Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Utilizing Lamarckian Evolution and the Baldwin Effect in Hybrid Genetic Algorithms

Genetic algorithms(GA) are very efficient at exploring the entire search space; however, they are relatively poor at finding the precise local optimal solution in the region at which the algorithm converges. Hybrid genetic algorithms are the combination of improvement procedures, usually working as evaluation functions, and genetic algorithms. There are two basic strategies in using hybrid GAs, Lamarckian and Baldwinian learning. Traditional schema theory does not support Lamarckian learning, i.e., forcing the genetic representation to match the solution found by the improvement procedure. However, Lamarckian learning does alleviate the problem of multiple genotypes mapping to the same phenotype. Baldwinian learning uses improvement procedures to change the fitness landscape, but the solution that is found is not encoded back into the genetic string. This paper empirically examines the issues of using Lamarckian and Baldwinian learning in hybrid GAs. In the empirical investigation conducted, a general trend was observed where increasing use of Lamarckian learning led to the quicker convergence of the genetic algorithm to the best known solution for a series of test problems.
Effect of Neuraminidase Inhibitor–Resistant Mutations on Pathogenicity of Clade 2.2 A/Turkey/15/06 (H5N1) Influenza Virus in Ferrets

The acquisition of neuraminidase (NA) inhibitor resistance by H5N1 influenza viruses has serious clinical implications, as this class of drugs can be an essential component of pandemic control measures. The continuous evolution of the highly pathogenic H5N1 influenza viruses results in the emergence of natural NA gene variations whose impact on viral fitness and NA inhibitor susceptibility are poorly defined. We generated seven genetically stable recombinant clade 2.2 A/Turkey/15/06-like (H5N1) influenza viruses carrying NA mutations located either in the framework residues (E119A, H274Y, N294S) or in close proximity to the NA enzyme active site (V116A, I117V, K150N, Y252H). NA enzyme inhibition assays showed that NA mutations at positions 116, 117, 274, and 294 reduced susceptibility to oseltamivir carboxylate (IC50s increased 5- to 940-fold). Importantly, the E119A NA mutation (previously reported to confer resistance in the N2 NA subtype) was stable in the clade 2.2 H5N1 virus background and induced cross-resistance to oseltamivir carboxylate and zanamivir. We demonstrated that Y252H NA mutation contributed for decreased susceptibility of clade 2.2 H5N1 viruses to oseltamivir carboxylate as compared to clade 1 viruses. The enzyme kinetic parameters (Vmax, Km and Ki) of the avian-like N1 NA glycoproteins were highly consistent with their IC50 values. None of the recombinant H5N1 viruses had attenuated virulence in ferrets inoculated with 106 EID50 dose. Most infected ferrets showed mild clinical disease signs that differed in duration. However, H5N1 viruses carrying the E119A or the N294S NA mutation were lethal to 1 of 3 inoculated animals and were associated with significantly higher virus titers (P<0.01) and inflammation in the lungs compared to the wild-type virus. Our results suggest that highly pathogenic H5N1 variants carrying mutations within the NA active site that decrease susceptibility to NA inhibitors may possess increased virulence in mammalian hosts compared to drug-sensitive viruses. There is a need for novel anti-influenza drugs that target different virus/host factors and can limit the emergence of resistance.
Diabetic Nephropathy : Prescription Trends in Tertiary Care

Indian Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences 374 May June 2008 determination of losartan and hydrochlorothiazide in tablets by high-performance liquid chromatography. J Pharm Biomed Anal 2000;23:185-9. Schoenberger JA. Losartan with hydrochlorothiazide in the treatment of 4. hypertension. J Hypertens 1995;13:S43-7. Ramsay LE, Yeo WW. Double-blind comparison of losartan, lisinopril 5. and hydrochlorothiazide in hypertensive patients with a previous angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor-associated cough. J Hypertens 1995;13:(Suppl 1) S73-6. McCrea JB, Lo MW, Tomasko L, Lin CC, Hsieh JY, Capra NL, 6. et al. Absence of a pharmacokinetic interaction between losartan and hydrochlorothiazide. J Clin Pharmacol 1995;35:1200-6. Ruilope LM, Simpson RL, Toh J, Arcuri KE, Goldberg AI, Sweet 7. CS. Controlled trial of losartan given concomitantly with different doses of hydrochlorothiazide in hypertensive patients. Blood Press 1996;5:32-40. Conlin PR, Elkins M, Liss C, Vrecenak AJ, Barr E, Edelman JM. 8. A study of losartan alone or with hydrochlorothiazide vs nifedipine GITS In eldely patients with diastolic hypertension. J Hum Hypertens 1998;12:693-700. Del Castillo D, Campistol JM, Guirado L, Capdevilla L, Martinez 9. JG, Pereira P, et al. EfÞ cacy and safety of losartan in the treatment of hypertension in renal transplant patients. Kidney Int Suppl 1998;68:S135-9. Hillaert S, Van den Bossche W. Simultaneous determination of 10. hydrochlorothiazide and severl angiotensin-II-receptor antagonists by capillary electrophoresis. J Pharm Biomed Anal 2003;31:329-39. Satana E, Altinay S, Goger NG, Ozkan SA, Senturk Z. Simultaneous 11. determination of valsartan and hydrochlorothiazide in tablets by Þ rstderivative ultraviolet spectrophotometry and LC. J Pharm Biomed Anal 2001;25:1009-13. To study accuracy, reproducibility and precision of the proposed method, recovery experiments were carried out. The average percentage recovery of valsartan and hydrochlorothiazide was 99.2% and 98.8% respectively. The sample recovery in the formulation was in good agreement with what was claimed on the label. System suitability parameters are given in Table 1. Assay in the tablet dosage form was found to be 98.6% of valsartan and 97.8% of hydrochlorothiazide. The method was simple and the run time given was 15 min. The proposed method gives a good resolution between valsartan and hydrochlorothiazide within a short analysis time (<15 min) and can be conveniently adopted for routine quality control analysis.
The Efficacy of Topical Hyaluronic Acid 0.2% in the Management of Symptomatic Oral Lichen Planus.

INTRODUCTION Oral lichen planus (OLP) is a condition frequently referred to the specialist dental clinic for diagnosis and management. It is a disease of the skin and mucous membranes with oral manifestations too. It varies in appearance from keratotic to erythematous and ulcerative form. Immunosuppressants are frequently used for patients but some of these drugs could be implicated in malignant transformation, thus there is a clear need to find an alternative therapy for OLP. AIM To evaluate the relief of symptoms and reduction in the size of the lesions of lichen planus with 0.2% hyaluronic acid topical application and to compare the efficacy of topical hyaluronic acid (0.2%) with that of patients on placebo. MATERIALS AND METHODS A randomized controlled study was conducted on 50 symptomatic and biopsy proven patients with lichen planus. The subjective symptoms like Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) and the objective symptoms like degree of erythema and mean area of the lesion were recorded preoperatively and on day 7, day 14, day 21 and day 28. The selected patients were divided randomly into group-I comprising of 25 patients who received topical 0.2% hyaluronic acid therapy for 14 days and group-II comprising of 25 patients who received topical application of placebo for 14 days. The statistical tests used were Mann-Whitney U test, t-test, Wilcoxon matched pairs test by ranks and paired t-test. RESULTS Symptomatic effect of soreness evaluation- there was a significant reduction in VAS scores in the test group as compared to placebo, similarly there was also significant reduction in the degree of erythema, change in the size of the lesion and area of the lesion in the test group. There was significant improvement in relief of symptoms, in the degree of erythema and mean area of the lesion in Group-I when compared with group-II. CONCLUSION Topical application of 0.2% Hyaluronic acid showed a significant clinical response when compared to topical placebo. It is easy to use; hence a frequent application scheme should be advised to improve the efficacy of hyaluronic acid.
A Community Jury on PSA screening: what do well-informed men want the government to do about prostate cancer screening—a qualitative analysis

Objective Cancer screening policies and programmes should take account of public values and concerns. This study sought to determine the priorities, values and concerns of men who were ‘fully informed’ about the benefits and harms of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) screening; and empirically examine the value of a community jury in eliciting public values on PSA screening. Setting Community jury was convened on the Gold Coast, Queensland (Australia) to consider PSA screening benefits and harms, and whether government campaigns on PSA screening should be conducted. Participants 27 men (volunteers) aged 50–70 with no personal history of prostate cancer and willing to attend jury 6–7 April 2013: 12 were randomly allocated to jury (11 attended). Outcome measures A qualitative analysis was conducted of the jury deliberations (audio-recorded and transcribed) to elicit the jury's views and recommendations. A survey determined the impact of the jury process on participants’ individual testing decisions compared with control group. Results The jury concluded governments should not invest in programmes focused on PSA screening directed at the public because the PSA test did not offer sufficient reassurance or benefit and could raise unnecessary alarm. It recommended an alternative programme to support general practitioners to provide patients with better quality and more consistent information about PSA screening. After the jury, participants were less likely to be tested in the future compared with the controls, but around half said they would still consider doing so. Conclusions The jury's unanimous verdict about government programmes was notable in the light of their divergent views on whether or not they would be screened themselves in the future. Community juries provide valuable insights into the priorities and concerns of men weighing up the benefits and harms of PSA screening. It will be important to assess the degree to which the findings are generalisable to other settings.
DSP Extensions to the TRIPS ISA Kevin Beckwith

In this paper, we propose a set of DSP extensions to the TRIPS ISA and evaluate their performance. By extending the TRIPS ISA with specialized DSP instructions, we offer an explorative look at the interaction conventional specialization techniques (such as SIMD instructions) have with EDGE ISAs. We discuss the implementation and its feasibility and provide non-intrusive compiler support through hand-written library functions. Finally, we evaluate the performance benefits of our extensions with custom library-emphasizing benchmarks and compare our results with those of the industry standard TI c6416 digital signal processor.
Brazilian Journal of Chemical Engineering EFFECTS OF DRYING TEMPERATURE AND RELATIVE HUMIDITY ON THE MECHANICAL PROPERTIES OF AMARANTH FLOUR FILMS PLASTICIZED WITH GLYCEROL

Biofilms are made of biopolymers. In the casting technique, biofilms are obtained by the drying of a polymer suspension in the final stage of processing. The aim of the present paper was to analyze the effect of this drying process on the mechanical properties of films produced with amaranth flour. Variables considered include glycerol content (30, 35 and 40%, g/g dry flour) and air-drying conditions (air temperatures of 30, 40 and 50C and relative humidities of 40, 55 and 70%). As amaranth flour films constitute a complex mixture of amylopectin and amylose as well as native protein and lipid, certain unexpected results were obtained. The toughest films were obtained at the lowest temperature and the lowest relative humidity (30C, 40%).
Critical role for Gimap 5 in the survival of mouse hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells

The Rockefeller University Press $30.00 J. Exp. Med. www.jem. org/cgi/doi/10.1084/jem.20101192 Cite by DOI: 10.1084/jem.20101192 of 3 Self-renewing hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) consist of phenotypically and functionally defined long-term HSCs (LT-HSCs), short-term HSCs (ST-HSCs), and multipotent progenitors (MPPs) and can progress into intermediate lineage-committed progenitors, including common lymphoid progenitors (CLPs) and common myeloid progenitors (CMPs; Weissman, 2000; Adolfsson et al., 2001; Christensen and Weissman, 2001). CLPs differentiate into early lymphoid progenitors that give rise to mature NK, T, and B cells. CMPs differentiate into granulocyte/monocyte progenitors (GMPs) that give rise to mature granulocytes and monocytes, and into megakaryocyte/erythrocyte progenitors (MEPs) that give rise to mature platelets and red blood cells (Weissman, 2000; Adolfsson et al., 2001; Christensen and Weissman, 2001). HSCs establish a balance between the self-renewal and hematopoietic differentiation, and the balance is strictly controlled by both extrinsic and intrinsic mechanisms (Weissman, 2000). Many cytokines, including stem cell factor (SCF), thrombopoietin, flt-2 and flt-3 ligands, IL-3, and IL-6, are involved in the regulation of HSC self-renewal and differentiation (Bodine et al., 1989; Broudy, 1997; Kimura et al., 1998; Metcalf, 1998). In addition, cell apoptosis plays an important role in regulating homeostasis of HSCs and their commitment and differentiation into distinct mature blood cells (Domen et al., 2000; Kondo et al., 2003). The Bcl-2 family of proteins is a key regulator of cell apoptosis. The BH3 domain–only proapoptotic Bcl-2 family members activate the multidomain death effector proteins Bax and Bak, which promote apoptosis by perturbing the permeability of the endoplasmic reticulum and mitochondrial outer membrane, whereas antiapoptotic Bcl-2 family members can sequester the BH3 domain– only members, preventing activation of Bax and Bak (Cheng et al., 2001; Wei et al., 2001; Scorrano et al., 2003). The antiapoptotic Bcl-2 family member Mcl-1 plays a specific role in the homeostasis of HSCs and other hematopoietic progenitors. Inducible deletion of Mcl-1 in mice results in the loss of HSCs and other hematopoietic progenitors (Opferman et al., 2005). CORRESPONDENCE Demin Wang: demin.wang@bcw.edu OR Hartmut Weiler: hartmut.weiler@bcw.edu
Effect of monensin and tylosin on average daily gain, feed efficiency and liver abscess incidence in feedlot cattle.

Fourteen trials were conducted to evaluate the effects of feeding monensin at 33 ppm alone, tylosin at 11 ppm alone and the two feed additives in combination on the average daily gain, average daily feed intake, feed:gain ratio and the incidence of liver abscesses in feedlot cattle. Monensin reduced feed intake and improved feed efficiency (P less than .05), and had no effect on average daily gain. Tylosin improved average daily gain (P less than .05) and had no effect on daily feed intake. The effect of tylosin on feed efficiency approached significance. The interaction of monensin and tylosin was nonsignificant for daily gain, daily feed intake and feed:gain ratio. Monensin had no effect on liver abscess incidence, while tylosin reduced abscess incidence from 27 to 9%.
Asian Economic and Social Society Competitive Strategy Orientations of Small and Medium Business Owners and their Performance Impacts : The Case of Paint Manufacturing SMEs in South-Western Nigeria

This paper outlines the results of a study of the competitive strategy orientations of 92 small and medium sized paint manufacturing enterprises in Southwestern Nigeria. Three sets of paint manufacturing SMEs which had substantially divergent competitive strategies, i.e. Differentiation (28) Low cost (33) and mixed strategies (31) were identified and compared using data generated through a survey. The data analysis using correlation matrix and simple linear regression reveals a highly significant impact of the three strategies on the performance of the sampled firms. Results of the analysis revealed a significant difference between the performance of companies that used differentiation and low cost as standalone strategies and the performance of firms that used the two strategies together. Those using mixed strategies performed better than those using stand alone strategies on all the three performance parameters of total income/revenue growth, sales growth and customer complaints. A possible explanation for this result is the flexibility which the combined use of the two strategies introduces into the operation of the firms that adopted this dual approach.
Selecting a patient or initiating a psychoanalytic process?

The defences provoked in the analyst by the anxieties associated with the difficult tasks of ‘assessment’ and ‘selection’ for psychoanalysis can result in a tendency to think in terms of ‘hurdles to be cleared’ by potential psychoanalytic patients, rather than ‘opening the gates’. This can result in a diminution of the analyst's capacity to enlist and sustain a psychoanalytic stance. Only within a psychoanalytic frame can a meaningful psychoanalytic process unfold, at all stages of a potential patient's movement from their first contact through to, possibly, entering into an analysis. The author illustrates the value of this thinking by describing the work of the London Clinic of Psychoanalysis where there has been a shift of emphasis in psychoanalytic consultation towards working with individuals on their potential to initiate a psychoanalytic process, and away from the sole aim of ‘selection of a suitable patient’. In this paper, the author notes that when institutional culture and practice supports psychoanalytic identity, this makes it more possible to recognize and articulate the anxieties provoked by the ‘emotional storm’ inevitable in psychoanalytic consultation, and the draw towards unhelpful enactment that may otherwise obscure the initiation of a psychoanalytic process that may or may not result in analytic treatment. Illustrative case material from the Clinic is presented.
On the Ozarow-Leung Scheme for the Gaussian Broadcast Channel with Feedback

In this work, we consider linear-feedback schemes for the two-user Gaussian broadcast channel with noiseless feedback. We extend the transmission scheme of [Ozarow and Leung, 1984] by applying estimators with memory instead of the memoryless estimators used by Ozarow and Leung (OL) in their original work. A recursive formulation of the mean square errors achieved by the proposed estimators is provided, along with a proof for the existence of a fixed point. This enables characterizing the achievable rates of the extended scheme. Finally, via numerical simulations it is shown that the extended scheme can improve upon the original OL scheme in terms of achievable rates, as well as achieve a low probability of error after a finite number of channel uses.
Effects of subthalamic nucleus lesions and stimulation upon glutamate levels in the dopamine-depleted rat striatum

It is not known how neurosurgical interventions benefit patients with Parkinson's disease. We compared the effects of electrical stimulation and electrolytic lesions of the subthalamic nucleus upon striatal extracellular glutamate levels in awake rats, either intact or which had undergone unilateral 6-hydroxydopamine lesions. Two hours of subthalamic nucleus stimulation had no effect in either group. Subthalamic nucleus lesions of intact animals increased striatal glutamate levels. Subthalamic nucleus lesions of 6-hydroxydopamine-lesioned rats decreased striatal glutamate levels. As dopamine depletion alone increased striatal glutamate, subthalamic nucleus lesioning decreased levels to normal. Thus, subthalamic nucleus lesions and short-term stimulation have different effects upon striatal glutamate. The effects of lesions differed depending upon the presence of dopamine. These results suggest that short-term electrical stimulation does not result in a direct inhibitory effect upon the subthalamic nucleus.
Nonstandard Arithmetic and Reverse Mathematics

Abstract We show that each of the five basic theories of second order arithmetic that play a central role in reverse mathematics has a natural counterpart in the language of nonstandard arithmetic. In the earlier paper [3] we introduced saturation principles in nonstandard arithmetic which are equivalent in strength to strong choice axioms in second order arithmetic. This paper studies principles which are equivalent in strength to weaker theories in second order arithmetic.
HIV Protease Inhibitor Ritonavir Induces Cytotoxicity of Human Endothelial Cells

Objective—Although HIV protease inhibitors have been successfully used against HIV infection, many metabolic side effects and premature cardiovascular diseases are often associated with this therapy. The mechanisms of these complications are not clear. In this study, we investigated the effect of the HIV protease inhibitor ritonavir on human endothelial cell cultures. Methods and Results—By using nonradioactive cell proliferation and cytotoxicity assays, human endothelial cells treated with ritonavir showed a significant decrease in cell viability and an increase in cytotoxicity in a time- and dose-dependent fashion. Mitochondrial DNA was also substantially damaged with ritonavir treatment by long polymerase chain reaction analysis. In contrast, ritonavir had a very limited effect on endothelial apoptosis, as assessed by analyses of DNA fragmentation and cellular caspase-3 activity. Conclusions—These data demonstrate, for the first time, that the HIV protease inhibitor ritonavir at concentrations near clinical plasma levels is able to directly cause endothelial mitochondrial DNA damage and cell death mainly through necrosis pathways but not through apoptosis. This study suggests that HIV protease inhibitor–mediated endothelial injury may contribute to its cardiovascular complications.
Truncated CXCL10 is associated with failure to achieve spontaneous clearance of acute hepatitis C infection

The pathogenesis of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is strongly influenced by the nature of the host's antiviral immunity. Counterintuitively, elevated serum concentrations of C‐X‐C chemokine 10 (CXCL10), a potent chemoattractant for antiviral T‐cells and NK‐cells, are associated with poor treatment outcomes in patients with chronic HCV. It has been reported that an N‐terminal truncated form of CXCL10, generated by the protease dipeptidylpeptidase 4 (DPP4), can act as chemokine antagonist. We sought to investigate CXCL10 antagonism in the clinical outcome and evolution of acute HCV infection. We collected serial blood samples from 16 patients, at the clinical onset of acute HCV infection and at 12 standardized follow‐up timepoints over the first year. Intact and truncated CXCL10 and DPP4 activity were quantified in all longitudinal samples. In addition, NK‐cell frequency/phenotype, and HCV‐specific T‐cell responses were assessed. Subjects developing chronicity (n = 11) had higher concentrations of CXCL10 (P < 0.001), which was predominantly in a truncated form (P = 0.036) compared to patients who spontaneously resolved infection (n = 5). Truncated CXCL10 correlated with HCV‐RNA (r = 0.40, P < 0.001) and DPP4 activity (r = 0.53, P < 0.001). Subjects who resolved infection had a higher frequency of HCV‐specific interferon‐gamma (IFNγ)‐producing T‐cells (P = 0.017) and predominance of cytotoxic NK‐cells (P = 0.005) compared to patients who became chronic. Patients who became persistently infected had higher proportions of cytokine‐producing NK‐cells, which were correlated with concentrations of truncated CXCL10 (r = 0.92, P < 0.001). Conclusion: This study provides the first evidence of chemokine antagonism during acute HCV infection. We suggest that the DPP4‐CXCL10 axis inhibits antiviral innate and adaptive host immunity and favors establishment of viral persistence. (Hepatology 2014;60:487–496)