Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
p16 Stimulates CDC42-Dependent Migration of Hepatocellular Carcinoma Cells

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. Tumor dissemination to the extra-hepatic region of the portal vein, lymph nodes, lungs or bones contributes to the high mortality seen in HCC; yet, the molecular mechanisms responsible for HCC metastasis remain unclear. Prior studies have suggested a potential link between accumulated cytoplasm-localized p16 and tumor progression. Here we report that p16 enhances metastasis-associated phenotypes in HCC cells – ectopic p16 expression increased cell migration in vitro, and lung colonization after intravenous injection, whereas knockdown of endogenous p16 reduced cell migration. Interestingly, analysis of p16 mutants indicated that the Cdk4 interaction domain is required for stimulation of HCC cell migration; however, knockdown of Cdk4 and Cdk6 showed that these proteins are dispensable for this phenomenon. Intriguingly, we found that in p16-positive HCC samples, p16 protein is predominantly localized in the cytoplasm. In addition, we identified a potential role for nuclear-cytoplasmic shuttling in p16-stimulated migration, consistent with the predominantly cytoplasmic localization of p16 in IHC-positive HCC samples. Finally, we determined that p16-stimulated cell migration requires the Cdc42 GTPase. Our results demonstrate for the first time a pro-migratory role for p16, and suggest a potential mechanism for the observed association between cytoplasmic p16 and tumor progression in diverse tumor types.
Rethinking Memory System Design (along with Interconnects)

The memory system is a fundamental performance and energy bottleneck in almost all computing systems. Recent system design, application, and technology trends that require more capacity, bandwidth, efficiency, and predictability out of the memory system make it an even more important system bottleneck [27, 28]. At the same time, DRAM technology is experiencing difficult circuit and device scaling challenges that make the maintenance and enhancement of its capacity, energy-efficiency, and reliability significantly more costly with conventional techniques (see, for example [7, 8, 11, 12, 15, 17, 18, 22, 23, 32]). In this talk, we examine some promising research and design directions to overcome challenges posed by memory scaling. Specifically, we discuss three key solution directions: 1) enabling new memory architectures, functions, interfaces, and better integration of the memory and the rest of the system, including interconnects (e.g., [1, 2, 19, 20, 34-36]), 2) designing a memory system that intelligently employs multiple memory technologies and coordinates memory and storage management using non-volatile memory technologies (e.g., [16-18, 24, 25, 32, 33, 40-42]), 3) providing predictable performance and QoS to applications sharing the memory system (e.g., [3, 9, 10, 13, 14, 26, 29, 37-39]). As we discuss challenges and solution directions in memory, we will point out research opportunities in interconnects and memory-interconnect co-design (e.g., [2, 4-6, 19, 21, 30, 31]).
POD — Real-time urban pollution monitoring using stationary devices

Pollution tracking in urban environments can now be performed through a variety of means, both dynamic and stationary. We envision a pollution data acquisition system that can be made accessible to end users by including them in the collection process, not just presenting the results through web pages or applications. We propose a low-cost device, easily configurable by anyone, which measures gas levels, dust, temperature and noise. The users can deploy them at home, connect them to their local Wi-Fi network and see the pollution data in real-time through a web interface. We address the design challenges of such a sensing device and the iterations that lead to its current hardware and software components. The node can function as part of a system that collects and stores the data and makes it available in real-time to all its users.
Tourist satisfaction and destination loyalty intention: A structural and categorical analysis

This study explores the relationship between travel satisfaction and destination loyalty intention. The research was conducted with 486 tourists visiting Arade, a Portuguese tourist destination. Taking as the basis the use of structural equation modelling (SEM), the results substantiate the importance of tourism satisfaction as a determinant of destination loyalty. Also, a categorical principal components analysis (CATPCA) provides a detailed analysis of this cause-effect relationship by establishing that greater levels of satisfaction (measured by overall satisfaction in terms of holiday experience, destination attributes and met expectations) result in increased likelihood of future repeat visits and a keen willingness to recommend the destination to others. Clusters of tourists were also identified and characterized in relation to satisfaction levels and loyalty intentions. These analyses provide a useful background in the planning of future tourist marketing strategies.
FullHand: Markerless Skeleton-based Tracking for Free-Hand Interaction

This paper advances a novel markerless hand tracking method for interactive applications. FullHand uses input from RGB and depth cameras in a desktop setting. It combines, in a voting scheme, a discriminative, part-based pose retrieval with a generative pose estimation method based on local optimization. We develop this approach to enable: (1) capturing hand articulations with high number of degrees of freedom, including the motion of all fingers, (2) sufficient precision, shown in a dataset of user-generated gestures, and (3) a high framerate of 50 fps for one hand. We discuss the design of free-hand interactions with the tracker and present several demonstrations ranging from simple (few DOFs) to complex (finger individuation plus global hand motion), including mouse operation, a first-person shooter and virtual globe navigation. A user study on the latter shows that free-hand interactions implemented for the tracker can equal mouse-based interactions in user
Prevention of 5-hydroxytryptamine2C receptor RNA editing and alternate splicing in C57BL/6 mice activates the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and alters mood

The 5‐hydroxytryptamine2C (5‐HT)2C receptor is widely implicated in the aetiology of affective and eating disorders as well as regulation of the hypothalamo‐pituitary‐adrenal axis. Signalling through this receptor is regulated by A‐to‐I RNA editing, affecting three amino acids in the protein sequence, with unedited transcripts encoding a receptor (INI) that, in vitro, is hyperactive compared with edited isoforms. Targeted alteration (knock‐in) of the Htr2c gene to generate ‘INI’ mice with no alternate splicing, solely expressing the full‐length unedited isoform, did not produce an overt metabolic phenotype or altered anxiety behaviour, but did display reduced depressive‐like and fear‐associated behaviours. INI mice exhibited a hyperactive hypothalamo‐pituitary‐adrenal axis, with increased nadir plasma corticosterone and corticotrophin‐releasing hormone expression in the hypothalamus but responded normally to chronic stress and showed normal circadian activity and activity in a novel environment. The circadian patterns of 5‐HT2C receptor mRNA and mbii52, a snoRNA known to regulate RNA editing and RNA splicing of 5‐HT2C receptor pre‐mRNA, were altered in INI mice compared with wild‐type control mice. Moreover, levels of 5‐HT1A receptor mRNA were increased in the hippocampus of INI mice. These gene expression changes may underpin the neuroendocrine and behavioural changes observed in INI mice. However, the phenotype of INI mice was not consistent with a globally hyperactive INI receptor encoded by the unedited transcript in the absence of alternate splicing. Hence, the in vivo outcome of RNA editing may be neuronal cell type specific.
The Effect of Temperature on Pressurised Hot Water Extraction of Pharmacologically Important Metabolites as Analysed by UPLC-qTOF-MS and PCA

Metabolite extraction methods have been shown to be a critical consideration for pharmacometabolomics studies and, as such, optimization and development of new extraction methods are crucial. In the current study, an organic solvent-free method, namely, pressurised hot water extraction (PHWE), was used to extract pharmacologically important metabolites from dried Moringa oleifera leaves. Here, the temperature of the extraction solvent (pure water) was altered while keeping other factors constant using a homemade PHWE system. Samples extracted at different temperatures (50, 100, and 150°C) were assayed for antioxidant activities and the effect of the temperature on the extraction process was evaluated. The samples were further analysed by mass spectrometry to elucidate their metabolite compositions. Principal component analysis (PCA) evaluation of the UPLC-MS data showed distinctive differential metabolite patterns. Here, temperature changes during PHWE were shown to affect the levels of metabolites with known pharmacological activities, such as chlorogenic acids and flavonoids. Our overall findings suggest that, if not well optimised, the extraction temperature could compromise the “pharmacological potency” of the extracts. The use of MS in combination with PCA was furthermore shown to be an excellent approach to evaluate the quality and content of pharmacologically important extracts.
Managing the RE Process : Lessons from Commercial Practice

This paper focuses on managing the early stages of the RE process. A revelatory case from commercial practice is used to describe some of the forces that affect management of the RE process and present ways of successfully dealing with these forces. Several lessons from the case are outlined, including adaptation of methodologies to the contingencies of the particular project, characteristics of the project manager and composition of the requirements team. It is suggested that these lessons have value for dealing with the inherent forces that influence management of the RE process.
Prevalence of and risk factors for chronic kidney disease in rural Nicaragua.

BACKGROUND Mostly anecdotal reports describe a high prevalence of chronic kidney disease in northwestern Nicaragua, predominantly among younger men, resulting in substantial morbidity and mortality. The true prevalence, nature and aetiology of kidney disease in this region remain unknown. METHODS We performed a population-based prevalence study in Quezalguaque, Nicaragua to assess the frequency of estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) <60 mL/min/1.73 m(2), and compared the prevalence of reduced eGFR in Quezalguaque with the USA using the NHANES 1999-2006 data. We also conducted an embedded case-control study in a subset of participants to assess kidney disease risk factors. RESULTS From 1882 eligible households, 771 individuals from 300 households participated in the prevalence study, 98 (13%) of whom had reduced eGFR. Reduced eGFR was more common among older participants, men and participants living at lower altitudes. Among 18-29-year-old participants, 2.6% had reduced eGFR, and among 30-41-year-old participants, 7.4% had reduced eGFR; this compares with 0.2% and 0.8%, respectively, in NHANES. No individuals in these age groups were diabetic. Among cases, only 27% had dipstick proteinuria of 1+ or greater, compared with 7% of controls. Haematuria did not significantly differ between cases and controls (24% versus 18%). In age- and sex-adjusted models, hypertension and residence at lower altitude were independently associated with reduced eGFR, while occupational history was not associated with reduced eGFR. CONCLUSIONS Kidney disease appears common in residents of Quezalguaque, Nicaragua, particularly in younger men, with features most consistent with tubulointerstitial disease. Further research is needed to elucidate the causes of kidney disease in this region.
The METER corpus : a corpus for analysing journalistic text reuse

As a part of the METER (MEasuring TExt Reuse) project we have built a new type of comparable corpus consisting of annotated examples of related newspaper texts. Texts in the corpus were manually collected from two main sources: the British Press Association (PA) and nine British national newspapers that subscribe to the PA newswire service. In addition to being structured to support efficient search for related PA and newspaper texts, the corpus is annotated at two levels. First, each of the newspaper texts is assigned one of three coarse, global classifications indicating its derivation relation to the PA: wholly derived, partially derived or non-derived. Second, about 400 wholly or partially derived newspaper articles are annotated down to the lexical level, indicating for each phrase, or even individual word, whether it appears verbatim, rewritten or as new material. We envisage that this corpus will be of use for a variety of studies, including detection and measurement of text reuse, analysis of paraphrase and journalistic styles, and information extraction/retrieval. To illustrate these potential uses we briefly describe some work we have done with the corpus to develop algorithms for detecting text reuse.
A review of microelectromechanical systems for nanoscale mechanical characterization

A plethora of nanostructures with outstanding properties have emerged over the past decades. Measuring their mechanical properties and understanding their deformation mechanisms is of paramount importance for many of their device applications. To address this need innovative experimental techniques have been developed, among which a promising one is based upon microelectromechanical systems (MEMS). This article reviews the recent advances in MEMS platforms for the mechanical characterization of one-dimensional (1D) nanostructures over the past decade. A large number of MEMS platforms and related nanomechanics studies are presented to demonstrate the unprecedented capabilities of MEMS for nanoscale mechanical characterization. Focusing on key design considerations, this article aims to provide useful guidelines for developing MEMS platforms. Finally, some of the challenges and future directions in the area of MEMS-enabled nanomechanical characterization are discussed.
Quantitative Effectiveness Metrics for Direct Volume Rendering

The effectiveness of direct volume rendering is difficult to validate and users may not know whether they have successfully explored the data or not. This limits its applications. In this paper, we present several effectiveness metrics for volume visualization systems. The user desired information in volumetric data should be first specified manually or automatically detected at different levels (e.g., voxel-level, surface-level, and structure-level). Our metrics can then quantitatively measure whether the desired information has been well revealed in a direct volume rendered image or a visualization process. Instant feedback will be provided to users intuitively through effectiveness graphs, voxel images, and voxel scatterplot. The metrics can be integrated into typical volume visualization systems and can provide users with real time effectiveness evaluation to help them achieve their goals.
On the anonymity of privacy-preserving many-to-many communication in the presence of node churn and attacks

Anonymity can protect from political repression in Online Social Networks (OSNs) as well as from undesired profiling, e.g., by advertisement companies, in todays' Internet. P2P-based anonymous publish-subscribe (pub-sub) is a highly-scalable approach to protect anonymity while enabling efficient many-to-many communication between services and users. However, churn and the resulting overlay degradation in P2P-based pub-sub systems require repairs and optimizations to maintain anonymity and efficiency. This paper analyzes attacks on such repair and optimization functions to disclose participants. For that, we apply a strong attacker model that combines large-scale traffic monitoring with malicious insiders. Furthermore, we propose and evaluate heuristic countermeasures. Our findings indicate that some attacks can be mitigated at reasonable costs. However, churn seems to remain a major threat to anonymity.
Immunoglobulin Transporting Receptors Are Potential Targets for the Immunity Enhancement and Generation of Mammary Gland Bioreactor

The functions of immunoglobulin transporting receptors (Ig transporting receptors) in immune system encompass from passive immunity to adaptive immunity by transporting immunoglobulins (Igs) and prolonging their half-life as well as enhancing immunosurveillance. Prior to the weaning, Ig transportations from mother to offspring confer the immediate passive immunity for neonates. After the weaning, FcRn and polymeric immunoglobulin receptor on infant intestinal epithelial cells retrieve Ig in intestinal lamina propria into the gut lumen for preventing pathogen invasion. This is not only improving the pathological consequences of infection but also helping the neonates for developing their own immune response; besides it would be the guidance for designing novel vaccines. Moreover, the investigations on Ig transporting receptors over-expressed transgenic animals have been carried out to improve Ig concentrations in serum and milk; thus, it would be a sustainable method to produce antibody-enriched milk-derived colostrum replacer for neonates. In order to generate mammary gland bioreactor, a series of methods have been developed for enhanced regulation of Ig transporting receptors expression and Ig transportation.
Current Problems in the Management of Marine Fisheries

The public perception of fisheries is that they are in crisis and have been for some time. Numerous scientific and popular articles have pointed to the failures of fisheries management that have caused this crisis. These are widely accepted to be overcapacity in fishing fleets, a failure to take the ecosystem effects of fishing into account, and a failure to enforce unpalatable but necessary reductions in fishing effort on fishing fleets and communities. However, the claims of some analysts that there is an inevitable decline in the status of fisheries is, we believe, incorrect. There have been successes in fisheries management, and we argue that the tools for appropriate management exist. Unfortunately, they have not been implemented widely. Our analysis suggests that management authorities need to develop legally enforceable and tested harvest strategies, coupled with appropriate rights-based incentives to the fishing community, for the future of fisheries to be better than their past.
Constraint Modeling and Buffer Management With Integrated Production Scheduler

Constraint modeling is a necessary step in construction planning. The basic CPM approach provides a simple and practical means for resolving time-related precedence constraints between activities. However, most CPM-based tools do not support dealing with the constraints regarding resource and information availabilities at the productionlevel planning phase. When these constraints are concealed in the work plan, it is difficult to assure that they are removed in time so that work takes place as planned. Consequently, the reliability of work plans/assignments will be reduced. This paper presents a scheduling tool called integrated production scheduler (IPS) to handle the nonprecedence constraints in supply chain and information flow. The IPS has three main objectives to be fulfilled. The first is to promote work plan reliability. The second is to increase resource utilization and throughput based on the estimated resource profile. The third is to maintain a stable work flow through reducing uncertainties in the supply chain and information flow. To further facilitate reliable planning, a set of schedule buffers are established to help manage the constraints. Specifically, the working buffer and the shielding buffer ensure quality assignments by removing resource conflicts and supply chain uncertainties. The pulling buffer and the screening buffer increase resource and information availabilities by managing the delivery issues in advance. With the proposed schedule buffer management, it is feasible to enhance the reliability of look-ahead plans and consequently achieve lean process management.
A preliminary analysis of Cyclops Tensor Framework

Cyclops (cyclic-operations) Tensor Framework (CTF) 1 is a distributed library for tensor contractions. CTF aims to scale high-dimensional tensor contractions done in Coupled Cluster calculations on massively-parallel supercomputers. The framework preserves tensor symmetry by subdividing tensors cyclically, producing a highly regular parallel decomposition. The parallel decomposition effectively hides any high dimensional structure of tensors reducing the complexity of the distributed contraction algorithm to known linear algebra methods for matrix multiplication. We also detail the automatic topology-aware mapping framework deployed by CTF, which maps tensors of any dimension and structure onto torus networks of any dimension. We employ virtualization to provide completely general mapping support while maintaining perfect load balance. Performance of a preliminary version of CTF on the IBM Blue Gene/P and Cray XE6 supercomputers shows highly efficient weakscaling, demonstrating the viability of our approach.
Defenders of the woods? Women and the complex dynamics of a worker-peasantry in western Zimbabwe

ABSTRACT One winter morning in 2006, conflict ensued between firewood vendors (selling wood to passing motorists and also supplying bulk quantities to cities), on the one hand, and a group of predominantly women (and others sympathetic to their grievances), from villages on the southern fringes of the former Shangani Reserves in western Zimbabwe, on the other hand. The latter group confiscated firewood displayed for sale and stockpiles waiting for transportation. Any attempt to explain these acts is often marred by the appeal of ecofeminist discourses on women and the environment and the neo-Malthusian environment, population and conflict thesis. This article seeks to provide an alternative explanation by focusing, rather, on the complex dynamics of a worker-peasantry and the circumstances of women in migrant labour societies. An ethnographic research on villages that participated in the demonstration revealed how male labour migrancy created a social arena where women assumed key roles at both the household and society levels on behalf of the absent men. It highlighted how the women’s circumstances intersected with the particular socio-cultural and natural environment of a migrant labour reserve, resulting in responsibilities and agency through which certain practices that threatened societal interests were challenged.
Aerial fish feeding system

Automated fish feeding system has been developed to overcome feed waste and water pollution problems. However, typical existing automatic fish feeding system is relatively high cost in maintenance, high energy consumption and has limited pond access area. This paper proposes a novel automated fish feeding system that combines feed dispensing and distribution as one process. A motor driven natural fiber cable is utilized to deliver top hung feeder for feeding process. Such method gives free access around the pond and able to deliver the feeder at any form of fish farm layout. In addition, it has relatively lower structure maintenance cost. The reliability test result showed the feeder positioning accuracy in average was between −1.33mm backward and 1.83mm forward. The accuracy was influenced by the cable tension.