Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Prospects of immune checkpoint blockade and vaccine-based immunotherapy for glioblastoma

Abstract Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most prevalent primary brain tumor endowed with a dismal prognosis. Nowadays, immunotherapy in a particular immune checkpoint blockade and therapeutic vaccines are being extensively pursued. Yet, several characteristics of GBM may impact such immunotherapeutic approaches. This includes tumor heterogeneity, the relatively low mutational load of primary GBM, insufficient delivery of antibodies to tumor parenchyma and the unique immunosuppressive microenvironment of GBM. Moreover, standard treatment of GBM, comprising temozolomide chemotherapy, radiotherapy and in most instances the application of glucocorticoids for management of brain edema, results in a further increased immunosuppression. This review will provide a brief introduction to the principles of vaccine-based immunotherapy and give an overview of the current clinical studies, which employed immune checkpoint inhibitors, oncolytic viruses-based vaccination, cell-based and peptide-based vaccines. Recent experiences as well as the latest developments are reviewed. Overcoming obstacles, which limit the induction and long-term immune response against GBM when using vaccination approaches, are necessary for the implementation of effective immunotherapy of GBM.
GaAs–AlGaAs core–shell nanowire lasers on silicon: invited review

Semiconductor nanowire (NW) lasers provide significant potential to create a new generation of lasers and on-chip coherent light sources by virtue of their ability to operate as single mode optical waveguides at the nanoscale. Due to their unique geometry, a major benefit lies also in the feasibility for direct integration on silicon (Si), enabling III–V-on-Si NW lasers that could fuel applications in optical interconnects and data communication. In this review, we describe the state-of-the-art and recent progress in GaAs–AlGaAs based NW lasers emitting in the near infrared (NIR) spectral region, with a specific emphasis on integration on a Si platform. First, we explore design rules for the photonic properties in GaAs NW waveguides based on finite difference time domain calculations. The lasing characteristics of GaAs–AlGaAs core–shell NW lasers are then investigated under various different optical pumping schemes ranging from pulsed to continuous wave excitation. We further review recent activities on the realization of low-dimensional quantum heterostructures inside NW cavities as a means to tune lasing wavelength, gain and threshold properties. Ultimately, we describe schemes for monolithic integration of GaAs-based NW lasers directly on Si and show how such vertical nanocavity lasers are excellent candidates for low-threshold lasing, high spontaneous emission coupling (high β-factor lasers), and ultrafast emission characteristics.
Recent progress toward organophosphorus compounds based on phosphorus-centered radical difunctionalizations

GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT ABSTRACT Organophosphorus compounds have all along attracted considerable attention as they have broad utilities such as reagents for chemical reactions, ligands for transition metal catalysts, flame retardants, biologically active molecules and building blocks in synthetic chemistry. Compared with metal-catalyzed coupling synthesis, transformations via P-center radicals processes are powerful methods for the synthesis of organophosphorus compounds, as they provide unique routes leading to target molecules in least and concise steps. Generally, homolytic cleavage of P-H bonds serves as a major approach for the generation of P-centered radicals. And the reaction varieties between P-centered radicals and unsaturated compounds including addition reactions, addition/dehydrogenation reactions and difunctionalizations. This review will focus on the difunctionalization reactions between unsaturated compounds and P-centered radicals origin from P-H compounds published in the period from 2010 to October 2016, by highlighting the reactions' specificity and, where possible, the relevant mechanistic rationale.
Use of Microfiltration to Improve Quality and Shelf Life of Ultra‐High Temperature Milk

The main objectives of this research were to evaluate the efficacy of microfiltration in extending the shelf life and improving the quality of ultra‐high temperature (UHT) milk. Results showed that in high somatic cell counts (SCC) and low SCC raw milk, microfiltration resulted in an average 3.56 and 3.57 log reduction of total bacterial counts, and 1.52 × 10⁶ and 2.10 × 10⁵ to <1.00 × 10³ of SCC, respectively. Microfiltered UHT milk had higher pH values and lower titratable acidity compared to nonmicrofiltered UHT control milk during storage. After 112 days and 63 days of storage, there were significant differences of noncasein nitrogen/total nitrogen between the microfiltered UHT milk and nonmicrofiltered UHT control milk in high SCC and low SCC milk (P < 0.05). Particle size distribution in microfiltered UHT milk followed monodisperse distribution during storage. The shelf life of microfiltered UHT milk made by low SCC and high SCC raw milk were effectively extended by 21 and 63 days. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: Microfiltration process was to reduce bacteria and to remove somatic cell counts (SCC) of raw milk. Compared with nonmicrofiltered ultra‐high temperature (UHT) control milk, the quality of microfiltered UHT milk was greatly enhanced. Microfiltration in combination with UHT process resulted in longer shelf life of UHT milk, especially for high SCC milk.
Macroscopic on-site evaluation after EUS-guided fine needle biopsy may replace rapid on-site evaluation

Background and Objectives: Rapid on-site cytologic evaluation (ROSE) increases the diagnostic yield of EUS-FNA. However, ROSE requires the presence of a cytopathologist and additional cost and time for slide staining and interpretation. Macroscopic on-site examination (MOSE) was recently introduced as an alternative to ROSE and showed high accuracy for the use in pathologic diagnosis. We evaluated the efficacy of MOSE in terms of tissue acquisition and diagnostic accuracy for abdominal lesions. Methods: We analyzed consecutive patients included who underwent EUS-guided fine needle biopsy (FNB) between January 2019 and November 2019. All procedures were done by dry suction using a 22G needle. Obtained specimens were expelled onto filter papers and evaluated by MOSE. Needle pass was done until the acquisition of satisfactory whitish macroscopic visible core or bloody tissue granules. The primary outcomes were successful tissue acquisition and accuracy for pathologic diagnosis. Results: In 75 patients (male, 52%; median age: 62 years), the pancreas was the most commonly targeted organ (81.4%) and the median target diameter was 25 mm. The median number of needle passes was 2.0 (range, 2–5). Successful targeting of the lesion was achieved in 75 patients (100%) and overall accuracy was 97.3%. There were no procedure-related adverse events. Conclusions: MOSE was effective for complementing EUS-FNB by ensuring the adequate acquisition of biopsy specimens with a minimal number of needle passes while providing a critically high diagnostic accuracy. MOSE seems to be a viable alternative to ROSE in select clinical situations.
Phenotypic and Molecular Detection of Invasive Pulmonary Aspergillosis from Inpatients Children with Hematologic Cancers

Objective: Invasive pulmonary aspergillosis (IPA) is a growing concern in immunocompromised children. Data from Middle East regarding burden of children’s Aspergillus infections are scant. This study aimed to update the frequency and antifungal susceptibility profile of Aspergillus isolates obtained from children with malignant underlying diseases. Materials/Patients/Methods: A total of 75 episodes from 60 patients with clinical presentation suggestive of IPA were recruited between January 2013 to December 2016, and clinical data were retrospectively collected. In vitro susceptibility was determined by E test method using Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute guidelines. Result: According to EORTC/MSG criteria, a total of 75 episodes, 16 (21.3%) and 59 (78.7%) cases with probable and possible IPA were identified, respectively. Aspergillus flavus was isolated in 7neutropenic patients showing and showed reduced susceptibility to amphotericin B. However, all isolates demonstrated susceptible profile to caspofungin (≤ 0.25 μg/ml), posaconazole (≤ 0.5 μg/ml) and voriconazole (≤ 2 μg/ml). Conclusion: The Aspergillus species causing IPA in children with malignancies differed from those in Western countries. Our results provide useful information on local epidemiology of IPA and selection of proper empirical antifungal agent.
Distributed Multi-User VR With Full-Body Avatars

Social virtual reality applications have the potential to provide a unique way to convey a sense of social presence when compared with other ways of communication in the area of computer mediated communication. Having a virtual body in a social virtual reality application can not only heighten the sense of embodiment of the user but can also convey a sense of presence to other users. General interest in social virtual reality applications is rising partly due to virtual reality devices become more aﬀordable, including input technologies like hand tracking. This thesis aims to create a multi user virtual reality application that heightens social presence by representing users with a full-body avatar utilizing current entry level consumer grade virtual reality hardware. Hand tracking in combination with inverse kinematics is used to enhance perceived social presence. Those technologies provide a suﬃciently convincing representation of the performed action of the user in a multi user context, while being signiﬁcantly less cumbersome as solutions using additional trackers or controllers to realize a full body avatar.
A SIGNATURE REGISTER OF A BIST TO DETECT STUCK-AT-FAULTS IN COMBINATIONAL LOGIC ICS

A specific functionality of combinational logic ICs (integrated circuits) may become errors caused by occurring stuck-at-faults at its inputs and output logic gates. The faults may be detected by a signature register of a BIST (built-in self test). A circuit simulation of it is designed by Verilog. Moreover, as a CUT (circuit under test) is a combinational IC of XXX855 manufactured by Nexperia Semiconductor Company. A testability of the circuit is simulated using QuestaSim simulator. Simulation results show that the circuit may detect the faults occurring in the CUT
Vessel service planning in seaports Online supplement

Avant de citer ce rapport technique, veuillez visiter notre site Web (https://www.gerad.ca/fr/papers/G-2020-67) afin de mettre à jour vos données de référence, s’il a été publié dans une revue scientifique. The series Les Cahiers du GERAD consists of working papers carried out by our members. Most of these pre-prints have been submitted to peer-reviewed journals. When accepted and published, if necessary, the original pdf is removed and a link to the published article is added.
A few illustrative results from WG3 activities: molecules under confinement

As emphasized in the prologue of the book of abstracts from the first MOLIM WG3 meeting in Bratislava [1], WG3 was created to cope with molecular systems in different phases and under different conditions. From the very beginning, it was clear that this challenging task should involve algorithm enhancements and combine different computational implementations and methodological strategies as well as joint experimental/theoretical efforts. This short talk is dedicated to present a few illustrative examples extracted from a (noncomprehensive) list of MOLIM WG3 joint papers [2-33]. The focus of this work has been on molecular systems under different confinement environments such as helium nanodroplets [2-7], carbon nanotubes [8-12], metallic core-shell nanoparticles [13], small metal clusters [14], surfaces of coronene [15], graphene [16-18], metals [19-21] and TiO2 [22-24] as well as systems of biological relevance [25-31] and molecular clusters [32, 33]. Athough our joint efforts also contained several objectives with respect to program development such as for fitting potential energy surfaces [30] and for calculating full quantum wave-functions of molecules in carbon nanotubes [9-12], most of the WG3 works clearly reflects that the main efforts of the group have been invested in the multi-scale ab-initio modelling of confined quantum systems, which was in fact the main subject of the 2 and final MOLIM WG3 meeting in Madrid [34]. Other interesting WG3 activities were the organization of the first MOLIM workshop “Intermolecular Interactions” at Santiago de Compostela [35] as well as the organization of the second MOLIM workshop “Multiscale Modelling – From Quantum Effects to Material Properties at the Nanoscale” at the Graz University of Technology [36]. A total of 98 talks have been delivered by WG3 members, MOLIM members from other working groups, and external experts (see appendix).
The possibilities of electric vehicles nowadays

Global warming is one of the biggest problems in the world: international organizations, states, companies and individuals must respond to the challenges that arise. This fact has led to significant changes in the automotive industry, which can revolutionize the way the industry operates in the future. The aim of my study is to examine how the strengthening of sustainability aspects influenced the transformation of the automotive industry, with special regard to the spread of electric cars. I also examined how markets responded to technological change, thus the announcements that help drive the spread of electric cars have had a positive impact on the value of companies in recent years. With the help of event analysis, I have shown that equities had systematically outperformed after innovative announcements, but the effect was not always significant.
5, 7-Dihalo-8-quinolinol complex inhibits growth of ovarian cancer cells via the downregulation of expression of Wip1

Purpose: To assess the cytotoxic effect of 5, 7-dihalo-8-quinolinol complex (DHQ) on ovarian cancer cells, and the mechanism of action involved. Methods: DHQ-mediated changes in cell viability were determined using MTT assay, while apoptosis was analyzed with flow cytometry. The effect of DHQ on cell migration was determined using inverted microscopy, while its effect on invasiveness was assessed with Giemsa dyeing. FACS Calibur instrumentation was employed for analyzing the effect of DHQ on the cell cycle. The protein expressions of Wip1 and P53 were assayed by western blotting. Results: DHQ induced cytotoxicity against A2780 and OVCAR 3 cells in the concentration range of 0.25 12 μM (p < 0.05). In A2780 and OVCAR 3 cells, treatment with 12 μMDHQ resulted in 69.34 and 65.46 % apoptosis, respectively. The migratory potential and invasiveness of A2780 and OVCAR3 cells were significantly decreased by 12 μMDHQ, relative to untreated cells (p < 0.05). Moreover, treatment with 12 μMDHQ arrested cell cycle at G1/G0 phase in A2780 and OVCAR3 cells, but downregulated the protein expressions of Wip1 expression in A2780 and OVCAR3 cells. Conclusion: DHQ exerts cytotoxic effect on ovarian cancer cell growth via arrest of cell cycle and activation of apoptosis. Moreover, DHQ inhibits the migratory and invasive abilities of the cells. Thus, DHQ is a potential drug candidate for the management of ovarian cancer.
Validation of a sea lice dispersal model: principles from ecological agent-based models applied to aquatic epidemiology

Sea lice are one of the most economically costly and ecologically concerning problems facing the salmon farming industry. Here, we validated a coupled biological and physical model that simulated sea lice larvae dispersal from salmon farms in the Broughton Archipelago (BA), British Columbia, Canada. We employed a concept from ecological agent-based modeling known as ‘pattern matching’, which identifies similar emergent properties in both the simulated and observed data to confirm that the simulation contained sufficient complexity to recreate the emergent properties of the system. One emergent property from the biophysical simulations was the existence of sub-networks of farms. These were also identified in the observed sea lice count data in this study using a space-time scan statistic (SaTScan) to identify significant spatio-temporal clusters of farms. Despite finding support for our simulation in the observed data, which consisted of over a decade’s worth of monthly sea lice abundance counts from salmon farms in the BA, the validation was not entirely straightforward. The complexities associated with validating this biophysical dispersal simulation highlight the need to further develop validation techniques for agent-based models in general, and biophysical simulations in particular, which often result in patchiness in their dispersal fields. The methods utilised in this validation could be adopted as a template for other epidemiological dispersal models, particularly those related to aquaculture, which typically have robust disease monitoring data collection plans in place.
The effect of environmental policies on CO2 emissions Using the environmental policy stringency index

The carbon concentration in the air has increased by 50 percent since pre-industrial times and continues to increase every year. Climate change is, therefore, a significant challenge today. The purpose of this paper is to study how the stringency of the environmental policies affect carbon dioxide emissions, and what factors play the most important part in influencing different countries’ carbon emissions trajectory. Built on the environmental policy stringency index constructed by OECD, this paper applies a panel data model with fixed effects to a sample with 33 countries between 1990 and 2014. The results show that higher stringency of environmental policies does not have a significant impact on carbon dioxide emissions, while fossil fuel consumption and gasoline price influence carbon dioxide emissions the most. The results imply that lowering fossil fuel consumption by increasing gasoline prices could be a solution in an attempt to reduce carbon dioxide emissions.
Drosera indica as an indoor biological control against mosquitoes

In the wild, carnivorous plants obtain some nutrients by trapping and digesting various invertebrates, and occasionally even small frogs and mammals. Because insects are one of the most common prey items for most carnivorous plants, they are sometimes called insectivorous plants The aim of this study is to identify Drosera indica indeed a carnivorous plant to control indoor mosquitoes in Metro Manila. Experimental Method of research. Controlled pot plant were placed in the Urban garden of UDM and observed to trapped insects. Another pot plant was placed inside the room that verified attracted insects. The Experimental period runs for 7 days from October 5 to 11, 2020. Conclusion: Based on the results and finding, Drosera indica is an insectivorous plant that preys on Aedes aegypti and Anopheles mosquitoes
A comprehensive methodology for implementation of Industry 4.0 in India using an approach of AHP- fuzzy- ELECTRE

The purpose of this study is to develop a comprehensive methodology for successfully implementing Industry 4.0 in India. The study highlights the barriers to Industry 4.0 in India and uses a combined AHPfuzzy-ELECTRE approach for ranking the barriers against a set of criteria and creates a roadmap of the barriers. The study finds out that Infrastructure is the biggest barrier and stands at the first place; Investment stands at the second place; Technology comes at third; and Awareness, Lack of Standards and Data Security, and Legal Barrier are more or less of the same scale and come at fourth. The study can be used by the Indian industrial setup to further develop their own measures to counter these barriers in an efficient manner to make India Industry 4.0 ready.
Extended-Spectrum Beta-Lactamase Enzyme (ESBL) Production from Antimicrobial-Resistant Escherichia coli Isolates and their Attachment on Stainless-Steel Surface

Food contact surfaces may pose a threat of becoming vector for antimicrobial-resistant transmission of bacteria along the food chain. Twenty-four isolates of Escherichia coli were investigated to determine the antimicrobial resistance, production of Extended-Spectrum Beta-Lactamase Enzyme and their attachment ability on stainless-steel surface. The antimicrobial resistance and enzyme production tests were carried out according to standard disc diffusion assay, while attachment was simulated on stainless steel discs. All 24 isolates were resistant to Amoxycillin and Penicillin, while 50% and 37.5% were resistant to Ceftriaxone and Cefotaxime, respectively. Three of 24 isolates (12.5%) produced the enzyme against cefotaxime, ceftazidime and ceftriaxone. The enzyme production was further confirmed by the expansion of cefotaxime, ceftriaxone and ceftazidime inhibition zone towards amoxicillin-clavulanate disc. All 3 enzyme-producing isolates (EC-6, EC-7 and EC-12) exhibited their ability to attach to stainless-steel disc. Attachment was significantly increased (p<0.05) with prolonged incubation times with the highest attachment (6.07±0.05 log10 cfu/ml) by isolate EC-6 at 72h. The attachment ability indicates that resistant E. coli can be potentially transmitted into the food chain via contaminated food contact surfaces. Our data could be used to develop research to link the spread of antimicrobial resistance towards effective intervention strategies.
geoChronR – an R package to model, analyze, and visualize age-uncertain data

Abstract. Chronological uncertainty is a hallmark of the paleoenvironmental sciences and geosciences. While many tools have been made available to researchers to quantify age uncertainties suitable for various settings and assumptions, disparate tools and output formats often discourage integrative approaches. In addition, associated tasks like propagating age-model uncertainties to subsequent analyses, and visualizing the results, have received comparatively little attention in the literature and available software. Here, we describe geoChronR, an open-source R package to facilitate these tasks. geoChronR is built around an emerging data standard (Linked PaleoData, or LiPD) and offers access to four popular age-modeling techniques (Bacon, BChron, OxCal, BAM). The output of these models is used to conduct ensemble data analysis, quantifying the impact of chronological uncertainties on common analyses like correlation, regression, principal component, and spectral analyses by repeating the analysis across a large collection of plausible age models. We present five real-world use cases to illustrate how geoChronR may be used to facilitate these tasks, visualize the results in intuitive ways, and store the results for further analysis, promoting transparency and reusability.
Implementation of IEC 61499 and Model Checking for Drill Simulator

Reusability of control codes is one of the basic angles in mechanical robotization, especially for the advancement of high dependable control frameworks. In this paper, we examine a general structure and usage of IEC 61499 standard that can be utilized to speak to conveyed control frameworks and rebuilding the control programs. This paper likewise expects to change the current IEC 61131 based model of computerization framework into the models that pursues IEC 61499 standard. We utilize a bore test system as precedent by mimicking the model utilizing Function Block Development Kit (FBDK) in light of IEC 61499. Accordingly, a piece of the control codes can be used for reusable reason to accomplish framework control objective.