Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Downregulation of ACE2 expression by SARS-CoV-2 worsens the prognosis of KIRC and KIRP patients via metabolism and immunoregulation

Background: Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) and transmembrane serine protease 2 (TMPRSS2) allow entry of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) into host cells and play essential roles in cancer therapy. However, the functions of ACE2 and TMPRSS2 in kidney cancer remain unclear, especially as kidneys are targets for SARS-CoV-2 infection. Methods: UCSC Xena project, the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) databases (GSE30589 and GSE59185) were searched for gene expression in human tissues, gene expression data, and clinical information. Several bioinformatics methods were utilized to analyze the correlation between ACE2 and TMPRSS2 with respect to the prognosis of kidney renal clear cell carcinoma (KIRC) and kidney renal papillary cell carcinoma (KIRP). Results: ACE2 expression was significantly upregulated in tumor tissue, while its downregulation was associated with low survival in KIRC and KIRP patients. TMPRSS2 was downregulated in KIRC and KIRP, and its expression was not correlated with patient survival. According to clinical risk factor-based prediction models, ACE2 exhibits predictive accuracy for kidney cancer prognosis and is correlated with metabolism and immune infiltration. In an animal model, ACE2 expression was remarkably downregulated in SARS-CoV-2-infected cells compared to in the control. Conclusion: ACE2 expression is highly correlated with various metabolic pathways and is involved in immune infiltration.it plays a crucial role than TMPRSS2 in diagnosing and prognosis of kidney cancer patients. The overlap in ACE2 expression between kidney cancer and SARS-CoV-2 infection suggests that patients with KIRC or KIRP are at high risk of developing serious symptoms.
NDT_A_273421 2837..2848

*These authors contributed equally to this work Objective: The roles of long non-coding RNA (lncRNAs) in ischemic stroke (IS) have been widely illustrated. Here, we focused on the function and mechanism of lncRNA SNHG7 in IS. Methods: Middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) was used for inducing mice to establish IS models in vivo. Oxygen and glucose deprivation/reoxygenation (OGD/R) was used for treating PC12 cells to establish IS models in vitro. Relative expression of SNHG7 and miR-9 was determined by qRT-PCR. The neuronal injury was assessed by measuring relative activity of ROS, malondialdehyde (MDA) level and cell viability. Cell viability was determined by MTT assay. Dual-luciferase reporter (DLR) assay was employed to test the target of SNHG7 or miR-9. Western blot was used to determine the protein expression of SIRT1. Apoptosis rate was measured by flow cytometry. Results: SNHG7 was down-regulated and miR-9 was up-regulated by MCAO treatment in brain tissues of mice and by OGD/R treatment in PC12 cells. Overexpression of SNHG7 or suppression of miR-9 decreased the relative activity of ROS and the MDA level as well as enhancing cell viability, and SNHG7 reduced apoptosis rate in OGD/R-induced PC12 cells (IS cells). MiR-9 was targeted by SNHG7 and SIRT1 was targeted by miR-9. The protein expression of SIRT1 was reduced by OGD/R treatment in PC12 cells. The suppressive effects of SNHG7 on the relative activity of ROS, the MDA level and apoptosis rate as well as the promotion effect of SNHG7 on cell viability were reversed by miR-9 mimics or sh-SIRT1 in IS cells. Conclusion: LncRNA SNHG7 alleviated OGD/R-induced neuronal injury by mediating miR-9/SIRT1 axis in vitro.
University of Groningen Rural broadband initiatives in the Netherlands as a training ground for neo-endogenous development Salemink, Koen; Strijker, Derk

Rural broadband is assumed to be a solution to a variety of rural issues, yet the delivery of broadband to rural areas remains problematic. On the basis of a database of 75 rural broadband initiatives in the Netherlands and the information gathered by studying two initiatives in-depth for a number of years, the authors discuss how citizens instigate and run initiatives to improve internet connectivity. The authors present an 8-stage model that demonstrates that citizens, governments and market players have impact on the completion of each of these stages, highlighting the neo-endogenous character of rural broadband. In this neo-endogenous context both established market players and governments find it difficult to relinquish their usual approaches. Market players attempt to frustrate initiatives with rigid policies in order to prevent their share of the market being threatened. On paper governments stress the importance of local action, but in practice they come up with wavering or generic policies, neglecting local organizational differences and frustrating the progress. The broadband initiatives are in a constant learning curve and require perseverance as well as social, intellectual and financial capital. The current conditions under which the local initiatives operate endanger the realization of broadband in rural areas in the Netherlands.
Simple Milligram-Scale Extraction of Formaldehyde from Wood

Lignocellulose naturally contains formaldehyde, and generates much more when heated. A simple quantitation of such biogenic formaldehyde is desirable for the analysis and utilization of lignocellulose. Heretofore, a boiling toluene extraction (the perforator method) was the best known technique to determine biogenic formaldehyde in wood. Described here is a simple milligram-scale water extraction that avoids specimen heating. This method was validated by comparison to a laborious extraction using poly(allylamine), PAA, beads that strongly sorb formaldehyde. The PAA-based extraction and the water-only extraction were found to be effectively equivalent, recovering about 94% of wood formaldehyde. The incomplete formaldehyde recovery is offset by experimental simplicity, and suitability for large sampling. For instance, the new method was applied to the analysis of tree increment cores; formaldehyde levels measured in never-heated Pinus virginiana ranged from 1 to 5 μg/g dry wood, and were comparable to publi.
Sentence Length and Recidivism: A Review of the Research

In response to increasing concerns about jail and prison overcrowding, many officials and legislatures across the U.S. have undertaken different efforts aimed at reducing the prison population, such as reduced sentence lengths and early release of prisoners. Thus, there is currently a high degree of public interest regarding how these changes in policy might affect recidivism rates of released offenders. When considering the research on the relationship between incarceration and recidivism, many studies compare custodial with non-custodial sentences on recidivism, while fewer examine the impact of varying incarceration lengths on recidivism. This article provides a review of the research on the latter. While some findings suggest that longer sentences may provide additional deterrent benefit in the aggregate, this effect is not always consistent or strong. In addition, many of the studies had null effects, while none of the studies suggested a strong aggregate-level criminogenic effect. Overall, the literature on the impact of incarceration on recidivism is admittedly limited by important methodological considerations, resulting in inconsistency of findings across studies. In addition, it appears that deterrent effects of incarceration may vary slightly for different offenders. Ultimately, the effect of incarceration length on recidivism appears too heterogenous to be able to draw universal conclusions. We argue that a deepened understanding of the causal mechanisms at play is needed to reliably and accurately inform policy.
Development of a Conceptual Framework for e-Health Readiness Assessment in the Context of Developing Countries

Background: e-Health readiness has been described as the preparedness of healthcare institutions, communities, or individuals for the anticipated change brought by programmes related to ICT use. Assessment of e-health readiness prior to the implementation of e-health innovations can therefore facilitate the process of change for individuals and organisations to adopt e-health programmes and avoid disappointment. The literature shows that although many e-health readiness assessment frameworks and tools exist, none meet all the requirements for e-health readiness assessment in developing countries. The aim of this study was to develop an e-health readiness assessment framework applicable to developing countries. Methods: A three-step process gleaned from the e-health literature (literature review / material collection; analysis / content analysis; consolidation / conceptual framework synthesis), together with iterative and reflective processes based on prior research undertaken by this group, guided framework conceptualisation and design. Results: An evidence-based framework was developed that: incorporates the need to assess readiness for each e-health component separately; identifies government’s central role in engaging all relevant stakeholders; and the need to assess the adequacy of a country’s infrastructure and infostructure prior to e-health planning and possible implementation. Also addressed by the framework is a need for an e-health readiness assessment to be undertaken using separate tools for technical and non-technical individuals. A country’s e-Readiness is highlighted as an important indicator for e-health readiness. Conclusions: The intent of the final framework is to inform and assist policy and decision makers, and facilitate future successful implementation of e-health initiatives in the developing world.
ENDOGENEOUS LIFE EXPECTANCY AND R&D-BASED ECONOMIC GROWTH

We propose an overlapping generations framework in which life expectancy is determined endogenously by governmental health investments. As a novelty, we are able to examine the feedback effects between life expectancy and R&D-driven economic growth for the transitional dynamics. We find that i) higher survival induces economic growth through higher savings and higher labor force participation; ii) longevity-induced reductions in fertility hamper economic development; iii) the positive life expectancy effects of larger savings and higher labor force participation outweigh the negative effect of a reduction in fertility, and iv) there exists a growth-maximizing size of the health care sector that might lie beyond what is observed in most countries. Altogether, the results support a rather optimistic view on the relationship between life expectancy and economic growth and contribute to the debate surrounding rising health shares and economic development. JEL classification: I15, J11, J13, J17, O41.
Rola siarkowodoru w fizjologii przewodu pokarmowego i w mechanizmie gastroprotekcji

Siarkowodór (H2S) jest powszechnie znanym toksycznym gazem o nieprzyjemnym zapachu. Jednak w organizmie człowieka jest zaliczany do gazowych przekaźników wewnątrzkomórkowych i uczestniczy zarówno w procesach fizjologicznych, jak i patologicznych. Opublikowane w ostatnich latach badania wykazały, iż H2S w zależności od stężenia ma działanie wzmacniające długoterminowe pobudzenie synaptyczne w centralnym systemie nerwowym, a także może wykazywać zarówno działanie prozapalne, jak i przeciwzapalne w obrębie śródbłonka naczyń krwionośnych. Ponadto H2S działa wazodylatacyjnie w obrębie układu naczyniowego, podobnie jak inne gazowe mediatory, np. tlenek węgla czy tlenek azotu. Obecnie podkreśla się potencjalną rolę H2S w fizjologii układu pokarmowego, a konkretnie w utrzymaniu integralności błony śluzowej żołądka i w mechanizmach gastroprotekcji, a także być może w protekcji pozostałych części górnego i dolnego odcinka przewodu pokarmowego. Prowadzone w ostatnich latach badania przedkliniczne potwierdziły znaczenie H2S w mechanizmach obronnych wzmacniających barierę śluzówkową żołądka. Prekursor H2S, jakim jest L-cysteina oraz bezpośredni donor tego gazu – wodorosiarczek sodu (NaHS) w znacznym stopniu zmniejszają uszkodzenia błony śluzowej szczurzego żołądka wywołane etanolem. Korzystne działanie H2S wykazano również w dwunastnicy, gdzie związek ten zwiększa sekrecję ochronnych jonów wodorowęglanowych (HCO3) zabezpieczających jelita przed uszkodzeniem spowodowanym nadmiarem kwaśnej treści żołądkowej. Mimo pojawiających się nowych danych świadczących o korzystnej roli jaką pełni H2S w układzie pokarmowym, jego przydatność i możliwości terapeutyczne w klinice pozostają nadal niewystarczająco udokumentowane i badania nad wykorzystaniem tego gazu w leczeniu zaburzeń, zwłaszcza górnego odcinka pokarmowego, podobnie jak w przypadku lepiej poznanych gazów, takich jak tlenek azotu i tlenek węgla, powinny być przedmiotem dalszych badań.
Microsoft Word-fiab044.docx

UK. 2 Present affiliation: Department of Environmental Microbiology, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology (Eawag), 8600 Dübendorf, Switzerland. 3 Coastal Marine Field Station, University of Waikato, 58 Cross Road, Tauranga 3110, New Zealand. 4 Theoretical Biology, Institute of Integrative Biology, ETH Zürich, Universitätstrasse 16, Zürich, Switzerland. 5 Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of California–Davis, 1 Shields Avenue, Davis, CA 95618, United States of America Present affiliation: Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of New Mexico,
Crystal structure and microtwinning of K-rich nenadkevichite

Potassium-rich nenadkevichite, Na 0.6 K 1.5 {(Nb 0.6 Ti 0.4 )(Nb 0.5 Ti 0.5 )[Si 4 O 12 ](O,OH) 2 }. 1.6H 2 O, M = 582.9, monoclinic, space group Cm, a = 14.692(4), b = 14.164(4), c = 7.859(3) A, β = 117.87(2)°, V = 1445.7(1) A 3 , Z = 4, ρ c = 2.67 g/cm 3 , λ(MoKα) = 0.71073 A, μ = 22.16 cm −1 , dimensions (mm) 0.2 × 0.3 × 0.4, F(000) = 1120.32, room temperature, R = 0.055 for 1443 reflections with |F| > 3σ(F), twinned crystal, the twining index n = 2. The crystal structure, like the other members of the labuntsovite nenadkevichite group, contains columns formed by (Nb,Ti)-octahedra with shared trans-vertices. The octahedral columns are linked by tetrahedral four-membered rings [Si 4 O 12 ]. The statistically distributed K, Na-ions and water molecules are located in the channels of the mixed framework
Maya: Using Formal Control to Obfuscate Power Side Channels

The security of computers is at risk because of information leaking through their power consumption. Attackers can use advanced signal measurement and analysis to recover sensitive data from this side channel.To address this problem, this paper presents Maya, a simple and effective defense against power side channels. The idea is to use formal control to re-shape the power dissipated by a computer in an application-transparent manner—preventing attackers from learning any information about the applications that are running. With formal control, a controller can reliably keep power close to a desired target function even when runtime conditions change unpredictably. By selecting the target function intelligently, the controller can make power to follow any desired shape, appearing to carry activity information which, in reality, is unrelated to the application. Maya can be implemented in privileged software, firmware, or simple hardware. In this paper, we implement Maya on three machines using privileged threads only, and show its effectiveness and ease of deployment. Maya has already thwarted a newly-developed remote power attack.
CEG_A_252157 427..438

1Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Hirosaki University Graduate School of Medicine, Hirosaki, Aomori 036-8562, Japan; 2Department of Vascular Biology, Hirosaki University Graduate School of Medicine, Hirosaki, Aomori 036-8562, Japan; 3Department of Anatomic Pathology, Hirosaki University Graduate School of Medicine, Hirosaki, Aomori 036-8562, Japan Purpose: Colorectal cancer (CRC) often recurs after curative resection. Identification of major risk factors for CRC recurrence is important for effective prevention and treatment. In this study, we examined the potential relationship between CRC and TLR3 as this remains unclear. Patients and Methods: Correlations between TLR3 immunostaining and clinicopathological factors and prognosis were examined in 50 samples that were randomly extracted from 264 patients with CRC from January 2010 to December 2011. Chemokines induced by TLR3 agonist stimulation were also examined using TLR3-positive human CRC cell lines. Furthermore, the association between TLR3 and chemokine expression was assessed by analyzing the immunohistochemistry of surgical specimens. Results: Of the 50 patients, 14 (28%) were TLR3-negative. In the comparison of clinicopathological factors between the TLR3-negative and -positive groups, there were more lymph node metastasis-positive cases in the TLR3-negative group, and this difference was significant. Furthermore, there was no difference in overall survival rates between the two groups, but the 5-year recurrence-free survival (RFS) was significantly lower in the TLR3negative group (46.2%) than in the TLR3-positive group (78.1%). Analysis of 5-year RFS using factors thought to be related to recurrence identified a high tumor budding and a TLR3negative status as independent risk factors for recurrence. TLR3 activation of CRC cell lines induced expression of C-C motif chemokine ligand 2 (CCL2), C-C motif chemokine ligand 5 (CCL5), and interleukin-8. The expressions of CCL2, CCL5, and IL-8 were observed in the TLR3-positive tumor cells of surgical specimens. Conclusion: Non-expression of TLR3 in CRC cells was associated with lymph node metastasis and was an independent risk factor for recurrence. These results suggest that TLR3 may not only be used as a prognostic factor and a risk factor for recurrence, but further studies on the involvement of TLR3 with tumor growth may provide new therapeutic strategies.
The impact of using outsourcing strategy by humanitarian organizations on logistical performance: An empirical investigation from a developing country

How to cite this paper: Rifai, F. , Ramadan, B. M. , Yousif, A. S. H. , Al-Dweiri, M. , & Alsmadi, A. A. (2021). The impact of using outsourcing strategy by humanitarian organizations on logistical performance: An empirical investigation from a developing country. Journal of Governance & Regulation,
An Impact Analysis Concerning the Effect of Scandals on Sustainable Consumer Purchase

The idea of the current research started from noticing a major gap in the customer behavior literature – researchers have scarcely analyzed the impact of scandals on the customer purchase decision in the case of celebrity endorsement. Using a quantitative approach based on questionnaires, 101 people were asked about their opinions, the goals being to find out if people are influenced by the celebrity scandals, if people tend to have different reactions in terms of consumer purchase decision when it comes to various different negative actions carried on by the endorsers will a murder upset the customers more than an infidelity scandal? and if there are any differences in treating Romanian and foreign celebrities once they would enter into such a scandal. The results of the survey suggest that Romanians don't really care about the scandals of the endorsers when being in front of the shelf. No matter the felony or the bad things done by the endorser, the local customers will continue to buy the products they used to buy, the occurrence of scandals having relatively no impact over their actions. Furthermore, no significant differences in attitude could be observed between brands endorsed by foreign celebrities and brands endorsed by local ones, when such star would enter into trouble.
Affective Match in Leadership: Leader Emotional Displays, Follower Positive Affect, and Follower Performance1

Leader emotions may play an important role in leadership effectiveness. Extending earlier research on leader emotional displays and leadership effectiveness, we propose that the affective match between follower positive affect (PA) and leaders’ emotional displays moderates the effectiveness of leader emotional displays. Leader display of emotions has more positive effects on follower behavior if the match between the valence of leader emotion and follower PA is strong rather than weak. Support for this hypothesis was found in 2 experiments. Congruency between leader emotional displays and follower PA determined follower task performance and extra-role compliance. Results from the second experiment indicated that this effect is a due to affective aspects of leader behavior and not to the valence of message content.
Integrational Mobility and the Informational Content of Surnames

We propose a new methodology for measuring intergenerational mobility in economic wellbeing. Our method is based on the joint distribution of surnames and economic outcomes. It circumvents the need for intergenerational panel data, a long-standing stumbling block for understanding mobility. A single cross-sectional dataset is sufficient. Our main idea is simple. If ‘inheritance’ is important for economic outcomes, then rare surnames should predict economic outcomes in the cross-section. This is because rare surnames are indicative of familial linkages. Of course, if the number of rare surnames is small, this won’t work. But rare surnames are abundant in the highly-skewed nature of surname distributions from most Western societies. We develop a model that articulates this idea and shows that the more important is inheritance, the more informative will be surnames. This result is robust to a variety of different assumptions about fertility and mating. We apply our method using the 2001 census from Catalonia, a large region of Spain. We use educational attainment as a proxy for overall economic well-being. A calibration exercise results in an estimate of the intergenerational correlation coefficient of 0.60. We also find evidence suggesting that mobility has decreased among the different generations of the 20th century. A complementary analysis based on sibling correlations confirms our results and provides a robustness check on our method. Our model and our data allow us to examine one possible explanation for the observed decrease in mobility. We find that the degree of assortative mating has increased over time. Overall, we argue that our method has promise because it can tap the vast mines of census data that are available in a heretofore unexploited manner.
EJAL Article template

This experimental study, using a pretest-treatment-posttest design, compared the effects of focused direct written corrective feedback and additional writing practice on L2 learners’ written syntactic complexity. The participants were 60 Iranian elementary EFL learners, whose L2 proficiency as well as L2 writing syntactic complexity and accuracy were controlled by administering the Oxford Quick Placement Test and a paragraph writing test. They were assigned to two groups: Focused direct corrective feedback (FDCF) and additional writing practice without feedback (No CF). The investigation included five sessions and lasted for three weeks. Every session, each participant wrote a paragraph of descriptive type in class. The experimental group received FDCF, while the control (i.e. No CF) group was provided only with additional writing practice. Lu's (2010) web-based L2 Syntactic Complexity Analyzer was utilized to calculate the five indices of syntactic complexity measures, including mean length of clause (MLC), mean length of sentence (MLS), mean length of T-unit (MLT), clauses per sentence (C/S), and verb phrases per T-unit (VP/T). The MANOVA test revealed no statistically significant difference between the two groups. © 2021 EJAL & the Authors. Published by Eurasian Journal of Applied Linguistics (EJAL). This is an open-access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution license (CC BY-NC-ND) (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).