SIRIS-Lab/unlabelled-sti-corpus huggingface dataset:
Phenotypic characterization of liver-derived exosomes populations associated with liver metastasis in pancreatic cancers

Tumors are not isolated entities, but complex systemic networks involving cell-cell communication between transformed and non-transformed cells. The milieu created by tumor-associated cells may either support or halt tumor progression. Non-tumor cells also play a role at distant sites, preparing future metastatic sites to support engraftment and survival of metastatic cells. In addition to cell-cell contact, cells communicate through secreted factors via a highly complex system involving characteristics such as ligand concentration, receptor expression and integration of diverse signaling pathways. Of these, extracellular vesicles such as exosomes are emerging as novel cell-cell communication players in physiological and pathological scenarios. We recently described that exosomes produced by highly metastatic pancreatic cancers (PC) induce Liver Pre-Metastatic Niches (LPMN) supportive of hepatic metastasis. Although we defined how LPMN are induced by PC-derived exosomes, the specific mechanism of how the LPMN support the formation and progression of liver metastatic lesions is still unknown. In addition, while we have been showing that pre-metastatic niches support metastatic spreading, we still do not have appropriate means to detect the formation of these niches by non-invasive methods in clinical settings. Thus we propose to: 1)Characterize the composition of liver-derived exosomes populations in physiologic and LPMN-associated settings by applying state-of-the-art flow cytometry tailored to nanoparticles analysys at a single-exosome level; 2)Test whether liver-derived exosomes interact with metastatic PC cells and play a role in supporting the progression of PC metastatic lesions in the liver. This project has the potential to offer not only a non-invasive alternative to detect and characterize tumor-associated microenvironments, such as  LPMN, but also opportunities for novel therapeutic approaches to target pro-tumorigenic cell-cell communication.
Architecture and regulation of pi3kc2β lipid kinase complex for nutrient signaling at the lysosome

The lysosome is a eukaryotic organelle that coordinates degradative pathways with nutrient sensing and signalling. It therefore dictates cell growth and survival depending on nutrient availability. Dissecting the molecular machinery that enables these functions is of key importance to cell biology. The mTORC1 complex controls cell proliferation and metabolism by nutrient sensing at lysosomes and late endosomes (LyLEs). Recent work from the host revealed that during nutrient starvation, mTORC1 is repressed by the lipid PI(3,4)P2 at LyLEs which is produced by the class II phosphoinositide 3-kinase PI3KC2β. PI3KC2β is recruited to LyLEs via an interaction of its N-terminus with the Raptor subunit of mTORC1. The precise mechanisms of PI3KC2β regulation at LyLEs are unknown. Using a diverse suite of structural and biochemical methods, I propose to define how complex formation of PI3KC2β with mTORC1 and other LyLE associated proteins governs nutrient signaling and protein turnover at LyLEs. The proposed research may pave the way to combat diseases ranging from diabetes to cancer.
“Order Exchange” as an innovative recruitment mechanism for the catering market.

Reference number of the aid programme: SA.42799(2015/X), help_de_minimis: §42 of the Regulation of the Minister of Infrastructure and Development of 10 July 2015 on the granting by the Polish Agency for Enterprise Development financial assistance under the Operational Programme Intelligent Development 2014-2020The subject of this project is to develop a new service in the form of the first service on the catering market “the exchange of orders” in real time. The new service created as part of the project will be implemented into the existing GastroJob application. The scope of the project will cover a number of works that will be commissioned to the research unit: I. Feasibility study and evaluation of the possibility of implementing machine learning in Project II. Identification and mapping of processes III. Identification of available technologies IV. Preparation of prototype V prototype specifications. Preparation of engine prototype machine learning based on predefined algorithm VI. Development of a prototype alert system based on recommendations from the labour exchange VII. Implementation of the Beta application GastroJob VIII. Tests with IX users. Preparation for implementation The result of the project will be the development of “contracts exchange” with the following functionalities: — Use of artificial intelligence methods in determining the amount of remuneration. By using machine learning on a set of data from previous recruitments, we will be able to create a new algorithm that changes linearly, in real time, taking into account the current demand for work on specific jobs, a specific day and time. — Mechanism of matching the offer to the employee. The artificial intelligence model will be used to examine the correlation between the current workflow and the opportunity to find new jobs. As a result, the mechanism will match candidates to tenders on the basis of their skills, assessments of existing employers, portfolios and performance indicators. It will be a product innovation on scales
Anisotropic strange quintessence stars in f(R,G) gravity

This paper is devoted to formulate a new model of quintessence anisotropic compact stars in the modified [Formula: see text] gravity. Dynamical equations in modified theory consisting of anisotropic fluid along with quintessence field have been evaluated by adopting analytical solution of Krori–Barua. In order to determine the unknown constraints of Krori–Barua metric observational data of different stars, [Formula: see text]-[Formula: see text], [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text]-[Formula: see text] has been taken into account. To solve the dynamical equations Starobinsky-like model, [Formula: see text] of modified gravity has been used. The outcome of the results depicts that all the examined celestial bodies are free from central singularity and are physically stable. Different physical parameters, such as energy density, energy conditions, evolution of quintessence and compactness factor, have been reviewed in detail.
Effects of ultraviolet radiation and nutrients on the structure–function of phytoplankton in a high mountain lake

The combined effect of high solar ultraviolet radiation (UVR) and nutrient supply in a phytoplankton community of a high mountain lake is analyzed in a in situ experiment for 6 days with 2 × 2 factorial design. Interactive UVR × nutrient effects on structural and functional variables (algal biomass, chlorophyll a (chl a), primary production (PP), maximal electron transport rate (ETR(max)), and alkaline phosphatase activity (APA)), as well as stoichiometric ones (sestonic N per cell and N:P ratio) were found. Under non-nutrient enriched conditions, no deleterious effects of UVR on structural variables, PP, photosynthetic efficiency and ETR(max) were observed, whereas only particulate and total APA were affected by UVR. However, percentage excreted organic carbon (%EOC), dissolved APA and sestonic C and P per cell increased under UVR, leading to a decrease in algal C:P and N:P ratios. After nutrient enrichment, chl a, total algal biomass and PP were negatively affected by UVR whereas %EOC, ETR(max) and internal C, P and N content increased. We suggest that the mechanism of algal acclimation to UVR in this high UVR flux ecosystem seems to be related to the increase of internal algal P-content mediated by physiological mechanisms to save P and by a stimulatory UVR effect on dissolved extracellular APA. The mechanism involved in the unmasking effect of UVR after nutrient-enrichment may be the result of a greater sensitivity to UVR-induced cell damage, making the negative UVR effects more evident.
Design and engineering methods for open-rotor nacelle shaping

Due to the growing transport needs in emerging economies and recent success of
the low-cost airlines, the demand for short/medium-haul aeroplanes is increasing.
Within the next twenty years, the existing single-aisle aircraft are likely to be
replaced by new models mounting new propulsion systems. One promising con-
 figuration being considered is the open-rotor, which is a revision of the propfan.
However, further progress has to be done in order to transform propfan engines,
whose technology dates back to the 1980s, into viable and feasible open-rotor con-
cepts.
Among the aspects yet to be investigated in su ficient depth is the de finition of
a methodology for the open-rotor nacelle design. The aim of the present research
is to help enhance the knowledge in this area. Even if there are a number of
important fields of investigation for open-rotor designs, this work is limited to the
analysis of the pusher architecture with no exhaust impingement through rotors.
The research is initially performed combining both a graphical and a compu-
tational approach, investigating the mathematical and physical aspects involved
in the de finition of appropriate nacelle pro files, boundary conditions for the CFD
analysis and simplifi ed rotor modelling. The first simulations are mainly focused
on a typical propfan nacelle, which is taken as a reference model: the computations
provide useful results for evaluating its aerodynamic features ... [cont.].
Cannabinoids prevent lipopolysaccharide-induced neurodegeneration in the rat substantia nigra in vivo through inhibition of microglial activation and NADPH oxidase

We investigated the effects of synthetic cannabinoids, WIN55,212-2 and HU210, on LPS-injected rat substantia nigra in vivo. Intranigral injection of LPS resulted in a significant loss of nigral dopaminergic (DA) neurons, as determined by Nissl staining and TH immunohistochemistry. LPS-induced neurotoxicity was accompanied by microglial activation, as demonstrated by OX-42 immunohistochemistry. In parallel, Western blot analysis, ELISA assay and hydroethidine histochemistry revealed activation of NADPH oxidase, as demonstrated by increased translocation of the cytosolic proteins p47(phox) and p67(phox), generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and increased level of proinflammatory cytokines (TNF-α and IL-1β), where degeneration of nigral DA neurons was evident. Interestingly, WIN55,212-2 and HU210 increased the survival of nigral DA neurons at 7days post-LPS treatment. Consistent with these results, cannabinoids inhibited activation of NADPH oxidase, ROS production and production of proinflammatory cytokines in the rat SN. The present data suggest that cannabinoids may be beneficial for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases, such as PD, that are associated with microglial activation.
Improvements in or in connection with baskets for landing fish and for like purposes

195,243. Fitzpatrick, B. Feb. 25, 1922. Baskets.-Cane or like baskets for landing fish &c. and comprising a bottom a, upset a<1>, middle fitch a<2>, upper fitch a<3>, and wale and border a<4>, have these parts all bound together by means of a strip or strips B, B<1> of pliable sheet metal, wire, rod, &c. embodied in the bottom, passed through and looped around the upset, up through the middle fitch and given a turn around it if necessary, through the upper fitch, wale and border, given a turn or turns around them and finally secured, for example, by being embedded in the top of the basket. Split stakes are preferably carried up the basket to cover the inner faces of the strips B, or the strips may be enclosed, as shown, in plaited casings a<5>.
Physiological Assessment and Allele Mining in Rice Cultivars for Salinity and Drought Stress Tolerance

Drought and salinity stresses badly influence rice plant growth and yield. The rising efforts to advance rice genotypes for drought and salt tolerance necessitate the selection of tolerant genotypes. Here, a total 51 rice genotypes were tested for salinity and moisture stress tolerance at germination and early seedling growth in NaCl (200 mM) and PEG-6000 (20%). Physiological and biochemical parameters viz., seed morphology, seed germination, length, fresh weight, dry weight and proline accumulation were evaluated with respect to salt and drought stress, depicting that rice genotypes performed differentially in their response to these stresses. Allelic variations with reference to the control varieties were found and these alleles can be used as a source of genomic approach and mining of elite alleles. The present study provides the information about the significant variation in salinity and drought tolerance subsisting within tested rice genotypes, which intended to make available with great promise for improving salt and drought tolerance in rice.
Polysaccharide chemistry regulates kinetics of calcite nucleation through competition of interfacial energies

Calcified skeletons are produced within complex assemblages of proteins and polysaccharides whose roles in mineralization are not well understood. Here we quantify the kinetics of calcite nucleation onto a suite of high-purity polysaccharide (PS) substrates under controlled conditions. The energy barriers to nucleation are PS-specific by a systematic relationship to PS charge density and substrate structure that is rooted in minimization of the competing substrate–crystal and substrate–liquid interfacial energies. Chitosan presents a low-energy barrier to nucleation because its near-neutral charge favors formation of a substrate–crystal interface, thus reducing substrate interactions with water. Progressively higher barriers are measured for negatively charged alginates and heparin that favor contact with the solution over the formation of new substrate–crystal interfaces. The findings support a directing role for PS in biomineral formation and demonstrate that substrate–crystal interactions are one end-member in a larger continuum of competing forces that regulate heterogeneous crystal nucleation.
LOW FRICTION HOLE PUNCH ELEMENT

A hole punch device that reduces the force required to create a hole in papers or other sheet media. A punch element of the hole punch device includes a locally sloped or indented floor to create a bend in the sheet media as it is punched to create an enlarged, oval hole. The punch pin may include an expanding sleeve surround the pin that forms a larger diameter during the cutting stroke and springs back to a smaller diameter during a pull out stroke. A coiled torsion return spring is positioned remotely from and non- coaxially with the punch pin. A keyed pin and support frame arrangement ensures a predetermined rotational orientation of the pin for sequential cutting for reduced cutting force. The pin and/or other components optionally include electroless nickel plating to reduce friction and wear at the component or pin sliding and cutting surfaces.
Parameter inversion of layered media covered by a rough surface

An inversion technique for estimating the structure parameters of layered media covered by a rough surface based on a genetic algorithm is proposed in this work. A theoretical model of scattering from three-dimensional arbitrary layered media with a 3D infinite rough surface based on the small perturbation method (SPM) is employed to calculate the forward scattering problem. The backscatting coefficients of multiple frequencies, angles and polarizations are used to create a nonlinear optimization problem. As the cost function has many local minima, a genetic algorithm is applied to help the inversion procedure converge to the global minimum. The inversion results show the method poses good tolerance to the input data with the additive white Gaussian noise.
Treatment of children from 6 to 11 years old affected by moderate–severe atopic dermatitis with dupilumab: a first perspective from a single‐center real‐life experience in Italy

Data available on request due to privacy/ethical restrictions.
Identifying Optimal Vaccination Strategies for Serogroup A Neisseria meningitidis Conjugate Vaccine in the African Meningitis Belt

The optimal long-term vaccination strategies to provide population-level protection against serogroup A Neisseria meningitidis (MenA) are unknown. We developed an age-structured mathematical model of MenA transmission, colonization, and disease in the African meningitis belt, and used this model to explore the impact of various vaccination strategies.The model stratifies the simulated population into groups based on age, infection status, and MenA antibody levels. We defined the model parameters (such as birth and death rates, age-specific incidence rates, and age-specific duration of protection) using published data and maximum likelihood estimation. We assessed the validity of the model by comparing simulated incidence of invasive MenA and prevalence of MenA carriage to observed incidence and carriage data.The model fit well to observed age- and season-specific prevalence of carriage (mean pseudo-R2 0.84) and incidence of invasive disease (mean R2 0.89). The model is able to reproduce the observed dynamics of MenA epidemics in the African meningitis belt, including seasonal increases in incidence, with large epidemics occurring every eight to twelve years. Following a mass vaccination campaign of all persons 1-29 years of age, the most effective modeled vaccination strategy is to conduct mass vaccination campaigns every 5 years for children 1-5 years of age. Less frequent campaigns covering broader age groups would also be effective, although somewhat less so. Introducing conjugate MenA vaccine into the EPI vaccination schedule at 9 months of age results in higher predicted incidence than periodic mass campaigns.We have developed the first mathematical model of MenA in Africa to incorporate age structures and progressively waning protection over time. Our model accurately reproduces key features of MenA epidemiology in the African meningitis belt. This model can help policy makers consider vaccine program effectiveness when determining the feasibility and benefits of MenA vaccination strategies.
Improved Cost, Health, and Satisfaction With a Health Home Benefit Plan for Self-Insured Employers and Small Physician Practices

We compared the impacts on total costs, health, and satisfaction among 615 adults enrolled 2 years in an employer's health home benefit plan to their baseline year in a standard preferred provider organization plan. The new plan combined strong continuity care incentives with nurse coaching support. After 24 months, total medical costs were 23% lower than the baseline year, biometric measures improved for more than 85% of members, and patient satisfaction exceeded 85%. Emergency department visits decreased by 16% and hospital days decreased by 48%. Health home benefit plans engaging small primary care physician practices and members in coordinated continuity care can deliver high value.
Nodding syndrome:  a trans-disciplinary approach to identify the cause and decrease the incidence of river epilepsy

Nodding syndrome (NS) is a neurological, incurable syndrome, currently affecting mainly children between 5 and 15 years of age in South Sudan, Uganda and Tanzania. Since 1950, when NS was first described, its cause has remained a mystery. NS is characterized by head-nodding (an atonic form of epilepsy), often followed by clonic - tonic seizures, developmental retardation and faltering growth. In the affected regions, NS is a major public health problem associated with severe socio-economic consequences. After exploratory missions to South Sudan, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), we gathered epidemiological evidence that supports the hypothesis that NS is a disease caused by a pathogen transmitted by blackflies, the  vectors that transmit the parasitic worm that causes onchocerciasis.  This pathogen could be an unknown neurotropic virus or another pathogen that is transmitted either independently or as a symbiont of the worm. We postulate that this pathogen is able to cause typical NS, but also other forms of epidemic epilepsy. We hypothesise that the same disease is also endemic in other onchocerciasis hyper-endemic regions e.g. in the Mbam valley, Cameroon and the Orientale Province, DRC (where it is referred to as “river epilepsy”).  In this project we aim to investigate our hypotheses in South Sudan, Uganda, Tanzania, Cameroon and the DRC with a trans-disciplinary approach including clinical-epidemiological, post-mortem, eco-entomological, and metagenomic studies. We will study the effect of vector control methods and ivermectin distribution on the incidence of river epilepsy. So far a multi-country study on NS was never done and nearly all previous studies were cross-sectional, carried out during short country visits. With this long term research plan we hope to finally discover the cause of NS and detect effective control strategies to decrease the incidence of epilepsy in onchocerciasis endemic areas.
An improved switch speech enhancement algorithm for automatic speech recognition

In order to improve the performance and save the computational cost of automatic speech recognition (ASR) system in noisy environment, this paper studies a new switch speech enhancement algorithm. Firstly, based on an optimal modified log-spectral amplitude (OM-LSA) estimator and employing an improved a priori signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) estimate based on temporal cepstrum smoothing (TCS), the proposed new approach gains improved noise reduction performance. Next, this new approach and the conventional Wiener algorithm are combined to develop a switch algorithm, whose switching mechanism is designed by the maximum likelihood (ML) estimate of an a priori SNR and voice activity detection (VAD) technology. Both performance improvement and computational cost reduction can be achieved by the proposed switch algorithm. Computer simulations with ASR system verify the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm.
Escaping from the franck-condon region : a theoretical approach to describe molecular structural reorganization for reversible energy and information storage at the excited state

STRIGES is a theoretical project aimed at developing new computational approaches and descriptors essentially rooted on Density Functional Theory enabling to design new single molecule architectures able to undergo to significant light induced electronic and structural reorganization.
In this respect the present project concerns beside fundamental goals, such as the development of new theoretical approaches for the description of photochemical and photophysical processes in molecular systems,  the description and prediction of photoinduced phenomena  which is indeed of fundamental importance also in many research fields of technological relevance, ranging from artificial photosynthesis to molecular electronics.
To this end, we will develop, implement and apply suitable theoretical tools enabling the accurate description of potential energy surfaces of the lowest lying excited states not exclusively within the Franck-Condon region. From the application point of view, the end point of this project is the in-silico design and optimization of two new classes of photomolecular devices.