Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Cisplatin plus norcantharidin alter the expression of TGF-β1/Smads signaling pathway in hepatocellular carcinoma.

PURPOSE To investigate the effects of cisplatin plus norcantharidin on transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1/Smads signaling pathway in hepatocellular carcinoma cells. METHODS Hepatocellular carcinoma cells (Hep3B) were divided into four groups: control group, cisplatin 2.0 μg/ml group, norcantharidin 10 μg/ml group, and cisplatin 2.0 μg/ml plus norcantharidin 10 μg/ml group. All cells were incubated for 24 hours. Cells proliferation was assessed using cell counting kit-8. Relative mRNA expression of TGF-β1, Smad4 and Smad7 were assessed by quantitative RT-PCR. Protein expression of TGF-β1 and Smad4 were investigated by western blotting. RESULTS Cisplatin, norcantharidin and cisplatin plus norcantharidin significantly inhibited the proliferation of cells, significantly attenuated both the mRNA and protein expression of TGF-β1 and Smad7, and significantly up-regulated the mRNA and protein expression of Smad4 in Hep3B (all p < 0.05), and cisplatin plus norcantharidin exhibited powerful effects than cisplatin and norcantharidin. CONCLUSIONS Cisplatin, norcantharidin and cisplatin plus norcantharidin can significantly alter the expression of TGF-β1/Smads signaling pathway and inhibit the proliferation of Hep3B cells. Cisplatin plus norcantharidin exhibited powerful effects than cisplatin and norcantharidin (Fig. 4, Ref. 23).
Coupled CFD/CSD Computation of Airloads of an Active Twist Rotor

An unsteady Reynolds averaged Navier-Stokes analysis loosely coupled with a comprehensive rotorcraft code for blade trim and aeroelastic effects is presented for a second-generation Active Twist Rotor. High ﬁdelity Navier-Stokes results are compared to lifting-line theory based comprehensive rotorcraft code calculations and wind tunnel data. Results indicate that the Computational Fluid Dynamics/Computational Structural Dynamics (CFD/CSD) solutions are mesh converged and in very good agreement with ﬂapwise bending moments for both the low and high advance ratio cases presented. The accuracy of the predicted rotor torque is also very good across the full sweep of advance ratio cases available for comparison with data.
Neural-Network-Based Terminal Sliding-Mode Control of Robotic Manipulators Including Actuator Dynamics

A neural-network-based terminal sliding-mode control (SMC) scheme is proposed for robotic manipulators including actuator dynamics. The proposed terminal SMC (TSMC) alleviates some main drawbacks (such as contradiction between control efforts in the transient and tracking errors in the steady state) in the linear SMC while maintains its robustness to the uncertainties. Moreover, an indirect method is developed to avoid the singularity problem in the initial TSMC. In the proposed control scheme, a radial basis function neural network (NN) is adopted to approximate the nonlinear dynamics of the robotic manipulator. Meanwhile, a robust control term is added to suppress the modeling error and estimate the error of the NN. Finite time convergence and stability of the closed loop system can be guaranteed by Lyapunov theory. Finally, the proposed control scheme is applied to a robotic manipulator. Experimental results confirm the validity of the proposed control scheme by comparing it with other control strategies.
Video retrieval based on key frame extraction in compressed domain

This paper proposes a new key frame extraction algorithm and also provides a novel video-indexing scheme for fast content-based browsing and retrieval in a video database. The algorithm is designed to function with a compressed video stream. We first extract key frames by matching AHIM (Accumulated Histogram Intersection Measure) of DC image sequence constructed from the MPEG video sequence. Then we use the region segmentation-based projective histogram and its moments as database indices for video retrieval. From the simulation results, the proposed method clearly shows the validity and superiority in respect of computation time and memory space, and that in conjunction with other techniques for indexing, such as color, can provide a powerful framework for image indexing and retrieval.
Autocatalytic polysialylation of polysialyltransferase‐1.

Polysialic acid (PSA) is a specific and highly regulated post‐translational modification of the neural cell adhesion molecule NCAM. Synthesis of PSA depends on the activity of a single enzyme, the polysialyltransferase‐1 (PST‐1), recently cloned from three mammalian species. The present study was carried out to investigate the catalytic mechanism of PST‐1. Using a newly developed in vitro assay system, we demonstrate autopolysialylation for PST‐1. The synthesis of PSA chains, which involved N‐glycosylation sites, occurred immediately after contact with the activated sugar donor CMP‐Neu5Ac. In contrast to the polysialylation of NCAM, where terminal sialylation in either the alpha2,3 or alpha2,6 position is required, the autopolysialylation could be started in the asialo‐PST‐1 isolated from CHO cells of the Lec2 complementation group. Pre‐formed PSA chains were not transferred to NCAM. Nevertheless, the autocatalytic step is likely to be a prerequisite for enzymatic activity, since agalacto‐PST‐1 isolated from Lec8 cells was functionally inactive. Our data describe a novel route of autocatalytic maturation of a glycosyltransferase and thereby provide a new basis for studies aimed at elucidating and influencing the catalytic functions of PST‐1.
Strategic collaboration on business model innovation: A transaction cost perspective

The present paper focuses on collaboration as a source of hybridization of the market in the case of business model innovation. The basic argument is that while hybridization economizes on transaction costs, it also gives rise to transaction costs. In effect, transaction costs appears as a dialectical phenomenon. The argument is illustrated by a narrative of a case of radical business model innovation. The narrative shows how collaborators economize on transaction costs by developing a mutual understanding and shared interpretation of business model innovation, but at the same time gives rise to transaction costs elsewhere in the ecosystem to which the collaborators belong.
The differentiation and morphogenesis of craniofacial muscles

Unraveling the complex tissue interactions necessary to generate the structural and functional diversity present among craniofacial muscles is challenging. These muscles initiate their development within a mesenchymal population bounded by the brain, pharyngeal endoderm, surface ectoderm, and neural crest cells. This set of spatial relations, and in particular the segmental properties of these adjacent tissues, are unique to the head. Additionally, the lack of early epithelialization in head mesoderm necessitates strategies for generating discrete myogenic foci that may differ from those operating in the trunk. Molecular data indeed indicate dissimilar methods of regulation, yet transplantation studies suggest that some head and trunk myogenic populations are interchangeable. The first goal of this review is to present key features of these diversities, identifying and comparing tissue and molecular interactions regulating myogenesis in the head and trunk. Our second focus is on the diverse morphogenetic movements exhibited by craniofacial muscles. Precursors of tongue muscles partly mimic migrations of appendicular myoblasts, whereas myoblasts destined to form extraocular muscles condense within paraxial mesoderm, then as large cohorts they cross the mesoderm:neural crest interface en route to periocular regions. Branchial muscle precursors exhibit yet another strategy, establishing contacts with neural crest populations before branchial arch formation and maintaining these relations through subsequent stages of morphogenesis. With many of the prerequisite stepping‐stones in our knowledge of craniofacial myogenesis now in place, discovering the cellular and molecular interactions necessary to initiate and sustain the differentiation and morphogenesis of these neglected craniofacial muscles is now an attainable goal. Developmental Dynamics 235:1194–1218, 2006. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Application of Quantitative Forecasting Models in a Manufacturing Industry

Time series forecasting analysis has become a major tool in different applications for the Manufacturing Company. Among the most effective approaches for analyzing time series data is ARIMA (Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average). In this study we used Box-Jenkins methodology to build ARIMA model for annual sales forecast for 7up Bottling Company Plc for the period from January 2010 to December 2015, given the available monthly sales data. After the model specification; the best model for production was ARIMA (1, 1, 1) and for utilization was ARIMA (0, 1, 1). A 12 months forecast have also been made to determine the expected amount of sales revenue in year 2016. The time plot reveals seasonal variation. It thus concludes that that there is increase in sales revenue of Company with time, hence these models can be adopted for sales, production, utilization and demand forecasting in Nigeria, Keywords: ARIMA, Box-Jenkins, forecasting, production and utilization model, Time series analysis,
Scavenger receptors: a key player in cardiovascular diseases

Abstract The scavenger receptor (SR) super family consists of integral membrane glycoproteins that are involved in recognition of polyanionic structures of either endogenous (e.g., oxidized low-density lipoprotein) or exogenous (e.g., bacterial lipopolysaccharides) origin. SRs are structurally diverse and can be classified into seven different classes (A–G) based on the multidomain structure of the individual members. SRs are present on various types of tissues, such as vascular, adipose, and steroidogenic tissues. In addition to modified lipoprotein uptake, these proteins are also known to regulate apoptotic cell clearance, initiate signal transduction, and serve as pattern recognition receptors for pathogens. Different SRs are involved in many physiological and pathological processes; more importantly, the function of SRs is highly implicated in the initiation and progression of atherosclerotic plaque. Targeting the SR gene products that mediate the response to and uptake of modified lipids holds great promise in the prevention of cardiovascular diseases. Inhibition of SR expression using a combined gene therapy and RNA interference strategy also appears to be an option for long-term therapy. The present review focuses on the involvement of SRs in atherosclerosis, thrombosis, and other cardiovascular diseases. Moreover, the role of SRs is not restricted to vascular lesions; it is also implicated in a number of different cellular functions.
Compact Ultra-Wideband (UWB) Bandpass Filter Using Dual-Stub-Loaded Resonator (DSLR)

A compact ultra-wideband (UWB) bandpass filter using dual-stub-loaded resonators (DSLR) is presented. The DSLR is analyzed by using the odd- and even- mode method. Four resonant modes can be tuned by the DSLR in 3.1 GHz - 10.6 GHz, and a pair of transmission zeros can be generated at the lower and upper stopband when the DSLR is applied to a UWB filter. Therefore a UWB bandpass filter is realized with good skirt selectivity, harmonic suppression, as well as compact size. Finally the proposed filter is simulated and fabricated. The measured results are in good agreement with the predicted one, demonstrating this structure is feasible in practical use.
Transmission Congestion Management Using Distributed Generation Considering Load Uncertainty

This Paper presents a model for optimal locating and sizing of Distributed Generation (DG) for congestion management in deregulated electricity market. For reducing the solution space a priority list of candidate buses is formed and then optimal placement and sizing of DG in potential buses is discussed. In order to incorporate stochastic nature of power system in this study, Monte-Carlo method is used to simulate the effect of uncertainty of loads and system on the optimal location and size of the DGs in the network. The proposed method is applied to IEEE Reliability Test System (RTS). The impacts of load uncertainty on optimum DG size and location are studied.
Feasibility, Safety, and Efficacy of Flow-Diverting Stent-Assisted Microsphere Embolization of Fusiform and Sidewall Aneurysms.

BACKGROUND Treatment of wide-necked internal carotid artery aneurysms is frequently associated with incomplete occlusion and high recurrence rates. Furthermore, platinum coils cause strong beam-hardening artifacts, hampering subsequent image analyses. OBJECTIVE To assess the feasibility, safety, and efficacy of flow-diverting, stent-assisted microsphere embolization of fusiform and sidewall aneurysms in vitro and in vivo. METHODS Using a recirculating pulsatile in vitro flow model, 5 different aneurysm geometries (inner/outer curve, narrow/wide neck, and fusiform) were treated (each n = 1) by flow-diverting stent (FDS) implantation and subsequent embolization through a jailed microcatheter using calibrated microspheres (500-900 μm) larger than the pores of the FDS mesh. Treatment effects were analyzed angiographically and by micro computed tomography. The fluid of the in vitro model was filtered to ensure that no microspheres evaded the aneurysm. The experiment was repeated once in vivo. RESULTS In vitro, all 5 aneurysms were safely and completely occluded by FDS-assisted microsphere embolization. Virtually complete aneurysm occlusion was confirmed by angiography and micro computed tomography. No microspheres escaped into the circulation. The experiment was successfully repeated in 1 pig with a sidewall aneurysm generated by vessel occlusion. An embolic protection system placed distally of the FDS in vitro and in vivo (each n = 1) contained no microspheres after the embolization. Thus, no microspheres were lost in the circulation, and the use of an embolic protection system seems feasible to provide additional safety. CONCLUSION FDS-assisted microsphere embolization of fusiform and sidewall aneurysms is feasible and yields virtually complete aneurysm occlusion while avoiding coil-associated beam-hardening artifacts.
Craft Beer Tourism Development “Down Under”: Perspectives of Two Stakeholder Groups

ABSTRACT This exploratory study investigates the perceived potential of craft beer tourism (CBT) in Australia, focusing on two important stakeholder groups, commercial and hobby craft brewers, and adopting stakeholder theory (ST). The importance of these stakeholders is primarily illustrated through several forms of CBT development, and perceived challenges. Fundamentally, beer tours, trails, festivals, and combining CBT with other leisure activities emerged as key forms of CBT. Geographic distance, excise taxes, price, and government regulations are the main identified challenges. Associations between the various ST-related theses and the study’s findings are revealed, particularly regarding collaborative efforts to maximise perceived opportunities.
Treatment of unilateral upper thoracic vertebral pain using an eclectic approach.

WKY was a 32-year-old Chinese man, 180 cm in height and 55 kg in weight. Apart from chronic bilateral patellofemoral joint pain diagnosed as ‘chondromalacia patellae’ by an orthopaedic surgeon almost ten years before, and receiving no treatment, he enjoyed relatively good health. The onset of his current complaint was sudden and occurred when he was taking a shower. When he finished washing his hair, WKY extended his head abruptly and felt his neck ‘caught in the wrong position’. From that point onwards, he experienced sharp pain on movement in all directions. Several hours later, his neck movements were still severely limited by pain, described as ‘excruciating’.
The Research and Design of Big Data Trading Platform for Entity Business

An entity business based big data trading platform will be researched and designed against the defects of the traditional large scale business under the environment of big data. The platform will follow five steps: step one, use hardware equipment to collect basic information of the merchants, commodities and users; step two, store the collected data via distributed database; step three, filter invalid data with data cleaning technology; step four, find the connections among merchants, commodities and users by data mining; step five, visually present the needed results to customers. This brand new trading platform will be mainly applied to some large scale entity business because bringing it online can narrow the current gap between the entity business and the e-commerce platform in such aspects as user experience, users’ behavior analysis, business intelligence and so on, thus improving the plight the entity business is confronted with to some extent.
Ginseng saponin metabolite suppresses phorbol ester–induced matrix metalloproteinase‐9 expression through inhibition of activator protein‐1 and mitogen‐activated protein kinase signaling pathways in human astroglioma cells

Aberrant expression of matrix metalloproteinase‐9 (MMP‐9) is implicated in the process of invasion and angiogenesis of malignant tumors as well as in inflammatory diseases of the CNS. Therefore, the development of compounds that can inhibit or suppress MMP‐9 is required to treat brain tumors. We investigated the effects of a ginseng saponin metabolite, compound K (20‐O‐(β‐D‐glucopyranosyl)‐20(S)‐protopanaxadiol), on MMP‐9 expression in human astroglioma cells. Compound K significantly inhibited the secretion and protein expression of MMP‐9 induced by PMA. The inhibitory effect of compound K on MMP‐9 expression correlated with decreased MMP‐9 mRNA levels and suppression of MMP‐9 promoter activity. The compound K–mediated inhibition of MMP‐9 gene expression appears to occur via AP‐1 because its DNA‐binding and transcriptional activities were suppressed by the agent. Furthermore, compound K significantly repressed the PMA‐mediated activation of p38 MAPK, ERK and JNK, which are upstream modulators of AP‐1. Finally, compound K inhibited the in vitro invasiveness of glioma cells. Therefore, inhibition of MMP‐9 expression by compound K might have therapeutic potential for controlling the growth and invasiveness of brain tumors. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Does the Crowd Support Innovation? Innovation Claims and Success on Kickstarter

Online crowdfunding is a popular new tool for raising capital to commercialize product innovation. Product innovation must be both novel and useful (1-4). Therefore, we study the role of novelty and usefulness claims on Kickstarter. Startlingly, we find that a single claim of novelty increases project funding by about 200%, a single claim of usefulness increases project funding by about 1200%, and the co-occurrence of novelty and usefulness claims lowers funding by about 26%. Our findings are encouraging because they suggest the crowd strongly supports novelty and usefulness. However, our findings are disappointing because the premise of crowdfunding is to support projects that are innovative, i.e. that are both novel and useful, rather than projects that are only novel or only useful.
Evaluation of a Brief Telephone Questionnaire to Estimate Fruit and Vegetable Consumption in Diverse Study Populations

We evaluated use of a six-item telephone questionnaire to estimate fruit and vegetable intakes in five diverse populations. Researchers administered the telephone questionnaire to persons who had previously undergone more extensive dietary assessment. The study populations included 553 middle-aged and older adults in Beaver Dam, WI; 252 middle-aged and older women throughout Wisconsin; 150 parents of school children in Augusta, GA; 73 low-income, Hispanic mothers in Chicago, IL; and 51 older adults in Arizona. Spearman correlation coefficients between total fruit and vegetable intakes measured by the brief telephone survey and by more extensive food frequency questionnaires were 0.47 (Augusta), 0.48 (Arizona), 0.56 (Wisconsin), and 0.57 (Beaver Dam). Correlation between intakes measured by the brief telephone survey and by multiple diet records or recalls were 0.29 (Arizona), 0.46 (Chicago), and 0.54 (Beaver Dam). With the exception of Arizona, mean daily fruit and vegetable intakes measured by the telephone survey were similar to intakes estimated by multiple diet records or recalls and lower than those estimated by extensive food frequency questionnaires. Although caution may be needed in interpreting dietary reports from some ethnic subgroups, this brief telephone questionnaire may be useful for surveillance of fruit and vegetable intake in the United States. (Epidemiology 1993;4:455–463)
Exploratory Factor Analysis of Latent Constructs Used for Measuring Public Sector Innovation Performance in Malaysia

The contribution of public sector innovation aimed to resolve dynamic challenges in economic, social and public demand is undisputable. However, limited empirical evidence is available to help understand public sector innovation performance, as compared to private sector innovation. There currently exists an increasing interest in measuring public sector innovation performance, attributable to initiatives by the European Union, United Kingdom, Australia and South Korea. In the light of measuring public sector innovation performance in the context of Malaysia, a measuring instrument was developed and assessed for reliability using an exploratory factor analysis approach. A pilot test on 102 respondents from various ministries in the country indicates that all four constructs applied in the instrument, namely, (1) innovation performance, (2) innovation capabilities, (3) innovation activities and (4) external public sector conditions for innovation, exhibited relatively high reliability. The results indicate that the instruments can potentially serve as an alternative for measuring public sector innovation performance in the country.
Large-scale and high-speed interconnection of multiple FDDIs using ATM-based backbone LAN

The authors discuss problems related to the bridging method between the asynchronous transfer mode (ATM)-based high-speed multimedia backbone local area network (MBLAN) and a fiber distributed data interface (FDDI), especially the filtering database (FDB) construction method for filtering of frames. The problems are achieving high performance, correspondence to a large-scale system, and prevention of broadcast. The FDB construction method was evaluated based on these problems. Through the evaluation, it was noted that the FDB learning failure rate must be below 10/sup -3/ and a frame filtering process when relaying frames from the MBLAN to an FDDI is not necessary. An FDB access method is proposed. By using a multiple hashing algorithm for the FDB access, the proposed method makes it possible to deal with all terminal addresses, even in a large-scale network system that includes tens of thousands of terminals or more, and also enables high-speed filtering/forwarding of frames between terminals. Both the entry search speed and an effective number of entries in the entry table can be adapted to the requirements of an application by changing the maximum number of hashing times. <<ETX>>