Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Genotype/phenotype analyses of low frequency tumor cells using computerize image microscopy.

Techniques to identify low frequency (i.e., 10(-4)-10(-5)) tumor cells in bone marrow and peripheral blood of cancer patients provide opportunities for early detection of disseminated disease and characterization of the properties of cells released from the tumor. Low frequency epithelial cells in marrow and blood can be detected using immunophenotypic markers directed against intracellular and/or cell surface antigens. However, nonspecific phenotypic labeling may compromise the ability to discriminate tumor from nontumor cells. We describe optimization of slide-based approaches that facilitate identification and subsequent molecular cytogenetic characterization of rare tumor cell populations in hematopoietic tissues. Colon tumor cells seeded in a hematopoietic background provided a model system to optimize methodologies that are applicable to detection and quantification of micrometastases in clinical specimens. Mixtures of cytogenetically aberrant epithelial cells and hematopoietic cells on slides were labeled with an anti-cytokeratin 20 (anti-CK20) antibody that recognizes > 90% of colon adenocarcinomas. Computerized image analysis was used to record the location of the immunofluorescent cells on microscopic slides. Cells on slides were then hybridized using fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) with repeat-sequence DNA probes to detect aneusomies. Previously discriminated epithelial cells were relocated for molecular cytogenetic characterization. Tumor cells present at frequencies approximating 5 x 10(-5) were discriminated on the basis of immunofluorescence and cell size. A low frequency (4 x 10(-4)) population of normal hematopoietic cells also labeled with anti-CK20 (data not shown). This strategy of sequential immunophenotyping and molecular cytogenetic analyses may be useful to discriminate tumor from nontumor cells in cancer patients with micrometastatic disease.
MapReduce Algorithms for Processing Universal Quantifier Queries

Although quantification queries are important for querying sets and databases, nevertheless, they haven't yet been directly supported by the MapReduce paradigm. Universal quantification queries are considered a powerful and important type of queries that appear in many applications. Today with the continuous increase in the size of the data has driven the need for new processing environments to access, process, store, and maintain huge amounts of valuable data. Thus, using clusters of commodity machines turned to be an optimal solution for several big data problems. In this paper, we present a number of algorithms for processing universal quantification queries on large datasets using the popular MapReduce framework. In addition, we present experimental results that show the speed-up and scale-out properties of our proposed algorithms.
Analysis of the soft error susceptibility and failure rate in logic circuits

The failure rate of logic circuits due to high-energy particles originating from outer space has been increasing dramatically over the past 10 years. Whereas soft errors have traditionally been of much greater concern in memories, smaller feature sizes, lower voltage levels, higher operating frequencies, and reduced logic depth are projected to cause a dramatic increase in soft error failure rate in core combinational logic in near-future technologies. Traditional fault tolerance strategies may be utilized to protect against these failures; however, the excessive area overhead and stringent power dissipation requirements have made these techniques obsolete, especially in mainstream applications. Therefore, there is an urgent necessity to identify the weak steps during the synthesis of these components that result in the generation of highly-susceptible designs. In this paper, we analyze the susceptibility of logic circuits to transient pulses through an extensive set of logic synthesis experiments while varying the synthesis process. Our aim is to identify the correlation between the key design options and their consequent effect on the susceptibility of the produced implementation. The results in this work reveal that the SER is strongly correlated with logical masking of transient pulses and, thus, fast logic-level soft error failure rate assessment methods can be used in place of computationally-intensive circuit-level assessment techniques. Furthermore, we project that logical masking will become the dominant source for protecting logic circuits from transient pulses, which encourages the development of logic synthesis techniques that maximize the logical masking of potential transient pulses.
Recombinant Immunomodulating Lentogenic or Mesogenic Oncolytic Newcastle Disease Virus for Treatment of Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma

Oncolytic Newcastle disease virus (NDV) might be a promising new therapeutic agent for the treatment of pancreatic cancer. We evaluated recombinant NDVs (rNDVs) expressing interferon (rNDV-hIFNβ-F0) or an IFN antagonistic protein (rNDV-NS1-F0), as well as rNDV with increased virulence (rNDV-F3aa) for oncolytic efficacy in human pancreatic adenocarcinoma cells. Expression of additional proteins did not hamper virus replication or cytotoxic effects on itself. However, expression of interferon, but not NS1, resulted in loss of multicycle replication. Conversely, increasing the virulence (rNDV-F3aa) resulted in enhanced replication of the virus. Type I interferon was produced in high amounts by all tumor cells inoculated with rNDV-hIFNβ-F0, while inoculation with rNDV-NS1-F0 resulted in a complete block of interferon production in most cells. Inoculation of human pancreatic adenocarcinoma cells with rNDV-F3aa caused markedly more cytotoxicity compared to rNDV-F0, while inoculation with rNDV-hIFNβ-F0 and rNDV-NS1-F0 induced cytotoxic effects comparable to those induced by the parental rNDV-F0. Evaluation in vivo using mice bearing subcutaneous pancreatic cancer xenografts revealed that only intratumoral injection with rNDV-F3aa resulted in regression of tumors. We conclude that although lentogenic rNDVs harboring proteins that modulate the type I interferon pathway proteins do have an oncolytic effect, a more virulent mesogenic rNDV might be needed to improve oncolytic efficacy.
The impact of Sahara desertification on Arctic cooling during the Holocene

Abstract. Since the start of the Holocene, temperatures in the Arctic have steadily declined. This has been accredited to the orbitally forced decrease in summer insolation reconstructed over the same period. However, here we present climate modelling results from an Earth model of intermediate complexity (EMIC) that indicate that 17–40% of the cooling in the Arctic, over the period 9–0 ka, was a direct result of the desertification that occurred in the Sahara after the termination of the African Humid Period. We have performed a suite of sensitivity experiments to analyse the impact of different combinations of forcings, including various vegetation covers in the Sahara. Our simulations suggest that over the course of the Holocene, a strong increase in surface albedo in the Sahara as a result of desertification led to a regional increase in surface pressure, a weakening of the trade winds, the westerlies and the polar easterlies, which in turn reduced the meridional heat transported by the atmosphere to the Arctic. We conclude that during interglacials, the climate of the Northern Hemisphere is sensitive to changes in Sahara vegetation type.
Dynamics of Notch Pathway Expression during Mouse Testis Post-Natal Development and along the Spermatogenic Cycle

The transcription and expression patterns of Notch pathway components (Notch 1–3, Delta1 and 4, Jagged1) and effectors (Hes1, Hes2, Hes5 and Nrarp) were evaluated (through RT-PCR and IHC) in the mouse testis at key moments of post-natal development, and along the adult spermatogenic cycle. Notch pathway components and effectors are transcribed in the testis and expressed in germ, Sertoli and Leydig cells, and each Notch component shows a specific cell-type and time-window expression pattern. This expression at key testis developmental events prompt for a role of Notch signaling in pre-pubertal spermatogonia quiescence, onset of spermatogenesis, and regulation of the spermatogenic cycle.
Utilization of an intra‐oral diamagnetic passive shim in functional MRI of the inferior frontal cortex

Due to the presence of gross magnetic susceptibility artifacts, functional MRI (fMRI) has proved problematic in studies of the human inferior frontal cortex (IFC). There is a strong desire, therefore, to employ techniques that mitigate susceptibility artifacts in the IFC while preserving the imaging parameters of an fMRI study. It has been shown that the use of a single, strongly diamagnetic, intra‐oral passive shim significantly improves the homogeneity of the static magnetic field (B0) and, as a result, alleviates the susceptibility artifacts within the IFC. In this study, practical issues regarding the use of an intra‐oral passive shim are examined. We investigated B0 instabilities within the IFC resulting from subject head motion in order to calculate the effects of an intra‐oral passive shim on the temporal variance of an EPI time series. These studies show that the addition of an intra‐oral passive shim improves both B0 homogeneity and signal stability, and increases sensitivity to functional activation. Magn Reson Med 50:1089–1094, 2003. © 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Genetic Identification of a Network of Factors that Functionally Interact with the Nucleosome Remodeling ATPase ISWI

Nucleosome remodeling and covalent modifications of histones play fundamental roles in chromatin structure and function. However, much remains to be learned about how the action of ATP-dependent chromatin remodeling factors and histone-modifying enzymes is coordinated to modulate chromatin organization and transcription. The evolutionarily conserved ATP-dependent chromatin-remodeling factor ISWI plays essential roles in chromosome organization, DNA replication, and transcription regulation. To gain insight into regulation and mechanism of action of ISWI, we conducted an unbiased genetic screen to identify factors with which it interacts in vivo. We found that ISWI interacts with a network of factors that escaped detection in previous biochemical analyses, including the Sin3A gene. The Sin3A protein and the histone deacetylase Rpd3 are part of a conserved histone deacetylase complex involved in transcriptional repression. ISWI and the Sin3A/Rpd3 complex co-localize at specific chromosome domains. Loss of ISWI activity causes a reduction in the binding of the Sin3A/Rpd3 complex to chromatin. Biochemical analysis showed that the ISWI physically interacts with the histone deacetylase activity of the Sin3A/Rpd3 complex. Consistent with these findings, the acetylation of histone H4 is altered when ISWI activity is perturbed in vivo. These findings suggest that ISWI associates with the Sin3A/Rpd3 complex to support its function in vivo.
A Bayesian Approach to Cluster Validation

In this paper, we propose a novel approach to validating clusterings. We treat a given clustering as a baseline and define a collection of perturbations of it that give possibly diffe rent assignment of points to clusters. If these are indexed by a hyperparameter, integrating with respect to a prior gives a n averaged assignment matrix. This matrix can be visualized as a heat map, allowing clusterings and their stability prop erties to be readily seen. The difference between an averaged assignment matrix and the baseline gives a measure of the stability of the baseline. This approach motivates a general and computationally fast algorithm for evaluating the stability of distance-based and exponential-model type clusterings, including k-means. In addition, these criteria can be used to choose the optimal number of clusters. Our method compares favorably with data based perturbation procedures, such as subsampling, in some conditions such as small sample size. In addition, there is evidence that our method performs better relative to subsampling methods on some problems.
Tracking Traction Force Changes of Single Cells on the Liquid Crystal Surface

Cell migration is a key contributor to wound repair. This study presents findings indicating that the liquid crystal based cell traction force transducer (LCTFT) system can be used in conjunction with a bespoke cell traction force mapping (CTFM) software to monitor cell/surface traction forces from quiescent state in real time. In this study, time-lapse photo microscopy allowed cell induced deformations in liquid crystal coated substrates to be monitored and analyzed. The results indicated that the system could be used to monitor the generation of cell/surface forces in an initially quiescent cell, as it migrated over the culture substrate, via multiple points of contact between the cell and the surface. Future application of this system is the real-time assaying of the pharmacological effects of cytokines on the mechanics of cell migration.
Assessing Stress, Coping and Quality of Life among Refugees and Asylum Seekers in Luxembourg

In this dissertation we assessed psychological stress through post-traumatic embitterment disorder, quality of life among refugees and asylum seekers in Luxembourg. At N = 33, semi structured interviews indicated that asylum seeking administrative processes install fear of repatriation while social isolation, loneliness, lack of friends and of communication with families was linked to social, financial and acculturation difficulties. At N = 102, there were good indications that asylum seekers are victims of post-traumatic embitterment disorder. Additionally, 221 asylum seekers responded to ways of coping, social support, multicultural attitude, self-efficacy and quality of life questionnaires. With the help of structural equation modeling, social support, multicultural attitude and self-efficacy significantly predicted adaptive ways of coping with psychological stress. At the same time, there was the mediating and predictive effect of adaptive ways of coping and social support on quality of life respectively. Part of the models did not fit well to the data. Based on our findings, tracks for a multidisciplinary care model for refugees and asylum seekers were identified
Protective effect of edaravone against tobramycin-induced ototoxicity

Conclusion. It is suggested that simultaneous treatment with the radical scavenger edaravone has an effective protective effect against tobramycin ototoxicity in rat. Even if the edaravone treatment is postponed for 7 days, it can still prevent hearing loss, but a 14 day delay cannot protect from ototoxicity. Objectives. With the aim of alleviating hearing loss caused by aminoglycoside ototoxicity, we performed a trial to assess the hearing protective efficacy of the radical scavenger edaravone. Materials and methods. In part one of the study, 21 male Sprague-Dawley albino rats were used; 2 rats served as controls for the safety of edaravone. Eight rats each received 10 subcutaneous injections (s.c.) of tobramycin (160 mg/kg b.w.) once daily and saline injection intraperitoneally for 2 weeks. Eleven rats were given 10 s.c. tobramycin injections simultaneously with an intraperitoneal injection of edaravone (3 mg/kg b.w.). In part two, tobramycin was injected in 13 rats (as above). Five of these received two edaravone injections 7 days later and four rats similarly 14 days later. Auditory brainstem response (ABR) was used to assess hearing. Results. All rats treated only with tobramycin showed a deterioration of hearing. None of the rats given simultaneous treatment with tobramycin and edaravone demonstrated hearing loss. A 7 day delay in edaravone injection still prevented hearing loss, but a 14 day delay had only a temporary prophylactic effect.
Adolescents’ Stories of Decision Making in More and Less Authoritative Families

Two studies used a narrative methodology to test the prediction that adolescents from more authoritative homes would exhibit greater responsiveness to parents’ views than would others. In Study 1, 51 Canadian adolescents in two age groups completed an interview to determine their levels of responsiveness to the parental voice in their narratives about advice from parents about specific decisions. Results showed a significant positive correlation between reports of an authoritative family parenting style and patterns of clearer appropriation of the parental voice as rated independently from students’ narratives. In Study 2, a sample of 184 Grade 12 students again showed a positive association between level of parent voice in stories and an authoritative family parenting style. In addition, a more advanced identity status was positively related to level of parent voice in stories, suggesting that a more sophisticated representation of both own and others’ voices may develop in concert.
Writing Hollywood: Rooms With a Point of View

Americans watch, on average, 5–7 hours of television every day—most of it entertainment programming. Yet the process of creating prime time television remains a mystery to most viewers. This article describes one of the most influential institutions in the process of television production: the “writers' room. ” Based on interviews with writers, the authors analyze the culture and politics of “the room”—what makes this institution work and who survives its demanding environment.
Test node-based WCL algorithm for wireless sensor networks

From a system perspective, cost effectiveness and high-precision location information are important in wireless sensor networks (WSNs). Since a weighted centroid localization (WCL) algorithm can reduce hardware installation cost and guarantee localization accuracy, this algorithm is considered as one of the promising localization algorithms for WSNs. In this paper, we propose a test node-based WCL algorithm for improving the localization accuracy and making the localization system cost effective. The simulation results show that the proposed test node-based WCL algorithm provides higher precision location information than the conventional WCL algorithm with a reduced number of real anchor nodes.
Adenocarcinoma in the Uterus of an Endocrine

In a study of the development of leiomyomas in female rats with an endocrine imbalance (3) a malignant tumor which had many metastases was found in one of the animals. This tumor was iden tified as a uterine adenocarcinoma. Since such a tumor had not previously been seen in our colony, it was thought that the endocrine imbalance might have been a contributing factor. Bullock and Cur tis (1) have reported four such tumors among 2450 rats with cysticercus tumors and 489 rats with spontaneous tumors.
The vocal joystick data collection effort and vowel corpus

Vocal Joystick is a mechanism that enables individuals with motor impairments to make use of vocal parameters to control objects on a computer screen (buttons, sliders, etc.) and ultimately will be used to control electro-mechanical instruments (e.g., robotic arms, wireless home automation devices). In an effort to train the VJ-system, speech data from the TIMIT speech corpus was initially used. However, due to problematic issues with co-articulation, we began a large data collection effort in a controlled environment that would not only address the problematic issues, but also yield a new vowel corpus that was representative of the utterances a user of the VJ-system would use. The data collection process evolved over the course of the effort as new parameters were added and as factors relating to the quality of the collected data in terms of the specified parameters were considered. The result of the data collection effort is a vowel corpus of approximately 11 hours of recorded data comprised of approximately 23500 sound files of the monophthongs and vowel combinations (e.g. diphthongs) chosen for the Vocal Joystick project varying along the parameters of duration, intensity and amplitude. This paper discusses how the data collection has evolved since its initiation and provides a brief summary of the resulting corpus.
Real-time accommodation of actuator faults on a reusable rocket engine

An intelligent control system for reusable rocket engines is under development at the NASA Lewis Research Center. The primary objective is to extend the useful life of a reusable rocket propulsion system while minimizing flight maintenance and maximizing engine life and performance through improved control and monitoring algorithms and additional sensing and actuation. The main result of this work is the successful integration and real-time demonstration of model-based fault detection with a reconfigurable control as a new technique for valve fault accommodation on a reusable rocket engine. The focus here is on detecting and accommodating a frozen (stuck in a fixed position) oxidizer valve during a down-thrust and up-thrust manoeuvre by examining fault parameters produced by the algorithm. The detection scheme estimates the position of the frozen valve as a function of the fault parameters. Real-time simulation results demonstrate the effectiveness of the approach for two fault scenarios during a typical throttling manoeuvre.
Physiological responses to "all-out" and even-paced cycling intervals

Background: Endurance cyclists typically devote ~20% of their training regimens to performing low-volume high-intensity interval training which is associated with large physiological and performance benefits. The relationship between intensity and duration is important during high-intensity interval training as both can profoundly influence metabolic energy expenditure, fatigue development and subsequent adaptations. Purpose: Within the literature, most interval training is delivered using either an "all-out" or even-paced approach; however, to the author’s knowledge no study has yet compared the metabolic stress, perceived exertion and fatigue resulting from such intervals. Therefore, this study compared the physiological and perceptual responses to matched mechanical work interval bouts using “all-out” and two different even-paced methodologies (i.e. computer- and athlete-controlled). Methods: In a randomised design, 15 male trained cyclists (age: 39 ± 8 years, body mass: 79.4 ± 8.2kg, VO2max: 59.8 ± 6.5 ml•kg-1•min-1, peak power: 436 ± 27 W) performed one incremental maximal exercise test, one familiarisation session and three experimental high-intensity interval sessions implementing one of three pacing strategies; (i) “all-out”, (ii) computer-controlled and (iii) athlete-controlled. All experimental sessions were work- matched and consisted of three 3-minute intervals with three minutes of recovery. A 4 km time trial was completed twenty minutes following each experimental interval session to assess measured levels of latent fatigue. Oxygen consumption, heart rate and perceived exertion, pain and effort were recorded throughout the high-intensity interval sessions with average power output and heart rate measured throughout the 4 km time trial. Results: Overall greater (p<0.001) oxygen consumption was observed in the “all-out” condition (54.1 ± 6.6 ml.kg-1.min-1) compared with the computer- (51.5 ± 5.7 ml.kg-1.min-1) and athlete-controlled conditions (53.0 ± 5.8 ml.kg-1.min-1). Furthermore, the time spent at 85% VO2max was greater (p<0.001) during the “all-out” trial when compared with computer- and athlete-controlled trials. Sessional perceived exertion was greater in the “all-out” trial when compared with the computer- (p<0.001) and athlete-controlled (p<0.05) conditions. Average power output measured during the 4 km time trial was lower (p<0.001) after the “all-out” session compared with both even-pacing strategies. Conclusion: Our findings indicate irrespective of work completed, greater physiological stress was observed within an “all-out” interval training approach when compared with both athlete- and computer- controlled conditions, resulting in greater latent fatigue as measured by 4 km time trial performance. The selections of pacing strategies are likely to play a key role in interval training and should be acknowledged throughout exercise prescription.