Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Nuclear Translocation of β-Catenin during Mesenchymal Stem Cells Differentiation into Hepatocytes Is Associated with a Tumoral Phenotype

Wnt/β-catenin pathway controls biochemical processes related to cell differentiation. In committed cells the alteration of this pathway has been associated with tumors as hepatocellular carcinoma or hepatoblastoma. The present study evaluated the role of Wnt/β-catenin activation during human mesenchymal stem cells differentiation into hepatocytes. The differentiation to hepatocytes was achieved by the addition of two different conditioned media. In one of them, β-catenin nuclear translocation, up-regulation of genes related to the Wnt/β-catenin pathway, such as Lrp5 and Fzd3, as well as the oncogenes c-myc and p53 were observed. While in the other protocol there was a Wnt/β-catenin inactivation. Hepatocytes with nuclear translocation of β-catenin also had abnormal cellular proliferation, and expressed membrane proteins involved in hepatocellular carcinoma, metastatic behavior and cancer stem cells. Further, these cells had also increased auto-renewal capability as shown in spheroids formation assay. Comparison of both differentiation protocols by 2D-DIGE proteomic analysis revealed differential expression of 11 proteins with altered expression in hepatocellular carcinoma. Cathepsin B and D, adenine phosphoribosyltransferase, triosephosphate isomerase, inorganic pyrophosphatase, peptidyl-prolyl cis-trans isomerase A or lactate dehydrogenase β-chain were up-regulated only with the protocol associated with Wnt signaling activation while other proteins involved in tumor suppression, such as transgelin or tropomyosin β-chain were down-regulated in this protocol. In conclusion, our results suggest that activation of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway during human mesenchymal stem cells differentiation into hepatocytes is associated with a tumoral phenotype.
A Sound Type System for Secure Flow Analysis

Ensuring secure information flow within programs in the context of multiple sensitivity levels has been widely studied. Especially noteworthy is Denning’s work in secure flow analysis and the lattice model [6][7]. Until now, however, the soundness of Denning’s analysis has not been established satisfactorily. We formulate Denning’s approach as a type system and present a notion of soundness for the system that can be viewed as a form of noninterference. Soundness is established by proving, with respect to a standard programming language semantics, that all well-typed programs have this noninterference property.
Optical Velocity Patterns, Velocity-Sensitive Neurons, and Space Perception: A Hypothesis

A hypothesis is put forward of how global patterns of optical flow, as discussed by Gibson, Johansson, and others, could be processed by relatively simple physiological mechanisms. It is suggested that there may exist motion-sensitive cells in the visual system which operate on the optical flow over the retina, and, in so doing, structure the visual field in terms of distinct surfaces that move and/or lie at varying distances from the observer. First, concepts of static and dynamic perspective relative to a sphere centered about the eye are developed, partly on the basis of the work of Gordon. It is pointed out that the velocity flow pattern has a very simple form making it amenable to analysis by relatively low-level mechanisms. Next a higher-order variable of optical flow, the ‘convexity’, is defined; under the assumption of a rigid environment, convexity is shown to be related to relative depth. It is then postulated that velocity-sensitive cells having center—surround organization could be linked in such a way as to define a higher-order cell, the convexity cell, having functional properties that make it sensitive to the convexity function. The response profile of a layer of such cells would provide an efficient structuring of the visual field in terms of distinct optical surfaces. Relevant evidence is briefly discussed. Lastly, the optical flow patterns corresponding to rotations of the observer are considered. It is shown that the convexity cell is insensitive to rotations and in consequence responds in an invariant fashion to aspects of the optical flow which are related to the surrounding environment.
Controller synthesis: From modelling to enactment

Controller synthesis provides an automated means to produce architecture-level behaviour models that are enacted by a composition of lower-level software components, ensuring correct behaviour. Such controllers ensure that goals are satisfied for any model-consistent environment behaviour. This paper presents a tool for developing environment models, synthesising controllers efficiently, and enacting those controllers using a composition of existing third-party components. Video: www.youtube. com/watch? v=RnetgVihpV4.
Selected loss of tolerance evidenced by Crohn's disease-associated immune responses to auto- and microbial antigens.

BACKGROUND & AIMS Previous studies in Crohn's disease suggest global loss of tolerance with sonicated bacteria preparations containing hundreds of antigens. Monoassociation studies show that a solitary bacterium can induce colitis in one animal model, whereas another is responsible in other models. Among patients with Crohn's disease, serum responses have been documented to microbial and autoantigens (antibodies to the Escherichia coli outer-membrane porin C and the Pseudomonas fluorescens-associated sequence I2, antisaccharomyces cerevisiae antibody (ASCA), and perinuclear antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies). Our aim was to determine whether there are heterogeneous responses to these specific antigens. METHODS Sera from 330 Crohn's patients were analyzed. Immunoglobulin A enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays to ASCA, outer-membrane porin C, or I2 and immunoglobulin G enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay to ASCA and ANCA determined the presence and level of antibodies. Perinuclear antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies were determined by immunofluorescence. RESULTS ASCA was detected in 56% of patients; 55% were seroreactive to outer-membrane porin C, 50% were seroreactive to I2, and 23% were perinuclear antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody positive. Eighty-five percent responded to at least 1 antigen; only 4% responded to all 4. Among microbial antigens, 78% responded to at least 1, and 57% were double positive, but only 26% responded to all 3. The level of response was stable over time and with change in disease activity. Among patients with the same qualitative antigen-response profiles, quantitative response differed. Cluster analysis of these antibody responses yielded 4 groups: ASCA, outer-membrane porin C/I2, perinuclear antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies, or no/low response. CONCLUSIONS Rather than global loss of tolerance, there seem to be patient subsets with differing responses to selected microbial and autoantigens.
Learning cross-modality similarity for multinomial data

Many applications involve multiple-modalities such as text and images that describe the problem of interest. In order to leverage the information present in all the modalities, one must model the relationships between them. While some techniques have been proposed to tackle this problem, they either are restricted to words describing visual objects only, or require full correspondences between the different modalities. As a consequence, they are unable to tackle more realistic scenarios where a narrative text is only loosely related to an image, and where only a few image-text pairs are available. In this paper, we propose a model that addresses both these challenges. Our model can be seen as a Markov random field of topic models, which connects the documents based on their similarity. As a consequence, the topics learned with our model are shared across connected documents, thus encoding the relations between different modalities. We demonstrate the effectiveness of our model for image retrieval from a loosely related text.
Application of Some Retrieved Information Method on Internet

This paper compares several methods of information extraction on the internet. Today, internet has become a treasure of knowledge. Every year, thousands of pieces of different information are posted on the internet. So, extracted information on the internet for many different purposes has become an important problem today. Users may extract information based on some available tools such as Lapis, Risk, Rapier, Wien, and Stalker… However, these tools have a disadvantage: we must update the training data when the website changes. So SVM and CRF associated with natural language processing are the best solutions to solve this problem. Information extraction from online Vietnamese news website with SVM and CRF brings experiment results that is very optimistic. Its results reach nearly 90% of the accuracy in websites and the processing time is less than one minute per site when the specified number of link levels is 1 within the base site.
Load Modulation of BOLD Response and Connectivity Predicts Working Memory Performance in Younger and Older Adults

Individual differences in working memory (WM) performance have rarely been related to individual differences in the functional responsivity of the WM brain network. By neglecting person-to-person variation, comparisons of network activity between younger and older adults using functional imaging techniques often confound differences in activity with age trends in WM performance. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging, we investigated the relations among WM performance, neural activity in the WM network, and adult age using a parametric letter n-back task in 30 younger adults (21–31 years) and 30 older adults (60–71 years). Individual differences in the WM network's responsivity to increasing task difficulty were related to WM performance, with a more responsive BOLD signal predicting greater WM proficiency. Furthermore, individuals with higher WM performance showed greater change in connectivity between left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and left premotor cortex across load. We conclude that a more responsive WM network contributes to higher WM performance, regardless of adult age. Our results support the notion that individual differences in WM performance are important to consider when studying the WM network, particularly in age-comparative studies.
Ordering Problem Subgoals

Most past research work on problem subgoal ordering are of a heuristic nature and very little attempt has been made to reveal the inherent relationship between subgoal ordering constraints and problem operator schemata. As a result, subgoal ordering strategies which have been developed tend to be either overly committed, imposing ordering on subgoals subjectively or randomly, or overly restricted, ordering subgoals only after a violation of ordering constraints becomes explicit during the development of a problem solution or plan. This paper proposes a new approach characterized by a formal representation of subgoal ordering constraints which makes explicit the relationship between the constraints and the problem operator schemata. Following this approach, it becomes straightforward to categorize various types of subgoal ordering constraints, to manipulate or extend the relational representation of the constraints, to systematically detect important subgoal ordering constraints from problem specifications, and to apply the detected constraints to multiple problem instances.
Enhancing Handheld Navigation Systems with Augmented Reality

We investigate the role of augmented reality (AR) as a new kind of handheld interface to enhance navigation. We integrate AR with other more common interfaces into a handheld navigation system, and we conduct an exploratory study to see where and how people exploit the AR interface. Based on previous work on augmented photographs, we hypothesize that AR is more useful as a support for wayfinding at static locations just before road intersections. In partial contradiction with our hypotheses, our results show that AR is used mostly while walking, usually shortly before and after road intersections. Our results help drawing considerations informing both the design of AR interfaces and the development of tracking technologies.
Neural Cell Adhesion Molecule-Stimulated Neurite Outgrowth Depends on Activation of Protein Kinase C and the Ras–Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Pathway

The signal transduction pathways associated with neural cell adhesion molecule (NCAM)-induced neuritogenesis are only partially characterized. We here demonstrate that NCAM-induced neurite outgrowth depends on activation of p59fyn, focal adhesion kinase (FAK), phospholipase Cγ (PLCγ), protein kinase C (PKC), and the Ras–mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase pathway. This was done using a coculture system consisting of PC12-E2 cells grown on fibroblasts, with or without NCAM expression, allowing NCAM–NCAM interactions resulting in neurite outgrowth. PC12-E2 cells were transiently transfected with expression plasmids encoding constitutively active forms of Ras, Raf, MAP kinase kinases MEK1 and 2, dominant negative forms of Ras and Raf, and the FAK-related nonkinase. Alternatively, PC12-E2 cells were submitted to treatment with antibodies to the fibroblast growth factor (FGF) receptor, inhibitors of the nonreceptor tyrosine kinase p59fyn, PLC, PKC and MEK and an activator of PKC, phorbol-12-myristate-13-acetate (PMA). MEK2 transfection rescued cells treated with all inhibitors. The same was found for PMA treatment, except when cells concomitantly were treated with the MEK inhibitor. Arachidonic acid rescued cells treated with antibodies to the FGF receptor or the PLC inhibitor, but not cells in which the activity of PKC, p59fyn, FAK, Ras, or MEK was inhibited. Interaction of NCAM with a synthetic NCAM peptide ligand, known to induce neurite outgrowth, was shown to stimulate phosphorylation of the MAP kinases extracellular signal-regulated kinases ERK1 and ERK2. The MAP kinase activation was sustained, because ERK1 and ERK2 were phosphorylated in PC12-E2 cells and primary hippocampal neurons even after 24 hr of cultivation on NCAM-expressing fibroblasts. Based on these results, we propose a model of NCAM signaling involving two pathways: NCAM–Ras–MAP kinase and NCAM–FGF receptor–PLCγ–PKC, and we propose that PKC serves as the link between the two pathways activating Raf and thereby creating the sustained activity of the MAP kinases necessary for neuronal differentiation.
The effects of percolation in nanostructured transparent conductors

Networks of nanoscale conductors such as carbon nanotubes, graphene, and metallic nanowires are promising candidates to replace metal oxides as transparent conductors. However, very few previous reports have described nanostructured thin films that reach the standards required by industry for high-performance transparent electrodes. In this review, we analyze the sheet resistance and transmittance data extracted from published literature for solution processed, nanostructured networks. In the majority of cases, as their thickness is reduced below a critical value, nanoconductor networks undergo a transition from bulklike to percolative behavior. Such percolative behavior is characteristic of sparse networks with limited connectivity and few continuous conductive paths. This transition tends to occur for films with a transmittance between 50% and 90%, which means that the properties of highly transparent films are predominately limited by percolation. Consequently, to achieve low resistance coupled with high transparency, the networks must be much more conductive than would otherwise be the case. We show that highly conductive networks of metallic nanowires appear to be the most promising candidate to replace traditional transparent electrode materials from a technical standpoint. However, many other factors, including cost, manufacturability, and stability, will have to be addressed before commercialization of these materials.
Encouraged 6-min walking test indicates maximum sustainable exercise in COPD patients.

STUDY OBJECTIVES In patients with moderate-to-severe COPD, an encouraged 6-min walking test (6MWT) is a high-intensity submaximal exercise protocol that shows an oxygen uptake (Vo(2)) plateau after the third minute of the test. This last feature prompted the hypothesis that self-paced walking speed is set to achieve "maximal" sustainable Vo(2), namely "critical power" or "critical speed. " PATIENTS AND METHODS Eight patients with moderate-to-severe COPD (mean age, 68 +/- 7 years [+/- SD]; FEV(1), 50 +/- 13% predicted; Pao(2), 69 +/- 8 mm Hg) underwent the following tests on different days in order: (1) encouraged 6MWT; (2) standard incremental shuttle test to identify peak walking speed; (3) four different high-intensity, constant walking speed tests to exhaustion to calculate critical walking speed; and (4) timed walking test at critical walking speed (CWS) to examine sustainability of the exercise. RESULTS 6MWT and CWS showed similar results (mean of last 3 min): Vo(2) (1,605 +/- 304 mL/min vs 1,584 +/- 319 mL/min), minute ventilation (47 +/- 12 L/min vs 48 +/- 11 L/min), respiratory exchange ratio (0.89 +/- 0.1 vs 0.90 +/- 0.1), heart rate (130 +/- 18 beats/min vs 131 +/- 16 beats/min), Borg dyspnea score (5.4 +/- 1.3 vs 5.5 +/- 2.4), and walking speed (1.49 +/- 0.1 m/s vs 1.44 +/- 0.1 m/s, respectively). CONCLUSION This study supports that 6MWT indicates maximum sustainable exercise that might be related with its predictive value in COPD patients.
Bit-Padding Information Guided Channel Hopping

In the context of multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) communications, we propose a bit-padding information guided channel hopping (BP-IGCH) scheme which breaks the limitation that the number of transmit antennas has to be a power of two based on the IGCH concept. The proposed scheme prescribes different bit-lengths to be mapped onto the indices of the transmit antennas and then uses padding technique to avoid error propagation. Numerical results and comparisons, on both the capacity and the bit error rate performances, are provided and show the advantage of the proposed scheme. The BP-IGCH scheme not only offers lower complexity to realize the design flexibility, but also achieves better performance.
High-Resolution Source Coding for Non-Difference Distortion Measures: The Rate-Distortion Function

The problem of asymptotic (i,e., low-distortion) behavior of the rate-distortion function of a random vector is investigated for a class of non-difference distortion measures. The main result is an asymptotically tight expression which parallels the Shannon lower bound for difference distortion measures. For example, for an input-weighted squared error distortion measure d(x,y)=/spl par/W(x)(y-x)/spl par//sup 2/,y,x/spl isin/R/sup n/, the asymptotic expression for the rate-distortion function of X/spl isin/R/sup n/ at distortion level D equals h(X)-/sub 2///sup n/log(2/spl pi/eD/n)+Elog|detW(X)| where h(X) is the differential entropy of X. Extensions to stationary sources and to high-resolution remote ("noisy") source coding are also given.
Observer-Based Contouring Controller Design of a Biaxial Stage System Subject to Friction

Friction is a major source of disturbances for common stage systems. For the purpose of high precision contouring performance, both contouring control and friction compensation are necessary. Hence, this brief studies the contouring controller design problem of a biaxial stage system subject to friction. Moreover, to cope with the real situation happening in most stage systems, position is assumed to be the only available information for design. By incorporating a friction model into system dynamics and with the help of the task coordinate formulation, an observer-based contouring controller is proposed to solve this problem. Based on the results of state observation, friction forces can be well estimated and compensated. The resulted contouring controller possesses an integrated structure such that the feedforward, feedback, contouring, and friction compensation controls can be synthesized in a systematic manner. Simulation and experimental results are consistent to the theoretical analyses and verify the proposed scheme.
Molecular dynamics studies of atomic-scale friction for roller-on-slab systems with different rolling–sliding conditions

This paper presents the use of molecular dynamics (MD) simulations to investigate atomic-scale frictional behaviour between a roller and a slab under rolling–sliding conditions. The simulations consider both abrasive wear and non-abrasive wear during the rolling–sliding process. Different rolling–sliding conditions are simulated by implementing various separation distances between the roller and the slab and by changing the angular velocity of the roller. The frictional and normal forces acting at the interface between the roller and the slab, and the temperature of both operating components, are calculated during the rolling–sliding process. The relationships between the roller–slab friction phenomena and the rolling–sliding conditions are investigated. Finally, the rolling–sliding characteristics associated with a hard-on-soft rolling–sliding system are compared with those of a soft-on-soft rolling–sliding system.
Accurate and Reliable Detection of Traffic Lights Using Multiclass Learning and Multiobject Tracking

Automatic detection of traffic lights has great importance to road safety. This paper presents a novel approach that combines computer vision and machine learning techniques for accurate detection and classification of different types of traffic lights, including green and red lights both in circular and arrow forms. Initially, color extraction and blob detection are employed to locate the candidates. Subsequently, a pretrained PCA network is used as a multiclass classifier to obtain frame-by-frame results. Furthermore, an online multiobject tracking technique is applied to overcome occasional misses and a forecasting method is used to filter out false positives. Several additional optimization techniques are employed to improve the detector performance and handle the traffic light transitions. When evaluated using the test video sequences, the proposed system can successfully detect the traffic lights on the scene with high accuracy and stable results. Considering hardware acceleration, the proposed technique is ready to be integrated into advanced driver assistance systems or self-driving vehicles. We build our own data set of traffic lights from recorded driving videos, including circular lights and arrow lights in different directions. Our experimental data set is available at http://computing.wpi. edu/Dataset.html.