral in the ferret (Vitek et al., 1985), callosal projections may make a major contribution to the binocularity of neurons in area 18.
Solitons in Ising-like quantum spin chains in a magnetic field : a second quantization approach

We propose a second quantization formalism for the soliton modes in the s=1/2 Ising-like antiferromagnetic chain. We give the exact expressions, within the one-soliton approximation, for the dynamical structure factors in presence of a magnetif field, either parallel or perpendicular to the chain. We show that the field gives rise to a splitting of the soliton modes. We also derive the spin correlation function relative to the antiferromagnetic mode for finite and infinite chains Formalisme de seconde quantification pour les modes de solitons dans les chaines antiferromagnetiques d'Ising de spin 1/2; expressions exactes des facteurs de structure dynamique en presence d'un champ magnetique parallele ou perpendiculaire; mise en evidence d'un dedoublement des modes de solitons sous l'effet du champ. Calcul de la fonction de correlation de spin relative au mode antiferromagnetique pour les chaines finies ou infinies
The new assessment of US mutual fund returns through a multiscaling approach

This paper applies the multiscaling approach to evaluate the performance of US mutual funds, namely Institutional, Active and Index funds. Based on this novel analysis, empirical results show that our results show that Institutional funds are clearly dominant over all time scales. Since risk and value (performance) are timescale-dependent concepts, any attempt to measure performance, such as a popular performance measure the Sharpe ratio or Jensen’s alpha, must take into account the investment horizon effect.
Knowledge Transfer in Product-Based Service Design

Recently, manufacturing companies have been moving into product-based service businesses in addition to providing the products themselves. It is not easy for engineers in manufacturing companies to create new service businesses. In order to design product-based services more effectively and efficiently, systematic design methods suitable for the service businesses have been proposed, which provide design processes, checklists, and patterns. However, inexperienced designers still feel difficulties because they cannot understand the meaning of the checklists and patterns. In this chapter, the authors propose knowledge transfer in product-based service design, in which structured design cases are used to understand and utilize the checklists and patterns in the service design method called DFACE-SI.
Towards Sustainable Groundwater Use: Setting Long‐Term Goals, Backcasting, and Managing Adaptively

The sustainability of crucial earth resources, such as groundwater, is a critical issue. We consider groundwater sustainability a value‐driven process of intra‐ and intergenerational equity that balances the environment, society, and economy. Synthesizing hydrogeological science and current sustainability concepts, we emphasize three sustainability approaches: setting multigenerational sustainability goals, backcasting, and managing adaptively. As most aquifer problems are long‐term problems, we propose that multigenerational goals (50 to 100 years) for water quantity and quality that acknowledge the connections between groundwater, surface water, and ecosystems be set for many aquifers. The goals should be set by a watershed‐ or aquifer‐based community in an inclusive and participatory manner. Policies for shorter time horizons should be developed by backcasting, and measures implemented through adaptive management to achieve the long‐term goals. Two case histories illustrate the importance and complexity of a multigenerational perspective and adaptive management. These approaches could transform aquifer depletion and contamination to more sustainable groundwater use, providing groundwater for current and future generations while protecting ecological integrity and resilience.
Extension of the MPEG-7 Fourier Feature Descriptor for face recognition using PCA

The Principal Component Analysis or the eigenface technique provides a practical solution to the problem of face recognition. Recently, many face descriptors for MPEG-7 have been proposed for face retrieval in video streams. In this paper, a new method for face recognition is presented based on extracting the most discriminant features of the MPEG-7 Fourier Feature Descriptors of the face space, defined by MPEG-7 face recognition technique, through the implementation of the eigenface technique. It will be demonstrated that the proposed method improves the recognition rate and copes better with pose variations under different facial expressions and varying face conditions, as well as illumination variations. In addition, the proposed method achieves substantial savings in the computation time needed by the recognition system.
Impacts of Success Factors of Information System on Business Performance through Security Reliability of Casino Information System and Job Satisfaction

This study explored the performance factors of casino information systems for foreigners, empirically examined the causal relation between these factors and the business performances through organizational trust and job satisfaction and suggested a direction to enhance the casino information systems. The result of this study showed that, firstly, information quality impacted positively on security reliability and job satisfaction. Secondly, system quality impacted positively on security reliability and job satisfaction. Thirdly, service quality impacted positively on security reliability and job satisfaction. Fourthly, security reliability impacted positively on job satisfaction through security reliability. Lastly, security reliability and job satisfaction impacted positively on business performance. This research must be continued by expanding upon the variables of this research study, and there is a need for follow up research on methods that can analyze the management performance of casino information systems from a diverse set of approaches and also research that conducts an analysis on systems that are implemented to prevent tax evasion.
Evaluating Psychographic Measures among Undergraduates: Relevance to Marketing of Sustainable Tourism

Advancing sustainable development goals can be achieved through increasing sustainable behavior and consumption within the global tourism industry. In this work, undergraduate students’ sustainability values were investigated in a manner that could inform a marketing approach to directing tourist behavior. A survey was developed by combining existing scales designed to measure values related to sustainable consumption, and was administered to undergraduate students at a large research university in the Pacific Northwest (N=438) from selected disciplines known to have either high or low propensities for consuming sustainable tourism. Using factor analysis, 18 constructs of sustainability and related values were developed; results suggest that there are unexplored sustainability values that tourism marketers can explore further to improve product development and marketing mixes to increase sustainable consumption. Constructs were subsequently assessed with two-way ANOVAs to understand differences in psychographic characteristics among disciplines and genders, revealing that while psychographic characteristics related to sustainability vary significantly among disciplines, differences between genders are infrequent.
Niepewność jako nieodzowna cecha współczesnych sieci logistycznych

The essence of logistics activities is the continuous optimization of the physical flow of goods with accompanying information. Over the years there has been integration of the entities involved in the flow, which resulted in the dissemination of the theory and practice of chains and logistics networks. Their proper functioning is based on the principle of partnership, which is a type of key to the success of the modern, global logistics network. However, despite the efforts undertaken to eliminate interference, considerable uncertainty still exists in logistics activities of economic entities. To a large extent it relates to three key planes. Firstly, the elements of supply chain/networks are in many cases not sure if some information sent by another element is reliable. Secondly, it is the consequence of a broad spectrum of interference that may occur during transport or storage of individual goods. In addition, a key issue directly affecting the phenomenon of uncertainty in logistics activities of economic entities is the large variability in customer expectations. The aim of this article is to identify the main factors generating uncertainty in modern logistics networks.
Functional differentiation in the genetic control of murine T lymphocyte responses to human fibrinopeptide B.

The ability to generate proliferative and helper T lymphocyte responses in mice was compared by using the 14 amino acid peptide, human fibrinopeptide B (hFPB). Lymph node or peritoneal exudate T cells from mice immunized with hFPB were assessed for in vitro proliferation to soluble hFPB as determined by the uptake of 3H-thymidine. The T cell proliferative response to hFPB was found to be under MHC-linked Ir gene control; mice possessing the H-2a,k haplotypes were responders, whereas H-2b,d,q,s mice were nonresponders. The influence of non-H-2 genes on these responses was not investigated, so exclusive regulation by H-2 is provisional. The absence of a detectable lymph node and peritoneal exudate T cell proliferative response persisted in H-2b,d,q,s mice after immunization and boosting with several doses of hFPB. In addition, the capacity to produce a T cell proliferative response was inherited in an autosomal dominant manner and gene(s) controlling responsiveness to hFPB mapped to the I-A subregion of the H-2 complex. To measure peptide-specific helper T cell activity, an in vitro microculture assay in which hFPB-primed lymph node T cells and normal spleen B cells and macrophages were used was developed measuring anti-fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC) IgM and IgG plaque-forming cell (PFC) responses after culture with FITC-conjugated peptide. Immunization of B10.BR, C57BL/10, B10.D2, and B6AF mice with hFPB primed for significant helper T cell activity as assessed by the ability to augment a primary in vitro IgM response to FITC. The normal B cell IgM responses were completely dependent on hFPB-primed T cells and required that hapten (FITC) and carrier (peptide) be linked. In addition, immunization with FITC-conjugated peptide elicited positive in vivo PFC responses to FITC in B10.BR and C57BL/10 mice, indicating similar genetic control of helper activity in both the intact animals and the in vitro microcultures. Thus, B10.BR mice show both T help and T proliferative responses to hFPB, whereas C57BL/10 mice show only T help and no T proliferative responses. In contrast to B10.BR mice, C3H and CBA mice immunized with hFPB were completely unresponsive when assayed for helper T cell activity in vitro despite their ability to generate positive lymph node T cell proliferative responses. These results indicate responsiveness to hFPB by T helper and proliferating cells is different and is under separate genetic control.