Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
MicroRNA-21-3p, a Berberine-Induced miRNA, Directly Down-Regulates Human Methionine Adenosyltransferases 2A and 2B and Inhibits Hepatoma Cell Growth

Methionine adenosyltransferase (MAT) is the cellular enzyme that catalyzes the synthesis of S-adenosylmethionine (SAM), the principal biological methyl donor and a key regulator of hepatocyte proliferation, death and differentiation. Two genes, MAT1A and MAT2A, encode 2 distinct catalytic MAT isoforms. A third gene, MAT2B, encodes a MAT2A regulatory subunit. In hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), MAT1A downregulation and MAT2A upregulation occur, known as the MAT1A:MAT2A switch. The switch is accompanied with an increasing expression of MAT2B, which results in decreased SAM levels and facilitates cancer cell growth. Berberine, an isoquinoline alkaloid isolated from many medicinal herbs such as Coptis chinensis, has a wide range of pharmacological effects including anti-cancer effects. Because drug-induced microRNAs have recently emerged as key regulators in guiding their pharmacological effects, we examined whether microRNA expression is differentially altered by berberine treatment in HCC. In this study, we used microRNA microarrays to find that the expression level of miR-21-3p (previously named miR-21*) increased after berberine treatment in the HepG2 human hepatoma cell line. To predict the putative targets of miR-21-3p, we integrated the gene expression profiles of HepG2 cells after berberine treatment by comparing with a gene list generated from sequence-based microRNA target prediction software. We then confirmed these predictions through transfection of microRNA mimics and a 3′ UTR reporter assay. Our findings provide the first evidence that miR-21-3p directly reduces the expression of MAT2A and MAT2B by targeting their 3′ UTRs. In addition, an overexpression of miR-21-3p increased intracellular SAM contents, which have been proven to be a growth disadvantage for hepatoma cells. The overexpression of miR-21-3p suppresses growth and induces apoptosis in HepG2 cells. Overall, our results demonstrate that miR-21-3p functions as a tumor suppressor by directly targeting both MAT2A and MAT2B, indicating its therapeutic potential in HCC.
Localization and Energy-Efficient Data Routing for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles: Fuzzy-Logic-Based Approach

Localization and energy efficiency is very important for UAVs. In this work, we propose a new mechanism for data routing based on localization in GPS-denied or GPS-challenged areas. The proposed mechanism relies on a weighted centroid localization technique, where the position of unknown UAV nodes are calculated using fuzzy logic. The UAV nodes are organized into clusters. The proposed localization algorithm first localizes the UAVs, then elects the next cluster head in order to minimize the energy consumption of the whole network and consequently increase its lifetime. Evaluation of the proposal shows that it is more efficient than the existing solutions in terms of energy consumption, localization accuracy, localization time, and data transmission.
Cigarette Smoking and Incident Heart Failure: Insights From the Jackson Heart Study

Background: Cigarette smoking has been linked with several factors associated with cardiac dysfunction. We hypothesized that cigarette smoking is associated with left ventricular (LV) structure and function, and incident heart failure (HF) hospitalization. Methods: We investigated 4129 (never smoker n=2884, current smoker n=503, and former smoker n=742) black participants (mean age, 54 years; 63% women) without a history of HF or coronary heart disease at baseline in the Jackson Heart Study. We examined the relationships between cigarette smoking and LV structure and function by using cardiac magnetic resonance imaging among 1092 participants, cigarette smoking and brain natriuretic peptide levels among 3325 participants, and incident HF hospitalization among 3633 participants with complete data. Results: After adjustment for confounding factors, current smoking was associated with higher mean LV mass index and lower mean LV circumferential strain (P<0.05, for both) in comparison with never smoking. Smoking status, intensity, and burden were associated with higher mean brain natriuretic peptide levels (all P<0.05). Over 8.0 years (7.7–8.0) median follow-up, there were 147 incident HF hospitalizations. After adjustment for traditional risk factors and incident coronary heart disease, current smoking (hazard ratio, 2.82; 95% confidence interval, 1.71–4.64), smoking intensity among current smokers (≥20 cigarettes/d: hazard ratio, 3.48; 95% confidence interval, 1.65–7.32), and smoking burden among ever smokers (≥15 pack-years: hazard ratio, 2.06; 95% confidence interval, 1.29–3.3) were significantly associated with incident HF hospitalization in comparison with never smoking. Conclusions: In blacks, cigarette smoking is an important risk factor for LV hypertrophy, systolic dysfunction, and incident HF hospitalization even after adjusting for effects on coronary heart disease.
Instagram use and young women’s body image concerns and self-objectification: Testing mediational pathways

This study examined the relationship between Instagram use (overall, as well as specifically viewing fitspiration images) and body image concerns and self-objectification among women between the ages of 18 and 25 from the United States (n = 203) and from Australia (n = 73). Furthermore, this study tested whether internalization of the societal beauty ideal, appearance comparison tendency in general, or appearance comparisons to specific target groups on Instagram mediated any relationships between Instagram use and the appearance-related variables. Greater overall Instagram use was associated with greater self-objectification, and that relationship was mediated both by internalization and by appearance comparisons to celebrities. More frequently viewing fitspiration images on Instagram was associated with greater body image concerns, and that relationship was mediated by internalization, appearance comparison tendency in general, and appearance comparisons to women in fitspiration images. Together, these results suggest that Instagram usage may negatively influence women’s appearance-related concerns and beliefs.
Intergenerational Transmission of Values in Urban and Rural Area (The Case of Russia)

This paper examines the role of the place of living (rural or urban) and its socio-cultural context in determining the parent-adolescent child value similarity. We interviewed representatives of two generations: parents and adolescent children from 90 families in Moscow and 62 families in villages (n=304 people). Our findings indicate the influence of the socio-cultural context on the transmission of values. Conservation values are primarily transmitted from parents to children in more traditional, rural contexts. Openness to change, Self-Enhancement and Self-Transcendence values are transmitted from parents to children mainly in urban contexts. The perceived psychological closeness between parents and adolescents (adolescent perception) predicts value transmission in urban and rural contexts. All values of adolescents are more similar to the values of peers than parents, in both urban and rural contexts.
Sporadic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (SALS) – skeletal muscle response to cerebrospinal fluid from SALS patients in a rat model

ABSTRACT Skeletal muscle atrophy is the most prominent feature of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), an adult-onset neurodegenerative disease of motor neurons. However, the contribution of skeletal muscle to disease progression remains elusive. Our previous studies have shown that intrathecal injection of cerebrospinal fluid from sporadic ALS patients (ALS-CSF) induces several degenerative changes in motor neurons and glia of neonatal rats. Here, we describe various pathologic events in the rat extensor digitorum longus muscle following intrathecal injection of ALS-CSF. Adenosine triphosphatase staining and electron microscopic (EM) analysis revealed significant atrophy and grouping of type 2 fibres in ALS-CSF-injected rats. Profound neuromuscular junction (NMJ) damage, such as fragmentation accompanied by denervation, were revealed by α-bungarotoxin immunostaining. Altered expression of key NMJ proteins, rapsyn and calpain, was also observed by immunoblotting. In addition, EM analysis showed sarcolemmal folding, Z-line streaming, structural alterations of mitochondria and dilated sarcoplasmic reticulum. The expression of trophic factors was affected, with significant downregulation of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), marginal reduction in insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1), and upregulation of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and glial-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF). However, motor neurons might be unable to harness the enhanced levels of BDNF and GDNF, owing to impaired NMJs. We propose that ALS-CSF triggers motor neuronal degeneration, resulting in pathological changes in the skeletal muscle. Muscle damage further aggravates the motor neuronal pathology, because of the interdependency between them. This sets in a vicious cycle, leading to rapid and progressive loss of motor neurons, which could explain the relentless course of ALS. This article has an associated First Person interview with the first author of the paper. Editor's choice: In amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, a motor neurodegenerative disease, the pathological changes of the skeletal muscle can significantly damage motor neurons, leading to progressive neurodegeneration.
Divergence free quantum field theory using a spectral calculus of Lorentz invariant measures

This paper presents a spectral calculus for computing the spectrum of a causal Lorentz invariant Borel complex measure on Minkowski space, thereby enabling one to compute the density for such a measure with respect to Lebesque measure. It is proved that the convolution of arbitrary causal Lorentz invariant Borel measures exists and the product of such measures exists in a wide class of cases. Techniques for their computation are presented. Divergent integrals in quantum field theory (QFT) are shown to have a well defined existence as Lorentz invariant complex measures. The case of vacuum polarization is considered and the spectral vacuum polarization function is shown to have very close agreement with the vacuum polarization function obtained using dimensional regularization / renormalization in the real mass domain. Using the spectral vacuum polarization function the Uehling contribution to the Lamb shift for the hydrogen atom is computed to be $\approx-28.7$ MHz. The spectral running coupling constant is computed and is shown to converge for all energies while the running coupling constant obtained using dimensional regularization is shown to diverge for all non-zero energies.
Flickering of buoyant diffusion flames: a vortex dynamics revisit

Previous studies have found that the flickering of buoyant diffusion flames is associated with the periodic shedding of a toroidal vortex, which is formed under gravity-induced shearing at the flames. Moreover, numerous experimental investigations have reported the scaling relation, f ∝ D, where f is the flickering frequency and D is the diameter of the fuel inlet. However, the connection between the toroidal vortex mechanism and the scaling relation has not been clearly understood. The current study theoretically revisits this problem from the perspective of vortex dynamics. The theory incorporates a recent finding in the vortex dynamics community: the detachment of a continuously growing vortex ring is inevitable and can be dictated by a universal constant that is essentially a non-dimensional circulation of the vortex. By calculating the total circulation of the toroidal vortex and applying the vortex ring detachment criterion, we mathematically established the connection between the lifetime of a toroidal vortex and the flickering of a buoyant diffusion flame, resulting in a general flickering frequency formulation, which is validated by comparing with existing experimental data of pool and jet diffusion flames.
From friendfunding to crowdfunding: Relevance of relationships, social media, and platform activities to crowdfunding performance

Crowdfunding involves raising small amounts of money from a large number of people, typically via the Internet and social networks, to fund a project. Crowdfunding projects are mainly funded by the project creator’s relatively small network of family and friends. We argue that mobilizing funders outside this close network positively contributes to the success of a crowdfunding success. To study how project creators seek to attract funding from more distant/potential resources (latent ties) in addition to existing networks (strong and weak ties), we examined usage of social media (Facebook and Twitter) and the crowdfunding platform (website). We analyzed 10 cultural projects hosted on the Dutch crowdfunding platform “Voordekunst. ” Our results contribute to theorizing on latent tie activation by demonstrating that social media messages and platform updates add economic value to the crowdfunding effort. Our study also explains the moderating effect of these messages on funders of various tie strengths.
Vitamin D and bone health outcomes in older age

The aim of this review is to summarise the evidence linking vitamin D to bone health outcomes in older adults. A plethora of scientific evidence globally suggests that large proportions of people have vitamin D deficiency and are not meeting recommended intakes. Older adults are at particular risk of the consequences of vitamin D deficiency owing to a combination of physiological and behavioural factors. Epidemiological studies show that low vitamin D status is associated with a variety of negative skeletal consequences in older adults including osteomalacia, reduced bone mineral density, impaired Ca absorption and secondary hyperparathyroidism. There seems to be inconsistent evidence for a protective role of vitamin D supplementation alone on bone mass. However, it is generally accepted that vitamin D (17·5 μg/d) in combination with Ca (1200 mg/d) reduces bone loss among older white subjects. Evidence for a benefit of vitamin D supplementation alone on reducing fracture risk is varied. According to a recent Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality review in the USA the evidence base shows mixed results for a beneficial effect of vitamin D on decreasing overall fracture risk. Limitations such as poor compliance with treatment, incomplete assessment of vitamin D status and large drop-out rates however, have been highlighted within some studies. In conclusion, it is generally accepted that vitamin D in combination with Ca reduces the risk of non-vertebral fractures particularly those in institutional care. The lack of data on vitamin D and bone health outcomes in certain population groups such as diverse racial groups warrants attention.
Galantamine is not a positive allosteric modulator of human α4β2 or α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors

The alkaloid galantamine was originally isolated from the green snowdrop Galanthus woronowii and is currently marketed as a drug for treatment of mild to moderate dementia in patients with Alzheimer's disease. In addition to a well‐documented proficiency to inhibit acetylcholinesterase, galantamine has been reported to increase neuronal nicotinic ACh (nACh) receptor function by acting as a positive allosteric modulator. Yet there remains controversy regarding these findings in the literature. To resolve this conundrum, we evaluated galantamine actions at α4β2 and α7, which represent the nACh receptors most commonly associated with mammalian cognitive domains.
Dissecting QNX

T his work concerns a dissection of QNX: a proprietary, real-time operating system aimed at the embedded market. QNX is used in many sensitive and critical devices in different industry verticals and while some prior security research has discussed QNX, mainly as a byproduct of BlackBerry mobile research, there is no prior work on QNX exploit mitigations and secure random number generators. In this work, carried out as part of the master’s thesis of the first author, we present the first reverse-engineering and analysis of the exploit mitigations, secure random number generators and memory management internals of QNX versions up to and including QNX 6.6 and the brand new 64-bit QNX 7.0 released in March 2017. We uncover a variety of design issues and vulnerabilities which have significant implications for the exploitability of memory corruption vulnerabilities on QNX as well as the strength of its cryptographic ecosystem.
Semi-Supervised Multinomial Naive Bayes for Text Classification by Leveraging Word-Level Statistical Constraint

Multinomial Naive Bayes with Expectation Maximization (MNB-EM) is a standard semi-supervised learning method to augment Multinomial Naive Bayes (MNB) for text classification. Despite its success, MNB-EM is not stable, and may succeed or fail to improve MNB. We believe that this is because MNB-EM lacks the ability to preserve the class distribution on words. In this paper, we propose a novel method to augment MNB-EM by leveraging the word-level statistical constraint to preserve the class distribution on words. The word-level statistical constraints are further converted to constraints on document posteriors generated by MNB-EM. Experiments demonstrate that our method can consistently improve MNB-EM, and outperforms state-of-art baselines remarkably.
Simultaneous peripheral and central venous pressure monitoring for evaluating cardiac preload in critically ill patients

Purpose: Arterial waveform-derived dynamic variables, such as stroke volume variation (SVV), are useful for predicting fluid responsiveness in perioperative patients. Since specific catheters and machines must be used for measuring SVV, we tried to find a novel indicator that correlates with SVV values and can be calculated using usual monitoring equipment. Methods: A total of 50 patients admitted to the ICU, both intubated (n=25) and non-intubated (n=25), were enrolled in this prospective observational study. Intubated patients received mechanical ventilation under pressure controlled ventilation (PCV) or continuous positive airway pressure /pressure support ventilation (CPAP/PSV) modes. SVV values were used for assessment of cardiac preload. Besides SVV, central venous pressure (CVP) and peripheral venous pressure (PVP) were simultaneously recorded. In each patient, 10 data pairs were randomly acquired at 1 hour or longer intervals. Results: Regression analysis showed a slightly weaker but substantial association between PVP and CVP (Pearson’s correlation coefficient r=0.91, p<0.0001). However, we found that PVP-CVP difference values correlated with SVV (r=0.64, p<0.0001). Moreover, we were able to predict whether SVV was normal (≤ 10%) or high (>10%) from PVP-CVP difference values with high accuracy. This prediction was not affected by the respiratory mode. Conclusion: The difference between PVP and CVP might serve as a novel indicator of the adequacy of cardiac preload that does not require specific equipment, such as the FloTrac/Vigileo Monitor®. Correspondence to: Tomonori Takazawa, Intensive Care Unit, Gunma University Hospital, 3-39-15 Showa-machi, Maebashi, 371-8511, Japan, Tel: +81-27-2208454; Fax: +81-27-220-8473; E-mail: takazawt@gunma-u.ac. jp
Characterization of Ultrathin Doping Layers in Semiconductors

Abstract: The compositional profile of a narrow layer of InAsxPl−x in InP has been determined using energy-filtered Fresnel contrast analysis, high-resolution electron microscopy (HREM), and high-angle annular dark-field (HAADF) imaging. The consistency of the results obtained using the three techniques is discussed, and conclusions are drawn both about the validity of interpreting the magnitude of Fresnel contrast data quantitatively and about the degree to which high-angle annular dark-field images of such materials are affected by inelastic scattering and strain.
Monitoring the Rates of Composite Events with Censored Data in Phase II Clinical Trials

Summary. In many phase II clinical trials, interim monitoring is based on the probability of a binary event, response, defined in terms of one or more time‐to‐event variables within a time period of fixed length. Such outcome‐adaptive methods may require repeated interim suspension of accrual in order to follow each patient for the time period required to evaluate response. This may increase trial duration, and eligible patients arriving during such delays either must wait for accrual to reopen or be treated outside the trial. Alternatively, monitoring may be done continuously by ignoring censored data each time the stopping rule is applied, which wastes information. We propose an adaptive Bayesian method that eliminates these problems. At each patient's accrual time, an approximate posterior for the response probability based on all of the event‐time data is used to compute an early stopping criterion. Application to a leukemia trial with a composite event shows that the method can reduce trial duration substantially while maintaining the reliability of interim decisions.
Leveraging Facebook's Free Basics Engine for Web Service Deployment in Developing Regions

In this paper we analyze Facebook's Free Basics program, which provides free Internet access to a restricted set of web services. As the program grows to 60+ developing countries, an independent and data-driven audit of its scope and outreach is highly relevant to the ICTD community. We provide the first large scale empirical observations on how content providers are using the Free Basics platform and what kind of user traffic is expected once a Free Basics service goes live. Implementing an Android app for data collection and recruiting participants from 15 countries, we analyze the current set of Free Basics services and their growth over time. We also deploy our own Free Basics services to gather first hand experience about Facebook's gate-keeping procedure in the program. One of our services Bugle News, an RSS news feed aggregator offered in English, Spanish and French, attracted 95.6K unique visitors from 55+ countries since Sep 2016. This enables us to characterize the nationality, demographics and interests of this Free Basics user population. We specifically deploy an ICTD related Free Basics service called Awaaz: My Voice. Awaaz is a web-service, where citizens can report local issues with location and images. This citizen journalism portal has attracted several hundred users during its short two months deployment in ten cities across South Africa. Visitors have reported concrete issues in categories of road, electricity, water, health and sanitation, school and education, crime and others. Overall our experimental observations allow the ICTD community to understand how Free Basics works and our deployment experiences pave the way for other applications to be launched in future, geared towards important use cases the ICTD community cares about.
Data-Driven Computational Methods

Modern scientific computational methods are undergoing a transformative change; big data and statistical learning methods now have the potential to outperform the classical first-principles modeling paradigm. This book bridges this transition, connecting the theory of probability, stochastic processes, functional analysis, numerical analysis, and differential geometry. It describes two classes of computational methods to leverage data for modeling dynamical systems. The first is concerned with data fitting algorithms to estimate parameters in parametric models that are postulated on the basis of physical or dynamical laws. The second class is on operator estimation, which uses the data to nonparametrically approximate the operator generated by the transition function of the underlying dynamical systems. This self-contained book is suitable for graduate studies in applied mathematics, statistics, and engineering. Carefully chosen elementary examples with supplementary MATLAB codes and appendices covering the relevant prerequisite materials are provided, making it suitable for self-study.