Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The role of exosomes in hepatitis, liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma

Exosomes are small vesicles that were initially thought to be a mechanism for discarding unneeded membrane proteins from reticulocytes. Their mediation of intercellular communication appears to be associated with several biological functions. Current studies have shown that most mammalian cells undergo the process of exosome formation and utilize exosome‐mediated cell communication. Exosomes contain various microRNAs, mRNAs and proteins. They have been reported to mediate multiple functions, such as antigen presentation, immune escape and tumour progression. This concise review highlights the findings regarding the roles of exosomes in liver diseases, particularly hepatitis B, hepatitis C, liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. However, further elucidation of the contributions of exosomes to intercellular information transmission is needed. The potential medical applications of exosomes in liver diseases seem practical and will depend on the ingenuity of future investigators and their insights into exosome‐mediated biological processes.
DSS 43 antenna gain analysis for Voyager Uranus encounter: 8.45-GHz radio science data correction

A malfunction of the Deep Space Network (DSN) 64-meter antenna in Australia forced the antenna to operate with a mispositioned subreflector during the Voyager Uranus encounter period (January 24, 1986). Because of changing main reflector shape and quadripod position as a function of elevation angle, the antenna gain and pointing were not as expected, and the 8.45 GHz received signal level changed during the pass. The study described here used the Geometrical Theory of Diffraction (GTD) analysis to determine actual antenna gain and pointing during that period in an attempt to reconstruct the radio science data. It is found that the 1.4 dB of signal variation can be accounted for by antenna geometry changes and pointing error. Suggested modifications to the values measured during the pass are presented. Additionally, an extremely useful tool for the analysis of gravity deformed reflectors was developed for use in future antenna design and analysis projects.
Cyclin D1 as a Diagnostic Immunomarker for Endometrial Stromal Sarcoma With YWHAE-FAM22 Rearrangement

Endometrial stromal sarcoma (ESS) characterized by YWHAE-FAM22 genetic fusion is histologically higher grade and clinically more aggressive than ESS with JAZF1-SUZ12 or equivalent genetic rearrangements, hence it is clinically important to recognize this subset of ESS. To identify diagnostic immunomarkers for this biologically defined ESS subset, we compared gene expression profiles between YWHAE-FAM22 ESS and JAZF1-rearranged ESS. These studies showed consistent upregulation of cyclin D1 in YWHAE-FAM22 ESS compared with JAZF1-SUZ12 ESS. Immunohistochemically, the high-grade round cell component of all 12 YWHAE-FAM22 ESS demonstrated diffuse (≥70%) moderate to strong nuclear cyclin D1 staining, and this diffuse positivity was not seen in 34 ESSs with JAZF1 and equivalent genetic rearrangements or in 21 low-grade ESS with no demonstrable genetic rearrangements. In a series of 243 non-ESS pure uterine mesenchymal and mixed epithelial-mesenchymal tumors, only 2 of 8 undifferentiated endometrial sarcomas with nuclear uniformity and 1 of 80 uterine leiomyosarcomas demonstrate diffuse cyclin D1 immunoreactivity. Both cyclin D1-positive undifferentiated endometrial sarcomas showed diffuse strong CD10 staining, which is consistently absent in the high-grade round cell component of YWHAE-FAM22 ESS. The low-grade spindle cell component of YWHAE-FAM22 ESS showed a spatially heterogenous cyclin D1 staining pattern that was weaker and less diffuse overall. Our findings indicate that cyclin D1 is a sensitive and specific diagnostic immunomarker for YWHAE-FAM22 ESS. When evaluating high-grade uterine sarcomas, cyclin D1 can be included in the immunohistochemical panel as an indicator of YWHAE-FAM22 ESS.
Diagnosing congenital dislocation of the hip.

EDITOR,-Colin R Paterson and colleagues have drawn attention to an important group of children that paediatricians performing neonatal examinations need to be aware of. ' I would value some clarification about the content of their paper. Eight cases of osteogenesis imperfecta were described from a central register of such patients. How many patients were registered in total, and over what period of time were the cases collected? The changes in work practice suggested at the end of the paper have important implications for paediatric, orthopaedic, and radiology department workloads, hence some idea of the incidence of the condition is vital. The figures in their article suggest that 30-60 children a year are born with osteogenesis imperfecta. If all the cases described occurred in one year the incidence of iatrogenic fracture would be 1:75 000 live births compared with 1800 cases of residually unstable hips per year (that is, 1:333 live births). Although paediatricians need to be aware of this rare problem and consider asking all parents if there is a family history of brittle bones, we will no doubt continue to be held responsible for missed congenital dislocation of the hips ifwe start to take a more lax attitude to routine examination. Some of the other comments suggest that the authors have not had to do 10-15 neonatal examinations a day on a busy postnatal ward. My own practice has been to warn parents that "most babies cry after this test" even before I have touched the hips, this being the reason it is left to the end of the neonatal examination. Until a suitable long term trial of ultrasound screening of neonatal hips is undertaken, as suggested by N M P Clarke,2 it will undoubtedly continue to be paediatricians who have to balance the risks of missing congenital dislocation of the hips against causing this rare complication.
Borders and Distance in Knowledge Spillovers : Dying over Time or Dying with Age ? Evidence from Patent Citations

This paper uses a gravity framework to investigate the e ects of distance as well as subnational and national borders in knowledge spillovers. Drawing on the NBER Patent Citations Database, we examine patent citations data at metropolitan level within the U.S. and the 38 largest patent-cited countries outside the U.S. We present 3 key ndings: First, we nd strong subnational localization e ects at the Metropolitan Statistical Area and state levels: more than 90% of intranational border e ects stem from the metropolitan level rather than state. Second, border and distance e ects decrease with the age of cited patent, which implies that new knowledge faces the largest barriers to di usion. However, over time, border and distance e ects are interestingly increasing. Finally, we nd that self-citations and aggregation bias are two sources of overestimated aggregate border e ects of knowledge spillovers. While self-citations are only 11% of total citations, they account for approximately 50% of MSA and national border e ects.
Direct Dynamic Kinetic Analysis and Computer Simulation of Growth of Clostridium perfringens in Cooked Turkey during Cooling.

This research applied a new 1-step methodology to directly construct a tertiary model that describes the growth of Clostridium perfringens in cooked turkey meat under dynamically cooling conditions. The kinetic parameters of the growth models were determined by numerical analysis and optimization using multiple dynamic growth curves. The models and kinetic parameters were validated using independent growth curves obtained under various cooling conditions. The results showed that the residual errors (ε) of the predictions followed a Laplace distribution that is symmetric with respect to ε = 0. For residual errors, 90.6% are within ±0.5 Log CFU/g and 73.4% are ±0.25 Log CFU/g for all growth curves used for validation. For relative growth <1.0 Log CFU/g, 88.9% of the residual errors are within ±0.5 Log CFU/g, and 63.0% are within ±0.25 Log CFU/g. For relative growth of <2.0 Log CFU/g, 92.7% of the residual errors are within ±0.5 Log CFU/g, and 70.3% are within ±0.25 Log CFU/g. The scale and distribution of residual errors clearly suggests that the models and estimated kinetic parameters are reasonably accurate in predicting the growth of C. perfringens. Monte Carlo simulation was used to estimate the probabilities of >1.0 and 2.0 Log CFU/g relative growth of C. perfringens in the final products at the end of cooling. This probabilistic process analysis approach provides a new alternative for estimating and managing the risk of a product and can help the food industry and regulatory agencies assess the safety of cooked meat in the event of cooling deviation.
Estimation of Forest Biomass From Two-Level Model Inversion of Single-Pass InSAR Data

A model for aboveground biomass estimation from single-pass interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) data is presented. Forest height and canopy density estimates Δh and η0, respectively, obtained from two-level model (TLM) inversion, are used as biomass predictors. Eighteen bistatic VV-polarized TanDEM-X (TDM) acquisitions are used, made over two Swedish test sites in the summers of 2011, 2012, and 2013 (nominal incidence angle: 41°; height-of-ambiguity: 32-63 m) . Remningstorp features a hemiboreal forest in southern Sweden, with flat topography and where 32 circular plots have been sampled between 2010 and 2011 (area: 0.5 ha; biomass: 42-242 t/ha; height: 14-32 m) . Krycklan features a boreal forest in northern Sweden, 720-km north-northeast from Remningstorp, with significant topography and where 31 stands have been sampled in 2008 (area: 2.4-26.3 ha; biomass: 23-183 t/ha; height: 7-21 m) . A high-resolution digital terrain model has been used as ground reference during InSAR processing. For the aforementioned plots and stands and if the same acquisition is used for model training and validation, the new model explains 65%-89% of the observed variance, with root-mean-square error (RMSE) of 12%-19% (median: 15%) . By fixing two of the three model parameters, accurate biomass estimation can also be done when different acquisitions or different test sites are used for model training and validation, with RMSE of 12%-56% (median: 17%) . Compared with a simple scaling model computing biomass from the phase center elevation above ground, the proposed model shows significantly better performance in Remningstorp, as it accounts for the large canopy density variations caused by active management. In Krycklan, the two models show similar performance.
Sensory integration across space and in time for decision making in the somatosensory system of rodents

Environment is represented in the brain by a neural code that is a result of the spatiotemporal pattern of incoming sensory information. Sensory neurons encode inputs across space and in time such that activity of a given cell inhibits the ability of near-simultaneously arriving sensory stimuli to excite the cell. At the behavioral level, consequences of such suppression are unknown. We investigated the contribution of spatially distributed, near-simultaneous sensory inputs to decision making in a whisker-dependent learning task. Mice learned the task with a single whisker or multiple whiskers alike. Both groups of mice had similar learning curves and final success rates. However, multiple-whisker animals had faster response times than single-whisker mice, requiring only about half the time to perform the task successfully. The results show that spatially distributed sensory inputs in a highly redundant sensory environment improve speed but not accuracy of the decisions made during simple sensory detection. Suppression of the near-simultaneous sensory inputs could, therefore, act to reduce the sensory redundancy.
Melanin Content , Melanin Production , and Tyrosinase Activity of Cultured Melanocytes From Eyes of Various Iris Color

Results. Cultured uveal melanocytes maintained a constant level of melanin content, expressed tyrosinase activity, and produced measurable amounts of melanin in vitro. Melanosomes in different stages were seen ultrastructurally. Melanin production correlated direcdy with the degree of iris pigmentation of the eyes from which the uveal melanocytes were isolated. Tyrosinase activity of cultured uveal melanocytes from black versus white donors was significantly different, but, among white donors, there was no correlation with iris pigmentation or with melanin production in vitro.
Ad-hoc Recursive PCE Based Inter-domain Path Computation (ARPC) Methods

With the emergence of multimedia applications with stringent requirements, like IPTV, the need for end-to-end Quality of Service (QoS) is increasing. In this paper, we investigate the problem of how to route high QoS flows with end-to-end QoS guarantees in a Path Computation Element (PCE) based architecture. In this architecture, three main types of path computation methods have been proposed: methods based on aggregated representations of the network, methods using predetermined domain (AS) sequences or methods using only the knowledge of the intra-domain topology as well as of the inter-domain links connected to the domain. The last family of algorithms is called ad-hoc methods. These methods have not been extensively studied in the context of the PCE architecture yet. This paper has two main contributions. First, we propose a new Ad-hoc PCE based Recursive Inter-domain Path Computation method (ARPC) that dynamically determines the AS sequence crossed. This algorithm integrates complexity reduction mechanisms. We consider an example application of this algorithm for simultaneously minimizing the traffic forwarding cost, guaranteeing a minimum bandwidth and optimizing an additive metric related to load balancing. We assess the performance of this algorithm with regard to these objectives. A simulation study demonstrates that the complexity of ad-hoc methods is reasonable, in certain topologies. Thus, these methods deserve further study. Second, we propose that PCEs in a domain are aware of the economical cost (price) of the inter-domain links connected to this domain. We demonstrate that this additional knowledge allows the implementation of interesting economical strategies. For that, we implement a detailed example.
Persistent asymmetrical priority effects in a California grassland restoration experiment.

The order of species arrival can dramatically alter the trajectory of community development. While there is experimental evidence that priority effects can be important drivers of community structure early on, the persistence and duration of these effects is unclear. Here we report on a community assembly experiment in which a mix of four native grasses and a mix of four native forbs were planted on their own, together, or with one-year priority over the other guild. We found positive effects of priority for both grasses and forbs in the initial years of the experiment. However, 6-8 yr after planting, the effectiveness of priority treatments were mixed. Some species became rare, persisting only in treatments in which they had been given priority; others continued to maintain high cover and exhibit a strong positive signal of priority effects; still others remained common but no longer showed a signature of the initial priority effects; and finally, some species became locally extinct across all experimental plots. Grass priority over forbs was strong and persistent, but not forb priority over grasses. Our results demonstrate that the long-term benefits of temporal priority can persist for at least 8 yr for some, but not all species, and these continued effects result in distinct community composition. Manipulating the trajectory of community assembly through priority in seeding has potential as a useful tool for restoration.
Trade Liberalization and Economic Growth: New Evidence from Afghanistan and Seven ECO Member Countries

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the dynamic relationship between trade liberalization and economic growth of Afghanistan and selected members of Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO), for the period (2001 to 2012) using yearly data from World Development Indicator (WDI). Our observation includes a few less developed countries, some of which have less than $1000 per capita income. We use volume of trade as share of GDP for liberalization measurement. Our econometric estimation is based on first step and second step system GMM to investigate the dynamic relationship between trade liberalization and economic growth. The empirical finding of this paper suggests a robust and highly significant positive relationship between trade liberalization and economic growth. In conclusion the result of this paper suggests that moving toward economic integration is not harmful even for less developed economies, rather it enhances economic growth.
A Diagnostic Test for Specific Developmental Dyslexia: A Pilot Study

This paper describes the pilot application of a “Dyslexia Test”, developed as a comprehensive assessment tool. The test assesses learning difficulties which reflect the main symptoms of SDD in children between 7-12 years. The results showed that [1] the task difficulty index ranged between 76% and 7%, [2] Cronbach’s index of the tasks was α=653 and [3] all the sub-tests were found to be strong indicators of the SDD profile. In conclusion, the pilot application of the proposed “Dyslexia Test” diagnostic tool demonstrated a high degree of reliability and validity, rendering the standardization of the test as indispensable for completing this
Collaborative Conversational Support Across Contexts Sreecharan Sankaranarayanan esis Proposal May 1

esis Committee: Carolyn Penstein Rosé, Language Technologies Institute and Human-Computer Interaction Institute, Carnegie Mellon University (Chair) Alan W. Black, Language Technologies Institute, Carnegie Mellon University Sharon Carver, Department of Psychology, Carnegie Mellon University Graham Neubig, Language Technologies Institute, Carnegie Mellon University Stian Håklev, École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne Pierre Dillenbourg, École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne
Development of a new method using HILIC‐tandem mass spectrometry for the characterization of O‐sialoglycopeptides from proteolytically digested caseinomacropeptide

This work addresses the optimization of HILIC (hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography)‐ESI‐MSn conditions for the comprehensive characterization of O‐glycopeptides from proteolytically digested caseinomacropeptide. O‐Glycopeptides were satisfactorily analysed on a zwitterionic HILIC column based on their glycan structure and amino acid sequence. The contribution of ionic interactions to the retention of charged glycopeptides was found to be substantial. Thus, O‐glycopeptides carrying neutral glycans were more retained than O‐sialoglycopeptides because negatively charged sialic acid residues were electrostatically repelled by the stationary phase. In addition, glycopeptides differing only in the position of the linkage of the sialic acid moiety could be separated. The same chromatographic behaviour was observed for model systems constituted by a synthetic tetrapeptide covalently conjugated to neutral and sialylated carbohydrates. Subsequent detection of caseinomacropeptide O‐glycopeptides was carried out on an electrospray ion trap tandem mass spectrometer at both positive and negative ionization modes. MS2 fragmentation at positive ionization mode was valid for determining the glycan structure as the resulting main fragments corresponded to Yn‐type ions derived from sequential glycosidic bond fragmentation, whilst the fragmentation of the peptide structure was preferably obtained through the formation of bn‐type ions at the MS3 stage, allowing the complete structure elucidation of the peptidic chain. Overall, the developed method allowed the identification and characterization of 41 O‐glycopeptides covering all the known glycosylation sites without any previous enrichment step. These results point out that HILIC coupled to multistage MS procedures can be a powerful technique for future glycoproteomic applications.
Evaluating the influence of the internal ratings-based approach on bank lending in Japan

The capital adequacy requirement of banks shifted in March, 2007 from Basel I to Basel II. In Basel II, exact measurement of credit risk is adopted, and banks choose between a standardized approach (SA) and an internal ratings-based approach (IRBA). In general, the IRBA is a more risk-sensitive capital requirement measurement than the SA and Basel I. Theoretical modeling in related literatures implies that since the IRBA depends on the probability of default, a downturn implies a higher capital requirement, meaning that the IRBA is pro-cyclical to the business cycle. The purpose of this paper is to verify the effects of the IRBA on bank lending through empirical analysis. Although the empirical analysis here cannot confirm the pro-cyclicality of the IRBA, it does allow the proposal of a benchmark for the effects of this approach. The effect we estimate is the Average Treatment Effect on the Treated (ATT), and the estimation method adopted is difference-in-difference propensity score matching (DID-PSM). Using this method, we can confirm the real effects of the IRBA. The results are that in 2006-2007 when bank balance-sheets were favorable, the ATT are negative, but all these are insignificant, on the other hand, in 2006-2008 when the balance-sheets were infuluenced by the subprime-loan crisis, the ATT are negative and significant, and smaller than it in 2006-2008. Thus, we cannot say that the IRBA has the pro-cyclicality exactly.