Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Necrosis-Avid Small Molecule HQ4-DTPA as a Multimodal Imaging Agent for Monitoring Radiation Therapy-Induced Tumor Cell Death

Purpose Most effective antitumor therapies induce tumor cell death. Non-invasive, rapid and accurate quantitative imaging of cell death is essential for monitoring early response to antitumor therapies. To facilitate this, we previously developed a biocompatible necrosis-avid near-infrared fluorescence (NIRF) imaging probe, HQ4, which was radiolabeled with 111Indium-chloride (111In-Cl3) via the chelate diethylene triamine pentaacetic acid (DTPA), to enable clinical translation. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the application of HQ4-DTPA for monitoring tumor cell death induced by radiation therapy. Apart from its NIRF and radioactive properties, HQ4-DTPA was also tested as a photoacoustic imaging probe to evaluate its performance as a multimodal contrast agent for superficial and deep tissue imaging. Materials and methods Radiation-induced tumor cell death was examined in a xenograft mouse model of human breast cancer (MCF-7). Tumors were irradiated with three fractions of 9 Gy each. HQ4-DTPA was injected intravenously after the last irradiation, NIRF and photoacoustic imaging of the tumors were performed at 12, 20, and 40 h after injection. Changes in probe accumulation in the tumors were measured in vivo, and ex vivo histological analysis of excised tumors was performed at experimental endpoints. In addition, biodistribution of radiolabeled [111In]DTPA-HQ4 was assessed using hybrid single-photon emission computed tomography–computed tomography (SPECT–CT) at the same time points. Results In vivo NIRF imaging demonstrated a significant difference in probe accumulation between control and irradiated tumors at all time points after injection. A similar trend was observed using in vivo photoacoustic imaging, which was validated by ex vivo tissue fluorescence and photoacoustic imaging. Serial quantitative radioactivity measurements of probe biodistribution further demonstrated increased probe accumulation in irradiated tumors. Conclusion HQ4-DTPA has high specificity for dead cells in vivo, potentiating its use as a contrast agent for determining the relative level of tumor cell death following radiation therapy using NIRF, photoacoustic imaging and SPECT in vivo. Initial preclinical results are promising and indicate the need for further evaluation in larger cohorts. If successful, such studies may help develop a new multimodal method for non-invasive and dynamic deep tissue imaging of treatment-induced cell death to quantitatively assess therapeutic response in patients.
Valence Focus and Arousal Focus: Individual Differences in the Structure of Affective Experience

The structure of affect is well represented as a circumplex. The results of a within-subject longitudinal study of self-reported mood indicate individual differences in the circumplex structure of affective experience. These differences can be captured by two constructs: valence focus and arousal focus. Valence focus is the degree to which individuals attend the hedonic component of their affective experience; arousal focus is the degree to which individuals attend the arousal component of their affective experience. In this study, differences in individuals' attention to the hedonic and arousal components of affective experience were related to observed correlations between specific affective elements, such as ( a) ratings of anxious and depressed mood and (b)Negative Affect and Positive Affect.
A composite framework for affective sensing

A system capable of interpreting affect from a speaking face must recognise and fuse signals from multiple cues. Building such a system requires the integration of software components to perform tasks such as image registration, video segmentation, speech recognition and classification. Such software components tend to be idiosyncratic, purpose-built, and driven by scripts and textual configuration files. Integrating components to achieve the necessary degree of flexibility to perform full multimodal affective recognition is challenging. We discuss the key requirements and describe a system to perform multimodal affect sensing which integrates such software components and meets these requirements.
Encoded multisite two-photon microscopy

The advent of scanning two-photon microscopy (2PM) has created a fertile new avenue for noninvasive investigation of brain activity in depth. One principal weakness of this method, however, lies with the limit of scanning speed, which makes optical interrogation of action potential-like activity in a neuronal network problematic. Encoded multisite two-photon microscopy (eMS2PM), a scanless method that allows simultaneous imaging of multiple targets in depth with high temporal resolution, addresses this drawback. eMS2PM uses a liquid crystal spatial light modulator to split a high-power femto-laser beam into multiple subbeams. To distinguish them, a digital micromirror device encodes each subbeam with a specific binary amplitude modulation sequence. Fluorescence signals from all independently targeted sites are then collected simultaneously onto a single photodetector and site-specifically decoded. We demonstrate that eMS2PM can be used to image spike-like voltage transients in cultured cells and fluorescence transients (calcium signals in neurons and red blood cells in capillaries from the cortex) in depth in vivo. These results establish eMS2PM as a unique method for simultaneous acquisition of neuronal network activity.
Professional learning in the lives of teachers: towards a new framework for conceptualising teacher learning

This interpretative study of teachers as learners explored the continuing professional learning of teachers in a range of Australian schools. While teacher learning is regarded as a cornerstone of school reform, knowledge of how and why teachers engage in ongoing learning is scant. Research participants completed an open-ended questionnaire about their professional learning experiences and participated in semi-structured interviews in which they shared their learning narratives. The study found three sets of major influences on teachers’ engagement with professional learning and the quality of that learning. These influences were isolation (both geographic and professional), cost (both educational and emotional), and the professional and personal life stages of teachers. A new descriptive framework through which to understand the intricate interconnections between teacher-learners, professional learning and learning contexts across teaching careers is proposed.
Flow Cytometry Assessment of In Vitro Generated CD138+ Human Plasma Cells

The in vitro CD40-CD154 interaction promotes human B lymphocytes differentiation into plasma cells. Currently, CD138 is the hallmark marker enabling the detection of human plasma cells, both in vitro and in vivo; its presence can be monitored by flow cytometry using a specific antibody. We have developed a culture system allowing for the differentiation of memory B lymphocytes. In order to detect the newly formed plasma cells, we have compared their staining using five anti-CD138 monoclonal antibodies (mAbs). As a reference, we also tested human cell lines, peripheral blood mononuclear cells, and bone marrow samples. The five anti-CD138 mAbs stained RPMI-8226 cells (>98%) with variable stain index (SI). The highest SI was obtained with B-A38 mAb while the lowest SI was obtained with DL-101 and 1D4 mAbs. However, the anti-CD138 mAbs were not showing equivalent CD138+ cells frequencies within the generated plasma cells. B-A38, B-B4, and MI-15 were similar (15–25%) while DL-101 mAb stained a higher proportion of CD138-positive cells (38–42%). DL-101 and B-A38 mAbs stained similar populations in bone marrow samples but differed in their capacity to bind to CD138high and CD138lo cell lines. In conclusion, such cellular fluctuations suggest heterogeneity in human plasma cell populations and/or in CD138 molecules.
Buffering Effects of Religiosity on Crime

Studies examining the protective effect of religiosity on crime are frequently rooted in the assumption that the impact of religiosity is invariant across sociodemographic differences. This study systematically examines the validity of this assumption across gender and the developmental periods of adolescence and young adulthood. Using a nationally representative sample of adolescents (n = 90,202) and young adults (n = 93,710), negative binomial regression (NBR) is employed to examine the associations between religiosity and criminal behaviors (e.g., drug selling, theft) among male and female adolescents and young adults. Results indicate that the protective relationship between religiosity and criminal behaviors such as drug selling and theft is consistent across gender as well as across the developmental periods of adolescence and young adulthood. This study provides support for the validity of the invariance hypothesis as the protective effect of religiosity on criminal behavior was consistently observed across important sociodemographic differences.
An implementation of a distributed service framework for cloud-based robot services

Recently, many ICT companies as well as researchers are taking an increasing interest in robot services using cloud computing, and various service platforms for them have been proposed. From these backgrounds, we have proposed a distributed service framework using Robot Service Network Protocol (RSNP) to integrate various devices including robots with internet services. The key mechanism of the proposed framework is a robot assignment function, which discovers distributed robot resources and assign the requested tasks by end users to suitable robots. In this paper, we implement a prototype system on the proposed framework, and conduct implementation evaluation using the system.
Topology Discovery in Dynamic and Decentralized Networks with Mobile Agents and Swarm Intelligence

Topology discovery is a key task for several computer network applications such as diagnosis, routing and network management. Traditional approaches for topology discovery cannot always be used in dynamic and decentralized networks, such as unstructured peer-to-peer networks and wireless ad hoc networks. This paper introduces a strategy based on mobile agents and swarm intelligence for topology discovery in such environments. The proposed strategy is inspired by ant colonies, employing simple agents that disseminate information about the topology and communicate through stigmergy. Experimental results show that the nodes obtain descriptions which are very close to the real network topology. It is also shown that the stigmergy-based method for the selection of agent destinations produces better results than a random selection, and that the number of agents can be dynamically adjusted as the size of the network changes.
Sensitivity of electric vehicles demand profile to the batteries departure state-of-charge

This paper focuses on the impacts of considering batteries state-of-charge (SOC) at the departure time on the demand modeling of plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs). Almost all of the previous researches assumed that PEVs batteries at the departure time are fully charged; however, this assumption is highly questionable because it is probable for a PEV to not be charged every day. The probability density function of a vehicle owners' willingness to fulfill the daily charging is extracted according to the initial SOC of a PEV and the estimated distance of its next trip. Afterwards, with the aim of considering the uncertainties with the associated random variables as well as properly adjusting vehicles SOC at the departure time, a Monte Carlo based multi loop (MCML) algorithm is developed which is composed of two loops, namely the inner loop and the outer loop. In order to implement the proposed stochastic method, a case study has been conducted employing the gathered datasets related to the ICE vehicles in Tehran. Appropriate Student's t copula functions have been fitted to the datasets in order to take into account the correlation structure among them as well as to generate the required random samples.
How did we learn best? A retrospective survey of clinical psychology training in the United Kingdom.

OBJECTIVES This U.K.-based study aimed to investigate qualified clinical psychologists' perceptions of the value and usefulness of the learning activities experienced during their training in clinical psychology. DESIGN Members (N = 357) of the Division of Clinical Psychology of the British Psychological Society (BPS) completed a self-report questionnaire about their training as clinical psychologists. RESULTS The results indicate that most clinical psychologists believe that they learnt mainly through doing and by observing others' clinical practice. They also highlight the importance of the learning relationship and the value of personal therapy for learning. CONCLUSIONS The findings point to the need for more training of trainers, especially clinical supervisors. They also draw attention to the need for more research to establish which learning activities contribute most / least to trainees' developing competence.
Clinical and laboratory features of human Plasmodium knowlesi infection.

BACKGROUND Plasmodium knowlesi is increasingly recognized as a cause of human malaria in Southeast Asia but there are no detailed prospective clinical studies of naturally acquired infections. METHODS In a systematic study of the presentation and course of patients with acute P. knowlesi infection, clinical and laboratory data were collected from previously untreated, nonpregnant adults admitted to the hospital with polymerase chain reaction-confirmed acute malaria at Kapit Hospital (Sarawak, Malaysia) from July 2006 through February 2008. RESULTS Of 152 patients recruited, 107 (70%) had P. knowlesi infection, 24 (16%) had Plasmodium falciparum infection, and 21 (14%) had Plasmodium vivax. Patients with P. knowlesi infection presented with a nonspecific febrile illness, had a baseline median parasitemia value at hospital admission of 1387 parasites/microL (interquartile range, 6-222,570 parasites/microL), and all were thrombocytopenic at hospital admission or on the following day. Most (93.5%) of the patients with P. knowlesi infection had uncomplicated malaria that responded to chloroquine and primaquine treatment. Based on World Health Organization criteria for falciparum malaria, 7 patients with P. knowlesi infection (6.5%) had severe infections at hospital admission. The most frequent complication was respiratory distress, which was present at hospital admission in 4 patients and developed after admission in an additional 3 patients. P. knowlesi parasitemia at hospital admission was an independent determinant of respiratory distress, as were serum creatinine level, serum bilirubin, and platelet count at admission (p < .002 for each). Two patients with knowlesi malaria died, representing a case fatality rate of 1.8% (95% confidence interval, 0.2%-6.6%). CONCLUSIONS Knowlesi malaria causes a wide spectrum of disease. Most cases are uncomplicated and respond promptly to treatment, but approximately 1 in 10 patients develop potentially fatal complications.
Enzymic interesterification of fats: Laboratory and pilot‐scale studies with immobilized lipase from Rhizopus arrhizus

An immobilized lipase suitable for fat interesterification has been prepared by precipitation with acetone of a commercial lipase from Rhizopus arrhizus onto diatomaceous earth. As observed previously with a less active enzyme from Aspergillus sp. , the interesterification activity was enhanced by addition of purified lipase or by high loadings of commercial enzyme. The interesterification activities reached maximum values in both cases. For immobilized preparations with purified enzyme, interesterification activity was also enhanced by the presence of a precoat of glutaraldehyde cross‐linked commercial lipase. A 2.9‐L column of immobilized lipase was used to interesterify batches of shea oleine (67 kg) and shea oil (40 kg). Little activity was lost processing shea oleine, but slow poisoning of the bed occurred when shea oil was fed to the column.
Inhibiting MDM2-p53 Interaction Suppresses Tumor Growth in Patient-Derived Non–Small Cell Lung Cancer Xenograft Models

Background: The tumor suppressor p53 is frequently inactivated in non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Activation of the p53 pathway by inhibition of its negative regulator MDM2 may offer an attractive approach for NSCLC therapy. We evaluated the antitumor activity of the small-molecule MDM2 inhibitor RG7388 in patient-derived xenograft (PDX) models of NSCLC. Methods: We investigated the effect of RG7388 treatment on cell proliferation, cell cycle arrest, and apoptosis using a panel of human NSCLC cell lines (A549, H157, H1650, H1395, and H358) and PDX cell lines (human lung cell lines 12, 137, 277, and 196). PDX-bearing mice were used to test the therapeutic efficacy and pharmacodynamic effects of RG7388 treatment. Results: We demonstrated that RG7388 promotes low nanomolar antiproliferative activity selectively in cell lines with wild-type p53 and p53 pathway activation, resulting in cell cycle arrest and apoptosis. In PDX models, oral administration of RG7388 led to potent dose-dependent and time-dependent activation of p53 and had a significant impact on p53 downstream targets. Daily treatment of RG7388 in mice at 50 and 80 mg/kg/day inhibited tumor growth in three wild-type p53 PDX models. Activation of the p53 pathway inhibited cell proliferation as observed by reduced Ki-67-positive cells in xenograft tumors. However, induction of apoptotic caspase activity was not observed in these tumors. Notably, RG7388 treatment remains effective in tumors lacking MDM2 amplification but expressing wild-type p53. Conclusions: MDM2 small-molecule inhibitor is effective in treating NSCLC tumors with wild-type p53, supporting further clinical investigation as a potential NSCLC therapy.
Quenching Revisited: Low Level Direct Current Inhibits Amygdala-Kindled Seizures

We have reported that low frequency stimulation (1 Hz for 15 min), applied after kindling stimulation of the amygdala, inhibited the development and expression of amygdala-kindled seizures, an effect we termed quenching. Subsequently, we discovered that this effect could only be achieved when certain stimulators were used that also emitted a low-level direct current (DC). The studies reported here indicate that DC, applied once daily for 15 min at intensities of 5-15 microA, produced an intensity-related attenuation of kindling development and an increase in the afterdischarge threshold. This effect persisted in some animals for at least 1 month after discontinuation of the DC. In fully kindled animals, a robust increase in seizure threshold and persistent seizure inhibition were also observed using 10 microA of DC administered for 14 days. These results clarify and extend our original findings of a quenching effect; however, the mechanisms by which low level DC induces quenching require further elucidation.
Predicting the expansion of an urban boundary using spatial logistic regression and hybrid raster–vector routines with remote sensing and GIS

This paper presents an urban growth boundary model (UGBM) which utilizes spatial logistic regression (SLR), remote sensing, and GIS to simulate the differentially expanding geometry of a dynamic urban boundary over decadal time periods. SLR is used as the core algorithm in a UGBM quantifying how biophysical factors influence the rate at which all edges of an urban boundary expand over time. Spatial drivers selected from a raster-based environment are used as input predictor variables to the SLR UGBM, the output response variable being the distance between time-separated urban boundary intersections along arcs extending radially from a point centered at the urban core relative to the maximum distance. Percent area match (PAM) quantity and location goodness-of-fit metrics, fit of the predicted distance versus observed distance, and the sensitivity of the SLR UGBM to the contribution of each predictor variable are used to assess the agreement between predicted and observed urban boundaries. The model is built, tested, and validated using satellite images of the city of Las Vegas, United States of America, collected in 1990, 2000, and 2010. We compare urban boundary simulation of full and reduced SLR UGBMs to a null UGBM lacking in specificity of predictor variables. Results indicate that the SLR UGBM has a better goodness of fit compared to a null UGBM using PAM quantity and location goodness-of-fit metrics. Then, we use the SLR UGBM to predict urban boundary expansion between the years 2000 and 2010 and describe how this model can be used to plan ahead for future boundary expansions given what is known about current edge conditions.
AMC radiation monitoring module for ATCA/μTCA based low level RF control system

Modern Advanced/Micro Telecommunications Computing Architecture (ATCA/μTCA) standards gain popularity, not only in telecommunication industry, but also in High Energy Physics (HEP) area. These platforms are considered as the future platform for Low Level RF (LLRF) control system of the X-ray Free Electron Laser (XFEL) project realized at DESY facility. One of the most important features of an ATCA/μTCA based control system is its high reliability, which can be decreased by negative influence of neutron and gamma radiation produced during normal operation of linear accelerators. The XFEL laser will be built in a single tunnel to decrease costs of the project. Therefore, the LLRF system will be exposed to harmful radiation. It is recommended to monitor doses absorbed by electronic equipment. The gathered data could help to estimate lifetime of electronic devices and to schedule essential equipment replacement. The radiation detector should be integrated with ATCA/μTCA system to allow measurements in close proximity of electronic, which helps to increase the accuracy of measurements. The paper describes a radiation monitoring module capable of monitoring gamma radiation and neutron fluence in real-time which fulfills the mentioned requirements and is designed in accordance with the AMC specification.