Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The anti-tumoral effects of the oxygen carrier YQ23 in a triple-negative breast cancer syngeneic model

Background Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), an aggressive breast cancer subtype, is associated with poor prognosis and high mortality rate. In the search for effective therapeutic options, preclinical studies have suggested using systemic oxygenation to inhibit tumor growth and metastasis in various cancer models, including TNBC, by weakening the hypoxia-A2A adenosine receptors (A2AR)-driven immunosuppression in the tumor microenvironment (TME). In our present study, a hemoglobin-based oxygen carrier (HBOC) “YQ23” was tested for its role in modulating the TME and tumor inhibition. Methods A syngeneic TNBC mouse model was established by inoculating 4T1 cells subcutaneously in BALB/c mice. Tumor (~100 mm3) bearing mice were treated either with saline or YQ23 (400 mg/kg) i.v. once weekly. To prove the immune-regulatory role of YQ23, CD4+ and CD8+ cells were depleted from a group of mice prior to treatment. Tumor growth was monitored for four weeks while xenografts were isolated at the end of the treatment for ex vivo immunohistological examination. Results YQ23 significantly inhibited the tumor growth, and this suppressive effect was abolished by depleting the host immune cells. Immunohistochemical staining of xenograft sections showed YQ23 reduced the level of hypoxia and adenosine producing ecto-enzyme CD73. Although there was no significant difference in the make up of the intra-tumoral immune populations, we observed a down-regulation of the immune checkpoint PD-1. In concordance with the weakened immunosuppression, the inflammatory cytokine interferon γ and cytolytic granzyme B were upregulated. Conclusions YQ23 treatment may be a potential therapeutic strategy to modulate the TME in TNBC.
Research Progress on the Relationship between Vitamin D and Female Reproduction

Xiaofei Xu1-4, Yongxiu Hao1-4 and Jie Qiao1-6 1Center for Reproductive Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Peking University Third Hospital, China 2National Clinical Research Center for Obstetrics and Gynecology, China 3Key Laboratory of Assisted Reproduction (Peking University), Ministry of Education, China 4Beijing Key Laboratory of Reproductive Endocrinology and Assisted Reproductive Technology, B China 5Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Genomics, China 6Research Units of Comprehensive Diagnosis and Treatment of Oocyte Maturation Arrest
Solution to the Mind-Body Relation Problem: Information

In this paper it is analyzed from the informational perspective the relation between mind and body, an ancient philosophic issue defined as a problem, which still did not receive up to date an adequate solution. By introducing/using the concept of information, it is shown that this concept includes two facets, one of them referring to the common communications and another one referring to a hidden/structuring matter-related information, effectively acting in the human body and in the living systems, which determines the dynamic inter-change of information between specific structures of the organism by electric/electronic/chemical agents and genetic/epigenetic processes. It is shown that the maintenance of body, permanently and obligatory depending on the external matter (foods, air, water) resources, needed to provide both the structuring/restructuring basic material and energy, determines the necessary existence of an info-managing system, administrating the internal mechano-chemical/physical processes. As a natural consequence, such a system should organize and assure own survival by an effective informational operability to detect the external food resources, to select the appropriate interest information and to decide as a function of circumstances. One important component in such an informational system is memory, allowing to dispose of the reference informational data for analysis/comparison and the selection between good and bad binary possible decisions. The memory receives and stores therefore signals from external reality and from the body itself, referring to the emotional reaction, digestion status, creation, and inherited predilections, within specific info-neural communication circuits between the brain and body execution/sensitive organs, the human body appearing as an integrated info-matter self-managed dynamic system. The specific body components memorize information with different degrees of info-integration: short/long-term integration, emotive/action reaction, info-abilities, culminating with the integration in the chromosomal structures by epigenetic processes. The new acquired information is transgenerationally transmissible, and is manifested as new traits, showing the adaptation capability of the human and close relation between mind and body. Analyzing the results of such a mind-body informational model in comparison with the earlier assumed/proposed/asserted archaic, Greek and Occidental philosophies, which represent only partial aspects of this relation, it is shown that this informational model, elaborated in terms of information on the basis of scientific reasons and arguments, constitutes a general, realist, and coherent model of the mind-body relation, able to integrate and/or explain most of the others.
Measuring Mancur Olson: What is the Influence of Culture, Institutions and Policies on Economic Development?

Mancur Olson wrote his influential study Big Bills Left on the Sidewalk: Why Some Countries are Rich, and Others Poor in 1996. In his paper, Olson claimed that the differ-ences in economic development between countries are caused by only two factors: institutions and policies on the one hand and culture on the other. We attempt to test his conjecture using econometric modelling, combining and comparing it with a broadly defined orthodox production function in an indirect neoclassical notation (Solow-Minhas-Arrow-Chenery's SMAC framework). The "pseudo-production function" obtained is econometrically sound and of explanatory power similar to models including economic variables, although we find strong evidence of interdependence between capital-labour share and institutions and policies and culture. We consider the test, performed on panel data from 154 countries over five-year averages from 1980-2014, to be robust and consistent with Olson's ideas.
The Effect of Methyl Anthranilate-Based Repellent on Chemical Composition and Selected Physiological Parameters of Sweet Cherry (Prunus avium L.)

Maturing sweet cherry fruits are exposed to damage caused by birds. In order to repel birds from orchards, it is increasingly common to use repellents based on plant extracts and compounds that undergo complete biodegradation. One such compound is methyl anthranilate (2-aminobenzoic acid methyl ester), which has an irritating effect on birds’ senses of taste and smell. The objective of this study was to assess the effect of methyl anthranilate-based repellent (commercial name: Goose Chase/Fruit Shield) on the chemical composition and selected physiological parameters of sweet cherry cv. ‘Burlat’. The repellent containing methyl anthranilate (26.4%) was applied in the form of a foliar spray seven days prior to fruit harvest at a 1% concentration (500 dm3∙ha−1 of working liquid). In the study, methyl anthranilate-based repellent was found to have no influence on the chemical composition of fruits and leaves or the selected physiological parameters of sweet cherry cv. ‘Burlat’. Moreover, the use of methyl anthranilate did not affect the cracking susceptibility of sweet cherry fruits. This compound may constitute an interesting alternative to support sweet cherry orchard protection against birds and in organic cultures.
Quantified Piper sarmentosum Roxb. Leaves Aqueous Leaf Extract and Its Antihypertensive Effect in Dexamethasone-Induced Hypertensive Rats

The quality control of raw herbal materials is important to ensure the safety, efficacy, and reproducibility of herbal products. Herbal products with consistent efficacy should be standardized and quantified based on their bioactive phytochemical compounds. Piper sarmentosum Roxb. has been reported for its antihypertensive activity. However, its antihypertensive effect on dexamethasone-induced hypertension still lacks information. In this study, the quality of two batches of raw P. sarmentosum leaf materials was assessed for heavy metal and microbial contents, and their aqueous extracts were assayed for antioxidant activity. The aqueous extract of the second batch of P. sarmentosum leaves was the only extract that passed the heavy metal and microbial limits and had the highest antioxidant activity (50.00 ± 2.88%); therefore, this extract was used for subsequent studies. The extract was quantified for two phytochemical markers, rutin (0.09 ± 0.002%) and vitexin (0.23 ± 0.007%), using a validated ultrahigh performance liquid chromatography method. The quantified extract (500 mg/kg/day orally) was able to lower the systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, and mean arterial pressure of dexamethasone-induced hypertensive rats comparable to the positive control drug, captopril. In summary, the quantified aqueous extract of P. sarmentosum based on rutin and vitexin lowers the blood pressure of dexamethasone-induced hypertensive rats, but its underlying mechanism warrants further investigation.
Psychometric properties of the PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 in a sample of trauma exposed mental health service users

ABSTRACT Background: PTSD self-report measures are frequently used in mental health services but very few have been evaluated in clinical samples that include civilians. The PCL-5 was developed to assess for DSM-5 PTSD. Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the psychometric properties of the PCL-5 in a sample of trauma-exposed mental health service users who were evidencing symptoms of PTSD. Method: Reliability and validity of the PCL-5 were investigated in a sample of 273 participants who reported past diagnosis for PTSD or who had screened positively for traumatic stress symptoms. Diagnostic utility was evaluated in comparison to the Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale for DSM-5 (CAPS-5). Results: The PCL-5 demonstrated high internal consistency, good convergent and divergent validity, acceptable stability and good diagnostic utility. However, operating characteristics differed from those found in other samples. Scores of 43–44 provided optimal efficiency for diagnosing PTSD. A post hoc regression analysis showed that depression explained more of the variance in PCL-5 total score than the CAPS-5. Conclusion: Whilst the PCL-5 is psychometrically sound it appears to have difficulty differentiating self-reported depression and anxiety symptoms from PTSD in trauma-exposed mental health service users and clinicians should take care to assess full symptomatology when individuals screen positively on the PCL-5. Clinicians and researchers should also take care not to assume that operating characteristics of self-report PTSD measures are valid for mental health service users, when these have been established in other populations. HIGHLIGHTS • The PCL-5 demonstrated good psychometric properties in this sample of trauma-exposed mental health service users. • An optimal cut off score of 43-44 was higher than reported in other studies evaluating the PCL-5. • A post-hoc analysis suggested that the PCL-5 has difficulty differentiating self-reported depression and anxiety symptoms from PTSD. • Clinicians should undertake further assessment to establish differential diagnosis when PCL-5 scores are raised.
Gene network screening of bladder cancer via modular analysis

Background Bladder cancer (BC) is one of the most common cancers of the urinary system. Negative regulation of apoptotic pathways is of the most significant biological process in cancer. More accurate tumor characterization and stratification of BC patients for selection of more appropriate treatments are required. Methods The data for this study are from the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI)’s Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man (OMIM) database. Disease-associated genes were performed via multiple text-based Searching in Agilent Literature Search software version 3.2. 2. MCODE version 1.32 was used for computational analysis of network for the gene complex detection. Genes with common biological processes or pathways were divided into the same module. DAVID was used for Gene ontology (GO) and pathway analysis. The OS time of hub gene expression was analyzed by GEPIA. The study used Pearson Correlation Coefficient for correlated calculation of the hub genes in the same module (Bladder Urothelial Carcinoma samples compared with normal samples). We enriched the modules and predict the regulated miRNAs by Cluepedia. Interactions within each pathway can be investigated and new potential associations are revealed through gene/miRNA enrichments. Results A total of 187 BC-associated genes were got from OMIM and used for network construction. A total of seventy-five modules were found in the network. EGFR, AR, MET, RELA, TP53, TSG101 are hub genes (edges above 10) of the largest 3 modules. The results demonstrate that BC patients with low-expressed TSG101 have longer OS, and are associated with TP53. Low-expressed RELA and over-expressed AR patients have a higher survival time. Low-expressed TSG101 patients have a longer survival time. Conclusions In our study, we found that miRNA17, miRNA20a, miRNA15a, has-let-7b and miRNA16 were miRNAs regulating the top 3 modules.
Mitigating Psychic Distance and Enhancing Internationalization of Fintech SMEs from Emerging Markets: The Role of Board of Directors

Prior research suggests that corporate boards and directors play important roles in firm strategy and performance. In this paper, we examine an important yet underexplored avenue and focus on their role in overcoming multilevel psychic distance (PD) faced by internationalizing small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) originating from an emerging market. Analyzing Indian Fintech SMEs, using multiple case studies, our findings reveal that boards contribute important network-level resources and knowledge about foreign markets, which in turn assists internationalizing SMEs in mitigating PD. We demonstrate that the human and social capital of boards’ play important, yet, distinctly different, roles in mitigating PD at pre- and post-internationalization phases. At the pre-internationalization phase directors’ prior international and industry experience, as well as board interlocks and prior connections, are most valuable, whereas, at the post-entry phase, transnational boards, and those with stronger trust-based personal relationships (i.e., greater depth of social capital (Haynes and Hillman, 2010), facilitate faster experiential learning. Taken together, our findings contribute novel insights into the mechanisms through which boards affect the outcomes of firms operating, and originating from, extreme institutional environments. We further draw implications for research and practice.
Customizable Vector Acceleration in Extreme-Edge Computing: A RISC-V Software/Hardware Architecture Study on VGG-16 Implementation

Computing in the cloud-edge continuum, as opposed to cloud computing, relies on high performance processing on the extreme edge of the Internet of Things (IoT) hierarchy. Hardware acceleration is a mandatory solution to achieve the performance requirements, yet it can be tightly tied to particular computation kernels, even within the same application. Vector-oriented hardware acceleration has gained renewed interest to support artificial intelligence (AI) applications like convolutional networks or classification algorithms. We present a comprehensive investigation of the performance and power efficiency achievable by configurable vector acceleration subsystems, obtaining evidence of both the high potential of the proposed microarchitecture and the advantage of hardware customization in total transparency to the software program.
Factors Influencing the Adoption of Facebook as a Marketing Channel among SMEs in Nigeria as a Developing Country: A Conceptual Framework

This paper reviews empirical literature to develop a conceptual framework for the adoption of Facebook as a marketing channel by Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in developing countries like Nigeria. Recent peer-review journal articles were reviewed to develop the conceptual framework for this study. Facebook provides SMEs with a cost-effective strategy for marketing their products and services to both local and international customers. However, SMEs in developing countries like Nigeria are slow in the adoption of Facebook. A literature review has revealed a lack of research on the adoption of Facebook by SMEs from the context of developing countries like Nigeria. Most of the existing studies on Facebook adoption were conducted in developed countries. Findings from such studies cannot be directly applied to SMEs in developing countries because they face different challenges. The paper proposes a conceptual framework based on the Technology-Organization-Environment (TOE) framework that can be empirically tested by a future researcher to determine factors influencing the intention of small and medium enterprises operating in the context of developing countries to adopt Facebook as a marketing channel to enhance their competitive advantage in the modern market. Findings from this study would be beneficial to decision-makers in Nigerian SMEs and Nigerian government agencies with responsibility for strengthening SMEs' activities in the country. It will also encourage and guide SMEs to adopt Facebook as their marketing channel.
WAP-1D-VAR v1.0: Development and Evaluation of a One-Dimensional Variational Data Assimilation Model for the Marine Ecosystem Along the West Antarctic Peninsula

Abstract. The West Antarctic Peninsula (WAP) is a rapidly warming region, with substantial ecological and biogeochemical responses to climate change and variability for the past decades, revealed by multi-decadal observations from the Palmer Antarctica Long-Term Ecological Research (LTER) program. The wealth of these long-term observations provides an important resource for ecosystem modelling, but there has been a lack of focus on the development of numerical models that simulate time-evolving plankton dynamics over the Austral growth season along the coastal WAP. Here we developed a one-dimensional, data assimilation planktonic ecosystem model (i.e., the WAP-1D-VAR model v1.0) equipped with a variational adjoint and model parameter optimization scheme. We first demonstrate the modified and newly added model schemes to the pre-existing food-web and biogeochemical components of the WAP-1D-VAR model, including diagnostic sea-ice forcing and trophic interactions specific to the WAP region. We then conducted model experiments by assimilating eleven different data types from an example Palmer LTER growth season (October 2002–March 2003) directly related to corresponding model state variables and intercompartmental flows. The iterative, data assimilation procedure reduced by 80 % the misfits between observations and model results, compared to before optimization, via an optimized set of 14 parameters out of total 72 free parameters. The optimized model results captured key WAP ecological features, such as blooms during seasonal sea-ice retreat, the lack of macronutrient limitation, and comparable values of the assimilated and non-assimilated model state variables and flows to other studies, as well as several important ecosystem metrics. One exception was slightly underestimated particle export flux, for which we discuss fully potential underlying reasons. The data assimilation scheme of the WAP-1D-VAR model enabled the available observational data to constrain previously poorly understood processes, including the partitioning of primary production by different phytoplankton groups, the optimal chlorophyll to carbon ratio of the WAP phytoplankton community, and the partitioning of dissolved organic carbon pools with different lability. The WAP-1D-VAR model was successfully employed to glue the snapshots from a range of the available data sets together to explain and understand the observed dynamics along the coastal WAP.
How Do Firms Respond to Minimum Wage Increases? Understanding the Relevance of Non-Employment Margins

This paper discusses non-employment margins through which firms may respond to minimum wage increases. Margins of interest include evasion, output prices, noncash compensation, job attributes including effort requirements, the firm’s mix of low- and high-skilled labor, and the firm’s mix of labor and capital. I discuss the basic theory behind each margin’s potential importance as well as findings from empirical research on their real-world relevance. Additionally, I present a set of pedagogical diagrams that show how supply and demand analyses of labor markets can be extended to bring additional nuances of real-world markets into the classroom.
Policy Reforms for Safe Online Access to Alcoholic Beverages in Indonesia

The consumption of alcoholic beverages in Indonesia is relatively low at 0.8 litres per capita a year, including both recorded and unrecorded alcohol. This is merely one-sixth of the average consumption in Southeast Asia. Despite low levels of alcohol consumption, the direct sale of alcoholic beverages in Indonesia is highly regulated, creating a lack of accessibility and affordability of recorded alcohol. This must be considered a reason for the consumption of cheaper and widely available unrecorded alcohol. Hundreds of mostly poor Indonesians have died of methanol poisoning consuming unrecorded alcohol in recent years. Moreover, in 2018 alone, the Indonesian government lost IDR 1,037.5 billion (USD 71.5 million) in revenues due to untaxed black market sales. At the national level, the legal trade of alcohol is governed by Presidential Regulation No.74/2013 and the Ministry of Trade (MOT) Regulation No.20/2014. However, these regulations do not have provisions for e-commerce, which has been expanding fast in Indonesia, especially during the Covid-19 pandemic. In April 2020, the National Agency of Drug and Food Control (NA-DFC) issued Regulation No.8/2020. Article 29 generally banned the sale of alcoholic beverages on the internet. Three months later, an NA-DFC Circular Letter withdrew it but did not revoke that article. This created confusion about the legality of online alcohol sales. Specific procedures for online sales of alcoholic beverages are needed mostly for two reasons. Consumers that choose products from a website find it particularly difficult to verify the origin of the drink and to avoid the consumption of unrecorded alcohol. Online sales of alcoholic beverages also increase the risk of underage drinking, if age verification processes during the purchase and delivery are not properly applied. Instead of banning online sales of alcoholic beverages, a specific regulatory framework should consider the recommendations below: 1. NA-DFC should revoke Article 29 of Regulation No. 8/2020 to end confusion about the legality of online sales. Coordination with the Ministry of Trade remains crucial in the amendment process to harmonize regulations. 2. Technical systems to verify the age and identity of customers need to be put in place, following international best practices, in order to prevent purchases by, advertisement or delivery of alcohol to people below the legal drinking age. 3. Verification measures need to ensure that the digital distribution system excludes any form of unrecorded alcohol. MOT should seek the cooperation of the private sector to develop and enforce a strict code-of-conduct. 4. MOCI should consider revoking online alcohol sales restrictions in its Circular Letter No. 5/2016 and cooperate with MOT and NA-DFC when drafting regulations that address liability issues for merchants and e-commerce providers. The liability should be with the merchants, who must remain fully responsible for their products.