Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Lipido‐sterolic extract of Serenoa repens (LSESr, Permixon®) treatment affects human prostate cancer cell membrane organization

The molecular mechanism by which the lipido‐sterolic extract of Serenoa repens (LSESr, Permixon®) affects prostate cells remains to be fully elucidated. In androgen‐independent PC3 prostate cancer cells, the LSESr‐induced effects on proliferation and apoptosis were evaluated by counting cells and using a FACScan cytofluorimeter. PC3 cells were stained with JC‐1 dye to detect mitochondrial membrane potential. Cell membrane lipid composition was evaluated by thin layer chromatography and gas chromatographic analysis. Akt phosphorylation was analyzed by Western blotting and cellular ultrastructure through electron microscopy. LSESr (12.5 and 25 µg/ml) administration exerted a biphasic action by both inhibiting proliferation and stimulating apoptosis. After 1 h, it caused a marked reduction in the mitochondrial potential, decreased cholesterol content and modified phospholipid composition. A decrease in phosphatidylinositol‐4,5‐bisphosphate (PIP2) level was coupled with reduced Akt phosphorylation. After 24 h, all of these effects were restored to pre‐treatment conditions; however, the saturated (SFA)/unsaturated fatty acid (UFA) ratio increased, mainly due to a significant decrease in ω6 content. The reduction in cholesterol content could be responsible for both membrane raft disruption and redistribution of signaling complexes, allowing for a decrease of PIP2 levels, reduction of Akt phosphorylation and apoptosis induction. The decrease in ω6 content appears to be responsible for the prolonged and more consistent increase in the apoptosis rate and inhibition of proliferation observed after 2–3 days of LSESr treatment. In conclusion, LSESr administration results in complex changes in cell membrane organization and fluidity of prostate cancer cells that have progressed to hormone‐independent status. J. Cell. Physiol. 219: 69–76, 2009. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Host Prostaglandin E2-EP3 Signaling Regulates Tumor-Associated Angiogenesis and Tumor Growth

Nonsteroidal antiinflammatories are known to suppress incidence and progression of malignancies including colorectal cancers. However, the precise mechanism of this action remains unknown. Using prostaglandin (PG) receptor knockout mice, we have evaluated a role of PGs in tumor-associated angiogenesis and tumor growth, and identified PG receptors involved. Sarcoma-180 cells implanted in wild-type (WT) mice formed a tumor with extensive angiogenesis, which was greatly suppressed by specific inhibitors for cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 but not for COX-1. Angiogenesis in sponge implantation model, which can mimic tumor-stromal angiogenesis, was markedly suppressed in mice lacking EP3 (EP3−/−) with reduced expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) around the sponge implants. Further, implanted tumor growth (sarcoma-180, Lewis lung carcinoma) was markedly suppressed in EP3−/−, in which tumor-associated angiogenesis was also reduced. Immunohistochemical analysis revealed that major VEGF-expressing cells in the stroma were CD3/Mac-1 double-negative fibroblasts, and that VEGF-expression in the stroma was markedly reduced in EP3−/−, compared with WT. Application of an EP3 receptor antagonist inhibited tumor growth and angiogenesis in WT, but not in EP3−/−. These results demonstrate significance of host stromal PGE2-EP3 receptor signaling in tumor development and angiogenesis. An EP3 receptor antagonist may be a candidate of chemopreventive agents effective for malignant tumors.
Ocular hypotensive efficacy of bimatoprost when used as a replacement for latanoprost in the treatment of glaucoma and ocular hypertension.

PURPOSE To evaluate the clinical effectiveness of bimatoprost (Lumigan, Allergan, Inc.) when used as a replacement for latanoprost (Xalatan, Pharmacia) in the treatment of glaucoma and ocular hypertension. METHODS This was a community-based, two-month, open-label, multicenter, trial. Patients with glaucoma or ocular hypertension who needed additional IOP lowering or who were intolerant of other glaucoma medications were placed on bimatoprost therapy (alone or in combination with other drugs at the physician's discretion). RESULTS This first report of the data from this study focuses on those patients for whom the physician chose to replace latanoprost therapy with bimatoprost therapy (n = 1283). After 2 months of bimatoprost therapy, the mean decrease in IOP was 3.4 mm Hg and many more patients had achieved low target pressures. The percentage of patients achieving a target pressure of < or =18 mm Hg doubled from 33% to 66% (P <.001). The percentage of patients achieving target pressures of < or =15 mm Hg and < or =14 mm Hg was approximately 3 to 4 times greater at the end of the study than the beginning; increasing from 11% to 36% and from 6% to 26%, respectively (P <.001). A subgroup analysis showed comparable improvements in IOP-control regardless of the previous treatment regimen or whether bimatoprost was used alone or in combination with other medications. The most commonly reported adverse event was conjunctival hyperemia (3.7%; 47/1283). CONCLUSION Bimatoprost therapy is well-tolerated and helps many more patients reach low target pressures when used as a replacement for latanoprost in a variety of treatment regimens.
Automated testing with targeted event sequence generation

Automated software testing aims to detect errors by producing test inputs that cover as much of the application source code as possible. Applications for mobile devices are typically event-driven, which raises the challenge of automatically producing event sequences that result in high coverage. Some existing approaches use random or model-based testing that largely treats the application as a black box. Other approaches use symbolic execution, either starting from the entry points of the applications or on specific event sequences. A common limitation of the existing approaches is that they often fail to reach the parts of the application code that require more complex event sequences. We propose a two-phase technique for automatically finding event sequences that reach a given target line in the application code. The first phase performs concolic execution to build summaries of the individual event handlers of the application. The second phase builds event sequences backward from the target, using the summaries together with a UI model of the application. Our experiments on a collection of open source Android applications show that this technique can successfully produce event sequences that reach challenging targets.
An efficient implementation of linear-phase FIR filters for a rational sampling rate conversion

This paper considers how to efficiently implement linear-phase FIR filters for providing a sampling rate conversion by an arbitrary rational factor of M/L, where L(M) is the up-sampling (down-sampling) factor to be implemented before (after) the actual filter. In the proposed implementation, the coefficient symmetry of the linear-phase FIR filter is exploited as well as possible when taking into account the following facts. When increasing (decreasing) the sampling rate by the factor of L(M), only every Lth input sample has a nonzero value (only every Mth output sample has to be evaluated). The proposed implementation is, first, presented by two illustrative examples and, then, guidelines are given on how to efficiently implement a sampling rate converter having an arbitrary rational sampling rate factor M/L
Multiagent Coordination for Energy Consumption Scheduling in Consumer Cooperatives

A key challenge to create a sustainable and energy-efficient society is in making consumer demand adaptive to energy supply, especially renewable supply. In this paper, we propose a partially-centralized organization of consumers, namely, a consumer cooperative for purchasing electricity from the market. We propose a novel multiagent coordination algorithm to shape the energy consumption of the cooperative. In the cooperative, a central coordinator buys the electricity for the whole group and consumers make their own consumption decisions based on their private consumption constraints and preferences. To coordinate individual consumers under incomplete information, we propose an iterative algorithm in which a virtual price signal is sent by the coordinator to induce consumers to shift demand. We prove that our algorithm converges to the central optimal solution. Additionally we analyze the convergence rate of the algorithm via simulations on randomly generated instances. The results indicate scalability with respect to the number of agents and consumption slots.
Markers of Cholesterol Absorption and Synthesis Predict the Low-density Lipoprotein Cholesterol Response to Atorvastatin

Objective: Genetic loci predict <5% of variation in low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) response to statins. Cholestanol and desmosterol are plasma markers of cholesterol absorption and synthesis, respectively. Because statins lower LDL-C by inhibiting cholesterol synthesis, we studied the relationship between cholestanol and desmosterol and LDL-C response to atorvastatin. Methods: High-risk patients were treated with 80 mg of atorvastatin for 6 weeks. LDL-C response to atorvastatin was related to baseline cholestanol to cholesterol ratio (CCR) and desmosterol. The following comparisons were used: (1) correlates of percentage LDL-C response, (2) baseline characteristics of hyperresponders versus hyporesponders, and (3) binary logistic regression analysis for predictors of achieved LDL-C <70 mg/dL. Results: One hundred fifty-four patients were enrolled of which 118 completed the study with adequate adherence. Average LDL-C reduction was 57% ± 13% (mean ± SD). On univariate analysis, desmosterol and CCR correlated with percentage LDL-C reduction and multivariate modeling explained approximately 16% of the variation in response. Atorvastatin hyperresponders had higher mean desmosterol (P = 0.046) and lower CCR (P = 0.035) than hyporesponders. On logistic regression analysis for the outcome of achieved LDL-C of <70 mg/dL, baseline LDL-C and CCR were significant predictors; odds ratios were 0.932 and 0.979, respectively. Conclusions: CCR and desmosterol explain more variation in LDL-C response to statin than that reported with pharmacogenomics. CCR and desmosterol may guide lipid-lowering therapy.
Time Varying Dimension Models

Time varying parameter (TVP) models have enjoyed an increasing popularity in empirical macroeconomics. However, TVP models are parameter-rich and risk over-fitting unless the dimension of the model is small. Motivated by this worry, this article proposes several Time Varying Dimension (TVD) models where the dimension of the model can change over time, allowing for the model to automatically choose a more parsimonious TVP representation, or to switch between different parsimonious representations. Our TVD models all fall in the category of dynamic mixture models. We discuss the properties of these models and present methods for Bayesian inference. An application involving U.S. inflation forecasting illustrates and compares the different TVD models. We find our TVD approaches exhibit better forecasting performance than many standard benchmarks and shrink toward parsimonious specifications. This article has online supplementary materials.
Increased Nitrogen Fixation and Remobilization May Contribute to Higher Seed Protein Without a Yield Penalty in a Soybean Introgression Line

The development of soybean varieties with higher seed protein content has been hindered by a negative correlation between protein content and yield. Benning hi-pro, a genotype that breaks this tradeoff, was recently developed by introgression of a high protein allele on chromosome 20 into a high yielding parent. Because seed protein is thought to be limited by N, field and growth chamber experiments were performed to identify the N flux(es) that enable Benning hi-pro’s increased seed protein without a yield penalty. When the N source was completely controlled in growth chambers, Benning hi-pro was occasionally able to fix more N than its recurrent parent, but this response depended on the strain of the rhizobia symbiont and was not observed at all developmental stages. In the field, Benning hi-pro remobilized N from its leaves at a higher rate relative to C during seed fill, but this response was only observed in one of the two years studied. The high protein allele and surrounding region of chromosome 20 present in Benning hi-pro increases its potential for N fixation and N remobilization from vegetative tissue, but those phenotypes are not consistently expressed and may depend on environmental and sink control.
The a-Kinase–Anchoring Protein Akap95 Is a Multivalent Protein with a Key Role in Chromatin Condensation at Mitosis

Protein kinase A (PKA) and the nuclear A-kinase–anchoring protein AKAP95 have previously been shown to localize in separate compartments in interphase but associate at mitosis. We demonstrate here a role for the mitotic AKAP95–PKA complex. In HeLa cells, AKAP95 is associated with the nuclear matrix in interphase and redistributes mostly into a chromatin fraction at mitosis. In a cytosolic extract derived from mitotic cells, AKAP95 recruits the RIIα regulatory subunit of PKA onto chromatin. Intranuclear immunoblocking of AKAP95 inhibits chromosome condensation at mitosis and in mitotic extract in a PKA-independent manner. Immunodepletion of AKAP95 from the extract or immunoblocking of AKAP95 at metaphase induces premature chromatin decondensation. Condensation is restored in vitro by a recombinant AKAP95 fragment comprising the 306–carboxy-terminal amino acids of the protein. Maintenance of condensed chromatin requires PKA binding to chromatin-associated AKAP95 and cAMP signaling through PKA. Chromatin-associated AKAP95 interacts with Eg7, the human homologue of Xenopus pEg7, a component of the 13S condensin complex. Moreover, immunoblocking nuclear AKAP95 inhibits the recruitment of Eg7 to chromatin in vitro. We propose that AKAP95 is a multivalent molecule that in addition to anchoring a cAMP/PKA–signaling complex onto chromosomes, plays a role in regulating chromosome structure at mitosis.
Implementation and basic experiments of kinodynamic motion planning for a quadrotor

In this paper, kinodynamic motion planning is described for keeping the attitude of a quadrotor and converging to an arbitrary target point, while avoiding obstacles. Kinodynamic motion planning was extended for a quadrotor in our previous research, but its behavior was confirmed only in simulations. Therefore, we implement the proposed kinodynamic motion planning to an actual quadrotor, and confirm the usability of our method through basic motion experiments.
Differences in Prescription Drug Use in HMO and Self-insured Health Plans

Using pharmacy benefits manager claims data, this study analyzed how cost-management techniques including cost sharing affected enrollees in health maintenance organizations (HMOs) versus employer-sponsored fee-for-service plans. Because HMOs bear the risk of pharmaceutical costs and influence the prescribing practices of the physicians in their network, we expected different patterns of prescription use, such as proportionately more generic medications in HMOs. Also, because HMO physicians are likely to prescribe relatively more drugs for high-severity conditions, HMO enrollee demand should be less price sensitive. The impact of cost sharing was found to be significantly less for HMOs. A 5-dollar increase in copayments decreased expenditures by 16 percent in fee-for-service plans but only by 1 percent in HMOs. Furthermore, when cost sharing was set at zero, HMO plans were found to have significantly fewer and cheaper medications, resulting in lower per-enrollee medication expenditures.
Low Power Routing and Channel Allocation of Wireless Video Sensor Networks Using Wireless Link Utilization

This paper analyzes the physical relation between the power consumption and the link utilization of wireless video sensor networks. It then proposes a method of multi-channel allocation and routing for multi-hop wireless sensor networks where each node is a battery-powered video camera sensor. Battery powered video camera sensors are often used in a form of a wireless mesh network to cover a large area. We analyze the power consumption model for a wireless link in terms of the distance and its utilization ratio. We present a formula of routing and channel allocation using only active sensor nodes in a way that minimizes the overall power consumption while ensuring transmission of the target video data. We developed a fast heuristic algorithm, and implemented it in a wireless video sensor network simulator. It introduces a notion of aggressor and victims of shared channels to calculate utilization incrementally as the routing algorithm proceeds. Extensive simulation results are provided with wireless video sensor networks of various sizes, which show the performance advantage of the proposed algorithm.
Employing Automated Management to Administer a Large-Scale E-Science CyberInfrastructure

E-Science cyber-infrastructures empower broad ranges of users by hiding the complexity of accessing advanced underlying infrastructure including high performance computers, high-speed networks, data streams and sensor networks. But due to their scale, running these systems in production has raised major system management challenges. In this paper, we discuss challenges of managing one such e-science project, Linked Environments for Atmospheric Discovery (LEAD). We discuss how LEAD cyberinfrastructure is improvised by employing a robust and scalable management architecture known as Hasthi (Sanskrit name of Elephant which represents robustness). We further examine the failure dynamics of the LEAD system and illustrate how Hasthi framework can circumvent some of the failures.
Isolation of Lipolytic Bacteria and Production of Lipase from Agro-By Products

A total of hundred bacterial cultures were isolated from soils collected from oil contaminated sites. They were screened for lipolytic activity and some of these lipolytic bacteria were tested for antibiotic susceptibility, heavy metal tolerance and plasmid curring. Among the total heterotrophs 70 to 80%bacteria were lipolytic. The selected lipolytic bacteria exhibited different resistance pattern for various antibiotics and heay metals. It was found that among these isolates Pseudomonas aeruginosa LB-2 was the most efficient isolate. In the next part of the investigation linseed and mustard oil cakes were evaluated as fermentation substrate for lipase production using Pseudomonas aeruginosa LB-2. The lipase production with oil cake was compared with those of synthetic media. It was found that both linseed and mustard oil cakes were found useful for lipase production and have their own specificity. Linseed oil cake does not require nutrient supplement for lipase production but produces comparatively low lipase. Mustard oil cake in contrast requires nutrient supplement and inducers but produces significantly high lipase.
Improved DNA fragment length estimation in capillary electrophoresis

In CE the charged DNA strands are fractionated according to fragment lengths as they migrate through the capillary, since shorter DNA fragments pass through the sieving matrix faster. Multiplexed internal size standards are used to estimate the size of unknown DNA fragments. In the literature there are statements about migration abnormalities for the 250 and 340 bp fragments in the GeneScan‐500 (GS500) internal size standards. Such anomalous migration of size standards could obviously introduce errors in the estimation of unknown fragments. Therefore, a number of analysis programs simply exclude some of these fragments. In the present work we first evaluate the effect of excluding each of the fragments in the internal size standards used in CE. Next, a method which is based on estimating the true values of the anomalous fragments is presented. The results obtained by the new method indicate a significant improvement compared to results obtained when one (or both) of the anomalous fragments in GS500 is (are) excluded or included when estimating the size of unknown DNA fragments. In the higher‐molecular‐weight region, the average error is reduced from 1.91 bp in ABI GeneMapper (excluding 250 bp) to 0.15 bp in the new method (using the estimated values for 250 and 340 bp). In the lower‐molecular‐weight region, excluding both fragments will improve the results by an average of 0.74 bp compared to ABI GeneMapper.
A methodology for the joint development of the Basque WordNet and Semcor

This paper describes the methodology adopted to jointly develop the Basque WordNet and a hand annotated corpora (the Basque Semcor). This joint development allows for better motivated sense distinctions, and a tighter coupling between both resources. The methodology involves edition, tagging and refereeing tasks. We are currently half way through the nominal part of the 300.000 word corpus (roughly equivalent to a 500.000 word corpus for English). We present a detailed description of the task, including the main criteria for difficult cases in the edition of the senses and the tagging of the corpus, with special mention to multiword entries. Finally we give a detailed picture of the current figures, as well as an analysis of the agreement rates.
A GA-based routing method with an upper bound constraint

This paper presents a method of searching for the shortest route via the most designated points among the routes whose lengths are less than the upper bound and its effectiveness is verified by applying the algorithm to map data. The proposed algorithm uses a fitness function which includes weight parameters based on the building block hypothesis. By using this function, the optimum is efficiently obtained. This kind of routing is difficult in the case of using existing methods such as Dijkstra's method. Also, the proposed method is more useful.
A Fuzzy reinforcement learning approach for self-optimization of coverage in LTE networks

Optimization of antenna downtilt is an important aspect of coverage optimization in cellular networks. In this paper, an algorithm based on the combination of fuzzy logic and reinforcement learning is proposed and applied to the downtilt optimization problem to achieve the self-configuration, self-optimization, and self-healing functionalities required for future communication networks. To evaluate the efficiency of the proposed scheme, we use a detailed Long Term Evolution (LTE) simulation environment and employ an algorithm for configuring and optimizing the downtilt angle of the LTE base station antennas. This scheme is fully distributed and does not require any synchronization between network elements. Compared to an existing solution, evolutionary learning of fuzzy rules (ELF), the solution we propose provides up to 20 percent improvement in performance. In addition to self-x capabilities, the experiments further confirm the reliability and robustness of the algorithm in extremely noisy environments.