Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Prickle1 promotes focal adhesion disassembly in cooperation with the CLASP–LL5β complex in migrating cells

ABSTRACT Prickle is known to be involved in planar cell polarity, including convergent extension and cell migration; however, the detailed mechanism by which Prickle regulates cellular functions is not well understood. Here, we show that Prickle1 regulates front-rear polarization and migration of gastric cancer MKN1 cells. Prickle1 preferentially accumulated at the cell retraction site in close proximity to paxillin at focal adhesions. Prickle1 dynamics correlated with those of paxillin during focal adhesion disassembly. Furthermore, Prickle1 was required for focal adhesion disassembly. CLASPs (of which there are two isoforms, CLASP1 and CLASP2, in mammals) and LL5β (also known as PHLDB2) have been reported to form a complex at cell edges and to control microtubule-dependent focal adhesion disassembly. Prickle1 was associated with CLASPs and LL5β, and was required for the LL5β-dependent accumulation of CLASPs at the cell edge. Knockdown of CLASPs and LL5β suppressed Prickle1-dependent cell polarization and migration. Prickle1 localized to the membrane through its farnesyl moiety, and the membrane localization was necessary for Prickle1 to regulate migration, to bind to CLASPs and LL5β, and to promote microtubule targeting of focal adhesions. Taken together, these results suggest that Prickle1 promotes focal adhesion disassembly during the retraction processes of cell polarization and migration. Highlighted Article: Prickle localizes adjacent to focal adhesions and regulates microtubule targeting to focal adhesions in cooperation with CLASPs and LL5β, thereby promoting focal adhesion disassembly to stimulate cell migration.
5-fluorouracil modulated by leucovorin, methotrexate and mitomycin: highly effective, low-cost chemotherapy for advanced colorectal cancer

We have reported that an alternating regimen of bolus and continuous infusion 5-fluorouracil (FU) was superior to bolus FU in terms of response rate and progression-free survival in advanced colorectal cancer. Biochemical modulation was an essential part of this regimen and it was selective for the schedule of FU administration: bolus FU was in fact modulated by methotrexate (MTX) while continuous infusion FU was potentiated by 6-s-leucovorin (LV). Considering the low cost and the favourable report on the activity of mitomycin C (mito) added to CI FU, we have incorporated this agent in the infusional part of our treatment programme. 105 patients with untreated, advanced, measurable colorectal cancer were accrued from 13 Italian centres and treated with the following regimen. 2 biweekly cycles of FU bolus (600 mg/m2), modulated by MTX (24 h earlier, 200 mg/m2) were alternated with a 3-week continuous infusion of FU (200 mg/m2daily), modulated by LV (20 mg/m2weekly bolus). Mito, 7 mg/m2, was given on the first day of the infusional period. After a 1 week rest, the whole cycle (8 weeks) was repeated, if indicated. 5 complete and 34 partial responses were obtained (response rate, 37% on the intention to treat basis; 95% confidence limits, 28–46%). After a median follow-up time of 26 months, 37 patients are still alive. The median progression-free survival is 7.7 months with an overall survival of 18.8 months and a 2-year survival rate of 30%. The regimen was very well tolerated with fewer than 13% of patients experiencing WHO grade III–IV toxicity. These results are consistent with those obtained by our group in 3 previous trials of schedule specific biochemical modulation of FU. They also indicate a highly active, little toxic, inexpensive regimen of old drugs to be used (a) as an alternative to the more expensive combinations including CPT-11 or oxaliplatin or (b) as the basis for combination programmes with these agents. © 2001 Cancer Research Campaign
A process ontology to represent semantics of different process and choreography meta-models

Currently external business process descriptions (choreographies) are discon- nected from the internal processes (workflows), leading to several problems. Directly map- ping internal to external processes requires a quadratic amount of mappings; an intermediate ontology reduces the amount of necessary mappings but is not trivial to construct, due to the variety in workflow metamodels. In this paper we introduce our multi metamodel process ontology (m3po), which is based on various existing reference models and languages from the workflow and choreography domain. This ontology allows the extraction of arbitrary choreography interface descriptions from arbitrary internal workflow models. We also report on an initial validation: we translate an IBM Websphere MQ Workflow model into the m3po ontology and then extract an Abstract BPEL model from the ontology.
Knowledge Brokering for Open Innovation: A Case Study of Innovation Intermediaries

An open innovation strategy is increasingly being adopted by firms in order to leverage external knowledge sources to solve internal problems. However, there are challenges for firms to implement this strategy such as needing to identify, motivate, and manage external sources of innovation. Thus, innovation intermediaries such as InnoCentive are being established to assist client firms (seekers) in leveraging this strategy through recruiting a large pool of external solvers to solve seekers’ problems. However, there is limited research and understanding of how these innovation intermediaries perform and create value for seeker firms. To address this knowledge gap, we conducted an exploratory case study of 4 innovation intermediaries to identify antecedents of their performance. Based on prior open innovation and knowledge brokering literatures, we conceptualized innovation intermediaries as knowledge brokers. Through the case study, we identified three brokering capabilities that affect innovation intermediaries’ performance in supporting seekers’ open innovation, i.e., problem-defining, problem-solver matching, and proposal-filtering. We thereby develop hypotheses linking these capabilities to innovation intermediaries’ performance. Our results are expected to contribute to the literature by explaining antecedent capabilities of innovation intermediaries’ performance and value creation for seeker firms. This study also provides practitioners with insights on how seeker firms can leverage innovation intermediaries for greater benefit. The plan for continuing the study is discussed.
A Comparative Analysis of Prenatal Care and Fetal Growth in Eight South American Countries

There has been little work that comprehensively compared the relationship between prenatal care and infant health across multiple countries using similar data sources and analytical models. Such comparative analyses are useful for understanding the background of differences in infant health between populations. We evaluated the association between prenatal care visits and fetal growth measured by birth weight (BW) in grams or low birth weight (<2500 grams; LBW) adjusted for gestational age in eight South American countries using similarly collected data across countries and the same analytical models. OLS and logistic regressions were estimated adjusting for a large set of relevant infant, maternal, and household characteristics and birth year and hospital fixed effects. Birth data were acquired from 140 hospitals that are part of the Latin American Collaborative Study of Congenital Malformations (ECLAMC) network. The analytical sample included 56,014 live-born infants (∼69% of total sample) with complete data born without congenital anomalies in the years 1996–2011 in Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Venezuela, Ecuador, Colombia, Bolivia, and Uruguay. Prenatal care visits were significantly (at p<.05) and positively associated with BW and negatively associated with LBW for all countries. The OLS coefficients ranged from 9 grams per visit in Bolivia to 36 grams in Uruguay. The association with LBW was strongest for Chile (OR = 0.87 per visit) and lowest for Argentina and Venezuela (OR = 0.95). The association decreased in the recent decade compared to earlier years. Our findings suggest that estimates of association between prenatal care and fetal growth are population-specific and may not be generalizable to other populations. Furthermore, as one of the indicators for a country’s healthcare system for maternal and child health, prenatal care is a highly variable indicator between countries in South America.
Data Management for Internet of Things: Challenges, Approaches and Opportunities

Internet of Things (IoT) is an important part of the new generation information technology. Data management for IoT plays a crucial role in its effective operations and has become a key research topic of IoT. Much work has been done to enable effective and intelligent data processing and analysis when IoT is evolving from Radio Frequency Identification (RFID), Wireless Sensor Network (WSN) and other related technologies. In this paper, we start from the core definition and architecture of IoT, aiming at examining current research effort to derive a holistic view of existing literatures. We present a layered reference model for IoT data management and elaborate the related research topics and solutions in each layer. Based on our analysis, we identify research challenges and opportunities for future work.
Plasmon resonances in linear array of coupled silver nanowires

In this paper, theoretical study of plasmon resonant coupling in a finite linear array of infinite-long silver nanowires is presented. The spectral response and optical near fields are considered. It was shown red-shifting of plasmon resonance with increasing of the number of nanowires in the array and optical field enhancement for closely spaced nanowires. Theory is based on the Mie series expansion.
Mutual Inductance Calculation between Misalignment Coils for Wireless Power Transfer of Energy

In this paper we present a detailed theoretical analysis of lateral and angular misalignment effects in RF coils. Radio-frequency (RF) coils are used extensively in the design of implantable devices for transdermal power and data transmission. A design procedure is established to maximize coil coupling for a given configuration to reduce the effects of misalignment on transmission efficiency. Formulas are derived for the mutual inductance between all possible coil configurations including the coils of cross section, thin solenoids, pancakes and filamentary circular coils whose axes are laterally and angularly displaced. Coils are in air. In this approach we used the filament method and the mutual inductance between filamentary circular coils placed in any desired position. We completely describe all mathematical procedures to define coil positions that lead to relatively easy method for calculating the mutual inductance between previously mentioned coils. The practical coils in implantable devices fall into two categories: disk coils (pancakes) and solenoid coils. From the general approach for calculating the mutual inductance between coils of rectangular cross section with lateral and angular misalignments the mutual inductance between misalignment solenoids and disks will be calculated easily and accurately.
Multiple pathways control protein kinase C phosphorylation

The protein kinase C (PKC) family of signal transducers are characterized by a dependence upon lipids for activity. Specifically, the classical (cPKCα, β and γ) and novel (nPKCδ, ϵ, η and θ) PKC isotypes display a physiological requirement for diacylglycerol for activity. This property of PKC has defined a now well established signalling pathway operating through receptors to phosphatidylinositol‐specific phospholipase C and hence via diacylglycerol (DAG) [and inositol (1,4,5) trisphosphate Ins(1,4,5)P3/Ca2+] to PKC (Figure 1). The operation of this pathway has been described in many cell types, and numerous reviews have covered this signalling paradigm (see Nishizuka, 1986; Hug et al ., 1993; Dekker and Parker, 1994; Jaken, 1996). Figure 1. The classical pathway of PKC activation. The scheme illustrates the production of the immediate precursor lipid PtdIns(4,5)P2 from its parent lipid PtdIns. Various agonists are linked to the phospholipases (PtdIns‐PLC) that can cleave PtdIns(4,5)P2 to diacylglycerol (DAG) and the calcium mobilizer Ins(1,4,5)P3. Calcium can affect the cPKC class by promoting membrane recruitment, but the key allosteric activator at the membrane for both cPKC and nPKC isotypes is DAG. More recently, attention has been drawn to the phosphorylation of PKC itself. Intriguingly, what was once considered a purely effector‐driven transducer turns out to possess a complex amplitude control. The elucidation of this phosphorylation control in the cPKC isotypes has formed the basis for understanding the behaviour of the immediate family, with implications for other related AGC kinases (see Hanks and Hunter, 1995; further information is available at the Protein Kinase Resource: http://www.sdsc.edu/Kinases). The further characterization of the kinases that act upon the nPKCs provides evidence of three distinct input pathways converging upon PKC. Thus, PKC serves as an elegant example of the manner in which multiple signals are integrated …
Discipline in Context: Suspension, Climate, and PBIS in the School District of Philadelphia. Research Report.

The report details a two-year exploratory, mixed-methods research study on the disciplinary practices and climate of schools serving K–8 students in the School District of Philadelphia (SDP). Findings reveal that SDP schools are making efforts to reduce suspensions and improve climate, but critical barriers to these efforts include resource limitations and philosophical misalignments between teachers and school leaders. The study identified three profiles among SDP schools serving K–8 students based on information about disciplinary practices and climate, and found that these profiles are predictive of suspension and academic outcomes. Students attending schools with collaborative climates and less punitive approaches to discipline have lower risk of being suspended and better academic outcomes. The report offers a series of recommendations for strengthening the implementation of climate initiatives, including Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS), in challenging urban settings.
Incremental, iterative data processing with timely dataflow

We describe the timely dataflow model for distributed computation and its implementation in the Naiad system. The model supports stateful iterative and incremental computations. It enables both low-latency stream processing and high-throughput batch processing, using a new approach to coordination that combines asynchronous and fine-grained synchronous execution. We describe two of the programming frameworks built on Naiad: GraphLINQ for parallel graph processing, and differential dataflow for nested iterative and incremental computations. We show that a general-purpose system can achieve performance that matches, and sometimes exceeds, that of specialized systems.
Guide to the Millennium Development Goals Employment Indicators, second edition

This Guide to the Millennium Development Goals Employment Indicators has been produced as a tool for country level use. It provides updated definitions, concepts and formulas for each of the new employment indicators, and is part of ILO’s wider support to strengthening national level labour market information and analysis to inform policy making. Your views on its usefulness and applicability are most welcomed.
Conformational Changes in the Herpes Simplex Virus ICP8 DNA-Binding Protein Coincident with Assembly in Viral Replication Structures

ABSTRACT The herpes simplex virus (HSV) single-stranded DNA-binding protein, ICP8, is required for viral DNA synthesis. Before viral DNA replication, ICP8 colocalizes with other replication proteins at small punctate foci called prereplicative sites. With the onset of viral genome amplification, these proteins become redistributed into large globular replication compartments. Here we present the results of immunocytochemical and biochemical analysis of ICP8 showing that various antibodies recognize distinct forms of ICP8. Using these ICP8-specific antibodies as probes for ICP8 structure, we detected a time-dependent appearance and disappearance of ICP8 epitopes in immunoprecipitation assays. Immunofluorescence staining of ICP8 in cells infected with different HSV mutant viruses as well as cells transfected with a limited number of viral genes demonstrated that these and other antigenic changes occur coincident with ICP8 assembly at intranuclear replication structures. Genetic analysis has revealed a correlation between the ability of various ICP8 mutant proteins to form the 39S epitope and their ability to bind to DNA. These results support the hypothesis that ICP8 undergoes a conformational change upon binding to other HSV proteins and/or to DNA coincident with assembly into viral DNA replication structures.
Automatic prosodic prominence detection in speech using acoustic features: an unsupervised system

This paper presents work in progress on the automatic detection of prosodic prominence in continuous speech. Prosodic prominence involves two different phonetic features: pitch accents, connected with fundamental frequency (F0) movements and syllable overall energy, and stress, which exhibits a strong correlation with syllable nuclei duration and mid-to-high-frequency emphasis. By measuring these acoustic parameters it is possible to build an automatic system capable of correctly identifying prominent syllables with an agreement, with human-tagged data, comparable with the inter-human agreement reported in the literature. This system does not require any training phase, additional information or annotation, it is not tailored to a specific set of data and can be easily adapted to different languages.
Strand displacement amplification and homogeneous real-time detection incorporated in a second-generation DNA probe system, BDProbeTecET.

BACKGROUND Amplified DNA probes provide powerful tools for the detection of infectious diseases, cancer, and genetic diseases. Commercially available amplification systems suffer from low throughput and require decontamination schemes, significant hands-on time, and specially trained laboratory staff. Our objective was to develop a DNA probe system to overcome these limitations. METHODS We developed a DNA probe system, the BDProbeTecTMET, based on simultaneous strand displacement amplification and real-time fluorescence detection. The system uses sealed microwells to minimize the release of amplicons to the environment. To avoid the need for specially trained labor, the system uses a simple workflow with predispensed reagent devices; a programmable, expandable-spacing pipettor; and the 96-microwell format. Amplification and detection time was 1 h, with potential throughput up to 564 patient results per shift. We tested 122 total patient specimens obtained from a family practice clinic with the BD ProbeTecET and the Abbott LCx(R) amplified system for the detection of Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae. RESULTS Based on reportable results, the BDProbeTecET results for both organisms were 100% sensitive and 100% specific relative to the LCx. CONCLUSIONS The BDProbeTecET is an easy-to-use, high-throughput, closed amplification system for the detection of nucleic acid from C. trachomatis and N. gonorrhoeae and other organisms.
Loss-Aware Switch Design and Non-Blocking Detection Algorithm for Intra-Chip Scale Photonic Interconnection Networks

As the number of on-chip processor cores increases, power-efficient solutions are sought for data communication between cores. The Helix-h non-blocking photonic switch is developed to improve physical-layer and network performance parameters for a wide range of silicon nano-photonic multicore interconnection topologies. Traffic benchmarks and practical case studies using a cycle-accurate simulation environment indicate significantly reduced insertion loss providing improved bandwidth density and scalability to manycore plurality. Improvements in system performance parameters are quantified for network bandwidth, transmission efficiency, and latency in popular photonic internconnection topologies, in comparison to previous switch designs. For instance, utilizing the Helix-h switch in a mesh topology, the bandwidth is increased by 112 percent compared to the previously highest performing switch design. Execution time and energy efficiency are improved by up to 92 and 99 percent, respectively, for representative multicore applications. Finally, the technique is generalized to a novel graph-theoretic method for articulating blocking conditions in photonic switches.
A Spectral Analysis of the Internet Topology

In this paper we investigate properties of the Internet topology on the AS (autonomous system) level. Among techniques in spectral graph theory, we find the nor- malized Laplacian spectrum ( ) of AS graphs 1) unique in spite of the explosive growth of the Internet and 2) distinctive in setting AS graphs apart from synthetic ones. These prop- erties suggest that is an excellent candidate as a concise finger print of Internet-like graphs. Further analysis into the theory of leads us to a new structural classification of AS graphs with plausible inter- pretations in networking terms. Extensive analysis by AS- level data supports this claim. More importantly, along the way, new power-law relationships are unveiled, giving rise to a hybrid model encompassing both structural and power- law properties. We think that these new insights may have a profound impact on future protocol evaluation and design.
Fuzzy supervised classification of remote sensing images

A fuzzy supervised classification method in which geographical information is represented as fuzzy sets is described. The algorithm consists of two major steps: the estimate of fuzzy parameters from fuzzy training data, and a fuzzy partition of spectral space. Partial membership of pixels allows component cover classes of mixed pixels to be identified and more accurate statistical parameters to be generated, resulting in a higher classification accuracy. Results of classifying a Landsat MSS image are presented, and their accuracy is analyzed. >
Skilled Migrants and Negotiations: New Identities, Belonging, Home and Settlement

ABSTRACT Issues of identity, home and belonging underline most transnational and transmigrational experiences. Globally, there is increasing interest in issues related to the settlement of migrants; yet there is growing evidence on a quotidian basis that migrant settlement into a host country is not a smooth experience. Drawing on qualitative empirical work, involving a large cross section of ethnically diverse skilled migrants located in a regional Australian centre, this article explores the issue of settlement through considering how the concepts of identity, belonging, settlement and home are presented in narrative accounts from skilled migrants to Australia. Intersectional theoretical frameworks are used to explore migrants’ perceptions of identity, belonging and home in negotiating and realising their new settlement. This also helps highlight the differences in skilled and non-skilled experiences using visa status, gender, education, ethnicity and socio-economic status/class to conduct an intersectional analysis.