Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Clinical and in vitro analysis of Osteopontin as a prognostic indicator and unveil its potential downstream targets in bladder cancer

Osteopontin (OPN) plays an important role in cancer progression, however its prognostic significance and its downstream factors are largely elusive. In this study, we have shown that expression of OPN was significantly higher in bladder cancer specimens with higher T-stage or tumor grades. In addition, a high level of OPN was significantly associated with poorer survival in two independent bladder cancer patient cohorts totaling 389 bladder cancer patients with available survival data. We further identified Matrix metallopeptidase 9 (MMP9) and S100 calcium-binding protein A8 (S100A8) were both downstream factors for OPN in bladder cancer specimens and bladder cancer cell lines. Expression of OPN was significantly positively associated with that of MMP9 and S100A8, while overexpression of OPN resulted in upregulation of MMP9 and S100A8, and knockdown of OPN showed consistent downregulation of MMP9 and S100A8 expression levels. Importantly, expression levels of both MMP9 and S100A8 were significantly associated with higher T-stage, higher tumor grade and a shorter survival time in the bladder cancer patients. Interestingly, OPN expression only predicted survival in MMP9-high, but not MMP9-low subgroups, and in S100A8-low but not S100A8-high subgroups. Our results suggest that OPN, MMP9 and S100A8 all play a significant role in bladder cancer progression and are potential prognostic markers and therapeutic targets in bladder cancer. The mechanistic link between these three genes and bladder cancer progression warrants further investigation.
Transmission between Archaic and Modern Human Ancestors during the Evolution of the Oncogenic Human Papillomavirus 16

Every human suffers through life a number of papillomaviruses (PVs) infections, most of them asymptomatic. A notable exception are persistent infections by Human papillomavirus 16 (HPV16), the most oncogenic infectious agent for humans and responsible for most infection-driven anogenital cancers. Oncogenic potential is not homogeneous among HPV16 lineages, and genetic variation within HPV16 exhibits some geographic structure. However, an in-depth analysis of the HPV16 evolutionary history was still wanting. We have analyzed extant HPV16 diversity and compared the evolutionary and phylogeographical patterns of humans and of HPV16. We show that codivergence with modern humans explains at most 30% of the present viral geographical distribution. The most explanatory scenario suggests that ancestral HPV16 already infected ancestral human populations and that viral lineages co-diverged with the hosts in parallel with the split between archaic Neanderthal-Denisovans and ancestral modern human populations, generating the ancestral HPV16A and HPV16BCD viral lineages, respectively. We propose that after out-of-Africa migration of modern human ancestors, sexual transmission between human populations introduced HPV16A into modern human ancestor populations. We hypothesize that differential coevolution of HPV16 lineages with different but closely related ancestral human populations and subsequent host-switch events in parallel with introgression of archaic alleles into the genomes of modern human ancestors may be largely responsible for the present-day differential prevalence and association with cancers for HPV16 variants.
Age at death of major cardiovascular diseases in 13 cohorts. The seven countries study of cardiovascular diseases 45-year follow-up

Abstract Objectives: To explore age at death (AD) for major cardiovascular diseases (CVD) and their risk factors in originally middle-aged men followed nearly to extinction in the Seven Countries Study. Materials and methods: Thirteen cohorts of men aged 40–59 years (N = 10,628) in seven countries (USA, Finland, the Netherlands, Italy, Serbia, Greece, Japan) were enrolled in late 1950s and early 1960s and were followed 45 years for mortality. AD was computed for coronary heart disease (CHD), stroke (STR), heart disease of uncertain aetiology (HDUE) and for all-causes. AD was compared across CHD-HDUE-STR. Cox models were computed for each end-point using baseline age, cigarettes smoking, systolic blood pressure and serum cholesterol. Results: After 45 years 92.9% of men had died. The most common CVD death was CHD in most cohorts except some Mediterranean and Japanese cohorts where STR or HDUE were most prevalent. In 13 cohorts mean AD was 74.5, 73.5, 75.7 and 79.1 years, respectively, for all-cause, CHD, STR and HDUE mortality (all possible differences were significant). The difference, across cohorts, between the highest and the lowest mean AD was 12.9, 9.0 and 4.7 years for CHD, HDUE and STR mortality, respectively. Risk factors explored were significant predictors of all three CVD end-points, except serum cholesterol, specific to CHD mortality. Conclusions: AD is a useful indicator of previous health and aging populations. STR and HDUE are diseases appearing later in life, thus being associated with a higher AD compared with CHD mortality.
Conductivity Anisotropy in Epitaxial 6H and 4H Sic

A measure of the electron mobility anisotropy in n-type 4H and 6H-SiC has been obtained using the Hall effect over the temperature range 80K 1 00) or (11 2 0)surfaces having total impurity concentrations 10 17 -10 18 cm -3 . The observed mobility ratio for 4H is μ [11 2 0] / [0001] and is independent of temperature. For 6H, the ratio μ[1 1 00]/[0001] decreases from ∼6.2 at 80K to ∼5.0 at 150K and is essentially constant (∼4.8) above 200K. A donor level near 0.6 eV is occasionally observed in 4H which reduces the high temperature electron mobility and introduces an apparent temperature dependence to the mobility ratio if nonuniformly distributed.
UvA-DARE ( Digital Academic Repository ) Embodied resistance to persuasion in advertising

Disclaimer/Complaints regulations If you believe that digital publication of certain material infringes any of your rights or (privacy) interests, please let the Library know, stating your reasons. In case of a legitimate complaint, the Library will make the material inaccessible and/or remove it from the website. Please Ask the Library: http://uba.uva. nl/en/contact, or a letter to: Library of the University of Amsterdam, Secretariat, Singel 425, 1012 WP Amsterdam, The Netherlands. You will be contacted as soon as possible.
Sebaceous gland lipids

Principal activity of mature sebaceous glands is producing and secreting sebum, which is a complex mixture of lipids. Sebum composition is different among species and probably this difference can be due to the function that sebum has to absolve. In human sebum there are unique lipids, such as squalene and wax esters, not found anywhere else in the body nor among the epidermal surface lipids. Moreover, they correspond to major components supplying the skin with protection. However, the ultimate role of human sebum as well the metabolic pathways regulating its composition and secretion rate are far from a complete comprehension. Increased sebum secretion is considered, among all features, the major one involved in the pathophysiology of acne. Along with increased sebum secretion rate, quali- and quantitative modifications of sebum are likely to occur in this pathology. Understanding the factors and mechanisms that regulate sebum production is needed in order to identify new targets that could be addressed to achieve a selective modulation of lipid biosynthesis as a novel therapeutic strategy to correct lipid disregulations in acne and other disorders of the pilosebaceous unit.
Analysis of explicit model predictive control for path-following control

In this paper, explicit Model Predictive Control(MPC) is employed for automated lane-keeping systems. MPC has been regarded as the key to handle such constrained systems. However, the massive computational complexity of MPC, which employs online optimization, has been a major drawback that limits the range of its target application to relatively small and/or slow problems. Explicit MPC can reduce this computational burden using a multi-parametric quadratic programming technique(mp-QP). The control objective is to derive an optimal front steering wheel angle at each sampling time so that autonomous vehicles travel along desired paths, including straight, circular, and clothoid parts, at high entry speeds. In terms of the design of the proposed controller, a method of choosing weighting matrices in an optimization problem and the range of horizons for path-following control are described through simulations. For the verification of the proposed controller, simulation results obtained using other control methods such as MPC, Linear-Quadratic Regulator(LQR), and driver model are employed, and CarSim, which reflects the features of a vehicle more realistically than MATLAB/Simulink, is used for reliable demonstration.
Mechanical and fractographic behavior of Negroid hair

Synopsis The fracture behavior of Negroid hair was studied to clarify the causes of fiber breakage at low levels of extension. Visual observation and ellipticity measurements reveal frequent twists, with random reversals in direction and pronounced flattening which can lead to stress concentrations during tensile deformation. Simultaneous measurements of the effect of tensile load on extension and on axial angle of untwisting of specimens with a single twist indicate that failure at low extensions is due to the initiation of cracks at numerous flaws near the twists, which relieves torsional stresses in these regions. Extension at failure is higher in wet fibers, probably because plasticization relaxes these stresses. Scanning electron microscopy of fracture ends reveals a predominance of step fractures, indicating a large number of flaws, and a large proportion of fibrillated ends, reflecting poor cohesion between cortical cells. Fatiguing via a method devised to simulate the impact loading occurring during hair grooming appears to accentuate existing fiber damage and/or to reduce intercellular cohesion in the cortex, since fibrillated fracture ends predominate among fibers that fracture during fatiguing. The large number of premature failures in surviving fibers suggests that new damage may be initiated at the highest fatiguing loads and may also occur during combing and picking.
Frictional property comparisons of conventional and self-ligating lingual brackets according to tooth displacement during initial leveling and alignment: an in vitro mechanical study

Objective We evaluated the effects of tooth displacement on frictional force when conventional ligating lingual brackets (CL-LBs), CL-LBs with a narrow bracket width, and self-ligating lingual brackets (SL-LBs) were used with initial leveling and alignment wires. Methods CL-LBs (7th Generation), CL-LBs with a narrow bracket width (STb), and SL-LBs (In-Ovation L) were tested under three tooth displacement conditions: no displacement (control); a 2-mm palatal displacement (PD) of the maxillary right lateral incisor (MXLI); and a 2-mm gingival displacement (GD) of the maxillary right canine (MXC) (nine groups, n = 7 per group). A stereolithographic typodont system and artificial saliva were used. Static and kinetic frictional forces (SFF and KFF, respectively) were measured while drawing a 0.013-inch copper-nickel-titanium archwire through brackets at 0.5 mm/min for 5 minutes at 36.5℃. Results The In-Ovation L exhibited lower SFF under control conditions and lower KFF under all displacement conditions than the 7th Generation and STb (all p < 0.001). No significant difference in SFF existed between the In-Ovation L and STb for a 2-mm GD of the MXC and 2-mm PD of the MXLI. A 2-mm GD of the MXC produced higher SFF and KFF than a 2-mm PD of the MXLI in all brackets (all p < 0.001). Conclusions CL-LBs with narrow bracket widths exhibited higher KFF than SL-LBs under tooth displacement conditions. CL-LBs and ligation methods should be developed to produce SFF and KFF as low as those in SL-LBs during the initial and leveling stage.
DATA FILTERING AND FEATURE EXTRACTION OF URBAN TYPICAL OBJECTS FROM AIRBORNE LIDAR POINT CLOUD

The research in the detection and feature extraction of typical objects in urban areas has intensified. In existing detection technologies, it has been shown that the LIDAR technique is very promising and suitable for 3D object detection mainly because 3D sub-randomly spatial distributed point cloud represented the object’s geometrical structure can be obtained easily and instantly. In this paper, the points’ spatial distribution characteristics of LIDAR data are analyzed firstly. Then, a slope-based planar-fitting filtering algorithm of LIDAR data is presented based on the analysis of the spatial distribution feature of LIDAR point cloud. This algorithm is used for the experimental research of data filtering and feature extraction of LIDAR data in urban area. The experimental result shows that this algorithm is able to extract more effectively objects feature. * Corresponding author: zqihong@yahoo.com. cn
Pronuclear synchronization and nuclear morphology of mature and in vitro matured oocytes in the rat: An ultrastructural study

SummaryThe objective of this study was to evaluate synchronous and asynchronous pronucleus (PN) formation and the related patterns of juxtapositional nucleolus (n) formation in immature (prophase I [PI] and metaphase I [MI]) and mature (metaphase II [MII]) oocytes after fertilization, both ultrastructurally and at the level of light microscope. A single dose of 15 IU gonadotrophin was injected subcutaneously to twenty four 26-wk-old, female Wistar rats to induce ovulation. Human chorionic gonadotrophin (4 IU) was administered 40 h later, and after 4–6 h the ovaries were dissected, and the oocytes were aspirated. A total of 214 rat oocytes were classified according to a maturation index as follows: group I, 80 PI oocytes; group II, 50 MI oocytes; and group III, 84 MII oocytes. Immature oocytes were in vitro matured for 18–36 h. Spermatozoa were acquired by microepididymal sperm aspiration and processed using swim-up technique. Intracytoplasmic sperm injection was performed on mature oocytes after 2 h of incubation and on in vitro matured (IVM) oocytes 4 h after maturation. Pronuclear synchronization [both pronucleases (PNs) centrally located, equal sized, with equal numbers and sizes of juxtapositional nucleoli (Nn)] was observed in fertilized oocytes. Asynchronous PN formation (diversity between male and female PNs, related to dimensions, localization, and the number of Nn) in groups I, II, and III was found in 75, 86, and 47% of preembryos, respectively. There was a significant difference of synchronous pronuclear formation between mature and IVM oocytes (P<0.05). In IVM oocytes, asynchronous PN formation is high, and juxtapositional pronucleolar patterns are observed to be low by transmission electron microscope (TEM).
MODELLING AND IDENTIFICATION OF THE MECHANICAL BEHAVIOUR OF OXIDE/OXIDE CERAMIC MATRIX COMPOSITES

Porous-matrix oxide/oxide composites are candidate materials for thermostructural applications. Hence, it is necessary to be able to predict their mechanical behaviour through a continuum damage model. In order to establish suc h a model, it is required to run several experimental tests on the material of interest, a N extel™ 610/alumina composite. The first experimental results are presented. It is shown tha t, under tensile loading in the fiber direction, the studied composite is almost linear tFinally, the different equations of the model that is most certainly going to be used a re also presented.
AES Algorithm on FPGA based Image Encryption and Decryption

: Due to the increasing use of images in various applications, it is essential to protect the confidential image data from unauthorized access. In today’s world most of the communication is done using electronic media. Security of data is widely used to ensure security in communication, data storage and transmission.Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) which is accepted as a symmetric cryptography standard for transferring block of data securely. The available AES algorithm is used for text and it is also suitable for image encryption and decryption to protect the confidential image data from an unauthorized access.This project proposes a algorithm in which the image is an input to AES Encryption to get the encrypted image, and the encrypted image is the input to AES Decryption to get the original image. This paper presents 128 bits of AES image encryption and decryption using Xilinx Platform Studio (XPS)-10.1.
The role of rhFGF-2 soaked polymer membrane for enhancement of guided bone regeneration

Abstract The purposes of this study are to confirm the role of Fibroblast Growth Factor-2 (FGF-2) in bone regeneration by adding various concentrations of FGF-2 to the collagen membrane and applying it to the Biphasic Calcium Phosphate (BCP) bone graft site for guided bone regeneration, to explore the potential of collagen membrane as FGF-2 carrier, and to determine the optimum FGF concentration for enhancement of bone regeneration. Four bone defects of 8 mm in diameter were created in 18 New Zealand rabbit calvaria. After BCP bone graft, graft material was covered with collagen membranes adding various concentration of FGF-2. The concentration of FGF-2 was set at 1.0, 0.5, 0.1 mg/ml, and same amount of saline was used in the control group. To confirm the bone regeneration over time, six New Zealand rabbits were sacrificed each at 2, 4, and 12 weeks, and the amounts of new bone and residual bone graft material were analyzed by histologic and histomorphometric analysis. Qualitative analyses are also conducted through immunohistochemistry, Tetrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP) stain and Russell-Movat pentachrome stain. As the healing period increased, the formation of new bone increased and the amount of residual graft material decreased in all experimental groups. Immunohistochemistry, TRAP staining and pentachrome staining further showed that the addition of FGF-2 promoted bone regeneration in all experimental groups. It was also confirmed that polymer collagen membrane can be used as a useful carrier of FGF-2 when enhanced early stage of new bone formation is required.
Critical Review of Health Impacts of Wildfire Smoke Exposure

Background: Wildfire activity is predicted to increase in many parts of the world due to changes in temperature and precipitation patterns from global climate change. Wildfire smoke contains numerous hazardous air pollutants and many studies have documented population health effects from this exposure. Objectives: We aimed to assess the evidence of health effects from exposure to wildfire smoke and to identify susceptible populations. Methods: We reviewed the scientific literature for studies of wildfire smoke exposure on mortality and on respiratory, cardiovascular, mental, and perinatal health. Within those reviewed papers deemed to have minimal risk of bias, we assessed the coherence and consistency of findings. Discussion: Consistent evidence documents associations between wildfire smoke exposure and general respiratory health effects, specifically exacerbations of asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Growing evidence suggests associations with increased risk of respiratory infections and all-cause mortality. Evidence for cardiovascular effects is mixed, but a few recent studies have reported associations for specific cardiovascular end points. Insufficient research exists to identify specific population subgroups that are more susceptible to wildfire smoke exposure. Conclusions: Consistent evidence from a large number of studies indicates that wildfire smoke exposure is associated with respiratory morbidity with growing evidence supporting an association with all-cause mortality. More research is needed to clarify which causes of mortality may be associated with wildfire smoke, whether cardiovascular outcomes are associated with wildfire smoke, and if certain populations are more susceptible. Citation: Reid CE, Brauer M, Johnston FH, Jerrett M, Balmes JR, Elliott CT. 2016. Critical review of health impacts of wildfire smoke exposure. Environ Health Perspect 124:1334–1343; http://dx.doi. org/10.1289/ehp.1409277
PDVer, a Tool to Verify PDDL Planning Domains

We present a methodology and a tool for the problem of testing and verifying that a PDDL planning domain satisfies a set of requirements, a need that arises for instance in space missions. We first review and analyse coverage conditions for requirement-based testing, and present how test cases can be derived automatically from requirements. Additionally, we show how test cases can be translated into additional planning goals. To automate this process, we introduce PDVer, an Eclipse plug-in for the automatic generation of PDDL code from requirements expressed in LTL. We evaluate the effectiveness of our approach and the usability of our tool against the Rovers domain from the fifth International Planning Competition (IPC-5).
High Strength and High Thermal Conductivity Carbon Foam Reinforced with Graphite Nanoparticles

A novel carbon foam with high strength and high thermal conductivity was prepared through the incorporation of graphite nanoparticles into coal tar based mesophase pitch precursor. Carbon foam was obtained after carbonization and graphitication of pitch foam formed by the pyrolysis of coal tar based mesophase pitch mixed with graphite nanoparticles in a high pressure and temperature chamber. The foam had possessed high strength and exceptional high thermal conductivity. SEM observation showed that less micro cracking appeared on the cell wall of foam by the addition of graphite nanoparticles. The test of thermal conductivity and mechanical properties shows that the thermal conductivity of modified carbon foam could reach 195 W/m.K. The mechanical properties were improved markedly, and compressive strength was increased from 2 MPa to 18.8 MPa when the additive amount of graphite nanoparticles was 8%.
Kitosan Kaplamanın Gökkuşağı Alabalığı (Oncorhynchus mykiss, W. 1792) Filetolarının Raf Ömrü Üzerine Etkisi

Gereç ve Yöntem: Çalışmada üç deney grubu (kontrol grubu, bir dakika kitosan solüsyonuna daldırılan grup [I], 30 saniye kitosan solüsyonuna daldırılıp çıkartılan ve iki dakika beklendikten sonra tekrar 30 saniye ikinci daldırmaya tabi tutulan grup [II]) oluşturulmuştur. Deney örnekleri, muhafazanın 0. , 3. , 6. , 9. ve 12. günlerinde mikrobiyolojik (toplam mezofilik ve psikrofilik aerob bakteri sayısı), kimyasal (pH, toplam uçucu bazik azot [TVB-N] ve tiyobarbitürik asit [TBA] sayısı) ve duyusal (renk, koku, tat, doku ve genel beğeni düzeyi) açıdan incelenmiştir.