Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
7 Melanoma-Induced Endothelial Cell Growth Involves Phospholipase A 2 and COX 2 Upregulation

Angiogenesis, the process of formation of new vessels, is fundamental in many biological processes including development, reproduction and wound repair. In tumor biology, key biochemical questions remain to be answered, in particular the molecular and cellular mechanisms responsible for establishing melanoma new vessels. The search of role for already identified soluble factors in experimental cell models encompassing brain endothelial cells, murine melanoma cell lines and pericytes could expand our molecular understanding of cerebral melanoma proliferation. The purpose of this chapter is to summarize existing knowledge of biochemical mechanisms of melanoma adhesion and angiogenesis, as well as new experimental data on the enzymatic and signaling cross-talk between tumor and microvascular cells.
Aspect-Oriented Refactoring of a Graph Visualization Tool : CHISIO

Gaming applications can be considered as one of the complex applications in software development. This is because for developing gaming applications we have to deal with many different concerns. Traditionally, gaming applications are developed using general purpose or specific languages that cannot modularize these concerns with their proposed abstraction mechanisms. In this paper, we propose anion mechanisms. In this paper, we propose an aspect-oriented approach to modularize these crosscutting concerns by using the explicit language abstractions defined by aspect-oriented programmingions defined by aspect-oriented programming (AOP). We identify the key concerns in an objectoriented (OO) game, Chicken Invaders, and model these as aspects. We report our observations on aspect-oriented (AO) game programming and discuss the lessons learned.
Integrin alpha subunit mRNAs are differentially expressed in early Xenopus embryos.

Adhesion of cells to extracellular matrix proteins is mediated, in large part, by transmembrane receptors of the integrin family. The identification of specific integrins expressed in early embryos is an important first step to understanding the roles of these receptors in developmental processes. We have used polymerase chain reaction methods and degenerate oligodeoxynucleotide primers to identify and clone Xenopus integrin alpha subunits from neurula-stage (stage 17) cDNA. Partial cDNAs encoding integrin subunits alpha 2, alpha 3, alpha 4, alpha 5, alpha 6 and an alpha IIb-related subunit were cloned and used to investigate integrin mRNA expression in early embryos by RNase protection assay and whole-mount in situ hybridization methods. Considerable integrin diversity is apparent early in development with integrins alpha 2, alpha 3, alpha 4, alpha 5 and alpha 6 each expressed by the end of gastrulation. Both alpha 3 and alpha 5 are expressed as maternal mRNAs. Zygotic expression of alpha 2, alpha 3, alpha 4 and alpha 6 transcripts begins during gastrulation. Integrin alpha 5 is expressed at relatively high levels during cleavage, blastula and gastrula stages suggesting that it may represent the major integrin expressed in the early embryo. We demonstrated previously that integrin beta 1 protein synthesis remains constant following induction of stage 8 animal cap cells with activin (Smith, J. C., Symes, K., Hynes, R. O. and DeSimone, D. W. (1990) Development 108, 289-298. ). Here we report that integrin alpha 3, alpha 4 and alpha 6 mRNA levels increase following induction with 10 U/ml activin-A whereas alpha 5, beta 1 and beta 3 mRNA levels remain unchanged. Whole-mount in situ hybridization reveals that alpha 3 mRNAs are expressed by cells of the involuting mesoderm in the dorsal lip region of early gastrulae. As gastrulation proceeds, alpha 3 expression is localized to a stripe of presumptive notochordal cells along the dorsal midline. In neurulae, alpha 3 mRNA is highly expressed in the notochord but becomes progressively more restricted to the caudalmost portion of this tissue as development proceeds from tailbud to tadpole stages. In addition, alpha 3 is expressed in the forebrain region of later stage embryos. These data suggest that integrin-mediated adhesion may be involved in the process of mesoderm involution at gastrulation and the organization of tissues during embryogenesis.
Information support, illness perceptions, and distress in survivors of differentiated thyroid cancer

Survivors of differentiated thyroid cancer report significant distress. This study examines illness perceptions as mediating the relationship between information support and distress among survivors of differentiated thyroid cancer. Data were obtained from the Patient Reported Outcomes Following Initial Treatment and Long-term Evaluation of Survivorship registry. Model results revealed that greater information support was associated with better illness perceptions, and that better illness perceptions were associated with less distress. Information support and distress were indirectly related via illness perceptions. Results highlight the importance of addressing illness perceptions in this population and suggest that informational interventions may help serve this function.
Effects of {2-[(3-carboxy-1-oxoprogy1)amino]-2-deoxy-D-glucose} on human hepatocellular carcinoma cell line

AbstractAim:To study the effects of {2-[(3-carboxy-1-oxoprogy1)amino]-2-deoxy-D-glucose (COPADG) on cultured human hepatocellular carcinoma cells (HepG2). Methods:HepG2 cells were cultured in RPMI-1640 medium. Cell proliferation was determined by MTT assay. Apoptosis was determined by fluorescence microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, agarose gel electrophoresis of DNA fragmentation, and flow cytometry.Results:At the concentration ranging between 1–30 μmol/L, COPADG potently inhibited the growth and induced apoptosis of HepG2 cells.Conclusion:COPADG could effectively induce apoptosis in human hepatocellular carcinoma cells. More investigations are warranted for the potential use of this compound as a new agent for the non-surgical management of human hepatocellular carcinoma.
A fast algorithm for subgraph search problem

Graphs are widely used to model complicated data semantics in many applications. In this paper we propose Fast-ON, an efficient algorithm for subgraph isomorphism problem which has proven to be NP-complete. Fast-ON is based on Ullman algorithm [1]. It improves the search space of Ullman algorithm by considering two effective optimizations. Comparing to the well-known algorithms Ullman and Vflib [2], Fast-ON achieves up to 1-3 orders of magnitude speed-up.
Partnership Transitions and Mental Distress: Investigating Temporal Order

The study uses 15 waves of the British Household Panel Survey and the General Health Questionnaire to investigate changes in mental distress over several years surrounding transitions both into and out of marital partnerships (marriages and cohabitations) using fixed effects models. Entering marital partnerships is associated with reduced distress in separated or divorced individuals but not with those not previously married. Partnership dissolution is associated with very high levels of distress, but most people experience levels of distress a few years after leaving a partnership similar to that of a few years before leaving. These results vary, however, between married and cohabiting individuals, between fathers and mothers, and between age and gender groups.
A Simulation Game Showing the Capture-Recapture Method of Population Estimation Prior to Field Investigation

s part of current science education reform, more emphasis is placed on the study of populations and ecosystems. Project 2061 (American Association for the Advancement of Science 1993) explicitly states that the study of populations and ecosystems should include stability and change in ecosystems and encompass “variables such as populations size, number and kind of species and productivity” (117; emphasis added). Reform documents such as the National Science Education Standards (National Research Council 1996) state that for students to develop an understanding of populations and ecosystems “observations and investigations of populations and ecosystems . should become increasingly quantitative incorporating the use of computers and conceptual and mathematical models” (155). Population estimation is one of the basic topics of middle and high school ecology courses. Students need both a conceptual and practical understanding of how estimation of population size is conducted in natural ecosystems and how close such estimations are to actual population sizes. Unless students actually engage in “hands-on” activities directly related to estimation, it is difficult for them to achieve an understanding of how scientists estimate population sizes. It is therefore imperative that we engage students in methods used to estimate population sizes to help them understand how such methods work and what are their underlying assumptions and reliability. One method that researchers use to study population sizes is the capture-recapture method. This method relies on capturing, marking, and releasing organisms into the same populations from which
Interdisciplinary Analysis of Hedgerow Network Landscapes' Sustainability

Abstract Hedgerows with pollarded trees are still emblematically shaping many agricultural landscapes in Western Europe; they are part of our heritage but their future is uncertain due to the enlargement of fields and loss of firewood use. As a consequence the sustainability of these agricultural landscapes is questioned. We studied changes in hedgerow management in a long-term ecological site in Brittany, France with an interdisciplinary approach. Importance, spatial distribution and relationship with the agricultural system have been assessed over 11 years in three contrasted hedgerow network landscapes, while management practices and farmers' perception were studied from an anthropological point of view. Two apparently opposed trends were found: first, an apparent decrease in the interest of farmers for hedgerows witnessed by the diminishing of the rate of pruning; second, changing attitudes of farmers not necessarily toward hedgerow abandonment but rather toward the production of novel shapes for pruned trees.
Diagnosis of Rotor and Stator Asymmetries in Wound-Rotor Induction Machines Under Nonstationary Operation Through the Instantaneous Frequency

This paper proposes a methodology to improve the reliability of diagnosis of different types of faults in wound-rotor induction generators which work under variable load conditions, as in wind turbine applications; the method is based on the extraction of the instantaneous frequency (IF) of the fault-related components of stator and rotor currents during speed changes caused by nonstationary functioning. It is shown that, under these conditions, the IF versus slip plots of the fault components are straight lines with a specific slope and y-intercept for each kind of fault. In addition, neither of these patterns are dependent on the machine features or the way that the load changes. The practical methodology of this technique is introduced for diagnosing two different anomalies: stator winding asymmetry and rotor winding asymmetry. The approach is validated by laboratory tests for both types of faults in two different kinds of machines.
A Web3D modeling optimization algorithm based on cylindrical projection

To a Web3D virtual reality scene, the clarity of objects and the fluency of interaction are the two most important factors on affecting users' experience. They are both constrained by the performance of the modeling algorithm. In order to overcome the bottlenecks of existing modeling algorithms, a Web3D modeling optimization algorithm based on cylindrical projection is proposed in this paper. Algorithm exchange 3D object model into cylindrical images and introduce a type of optimized strategy to reduce the number of models needed to be projected and blanked with the help of intermediate results during the period of interactive calculation. Finally, we design some tests which show that the algorithm performs better than other algorithms on the construction of complex scenes.
Dynamics of conversations

How do online conversations build? Is there a common model that human communication follows? In this work we explore these questions in detail. We analyze the structure of conversations in three different social datasets, namely, Usenet groups, Yahoo! Groups, and Twitter. We propose a simple mathematical model for the generation of basic conversation structures and then refine this model to take into account the identities of each member of the conversation.
A pedagogical framework for developing innovative science teachers with ICT

Background: The authors have conducted a number of research projects into the use of ICT in science teaching and most recently have collaborated with five European partners in teacher education to develop resources to assist teacher trainers in delivering courses for the professional development of science teachers. Purpose: 1. To describe the main aspects of pedagogy which are relevant to the use of ICT tools which serve practical science teaching. 2. To discuss approaches to teacher education which aim to emphasise the pedagogical aspects of using those ICT tools. Sources of evidence: 1. A review of the research literature on the effectiveness of using ICT in education with a particular focus on pedagogical knowledge and its interaction with associated technical knowledge. 2. Authors’ experience as teacher trainers and as researchers in methods of employing ICT in science education. 3. Studies conducted by partners in the ICT for Innovative Science Teachers Project and training materials developed by the project. Main argument: Starting from the premise that it is the pedagogical actions of the teacher which determine successful learning outcomes of using ICT in science lessons, the paper describes the main components of pedagogical knowledge and understanding required by teachers. It examines the role of an understanding of affordances in helping teachers to deploy software tools appropriately and defines some of the skills for exploiting them to benefit learning. Innovation is successful when ICT activities are incorporated in ways that complement non-ICT activities and serve science learning objectives. When teachers are alert to adapt their pedagogical skills, they evolve new ways of working and interacting with students. Training courses need to provide means of helping teachers to examine the professional beliefs which underpin their pedagogical approaches. This is most effectively achieved when a course blends personal hands-on experience with discourse with other professionals and when there is iteration between the training experience with activity in the classroom. Conclusions: The most significant products of professional development are the integration of ICT in the curriculum and a change in a teacher’s pedagogy towards teaching approaches which empower students to work more independently and reﬂectively.
On the computation of document frequency statistics from spoken corpora using factor automata

Factor automaton is an efﬁcient data structure for representing all factors (substrings) of a set of strings (e.g. a ﬁnite-state automaton). This notion can be generalized to weighted automata by associating a weight to each factor. In this paper, we consider the problem of computing expected document frequency (DF), and TF-IDF statistics for all substrings seen in a collection of word lattices by means of factor automata. We present an algorithm which transforms an acyclic weighted automaton, e.g. an ASR lattice, to a weighted factor automaton where the path weight of each factor represents the total weight associated by the input automaton to the set of strings including that factor at least once. We show how this automaton can be used to efﬁ-ciently construct other types of weighted factor automata representing DF and TF-IDF statistics for all factors seen in a large speech corpus. Compared to the state-of-the-art in computing these statistics from spoken documents, our approach i) generalizes the statistics from single words to contiguous substrings, ii) provides signiﬁcant gains in terms of average run-time and storage requirements and iii) constructs efﬁcient inverted index structures for retrieval of such statistics. Experiments on a Turkish data set corroborate our claims.
The default-mode, ego-functions and free-energy: a neurobiological account of Freudian ideas

This article explores the notion that Freudian constructs may have neurobiological substrates. Specifically, we propose that Freud’s descriptions of the primary and secondary processes are consistent with self-organized activity in hierarchical cortical systems and that his descriptions of the ego are consistent with the functions of the default-mode and its reciprocal exchanges with subordinate brain systems. This neurobiological account rests on a view of the brain as a hierarchical inference or Helmholtz machine. In this view, large-scale intrinsic networks occupy supraordinate levels of hierarchical brain systems that try to optimize their representation of the sensorium. This optimization has been formulated as minimizing a free-energy; a process that is formally similar to the treatment of energy in Freudian formulations. We substantiate this synthesis by showing that Freud’s descriptions of the primary process are consistent with the phenomenology and neurophysiology of rapid eye movement sleep, the early and acute psychotic state, the aura of temporal lobe epilepsy and hallucinogenic drug states.
Blind image deblurring using sparse dictionary and orthogonal projections of filtered patches

In this paper, we present a new blind image deblurring technique based on sparse representation and orthogonal projections of filtered patches. First, we use predefined sparse dictionaries to estimate an initial version of the latent image. To estimate the PSF, four stages are performed. First, a set of directional low-pass filters are applied to the input image. These filters greatly reduces the noise while preserving the blur info in the orthogonal direction. Second, an initial kernel estimation is performed for each filtered image using the initial latent image that was produced by sparse representation. Third, discrete radon transform is applied to each estimated kernel on the orthogonal direction to the low-pass filter and the set of projections at different angles are stored. Fourth, an inverse discrete radon transform is applied to the stored projections and the estimated final kernel is produced. Finally, iterative deconvolution approach is performed to estimate the final latent sharp image. Experimental results showed that the best obtained PSNR is 28.654 at 0.054 noise ratio, whereas the best obtained SSIM is 0.9265 at also 0.054 noise ratio.
Accuracy of oximetry for detection of respiratory disturbances in sleep apnea syndrome.

STUDY OBJECTIVE The cost and inconvenience of polysomnography make simplified techniques of screening desirable in the strategy of diagnosis of sleep apnea syndrome (SAS). We have evaluated, in a prospective study of 301 consecutive patients referred for suspected sleep disorders, an index (delta index) that detects apneic events by quantifying arterial oxygen saturation (SaO2) variability. SETTING Regional sleep laboratory taking referrals from general practitioners and specialists. DESIGN Classic polysomnography was the gold standard, with 15 apneas plus hypopneas per hour (RDI) being used as a threshold for definition of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Oximetry was recorded over the same night. Signal variability was quantified as a function of time, using digital processing of oximetric data. Sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values of oximetry testing were calculated. A receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was constructed representing the comparative courses of sensitivity and 1-specificity at different thresholds of delta index. RESULTS Three hundred one patients were included (age, 56 +/- 12 years). Their RDI was 30 +/- 24. For a delta threshold at 0.6, the sensitivity of oximetry for the diagnosis of OSA was 98% and the specificity was 46%. The positive and negative predictive values for diagnosing SAS were 77% and 94%, respectively. The three false-negative cases had a relatively high awake SaO2 (97 vs 93.9 +/- 2.8%), a moderate RDI (23.3 +/- 1.6), and were less obese than the other patients (body mass index: 25 +/- 3 vs 33 +/- 8). The 58 false-positive cases had an RDI of 8 +/- 4, an awake SaO2 of 93.1 +/- 3.6 vs 94.1 +/- 2.6 for the rest of the population (p = 0.01). Finally, the false-positive cases had more airways obstruction (FEV1/VC = 72 +/- 13 vs 77 +/- 15%; p = 0.026). Using a delta value of 0.8 leads to a sensitivity of 90% with 19 false-negative cases but with a higher specificity of 75%. CONCLUSIONS A nocturnal oximetry test with a delta index below 0.6 is helpful in ruling out the diagnosis of SAS in patients being screened for this condition, as this yielded only three negative test results in 301 screening procedures.
Pre-treatment with 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) causes long-lasting changes in 5-HT2A receptor-mediated glucose utilization in the rat brain

The current study examined the long-term effect of brief exposure to 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) on local cerebral glucose utilization (LCGU) in speci.c brain regions immediately following administration of the 5-HT2A/2C receptor agonist, 1-(2,5-dimethoxy-4-iodophenyl)-2-aminopropane (DOI). Wistar rats (post-natal day (PND) 28, n= 24) were administered MDMA (5 mg/kg, i.p.) or saline (1 ml/kg, i.p.) four times daily for 2 consecutive days and core body temperature was recorded. Fifty-. ve days later and 10min following injection of DOI (1 mg/kg, i.p.) or saline, LCGU was measured using the [14C]2-deoxyglucose (2-DG) technique. In the 4 hours following the initial injection (PND 28), MDMA-treated rats exhibited signi.cant hyperthermia compared with saline-treated controls (p< 0.05ñ0.01). Eight weeks later, immediately following DOI challenge, LCGU was signi.cantly elevated (an increase of 47%, p< 0.05) in the nucleus accumbens of MDMA/DOI pretreated rats, compared with that in MDMA/saline pre-treated controls. A similar trend was observed in other areas such as the lateral habenula, somatosensory cortex and hippocampal regions (percentage changes of 27ñ41%), but these did not reach signi.cance. Blood glucose levels were signi.cantly elevated in both groups of DOI-treated rats (p< 0.05ñ0.01). Thus, brief exposure of young rats to an MDMA regimen previously shown to cause anxiety-like behaviour and modest serotonergic neurotoxicity (Bull et al., 2004) increased DOI-induced energy metabolism in the nucleus accumbens and tended to increase metabolism in other brain regions, including the hippocampus, consistent with the induction of long-term brain region speci.c changes in synaptic plasticity.
Improved Parsing and POS Tagging Using Inter-Sentence Consistency Constraints

State-of-the-art statistical parsers and POS taggers perform very well when trained with large amounts of in-domain data. When training data is out-of-domain or limited, accuracy degrades. In this paper, we aim to compensate for the lack of available training data by exploiting similarities between test set sentences. We show how to augment sentence-level models for parsing and POS tagging with inter-sentence consistency constraints. To deal with the resulting global objective, we present an efficient and exact dual decomposition decoding algorithm. In experiments, we add consistency constraints to the MST parser and the Stanford part-of-speech tagger and demonstrate significant error reduction in the domain adaptation and the lightly supervised settings across five languages.