Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Targeting p70S6K Prevented Lung Metastasis in a Breast Cancer Xenograft Model

Overexpression of p70S6K in breast cancer patients is associated with aggressive disease and poor prognosis. Recent studies showed that patients with breast cancer with increased p70S6K phosphorylation had poor survival and increased metastasis. The purpose of our study was to determine whether knockdown of p70S6K would inhibit cell growth, invasion, and metastasis in breast cancer. We therefore stably knocked down p70S6K expression in MDA-231, a highly metastatic breast cancer cell line, using a lentiviral short hairpin RNA (shRNA) based approach. Inhibition of p70S6K led to inhibition of cell growth, migration, and invasion in vitro. To determine the role of p70S6K in breast cancer tumorigenesis and metastasis, we used an MDA-231 orthotopic and metastatic animal model. In the orthotopic model, mice injected with MDA-231–p70S6K shRNA cells developed significantly smaller tumors than control mice injected with MDA-231 control shRNA cells (P < 0.01). No metastasis was observed in the p70S6K downregulated group, whereas lung metastasis was detected in all mice in the control group. To determine the role of p70S6K on growth and invasion, we tested downstream signaling targets by Western blot analysis. Knockdown of p70S6K inhibited phosphorylation of focal adhesion kinase, tissue transglutaminase 2, and cyclin D1 proteins, which promote cell growth, survival, and invasion. In addition, downregulation of p70S6K induced expression of PDCD4, a tumor-suppressor protein. In conclusion, we showed that p70S6K plays an important role in metastasis by regulating key proteins like cyclin D1, PDCD4, focal adhesion kinase, E-cadherin, β-catenin, and tissue transglutaminase 2, which are essential for cell attachment, survival, invasion, and metastasis in breast cancer. Mol Cancer Ther; 9(5); 1180–7. ©2010 AACR.
Trustlet, Open Research on Trust Metrics

A trust metric is a technique for predicting how much a user of a social network might trust another user. This is especially beneficial in situations where most users are unknown to each other such as online communities. We believe the recent tumultuous evolution of social networking demands for a collective research effort. With this in mind we created Trustlet.org, a platform consisting of a wiki for open research on trust metrics. The goal of Trustlet is to collect and distribute trust network datasets and trust metrics code as Free Software, in order to facilitate the comparison of different trust metrics algorithms and a more coherent progress in this field. At present we made available some social network datasets and code for some trust metrics. In this paper we describe Trustlet and report a first empirical evaluation of different trust metrics on the Advogato social network dataset.
Trade Liberalization and the Relative Wages for More‐Skilled Workers in Costa Rica

A prominent argument regarding the effects of trade liberalization on the dispersion of wages in LDCs is that trade liberalization should lower the relative demand for more-skilled workers by inducing between-sector shifts towards sectors intensive in unskilled labor. Based on a disaggregating, nonparametric approach that imposes little structure on the data, the paper presents evidence that trade liberalization in Costa Rica led to an increase in relative demand. Other findings are consistent with the "skill-enhancing-trade hypothesis," whereby trade liberalization induces an acceleration of physical capital imports, which raises relative demand through capital-skill complimentarily. Copyright 1999 by Blackwell Publishing Ltd
Internal Liquidity Risk in Corporate Bond Credit Spreads

The determinants of a substantial portion of bond credit spreads remain puzzled in literature. Through investigating corporate bond credit spreads from year 2000 to 2005, we find that corporate internal liquidity still significantly impacts on corporate bond credit spreads when controlling other well-known variables stated in literature. Additionally, we also find that there is a systematic internal liquidity risk factor which can capture market-wide bond credit spread changes to a large extent. It reveals that corporate internal liquidity risk should be incorporated into bond credit modeling.
Pulsating Pre-Main Sequence Stars In NGC 6383?

A search for pulsating pre-main-sequence (PMS) stars was performed in the young open cluster NGC 6383 using CCD time-series photometry in Johnson B and V filters. With an age of only ∼1.7 Myr all cluster members later than spectral type A0 have not reached the ZAMS yet, hence being ideal candidates for investigating PMS pulsation among A- and F-type stars. In total 286 stars have been analysed using classical Fourier techniques. From about a dozen stars within the boundaries of the classical instability strip, two stars were found to pulsate: NGC 6383 #170, with five frequencies simultaneously, and NGC 6383 #198, with a single frequency. In addition, NGC 6383 #152 is a suspected PMS variable star, but our data remain inconclusive. Linear, non-adiabatic models assuming PMS evolutionary phase and purely radial pulsation were calculated for the two new PMS pulsators. NGC 6383 #170 appears to pulsate radially in third and fifth overtones, while the other three frequencies seem to be of non-radial nature. NGC 6383 #198 pulsates monoperiodically, most probably in the third radial overtone. Magnitudes and B − V colours were available in the literature for only one third of all stars and we used them for calibrating the remaining. Ke yw ords: techniques: photometric ‐ stars: pre-main-sequence ‐ δ Scuti ‐ open clusters and associations: individual: NGC 6383.
Hai-xiang Zhao Sujet : Artificial Intelligence Models for Building Energy Consumption Analysis

Cloud computing, the long-held dream of computing as a utility, has the potential to transform a large part of the IT industry, making software even more attr active as a service and shaping the way in which hardware is designed and purc hased. We review the new cloud computing technologies, and indicate the main challenges for their development in future, among which resource management problem stands out and attracts our attention. Combining the current scheduling th eories, we propose cloud scheduling hierarchy to deal with different req ui ments of cloud services. From the theoretical aspect, we mainly accomplish three research issues. F irstly, we solve the resource allocation problem in the user-level of cloud sched uling. We propose game theoretical algorithms for user bidding and auctioneer pr icing. With Bayesian learning prediction, resource allocation can reach Nash eq uilibrium among non-cooperative users even though common knowledge is insu fficient. Secondly, we address the task scheduling problem in the system-leve l of cloud scheduling. We prove a new utilization bound to settle on-line schedulab ility test considering the sequential feature of MapReduce. We deduce the r lationship between cluster utilization bound and the ratio of Map to Reduce. This new schedulable bound with segmentation uplifts classical bound which is most use d in industry. Thirdly, we settle the evaluation problem for on-line schedulability tests in cloud computing. We propose a concept of test reliability to express th probability that a random task set could pass a given schedulability test. Th e larger the probability is, the more reliable the test is. From the aspect of system, a test with high reliability can guarantee high system utilization. From the practical aspect, we develop a simulator to model MapReduce frame work. This simulator offers a simulated environment directly used by MapRed uce theoretical researchers. The users of SimMapReduce only concentra te on specific research issues without getting concerned about finer implementation details for diverse service models, so that they can accelerate study progress of new cloud technologies.
The influence of previous experience on predictive motor control

Anticipating the consequences of our motor commands is a fundamental component of sensorimotor control. For example, when one hand pulls on an object held in the other, the restraining hand generates an anticipatory increase in grip force thereby preventing the object from slipping. To investigate how such anticipation is learned subjects held an object, whose properties were under computer control, between their hands. This allowed instant changes in the behaviour of the manipulated object on a trial by trial basis. The extent of grip force modulation seen in one hand, when the other pulled on the object was found to depend in a systematic way on the object's properties experienced over at least the previous three trials.
Malleable Minds? Teasing Out the Causal Effect(s) of Union Membership on Job Attitudes and Political Outcomes

Every gesture of the daily life of an individual is structured by a series of social constraints leading it to conform to an existing social order. This Sociograph examines how the most intimate of these aspects, the way an individual thinks, is socially framed. Using the data of the Swiss Household Panel, the work analyzes to what extent the fact of becoming a union member is capable of influencing a series of job, political and social attitudes. After a brief characterization of the Swiss union landscape and an analysis of the declining trend of union density in Switzerland, the reader is led to consider the methodological issues to take into account when trying to tease out causal effects from observational data. By exploiting the advantages of a panel data approach, the results reveal whether the attitudinal differences existing between union members and non-members can be traced back to a causal effect of union membership or whether they are to be attributed to pre-existing differences between the two groups. If a causal effect of union membership is indeed there, it is shown that the nature of the mechanisms explaining its appearance varies according to the sector of activity, to the profile of the individual and to the attitude taken into account.
Neurotoxicity of drugs of abuse - the case of methylenedioxy amphetamines (MDMA, ecstasy ), and amphetamines

Ecstasy (MDMA, 3,4-methylendioxymethamphetamine) and the stimulants methamphetamine (METH, speed) and amphetamine are popular drugs among young people, particularly in the dance scene. When given in high doses both MDMA and the stimulant amphetamines are clearly neurotoxic in laboratory animals. MDMA causes selective and persistent lesions of central serotonergic nerve terminals, whereas amphetamines damage both the serotonergic and dopaminergic systems. In recent years, the question of ecstasy-induced neurotoxicity and possible functional sequelae has been addressed in several studies in drug users. Despite large methodological problems, the bulk of evidence suggests residual alterations of serotonergic transmission in MDMA users, although at least partial recovery may occur after long-term abstinence. However, functional sequelae may persist even after longer periods of abstinence. To date, the most consistent findings associate subtle cognitive impairments with ecstasy use, particularly with memory. In contrast, studies on possible long-term neurotoxic effects of stimulant use have been relatively scarce. Preliminary evidence suggests that alterations of the dopaminergic system may persist even after years of abstinence from METH, and may be associated with deficits in motor and cognitive performance. In this paper, we will review the literature focusing on human studies.
Revealing conceptual understanding of international business

This study aims to identify an adequate approach for revealing conceptual understanding in higher professional education. Revealing students’ conceptual understanding is an important step towards developing effective curricula, assessment and aligned teaching strategies to enhance conceptual understanding in higher education. Essays and concept maps were used to determine how students’ conceptual understanding of international business can be revealed adequately. To this end, 132 international business students in higher professional education were randomly assigned to four conditions to write essays and to construct concept maps about an international business research topic. The conditions were: essay alone, essay after concept map, concept map alone, and concept map after essay. An assessment rubric was used to assess the breadth and depth of students’ conceptual understanding. Results show essays are the most adequate approach for revealing conceptual understanding of international business. In particular, concept maps revealed fewer facts and less reasoning than essays. Essays written after concept maps were less effective than essays, possibly since students perceived these essays as redundant. Further research is suggested on how educators can foster conceptual understanding.
Zinc metalloproteinase-mediated cleavage of the human Nogo-66 receptor

The central nervous system myelin components oligodendrocyte-myelin glycoprotein, myelin-associated glycoprotein and the Nogo-66 domain of Nogo-A inhibit neurite outgrowth by binding the neuronal glycosyl-phosphatidylinositol-anchored Nogo-66 receptor (NgR) that transduces the inhibitory signal to the cell interior via a transmembrane co-receptor, p75NTR. Here, we demonstrate that human NgR expressed in human neuroblastoma cells is constitutively cleaved in a post-ER compartment to generate a lipid-raft associated C-terminal fragment that is present on the cell surface and a soluble N-terminal fragment that is released into the medium. Mass spectrometric analysis demonstrated that the N-terminal fragment terminated just after the C-terminus of the ligand-binding domain of NgR. In common with other shedding mechanisms, the release of this fragment was blocked by a hydroxamate-based inhibitor of zinc metalloproteinases, but not by inhibitors of other protease classes and up-regulated by treatment with the cellular cholesterol depleting agent methyl-β-cyclodextrin. The N-terminal fragment bound Nogo-66 and blocked Nogo-66 binding to cell surface NgR but failed to associate with p75NTR, indicative of a role as a Nogo-66 antagonist. Furthermore, the N- and C-terminal fragments of NgR were detectable in human brain cortex and the N-terminal fragment was also present in human cerebrospinal fluid, demonstrating that NgR proteolysis occurs within the human nervous system. Our findings thus identify a potential cellular mechanism for the regulation of NgR function at the level of the receptor.
Journal of Personality and Social Psychology the Rejection of Moral Rebels: Resenting Those Who Do the Right Thing Disliking Moral Rebels Cadena for Their Assistance with Study 1, Kieran S. O'connor for Data Collection in Study 4, And

Four studies document the rejection of moral rebels. In Study 1, participants who made a counter-attitudinal speech disliked a person who refused on principle to do so, but uninvolved observers preferred this rebel to an obedient other. In Study 2, participants taking part in a racist task disliked a rebel who refused to go along, but mere observers did not. This rejection was mediated by the perception that rebels would reject obedient participants (Study 3), but did not occur when participants described an important trait or value beforehand (Study 4). Together, these studies suggest that rebels are resented when their implicit reproach threatens the positive self-image of individuals who did not rebel. Rebels have a special place in social psychology. In a field that often underscores the evils (and the power) of conformity and obedience, people willing to go against the grain in the name of their principles are presented as the lone exceptions that restore our faith in human nature. When we report classic findings showing that a majority of people agree to hurt an innocent victim (Milgram, 1974), fail to help a person in need (Latané & Darley, 1970), or simply conform to an erroneous pronouncement (Asch, 1956), we find solace in the fact that a minority of respondents hold their own, and do the honorable thing. Accounts of the notorious 1968 My Lai massacre contrast the destructive obedience of William Calley and his men with the decency of Hugh Thompson Jr., the helicopter pilot who stopped the massacre by standing up against Calley. We celebrate men like Frank Serpico, the NYPD police officer who took a stand against corruption at a time when it was rampant in the force (Maas, 1973). And one would hope that Joseph Darby, the military policeman who turned in the Abu Ghraib picture CD to authorities, will similarly go down in history as a hero who prevented further abuse. It may therefore come as a surprise that these inspiring rebels all suffered intense backlash from their peers. Hugh Thomson was shunned for years by fellow soldiers and received numerous death threats (BBC News, 2006); Frank Serpico was shot in the face in a suspected setup by fellow NYPD officers, prompting him to leave the country for a decade (Maas, 1973); and Joseph Darby had to be taken into protective military custody at an undisclosed location after receiving various threats from former colleagues …
Integrating Fault Recovery and Quality of Security in Real-Time Systems

In the past five years, mandatory security requirements and fault tolerance have become critical criteria for most real-time systems. Although many conventional fault-tolerant or security approaches were investigated and applied to real-time systems, most existing schemes only addressed either security demands ignoring the fault-tolerant requirements or vice versa. To bridge this technology gap in real-time systems, in this paper we propose a way of integrating fault recovery and confidentiality services. The novel integration of security and fault recovery makes it possible to implement next-generation real-time systems with high reliability and quality of security. Experimental results from real-world applications show that our approach can significantly improve security over the conventional approaches by up to 661.56% while providing an efficient means of fault tolerance.
The Effect of How Outcomes Are Framed on Decisions about Whether to Take Antihypertensive Medication: A Randomized Trial

Background We conducted an Internet-based randomized trial comparing three valence framing presentations of the benefits of antihypertensive medication in preventing cardiovascular disease (CVD) for people with newly diagnosed hypertension to determine which framing presentation resulted in choices most consistent with participants' values. Methods and Findings In this second in a series of televised trials in cooperation with the Norwegian Broadcasting Company, adult volunteers rated the relative importance of the consequences of taking antihypertensive medication using visual analogue scales (VAS). Participants viewed information (or no information) to which they were randomized and decided whether or not to take medication. We compared positive framing over 10 years (the number escaping CVD per 1000); negative framing over 10 years (the number that will have CVD) and negative framing per year over 10 years of the effects of antihypertensive medication on the 10-year risk for CVD for a 40 year-old man with newly diagnosed hypertension without other risk factors. Finally, all participants were shown all presentations and detailed patient information about hypertension and were asked to decide again. We calculated a relative importance score (RIS) by subtracting the VAS-scores for the undesirable consequences of antihypertensive medication from the VAS-score for the benefit of CVD risk reduction. We used logistic regression to determine the association between participants' RIS and their choice. 1,528 participants completed the study. The statistically significant differences between the groups in the likelihood of choosing to take antihypertensive medication in relation to different values (RIS) increased as the RIS increased. Positively framed information lead to decisions most consistent with those made by everyone for the second, more fully informed decision. There was a statistically significant decrease in deciding to take antihypertensives on the second decision, both within groups and overall. Conclusions For decisions about taking antihypertensive medication for people with a relatively low baseline risk of CVD (70 per 1000 over 10 years), both positive and negative framing resulted in significantly more people deciding to take medication compared to what participants decided after being shown all three of the presentations. Trial Registration International Standard Randomised Controlled Trial Number Register ISRCTN 33771631
Spitzer Observations of the Hyades: Circumstellar Debris Disks at 625 Myr of Age

We use the Spitzer Space Telescope to search for infrared excess at 24, 70, and 160 μm due to debris disks around a sample of 45 FGK-type members of the Hyades. We supplement our observations with archival 24 and 70 μm Spitzer data of an additional 22 FGK-type and 11 A-type Hyades members in order to provide robust statistics on the incidence of debris disks at 625 Myr of age, an era corresponding to the late heavy bombardment in the solar system. We find that none of the 67 FGK-type stars in our sample show evidence for a debris disk, while 2 out of the 11 A-type stars do. This difference in debris disk detection rate is likely to be due to a sensitivity bias in favor of early-type stars. The fractional disk luminosity, Ldust/L*, of the disks around the two A-type stars is ~4 × 10−5, a level that is below the sensitivity of our observations toward the FGK-type stars. However, our sensitivity limits for FGK-type stars are able to exclude, at the 2 σ level, frequencies higher than 12% and 5% of disks with Ldust/L* > 1 × 10−4 and Ldust/L* > 5 × 10−4, respectively. We also use our sensitivity limits and debris disk models to constrain the maximum mass of dust, as a function of distance from the stars, that could remain undetected around our targets.
Defaults and Attention: The Drop Out Effect

When choice options are complex, policy makers may seek to reduce decision making errors by making a high quality option the default. We show that this positive effect is at risk because such a policy creates incentives for decision makers to "drop out" by paying no attention to the decision and accepting the default sight unseen. Using decision time as a proxy for attention, we confirm the importance of this effect in an experimental setting. A key challenge for policy makers is to measure, and if possible mitigate, such drop out behavior in the field.
Nutritional composition of “gari” analog produced from cassava (Manihot esculenta) and cocoyam (Colocasia esculenta) tuber

Physicochemical properties ofgari analog produced from coprocessing of Cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) and Cocoyam (Colocasia esculenta) were investigated. Cassava tuber and cocoyam were coprocessed at different percentages before frying separately. Proximate composition, mineral content, antinutritional factors, and sensory evaluation of various samples were determined. The results showed that the moisture content of all the samples was in the same range (7.28 ± 0.30 to 7.78 ± 0.14%). The protein content (1.57 ± 0.14 to 4.43 ± 0.16), ash (1.89 ± 0.10 to 2.15 ± 0.30), and crude fiber (1.53 ± 0.50 to 2.19 ± 0.10%) showed a significant increase with increase in the level of cocoyam substitution. The fat and carbohydrate content decreased with an increase in cocoyam level. The mineral contents of the samples increased with an increase in cocoyam content with sample F having the highest value of potassium, followed by samples E and D (68 mg/100 g, 35 mg/100 g, and 24 mg/100 g). The antinutritional factors of all the samples were at very low concentration while samples B, C, and D competed favorably with sample A (control) in sensory evaluation. In conclusion, coprocessing of cassava and cocoyam improved the nutritional quality of thegari produced with high level of acceptance from the taste panelist.