Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Emerging trends and new developments in regenerative medicine: a scientometric update (2000 – 2014)

Introduction: Our previous scientometric review of regenerative medicine provides a snapshot of the fast-growing field up to the end of 2011. The new review identifies emerging trends and new developments appearing in the literature of regenerative medicine based on relevant articles and reviews published between 2000 and the first month of 2014. Areas covered: Multiple datasets of publications relevant to regenerative medicine are constructed through topic search and citation expansion to ensure adequate coverage of the field. Networks of co-cited references representing the literature of regenerative medicine are constructed and visualized based on a combined dataset of 71,393 articles published between 2000 and 2014. Structural and temporal dynamics are identified in terms of most active topical areas and cited references. New developments are identified in terms of newly emerged clusters and research areas. Disciplinary-level patterns are visualized in dual-map overlays. Expert opinion: While research in induced pluripotent stem cells remains the most prominent area in the field of regenerative medicine, research related to clinical and therapeutic applications in regenerative medicine has experienced a considerable growth. In addition, clinical and therapeutic developments in regenerative medicine have demonstrated profound connections with the induced pluripotent stem cell research and stem cell research in general. A rapid adaptation of graphene-based nanomaterials in regenerative medicine is evident. Both basic research represented by stem cell research and application-oriented research typically found in tissue engineering are now increasingly integrated in the scientometric landscape of regenerative medicine. Tissue engineering is an interdisciplinary field in its own right. Advances in multiple disciplines such as stem cell research and graphene research have strengthened the connections between tissue engineering and regenerative medicine.
Validity of Four Approaches of Using Repeaters' MCAT Scores in Medical School Admissions to Predict USMLE Step 1 Total Scores

Background This study investigated the validity of four approaches (the average, most recent, highest-within-administration, and highest-across-administration approaches) of using repeaters' Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) scores to predict Step 1 scores. Method Using the differential predication method, this study investigated the magnitude of differences in the expected Step 1 total scores between MCAT nonrepeaters and three repeater groups (two-time, three-time, and four-time test takers) for the four scoring approaches. Results For the average score approach, matriculants with the same MCAT average are expected to achieve similar Step 1 total scores regardless of whether the individual attempted the MCAT exam one or multiple times. For the other three approaches, repeaters are expected to achieve lower Step 1 scores than nonrepeaters; for a given MCAT score, as the number of attempts increases, the expected Step 1 decreases. The effect was strongest for the highest-across-administration approach, followed by the highest-within-administration approach, and then the most recent approach. Conclusions Using the average score is the best approach for considering repeaters' MCAT scores in medical school admission decisions.
Requirement of Phosphoinositides Containing Stearic Acid To Control Cell Polarity

ABSTRACT Phosphoinositides (PIPs) are present in very small amounts but are essential for cell signaling, morphogenesis, and polarity. By mass spectrometry, we demonstrated that some PIPs with stearic acyl chains were strongly disturbed in a psi1Δ Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast strain deficient in the specific incorporation of a stearoyl chain at the sn-1 position of phosphatidylinositol. The absence of PIPs containing stearic acid induced disturbances in intracellular trafficking, although the total amount of PIPs was not diminished. Changes in PIPs also induced alterations in the budding pattern and defects in actin cytoskeleton organization (cables and patches). Moreover, when the PSI1 gene was impaired, a high proportion of cells with bipolar cortical actin patches that occurred concomitantly with the bipolar localization of Cdc42p was specifically found among diploid cells. This bipolar cortical actin phenotype, never previously described, was also detected in a bud9Δ/bud9Δ strain. Very interestingly, overexpression of PSI1 reversed this phenotype.
Blind Creation:Emerging Music Through Implicit Collaboration

Normally agents cooperate when they have a joint goal or are able to get a higher payoff by doing so. We present a new perspective, where an agent cooperates with another without an explicit intention. We study this perspective in the context of Art Games, by introducing a novel algorithm where a human agent cooperates with a video game system in generating music in an emergent fashion, without needing awareness that he/she is doing so. We present a theoretical analysis of our system, and preliminary real-life experiments performed with human subjects
Efficient, parallel adaptive eigenbased techniques for direction of arrival estimation and tracking

Eigenspace decomposition is used in source location estimation, high-resolution frequency estimation and beamforming problems. In each case, either the eigenvalue decomposition (EVD) of a covariance matrix or the singular value decomposition (SVD) of a data matrix is required. The authors address the problem of recursive updating the EVD of a covariance matrix given the EVD of the previous matrix. This recursive algorithm is developed for multiple target angle tracking in a nonstationary environment. Simulation results include the numerical performance of this algorithm as well as its performance in high-resolution angle tracking. <<ETX>>
Organization Development Through Franchise Advisory Boards

Franchising brings a unique set of challenges to human resources and organization development (HROD) practitioners who are focused on strategically aligning human capacity and organizational goals through cultures of collaboration. Because franchising consists of inter-firm relationships, the presence of franchise associations can help ensure that franchisee voices are heard and that collaborative relationships exist between the franchisor and franchisees. These franchise associations typically use governance structures, which includes elected boards of directors. Although practitioner data delineate the roles these franchise boards should perform, there has been only limited empirical investigation on the topic. Moreover, no research addresses how to foster productive relationships between the franchisees and franchisors who work together in these board relationships. This article presents a proposed framework for these boards, using a multi-theoretical perspective that addresses the competing emphases affecting the franchisor–franchisee relationship and the respective roles for HROD professionals.
The prediction of Alzheimer disease. The role of patient and informant perceptions of cognitive deficits.

OBJECTIVE To determine whether the perceptions of patients' cognitive deficits by either the patient or an informant could predict who would develop Alzheimer disease (AD) in a group of 120 memory-impaired patients without dementia. METHODS At entry into the study, patients were assessed by several measures that included neuropsychological tests and the Cambridge Mental Disorders of the Elderly Examination Interview Schedule. The latter schedule asks patients and their informants about their perceptions of cognitive deficits in the patients. After 2 years, patients underwent a diagnostic workup for AD: 29 had developed probable AD, whereas the other 91 did not develop dementia. We used logistic regression analyses to examine the predictive accuracy of patients' and informants' perceptions of deficits at entry into the study. RESULTS Informants' perceptions, not patients' perceptions, contributed significantly to the prediction of AD. The best prediction of AD was obtained by the regression model that included both informants' perceptions and 2 neuropsychological tests. CONCLUSIONS These results demonstrate the clinical use of including informant perceptions about patients' cognitive deficits in the diagnostic assessment of AD. They also indicate that patients' perceptions of their own deficits are not predictive of AD, but are related to depressive affect.
Peak shaving of a heterogeneous cluster of residential flexibility carriers using reinforcement learning

Demand response is often defined as an optimal control problem. However, the practical application is challenged by computational complexity and lack of accurate models and data. In this work we extend upon previous work and combine batch reinforcement learning, using function approximators, with a market-based multi-agent system. The resulting adaptive control strategy is model-free and needs no prior knowledge of the cluster configuration. The strategy is evaluated for two distinct heterogeneous clusters of residential flexibility carriers. The evaluation shows that our self-learning strategy supports effective peak shaving and valley filling within a limited convergence time.
No changes in striatal dopamine transporter in antidepressant-treated patients with major depression

Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors and serotonin norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors are the mainstay treatment for major depressive disorder, but whether their therapeutic mechanisms involve the dopaminergic system remains inconclusive. Eight participants with major depressive disorder were administered single-photon emission computed tomography with [99mTc] TRODAT-1 both before and after 24 weeks of antidepressant treatment to evaluate the change in striatal dopamine transporter (DAT) availability. All participants were responders (≥50% reduction in Hamilton Depression Rating Scale score). The DAT availability did not change (P=0.58), as the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale score decreased (P=0.02). Striatal DAT availability remains intact during long-term antidepressant treatment in patients with major depressive disorder.
A Study of Moment Based Features on Handwritten Digit Recognition

Handwritten digit recognition plays a significant role in many user authentication applications in the modern world. As the handwritten digits are not of the same size, thickness, style, and orientation, therefore, these challenges are to be faced to resolve this problem. A lot of work has been done for various non-Indic scripts particularly, in case of Roman, but, in case of Indic scripts, the research is limited. This paper presents a script invariant handwritten digit recognition system for identifying digits written in five popular scripts of Indian subcontinent, namely, Indo-Arabic, Bangla, Devanagari, Roman, and Telugu. A 130-element feature set which is basically a combination of six different types of moments, namely, geometric moment, moment invariant, affine moment invariant, Legendre moment, Zernike moment, and complex moment, has been estimated for each digit sample. Finally, the technique is evaluated on CMATER and MNIST databases using multiple classifiers and, after performing statistical significance tests, it is observed that Multilayer Perceptron MLP classifier outperforms the others. Satisfactory recognition accuracies are attained for all the five mentioned scripts.
Participatory sensing and education: Helping the community mitigate sleep disturbance from traffic noise

Purpose – This paper aims to present a project in Australia, where participants use smartphones to measure the level of traffic noise in their homes. Through the data collected, participants learn if they are subjected to sleep disturbances and, if so, understand how they can manage the issue to protect their health. The project also has a secondary purpose: the local council would like to engage its community through the exercise and be seen as acting on the community’s problems. Design/methodology/approach – The approach taken was the development of a mobile app call 2Loud? that turns the smartphones of participants into noise sensors with accuracies comparable to professional sound-meters. The data collected are analyzed by environment and acoustic experts, and personalized feedback, in the form of mitigation strategies, is then provided. The strategies are delivered through the app to allow participants to share within the community and hence, propagate the solution to non-participants. Findings – Par.
Cost-Optimal Parallel Algorithms for the Tree Bisector and Related Problems

An edge is a bisector of a simple path if it contains the middle point of the path. Let T=(V,E) be a tree. Given a source vertex s /spl isin/ V, the single-source tree bisector problem is to find, for every vertex /spl upsi/ /spl isin/ V, a bisector of the simple path from s to /spl upsi/. The all-pairs tree bisector problem is to find for, every pair of vertices u, /spl upsi/ /spl isin/ V, a bisector of the simple path from u to /spl upsi/. In this paper, it is first shown that solving the single-source tree bisector problem of a weighted tree has a time lower bound /spl Omega/(n log n) in the sequential case. Then, efficient parallel algorithms are proposed on the EREW PRAM for the single-source and all-pairs tree bisector problems. Two O(log n) time single-source algorithms are proposed. One uses O(n) work and is for unweighted trees. The other uses O(n log n) work and is for weighted trees. Previous algorithms for the single-source problem could achieve the same time O(log n) and the same optimal work, O(n) for unweighted trees and O(n log n) for weighted trees, on the CRCW PRAM. The contribution of our single-source algorithms is the improvement from CRCW to EREW. One all-pairs parallel algorithm is proposed. It requires O(log n) time using O(n/sup 2/) work. All the proposed algorithms are cost-optimal. Efficient tree bisector algorithms have practical applications to several location problems on trees. Using the proposed algorithms, efficient parallel solutions for those problems are also presented.
Influence of Transferable Genetic Determinants on the Outcome of Typing Methods Commonly Used for Enterococcus faecium

ABSTRACT A variety of methods is used for a molecular typing of Enterococcus spp. and related gram-positive bacteria including macrorestriction analysis using pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE), ribotyping, rapid amplification of polymorphic DNA (RAPD), and amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP). To test the influence of transferable determinants on the outcome of different typing methods commonly used for enterococci, we established a homogenous strain collection of 24 transconjugants resulting from filter matings with antibiotic-resistant Enterococcus faecium. As expected, AFLP, RAPD, and PFGE all identified our model bacteria as strongly related. However, distinct differences in the resolving and discriminatory power of the tested methods could be clearly addressed. In PFGE, 22 of 24 transconjugants possessed less than a three-band difference to the recipient pattern and would be regarded as strongly related. Three different RAPD PCRs were tested; in two reactions, identical patterns for all transconjugants and the recipient were produced. One RAPD PCR produced an identical pattern for 18 transconjugants and the recipient and a clearly different pattern for the remaining 6 transconjugants due to a newly appearing fragment resulting from acquisition of the tetL gene. AFLP clusters all transconjugants into a group of major relatedness. Percent similarities were highly dependent on the method used for calculating the similarity coefficient (curve-based versus band-based similarity coefficient). Fragment patterns of digested plasmids showed the possession of nonidentical plasmids in most transconjugants. PFGE still could be recommended as the method of choice. Nevertheless, the more-modern AFLP approach produces patterns of comparable discriminatory power while possessing some advantages over PFGE (less-time-consuming internal standards). Plasmid fingerprints can be included to subdifferentiate enterococcal isolates possessing identical macrorestriction and PCR typing patterns.
Therapeutic aspects of cannabis and cannabinoids

Background Review commissioned in 1996 by the Department of Health (DOH). Aims Assess therapeutic profile of cannabis and cannabinoids. Method Medline search, references supplied by DOH and others, and personal communications. Results and Conclusions Cannabis and some cannabinoids are effective antiemetics and analgesics and reduce intraocular pressure. There is evidence of symptom relief and improved well-being in selected neurological conditions, AIDS and certain cancers. Cannabinoids may reduce anxiety and improve sleep. Anticonvulsant activity requires clarification. Other properties identified by basic research await evaluation. Standard treatments for many relevant disorders are unsatisfactory. Cannabis is safe in overdose but often produces unwanted effects, typically sedation, intoxication, clumsiness, dizziness, dry mouth, lowered blood pressure or increased heart rate. The discovery of specific receptors and natural ligands may lead to drug developments. Research is needed to optimise dose and route of administration, quantify therapeutic and adverse effects, and examine interactions.
Micrografting in Extensive Quantities: The Ideal Hair Restoration Procedure

BACKGROUND Smaller hair transplant grafts in greater quantities are becoming an unmistakable trend. As hairs grow in groups of one to four, the process is mathematically and aesthetically logical. OBJECTIVE To produce a natural appearing distribution of hair in the balding individual in an acceptable time frame. METHODS Grafts reflecting natural patterns are used, four hundred one‐hair grafts are densely packed into a frontal hairline 4–5 mm wide to create a transition zone between the forehead and a new hairline. Two‐ to four‐hair grafts are densely packed behind the frontal zone in a graded fashion. Grafts containing no more than four hairs are used. RESULTS The results produce a slightly less dense but better balance that looks like the natural veneer of a normal mature male. In women or men with thinning hair, surgically increasing density satisfies many patient objectives. CONCLUSION Transplantation with one‐ to four‐hair grafts in extensive quantities produces a natural “hairy” appearance without the artificial look typical of the large traditional grafts. By using this technique, many patients can be completed in just one session.
Vaginal Lactobacillus Flora of Healthy Swedish Women

ABSTRACT Species of the Lactobacillus acidophilus complex are generally considered to constitute most of the vaginal Lactobacillus flora, but the flora varies between studies. However, this may be due to difficulties in identifying the closely related species within the L. acidophilus complex by using traditional methods and to variations in the vaginal status of the participants. Two hundred two isolates from the vaginal fluids of 23 Swedish women without bacterial vaginosis, as defined by the criteria of Nugent et al. (R. P. Nugent, M. A. Krohn, and S. L. Hillier, J. Clin. Microbiol. 29:297-301, 1991), were typed by randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) analysis and identified to the species level by temporal temperature gradient gel electrophoresis, multiplex PCR, and 16S ribosomal DNA sequencing. The vaginal flora of most participants was dominated by a single RAPD type, but five of them harbored two RAPD types representing two different species or strains. The most frequently occurring species were Lactobacillus crispatus, Lactobacillus gasseri, Lactobacillus iners, and Lactobacillus jensenii. L. iners has not previously been reported as one of the predominant Lactobacillus species in the vagina.
Consortia in the Standards Development Process

Among the many new phenomena that have arisen since the divestiture of AT&T in the United States, and the liberalization of information technology markets worldwide, the emergence of consortia explicitly related to the standards setting process. While R&D consortia and user groups have existed for many years, consortia in the standards-setting process possess unique properties. This article develops a classification of the standards-setting consortia and develops a theoretical basis for their emergence. This theory is based on the confluence of two classical economic theories: political theory and the theory of markets where network externalities exist. We also consider the implications of these consortia on the standards-setting process from theoretical and practical perspectives.
Effects of TNF-α on Cementoblast Differentiation, Mineralization, and Apoptosis

Tumor necrosis factor–α (TNF-α) is involved in various inflammatory processes, including periodontitis. Although the influences of TNF-α on periodontal ligament fibroblasts and osteoblasts have been widely documented, its effects on cementoblasts, the cells responsible for cementum production, remain largely unknown. In this study, we found that TNF-α suppressed the mineralization ability of cementoblasts by inhibiting differentiation and inducing apoptosis. Various signaling pathways, such as p53, PP2AC, p38, Erk1/2, JNK, PI3K-Akt, and NF-κB, were activated during this process. The use of a specific inhibitor and siRNA transfection confirmed that the effects of TNF-α on differentiation and apoptosis in cementoblasts were partially abrogated by inhibiting p53 activity. By contrast, the effects of TNF-α were even exacerbated by the inhibition of the p38, Erk1/2, JNK, PI3K-Akt, and NF-κB pathways. Moreover, p53 activity was further enhanced by blocking the p38, Erk1/2, JNK, and PI3K-Akt signaling pathways. Taken together, these results suggested that the differentiation inhibition and apoptosis in cementoblasts induced by TNF-α were partially dependent on p53 activity. The p38, Erk1/2, JNK, PI3K-Akt, and NF-κB pathways were also activated but acted as balancing players to limit rather than conduct the negative effects of TNF-α. These balancing effects were dependent, or at least partially dependent, on p53, except for the NF-κB pathway.
Investigating the Effect of Nano-Curcumin on the Expression of Biofilm Regulatory Genes of Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Background Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an opportunistic pathogen that causes serious nosocomial infections, especially in immunodeficient patients and cystic fibrosis, cancer, and burned individuals. The biofilm that plays an important role in the virulence of P. aeruginosa is under the regulation of quorum sensing and two-component regulatory systems of bacteria. Curcumin, an active phenolic extract of turmeric has shown an inhibitory effect on the biofilm formation of some pathogenic bacteria. Thus, the present study aims to evaluate the effect of Nano-Curcumin on the expression of major regulatory genes involved in biofilm formation of P. aeruginosa. Materials and Methods The biofilm formation of P. aeruginosa ATCC 10145 was assessed in the presence of 15, 20, and 25 µg/mL concentrations of Nano-Curcumin using the microplate titer method. The effect of Nano-Curcumin on the expression level of regulatory genes were determined by relative reverse transcriptase-realtime PCR. Results In the absence of Nano-Curcumin, P. aeruginosa strain ATCC 10145 strongly produced biofilm (3+) and in the presence of 15 and 20 µg/mL, biofilm formation was reduced to moderate (2+) and weak biofilm producer (1+), respectively. Nano-Curcumin at a concentration of 25µg/mL inhibited biofilm formation in P. aeruginosa. The expression of regulatory genes was not affected by biofilm inhibitory concentrations of Nano-Curcumin. Conclusion The antibiofilm mechanism of Curcumin is not related to the downregulation of regulatory systems of P. aeruginosa and probably it prevents the formation of a complete biofilm structure.