Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
MIRN199B downregulation in chronic myeloid leukaemia is associated with deletions on der(9)

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small, single stranded non-coding RNAs, 19–24 nucleotides long, involved in crucial biological processes, including differentiation, apoptosis and proliferation (Bartel, 2004; Esquela-Kerscher & Slack, 2006). They modulate gene expression by pairing with target transcripts of protein-coding genes and inducing RNA cleavage or post-transcriptional inhibition. Several hundreds of human miRNAs have been reported (Griffiths-Jones et al, 2008). Each miRNA can control many target genes with different functions, such as transcription factors, receptors and transporters. Recent evidence indicates that miRNAs may play an important role in tumorigenesis; changes in miRNAs expression level were initially identified in B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) and subsequently found in many types of human haematological and solid malignancies (Calin et al, 2002; Esquela-Kerscher & Slack, 2006). Several reports have suggested that miRNA genes are frequently located in chromosomal regions involved in human cancers due to genetic instability, deletions and amplifications (Calin & Croce, 2006). Moreover, miRNAs have been proposed to act either as tumour suppressors or oncogenes; the main mechanism altering their function in cancer cells is a modification of gene expression producing abnormal levels of mature or precursor miRNAs (Calin & Croce, 2006). To date, several papers have reported the occurrence of genomic deletions flanking the breakpoint on der(9)t(9;22)(q34;q11) in 10–18% of patients with chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML) (Huntly et al, 2003). These deletions are associated with a poor prognosis for CML patients on interferon-alpha (IFN-a) therapy whereas their prognostic impact on patients treated with imatinib is still unclear. The most plausible pathogenic hypothesis is the loss of tumour suppressor genes conferring a proliferative advantage to the Philadelphia-positive clone (Huntly et al, 2003). On the other hand, two miRNA, namely MIRN219-2 and MIRN199B, were found to map centromeric to the ABL1 gene within the chromosomal region at 9q34 that is frequently lost in CML patients with der(9) deletions (Griffiths-Jones et al, 2008). The present study investigated the loss of MIRN219-2 and MIRN199B by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) analysis with specific bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) probes in 68 CML cases bearing der(9) deletions. In addition, MIRN219-2 and MIRN199B expression levels were evaluated by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRTPCR) experiments in cases showing deletions of at least one of these miRNAs. The miRNAs were selected according to their location by querying the University of California Santa Cruz (UCSC, http://genome.ucsc.edu/) genome browser at the sno/miRNA track. FISH analysis was carried out at the onset of CML on bone marrow samples as previously reported (Albano et al, 4 2 1 0·5 0·25 0·125 0·063 0·031 0·016
Algorithms for connected component labeling based on quadtrees

An algorithm of linear time complexity is presented to label connected components of a binary image by a quadtree. For a given node, the search for all adjacent nodes is carried out in O(1) (i.e., constant time complexity for the worst case) using our formerly presented algorithm in (Aizawa et al., 3rd International Symposium on Communications, Control, and Signal Processing, 2008 , 505–510), whereas it explores all possible adjacencies for each node in a usual way. Then during the process of tree formulation in the search, all equivalent relations of labels are stored as lists. Time complexity of the algorithm is O(B+W) for the worst case and its auxiliary space is no more than O(B), where B and W correspond to the number of leaf nodes in a quadtree representing black and white quadrants, respectively. Empirical tests of the algorithm are employed in comparison with another linear time connected component labeling algorithm based on top‐down quadtree traversal algorithm (Samet, IEEE Trans Pattern Anal Mach Intell PAMI‐7 ( 1985 ), 94–98), as well as traditional row‐by‐row scanning algorithm using linear time Union‐Find (Fiorio and Gustedt, Theor Comput Sci 154 ( 1996 ), 165–181). Our algorithm has shown the best performance in large images. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Imaging Syst Technol, 19, 158–166, 2009.
2 Complexity of multi-object ascending auctions

We extend the finite automata approach to evaluate complexity of strategies in iterative adjustment processes such as auctions. Intuitively, a strategy’s complexity is equal to the number of different contingencies in which qualitatively different behaviors are prescribed. Complexity may explain bidder choice of strategies in multi-unit iterative auctions. JEL classification codes: D44, C73
CD44 ligation with A3D8 antibody induces apoptosis in acute myeloid leukemia cells through binding to CD44s and clustering lipid rafts

CD44 is a cell surface antigen expressed on acute myeloid leukemia cells and is used as a marker to isolate leukemia stem cells. CD44 ligation with the antibody A3D8 has been found to induce apoptosis in human acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) cells via activation of caspase-8. The mechanism of A3D8-induced caspase-8 activation was studied in APL NB4 cells. A3D8 induces lipid raft clustering which causes Fas aggregation as determined with a confocal microscope. A3D8-induced apoptosis is abrogated by the lipid raft disrupting agent methyl-β-cyclodextrin and the caspase-8 inhibitor Z-IETD-fmk. Western blot analysis reveals that A3D8 binds to the standard form of CD44 (CD44s). HL-60 cells without detectable CD44s protein are not responsive to A3D8-induced apoptosis. SKNO-1 cells containing higher level of CD44s protein are more sensitive to A3D8-induced apoptosis than NB4 cells. These results indicate that A3D8 induces apoptosis in leukemia cells through caspase-8 activation by binding to CD44s protein and inducing lipid raft clustering.
Tunable Bandpass Filter With Solid-Core Photonic Bandgap Fiber and Bragg Fiber

A tunable spectral bandpass filter which includes two fibers with different bend loss edges-a solid-core photonic bandgap fiber with short wavelength bend loss edge and a Bragg fiber with long wavelength bend loss edge-is presented in this letter. The central wavelength and the bandwidth can be widely tuned around 1100 nm by controlling the bend diameters of the two fibers respectively. It can be a low-loss in-line fiber device due to its all solid structure and standard splice connection.
Study on the Impact of Cognitive Variables of Organization Members on Information System Benefits

This study is based on the theory of organizational behavior and from the perspective of the organization overall information system benefits. Reviewing the studies of technology acceptance model, innovation diffusion theory and self-efficacy, this study summarizes the major contributions and limitations, establishes the new direction. From the perspective of cognition and behavior, this study introduces the intermediate information system benefits, designs a theoretical model, collects data with questionnaires, checks up reliability and validity with structural equation models, and analyzes the methods. The results of the study give some guidance theoretically and practically
SLEEP-DISORDERED BREATHING, PSYCHIATRIC DISTRESS, AND QUALITY OF LIFE IMPAIRMENT IN SEXUAL ASSAULT SURVIVORS

Using American Academy of Sleep Medicine research criteria, sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) was assessed in a pilot study of 187 sexual assault survivors with posttraumatic stress symptoms. Nightmares, sleep quality, distress, and quality of life were also assessed along with historical accounts of prior treatments for sleep complaints. Presumptive SDB diagnoses were established for 168 patients. Twenty-one of 168 underwent sleep testing, and all met objective SDB diagnostic criteria. There were no clinically meaningful differences in age, body-mass index, sleep quality, distress, or quality of life measures between 21 confirmed SDB cases and 147 suspected cases not tested. Compared with 19 women without SDB, 168 women with diagnosed or suspected SDB reported significantly worse nightmares, sleep quality, anxiety, depression, posttraumatic stress, and impaired quality of life. Despite suffering from sleep problems for an average of 20 years, which had not responded to repeated use of psychotropic medications or psychotherapy, few of these women had been referred to sleep specialists. SDB appears widespread among sexual assault survivors seeking help for nightmares. Research is needed to clarify the associations among SDB, distress, and physical and mental health impairment in trauma patients.
Anesthetic management during therapeutic disruption of the blood-brain barrier.

Central nervous system (CNS) malignancies respond poorly to peripherally administered chemotherapeutic agents (1). The primary reason for the poor response appears to be the existence of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) and the inability of most cancer chemotherapeutic agents to penetrate it. Over the last 15 years, attempts have been made to reversibly disrupt the blood-brain barrier to allow lipid insoluble compounds with higher molecular weights to penetrate into the brain. CNS methotrexate levels 10-50-fold higher than those normally produced have been achieved in animal studies following barrier disruption (2). Osmotic BBB disruption with hypertonic solutions appears to be the most effective and reversible technique (3,4) and has been used in the treatment of a significant number of patients with both primary and metastatic CNS lesions with excellent results (5). Currently, therapeutic BBB disruption is limited to clinical trials at relatively few medical centers. Although other treatment modalities exist, we describe our anesthetic experience with patients who present for BBB disruption in anticipation of this procedure becoming more widespread.
Cumulative Risk and Asthma Outcomes in Inner-City African-American Youth

A cumulative risk framework was used to examine the impact of the presence of multiple risk factors on key asthma outcomes (i.e., health-related quality of life [HRQoL], severity) for a sample of 149 inner-city African-American youth with asthma. The presence of a greater number of risk factors was associated with lower HRQoL and greater severity, regardless of age or gender. Cumulative risk methodology, in combination with selection of risk factors based on theoretical and empirical work, is a viable option for researchers and clinicians who are interested in examining the impact of multiple risk factors on disease functioning and status.
How Much Is a Seat on the Security Council Worth? Foreign Aid and Bribery at the United Nations

Ten of the 15 seats on the U.N. Security Council are held by rotating members serving two‐year terms. We find that a country’s U.S. aid increases by 59 percent and its U.N. aid by 8 percent when it rotates onto the council. This effect increases during years in which key diplomatic events take place (when members’ votes should be especially valuable), and the timing of the effect closely tracks a country’s election to, and exit from, the council. Finally, the U.N. results appear to be driven by UNICEF, an organization over which the United States has historically exerted great control.
Efficient Mean-Shift Tracking Using an Improved Weighted Histogram Scheme

An improved Mean-Shift (MS) tracker called joint CB-LBWH, which uses a combined weighted-histogram scheme of CBWH (Corrected Background-Weighted Histogram) and LBWH (likelihood-based Background-Weighted Histogram), is presented. Joint CB-LBWH is based on the notion that target representation employs both feature saliency and confidence to form a compound weighted histogram criterion. As the more prominent and confident features mean more significant for tracking the target, the tuned histogram by joint CB-LBWH can reduce the interference of background in target localization effectively. Comparative experimental results show that the proposed joint CB-LBWH scheme can significantly improve the efficiency and robustness of MS tracker when heavy occlusions and complex scenes exist.
Cyp2c70 is responsible for the species difference in bile acid metabolism between mice and humans[S]

Bile acids are synthesized from cholesterol in the liver and subjected to multiple metabolic biotransformations in hepatocytes, including oxidation by cytochromes P450 (CYPs) and conjugation with taurine, glycine, glucuronic acid, and sulfate. Mice and rats can hydroxylate chenodeoxycholic acid (CDCA) at the 6β-position to form α-muricholic acid (MCA) and ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) to form β-MCA. However, MCA is not formed in humans to any appreciable degree and the mechanism for this species difference is not known. Comparison of several Cyp-null mouse lines revealed that α-MCA and β-MCA were not detected in the liver samples from Cyp2c-cluster null (Cyp2c-null) mice. Global bile acid analysis further revealed the absence of MCAs and their conjugated derivatives, and high concentrations of CDCA and UDCA in Cyp2c-null mouse cecum and feces. Analysis of recombinant CYPs revealed that α-MCA and β-MCA were produced by oxidation of CDCA and UDCA by Cyp2c70, respectively. CYP2C9-humanized mice have similar bile acid metabolites as the Cyp2c-null mice, indicating that human CYP2C9 does not oxidize CDCA and UDCA, thus explaining the species differences in production of MCA. Because humans do not produce MCA, they lack tauro-β-MCA, a farnesoid X receptor antagonist in mouse that modulates obesity, insulin resistance, and hepatosteatosis.
Angiotensin II type 2 receptor mediates sex differences in mice renal interlobar arteries response to angiotensin II

Objective: Functional sex differences are described in several vascular beds. In the case of renal vessels, sex differences could influence processes like regulation of blood pressure and ion balance. Angiotensin II and nitric oxide are important regulators of renal vascular tone. Females have higher nitric oxide synthase expression, nitric oxide bioavailability and ratio of angiotensin II type 2/type 1 receptors. Thus, our objective was to examine whether renal interlobar arteries present sex differences in their response to angiotensin II, and whether angiotensin II type 2 receptors play a role in such differences. Methods: We investigated the isometric contraction and relaxation of interlobar arteries from female and male mice under blockade of nitric oxide synthases and angiotensin II type 2 receptors. We also investigated the expression of angiotensin II receptors (type 1 and 2) and endothelial nitric oxide synthase. Results: Significantly less intense contraction to angiotensin II were seen in arteries from females in comparison to male mice. Inhibition of nitric oxide synthases and endothelial removal abolished this difference. Angiotensin II type 2 receptors blockade enhanced contraction to angiotensin II in females, but not in males. Endothelial-dependent vasodilation was more dependent on nitric oxide in females than in males. Expression of angiotensin II type 1 and type 2 receptors was similar between sexes. Expression of endothelial nitric oxide synthase was higher in females. Conclusion: A sex-specific, nitric oxide-mediated effect via angiotensin II type 2 receptors underlies the sex differences in the response of interlobar arteries to angiotensin II. Our findings may help understanding sex differences in renal hemodynamics and blood pressure control.
LOOK2: A Video-centric System for Real-time Notification and Presentation of Relevant Traffic Situations in Austria

This paper presents a novel traffic information system for publishing fast and highly accurate traffic information about level of service (LOS) and weather-related road conditions (WRRC) on motorways in Austria. The proposed system periodically fuses low-level measurement data of a number of simple, common road-side sensors with high-level traffic information gained by so-called smart sensors. Smart sensors perform live video stream analysis in real-time, either in the compressed domain as added value to simple, common surveillance cameras or in the uncompressed domain on smart cameras. The gained traffic information is finally published via an extended, DATEX II compliant service to a traffic desk application providing notifications for traffic editors and operators about new, relevant situations on the roads. Geographic maps and recorded or live camera streams are also presented to the users, thus enabling them to visually validate the published messages and even correct them if necessary. Evaluations of the system have shown considerable benefits compared to existing systems, both in terms of reporting and verifying relevant traffic situations.
ON NEURAL NETWORK POLICIES

Machine learning classifiers are known to be vulnerable to inputs maliciously constructed by adversaries to force misclassification. Such adversarial examples have been extensively studied in the context of computer vision applications. In this work, we show adversarial attacks are also effective when targeting neural network policies in reinforcement learning. Specifically, we show existing adversarial example crafting techniques can be used to significantly degrade test-time performance of trained policies. Our threat model considers adversaries capable of introducing small perturbations to the raw input of the policy. We characterize the degree of vulnerability across tasks and training algorithms, for a subclass of adversarialexample attacks in white-box and black-box settings. Regardless of the learned task or training algorithm, we observe a significant drop in performance, even with small adversarial perturbations that do not interfere with human perception. Videos are available at http://rll.berkeley. edu/adversarial.
THE ORIGIN AND DIVERSIFICATION OF GALAPAGOS MOCKINGBIRDS

Abstract Evolutionary radiations of colonists on archipelagos provide valuable insight into mechanisms and modes of speciation. The apparent diversification of Galapagos mockingbirds (Nesomimus) provoked Darwin's initial conception of adaptive radiation, but the monophyly of this historically important exemplar has not been evaluated with molecular data. Additionally, as with most Galapagos organisms, we have a poor understanding of the temporal pattern of diversification of the mockingbirds following colonization(s) from source populations. Here we present a molecular phylogeny of Galapagos and other mockingbird populations based on mitochondrial sequence data. Monophyly of Galapagos mockingbirds was supported, suggesting a single colonization of the archipelago followed by diversification. Our analyses also indicate that Nesomimus is nested within the traditional genus Mimus, making the latter paraphyletic, and that the closest living relatives of Galapagos mockingbirds appear to be those currently found in North America, northern South America, and the Caribbean, rather than the geographically nearest species in continental Ecuador. Thus, propensity for over-water dispersal may have played a more important role than geographic proximity in the colonization of Galapagos by mockingbirds. Within Galapagos, four distinct mitochondrial DNA clades were identified. These four clades differ from current taxonomy in several important respects. In particular, mockingbirds in the eastern islands of the archipelago (Española, San Cristóbal, and Genovesa) have very similar mitochondrial DNA sequences, despite belonging to three different nominal species, and mockingbirds from Isabela, in the west of the archipelago, are more phylogenetically divergent than previously recognized. Consistent with current taxonomy is the phylogenetic distinctiveness of the Floreana mockingbird (N. trifasciatus) and close relationships among most mockingbirds from the central and northern region of the archipelago (currently considered conspecific populations of N. parvulus). Overall, phylogeographic patterns are consistent with a model of wind-based dispersal within Galapagos, with colonization of more northerly islands by birds from more southern populations, but not the reverse. Further radiation in Galapagos would require coexistence of multiple species on individual islands, but this may be prevented by relatively limited morphological divergence among mockingbirds and by lack of sufficient habitat diversity in the archipelago to support more than one omnivorous mimid.
Poly(ester amine)-mediated, aerosol-delivered Akt1 small interfering RNA suppresses lung tumorigenesis.

RATIONALE The low efficiency of conventional therapies in achieving long-term survival of patients with lung cancer calls for the development of novel therapeutic options. Recent advances in aerosol-mediated gene delivery have provided the possibility of an alternative for the safe and effective treatment of lung cancer. OBJECTIVES To demonstrate the feasibility and emphasize the importance of noninvasive aerosol delivery of Akt1 small interfering RNA (siRNA) as an effective and selective option for lung cancer treatment. METHODS Nanosized poly(ester amine) polymer was synthesized and used as a gene carrier. An aerosol of poly(ester amine)/Akt1 siRNA complex was delivered into K-ras(LA1) and urethane-induced lung cancer models through a nose-only inhalation system. The effects of Akt1 siRNA on lung cancer progression and Akt-related signals were evaluated. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS The aerosol-delivered Akt1 siRNA suppressed lung tumor progression significantly through inhibiting Akt-related signals and cell cycle. CONCLUSIONS The use of poly(ester amine) serves as an effective carrier, and aerosol delivery of Akt1 siRNA may be a promising approach for lung cancer treatment and prevention.
Prediction of cognitive load from speech with the VOQAL voice quality toolbox for the interspeech 2014 computational paralinguistics challenge

This paper describes the UCL system for the cognitive load task of the Interspeech 2014 Computational Paralinguistics Challenge. The UCL system evaluates whether additional voice features computed by the VOQAL voice analysis toolbox improves performance over the baseline feature set. 144 different system configurations are evaluated on the development test set, with some systems achieving 100% classification accuracy of cognitive load in the two Stroop subtasks. The difficulty of the reading span sub-task is shown to be caused in part by the duration of the audio material. Performance of the best systems on the test set confirm the importance of building speaker dependent systems. While the VOQAL augmented features gave the best performance on the development test set, no benefit was found for the test set.
Distribution of Urocortin 2 in Various Tissues of the Rat

Urocortin (Ucn) 2 is a new member of the corticotrophin‐releasing hormone (CRH) neuropeptide family that is expressed in the central nervous system and peripheral tissues. However, the expression levels of Ucn 2 in various tissues of the rat remains unclear. Thus, the aim of the present study was to characterise the expression of Ucn 2 in the various tissues of the rat. Reverse transcriptase‐polymerase chain reaction analysis demonstrated that Ucn 2 mRNA is expressed in the hypothalamus, pituitary, adrenal, stomach, skin, ovary, uterus and skeletal muscle. Histologically, Ucn 2 mRNA and Ucn 2‐like immunoreactivity (LI) were demonstrated in both the anterior and intermediate lobes of the pituitary, but not detected in the posterior lobe. Furthermore, all Ucn 2‐positive cells in the anterior and intermediate lobes were also positive for β‐endorphin. Ucn 2 mRNA was detected in the adrenal cortex and medulla although Ucn 2‐LI was only found in the adrenal medulla. High‐performance liquid chromatography analysis of hypothalamic, pituitary, and adrenal extracts showed that the main Ucn 2‐LI peak occurred at the same molecular size as that of synthetic Ucn 2. These results suggest that Ucn 2 is synthesised in various tissues, including the anterior and intermediate lobes of the pituitary and the adrenal.