Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Aneuploidy vs. gene mutation hypothesis of cancer: recent study claims mutation but is found to support aneuploidy.

For nearly a century, cancer has been blamed on somatic mutation. But it is still unclear whether this mutation is aneuploidy, an abnormal balance of chromosomes, or gene mutation. Despite enormous efforts, the currently popular gene mutation hypothesis has failed to identify cancer-specific mutations with transforming function and cannot explain why cancer occurs only many months to decades after mutation by carcinogens and why solid cancers are aneuploid, although conventional mutation does not depend on karyotype alteration. A recent high-profile publication now claims to have solved these discrepancies with a set of three synthetic mutant genes that "suffices to convert normal human cells into tumorigenic cells. " However, we show here that even this study failed to explain why it took more than "60 population doublings" from the introduction of the first of these genes, a derivative of the tumor antigen of simian virus 40 tumor virus, to generate tumor cells, why the tumor cells were clonal although gene transfer was polyclonal, and above all, why the tumor cells were aneuploid. If aneuploidy is assumed to be the somatic mutation that causes cancer, all these results can be explained. The aneuploidy hypothesis predicts the long latent periods and the clonality on the basis of the following two-stage mechanism: stage one, a carcinogen (or mutant gene) generates aneuploidy; stage two, aneuploidy destabilizes the karyotype and thus initiates an autocatalytic karyotype evolution generating preneoplastic and eventually neoplastic karyotypes. Because the odds are very low that an abnormal karyotype will surpass the viability of a normal diploid cell, the evolution of a neoplastic cell species is slow and thus clonal, which is comparable to conventional evolution of new species.
The v-rel oncogene: insights into the mechanism of transcriptional activation, repression, and transformation

The v-rel oncogene product from the avian reticuloendotheliosis virus strain T corresponds to a member of the Rel-related family of enhancer-binding proteins that includes both the mammalian 50- and 65-kDa subunits of the NF-kappa B transcription factor complex. However, in contrast to NF-kappa B, v-Rel has been shown to function as a dominant-negative repressor of kappa B-dependent transcription in many mature cell types. We now demonstrate that a highly conserved motif within the Rel homology domain of v-Rel containing a consensus protein kinase A phosphorylation site is required for DNA binding, transcriptional repression, and cellular transformation mediated by this oncoprotein. However, replacement of the serine phosphate acceptor within the protein kinase A site with an alanine did not alter any of these functions of v-Rel, suggesting that phosphorylation at this site is not central to the regulation of this oncogene product. Rather, the inactive mutations appear to identify a functional domain within v-Rel required for these various biological activities. It is notable that these same mutations do not impair the ability of v-Rel to heterodimerize with the 50-kDa subunit of NF-kappa B, suggesting that v-Rel-mediated transcriptional repression likely involves direct nuclear blockade of the kappa B enhancer rather than indirect alterations in the composition of preformed cytoplasmic NF-kappa B complexes. Paradoxically, when introduced into undifferentiated F9 cells, v-Rel functions as a kappa B-specific transcriptional activator rather than as a dominant-negative repressor. These stimulatory effects of v-Rel require both the conserved protein kinase A phosphorylation site and additional unique C-terminal sequences not needed for v-Rel-mediated repression in mature cells. Retinoic acid-induced differentiation of these F9 cells restores the repressor function of v-Rel. These opposing biological actions of v-Rel occurring in cells at distinct stages of differentiation may have important implications for the mechanism of v-Rel-mediated transformation occurring in avian splenocytes.
Comparison of two multi-step ahead forecasting mechanisms for wind speed based on machine learning models

Accurate wind speed forecasts are important to the realtime optimization of wind farm operation and the scheduling of a power system. In the case of multi-step ahead forecasting, two mechanisms, namely, iterative and direct, are commonly adopted. In this paper, a comprehensive comparison study is presented on the applicability of these two methods, based on the wind speed datasets from three wind farms in China. Three representative machine learning models, linear regression (LR), multi-layer perceptron (MLP) and support vector machine (SVM) are developed, respectively. The results show that neither direct nor iterative forecasting can always outperform each other in terms of all the error measures. But in most cases, the performance of the direct forecasting is better than that of the iterative forecasting, especially when the prediction horizon is large and combined with the non-linear models (MLP or SVM).
Model-guided Line Drawing in the Chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes)

Two female chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) had been taught previously to draw straight lines on a touch-sensitive monitor with a method of electronic finger painting. Both subjects could accurately connect two guide dots on the monitor by placing the finger at one dot (startdot) and moving the finger over to the other dot (stopdot), thereby leaving a trace of "electronic ink" on the monitor that followed the orientation of the dots (horizontal, vertical, or diagonal). In Experiment 1, the subjects were connecting the two guide dots while a model (a 12-cm bar) was placed next to them. Probe trials tested whether this model would guide drawing when one or both of the dots were removed. One subject was able to draw parallel to the model on some of the test trials without the stopdot while the other subject showed no such behavior. In Experiment 2, the latter subject was explicitly trained to draw parallel to the model while the stopdot was gradually faded away. In an attempt to improve accuracy of drawing parallel to the model for both subjects, Experiment 3 presented only three models (vertical and the two diagonals) and one startdot location; in addition, the subjects could make multiple strokes on each trial. Both subjects, especially the chimpanzee given extra training in Experiment 2, were able eventually to draw a trace that was guided by and therefore parallel to the model. The results provide evidence that the chimpanzee can be taught a simple form of structured drawing guided by a model. The fully automated recording and teaching method induced quite accurate elementary copying behavior in chimpanzees without the use of verbal instruction, demonstration, or manual assistance.
Fast logistic regression for text categorization with variable-length n-grams

A common representation used in text categorization is the bag of words model (aka. unigram model). Learning with this particular representation involves typically some preprocessing, e.g. stopwords-removal, stemming. This results in one explicit tokenization of the corpus. In this work, we introduce a logistic regression approach where learning involves automatic tokenization. This allows us to weaken the a-priori required knowledge about the corpus and results in a tokenization with variable-length (word or character) n-grams as basic tokens. We accomplish this by solving logistic regression using gradient ascent in the space of all ngrams. We show that this can be done very efficiently using a branch and bound approach which chooses the maximum gradient ascent direction projected onto a single dimension (i.e., candidate feature). Although the space is very large, our method allows us to investigate variable-length n-gram learning. We demonstrate the efficiency of our approach compared to state-of-the-art classifiers used for text categorization such as cyclic coordinate descent logistic regression and support vector machines.
Institute for Mathematical Physics Generalised Geometries, Constrained Critical Points and Ramond–ramond Fields Generalised Geometries, Constrained Critical Points and Ramond-ramond Fields

We describe the geometry of type II string compactifications to 6– and 7–dimensional backgrounds with Ramond–Ramond–fields in terms of principal fibre bundle as generalised SU (3)– and G 2 – structures. We endow these structures with an integrability condition which can be characterised as a constrained critical point for the generalised Hitchin functional and provides a solution to the su-persymmetry variations. Moreover, we discuss topological and geometrical properties of generalised SU (3)–structures which we show to coincide with the notion of a generalised Calabi-Yau metric in dimension 6.
Chemoprevention of Head and Neck Cancer by Green Tea Extract: EGCG—The Role of EGFR Signaling and “Lipid Raft”

Over the past decade dose-intensified chemo-radiotherapy or molecular targeted therapy has been introduced into the treatments of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) to improve the outcomes of this dismal disease. However, these strategies have revealed only limited efficacy so far. Moreover, the frequent occurrences of second primary tumor further worsen the prognosis of patients. In this context, early detection and chemoprevention appear to be a realistic and effective method to improve the prognosis as well as quality of life in patients with HNSCC. In this short paper, we discuss the potential of green tea extract, (-)-epigallocatechin-3-galate (EGCG) in HNSCC chemoprevention, focusing on two aspects that are provided recently: (1) evidence of clinical efficacy and (2) unique biological effects on “lipid raft” that emerged as an important platform of numerous biophysical functions, for example, receptor tyrosin kinases (RTKs) signalings including epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), which play critical roles in HNSCC carcinogenesis.
Matrix metalloproteinases-3, -8, -9 as markers of disease activity and joint damage progression in early rheumatoid arthritis

Objective: To analyse the relation between systemic levels of pro-MMP-3, -8, and -9 matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) activity in α2 macroglobulin (α2M)/MMP complexes and the progression of joint destruction in patients with recent onset rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Methods: 109 patients with RA of recent onset were entered into this longitudinal study. Patients were followed up for two years; clinical data, blood samples, and radiographs were obtained at baseline and at 1 and 2 years. Serum levels of MMPs were measured by sandwich ELISA and MMP activity assays. Results: During the two years joint damage progressed from 0 to 10 (median Sharp score, p<0.001). Stable levels of pro-MMP-3 and a significant decrease in the levels of pro-MMP-8 and -9 and α2M/MMP complexes were seen throughout the two years. Regression analysis showed that serum pro-MMP-3 levels at disease onset were independently associated with the progression of joint damage (B=0.7, 95% CI 0.3 to 1.1, p=0.001). Based on the rate of joint destruction, patients were divided into two subgroups: patients with mild and severe joint damage progression. The pro-MMP-3 levels were significantly higher in the group with severe compared with mild disease at all times. Levels of pro-MMP-8 and -9 were decreased in both groups, whereas α2M/MMP complex levels decreased in the group with mild disease only. Conclusion: Serum levels of the MMPs studied are associated with disease activity, but serum pro-MMP-3 levels at the onset of disease are also predictive of joint damage progression.
Molecular Basis for Galactosylation of Core Fucose Residues in Invertebrates

Galectin CGL2 from the ink cap mushroom Coprinopsis cinerea displays toxicity toward the model nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. A mutation in a putative glycosyltransferase-encoding gene resulted in a CGL2-resistant C. elegans strain characterized by N-glycans lacking the β1,4-galactoside linked to the α1,6-linked core fucose. Expression of the corresponding GALT-1 protein in insect cells was used to demonstrate a manganese-dependent galactosyltransferase activity. In vitro, the GALT-1 enzyme showed strong selectivity for acceptors with α1,6-linked N-glycan core fucosides and required Golgi- dependent modifications on the oligosaccharide antennae for optimal synthesis of the Gal-β1,4-fucose structure. Phylogenetic analysis of the GALT-1 protein sequence identified a novel glycosyltransferase family (GT92) with members widespread among eukarya but absent in mammals.
Giving the "Hidden Hand" a Helping Hand?: The Rhetoric and Reality of Neoliberal Education Reform in England and New Zealand.

Recent moves in many parts of the world to restructure and deregulate state education have sought to link significant degrees of institutional autonomy with an emphasis on parental choice and competition, thereby creating 'quasi-markets' in education. This paper discusses such developments as part of a neoliberal project for education in two of the contexts in which these policies have so far been taken furthest-England/Wales and New Zealand. It compares five aspects of policy in these countries, namely school autonomy, diversity and choice, private sector involvement, privatised provision and accountability mechanisms. It argues that the rhetoric of neoliberal schooling policies is far removed from their reality, as governments confront the classic tension between fiscal imperatives and the need for legitimation. It points to the need for new political ways forward in a situation where there appears to be little creative thinking about alternatives to the policies of the New Right.
Evaluating a User-Elicited Gesture Set for Interactive Displays

Recently, many studies were conducted which focused on eliciting gestures from users in order to come up with gesture sets for surface computing. However, there are still many questions to clarify concerning the value of this method regarding to the usability of such gesture sets in real systems. In this work, we contribute a usability test of an implemented gesture set based on user suggested pen and hand gestures for node-link diagram editing on interactive displays. The results of the usability test gave valuable insight in how users interact spontaneously with such a gestural interface. In particular, we found that the methodology of eliciting gestures from users reveals what kinds of gestures users prefer but that it does not necessarily show how they are applied. Beyond that, we observed how participants differentiate between touch and pen within complex workflows.
Life Change in the Disaster Recovery Period

To supplement a substantial literature on the symptomatic consequences of disaster, this article focuses on the adaptational requirements experienced by disaster victims, operationalized as the stressful life events following a severe flood that occurred in 1984 in southeastern Kentucky. In this study of older adults, life events were analyzed at three levels of specificity: as an aggregate measure reflecting the total amount of changes without regard to content, as seven content-oriented categories (Household Disruption, Financial Disruption, Family Conflict, Social Disruption, Health Disruption, Bereavement, and Good Things For Self), and as 40 specific events. In analyses that controlled for subjects' preflood resources, mental health, and sociodemographic characteristics, differences between victims and nonvictims in the number and types of life events experienced were tested. Overall, the findings suggest that older flood victims are more likely than other older adults to experience social disruption, but not necessarily the other six categories of life events. Most specifically, victims were found to be more likely than nonvictims to have friends/neighbors move away and to have new family conflicts; victims were less likely than others to have children leave home.
Dynamic importance sampling for uniformly recurrent Markov chains

Importance sampling is a variance reduction technique for efficient estimation of rare-event probabilities by Monte Carlo. In standard importance sampling schemes, the system is simulated using an a priori fixed change of measure suggested by a large deviation lower bound analysis. Recent work, however, has suggested that such schemes do not work well in many situations. In this paper we consider dynamic importance sampling in the setting of uniformly recurrent Markov chains. By ``dynamic'' we mean that in the course of a single simulation, the change of measure can depend on the outcome of the simulation up till that time. Based on a control-theoretic approach to large deviations, the existence of asymptotically optimal dynamic schemes is demonstrated in great generality. The implementation of the dynamic schemes is carried out with the help of a limiting Bellman equation. Numerical examples are presented to contrast the dynamic and standard schemes.
The use of stimulants among patients with diagnosed hypertension

The use of stimulants among patients with diagnosed hypertension hypertension, high blood pressure, stimulants used 5 411 no conflicts of interest Purpose of the study: The main objective of the study was to show, if people with high blood pressure are using stimulants in their everyday lives. Material and methods: The research was carried out in The Independent Public Clinical Hospital No. 4 on Jaczewskiego Street in Lublin, from December 2012 until February 2013. 100 people aged 24 to 90 were included in the study. The study was based on auditorium survey. In the group of studied patients, more than a half of the respondents (55%) were over 60 years old. 36% of the respondents were between 41 to 60 years old; 9% of the study group was under 40 years old. The Fagerstrom Nicotine Tolerance Questionnaire and Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) was used in the study. Results: Studies have shown that 67% do not smoke tobacco, while in the group of smokers, a moderate nicotine dependence prevails (40%). More than a half of the respondents consumed alcohol (54%), the vast majority of people in this group drinks occasionally (80%). 13% of respondents overuse alcohol, and 7% of the respondents are dependent on alcohol. Conclusions: Patients with hypertension should be educated on changing their lifestyle. To maintain the desired behavior of the patients, the educators should stress the benefits coming from the undertaken actions, work on patients’ high self-esteem, show them that there is a possibility of change, and encourage them to take action and to seek stimulation from the environment. It is estimated that in Poland hypertension diagnosed in 10% of men occurs due to the compulsive drinking of alcohol. Some studies suggest that a dose of 210 g of alcohol consumed regularly, weekly, increases the danger of hypertension by 20% among men and by up to 100% among women. 1. Department of Neurology, The Regional Specialist Hospital in Lublin 2. Chair of Development in Nursing, Medical University of Lublin 3. Department of Nephrology, Medical University of Lublin 37 science MEDtube Science Dec, 2014; Vol.II (4)
An Effective 3D Shape Descriptor for Object Recognition with RGB-D Sensors

RGB-D sensors have been widely used in various areas of computer vision and graphics. A good descriptor will effectively improve the performance of operation. This article further analyzes the recognition performance of shape features extracted from multi-modality source data using RGB-D sensors. A hybrid shape descriptor is proposed as a representation of objects for recognition. We first extracted five 2D shape features from contour-based images and five 3D shape features over point cloud data to capture the global and local shape characteristics of an object. The recognition performance was tested for category recognition and instance recognition. Experimental results show that the proposed shape descriptor outperforms several common global-to-global shape descriptors and is comparable to some partial-to-global shape descriptors that achieved the best accuracies in category and instance recognition. Contribution of partial features and computational complexity were also analyzed. The results indicate that the proposed shape features are strong cues for object recognition and can be combined with other features to boost accuracy.
Online collaborative learning in tertiary ICT education to enhance students' learning in Malaysia

This study investigated the nature of students’, and student group, interactions through the incorporation of an online collaborative learning (OCL) initiative, with its aim to enhance students’ learning in a Malaysian tertiary classroom. In order to contribute to knowledge and understanding about the nature and quality of OCL, the learning processes and outcomes were drawn predominantly from Harasim’s model, with inclusion of a socio-cultural framework aimed at enhancing learning outcomes for undergraduate science and ICT education students. Harasim’s model of OCL that was used in the intervention includes steps to setting up the stage and a system for Idea Generating (IG), modelling and guiding the OCL discussions for Idea Organizing (IO), and evaluating and reflecting the OCL discussions for Intellectual Convergence (IC). The interactions in OCL were analysed through four dimensions: participative, interactive, social, and cognitive in support of the students’ cognitive, social and emotional development. The OCL intervention in this study was conducted through an ICT education course in a Malaysian university that required OCL discussions for 13 weeks: the first four weeks were intra-group work discussions (Task 1), followed by four/five weeks of inter-group work discussions (Task 2), and the remaining four weeks were for the final intra-group work discussions (Task 3). The OCL intervention was aimed at facilitating interdisciplinary collaboration and interaction between students from Chemistry, Physics and Mathematics majors through the university’s Learning Management System (Moodle), which provided the shared space for the OCL discourse and tools for collaboration. A total of nine groups of four to six students (N=46) were involved in this study. In order to evaluate the OCL intervention using a holistic view, an interpretive approach that included the collection of quantitative and qualitative data was adopted to frame the collection and analysis of the data. Quantitative data were obtained from online questionnaires, together with online data based on the frequency of students’ posts in participative, interactive, social and cognitive dimensions. Qualitative data were gathered via interviews with students (group and post-course interviews) and lecturers, and online transcripts that included online postings and students’ online journal entries. These data were collected and analysed in order to triangulate the findings and to help the researcher assess the extent to which the intervention was successful in enhancing students’ learning.
Exploration of ring oscillator design space for temperature measurements on FPGAs

While numerous publications have presented ring oscillator designs for temperature measurements a detailed study of the ring oscillator's design space is still missing. In this work, we introduce metrics for comparing the performance and area efficiency of ring oscillators and a methodology for determining these metrics. As a result, we present a systematic study of the design space for ring oscillators for a Xilinx Virtex-5 platform FPGA.