Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Non‐transmissible Sendai virus encoding granulocyte macrophage colony‐stimulating factor is a novel and potent vector system for producing autologous tumor vaccines

The recent clinical application of granulocyte macrophage colony‐stimulating factor (GM‐CSF)‐transduced autologous tumor vaccines revealed substantial antitumor activity and valuable clinical results. However, for these vaccines to be optimally effective, the antitumor efficacies must be improved. Recently, Sendai virus (SeV) vectors, which are cytoplasmic RNA vectors, have emerged as safe vectors with high gene transduction. In the current study, the in vivo therapeutic antitumor efficacies of irradiated GM‐CSF‐transduced mouse renal cell carcinoma (RENCA) vaccine cells mediated by either fusion gene‐deleted non‐transmissible SeV encoding mouse GM‐CSF (SeV/dF/G) or adenovirus (E1, E3 deleted serotype 5 adenovirus) encoding mouse GM‐CSF (AdV/G) (respectively described as irRC/SeV/GM or irRC/AdV/GM) were compared in RENCA‐bearing mice. The results showed that the antitumor effect was equivalent between irRC/SeV/GM and irRC/AdV/GM cells, even though the former produced less GM‐CSF in vitro. The cell numbers of activated (CD80+, CD86+, CD80+CD86+) dendritic cells in lymph nodes from mice treated with irRC/AdV/GM or irRC/SeV/GM cells were increased significantly compared with those of mice treated with the respective controls, at both the earlier and later phases. In an in vitro cytotoxicity assay, splenocytes harvested from mice treated with both irRC/SeV/GM and irRC/AdV/GM cells showed tumor‐specific responses against RENCA cells. The restimulated splenocytes harvested from mice treated with irRC/SeV/GM or irRC/AdV/GM cells produced significantly higher levels of interleukin‐2, interleukin‐4, and interferon‐γ compared with their respective controls (P < 0.05). Furthermore, vaccination with irRC/AdV/GM or irRC/SeV/GM cells induced significantly enhanced recruitment of the cytolytic effectors of CD107a+CD8+ T cells and CD107a+ natural killer cells into tumors compared with those induced by their respective controls (P < 0.05). Taken together, our results suggest that the SeV/dF/G vector is a potential candidate for the production of effective autologous GM‐CSF‐transduced tumor vaccines in clinical cancer immune gene therapy. (Cancer Sci 2008; 99: 2315–2326)
Two UVC‐induced stress response pathways in HeLa cells identified by cDNA microarray

Environmental toxins induce multiple effects in vivo, involving various molecular pathways. The ultraviolet C (UVC, 254 nm) component of sunlight can cause strong cytotoxic and genotoxic effects. In this study, UVC‐induced stress response factors were analyzed by cDNA microarray, using the Millennium® Nylon membrane chip system. HeLa cells were irradiated with 30 Joule/m2/sec UVC, incubated for 30 or 60 minutes and then subjected to the analysis. Multiple chips were used for each experimental condition so that the data could be analyzed statistically. Principal component analysis (PCA) was used to identify groups of genes whose expression changed in a similar manner with time post‐UVC irradiation. Three major factors were identified, depending on the directionality of expression changes in each gene. The factor loadings in all three identified gene groups were high, indicating that genes within each group were highly correlated. Two factors exhibited significantly changed expression patterns after 30 minutes of incubation but in the opposite direction. This indicates that the “immediate early” UVC‐induced stress response was elicited by two major pathways. Interestingly, expression of the genomic damage‐inducible GADD genes, as well as p53, was initially decreased, unlike the “immediate early” genes Fos/Jun and Egr‐1, which were strongly increased after 30 minutes of incubation. The results indicate that PCA used in the analysis of pre‐hypothesized, functionally related genes can identify the potential subpathways in a group. This method provides a novel approach for identifying functionally‐related genes in microarray studies. Environ. Mol. Mutagen. 40:122–128, 2002. © 2002 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Teaching statistical physics by thinking about models and algorithms

We discuss several ways of illustrating fundamental concepts in statistical and thermal physics by considering various models and algorithms. We emphasize the importance of replacing students’ incomplete mental images by models that are physically accurate. In some cases it is sufficient to discuss the results of an algorithm or the behavior of a model rather than having students write a program.
Rare familial 16q21 microdeletions under a linkage peak implicate cadherin 8 (CDH8) in susceptibility to autism and learning disability

Background Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is characterised by impairments in social communication and by a pattern of repetitive behaviours, with learning disability (LD) typically seen in up to 70% of cases. A recent study using the PPL statistical framework identified a novel region of genetic linkage on chromosome 16q21 that is limited to ASD families with LD. Methods In this study, two families with autism and/or LD are described which harbour rare >1.6 Mb microdeletions located within this linkage region. The deletion breakpoints are mapped at base-pair resolution and segregation analysis is performed using a combination of 1M single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) technology, array comparative genomic hybridisation (CGH), long-range PCR, and Sanger sequencing. The frequency of similar genomic variants in control subjects is determined through analysis of published SNP array data. Expression of CDH8, the only gene disrupted by these microdeletions, is assessed using reverse transcriptase PCR and in situ hybridisation analysis of 9 week human embryos. Results The deletion of chr16: 60 025 584–61 667 839 was transmitted to three of three boys with autism and LD and none of four unaffected siblings, from their unaffected mother. In a second family, an overlapping deletion of chr16: 58 724 527–60 547 472 was transmitted to an individual with severe LD from his father with moderate LD. No copy number variations (CNVs) disrupting CDH8 were observed in 5023 controls. Expression analysis indicates that the two CDH8 isoforms are present in the developing human cortex. Conclusion Rare familial 16q21 microdeletions and expression analysis implicate CDH8 in susceptibility to autism and LD.
Is preoperative physical activity related to post-surgery recovery? A cohort study of patients with breast cancer

Objective The aim of our study is to assess the association between preoperative level of activity and recovery after breast cancer surgery measured as hospital stay, length of sick leave and self-assessed physical and mental recovery. Design A prospective cohort study. Setting Patients included were those scheduled to undergo breast cancer surgery, between February and November 2013, at two participating hospitals in the Western Region of Sweden. Participants Patients planned for breast cancer surgery filled out a questionnaire before, as well as at 3 and 6 weeks after the operation. The preoperative level of activity was self-assessed and categorised into four categories by the participants using the 4-level Saltin-Grimby Physical Activity Level Scale (SGPALS). Main outcome measure Our main outcome was postoperative recovery measured as length of sick leave, in-hospital stay and self-assessed physical and mental recovery. Results 220 patients were included. Preoperatively, 14% (31/220) of participants assessed themselves to be physically inactive, 61% (135/220) to exert some light physical activity (PA) and 20% (43/220) to be more active (level 3+4). Patients operated with mastectomy versus partial mastectomy and axillary lymph node dissection versus sentinel node biopsy were less likely to have a short hospital stay, relative risk (RR) 0.88 (0.78 to 1.00) and 0.82 (0.70 to 0.96). More active participants (level 3 or 4) had an 85% increased chance of feeling physically recovered at 3 weeks after the operation, RR 1.85 (1.20 to 2.85). No difference was seen after 6 weeks. Conclusions The above study shows that a higher preoperative level of PA is associated with a faster physical recovery as reported by the patients 3 weeks post breast cancer surgery. After 6 weeks, most patients felt physically recovered, diminishing the association above. No difference was seen in length of sick leave or self-assessed mental recovery between inactive or more active patients.
Effective Scheme of Channel Tracking and Estimation for Mobile WiMAX DL-PUSC System

This paper introduces an effective joint scheme of channel estimation and tracking for downlink partial usage of subchannel (DL-PUSC) mode of mobile WiMAX system. Based on the pilot pattern of this particular system, some channel estimation methods including conventional interpolations and a more favorable least-squares line fitting (LSLF) technique are comparatively studied. Besides, channel estimation performance can be remarkably improved by taking advantage of channel tracking derived from the preamble symbol. System performances in terms of packet error rate (PER) and user link throughput are investigated in various channels adopted from the well-known ITU models for mobile environments. Simulation results show a significant performance enhancement when the proposed joint scheme is utilized, at least 5 dB, compared to only commonly used channel estimation approaches.
A conservative adaptive wavelet method for the shallow‐water equations on staggered grids

This article presents the first dynamically adaptive wavelet method for the shallow‐water equations (SWEs) on a staggered hexagonal C‐grid. Pressure is located at the centres of the primal grid (hexagons) and velocity is located at the edges of the dual grid (triangles). Distinct bi‐orthogonal second‐generation wavelet transforms are developed for the pressure and the velocity. These wavelet transforms are based on second‐order accurate interpolation and restriction operators. Together with compatible restriction operators for the mass flux and Bernoulli function, they ensure that mass is conserved and that there is no numerical generation of vorticity when solving the SWEs. Grid refinement relies on appropriate thresholding of the wavelet coefficients, allowing error control in both the quasi‐geostrophic and inertia–gravity wave regimes. The SWEs are discretized on the dynamically adapted multiscale grid using a mass and potential‐enstrophy‐conserving finite‐difference scheme. The conservation and error control properties of the method are verified by applying it to a propagating inertia–gravity wave packet and to rotating shallow‐water turbulence. Significant savings in the number of degrees of freedom are achieved even in the case of rotating shallow‐water turbulence. The numerical dissipation introduced by the grid adaptation is quantified. The method has been designed so it can be extended easily to the icosahedral subdivision of the sphere. This work provides important building blocks for the development of fully adaptive general circulation models.
Logics for Action

Logics of action, for reasoning about the effects of state change, and logics of belief, accounting for belief revision and update, have much in common. Furthermore, we may undertake an action because we hold a particular belief, and revise our beliefs in the light of observed consequences of an action. So studies of these two aspects are inevitably intertwined. However, we argue, a clear separation of the two is helpful in understanding their interactions. We give a semantic presentation of such a separation, introducing a semantic setting that supports one logic for describing the effects of actions, which are modeled as changing the values of particular atomic properties, or fluents, and another for expressing more complex facts or beliefs about the world. We use a simple state-logic, to account for state change, and show how it can be integrated with a variety of domain-logics, of fact or belief, for reasoning about the world. Stateand domain-logics are linked, syntactically and semantically; but separate. The state-logic, our logic for action, is quantified propositional logic. Bounded existential propositional quantification is used to specify which literals may be established by a given action. This provides a logically transparent account of the treatment of updates introduced in [1], which itself provided a treatment of the frame problem extending the uses in event calculi of the forget operator, occlude and release predicates, all published in 1994 [2–4]. Our, purely classical, logical setting can be seen as a recasting of the state-transition model of action, underlying STRIPS [5] and ADL [6]. Our treatment, like ADL, caters for actions with conditional effects, which can handle ramifications unrepresentable in classic STRIPS; it also includes concurrent actions, non-deterministic effects, and domain axioms or integrity constraints, which are not present in ADL. We introduce an operator, novel in this context, that computes fixpoints of certain monotone actions, to handle the problem of nested ramification. We exploit non-determinacy to provide a decomposition of actions, as compositions of simpler fundamental operations on states. These decompositions provide a basis for the static analysis of interference, which is applied in our treatment of iteration, re-ordering and concurrent composition of actions. Our setting combines operational and inferential aspects. Domain logics are inferential, and can vary, from classical to exotic. The state logic provides an operational calculus of actions that retains the clarity and simplicity of propositional reasoning, which underlies STRIPS’ enduring appeal. It also has practical benefits: applications can exploit propositional reasoning tools, such as BDD packages and SAT solvers to provide a direct route to efficient implementations [7]. keyword action, transition system, logic, semantics, frame problem, representation ? c © IICAI www.iiconference. org this UoE portal version published by permission.
Content Distribution Strategies in Opportunistic Networks Technical Report

The use of mobile data services is in high demand ever since the advent of smartphones and is expected to increase further with the evolution of various services and applications for future mobile devices. This excessive use of data has caused severe bottlenecks within the mobile networks due to overloading. The route towards network upgrades is an expensive one especially due to the high licensing fees attached to spectrum acquisition. Traffic offloading through opportunistic communication is a new paradigm exploiting the meeting opportunities within emerging Mobile Social Networks for the dissemination of delay tolerant contents without any additional investment. The idea is to save the network bandwidth by pushing the content optimally to as few users as possible from base station and then exploit the social interactions of social group members for content distribution among themselves by using point to point communications through WiFi or Bluetooth. Several studies suggests that there exists strong community architecture within contact graph of Mobile Social Networks i.e. the edges are not randomly distributed over nodes but in the form of clusters. We study the problem of dissemination of a large file in community based mobile social network where base station seeds the contents of the file initially to some users within each community. Furthermore, we determine whether it is more efficient in terms of latency and number of transmissions to transfer encoded or uncoded contents during opportunistic meetings by comparing different coded (Network Coding, Erasure Coding) and uncoded (Flooding, Epidemic Routing) data dissemination strategies in mobile social network.
Modelling and analysing workflow using a Petri-net based approach

High-level Petri nets have been used to model systems in a variety of application domains, ranging from protocols to logistics. This paper addresses an application domain which is receiving more and more attention: workflows in offices and their management. High-level Petri nets are used to model (1) the workflow in an office environment and (2) the workflow management system to support the control of office work. In this way we will be able to formalize the main concepts. As a result we can use Petri net based analysis techniques to analyse the workflow in an office. Moreover, this formalization can be used to develop a prototype of a workflow management system.
Improved Texture Enhanced Image Denoising

here this work is introducing the new technique using the improved texture enhanced framework for image denoising. This technique is fast as compared to the higher order singular value decomposition (HOSVD) as we have in the previous work. The HOSVD technique simply compose in a cluster, alike Patches of noisy image in 3D heap, work out HOSVD factors of this heap, handles these factors by stiff thresholding, and turn upside down the HOSVD transmute to yield the final resultant image. Whereas improved texture enhanced image denoising have proven to be effective and robust in many image denoising tasks. It is experimentally demonstrating approximately 5 percent improved PSNR characteristics of ITEID technique on gray scale images. The ITEID process yields state-of-the-art outcomes on gray images, than HOSVD image data denoising process at moderately great noise stages.
Evaluation of Corneal Biomechanical Properties Following Penetrating Keratoplasty Using the Ocular Response Analyzer

Purpose To evaluate corneal biomechanical properties in eyes that had previously undergone penetrating keratoplasty (PK) using the ocular response analyzer (ORA). Methods We recruited 26 patients who had received unilateral PK. Corneal hysteresis (CH), corneal resistance factor (CRF), Goldmann-correlated intraocular pressure (IOPg), and cornea-compensated intraocular pressure (IOPcc) were measured with the ORA and were compared to the measurements from the contralateral eyes that did not undergo PK. Results The CH was 8.95±2.59 mmHg in eyes that underwent PK and 9.78±1.45 mmHg in the contralateral eyes that did not undergo PK (p=0.077). The CRF was 10.26±2.64 mmHg in post-PK eyes and 9.75±1.45 mmHg in the contralateral eyes (p=0.509), and the CH-CRF was significantly smaller in post-PK eyes (-1.31±2.32 mmHg in post-PK eyes vs. 0.03±0.88 mmHg in fellow eyes, p=0.016). The IOPg and IOPcc were significantly higher in the PK group than they were in the control group. The IOPcc's were 20.81±7.81 mmHg and 16.27±2.49 mmHg in post-PK and control eyes, respectively (p=0.011); and the IOPg's were 19.22±7.34 mmHg and 15.07±3.03 mmHg in post-PK and control eyes, respectively (p=0.019). The IOPcc-g's were 1.59±2.81 mmHg and 1.21±1.30 mmHg in post-PK and control eyes, respectively (p=0.412), and the central corneal thickness (CCT)'s were 489.11±90.60 µm and 556.24±42.84 µm in post-PK and control eyes, respectively (p=0.068). Conclusions Following PK, CH tended to decrease while CRF tended to increase, significantly decreasing CH-CRF. A significantly higher intraocular pressure and a thinner CCT following PK may have contributed to the observed changes in these corneal biomechanical parameters.
Nonselective transarterial chemoperfusion: a palliative treatment for malignant pleural mesothelioma.

PURPOSE To evaluate tumor response by means of volumetric assessment, survival, and changes in patient symptoms after the treatment of unresectable and/or recurrent pleural mesothelioma by using regional nonselective transarterial chemoperfusion as a palliative treatment option. MATERIALS AND METHODS This retrospective study was approved by the hospital ethical committee, and all patients signed an informed consent prior to treatment. Thirty-nine patients (mean age, 64.0 years; 10 women and 29 men) with unresectable pleural mesothelioma were treated with repetitive transarterial chemoperfusion between March 2007 and March 2010, with a mean of 2.9 sessions per patient at 4-week intervals. Transarterial chemoperfusion was performed by using mitomycin C, cisplatin, and gemcitabine. Computed tomography findings and patient symptoms were evaluated. Tumor response was evaluated by using Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors guidelines, and survival was assessed with the Kaplan-Meier method. The change in volume for the partial-response group was tested by using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test. RESULTS In 36% of treated tumors (14 of 39), partial response was achieved, and tumor volume decreased from a mean value ± standard deviation of 839.6 mL ± 590.3 (range, 3.9-1972.2 mL) to 137 mL ± 399.8 (range, 0.88-1131.4; P = .00012). In 49% of tumors (19 of 39), stable disease was noted. In 15% of tumors (six of 39), progressive disease was seen. Mean specific growth rate of the tumor was 0.00158% per day. The mean survival time was 14.2 months (range, 2.1-33.1 months) from the start of treatment. For patients with tumors that responded to treatment, mean survival time was 15 months (range, 4.5-33.1 months). Mean time to disease progression was 2.6 months for all tumors, 1.5 months for stable disease, and 1.3 months for progressive disease. CONCLUSION Transarterial chemoperfusion may have the potential to yield positive results and response in the treatment of recurrent and/or unresectable pleural mesothelioma. © RSNA, 2012.
Human iPS cell derived neural cell sheets exhibit mature neural and extendable scaffold functions and promote recovery in injured mouse spinal cords

We developed neural cell sheets being positive for mature motoneuron markers, such as βIII tubulin, islet1 and HB9, from human induced pluripotent stem (hiPS) cells after embryoid body formation. We transplanted the neural cell sheets into the complete transection sites of spinal cord injury (SCI) model mice. We assessed functional and histological analyses of the SCI mice and compared the data with those of hiPS cell derived neural stem/progenitor (NSP) cell transplanted SCI mice. Neurofilament medium (NFM), βIII tubulin, and HB9 positive cells were significantly increased in vitro in neural cell sheets compared with those in NSP cells. The neural cell sheets expressed remarkably high mRNA of NFM and islet 1 compared with NSP cells. After transplantation, the neural cell sheets elongated human neural cell adhesion molecule (hNCAM) positive axons over the L1 spinal level and carried a neuron tracer cholera toxin β subunit (CTβ) to downstream region. The sheet transplantation showed significantly better locomotor recovery of SCI mice until day 65 than NSP cell transplantation. The sheet transplantation tended to improve spinal cord atrophy in caudal part of injured/grafted site to the same extent as NSP cell transplantation. We suggest that the neural cell sheets derived from hiPS cells may be one of the most effective treatment for SCI, through the mature neural and extendable scaffold functions. Correspondence to: Noboru Suzuki MD, Ph.D, Department of Immunology and Medicine, St. Marianna University School of Medicine, 2-16-1 Sugao, Miyamaeku, Kawasaki, Kanagawa 216-8511, Japan, Tel: +81-44-977-8111 (ex 3547), Fax: +81-44-976-3315, E-mail: n3suzuki@marianna-u.ac. jp