Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
SSeCKS/Akap12 suppresses metastatic melanoma lung colonization by attenuating Src-mediated pre-metastatic niche crosstalk

SSeCKS/Gravin/AKAP12 (SSeCKS) controls metastasis-associated PKC and Src signaling through direct scaffolding activity. SSeCKS is downregulated in the metastases of many human cancer types, and its forced re-expression suppresses the metastatic behavior of prostate cancer cells. SSeCKS is also downregulated in breast and prostate cancer stroma, and SSeCKS-null mice (KO) are metastasis-prone, suggesting a role in suppressing formation of the pre-metastatic niche. Here, we show that lung colonization and metastasis formation by B16F10 and SM1WT1[BrafV600E] mouse melanoma cells is 9-fold higher in syngeneic KO compared to WT hosts, although there is no difference in orthotopic tumor volumes. Although melanoma cells adhered equally to KO or WT lung fibroblasts (LF), co-injection of melanoma cells with KO (vs. WT) LF increased lung macrometastasis formation in WT hosts, marked by increased melanoma colonization at foci of leaky vasculature. Increased melanoma adhesion on KO lung endothelial cells (LEC) was facilitated by increased E-Selectin levels and by increased STAT3-regulated secretion of senescence-associated factors from KO-LF, such as Vegf. Finally, the ability of SSeCKS to attenuate IFNα-induced Stat3 activation in KO-LF required its Src-scaffolding domain. Taken together, these data suggest that SSeCKS normally suppresses metastatic colonization in the lung by attenuating the expression of Selectin adhesion proteins, which can be controlled autonomously by local endothelial cells or enhanced by senescence factors secreted by neighboring fibroblasts in a SSeCKS-regulated, Src/Stat3-dependent manner.
An Analytical Procedure to Identify a Global Earthing System

Global Earthing System (GES) is defined by international standards IEC 61936–1 and EN 50522 as an equivalent Earthing System (ES) created by the interconnection of local ESs. Thanks to this interconnection, just a percentage of the total fault current is injected to ground in a single ES, with a significantly reduction of touch voltages in case of fault. If a GES is officially certified, the procedure to verify the effectiveness of an ES can be simplified, with advantages in terms of time and money. Unfortunately, Standards do not provide any practical guidelines to identify a GES. In this work, a methodology is proposed for MV network with the neutral point isolated from ground. A practical example is provided.
Unified Planning of Wind Generators and Switched Capacitor Banks: A Multiagent Clustering-Based Distributed Approach

In this paper, a multiagent clustering-based distributed approach for the optimal planning of wind-distributed generators (DGs) and switched capacitor banks (SCBs) is proposed. First, electrical distance matrices for the power systems are constructed. Additionally, a constrained optimization problem, which includes several indices and a few constraints, for the optimal clustering of distribution networks is formulated and solved. After obtaining optimal clusters, agents are assigned to the clusters, and a second multiobjective optimization problem (MOOP) for the distributed planning of wind DGs and SCBs is formulated and assigned to a head agent. The number of objective functions in the MOOP is equal to the number of agents. The objective function of an agent consists of three indices: annual energy losses, investment costs, and voltage enhancement. Moreover, a deep neural network architecture is designed, and four independent networks are trained with six years of wind speed data for the seasonal wind speed forecasting. Two IEEE unbalanced test feeders, one with 37 nodes and the other with 123 nodes, and eight test cases are considered for simulations. The results show that losses and costs are optimized, and the voltage unbalance of the system is reduced.
Five Fibrosis Biomarkers Together with Serum Ferritin Level to Diagnose Liver Fibrosis and Cirrhosis.

BACKGROUND Liver fibrosis is a dynamic procedure that results from an irregularity between fibrogenesis and fibrolysis. After time this procedure can lead to cirrhosis of the liver. Liver fibrosis and cirrhosis assessment is very important for both therapeutic decisions and prognostic evaluations. In this study, we tried to use serum ferritin (SF) together with five fibrosis tests (Age-Platelet index (API), aspartate aminotransferase to alanine aminotransferase ratio (AAR), AST to platelet ratio index (APRI), Fibrosis 4 score (FIB-4), and fibro-quotient (Fibro-Q)) to assess liver fibrosis and cirrhosis and estimate possible correlation between inflammation and SF. METHODS This study was carried out on eighty-eight patients infected with HCV and twenty healthy subjects as a control. Complete blood count (CBC), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), antiHCV antibody, detection of HCV RNA by real-time PCR, and serum ferritin (SF) were assessed. Then API, ARR, APRI, FIB-4, and Fibro-Q were calculated. Different fibrosis stages (mild fibrosis stage (F1), moderate fibrosis stage (F2), severe fibrosis stage (F3), cirrhotic stage (F4)) were assessed using transient elastography by Fibro Scan®. RESULTS FIB-4 index was significantly elevated (p < 0.01) with the progression of liver fibrosis at F1, F2, F3, and F4 when compared to healthy control group. The APRI score elevation between F0 and F3 and between F0 and F4 was significant (p < 0.01). SF was elevated in all fibrosis stages and significantly (p < 0.01) at F3 and F4 compared to controls. CONCLUSIONS APRI coupled with SF should be the best reliable biomarkers for liver cirrhosis. Simultaneously, from our data SF involved in all stages of inflammation. Therefore, down regulation of ferritin in the early stage of fibrosis should be helpful in decreasing the inflammatory effect of ferritin.
University teachers’ views of interprofessional learning and their role in achieving outcomes - a qualitative study

ABSTRACT Over the past decade, there has been a rapid increase in higher education institutions offering opportunities for interprofessional learning (IPL) to their students. The literature presents a number of factors that contribute to effective IPL, including having trained facilitators that help optimise the learning process. Many of these IPL facilitators are university teachers and the literature provides us with some insight into their views of IPL. However, little is known about university teachers’ views about IPL and their role in supporting students in achieving outcomes linked to IPL during their own teaching; this paper explores these areas. University teachers, working with students in Norway and England who contribute to patients’ care pathway were purposively invited to join focus groups. Data collected from the teachers’ conversations during these focus groups were analysed to elicit the main themes. Findings show that university teachers have a wide range of views about IPL, its potential to enhance collaborative practice and care, and their role in helping students achieve outcomes linked to IPL. A key challenge appears to be whether IPL is “worth the struggle,” which emphasises the need for strong leadership in order to align pedagogical approaches in education and practice that strive to achieve agreed outcomes.
Next generation sequencing‐based gene panel tests for the management of solid tumors

Next generation sequencing (NGS) has been an invaluable tool to put genomic sequencing into clinical practice. The incorporation of clinically relevant target sequences into NGS‐based gene panel tests has generated practical diagnostic tools that enable individualized cancer‐patient care. The clinical utility of gene panel testing includes investigation of the genetic basis for an individual's response to therapy, such as signaling pathways associated with a response to specific therapies, microsatellite instability and a hypermutated phenotype, and deficiency in the DNA double‐strand break repair pathway. In this review, we describe the concept of precision cancer medicine using target sequences in gene panel tests as well as the importance of the control of sample quality in routine NGS‐based genomic testing. We describe geographic and ethnic differences in cancer genomes, and discuss issues that need to be addressed in the future based on our experiences in Japan.
Difference between two exhaled nitric oxide analyzers, NIOX VERO® electrochemical hand-held analyzer and NOA280i® chemiluminescence stationary analyzer

Abstract Background: Fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FENO) is useful for the evaluation of eosinophilic airway inflammation, including that seen in asthma. Although a new electrochemical hand-held FENO analyzer, the NIOX VERO® (Aerocrine AB, Solna, Sweden), is clinically convenient to use, it has not been fully compared with the chemiluminescence stationary electrochemical analyzer NOA280i® (Sievers Instruments, Boulder, CO, USA) in terms of the level of measured FENO. The aim of this study was to determine whether there is a difference between the two analyzers. Methods: The FENO levels measured with both NIOX VERO® and NOA280i® were evaluated in 1,369 adults at Juntendo University Hospital from May 2016 to October 2016. Results: The median FENO level measured with the NIOX VERO® was significantly lower than that measured with the NOA280i® (41 ppb, range 5–368 ppb vs. 29 ppb, range 5–251 ppb; p < 0.001). There was a strong positive correlation in the measurement of FENO level between the NOA280i® and the NIOX VERO® (r = 0.942, p < 0.001). The following conversion equation was calculated: FENO (NOA280i®) = 1.362 (SE, 0.661) + 1.384 (SE, 0.021) × FENO (NIOX VERO®). Conclusions: To our best knowledge, we have provided the first report showing that the measured FENO level with the NIOX VERO® was approximately 30% lower than that with the NOA280i® and that there was a significant correlation between the measurements of these two devices. The correction equation that we provided may help assess the data obtained by these two analyzers. AbbreviationsATS American Thoracic SocietyBMI Body mass indexERS European Respiratory SocietyFENO Fractional exhaled nitric oxideGINA Global Initiative for AsthmaNO Nitric oxideppb Parts per billionROC Receiver operating characteristicSD Standard deviation
Bargaining While Black: The Role of Race in Salary Negotiations

The influence of race in negotiations has remained relatively underexplored. Across three studies, we theorize and find that Black job seekers are expected to negotiate less than their White counterparts and are penalized in negotiations with lower salary outcomes when this expectation is violated; especially when they negotiate with an evaluator who is more racially biased (i.e., higher in social dominance orientation). Specifically, on the basis of the prescriptive stereotype held by those higher in racial bias—that Black (as compared to White) negotiators deserve lower salaries—we predicted that Black negotiators who behave in counterstereotypical ways encounter greater resistance and more unfavorable outcomes from more biased evaluators. We tested this argument in a stepwise fashion: In Study 1, we found that more biased evaluators expect Black job seekers to negotiate less as compared to White job seekers. When Black negotiators violate those expectations, evaluators award them lower starting salaries (Study 2), which appears to occur because evaluators become more resistant to making concessions to Black than to White job seekers (Study 3). Collectively, our findings demonstrate that racially biased perceptual distortions can be used to justify the provision of smaller monetary awards for Black job seekers in negotiations.
Squamous cell carcinoma of the vulva: a review of present management and future considerations

ABSTRACT Introduction: Although a relatively uncommon disease, the treatment of vulvar cancer has changed considerably over the years and has been under considerable focus due to its past overtreatment and apparent increase in incidence. The purpose of this review is to describe the recommended management of the most commonly encountered vulvar carcinomas based on the most recent available literature. Areas covered: The clinical environment of squamous cell vulvar cancers are illustrated in order to describe the potential pitfalls and limitations of treatment. Then, by examining published data on the treatment efficacy, find those that are best at limiting morbidity and maximizing patient outcomes. In addition, effective prevention of HPV-related disease will be included as its limitation of disease can be considered an aspect of treatment. The benefits and limitations of medical and surgical modalities as well as the evolving discussion surrounding lymph node sampling and the novel role of genomics will also be considered. Expert commentary: Great care should be taken by the gynecologic oncology community regarding prevention and continuing efforts of limiting surgical morbidity while providing quality care. Although sentinel lymph node dissection is a controversial topic, greater attention should be paid to clinical trials to delineate the data, but also to limit our own biases in counseling patients.
Enabling Hard Services Guarantees in Software-Deﬁned Smart Grid Infrastructures

Information and Communication Technology (ICT) infrastructures play a key role in the evolution from traditional power systems to Smart Grids. Increas-ingly ﬂuctuating power ﬂows, sparked by the the transition towards sustainable energy generation, become a major issue for power grid stability. To deal with this challenge, future Smart Grids require precise monitoring and control, which in turn demand for reliable, real-time capable and cost-eﬃcient communications. For this purpose, we propose applying Software-Deﬁned Networking (SDN) to handle the manifold requirements of Smart Grid communications. To achieve reliability, our approach encompasses fast recovery after failures in the communication network and dynamic service-aware network (re-)conﬁguration. Network Calculus (NC) logic is embedded into our SDN controller for meeting latency requirements imposed by the standard IEC 61850 of the International Elec-trotechnical Commission (IEC). Thus, routing provides delay-optimal paths under consideration of existing cross traﬃc. Also, continuous latency bound compliance is ensured by combining NC delay supervision with means of ﬂexi-ble reconﬁguration. For evaluation we consider the well-known Nordic 32 test system, on which we map a corresponding communication network in both ex-periment and emulation. The described functionalities are validated, employing realistic IEC 61850 transmissions and distributed control traﬃc. Our results
Dynamic Systems Theory in Human Movement Exploring Coordination Patterns by Angle-Angle Diagrams Using Kinect

Analyzing time series data using linear spatial/angular kinematics traditionally makes quantification of human movement using low-cost cameras such as the Kinect sensor. Through this conventional approach, interactions between body joints are difficult to analyze and coordination parameters remain hidden. Dynamic Systems Theory (DST) provides a non-linear framework to analyze human movement by representing intersegmental interactions in angle-angle diagrams. DST offers an accurate solution to study coordination in human movement, but it also requires expensive hardware and very specialized biomechanical software. The paper describes a methodological procedure to carry out DST analysis with motion data recorded from the Kinect sensor. Specifically, we address the issue to create and interpret angle-angle diagrams with an emphasis on exploring coordination patterns in motion capture (MoCap) signals. We introduced a method to facilitate the DST analysis and we applied it with two different use cases of human movement analysis in real scenarios: sports gesture study and motion analysis in physical rehabilitation interventions. Results showed that important coordination parameters could be deduced from the angle-angle diagrams improving the understanding of motion data when two joints have to be considered. Therefore, we demonstrated that DST analysis could be performed with inexpensive tools providing a promissory approach for coordination and motor synchronization analysis in novel serious games for health.
Association mapping, transcriptomics, and transient expression identify candidate genes mediating plant–pathogen interactions in a tree

Significance International trade has resulted in the introduction of plant diseases into natural ecosystems around the world. These introductions have potentially catastrophic impacts on ecosystem structure and function. Leveraging genomic tools, natural variation within a tree species, and a high-throughput phenotyping platform, we present a framework that can be broadly applied to rapidly identify candidate genes associated with resistance and susceptibility to introduced plant diseases. The unprecedented speed and accuracy with which the candidate genes can be identified in woody trees demonstrates the potential of genomics to mitigate the impacts of invasive diseases on forest health. Invasive microbes causing diseases such as sudden oak death negatively affect ecosystems and economies around the world. The deployment of resistant genotypes for combating introduced diseases typically relies on breeding programs that can take decades to complete. To demonstrate how this process can be accelerated, we employed a genome-wide association mapping of ca. 1,000 resequenced Populus trichocarpa trees individually challenged with Sphaerulina musiva, an invasive fungal pathogen. Among significant associations, three loci associated with resistance were identified and predicted to encode one putative membrane-bound L-type receptor-like kinase and two receptor-like proteins. A susceptibility-associated locus was predicted to encode a putative G-type D-mannose–binding receptor-like kinase. Multiple lines of evidence, including allele analysis, transcriptomics, binding assays, and overexpression, support the hypothesized function of these candidate genes in the P. trichocarpa response to S. musiva.
A systematic approach to assessing novelty, requirement satisfaction, and creativity

Abstract It is well-known that creativity is crucial for sustaining a product against competition. Many factors have been proposed in the literature as indicators of creativity, among which outcome-characteristics-based factors are considered the most reliable; among these, the creativity of an outcome is often indicated by two major factors: novelty and usefulness. Only a few studies address as to how creativity assessment methods and their results can be used during the design process. To systematically address the issue of how to influence creativity of design solutions, the following questions have been framed. (1) Which factors should be used as indicators of creativity consistently across different phases of the engineering design process? (2) How can creativity be assessed in terms of these factors during the engineering design process? In this work, we consider novelty and usefulness as the necessary factors for creativity. It is found, however, that it is not possible to directly assess the usefulness of outcomes during the design process. Therefore, requirement satisfaction is used as a proxy for usefulness. We propose a creativity assessment method that uses novelty and requirement satisfaction as indicators for creativity; the method can be used for assessing not only complete products but also ideas or concepts, as they evolve through the phases of the design process. The application of the method in design is explained using a detailed example from a case study.
EMI Radiation Mitigation for Heatsinks Using Characteristic Mode Analysis

Electromagnetic interference (EMI) radiation is one of the vital problems that design engineers may face. As the frequency of an electronic device increases, the potential for a heatsink to act like a radiating antenna also increases. In this paper, characteristic mode (CM) analysis has been applied to investigate the radiation mechanism for the flat heatsink. With the eigencurrent distribution from CM analysis, it can be verified that the radiation characteristics of the flat heatsink behaves like a patch antenna, and the resonant frequencies predicted with CM agree favorably with cavity model. Meanwhile, the optimal position to put the absorbing material can be identified with the dominant eigencurrent distribution. With this proposed method by applying CM analysis, a better shielding performance and less consumption can be achieved.
Adaptive Fault Classification Approach Using Digitized Fuzzy Logic (DFL) Based on Sequence Components

Since the overhead transmission lines are exposed to external faults and they ultimately disrupt the characteristics of system if not detected in defined span of time. Therefore, in order to maintain the stability and reliability of power system, it is necessary to detect the exact type of fault occurred. This research proposes a simplest fuzzy logic system to detect the type of fault on High Voltage (HVAC) 400 kV transmission lines supplied from both ends. In this paper, a fuzzy logic-based fault classification of transmission lines using Z & S type membership functions is proposed and classification is made on the basis of magnitudes positive sequence and zero sequence currents of lines during the faulty conditions. These membership functions divide the inputs into two ranges and thus making the fuzzy system digitized with low (0) and high (1) outcomes. The designed method is able to detect all types of faults i.e, three phases shorts, two phases shorts, two phase to ground, three phase to ground and single-phase to ground faults with better precision and accuracy. The suggested technique has better performance even in long transmission lines or if a fault occurs away from protection point and also for overloaded lines. The operating times for relays to isolate the fault are also calculated. The propositions are verified through fuzzy logic toolbox in MATLAB.
Locally Private Mean Estimation: Z-test and Tight Confidence Intervals

This work provides tight upper- and lower-bounds for the problem of mean estimation under differential privacy in the local-model, when the input is composed of n i.i. d. drawn samples from a Gaussian. Our algorithms result in a (1-\beta)-confidence interval for the underlying distribution's mean of length O( sigma *sqrt(log(n/beta)log(1/\beta))/(\epsilon*sqrt(n) ). In addition, our algorithms leverage on binary search using local differential privacy for quantile estimation, a result which may be of separate interest. Moreover, our algorithms have a matching lower-bound, where we prove that any one-shot (each individual is presented with a single query) local differentially private algorithm must return an interval of length Omega( sigma*sqrt(\log(1/\beta))/(\epsilon*sqrt(n)) ).
Human neurophysiological markers of high anxiety level during preparation for visual recognition.

The functional state of subjects with high and low levels of anxiety is studied by electroencephalograph (EEG) analysis of different temporal periods preceding a cognitive task of visual expression recognition. Several conditions are investigated: background/eyes closed; background/eyes opened; listening to instructions for the cognitive task; operative rest (time lapse between listening to instructions and the beginning of the task); as well as short intervals immediately preceding exposure to target stimuli (preparatory stage), which were paired facial images with identical or different emotional expressions. At all these pre-task stages, high-anxiety subjects exhibit much lower electroencephalograph amplitude values for alpha and theta bands (as compared with low-anxiety subjects). The most prominent differences in electroencephalograph amplitude values revealed during the phases of listening to instructions and operative rest. These datum may provide more precise electrophysiological markers of the level of anxiety during conditions preceding cognitive task performance.