Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Analysis of Multiple Drug Resistance Mechanism in Different Types of Soft Tissue Sarcomas: Assessment of the Expression of ABC-Transporters, MVP, YB-1, and Analysis of Their Correlation with Chemosensitivity of Cancer Cells

Chemotherapy of soft tissue sarcomas (STS) is restricted by low chemosensitivity and multiple drug resistance (MDR). The purpose of our study was the analysis of MDR mechanism in different types of STS. We assessed the expression of ABC-transporters, MVP, YB-1, and analyzed their correlation with chemosensitivity of cancer cells. STS specimens were obtained from 70 patients without metastatic disease (2018–2020). Expression level of MDR-associated genes was estimated by qRT-PCR and cytofluorimetry. Mutations in ABC-transporter genes were captured by exome sequencing. Chemosensitivity (SI) of STS to doxorubicin (Dox), ifosfamide (Ifo), gemcitabine (Gem), and docetaxel (Doc) was analyzed in vitro. We found strong correlation in ABCB1, ABCC1, and ABCG2 expression. We demonstrated strong negative correlations in ABCB1 and ABCG2 expression with SI (Doc) and SI (Doc + Gem), and positive correlation of MVP expression with SI (Doc) and SI (Doc + Gem) in undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcoma. Pgp expression was shown in 5 out of 44 STS samples with prevalence of synovial sarcoma relapses and it is strongly correlated with SI (Gem). Mutations in MDR-associated genes were rarely found. Overall, STS demonstrated high heterogeneity in chemosensitivity that makes reasonable in vitro chemosensitivity testing to improve personalized STS therapy, and classic ABC-transporters are not obviously involved in MDR appearance.
Warming and Salt Intrusion Affect Microcystin Production in Tropical Bloom-Forming Microcystis

The Vietnamese Mekong Delta is predicted to be one of the regions most impacted by climate change, causing increased temperature and salinity in inland waters. We hypothesized that the increase in temperature and salinity may impact the microcystin (MC) production of two Microcystis strains isolated in this region from a freshwater pond (strain MBC) and a brackish water pond (strain MTV). The Microcystis strains were grown at low (27 °C), medium (31 °C), high (35 °C) and extremely high (37 °C) temperature in flat photobioreactors (Algaemist). At each temperature, when cultures reached a stable state, sea salt was added to increase salinity to 4‰, 8‰, 12‰ and 16‰. MC concentrations and cell quota were reduced at high and extremely high temperatures. Salinity, in general, had comparable effects on MC concentrations and quota. At a salinity of 4‰ and 8‰, concentrations of MC per mL of culture and MC cell quota (based on chlorophyll, dry-weight and particle counts) were higher than at 0.5‰, while at the highest salinities (12‰ and 16‰) these were strongly reduced. Strain MBC produced five MC variants of which MC-RR and MC-LR were most abundant, followed by MC-YR and relatively low amounts of demethylated variants dmMC-RR and dmMC-LR. In strain MTV, MC-RR was most abundant, with traces of MC-YR and dmMC-RR only in cultures grown at 16‰ salinity. Overall, higher temperature led to lower MC concentrations and cell quota, low salinity seemed to promote MC production and high salinity reduced MC production. Hence, increased temperature and higher salinity could lead to less toxic Microcystis, but since these conditions might favour Microcystis over other competitors, the overall biomass gain could offset a lower toxicity.
Prediction of maximal oxygen uptake from 6-min walk test in pulmonary hypertension

Maximal oxygen uptake (V′O2max), assessed by cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET), is an important parameter for risk assessment in patients with pulmonary hypertension (PH). However, CPET may not be available for all PH patients. Thus, we aimed to test previously published predictive models of V′O2max from the 6-min walk distance (6MWD) for their accuracy and to create a new model. We tested four models (two by Ross et al. (2010), one by Miyamoto et al. (2000) and one by Zapico et al. (2019)). To derive a new model, data were split into a training and testing dataset (70:30) and step-wise linear regression was performed. To compare the different models, the standard error of the estimate (SEE) was calculated and the models graphically compared by Bland–Altman plots. Sensitivity and specificity for correct prediction into low-risk classification (V′O2max >15 mL/min/kg) was calculated for all models. A total of 276 observations were included in the analysis (194/82 training/testing dataset); 6MWD and V′O2max were significantly correlated (r=0.65, p<0.001). Linear regression showed significant correlation of 6MWD, weight and heart rate response (HRR) with V′O2max and the best fitting prediction equation was: V′O2max = 1.83 + 0.031 × 6MWD (m) – 0.023 × weight (kg) – 0.015 × HRR (bpm). SEEs for the different models were 3.03, 3.22, 4.36 and 3.08 mL/min/kg for the Ross et al., Miyamoto et al., Zapico et al. models and the new model, respectively. Predicted mean V′O2max was 16.5 mL/min/kg (versus observed 16.1 mL/min/kg). 6MWD and V′O2max reveal good correlation in all models. However, the accuracy of all models is inadequate for clinical use. Thus, CPET and 6MWD both remain valuable risk assessment tools in the management of PH. Although maximal oxygen uptake and the 6-min walk distance show good correlation in pulmonary hypertension, all predictive models are of inadequate accuracy for clinical use and cardiopulmonary exercise testing remains an irreplaceable tool https://bit.ly/33HBQFk
Stall Margin Improvement in an Axial Compressor by Continuous and Pulsed Tip Injection

Stall and surge are strong limitations in the operating range of compressors and thus one of the major limits of jet engine performance. A promising way to push the stability limit of compression machines is to inject a small amount of flow at the blade tip to alter the physical mechanism responsible for stall onset. This study focuses on the experimental performance of such a system. To do so, an axial compressor test bench was equipped with 40 actuators connected to an auxiliary pressurised air supply system. They were able to generate high-speed jet blowing just at the tip of the rotor blades. The opening of each actuator was controlled by an electromagnetic valve. This allowed generating continuous or pulsed jets with frequencies up to 500 Hz at different duty cycles. The performance of the control system was investigated for various control strategies, where the injected flow rate, the injection angle, the number of injectors, the jet frequency and the duty cycle were systematically varied. This paper is concluded by a study of the energy balance of the system for various configurations. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this constitutes a rarely seen analysis in the literature.
Integrating tissue‐direct PCR into genetic identification: An upgraded molecular ecology approach to survey fern gametophytes in the field

Abstract Premise The gametophytes of different fern species collected in the field can be difficult to distinguish because of their morphological similarities. Nonetheless, emerging molecular ecology techniques are starting to be used to tackle such limitations. Here, using case studies and a detailed protocol, we demonstrate a convenient methodology, tissue‐direct PCR (TD‐PCR), that foregoes a traditional DNA extraction and facilitates the identification of fern gametophytes, as well as enabling the elucidation of their natural distribution. Methods Based on updated plastome information, we designed a universal primer set targeting the trnL‐L‐F region, which is effective across extant ferns. We used this primer set to perform TD‐PCR on the case‐studied populations of Taiwanese Lomariopsis gametophytes, using the generated sequences for their identification. In the case study concerning the microhabitat preference of Vaginularia junghuhnii, we designed and used a taxon‐specific primer set. Results Compared with approaches requiring DNA extraction, the use of TD‐PCR with either universal or taxon‐specific primers could save significant time, money, labor, and research materials in the genetic identification of fern gametophytes. Discussion The use of modern genetic tools can aid in the identification of fern gametophytes. An updated TD‐PCR strategy not only facilitates the DNA‐based identification of gametophytes, but also promotes new avenues of research for investigating these plants in the field.
Osteogenic Circulating Endothelial Progenitor Cells are Associated with Vascular Aging of the Large Arteries in Rheumatoid Arthritis

Background and Aim Rheumatoid arthritis is associated with both abnormal bone metabolism and accelerated vascular aging but a mechanistic link was lacking. This study aims to investigate the role of osteocalcin (OCN)-expressing circulating endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) in vascular aging, as determined by arterial calcifications in rheumatoid arthritis. Methods We performed flow cytometry studies in 145 consecutive patients with rheumatoid arthritis to determine osteogenic circulating levels of OCN-positive (OCN+) CD34+KDR+ and OCN+CD34+ versus conventional early EPC CD34+CD133+KDR+. Total calcium load of the thoracic aorta (ascending plus descending) and the carotid arteries were assessed by non-contrast computed tomography (CT) and contrast CT angiography. Results Osteogenic EPCs OCN+CD34+KDR+ (P = 0.002) and OCN+CD34+ (P = 0.001), together with clinical parameters of age, history of hypertension, systolic blood pressure, serum levels of triglycerides, HbA1c and creatinine, use of leflunomide and brachial-ankle pulse-wave velocity (all P < 0.05), were associated with the clustered presence of aortic and carotid calcification. Multivariable analyses revealed that circulating OCN+CD34+KDR+ (B = 14.4 [95% CI 4.0 to 24.8], P = 0.007) and OCN+CD34+ (B = 9.6 [95% CI 4.9 to 14.3], P < 0.001) remained independently associated with increased aortic calcium load. OCN+CD34+ EPC (B = 0.8 [95% CI 0.1 to 1.5], P = 0.023), but not OCN+CD34+KDR+ EPC (B = 1.2 [95% CI −0.2 to 2.6], P = 0.09), was further independently associated with carotid calcium load. In comparison, conventional early EPC CD34+CD133+KDR+ had no significant association with aortic or carotid calcium load (P = 0.46 and 0.88, respectively). Conclusion Circulating level of osteogenic EPC is associated with increased vascular aging in terms of calcification of the large arteries in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. The findings may suggest a role of the bone-vascular axis underlying vascular aging in rheumatic diseases. Further research is needed to characterize the mechanistic links and basis of these observations.
Structural and institutional arrangements impacting collective actions in WUAs of West Bengal, India

ABSTRACT This study provides empirical evidence of major debates in collective action theory concerning resource and member heterogeneity by conducting a survey on 63 randomly selected water-user associations promoted by the West Bengal state government of India. The functioning and governance of these institutions were evaluated by efficiency in resource mobilization (collection of membership fees), members’ perception of transparency and democratic decision-making, and dependency on third-party involvement in the future. The study finds that a larger command area, larger proportion of smaller farmers, optimum membership fee, frequent general body meetings, certain documentation, and power structure improve the functioning and governance indicators.
Weed population, nitrogen removal by weeds and crop yield under maize + blackgram intercropping system in Chhattisgarh plains

The experiment consisted of five planting geometry viz., sole maize, sole blackgram, maize + blackgram (1:1), maize + blackgram (2:1) and maize + blackgram (2:2) and four weed management practices viz., weedy check, hand weeding (HW) at 30 DAS, alachlor 2.0 kg/ha as pre emergence (PRE) and alachlor 1.5 kg/ha as PRE + HW at 40 DAS. These treatments were evaluated under split plot design with three replications. At harvest of maize (105 DAS), weed population and nitrogen removals of all species of weeds were significantly highest under sole maize. However, the highest nitrogen removal by weeds was recorded under weedy check by all the weed species, while the lowest removal of nitrogen was in alachlor 1.5 kg/ha + HW at 40 DAS. Among the planting geometry, the grain yield, productivity rating index (PRE), production efficiency (PE) and weed control efficiency (WCE) were highest under maize + blackgram (2:1) for maize, however weed smothering efficiency of maize was highest under maize + blackgram (1:1). The same parameters were highest under sole blackgram. At harvest stages of blackgram (75 DAS) and maize (105 DAS), dry weight of weeds was lowest with the application of alachlor 1.5 kg/ha + HW at 40 DAS. This treatment produced maximum grain yield, PRI and PE of maize and blackgram, along with higher WCE.
Positive Psychology: Looking Back and Looking Forward

Envisioning the future of positive psychology (PP) requires looking at its past. To that end, I first review prior critiques of PP to underscore that certain early problems have persisted over time. I then selectively examine recent research to illustrate progress in certain areas as well as draw attention to recurrent problems. Key among them is promulgation of poorly constructed measures of well-being and reliance on homogeneous, privileged research samples. Another concern is the commercialization of PP, which points to the need for greater oversight and quality control in profit-seeking endeavors. Looking ahead, I advocate for future science tied to contemporary challenges, particularly ever-widening inequality and the pandemic. These constitute intersecting catastrophes that need scientific attention. Such problems bring into focus “neglected negatives” that may be fueling current difficulties, including greed, indifference, and stupidity. Anger, which defies easy characterization as positive or negative, also warrants greater scientific study. Going forward I advocate for greater study of domains that likely nurture good lives and just societies – namely, participation in the arts and encounters with nature, both currently under study. Overall, my entreaty to PP is to reckon with persistent problems from its past, while striving toward a future that is societally relevant and virtuous.
Interaction Between Aseismic Slip and Fluid Invasion in Earthquake Swarms Revealed by Dense Geodetic and Seismic Observations

Recent seismic and geodetic observations suggest the involvement of pressurized fluid and aseismic slip during earthquake swarms. However, the interaction between these two factors is not fully understood. In this study, we show geodetic signals induced by aseismic opening and shear dislocation on a fault, accompanied by hypocenter migration during an earthquake swarm in the Hakone volcano, central Japan. The hypocenters were concentrated on a vertical plane, and the focal mechanisms were strike‐slip faults whose nodal planes were consistent with the hypocenter distribution. Precursory seismicity occurred 1 week before the main swarm. We observed a complex pattern of hypocenter migration during the seismic sequence; namely, the lower limit of the seismicity appears to expand downward during the precursory seismicity, followed by an upward hypocenter diffusion. We also observed tilt changes that could be explained by opening and shear dislocation on the fault plane inferred from the planar hypocenter distribution. Furthermore, we identified several groups of repeating earthquakes. The average aseismic slip history inferred from the repeating earthquakes indicated a minor aseismic slip of 0.4 mm during the precursory seismic activity, which accelerated by up to 3 mm during the main swarm. The total cumulative slip was consistent with the geodetic model results. These observations may suggest that fluid intrusion caused the aseismic slip, and the complex migration of the hypocenters reflects the aseismic slip propagation. We hypothesize that aseismic deformation acts as the driving force for the earthquake swarms together with the intrusion of pressurized fluid.
Dating Historical Buildings: An Update on the Possibilities of Absolute Dating Methods

ABSTRACT The reconstruction of the history of a building represents a difficult task, as written information is not usually available or incomplete. Some building materials (e.g., bricks, wood) have been classically used for absolute dating while on others has been considered unreliable (e.g., stone). However, developments and tests performed in the last 20 years have shown important advances on the use of such methods, increasing the possibilities of successful reconstruction of building chronologies, although most of these advances are still scarcely known by the community involved in the site management (e.g., archaeologists, architects). Both, radiocarbon and luminescence dating have been the most successful techniques but others, such as archaeomagnetism, can also be used. Even, some important events such as fires could be dated. The purpose of this work is to provide an overview of the last achievements of absolute dating techniques available in building materials.
Pre-Service Teachers’ Self-Efficacy Support Systems Resulting in a Desire to Become Teachers

This study focused on changes in the self-efficacy of 48 men and women pre-service teachers in a Thai computer Teacher Education program. Their self-efficacy levels were measured before and after attending the Pre-service Teacher Support System (PTSS). A shorter version of the Teacher Sense of Efficacy Scale and assessment of the desire to become a teacher were used to collect self-efficacy, PTSS questionnaires, logbooks, and interviews. PTSS is a program developed to assist students with self-efficacy, motivation, and the desire to become teachers. The results show a statistical increase in self-efficacy. The PTSS program designed for pre-service teachers to exchange teaching experiences and techniques they gained during practicum training. The PTSS has resulted in an increase in self-efficacy after attending PTSS sessions with personalized implications, which indicated the support system could help student teachers.
Love of Life Scale: Psychometric Analysis of a Turkish Adaptation and Exploration of Its Relationship with Well-Being and Personality

Objective: This study aimed to assess the psychometric characteristics of Love of Life Scale (LLS) in Turkish university students. Methods: The Turkish translation of LLS, Scales of Positive and Negative Experiences, Satisfaction with Life Scale, Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support, and Ten Item Personality Inventory were administered to medical (n=155; mean age = 21.32±1.84 years; 60.6% females) and non-medical (n=231; mean age = 20.76±1.70 years; 52.8% females) students. Results: Using medical students, exploratory factor analysis yielded one-factor solution. The LLS scores significantly predicted positive experience, negative experiences, satisfaction with life and social support over and beyond the effects of personality traits. Using non-medical students, confirmatory factor analysis confirmed unidimensional factor structure of the scale with satisfactory indices. The scale showed high internal consistency estimates in both samples. Conclusion: The Turkish version of LLS proved to be a reliable and valid instrument in Turkish university students. The LLS can be used for practice and research purposes in assessing love of life.
Pearson Correlation Coefficient-Based Performance Enhancement of Broad Learning System for Stock Price Prediction

Accurate prediction of a stock price is a challenging task due to the complexity, chaos, and non-linearity nature of financial systems. In this brief, we proposed a multi-indicator feature selection method for stock price prediction based on Pearson correlation coefficient (PCC) and Broad Learning System (BLS), named the PCC-BLS framework. Firstly, PCC was used to select the input features from 35 features, including original stock price, technical indicators, and financial indicators. Secondly, these screened input features were used for rapid information feature extraction and training a BLS. Four stocks recorded on the Shanghai Stock Exchange or Shenzhen Stock Exchange were adopted to evaluate the performance of the proposed method. In addition, we compared the forecasting results with ten machine learning methods, including Support Vector Regression (SVR), Adaptive Boosting (Adaboost), Bootstrap aggregating (Bagging), Random Forest (RF), Gradient Boosting Decision Tree (GBDT), Multi-layer Perceptron (MLP), Convolutional Neural Network (CNN), and Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM), Gated Recurrent Unit (GRU) and Broad Learning System (BLS). Among all algorithms used in this brief, the proposed model showed the best performance with the highest model fitting ability.
The downregulation of fibrinogen-like protein 1 inhibits the proliferation of lung adenocarcinoma via regulating MYC-target genes

Background The mechanisms involved in the malignant progression of lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) are still inconclusive. Fibrinogen-like protein 1 (FGL1) and LAG3 are a pair of immune checkpoints that create an inhibitory immune microenvironment in tumors. However, other roles of FGL1 in LUAD have not been extensively studied. Our study aims to explore the role of FGL1 in the malignant progression of LUAD and to provide new therapeutic targets and strategies for LUAD treatment. Methods Differential gene expression of FGL1 was analyzed using the Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis (GEPIA), Oncomine, UALCAN, and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) databases. A pan-cancer analysis was conducted using the Oncomine, TIMER, and UALCAN databases. A total of 140 tumor tissues and paired normal tissues were collected, IHC and immunofluorescence staining were used to explore the expression of FGL1. GeneMANIA database and STRING database were used to analyze gene-gene interaction and protein-protein interaction, respectively. A mutation analysis was conducted using the cBioPortal database, and an immune infiltration analysis was conducted using the TIMER database. A survival analysis was carried out using the GEPIA and PrognoScan database. The knockdown of FGL1 was confirmed by western blot (WB) and immunofluorescence staining. Cell proliferation was tested by cell cycle analysis and real-time cell analysis. RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) was used to explore the differential genes of FGL1 knockdown in LUAD cells. Results Multiple databases showed that FGL1 was highly expressed in LUAD. The results of IHC indicated that FGL1 was highly expressed in the cytoplasm of LUAD cells. FGL1 was negatively associated with immune infiltration in LUAD. The main mutation of FGL1 is deep deletion, the altered group and high expression group indicated poor prognosis. The downregulation of FGL1 lead to a significantly decreased percentage of PC9 cells in S phase, but had little effect on the proliferation of Jurkat T cells. RNA-seq and GSEA analysis indicated that the differential genes were mainly enriched in MYC-target genes, which suggested that the downregulation of FGL1 inhibited cell proliferation by regulating MYC-target genes. Conclusions FGL1 exerts in LUAD proliferation in addition to immune regulation. The downregulation of FGL1 inhibits the proliferation of LUAD cells by regulating MYC-target genes. Thus, FGL1 may be a novel therapeutic target in LUAD.