Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Imaging breast cancer response during neoadjuvant systemic therapy

Neoadjuvant systemic therapy is used to enable breast-conserving surgery in patients with large primary operable breast cancers. It is important to be able to accurately assess response to systemic therapy, both to assist the surgeon and for prognostic purposes. Moreover, a proportion of women will fail to respond to treatment and would potentially benefit from either a change in therapy or earlier surgery rather than continuing completion of the planned course of treatment. Conventional techniques of assessing response (clinical examination, x-ray mammography and breast ultrasound) rely on changes in tumor size, which are often delayed and do not always correlate with pathologic response. This review examines the evidence for functional imaging techniques including scintimammography, functional computed tomography, dynamic magnetic resonance imaging, spectroscopy and positron emission tomography. These techniques measure changes in tumor vasculature, metabolism or proliferation and may prove to be earlier and more sensitive measures of response to systemic therapy, thus enabling tailoring of an individual’s treatment.
Phase equilibria of membrane lipids from Acholeplasma laidlawii: importance of a single lipid forming nonlamellar phases.

A basis for the reorganization of the bilayer structure in biological membranes is the different aggregate structures formed by lipids in water. The phase equilibria of all individual lipids and several in vivo polar lipid mixtures from acyl chain modified membranes of Acholeplasma laidlawii were investigated with different NMR techniques. All dioleoyl (DO) polar lipids, except monoglucosyldiglyceride (MGDG), form lamellar liquid crystalline (L alpha) phases only. The phase diagram of DOMGDG reveals reversed cubic (III), reversed hexagonal (HII), and L alpha phases. In mixtures of DOMGDG and dioleoyldiglycosyldiglyceride (DODGDG), the formation of an III (or HII) phase is enhanced by DOMGDG and low hydration or high temperatures. For in vivo mixtures of all polar DO lipids, a transition from an L alpha to an III phase is promoted by low hydration or high temperatures (50 degrees C). The phospholipids are incorporated in this III phase. Likewise, III and HII phases are formed at similar temperatures in a series of in vivo mixtures with different extents of acyl chain unsaturation. However, their melting temperatures (Tm) vary in an expected manner. All cubic and hexagonal phases, except the III phase with DOMGDG, exist in equilibrium with excess water. The maximum hydration of MGDG and DGDG is similar and increases with acyl chain unsaturation but is substantially lower than that for, e.g., phosphatidylcholine. The translational diffusion of the lipids in the cubic phases is rapid, implying bicontinuous structures. However, their appearances in freeze-fracture electron microscope pictures are different. The III phase of DOMGDG belongs to the Ia3d space group. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Gene Cloning and Heterologous Expression of a Novel Endoglucanase, Swollenin, from Trichoderma pseudokoningii S38

The coding sequence of a novel cellulolytic factor, swollenin, was isolated from the cellulolytic fungus Trichoderma pseudokoningii S38. The full-length swo2 gene encodes a protein of 494 amino acids with a calculated molecular mass of 51,393 Da, which includes a putative 22-amino-acid signal peptide. Sequence analysis revealed significant identity between isolated swollenin and that from Trichoderma reesei. The swollenin gene was further expressed and purified in T. reesei QM9414. The expressed swollenin protein was consequently purified by two-step ion exchange chromatography. The purified swollenin had subtle hydrolytic activities on xylan and yeast cell wall glucan, while no apparent activities on carboxymethy cellulose, cotton fiber, filter paper, or cellulose powder CF11 were observed. These results indicate that although swollenin maintains unidentified glycohydrolytic activities, it is inactive against β-1,4-glycosidic bonds in cellulose. Its exact role in lignocellulose hydrolysis calls for further analysis.
Mechanism for Corneal Reshaping in Hyperopic Orthokeratology

Purpose. To investigate the mechanism underlying hyperopic orthokeratology (OK) by comparing the short-term clinical effect of lenses before and after central lens fenestration. Methods. Twelve subjects (age 21 to 24 years) were fitted with rigid hyperopic OK lenses (BE Enterprises/Capricornia) in one eye only. The fellow eye acted as a non-lens wearing control. Lens specifications were matched to provide the same post lens tear film profile in all subjects. Non-fenestrated lenses were worn in the open eye for 1 h and in the closed eye for four nights. Subjective spherical equivalent refraction and corneal topography (Medmont E300) were measured at baseline, after 1 h of lens wear, and within 1 h of waking on days 1 and 4 of overnight lens wear. The lenses were then sent for three 0.75 mm fenestrations within the central optic zone, and lens wearing and measurement procedures were repeated. Results. There was a statistically significant change from baseline in all variables at all visits in lens wearing eyes. Refraction changed after 1 h of lens wear, with greater effect after overnight wear. Para-central corneal flattening was apparent after 1 h of lens wear, with greater flattening after overnight wear. Central corneal steepening was only statistically significant after overnight wear. Central fenestrations did not lead to a difference in clinical effect in any variables. However, a correlation between apical corneal curvature change and refractive change became apparent only after lens fenestration. Conclusion. A hyperopic OK effect was established after 1 h with increased effect with longer lens wearing time. Central fenestrations did not affect the clinical outcomes, indicating that corneal compression by the lens in the para-central region as opposed to central post lens tear film suction may be the primary mechanism behind the hyperopic OK clinical effect.
Induction of Rapid Detachment in Shewanella oneidensis MR-1 Biofilms

ABSTRACT Active detachment of cells from microbial biofilms is a critical yet poorly understood step in biofilm development. We discovered that detachment of cells from biofilms of Shewanella oneidensis MR-1 can be induced by arresting the medium flow in a hydrodynamic biofilm system. Induction of detachment was rapid, and substantial biofilm dispersal started as soon as 5 min after the stop of flow. We developed a confocal laser scanning microscopy-based assay to quantify detachment. The extent of biomass loss was found to be dependent on the time interval of flow stop and on the thickness of the biofilm. Up to 80% of the biomass of 16-h-old biofilms could be induced to detach. High-resolution microscopy studies revealed that detachment was associated with an overall loosening of the biofilm structure and a release of individual cells or small cell clusters. Swimming motility was not required for detachment. Although the loosening of cells from the biofilm structure was observed evenly throughout thin biofilms, the most pronounced detachment in thicker biofilms occurred in regions exposed to the flow of medium, suggesting a metabolic control of detachability. Deconvolution of the factors associated with the stop of medium flow revealed that a sudden decrease in oxygen tension is the predominant trigger for initiating detachment of individual cells. In contrast, carbon limitation did not trigger any substantial detachment, suggesting a physiological link between oxygen sensing or metabolism and detachment. In-frame deletions were introduced into genes encoding the known and putative global transcriptional regulators ArcA, CRP, and EtrA (FNR), which respond to changes in oxygen tension in S. oneidensis MR-1. Biofilms of null mutants in arcA and crp were severely impacted in the stop-of-flow-induced detachment response, suggesting a role for these genes in regulation of detachment. In contrast, an ΔetrA mutant displayed a variable detachment phenotype. From this genetic evidence we conclude that detachment is a biologically controlled process and that a rapid change in oxygen concentration is a critical factor in detachment and, consequently, in dispersal of S. oneidensis cells from biofilms. Similar mechanisms might also operate in other bacteria.
Protein micro and nanoencapsulation within glycol-chitosan/Ca2+/alginate matrix by spray drying

Encapsulation of therapeutic peptides and proteins into polymeric micro and nanoparticulates has been proposed as a strategy to overcome limitations to oral protein administration. Particles having diameter less than 5 µm are able to be taken up by the M cells of Peyer’s patches found in intestinal mucosa. Current formulation methodologies involve organic solvents and several time consuming steps. In this study, spray drying was investigated to produce protein loaded micro/nanoparticles, as it offers the potential for single step operation, producing dry active-loaded particles within the micro to nano-range. Spherical, smooth surfaced particles were produced from alginate/protein feed solutions. The effect of operational parameters on particle properties such as recovery, residual activity and particle size was studied using subtilisin as model protein. Particle recovery depended on the inlet temperature of the drying air, and mean particle size ranged from 2.2 to 4.5 µm, affected by the feed rate and the alginate concentration in the feed solution. Increase in alginate:protein ratio increased protein stability. Presence of 0.2 g trehalose/g particle increased the residual activity up to 90%. Glycol-chitosan-Ca2+alginate particles were produced in a single step operation, with resulting mean diameter of 3.5 μm. Particles showed fluorescein isothiocyanate labeled bovine serum albumin (BSA)-protein entrapment with increasing concentration toward the particle surface. Similar, limited release profiles of BSA, subtilisin and lysozyme were observed in gastric simulation, with ultimate full release of the proteins in gastrointestinal simulation.
Automatic Implementation of Progressive FastICA Peel-Off for High Density Surface EMG Decomposition

This study presents automatic decomposition of high density surface electromyogram (EMG) signals through a progressive FastICA peel-off (PFP) framework. By incorporating FastICA, constrained FastICA and a peel-off strategy, the PFP can progressively expand the set of motor unit spike trains contributing to the EMG signal. A series of signal processing techniques were applied and integrated in this study to automatically implement the two tasks that often require human operator interaction during application of the PFP framework, including extraction of motor unit spike trains from FastICA outputs and reliability judgment of the extracted motor units. Based on these advances, an automatic PFP (APFP) framework was consequently developed. The decomposition performance of APFP was validated using simulated high density surface EMG signals. The APFP was also evaluated with experimental surface EMG signals, and the decomposition results were comparable to those achieved from the PFP with human operator interaction.
Changement climatique et agriculture

Global climate is warming, and the effects of climate change are associated with a lot of uncertainty. Not only average temperatures are expected to rise, but also the occurrence of extreme events such as floods or droughts. Agriculture is particularly at risk, due to the importance of weather conditions in production. This thesis therefore aims at investigating the relationship between weather variations and agricultural production, to better assess the potential effects of climate change on agriculture, relying on both theoretical and empirical methods. The first two chapters focus on developing countries and provide two empirical studies based on Indian data at the individual farm level that link climate to agricultural production and profits and to consumption decisions. We find contrasted results, with an overall damaging effect of climate change scenarios on Indian agricultural production and profits, especially for farmers in southern India. Irrigation may however help mitigating the losses, as well as crop mixing, particularly for small farms. The last two chapters consider developed countries. The first step focuses on crop yields in Europe. Under the tested climate scenarios, wheat yields are projected to slightly increase by the end of the 21$^\textrm{st}$ century relative to the observed yields from the past 25 years. These small gains are however accompanied by a lot of regional heterogeneity. For European corn yields, the projections highlight small gains in by the middle of the 21$^\textrm{st}$ century, followed by relatively higher losses in the long run. The second step relies on a general equilibrium approach, and aims at investigating the short-run impacts of weather shocks on business cycles, through their damaging effects on agriculture. Increasing the variance of climate shocks in accordance with forthcoming climate change leads to a sizeable increase in the volatility of key macroeconomic variables, such as production and inflation.
Thunderbolt hunt. Educational Program for Students from 5 to 9 Years Old in the Archaeological Museum of Ioannina

The present study aims to improve the quality and the effectiveness of Science Education in early grades along withthe goals of UNESCO’s emerging agenda for sustainable development and the 4th goal about quality in education. Itexamines the interaction between formal and non-formal education in designing and organizing complete educationalprograms directly connected with science education curriculum and utilizing innovative tools targeting to anattractive and rich context for science education. According to the second Science Centre World Summit (SCWS,2017), museums promote scientific knowledge which is considered a pure cultural component and as such it isstudied under the prism of cultural historical activity theory. Activity Theory is used in this research as a theoreticalframework for the design and analysis of educational activities, with an emphasis on active and interactive learningprocesses. It is a predominantly socio-cultural theory offering a broad scope of design and implementation forlinking science with culture and society. The educational program developed, “Thunderbolt hunt”, is different fromthe usual educational programs offered because, although it cultivates scientific method skills, it is implemented inthe Archaeological museum of Ioannina which constitutes a non-formal learning environment of general interest.The process of designing such programs is based on a number of principles and on numerous fields: thesocio-cultural theory of activity, the science education and the museum education. The museum thus becomes afacilitator of scientific knowledge while at the same time functions as a dynamic meeting place for students withtheir social, cultural and historical environment. The preliminary results of the study are presented in this paper.
Clozapine, but not haloperidol, increases neuropeptide Y neuronal expression in the rat hypothalamus

Many atypical antipsychotic drugs, such as clozapine, can induce significant weight gain which can have serious implications for drug compliance and morbidity. Food intake and weight gain are regulated primarily by the hypothalamus; the arcuate nucleus (ARC) of the hypothalamus is the region initially mediating the effects of circulating hormones on food intake. Neuropeptide Y (NPY) is an important hypothalamic peptide involved in body weight regulation. Immunohistochemical staining of NPY in the ARC was carried out in male Sprague-Dawley rats treated with haloperidol (1.5mg/kg, i.p.) or clozapine (25mg/kg, i.p.) for 3 weeks. Clozapine, but not haloperidol, produced an increase in NPY immunoreactivity in the ARC, suggesting that effects on NPY may be involved in increases in body weight following clozapine treatment.
Estimation of Echo Amplitude and Time Delay for OFDM-Based Ground-Penetrating Radar

The orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) based ground-penetrating radar (GPR) has been proven to have many advantages. The estimation of amplitudes and time delays of interface echoes is significant particularly in GPR systems for pavement profiling. For the recently developed OFDM-based GPR systems, this letter proposes an algorithm for precisely estimating the echo amplitudes and time delays. We estimate the propagation channel in frequency domain and transform the resulted channel frequency response to time domain. Considering the reduction of the channel impulse response (CIR) leakage caused by IFFT, a windowing method is applied before the IFFT. The challenge is that the general windowing method leads to resolution decrease and peak value losses for the windowed CIR, which contains the echo amplitude and time delay information. We design a window that causes very little echo amplitude loss and improves the estimation resolution. In this way, the echo amplitudes and time delays can be obtained from the largest few extreme values of the windowed CIR. The algorithm performs a low complexity, and the simulation results show that the estimation errors for both amplitudes and time delays are small with the range resolution improved.
A Prospectus of Tenomodulin

Abstract Tenomodulin is a type II transmembrane glycoprotein that can regulate growth of tendon. The human tenomodulin encoding gene is mapped to Х chromosome and encodes a polypeptide consisting of 317 alpha amino acids. The protein is located on the cell surface as N-glycosylated or non-N-glycosylated polypeptide with molecular mass of 45 and 40 kDa, respectively. The molecule consists of three domains and a short cytoplasmic tail at N-terminus. Tenomodulin is predominantly expressed in dense connective hypovascularized tissues such as tendons, skeletal muscle epimysium, and ligaments. Furthermore, tenomodulin is an efficient marker of tenocyte differentiation and plays an important role in the regulation of tenocyte proliferation, tendon development, and angiogenesis inhibition. A number of tenomodulin gene polymorphisms have been recently associated with a risk of obesity, diabetes, systemic immune mediators, cholesterol levels, Alzheimer disease, and age-related macular degeneration. Tenomodulin is involved in cell adhesion, determination of cell morphology, cell aging and bone mineral density. It is expected to play an important role in tendon recovery, tendon tissue engineering, anti-tumor therapy, treatment of chordal disruption, and remodeling of extracellular matrix.
DEVELOPING READING MATERIAL BASED-ON LOCAL CULTURE FOR JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL IN KABUPATEN REJANG LEBONG

Nowadays, the developing and appreciating material based on student’s local culture is very attractive. The objectives of this research are to know the existing folktales in students’ book, to identify local folktales that suitable to be included in the English students’ book and to know how to include the local folktales in the English students’ book for ninth grade of Junior High School in Rejang Lebong. This research adapted the R&D model proposed by Borg and Gall (1983) with some modifications. The data was taken from students and teachers of SMP Negeri 1 Rejang Lebong, SMP Negeri 2 Rejang Lebong and SMP Negeri 5 Rejang Lebong through questionnaire and interview. The first result of this research shows that students like the existing folktales in students’ book but sometimes they found difficulties in comprehending it. The second result identifies three siutable local folktales suitable to be included in the students’ book; Legenda Batu Menangis (62.4%), Lalan Belek (66.7%) and Muning Raib (66.7%). The third result shows that the developed material can be used as supplementary reading material. In conclusion, the existing folktales in the student’s book are good but not contextual, there are highly three suitable local folktales to be included in students’ book (Legenda Batu Menangis, Lalan Belek, and Muning Raib) and the way to include the suitable local folktales in English students’ book is as supplementary reading material. As suggestion, the next researcher can conduct further study on evaluation by using try out of this material development.
Evaluation on international unit trust funds: A case for Malaysia

As an investor, the most important thing when invest in unit trust funds is to achieve higher return with low risk. To do so, such method has been created by fund managers such as Sharpe measure [18], Treynor measure [20] and Jensen Alpha measure [11]. Using such methods create problem in understanding and misleading rankings. Modigliani and Modigliani [13] suggest a ranking procedure by providing best portfolio after return has been adjusted for risk. This study uses Modigliani and Modigliani model to provide the ranking procedure in determining “best” portfolio for Malaysian international unit trust funds. The leverage factor provides guidelines for strategic investment decisions. Further, it is found MSCI EAFE index is the best benchmark for international investment as compared to FBM KLCI and S&P 500 index.
Closed-loop power-control governor for multimedia mobile devices

The micro-electronics industry has been boosting the capabilities of multimedia mobile devices, but the battery, which is the only power source of most mobile devices, is experiencing relatively slow development. Therefore, determining how to optimize the energy consumption of mobile devices under a predefined performance requirement has become a critical issue. The video decoder, as one of the main energyconsuming multimedia applications, is the target application of this manuscript. This paper presents control algorithms for power regulation under the limited battery capacities of multimedia hand-held devices while executing a decoder application and maintaining a reasonable quality of user experience. A control system, which includes a real-time closedloop control subsystem and a power-control governor (PCG), has been implemented in the operating system of a low-cost development board. Instead of using any specific power sensor, a PMC (performance monitoring counter)-based estimator is used as the feedback signal in the closed-loop subsystem. After a theoretical system model has been obtained, classic controllers have been implemented in the development board. The control system is able to regulate the power consumption and the battery discharge rate in the presence of fluctuations in the decoder power-consumption demand. The proposed PCG can extend the battery lifetime by 15.5% and 12.8% in comparison with the conservative and ondemand governors of Linux, respectively.