Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Hematopoietic-restricted Ptpn11E76K reveals indolent MPN progression in mice

Juvenile Myelomonocytic Leukemia (JMML) is a pediatric myeloproliferative neoplasm (MPN) that has a poor prognosis. Somatic mutations in Ptpn11 are the most frequent cause of JMML and they commonly occur in utero. Animal models of mutant Ptpn11 have probed the signaling pathways that contribute to JMML. However, existing models may inappropriately exacerbate MPN features by relying on non-hematopoietic-restricted Cre-loxP strains or transplantations into irradiated recipients. In this study we generate hematopoietic-restricted models of Ptpn11E76K-mediated disease using Csf1r-MCM and Flt3Cre. We show that these animals have indolent MPN progression despite robust GM-CSF hypersensitivity and Ras-Erk hyperactivation. Rather, the dominant pathology is pronounced thrombocytopenia with expanded extramedullary hematopoiesis. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the timing of tamoxifen administration in Csf1r-MCM mice can specifically induce recombinase activity in either fetal or adult hematopoietic progenitors. We take advantage of this technique to show more rapid monocytosis following Ptpn11E76K expression in fetal progenitors compared with adult progenitors. Finally, we demonstrate that Ptpn11E76K results in the progressive reduction of T cells, most notably of CD4+ and naïve T cells. This corresponds to an increased frequency of T cell progenitors in the thymus and may help explain the occasional emergence of T-cell leukemias in JMML patients. Overall, our study is the first to describe the consequences of hematopoietic-restricted Ptpn11E76K expression in the absence of irradiation. Our techniques can be readily adapted by other researchers studying somatically-acquired blood disorders.
Effect and safety of sorafenib in patients with intermediate hepatocellular carcinoma who received transarterial chemoembolization: A retrospective comparative study

AIM To evaluate the safety and efficacy of sorafenib plus transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) treatment for intermediate hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). METHODS Sixty-seven patients with intermediate-stage [Barcelona Clinic liver cancer stage B (BCLC-B)] HCC who were treated with sorafenib plus TACE or TACE alone between 2009 and 2011 were included in the study. Follow-up was until 2014 or patient death. Two groups were defined in the experiment: The experimental group, treated with sorafenib plus TACE, and the control group, treated with standard TACE alone. RESULTS The Kaplan-Meier survival analysis showed that the median overall survival (mOS) of the experimental group was 35.2 mo, while that of the control group was 22.0 mo (P < 0.05). Sorafenib plus TACE showed higher incidence rates of rash, hand-foot syndrome (HFS), and hypertension (P < 0.05) than TACE treatment alone. CONCLUSION Sorafenib plus TACE treatment for BCLC-B HCC significantly prolonged the mOS of patients compared to TACE treatment alone. The most common toxicities with sorafenib were rash (31.6%), HFS (39.5%) and hypertension (31.6%), but there were no intolerable adverse events. The Cox multivariate analysis showed that the survival of patients with BCLC-B HCC depended on the Child-Pugh classification, tumor diameter, and treatment with sorafenib plus TACE compared to TACE alone.
VIX Futures Trading Activity and Volatility

This study extends the literature on the relation between trading activity and volatility by looking at a new asset class in the form of VIX futures, and by decomposing each side of the relation into two components. The results confirm several findings documented in prior studies: The number of transactions is the dominant factor behind the relation; volume covaries positively (negatively) with continuous (jump) volatility; surprises in volume have the largest effect on prices; and market depth reduces volatility. However, the study also finds, among other things, that the dominance of the number of transactions behind the relation with jump volatility is not robust, that the negative relation between market depth and volatility holds only for the continuous volatility component, and that increased VIX futures trading volume is associated with higher VIX options prices.
Phenolic Compositions and Antioxidant Activities Differ Significantly among Sorghum Grains with Different Applications

Sorghum grains with different applications had different phenolic profiles, which were corresponded to various antioxidant capacities. In this study, total phenolic, proanthocyanidins and flavonoids contents, as well as contents of individual phenolic compounds from sorghum grains with various applications were determined, and their antioxidant capacities were evaluated. Total phenolic contents (TPC) and total proanthocyanidins contents (TPAC) showed strong correlation with antioxidant activities (r > 0.95, p < 0.01). Hongyingzi (S-1), one of the brewing sorghums, showed the highest level of TPC and TPAC, while white grain sorghum (S-8) had the lowest. Except for black grain sorghum (S-7), that contained the highest contents of ferulic acid, brewing sorghum grains contained the higher contents of the most individual phenolic compounds, especially the variety S-1. The correlation among individual phenolic compounds and antioxidant activities indicated that the free forms of protocatechuic acid (r = 0.982 of FRAPassay, p < 0.01) and taxifolin (r = 0.826 of FRAP assay, p < 0.01) may be the main functional compounds. These results indicate that brewing sorghum grains can also be utilized as effective materials for functional foods.
Intrathecal dexamethasone and methotrexate treatment of neoplastic meningitis from solid tumors

Aim: Neoplastic meningitis (NM) from solid tumors is an advanced malignancy with poor prognosis. Intrathecal chemotherapy is a reliable treatment, and we have obtained some experiences in the treatment of NM with intrathecal dexamethasone and methotrexate (IT DXM and MTX). Methods: Retrospective study of 23 patients with NM from lung cancer (n = 11), breast cancer (n = 3), gastric cancer (n = 1), malignant melanoma (n = 1), unknown cancer (n = 7) was conducted. Among these patients, eight received IT DXM and MTX treatment, and 15 patients were placed into a palliative care group. Overall survival (OS) was compared, and the patients′ characteristics, symptoms, and some laboratory examinations were analyzed to find the risk factors affecting OS. Results: OS of IT DXM and MTX group was significantly longer than that of the palliative care group (P = 0.01). The median survival (MS) of palliative care group was 7.53 weeks (5.50-9.57; n = 15), and of the IT DXM and MTX group, 28.63 weeks (12.50-44.75; n = 8); IT DXM and MTX prolonged the OS of NM patients (regression coefficient = −2.923), with odds ratio (OR) being 0.054 (0.09-0.323). Spinal nerves damage decreased the OS (regression coefficient = 1.595), with OR being 4.928 (1.382-17.579). Conclusion: IT DXM and MTX have prolonged the patients′ MS, which could be used as a fundamental treatment of NM. Time of induction treatment should be flexible and individualized, and induction treatment could restart when central nervous system relapse. Patients with spinal nerves damage are apt to live shorter.
Why High School Grades Are Better Predictors of On-Time College Graduation Than Are Admissions Test Scores: The Roles of Self-Regulation and Cognitive Ability

Compared with admissions test scores, why are high school grades better at predicting college graduation? We argue that success in college requires not only cognitive ability but also self-regulatory competencies that are better indexed by high school grades. In a national sample of 47,303 students who applied to college for the 2009/2010 academic year, Study 1 affirmed that high school grades out-predicted test scores for 4-year college graduation. In a convenience sample of 1,622 high school seniors in the Class of 2013, Study 2 revealed that the incremental predictive validity of high school grades for college graduation was explained by composite measures of self-regulation, whereas the incremental predictive validity of test scores was explained by composite measures of cognitive ability.
Developing Growth Mindset and GRIT in Preservice Teachers

Educator preparation programs are charged with developing preservice teachers ready to meet the many challenges of today's classrooms. Developing a growth mindset and GRIT provides future educators with important dispositions to increase their teaching effectiveness and improve the success of their students. A growth mindset helps learners realize that intellect is not fixed but through time and effort, skills will increase. Developing GRIT (i.e., growth, resilience, integrity, and tenacity) builds the perseverance to continue until goals are reached. Developing GRIT and a growth mindset helps teachers understand that all students, even diverse learners, can be successful if provided the appropriate instruction. This article provides an example of how an educator preparation program incorporated growth mindset and GRIT in the clinical model to support learning for the preservice teachers while promoting growth mindset and GRIT in the classroom.
High Mobility Group Box‐1 Drives Fibrosis Progression Signaling via the Receptor for Advanced Glycation End Products in Mice

High‐mobility group box‐1 (HMGB1) is a damage‐associated molecular pattern (DAMP) increased in response to liver injury. Because HMGB1 is a ligand for the receptor for advanced glycation endproducts (RAGE), we hypothesized that induction of HMGB1 could participate in the pathogenesis of liver fibrosis though RAGE cell‐specific signaling mechanisms. Liver HMGB1 protein expression correlated with fibrosis stage in patients with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC), or alcoholic steatohepatitis (ASH). Hepatic HMGB1 protein expression and secretion increased in five mouse models of liver fibrosis attributed to drug‐induced liver injury (DILI), cholestasis, ASH, or nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). HMGB1 was up‐regulated and secreted mostly by hepatocytes and Kupffer cells (KCs) following CCl4 treatment. Neutralization of HMGB1 protected, whereas injection of recombinant HMGB1 promoted liver fibrosis. Hmgb1 ablation in hepatocytes (Hmgb1ΔHep) or in myeloid cells (Hmgb1ΔMye) partially protected, whereas ablation in both (Hmgb1ΔHepΔMye) prevented liver fibrosis in vivo. Coculture with hepatocytes or KCs from CCl4‐injected wild‐type (WT) mice up‐regulated Collagen type I production by hepatic stellate cells (HSCs); yet, coculture with hepatocytes from CCl4‐injected Hmgb1ΔHep or with KCs from CCl4‐injected Hmgb1ΔMye mice partially blunted this effect. Rage ablation in HSCs (RageΔHSC) and RAGE neutralization prevented liver fibrosis. Last, we identified that HMGB1 stimulated HSC migration and signaled through RAGE to up‐regulate Collagen type I expression by activating the phosphorylated mitogen‐activated protein kinase kinase (pMEK)1/2, phosphorylated extracellular signal‐regulated kinase (pERK)1/2 and pcJun signaling pathway. Conclusion: Hepatocyte and KC‐derived HMGB1 participates in the pathogenesis of liver fibrosis by signaling through RAGE in HSCs to activate the pMEK1/2, pERK1/2 and pcJun pathway and increase Collagen type I deposition.
No more beating about the bush : A Step towards Idiom Handling for Indian Language NLP

One of the major challenges in the field of Natural Language Processing (NLP) is the handling of idioms; seemingly ordinary phrases which could be further conjugated or even spread across the sentence to fit the context. Since idioms are a part of natural language, the ability to tackle them brings us closer to creating efficient NLP tools. This paper presents a multilingual parallel idiom dataset for seven Indian languages in addition to English and demonstrates its usefulness for two NLP applications - Machine Translation and Sentiment Analysis. We observe significant improvement for both the subtasks over baseline models trained without employing the idiom dataset.
Lightning in the Mediterranean and its relation with sea-surface temperature

Here we present the analysis of lightning activity over the Mediterranean, based on a 10 year long dataset (2005–2014) provided by the ZEUS long-range lightning detection system. The major hot-spots of lightning activity are identified, with a clear predominance during the warm period of the year over land in the vicinity of the major topographic features of the area. Special emphasis is also given on the discussion of the seasonal distribution of lightning. In addition, we investigate the relationship of lightning with sea-surface temperature, obtained by high-resolution satellite measurements and we conclude that the number of lightning strokes is positively correlated with the sea-surface temperature during autumn when also the maximum lightning activity over the sea is depicted. We suggest that higher sea surface temperature further destabilises the lower tropospheric layers, enhancing thus convection and therefore lightning.
Granular Cloning: Intra-Object Parallelism in Ensemble Studies

Many runs of a computer simulation are needed to model uncertainty and evaluate alternate design choices. Such an ensemble of runs often contains many commonalities among the different individual runs. Simulation cloning is a technique that capitalizes on this fact to reduce the amount of computation required by the ensemble. Granular cloning is proposed that allows the sharing of state and computations at the scale of simulation objects as small as individual variables, offering savings in computation and memory, increased parallelism and improved tractability of sample path patterns across multiple runs. The ensemble produces results that are identical to separately executed runs. Whenever simulation objects interact, granular cloning will resolve their association to subsets of runs though binary operations on tags. Algorithms and computational techniques required to efficiently implement granular cloning are presented. Results from an experimental study using a cellular automata-based transportation simulation model and a coupled transportation and land use model are presented providing evidence the approach can yield significant speed ups relative to brute force replicated runs.
ASAP++: Enriching the ASAP Automated Essay Grading Dataset with Essay Attribute Scores

In this paper, we describe the creation of a resource ASAP++ which is basically annotations of the Automatic Student Assessment Prize’s Automatic Essay Grading dataset. These annotations are scores for different attributes of the essays, such as content, word choice, organization, sentence fluency, etc. Each of these essays is scored by an annotator. We also report the results of each of the attributes using a Random Forest Classifier using a baseline set of attribute independent features as described by Zesch et al. (2015). We release and share this resource to facilitate further research into these attributes of essay grading.
Comparison of Financial Performance of State Owned Commercial Banks : A Case Study of Bangladesh

Banking system plays a vital role for the economic development of Bangladesh. It is clear that a poor banking system cannot help for the economic development in a country. The objective of this study was to compare the financial performance of four stateowned commercial banks in Bangladesh based on their financial characteristics and identify the determinants of performance exposed by the financial ratios. Four state-owned commercial banks for the period 2000 to 2010 were financially analyzed. In addition, econometric model (multivariate regression analysis) by formulating a regression model was used to estimate the impact of loan to asset ratio, non-performing loan ratio, credit to deposit ratio and percentage of classified loan on the financial profitability namely return on assets of these banks. The results show that the same bank had different ranks under the different financial ratios. Furthermore, the estimation results reveal that return on assets was significantly influenced by capital adequacy ratio and percentage of classified loan.
Action Completion: A Temporal Model for Moment Detection

We introduce completion moment detection for actions - the problem of locating the moment of completion, when the action's goal is confidently considered achieved. The paper proposes a joint classification-regression recurrent model that predicts completion from a given frame, and then integrates frame-level contributions to detect sequence-level completion moment. We introduce a recurrent voting node that predicts the frame's relative position of the completion moment by either classification or regression. The method is also capable of detecting incompletion. For example, the method is capable of detecting a missed ball-catch, as well as the moment at which the ball is safely caught. We test the method on 16 actions from three public datasets, covering sports as well as daily actions. Results show that when combining contributions from frames prior to the completion moment as well as frames post completion, the completion moment is detected within one second in 89% of all tested sequences.
Forecasting students' success in an open university

In recent years, students' performance prediction has been identified as one of the most essential and challenging research topics for educational institutions. The necessity for exploitation and analysis of data originating from several educational contexts has led to a widespread implementation of familiar machine learning methods trying to effectively analyse students' academic behaviour and predict their performance. The early detection of low performers is of major importance for open universities seeking to decrease dropout ratios, improve educational outcomes and provide high quality education. This paper introduces an ensemble of classification and regression algorithms for predicting students' performance in a distance web-based course. Several state-of-the-art machine learning methods have also been applied to compare the efficiency of our method. A plethora of experiments have been conducted for this purpose, using data provided by the Hellenic Open University. The proposed ensemble combines classification and regression rules and is as accurate as the powerful ensembles, while the produced model remains comprehensive. In addition, a prototype software support tool has been designed and it simulates the presented ensemble.
A PRosPeCtIVe eXAMInAtIon oF seLF- CoMPAssIon As A PReDICtoR oF DePRessIVe sYMPtoMs In CHILDRen AnD ADoLesCents

We examined self-compassion as a predictor of depressive symptoms in children and adolescents using a two time-point design. In addition, the factor structure, reliability, and validity of a version of the Self-Compassion Scale (Neff, 2003) revised for children were assessed. Self-criticism and self-esteem were also tested as predictors of depressive symptoms to assess for unique effects of self-compassion. During an initial assessment, participants completed measures of depressive symptoms, self-compassion, self-criticism, and self-esteem. Participants subsequently completed a measure of depressive symptoms three months later. Two self-compassion factors emerged from a factor analysis, each showing good internal consistency and significant cross-sectional relationships with depressive symptoms. However, only the factor comprised of items from the positively-worded self-kindness, common humanity, and mindfulness subscales of the revised SCS (SCS-POS) predicted change in depressive symptoms from Time 1 to .
Adipose-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells in the Use of Cartilage Tissue Engineering: The Need for a Rapid Isolation Procedure

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have shown much promise with respect to their use in cartilage tissue engineering. MSCs can be obtained from many different tissue sources. Among these, adipose tissue can provide an abundant source of adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (ADMSCs). The infrapatellar fat pad (IFP) is a promising source of ADMSCs with respect to producing a cartilage lineage. Cell isolation protocols to date are time-consuming and follow conservative approaches that rely on a long incubation period of 24–48 hours. The different types of ADMSC isolation techniques used for cartilage repair will be reviewed and compared with the view of developing a rapid one-step isolation protocol that can be applied in the context of a surgical procedure.
Croatian Accession to the European Union: Facing the Challenges of Negotiations

The topic of the third volume of the Croatian Accession to the European Union series is joining the Union and its requirements as a key to the transformation of society. From the experience of other countries, it is known that joining the EU really is a powerful stimulus and actuating force for the implementation of reform programmes. It should not be forgotten, irrespective of the requirements and conditions for EU accession, that Croatia is still in need of reforms to transform society for its own good. Like the first two publications, this one too endeavours to provide the reader a deeper insight into some of the political and economic problems of joining the EU.
Alpha-Mangostin Improves Insulin Secretion and Protects INS-1 Cells from Streptozotocin-Induced Damage

Alpha (α)-mangostin, a yellow crystalline powder with a xanthone core structure, is isolated from mangosteen (Garcinia mangostana), which is a tropical fruit of great nutritional value. The aim of the present study was to investigate the anti-diabetic effects of α-mangostin and to elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying its effect on pancreatic beta (β)-cell dysfunction. To assess the effects of α-mangostin on insulin production, rat pancreatic INS-1 cells were treated with non-toxic doses of α-mangostin (1–10 μM) and its impact on insulin signaling was examined by Western blotting. In addition, the protective effect of α-mangostin against pancreatic β-cell apoptosis was verified by using the β-cell toxin streptozotocin (STZ). Our results showed that α-mangostin stimulated insulin secretion in INS-1 cells by activating insulin receptor (IR) and pancreatic and duodenal homeobox 1 (Pdx1) followed by phosphorylation of phospho-phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase (PI3K), Akt, and extracellular signal regulated kinase (ERK) signaling cascades, whereas it inhibited the phosphorylation of insulin receptor substrate (IRS-1) (Ser1101). Moreover, α-mangostin was found to restore the STZ-induced decrease in INS-1 cell viability in a dose-dependent manner. In addition, treatment of INS-1 cells with 50 μM STZ resulted in an increase in intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels, which was represented by the fluorescence intensity of 2′,7′-dichlorodihydrofluorescein diacetate (DCFH-DA). This oxidative stress was decreased by co-treatment with 5 μM α-mangostin. Similarly, marked increases in the phosphorylation of P38, c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK), and cleavage of caspase-3 by STZ were decreased significantly by co-treatment with 5 μM α-mangostin. These results suggest that α-mangostin is capable of improving insulin secretion in pancreatic β-cells and protecting cells from apoptotic damage.
Stars, Votes, and Badges: How Online Badges Affect Hotel Reviewers

ABSTRACT As online reviews, ratings, and helpful votes in e-commerce platforms become industry-centric, this study examines how virtual badges affect the online behavior of reviewers and readers based on status-seeking theory in an online environment. This study finds that online readers prefer reviews with low ratings to those with high ratings; however, reviewers with high-level badges tend to post moderate ratings and avoid extreme ratings. Casting doubt on the efficiency of current online incentive systems, user-generated content websites may establish a qualitative index to measure the quality of customer reviews from a long-term perspective to encourage reviewers to continue creating high-quality contents.