Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Induction of the Unfolded Protein Response Drives Enhanced Metabolism and Chemoresistance in Glioma Cells

The unfolded protein response (UPR) is an endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-based cytoprotective mechanism acting to prevent pathologies accompanying protein aggregation. It is frequently active in tumors, but relatively unstudied in gliomas. We hypothesized that UPR stress effects on glioma cells might protect tumors from additional exogenous stress (ie, chemotherapeutics), postulating that protection was concurrent with altered tumor cell metabolism. Using human brain tumor cell lines, xenograft tumors, human samples and gene expression databases, we determined molecular features of glioma cell UPR induction/activation, and here report a detailed analysis of UPR transcriptional/translational/metabolic responses. Immunohistochemistry, Western and Northern blots identified elevated levels of UPR transcription factors and downstream ER chaperone targets in gliomas. Microarray profiling revealed distinct regulation of stress responses between xenograft tumors and parent cell lines, with gene ontology and network analyses linking gene expression to cell survival and metabolic processes. Human glioma samples were examined for levels of the ER chaperone GRP94 by immunohistochemistry and for other UPR components by Western blotting. Gene and protein expression data from patient gliomas correlated poor patient prognoses with increased expression of ER chaperones, UPR target genes, and metabolic enzymes (glycolysis and lipogenesis). NMR-based metabolomic studies revealed increased metabolic outputs in glucose uptake with elevated glycolytic activity as well as increased phospholipid turnover. Elevated levels of amino acids, antioxidants, and cholesterol were also evident upon UPR stress; in particular, recurrent tumors had overall higher lipid outputs and elevated specific UPR arms. Clonogenicity studies following temozolomide treatment of stressed or unstressed cells demonstrated UPR-induced chemoresistance. Our data characterize the UPR in glioma cells and human tumors, and link the UPR to chemoresistance possibly via enhanced metabolism. Given the role of the UPR in the balance between cell survival and apoptosis, targeting the UPR and/or controlling metabolic activity may prove beneficial for malignant glioma therapeutics.
The Potential Growth of Sugarcane in Constructed Wetlands Designed for Tertiary Treatment of Wastewater

This research was conducted to evaluate the feasibility of using the bioenergy crop Saccharum officinarum (sugarcane) as vegetation and mineral wastes for filling in constructed wetlands (CWs) designed for the removal of nutrients from wastewater. Four horizontal subsurface flow pilot-scale CWs were monitored during one year: two filled with fragmented limestone and two with clay brick fragments, two planted and two unplanted controls. Sugarcane stalk height, diameter and foliar area were evaluated during the plant-cane cycle along with total phosphorus (TP) and total nitrogen (TN) removal efficiencies from the wastewater. Sugarcane biomass production was 107 ton/ha for the brick fragments filled CW and 67 ton/ha for the fragmented limestone filled CW. Planted CWs show better nutrient removal efficiencies than the unplanted. Planted CW filled with brick fragments show average efficiencies of 77% ± 4% for TP and 60% ± 12% for TN, and planted CW filled with fragmented limestone 68% ± 3% for TP and 58% ± 7% for TN. Results showed that the use of sugarcane as CW vegetation is a viable alternative to produce a bioethanol raw-material without the use of arable land and irrigation water, while it maintains the wastewater treatment capabilities of CWs.
Impetuses for First, Second, and Third Year Law Student Information Seeking Behavior, and Perception of Common Knowledge and Citation

This dissertation examined how previous information literacy training, law student gender, age, and previously obtained education affects first, second, and third year law students selection of information sources, their understanding of common knowledge, and their decision of whether or not to give attribution to these sources. To examine these factors, this study implemented a paradigm called the principle of least effort that contended humans in general tended to complete the least amount of work possible to complete presented tasks. This study sought to discover whether law students follow this same path of completing the least amount of work possible to finish presented tasks, and whether this behavior affects information source selection, citation, and understanding of common knowledge. I performed six focus groups and crafted and disseminated an online survey to examine these factors. Via this data collection, it was discovered that law students do exhibit some differences in understanding of citation and citation behavior based on age and their year in law school. They also exhibited some differences regarding common knowledge based on their year in law school, where they received their information literacy training, and where they attend law school. Yet, no statistically significant differences were discovered regarding where one attends law school and citation and source selection. Further this study revealed law students do follow this paradigm and seek the path of least resistance to accomplish law school assignments.
If things can only get worse : Anticipation of enlargement in European Union legislative politics

Anticipation is a central feature of political behaviour. It has an impact on actors' choices and can change the timing of decisions. This article analyses anticipation in legislative politics. After delineating different objects as well as consequences of anticipation theoretically, a set of hypotheses about anticipatory behaviour in EU decision-making is derived. In particular, it is asked whether the EU Council anticipates the arrival of new Member States and how this affects legislative output. The theory is tested by estimating count models using a dataset that contains information on all binding EU legislation from 1976 to 2007. Covering five enlargement rounds, evidence is presented for anticipatory behaviour in EU legislative politics.
Building a Web-Based Parallel Corpus and Filtering Out Machine-Translated Text

We describe a set of techniques that have been developed while collecting parallel texts for Russian-English language pair and building a corpus of parallel sentences for training a statistical machine translation system. We discuss issues of verifying potential parallel texts and filtering out automatically translated documents. Finally we evaluate the quality of the 1-million-sentence corpus which we believe may be a useful resource for machine translation research.
Probabilistic Inference for Fast Learning in Control in Proceedings of the 8 th European Workshop on Reinforcement Learning ( EWRL

We provide a novel framework for very fast model-based reinforcement learning in continuous state and action spaces. The framework requires probabilistic models that explicitly characterize their levels of confidence. Within this framework, we use flexible, non-parametric models to describe the world based on previously collected experience. We demonstrate learning on the cart-pole problem in a setting where we provide very limited prior knowledge about the task. Learning progresses rapidly, and a good policy is found after only a hand-full of iterations.
Inflection Generation as Discriminative String Transduction

We approach the task of morphological inflection generation as discriminative string transduction. Our supervised system learns to generate word-forms from lemmas accompanied by morphological tags, and refines them by referring to the other forms within a paradigm. Results of experiments on six diverse languages with varying amounts of training data demonstrate that our approach improves the state of the art in terms of predicting inflected word-forms.
Causality in Databases: The Diagnosis and Repair Connections

In this work we establish and investigate the connections between causality for query answers in databases, database repairs wrt. denial constraints, and consistency-based diagnosis. The first two are relatively new problems in databases, and the third one is an established subject in knowledge representation. We show how to obtain database repairs from causes and the other way around. The vast body of research on database repairs can be applied to the newer problem of determining actual causes for query answers. By formulating a causality problem as a diagnosis problem, we manage to characterize causes in terms of a system's diagnoses.
A Compact Model for Valence-Band Electron Tunneling Current in Partially Depleted SOI MOSFETs

The valence-band electron (EVB) tunneling current in partially depleted silicon-on-insulator (SOI) MOSFETs increases as the gate oxide gets thinner and affects the dynamic behavior of devices and circuits. We present an engineering model of EVB tunneling current based on the surface-potential formulation. The new model is implemented in a SOI MOSFET compact model and is used to study the impact of EVB tunneling on circuit performance. Simulations of stacked logic gates show that the EVB tunneling current not only boosts circuit switching speed but also mitigates the history dependence of propagation delays
Are the Current Classifications and Radiographic Measurements for Trochlear Dysplasia Appropriate in the Skeletally Immature Patient?

Background: The assessment and classification of trochlear dysplasia in pediatric patients has yet to be well documented or validated. Purpose: To examine several different measurements/classifications of trochlear dysplasia in skeletally immature patients to assess inter- and intraobserver reliability and to determine which best correlates with patellar instability. Study Design: Cohort study (diagnosis); Level of evidence, 3. Methods: Radiographs and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans of 36 skeletally immature patients undergoing surgery for patellar instability were compared with 27 age-matched cohort patients who had similar imaging for an acute knee injury but no clinical evidence of patellar instability. Trochlear dysplasia was measured/classified using the radiographic and MRI Dejour classifications, the trochlear depth index (TDI), the lateral trochlear inclination (LTI), and the medial condyle trochlear offset (MCTO). Additionally, the tibial tubercle–trochlear groove (TT-TG) distance was calculated for all patients. Inter- and intraobserver reliability of each measurement, as well as the ability to discriminate patients with patellar instability, were evaluated. Results: Inadequate radiographs prevented the radiographic Dejour classification from being assessed in 78% of cases. The MRI Dejour classification had the lowest inter- and intraobserver reliabilities (κ = 0.687 and 0.596, respectively); all other measurements were greater than 0.80. The TDI, LTI, and MCTO all significantly differentiated patients with patellar instability compared with those with no instability, with critical cutoffs of 3 mm, 17°, and 1 mm, respectively. Patients with a TDI <3 mm or MCTO <1 mm were 33 and 38 times more likely to have patellar instability, respectively. The TT-TG was directly correlated with trochlear dysplasia severity. Conclusion: Trochlear dysplasia is common in skeletally immature patients with patellar instability. The objective assessment of trochlear dysplasia with axial imaging MRI is reliable. The objective measurements of TDI, LTI, and MCTO are more reproducible than the more subjective Dejour classification. The TDI, LTI, and MCTO all significantly differentiated patients with patellar instability.
Sex‐related differences in intrinsic myocardial properties influence cardiac function in middle‐aged rats during infarction‐induced left ventricular remodeling

We previously determined that residual left ventricular (LV) myocardium of middle‐aged rats had sex‐related differences in regional tissue properties 4 weeks after a large myocardial infarction (MI). However, the impact of such differences on cardiac performance remained unclear. Therefore, our current study aimed to elucidate whether sex‐related changes in MI‐induced myocardial remodeling can influence cardiac function. A similar‐sized MI was induced in 12‐month‐old male (M‐MI) and female (F‐MI) Sprague–Dawley rats by ligation of the left coronary artery. The cardiac function was monitored for 2 months after MI and then various LV parameters were compared between sexes. We found that although two sex groups had a similar pattern of MI‐induced decline in LV function, F‐MI rats had greater cardiac performance compared to M‐MI rats, considering the higher values of EF (39.9 ± 3.4% vs. 26.7 ± 7.7%, P < 0.05), SW index (40.4 ± 2.1 mmHg • mL/kg vs. 20.2 ± 3.3 mmHg • mL/kg, P < 0.001), and CI (139.2 ± 7.9 mL/min/kg vs. 74.9 ± 14.7 mL/min/kg, P < 0.01). The poorer pumping capacity in M‐MI hearts was associated with markedly reduced LV compliance and prolonged relaxation. On the tissue level, F‐MI rats revealed a higher, than in M‐MI rats, density of cardiac myocytes in the LV free wall (2383.8 ± 242.6 cells/mm2 vs. 1785.7 ± 55.9 cells/mm2, P < 0.05). The latter finding correlated with a lower density of apoptotic cardiac myocytes in residual LV myocardium of F‐MI rats (0.18 ± 0.08 cells/mm2 vs. 0.91 ± 0.30 cells/mm2 in males, P < 0.01). Thus, our data suggested that F‐MI rats had markedly attenuated decline in cardiac performance compared to males due to ability of female rats to better retain functionally favorable intrinsic myocardial properties.
TRPV1 Gene Deficiency Attenuates Miniature EPSC Potentiation Induced by Mannitol and Angiotensin II in Supraoptic Magnocellular Neurons

The release of arginine vasopressin (AVP) from the magnocellular neurosecretory cells (MNCs) in the supraoptic nucleus (SON) is crucial for body fluid homeostasis. The MNC activity is modulated by synaptic inputs and humoral factors. A recent study demonstrated that an N-terminal splice variant of the transient receptor potential vanilloid type 1 (TRPV1) is essential for osmosensory transduction in the SON. In the present study, we examined the effects of mannitol and angiotensin II on miniature EPSCs (mEPSCs) in the supraoptic MNCs using whole-cell patch-clamp recording in in vitro slice preparation. Mannitol (60 mm) and angiotensin II (0.1 μm) increased the frequency of mEPSCs without affecting the amplitude. These effects were attenuated by pre-exposure to a nonspecific TRPV channel blocker, ruthenium red (10 μm) and enhanced by pre-exposure to cannabinoid type1 receptor antagonist, AM251 (2 μm). Mannitol-induced potentiation of mEPSCs was not attenuated by angiotensin II receptor antagonist, losartan (10 μm), indicating independent pathways of mannitol and angiotensin II to the TRPV channels. The potentiation of mEPSCs by mannitol was not mimicked by a TRPV1 agonist, capsaicin, and also not attenuated by TRPV1 blockers, capsazepine (10 μm). PKC was involved in angiotensin II-induced potentiation of mEPSCs. The effects of mannitol and angiotensin II on the supraoptic MNCs in trpv1 knock-out mice were significantly attenuated compared with those in wild-type mice counterparts. The results suggest that hyperosmotic stimulation and angiotensin II independently modulate mEPSCs through capsaicin-insensitive TRPV1 channel in the presynaptic terminals of the SON.
African American adolescent mothers their families and their daughters: a longitudinal perspective over twelve years.

This paper described a study of an urban population of adolescent mothers and their firstborn children from infancy to early adolescence. Utilizing illustrative case studies it examined families adaptability to adolescent childbearing. These case studies focused on two generations of urban adolescent females: the adolescent mothers and their firstborn daughters as they developed from toddlers to adolescents themselves. In the first two cases they illustrated how family support can take quite different configurations and yet be equally effective. The third case showed how insufficient family support and multiple childbearing could affect an adolescent mother and her children adversely. The fourth case is an illustration of difficulties experienced by a teen mother who had no parents and virtually no family support to guide her. In addition the support that was given by African American families to their fledgling teen mothers is described. It was noted that family support was a powerful variable in the lives of adolescent parents. Several models of familial adaptation to adolescent parenthood are identified. This includes the Replacement Model Parental Supplement Supported Primary Parent and the Apprentice Model.
Mirabolides A and B; New Cytotoxic Glycerides from the Red Sea Sponge Theonella mirabilis

As a part of our continuing work to find out bioactive lead molecules from marine invertebrates, the CHCl3 fraction of the organic extract of the Red Sea sponge Theonella mirabilis showed cytotoxic activity in our primary screen. Bioassay-guided purification of the active fractions of the sponge’s extract resulted in the isolation of two new glycerides, mirabolides A and B (1 and 2), together with the reported 4-methylene sterols, conicasterol (3) and swinhosterol B (4). The structures of the compounds were assigned by interpretation of their 1D (1H, 13C), 2D (COSY, HSQC, HMBC, ROESY) NMR spectral data and high-resolution mass determinations. Compounds 1–4 displayed marked cytotoxic activity against human breast adenocarcinoma cell line (MCF-7) with IC50 values of 16.4, 5.18, 6.23 and 3.0 μg/mL, respectively, compared to 5.4 μg/mL observed by doxorubicin as reference drug.
A symplectic jeu de taquin bijection between the tableaux of King and of De Concini

The de(cid:12)nitions, methods, and results are entirely combinatorial. The symplectic jeu de taquin algorithm developed here is an extension of Sch¨utzenberger’s original jeu de taquin and acts on a skew form of De Concini’s symplectic standard tableaux. This algorithm is used to construct a weight preserving bijection between the two most widely known sets of symplectic tableaux. Anticipated applications to Knuth relations and to decomposing symplectic tensor products are indicated.
Natural-Gradient Actor-Critic Algorithms

We prove the convergence of four new reinforcement learning algorithms based on the actorcritic architecture, on function approximation, and on natural gradients. Reinforcement learning is a class of methods for solving Markov decision processes from sample trajectories under lack of model information. Actor-critic reinforcement learning methods are online approximations to policy iteration in which the value-function parameters are estimated using temporal difference learning and the policy parameters are updated by stochastic gradient ascent/descent. Reinforcement learning methods based on policy gradients in this way are of special interest because of their compatibility with function approximation methods, which are needed to handle infinite or large state spaces, and the use of temporal-difference learning in this way is of special interest because in many applications it dramatically reduces the variance of the estimates. Natural or Fisher-information versions of policy gradient algorithms are of interest because they can produce better conditioned parameterizations and have been shown to have further reduced variance in some cases. Our results extend prior two-timescale convergence results for actor-critic methods by Konda and Tsitsiklis by using temporal difference learning in the actor and by incorporating natural gradients. Our results extend prior empirical studies of natural-gradient actor-critic methods by Peters, Vijayakumar and Schaal by providing the first convergence proofs and the first fully incremental algorithms. We present empirical results verifying the convergence of our algorithms. A limitation of our results is that they do not address the use of least-squares methods and eligibility traces.
The impact and effectiveness of extensive reading in a Jordanian EFL classroom

Extensive reading, which implies reading large quantities of easy, comprehensible materials for pleasure, is widely believed to enhance foreign language learning through its wide range of benefits (e.g., increasing reading speed and vocabulary knowledge). Jordanian EFL students are reported to suffer from reading boredom, demotivation and lack of reading fluency and therefore this study proposed the extensive reading approach as a potential solution in a Jordanian EFL context. This study investigated the impact of an extensive reading approach on Jordanian EFL students’ reading speed, vocabulary knowledge, reading strategies, productive skills, motivation for and attitudes towards reading in the target language. A total of ten Jordanian EFL students participated in the study. They were situated in a print-rich environment, where they experienced flow reading and did various extensive reading activities in and out of class. A mixed methods action research design was employed over a 12-week extensive reading programme. Data were collected from multiple sources (e.g., tests, checklists, diaries, interviews and focus group) to add more credibility to the study. The resulting data were both statistically and thematically analysed. The findings of the study showed that the impact of the extensive reading approach was positive on the students’ language skills and motivation to read in the target language. The results also revealed a positive correlation between extensive reading and the language skills i.e., reading speed, vocabulary knowledge and reading strategies. As far as their productive skills were concerned, the results of the study showed little development in the students’ speaking skill and even less visible improvement in their writing skill. The implications of extensive reading in FL curricula are discussed.
Charles A. Dice Center for Research in Financial Economics Liquid-claim production, risk management and bank capital structure: Why High leverage is optimal for banks

Liquidity production is a central function of banks. High leverage is optimal for banks in a model that has just enough frictions for banks to have a meaningful role in liquid-claim production. The model has a market premium for (socially valuable) safe/liquid debt, but no taxes or other traditional motives to lever up. Because only safe debt commands a liquidity premium, banks with risky assets use risk management to maximize their capacity to include such debt in the capital structure. The model can explain why banks have higher leverage than most operating firms, why risk management is central to banks’ operating policies, why bank leverage increased over the last 150 years or so, and why leverage limits for regulated banks impede their ability to compete with unregulated shadow banks. JEL classification: G21, G32
Gendering security: The substantive representation of women in the Israeli parliament

The study focuses on the links between gender and national security in the legislative arena in Israel, considering whether men and women legislators prioritize security differently, alongside other thematic policy areas. The centrality of national security issues in Israeli politics makes it a good case study for these questions, as it enhances existing gendered stereotypes. The article examines two competing hypotheses. The first suggests that Israeli female legislators will mostly refrain from addressing national security policy issues, focusing instead on softer policy issues, such as gender equality, education, health, and welfare. The second suggests the opposite, claiming that women legislators in Israel will align themselves with their male counterparts’ set of priorities, focusing heavily on issues related to national security. The study finds support mostly for the former: Israeli female legislators are especially active in policy areas relating to women’s issues and children/family and are less active in regard to national security, a policy area heavily dominated by male legislators.