Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Systematic Pan-Cancer Analysis of KIF23 and a Prediction Model Based on KIF23 in Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma (ccRCC)

Purpose This study aims to carry out a pan-cancer analysis of kinesin family member 23 (KIF23) and construct a predictive model for the prognosis of clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) patients. Methods We evaluated the differential expression of KIF23 in pan-cancer by The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Oncomine database. Then, the correlation between KIF23 with prognosis, clinical grade, stage, immune subtype, tumor mutation burden (TMB), microsatellite instability (MSI) and immune microenvironment was explored by TCGA, an integrated repository portal for tumor-immune system interactions (TISIDB) and cBioPortal. Subsequently, we screened out ferroptosis-related genes (FRGs) related to KIF23 and constructed a risk score model. Univariate Cox analysis was used to determine independent prognostic factors for ccRCC overall survival (OS), and a nomogram was established. Furthermore, gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) was applied to study the biological functions and pathways of KIF23. Finally, quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was carried out to evaluate the expression of KIF23. Results KIF23 was highly expressed in most tumors. Further, KIF23 was strongly correlated with prognosis, clinical grade, stage, immune subtype, TMB, MSI and immune microenvironment in different tumors. We found that KIF23 was significantly associated with all aspects of ccRCC. Then, 8 FRGs were identified to construct a risk score model together with KIF23. And a prognostic nomogram prediction model of OS was established. After GSEA analysis, cell cycle, condensed chromosome and other physiological processes were screened out. Finally, qRT-PCR verified the high expression of KIF23 in ccRCC cell lines than normal kidney cell line. Conclusion KIF23 may act as a pivotal part in occurrence and progression of different tumors. In ccRCC, KIF23 can be a great prognostic biomarker, and the nomogram based on KIF23 may contribute to better treatment plans for ccRCC patients.
Generating many Majorana modes via periodic driving: A superconductor model

Realizing Majorana modes (MMs) in condensed-matter systems is of vast experimental and theoretical interests, and some signatures of MMs have been measured already. To facilitate future experimental observations and to explore further applications of MMs, generating many MMs at ease in an experimentally accessible manner has become one important issue. This task is achieved here in a one-dimensional $p$-wave superconductor system with the nearest- and next-nearest-neighbor interactions. In particular, a periodic modulation of some system parameters can induce an effective long-range interaction (as suggested by the Baker-Campbell-Hausdorff formula) and may recover time-reversal symmetry already broken in undriven cases. By exploiting these two independent mechanisms at once we have established a general method in generating many Floquet MMs via periodic driving.
The activity and safety of the antimicrobial agent bronopol (2-bromo-2-nitropropan-1, 3-diol)

Synopsis Recent work on the microbiological activity, chemistry and safety of the antimicrobial agent Bronopol is reported. Methods for the estimation of Bronopol are described, and the nature of its decomposition products is discussed. Animal metabolism and toxicology results are reported, together with animal and human studies on irritancy and sensitisation. The performance of Bronopol in a number of experimental formulations is described.
The validation of the draft European CEN standard for dynamic olfactometry by an interlaboratory comparison on n-butanol

A draft European odour standard has been prepared by the CEN working group CEN/TC264/WG2 'Odours'. As a final step in the preparation of the standard a validation of its quality criteria was required. To achieve this validation an Interlaboratory Comparison for Olfactometry (ICO) was organised with 19 laboratories from five European countries participating. The test substance was n-butanol in a concentration range from 15 to 400 ppm/v. From the qualified laboratories 36% fulfilled the criteria on both accuracy (< 0.217) and repeatability (< 0.477), calculated from the logarithms of test results expressed as threshold in ppb. This result was discussed in the working group and it was decided that the criteria were attainable. The draft CEN standard will be issued in November 1997 for public enquiry among the members of the CEN organisation followed by voting in 1998.
Cellulase, Pectinase, and Xylanase Production by Listeria sp. ISH 16 using Coffee Pulp Waste Medium

—In this study, microbial utilization of coffee pulp waste to produce three carbohydrases (cellulase, pectinase, and xylanase) has been investigated. An isolate Listeria sp. ISH-16 which grown in liquid medium containing 0.5% coffee pulp alkali extract can grow well with density of reach 10 7 x 58.5 cell/mL. Further, the culture can optimum produced of pectinase after 72 hours incubation at 37 o C, but for cellulase and xylanase longer 84 hours incubation needed. The harvested of crude pectinase, cellulase and xylanase had activity 0.15, 0.23, and 0.61 unit/ ml after dialysis, respectively. All enzymes stable at a range of pH 4-5.5, but they work optimum at different pH. Of each enzyme pectinase, cellulase, and xylanase work optimum at pH 5, 4.5, and 5.5. based on these results, it may be adopted as a strategy to produce enzymes with low cost so that further investigation such as large scale and purification enzyme is needed.
Galectins as Emerging Glyco-Checkpoints and Therapeutic Targets in Glioblastoma

Despite recent advances in diagnosis and treatment, glioblastoma (GBM) represents the most common and aggressive brain tumor in the adult population, urging identification of new rational therapeutic targets. Galectins, a family of glycan-binding proteins, are highly expressed in the tumor microenvironment (TME) and delineate prognosis and clinical outcome in patients with GBM. These endogenous lectins play key roles in different hallmarks of cancer by modulating tumor cell proliferation, oncogenic signaling, migration, vascularization and immunity. Additionally, they have emerged as mediators of resistance to different anticancer treatments, including chemotherapy, radiotherapy, immunotherapy, and antiangiogenic therapy. Particularly in GBM, galectins control tumor cell transformation and proliferation, reprogram tumor cell migration and invasion, promote vascularization, modulate cell death pathways, and shape the tumor-immune landscape by targeting myeloid, natural killer (NK), and CD8+ T cell compartments. Here, we discuss the role of galectins, particularly galectin-1, -3, -8, and -9, as emerging glyco-checkpoints that control different mechanisms associated with GBM progression, and discuss possible therapeutic opportunities based on inhibition of galectin-driven circuits, either alone or in combination with other treatment modalities.
Association between Carotid Intima-Media Thickness and the Use of Biological or Small Molecule Therapies in Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis

Objective: The objective of this study was to assess the association of carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT), and also the presence of atheromatous plaque, with biological and targeted synthetic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs, in an established cohort of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Patients and Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional observational study based on a cohort of patients with RA and a registry of healthy controls, in whom the CIMT and presence of atheromatous plaque were assessed by ultrasound. Data were collected on disease activity, lab results and treatments. Descriptive and bivariate analyses were performed and two multivariate linear regression models (with CIMT as the dependent variable) were constructed to identify variables independently associated with CIMT in our sample of patients with RA. Results: A total of 176 individuals (146 patients with RA and 30 controls) were included. A higher percentage of patients than controls had atheromatous plaque (33.8% vs. 12.5%, p = 0.036), but no differences were found in terms of CIMT (0.64 vs. 0.61, p = 0.444). Compared to values in patients on other therapies, the CIMT was smaller among patients on tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNFα) inhibitors (mean [SD]: 0.58 [0.10] vs. 0.65 [0.19]; p = 0.013) and among those on Janus kinase inhibitors (mean [SD]: 0.52 [0.02] vs. 0.64 [0.18]; p < 0.001), while no differences were found as a function of the use of the other therapies considered. The multivariate linear regression analysis to identify factors associated with CIMT in our patients, adjusting for traditional cardiovascular risk factors such as hypertension, high levels of low-density lipoproteins, diabetes mellitus and smoking, showed that male sex, older age and having a greater cumulative erythrocyte sedimentation rate were independently associated with a larger CIMT, while patients on TNFα inhibitors had a CIMT 0.075 mm smaller than those on other treatments. Conclusions: The use of TNFα inhibitors may protect against subclinical atherosclerosis in patients with RA, patients on this biologic having smaller CIMTs than patients on other disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs. Nonetheless, these results should be confirmed in prospective studies with larger sample sizes.
Changes in the intermediate water mass formation rates in the global ocean for the Last Glacial Maximum, mid-Holocene and pre-industrial climates

[1] The paleoclimate version of the National Center for Atmospheric Research Community Climate System Model version 3 (NCAR-CCSM3) is used to analyze changes in the water formation rates in the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans for the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM), mid-Holocene (MH) and pre-industrial (PI) control climate. During the MH, CCSM3 exhibits a north-south asymmetric response of intermediate water subduction changes in the Atlantic Ocean, with a reduction of 2 Sv in the North Atlantic and an increase of 2 Sv in the South Atlantic relative to PI. During the LGM, there is increased formation of intermediate water and a more stagnant deep ocean in the North Pacific. The production of North Atlantic Deep Water (NADW) is significantly weakened. The NADW is replaced in large extent by enhanced Antarctic Intermediate Water (AAIW), Glacial North Atlantic Intermediate Water (GNAIW), and also by an intensified of Antarctic Bottom Water (AABW), with the latter being a response to the enhanced salinity and ice formation around Antarctica. Most of the LGM intermediate/mode water is formed at 27.4 <σθ < 29.0 kg/m3, while for the MH and PI most of the subduction transport occurs at 26.5 < σθ < 27.4 kg/m3. The simulated LGM Southern Hemisphere winds are more intense by 0.2–0.4 dyne/cm2. Consequently, increased Ekman transport drives the production of intermediate water (low salinity) at a larger rate and at higher densities when compared to the other climatic periods.
Modelling Climate–Sensitive Forest Succession to Assess Impacts of Climate Change and Support Decision Making

Mountain forests provide a wide variety of ecosystem services to society. In light of the trend of temperature increase and related climatic extremes in the Greater Alpine Area, mountain forests are likely to undergo dramatic changes in the coming centuries. Therefore, forest managers face the challenge of adapting forests to support resilience to climate change. To facilitate this process, the forest gap model ForClim, a process-based forest succession model, was applied to generate site-specific information on future forest stand development and species composition. The tree species composition without management activities was predicted up to 2100 assuming a stable climate, and for both moderate and severe climate-change scenarios. Furthermore, three different forest stand development scenarios were implemented. The forest stand investigated in our research shows significant climate-sensitivity. Results demonstrate that deciduous mixed forest stands are necessary to increase resilience and manage forests for climate change. Using active silvicultural measures, such as assisted migration through planting thermophilus species, negative effects of climate change could be reduced. The modelling approach presented here is appropriate for assessing the impacts of climate change and supporting decision making by local forest managers.
A Critical Review of User Studies on Healthy Smart Homes

Considerable research has been conducted on smart services and technologies over the past decades, and the realization of smart environments has been one of the important research themes in housing studies. However, there is a lack of evaluation of the effects of those technologies on user experience from a cognitive perspective. This paper reviews the evaluation methods adopted in user studies of healthy smart homes. The review of user studies would enable the consolidation of knowledge to develop appropriate evaluation strategies for investigating user experience of smart services and technologies. Through an exhaustive search on contents pages of articles, different strategies for user studies were examined that span a range of experimental settings and analysis methods. These strategies can potentially work together in complementary ways to provide insights into user experience of healthy smart homes. The review highlighted research issues on user experience to be addressed for smart environments, giving valuable insights on cognitive paradigms to develop guide for smart services and technologies, which would ultimately encourage user satisfaction and foster sensibility.
Modified Functional Reach Test: Upper-Body Kinematics and Muscular Activity in Chronic Stroke Survivors

Effective control of trunk muscles is fundamental to perform most daily activities. Stroke affects this ability also when sitting, and the Modified Functional Reach Test is a simple clinical method to evaluate sitting balance. We characterize the upper body kinematics and muscular activity during this test. Fifteen chronic stroke survivors performed twice, in separate sessions, three repetitions of the test in forward and lateral directions with their ipsilesional arm. We focused our analysis on muscles of the trunk and of the contralesional, not moving, arm. The bilateral activations of latissimi dorsi, trapezii transversalis and oblique externus abdominis were left/right asymmetric, for both test directions, except for the obliquus externus abdominis in the frontal reaching. Stroke survivors had difficulty deactivating the contralesional muscles at the end of each trial, especially the trapezii trasversalis in the lateral direction. The contralesional, non-moving arm had muscular activations modulated according to the movement phases of the moving arm. Repeating the task led to better performance in terms of reaching distance, supported by an increased activation of the trunk muscles. The reaching distance correlated negatively with the time-up-and-go test score.
Comparison of Medcem MTA, Medcem Pure Portland Cement and NeoMTA to Pediatric Restorative Materials to Shear Bond Strength

The aim of this study is to compare the shear bond strength of Medcem Pure Portland Cement, Medcem MTA and NeoMTA, which are used in vital pulp treatments, to different pediatric restorative materials. Materials and Method: Standard acrylic blocks (4*2 mm) were prepared for the shear bond strength test. The calcium silicate-based biomaterials (Medcem MTA, Medcem Pure Portland Cement, NeoMTA) were prepared in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions. They were inserted into the holes in the acrylic blocks and left the recommended time to harden. The restorative materials were evaluated in 4 groups (compomer, resin modified glass ionomer cement, high viscosity glass ionomer cement, Cention N). the restorative materials were applied on the biomaterials with the help of cylindrical molds (diameter of 2*2mm). The data obtained were analyzed using one-way tests of ANOVA and Turkey. Results: While the restorative material group showing the highest shear bond strength with Medcem Pure Portland ce - ment is the high viscosity glass ionomer cement group, it was followed by the compomer, Cention N and resin modified glass ionomer cement groups, respectively. The shear bond strength between Medcem MTA and compomer group was the highest, followed respectively by Cention N, resin modified glass ionomer cement and high viscosity glass ionomer cement groups. On the other hand, in NeoMTA the highest shear bond strength was determined by the Cention N group, and the lowest by the high viscosity glass ionomer cement group. Conclusion: The shear bond strength between the biomaterials and pediatric restorative materials used in this study is promising and can be considered as an alternative in vital pulp treatments.
High-current transmission line pulse characterization of aluminum and copper interconnects for advanced CMOS semiconductor technologies

High-current phenomena and electrostatic discharge (ESD) in both aluminum and copper interconnects using transmission line pulse (TLP) testing are reported. Critical current density-to-failure, J/sub crit/, is evaluated as a function of pulse width for both wire and via structures. Experimental results demonstrate that copper-based interconnects have superior ESD robustness compared to aluminum-based interconnects.
FAUNISTIC ANALYSIS OF THE SECTION LEB 1 IN THE GARDNO-ŁEBA COASTAL PLAIN,

The article presents results of the faunistic analysis of the Leb 1 sediment core collected from the marginal zone of the Lake Łebsko. The 5 m long core contained 10,603 specimens of freshwater and brackish-marine fauna, represented by 13 taxa of molluscs, 3 species of ostracods, 2 taxa of foraminifers and a species of the order Coleoptera, and genera Balanus and Gammarus. Lithology of the sediments and species composition of the fauna permitted distinguishing 3 development phases of the Lake Łebsko: brackish-marine phase (500–400 cm), limnic phase with varied salinity (400–100 cm) and swamp phase (100–0 cm), indicating progressive overgrowing of the marginal zone of the lake since the 13th century.
A Critical Commentary on Combined Methods Approach to Researching Educational and Social Issues.

One major issue social science research is faced with concerns the methodological schism and internecine 'warfare' that divides the field. This paper examines critically what is referred to as combined methods research, and the claim that this is the best methodology for addressing complex social issues. The paper discredits this claim on the basis of the following three key points. First, it is argued that because there is necessarily not a one to one correspondence between epistemology and methods, an appropriate methodological approach to researching social life cannot necessarily be any one peculiar research methodology. Second, combined methods research attenuates the crucial issue of objectivity in social research and skews the debate towards qualitative and quantitative research as if they are in themselves theoretical perspectives opposed to each other. Third, the supposedly 'pragmatic philosophy' underpinning combined methods research (which most adherents of this methodological approach misconstrue as mapping both quantitative and qualitative research onto positivism and interpretivism) amounts to the inherent suggestion that on the one hand the world is flat, and on the other that the world is round. It is concluded that an appropriate methodological approach to researching social life is one which gives pre-eminence first and foremost to the research purpose before such other issues as the skills base of the researcher, who commissions the study and contributions of the research to wider political discourse.
Gender Disparities in Faculty Rank: Factors that Affect Advancement of Women Scientists at Academic Medical Centers

While a significant portion of women within academic science are employed within medical schools, women faculty in these academic medical centers are disproportionately represented in lower faculty ranks. The medical school setting is a critical case for both understanding and advancing women in basic sciences. This study highlights the findings from focus groups conducted with women faculty across Assistant, Associate, and Full Professor ranks (n = 35) in which they discussed barriers and facilitators for advancement of women basic scientists at an academic medical center. Qualitative analysis demonstrated several emergent themes that affect women’s advancement, including gendered expectation norms (e.g., good citizenship, volunteerism), work-life balance, mentorship/sponsorship, adoption of a team science approach, tenure process milestones, soft money research infrastructure, institution specific policies (or lack thereof), and operating within an MD-biased culture. These findings are compared with the extant literature of women scientists in STEM institutions. Factors that emerged from these focus groups highlight the need for evidence-based interventions in the often overlooked STEM arena of academic medical centers.
Factors Influencing Customer Decisions to Use Online Food Delivery Service during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Despite the popularity of online food delivery systems in the foodservice industry, there have been few studies into customers’ decision-making process to use online food delivery services during the Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. This study applied the technology acceptance model (TAM) to examine the factors affecting customers’ intention to use online food delivery services. Results showed (a) the perceived usefulness affects customer’s online food delivery usage directly and indirectly through customer attitude; (b) enjoyment and trust are also key factors determining behavior intention toward customer attitude using online food delivery services; (c) positive relationship between social influence and customer attitude; and (d) a positive relationship between customer attitude and behavior intention in the online food delivery service context. These findings provide theoretical and managerial implications that contribute to the online food delivery service industry.
Brightness perception of white LED lights with different correlated colour temperatures

Various luminous environments can be created by utilizing light emitting diode (LED) lights which can be easily controlled with diverse illuminance and correlated colour temperature (CCT) levels. Implementation of such luminous environments could affect occupants’ perceptions. This study aim to identify subjective brightness perception of young healthy female and male students being exposed to different CCT conditions of LED lights in lecture room environment. To measure brightness perception, three subjective evaluations were conducted. First, brightness perception in different CCTs was compared under single CCT LED lights. Second, a single CCT of LED light was compared to the same CCT under mixed CCTs. Third, different mixing methods for a particular CCT were applied to mixed CCTs of LED lights. The results of the first test showed that the subjects perceived the environmental space to be brighter when exposed to a higher CCT with the same illuminance level. The second experiment showed that LED lights with mixed CCTs are relatively superior to LED lights with a single CCT in terms of brightness perception under the same illuminance level. The third experiment illustrated that the subjects would feel their environment as brighter when exposed to higher CCT and/or with a larger proportion of high CCT. The selections and mixing among different CCTs for classroom design can be determined based on the results of this study where brightness perception is important.