Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Prometastatic NEDD9 Regulates Individual Cell Migration via Caveolin-1–Dependent Trafficking of Integrins

The dissemination of tumor cells relies on efficient cell adhesion and migration, which in turn depends upon endocytic trafficking of integrins. In the current work, it was found that depletion of the prometastatic protein, NEDD9, in breast cancer cells results in a significant decrease in individual cell migration due to impaired trafficking of ligand-bound integrins. NEDD9 deficiency does not affect the expression or internalization of integrins but heightens caveolae-dependent trafficking of ligand-bound integrins to early endosomes. Increase in mobility of ligand-bound integrins is concomitant with an increase in tyrosine phosphorylation of caveolin-1 (CAV1) and volume of CAV1-vesicles. NEDD9 directly binds to CAV1 and colocalizes within CAV1 vesicles. In the absence of NEDD9, the trafficking of ligand-bound integrins from early to late endosomes is impaired, resulting in a significant decrease in degradation of ligand–integrin complexes and an increase in recycling of ligand-bound integrins from early endosomes back to the plasma membrane without ligand disengagement, thus leading to low adhesion and migration. Reexpression of NEDD9 or decrease in the amount of active, tyrosine 14 phosphorylated (Tyr14) CAV1 in NEDD9-depleted cells rescues the integrin trafficking deficiency and restores cellular adhesion and migration capacity. Collectively, these findings indicate that NEDD9 orchestrates trafficking of ligand-bound integrins through the attenuation of CAV1 activity. Implications: This study provides valuable new insight into the potential therapeutic benefit of NEDD9 depletion to reduce dissemination of tumor cells and discovers a new regulatory role of NEDD9 in promoting migration through modulation of CAV1-dependent trafficking of integrins. Mol Cancer Res; 13(3); 423–38. ©2014 AACR.
Electric field calculations in brain stimulation based on finite elements: An optimized processing pipeline for the generation and usage of accurate individual head models

The need for realistic electric field calculations in human noninvasive brain stimulation is undisputed to more accurately determine the affected brain areas. However, using numerical techniques such as the finite element method (FEM) is methodologically complex, starting with the creation of accurate head models to the integration of the models in the numerical calculations. These problems substantially limit a more widespread application of numerical methods in brain stimulation up to now. We introduce an optimized processing pipeline allowing for the automatic generation of individualized high‐quality head models from magnetic resonance images and their usage in subsequent field calculations based on the FEM. The pipeline starts by extracting the borders between skin, skull, cerebrospinal fluid, gray and white matter. The quality of the resulting surfaces is subsequently improved, allowing for the creation of tetrahedral volume head meshes that can finally be used in the numerical calculations. The pipeline integrates and extends established (and mainly free) software for neuroimaging, computer graphics, and FEM calculations into one easy‐to‐use solution. We demonstrate the successful usage of the pipeline in six subjects, including field calculations for transcranial magnetic stimulation and transcranial direct current stimulation. The quality of the head volume meshes is validated both in terms of capturing the underlying anatomy and of the well‐shapedness of the mesh elements. The latter is crucial to guarantee the numerical robustness of the FEM calculations. The pipeline will be released as open‐source, allowing for the first time to perform realistic field calculations at an acceptable methodological complexity and moderate costs. Hum Brain Mapp, 2013. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Variability Modeling with EASy-Producer

EASy-Producer is an open-source research toolset for engineering product lines, variability-rich software ecosystems, and dynamic software product lines. In this tutorial, we will focus on its (textual) variability modeling capabilities as well as its configuration and validation functionality. Further, we will provide an outlook on how EASy-Producer can be applied to variability instantiation.
Retrieving Profile Temperatures in a Frozen Topsoil Near the TFS, Alaska, Based on SMOS Brightness Temperatures at the 1.4-GHz Frequency

In this paper, the method previously proposed in earlier work for measuring the temperature profile in a frozen topsoil using multiangular brightness temperature observations in the L-band has been experimentally tested. At a frequency of 1.4 GHz, full-polarization multiangular brightness temperature data were obtained from the Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity (SMOS) satellite land product of Level 1C, with the SMOS footprint being centered at the Toolik Field Station (TFS), Alaska. The SMOS data covered the period from January 1, 2010 to December 31, 2011. Retrieval of the temperature profiles in a frozen topsoil was based on the semiempirical emission model L-MEB and the temperature-dependent dielectric model for an organic-rich tundra soil. The soil samples measured to develop the dielectric model were collected at the TFS site. For winter seasons, the retrieved temperature profiles in the 16.0-cm topsoil were validated relative to the temperature profiles measured in situ. As a result, the values of root-mean-square error and determination coefficient of the temperatures retrieved at the depths of 0.6, 8.7, and 16.0 cm, relative to the respective temperatures measured in situ, were found to be 2.8 °C, 4.9 °C, and 6.4 °C and 0.62, 0.42, and 0.26, respectively. The sources of error and possible improvements of the proposed retrieving algorithm were discussed. The major result of this study is the demonstration of the potential possibility for remote sensing of the temperature profile in a frozen arctic topsoil using the SMOS multiangular brightness data.
20 Jahre Rückanpassungsforschung – eine Metaanalyse

Der Horizont der Reintegrationsforschung wird in jüngerer Zeit stark erweitert. Während frühere Arbeiten vor allem die Rückanpassung untersuchten, heben neuere Arbeiten andere Facetten des Karriereerfolgs hervor. An diesem Wendepunkt ist eine Konsolidierung der zwanzigjährigen Rückanpassungsforschung angebracht. Der Artikel legt die erste Metaanalyse der Rückanpassung vor und bereinigt die empirischen Primärstudien um Stichprobenfehler und Messfehler. Es bestätigen sich hohe Korrelationen zwischen der Arbeitsrückanpassung und vier zentralen Variablen: (1) Klarheit der Reintegrationsprogramme und -prozesse, (2) Rollenklarheit, (3) Rollenbezogene Entscheidungsfreiheit und (4) Rollenkonflikte. Für die Unternehmenspraxis zeigen die Ergebnisse Faktoren auf, mit denen Unternehmen die Rückanpassung ihrer Repatriates an das Heimatland unterstützen können. Für die Personal- und Managementforschung legt die Metaanalyse nahe, den empirischen Fokus auf andere Konstrukte des Reintegrationserfolgs zu verlagern.
Some Problems in Studying the Effects of Resource Allocation in Congressional Elections

After analyzing (1) data aggregated to the congressional district level, and (2) individual-level data from the 1978 CPS election survey, Johannes and McAdams conclude that congressional casework has no electoral impact. The following commentary explains such null findings as the product of oversimplistic expectations and methodological weaknesses. Specifically, the Johannes and McAdams aggregate data analysis is misspecified on two counts. First, it attempts to reduce to a single regression equation a temporal sequence in which casework activity and electoral outcomes are mutually intertwined. Second, even were such a drastic reduction possible, the single equation employed would be poorly specified because of inattention to the differential productivity of cases, constituents, and representatives. The individual-level analysis also is rife with statistical problems chief among which is multicollinearity aggravated by small numbers of cases. Analyses that do what is possible to minimize such problems reveal a statistically and substantively significant impact of casework on electoral outcomes. Further analyses that go beyond the Johannes and McAdams limitation of casework effects to the individuals directly helped suggest that the electoral effects of an incumbent's reputation for service may approach the effects of party identification.
A 110-V AC, 17.1-W multi-segmented LED driver with 96.2% power factor

This paper presents an AC-powered, boostconverter LED driver that can be implemented with lowinductance inductor and low-voltage capacitors to reduce component costs. The proposed LED driver achieves this by segmenting the LED string into multiple sections and varying the number of LED sections connected in series and then to the charging inductor depending on the input AC voltage level, in a novel fashion to regulate the total current level as well as balancing the individual LED current levels. The switching schedule of the LED sections and pulse-widths are preprogrammed into a look-up table, which is played when it is triggered by an input's zero-crossing event. A digital feedback loop compensates the pulse-width schedule with an offset to address the parameter uncertainties and maintain high power factor levels. A prototype LED driver demonstrates 96.2% power factor and 86.1% power efficiency while delivering 17.1-W to three sections of high-brightness white LEDs and reducing the capacitor voltage stress by 66.7%.
Pillbox use, satisfaction, and effectiveness among persons with chronic health conditions

ABSTRACT The purpose of this study was to understand how persons with chronic health conditions use pillboxes, their satisfaction with current devices, and the impact of pillbox use on medication adherence. We used convergent parallel mixed methods approach to explore the experiences of 13 regular, 3 occasional, and 5 non-pillbox users. Medication consumers completed the Quebec User Evaluation of Satisfaction with Assistive Technology (QUEST 2.0), an interview about their medication routines, and a medication adherence diary to describe their experiences with their pillboxes. Results demonstrated most participants use pillboxes to help manage their medications, and pillbox users tended to have better medication adherence than nonusers. Participants used a variety of pillboxes differing in size, shape, and color. Users reported selecting pillboxes based on their needs in addition to the demands of their habits and medication regimens. Users were generally satisfied with their pillboxes with an average QUEST score of 4.33. However, participants also identified areas for an improved design of pillboxes. Pillboxes can be an effective strategy to improve medication adherence. Improvements in device prescription, training, research, and design are needed to understand the mechanisms and size of effects of this intervention.
Predictors of Mobility and Basic ADL Difficulty among Adults Aged 70 Years and Older

We use data from the 1993-1995 Assets and Health Dynamics of the Oldest-Old survey to estimate predictors of onset of mobility difficulty, onset of basic activity of daily living (ADL) difficulty, and improvement to no mobility difficulty. Onset of mobility difficulty occurred among 20% of those with no difficulty at baseline (n = 2,857) and was most likely among those 85 years of age or over, women, those with a body-mass index of 30 or over, and those who reported lung disease, arthritis, frequent pain, and poor memory. For those with mobility difficulty at baseline (n = 1,871), improvement occurred among 24% and onset of basic ADL difficulty occurred among 25%. Improvement was more likely among those with difficulty in just one mobility item at baseline, and onset of ADL difficulty was most common among those with difficulty in three or more mobility items at baseline.
SOX9 chromatin folding domains correlate with its real and putative distant cis-regulatory elements

ABSTRACT Evolutionary conserved transcription factor SOX9, encoded by the dosage sensitive SOX9 gene on chromosome 17q24.3, plays an important role in development of multiple organs, including bones and testes. Heterozygous point mutations and genomic copy-number variant (CNV) deletions involving SOX9 have been reported in patients with campomelic dysplasia (CD), a skeletal malformation syndrome often associated with male-to-female sex reversal. Balanced and unbalanced structural genomic variants with breakpoints mapping up to 1.3 Mb up- and downstream to SOX9 have been described in patients with milder phenotypes, including acampomelic campomelic dysplasia, sex reversal, and Pierre Robin sequence. Based on the localization of breakpoints of genomic rearrangements causing different phenotypes, 5 genomic intervals mapping upstream to SOX9 have been defined. We have analyzed the publically available database of high-throughput chromosome conformation capture (Hi-C) in multiple cell lines in the genomic regions flanking SOX9. Consistent with the literature data, chromatin domain boundaries in the SOX9 locus exhibit conservation across species and remain largely constant across multiple cell types. Interestingly, we have found that chromatin folding domains in the SOX9 locus associate with the genomic intervals harboring real and putative regulatory elements of SOX9, implicating that variation in intra-domain interactions may be critical for dynamic regulation of SOX9 expression in a cell type-specific fashion. We propose that tissue-specific enhancers for other transcription factor genes may similarly utilize chromatin folding sub-domains in gene regulation.
The Promises of Comparative Research

In reviewing the development in comparative research since the 1960s, Scheuch (1989) concluded that ‘the wheel of cross-cultural methodology keeps on being reinvented’ (p. 147). This paper takes an opposite view, arguing instead that the availability of new cross-national datasets, and the development of new statistical methods of analysis (and their related software) have given a new impetus to comparative research. In particular, this paper points to recent methodological developments that were not fully apparent in the reviews of comparative research published in the 1970s and 1980s (see for example Lijphart 1971, Elder 1976, Jackman 1985). For sure, the problem of equivalence in crossnational research, and the problem of diffusion and dependence of observations are still relevant today, and so is the debate over case-oriented versus variable-oriented approaches. But, as argued in this paper, the availability of new cross-national longitudinal datasets, together with new techniques of analyses, such as multilevel analysis, have opened a new chapter in comparative research.
Are you in the line? RSSI-based queue detection in crowds

Crowd behaviour analytics focuses on behavioural characteristics of groups of people instead of individuals' activities. This work considers human queuing behaviour which is a specific crowd behavior of groups. We design a plug-and-play system solution to the queue detection problem based on Wi-Fi/Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) received signal strength indicators (RSSIs) captured by multiple signal sniffers. The goal of this work is to determine if a device is in the queue based on only RSSIs. The key idea is to extract features not only from individual device's data but also mobility similarity between data from multiple devices and mobility correlation observed by multiple sniffers. Thus, we propose single-device feature extraction, cross-device feature extraction, and cross-sniffer feature extraction for model training and classification. We systematically conduct experiments with simulated queue movements to study the detection accuracy. Finally, we compare our signal-based approach against camera-based face detection approach in a real-world social event with a real human queue. The experimental results indicate that our approach can reach minimum accuracy of 77% and it significantly outperforms the camera-based face detection because people block each other's visibility whereas wireless signals can be detected without blocking.
An evolutionary optimal network design to mitigate risk contagion

Many real-world networks increase interdependencies and this creates challenges for handling network risks like cascading failure. In this paper, we propose an evolutionary approach for designing optimal networks to mitigate network risks. In general there is usually a trade-off between risk contagion and risk sharing, and optimizing a network requires the selection of a proper fitness function. We use the maximum eigenvalue of the adjacency matrix of a network to control risk contagion. The evolutionary optimized networks are characterized as homogeneous networks where all nodes have, roughly speaking, the same degree. We also show that maximum eigenvalue can be used as the index of robustness against cascading failure. The network with smaller maximum eigenvalue has better robustness against cascading failure.
Geographical Indication for New England Wines in NSW

Geographical Indications (GIs) have increasingly been used as a marketing tool to create an image of quality and uniqueness, and so capture premium prices. Hedonic pricing studies have shown that indication of geographical origin of production (e.g. country, region, wineries, and location), can affect prices. However, Geographical Indications only work when they are backed up by quality products. The objectives of this study are to assess the potential of a proposed Geographical Indication for the emerging “New England” wine region in promoting local wines and to make recommendations on how that potential, if it exists, can be realised. The assessment is based on an overview of existing systems of Geographical Indications and conditions, both economic and regulatory, which are required for successful geographical indication applications.
Functional Characterization of PaLAX1, a Putative Auxin Permease, in Heterologous Plant Systems1[W][OA]

We have isolated the cDNA of the gene PaLAX1 from a wild cherry tree (Prunus avium). The gene and its product are highly similar in sequences to both the cDNAs and the corresponding protein products of AUX/LAX-type genes, coding for putative auxin influx carriers. We have prepared and characterized transformed Nicotiana tabacum and Arabidopsis thaliana plants carrying the gene PaLAX1. We have proved that constitutive overexpression of PaLAX1 is accompanied by changes in the content and distribution of free indole-3-acetic acid, the major endogenous auxin. The increase in free indole-3-acetic acid content in transgenic plants resulted in various phenotype changes, typical for the auxin-overproducing plants. The uptake of synthetic auxin, 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid, was 3 times higher in transgenic lines compared to the wild-type lines and the treatment with the auxin uptake inhibitor 1-naphthoxyacetic acid reverted the changes caused by the expression of PaLAX1. Moreover, the agravitropic response could be restored by expression of PaLAX1 in the mutant aux1 plants, which are deficient in auxin influx carrier activity. Based on our data, we have concluded that the product of the gene PaLAX1 promotes the uptake of auxin into cells, and, as a putative auxin influx carrier, it affects the content and distribution of free endogenous auxin in transgenic plants.
Risk and Protective Factors Associated with Surgical Infections among Spine Patients.

BACKGROUND The purpose of the study was to identify patient-specific and procedure-specific risk and protective factors associated with post-operative surgical site infections (SSIs) among surgical spine patients. METHODS CINAHL, PubMed, Ovid, Medline, and EBSCO databases were searched for articles within the past 10 years (January 2003-March 2015). The keywords and combinations used in the search included: Spine surgery, post-operative infection, risk factors, orthopedic infections. The search resulted in 842 articles of which 29 met inclusion criteria. This systematic review adheres to preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses guidelines. RESULTS Evidence about patient-specific and procedure-specific factors associated with increased risk of post-operative SSIs among patients undergoing orthopedic spinal surgery is inconclusive. Gender (male), age, body mass index, cigarette smoking, diabetes mellitus, a history of infection and alcohol abuse were identified as common patient-specific risk factors. Blood transfusion, implantation, and steroid use were found to increase SSIs in certain studies and associated with no significant difference in other studies. Protective factors include the implementation of pre-operative elements to reduce infection; protocols addressing patient-related factors (smoking, weight, glucose) and operation-related factors (antibiotic prophylaxis, prosthetics, length of operation, and pre-operative cultures); incision drains placed intra-operatively; anterior approach; laminar-flow operating theater, and skin antisepsis using chlorhexidine. CONCLUSIONS Interventions focusing on minimizing patient-specific risk factors and operation-specific risk factors and optimizing patient-specific protective factors and operation-specific protective factors are most effective in minimizing the likelihood of a post-operative infection among patients undergoing orthopedic spinal surgical procedures. The studies reviewed provide conflicting evidence relative to risk and protective factors.
Summarizing Significant Changes in Network Traffic Using Contrast Pattern Mining

Extracting knowledge from the massive volumes of network traffic is an important challenge in network and security management. In particular, network managers require concise reports about significant changes in their network traffic. While most existing techniques focus on summarizing a single traffic dataset, the problem of finding significant differences between multiple datasets is an open challenge. In this paper, we focus on finding important differences between network traffic datasets, and preparing a summarized and interpretable report for security managers. We propose the use of contrast pattern mining, which finds patterns whose support differs significantly from one dataset to another. We show that contrast patterns are highly effective at extracting meaningful changes in traffic data. We also propose several evaluation metrics that reflect the interpretability of patterns for security managers. Our experimental results show that with the proposed unsupervised approach, the vast majority of extracted patterns are pure, i.e., most changes are either attack traffic or normal traffic, but not a mixture of both.