Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Activation of p53-Dependent Apoptosis by Acute Ablation of Glycogen Synthase Kinase-3β in Colorectal Cancer Cells

Purpose: The restoration of checkpoint mechanisms may provide a rational anticancer approach, but the molecular circuitries of how this can be achieved therapeutically are poorly understood. A pivotal signaling network in colorectal cancer cells involves glycogen synthase kinase-3β (GSK3β), a multifunctional kinase whose role in tumor cell survival is not defined. Experimental Design: We used molecular, genetic, and pharmacologic antagonists of GSK3β in p53+/+ or p53−/− colorectal cancer cells. We monitored kinase activity in immunoprecipitation, protein expression by immunoblotting, and cell death by multiparametric flow cytometry. A xenograft colorectal cancer model was used to study antitumor activity in vivo. Results: Treatment of p53+/+ colorectal cancer cells with pharmacologic inhibitors of GSK3β resulted in sustained elevation of p53, with up-regulation of p21Waf1/Cip1 and loss of survivin levels. Molecular targeting of GSK3β by overexpression of a GSK3β dominant-negative mutant, or acutesilencing of GSK3β by RNA interference, reproduced the induction of transcriptionally active p53 in colorectal cancer cells. This pathway was recapitulated by deregulated Wnt/T-cell factor signaling, with elevation of the tumor suppressor p14ARF, and reduced expression of the p53 antagonist, MDM2. Rather than cell cycle arrest, GSK3β blockade resulted in p53-dependent apoptosis, which was contributed by acute loss of survivin and inhibition of colorectal cancer growth in mice. Conclusions: Acute ablation of GSK3β in colorectal cancer cells activates p53-dependent apoptosis and antagonizes tumor growth. This pathway may be exploited for rational treatment of colorectal cancer patients retaining wild-type p53.
Quantum theory of solitons in optical fibers. I. Time-dependent Hartree approximation.

On etablit la solution de l'equation non lineaire de Schrodinger dans la formulation de Schrodinger, en recherchant les solutions des fonctions propres d'energie donnee. De cette facon, le probleme est reduit a un probleme lineaire. Dans sa resolution, on fait l'approximation d'Hartree selon laquelle les bosons se deplacent dans un potentiel commun produit par eux collectivement
CBX8 Suppresses Tumor Metastasis via Repressing Snail in Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma

The poor clinical outcome and prognosis of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is mainly attributed to its highly invasive and metastatic nature, making it urgent to further elicit the molecular mechanisms of the metastasis of ESCC. The function of each polycomb chromobox (CBX) protein in cancer is cell-type-dependent. Although CBX8 has been reported to promote the esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) tumorigenesis, its role in ESCC metastasis has not been explored yet. In this study, we report that the inhibition of cell migration, invasion, and metastasis in ESCC requires CBX8-mediated repression of Snail, a key transcription factor that induces epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT), and that CBX8 inversely correlated with Snail in the ESCC tissues. Moreover, this novel function of CBX8 is dependent on its binding with the Snail promoter, which in turn suppresses the transcription of Snail. Collectively, CBX8 may play paradoxical roles in ESCC, inhibiting metastasis while promoting cell proliferation.
Design of a SIW-based data communication system using a SIW six-port receiver

Substrate integrated waveguides (SIWs) are employed as an efficient low-cost wideband interconnect solution for high-speed signaling. The basic SIW data communication system includes mixers at the driver and receiver blocks in order to transmit baseband signal through the bandpass waveguide channel. Operational limitations are imposed due to limited bandwidth and non-ideal characteristics of the mixers. In this paper, an alternative technique utilizing a SIW six-port receiver is used to detect the transmitted data. The proposed system is designed for transmission of 5Gbps QPSK data and successfully evaluated through harmonic balance and envelope circuit simulations.
Massively-Parallel Feature Selection for Big Data

We present the Parallel, Forward-Backward with Pruning (PFBP) algorithm for feature selection (FS) in Big Data settings (high dimensionality and/or sample size). To tackle the challenges of Big Data FS PFBP partitions the data matrix both in terms of rows (samples, training examples) as well as columns (features). By employing the concepts of p-values of conditional independence tests and meta-analysis techniques PFBP manages to rely only on computations local to a partition while minimizing communication costs. Then, it employs powerful and safe (asymptotically sound) heuristics to make early, approximate decisions, such as Early Dropping of features from consideration in subsequent iterations, Early Stopping of consideration of features within the same iteration, or Early Return of the winner in each iteration. PFBP provides asymptotic guarantees of optimal-ity for data distributions faithfully representable by a causal network (Bayesian network or maximal ancestral graph). Our empirical analysis confirms a super-linear speedup of the algorithm with increasing sample size, linear scalability with respect to the number of features and processing cores, while dominating other competitive algorithms in its class.
Does Access to Improved Water Source and Sanitation Facility Accelerate Economic Growth in Bangladesh

This paper examines the relationship among access to improved water, sanitation and economic growth in Bangladesh through co-integration and vector error correction model (VECM) over the period 1991 to 2014. Bangladesh has registered remarkable progress in achieving major Millennium Development Goals (MDG). Today nearly 87% of our total population has access to improved water sources and 60% have access to improved sanitation facilities which is contributing significantly towards human development in Bangladesh. Therefore we want to test whether access to improved water and sanitation accelerates economic growth in Bangladesh through a time series analysis. The Johansen co-integration tests indicate that there is long run association among the variables. The vector error correction model indicates that there is a long run causality running from improved sanitation facilities (% of population with access) and improved water source (% of population with access) to gross domestic product in Bangladesh. Similarly in the short run a causal relationship has been found among the variables as well. Further impulse response function and variance decomposition results say that improved sanitation facilities (% of population with access) and improved water source (% of population with access) can explain the major variations in our economic growth. The implication of our findings is that in Bangladesh an increase in improved access to water and sanitation is likely to positively affect our economic growth in the long run. Keeping in mind about Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), policymakers in Bangladesh need to pay special attention to ensure greater access to improved water and sanitation to boost our economic growth & development.
The relationship between worry tendency and sleep quality in Chinese adolescents and young adults: The mediating role of state–trait anxiety

To investigate the relationship between worry tendency and sleep quality and the mediating effect of state–trait anxiety, 1072 adolescents and young adults from Jiangxi and Fujian Provinces in China were administered questionnaires pertaining to worry tendency, sleep quality, and state–trait anxiety. The results showed significant grade differences for worry tendency, sleep quality, and state–trait anxiety. Worry tendency was negatively associated with sleep quality, which was mediated by state anxiety and trait anxiety. There is a need for interventions that aim to reduce the level of worry tendency to ensure good sleep quality and the progression from worry tendency to anxiety and to poor sleep quality.
Stretchable wireless power transfer with a liquid alloy coil

An integrated stretchable wireless power transfer device was demonstrated by packaging rigid electronic chips onto a liquid alloy coil patterned on a half-cured polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) surface. To obtain low enough resistance, the long liquid alloy coil with a large cross section was made with a tape transfer masking followed by spray deposition of the liquid alloy. The measured results indicated the wireless power transfer efficiency reached 10% at 140 kHz and good performance under 25% overall strain. Different sizes of liquid alloy coils and a soft magnetic composite core were tested to improve the efficiency of the system.
Retinal degeneration 6 (rd6): a new mouse model for human retinitis punctata albescens.

PURPOSE To characterize the genetics and phenotype of a new mouse mutant with retinal degeneration, rd6, that is associated with extensive, scattered, small white retinal dots seen ophthalmoscopically. METHODS The phenotype was characterized using ophthalmoscopy, fundus photography, electroretinography, light microscopy, immunocytochemistry, and electron microscopy. Genetic characterization and linkage analysis studies were performed using standard methods. RESULTS The inheritance pattern of rd6 is autosomal recessive. Linkage analysis mapped rd6 to mouse Chromosome 9 approximately 24 cM from the centromere, suggesting that the human homolog may be on chromosome 11q23. Ophthalmoscopic examination of mice homozygous for rd6 revealed discrete subretinal spots oriented in a regular pattern across the retina. The retinal spots appeared by 8 to 10 weeks of age and persisted through advanced stages of retinal degeneration. Histologic examination revealed large cells in the subretinal space, typically juxtaposed to the retinal pigment epithelium. The white dots seen on fundus examination corresponded both in distribution and size to these large cells. By 3 months of age, the cells were filled with membranous profiles, lipofuscin-like material, and pigment. These cells reacted strongly with an antibody directed against a mouse macrophage-associated antigen. Photoreceptor cells progressively degenerated with age, and an abnormal electroretinogram was initially detected between 1 and 2 months of age. CONCLUSIONS The fundi of mice homozygous for rd6 exhibit phenotypic similarities to the human flecked retinal disorder retinitis punctata albescens. Thus, rd6/rd6 mice may be a model for understanding the etiology of this or similar disorders. The relationship between the aberrant subretinal cells and the concomitant photoreceptor degeneration remains to be established.
Peptide separation with immobilized pI strips is an attractive alternative to in‐gel protein digestion for proteome analysis

Complex protein mixtures have traditionally been separated by 2‐DE. Görg introduced IPGs as the first dimension of protein separation. In recent years, MS‐based proteomics has increasingly become the method of choice for identifying and quantifying large number of proteins. In that technology, to decrease analyte complexity, proteins are often separated by 1‐D SDS‐gel electrophoresis before online MS analysis. Here, we investigate a recently introduced device for peptide separation with IPGs (Agilent OFFGEL). Loading capacity for optimal peptide focusing is below 100 μg and – similar to 2‐D gels – IEF is more efficient in the acidic than the basic pH region. The 24‐well fractionation format resulted in about 40% additional peptide identifications but less than 20% additional protein identifications than the 12‐well format. Compared to in‐gel digestion, peptide IEF consistently identified a third more proteins with equal number of fractions. Low protein starting amounts (10 μg) still resulted in deep proteome coverage. Advantages of the in‐gel format include better reliability and robustness. Considering its superior performance, diminished sample and work‐up requirements, peptide IEF will become a method of choice for sample preparation in proteomics.
Segmentation of German Consumers Based on Perceived Dimensions of Luxury Food

ABSTRACT Recent trends in the German food sector have shifted and segmented consumer consumption motives toward indulgence, quality, and sustainability. Simultaneously, in Western countries there has been a change in luxury consumption motives, shifting emphasis to hedonism, self-actualization, and quality instead of prestige. These parallel developments give rise to the question of how food is related to luxury. This study investigates the perceived dimensions of luxury food and outlines a number of segmented consumer groups based on these dimensions. By means of principal component and cluster analyes, seven dimensions were revealed, which generated four consumer segments. Six of the perceived dimensions of luxury food correspond to those that are found within general luxury goods and services. Sustainability and authenticity form a further dimension, mirroring new luxury values. In the cluster analysis, two segments can be identified as target groups for classic premium foods, whereby one group is predominated by new luxury values and the other is expected to buy lower-quality food.
The Performance of Market‐Timing Strategies of Italian Mutual Fund Investors

In this paper we show that simple buy-and-hold strategies beat the market-timing strategies effectively used by Italian investors in equity mutual funds. Therefore, investors should re-consider their investment behavior and choose cheaper, in terms of fees, and simpler, passive strategies. We estimate returns from market-timing strategies using aggregate data on a large sample of equity mutual funds' net flows and consider funds investing either in Europe and the euro area, or the US, or emerging markets. In all cases, buy-and-hold wins with extra returns that go from 0.24% per quarter (Europe and euro area) to 0.87% per quarter (US market). We also show that the differences in the performance of the two strategies are not explained by differences in risk and risk exposure.
Budget impact of a 10% ready-to-use intravenous immunoglobulin in the treatment of primary immunodeficiency in Belgium

The aim of this study is to compute the budget impact of adopting Kiovig, a new ready-to-use 10% liquid immunoglobulin preparation, as a treatment for primary immunodeficiency from the perspective of the Belgian health care payer. The analysis compared the “world with Kiovig” to the “world without Kiovig” and calculated how a change in the mix of immunoglobulins used to treat primary immunodeficiency would impact drug spending during 2010-2014. Data on the number of patients, immunoglobulin market shares and drug unit costs were derived from the IMS Health hospital disease database and from Belgian sources. The number of Belgian patients suffering from primary immunodefi-ciency is expected to increase from 2,378 pa-tients in 2010 to 2,447 patients in 2014. The budget impact of adopting Kiovig is likely to be modest, raising the immunoglobulin drug bud- get for this patient population by 0.4%-1.3% per year. The budgetary increase originated from the higher price of Kiovig as compared with other products, although the impact of Kiovig was limited by its anticipated slow market penetra-tion. There is a need for more and better data on the Belgian immunoglobulin market.
Alliance portfolio reconfiguration following a technological discontinuity

Research summary: We study how technological discontinuities generate first- and second-order effects on alliance formation and termination, leading to reconfiguration of firms' alliance portfolios. Following technological shocks, we argue that firms often seek alliances that provide new resources while also having incentives to form alliances for reinforced and challenged resources that complement the new resources. In parallel, alliance terminations, even involving resources otherwise unaffected by the discontinuity, increase due to limits in firms' alliance carrying capacity. We study biopharmaceutical firms between 1990 and 2000, which faced a technological discontinuity in 1995 in the form of combinatorial chemistry and high-throughput screening. We improve understanding of how technological discontinuities affect the value of resources and how firms reconfigure alliance portfolios in response. Managerial summary: When firms form alliances to gain new resources during technological discontinuities that disrupt their industry, they cannot consider only the focal new partnerships. Instead, new alliances create complementarity and substitution pressures that lead to broader reconfiguration of the firms' alliance portfolios: (1) complementarity creates incentives to also form alliances for resources that the technological discontinuity reinforces or challenges in order to improve the collective value of co-specialized assets; (2) substitution creates incentives to terminate existing alliances, even if their value is otherwise unaffected by the discontinuity, in order to create carrying capacity for new alliances. Thus, one new alliance can generate a cascade of reconfiguration that challenges the balance between the benefits of stability and the need for change in an alliance portfolio. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
[Introduction to rheology].

Common to liquids, solids and substances in between the former two is that if a stress is applied to them, they will strain. Stress may be visualized by placing a small amount of fluid between two parallel plates. When one plate slides over the other, forces act on the fluid dependent upon the rate of the plate movement. This causes a shear stress on the liquid. Recall laminar flow of fluids through a tubular vessel. Strain is the response to the stress. If solids are elastic, they deform and return to their original shape. Since fluids are not elastic and, hence, viscous, their deformation is irreversible.
NUS-RMI Credit Research Initiative Technical Report

This document describes the implementation of the system which the Credit Research Initiative (CRI) at the Risk Management Institute (RMI) of the National University of Singapore (NUS) uses to produce probabilities of default (PDs). As of this version of the Technical Report, RMI covers around 60,400 listed firms (including delisted ones) in 106 economies around the world (see Table A.1). Of the around 40,000 active firms under the CRI coverage, around 34,000 firms have sufficient data to release daily updated PDs. The PD for all firms is freely available to users who can provide evidence of their professional qualifications to ensure that they will not misuse the data. General users who do not request global access are restricted to a list of 3,000 firms. The individual company PD data, along with aggregate PDs at the economy and sector level, can be accessed at http://rmicri.org…
Impact of different auto-scaling strategies on adaptive Mobile Cloud Computing systems

Mobile Cloud Computing (MCC) is an emerging paradigm aiming to elastically extend the range of resource-intensive tasks supported by mobile devices, leveraging upon broadband connectivity and cloud-based resources. In literature, almost all MCC models focus on mobile devices, considering the Cloud as a system endowed with unlimited resources. In this paper, we illustrate a novel MCC model characterized by the presence of adaptive loops, i.e., feedback interactions between the mobile device and the Cloud, with the purpose to enforce adaptive behavior on both sides. Indeed, the Cloud adapts its resource allocation (number of activated virtual machines) to the workload provided by mobile devices. On the other hand, feedback from the Cloud allows mobile devices to improve offloading decisions. The performance of the whole system is heavily affected by the auto-scaling strategy adopted by the Cloud. By means of simulations, we have evaluated the impact of two very different auto-scaling strategies. Quantitative results are reported and discussed.
Variability bugs in system software

One of the key aspects of software product line engineering (SPLE) is the handling of variation points that can be combined to form specific products. Variability management is the discipline responsible for the specification, combination and use of variation points. Many researches have contributed to this area by providing formal methods to analyze variability by means of reasoning operations built on top of SAT solvers. The development of system software also faces many challenges regarding variability management. To cope with variability issues, practitioners have employed a diversity of independent tools to tailor system software in order to avoid the overhead of unneeded functionality. In the Linux kernel, which can also be regarded as a software product line, variability management is handled in a heterogeneous manner. A set of independent tools is employed on different levels of abstraction, which might lead to inconsistencies in the description of variability. These inconsistencies are called variability bugs. With the novel concepts of source code variability models, model slicing, and multi-model reasoning operations, variability bugs that are possibly hidden by heterogenous variability management approaches can be attacked. The Linux code base serves as an ideal testbed for these novel techniques that conjoin the reasoning operations from SPLE with the challenges imposed by the structure and the sheer size of real-world large-scale code bases. For an efficient, scalable and automatic detection of variability bugs, the tool undertaker implements the concepts of source code variability models, model slicing, multi-model reasoning operations and a SAT solver backend. Applying the undertaker tool to the Linux kernel code base revealed an impressive number of variability bugs, to which fixes were provided to the kernel developers. Their positive feedback confirms the need of tool support for the automatic detection of variability bugs.
Hormesis: fact or fiction?

Bernard Cohen had not intended to foment revolution. To be sure, he had hoped that the linear, no-threshold (LNT) model of ionizing radiation`s effects on humans would prove to be an exaggeration of reality at the low levels of radiation that one can measure in humans throughout the United States. His surprising conclusion, however, was that within the low dose ranges of radiation one receives in the home, the higher the dose, the less chance one had of contracting lung cancer. 1 fig., 1 tab.
An ontology-based approach to crisis management and business continuity planning

The paper describes a concept involving the application of an ontology-based approach to facilitate the utilization of heterogeneous data sources as an essential information resource for the decision making process under emergency. The paper seeks primarily to highlight discontinuity as a multi-faceted challenge for public administration as well as for business organizations operating in specific socio-economic settings. To reduce uncertainty around the process of making decisions affecting the population’s physical and economic security, the authors propose a number of solutions founded on hybrid technology for decision support under emergency/crisis. In this context, the paper emphasizes the potential arising from the use of domain ontology for data homogenization.