Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Developmental Control of NRAMP1 (SLC11A1) Expression in Professional Phagocytes

NRAMP1 (SLC11A1) is a professional phagocyte membrane importer of divalent metals that contributes to iron recycling at homeostasis and to nutritional immunity against infection. Analyses of data generated by several consortia and additional studies were integrated to hypothesize mechanisms restricting NRAMP1 expression to mature phagocytes. Results from various epigenetic and transcriptomic approaches were collected for mesodermal and hematopoietic cell types and compiled for combined analysis with results of genetic studies associating single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) with variations in NRAMP1 expression (eQTLs). Analyses establish that NRAMP1 is part of an autonomous topologically associated domain delimited by ubiquitous CCCTC-binding factor (CTCF) sites. NRAMP1 locus contains five regulatory regions: a predicted super-enhancer (S-E) key to phagocyte-specific expression; the proximal promoter; two intronic areas, including 3′ inhibitory elements that restrict expression during development; and a block of upstream sites possibly extending the S-E domain. Also the downstream region adjacent to the 3′ CTCF locus boundary may regulate expression during hematopoiesis. Mobilization of the locus 14 predicted transcriptional regulatory elements occurs in three steps, beginning with hematopoiesis; at the onset of myelopoiesis and through myelo-monocytic differentiation. Basal expression level in mature phagocytes is further influenced by genetic variation, tissue environment, and in response to infections that induce various epigenetic memories depending on microorganism nature. Constitutively associated transcription factors (TFs) include CCAAT enhancer binding protein beta (C/EBPb), purine rich DNA binding protein (PU.1), early growth response 2 (EGR2) and signal transducer and activator of transcription 1 (STAT1) while hypoxia-inducible factors (HIFs) and interferon regulatory factor 1 (IRF1) may stimulate iron acquisition in pro-inflammatory conditions. Mouse orthologous locus is generally conserved; chromatin patterns typify a de novo myelo-monocytic gene whose expression is tightly controlled by TFs Pu.1, C/ebps and Irf8; Irf3 and nuclear factor NF-kappa-B p 65 subunit (RelA) regulate expression in inflammatory conditions. Functional differences in the determinants identified at these orthologous loci imply that species-specific mechanisms control gene expression.
ICSV 14 Cairns • Australia 9-12 July , 2007 OCEAN ACOUSTIC INTERFEROMETRY EXPERIMENT

Ocean acoustic interferometry (OAI) is a technique which relates the cross-correlations from a line of active sources to two receivers within a waveguide, and the time domain Green’s function between said receivers. Within this paper, three specific OAI source geometries are briefly introduced and explained. Experimental OAI data were collected during the SW06 (Shallow Water ’06) sea trials during September 2006. Preliminary analysis of the data shows that the cross-correlations exhibit an observable structure.
Large-Scale Avian Influenza Surveillance in Wild Birds throughout the United States

Avian influenza is a viral disease that primarily infects wild and domestic birds, but it also can be transmitted to a variety of mammals. In 2006, the United States of America Departments of Agriculture and Interior designed a large-scale, interagency surveillance effort that sought to determine if highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses were present in wild bird populations within the United States of America. This program, combined with the Canadian and Mexican surveillance programs, represented the largest, coordinated wildlife disease surveillance program ever implemented. Here we analyze data from 197,885 samples that were collected from over 200 wild bird species. While the initial motivation for surveillance focused on highly pathogenic avian influenza, the scale of the data provided unprecedented information on the ecology of avian influenza viruses in the United States, avian influenza virus host associations, and avian influenza prevalence in wild birds over time. Ultimately, significant advances in our knowledge of avian influenza will depend on both large-scale surveillance efforts and on focused research studies.
Platelet to Lymphocyte Ratio in Cardiovascular Diseases: A Systematic Review

The platelet to lymphocyte ratio (PLR) is an integrated reflection of 2 opposite thrombotic/inflammatory pathways that are easily calculated from a complete blood count. The PLR initially served as a systemic inflammatory biomarker to predict the prognosis of neoplastic diseases. In recent years, the PLR has been used as a prognostic marker in cardiovascular (CV) conditions. In this review, we consider the evidence regarding the association of the PLR with CV disease (CVD) and its possible use as a prognostic marker of CVD. The role of PLR has been investigated in CV conditions in several studies. We assessed clinical trials using PubMed, EMBASE, and Web of Science (up to April 18, 2018) to evaluate the association between PLR and mortality/major adverse cardiac events in these conditions. Most of these studies reported significant relationships between a high PLR and diverse outcomes. In conclusion, we suggest that PLR is a cheap and easily available systemic inflammatory marker that can predict distinct outcomes in different types of CVD.
Splenectomy reduces lung metastases and tumoral and metastatic niche inflammation

The immune microenvironment plays a crucial role in supporting tumor growth and metastasis. Tumor‐associated macrophages (TAMs) and neutrophils (TANs) are essential components of this microenvironment and affect tumor growth and progression in almost all solid neoplasms. Furthermore, TAMs, TANs and tumor‐infiltrating dendritic cells (TIDCs) are found to infiltrate specific distant organs to prepare them as a site for metastatic cell seeding, forming the pre‐metastatic niche. The spleen was identified as a major reservoir and source of circulating and tumor infiltrating immune cells. However, discrepancies about its role in supporting tumor growth exist. Thus, here we investigated the role of splenectomy in primary tumor and metastatic growth, and in the formation of an inflammatory niche. In a murine 4T1 and E0771 breast and Panc02 pancreatic cancer model, our results show that while splenectomy reduces the number of infiltrating TAMs, TANs and TIDCs within primary tumors, it does not affect its growth. In line, fewer TAMs, TANs and TIDCs accumulate in the metastatic microenvironment after splenectomy. Interestingly though, this affected metastatic growth depending on the metastatic route/site. The number of hematogenous breast cancer lung metastases was reduced after splenectomy but no effect was observed in breast or pancreatic lymph node metastases. Moreover, we observed that the immune composition of the pre‐metastatic niche in lungs of breast cancer bearing mice was altered, and that this could cause the reduction of metastases. Altogether, our results highlight that splenectomy affects the immune microenvironment not only of primary tumors but also of pre‐metastatic and metastatic sites.
Urinary fibrin/fibrinogen degradation products measured using an anti‐fibrinogen antibody predict orthostatic proteinuria

The aim of this study was to assess the diagnostic value of urinary fibrin/fibrinogen degradation products (uFDP) measured using an anti‐fibrinogen antibody in patients with orthostatic proteinuria (OP), and their use in differentiating between OP and glomerulonephritis (GN).
Non-Hermitian dynamics of slowly varying Hamiltonians

We develop a theoretical description of non-Hermitian time evolution that accounts for the breakdown of the adiabatic theorem. We obtain closed-form expressions for the time-dependent state amplitudes, involving the complex eigenenergies as well as interband Berry connections calculated using basis sets from appropriately chosen Schur decompositions. Using a two-level system as an example, we show that our theory accurately captures the phenomenon of ``sudden transitions,'' where the system state abruptly jumps from one eigenstate to another.
Internet Use Among Older Adults: Association With Health Needs, Psychological Capital, and Social Capital

Background Previous studies have identified socioeconomic status and health status as predictors of older adults’ computer and Internet use, but researchers have not examined the relationships between older adults’ health needs and psychological capital (emotional well-being and self-efficacy) and social capital (social integration/ties and support networks) to different types of Internet use. Objective This study examined (1) whether older adults’ health conditions and psychological and social capital differentiate Internet users from nonusers, and (2) whether the Internet users differed in their types of Internet use on the basis of their health conditions and psychological and social capital. Methods Data for this study came from the National Health and Aging Trends Study, which is based on a nationally representative sample of US Medicare beneficiaries aged 65 years and older. The sample for this study were those who resided in the community in their own or others’ homes (N=6680). Binary logistic regression analysis was used to compare health needs, psychological capital, and social capital among (1) any type of Internet users and nonusers, (2) Internet users who engaged in health-related tasks and Internet users who did not, (3) Internet users who engaged in shopping/banking tasks and Internet users who did not, and (4) Internet users only used the Internet for email/texting and all other Internet users. Results Depressive and anxiety symptoms, measures of psychological capital, were negatively associated with Internet use among older adults (odds ratio [OR] 0.83, 95% CI 0.70-0.98, P=.03 and OR 0.79, 95% CI 0.65-0.97, P=.03, respectively), whereas most measures of social capital were positively associated with Internet use. Having more chronic medical conditions and engaging in formal volunteering increased the odds of Internet use for health-related tasks by 1.15 (95% CI 1.08-1.23, P<.001) and 1.28 (95% CI 1.05-1.57, P=.02), respectively, but anxiety symptoms decreased the odds (OR 0.74, 95% CI 0.55-0.99, P=.05). Religious service attendance was negatively associated with Internet use for shopping/banking activities (OR 0.75, 95% CI 0.62-0.91, P=.01). Anxiety symptoms increased the odds of using the Internet only for emails/texting (OR 1.75, 95% CI 1.12-2.75, P=.02), but formal volunteering decreased the odds (OR 0.63, 95% CI 0.43-0.92, P=.02). Other correlates of Internet use solely for emails/texting were older age (80-84 years and ≥85 years), a black or “other” racial/ethnic background, a high school education or less than high school, and lower income. Conclusions The findings point to the importance of social capital in facilitating older adults’ learning and adoption of Internet technology. Older adults who used the Internet for email/texting purposes only were the most socially and economically disadvantaged group of Internet users. Computer/Internet training for older adults and computer/Internet use for various purposes need to consider the significant role their social capital can play.
Garment Recognition and Grasping Point Detection for Clothing Assistance Task using Deep Learning*

Robotic manipulation of deformable objects such as the garments is a challenging task because of its non-linear dynamics and a high degree of freedom. In general, it is quite difficult to model cloth state. But the Robotic handling of garments is necessary for assistive tasks like Robotic Clothing Assistance. In this paper, we are trying to automate the garment manipulation process by the robot. In our framework, the robot recognizes the garment it is handling, find appropriate grasping points on the garment and brings the garment in a particular state so that the clothing assistance task can start. In this research, we are investigating the applicability of Deep Learning framework for garment recognition and grasping point detection. We have used Real Garment Dataset generated using Kinect sensor and two types of Synthetic Garment Datasets generated using physics simulator Maya. Convolutional Neural Networks are trained using these datasets to predict the class of the garment and the spatial coordinates of the grasping points. The framework was tested using real garments and it shows promising results in the detection of the type of cloth and grasping points.
Evidence-based Practices in Mentoring Students with Disabilities: Four Case Studies

Abstract: Individuals with disabilities are attending postsecondary institutions at higher rates than ever before, although many struggle to adjust in college environments. On one hand, higher education positively correlates with better employment outcomes, while on the other, higher edu-cation represents more stringent academic requirements and more diffused disability supports. One intervention used to check the ‘trauma’ of transition from high school to postsecondary education is mentoring. This article describes four successful mentorship programs, in various stages of maturity, which are currently funded by the National Science Foundation. The case studies describe the structure of each program, recruitment strategies, the students involved, and outcomes achieved to date. Implications or ‘lessons learned’ are also discussed to provide other important information and impetus for those anticipating such programs. INTRODUCTION Approximately 3 million individuals aged 5 to 15 years old and 24 million individuals aged 16 to 64 years old are experiencing disability in the United States, according the newest American Community Survey (U.S. Bureau of the Census, 2007). Of individuals with disabilities aged 16 to 64, 37.2% were employed and 30.7% lived below the pover-ty line (U.S. Bureau of the Census). These statistics are similar to those reported in 2005, when 38.1 percent of working age adults with disabilities reported working, with only 22.6 percent working full-time for the full year (StatsRRTC, 2005). Jones (1997) and Smith (2007) noted that people with disabilities continue to experience not-ably lower rates of employment than indi-viduals without disabilities and that targeted interventions are needed to impact these dis-crepancies. Mentoring is one example of an intervention that has been promoted for enhancing facili-tators and reducing barriers for successful educational and vocational opportunities for people with disabilities (Burgstahler, 2002, 2003, 2006, 2008; Campbell-Whatley, 2001; Campbell-Whatley, Algozzine, & Obiakor, 1997; Jones, 1997; Kram & Isabella, 1985; Stumbo, Lindahl-Lewis, & Blegen, 2008). Mentoring for individuals with disabilities has been widely advocated, although not well-researched or documented (Coombs-Richardson, 2002; Powers, Sowers, & Ste-vens, 1995; Snowden, 2003; Stumbo et al.; Sword & Hill, 2003; Whelley, Radtke, Burgstahler, & Christ, 2003; Wilson, 2003). DuBois and Rhodes (2006), in establishing a national research agenda for youth mentor-ing, called for “best practice” program de-scriptions that produce positive outcomes. This article describes four related, but inde-pendent, mentoring programs for secondary and postsecondary students with disabilities. Descriptions on the overall structure, re-cruitment strategies, types of students in-volved, outcomes, and implications are pro-vided for these programs that promote the success of students with disabilities in science, technology, engineering, and ma-thematics (STEM) education and careers. Each of these four programs provides men-
HoliTrust-A Holistic Cross-Domain Trust Management Mechanism for Service-Centric Internet of Things

Internet of Things (IoT) is proposed and used in diverse application domains. In IoT, nodes commonly have a low capacity to maintain security on their own expenses, which increases the vulnerability for several attacks. Many approaches have been proposed that are based on privacy and trust management to reduce these vulnerabilities. Existing approaches neglect the aspects of cross-domain node communications and the significance of cross-domain trust management. In this paper, we propose a Holistic Cross-domain trust management model (HoliTrust) that is based on multilevel central authorities. To provide multilevel security, the HoliTrust divides domains into communities on the basis of similarities and interests. Every community has its dedicated server to calculate and manage the degree of trust. In addition, these domains also have their dedicated servers to manage their specific domains, to communicate with the trust server, and to sustain trust among other domain servers. The trust sever is introduced in the HoliTrust that controls the domains, calculates the domain trust, manages the trust values, and distributes standard trust certificates to domains based on a degree of trust. Trust computation is performed on the basis of direct and indirect trust parameters. Furthermore, if a trustor communicates through the community, then the community server includes community trust of the trustee during the trust evaluation. If the communication of the trustor is across the domain, then the community server includes the domain trust along with the community trust of the trustee comprising direct and indirect observations. The overall trust evaluation of communities and domains is time-driven and the responsible authority computes trust after a specific interval of time. We have also compared the HoliTrust with the existing trust mechanisms by focusing on several holistic trust objectives, such as trust relation and decision, data perception trust, and privacy preservation.
Upregulation of MiR-212 Inhibits Migration and Tumorigenicity and Inactivates Wnt/β-Catenin Signaling in Human Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Background: MicroRNAs are involved in hepatocellular carcinoma metastasis, a principal cause of hepatocellular carcinoma–related death in patients worldwide. MiR-212 is a microRNA that has been identified in several types of cancers and is postulated to influence cell signaling and subsequent malignant pathogenesis. Despite emerging reports suggesting that miR-212 plays a significant role in the onset, progression, and migration of these types of malignant tumors, its involvement in the development of hepatocellular carcinoma has not been fully elucidated. Materials and Methods: Quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction, wound healing, transwell migration and invasion assays, Western blotting, and xenograft tumor growth models were performed to test the expression levels and functions of miR-212 in hepatocellular carcinoma. Luciferase reporter assay, quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction, Western blotting, and immunohistochemistry were used to identify and verify the target of miR-212. Results: In this study, we identify significant repression of miR-212 in hepatocellular carcinoma and demonstrate that overexpression of miR-212 inhibits the migration of hepatocellular carcinoma cells in vitro and in vivo. Furthermore, we identify forkhead box M1, whose expression is inversely related to that of miR-212, as a direct target of miR-212. Additionally, reexpression of forkhead box M1 rescues the miR-212-mediated inhibition of cell migration. We observed that inhibition of miR-212 activates forkhead box M1 but inhibits the Wnt/β-catenin pathway by suppressing Wnt, LEF-1, c-Myc, and nuclear β-catenin. Finally, in vivo studies confirmed the inhibitory effect of miR-212 on hepatocellular carcinoma growth. Conclusion: Our present findings indicate that miR-212 is a potential prognostic biomarker of hepatocellular carcinoma and that the miR-212/forkhead box M1 regulatory axis may represent a new therapeutic objective for hepatocellular carcinoma treatment.
Topography shapes the structure, composition and function of tropical forest landscapes

Abstract Topography is a key driver of tropical forest structure and composition, as it constrains local nutrient and hydraulic conditions within which trees grow. Yet, we do not fully understand how changes in forest physiognomy driven by topography impact other emergent properties of forests, such as their aboveground carbon density (ACD). Working in Borneo – at a site where 70‐m‐tall forests in alluvial valleys rapidly transition to stunted heath forests on nutrient‐depleted dip slopes – we combined field data with airborne laser scanning and hyperspectral imaging to characterise how topography shapes the vertical structure, wood density, diversity and ACD of nearly 15 km2 of old‐growth forest. We found that subtle differences in elevation – which control soil chemistry and hydrology – profoundly influenced the structure, composition and diversity of the canopy. Capturing these processes was critical to explaining landscape‐scale heterogeneity in ACD, highlighting how emerging remote sensing technologies can provide new insights into long‐standing ecological questions.
Drug-Eluting Resorbable Magnesium Scaffold Implantation in ST-Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction: A Pilot Study.

OBJECTIVES To assess feasibility and short-term clinical outcomes associated with resorbable magnesium scaffold (RMS) implantation in the setting of primary percutaneous coronary intervention for ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). BACKGROUND RMS implantation has demonstrated favorable clinical outcomes in stable coronary artery disease patients. However, to date, data are lacking in the setting of STEMI. METHODS This is a single-center prospective non-randomized pilot study. Patients admitted for STEMI were enrolled according to prespecified inclusion and exclusion criteria. The primary endpoint was device-oriented composite endpoint (DOCE), including cardiac death, target-vessel myocardial infarction, and target-lesion revascularization (TLR) within 30 days of the index procedure. Secondary endpoints were procedural success, any probable/definite scaffold thrombosis, and DOCE at subsequent follow-up. RESULTS From December 1, 2016 to October 30, 2017, a total of 18 patients were included. Follow-up data were available for 17 patients (94%). There was no primary endpoint event. Procedural success was 100%. Patients were followed for a median of 153 days (range, 59-326 days). Over that extended follow-up period, 1 case of TLR occurred 102 days after the index procedure. There was no case of definite or probable scaffold thrombosis. CONCLUSIONS This pilot study is the first to assess feasibility and clinical outcomes associated with RMS implantation in selected STEMI patients. The results seem reassuring, with favorable short-term clinical outcomes and absence of definite/probable scaffold thrombosis, and should prompt further research including randomized controlled trials evaluating RMS implantation in the setting of STEMI.
Effective Resource Utilization Schemes for Decode-and-Forward Relay Networks With NOMA

This paper investigates an effective resource utilization scheme for the decode-and-forward (DF) cooperative relaying networks (CRNs) with non-orthogonal multiple access (NOMA). Considering a $T$ time slots transmission, the proposed effective resource utilization scheme adopts max-min relay selections to satisfy the quality-of-service (QoS) and provide a higher priority. Unlike the conventional CRNs, to improve the system performance and resource utilization, the unselected relays will continue receiving the signals transmitted by the base station (BS), as well as the selected relays forward the decoded signals to the user equipment (UE). Moreover, the maximum ratio combining (MRC) is utilized at the UE to jointly detect the receptions for each time slot. The achievable average sum-rate (SR) of the proposed system is analyzed for independent Rayleigh fading channels, and the asymptotic expressions are also provided. The qualitative numerical results corroborating our theoretical analysis show that the proposed effective resource utilization scheme significantly improves the transmission rate and SR performance in comparison to the conventional CRN-NOMA schemes.