Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Molecular Mechanisms of Kaposi Sarcoma Development

Simple Summary There are at least four forms of Kaposi’s sarcoma (KS) with the ‘HIV’-related form being the most aggressive and can involve mucosae or visceral organs. Kaposi’s sarcoma-associated herpes virus (KSHV) is the underlying cause of this disease. It can infect endothelial and/or mesenchymal cells and establish a latent phase in host cells in which latency proteins and various non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) play a complex role in proliferation and angiogenesis. It also undergoes periods of sporadic lytic reactivation that are key for KS progression. Complex interactions with the microenvironment with production of inflammatory cytokines and paracrine signaling is a standout feature of KS development and maintenance. KSHV impairs the immune response by various mechanisms such as the degradation of a variety of proteins involved in immune response or binding to cellular chemokines. Treatment options include classical chemotherapy, but other novel therapies are being investigated. Abstract Kaposi’s sarcoma (KS) is a heterogeneous angioproliferative tumor that generally arises in the skin. At least four forms of this disease have been described, with the ‘HIV’-related form being the most aggressive and can involve mucosae or visceral organs. Three quarters of KS cases occur in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) as geographic variation is explained by the disparate prevalence of KS-associated herpes virus (KSHV), which is the underlying cause of this disease. It can infect endothelial and/or mesenchymal cells that consequently transdifferentiate to an intermediate state. KSHV establishes a latent phase in host cells in which latency proteins and various non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) play a complex role in proliferation and angiogenesis. It also undergoes periods of sporadic lytic reactivation triggered by various biological signals in which lytic stage proteins modulate host cell signaling pathways and are key in KS progression. Complex interactions with the microenvironment with production of inflammatory cytokines with paracrine signaling is a standout feature of KS development and maintenance. KSHV impairs the immune response by various mechanisms such as the degradation of a variety of proteins involved in immune response or binding to cellular chemokines. Treatment options include classical chemotherapy, but other novel therapies are being investigated.
Osteoporosis: A Step-by-Step Case-Based Study

Osteoporosis is a common disease that affects our elderly population. This disease usually gets undiagnosed for an extended period. Osteoporosis increases the risk of fracture in our elderly population and increases morbidity. The cost associated with osteoporosis does carry a substantial burden in our society. Here, we present a case of osteoporosis with a fracture diagnosed in clinical settings. We discuss different etiology, pathophysiology, and treatment options available to treat this medical condition.
A Wideband Low-Profile Reconfigurable Transmitarray Using Magnetoelectric Dipole Elements

A wideband 1-bit reconfigurable transmitarray antenna (RTA) with low-profile characteristic is presented. First, a wideband element for the RTA is designed by combining two centrally-fed magnetoelectric (ME) dipoles. Two PIN diodes are integrated within the element to achieve 1-bit reconfigurable phase states. Next, the folded scheme is adopted to achieve multiple reflections between the feed source and the RTA, thus the height-to-diameter ratio (H/D) is reduced to about one-third of that of the conventional transmitarray. A reflective surface with polarization conversion function is designed beneath the RTA around the source, the unit cell of which is a special C-shaped polarizer operating over a wide frequency band. Finally, a low-profile RTA with 12 × 12 elements is designed, fabricated, and measured. The whole structure has an aperture size of 5. 75λ0 × 5. 75λ0, and the H/D is 0.28. Measured results show that the proposed RTA has the beam-scanning capability to ±40° in both E- and H-planes over a bandwidth of 32%. The realized gain is up to 19 dBi and the peak aperture efficiency is 20.5%.
Genetic analyses are more sensitive than morphological inspection at detecting the presence of threatened Mojave desert tortoise (Gopherus agassizii) remains in canid scat and raven pellets

Subsidization of predator populations increases predation pressure on prey species, which is exacerbated when natural resources are scarce. Estimating the frequency of predation by subsidized predators on vulnerable species, especially low‐density, long‐lived species such as the federally threatened Mojave desert tortoise (Gopherus agassizii), allows landscape managers to evaluate the need for actions like reducing subsidies, discouraging predation by taste aversion, or predator removal. Most studies of Mojave desert tortoise predation have relied on morphological analysis to identify hard parts in predator scat. Here, we developed and validated a qPCR assay to test for the presence of Mojave desert tortoise in DNA extracted from scat and pellets. We used the assay to detect tortoise DNA in scat and pellets collected in a conservation easement adjacent to Boulder City, Nevada, from three Mojave desert tortoise predators: coyotes (Canis latrans), desert kit foxes (Vulpes macrotis arsipus), and common ravens (Corvus corax)—all of which consume anthropogenic resources. We compared the results of our qPCR assay to results from morphological analysis of the same samples and found that the qPCR method is much more sensitive at detecting the presence of tortoise remains. Although neither method can determine whether consumption was the result of predation or scavenging, nor how many individual tortoises were consumed, our findings indicate that conservation managers may benefit from focusing efforts on reducing subsidies that attract and support predators and on reducing tortoise mortality from predation.
Network Pharmacology-Based Approach Combined with Bioinformatic Analytics to Elucidate the Potential of Curcumol against Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Purpose: Modern, open-source databases provide an unprecedented wealth of information to help drug development. By combining data available in these databases with the proper bioinformatical tools, we can elucidate the molecular targets of natural compounds. One such molecule is curcumol, a guaiane-type sesquiterpenoid hemiketal isolated from Rhizoma Curcumae, which is used for a broad range of diseases in traditional Chinese and Indian medicine. It has been reported to exert anti-tumor activity, but the intrinsic molecular mechanism in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is unclear. Therefore, the present study was designed to reveal the predictive targets and biological mechanisms of curcumol against HCC via a network pharmacology-based approach combined with bioinformatic analytics and to provide proof of concept for further similar investigations. Methods: Data available from open-source databases (Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology, Comparative Toxicogenomic Database, The Cancer Genome Atlas, the Human Protein Atlas project) was processed with the help of a variety of open-source tools (SwissADME, SwissTargetPrediction, JVenn, Gene Ontology, Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes, GeneMANIA, Cytoscape). Results: In the present study, the potential of curcumol against HCC was unraveled by network pharmacology-based elucidation. It suggests that curcumol shows exciting druggability with 44 potent homo sapiens biotargets against HCC. The GO terms and KEGG pathways enrichment analyses, curcumol-targets-pathways-HCC network, PPI network, and corresponding in-depth topological analyses, as well as survival analysis, molecular docking simulation indicate that the potential mechanism of curcumol against HCC is complicated, as it may act in various ways, mainly by inducing apoptosis and modulating the inflammatory response, increasing presentation of HCC-specific protein. Conclusion: The present study highlights the potential of curcumol against HCC, giving reference to further experimental study. It also presents a roadmap that can be followed to conduct in silico prescreening of other compounds of interest.
Feeding dynamics of the invasive calanoid copepod, Pseudodiaptomus inopinus, in two northeast Pacific estuaries

: The Asian calanoid copepod Pseudodiaptomus inopinus , first observed in the Columbia River Estuary in the early 1990s, has since become the dominant copepod species in many estuaries along the US Pacific coast, but its feeding behavior has not been previously studied. In October 2019 and 2020, when P. inopinus was at peak seasonal abundance, we conducted incubation experiments with this species feeding on natural microplankton prey assemblages sampled from 2 invaded estuaries: the Chehalis River estuary, Washington, and the Yaquina River estuary, Oregon. In both estuaries, diatoms were the most numerically abundant prey group, with 11− 15 μm Chaetoceros sp. and 21−25 μm Cyclotella sp. dominating the Chehalis and Yaquina estuaries, respectively. Diatom and ciliate biomass were highest in both estuaries, with all prey cells in the Yaquina estuary typically larger than those in the Chehalis estuary. P. inopinus fed omnivorously on microplankton prey, with a preference for prey >20 μm and occasional avoidance of cyanobacteria and cells <10 μm. Ingestion rates were highest on ciliates and diatoms. The omnivory of P. inopinus may contribute to its success as an invader in northeast Pacific estuaries.
Effects of Aggregate Gradation on the Properties of Concrete Made FromGranite Chippings

Aggregate shape, size and grading can influence concrete workability. The volumes of water and cementations materials are commonly increased to accommodate poorly shaped or poorly graded aggregates. In this work the properties of concrete in fresh and hardened stage using different aggregate sizes and mix design was investigated. This was done using coarse aggregate of sizes 25 mm, 20 mm, 12 mm and 6 mm with mix ratios 1:2:4, 1:1.5:3 and 1:3:6. The experiments were conducted and it was found that concrete with coarse aggregate size 20 mm had the highest compressive strength for any mix ratio. But the mix ratio 1:1.5:3 produced the highest compressive strength and density.
Effects of aromatic compounds on movement activity of Pyrrhocoris apterus in the conditions of a laboratory experiment

In the conditions of an urban environment, insects, including Pyrrhocoris apterus (Linnaeus, 1758) (Hemiptera, Pyrrhocoridae), are subject to dozens of volatiles: solvents, food flavorings, cosmetic products. For firebugs, some attract them, some scare them off, and to some they are indifferent. In this article, in the conditions of laboratory experiment, we evaluated the influence of chemical substances on rates of movement of firebugs. Under the influence of the substances we studied, there occurred no significant increase or decrease in the activity of firebugs. The most significant effect on rates of movement of firebugs was exerted by solvent, white spirit and solvent 646 p – firebugs travelled 12 cm distance for 24.2%, 49.6% and 58.7% of the time the control group did. Movement activity of firebugs was insignificantly decreased by aromatic extracts Royаl milk extract, Butcher’s broom extract and chrysalis oil: firebugs travelled 12 cm distance for 132.7%, 135.2% and 146.8% of time the control group. Aromatic substances likely interact with receptors on antennae of firebugs, and therefore the insects need additional time for orienting reactions, deciding whether those substances signal presence of potential food objects in the accessibility zone.
Two-Sided Deep Reinforcement Learning for Dynamic Mobility-on-Demand Management with Mixed Autonomy

Autonomous vehicles (AVs) are expected to operate on mobility-on-demand (MoD) platforms because AV technology enables flexible self-relocation and system-optimal coordination. Unlike the existing studies, which focus on MoD with pure AV fleet or conventional vehicles (CVs) fleet, we aim to optimize the real-time fleet management of an MoD system with a mixed autonomy of CVs and AVs. We consider a realistic case that heterogeneous boundedly rational drivers may determine and learn their relocation strategies to improve their own compensation. In contrast, AVs are fully compliant with the platform’s operational decisions. To achieve a high level of service provided by a mixed fleet, we propose that the platform prioritizes human drivers in the matching decisions when on-demand requests arrive and dynamically determines the AV relocation tasks and the optimal commission fee to influence drivers’ behavior. However, it is challenging to make efficient real-time fleet management decisions when spatiotemporal uncertainty in demand and complex interactions among human drivers and operators are anticipated and considered in the operator’s decision making. To tackle the challenges, we develop a two-sided multiagent deep reinforcement learning (DRL) approach in which the operator acts as a supervisor agent on one side and makes centralized decisions on the mixed fleet, and each CV driver acts as an individual agent on the other side and learns to make decentralized decisions noncooperatively. We establish a two-sided multiagent advantage actor-critic algorithm to simultaneously train different agents on the two sides. For the first time, a scalable algorithm is developed here for mixed fleet management. Furthermore, we formulate a two-head policy network to enable the supervisor agent to efficiently make multitask decisions based on one policy network, which greatly reduces the computational time. The two-sided multiagent DRL approach is demonstrated using a case study in New York City using real taxi trip data. Results show that our algorithm can make high-quality decisions quickly and outperform benchmark policies. The efficiency of the two-head policy network is demonstrated by comparing it with the case using two separate policy networks. Our fleet management strategy makes both the platform and the drivers better off, especially in scenarios with high demand volume. History: This paper has been accepted for the Transportation Science Special Issue on Emerging Topics in Transportation Science and Logistics. Funding: This work was supported by the Singapore Ministry of Education Academic Research [Grant MOE2019-T2-2-165] and the Singapore Ministry of Education [Grant R-266-000-135-114].
Estimating the change in meta-analytic effect size estimates after the application of publication bias adjustment methods.

Publication bias poses a challenge for accurately synthesizing research findings using meta-analysis. A number of statistical methods have been developed to combat this problem by adjusting the meta-analytic estimates. Previous studies tended to apply these methods without regard to optimal conditions for each method's performance. The present study sought to estimate the typical effect size attenuation of these methods when they are applied to real meta-analytic data sets that match the conditions under which each method is known to remain relatively unbiased (such as sample size, level of heterogeneity, population effect size, and the level of publication bias). Four-hundred and 33 data sets from 90 articles published in psychology journals were reanalyzed using a selection of publication bias adjustment methods. The downward adjustment found in our sample was minimal, with greatest identified attenuation of b = -. 032, 95% highest posterior density interval (HPD) ranging from -. 055 to -. 009, for the precision effect test (PET). Some methods tended to adjust upward, and this was especially true for data sets with a sample size smaller than 10. We propose that researchers should seek to explore the full range of plausible estimates for the effects they are studying and note that these methods may not be able to combat bias in small samples (with less than 10 primary studies). We argue that although the effect size attenuation we found tended to be minimal, this should not be taken as an indication of low levels of publication bias in psychology. We discuss the findings with reference to new developments in Bayesian methods for publication bias adjustment, and the recent methodological reforms in psychology. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).
Connectivity Patterns Evoked by Fearful Faces Demonstrate Reduced Flexibility Across a Shared Dimension of Adolescent Anxiety and Depression

Adolescents experiencing anxiety or depression exhibit cognitive biases favoring the processing of negative emotional information. It remains unknown whether common neurobiological processes underlie these biases across anxiety and depression. Here, brain imaging was acquired from typical, anxious, and depressed adolescents during an emotional-interference task. Functional connectivity patterns were assessed while adolescents were cued to attend to or ignore faces. Results revealed a shared dimension of anxious and depressive symptoms was associated with reduced changes in connectivity patterns between conditions in which adolescents needed to ignore or attend to fearful faces. These findings were exclusive to fearful faces and observed only for functional connections with a primary face-representation area (fusiform gyrus). Results suggested a failure to flexibly adapt communication patterns with sensory-representation areas in the presence of negative emotional information, which may reflect a common neurobiological mechanism explaining biases favoring such information shared among adolescent anxiety and depression.
Reliability improvement in parallel connected converter systems

The authors present methods and analyses for improving the reliability of a parallel-connected converter system under master-slave control with maximum current limit. The proposed schemes can identify the defective converters and take appropriate action to ensure the normal operation of the system. In addition, the control techniques used are able to determine the necessary number of active converters for any load condition. Consequently, the degree of redundancy increases significantly and the overall system reliability and performance are improved. <<ETX>>
E-Policing as a Service: The Way Forward in Zambia

The recent past has witnessed extensive expansion in broadband networks and mobile technology, resulting in an unmatched degree of connectivity for ordinary citizens. However, the electronic collection, storage and sharing of complaints and information between public and the Police is still a major challenge in Zambia. In this study a mix of qualitative and engineering research was conducted through analysis of data obtained from unstructured interviews, observations and focus group guided by initial conceptual literature review. The research revealed that, there was no effective inter-operable communication channel between the Police and the citizens for sharing information, no specific policing strategy to optimize use of technology to enhance cooperation, and lack of institutional capacity to deal with matters of change management in digitalization process of the Zambia police systems and procedures. Therefore; to provide a cost effective communication channel, a generic text e-messaging application was designed using unified modeling language (UML) and then developed using object oriented language namely Java. To optimize use of existing public ICT and Telecommunication infrastructure, concepts on cloud computing, Open Service Architecture (OSA) and Intelligent Network (IN) were utilized through key technological features of divorced or independent business service logic from Network Control in respect to telecommunication infrastructure. Lastly, recommendations on factors that confront e-Policing adoption and implementation are discussed. Therefore, accessibility to police service and other factors such a building services around citizen choices, provision for social inclusion, and making better use of information from a centralized database system the way forward in Zambia.
Turbocompound Technology On Hybrid Power Trains: Urban Buses Take Inspiration From F1 Power Units

The huge boom in the automotive industry, as well as increasing attention for energy saving and reduction of pollutant emissions, has prompted research on developing new propulsion systems. This paper aims to highlight the results obtained by studying a hybrid propulsion system based on turbocompound technology. As the vehicle powertrain has never been changed in the past, and attention was always oriented to the single component, it is now possible to realize new powertrain architecture and to define power flow control algorithms thanks to the introduction of electro-technologies. By means of this analytical approach, that sees the matching motor-vehicle from a holistic point of view, it’s possible to design the components of the propulsion system, in order to maximize the average effective efficiency of the global powertrain. Firstly, the motorsport system adopted by the F1 cars is analysed. Secondly an evaluation of the energy saving achievable in the heavy transport is shown (12 m urban buses) applying this kind of technology. Ultimately, in order to quantify further improvements, the traditional storage systems (lead-acid batteries), have been replaced by lithium-ion batteries and supercapacitors. The entire study has been conducted thanks to the development of different mathematical models, implemented on the dynamic simulation tool MATLAB/ Simulink. Many simulations compare the conventional powertrain with the hybrid parallel and series architecture, others compare the performances of different storage systems. The results show the significant potentialities of the hybrid series www.witpress. com, ISSN 1743-3541 (on-line) WIT Transactions on Ecology and The Environment, Vol 205, © 2016 WIT Press This paper is part of the Proceedings of the 2 International Conference nd on Energy Production and Management (EQ 2016) www.witconferences. com doi:10.2495/EQ160171 structure (versus the parallel structure) if applied to urban buses: in addition, the series hybrid bus could halve consumption and take the overall efficiency of the powertrain to 18% versus 8% of a conventional bus, thanks to the use of turbocompounds. The turbocompound contribution to the energy saving (4–6%) is compliant with the bibliography. Besides, the study shows that further improvements can easily be achieved, both from the charge/discharge efficiency rate standpoint, and from the power flow intensity absorption, by replacing traditional storage systems with supercapacitors.