Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Epigenetic approaches to regeneration of bone and cartilage from stem cells

Introduction: Embryonic stem cells (ESCs) or adult stem cells, especially mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), have been intensively studied for skeletal tissue regeneration including bone and cartilage. Epigenetic mechanisms play essential roles in stem cell maintenance and differentiation. However, little is known about the epigenetic regulation of osteogenesis and chondrogenesis of stem cells. Areas covered: In this review, features of ESCs and adult stem cells, epigenetics and chromatin structure, as well as epigenetic mechanisms, such as chromatin remodeling, DNA methylation and histone modifications, polycomb group (PcG) proteins and microRNAs are described. Epigenetic researches of stem cell are introduced. Expert opinion: Epigenetic alterations of stem cell during the in vitro differentiation can be controlled for clinical applications. MSCs are effective resources for skeletal tissue regeneration in both undifferentiated and differentiated states. Understanding epigenetic signatures of MSC is crucial to maintain the stemness. In addition, investigation of epigenetic changes in the differentiation of MSCs is very important to develop methods or chemicals to promote efficient differentiation of MSCs. Inhibition of PcG protein enhancer of zeste (Ezh2) a chromatin modifier, could be a promising candidate to improve MSC differentiation by decreasing Ezh2-mediated H3K27me3.
Is TRAP-6 suitable as a positive control for platelet reactivity when assessing response to clopidogrel?

Adenosine 5′-diphosphate (ADP) inducible aggregation is used to assess platelet response to thienopyridines. Thrombin receptor-activating peptide-6 (TRAP-6) inducible aggregation may serve as a positive control because it acts via the thrombin receptor protease-activating receptor-1, which is not blocked by thienopyridines. We therefore investigated if TRAP-6 is suitable as a positive control when assessing residual platelet reactivity to ADP. Platelet response to clopidogrel was assessed in 200 patients on dual antiplatelet therapy using ADP inducible platelet aggregation by light transmission aggregometry (LTA), multiple electrode aggregometry (MEA), and the shear-dependent Impact-R. Test specificities were monitored by TRAP-6 inducible platelet aggregation. The aggregation-independent vasodilator-stimulated phosphoprotein (VASP) phosphorylation assay served for comparisons. ADP inducible aggregation was correlated to that by TRAP-6 (r = 0.33 to 0.72; p < 0.001 for all assays). A linear correlation was seen within MEA (r = 0.72). LTA TRAP-6 correlated weakly with the VASP assay (r = 0.19; p = 0.01), while there were no correlations of TRAP-6 responses by MEA or the Impact-R with the VASP assay (r = 0.03 and −0.09; p > 0.05). In all three assays, differences between ADP and TRAP-6 inducible aggregation varied considerably. Within MEA, TRAP-6 inducible aggregation was almost always stronger than ADP inducible aggregation, while within LTA and the Impact-R, weak responses to ADP were associated with both, weak and strong responses to TRAP-6. In conclusion, the application of TRAP-6 as a positive control for platelet reactivity has major limitations and results need to be cautiously interpreted on an individual basis.
The central role of dendritic cells and interferon-alpha in SLE.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW Until recently, systemic lupus erythematosus has been viewed mainly as a B-cell disease resulting from altered T cell-B cell interactions. The recognition of the fundamental role of dendritic cells in the control of tolerance and immunity led to the hypothesis that systemic lupus erythematosus may be driven through unabated dendritic cell activation. This review summarizes the recently uncovered role of dendritic cell subsets and one of their products, interferon-alpha, in the pathophysiology of systemic lupus erythematosus. RECENT FINDINGS CD14+ monocytes isolated from the blood of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus, but not those from healthy individuals, act as dendritic cells. Their activation is driven by circulating interferon-alpha that may come from one of the dendritic cell subsets (ie, plasmacytoid dendritic cells that infiltrate systemic lupus erythematosus skin lesions). Although only a fraction of patients with active systemic lupus erythematosus show circulating interferon-alpha, blood mononuclear cells from all of them display an interferon-alpha signature. SUMMARY The disease model that the authors propose places interferon-alpha at the center of the immunologic abnormalities observed in systemic lupus erythematosus, and poses interferon-alpha and/or interferon-alpha-producing cells as novel targets for therapy in this disease. The authors surmise that type I interferon antagonists will bring systemic lupus erythematosus patients the relief that tumor necrosis factor antagonists brought to patients with rheumatoid arthritis.
Strategic positioning, timing of entry, and new product performance in business-to-business markets: do market-oriented firms make better decisions?

ABSTRACT Purpose: The mechanism by which market orientation contributes to positional strength of a new product, appropriate timing of entry to the market, and new product performance is examined in a business-to-business (B-to-B) context. Methodology/Approach: We examine the role of new product positional strength and the role of timing of entry in the market orientation—new product performance relationship using 178 firms operating in the B-to-B market. Findings: The results show that establishing a new product’s positional strength is a key step in the success of the new product. Market orientation does not directly influence new product performance. Instead, it shapes a new product’s positional strength, which, in turn, positively influences new product performance in the B-to-B market. Timing of entry decision for the new product, shown to be an outcome of its positional strength, is not a determinant of new product performance. Research implications: We depict the tactical process in new product success and highlight the role of new product positional strength in linking market orientation and new product performance. Practical implications: The findings reveal that market-oriented firms achieve superior new product performance through well-defined positioning strategy for a new product, not rapidity of action. Originality/Value/Contribution: This study explains how market orientation influences new product performance in the B-to-B market, taking into consideration new product positional strength and timing of entry.
Subclavian venous catheterization: greater success rate for less experienced operators using ultrasound guidance.

OBJECTIVE To determine if ultrasound guidance can be safely performed and improve success rates for subclavian venous catheterization performed by less experienced operators. DESIGN Prospective, randomized study. SETTING Twenty-bed trauma-surgical-medical intensive care unit in a 524-bed, community, tertiary care, teaching hospital. PATIENTS After the decision for central venous cannulation was made, informed consent was obtained, and less experienced operators then attempted to insert subclavian catheters in 33 critical care patients. INTERVENTIONS Catheter placements were attempted, either by landmark technique, ultrasound technique, or by landmark attempts with ultrasound salvage. Catheterization techniques to be used were randomized using a random number table. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS Fifty-three placement procedures were attempted in 33 patients. One procedure was excluded from data analysis. Successful catheterizations, occurrence rates of complications, number of attempts, and number of catheter kits used were recorded. In the analysis, 52 catheterization procedures were studied. Twelve (44%) catheters were successfully placed from 27 attempts using the landmark technique vs. 23 (92%) successful catheterizations during 25 ultrasound procedures (p = .0003). Fifteen failed landmark technique attempts had ultrasound salvage attempted, with 12 (80%) catheters successfully inserted. Eleven complications (minor) occurred in 27 attempts of subclavian venous catheterization using conventional landmark technique vs. one complication (minor) in 25 attempts of subclavian venous catheterization with ultrasound guidance (p = .002). There were no major complications in either group. The landmark group required an average of 2.5 venipunctures and 1.4 catheter kits per attempted catheterization. The ultrasound group required an average of 1.4 venipuncture attempts and 1.0 insertion kit. The statistical significance in differences in groups for the average number of venipunctures was p = . 0007 and average number of kits used was p = . 0003. CONCLUSIONS Ultrasound guidance improves the success rate of subclavian venous catheterization performed by less experienced operators. There were no major complications in either group. Ultrasound guidance is usually successful in allowing performance of subclavian venous catheterizations when landmark techniques fail.
Factors influencing job satisfaction among nurses in Jordanian public hospitals

Article history: Received 1 September 2018 Received in revised form 28 November 2018 Accepted 1 December 2018 The purpose of the current study was to determine the level of job satisfaction among nurses in Jordanian public hospitals. To explain the relationship between personal characteristics, teamwork, and occupational stress, intrinsic and extrinsic motivation, and nursing job satisfaction. Lastly, to assess the predicting strength between job satisfaction and the independent variables; Due to the dearth of research in the domain. Descriptive correlation study was designed for this study. 423 nurses were randomly selected from nine hospitals of three different regions in Jordan. Modified and validated questionnaire was used to measure the variables. The result from the overall mean of Ranked Satisfaction score showed that the respondents are dissatisfied with a mean (2.0473), (SD 0.84), 41 percent. Pearson correlation revealed the relationship between the dependent variable and the four independent variables where there is no significant correlation between job satisfaction and personal characteristics. A multiple regression analysis indicated that teamwork has the strongest relation to job satisfaction (β = .285, t =4.678, p< .05), followed by extrinsic motivation, occupational stress, intrinsic motivation respectively. The presented study attempted to fill a void by examining such relationships due to the reason that previous researchers have largely ignored the role nurses play in public hospitals. Lastly, our study forwards robust recommendations and suggestions for future researchers.
Paxβ: a novel family of lophotrochozoan Pax genes

SUMMARY Paxβ is a novel gene family restricted to the bilaterian superphylum Lophotrochozoa. The Paxβ paired domain is highly diverged from other bilaterian Pax genes, and we were unable to identify an unambiguous sister‐group by phylogenetic sequence analysis. However, conservation of a paired domain intron suggests that the Paxβ genes arose by duplication and divergence from an ancestral Pax2/5/8 gene. We have identified Paxβ genes in annelids, molluscs, a nemertean, a brachiopod, and a flatworm, indicating that the founding gene duplication occurred before the separation of those taxa and therefore early in the lophotrochozoan radiation. The leech Helobdella has two genes in this family, Hau‐Paxβ1 and ‐Paxβ2, which are expressed during embryonic development. Hau‐Paxβ1 is present in the zygote as a localized maternal transcript, and both show dynamic patterns of apparently zygotic expression during later stages. These later expression patterns differ significantly, but both genes are expressed broadly in the mesoderm and also in the central nervous system during organogenesis.
Cost reduction struggles in sister companies

Purpose- Cost is always in top ranking issues from corporations to small enterprises. In order to accomplish cost reduction goals, the structure of cost must be well defined. What does cost reduction really mean, and why close follow up for cost items are needed should be the main questions of cost projects. This paper discusses the cost reduction concept, and its techniques, and develops a point of view for the sister companies. Intercompany transactions have many opportunities to utilize, and sister companies can be benefited from common functions. Methodology- A systematic literature review is performed in this study in order to present the concept itself, and a conceptual type of study is followed for discussing cost reduction methodologies in sister companies. Findings- According to findings of the study, especially for manufacturing sister companies, there are some opportunities for cost reduction as taking the advantage of organization structure, re-organizing the support functions, volume impact in fixed costs, increased bargaining power in purchasing function, and peer learning behaviors in quality and R&D activities. Conclusion- Sister companies gain the favor of intercompany transactions in cost reduction issues, and are creating synergy for the total success.
Factors Affecting Consumer Switching Behavior: Mobile Phone Market in Manchester- United Kingdom

The consumer behavior is always remaining under influence of factors, which simulates the behavior of consumers towards either remain loyal with existing brand or switch towards other brands. This research study is aimed to analyze the switching behavior of mobile users in Manchester, UK, whose behavior is affected toward switching from exiting mobile phones towards new mobile phone. The focus of research study has been set to analyze the relationship between influencing factors (affecting consumer behavior) and switching intentions of consumers regarding their mobile phones. The other focus of the research study is to identify the factors, which de-motivates the behavior of consumers from switching towards other mobile phones. The methodology, adopted for this research study employs the interpretivism philosophy, deductive approach of, qualitative research design for conducting research. The sample of 150 people has been selected to include in research, selected randomly and filling the survey questionnaire for collecting data about their switching and non-switching intentions. The results of empirical research, based upon research findings, data analysis and matching with previous research studies of literature review, are confirming the influence of factors, which are affecting the switching behavior of mobile users in Manchester. The findings of this research study are confirming the impact of need based and opportunity based behavior, the impact of technology, innovations, changing demographics, brand image, perception, behaviors, attitudes, loyalty, advertising and other factors, which have the significant effect towards stimulating and de-motivating the behavior of mobile users regarding keeping loyal with existing brand or switch towards another brand.
Crack detection with wireless inductively-coupled transducers

In earlier work we developed inductive coupling for surface-mounted Lamb wave transducers operating at relatively low frequencies, such as 300 kHz. We now report on similar inductively-coupled transducers at higher (multiple MHz) frequencies. Our investigation was motivated by a particular application, to examine a box girder top flange, using transducers mounted along the flange edge. We employ a pair of transducers in pitch-catch mode, offset to create a diagonal path, and show that a shadow is detected when the path is intercepted by a through-thickness crack. We compare results obtained using conventionally wired transducers and using inductively-coupled transducers, showing that effective performance can be achieved with wireless (inductively-coupled) operation. Superior performance is obtained if plexiglas wedges are used to direct the beam along the diagonal path. Reflection from the crack is evident, as is the shadow effect along the direct diagonal path.
Current management of fallopian tube carcinoma

The management of fallopian tube carcinoma is similar to that of ovarian carcinoma. Surgery should consist of bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy, total abdominal hysterectomy, comprehensive surgical staging also including a systematic pelvic and para-aortic lymphadenectomy, and aggressive debulking in patients with advanced tumour. Patients with apparently early stage low-risk fallopian tube carcinoma, not submitted to complete surgical staging, as well as those with early stage high-risk disease should receive adjuvant single-agent carboplatin. Patients with advanced disease should undergo paclitaxel- plus carboplatin-based chemotherapy. Second-line treatment for persistent/recurrent disease should be mainly based on the platinum-free interval, whereas secondary cytoreduction should be considered only for highly selected patients with localized, late relapse.
Weak elastic anisotropy and the tube wave

Tube‐wave speed in the presence of a weakly anisotropic formation can be expressed in terms of an effective shear modulus for an equivalent isotropic formation. When combined with expressions for the speeds of the SH‐ and quasi‐SV‐waves along the borehole axis, a simple inversion procedure can be obtained to determine three of the five elasticities of a transversely isotropic (TI) formation tilted at some known angle with respect to the borehole axis. Subsequently, a fourth combination of elastic moduli can be estimated from the expression for the qP‐wave speed along the borehole axis. The possibility of determining all five elasticities of a TI formation based on an assumed correlation between two anisotropy parameters is discussed.
Level of compliance with the requirements of corporate social responsibility in Czech enterprises

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) concept is focused on understanding and managing the impacts a company has on the world around it, and doing so as a part of core business activities. CSR contains three parts: Profit (economical part), People (social aspects – employees and stakeholders) and Planet (environment). The papers deal with basic features, objectives and outputs of CSR concept in practical life of Czech enterprises. The main aim of the research was to define if organizations referring themselves as socially responsible do implement activities of all the three pillars equally and integrate them into their day-to-day activities.
Connecting the World and Reinventing Customer Centricity

Abstract The classical customer journey with its touchpoints is transformed into a lifelong, interactive customer relationship within an IoT-based product-service ecosystem. The customer journey happens in multiple, partially automatic loops that make it significantly less predictable for manufacturers and retailers. For many product categories, the IoT is not going to take off until providers and retailers succeed in getting at what their customers really want. For one thing, they need to better understand individual usage behavior, and for another, there is a need to better personalize products and services, creating emotional and situation-specific customer experiences. Expanding the ability of digital products to communicate with each other, to record and analyze usage behavior and to implement concrete product improvements will be decisive. If customer centricity is reinvented in the IoT space, customers will see a real value and smart products will replace classical products in the next five to ten years.
The molecular basis of hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg)‐negative infections

Hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg)‐negative infections are an unusual form of chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection in which viral replication and liver damage persist despite antibodies against HBeAg. This form of HBV may be associated with fulminant hepatitis. The molecular basis for an HBeAg‐minus phenotype has been extensively studied and is most often a result of mutations in the precore region. However, other mutations can give rise to this phenotype and their investigation and characterization may reveal new insights into the pathogenesis of chronic viral hepatitis.
Modulation of Fibrin Cofactor Activity in Plasminogen Activation

Abstract: Fibrin is a cofactor for the formation of plasmin from plasminogen as catalyzed by tissue plasminogen activator. Initial cleavages of fibrin by plasmin upregulates the cofactor activity of fibrin by exposing carboxyl terminal lysine residues. This effect is eliminated by a carboxypeptidase B‐like enzyme generated from the precursor, thrombin activatable fibrinolysis inhibitor (TAFI) that is generated by thrombin during the formation of fibrin. Thus, TAFI and its activation to TAFIa create a link between the coagulation and fibrinolytic cascade, such that activation of the former suppresses the latter. Complete solubilization of fibrin results in a family of very large fibrin degradation products. These also have very substantial tissue plasminogen activator cofactor activity that is very highly downregulated by TAFIa.
Purification and preliminary characterization of Spiroplasma fibrils

Fibrils 3.5 nm in diameter were released from the honeybee spiroplasma (BC3) by treatment with detergents and then purified by isopycnic centrifugation. Purified fibrils were flexuous, of indeterminate length, and had an axial repeat of 8.5 nm. The fibrils were associated in pairs, but in 1 M salt formed aggregates with a marked striated appearance. Pronase completely degraded the fibrils, but trypsin had little effect. The fibrils were composed of a single protein of molecular weight 55,000 which represented about 1% of the total cell protein. A protein of molecular weight 26,000 appeared to be associated with the fibrils. The significance of this in relation to membrane attachment and the possible role of fibrils in maintenance of cell shape and in motility are discussed.
Evaluation des paramètres physiques des bâtiments : amortissement, fréquence et modes de comportement des structures de génie civil : approche expérimentale

La connaissance et la caracterisation du bâti existant est une problematique attirant l'interet de nombreuses activites depuis quelques annees. L'utilisation des vibrations ambiantes permet de connaitre facilement les parametres dynamiques elastiques de la structure, que sont les frequences de vibration, les amortissements et les modes de deformations. La frequence de vibration etant facilement observable par le calcul de la transformee de Fourier d'un enregistrement au sommet de la structure, l'amortissement quant a lui reste un des parametres les moins bien connus et son origine physique reste imprecise. Dans cette etude, nous essayerons de mesurer la frequence et l'amortissement sur plusieurs bâtiments, d'evaluer la stabilite et la precision des mesures effectuees, en particulier afin de connaitre jusqu'a quelle precision on peut relier des variations des parametres modaux a des variations des proprietes physiques. Nous analyserons les variations observees pour des periodes variant de 1 mois a plus de 1 an. Ces etudes continues sur au moins un mois permettront de mettre en evidence les variations reversibles des parametres dynamiques de la structure, et de les mettre en relation avec des forcages externes. On observe des variations journalieres sur la frequence et l'amortissement dans tous les bâtiments etudies. La relation entre ces variations, et d'autres variations observees a plus long terme, avec la temperature differe d'un bâtiment a l'autre. La relation entre frequence et amortissement et l'effet de l'Interaction Sol-Structure ont ete etudies.