Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Matrix stiffness mediates stemness characteristics via activating the Yes‐associated protein in colorectal cancer cells

Matrix stiffness is an essential physical microenvironment in solid cancer. However, its influence on cancer stemness still remains elusive. Colorectal cancer (CRC) cell line HCT‐116 was cultured in the matrix with various stiffness. The siYAP was applied to detect the changes of stemness markers. The cancer stemness markers, Yes‐associated protein (YAP), Lamin A/C and downstream protein molecules, and their activation were measured after the treatment with anti‐β1‐integrin and FAK inhibitors. In CRC tissue samples, collagen deposition and the expression of α‐SMA and CD133 were detected. The study found that the expression level of stemness markers and Lamin A/C increased as the matrix stiffness raised and was regulated by YAP activation in CRC stem cells. Inhibition of β1‐integrin and FAK activation in a high stiffness cell culture medium significantly decreased the activation of YAP, PI3K, and AKT. Collagen was highly deposited in the CRC invasive tumor front (ITF), and the expression of CD133 was higher in ITF compared with normal tissue and the tumor cells. Moreover, the expression level of α‐SMA was positively correlated with CD133 expression level. Together, our results suggest that activation of YAP in CRC plays an important role in the promotion of cancer stem cell properties by extracellular matrix stiffness in CRC.
Smartwatch-Based Legitimate User Identification for Cloud-Based Secure Services

Smartphones are ubiquitously integrated into our home and work environment and users frequently use them as the portal to cloud-based secure services. Since smartphones can easily be stolen or coopted, the advent of smartwatches provides an intriguing platform legitimate user identification for applications like online banking and many other cloud-based services. However, to access security-critical online services, it is highly desirable to accurately identifying the legitimate user accessing such services and data whether coming from the cloud or any other source. Such identification must be done in an automatic and non-bypassable way. For such applications, this work proposes a two-fold feasibility study; (1) activity recognition and (2) gait-based legitimate user identification based on individual activity. To achieve the above-said goals, the first aim of this work was to propose a semicontrolled environment system which overcomes the limitations of users’ age, gender, and smartwatch wearing style. The second aim of this work was to investigate the ambulatory activity performed by any user. Thus, this paper proposes a novel system for implicit and continuous legitimate user identification based on their behavioral characteristics by leveraging the sensors already ubiquitously built into smartwatches. The design system gives legitimate user identification using machine learning techniques and multiple sensory data with 98.68% accuracy.
Use of the SAR Shadowing Effect for Deforestation Detection with Sentinel-1 Time Series

To detect deforestation using Earth Observation (EO) data, widely used methods are based on the detection of temporal changes in the EO measurements within the deforested patches. In this paper, we introduce a new indicator of deforestation obtained from synthetic aperture radar (SAR) images, which relies on a geometric artifact that appears when deforestation happens, in the form of a shadow at the border of the deforested patch. The conditions for the appearance of these shadows are analyzed, as well as the methods that can be employed to exploit them to detect deforestation. The approach involves two steps: (1) detection of new shadows; (2) reconstruction of the deforested patch around the shadows. The launch of Sentinel-1 in 2014 has opened up opportunities for a potential exploitation of this approach in large-scale applications. A deforestation detection method based on this approach was tested in a 600,000 ha site in Peru. A detection rate of more than 95% is obtained for samples larger than 0.4 ha, and the method was found to perform better than the optical-based UMD-GLAD Forest Alert dataset both in terms of spatial and temporal detection. Further work needed to exploit this approach at operational levels is discussed.
Robust interferon signature and suppressed tissue repair gene expression in synovial tissue from patients with postinfectious, Borrelia burgdorferi‐induced Lyme arthritis

In most patients with Lyme arthritis (LA), antibiotic therapy results in Borrelia burgdorferi pathogen elimination, tissue repair, and return to homeostasis. However, despite spirochetal killing, some patients develop proliferative synovitis, characterised by synovial hyperplasia, inflammation, vascular damage, and fibrosis that persists for months to several years after antibiotic treatment, called postinfectious LA. In this study, we characterised the transcriptomes of postinfectious LA patients' synovial tissue, the target tissue of the immune response. High‐throughput RNA sequencing to a depth of ~30 million reads per sample was used to profile gene expression in synovial tissue from 14 patients with postinfectious LA, compared with eight patients with other types of chronic inflammatory arthritis and five with minimally inflammatory osteoarthritis (OA). Synovium from postinfectious LA and other inflammatory arthritides shared gene signatures associated with antigen presentation, innate immune responses, and cell‐mediated immune activation, whereas these responses were diminished in OA synovium. Unique to postinfectious LA was a particularly robust interferon‐gamma (IFNγ) signature. Moreover, this heightened IFNγ signature inversely correlated with expression of genes involved in repair of damaged tissue, including genes associated with stromal cell proliferation and differentiation, neovascularisation, and extracellular matrix synthesis, which were markedly suppressed in postinfectious LA. Transcriptional observations were confirmed by cytokine profiling, histologic analyses, and clinical correlations. We propose that in patients with postinfectious LA, overexpression of IFNγ in synovium prevents appropriate repair of tissue damaged by B. burgdorferi infection, blocking return to tissue homeostasis long after completion of antibiotic therapy and resolution of active infection.
Endothelial AMP-Activated Kinase α1 Phosphorylates eNOS on Thr495 and Decreases Endothelial NO Formation

AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) is frequently reported to phosphorylate Ser1177 of the endothelial nitric-oxide synthase (eNOS), and therefore, is linked with a relaxing effect. However, previous studies failed to consistently demonstrate a major role for AMPK on eNOS-dependent relaxation. As AMPK also phosphorylates eNOS on the inhibitory Thr495 site, this study aimed to determine the role of AMPKα1 and α2 subunits in the regulation of NO-mediated vascular relaxation. Vascular reactivity to phenylephrine and acetylcholine was assessed in aortic and carotid artery segments from mice with global (AMPKα−/−) or endothelial-specific deletion (AMPKαΔEC) of the AMPKα subunits. In control and AMPKα1-depleted human umbilical vein endothelial cells, eNOS phosphorylation on Ser1177 and Thr495 was assessed after AMPK activation with thiopental or ionomycin. Global deletion of the AMPKα1 or α2 subunit in mice did not affect vascular reactivity. The endothelial-specific deletion of the AMPKα1 subunit attenuated phenylephrine-mediated contraction in an eNOS- and endothelium-dependent manner. In in vitro studies, activation of AMPK did not alter the phosphorylation of eNOS on Ser1177, but increased its phosphorylation on Thr495. Depletion of AMPKα1 in cultured human endothelial cells decreased Thr495 phosphorylation without affecting Ser1177 phosphorylation. The results of this study indicate that AMPKα1 targets the inhibitory phosphorylation Thr495 site in the calmodulin-binding domain of eNOS to attenuate basal NO production and phenylephrine-induced vasoconstriction.
How becoming a mother shapes implicit and explicit responses to infant cues

This study (a) investigates effects of the transition to motherhood on implicit and explicit responses to infant cues; (b) assesses influences of prior parenting and delivery experiences on implicit and explicit responses to infant cues; and (c) investigates relations between implicit and explicit responses to infant cues and parenting beliefs. A total of 45 pregnant women were followed from the sixth month of pregnancy to the third month after the childbirth and were administered a Single Category Implicit Association Test, a semantic differential scale, the Adult Parental Acceptance-Rejection scale, and the Parental Style Questionnaire. The transition to motherhood influenced explicit not implicit responses; only implicit responses were shaped by prior parenting experiences and mode of delivery; and parenting beliefs were related in independent and different ways to implicit and explicit evaluations. These findings indicate that implicit responses are valid and meaningful indices of maternal responsiveness to infants.
Blood Coagulation Testing Smartphone Platform Using Quartz Crystal Microbalance Dissipation Method

Blood coagulation function monitoring is important for people who are receiving anticoagulation treatment and a portable device is needed by these patients for blood coagulation self-testing. In this paper, a novel smartphone based blood coagulation test platform was proposed. It was developed based on parylene-C coated quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) dissipation measuring and analysis. The parylene-C coating constructed a robust and adhesive surface for fibrin capturing. The dissipation factor was obtained by measuring the frequency response of the sensor. All measured data were sent to a smartphone via Bluetooth for dissipation calculation and blood coagulation results computation. Two major coagulation indexes, activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT) and prothrombin time (PT) were measured on this platform compared with results by a commercial hemostasis system in a clinical laboratory. The measurement results showed that the adjusted R-square (R2) value for APTT and PT measurements were 0.985 and 0.961 respectively. The QCM dissipation method for blood coagulation measurement was reliable and effective and the platform together with the QCM dissipation method was a promising solution for point of care blood coagulation testing.
Assessment of the mutagenic potential of para‐chloroaniline and aniline in the liver, spleen, and bone marrow of Big Blue® rats with micronuclei analysis in peripheral blood

Splenic tumors have been reported in rat cancer bioassays with para‐chloroaniline (PCA) and aniline. Development of these tumors is hypothesized to be due to hematotoxicity via the formation of methemoglobin (MetHb) and not direct DNA reactivity. To evaluate the mode of action (MOA) for tumor formation a transgenic rodent (TGR) in vivo gene mutation assay in Big Blue® TgF344 rats was performed with parallel micronuclei analysis in peripheral blood. Male rats were gavaged daily for 28 d to 0.5, 15, and 60 mg/kg PCA and 100 mg/kg aniline, the base molecular structure of PCA. On test day 10, the 60 mg/kg PCA dose was reduced to 30 mg/kg due to toxicity. On test day 4 and 29 peripheral blood micronucleus analysis was performed and on test day 29 clinical chemistry, hematology, and MetHb measurements were taken. At study termination, on test day 31, spleen, bone marrow, and liver (control tissue) were analyzed for cII transgene mutant frequency (MF). Repeat gavage exposure to PCA and aniline for 28 d did not produce an increase in cII transgene MF in analyzed tissues. An increase in micronuclei was seen at both time points at ≥15 mg/kg PCA and 100 mg/kg aniline. At the same dose levels, significant reductions in red blood cells, increases in absolute reticulocytes (ABRET), and increased levels of MetHb were observed. Together these results support that generation of micronuclei and tumorigenicity following exposure to PCA and aniline is due to compensatory mechanisms (e.g. increased cellular turnover) and not direct DNA reactivity. Environ. Mol. Mutagen. 59:785–797, 2018. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Selection Facilitation Schemes for Predictive Touch with Mid-air Pointing Gestures in Automotive Displays

Predictive touch is an HMI technology that relies on inferring, early in the pointing gesture, the interface item a driver or passenger intends to select on an in-vehicle display [1, 2]. It simplifies and expedites the selection task, thereby reducing the associated interaction effort. This paper presents two studies on drivers using predictive touch and focuses on evaluating the best means to facilitate selecting the intended on-display item. This includes immediate midair selection with the system autonomously auto-selecting the predicted interface component, hover/dwell and drivers pressing a button on the steering wheel to execute the selection action. These were arrived at in an expert workshop study with twelve participants. The results of the subsequent evaluation study with twenty four participants demonstrate, using quantitative and qualitative measures, that immediate mid-air selection is a promising assistive scheme, where drivers need not touch a physical surface to select interface components, thus touch-free control.
The Role of Trauma Video Review in Optimizing Patient Care

Trauma video review allows for monitoring of performance improvement initiatives, leadership skills, system process issues, and guideline compliance. Despite the well-documented benefits, there are persistent barriers to its use including patient privacy concerns, cost, and provider anxiety. Optimizing implementation by ensuring that informed consent processes are in place, as well as a structured peer review process, can help trauma centers overcome these hurdles. Trauma video review is a unique and beneficial tool that helps tie patient care to quantifiable data, as well as serves as a platform for education opportunities.
Degenerate PCR Primers to Reveal the Diversity of Giant Viruses in Coastal Waters

“Megaviridae” is a proposed family of giant viruses infecting unicellular eukaryotes. These viruses are ubiquitous in the sea and have impact on marine microbial community structure and dynamics through their lytic infection cycle. However, their diversity and biogeography have been poorly characterized due to the scarce detection of Megaviridae sequences in metagenomes, as well as the limitation of reference sequences used to design specific primers for this viral group. Here, we propose a set of 82 degenerated primers (referred to as MEGAPRIMER), targeting DNA polymerase genes (polBs) of Megaviridae. MEGAPRIMER was designed based on 921 Megaviridae polBs from sequenced genomes and metagenomes. By applying this primer set to environmental DNA meta-barcoding of a coastal seawater sample, we report 5595 non-singleton operational taxonomic units (OTUs) of Megaviridae at 97% nucleotide sequence identity. The majority of the OTUs were found to form diverse clades, which were phylogenetically distantly related to known viruses such as Mimivirus. The Megaviridae OTUs detected in this study outnumber the giant virus OTUs identified in previous individual studies by more than an order of magnitude. Hence, MEGAPRIMER represents a useful tool to study the diversity of Megaviridae at the population level in natural environments.
Factors Associated with Caregiver Burden in Primary Caregivers of Patients with Adolescent Scoliosis: A Descriptive Cross-Sectional Study

Background Primary caregivers for patients with scoliosis suffer from considerable distress and burden. However, a few studies have examined the factors related to burden of caregivers of patients with adolescent scoliosis, particularly in China. Therefore, the present study aimed to identify patient and caregiver characteristics associated with caregiver burden. Material/Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted in a sample comprising 87 pairs of patients with adolescent scoliosis and their primary caregivers from July 2014 to October 2016 in Xi’an, China. Patients and their primary caregivers were administered a sociodemographic questionnaire. The caregiver burden, social support, and self-efficacy were assessed using the Chinese version of the Zarit Burden Interview (ZBI), Social Support Rating Scale (SSRS), and General Self-Efficacy Scale (GSE). A multivariate analysis was used to evaluate the factors associated with caregiver burden. Results Most primary caregivers observed in this study were female (65.5%), with mothers of the patients accounting for 58.6% of all the caregivers. The ZBI score of primary caregivers was 36.83±13.30, and most caregivers (88.5%) had moderate or severe burden. The factors associated with caregiver burden were Cobb angle of patients, SSRS scores, GSE scores, and monthly household income per capita of the caregiver (R2=0.556; P<0.001). The identified significant factors explained nearly 56% of the variance in the caregiver burden. Conclusions The data indicated that most primary caregivers for patients with scoliosis had a considerable caregiver burden, and intervention of social support and self-efficacy might be helpful in reducing caregiver burden.
Evolution of ransomware

Cybercrime has long since transformed from a world of Maverick attackers to a criminal business. Ransomware is a malware that renders a victim's computer or data unusable and is increasingly being used by criminals to generate revenue through extortion. This study contributes to the authors' knowledge by exploring the transition from the early-day scams, to extortion implemented by current ransomware. They examine the pathway from the first clumsy ransomware attempts to the present day sophisticated ransomware attack campaigns. This Crypto-warfare now accounts for estimated damages of $1 billion. Considering the fact that many Internet users appear to be unaware of ransomware and do little to protect themselves, they argue that this low-impact extortion, using highly automated methods, has proven very rewarding for the criminals. As criminals have been early adopters (or abusers) of Internet technology, they expect that ransomware will continue to evolve beyond the capability of present day defence solutions.
Unobtrusive Vital Sign Monitoring in Automotive Environments—A Review

This review provides an overview of unobtrusive monitoring techniques that could be used to monitor some of the human vital signs (i.e., heart activity, breathing activity, temperature and potentially oxygen saturation) in a car seat. It will be shown that many techniques actually measure mechanical displacement, either on the body surface and/or inside the body. However, there are also techniques like capacitive electrocardiogram or bioimpedance that reflect electrical activity or passive electrical properties or thermal properties (infrared thermography). In addition, photopleythysmographic methods depend on optical properties (like scattering and absorption) of biological tissues and—mainly—blood. As all unobtrusive sensing modalities are always fragile and at risk of being contaminated by disturbances (like motion, rapidly changing environmental conditions, triboelectricity), the scope of the paper includes a survey on redundant sensor arrangements. Finally, this review also provides an overview of automotive demonstrators for vital sign monitoring.
Object-Based Image Analysis for Sago Palm Classification: The Most Important Features from High-Resolution Satellite Imagery

Sago palm (Metroxylon sagu) is a palm tree species originating in Indonesia. In the future, this starch-producing tree will play an important role in food security and biodiversity. Local governments have begun to emphasize the sustainable development of sago palm plantations; therefore, they require near-real-time geospatial information on palm stands. We developed a semi-automated classification scheme for mapping sago palm using machine learning within an object-based image analysis framework with Pleiades-1A imagery. In addition to spectral information, arithmetic, geometric, and textural features were employed to enhance the classification accuracy. Recursive feature elimination was applied to samples to rank the importance of 26 input features. A support vector machine (SVM) was used to perform classifications and resulted in the highest overall accuracy of 85.00% after inclusion of the eight most important features, including three spectral features, three arithmetic features, and two textural features. The SVM classifier showed normal fitting up to the eighth most important feature. According to the McNemar test results, using the top seven to 14 features provided a better classification accuracy. The significance of this research is the revelation of the most important features in recognizing sago palm among other similar tree species.
Adaptive timing model for improving routing and data aggregation in Internet of things networks using RPL

In dynamic network conditions, most routing protocols periodically send additional control messages, which allow the network to quickly adjust itself to topological changes and keep the routing table up to date. In resource-constrained devices, these communication overheads should be controlled in order to conserve battery. In this study, the authors focused mainly on routing protocol for low power and lossy network (RPL), IPv6 RPL networks, which is fully compatible with limited resources and Internet of things expectations. They proposed a dynamic method in order to extract the most suitable value for the frequency of executing the objective function which are rules governing how to construct a network graph. In this method, first nodal data is collected and aggregated along the path to the sink, and then a novel metric is used to determine the degree of the environmental changes and control the signalling overhead in RPL routing protocol. They evaluated their scheme with the Contiki operating system and Cooja simulator. They aimed to decrease the packet loss ratio, routing overhead and energy consumption. The simulation results showed the effectiveness of the proposed method.
Spider monkey optimisation based energy efficient clustering in heterogeneous underwater wireless sensor networks

Multi-hop propagation is not viable in Underwater Wireless Sensor Network that uses acoustic signals. It causes more energy drainage of the network nodes due to longer delays in signal propagation. Also, UWSN is prone to dynamic topology changes due to node mobility caused by water current. It leads to transmission errors, link loss, collisions and congestion, if not well handled. A clustering approach based on spider monkey optimisation (SMO) is proposed here that addresses these issues. The proposed approach is found to enhance the average network lifetime of nodes by 0.01579 J and achieves a network gain of 1.35%. Further a significant reduction in average delay of messaging packets by 19.82% is achieved. The proposed approach is far more optimised as it reduces the average hops between sender and receiver by 20%.