Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Detecting Indicators for Startup Business Success: Sentiment Analysis Using Text Data Mining

The main aim of this study is to identify the key factors in User Generated Content (UGC) on the Twitter social network for the creation of successful startups, as well as to identify factors for sustainable startups and business models. New technologies were used in the proposed research methodology to identify the key factors for the success of startup projects. First, a Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA) model was used, which is a state-of-the-art thematic modeling tool that works in Python and determines the database topic by analyzing tweets for the #Startups hashtag on Twitter (n = 35.401 tweets). Secondly, a Sentiment Analysis was performed with a Supervised Vector Machine (SVM) algorithm that works with Machine Learning in Python. This was applied to the LDA results to divide the identified startup topics into negative, positive, and neutral sentiments. Thirdly, a Textual Analysis was carried out on the topics in each sentiment with Text Data Mining techniques using Nvivo software. This research has detected that the topics with positive feelings for the identification of key factors for the startup business success are startup tools, technology-based startup, the attitude of the founders, and the startup methodology development. The negative topics are the frameworks and programming languages, type of job offers, and the business angels’ requirements. The identified neutral topics are the development of the business plan, the type of startup project, and the incubator’s and startup’s geolocation. The limitations of the investigation are the number of tweets in the analyzed sample and the limited time horizon. Future lines of research could improve the methodology used to determine key factors for the creation of successful startups and could also study sustainable issues.
TGF-β Induces Degradation of PTHrP Through Ubiquitin-Proteasome System in Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Both transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) and parathyroid hormone-related protein (PTHrP) regulate important cellular processes, such as apoptosis in the development of hepatocellular carcinoma. However, the mechanisms of regulation of PTHrP by TGF-β are largely unknown. We hypothesized that TGF-β regulates the expression of PTHrP protein through a post-translational mechanism. Using hepatocellular carcinoma cell lines as the in vitro model, we investigated the effects of TGF-β on protein expression and post-translational processing of PTHrP. We found that TGF-β treatment led to protein degradation of PTHrP through the ubiquitin-proteasome-dependent pathway. We also provided evidence to show that Smurf2 was the E3 ligase responsible for the ubiquitination of PTHrP. Furthermore, using immunohistochemistry on human hepatocellular carcinoma specimens and a tissue array, we found that the expression of PTHrP was predominantly in the cancer cells, whereas the expression of TGF-β was present in non-neoplastic liver tissue adjacent to hepatocellular carcinoma. Our findings reveal a novel mechanism whereby TGF-β may regulate PTHrP in hepatocellular carcinogenesis and lack of TGF-β in hepatocellular carcinoma may promote cancer progression. Promotion of PTHrP degradation provides a novel target of therapeutic intervention to sensitize hepatocellular carcinoma cells to cytostatic and/or pro-apoptotic signals.
Understanding New Religion-Compliant Product Adoption (NRCPA) in Islamic Markets

Abstract This study examines the relationships between religious beliefs, brand personality, and new religion-compliant product adoption (NRCPA) in Islamic markets. Findings confirm that religious consumers tend to behave in accordance with a society or group that follows the same beliefs, and that these consumers’ behavior and lifestyle are influenced by similar religious groups and social relationships. In addition, the more religious the consumer, the more likely they will adopt or favour/disfavour a new product in accordance with his/her religious beliefs. Finally, the three constructs–relative advantages, compatibility and complexity–are found to partially mediate the influential relationship between religious beliefs and new religion-compliant product adoption. International firms that target Muslim markets, with an aim to profit and fit in these markets, must take into account the Islamic values, standards and guidelines.
Energy efficiency projects involving solar water heating systems in homes of low-income families: Measurement and verification and stochastic modelling applied to prediction of electricity saving

Solar water heating in homes of low-income families as Energy Efficiency Action enables energetic benefits from points of view of the consumer and the Brazilian electrical system, thereby reducing environmental impacts associated with generation, transmission and distribution of electricity. The purpose of the present study is to evaluate these gains through measurement and verification methodology adapted from the International Performance Measurement and Verification Protocol, from case studies involving Energy Efficiency Projects in the Goiás State, Brazil. This paper also presents the stochastic modelling for the generation of future scenarios of electricity saving resulted by these Energy Efficiency Projects. The model is developed by using the Geometric Brownian Motion Stochastic Process with Mean Reversion associated with the Monte Carlo simulation technique. Results show that the electricity saved from the replacement of electric showers by solar water heating systems in homes of low-income families has great potential to bring financial benefits to such families, and that the reduction in peak demand obtained from this Energy Efficiency Action is advantageous to the Brazilian electrical system. Results contemplate also the future scenarios of electricity saving and a sensitivity analysis in order to verify how values of some parameters influence on the results, once there is no historical data available for obtaining these values.
Mitochondrial Localized Stat3 Promotes Breast Cancer Growth via Phosphorylation of Serine 727*

Background: A pool of the nuclear transcription factor Stat3 in the mitochondria (mitoStat3) controls respiration and Ras transformation. Results: Serine phosphorylation of mitoStat3 controls accumulation of reactive oxygen species and growth of breast cancer in mice. Conclusion: These results provide the first evidence for a mechanism by which mitoStat3 contributes to tumorigenesis. Significance: The data suggest new therapeutic approaches to treatment of breast cancer. Signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (Stat3) is a key mediator in the development of many cancers. For 20 years, it has been assumed that Stat3 mediates its biological activities as a nuclear localized transcription factor activated by many cytokines. However, recent studies from this laboratory and others indicate that Stat3 has an independent function in the mitochondria (mitoStat3) where it controls the activity of the electron transport chain (ETC) and mediates Ras-induced transformation of mouse embryo fibroblasts. The actions of mitoStat3 in controlling respiration and Ras transformation are mediated by the phosphorylation state of serine 727. To address the role of mitoStat3 in the pathogenesis of cells that are transformed, we used 4T1 breast cancer cells, which form tumors that metastasize in immunocompetent mice. Substitution of Ser-727 for an alanine or aspartate in Stat3 that has a mitochondrial localization sequence, MLS-Stat3, has profound effects on tumor growth, complex I activity of the ETC, and accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Cells expressing MLS-Stat3(S727A) display slower tumor growth, decreased complex I activity of the ETC, and increased ROS accumulation under hypoxia compared with cells expressing MLS-Stat3. In contrast, cells expressing MLS-Stat3(S727D) show enhanced tumor growth and complex I activity and decreased production of ROS. These results highlight the importance of serine 727 of mitoStat3 in breast cancer and suggest a novel role for mitoStat3 in regulation of ROS concentrations through its action on the ETC.
Differential diagnosis of colorectal polyps with narrow band imaging colonoscopy without magnification.

BACKGROUND/AIMS Narrow band imaging (NBI) endoscopy can be used for gross differentiation between the types of colonic polyps. This study was conducted as a retrospective study for estimation of the interobserver and intra-observer agreement of the pit pattern of the mucosal surface and the accuracy of histology prediction. METHODS A total of 159 patients underwent complete colonoscopy and 219 polyps examined by NBI endoscopy without magnification were assessed. Interobserver and intra-observer agreement were calculated by investigators in each group for determination of the surface pattern and prediction of histology based on the modified Kudo's classification using intraclass correlation coefficient. RESULTS Interobserver agreement for the surface pit pattern and prediction of polyp type was 0.84 and 0.73 in experienced endoscopists, and 0.86 and 0.62 in trainees, respectively. Intra-observer agreement for the surface pit patterns and prediction of polyp type was 0.81, 0.83, 0.85, 0.83, 0.56, 0.84, 0.51, 0.83, and 0.71; and 0.71, 0.70, 0.82, 0.54, 0.72, 0.37, 0.51, 0.34, and 0.30, respectively. The diagnostic accuracy for prediction of polyp type was 69.4% for experienced endoscopists and 72.9% for trainees. CONCLUSIONS NBI endoscopy without magnification showed fairly good inter and intra-observer agreement for the pit pattern of the mucosal surface and the accuracy of histology prediction; however, it had some limitation for differentiation of colon polyp histologic type. Training and experience with NBI is needed for improvement of accuracy.
Condition-based maintenance for systems under dependent competing failures

Failures of complex systems may be various types. Natural failure due to degradation is one main mechanism. Other factors such as traumatic failure caused by random shocks from external environment are also critical to systems' operation. This paper proposes a new model to study complex systems that experience both degradation and shocks which are dependent. System reliability is analyzed and maintenance actions including periodic inspection, preventive maintenance and replacement are adopted to minimize the long-run maintenance cost rate. Sensitivity analysis is also included.
A prospective study of the impact of floods on the mental and physical health of older adults

Objectives: With a longitudinal prospective design, we examined the impact of floods on the mental and physical health of older adults and explored risk and protective factors. Method: Two hundred and seventy four older adults (age ≥60) completed surveys before and after a flood event. Both the surveys included measures of anxiety, depression, self-reported health, and satisfaction with life; the post-flood survey also included questionnaires on flood experience, symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), stoicism, and psychological coping with floods. Results: Compared to those not personally affected (78.8%), personally affected individuals (21.2%) reported significantly higher PTSD symptoms, with about one in six reporting PTSD symptoms that might require clinical attention. Personally affected individuals also reported a greater increase in anxiety post-flood, but changes in their depressive symptoms and self-reported health were not significantly different from those not personally affected. Greater flood exposure and the lack of social support were the risk factors for poorer mental and physical health. Higher stoicism was associated with higher post-flood depression and poorer self-reported mental health. The use of maladaptive coping, such as venting and distraction, was associated with greater deterioration in mental health after floods, whilst emotion-focused coping such as acceptance, positive reframing, and humour, was protective against such deterioration. Conclusion: Floods had adverse psychological impacts on some older adults who were personally affected. Despite the evidence of resilience, a small proportion of older adults experienced significant difficulties after the floods. The findings in this study help understand older adults’ psychological responses to disasters and have practical implications for service planning and delivery.
A Detailed Study of Patients and Tumor Characteristics of Epithelial Ovarian Cancer in Saudi Women

Background The Saudi population is characterized by high parity and intermarriages that may impact ovarian carcinogenesis. Herein, we analyzed the tumor characteristics and outcomes in Saudi patients with epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC). Methods Patients with EOC treated at King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center during 1995–2007 were identified retrospectively through a review of their medical records. Patients’ and tumor characteristics were collected including age at diagnosis, marital status, parity, histology, stage, treatment rendered, and follow-up data. Results One hundred-ninety-three patients with EOC were identified in this cohort. The mean age of the patients was 55 ± 15 years, the mean ± SD body mass index was 27.0 ± 5.6 kg/m2, and the median parity was approximately 7.0. Whereas 4 patients reported a family history of cancer, 164 women reported negative family history; and it was unknown in 27 cases. Tumor distribution by International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics stage was the following: 12 patients (6.2%) had stage I disease at diagnosis, 1 patient (0.5%) stage II disease, 130 patients (67.4%) stage III disease, 39 patients (20.2 %) stage IV disease, and that of 11 patients (5.7%) was unknown. Information on residual disease after surgery was available on 98 patients with optimal debulking (<1 cm) achieved in 61 cases. Median progression-free survival from end of chemotherapy to recurrence/progression was 11.9 months (95% confidence interval, 9.4–15.2). Tumor histology, size of residual disease, and stage at diagnosis were significant prognostic factors. The patients’ age, body mass index, tumor histology, and grade had no impact on survival. Conclusions Patients presenting with advanced-stage disease are higher among Saudis than those reported in global literature. Despite high intermarriage rates, reported family history for related cancers was quite low in this cohort. Notably, this is the first study evaluating EOC in Saudi patients.
SOX9 and the many facets of its regulation in the chondrocyte lineage

ABSTRACT SOX9 is a pivotal transcription factor in developing and adult cartilage. Its gene is expressed from the multipotent skeletal progenitor stage and is active throughout chondrocyte differentiation. While it is repressed in hypertrophic chondrocytes in cartilage growth plates, it remains expressed throughout life in permanent chondrocytes of healthy articular cartilage. SOX9 is required for chondrogenesis: it secures chondrocyte lineage commitment, promotes cell survival, and transcriptionally activates the genes for many cartilage-specific structural components and regulatory factors. Since heterozygous mutations within and around SOX9 were shown to cause the severe skeletal malformation syndrome called campomelic dysplasia, researchers around the world have worked assiduously to decipher the many facets of SOX9 actions and regulation in chondrogenesis. The more we learn, the more we realize the complexity of the molecular networks in which SOX9 fulfills its functions and is regulated at the levels of its gene, RNA, and protein, and the more we measure the many gaps remaining in knowledge. At the same time, new technologies keep giving us more means to push further the frontiers of knowledge. Research efforts must be pursued to fill these gaps and to better understand and treat many types of cartilage diseases in which SOX9 has or could have a critical role. These diseases include chondrodysplasias and cartilage degeneration diseases, namely osteoarthritis, a prevalent and still incurable joint disease. We here review the current state of knowledge of SOX9 actions and regulation in the chondrocyte lineage, and propose new directions for future fundamental and translational research projects.
Regulatory features of the trp operon and the crystal structure of the trp RNA-binding attenuation protein from Bacillus stearothermophilus.

Characterization of both the cis and trans -acting regulatory elements indicates that the Bacillus stearothermophilustrp operon is regulated by an attenuation mechanism similar to that which controls the trp operon in Bacillus subtilis. Secondary structure predictions indicate that the leader region of the trp mRNA is capable of folding into terminator and anti- terminator RNA structures. B. stearothermophilus also encodes an RNA-binding protein with 77% sequence identity with the RNA-binding protein (TRAP) that regulates attenuation in B. subtilis. The X-ray structure of this protein has been determined in complex with L-tryptophan at 2.5 A resolution. Like the B. subtilis protein, B. stearothermophilus TRAP has 11 subunits arranged in a ring-like structure. The central cavities in these two structures have different sizes and opposite charge distributions, and packing within the B. stearothermophilus TRAP crystal form does not generate the head-to-head dimers seen in the B. subtilis protein, suggesting that neither of these properties is functionally important. However, the mode of L-tryptophan binding and the proposed RNA binding surfaces are similar, indicating that both proteins are activated by l -tryptophan and bind RNA in essentially the same way. As expected, the TRAP:RNA complex from B. stearothermophilus is significantly more thermostable than that from B. subtilis, with optimal binding occurring at 70 degrees C.
The Population Question in a Neoclassical Growth Model

This work seeks to answer the "population question," i.e. the effect of population growth on production per capita. This question has lingered in economic thought for centuries and to this day two general lines of thought can be identified, which might be marked as the "optimist" and the "pessimist" view. While the optimists claim that an increase in population will - chiefly owed to concomitant specialization and technological progress - raise average production per capita, the pessimists maintain that the latter would decline as a result of resources becoming relatively more scarce. Integrating both approaches and using a neoclassical framework, this work intends to show that sustainably increasing productivity is predominantly the result of reducing too high fertility toward a lower level such that diminishing returns are outweighed by the benefits from labor division. The paper argues that the historical reduction of fertility can almost completely explain long-run development.
Exponential Stabilization for a Class of Nonlinear Parabolic PDE Systems via Fuzzy Control Approach

This paper deals with the exponential stabilization problem for a class of nonlinear spatially distributed processes that are modeled by semilinear parabolic partial differential equations (PDEs), for which a finite number of actuators are used. A fuzzy control design methodology is developed for these systems by combining the PDE theory and the Takagi-Sugeno (T-S) fuzzy-model-based control technique. Initially, a T-S fuzzy parabolic PDE model is proposed to accurately represent a semilinear parabolic PDE system. Then, based on the T-S fuzzy model, a Lyapunov technique is used to design a continuous fuzzy state feedback controller such that the closed-loop PDE system is exponentially stable with a given decay rate. The stabilization condition is presented in terms of a set of spatial differential linear matrix inequalities (SDLMIs). Furthermore, a recursive algorithm is presented to solve the SDLMIs via the existing linear matrix inequality optimization techniques. Finally, numerical simulations on the temperature profile control of a catalytic rod are given to verify the effectiveness of the proposed design method.
Handedness, language lateralisation and anatomical asymmetry in schizophrenia: meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND Cerebral lateralisation appears to be decreased in schizophrenia. Results of studies investigating this, however, are equivocal. AIMS To review quantitatively the literature on decreased lateralisation in schizophrenia. METHOD Meta-analyses were conducted on 19 studies on handedness, 10 dichotic listening studies and 39 studies investigating anatomical asymmetry in schizophrenia. RESULTS The prevalence of mixed- and left-handedness ('non-right-handedness') was significantly higher in patients with schizophrenia as compared to healthy controls, and also as compared to psychiatric controls. The analysis of dichotic listening studies revealed no significant difference in lateralisation in schizophrenia. However, when analysis was restricted to studies using consonant-vowel or fused word tasks, significantly decreased lateralisation in schizophrenia emerged. Asymmetry of the planum temporale and the Sylvian fissure was significantly decreased in schizophrenia, while asymmetry of the temporal horn of the lateral ventricle was not. CONCLUSION Strong evidence is provided for decreased cerebral lateralisation in schizophrenia.
Ectopic lipids and organ function

Purpose of review To summarize recent studies that shed more light on possible mechanisms by which ectopic lipid storage affects organ function. Recent findings Although ectopic lipids have been considered as biomarkers of lipotoxicity, adaptation of metabolic fluxes and of mitochondrial function seem to be more important than actual cellular fat contents in liver and muscle. Diabetic and obese humans have elevated myocardial lipid contents, which are associated with mitochondrial and contractile dysfunction and could even precede the development of heart failure. Although pancreatic fat content is negatively associated with insulin secretion, β-cell triglycerides are not easily accessible to measurement in humans rendering their role for β-cell function unclear. New approaches to quantify energy metabolism in various organs could help to identify novel biomarkers of organ function in humans. Summary Dietary intake of high-caloric high-fat diets and sedentary lifestyle lead to increased storage of triglycerides not only in adipose tissue but also ectopically in other tissues. Intracellular lipid contents in skeletal muscle and liver have been related to insulin resistance and inflammatory processes. Myocardial fat is increased in heart failure, whereas pancreatic fat could relate to insulin secretion.