Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Re-evaluation of in vitro dissolution techniques for supersaturating drug delivery systems

Conventional dissolution testing using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis was evaluated against fiber optic dissolution method for studying supersaturable drug delivery systems. Two self-microemulsifying (SME) formulations of albendazole (ABZ) (15 mg/capsule and 5 mg/capsule) were prepared. Dissolution study was performed in medium with pH 1.2, 4.5, 6.8 and 7.4. Samples were analyzed simultaneously by HPLC and online fiber optic dissolution system. For 15 mg/capsule formulation, the profiles obtained using HPLC data showed almost 80–100% releases at pH 4.5, 6.8 and 7.4, whereas fiber optic data showed less than 40% release at the end of 60 min. The observed precipitation was due to pH-dependent solubility of ABZ in water and data analysis revealed a supersaturation phenomenon. This difference in release profiles was due to the presence of oil and water phase in the dissolution sample that upon dilution with high organic mobile phase resulted in quantification of the total drug and not the dissolved drug. The 5 mg/capsule formulation showed no difference in release profiles between methods as the concentration was under the saturation solubility. These results pointed out a considerable error in the development of a complex SME formulation, and use of fiber optic dissolution method was found beneficial.
Geographic ranking for a local search engine

Traditional ranking schemes of the relevance of a Web page to a user query in a search engine are less appropriate when the search term contains geographic information. Often, geographic entities, such as addresses, city names, and location names, appear only once or twice in a Web page, and are typically not in a heading or larger font. Consequently, an alternative ranking approach to the traditional weighted tf*idf relevance ranking is need. Further, if a Web site contains a geographic entity, it is often the case that its in- and out-neighbours do not refer to the same entity, although they may refer to other geographic entities. We present a local search engine that applies a novel ranking algorithm suitable for ranking Web pages with geographic content. We describe its major components: geographic ranking, focused crawling, geographic extractor, and the related web-sites feature.
Induced abortion and concurrent adoption of contraception in the rural areas of India (an ICMR task force study).

BACKGROUND Despite a liberal Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP) act and awareness of family planning, maternal mortality attributable to induced abortion is high. AIMS Assess attitude, behavior, practices and utilization of services by rural women for induced abortion and concurrent acceptance of contraception. SETTINGS AND DESIGN Cross sectional survey of eligible married women in 13 states in India over one year. MATERIAL AND METHODS A total of 1851 women who had an induced abortion during the previous 3 years were interviewed. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS USED Includes proportions, rates and chi-square test. RESULTS The main reason for seeking abortion was "don't need any more children" (42%), and in 12.4 per cent they specifically mentioned that they "don't need any more daughters". Around 46% of women accessed abortion services from private clinics as compared to government hospital (37.1%) and Primary Health Centre/Community Health Centre (14.0%). The decision to terminate the pregnancy and place of abortion was made by the husband in 42.8% and 52.5% respectively. Regret for abortion was expressed by 29.6% of the women. However, only 7.2% said they would not advice others for induced abortion. Nearly one half of the women undergoing abortion accepted a family planning method concurrently; of these Intra Uterine Device/oral contraceptives and a permanent method was adopted by 37.2% and 49.1% respectively. Acceptance of vasectomy by male partner was found to be low (1.3%). "Husband objected" (32.3%) was the main reason for not accepting post abortal contraception. Majority of the acceptors said they would recommend to others the same place where they had undergone abortion, thus indicating their satisfaction with the source and services received. CONCLUSIONS Counselling for post-abortal contraceptive should be provided to the couple so that they can make an informed choice.
Defending against hitlist worms using network address space randomization

Worms are self-replicating malicious programs that represent a major security threat for the Internet, as they can infect and damage a large number of vulnerable hosts at timescales where human responses are unlikely to be effective. Sophisticated worms that use precomputed hitlists of vulnerable targets are especially hard to contain, since they are harder to detect, and spread at rates where even automated defenses may not be able to react in a timely fashion.This paper examines a new proactive defense mechanism called Network Address Space Randomization (NASR) whose objective is to harden networks specifically against hitlist worms. The idea behind NASR is that hitlist information could be rendered stale if nodes are forced to frequently change their IP addresses. NASR limits or slows down hitlist worms and forces them to exhibit features that make them easier to contain at the perimeter. We explore the design space for NASR and present a prototype implementation as well as preliminary experiments examining the effectiveness and limitations of the approach.
Grid cell firing patterns may arise from feedback interaction between intrinsic rebound spiking and transverse traveling waves with multiple heading angles

This article presents a model using cellular resonance and rebound properties to model grid cells in medial entorhinal cortex. The model simulates the intrinsic resonance properties of single layer II stellate cells with different frequencies due to the hyperpolarization activated cation current (h current). The stellate cells generate rebound spikes after a delay interval that differs for neurons with different resonance frequency. Stellate cells drive inhibitory interneurons to cause rebound from inhibition in an alternate set of stellate cells that drive interneurons to activate the first set of cells. This allows maintenance of activity with cycle skipping of the spiking of cells that matches recent physiological data on theta cycle skipping. The rebound spiking interacts with subthreshold oscillatory input to stellate cells or interneurons regulated by medial septal input and defined relative to the spatial location coded by neurons. The timing of rebound determines whether the network maintains the activity for the same location or shifts to phases of activity representing a different location. Simulations show that spatial firing patterns similar to grid cells can be generated with a range of different resonance frequencies, indicating how grid cells could be generated with low frequencies present in bats and in mice with knockout of the HCN1 subunit of the h current.
A novel method for automatic functional annotation of proteins

MOTIVATION To cope with the increasing amount of sequence data, reliable automatic annotation tools are required. The TrEMBL database contains together with SWISS-PROT nearly all publicly available protein sequences, but in contrast to SWISS-PROT only limited functional annotation. To improve this situation, we had to develop a method of automatic annotation that produces highly reliable functional prediction using the language and the syntax of SWISS-PROT. RESULTS An algorithm was developed and successfully used for the automatic annotation of a testset of unknown proteins. The predicted information included description, function, catalytic activity, cofactors, pathway, subcellular location, quaternary structure, similarity to other protein, active sites, and keywords. The algorithm showed a low coverage (10%), but a high specificity and reliability. AVAILABILITY The results can be obtained by anonymous ftp from ftp.ebi. ac.uk/pub/databases/sp_tr_nrdb. The source code is available on request from the authors.
Constructive Play: Designing for Role Play Stories with Interactive Play Objects

Objects, whether toys or not, are likely to become the center of children's game, which can trigger children's exploration and imagination, and build the world's environmental and psychological statements by manipulating something, to enhance the autonomy of children and inspire their creativity. This paper, based on scaffolding learning theory, puts forward the learning principle of constructive play suitable for learning in play school, suitable for cognitive behaviors of children aged 5 to 8 years old, and aims to encourage children to think creatively in the course of play, rather than learning knowledge and solve problems. We redesign the images, most commonly used by children RPG storytelling, and embed interactive intelligence, to better help children play games, stimulate their imagination and creativity in storytelling, and encourage them share with their companions and parents.
Assistive technology for cognitive rehabilitation: State of the art

For close to 20 years, clinicians and researchers have been developing and assessing technological interventions for individuals with either acquired impairments or developmental disorders. This paper offers a comprehensive review of literature in that field, which we refer to collectively as assistive technology for cognition (ATC). ATC interventions address a range of functional activities requiring cognitive skills as diverse as complex attention, executive reasoning, prospective memory, self-monitoring for either the enhancement or inhibition of specific behaviours and sequential processing. ATC interventions have also been developed to address the needs of individuals with information processing impairments that may affect visual, auditory and language ability, or the understanding of social cues. The literature reviewed indicates that ATC interventions can increase the efficiency of traditional rehabilitation practices by enhancing a person's ability to engage in therapeutic tasks independently and by broadening the range of contexts in which those tasks can be exercised. More importantly, for many types of impairments, ATC interventions represent entirely new methods of treatment that can reinforce a person's residual intrinsic abilities, provide alternative means by which activities can be completed or provide extrinsic supports so that functional activities can be performed that might otherwise not be possible. Although the major focus of research in this field will continue to be the development of new ATC interventions, over the coming years it will also be critical for researchers, clinicians, and developers to examine the multi-system factors that affect usability over time, generalisability across home and community settings, and the impact of sustained, patterned technological interventions on recovery of function.
CLIP-170 tracks growing microtubule ends by dynamically recognizing composite EB1/tubulin-binding sites

The microtubule cytoskeleton is crucial for the internal organization of eukaryotic cells. Several microtubule-associated proteins link microtubules to subcellular structures. A subclass of these proteins, the plus end–binding proteins (+TIPs), selectively binds to the growing plus ends of microtubules. Here, we reconstitute a vertebrate plus end tracking system composed of the most prominent +TIPs, end-binding protein 1 (EB1) and CLIP-170, in vitro and dissect their end-tracking mechanism. We find that EB1 autonomously recognizes specific binding sites present at growing microtubule ends. In contrast, CLIP-170 does not end-track by itself but requires EB1. CLIP-170 recognizes and turns over rapidly on composite binding sites constituted by end-accumulated EB1 and tyrosinated α-tubulin. In contrast to its fission yeast orthologue Tip1, dynamic end tracking of CLIP-170 does not require the activity of a molecular motor. Our results demonstrate evolutionary diversity of the plus end recognition mechanism of CLIP-170 family members, whereas the autonomous end-tracking mechanism of EB family members is conserved.
Why do Shadow Systems Fail? An Expert Study on Determinants of Discontinuation

With the rise of cloud and end-user computing, business units find it easier than ever before to craft their own IT systems and extensions to existing systems, often considered as “shadow systems”. However, shadow systems frequently disappear and organizations often fail to harness their innovative potentials. To explore reasons, we conducted a qualitative study with thirty-one experts from different roles and industries. From these interviews, we distilled twenty-six biographies of shadow systems and categorized the systems according to their size regarding scope of use and functional scope. We identified challenges occurring throughout their life cycles and we linked these challenges with the observation whether the system was still operational. Our empirical data supports the argument that smaller shadow systems are more likely to disappear by exemplifying several small shadow systems that were non-critical for an organization and that became discontinued when challenges with the system itself or in its context occurred. Furthermore, we observed that often multiple challenges co-occurred when a shadow system was discontinued. The results shed first light on typical patterns contributing to shadow systems’ discontinuance and scrutinize what it takes to nurture robust shadow systems.
(re)Imaging Māori tourism: Representation and cultural hybridity in postcolonial New Zealand

This paper is concerned with issues of cultural representation and postcolonialism. It argues that in countries with a history of colonization ‘indigenous culture’ has often been (mis)represented in the media associated with tourism promotion. The impact of such marketing is reflected in the call by indigenous tourism stakeholders to control the representation and meanings of their image, tribal identities and cultural difference. This study seeks to advance academic discussion on Bhabha’s concept of hybridity as a means to understand the transformative and dynamic interplay of cultural change and cultural production within a tourism context. A qualitative approach using in-depth case studies of Māori tourism businesses and stakeholders in New Zealand reveals the hybridized nature of Māori identity.This contests established categorizations of culture and identity through creative ‘third spaces’ that re-inscribe notions of the Other. In turn, hybridity promotes counter-representations that present new strategies of self-determination and resistance for indigenous peoples.
Postnatal maturation of the spinal-bulbo-spinal loop: brainstem control of spinal nociception is independent of sensory input in neonatal rats

Abstract The rostroventral medial medulla (RVM) is part of a rapidly acting spino-bulbo-spinal loop that is activated by ascending nociceptive inputs and drives descending feedback modulation of spinal nociception. In the adult rat, the RVM can facilitate or inhibit dorsal horn neuron inputs but in young animals descending facilitation dominates. It is not known whether this early life facilitation is part of a feedback loop. We hypothesized that the newborn RVM functions independently of sensory input, before the maturation of feedback control. We show here that noxious hind paw pinch evokes no fos activation in the RVM or the periaqueductal gray at postnatal day (P) 4 or P8, indicating a lack of nociceptive input at these ages. Significant fos activation was evident at P12, P21, and in adults. Furthermore, direct excitation of RVM neurons with microinjection of DL-homocysteic acid did not alter the net activity of dorsal horn neurons at P10, suggesting an absence of glutamatergic drive, whereas the same injections caused significant facilitation at P21. In contrast, silencing RVM neurons at P8 with microinjection of lidocaine inhibited dorsal horn neuron activity, indicating a tonic descending spinal facilitation from the RVM at this age. The results support the hypothesis that early life descending facilitation of spinal nociception is independent of sensory input. Since it is not altered by RVM glutamatergic receptor activation, it is likely generated by spontaneous brainstem activity. Only later in postnatal life can this descending activity be modulated by ascending nociceptive inputs in a functional spinal-bulbo-spinal loop.
Bloom Filter Bootstrap: Privacy-Preserving Estimation of the Size of an Intersection

This paper proposes a new privacy-preserving scheme for estimating the size of the intersection of two given secret subsets. Given the inner product of two Bloom filters (BFs) of the given sets, the proposed scheme applies Bayesian estimation under assumption of beta distribution for an a priori probability of the size to be estimated. The BF retains the communication complexity and the Bayesian estimation improves the estimation accuracy. An possible application of the proposed protocol is an epidemiological datasets regarding two attributes, Helicobactor pylori infection and stomach cancer. Assuming information related to Helicobactor Pylori infection and stomach cancer are separately collected, the protocol demonstrates that a χ2-test can be performed without disclosing the contents of the two confidential databases.
The impact of 177Lu-octreotide therapy on 99mTc-MAG3 clearance is not predictive for late nephropathy

Peptide Receptor Radionuclide Therapy (PRRT) for the treatment of neuroendocrine tumors may lead to kidney deterioration. This study aimed to evaluate the suitability of 99mTc-mercaptoacetyltriglycine (99mTc-MAG3) clearance for the early detection of PRRT-induced changes on tubular extraction (TE). TE rate (TER) was measured prior to 128 PRRT cycles (7.6±0.4 GBq 177Lu-octreotate/octreotide each) in 32 patients. TER reduction during PRRT was corrected for age-related decrease and analyzed for the potential to predict loss of glomerular filtration (GF). The GF rate (GFR) as measure for renal function was derived from serum creatinine. The mean TER was 234 ± 53 ml/min/1.73 m2 before PRRT (baseline) and 221 ± 45 ml/min/1.73 m2 after a median follow-up of 370 days. The age-corrected decrease (mean: −3%, range: −27% to +19%) did not reach significance (p=0.09) but significantly correlated with the baseline TER (Spearman p=−0.62, p<0.001). Patients with low baseline TER showed an improved TER after PRRT, high decreases were only observed in individuals with high baseline TER. Pre-therapeutic TER data were inferior to plasma creatinine-derived GFR estimates in predicting late nephropathy. TER assessed by 99mTc-MAG3clearance prior to and during PRRT is not suitable as early predictor of renal injury and an increased risk for late nephropathy.
Moogle, Google, and garbage cans: The impact of technology on decision making

Decision makers are faced daily with making important and pervasive decisions. This is especially significant in higher education, where decisions about academics will have considerable impact on the next generation of leaders. In place of rational decisions about the substance of learning and instruction, academic administrators make incremental decisions, and rationalize the technologies used to produce those decisions. Administrative decision makers have become information managers. Technology information and decisions drive academic decisions. Information technology is right at the center of educational administration. Administrators give careful consideration to technology, which plays a significant role in the decisions that are being made. This fosters incremental decision making much more than rational decision making. Decisions lead to actions and actions to results and information, which itself leads to other decisions. Decisions are supported and yet limited by technology. A college’s future seems to be tied to technology, and decisions are tied to technology’s output. The challenge for academic decision makers is to form a comprehensive strategy for the use and impact of technology on decisions.
Transformational leadership, leader support, and employee creativity

Purpose – This study aims to examine the moderating role played by leaders' task and relations support in the relationship between transformational leadership and followers' level of creativity.Design/methodology/approach – A sample of 182 supervisor‐subordinate dyads was randomly collected and returned from a restaurant, hotel, retail store, bank, and travel agent of Hong Kong.Findings – Results indicated that the positive relationship between transformational leadership and followers' creativity is stronger when there is a high degree of leaders' task and relations support.Research lismitations/implications – This study extends the leadership literature to better understand the effects of transformational leadership on employees' level of creativity are contingent on the nature of leaders' support. Sample size is a possible limitation.Practical implications – Intensive training can be provided to supervisors or personality test can be used to screen for selected individuals who are high caliber for bein.
Two-stage Kalman estimator using advanced circular prediction for maneuvering target tracking

Maneuvering targets are difficult to track with the Kalman filter since the target model of the tracking filter might not fit the real target trajectory and the statistical characteristics of the target maneuver are unknown in advance. In order to track such a heavy maneuvering target, the estimation of the target turn-direction is necessary. A two-stage estimator using advanced circular prediction which considers the target turn-direction is proposed for maneuvering target tracking. Simulation results are given for a comparison of the performance of our proposed scheme with that of conventional tracking filters.
SWARM-BOT: pattern formation in a swarm of self-assembling mobile robots

We introduce a new robotic system, called swarm-bot. The system consists of a swarm of mobile robots with the ability to connect to/disconnect from each other to self-assemble into different kinds of structures. First, we describe our vision and the goals of the project. Then we present preliminary results on the formation of patterns obtained from a grid-world simulation of the system.
The Tumor Suppressor Function of LGI1

The Leucine rich Glioma Inactivated 1 (LGI1) gene has been related to different pathologies such as epilepsy and cancer. The aim of this chapter is to present the evidences on the tumor suppressor function of LGI1. Initially LGI1 gene was identified at the brake point of a balanced chromosome translocation in a glioblastoma cell line (Chernova et al., 1998). The observation that this rearrangement abolished expression of LGI1 and that expression of LGI1 is absent in most high-grade gliomas lead to the hypothesis that it may function as tumor suppressor.