Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Role of FLT3 in the proliferation and aggressiveness of hepatocellular carcinoma.

BACKGROUND/AIM Previously we showed that Fms-like tyrosine kinase (FLT3) changes its cellular localization upon partial hepatectomy, suggesting a role in liver regeneration. FLT3 was also shown to play an important function in cellular proliferation and activation of PI3K and Ras. Thus, we aimed to investigate the role of FLT3 in hepatocellular tumorigenesis utilizing in vitro and in vivo models. MATERIALS AND METHODS We used Snu398 cells that express FLT3. We investigated these cells' in vitro proliferation and invasion abilities by treatment with the FLT3 inhibitor K-252a or by knocking-down with FLT3 shRNA,. Furthermore, the effect of blocking FLT3 activity and expression during in vivo tumorigenesis was assessed with xenograft models. RESULTS After K-252a treatment or stable knock-down, these cells' proliferation and migration abilities were highly diminished in vitro. In addition, significant diminution in tumorigenicity of Snu398 cells was also obtained in vivo. When FLT3 knocked-down Snu398 cells were injected into nude mice, we did not detect αSMA expression in these tumors, suggesting a role for FLT3 in in vivo invasiveness. CONCLUSION Our data provided evidence that FLT3 has a crucial role both in hepatocarcinogenesis and its invasiveness. Therefore, targeting FLT3 and/or its activity may be a promising tool for combating hepatocellular carcinomas.
Housing Relocation Policy and Violence

This article summarizes and reviews the cross-discipline literature on violent crime in destination neighborhoods postrelocation in order to build a more comprehensive picture of risk factors for violence, as well as how and why housing policies influence risk of violence. High rates of violent crime continue to be a persistent problem in areas of concentrated poverty and public housing. Modern housing programs such as Moving to Opportunity and Housing Opportunities for People Everywhere are popular interventions for reducing the density of low-income people receiving public housing assistance by relocating residents of distressed housing projects. However, evidence suggests that relocated residents may not experience less violence or improved safety in their new communities.
Determination of reticulo-rumen and whole-stomach digestion in lactating cows by omasal canal or duodenal sampling

Four ruminally and duodenally cannulated multiparous Finnish Ayrshire cows were fed on diets consisting of grass silage (0·6 kg/kg DM) and one of four concentrates: barley, barley + urea, barley + rapeseed meal and barley + rapeseed cake. The objective of the present study was to compare omasal canal and duodenal digesta flows. Values for digesta flow into the omasal canal and duodenum were determined using a triple-marker method based on Co-EDTA, Yb-acetate and indigestible neutral-detergent fibre (NDF) markers. Microbial non-NH3 N (NAN) flow was assessed by purine flow. Microbial samples to determine the bacterial purine: N ratio were harvested from the rumen, omasum and duodenum. Organic matter flow was significantly lower into the omasum than the duodenum, indicating an endogenous organic matter secretion into the abomasum. In contrast, NDF and acid-detergent fibre flows were significantly higher into the omasum indicating digestion of fibre in the omasum. Microbial NAN flows were significantly different (P < 0·001) when estimates were based on bacterial samples harvested from different sites. Differences in total NAN, microbial NAN and dietary NAN flows entering the omasal canal and duodenum were non-significant. The results indicated that the omasal sampling technique provides a promising alternative to the duodenal sampling technique to investigate forestomach digestion in dairy cows and offers an alternative means to study rumen N metabolism.
A Multi Patch Warping Approach for Improved Stereo Block Matching

Stereo cameras are a suitable solution for reconstructing the 3D information of the observed scenes, and, because of their low price and ease to set up and operate, they can be used in a wide area of applications, ranging from autonomous driving to advanced driver assistance systems or robotics. Due to the high quality of the results, energy based reconstruction methods like semi global matching have gained a lot of popularity in recent years. The disadvantages of semi global matching are the large memory footprint and the high computational complexity. In contrast, window based matching methods have a lower complexity, and are leaner with respect to the memory consumption. The downside of block matching methods is that they are more error prone, especially on surfaces which are not parallel to the image plane. In this paper we present a novel block matching scheme that improves the quality of local stereo correspondence algorithms. The first contribution of the paper consists in an original method for reliably reconstructing the environment on slanted surfaces. The second contribution consists in the creation of set of local constraints that filter out possible outlier disparity values. The third and final contribution consists in the creation of a refinement technique which improves the resulted disparity map. The proposed stereo correspondence approach has been validated on the KITTI stereo dataset.
Death, Dying, and the ICU Nurse

Death is a natural progression from life. Most nurses will be exposed to the physical and emotional effects of this experience as they care for a dying patient. The nurse is taught how to provide support for the patient and family as they proceed through the stages of grief. Often, however the nurse may not realize his or her own need to grieve.
Geometrical Consistent Clustering of Linear Subspaces

The perception of rigid-bodies from affine views of moving 3D point clouds, boils down to clustering the rigid motion subspaces supported by the image trajectories. For a physically meaningful interpretation, clusters must be consistent with the geometry of the underlying subspaces. We find that proper subspace clustering requires invariance both to the orthogonal and the inclusion relationship between subspaces. Most of the existing measures for subspace comparison do not comply with this observation. A practical consequence is that methods based on such (dis)similarities are unstable when the number of rigid bodies increase. This paper introduces the Normalized Subspace Inclusion ( NSI) criterion to resolve these issues. Combining it with a robust segmentation method, we propose a robust methodology for rigid motion segmentation, and test it, extensively, on the Hopkins155 database. The geometric consistency of the NSI assures the method’s accuracy when the number of rigid bodies increases, while robustness proves to be suitable for dealing with challenging imaging conditions.
Constitutive activation of FLT3 in acute myeloid leukaemia and its consequences for growth of 32D cells

The receptor tyrosine kinase Flt3 is expressed on leukaemic blasts of most cases with acute myeloid leukaemia (AML). In order to evaluate the presence and significance of constitutive activation of Flt3 for leukaemogenesis, we (1) analysed the expression and activation status of the receptor in AML blasts; and (2) evaluated the functional consequences of constitutively active Flt3 in a myeloid progenitor cell line. Immunoprecipitation studies revealed Flt3 expression in a high proportion of AML cases (27/32) with ligand‐dependent Flt3 autophosphorylation in 18, constitutive autophosphorylation in three and no autophosphorylation in six cases. Only one out of three samples with constitutively active Flt3 but 3/18 samples with ligand‐dependent autophosphorylated Flt3 contained the recently described internal tandem repeat (ITR) mutations. To test the significance of Flt3 activation in myeloid cell function, we also characterized the biochemical and biological effects of the activating mutation D838V of Flt3 (FLt3D838V) on the factor‐dependent myeloid progenitor cell line 32Dcl3: cells transfected with wild‐type Flt3 (32D/Flt3) grew FLt3 ligand (FL) dependent, and the receptor was ligand dependently autophosphorylated. In contrast, the receptor was constitutively autophosphorylated in 32D/Flt3D838V cells, which grew independently of FL. We conclude that, in some AML samples, Flt3 is constitutively activated and that this does not correlate with ITR mutations in the juxtamembrane domain. Furthermore, constitutively active Flt3 confers factor independence to the myeloid progenitor cell line 32D. It remains to be determined whether activation of Flt3 is leukaemogenic in vivo and whether strategies aimed at inhibition of Flt3 activation could inhibit leukaemogenesis.
Integrated LTCC Pressure/Flow/Temperature Multisensor for Compressed Air Diagnostics†

We present a multisensor designed for industrial compressed air diagnostics and combining the measurement of pressure, flow, and temperature, integrated with the corresponding signal conditioning electronics in a single low-temperature co-fired ceramic (LTCC) package. The developed sensor may be soldered onto an integrated electro-fluidic platform by using standard surface mount device (SMD) technology, e.g., as a standard electronic component would be on a printed circuit board, obviating the need for both wires and tubes and thus paving the road towards low-cost integrated electro-fluidic systems. Several performance aspects of this device are presented and discussed, together with electronics design issues.
The Role of Drosophila Mushroom Body Signaling in Olfactory Memory

The mushroom bodies of the Drosophila brain are important for olfactory learning and memory. To investigate the requirement for mushroom body signaling during the different phases of memory processing, we transiently inactivated neurotransmission through this region of the brain by expressing a temperature-sensitive allele of the shibire dynamin guanosine triphosphatase, which is required for synaptic transmission. Inactivation of mushroom body signaling through α/β neurons during different phases of memory processing revealed a requirement for mushroom body signaling during memory retrieval, but not during acquisition or consolidation.
Decrease in sick leave among patients with rheumatoid arthritis in the first 12 months after start of treatment with tumour necrosis factor antagonists: a population-based controlled cohort study

Objective To investigate the effect of tumour necrosis factor (TNF) antagonist treatment of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) on sick leave (SL) and disability pension (DP) in a population-based setting in southern Sweden. Methods All patients with RA in the South Swedish Arthritis Treatment Group register living in the county of Skåne (population 1.2 million), who started their first treatment with a TNF antagonist between January 2004 and December 2007 and were 18–58 years at treatment start (n=365), were identified. For each patient with RA, four matched reference subjects from the general population were randomly selected. Data were linked to the Swedish Social Insurance Agency register and the point prevalence of SL and DP as well as days of SL and DP per month were calculated from 360 days before until 360 days after treatment start. Results At treatment start 38.6% of the patients with RA were registered for SL. During the first 6 months this share dropped to 28.5% (decrease by 26.2%, p<0.001). This level remained stable throughout the first treatment year. Comparing patients with RA to the reference group the relative risk of being on SL was 6.6 (95% CI 5.2 to 8.5) at initiation of anti-TNF treatment and 5.2 (95% CI 4.0 to 6.8) 1 year after that. The corresponding figures for DP were 3.4 (95% CI 2.7 to 4.2) and 3.2 (95% CI 2.7 to 3.9). Conclusions There was a marked decline in SL during the first 6 months of TNF antagonist treatment in patients with RA in southern Sweden, maintained throughout the first year, which was not offset by a corresponding increase in DP.
The Neurobiology of Trust

Abstract: This is the first report that endogenous oxytocin in humans is related to social behaviors, which is consistent with a large animal literature. Subjects are put into a social dilemma in which absent communication, cooperative behavior can benefit both parties randomly assigned to a dyad. The dilemma arises because one participant must make a monetary sacrifice to signal the degree of trust in the other before the other's behavioral response is known. We show that receipt of a signal of trust is associated with a higher level of peripheral oxytocin than that in subjects receiving a random monetary transfer of the same average amount. Oxytocin levels were also related to trustworthy behavior (sharing a greater proportion of the monetary gains). We conclude that oxytocin may be part of the human physiology that motivates cooperation.
Organizational Justice and Organizational Citizenship Behavior: A Study of Public Sector Organizations in Western Province, Sri Lanka

Although, the study of organizational justice has increased markedly in the past few years, little work has focused on the impact of justice perceptions on organizational citizenship behaviour. This study examines the impact from perceptions of fairness on organizational citizenship behaviors in 102 sample drawn from four public sector organizations in western province, Sri Lanka. A theoretical basis for a relationship between fairness and citizenship was drawn from equity theory and other theories of social exchange. Findings of the study revealed that that there is an impact from distribute, procedural and interactional justice on employee citizenship behavior and further, as a whole there is a significant impact from Organizational justice on Employee citizenship behaviour.
An HRI Approach to Learning from Demonstration

The goal of this research is to enable robots to learn new things from everyday people. For years, the AI and Robotics community has sought to enable robots to efficiently learn new skills from a knowledgeable human trainer, and prior work has focused on several important technical problems. This vast amount of research in the field of robot Learning by Demonstration has by and large only been evaluated with expert humans, typically the system’s designer. Thus, neglecting a key point that this interaction takes place within a social structure that can guide and constrain the learning problem. We believe that addressing this point will be essential for developing systems that can learn from everyday people that are not experts in Machine Learning or Robotics. Our work focuses on new research questions involved in letting robots learn from everyday human partners (e.g., What kind of input do people want to provide a machine learner? How does their mental model of the learning process affect this input? What interfaces and interaction mechanisms can help people provide better input from a machine learning perspective? ) Often our research begins with an investigation into the feasibility of a particular machine learning interaction, which leads to a series of research questions around re-designing both the interaction and the algorithm to better suit learning with end-users. We believe this equal focus on both the Machine Learning and the HRI contributions are key to making progress toward the goal of machines learning from humans. In this abstract we briefly overview four different projects that highlight our HRI approach to the problem of Learning from Demonstration.
The Greenspan Put

How credible is the widely held belief that Federal Reserve supports the markets. While this "Greenspan Put" has received much public attention there is little empirical evidence that documents its existence and significance. In this paper, we exploit the time-series variation in the Fed Funds Rate (FFR) to detect and quantify the size of the "Greenspan Put". We find that during the periods when the fed funds rate is below the benchmark implied by the Taylor Rule, traded equity put options are valued significantly lower compared to periods when fed funds rate is at or above its benchmark. These deviations from the Taylor Rule also create moral hazard as out of the money call options exhibit higher prices during the period when fed funds rate is below its Taylor Rule benchmark. Finally, we document that the magnitude of the "Greenspan Put" has declined after the Financial Crisis.
Transformation of Industrial Dyes by Manganese Peroxidases from Bjerkandera adusta and Pleurotus eryngii in a Manganese-Independent Reaction

ABSTRACT We investigated the transformation of six industrial azo and phthalocyanine dyes by ligninolytic peroxidases from Bjerkandera adusta and other white rot fungi. The dyes were not oxidized or were oxidized very little by Phanerochaete chrysosporiummanganese peroxidase (MnP) or by a chemically generated Mn3+-lactate complex. Lignin peroxidase (LiP) from B. adusta also showed low activity with most of the dyes, but the specific activities increased 8- to 100-fold when veratryl alcohol was included in the reaction mixture, reaching levels of 3.9 to 9.6 U/mg. The B. adusta and Pleurotus eryngii MnP isoenzymes are unusual because of their ability to oxidize aromatic compounds like 2,6-dimethoxyphenol and veratryl alcohol in the absence of Mn2+. These MnP isoenzymes also decolorized the azo dyes and the phthalocyanine complexes in an Mn2+-independent manner. The reactions with the dyes were characterized by apparentKm values ranging from 4 to 16 μM and specific activities ranging from 3.2 to 10.9 U/mg. Dye oxidation by these peroxidases was not increased by adding veratryl alcohol as it was in LiP reactions. Moreover, the reaction was inhibited by the presence of Mn2+, which in the case of Reactive Black 5, an azo dye which is not oxidized by the Mn3+-lactate complex, was found to act as a noncompetitive inhibitor of dye oxidation byB. adusta MnP1.
Object-Based Analysis and Fusion of Optical and SAR Satellite Data for Dwelling Detection in Refugee Camps

This study investigates the potential of very high spatial resolution (VHSR) optical WorldView-2 (WV-2) and single-polarized TerraSAR-X (TSX) synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellite data for an automated detection of different dwelling types in a refugee camp by means of object-based image analysis (OBIA). First, the optical data and SAR data are analyzed independently, and then a fusion of both data sets is performed applying two different approaches: 1) an overlay operation-based procedure integrating the independent results of the optical- and SAR-based dwelling detection, and 2) a feature-based analysis approach taking advantage of the conjoint analysis of both data sets. The results of the single-sensor and the data fusion approaches are evaluated in detail on the basis of object-based and area-based accuracy assessments. Advantages and limitations of the analysis approaches are discussed. The accuracy rates reveal that the use of optical satellite data shows promising results regardless of the dwelling material, while the SAR data are suitable for the detection of metal sheet dwellings only. In complex camp areas, with closely spaced containers, the results of the independent analyses can be improved significantly by the proposed fusion approaches. The combination of SAR and optical data allows for the separation of contiguous dwellings in cases this was not possible by the optical sensor information
Comparison of Turkey’s renewable energy performance with OECD and BRICS countries by multiple criteria

ABSTRACT The aim of this study is to measure renewable energy performance among countries and to examine Turkey’s position. The performance evaluation of 33 OECD (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development) and BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa) countries is conducted over the period 2009–2013. The analyses are based on data envelopment analysis (DEA) combined with the Malmquist productivity index (MPI) allowing for distinctions between efficiency and technical improvements over time. The results obtained show that the performance of the countries as a whole improved by 15% over the period. Generally, countries in OECD have higher average performance from those of BRICS and Turkey. As a member of OECD, Turkey should either produce more proper energy policies or implement its regulations in a strict manner in order to increase its performance. More discussions and implications are presented in the paper.
The Usefulness of Preoperative 18FDG Positron-Emission Tomography and Computed Tomography for Predicting the Malignant Potential of Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors

Background: Gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) are the most common mesenchymal tumors of the gastrointestinal tract. The tumor size and mitotic count, typical risk category factors, are difficult to determine preoperatively. This study aimed to evaluate the usefulness of preoperative 18F-fluoro-2-deoxyglucose positron-emission tomography/computed tomography (18FDG-PET/CT) for predicting the malignant potential of GISTs by analyzing the correlation between the maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax) and postoperative factors. Methods: Thirty consecutive patients underwent surgery after preoperative 18FDG-PET/CT and were diagnosed with pathologically confirmed GIST. The tumor size, mitotic count, MIB-1 index and National Institutes of Health (NIH) risk category were compared with SUVmax. Results: Significant correlations between SUVmax and tumor size and NIH risk category were determined. The sensitivity and specificity of SUVmax for predicting the risk of malignancy were 85.7 and 62.5%, respectively. The optimal cut-off value for SUVmax was 3.0 between patients classified into low-risk and high-risk malignancy groups. There was no significant correlation between SUVmax and mitotic count or MIB-1 index. Multivariate analysis indicated that SUVmax was the only predictive risk factor in the high-risk malignancy group. Conclusions: 18FDG-PET/CT is useful for assessing the malignant potential and bioactivity of GISTs. When SUVmax is >3.0, the tumor must be resected even if it measures <2 cm, because of its high malignant potential.
PV powered soft switched boost converter using MPPT control

This paper introduces a fully soft switched boost converter powered from a solar panel. The new converter topology adds an auxiliary network to the conventional boost converter. This network includes one inductor, one capacitor, one diode and one switch. In this converter, the turned on and turned off process of all the switches are either at zero current or at zero voltage. A Maximum Power Point Tracking algorithm is used to control this converter. By using this algorithm the ineffectiveness of solar panel during partially shaded conditions can be eliminated. This paper uses Incremental Conductance Maximum Power Point Tacking algorithm.