Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The beating heart of melanomas: a minor subset of cancer cells sustains tumor growth

The recent observation that targeted elimination of a minor subpopulation of melanoma cells can lastingly eradicate the tumor lesion provides strong evidence that an established melanoma lesion is hierarchically organized and maintained by definite subset of cells but not by every random cancer cell. This review discusses the concepts of discrete cancer stem cells and of a cellular hierarchy in melanomas, the rationale for shifting therapies from broad tumor cell cytotoxicity into selective cancer cell elimination strategies and the challenges for future therapeutic concepts.
Estimation of Strength Properties of Shale from Some of Its Physical Properties Using Developed Mathematical Models

------------------------------------------------------Abstract---------------------------------------------------------Estimation of strength properties (uniaxial compressive and point load) from physical properties (density, porosity and rebound hardness) of shale rock type from Kogi State, Nigeria was investigated. The shale rock types were sampled and tested for their properties through in-situ and laboratory tests conducted. Schmidt hammer was used to carry out the in-situ testing of the rock on the field while rock samples were collected for laboratory test. Four samples of each rock type were prepared for the determination of density and porosity. The results obtained from the Schmidt hammer test and those of density determined from laboratory test were used to estimate the uniaxial compressive strength of the rock. The average density and porosity of the shale are 2.39 g/cm and 38.4%. The average uniaxial compressive strength and point load index values are 34.20 MPa and 1.60 MPa respectively. From the results, the strength parameters indicated high strength classification. The determined physical and strength parameters were analyzed statistically. Mathematical models were derived from the relationships between the parameters for the estimation of strength properties of the rock and the coefficient of their correlation (R) indicated strong relationship. The results obtained would be useful tools for the prediction of the strength properties of rocks having similar physical properties as the investigated rock type.
Application of Micro-Genetic Algorithm for Task Based Computing

Pervasive computing calls for applications which are often composed from independent and distributed components using facilities from the environment. This paradigm has evolved into task based computing where the application composition relies on explicit user task descriptions. The composition of applications has to be performed at run-time as the environment is dynamic and heterogeneous due to e.g., mobility of the user. An algorithm that decides on a component set and allocates it onto hosts accordingly to user task preferences and the platform constraints plays a central role in the application composition process. In this paper we will describe an algorithm for task-based application allocation. The algorithm uses micro-genetic approach and is characterized by a very low computational load and good convergence properties. We will compare the performance and the scalability of our algorithm with a straightforward evolutionary algorithm. Besides, we will outline a system for task-based computing where our algorithm is used.
Relationship between caffeine-induced changes in resting cerebral perfusion and blood oxygenation level-dependent signal.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Recent interest has emerged in the use of pharmacologic methods to maximize blood oxygenation level-dependent (BOLD) signal intensity changes in functional MR imaging (fMRI). Adenosine antagonists, such as caffeine and theophylline, have been identified as potential agents for this purpose. The present study was designed to determine whether caffeine-induced decreases in cerebral perfusion result in enhanced BOLD responses to visual and auditory stimuli. METHODS MR imaging was used to measure resting cerebral perfusion and stimulus-induced BOLD signal intensity changes in 19 patients. We evaluated the relationship between resting cerebral perfusion and the magnitude of BOLD signal intensity induced by visual and auditory stimulation under caffeine and placebo conditions. RESULTS The data showed that changes in resting cerebral perfusion produced by caffeine are not a consistent predictor of BOLD signal intensity magnitude. Although all cerebral perfusion was reduced in all study participants in response to caffeine, only 47% of the participants experienced BOLD signal intensity increase. This finding was independent of the participants' usual caffeine consumption. CONCLUSION The data presented herein show that the relationship between resting cerebral perfusion and the magnitude of BOLD signal intensity is complex. It is not possible to consistently enhance BOLD signal intensity magnitude by decreasing resting perfusion with caffeine. Future studies aimed at evaluating the relationship between perfusion and BOLD signal intensity changes should seek a means to selectively modulate known components of the neural and vascular responses independently.
Radiation exposure during cardiac CT: effective doses at multi-detector row CT and electron-beam CT.

PURPOSE To measure the effective radiation doses delivered at electron-beam computed tomography (CT) and multi-detector row spiral CT of coronary arteries and to compare these doses with those delivered at catheter coronary angiography. MATERIALS AND METHODS An anthropomorphic phantom equipped with 66 thermoluminescent dosimeters was imaged at cardiac CT. Four protocols for unenhanced coronary artery calcium scoring were simulated: one with electron-beam CT and three with multi-detector row CT. Four similar protocols for coronary CT angiography were simulated. All multi-detector row spiral CT protocols were performed with retrospective electrocardiographic triggering. Biplane catheter coronary angiography also was simulated. Radiation doses to organs were measured, and effective doses were calculated according to guidelines published in International Commission on Radiological Protection Publication 60. RESULTS Coronary artery calcium scoring with electron-beam CT yielded effective radiation doses of 1.0 and 1.3 mSv for male and female patients, respectively. The radiation doses at calcium scoring with multi-detector row CT were 1.5-5.2 mSv for male patients and 1.8-6.2 mSv for female patients. Electron-beam CT coronary angiography yielded effective doses of 1.5 and 2.0 mSv for male and female patients, respectively. The highest effective doses were delivered at multi-detector row CT angiography: 6.7-10.9 mSv for male patients and 8.1-13.0 mSv for female patients. Catheter coronary angiography yielded effective doses of 2.1 and 2.5 mSv for male and female patients, respectively. CONCLUSION Higher radiation doses are delivered at multi-detector row cardiac CT compared with the doses delivered at electron-beam CT and catheter coronary angiography.
Incident and prevalent herpes simplex virus type 2 infection increases risk of HIV acquisition among women in Uganda and Zimbabwe

Background:An association has been demonstrated between herpes simplex type 2 (HSV-2) and HIV infection among men, but prospective studies in women have yielded mixed results. Objective:To estimate the effects of prevalent and incident HSV-2 infection on subsequent HIV acquisition among women in two African countries. Design:Prospective cohort study. Methods:HSV-2 and HIV serostatus were evaluated at enrollment and quarterly for 15–24 months among 4531 sexually active, HIV-uninfected women aged 18–35 years from Uganda and Zimbabwe. The association between prior HSV-2 infection and HIV acquisition was estimated using a marginal structural discrete survival model, adjusted for covariates. Results:HSV-2 seroprevalence at enrollment was 52% in Uganda and 53% in Zimbabwe; seroincidence during follow-up was 9.6 and 8.8/100 person-years in Uganda and Zimbabwe, respectively. In Uganda, the hazard ratio (HR) for HIV was 2.8 [95% confidence interval (CI), 1.5–5.3] among women with seroprevalent HSV-2 and 4.6 (95% CI, 1.6–13.1) among women with seroincident HSV-2, adjusted for confounding. In Zimbabwe, the HR for HIV was 4.4 (95% CI, 2.7–7.2) among women with seroprevalent HSV-2, and 8.6 (95% CI, 4.3–17.1) among women with seroincident HSV-2, adjusted for confounding. The population attributable risk percent for HIV due to prevalent and incident HSV-2 infection was 42% in Uganda and 65% in Zimbabwe. Conclusions:HSV-2 plays an important role in the acquisition of HIV among women. Efforts to implement known HSV-2 control measures, as well as identify additional measures to control HSV-2, are urgently needed to curb the spread of HIV.
DNA methylation of the p14ARF, RASSF1A and APC1A genes as an independent prognostic factor in colorectal cancer patients

We quantitated the methylated fraction of CpG sites in the promoter regions of O6-MGMT, p14ARF, p16INK4a, RASSF1A and APC1A in tumor tissue from patients with colorectal cancer (CRC) in order to determine if promoter hypermethylation of any of these genes predicts survival. DNA was isolated from 111 primary CRC and 46 matched normal colorectal mucosa samples from the same patients, obtained at primary surgery and DNA methylation was examined by Pyrosequencing®. Follow-up time was up to 20 years. Patients showed partial promoter methylation in the following frequencies: O6-MGMT, 34%; p14ARF, 29%; p16INK4a, 28%; RASSF1A, 14%; and APC1A, 27%. Normal mucosa was always unmethylated. CRC patients with methylated p14ARF gene promoter had significantly worse prognosis (p=0.036), whereas those with methylated O6-MGMT had significantly better prognosis through the first 60 months post-treatment (RR 0.36; p=0.023). Methylation of one or more of the genes from the set p14ARF, RASSF1A and APC1A, was significantly (p= 0.021) associated with worse prognosis even adjusting for tumor stage and differentiation (RR 2.2, p=0.037). Thus, DNA methylation of the p14ARF, RASSF1A and APC1A genes, diagnosed by Pyrosequencing, defines a poor prognosis subset of CRC patients independently of both tumor stage and differentiation. O6-MGMT methylation may play a protective role.
Toward a Theory of Situational Structure

The independent variables for all studies published in odd-numbered volumes of the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology were recorded. The variables were then sorted on the basis of resemblance into an emerging scheme of categories. This procedure resulted in a list of 51 categories; this list arguably contains all dimensions of situational structure that have been shown to exert a significant effect on behavior. The 51 categories were then organized into a scheme of situational structure. The following 5 aspects of situational structure were suggested: the stimulus environment, which is comprised of the physical environment and the situation's temporal and spatial structure, as well as any social structure that is external to the subject; characteristics of the subject, which involve all relevant attributes of the subject as well as relevant prior experience; cognitive and affective dynamics, which involve the subject's attentional, interpretive, and emotional states and processes, as well as the subject's expectancies and goals; relationship background, which involves prior or incipient interactions between the subject and other people in the situation; and matrix of possibilities, which involves the range of behavioral alternatives available to the subject as well as the potential consequences and implications of various alternatives. The scheme is discussed in terms of issues of environmental psychology, especially environmental controllability.
J1-160 and J1-180 are oligodendrocyte-secreted nonpermissive substrates for cell adhesion

The glia-derived J1 extracellular matrix glycoproteins have been referred to as J1-160/J1-180 (the developmentally late appearing lower molecular weight group) and J1-200/J1-220 (the developmentally early appearing higher molecular group immunochemically related to tenascin). Members of the two groups show distinct cross-reactivities. To characterize the structural and functional differences between these J1 glycoproteins, two monoclonal antibodies were generated which recognize only the members of the lower molecular weight group. The two antibodies detect immunochemical similarities among the members of the lower molecular weight group, but do not react with J1/tenascin. J1-160 and J1-180 are specifically expressed by differentiated oligodendrocytes in culture and by myelin of the central nervous system and have not been found in the peripheral nervous system nor in any other organ of the adult mice tested. Electron microscopic examination of rotary-shadowed J1-160 and J1-180 reveals, respectively, dimeric and trimeric (tribrachion) kink-armed rodlike structures, which are linked by disulfide bridges. J1-160/J1-180 are nonpermissive substrates for the attachment and spreading of early postnatal small cerebellar neurons, astrocytes, and fibroblasts. In a mixture with laminin, J1- 160/J1-180 are nonpermissive substrates for neurons, but not for astrocytes or fibroblasts. The repulsive effect toward neurons can be neutralized by one of the monoclonal antibodies, but not by the other. These observations are discussed in the context of cell interactions during regeneration in the mammalian nervous system.
Crystal Structure of the Ligand-binding Domain of the Ultraspiracle Protein USP, the Ortholog of Retinoid X Receptors in Insects*

The major postembryonic developmental events happening in insect life, including molting and metamorphosis, are regulated and coordinated temporally by pulses of ecdysone. The biological activity of this steroid hormone is mediated by two nuclear receptors: the ecdysone receptor (EcR) and the Ultraspiracle protein (USP). The crystal structure of the ligand-binding domain from the lepidopteran Heliothis virescens USP reported here shows that the loop connecting helices H1 and H3 precludes the canonical agonist conformation. The key residues that stabilize this unique loop conformation are strictly conserved within the lepidopteran USP family. The presence of an unexpected bound ligand that drives an unusual antagonist conformation confirms the induced-fit mechanism accompanying the ligand binding. The ligand-binding pocket exhibits a retinoid X receptor-like anchoring part near a conserved arginine, which could interact with a USP ligand functional group. The structure of this receptor provides the template for designing inhibitors, which could be utilized as a novel type of environmentally safe insecticides.
Visual Analysis of Spatio‐Temporal Data: Applications in Weather Forecasting

Weather conditions affect multiple aspects of human life such as economy, safety, security, and social activities. For this reason, weather forecast plays a major role in society. Currently weather forecasts are based on Numerical Weather Prediction (NWP) models that generate a representation of the atmospheric flow. Interactive visualization of geo‐spatial data has been widely used in order to facilitate the analysis of NWP models. This paper presents a visualization system for the analysis of spatio‐temporal patterns in short‐term weather forecasts. For this purpose, we provide an interactive visualization interface that guides users from simple visual overviews to more advanced visualization techniques. Our solution presents multiple views that include a timeline with geo‐referenced maps, an integrated webmap view, a forecast operation tool, a curve‐pattern selector, spatial filters, and a linked meteogram. Two key contributions of this work are the timeline with geo‐referenced maps and the curve‐pattern selector. The latter provides novel functionality that allows users to specify and search for meaningful patterns in the data. The visual interface of our solution allows users to detect both possible weather trends and errors in the weather forecast model. We illustrate the usage of our solution with a series of case studies that were designed and validated in collaboration with domain experts.
Get off that couch.

A solution to get the problem off, have you found it? Really? What kind of solution do you resolve the problem? From what sources? Well, there are so many questions that we utter every day. No matter how you will get the solution, it will mean better. You can take the reference from some books. And the get off the couch is one book that we really recommend you to read, to get more solutions in solving this problem.
The motion of Euglena viridis: the role of flagella.

1. Analysis of high-speed cine-films of Euglena viridis reveal that the organism traverses a complex three-dimensional path while helical waves are propagated from base to tip along the flagellum. 2. Theoretical analysis shows that the rapid forward velocity of the organism cannot be produced by the body movement alone. The propulsive force generated by the flagellum is sufficient to maintain the observed velocities. 3. Although the euglenoid flagellum bears mastigonemes the thrust produced by it is in the direction to be expected if the flagellum were smooth. Possible explanations of this observation are given.
Microwave cell death: Molecular analysis using DNA electrophoresis, PCR amplification and TUNEL

Microwave cell death (MCD) is unique in that microscopic morphology and antigenicity are well preserved, while enzymatic activity is lost. The aim of the present study was to carry out DNA electrophoresis, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase‐mediated dUTP nick end‐labeling (TUNEL) examination of MCD. DNA electrophoresis indicated only a thick band of large DNA immediately after microwave treatment, which became a smear 6 h later and indicated a delayed type of DNA degradation over 2 weeks. Neither a DNA smear characteristic of oncosis nor DNA ladder patterns characteristic of apoptosis were found in MCD. PCR of p53 in MCD showed a single band at the same level of control of non‐microwave treated cells. MCD was negatively stained on TUNEL. These results provide further evidence that MCD is distinct from oncosis and apoptosis, in addition to showing unique morphological and antigenic preservation and enzymatic inactivation.
Lack of efficacy of Tai Chi in improving quality of life in breast cancer survivors: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND It is controversial whether Tai Chi (TC) benefits breast cancer survivors (BCS) on quality of life (QoL). We therefore undertook a meta-analysis to assess this question. MATERIALS AND METHODS A computerized search through electronic databases was performed to identify relevant randomized controlled trials (RCTs). The primary outcome was QoL, while secondary outcomes included body mass index (BMI), bone mineral density (BMD), and muscle strength. RESULTS Five RCTs involving 407 patients were included in the meta-analysis. The pooled standardized mean differences were 0.10 (95% confidence interval (CI): -0.35-0.54) for physical well- being, 0.03 (95%CI: -0.18-0.25) for social/family well-being, 0.24 (95%CI: 0.02-0.45) for emotional well-being, 0.23 (95%CI: -0.03-0.49) for functional well-being, and 0.09 (95%CI: -0.19-0.36) for additional concerns. TC failed to improve BMI, BMD, and muscle strength. CONCLUSIONS There is currently lack of sufficient evidence to support TC improving QoL and other important clinical endpoints.
Studies on the suitability of LT codes with Modified Degree Distribution (MDD) for fading channels

The objective of this paper is to study and analyze the suitability of Luby Transform (LT) codes for fading channels such as Rayleigh and Rician channels. The performance of LT codes is actually governed by a well-defined degree distribution function used in LT process. Hence, this paper presents a novel approach called Modified Degree Distribution (MDD) for improving the delay and Bit Error Rate (BER) performances of LT codes over fading channels. This work mainly discusses the significance of varying the proportion of degree-1 encoding symbols on the delay and BER performance of LT codes. Simulation results show that there is a significant improvement in the performance of MDD based LT codes over Rician channels compared to Rayleigh channels in terms of BER and encoding/decoding delay.
A Futuristic Research Agenda for the Field of Franchising

This brief paper summarizes the sweeping changes taking place within the North American franchising reality and extols franchising researchers to venture forth into novel arenas of investigation. In the process, it also offers commentary on two articles appearing in this issue of the Journal of Small Business Management. In general, this polemic invites researchers (1) to look beyond the North American contexts for data and original theoretical development; (2) to investigate new phenomena associated with franchising; and (3) to examine extant ontology of franchising research topics from novel perspectives. Illustrative frameworks for executing this research agenda are presented throughout.
MOTHERING AMANDA: MUSINGS ON THE EXPERIENCE OF RAISING A CHILD WITH CEREBRAL PALSY

Raising a child with a disability is a compelling and profoundly transformative experience. The child's diagnosis represents a unique form of interpersonal loss in which the object of the loss is still a commanding presence in the parents' lives. Despite this presence, however, the imagined narrative of the child's future is irrevocably lost, and this loss is experienced with intensity. New narratives must be created and continuously altered as the child proceeds through stages of the life cycle. Parenting a child with a disability also propels parents into a stigmatized social category for which their previous experiences have generally left them ill prepared.This work offers a glimpse into the emotional and social experience of disability through the lens of my own experience of mothering a child with severe cerebral palsy.
Obesity and bullying: different effects for boys and girls

Aims: To investigate whether weight category (underweight, average weight, overweight, and obese) at age 7.5 predicts bullying involvement at 8.5 years. Models were tested separately for boys and girls to investigate gender differences in association patterns. Methods: Prospective cohort study in southwest England. Height and weight were measured in children at age 7.5 (n = 8210). BMI (kg/m2) was used to define underweight, average weight, overweight, and obese children, according to British age and gender specific growth reference data. Overt (n = 7083) and relational (n = 6932) bullying behaviour was assessed in children at age 8.5. Results: After adjustment for parental social class, compared to average weight boys, obese boys were 1.66 (95% CI 1.04 to 2.66) times more likely to be overt bullies and 1.54 (1.12 to 2.13) times more likely to be overt victims. Obese girls were 1.53 (1.09 to 2.15) times more likely to be overt victims compared to average weight girls. Conclusions: Obesity is predictive of bullying involvement for both boys and girls. Preadolescent obese boys and girls are more likely to be victims of bullying because they deviate from appearance ideals. Other obese boys are likely to be bullies, presumably because of their physical dominance in the peer group.