Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Disruption of CCL20-CCR6 interaction inhibits metastasis of advanced cutaneous T-cell lymphoma

We recently demonstrated that upregulation of a chemokine receptor CCR6 and its ligand CCL20 led to metastasis of advanced cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL) cells, suggesting the involvement of CCL20-CCR6 interaction in initiating CTCL cell metastasis. In this study, we determined whether this interaction is functional in metastatic CTCL cells. We first demonstrated increased STAT3 expression during the progression of primary CTCL. STAT3 was spontaneously activated and mediated the transcription of CCL20 in CTCL cell lines. Next, to determine whether the transient knockdown of STAT3, CCL20, or CCR6 or treatment with neutralizing antibody against CCL20 (neutralizing CCL20 antibody) could reduce the migration ability of CTCL cells, we conducted an in vitro migration assay. All treatments reduced the nutrition-dependent migration activity of CTCL cells. Notably, treatment with neutralizing CCL20 antibody reduced the migration ability of the cells without decreasing the expression of CCL20 and CCR6. This demonstrated that the CCL20-CCR6 interaction is actually functional in metastatic CTCL cells. Finally, to examine the in vivo effect of neutralizing CCL20 antibody, we used NOD/Shi-scid IL-2γnul mice inoculated with CTCL cells. These mice were expected to die due to metastasis of CTCL cells into multiple organs. However, administration of neutralizing CCL20 antibody significantly prolonged the survival of the xenografted mice. These findings suggested that automatic activation of the STAT3/CCL20/CCR6 cascade was involved in CTCL lymphomagenesis and that disruption of CCL20-CCR6 interaction could be a key therapeutic strategy against advanced CTCL.
Inadvertent suprapubic gastrostomy: Report of a unique complication of blind percutaneous suprapubic trocar cystostomy

Emergency percutaneous trocar suprapubic cystostomy is a common surgical procedure for acute urinary retention. Although uncommon it can be associated with a few complications. The most dangerous complication is iatrogenic bowel injury. Literature shows reported cases of small and large bowel injuries. We report a case of inadvertent placement of suprapubic catheter into a dilated and ptotic stomach. This is the first reported case of this complication of suprapubic cystostomy.
Robust Spatial Filters on Three-Class Motor Imagery EEG Data Using Independent Component Analysis

Independent Component Analysis (ICA) was often used to separate movement related independent components (MRICs) from Electroencephalogram (EEG) data. However, to obtain robust spatial filters, complex characteristic features, which were manually selected in most cases, have been commonly used. This study proposed a new simple algorithm to extract MRICs automatically, which just utilized the spatial distribution pattern of ICs. The main goal of this study was to show the relationship between spatial filters performance and designing samples. The EEG data which contain mixed brain states (preparing, motor imagery and rest) were used to design spatial filters. Meanwhile, the single class data was also used to calculate spatial filters to assess whether the MRICs extracted on different class motor imagery spatial filters are similar. Furthermore, the spatial filters constructed on one subject’s EEG data were applied to extract the others’ MRICs. Finally, the different spatial filters were then applied to single-trial EEG to extract MRICs, and Support Vector Machine (SVM) classifiers were used to discriminate left hand、right-hand and foot imagery movements of BCI Competition IV Dataset 2a, which recorded four motor imagery data of nine subjects. The results suggested that any segment of finite motor imagery EEG samples could be used to design ICA spatial filters, and the extracted MRICs are consistent if the position of electrodes are the same, which confirmed the robustness and practicality of ICA used in the motor imagery Brain Computer Interfaces (MI-BCI) systems.
Toward the Implementation of an ASIC-Like System on FPGA for Real-Time Video Processing with Power Reduction

Driven by the importance of energy consumption in system-on-chip design as an evaluation factor, this paper presents a design methodology at the system level to optimize power consumption on ARM-based architecture for real-time video processing. The proposed design flow is based on the interaction between the tool and user optimizations. The tool optimizations are the options and best practices available on the integrated design environment for the Xilinx technology and the target Zynq-7000 architecture. The user methods present methods proposed by the user to optimize power consumption. We used the principles of voltage scaling and frequency scaling techniques for user methods. These two techniques allow energy to be consumed in the proportion of work to be done. The suggested flow is applied on real-time video processing system. The results show power savings for up to 60% with respect to performance and real-time constraints.
INFECTION AND DISSEMINATION OF DENGUE VIRUS TYPE 2 IN AEDES AEGYPTI, AEDES ALBOPICTUS, AND AEDES SCUTELLARIS FROM THE TORRES STRAIT, AUSTRALIA

ABSTRACT To determine their relative roles in transmission of dengue virus (DENV) in the Torres Strait region of northern Australia, we examined infection and dissemination of a sympatric strain of dengue virus type 2 (DENV-2) in Aedes scutellaris, Ae. albopictus, and Ae. aegypti. In experiments using membrane feeders for virus exposure, infection rates were 83% and 43% for Ae. scutellaris and Ae. aegypti, respectively. Salivary gland infection rates for both species were 43%. In experiments using pledgets for virus exposure, infection rates for Ae. aegypti, Ae. scutellaris, and Ae. albopictus were 68%, 55%, and 37%, respectively. Aedes albopictus exhibited the greatest barriers to infection with only 7% tested developing a salivary gland infection, compared to 42% and 24% of Ae. aegypti and Ae. scutellaris, respectively. These results suggest that Ae. scutellaris may have been responsible for DENV transmission on Torres Strait islands, where Ae. aegypti does not occur. In contrast, Ae. albopictus may not be an important vector of DENV-2 from the Torres Strait.
A visual toolbox for modeling and testing multi‐net neural systems

Neural networks (NN) and muti‐net neural systems are popular and important topics for graduate engineering students. This paper describes a visual toolbox that has been developed to perform experiments with new multi‐net neural structures, including ensemble and modular NN approaches. This toolbox can be considered an important contribution for graduate engineering education and research because it is a complete tool that allows to draw models, set parameters, save projects, and generate files with results in a user friendly visual environment. Experimental results with a group of students after using the toolbox show a significant improvement on the acquired knowledge of NNs concepts. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Comput Appl Eng Educ 21: 164–184, 2013
A 5.8-GHz Bidirectional and Reconfigurable RF Energy Harvesting Circuit With Rectifier and Oscillator Modes

A bidirectional circuit that can be reconfigured as a receiver for rectifying radio-frequency (RF) power for energy harvesting, and as a power oscillator for transmission, is proposed. The circuit is compact and suitable for integration in time-division multiplexed wireless sensors. A design concept based on time-reversal duality theory is employed to reuse the same circuit elements for both the oscillator and the rectifier modes by reconfiguring power flow between the dc and RF ports. A proof-of-concept prototype circuit using a high-efficiency class-DE circuit topology is implemented in a 65-nm CMOS technology. The circuit operates at a frequency of 5.8 GHz, and the measured peak efficiency is greater than 50% in both operating modes.
Delay locking: Security enhancement of logic locking against IC counterfeiting and overproduction

Logic locking is a technique that has been proposed to thwart IC counterfeiting and overproduction by untrusted foundry. Recently, the security of logic locking is threatened by a new attack called SAT attack, which can effectively decipher the correct key of most logic locking techniques. In this paper, we propose a new technique called delay locking to enhance the security of existing logic locking techniques. For delay locking, the key into a locked circuit not only determines its functionality, but also its timing profile. A functionality-correct but timing-incorrect key will result in timing violations and thus making the circuit malfunction.
Canadian Network for Mood and Anxiety Treatments (CANMAT) 2016 Clinical Guidelines for the Management of Adults with Major Depressive Disorder

Background: The Canadian Network for Mood and Anxiety Treatments (CANMAT) conducted a revision of the 2009 guidelines by updating the evidence and recommendations. The scope of the 2016 guidelines remains the management of major depressive disorder (MDD) in adults, with a target audience of psychiatrists and other mental health professionals. Methods: Using the question-answer format, we conducted a systematic literature search focusing on systematic reviews and meta-analyses. Evidence was graded using CANMAT-defined criteria for level of evidence. Recommendations for lines of treatment were based on the quality of evidence and clinical expert consensus. This section is the first of six guidelines articles. Results: In Canada, the annual and lifetime prevalence of MDD was 4.7% and 11.3%, respectively. MDD represents the second leading cause of global disability, with high occupational and economic impact mainly attributable to indirect costs. DSM-5 criteria for depressive disorders remain relatively unchanged, but other clinical dimensions (sleep, cognition, physical symptoms) may have implications for depression management. e-Mental health is increasingly used to support clinical and self-management of MDD. In the 2-phase (acute and maintenance) treatment model, specific goals address symptom remission, functional recovery, improved quality of life, and prevention of recurrence. Conclusions: The burden attributed to MDD remains high, whether from individual distress, functional and relationship impairment, reduced quality of life, or societal economic cost. Applying core principles of care, including comprehensive assessment, therapeutic alliance, support of self-management, evidence-informed treatment, and measurement-based care, will optimize clinical, quality of life, and functional outcomes in MDD.
An analysis of moodle in engineering education: The TAM perspective

Based on the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) developed from the theory of reasoned action (TRA) and social psychology research by Davis (1989), this study models the use of the Internet-based modular object-oriented dynamic learning environment (Moodle) by students of the computer science department at Ming Chuan University (MCU), Taiwan. Apart from student demographics and background information (e.g., gender, frequency computer use, frequency Moodle use, etc.) that causes differences among TAM variables when using Moodle, the relationship between some additional external variables (e.g., system quality, reliability, interface design, interactivity, etc.) and TAM variables is investigated to provide suggestions for the application of information and computer education in science and engineering colleges, and to provide general information on using Internet-based teaching platforms. The participants of this study were undergraduate students of freshman, sophomore and junior from the computer science department at MCU, Taiwan. The questionnaires were distributed to a total of 260 students in six classes. 242 valid questionnaires were returned to give a valid rate of 0.93. The following observations are based on the questionnaires used in this study: 1) students have positive attitude toward using Moodle and have intention to use Moodle in the future; 2) system quality has less relationship with learning motivation but has medium influence on the attitude of students toward using Moodle; 3) “Attitude toward using” is highly correlated with “Behavioral intention to use”.
A conceptual synergy model of strategy formulation for manufacturing

With the increasing level of competition in many competitive environments, a body of research regards the ability to formulate and implement a formulated strategy as an equally important source of competitive advantage. The rate of change in both internal and external environments of manufacturing firms is increasing, which necessitates that increased attention be paid to strategic planning and strategy formulation. This paper reviews the concepts of strategy, strategic planning and strategy formulation. It then discusses the common strategy determinants and describes the characteristics of several planning frameworks and methodologies. A conceptual synergy model for strategy formulation is proposed, and its features and characteristics are presented along with a discussion of its applicability in manufacturing enterprises.
Participatory HRM practices and job quality of vulnerable workers

Vulnerable workers can be expected to be more subject to direct managerial control over the work process and have little opportunity for participation in shaping their work environment. Opportunities for participation not only are in themselves desirable, but also may have beneficial effects on job quality. However, there has been little exploration of either the extent to which vulnerable workers have access to employee participation or whether such access is equally associated with improved job quality for both vulnerable and non-vulnerable groups. These issues are explored using the fifth wave of the European Working Conditions Survey. We define vulnerable workers by the labour supply characteristics of low education and being female. Consistent with our predictions, regression analyses reveal that, although vulnerable workers have considerably less access to participatory human resource management practices, for those that do have access, similar improvements are found when compared to non-vulnerable groups on all four dimensions of job quality included in the analysis. Some variations were found depending on gender and level of education, but overall, our analysis suggests that increasing access to employee participation practices could provide an important means of improving job quality for vulnerable workers.
Corruption in the South African construction industry: a thematic analysis of verbatim comments from survey participants

Corruption is a pervasive stain on the construction industry in many countries. South Africa is no exception. A questionnaire survey showed that corruption there is perceived to be widespread. Beyond the quantitative survey findings, thematic analysis was used to explore the verbatim comments offered by many survey participants. This analysis clarified the nature and extent of corruption more precisely and four predominant themes emerged: involvement in corruption, forms of corruption, factors that may give rise to corrupt activities, and the means of combating corruption. Public officials are thought to be actively involved in acts of corruption, particularly in the soliciting of bribes and in tender manipulation. Professional consultants and other actors in the construction supply chain are not above reproach. Forms of corruption centre largely on appointment and tender irregularities, and to a lesser extent on contract administration and closeout irregularities. Factors instrumental in corruption include the skills shortage within the industry, a perceived absence of deterrents and sanctions, and poor ethical standards. Procedural impediments, fear of victimization and personal attitudes all act as barriers to combating corruption. While confirming opportunity, pressure and self-justification as the three pillars of the Cressey ‘Fraud Triangle’ theory of corruption, the research findings suggest that a more dynamic interpretation of this model is advisable. In addressing corruption, at least in the public sector, improvements in procurement processes are needed along with shifts towards higher standards of ethical behaviour among public sector employees at all levels. Greater procurement process transparency (in both public and private sectors of the industry) would address the worst effects of undue political interference and nepotism. The South African construction industry (particularly its statutory professional councils and contractor affiliation bodies), together with public sector agencies and private sector client associations, should collaborate to adopt a more proactive stance against corruption, and be more engaged with detecting and reporting it.
A File Integrity Monitoring System Based on Virtual Machine

This paper describes the design and implementation of a file integrity monitoring system, named FSGuard, based on the virtualization software Xen. Monitored system (DomU) runs in full virtualized mode on Xen, therefore it is unable to perceive the existence of the underlying VMM, but its system calls related to file operations are recorded in real time. User mode programs in DomU provide configuration and management interface, so that the administrator can assign a certain DomU to specify the access control policy and a list of files that need to be protected. These characters make FSGuard possible to monitor file operations in real time, and get feedback through the user mode program in DomU.
Classic or Modern? Enhancement of Job Satisfaction Scale for Green Job Workers

Green jobs, in environmental and eco-friendly sectors, are defined as jobs where decent work conditions are presented. The green jobs, significantly increasing all over the world, support the protection of natural resources and also provide high quality work life for workers. The goal of this research is to improve the job satisfaction scale for green job workers by using the Structural Equation Model with model development strategy. Within this research SPSS 21 has been used for internal consistency rate and exploratory factor analysis and smartPLS 2.0 has been used for Structural Equation Model. Analysis results show that contingent reward, supervision, co-workers and communication effect job satisfaction of green job workers.
Long-distance hierarchical structure transformation rules utilizing function words

In this paper, we propose structure transformation rules for statistical machine translation which are lexicalized by only function words. Although such rules can be extracted from an aligned parallel corpus simply as original phrase pairs, their structure is hierarchical and thus can be used in a hierarchical translation system. In addition, structure transformation rules can take into account long-distance reordering, allowing for more than two phrases to be moved simultaneously. The rule set is used as a core module in our hierarchical model together with two other modules, namely, a basic reordering module and an optional gap phrase module. Our model is considerably more compact and produces slightly higher BLEU scores than the original hierarchical phrase-based model in Japanese-English translation on the parallel corpus of the NTCIR-7 patent translation task.
A 30–130 GHz Ultra Broadband Direct-Conversion BPSK Modulator Using a 0.5-$\mu$m E/D-PHEMT Process

A 30-130 GHz ultra broadband direct-conversion binary phase shift keying (BPSK) modulator using a 0.5-mum enhancement/depletion-pseudomorphic high-electron mobility transistor (E/D-PHEMT) process is presented in this letter. The BPSK modulator was designed using a modified reflection-type topology with E-mode PHEMT devices. An advantage for the E-mode PHEMT process is positive gate bias, and therefore the bias circuit for the modulation would be less complicated. Moreover, the BPSK modulator demonstrates an error vector magnitude of within 5.5%, an adjacent channel power ratio of better than -35 dBc, and an on-off isolation of greater than 20 dB from 30 to 130 GHz. The chip size of the BPSK modulator is only 0.8x0. 7 mm2. To the best of the authors' knowledge, this work is the highest operation frequency with the widest bandwidth among all the reported monolithic microwave integrated circuit-based BPSK modulators.
Conceptualizing management accounting change: an institutional framework☆

Starting from the position that management accounting systems and practices constitute organisational rules and routines, this paper describes an institutional framework for the conceptualisation of management accounting change. Drawing from (old) institutional economics, the framework explores the complex and ongoing relationship between actions and institutions, and demonstrates the importance of organisational routines and institutions in shaping the processes of management accounting change. The inherent stability and continuity of organisational life is discussed and three categorisations of institutional change are explored. The framework is offered as a starting point for researchers interested in studying management accounting change, and through such research the framework will be extended and refined. Key Words: Management accounting; Organisational change; Institutions; Routines; Institutional economics; Resistance to change
An Approach to a High Fidelity Real-Time Renderer in Metal Anonymous

We introduce a physically based real-time renderer, Arsee, designed to take advantage of the low level platform specific features of the GPU hardware-accelerated API Metal to provide performant realistic rendering of complex scenes. Arsee is designed to be used for both real-world applications and educational purposes, allowing users to examine how the engine works in real time.
Inhibition of Connexin 43 and Phosphorylated NR2B in Spinal Astrocytes Attenuates Bone Cancer Pain in Mice

Bone cancer pain (BCP) is common in patients with advanced cancers when the tumors are metastasized to bone. The limited understanding of the complex pathogenesis of BCP leads to the poor effectiveness of clinical treatment. Previous studies have shown that astrocyte-specific connexin (Cx) 43, a forming protein of gap junction (GJ) and hemichannel, and N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors (NMDARs), especially the phosphorylated NMDAR 2B subunit (NR2B) phosphorylated NR2B (p-NR2B) subunit are involved in BCP. However, the relationship between Cx43 and p-NR2B in BCP remains unclear. In the present study, we investigated the expressions of Cx43, glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP, a marker of astrocytes), and p-NR2B in the spinal dorsal horn (SDH) in a mouse model of BCP established by intra-femural inoculation of Lewis lung carcinoma (LLC) cells via intrathecal (ith) injection of the GJ/hemichannel blocker carbenoxolone (CARB) and the NMDAR antagonist MK801, respectively. We found that the characters of BCP were mimicked by intra-femural inoculation of LLC cells in mice, and the expressions of Cx43, GFAP and p-NR2B in BCP mice were remarkably increased in a time-dependent manner from day 7 to day 21 after cell inoculation with a gradual aggravate in spontaneous pain and mechanical allodynia. Furthermore, Cx43 was predominantly expressed in the spinal astrocytes. Both CARB and MK801 inhibited the expressions of Cx43, GFAP and p-NR2B with attenuated pain hypersensitivity in BCP mice. In addition, Cx43 was co-localized with p-NR2B in the SDH, which further evidenced the presence of functional NR2B in the spinal astrocytes in BCP mice. Our findings demonstrate that inhibition of Cx43 and p-NR2B in spinal astrocytes could attenuate BCP in mice and Cx43 and p-NR2B in the astrocytes of the SDH may play an important role via their combination action in the development and maintenance of BCP in mice. These results may provide a potential therapeutic target in the prevention and/or treatment of BCP.