Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
An Integrated RNA and DNA Molecular Signature for Colorectal Cancer Classification

Background: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common cancer among women and men in the USA and recent studies have shown an increasing incidence in less developed regions such as Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). The KRAS gene is mutated in 40% of the CRC cases and hence the RAS pathway activation has become a major focus of drug targeting efforts. However, nearly 60% of patients with wild-type KRAS fail to respond to RAS-targeted therapies, for example the anti-epithelial growth factor receptor inhibitor (EGFRi) combination therapies. Thus, there is a need to develop more reliable molecular signatures to better predict mutation status. In this study, we develop a hybrid (DNA mutation and RNA expression) signature and assess its predictive properties for the mutation status and survival of CRC patients. Methods: Publicly-available microarray and RNASeq data from 54 matched formalin-fixed paraffin embedded (FFPE) samples from the Affymetrix GeneChip and RNASeq platforms, were used to obtain differentially expressed genes between mutant and wild-type samples. For classification, the support-vector machines, artificial neural networks, random forests, k-nearest neighbor, naïve Bayes, negative binomial linear discriminant analysis, and the Poisson linear discriminant analysis algorithms were employed. Results: Compared to the genelist from each of the individual platforms, the hybrid genelist had the highest accuracy, sensitivity, specificity and AUC for mutation status, across all the classifiers, and is prognostic for survival in patients with CRC. Conclusions: This signature could be useful in clinical practice, especially for colorectal cancer diagnosis and therapy.
LEARNING FROM A PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT DESIGN EXPERIMENT: INSTITUTIONAL CONTEXT OF TEACHING

In this paper we report our learning as researchers from a five-year professional development design experiment. At its completion, we identified five strands of support as being essential to mathematics teachers’ learning. However, when planning the design experiment based on prior research, we only explicitly considered two of these strands: Building Mathematical Competence and Focus on Student Reasoning. The significance of three more strands of support became evident during the course of the experiment. We document the emergence of one of these strands, Understanding the Institutional Context of Teaching, by focusing on pivotal episodes from the experiment.
Morfološka i topografska analiza krvnih sudova cisternalnog segmenta vestibulokohlearnog nerva

Uvod. Kompresija nerava od strane krvnih sudova u pontocerebelarnom uglumože uzrokovati funkcionalne promjene ovih nerava. Radikularni, cisternalnidio vestibulokohlearnog nerva (n.VIII) ishranjuju grancice a. cerebelli anteriorinferior (AICA). Metode. Istraživanja su vrsena na 40 mozgova odraslih lica, oba pola, dobiod 21 do 78 godina. Po zavrsetku fiksiranja vrseno je fino preparisanje strukturapontocerebelarnog ugla, a zatim evidentiranje varijacija i odnosa krvnihsudova i nerava.Rezultati. AICA je u 17% desno i 6% lijevo bila dvostruka. Hipoplasticna AICAje cesce viđena na lijevoj strani (30 %). Odnos sa n. abducens-om (n.VI) je ostvarivalacesce sa lijeve strane, a sa n. facialis-om (n.VII) i n.VIII cesce desno.AICA je u 22% desno i u 30% lijevo pravila omcu oko n.VIII. Kada je rijec oodnosu bocnih grana AICA i n.VIII, najcesce su druga desna (45 % slucajeva) idruga lijeva (35 % slucajeva) grana imale blizak odnos sa pomenutim nervomZakljucak. Iako postoji cest nalaz bliskog odnosa n.VIII i krvnih sudova, vrlosu oprecni stavovi o postojanju vaskularnog kompresivnog sindroma, dokjedni autori smatraju da je to normalan anatomski nalaz, drugi potvrđujusvojim radovima postojanje istog.
Development of a Physiologic In-Vitro Testing Methodology for Assessment of Cervical Spine Kinematics

In-vitro biomechanical testing has been critical in the design and evaluation of spinal surgical instrumentation, however determination of realistic physiologic loading levels has proven difficult outside of the in-vivo setting. Unconstrained pure moment testing combined with the hybrid testing method is currently the gold standard test protocol for evaluation of motion preservation technology and adjacent level effects. Pure moment testing is well suited for making relative comparisons between treatments, but is currently not based on or representative of in-vivo spine motion, bringing the clinical relevance into question. The human cervical spine supports substantial compressive load in-vivo arising from muscle forces and the weight of the head. However, traditional in-vitro testing methods rarely include compressive loads, especially in investigations of multi-segment cervical spine constructs. Therefore, a systematic comparison of standard pure moment testing without compressive loading versus published and novel compressive loading techniques (follower load, axial load, and combined load) was performed. To achieve a pure moment test, a robot/UFS testing system was programmed with hybrid control, which combined load and displacement control to overcome the limitations of either control methodology alone. A follower load system was developed with actively controlled linear actuators and integrated into the robot/UFS testing system’s control algorithm. Thorough investigation of the integrated system ensured that the pure moment assumption was upheld and enabled characterization of the kinetics resulting from the application of follower load. In contrast, axial load was applied perpendicular to superior most vertebral body using the robot end-effector; it did not maintain the pure moment assumption resulting in alterations of the segmental motion patterns. The pure moment testing protocol without compression or follower load was not able to replicate the typical in-vivo segmental motion patterns throughout the entire motion path. Axial load or a combination of axial and follower load was necessary to mimic the in-vivo segmental contributions at the extremes of the extension-flexion motion path. It is hypothesized that dynamically altering the compressive loading throughout the motion path is necessary to mimic the segmental contribution patterns exhibited in-vivo—a novel concept that will be explored in future investigations.
NISCC good practice guide on ?rewall de-ployment for SCADA and process control networks

DISCLAIMER Reference to any specific commercial product, process or service by trade name, trademark manufacturer, or otherwise, does not constitute or imply its endorsement, recommendation, or favouring by UNIRAS or NISCC. The views and opinions of authors expressed within this document shall not be used for advertising or product endorsement purposes. UNIRAS or NISCC shall also accept no responsibility for any errors or omissions contained within this document. In particular, NISCC or UNIRAS shall not be liable for any loss or damage whatsoever, arising from the usage of information contained in this document. Acknowledgements The Group for Advanced Information Technology (GAIT) at the British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT) would like to thank all the vendors and end users that generously supported our efforts through numerous interviews and by providing us with documents that could only be described as extremely sensitive. Unfortunately we can not name you for obvious security reasons, but we appreciate your time, trust and encouragement. Four people stood out in their contributions and advice for this document that we can acknowledge. These people are Darrin Miller of Cisco System's Critical Infrastructure Assurance Group (CIAG), Andy Cobbett and Ian Henderson of BP International and Justin Lowe of PA Consulting. Thank you for all your help. Finally we would like to thank Karl Williams of the National Infrastructure Security Coordination Centre (NISCC) for his vision and support. Without him, this project never would have been possible. Executive Summary In recent years, Supervisory Controls and Data Acquisition (SCADA), process control and industrial manufacturing systems have increasingly relied on commercial information technologies such as Ethernet ® , TCP/IP and Windows ® for both critical and non-critical communications. While beneficial in other areas, use of these common protocols and operating systems has resulted in significantly less isolation from the outside world for vital SCADA and Process Control Networks (PCNs). These systems are now under risk of attack from a variety of threats, ranging from teenage script-kiddies to skilled and determined cyber-criminals. Unfortunately, there are few proven methods available to the asset owner or engineer to protect these vital systems. One commonly suggested security solution is to isolate the SCADA and PCN systems from the Internet and corporate enterprise network (EN) through the use of firewalls, but there is little information available on exactly how these firewalls should be deployed in terms of architectures, configuration and management. Firewalls can be complex devices …
Anonymous and hidden communication channels : a perspective on future developments

It is general knowledge that several organisations have the capabilities to create hidden communication channels which can be used for data exfiltration or to control remote agents. These channels transmit data without the permission and knowledge of the channels owner. This thesis investigates the possible future evolution of these channels, how they might incorporate anonymity, and how they can be implemented. Several existing and novel communication channels are investigated and evaluated by means of set of requirements and several use cases. This results in the creation of a prototype, which is evaluated for its effectiveness to remain hidden. Finally we conclude that a combination of an anonymity protocol and a server based service shows the best results.
Role of Schools in Tobacco prevention-A Review

Abstract: Tobacco use causes serious health problems. Its use presents a crucial threat to the well-being of children. School health programs to prevent tobacco use could become one of the most effective strategies to reduce the burden of tobacco induced illness and make a substantial contribution to the health of the next generation. Preventing as many children as possible from starting tobacco use is feasible and worthwhile, both economically and in terms of improved health of the population. This review discusses the various school-based strategies in the field of tobacco-use prevention and cessation to help school personnel implement effective prevention programs.
Interrelationship between Airport Enplanements and Accessibility

Increasingly, because urbanized areas have access to multiple airports, airlines must compete for passengers. One such location is the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area with three international airports within a 30-mi radius, each governed by a different planning authority. A traveler's choice to fly from a particular airport depends on a number of factors, chiefly convenient accessibility to the airport. Transportation planning agencies in the area often plan for network improvements to provide the best accessibility to a single major airport, although such improvements may also provide accessibility benefits to airports outside their jurisdiction. This paper presents an approach to estimate airport accessibility by highway and transit for both peak and off-peak hours. Furthermore, accessibility to these airports for a base year and a 20-year planning horizon are measured. The accessibility measure presented in the paper incorporates congestion travel times as obtained from a travel demand model. The results show that accessibility varies greatly for competing airports and, with that variation, there appears to be a correlation with total airport enplanements. The analysis also reveals the importance of taking a multimodal and multiple time-of-day approach to accessibility analysis.
Analysis of learning curves in the on-the-job training of air traffic controllers

This chapter describes a competence-based assessment system, called CBAS, for air traffic control (ATC) simulator and on-the-job training (OJT), developed at Air Traffic Control The Netherlands (LVNL). In contrast with simulator training, learning processes in OJT are difficult to assess, because the learning tasks cannot be planned in advance due to the ongoing air traffic. The assessment system in OJT was designed in such a way that the trainees’ progression can nonetheless be monitored. The reliability and validity of CBAS have been evaluated in previous research (Oprins, Burggraaff & Van Weerdenburg, 2006, 2008; Oprins, 2008). Here we present an evaluation with regard to the analysis of learning curves derived from assessment results. An adequate assessment of learning processes showing differences in individual learning patterns (e.g., slow starters, learning plateaus) and in performance (strengths and weaknesses) is of crucial importance as a basis for feedback on the learning process and for pass-fail decisions. CBAS compares the trainees' actual performance to required performance at successive moments of time. Under the assumption that performance is a reflection of the learning process (Oprins, 2008), it extracts learning curves from a sequence of performance measures over time. If trainees are learning, then their performance will increase (Oprins, 2008). In this chapter we start with describing the main principles of CBAS and the use of learning curves in OJT. Next, we explain the method by which learning curves are derived from the assessment results. Finally, we present the results of the analysis of learning curves.
Peer assessment of recorded student presentations

BACKGROUND Constructive alignment, authentic assessment and developing professional competencies (transferable/non-technical skills) are important issues in engineering education. These challenges have been highlighted by professional bodies such as Engineers Australia and the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET). A wealth of research exists that directly links these issues to student learning. Face to face activities such as seminars, provide on-campus students opportunities to practice these skills. Without similar activities it is often difficult to engage external students in tasks that involve higher order learning objectives (analysis, synthesis, and evaluation) through traditional assignments. While modern telepresence and video conferencing tools allow real-time interaction, these prove ineffective for students who work full time and are located in different time zones. To undertake such activities with external students in an asynchronous way, another learning tool is required. This paper reports on a learning activity that involved recorded student presentations and their assessment by peers in two classes, i.e. a first year introductory course into engineering applications and a third year course covering communication protocols and computer systems. PURPOSE The motivation of using peer assessment in these classes was to engage students in tasks that are beneficial to their learning. The research question for the work discussed in this paper is - in what ways do students perceive and approach peer assessment tasks and how this relates to development of their professional identity. APPROACH Students in a number of courses use the learning activity to access recorded presentations of their peers. It is demonstrated that the way these tools are used follow the principles of constructive alignment. Students participated in a survey to evaluate their perceptions of the peer assessment activity and its relationship to their professional development. Assessments that students have provided will be further analysed in future research to gain a better understanding of the quality of their assessment. RESULTS Feedback indicates that students appreciate opportunities for peer assessment, in particular as it is different from traditional, paper-based learning tasks and assignments. The results show a difference in how students engage with this activity depending on their maturity and year level. CONCLUSIONS Involving external students in presentations and offering them opportunities to provide feedback to peers is an excellent way to engage students in reflective activities. There is clear evidence that shows that students have developed their professional identities. Learning activities that allow students to develop their professional identity should be more widely used with both face-to-face as well as distance students.
Statistical Machine Learning in Terms of Industry 4.0 and Investigation of the Impact of Big Data on the Competitiveness of Firms

The ultimate goal of Industry 4.0 is to deliver real-time data to network-based information technology systems, which are always connected to machines, components, and ongoing work. They use machine learning and artificial intelligence algorithms to analyze and obtain information from these big data and adjust processes automatically as needed. Statistical machine learning techniques are designed to extract information from existing data. Statistical machine learning is largely based on statistical optimization and forecasting techniques. As a result of the analysis of big data gathered by statistical techniques with statistical machine learning methods, both manufacturers and service sector companies using these new techniques and methods have higher competitive power compared to companies that cannot adapt to these new techniques. In this study, statistical machine learning in terms of Industry 4.0 and the effect of big data on the competitiveness of firms have been investigated.
Improving Inventory Control through Narrowcasting Promotion Management

Narrowcasting is a business-centric network management solution which integrates media devices such as digital screens, high-bandwidth communication channels, and media management systems for media content distribution. The real time integration of inventory management with the emerging narrowcasting promotion systems promises a new level of supply chain efficiency. We investigate system modeling and design aspects of narrowcasting-based inventory control, which are of importance in terms of developing software systems to materialize the potentials of narrowcasting as a highly responsive promotion media. We propose an extension to the classical news-vendor inventory model, which integrates the narrowcasting advertising component into the dynamic inventory management process. We also present a promotion scheduling model for narrowcasting-based inventory management. To demonstrate the application of the proposed models, we provide a complete case study in the context of quick service restaurant industry.
Life Cycle Assessment of Power Generation Technologies with CO2 Capture

Carbon Capture and Storage has large a potential to mitigating the CO2 emissions caused by fossil fuel powered power plants. CCS reduces the energy efficiency of the plant and increases the demand on chemicals and infrastructure. It is though not only the direct emissions from the power plants that have an impact on the environment. The entire supply chain of the power plant has an impact, and it is therefore necessary to evaluate the entire life cycle of the plant. This thesis consists of a full process LCA of post-combustion absorption based carbon capture and storage (CCS) technologies for both coal power plants and natural gas power plants. The assessed CCS technologies are based on the solvents MEA, MDEA and chilled ammonia. MEA is the most commonly used solvent in post-combustion capture, while MDEA and chilled ammonia represents novel CCS technologies that are still under development. It was shown that a 90% capture rate was possible for all of the assessed capture technologies. It was further shown that the total global warming potential (GWP) could be decreased with above 60%. 90% reduction is not possible because of indirect emissions in the supply chain. The reduction in GWP comes at a cost of decreasing energy efficiency, which further leads to an increase in consumption of materials and infrastructure. This causes the non-GHG related impacts to increase, compared to a base scenario without CCS. CCS technology based on MDEA was calculated to be the technology with the lowest impact, mainly because it has the lowest energy requirement. Chilled ammonia was assessed as the technology with the largest impacts. The reason for this is that the chilling process is very energy intensive and therefore decreases the efficiency more, compared to the other technologies assessed. Also the large emissions of ammonia have a large impact on the acidification potential and the marine eutrophication potential.
Effects of potting mixtures, potting sizes and ground aspects on growth of seven indigenous tree species in Forest Management Unit 11, Sabah

The main objectives of this study were to investigate the effects of potting mixtures, potting sizes and ground aspects on growth of seven indigenous tree species in a degraded forest located in FMU 11. The first two experiments were conducted at the tree nursery while the effects of ground aspects was done in the field. Seven indigenous tree species were chosen for this study; Parashorea malaanonan, Parashorea tomentella, Shorea symingtonii, Diospyros discocalyx, Shorea faguetoides, Aquilaria malaccensis and Hopea ferruginea. One of the reasons for choosing these species was to widen the species choices for reforestation purpose. The potting mixture experiment consisted of two treatments - T1 (3 parts forest topsoil, 2 parts rice husk and 1 part sand) and T2 (3 parts forest topsoil, 2 parts sawdust and 1 part sand), and Control (3 parts forest topsoil, 2 parts peat and 1 part sand). Two potting sizes were investigated in the potting size experiment â€“ P1 (15.2 x 22.9 cm) and P2 (17.8 x 30.5 cm) and Control (7.6 x 22.9 cm). Both experiments consisted 30 seedlings per species per treatment. In the field trial, the planting site was divided into five aspects - north, south, east, west and zero. Seedlings were planted in an east-west direction in rows. Height (cm) and diameter (mm) increments in the three experiments were measured and the relative growth rates (RGR) were calculated for three months. Potting mixture T1 and potting size P2 resulted in best seedling growth. Potting mixture T1 and potting size P2 achieved highest growth rates at 0. 1376Â±0.0801 cm (SD) and at 0. 1235Â±0.0766 cm. In the field trial, growth rates of seedlings were found highest in east-facing at 0. 1390Â±0.0606 cm. All three null hypotheses were rejected. Relative growth rates in potting mixture, potting size and ground aspects were significantly different [Potting mixture: ANOVA, RGRH: N=210, F=4.807, p=0.008; RGRD: ANOVA, N=210, F=20.256, p<0.001); potting size: (ANOVA, RGRH: N=210, F=8.000, p<0.001; ANOVA, RGRD: N=210, F=5.041, p=0.007); ground aspects: (ANOVA, RGRH: N=140, F=34.812, p<0.001; RGRD: N=140, F=16.817, p<0.001)]. In potting mixtures, there were interactions in terms of height and diameter between two factors [UNIANOVA, RGRH: F=2.388, R2=0.745, p=0.005; RGRD: F=3.088, R2=0.804, p<0.001]. There was no interaction in potting size experiment (UNIANOVA, F=1.500, R2=0.728, p=0.119). For ground aspects, there was interaction between the factors (UNIANOVA, F=27.795, R2=0.904, p<0.001). In the potting mixture experiment, T1 was recommended because the inclusion of rice husk promoted best growth associated with highest porosity (68%), available phosphorus and suitable pH range. In consideration of the seedling performance and cost, P1 was recommended. Based on the field trial, it was recommended that seedlings should be planted facing east to attain best growth