Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-3 Directly Interacts with Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinase to Regulate Lymphangiogenesis

Background Dysfunctional lymphatic vessel formation has been implicated in a number of pathological conditions including cancer metastasis, lymphedema, and impaired wound healing. The vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) family is a major regulator of lymphatic endothelial cell (LEC) function and lymphangiogenesis. Indeed, dissemination of malignant cells into the regional lymph nodes, a common occurrence in many cancers, is stimulated by VEGF family members. This effect is generally considered to be mediated via VEGFR-2 and VEGFR-3. However, the role of specific receptors and their downstream signaling pathways is not well understood. Methods and Results Here we delineate the VEGF-C/VEGF receptor (VEGFR)-3 signaling pathway in LECs and show that VEGF-C induces activation of PI3K/Akt and MEK/Erk. Furthermore, activation of PI3K/Akt by VEGF-C/VEGFR-3 resulted in phosphorylation of P70S6K, eNOS, PLCγ1, and Erk1/2. Importantly, a direct interaction between PI3K and VEGFR-3 in LECs was demonstrated both in vitro and in clinical cancer specimens. This interaction was strongly associated with the presence of lymph node metastases in primary small cell carcinoma of the lung in clinical specimens. Blocking PI3K activity abolished VEGF-C-stimulated LEC tube formation and migration. Conclusions Our findings demonstrate that specific VEGFR-3 signaling pathways are activated in LECs by VEGF-C. The importance of PI3K in VEGF-C/VEGFR-3-mediated lymphangiogenesis provides a potential therapeutic target for the inhibition of lymphatic metastasis.
Secrecy and the force of truth: countering post-truth regimes

ABSTRACT Post-truth regimes are disconcerting to the extent that they confuse the distinction between true and false and thus obfuscate and obstruct political debate. And they dismantle the secret by imitating its habit: they constantly make claims while leaving us to guess what exactly the true content is – or whether there is any content at all. In an imagined world without secrets, there would be no curiosity or confidentiality, no sincerity or trust, and no political possibility of thinking otherwise. Analysis of the logic of secrecy, the article argues, helps us to revisit the established confidence in our culture in the force of truth, and to confront a challenge post-truth regimes pose: that to establish truth involves affective force. Contrary to the common belief that truth – and secrecy – is something to be revealed, a Foucauldian reading suggests that to mobilize truth requires both truthfulness and a moment of creation. Truth relies on the secret but will always only emerge on the surface.
Investigation of LO-leakage cancellation and DC-offset influence on flicker-noise in X-band mixers

This paper describes an investigation on the influences in 1/f noise of LO-leakage and DC-offset cancellation for X-band mixers. Conditions for LO-leakage cancellation and zero DC-offset is derived. Measurements on a double balanced diode mixer shows an improvement in noise figure from 14.3 dB to 12.1 dB at 10 KHz, while maintaining a noise figure of 6.2 dB at 1 MHz. LO-RF isolation is improved from 18 dB to 60 dB. The 1/f noise is shown to increase with increasing DC-offset.
Rosiglitazone Protects Dopaminergic Neurons Against Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Neurotoxicity Through Inhibition of Microglia Activation

ABSTRACT Recent evidence has suggested that microglia activation plays an important role in the pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease (PD). Activated microglia secrete various proinflammatory cytokines and neurotoxic mediators, which may contribute to the development of PD. Thus, the inhibition of microglia activation may have a therapeutic benefit in the treatment of PD. In the present study, using mesencephalic neuron–microglia mixed culture and microglia-enriched culture, we investigated whether rosiglitazone (RGZ), a member of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ) agonists, could inhibit microglia activation. Our results showed that RGZ significantly inhibited lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced microglia activation and the production of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), nitric oxide (NO), and superoxide. We further investigated the intracellular signaling pathways regulating the production of TNF-α and NO in LPS-activated microglia. The results showed that RGZ inhibited the phosphorylation and nuclear translocation of the p65 subunit of NF-κB, and the phosphorylation of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p38MAPK). Taken together, our results suggested that the therapeutic effects of RGZ were partially mediated by modulating microglia activation.
Effect of Spreading Bandwidth on DS-CDMA Reverse Link Capacity

This paper addresses an important issue on the spreading bandwidth of direct sequence code division multiple access (DS-CDMA) cellular mobile radio systems: does wider spreading bandwidth provide larger capacity? And if so, to what extent? The capacity of the perfect power controlled reverse link is evaluated by computer simulation for 1.25MHz and 5MHz spreading bandwidths under various sets of propagation channel parameters (path loss decay factor, shadowing standard deviation, shadowing correlation, number of resolved propagation paths) and antenna diversity reception. key words: DS-CDMA, mobile radio, capacity, spreading band-
Gameplay experience testing with playability and usability surveys – An experimental pilot study

This pilot study investigates an experimental methodology for gathering data to create correlations between experiential factors measured by a gameplay experience questionnaire and player quality measures, such as playing frequency, choice of game, and playing time. The characteristics of two distinct games were examined concerning the aspects of game experience, subjective game quality, and game usability. Interactions within the three aspects were identified. The results suggest that gameplay experience dimensions flow and immersion are similarly motivating in different game genres, which however might not be equally enjoyable. On the one hand, usability ratings may be positively influenced when a game provides immersion and flow or on the other hand, flow and immersion may be negatively influenced by poor usability ratings. These results emphasize the need for an approach to classify games based on correlation patterns involving game experience, quality, and usability.
Emergent Dynamics of Joy, Distress, Hope and Fear in Reinforcement Learning Agents

We report on a study that shows plausible emotion dynamics for joy, distress, hope and fear, emerging in an adaptive agent that uses Reinforcement Learning (RL) to adapt to a task. Joy/distress is a signal that is derived from the RL update signal, while hope/fear is derived from the utility of the current state. Agent-based simulation experiments replicate psychological and behavioral dynamics of emotion including: joy and distress reactions that develop prior to hope and fear; fear extinction; habituation of joy; and, task randomness that increases the intensity of joy and distress. This work distinguishes itself by assessing the dynamics of emotion in an adaptive agent framework coupling it to the literature on habituation, development, and extinction. Our results support the idea that the function of emotion is to provide a complex feedback signal for an organism to adapt its behavior. We show this feedback signal can be operationalized for RL agents. This is important because (a) RL-based models can help understand the relation between emotion and adaptation in animals, (b) the emotional state might be used to increase adaptive potential, and (c) expression of an emotion to a human observer that it is grounded in the learning mechanism of the agent should help interpret the meaning of the emotion.
KRAS, BRAF and PIK3CA Mutations and the Loss of PTEN Expression in Chinese Patients with Colorectal Cancer

BACKGROUND To investigate the frequency and relationship of the KRAS, BRAF and PIK3CA mutations and the loss of PTEN expression in Chinese patients with colorectal cancer (CRC). METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS Genomic DNA was extracted from the formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissues of 69 patients with histologically confirmed CRC. Automated sequencing analysis was conducted to detect mutations in the KRAS (codons 12, 13, and 14), BRAF (codon 600) and PIK3CA (codons 542, 545 and 1047). PTEN protein expression was evaluated by immunohistochemistry on 3 mm FFPE tissue sections. Statistical analysis was carried out using SPSS 16.0 software. The frequency of KRAS, BRAF and PIK3CA mutations and loss of PTEN expression was 43.9% (25/57), 25.4% (15/59), 8.2% (5/61) and 47.8% (33/69), respectively. The most frequent mutation in KRAS, BRAF and PIK3CA was V14G (26.7% of all mutations), V600E (40.0% of all mutations) and V600L (40.0% of all mutations), and H1047L (80.0% of all mutations), respectively. Six KRAS mutant patients (24.0%) harbored BRAF mutations. BRAF and PIK3CA mutations were mutually exclusive. No significant correlation was observed between the four biomarkers and patients' characteristics. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE BRAF mutation rate is much higher in this study than in other studies, and overlap a lot with KRAS mutations. Besides, the specific types of KRAS and PIK3CA mutations in Chinese patients could be quite different from that of patients in other countries. Further studies are warranted to examine their impact on prognosis and response to targeted treatment.
Closed-form analysis of channel non-reciprocity due to transceiver and antenna coupling mismatches in multi-user massive MIMO network

In this paper, we analyze the impact of channel non-reciprocity due to two implementation imperfections, namely, transceiver frequency-response and antenna mutual coupling mismatches at the base-station side in multi-user massive MIMO system context Signal models are first developed to characterize the joint effects of these two imperfections in precoded multi-user downlink transmission, covering both zero-forcing (ZF) and maximum ratio transmission (MRT) based transmitter processing. Then closed-form expressions for evaluating the resulting performance degradation are derived in terms of effective SENR at terminal receiver input as well as lower bound of maximum achievable sum-rate in the system. Based on the derived results, it is also possible to directly evaluate non-reciprocity calibration requirements at the BS with given performance targets, e.g., desired effective SENR for each user or the overall system throughput, at given SNR level. The analysis also shows that the ZF precoding can be sensitive to the channel non-reciprocity problem even in the case that large amounts of antennas are deployed while the impact of implementation imperfections on MRT precoded system is less severe.
The Opportunity for Conspiracy in Asset Markets Organized with Dealer Intermediaries

This article reports an asset market experiment in which asymmetrically informed traders transact through competing dealers. Dealers face a classic adverse selection problem because some traders have private information regarding the asset value while other traders are uninformed. When dealers cannot communicate outside the market, they price the asset competitively and the market is generally informationally efficient. When dealers communicate privately between periods, they collude successfully to widen spreads and increase profit. Another treatment permits traders to post limit orders, while still allowing dealers to communicate. Limit orders restore informational efficiency and narrow spreads but cause dealers to earn negative trading profits. Article published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Financial Studies in its journal, The Review of Financial Studies.
Loss of Swiss Cheese/Neuropathy Target Esterase Activity Causes Disruption of Phosphatidylcholine Homeostasis and Neuronal and Glial Death in Adult Drosophila

The Drosophila Swiss cheese (sws) mutant is characterized by progressive degeneration of the adult nervous system, glial hyperwrapping, and neuronal apoptosis. The Swiss cheese protein (SWS) shares 39% sequence identity with human neuropathy target esterase (NTE), and a brain-specific deletion of SWS/NTE in mice causes a similar pattern of progressive neuronal degeneration. NTE reacts with organophosphate compounds that cause a paralyzing axonal degeneration in humans and has been shown to degrade endoplasmic reticulum-associated phosphatidylcholine (PtdCho) in cultured mammalian cells. However, its function within the nervous system has remained unknown. Here, we show that both the fly and mouse SWS proteins can rescue the defects that arise in sws mutant flies, whereas a point mutation in the proposed active site cannot restore SWS function. Overexpression of catalytically active SWS caused formation of abnormal intracellular membraneous structures and cell death. Cell-specific expression revealed that not only neurons but also glia depend autonomously on SWS. In wild-type flies, endogenous SWS was detected by immmunohistochemistry in the endoplasmic reticulum (the primary site of PtdCho processing) of neurons and in some glia. sws mutant flies lacked NTE-like esterase activity and had increased levels of PtdCho. Conversely, overexpression of SWS resulted in increased esterase activity and reduced PtdCho. We conclude that SWS is essential for membrane lipid homeostasis and cell survival in both neurons and glia of the adult Drosophila brain and that NTE may play an analogous role in vertebrates.
Bridging Levels of Analysis for Probabilistic Models of Cognition

Probabilistic models of cognition characterize the abstract computational problems underlying inductive inferences and identify their ideal solutions. This approach differs from traditional methods of investigating human cognition, which focus on identifying the cognitive or neural processes that underlie behavior and therefore concern alternative levels of analysis. To evaluate the theoretical implications of probabilistic models and increase their predictive power, we must understand the relationships between theories at these different levels of analysis. One strategy for bridging levels of analysis is to explore cognitive processes that have a direct link to probabilistic inference. Recent research employing this strategy has focused on the possibility that the Monte Carlo principle—which concerns sampling from probability distributions in order to perform computations—provides a way to link probabilistic models of cognition to more concrete cognitive and neural processes.
Effects of Tocotrienol and Lovastatin Combination on Osteoblast and Osteoclast Activity in Estrogen-Deficient Osteoporosis

Statins are HMGCoA reductase inhibitors and had been demonstrated to stimulate bone formation in rodents after high oral doses. Observational studies on patients treated with oral statins were varied. Delta-tocotrienol had been found to stimulate the cleavage of HMGCoA reductase and inhibit its activity. Tocotrienols were found to have both catabolic and anabolic effects on bone in different animal models of osteoporosis. The current study aimed to ascertain the effects of delta–tocotrienol and lovastatin combination on biochemical and static bone histomorphometric parameters in a postmenopausal rat model at clinically tolerable doses. 48 Sprague Dawley female rats were randomly divided into 6 groups: (1) baseline control group; (2) sham-operated control group; (3) ovariectomised control group; (4) ovariectomised and 11 mg/kg lovastatin; (5) ovariectomised and 60 mg/kg delta-tocotrienol; (6) ovariectomised and 60 mg/kg delta-tocotrienol + 11 mg/kg lovastatin. These treatments were given daily via oral gavage for 8 weeks. Delta-tocotrienol plus lovastatin treatment significantly increased bone formation and reduced bone resorption compared to the other groups. Therefore, the combined treatment may have synergistic or additive effects and have the potential to be used as an antiosteoporotic agent in patients who are at risk of both osteoporosis and hypercholesterolemia, especially in postmenopausal women.
Overview of chytrid emergence and impacts on amphibians

Chytridiomycosis is an emerging infectious disease of amphibians that affects over 700 species on all continents where amphibians occur. The amphibian–chytridiomycosis system is complex, and the response of any amphibian species to chytrid depends on many aspects of the ecology and evolutionary history of the amphibian, the genotype and phenotype of the fungus, and how the biological and physical environment can mediate that interaction. Impacts of chytridiomycosis on amphibians are varied; some species have been driven extinct, populations of others have declined severely, whereas still others have not obviously declined. Understanding patterns and mechanisms of amphibian responses to chytrids is critical for conservation and management. Robust estimates of population numbers are needed to identify species at risk, prioritize taxa for conservation actions, design management strategies for managing populations and species, and to develop effective measures to reduce impacts of chytrids on amphibians. This article is part of the themed issue ‘Tackling emerging fungal threats to animal health, food security and ecosystem resilience’.
Predictors of Computer Use in Community-Dwelling, Ethnically Diverse Older Adults

Objective: In this study, we analyzed self-reported computer use, demographic variables, psychosocial variables, and health and well-being variables collected from 460 ethnically diverse, community-dwelling elders to investigate the relationship computer use has with demographics, well-being, and other key psychosocial variables in older adults. Background: Although younger elders with more education, those who employ active coping strategies, or those who are low in anxiety levels are thought to use computers at higher rates than do others, previous research has produced mixed or inconclusive results regarding ethnic, gender, and psychological factors or has concentrated on computer-specific psychological factors only (e.g., computer anxiety). Few such studies have employed large sample sizes or have focused on ethnically diverse populations of community-dwelling elders. Method: With a large number of overlapping predictors, zero-order analysis alone is poorly equipped to identify variables that are independently associated with computer use. Accordingly, both zero-order and stepwise logistic regression analyses were conducted to determine the correlates of two types of computer use: e-mail and general computer use. Results: Results indicate that younger age, greater level of education, non-Hispanic ethnicity, behaviorally active coping style, general physical health, and role-related emotional health each independently predicted computer usage. Conclusion: Study findings highlight differences in computer usage, especially in regard to Hispanic ethnicity and specific health and well-being factors. Application: Potential applications of this research include future intervention studies, individualized computer-based activity programming, or customizable software and user interface design for older adults responsive to a variety of personal characteristics and capabilities.
Examination of Undergraduate and Associate Degree Students’ Computer Programming Attitude and Self-Efficacy According to Thinking Style, Gender and Experience

This study aimed to determine undergraduate and associate degree students’ computer programming attitude and self-efficacy levels, and compare them according to thinking style, gender, department, weekly study time, and programming experience variables. The study employed the correlational research model. The researcher attempted to reach all associate and undergraduate students who had received the computer programming course at a state university. The computer programming self-efficacy scale, the computer programming attitude scale, and the holistic and analytic thinking in problem-solving scale were used to collect research data. Results suggested that the participants with different thinking styles showed significant differences regarding programming attitude and programming self-efficacy. Programming attitude and thinking style were significant predictors of programming self-efficacy. No difference was observed between genders in terms of the common effect and the partial effect of programming attitude and programming self-efficacy. However; differences were observed between participants from different departments and with different weekly study time. There was also a significant difference between the participants with different programming experience levels in terms of the common effect of programming attitude and self-efficacy, whereas no difference was found in terms of attitude alone.
Predicting fault-prone components in a java legacy system

This paper reports on the construction and validation of faultproneness prediction models in the context of an object-oriented, evolving, legacy system. The goal is to help QA engineers focus their limited verification resources on parts of the system likely to contain faults. A number of measures including code quality, class structure, changes in class structure, and the history of class-level changes and faults are included as candidate predictors of class fault-proneness. A cross-validated classification analysis shows that the obtained model has less than 20% of false positives and false negatives, respectively. However, as shown in this paper, statistics regarding the classification accuracy tend to inflate the potential usefulness of the fault-proneness prediction models. We thus propose a simple and pragmatic methodology for assessing the costeffectiveness of the predictions to focus verification effort. On the basis of the cost-effectiveness analysis we show that change and fault data from previous releases is paramount to developing a practically useful prediction model. When our model is applied to predict faults in a new release, the estimated potential savings in verification effort is about 29%. In contrast, the estimated savings in verification effort drops to 0% when history data is not included.
Will Centrality of Religiosity Scale

Stefan Huber (2003) skonstruowal Skale Centralności Religijności (Centrality of Religiosity Scale) do pomiaru globalnej centralności oraz pieciu wymiarow religijności wyodrebnionych przez Ch. Glocka i Y. Starka (1965; Stark, Glock,1970): przekonan religijnych, modlitwy, doświadczenia religijnego, kultu i zainteresowan problematyką religijności. Prezentowany artykul przedstawia polską wersje skali Hubera (C-15). Metoda zostala przetlumaczona zwrotnie, zgodnie z procedurą translacji. Wstepne wskaźniki trafności i rzetelności skali ustalono w badaniach 402 osob. Otrzymane wyniki potwierdzily wysoką moc dyskryminacyjną pozycji skali oraz wysoką homogenicznośc i stabilnośc podskal. Globalna miara centralności takze uzyskala wysokie wskaźniki psychometryczne. Trafnośc teoretyczną ustalono za pomocą analizy czynnikowej oraz wspolczynnika zgodności wewnetrznej. Uzyskane rezultaty potwierdzily zgodnośc polskiej wersji metody z oryginalną wersją niemiecką oraz adekwatnośc do zakladanego modelu teoretycznego. Trafnośc kryterialna zostala ustalona za pomocą korelacji z innymi metodami do badania religijności: Skalą Intensywności i Centralności Postawy Religijnej W. Prezyny, Skalą Kryzysu Religijnego W. Prezyny, Skalą Relacji do Boga D. Hutsebauta oraz Skalą Przekonan Postkrytycznych D. Hutsebauta. Uzyskane wskaźniki psychometryczne potwierdzily wysoką trafnośc i rzetelnośc prezentowanego narzedzia.