Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Tumor-Derived Microvesicles Induce Proangiogenic Phenotype in Endothelial Cells via Endocytosis

Background Increasing evidence indicates that tumor endothelial cells (TEC) differ from normal endothelial cells (NEC). Our previous reports also showed that TEC were different from NEC. For example, TEC have chromosomal abnormality and proangiogenic properties such as high motility and proliferative activity. However, the mechanism by which TEC acquire a specific character remains unclear. To investigate this mechanism, we focused on tumor-derived microvesicles (TMV). Recent studies have shown that TMV contain numerous types of bioactive molecules and affect normal stromal cells in the tumor microenvironment. However, most of the functional mechanisms of TMV remain unclear. Methodology/Principal Findings Here we showed that TMV isolated from tumor cells were taken up by NEC through endocytosis. In addition, we found that TMV promoted random motility and tube formation through the activation of the phosphoinositide 3-kinase/Akt pathway in NEC. Moreover, the effects induced by TMV were inhibited by the endocytosis inhibitor dynasore. Our results indicate that TMV could confer proangiogenic properties to NEC partly via endocytosis. Conclusion We for the first time showed that endocytosis of TMV contributes to tumor angiogenesis. These findings offer new insights into cancer therapies and the crosstalk between tumor and endothelial cells mediated by TMV in the tumor microenvironment.
Aligning Knowledge Development between Innovation-Driven Context and Knowledge Organization Systems

While semantic technologies are successfully used in some more static and business critical domains like public management or financial services the adoption in innovation driven contexts has been more hesitant. The challenge of aligning knowledge development between innovation-driven context and knowledge organization systems by introducing social semantic technologies requires the shift from creation centered to addition centered approach in dealing with new concepts. For any organizational context there is something existent with applied classification logic which has to be considered while creating new knowledge. In order to study an impact of stabilizing and dynamic forces on knowledge organization systems we investigate concept compounding as ontological change. As new concepts emerge through knowledge maturing process and have direct impact on enterprise knowledge organization systems, a longitudinal approach is needed that follows development of new concepts over time. We took this approach by analyzing ontology maturing in an international company which provides professional services to both institutional and private customers. We present examples of the compounding of six new concepts as interactions between dynamic forces which are functioning within social technologies and stabilizing forces in the form of arbitrary knowledge organization systems. Based on our conclusions we propose Knowledge Alignment Model and list the services which will be developed further for applying Social Semantic Technologies in an organizational context. The model is a connection between the conceptual considerations presented as a shift from creation to addition and between design activities to make this shift happen.
Étude sur l'impact du sous-langage dans la classification automatique d'appels d'offres

Resume: Dans cet article nous evaluons diverses approches pour filtrer le contenu « procedural » d’un document, et mesurons leur impact sur la classification d’une collection d’appels d’offres. Deux types d’approches sont testees : la selection de termes a partir d’un vocabulaire de reference, et le filtrage de phrases. Nous ne trouvons pas de difference significative entre le vocabulaire de reference et celui de la collection d’entrainement. Par contre le filtrage par phrases donne d’excellents resultats sur notre collection, et peu meme avantageusement etre combine a d’autres techniques de selection.
TO HEAD-RELATED TRANSFER FUNCTIONS ( HRTF ’ S ) : REPRESENTATIONS OF HRTF ’ S IN TIME , FREQUENCY , AND SPACE ( invited tutorial )

This tutorial provides an introduction to Head-Related Transfer Functions (HRTF's) and their role in the synthesis of spatial sound over headphones. We define HRTF’s and discuss how they provide spectral cues which reduce the ambiguity with which the classical duplex theory decodes a free-field sound’s spatial location. We describe how HRTF’s are measured and how they are typically used to synthesize spatialized sound. By comparing and contrasting representations of HRTF’s in the time, frequency, and spatial domains, we highlight different analytic and signal processing techniques that have been used to investigate the structure of HRTF’s.
Concentration uncertainty principles for signals on the unit sphere

The uncertainty principle is an important and powerful tool, with many applications in signal processing. This paper presents two concentration uncertainty principles for signals on the sphere which relate the localization of the concentration of a signal in spatial and spectral domains, as an analogue of the general Donoho and Stark uncertainty principles in time-frequency analysis. Using the spherical and spectral truncation operators, we derive the L1-norm and L2-norm uncertainty principles which respectively relate the signal concentration in spatial and spectral domains as absolute value and the energy of a signal. We also analyze the sharpness of the bound imposed by the derived L2-norm uncertainty principle. The proposed uncertainty measures can be applied to signal processing problems on the sphere.
Piezoelectric and pyroelectric properties of conductive polyethylene oxide-lead titanate composites

Polymer-ceramic composites with pyroelectric sensitivity are presented as promising candidates for sensing applications. Selection of the appropriate ceramic filler and the polymer matrix is one of the key parameters in the development of optimized materials for specific applications. In this work lead-titanate (PT) ceramic particulate is incorporated into a polymer matrix, polyethylene oxide (PEO) with a relatively high electrical conductivity to develop sensitive and at the same time flexible composites. PT particles are dispersed in PEO at varying volume fractions, and composite materials are cast in the form of films to measure their dielectric, piezoelectric and pyroelectric properties. From these data the piezoelectric voltage coefficients as well as pyroelctric figures of merit of the composite films have been determined. In order to determine the effect of electrical conductivity of the polymer matrix on the poling efficiency and the final properties, a poling study has been performed. Improving the electrical conductivity of the polymer phase enhances the poling process significantly. It is found that both the piezoelectric and the pyroelectric figures of merit increase with concentration of PT. PT–PEO composites show superior pyroelectric sensitivity compared to other composites with less conductive polymer matrices.
The role of agri-environment schemes in conservation and environmental management

Over half of the European landscape is under agricultural management and has been for millennia. Many species and ecosystems of conservation concern in Europe depend on agricultural management and are showing ongoing declines. Agri‐environment schemes (AES) are designed partly to address this. They are a major source of nature conservation funding within the European Union (EU) and the highest conservation expenditure in Europe. We reviewed the structure of current AES across Europe. Since a 2003 review questioned the overall effectiveness of AES for biodiversity, there has been a plethora of case studies and meta‐analyses examining their effectiveness. Most syntheses demonstrate general increases in farmland biodiversity in response to AES, with the size of the effect depending on the structure and management of the surrounding landscape. This is important in the light of successive EU enlargement and ongoing reforms of AES. We examined the change in effect size over time by merging the data sets of 3 recent meta‐analyses and found that schemes implemented after revision of the EU's agri‐environmental programs in 2007 were not more effective than schemes implemented before revision. Furthermore, schemes aimed at areas out of production (such as field margins and hedgerows) are more effective at enhancing species richness than those aimed at productive areas (such as arable crops or grasslands). Outstanding research questions include whether AES enhance ecosystem services, whether they are more effective in agriculturally marginal areas than in intensively farmed areas, whether they are more or less cost‐effective for farmland biodiversity than protected areas, and how much their effectiveness is influenced by farmer training and advice? The general lesson from the European experience is that AES can be effective for conserving wildlife on farmland, but they are expensive and need to be carefully designed and targeted.
Health-Related Quality of Life In Primary Raynaud Phenomenon

Objective:To assess health-related quality of life (HRQL) in patients with primary Raynaud phenomenon (RP). Methods:The Medical Outcomes Study 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36) questionnaire and the EQ-5D questionnaire were administered to 81 patients with primary RP who had been referred to a rheumatological department. The scores were compared with data of control subjects. Results:In the physical dimensions of the SF-36, the subjects who had RP had significantly lower scores (worse HRQL) than controls (47.6 ± 9.8 vs. 52.2 ± 9.3, P = 0.021). The physical component score (PCS) was correlated with age (P = 0.003) and the number of comorbidities (P = 0.004). The mental health component score (MCS) was significantly lower in RP subjects than in controls (41.9 ± 9.4 vs. 46.1 ± 10.7, P = 0.006). As regards anxiety/depression (of the EQ-5DA/D), considerably more RP patients (77.7%) reported at least some related problems as compared with controls (60.0%) (χ2 = 7.93; P = 0.005). Fifty-two RP patients (64.2%) and 178 controls (57.8%) described themselves as moderately anxious/depressed, whereas 11 RP patients (13.5%), and 7 controls (2.2%) reported extreme anxiety/depression (P < 0.0001). Conclusions:This study shows a reduction of the HRQL in patients with primary RP, compared with control subjects. The psychologic wellbeing represents the most involved area, whereas physical functioning and symptoms are significantly influenced by age and comorbidities. Moreover, these patients are more anxious/depressed (EQ-5DA/D). Longitudinal studies are needed to validate our findings, to explore the causal relationship between primary RP and emotional factors, and to possibly lead to encouraging behavioral therapies.
Association of 6-Minute Walk Performance and Physical Activity With Incident Ischemic Heart Disease Events and Stroke in Peripheral Artery Disease

Background We determined whether poorer 6-minute walk performance and lower physical activity levels are associated with higher rates of ischemic heart disease (IHD) events in people with lower extremity peripheral artery disease (PAD). Methods and Results Five hundred ten PAD participants were identified from Chicago-area medical centers and followed prospectively for 19.0±9.5 months. At baseline, participants completed the 6-minute walk and reported number of blocks walked during the past week (physical activity). IHD events were systematically adjudicated and consisted of new myocardial infarction, unstable angina, and cardiac death. For 6-minute walk, IHD event rates were 25/170 (14.7%) for the third (poorest) tertile, 10/171 (5.8%%) for the second tertile, and 6/169 (3.5%) for the first (best) tertile (P=0.003). For physical activity, IHD event rates were 21/154 (13.6%) for the third (poorest) tertile, 15/174 (8.6%) for the second tertile, and 5/182 (2.7%) for the first (best) tertile (P=0.001). Adjusting for age, sex, race, smoking, body mass index, comorbidities, and physical activity, participants in the poorest 6-minute walk tertile had a 3.28-fold (95% CI 1.17 to 9.17, P=0.024) higher hazard for IHD events, compared with those in the best tertile. Adjusting for confounders including 6-minute walk, participants in the poorest physical activity tertile had a 3.72-fold (95% CI 1.24 to 11.19, P=0.019) higher hazard for IHD events, compared with the highest tertile. Conclusions Six-minute walk and physical activity predict IHD event rates in PAD. Further study is needed to determine whether interventions that improve 6-minute walk, physical activity, or both can reduce IHD events in PAD.
Joining SiC‐Based Ceramics and Composites with Preceramic Polymers

Monolithic SiC bodies (sintered SiC, reaction bonded SiC) were successfully joined using a silicone resin. Maximum values as high as 220 MPa in bending and about 50 MPa in shear tests were reached for samples joined at 1200°C. SiC/SiC f composites were also joined using a silicone resin or a polycarbosilane and various fillers. In this case, the strength of the joints was much lower, increasing only when specific fillers or reinfiltration of the joints were employed. The reason for the lower strength possessed by SiC/SiC f joints was attributed to the surface morphology of the composites.
U*C: Self-organized Clustering with Emergent Feature Maps

A new clustering algorithm based on grid projections is proposed. This algorithm, called U*C, uses distance information together with density structures. The number of clusters is determined automatically. The validity of the clusters found can be judged by the U*-Matrix visualization on top of the grid. A U*-Matrix gives a combined visualization of distance and density structures of a high dimensional data set. For a set of critical clustering problems it is demonstrated that U*C clustering is superior to standard clustering algorithms such as Kmeans and hierarchical clusterings.
Matrine enhances the inhibitory effect of 5-FUon SW480 cells in vitro and in vivo

We investigated the antitumor effects of the combination of matrine-a purified alkaloid extracted from Sophora flavescence-and 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) on SW480 cells. This combination inhibited the growth of SW480 cells in a synergistic or additive manner by disrupting their progression through the cell cycle. Exposure of SW480 cells to matrine and 5-FU was followed by an increased rate of expression for caspase-3, caspase-9 and poly-ADP ribose polymerase (PARP) and inhibited the subcutaneous transplantation of SW480 tumors into Balb/c nude mice. Histopathological analysis showed that this effect was most pronounced in the spleens of treated animals. Typical cytotoxic effects observed in 5-FU-treated mice included fibrosis and lymphopenia, whereas in mice treated with 5-FU combined with matrine, the spleen ultrastructure remained intact. These findings indicate that matrine may enhance the therapeutic effectiveness of 5-FU in SW480 tumors by enhancing apoptosis and overcome the threat to immunocompetence associated with 5-FU.
Defective development of thymocytes overexpressing the costimulatory molecule, heat-stable antigen

Heat-stable antigen (HSA) is a small, glycosyl phosphatidylinositol- anchored protein that can act as a costimulatory molecule for antigen- dependent activation of helper T cells. In addition to being expressed on antigen-presenting B cells, HSA is also expressed during the initial stages of T cell development in the thymus. HSA levels are very high on immature CD4-, CD8- double negative thymocytes, but are reduced on CD4+, CD8+ double positive cells undergoing selection in the thymus, and are entirely eliminated when these cells differentiate into immunologically competent CD4+ or CD8+ single positive T cells. To examine the potential roles of this molecule in T cell development and selection, we generated transgenic mice in which HSA was highly expressed on all classes of thymocytes. The consequence of deregulated HSA expression was a pronounced reduction in the numbers of double positive and single positive thymocytes, whereas the numbers of their double negative precursors were largely unaffected. These results demonstrate that downregulation of HSA expression at the double positive stage is a critical event in thymocyte development. The depletion of thymocytes resulting from HSA overexpression begins at the same time as the onset of negative selection, suggesting that HSA may provide signals that contribute to determining the efficiency of this process.
New 3D Image Technologies Developed in Taiwan

Some new 3D image technologies including image capturing, digital data processing, 2D/3D video conversion, and naked eye 2D/3D compatible display have been developed in Taiwan for the future 3D world applications. An innovative 3D image capturing and displaying architecture is a cost effective system for 3D content generation, transmission, and display. The multiview images of fine art such as sculpture can be captured by using 3D scanner or camera. The obtained multiview images can be transmitted though popular streaming channel to the cloud computing center that handles huge tasks of 2D/3D image processing. Then, the multi-view images are fed into the new types of 2D/3D compatible display. This new type of display using a specially designed microretarder can present 2D and naked eye 3D images on the same display simultaneously. Some new 3D applications with real-time 2D to 3D conversion technology are also introduced.
An SOA Approach to Virtual Classroom with Content Repurposing

Existing M-Learnings lack security, privacy and wireless accessibility features so that they are prevented from expanding widely and usually have problems that they lack S.C. A.L. E. (Scalability, Connectivity, Adaptability, Liability, and Ease-of-use) design factors that a typical ubiquitous system must support. One of the ways lies in the evolution of learning environments into Service Governance of Service Oriented Architecture. The implementation of this architecture will allow the creation of Mobiles and external tools that can work with the resources contained in the platform, and give trainers and learners a freedom of movement that they did not have before.
Large-Scale Verb Entailment Acquisition from the Web

Textual entailment recognition plays a fundamental role in tasks that require indepth natural language understanding. In order to use entailment recognition technologies for real-world applications, a large-scale entailment knowledge base is indispensable. This paper proposes a conditional probability based directional similarity measure to acquire verb entailment pairs on a large scale. We targeted 52,562 verb types that were derived from 108 Japanese Web documents, without regard for whether they were used in daily life or only in specific fields. In an evaluation of the top 20,000 verb entailment pairs acquired by previous methods and ours, we found that our similarity measure outperformed the previous ones. Our method also worked well for the top 100,000 results.
High repetition rate and low energy femtosecond laser ablation coupled to ICPMS detection: A new analytical approach for trace element determination in solid samples

A low energy and high repetition rate infrared femtosecond laser system was developed for direct trace elements analysis by laser ablation/ICPMS. This system provides improved analytical performances in terms of limits of detection, repeatability, elemental fractionation and depth profile analysis in comparison to conventional nanosecond UV laser ablation used so far in analytical chemistry. Preliminary results show that limits of detection are improved by more than one order of magnitude and the elemental fractionation reduced to negligible values. In addition, depth profile resolution better than 20 nm are easily achievable on a Cr-Ni multilayer material which opens new fields of application in surface analysis.
Gap Inequalities for the Cut Polytope

Abstract We introduce a new class of inequalities valid for the cut polytope, which we call gap inequalities. Each gap inequality is given by a finite sequence of integers, the ‘gap’ being defined as the smallest discrepancy arising when decomposing the sequence into two parts that are as equal as possible. Gap inequalities include hypermetric inequalities and negative type inequalities, which have been extensively studied in the literature. They are also related to a positive semidefinite relaxation of the max-cut problem. A natural question is to decide for which integer sequences the corresponding gap inequalities define facets of the cut polytope. For this property, we present a set of necessary and sufficient conditions in terms of the root patterns and of the rank of an associated matrix. We also prove that there is no facet defining inequality with gap greater than one and which is induced by a sequence of integers using only two distinct values.
Radiation Induced Absorption in Rare Earth Doped Optical Fibers

We have investigated the radiation induced absorption (RIA) of optical fibers with high active ion concentration. Comparing our results to the literature leads us to the conclusion that RIA appears to be only weakly dependent on the rare earth dopant concentration. Instead, co-dopants like Al, Ge, or P and manufacturing processes seem to play the major role for the radiation sensitivity. It is also observed that different types of irradiation cause very similar RIA at the same dose applied, with the exception at very high dose rates. It has been studied how RIA can be efficiently reduced via moderate heating. Recovery of up to 70% of the original transmission has been reached after annealing at 450 K. We conclude that radiation induced color centers have weak binding energies between 20 and 40 meV. This suggests that annealing could become a key strategy for an improved survival of rare earth doped fibers in radiative environments, opening up new possibilities for long-term missions in space.
A multiframe assignment algorithm for single sensor bearings-only tracking

Bearings-only tracking (BOT) using a single maneuvering platform has been studied extensively in the past. However, only a few studies exist in the open literature that deal with measurement origin uncertainty. Most publications are concerned with finding the best filtering approach, since BOT is inherently nonlinear, or finding the optimal maneuver strategy for the sensor platform to improve observability. We consider measurement origin uncertainty due to the existence of multiple targets in the surveillance region, non-unity detection probability, and false alarms. Our algorithm uses the multiframe assignment (MFA) to solve the data association problem, and filtering is performed using the unscented Kalman filter (UKF). We employ both the modified and log polar coordinate systems. Simulation results show that the proposed algorithm is very effective in terms of tracking accuracy and track maintenance capability, especially when formulated in the log polar coordinate system.
Manufacturing Distortions of Curved Composite Panels

This paper briefly discusses the influences of through-thickness thermal expansion, a misaligned ply, and a resin-rich slightly thicker ply on the deformations of a curved composite laminate during cool down from the cure temperature. Both two-dimensional and three-dimensional level finite-element analyses are used. The deformations are categorized as to radial and tangential deformations and twist, and for each of the three influences, these deformations are quantified. An additional outcome of the study is an indication of the level of analysis needed to study each of these three influences.