Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Glioblastoma stem-like cells: approaches for isolation and characterization

Glioblastoma (GBM) stem-like cells (GSCs) represent the most undifferentiated state of malignant cells with distinct biological characteristics. The fraction of these cells within a glial brain tumor, ranging from 2-30%, is correlating with the increasingWHOstageandpoorprognosisofpatients'survival.GSCsrepresenttheleastvulnerable,thusmostpreferentialtarget cellpopulationtobeexposedtovarioustherapeuticmodalities,althoughtheunderlyingmechanismsofthisresistancearenotyet fully understood. For the development of GSC-targeting therapies, further in depth studies are needed using enrichedand stable GSCcellpopulations.Here,wediscussthecurrentapproachesofGSCisolationandvalidationbasedonexpressionofstemness and oncogenic markers as well as on functional assays. The enrichment of GSC phenotypes in established cell lines and/or primary tumor cultures, achieved by different strategies, is reviewed, providing a comprehensive comparison of selected studies and contemplating the characterization of the plethora of variants of reported GBM population exhibiting the GSC phenotype.
Argumentation Ranking Semantics Based on Propagation

Argumentation is based on the exchange and the evaluation of interacting arguments. Unlike Dung's theory where arguments are either accepted or rejected, ranking-based semantics rank-order arguments from the most to the least acceptable ones. We propose in this work six new ranking-based semantics. We argue that, contrarily to existing ranking semantics in the literature, that focus on evaluating attacks and defenses only, it is reasonable to give a prominent role to non-attacked arguments, as it is the case in standard Dung's semantics. Our six semantics are based on the propagation of the weight of each argument to its neighbors, where the weight of non-attacked arguments is greater than the attacked ones.
Fetal and infant growth patterns associated with total and abdominal fat distribution in school-age children.

CONTEXT Higher infant growth rates are associated with an increased risk of obesity in later life. OBJECTIVE We examined the associations of longitudinally measured fetal and infant growth patterns with total and abdominal fat distribution in childhood. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS We performed a population-based prospective cohort study among 6464 children. We measured growth characteristics in the second and third trimesters of pregnancy, at birth, and at 6, 12, and 24 months. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Body mass index, fat mass index (body fat mass/height(2)), lean mass index (body lean mass/height(2)), android/gynoid fat ratio measured by dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry, and sc and preperitoneal abdominal fat measured by ultrasound at the median age of 6.0 years (90% range, 5.7-7.4). RESULTS We observed that weight gain in the second and third trimesters of fetal life and in early, mid, and late infancy were independently and positively associated with childhood body mass index (P < .05). Only infant weight gain was associated with higher fat mass index, android/gynoid fat ratio, and abdominal fat in childhood (P < .05). Children with both fetal and infant growth acceleration had the highest childhood body mass index, fat mass index, and sc abdominal fat, whereas children with fetal growth deceleration and infant growth acceleration had the highest value for android/gynoid fat ratio and the lowest value for lean mass index (P < .05). CONCLUSIONS Growth in both fetal life and infancy affects childhood body mass index, whereas only infant growth directly affects measured total body and abdominal fat. Fetal growth deceleration followed by infant growth acceleration may lead to an adverse body fat distribution in childhood.
Security Considerations for 6to4

The IPv6 interim mechanism 6to4 (RFC3056) uses automatic IPv6-over- IPv4 tunneling to interconnect IPv6 networks. The architecture includes 6to4 routers and 6to4 relay routers, which accept and decapsulate IPv4 protocol-41 ("IPv6-in-IPv4") traffic from any node in the IPv4 internet. This characteristic enables a number of security threats, mainly Denial of Service. It also makes it easier for nodes to spoof IPv6 addresses. This document discusses these issues in more detail and suggests enhancements to alleviate the problems. This memo provides information for the Internet community.
Multilocus Sequence Typing of Neisseria meningitidis Directly from Clinical Samples and Application of the Method to the Investigation of Meningococcal Disease Case Clusters

ABSTRACT Infections associated with Neisseria meningitidis are a major public health problem in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland. Currently, over 40% of cases are confirmed directly from clinical specimens using PCR-based methodologies without an organism being isolated. A nested/seminested multilocus sequence typing (MLST) system was developed at the Health Protection Agency Meningococcal Reference Unit to allow strain characterization beyond the serogroup for cases confirmed by PCR only. This system was evaluated on a panel of 20 meningococcus-positive clinical specimens (3 cerebrospinal fluid and 17 blood samples) from different patients containing various concentrations of meningococcal DNA that had corresponding N. meningitidis isolates. In each case, the sequence type generated from the clinical specimens matched that produced from the corresponding N. meningitidis isolate; the sensitivity of the MLST system was determined to be less than 12 genome copies per PCR. The MLST system was then applied to 15 PCR meningococcus-positive specimens (2 cerebrospinal fluid and 13 blood samples), each from a different patient, involved in three case clusters (two serogroup B and one serogroup W135) for which no corresponding N. meningitidis organisms had been isolated. In each case, an MLST sequence type was generated, allowing the accurate assignment of individual cases within each of the case clusters. In summary, the adaptation of the N. meningitidis MLST to a sensitive nested/seminested format for strain characterization directly from clinical specimens provides an important tool for surveillance and management of meningococcal infection.
Multiple paternity in different populations of the sailfin molly, Poecilia latipinna

Rates of multiple paternities were investigated in the sailfin molly (Poecilia latipinna), using eight microsatellite loci. Genotyping was performed for offspring and mothers in 40 broods from four allopatric populations from the south-eastern U.S.A. along a geographic stretch of 1200 km in west-east direction and approximately 200 km from north to south. No significant differences regarding rates of multiple paternities were found between populations despite sample populations stemming from ecologically divergent habitats. Even the most conservative statistical approach revealed a minimum of 70% of the broods being sired by at least two males, with an average of 1.80-2.95 putative fathers per brood. Within broods, one male typically sired far more offspring than would be expected under an assumed equal probability of all detected males siring offspring.
The realization of flexible photovoltaic power grid-connection μ-synthesis robust control in microgrid

In any case, however detailed the model is, there will always be modeling inaccuracies. Robustness to modeling inaccuracy is therefore a vital characteristic required of a controller. However, with traditional control methods, it is not easy to achieve a good trade-off between nominal performance and robust performance. In order to strengthen the flexibility and robustness of the PV grid-connection system without affecting its nominal performance, a μ-synthesis robust control method based on model matching is proposed. Under the general control structure framework transformed from model matching problem, the μ-synthesis grid-connection controller can be conveniently solved by DK iteration. The μ-analysis and simulation results show that the designed μ-synthesis robust controller satisfies the robust stability and robust performance of the closed-loop PV grid-connection system, and the advantages are even more obvious in the presence of system component parameter perturbation.
Importance of a flexible hinge near the motor domain in kinesin‐driven motility

Conventional kinesin is a molecular motor consisting of an N‐terminal catalytic motor domain, an extended stalk and a small globular C‐terminus. Whereas the structure and function of the catalytic motor domain has been investigated, little is known about the function of domains outside the globular head. A short coiled‐coil region adjacent to the motor domain, termed the neck, is known to be important for dimerization and may be required for kinesin processivity. We now provide evidence that a helix‐disrupting hinge region (hinge 1) that separates the neck from the first extended coiled‐coil of the stalk plays an essential role in basic motor activity. A fast fungal kinesin from Syncephalastrum racemosum was used for these studies. Deletion, substitution by a coiled‐coil and truncation of the hinge 1 region all reduce motor speed and uncouple ATP turnover from gliding velocity. Insertion of hinge 1 regions from two conventional kinesins, Nkin and DmKHC, fully restores motor activity, whereas insertion of putative flexible linkers of other proteins does not, suggesting that hinge 1 regions of conventional kinesins can functionally replace each other. We suggest that this region is essential for kinesin movement in its promotion of chemo‐mechanical coupling of the two heads and therefore the functional motor domain should be redefined to include not only the catalytic head but also the adjacent neck and hinge 1 domains.
Neonatal anthropometric charts: what they are, what they are not

Over 40 years have elapsed since Lubchenco et al 1 proposed an anthropometric classification of neonates based on the so-called intrauterine growth charts—that is, birth weight-for-gestational age charts. The use of charts, such as those given by Lubchenco et al ,1 based on the distribution of measurements taken on neonates with different gestational age, should be restricted to the auxological assessment of babies at birth. These charts, now called neonatal anthropometric charts, must not be confused with the intrauterine growth charts, which are a tool for monitoring fetal growth, based on ultrasound measurements of anthropometric traits during pregnancy: preterm births are abnormal events and preterm neonates cannot be equated to fetuses of the same gestational age who will be born at term.2 When fetal growth studies are longitudinal, both distance and velocity intrauterine growth charts may be traced.3,4 Strictly speaking, only charts derived from longitudinal studies should be called growth charts, growth being a process extended over time. The terms SGA and intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) are often used as synonyms, although they reflect two different concepts. SGA refers to a statistical definition, based on an auxological cross-sectional evaluation (prenatal or neonatal), and denotes a fetus or a neonate whose anthropometric variables (usually weight) are lower than a given threshold value computed on a set of infants having the same gestational age. SGA includes infants who have not achieved their own growth potential, because of maternal, uterine, placental and fetal factors,5,6 as well as small but otherwise healthy infants. IUGR refers to a clinical and functional condition and denotes fetuses unable to achieve their own growth potential: a fetus with IUGR would have been larger, without adverse environmental or genetic factors affecting growth. Such a condition can be assessed by ultrasonography during pregnancy by …
Five level ANPC converter applied as a single-phase shunt active power filter with features to limit and optimize the converter power rating

This paper presents a five-level active-neutral-point-clamped converter applied as a single-phase shunt active power filter that can be used in low and medium voltage systems aiming a harmonic filtering and reactive power compensation generated by nonlinear loads in which the current control strategy is based on the Synchronous Reference Frame. Two control algorithms are proposed, in the first, a method to obtain the desired displacement power factor is presented, and the percentage of the third, fifth, seventh and ninth harmonic to be filtered also can be set. In the second, the power of the converter can be adjusted to a desired value. The system was modeled in graphical environment Simulink of the Matlab software with the SimPowerSystems Tool box. Results of computational simulations are presented in order to evaluate the proposal study and to demonstrate the performance of the system, showing that the proposed control strategy works as expected, reducing the current harmonics and the displacement power factor to the desired value.
Occupation, smoking, opium, and bladder cancer: A case–control study

Abstract Purpose: The aim of this study was to investigate occupational risk factors associated with bladder cancer. Materials and Methods: In this case–control study, control group included patients who referred to a specialized clinic in the same city and hospitals where patients had been registered. Data were entered into SPSS software. Odds ratios (OR) were calculated for occupational variables and other characteristics. Then, using logistic regression, the association between cancer and drugs was studied while smoking was controlled. Results: Cigarette smoking, even after quitting, was also associated with bladder cancer (OR = 2.549). Considering the classification of occupations, the OR of working in metal industry in patients was 10.629. Multivariate analysis showed that use of the drug by itself can be a risk factor for bladder cancer. Drug abuse together with the control of smoking increased the risk of bladder cancer by 4.959. Conclusion: According to the findings of this study, contact with metal industries such as welding, and working with tin was found as a risk factor for bladder cancer. In addition, cigarette smoking and opium abuse individually were associated with bladder cancer.
Challenges and solutions to mining Earth science data

Data Mining has an enormous potential as a processing tool for Earth Science data. It provides a solution for extracting information from massive amounts of data. However, designing a data mining system for earth science applications is complex and challenging. The two key issues that need to be addressed in the design are (1) variability of data sets and (2) operations for extracting information. Data sets not only come in different formats, types and structures; they are also typically in different states of processing such as raw data, calibrated data, validated data, derived data or interpreted data. The mining system must be designed to be flexible to handle these variations in data sets. The operations needed in the mining system vary for different application areas within earth science. Operations could range from general-purpose operations such as image processing techniques or statistical analysis to highly specialized data set-specific science algorithms. The mining system should be extensible in its ability to process new data sets and add new operations without too much effort. The ADaM (Algorithm Development and Mining) system, developed at the Information Technology and Systems Center at the University of Alabama in Huntsville, is one such mining system designed with these capabilities. The system provides knowledge discovery, content-based searching and data mining capabilities for data values, as well as for metadata. It contains over 100 different operations, which can be performed on the input data stream.
Persistence of pulmonary arteriovenous malformations after successful embolotherapy with Amplatzer vascular plug: long-term results.

PURPOSE We aimed to evaluate the frequency of persistence and complication rates of pulmonary arteriovenous malformations (PAVMs) treated with Amplatzer vascular plug (AVP) or Amplatzer vascular plug type 2 (AVP2). METHODS We retrospectively reviewed a total of 22 patients with 54 PAVMs between June 2004 and June 2014. We included 12 patients with 35 PAVMs who received percutaneous embolization using AVP or AVP2 only without the use of any other embolic devices. The mean follow-up was 54±24.3 months (range, 31-97 months). The primary end-points of the study were the efficacy of embolotherapy, the increase in oxygen saturation, and the persistence of PAVM on follow-up. Secondary end point was the incidence of complications. RESULTS The study included 10 female and two male patients with a mean age of 50.2±13.7 years (range, 21-66 years). All PAVMs had a simple angioarchitecture. The technical success of the procedure for PAVM occlusion was 100%. There was a significant increase in the oxygen saturation following embolotherapy (P < 0.0001). Follow-up computed tomography angiography revealed successful treatment in 34 PAVMs (97%) and failed treatment in one PAVM (3%). Twenty-three aneurysmal sacs (67%) showed complete disappearance. The failed treatment was due to persistence of PAVM caused by subsequent development of systemic reperfusion, which did not require further intervention. There were two minor complications but no major complications were encountered. CONCLUSION Embolotherapy of PAVMs using AVP or AVP2 devices is safe and effective, with high technical success rate, low persistence and complication rates, and with excellent long-term results.
Does graft-versus-host disease influence the tempo of immunologic recovery after allogeneic human marrow transplantation? An observation on 56 long-term survivors.

This report describes a study of humoral and cellular immune reactivities in 56 patients who have survived for 1 yr to more than 6 yr after marrow transplantation from an HLA-identical sibling for the treatment of aplastic anemia or hematologic malignancy. All were conditioned for the transplant by high doses of cyclophosphamide and/or total body irradiation. Immunologic studies on the marrow donors served to establish the normal range for the tests used. The influence of an episode of graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) on the subsequent immunologic recovery was emphasized. Thirty-two patients had GVHD, which resolved in 19 and evolved into a chronic form in 13. Tests used included serial determinations of serum immunoglobulins, complement (C3 and C4), lymphocyte counts, T and B cells, lymphocyte responses to allogeneic cells and to mitogens, isohemagglutinin titers, clearance of bacteriophage ϕX174 (phage) from the blood, primary and secondary antibody responses to phage and to keyhole limpet hemocyanin (KLH), and tests of skin reactivity to recall and neoantigens, dinitrochlorobenzene, and KLH. Concluded from the study were the following: (1) All patients, regardless of whether they had GVHD or not, had pronounced impairment of all immunologic parameters during the first 4 mo after grafting. (2) The speed of immunologic recovery thereafter was faster in patients without GVHD than in those with GVHD. The deficient immune responsiveness in patients with GVHD lasted approximately 2 yr and thereafter tended to persist only in patients with chronic GVHD. A peculiar and unexplained finding in patients with GVHD was significantly higher than normal IgG levels. As a clinical correlate of the prolonged and intense immune deficiency, patients with GVHD showed a tendency toward more frequent and severe infections than those without GVHD. (3) Given enough time, most patients regained near-normal immune reactivity. This occurred much earlier and more frequently in patients without GVHD than in those with GVHD. Patients who regained near-normal immune reactivity did not have unusually frequent infections.
Anti‐tumour efficacy on glioma models of PHA‐848125, a multi‐kinase inhibitor able to cross the blood–brain barrier

Malignant gliomas, the most common primary brain tumours, are highly invasive and neurologically destructive neoplasms with a very bad prognosis due to the difficulty in removing the mass completely by surgery and the limited activity of current therapeutic agents. PHA‐848125 is a multi‐kinase inhibitor with broad anti‐tumour activity in pre‐clinical studies and good tolerability in phase 1 studies, which could affect two main pathways involved in glioma pathogenesis, the G1‐S phase progression control pathway through the inhibition of cyclin‐dependent kinases and the signalling pathways mediated by tyrosine kinase growth factor receptors, such as tropomyosin receptors. For this reason, we tested PHA‐848125 in glioma models.
A global perspective on Campanulaceae: Biogeographic, genomic, and floral evolution.

PREMISE OF THE STUDY The Campanulaceae are a diverse clade of flowering plants encompassing more than 2300 species in myriad habitats from tropical rainforests to arctic tundra. A robust, multigene phylogeny, including all major lineages, is presented to provide a broad, evolutionary perspective of this cosmopolitan clade. METHODS We used a phylogenetic framework, in combination with divergence dating, ancestral range estimation, chromosome modeling, and morphological character reconstruction analyses to infer phylogenetic placement and timing of major biogeographic, genomic, and morphological changes in the history of the group and provide insights into the diversification of this clade across six continents. KEY RESULTS Ancestral range estimation supports an out-of-Africa diversification following the Cretaceous-Tertiary extinction event. Chromosomal modeling, with corroboration from the distribution of synonymous substitutions among gene duplicates, provides evidence for as many as 20 genome-wide duplication events before large radiations. Morphological reconstructions support the hypothesis that switches in floral symmetry and anther dehiscence were important in the evolution of secondary pollen presentation mechanisms. CONCLUSIONS This study provides a broad, phylogenetic perspective on the evolution of the Campanulaceae clade. The remarkable habitat diversity and cosmopolitan distribution of this lineage appears to be the result of a complex history of genome duplications and numerous long-distance dispersal events. We failed to find evidence for an ancestral polyploidy event for this clade, and our analyses indicate an ancestral base number of nine for the group. This study will serve as a framework for future studies in diverse areas of research in Campanulaceae.
Smicl is a novel Smad interacting protein and cleavage and polyadenylation specificity factor associated protein

Ligand‐bound receptors of the Transforming Growth Factor‐β (TGF‐β) family promote the formation of complexes between Smad proteins that subsequently accumulate in the nucleus and interact there with other transcriptional regulators, leading to modulation of target gene expression. We identified a novel nuclear protein, Smicl, which binds to Smad proteins. Smicl and Smads cooperate and enhance TGF‐β mediated activation of a Smad‐responsive reporter gene. A domain with five CCCH‐type zinc fingers in Smicl is structurally and functionally, at least in vitro, similar to a domain in CPSF‐30, the 30 kDa subunit of Cleavage and Polyadenylation Specificity Factor (CPSF). Like CPSF‐30, Smicl can associate with some other CPSF subunits characterized previously. Its effect on the induction of a reporter gene for TGF‐β requires the cleavage/polyadenylation signal downstream of the coding sequence of that gene. Thus, Smicl is a novel protein that displays CPSF‐30‐like activities, interacts in the nucleus with activated Smads, and potentiates in TGF‐β stimulated cells Smad‐dependent transcriptional responses, possibly in conjunction with the activity of CPSF complexes.