Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Overexpression of EZH2 is associated with the poor prognosis in osteosarcoma and function analysis indicates a therapeutic potential

Osteosarcoma is a primary malignant bone tumor that has a poor prognosis due to local recurrence, metastasis, and chemotherapy resistance. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop novel potential therapeutic targets for osteosarcoma. Enhancer of zeste homologue 2 (EZH2) is a member of the polycomb group of proteins, which has important functions in epigenetic silencing and cell cycle regulation. Overexpression of EZH2 has been found in several malignancies, however, its expression and the role of EZH2 in osteosarcoma is largely unknown. In this study, we examined EZH2 expression by immunohistochemistry in a large series of osteosarcoma tissues in association with tumor characteristics and patient outcomes. EZH2 expression was also analyzed in a microarray dataset of osteosarcoma. Results showed that higher expression of EZH2 was significantly associated with more aggressive tumor behavior and poor patient outcomes of osteosarcoma. We subsequently investigated the functional and therapeutic relevance of EZH2 as a target in osteosarcoma. Immunohistochemical analysis indicated that EZH2 expression was significantly associated with more aggressive tumor behavior and poorer patient outcomes of osteosarcoma. EZH2 silencing by siRNA inhibited osteosarcoma cell growth, proliferation, migration, and invasion. Moreover, suppression of EZH2 attenuated cancer stem cell functions. Similar results were observed in osteosarcoma cells treated with EZH2 specific inhibitor 3-deazaneplanocin A (DZNep), which exhausted cellular levels of EZH2. These results suggest that EZH2 is critical for the growth and metastasis of osteosarcoma, and an epigenetic therapy that pharmacologically targets EZH2 via specific inhibitors may constitute a novel approach to the treatment of osteosarcoma.
Beyond Autism: Introducing the Dialectical Misattunement Hypothesis and a Bayesian Account of Intersubjectivity

Drawing on sociocultural theories and Bayesian accounts of brain function, in this article we construe psychiatric conditions as disorders of social interaction to fully account for their complexity and dynamicity across levels of description and temporal scales. After an introduction of the theoretical underpinnings of our integrative approach, we take autism spectrum conditions (ASC) as a paradigm example and discuss how neurocognitive hypotheses can be translated into a Bayesian formulation, i.e., in terms of predictive processing and active inference. We then argue that consideration of individuals (even within a Bayesian framework) will not be enough for a comprehensive understanding of psychiatric conditions and consequently put forward the dialectical misattunement hypothesis, which views psychopathology not merely as disordered function within single brains but also as a dynamic interpersonal mismatch that encompasses various levels of description. Moving from a mere comparison of groups, i.e., “healthy” persons versus “patients,” to a fine-grained analysis of social interactions within dyads and groups of individuals will open new avenues and may allow to avoid an overly neurocentric scope in psychiatric research as well as help to reduce social exclusion.
Modified hybrid multi-carrier PWM technique for cascaded H-Bridge multilevel inverter

Among the carrier based pulse width modulation (PWM) techniques, Phase Shifted PWM (PS-PWM) technique is preferred for Cascaded H-Bridge (CHB) multilevel inverters. This technique distributes power evenly among the modules and also ensures equal utilization of inverter switches within a module. On the other hand Carrier Disposition PWM (CD-PWM) technique has superior output voltage profile, but results in uneven power distribution and non-uniform switch utilization. Modified CD-PWM and Hybrid-PWM techniques can be used to mitigate the problem related to uneven power distribution. In this paper, the performance comparison of above mentioned modulation techniques is presented for a 7-level CHB multilevel inverter for same device switching frequency. It is found that at low modulation index, the line voltage and line current THDs are less with Hybrid-PWM technique as compared to those with PS-PWM and Modified CD-PWM techniques. But in Hybrid PWM technique, the switches within a module are not equally utilized. A Modified Hybrid-PWM technique is proposed, which retains the power distribution and uniform switch utilization features of PS-PWM technique and results in output voltage profile similar to that with Hybrid-PWM technique.
Synthesis of gold colloids by laser ablation in thiol-alkane solutions

In this paper, we present a study on the formation of gold colloids by laser ablation of a gold metal target in alkanes and thiol-alkane solutions. Theresults show a decrease of the gold particles’ size up to 2 nm when thiol molecules are present in the liquid environment. The observation of a blue-shift of the surface plasmonresonance is discussed together with transmission electron microscopy analyses accounting the cluster size decrease and the stabilization of the obtauned suspensions.
Diabetes adversely affects phospholipid profiles in human carotid artery endarterectomy plaques[S]

Patients with diabetes are at higher risk of developing carotid artery stenosis and resultant stroke. Arachidonoyl phospholipids affect plaque inflammation and vulnerability, but whether diabetic patients have unique carotid artery phospholipidomic profiles is unknown. We performed a comprehensive paired analysis of phospholipids in extracranial carotid endarterectomy (CEA) plaques of matched diabetic and nondiabetic patients and analyzed mass spectrometry-derived profiles of three phospholipids, plasmenyl-phosphatidylethanolamine (pPE), phosphatidylserine (PS), and phosphatidylinositol (PI), in maximally (MAX) and minimally (MIN) diseased CEA segments. We also measured levels of arachidonic acid (AA), produced by pPE hydrolysis, and choline-ethanolamine phosphotransferase 1 (CEPT1), responsible for most pPE de novo biosynthesis. In paired analysis, MIN CEA segments had higher levels than MAX segments of pPE (P < 0.001), PS (P < 0.001), and PI (P < 0.03). MIN diabetic plaques contained higher levels than MAX diabetic plaques of arachidonoyl pPE38:4 and pPE38:5 and CEPT1 was upregulated in diabetic versus nondiabetic plaques. AA levels were relatively greater in MIN versus MAX segments of all CEA segments, and were higher in diabetic than nondiabetic plaques. Our findings suggest that arachidonoyl phospholipids are more likely to be abundant in the extracranial carotid artery plaque of diabetic rather than nondiabetic patients.
Real-Time Bidding with Multi-Agent Reinforcement Learning in Display Advertising

Real-time advertising allows advertisers to bid for each impression for a visiting user. To optimize specific goals such as maximizing revenue and return on investment (ROI) led by ad placements, advertisers not only need to estimate the relevance between the ads and user's interests, but most importantly require a strategic response with respect to other advertisers bidding in the market. In this paper, we formulate bidding optimization with multi-agent reinforcement learning. To deal with a large number of advertisers, we propose a clustering method and assign each cluster with a strategic bidding agent. A practical Distributed Coordinated Multi-Agent Bidding (DCMAB) has been proposed and implemented to balance the tradeoff between the competition and cooperation among advertisers. The empirical study on our industry-scaled real-world data has demonstrated the effectiveness of our methods. Our results show cluster-based bidding would largely outperform single-agent and bandit approaches, and the coordinated bidding achieves better overall objectives than purely self-interested bidding agents.
Identification of the potential crucial genes in invasive ductal carcinoma using bioinformatics analysis

Invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC) is a common histological type of breast cancer. The aim of this study was to identify the potential crucial genes associated with IDC and to provide valid biological information for further investigations. The gene expression profiles of GSE10780 which contained 42 histologically normal breast tissues and 143 IDC tissues were downloaded from the GEO database. Functional and pathway enrichment analysis of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were performed and protein-protein interaction (PPI) network was analyzed using Cytoscape. In total, 999 DEGs were identified, including 667 up-regulated and 332 down-regulated DEGs. Gene ontology analysis demonstrated that most DEGs were significantly enriched in mitotic cell cycle, adhesion and protein binding process. Through PPI network analysis, a significant module was screened out, and the top 10 hub genes, CDK1, CCNB1, CENPE, CENPA, PLK1, CDC20, MAD2L1, HIST1H2BK, KIF2C and CCNA2 were identified from the PPI network. The expression levels of the 10 genes were validated in Oncomine database. KIF2C, MAD2L1 and PLK1 were associated with the overall survival. And we used cBioPortal to explore the genetic alterations of hub genes and potential drugs. In conclusion, the present study identified DEGs between normal and IDC samples, which could improve our understanding of the molecular mechanisms in the development of IDC, and these candidate genes might be used as therapeutic targets for IDC.
Validation of the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) as a screening tool for depression in pregnant women: Afaan Oromo version

Background Semantic, technical, content, criterion and conceptual equivalence must be examined in order to validate a psychological rating scale in a new cultural setting. Few validation studies have been conducted in sub-Saharan Africa for scales seeking to detect depression in pregnant women. The aim of this study is to validate the 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) as a screening instrument for depression among Afaan Oromo speaking pregnant Ethiopian women. Methods A random sample of 246 pregnant women were recruited in Seka Chekorsa District, Ethiopia during their first, second or third trimester. One week later, 29 participants were selected to answer the questionnaire for a second time to evaluate test retest reliability. The Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI-Plus) scale was used as a gold standard to evaluate validity. PHQ-9 was compared with MINI-Plus and sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, positive likelihood ratio, negative likelihood ratio and Receiver Operating Characteristic Curves (ROC) for PHQ-9 were calculated. Rasch analysis was also carried out using Winsteps version 3.81. 0. Results The reliability coefficient, Cronbach's alpha, for the PHQ-9 total score was 0.84. Both the agreement and consistency Intra-class Correlation coefficients (ICC) for the one-week test-retest reliability were 0.98. The cut-off point of a summed score of eight resulted in a sensitivity of 80.8% and a specificity of 79.5%. The calculated area under the curve (AUC) for the PHQ-9 score versus the MINI-Plus was excellent, 0.88 (SE = 0.04; CI = 0.81–0.95). The PHQ-9 meets the criteria established by Linacre for rating scale effectiveness. Conclusions The PHQ-9 proved to be a reliable and valid instrument that may be used to screen major depressive disorders among Afaan Oromo speaking Ethiopian pregnant women.
Genetic Stratification to Identify Risk Groups for Alzheimer’s Disease

Stratification by genetic risk factors for Alzheimer’s disease (AD) may help identify groups with the greatest disease risk. Biological changes that cause late-onset AD are likely to occur years, if not decades prior to diagnosis. Here, we select a subset of the Generation Scotland: Scottish Family Health Study cohort in a likely preclinical age-range of 60–70 years (subset n = 3,495 with cognitive and genetic data). We test for cognitive differences by polygenic risk scores for AD. The polygenic scores are constructed using all available SNPs, excluding those within a 500 kb distance of the APOE locus. Additive and multiplicative effects of APOE status on these associations are investigated. Small memory decrements were observed in those with high polygenic risk scores for AD (standardized beta –0.04, p = 0.020). These associations were independent of APOE status. There was no difference in AD polygenic scores across APOE haplotypes (p = 0.72). Individuals with high compared to low polygenic risk scores for AD (top and bottom 5% of the distribution) show cognitive decrements, albeit much smaller than for APOE ɛ4ɛ4 compared to ɛ3ɛ3 individuals (2.3 versus 3.5 fewer points on the processing speed test, and 1.8 versus 2.8 fewer points on the memory test). Polygenic risk scores for AD may help identify older individuals at greatest risk of cognitive decline and preclinical AD.
Characterization of Vitrified Porcelain Tiles using Feldspar from Three Selected Deposits in Nigeria

The production of vitrified porcelain tiles has increased in recent years due to their excellent technical characteristics such as high strength, low water absorption, excellent abrasion resistance as well as good chemical resistance. The use of good fluxing agents such as feldspar to bring about the vitrification of the porcelain tiles body has initiated intensive research work to source for suitable feldspar deposits required for manufacturing this product. In this research work, feldspar samples from Ijero-Ekiti in Ekiti state, Ajaokuta in Kogi state and Okpella in Edo state, from Nigeria were used together with other raw materials to formulate vitrified porcelain tiles compositions similar to what is obtainable in industries. The porcelain tiles samples were produced under suitable industrial conditions and sintered at 1218 0 C. Flexural strength test, fired shrinkage test, water absorption test and abrasion resistance test were used to characterize the samples. The results show that flexural strength, abrasion resistance and water absorption of all the samples are within the acceptable values specified by international standard organization (ISO). Chemical analysis was also carried out on the feldspar samples from the three deposits and the results show that the deposits contained all the constituents suitable for producing porcelain tiles. All the three feldspar deposits were found to be suitable for producing vitrified porcelain tiles.
The multiple myeloma treatment landscape: international guideline recommendations and clinical practice in Europe

ABSTRACT Introduction: Guidelines provide recommendations on the management of multiple myeloma (MM), but there are no standard algorithms for the choice and sequencing of treatments. As a result, there is widespread variation in the interpretation and implementation of these guidelines. Areas covered: This review will cover: the real-world data on MM treatment patterns; the approved agents available for the treatment of MM; a comparative summary of the national and international clinical guidelines; a discussion on the impact reimbursement decisions have on treatment availability. Expert commentary: In the future, treatment choices may become even more complex as clonal heterogeneity is better understood in the context of response to treatment, and next-generation agents become available. Although information on real-world practice patterns can provide further guidance, to date, few studies have generated data on patients treated with the newer agents in real-world settings. Furthermore, the translation of guideline recommendations into clinical practice across Europe is inconsistent. Additional real-world data are therefore vital to understanding current clinical practice patterns, so that new agents can be effectively incorporated into existing treatment strategies. Such information may aid the development of better guidance, which will ultimately help to ensure that patients receive the best possible care.
Influence of mineral fillers on the fire retardant properties of wood‐polypropylene composites

The effects of mineral fillers on the fire retardancy of wood‐polypropylene composites have been studied. Wood‐polypropylene composites containing mineral fillers have been compounded in a conical twin‐screw extruder. A composite manufactured without any mineral filler addition has been used as a reference. The flame resistance properties of the composite materials have been studied using the cone calorimeter. The results show that the introduction of mineral fillers into the wood‐polypropylene composites has a favourable effect on the fire resistance properties of the composite materials. The reaction‐to‐fire properties have been improved according to the fire classification of construction products based on the Euroclass system. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Characteristics of Chinese m-Health Applications for Diabetes Self-Management.

PURPOSE To examine the features and types of health information provided in Chinese diabetes mobile applications (apps) for patients' self-management. MATERIALS AND METHODS Through multiple rounds of screening, we identified a total of 95 relevant iOS (Apple, Cupertino, CA) and Android™ (Google, Mountain View, CA) apps and examined each app's features and health information types based on each app's description in the app stores. We used a 15-feature algorithm to evaluate the apps' abilities for supporting diabetic patients' self-management, based on U.S. national standards for diabetes self-management. We also adapted the health information wants framework to analyze the types of information that the apps provided for diabetic patients. RESULTS Diabetes education was the most common feature, provided by 75% of the apps. Blood glucose checking was enabled by 65% of the apps. Diet management, insulin checking, and physical activity monitoring were enabled by 53%, 49%, and 44% of the apps, respectively. Only a small percentage of the apps enabled psychosocial support (29%) or tracking of blood pressure (14%), cholesterol (14%), or body mass index (11%). None of the apps provided all seven types of information posited by the health information wants framework. Only a small percentage of the apps provided information about psychosocial support (29%), healthcare providers (24%), or healthcare facilities (24%). Information about complementary and alternative medicine was the least likely type of information provided in the apps, with only 7% of the apps providing this type of information. CONCLUSIONS Our findings have important implications for improving the quality of Chinese diabetes mobile apps to facilitate patients' self-management.
Evaluation of intralesional injection of hyaluronic acid compared with verapamil in Peyronie's disease: preliminary results from a prospective, double‐blinded, randomized study

Several intralesional therapeutic protocols have been proposed for the treatment of Peyronie's disease. Among all, hyaluronic acid (HA) and verapamil have been differently tested. We aimed to evaluate the efficacy of intralesional verapamil (ILVI) compared with intralesional HA in patients with early onset of Peyronie's disease (PD). This is a multi‐centre prospective double‐arm, randomized, double‐blinded study comparing ILVI vs. intralesional HA after 12‐weeks. Sexually active men, older than 18 years and affected by the acute phase of PD were eligible for this study. Patients have been double‐blinded randomly divided into two groups (1 : 1 ratio): Group A received intralesional treatment with Verapamil (10 mg in 5 mL of normal saline water) weekly for 12 weeks, while group B received intralesional treatment with HA (0.8% highly purified sodium salt HA 16 mg/2 mL) weekly for 12 weeks. The primary efficacy outcome was the change from the baseline to the endpoint (12 weeks after therapy) for the penile curvature (degree). The secondary outcome was the change in the plaque size and in the International Index of erectile Function (IIEF‐5) score. The difference between post‐ and pre‐treatment plaque size was −1.36 mm (SD ± 1.27) for Group A and −1.80 mm (SD ± 2.47) for Group B (p‐value = NS). IIEF‐5 increased of 1.46 points (SD ± 2.18) in Group A and 1.78 (SD ± 2.48) in Group B (p‐value ± NS). No difference in penile curvature was observed in Group A, while in Group B the penile curvature decreased of 4.60° (SD ± 5.63) from the baseline (p < 0.001) and vs. Group A. According to PGI‐I results, we found significant difference as concerning patient global impression of improvement (PGI‐I) (4.0 vs. 2.0; p < 0.05). This prospective, double‐arm, randomized, double‐blinded study comparing ILVI vs. HA as intralesional therapy showed greater efficacy of HA in terms of penile curvature and PGI‐I.
Fabrication of Patchable Organic Lasing Sheets via Soft Lithography

Here, we report a novel fabrication technique for patchable organic lasing sheet based on non-volatile liquid organic semiconductors and freestanding polymeric film with high flexibility and patchability. For this work, we have fabricated the second-order DFB grating structure, which leads to surface emission, embedded in the freestanding polymeric film. Using an ultra-violet (UV) curable polyurethaneacrylate (PUA) mixture, the periodic DFB grating structure can be easily prepared on the freestanding polymeric film via a simple UV curing process. Due to unsaturated acrylate remained in the PUA mixture after UV curing, the freestanding PUA film provides adhesive properties, which enable mounting of the patchable organic lasing sheet onto non-flat surfaces with conformal contact. To achieve laser actions in the freestanding resonator structure, a composite material of liquid 9-(2-ethylhexyl)carbazole (EHCz) and organic laser dyes was used as the laser medium. Since the degraded active materials can be easily refreshed by a simple injection of the liquid composite, such a non-volatile liquid organic semiconducting medium has degradation-free and recyclable characteristics in addition to other strong advantages including tunable optoelectronic responses, solvent-free processing, and ultimate mechanical flexibility and uniformity. Lasing properties of the patchable organic lasing sheet were also investigated after mounting onto non-flat surfaces, showing a mechanical tunability of laser emission under variable surface curvature. It is anticipated that these results will be applied to the development of various patchable optoelectronic applications for light-emitting displays, sensors and data communications.
The Development of a Brief Jail-Based Cervical Health Promotion Intervention

The primary objective of this article was to describe the development and pilot implementation of a brief jail-based cervical health promotion intervention. The intervention was guided by a preliminary study of incarcerated women’s cervical health knowledge, awareness, and health literacy, as well as a social and feminist approach to intervention development. We developed and conducted a pilot implementation of the Sexual Health Empowerment Project to increase cervical health knowledge, reduce barriers related to beliefs about cervical cancer, and improve self-efficacy and confidence in navigating health systems. This article offers a framework for how empirically and theory-based interventions are developed and tailored for a jail setting. Future work should include the evaluation of the long-term effects of such a disease-specific program on health behaviors and outcomes among high-risk and vulnerable groups of women as they leave jails and enter communities.