Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
In vitro Cell-Based Assays for Potency Testing of Anti-TNF-α Biological Drugs

Human cell-based assays for in vitro testing of drugs in preclinical and research studies, as well as in clinical practice, are gaining greater importance especially in view of personalized medicine, which is tailored to the individual needs and benefits of a patient. This chapter begins with an overview of contemporary cell-based assays, routinely used for a comparative in vitro potency testing of anti-TNF- α innovator biologics and their biosimilars. In sequel, based on the results of our original work, we will further discuss the establishment and use of 2D normal and osteoarthritic primary chondrocyte monolayer cultures and 3D microspheroidal articular cartilage tissues, prepared in hanging drops from osteoarthritic chondrocytes and chondrogenically differentiated mesenchymal stem cells. Both 2D and 3D cultures will be presented as models for assessing the neutralizing potency of the three well-known anti-TNF- α biological drugs: adalimumab, etanercept, and infliximab.
Is trans-radial approach related to an increased risk of radiation exposure in patients who underwent diagnostic coronary angiography or percutaneous coronary intervention? (The SAKARYA study)

Objective: It is still debatable whether diagnostic coronary angiography (CA) or percutaneous coronary interventions (PCIs) increase radiation exposure when performed via radial approach as compared to femoral approach. This question was investigated in this study by comparison of dose-area product (DAP), reference air kerma (RAK), and fluoroscopy time (FT) among radial and femoral approaches. Methods: All coronary procedures between November 2015 and November 2017 were assessed; and 4215 coronary procedures were enrolled in the study. Patients with bifurcation, chronic total occlusion, cardiogenic shock, or prior coronary artery bypass surgery were excluded. These 4215 procedures were evaluated for three different categories: diagnostic CA (Group I), PCI in patients with stable angina (Group II), and PCI in patients with ACS (Group III). Results: Age was significantly higher in the femoral arm of all groups. Among patients in the radial arm of Groups I and II, males were over-represented. Therefore, a multiple linear regression analysis with stepwise method was performed. After adjusting these clinical confounders, there was no significant difference with regard to DAP, RAK, and FT between femoral and radial access in Group I. In contrast, PCI via radial access was significantly associated with increased DAP, RAK, and FT in Groups II and III. Conclusion: In spite of an increased experience with trans-radial approach, PCI of coronary lesions via radial route was associated with a relatively small but significant radiation exposure in our study. Compared to femoral access, diagnostic CA via radial access was not related to an increased radiation exposure.
FRACTIONATION OF FOREIGN MATTER IN GINNED LINT BEFORE AND AFTER LINT CLEANING

One goal of lint cleaning at a cotton gin is to reduce the non-lint material to an acceptable level with minimal fiber damage. In an effort to improve lint cleaner performance, an initial study was conducted on lint collected before and after lint cleaning at nine commercial gins across the cotton belt to characterize non-lint content. Samples from this study were first processed with an MDTA-3 (Micro Dust and Trash Analyzer 3, SDL Atlas, Stockport, U.K.) to determine trash, fiber fragment, and dust content. The trash portion was retained for additional manual fractionation to determine the percent of material classified as seed coat fragments (SCF), motes, funiculi, sticks, leaf, bark, lint, and "other" material. Leaf, SCF, and sticks were the largest fractions, accounting for 81% of the total trash sample. Overall, total trash decreased by 57% due to lint cleaning, and trash fractions remained consistent in samples before and after lint cleaning. Lint cleaning efficiency in terms of SCF was less than the overall cleaning efficiency, and lint cleaning efficiency for bark, mote, and other (all minor components) was higher than the overall cleaning efficiency. The lint cleaning efficiency for SCF was increased significantly when higher SCF levels were found before the lint cleaner, but this trend was not found for other fractions. Results of this experiment will help direct future studies to improve lint cleaning.
Acupuncture to Promote Recovery of Disorder of Consciousness after Traumatic Brain Injury: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) has become an economic and social burden for patients and their families. While acupuncture is an effective tool for promoting recovery of disorder of consciousness (DOC) following TBI, there have been no comprehensive meta-analyses and/or systematic reviews addressing this topic. The present systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to assess the therapeutic efficacy of acupuncture for DOC after TBI. All randomized controlled trials (RCTs) incorporating acupuncture, or acupuncture combined with other interventions for DOC after TBI, were included and assessed by two independent investigators. Six outcome indicators were assessed: Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS); Glasgow Outcome Scale (GOS); mortality; efficacy rate; activities of daily living (ADL); and functional comprehensive assessment. Direct comparisons were performed using RevMan 5.3. 0 software, with results presented as mean difference (MD) for continuous outcomes and relative risk (RR) for binary outcomes. A total of 3511 patients from 49 trials were included. Pooled analyses indicated that acupuncture may have a superior effect on GCS score (MD=2.03, 95% CI :1.92 2.43, Z=16.54, and P<0.00001); GOS score (RR=1.23, 95%CI: 1.18 1.35, Z=6.65, and P<0.00001); efficacy rate (RR=1.48, 95%CI: 1.40 1.56, Z=13.49, and P<0.00001); ADL (MD=9.20, 95% CI:8.19 10.21, Z=17.84, and P<0.00001); and mortality (RR=0.50, 95% CI:0.38 0.67, Z=4.70, and P<0.00001). The results demonstrated that the acupuncture group fared better than the control group in the treatment of DOC after TBI. However, studies were generally of poor quality, and publication bias favoring positive studies was obvious. Therefore, rigorous evaluation standards and well-designed studies are necessary in future studies.
Transcriptional Changes following Cellular Knockdown of the Schizophrenia Risk Gene SETD1A Are Enriched for Common Variant Association with the Disorder

Loss of function mutations in SETD1A are the first experiment-wide significant findings to emerge from exome sequencing studies of schizophrenia. Although SETD1Ais known to encode a histone methyltransferase, the consequences of reduced SETD1A activity on gene expression in neural cells have, to date, been unknown. To explore transcriptional changes through which genetic perturbation of SETD1A could confer risk for schizophrenia, we have performed genome-wide gene expression profiling of a commonly used human neuroblastoma cell line in which SETD1A expression has been experimentally reduced using RNA interference (RNAi). We identified 1,031 gene expression changes that were significant in two separate RNAi conditions compared with control, including effects on genes of known neurodevelopmental importance such as DCX and DLX5. Genes that were differentially expressed following SETD1A knockdown were enriched for annotation to metabolic pathways, peptidase regulator activity and integrin-mediated regulation of cell adhesion. Moreover, differentially expressed genes were enriched for common variant association with schizophrenia, suggesting a degree of molecular convergence between this rare schizophrenia risk factor and susceptibility variants for the disorder operating more generally.
Treatment of Gharbi Type III Hepatic Hydatid Cysts: A Clinical Dilemma

This article aims to compare available treatment options for type III liver hydatid cysts, including surgery and percutaneous techniques. Hydatid disease is a helminthic infection caused by Echinococcus granulosus and is a serious public health problem in endemic regions of the world. Hydatid cyst of the liver is the most common clinical presentation of Echinococcus granulosus. According to Gharbi classification, hydatid cysts of the liver are classified into 5 types. Type III hydatid cysts are those with fluid collection and septa. Treatment of Gharbi type III hydatid cysts is still controversial. Some researchers think that Gharbi type III hydatid cysts are not suitable for percutaneous drainage, and surgery is the suitable treatment option. There are not enough prospective studies comparing percutaneous and surgical techniques for the treatment of type III hydatid disease of the liver. A proper meta-analysis does not seem to be possible with the available studies in current medical literature.
Addressing problems with gas supersaturation at drinking water utilities

Gas bubbles forming during conventional water treatment can reduce operating efficiency. The most common problems caused by bubbles include floating floc during coagulation and sedimentation, air binding in media filters and upflow clarifiers, and erroneous particle counts or turbidity measurements. Gas bubbles form in areas that are supersaturated with dissolved gas with respect to the localized solution pressure. Measurements of dissolved gas through the facility and estimates of the localized pressure can identify problems, and bubble formation predictions should be routine before design of any new treatment plant. Although simple strategies often can be used to reduce the adverse effects of bubble formation, other cases may require additional treatment steps to alleviate dissolved‐gas supersaturation. The authors used case studies from several water utilities and laboratory studies to develop parameters that should be considered when designing a new treatment plant or modifying an existing facility to avoid problems associated with dissolved gas.
On the field patterns of the dominant mode in unilateral finline by the finite‐element method

In this paper, the field patterns of the dominant mode in unilateral finline are calculated by the hybrid finite‐element method. Dependence of the field patterns on thickness of metallic fins and dielectric constant of dielectric substrate are presented. The figures in this paper have important values in the design of finline millimeter wave integrated circuits. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 38: 193–195, 2003; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/mop.11012
Essays on variational inequalities and competitive supply chain models

In the first part of the thesis we combine ideas from cutting plane and interior point methods to solve variational inequality problems efficiently. In particular, we introduce "smarter" cuts into two general methods for solving these problems. These cuts utilize second order information on the problem through the use of a gap function. We establish convergence results for both methods, as well as complexity results for one of the methods. Finally, we compare the performance of an approach that combines affine scaling and cutting plane methods with other methods for solving variational inequalities. The second part of the thesis considers a supply chain setting where several capacitated suppliers compete for orders from a single retailer in a multi-period environment. At each period the retailer places orders to the suppliers in response to the prices and capacities they announce. Our model allows the retailer to carry inventory. Furthermore, suppliers can expand their capacity at an additional cost; the retailer faces exogenous, price-dependent, stochastic demand. We analyze discrete as well as continuous time versions of the model: (i) we illustrate the existence of equilibrium policies; (ii) we characterize the structure of these policies; (iii) we consider coordination mechanisms; and (iv) we present some computational results. We also consider a modified model that uses option contracts and finally present some extensions. Thesis Supervisor: Georgia Perakis Title: Sloan Career Development Associate Professor of Operations Research
Compact and wide stopband lowpass filter with novel comb CMRC

A novel comb compact microstrip resonant cell, entitled CCMRC, is firstly proposed. The compact configuration presents ultra wide stopband and attractive slow-wave characteristics. A lowpass filter, consisting of three CCMRCs connected in series, is designed and fabricated. The filter has the merits of low insertion loss in the passband, sharp, deep and wide rejection in the stopband and compact size. Good agreement between experimental and simulated results is achieved.
Automated simulation of 3-D crack propagation on bimaterial interfaces in semiconductor packages

The numerical simulation of the propagation of an arbitrary, three-dimensional crack can be a tedious, time-consuming process. This is especially true for 3-D cracks propagating on interfaces between various electronic materials in semiconductor packages. In addition to accurately account for the peculiar nature of the crack tip stress field associated with interface cracks, systematically “advancing” the crack must be based on an efficient numerical crack advance algorithm. In this study, a technique is described that combines the use of ANSYS finite element software and a specialized finite element program, FRAC3D, developed at Lehigh University, to simulate crack front propagation for arbitrary 3-D cracks. This method uses the classical fatigue crack growth rate “law” developed by Paris and Erdogan to simulate stable crack growth under cyclic loading conditions. As a practical example in reliability analysis, the method is applied to a semiconductor package with a propagating corner-crack. The results are compared to photographs of a similar failure observed in actual semiconductor packages. SRC Grant 826.002
Case Study Methodology in Business Research

The complete guide for how to design and conduct theory-testing and other case studies Case Study Methodology in Business Research sets out structures and guidelines that assist students and researchers from a wide range of disciplines to develop their case study research in a consistent and rigorous manner. It clarifies the differences between practice-oriented and theory-oriented research and, within the latter category, between theory-testing and theory-building. It describes in detail how to design and conduct different types of case study research, providing students and researchers with everything they need for their project.The main aims are to: present a broad spectrum of types of case study research (including practice-oriented case studies, theory-building case studies and theory-testing case studies) in one consistent methodological framework. emphasize and clearly illustrate that the case study is the preferred research strategy for testing deterministic propositions such as those expressing a necessary condition case by case and that the survey is the preferred research strategy for testing probabilistic propositions. stress the role of replication in all theory-testing research, irrespective of which research strategy is chosen for a specific test. give more weight to the importance of theory-testing relative to theory-building. Case Study Methodology in Business Research is a clear, concise and comprehensive text for case study methodology. Templates are supplied for case study protocol and how to report a case study. A modular textbook primarily aimed at serving research methodology courses for final year undergraduate students and graduate students in Business Administration and Management, which is also useful as a handbook for researchers. Written by Jan Dul, Professor of Technology and Human Factors, RSM Erasmus University, Rotterdam and Tony Hak, Associate professor of Research Methodology, RSM Erasmus University, Rotterdam, in collaboration with other authors from RSM Erasmus University.
Septate junctions regulate gut homeostasis through regulation of stem cell proliferation and enterocyte behavior in Drosophila

ABSTRACT Smooth septate junctions (sSJs) contribute to the epithelial barrier, which restricts leakage of solutes through the paracellular route in epithelial cells of the Drosophila midgut. We previously identified three sSJ-associated membrane proteins, Ssk, Mesh and Tsp2A, and showed that these proteins were required for sSJ formation and intestinal barrier function in the larval midgut. Here, we investigated the roles of sSJs in the Drosophila adult midgut. Depletion of any of the sSJ proteins from enterocytes resulted in remarkably shortened lifespan and intestinal barrier dysfunction in flies. Interestingly, the sSJ-protein-deficient flies showed intestinal hypertrophy accompanied by accumulation of morphologically abnormal enterocytes. The phenotype was associated with increased stem cell proliferation and activation of the MAPK and Jak-Stat pathways in stem cells. Loss of the cytokines Unpaired 2 and Unpaired 3, which are involved in Jak-Stat pathway activation, reduced the intestinal hypertrophy, but not the increased stem cell proliferation, in flies lacking Mesh. The present findings suggest that SJs play a crucial role in maintaining tissue homeostasis through regulation of stem cell proliferation and enterocyte behavior in the Drosophila adult midgut. Highlighted Article: Depletion of smooth septate junction-associated proteins from enterocytes in the Drosophila adult midgut results in intestinal hypertrophy accompanied by accumulation of morphologically aberrant enterocytes and increased stem cell proliferation.
Analysis of the Front-End Loading of Alberta Mega Oil Sands Projects

Recent large capital oil sands construction projects have all experienced significant cost overruns. There are a number of reasons for these overruns, some of which are listed in this article. This article provides a review of recent experiences and challenges in delivering mega oil sands projects in Alberta. In addition, this article focuses on the front-end loading (planning) phases 1, 2, and 3 and describes the effort needed to deliver mega projects, provides schedule comparisons of key engineering milestones, and analyzes scope changes and contingencies.
Simple Method to Predict Downward Heat Flux from Flame to Floor

This work presents a simple model to predict the radiation heat flux from a flame to a floor surrounding it. This heat flux was measured both in an unconfined space (open air) and under a ceiling. Flame lengths, flame temperatures, and ceiling surface temperatures, all of which are necessary to predict radiation heat flux, were also measured. Flame shapes were modeled by two cylinders and two disks representing the impinging flame's continuous and intermittent flame regions. The emissivity of the cylinders was calculated from the heat balance at the flame surface, and the radiation heat flux to the floor was predicted well by the model.
Waterjet and Water-Air Jet Surface Processing of a Titanium Alloy: A Parametric Evaluation

High-pressure waterjets have emerged as a viable method for surface texturing, cleaning, and peening of metallic materials. As the material advancements continue, research into alternate surface processing methods must strive to keep pace. One material in particular that has experienced an increase in use in the biomedical and aerospace industries is titanium—due largely to its high strength to weight ratio and corrosion resistance. In this paper, surface preparation of a titanium alloy using waterjet and the water-air jet nozzles at pressures up to 600 MPa was evaluated. A parametric study was performed based on the supply pressure, standoff distance, traverse rate, and applied air flow rate. An analysis of variance was performed on the resulting experimental set to identify the key parameters contributing to the material erosion rates and resulting surface roughness parameters. The supply pressure was found to be the primary contributor to the erosive characteristics of the waterjet followed by the traverse rate. These parameters together govern the total energy per unit area transferred to the workpiece.
Pregnant Women's Antenatal Depression and Influencing Factors.

PURPOSE The objective of this study was to investigate the prevalence of antenatal depression in pregnant women and its influencing factors. METHODS With a cross-sectional survey design, a total of 396 pregnant women were recruited from a local obstetrics and gynecology clinic. Measurements included antenatal depression, perceived stress, predictors of depression during pregnancy, and demographic and obstetric characteristics. RESULTS Mean antenatal depression score was 8.20 (standard deviation=4.95) out of 30, falling into its normal range. However, the prevalence of antenatal depression was 35.9% when cut-point of 9/10 was used. The prevalence of antenatal depression among women in the first trimester was 31.4%. It was slightly increased to 34.9% in the second trimester but significantly increased to 40.5% in the third trimester. In multiple logistic regression analysis, experiencing prenatal anxiety (odds ratio [OR], 4.16), having no job (OR, 2.90), lower self-esteem (OR, 1.62), and higher perceived stress (OR, 1.32) were significant factors influencing antenatal depression. CONCLUSION Negative feeling such as feeling anxious, lower self-esteem, and higher perceived stress during pregnancy are key factors affecting antenatal depression. Thus, antenatal nursing intervention focusing on pregnant women's feeling upon their job status is necessary to improve their antenatal psychological well-being.
Consolidation Efficiency of Natural and Plastic Geosynthetic Band Drains

Consolidation efficiency of natural and plastic geosynthetic band drains is examined using laboratory tests and a three-dimensional numerical flow model. The numerical model is first validated by comparing its results with the laboratory consolidation data and then the influence of the drain installation depth on the consolidation time is estimated. The drains used in the analysis are circular and band-shaped natural drains and a band-shaped plastic drain. The results of discharge capacity tests show that the discharge capacity of the plastic drain is larger than those of the natural drains. Despite the difference in discharge capacity of the plastic and natural geosynthetic drains, the degree of consolidation versus time relationships obtained from laboratory consolidation tests were similar and the numerical model predicted the consolidation behavior quite well. The numerical simulation results of the effect of installation depth showed that the degree of consolidation versus time relationship for the c.