Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Ex vivo Dynamics of Human Glioblastoma Cells in a Microvasculature‐on‐a‐Chip System Correlates with Tumor Heterogeneity and Subtypes

The perivascular niche (PVN) plays an essential role in brain tumor stem-like cell (BTSC) fate control, tumor invasion, and therapeutic resistance. Herein we report on the use of a microvasculature-on-a-chip system as a PVN model to evaluate the dynamics of BTSCs ex vivo from 10 glioblastoma patients. We observed that BTSCs preferentially localize in the perivascular zone. Live cell tracking revealed that the cells residing in the vicinity of microvessels had the lowest motility, while a fraction of cells on the microvessels unexpectedly possessed the highest motility and migrated over the longest distance. These results indicate that the perivascular zone is a niche for BTSCs, while the microvascular tracks are also a path for long-distance tumor cell migration and invasion. Additionally, the degree of co-localization between tumor cells and microvessels varied significantly across patients. To validate the results from our microvasculature-on-a-chip system, we used single-cell transcriptome sequencing (10 patients and 21,750 single cells in total) to identify the subtype of each tumor cell. The co-localization coefficient was found to correlate positively with proneural (stem-like) or mesenchymal (invasive) but not classical (proliferative) tumor cells. Furthermore, we found that a gene signature profile including PDGFRA correlated strongly with the “homing” of brain tumor cells to the PVN. Our findings demonstrated that ex vivo dynamics of human brain tumor cells in a microvasculature-on-a-chip model can recapitulate in vivo tumor cell dynamics, heterogeneity, and subtypes, representing a new route to the study of human tumor cell biology and uncover patient-specific tumor cell functions.
The effects of some domestic pollutants on the cumacean (Crustacea) community structure at the coastal waters of the Dardanelles, Turkey

This study was carried out to determine the effects of sewage pollution on the cumacean assemblages found in the coastal waters of the Dardanelles. The samples were collected by a SCUBA diver between July 2008 and April 2009 and a total of 102 specimens belong to 5 cumacea species, Bodotria arenosa mediterranea, Cumopsis goodsir, Cumella limicola, Iphinoe maeotica and Pseudocuma longicorne was recorded. The dominant species, Iphinoe maeotica has the highest dominance value (36.66%). Multiregression approach resulted in statistically insignificant relationship between physical, chemical and biochemical variables of water and sediment and Bodotria arenosa mediterranea, Cumopsis goodsir, Cumella limicola, and Iphinoe maeotica. Based on multiple regression test, a significant relationship with R 2 = 92.2%, F= 7.876 and p= 0.000 was found between six water and sediment quality constituents and numbers of Pseudocuma longicornis at the stations studied of the Dardanelles. On the other hand, water temperature (β= -0.114; t= -2.811, p= 0.016); sediment organic matter (β= -0.011; t= -2.406; p= 0.033) and water phosphorus (PO4) (β= 0.323; t= 3.444; p= 0.005) were found to be the most important water and sediment parameters that affect Pseudocuma longicornis.
Energy Distribution Analysis of Uterine Electromyography Signals

Today, many of the characteristics of the transabdominal uterine electromyogram (EMG) arc well established. Sonic of these characteristics are currently used to monitor pregnancy and detect labor. However, further investigations are needed in order to improve true labor detection. We introduced in this study the way the energy distribution of the uterine FMG signal is modified during pregnancy and in labor. We analyzed recordings of uterine electrical activity in eleven women at different increasing pregnancy terms and at labor. We introduced a method tot pregnancy monitoring based on the evolution of the energy distribution of the uterine EMG throughout gestation using wavelet packet transform (WPT). The results obtained from the analyzed data indicate that energy emerges significantly towards higher frequencies along gestation. Furthermore, we observed a noticeable difference in the energy distribution between two studied classes (pregnancy and labor). The results are supported by statistical analysis using t-test indicating good statistical significance with a confidence level of 95%. Our study provides convincing evidence that pregnancy can be monitored and labor can he detected by the means of uterine EMG using its energy distribution. Therefore, the analysis of uterine electrical activity can be very promising to identify preterm labor.
1 The circulating transcriptome as a source of 2 biomarkers for melanoma 3

The circulating transcriptome is a valuable source of cancer biomarkers, which with the 39 exception of miRNAs, remains relatively unexplored. To elucidate which RNAs are present in 40 plasma from melanoma patients and which could be used to distinguish cancer patients of healthy 41 individuals, we used next generation sequencing (NGS) and validation was carried out by qPCR 42 and/or ddPCR. We identified 442 different microRNAs in samples, eleven of which were 43 differentially expressed (P<0.05). Levels of miR-134-5p and miR-320a-3p were significantly 44 down-regulated (P<0.001) in melanoma samples (n=96) compared to healthy controls (n=28). 45 Differentially expressed protein-encoding mRNA, 5 ́-fragments, were enriched for the 46 angiopoietin, PAK and EIF2 pathways. Levels of ATM1, AMFR, SOS1 and CD109 gene fragments 47 were up-regulated (P<0.001) in melanoma samples (n=144) compared to healthy controls (n=41) 48 (AUC=0.825). Over 40% of mapped reads were YRNAs, a class of non-coding RNAs that to date has 49 been little explored. Expression levels of RNY3P1, RNY4P1 and RNY4P25 were significantly higher 50 Preprints (www.preprints.org) | NOT PEER-REVIEWED | Posted: 19 November 2018 doi:10.20944/preprints201811.0423. v1 © 2018 by the author(s). Distributed under a Creative Commons CC BY license. Peer-reviewed version available at Cancers 2019, 11, 70; doi:10.3390/cancers11010070
Series WP 2009-06 School of Economic Sciences CAN INTEGRITY REPLACE INSTITUTIONS ? THEORY AND EVIDENCE

Institutions are important for proper economic performance, but can be somewhat replaced by trust or other social norms. This study shows that institutions and trust can be replaced by integrity of the individual agents in the economy, regardless of any social arrangement. We construct a model of a transactions-based economy in which transactions are preceded by contracts, and show that any one of (1) institutions, (2) trust, or (3) integrity, can foster economic growth, while the absence of all three will lead to economic decay. The model also predicts that in the absence of institution and trust, dishonest agents may gain higher payoffs than honest agents. We construct data of economic performance of different social groups in Lebanon, measure integrity and other values of these groups, and support the latter conclusion with this data. JEL CLASSIFICATION: A13, C73, E19, O43
Vertical emissivity profiles of Jupiter's northern H3+ and H2 infrared auroras observed by Subaru/IRCS

We resolved the vertical emissivity profiles of H3+ overtone, H3+ hot overtone, and H2 emission lines of the Jovian northern auroras in K band obtained in December 2011 observed by the IR Camera and Spectrograph of the Subaru 8.2 m telescope with the adaptive optics system (AO188). The spatial resolution achieved was ~0.2 arcsec, corresponding to ~600 km at Jupiter. We derived the vertical emissivity profiles at three polar regions close to the Jovian limb. The H3+ overtone and H3+ hot overtone lines had similar peak altitudes of 700–900 km and 680–950 km above the 1 bar level, which were 100–300 km and 150–420 km lower, respectively, than the model values. On the contrary, the H2 peak emission altitude was high, 590–720 km above the 1 bar level. It was consistent with the value expected for precipitation of ~1 keV electron, which favors a higher‐altitude emissivity profile. We concluded that the lower peak altitudes of H3+ overtone and hot overtone lines were caused by the nonlocal thermodynamic equilibrium effect stronger than the model assumption. We could reproduce the observational emissivity profiles from the model by including this effect. It has been proposed that neutral H2 and ionized H3+ emissions can have different source altitudes because of their different morphologies and velocities; however, our observed results with a general circulation model show that the peak emission altitudes of H3+ and H2 can be similar even with different velocities.
Experimental investigation of melts from a carbonated phlogopite lherzolite : Implications for metasomatism in the continental lithospheric mantle

The composition of near-solidus melts formed from a model mantle of carbonated phlogopite therzolite and phlogopite lherzolite was investigated at 3.0 GPa. At I100 "C, the carbonated phlogopite lherzolite yielded 4 wto/o of alkaline dolomitic melt coexisting with garnet-rich phlogopite lherzolite, whereas, at 1225 "C, the phlogopite lherzolite produced 7 wo/o of hydrous potassic and calcic silicate melt in equilibrium with titaniferous phlogopite-bearing lherzolite. The reactivity of these melts with peridotite was determined at 2.0 GPa and 1000 'C. Alkaline dolomitic melts can metasomatize harzburgite to olivine-rich phlogopite wehrlite, and infiltration in wehrlite may produce calcite-bearing phlogopite dunite. The interaction of harzburgite with the hydrous silicate melt results in enrichment in clinopyroxene and phlogopite. A model of cyclic metasomatism active beneath a continental rift is proposed. A horizon of carbonated phlogopite lherzolite, originally formed at the base of the lithosphere by the release of dense alkaline fluids from a hot mantle plume, migrates upward by means of cycles of melting, migrating, solidifying, and reacting as rifting progresses. At a depth of 100 km, fractional melting of the carbonated phlogopite lherzolite horizon yields successively an alkaline dolomitic melt and a hydrous potassic and calcic silicate melt. The infiltration of these distinct melts into depleted lithospheric mantle ar 65-km depth results in a decoupled metasomatic event. First, metasomatism by the dolomitic melt creates a trend from harzburgite to olivine-rich wehrlite. The subsequent infiltration of the silicate melt enriches the metasomatized rocks in clinopyroxene and phlogopite. The variety of rocks that result bears similarities with a suite of mantle xenoliths from the West Eifel volcanic field, Germany.
The Effects of Using English Captions on Iranian Intermediate EFL Students Learning of Phrasal Verbs

Phrasal verbs are regularly used in spoken English. Because of the difficulties experienced by Iranian EFL students in learning phrasal verbs (Khatib & Ghannadi, 2011), the present study intended to examine the effects of using English captions on Iranian EFL learners’ learning of phrasal verbs in terms of recognition and production. A language proficiency test was managed to 68 EFL learners, among whom 60 intermediate learners were chosen as the participants of the study. They were randomly assigned into two groups: control group and experimental group. Prior to giving any instruction, the researcher administered a pre-test. Then, students in the experimental group watched video clip with captions whereas learners in the control group received video clips without captions. To compare improvement between and within each group t-test analyses were conducted. The result of the study indicated that the learners in the experimental group outperformed those of control group in their writing performance. So, watching English captioned movies affects student’s phrasal verb knowledge.
Peer interviewers in mental health services research

Purpose Inclusion of members of the target population in research is an increasing priority in the social sciences; however, relatively few studies employ approaches that involve persons with lived experience of the mental health system in mental health services research, particularly in the USA. The purpose of this paper is to describe one such approach, the employment of peer interviewers in the evaluation of a peer respite program. Design/methodology/approach The paper describes how peer interviewers were recruited, hired, trained, and supervised. The authors discuss some benefits and challenges associated with the approach. Findings Peer interviewer benefits and challenges: the shared lived experience between the peer interviewers and study participants contributed to increased comfort and a high response rate overall. The study opened up professional opportunities for peers, but inconsistent work hours were a challenge and resulted in turnover and difficulty filling vacant positions. The lead evaluator and supervisors worked closely with peer interviewers to ensure conflict of interest was mitigated to reduce bias. Originality/value This paper adds to the limited literature describing peer representation in research, outlining one avenue for partnering with peers to align research with the values of the intervention under study without compromising – and perhaps increasing – scientific rigor. The authors expect that even more peer involvement in the oversight, analysis, and interpretation of results would have improved the overall quality of the evaluation. Future efforts should build upon and incorporate the approach alongside more comprehensive efforts to partner with service users.
Stress Evolution on the Phase Boundary in LiFePO4 Particles

It is commonly thought that diffusion-induced stress is one of the main factors causing loss of capacity in electrode materials. To understand stress evolution on the phase boundary during the lithiation process, we develop a finite element model adopting lithium ion concentration-dependent anisotropic material properties and volume misfits. Increased mechanical stresses on the phase boundaries are observed during the lithiation process. When the particle is more fully lithiated, larger stresses occur on the free surfaces and these may be related to the cracks on the ac-plane. The C-rate dependent strain energy evolution is also studied. The result shows that with the same amount of lithiation, particles experience different strain energies due to varied C-rate discharging. The high elastic energy from the high C-rate model suggests that the system becomes unstable, and a homogeneous phase transformation path is more plausible for the system. The current study provides a connection between diffusion-induces stresses on the phase boundary and the cracking propensity on free surfaces. Thus, the study could be used to better understand the mechanisms that cause particle fracture and capacity loss. © 2013 The Electrochemical Society. [DOI: 10.1149/2.079311jes] All rights reserved.
Galaxy And Mass Assembly (GAMA) : in search of Milky Way Magellanic Cloud analogues.

Analysing all Galaxy And Mass Assembly (GAMA) galaxies within a factor of 2 (±0.3 dex) of the stellar mass of the Milky Way (MW), there is a 11.9 per cent chance that one of these galaxies will have a close companion (within a projected separation of 70 kpc and radial separation of 400 km s−1) that is at least as massive as the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC). Two close companions at least as massive as the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC) are rare at the 3.4 per cent level. Two full analogues to the MW–LMC–SMC system were found in GAMA (all galaxies late-type and star-forming), suggesting that such a combination of close together, late-type, star-forming galaxies is rare: only 0.4 per cent of MW mass galaxies (in the range where we could observe both the LMC and SMC) have such a system. In summary, the MW–LMC–SMC system is a 2. 7σ event (when recast into Gaussian statistics). Using cross-correlation comparisons we find that there is a preference for SMC–LMC binary pair analogues to be located within 2 Mpc of a range of different luminosity groups. There is a particular preference for such binaries to be located near Local Group luminosity systems. When these groups are subdivided into small magnitude gap and large magnitude gap subsets, the binaries prefer to be spatially associated with the small magnitude gap systems. These systems will be dynamically less evolved, but still offer the same amount of gravitational dark matter. This suggests that binaries such as the SMC–LMC might be transient systems, usually destroyed during vigorous merger events. Details of a particularly striking analogue to the MW–SMC–LMC and M31 complex are included.
Age-related differences in weighting and masking of two cues to word-final stop voicing in noisea)

Because laboratory studies are conducted in optimal listening conditions, often with highly stylized stimuli that attenuate or eliminate some naturally occurring cues, results may have constrained applicability to the “real world. ” Such studies show that English-speaking adults weight vocalic duration greatly and formant offsets slightly in voicing decisions for word-final obstruents. Using more natural stimuli, Nittrouer [J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 115, 1777–1790 (2004)] found different results, raising questions about what would happen if experimental conditions were even more like the real world. In this study noise was used to simulate the real world. Edited natural words with voiced and voiceless final stops were presented in quiet and noise to adults and children (4 to 8 years) for labeling. Hypotheses tested were (1) Adults (and perhaps older children) would weight vocalic duration more in noise than in quiet; (2) Previously reported age-related differences in cue weighting might not be found in this real-world simulation; and (3) Children would experience greater masking than adults. Results showed: (1) no increase for any age listeners in the weighting of vocalic duration in noise; (2) age-related differences in the weighting of cues in both quiet and noise; and (3) masking effects for all listeners, but more so for children than adults.
Proximal Gradient Temporal Difference Learning: Stable Reinforcement Learning with Polynomial Sample Complexity

In this paper, we introduce proximal gradient temporal difference learning, which provides a principled way of designing and analyzing true stochastic gradient temporal difference learning algorithms. We show how gradient TD (GTD) reinforcement learning methods can be formally derived, not by starting from their original objective functions, as previously attempted, but rather from a primal-dual saddle-point objective function. We also conduct a saddle-point error analysis to obtain finite-sample bounds on their performance. Previous analyses of this class of algorithms use stochastic approximation techniques to prove asymptotic convergence, and do not provide any finite-sample analysis. We also propose an accelerated algorithm, called GTD2-MP, that uses proximal "mirror maps" to yield an improved convergence rate. The results of our theoretical analysis imply that the GTD family of algorithms are comparable and may indeed be preferred over existing least squares TD methods for off-policy learning, due to their linear complexity. We provide experimental results showing the improved performance of our accelerated gradient TD methods.
Stressful life events and problematic Internet use by adolescent females and males : A mediated moderation model q

In a sample of 660 adolescents (M age = 14.14 years; 55% females), this study examined a mediated moderation model in which temperamental effortful control and sensation seeking moderated the relationship between stressful life events and problematic Internet use (PIU), and this moderating effect was mediated by maladaptive cognitions. Findings revealed that effortful control buffered the risk of stressful life events for females’ PIU, and this effect was mediated through maladaptive cognitions. The risk-buffering effect of effortful control for males’ PIU was not significant, although it buffered the risk of maladaptive cognitions for PIU. The risk-enhancing effect of sensation seeking was not significant in both female and male adolescents. In addition, males scored higher on risks but lower on protective factors of PIU than females, which explain the gender difference in PIU. The authors discuss the theoretical and practical implications of these findings. 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
ANTI-TUMORAL IMMUNE RESPONSE AND BISPHOSPHONATES

Nitrogen-containing bisphosphonates (N-BPs) are widely used to block bone destruction in cancer patients with bone metastasis because they are found to be effective inhibitors of osteoclast-mediated bone resorption. In addition to their antiresorptive effects, preclinical evidence strongly suggests that N-BPs possess also anticancer activity. Some of the activities associated with N-BPs are related to the activation of human γδ T cells that straddle the interface of innate and adaptive immunity. Vγ9Vδ2 T cells recognize in vitro a wide array of transformed cells and are activated in vivo in various tumors. Vγ9Vδ2 T cells are able to induce protective immunity against different cancers by directly killing tumor cells and by producing inflammatory cytokines that provoke antitumor properties of other immune effector cells. Human γδ T cells can be activated in a non-MHC dependent fashion either by low molecular mass phosphoantigens, or by agents that provoke the accumulation of endogenous pyrophosphates such as isopentenyldiphosphate (IPP). The literary part of this Master’s Thesis summarizes the functions of immune system and γδ T cells as well as the properties of bisphosphonates on the perspective of cancer immunotherapy. The experimental part concentrated on the intentional activation of Vγ9Vδ2 T cells by N-BPs as well as IPP/ApppI accumulation and secretion in human breast cancer cells. Co-culture with purified Vγ9Vδ2 T cells led to IPP/ApppI-dependent killing of N-BP (ZOL or RIS) treated breast cancer cells. Without Vγ9Vδ2 T cell expansion, N-BPs were not able to induce cancer cell death. A clear correlation was seen between the anticancer activities of Vγ9Vδ2 T cells and the intracellular IPP/ApppI levels in both ZOL and RIS-treated breast cancer cells in vitro. However, further studies are required to confirm that IPP/ApppI is secreted in extracellular media, and that this would promote Vγ9Vδ2 T cell migration to tumors.
hemometrics as a tool to discriminate geographical origin of Cyperus sculentus L . based on chemical composition sabel

In the present study the chemical composition of Cyperus esculentus L. (tiger nut) from four distinct geographical origin (Spain, Egypt, Nigeria, and South Africa) was assessed to observe the possible effect of the cultivation site in the fatty acids profile, sterols composition, and squalene and -tocopherol content. It was verified that the individual fatty acids as well as the different fatty acids fractions were severely affected by the geographical origin. Tiger nut oils were predominantly monounsaturated with lower prevalence of saturated fatty acids, and with capability to provide appreciable amounts of essential fatty acids. The sterols fraction was affected as well, but in lower extent. -sitosterol was the most abundant atty acids -Tocopherol terols hemometric analysis sterol found, reaching nearly 60% of the total sterols found in tiger nut oils, with significant differences among geographical origins. The fatty acids data, together with the sterols and -tocopherol and squalene data were capable to separate tiger nut samples according to their chemical composition and geographical origin when a principal component analysis was applied. The fatty acids profile could be applied as a possible geographical authenticity marker.