Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Effect of Atorvastatin on Liver Function among Patients with Coronary Heart Disease in Gaza Strip

Statins, which are inhibitors of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA (HMG-CoA) reductase, are considered as one of the most important drugs and the drug of choice for reducing an abnormal cholesterol level. Statins are normally used to decrease the risk of coronary heart disease (CHD), but they tend to be associated with liver adverse effects. The objective of this prospective study was to investigate the effect of atorvastatin therapy on the liver function in patients with CHD. Study comprised of 66 newly diagnosed CHD patients who were selected from UNRWA clinics in the Gaza Strip. The patients were clinically examined and treated with atorvastatin (10 - 40 mg/day). A questionnaire was used to collect the data concerning patient’s characteristics. Total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), liver enzymes tests such as alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and total and direct blood bilirubin were measured before starting treatment and after 3 and 6 months of treatment. The results showed a significant increase in the mean values of ALT, AST, total bilirubin and direct bilirubin levels after 3 months then decreased after the next 3 months, but they were higher than the baseline with insignificant association.
Cancer Cell Membrane-Coated Nanoparticles for Anticancer Vaccination and Drug Delivery

Cell-derived nanoparticles have been garnering increased attention due to their ability to mimic many of the natural properties displayed by their source cells. This top-down engineering approach can be applied toward the development of novel therapeutic strategies owing to the unique interactions enabled through the retention of complex antigenic information. Herein, we report on the biological functionalization of polymeric nanoparticles with a layer of membrane coating derived from cancer cells. The resulting core–shell nanostructures, which carry the full array of cancer cell membrane antigens, offer a robust platform with applicability toward multiple modes of anticancer therapy. We demonstrate that by coupling the particles with an immunological adjuvant, the resulting formulation can be used to promote a tumor-specific immune response for use in vaccine applications. Moreover, we show that by taking advantage of the inherent homotypic binding phenomenon frequently observed among tumor cells the membrane functionalization allows for a unique cancer targeting strategy that can be utilized for drug delivery applications.
Multicopy tRNA genes functionally suppress mutations in yeast eIF-2 alpha kinase GCN2: evidence for separate pathways coupling GCN4 expression to unchanged tRNA

GCN2 is a protein kinase that stimulates translation of GCN4 mRNA in amino acid-starved cells by phosphorylating the alpha subunit of translation initiation factor 2 (eIL-2). We isolated multicopy plasmids that overcome the defective derepression of GCN4 and its target genes caused by the leaky mutation gcn2-507. One class of plasmids contained tRNA(His) genes and conferred efficient suppression only when cells were starved for histidine; these plasmids suppressed a gcn2 deletion much less efficiently than they suppressed gcn2-507. This finding indicates that the reduction in GCN4 expression caused by gcn2-507 can be overcome by elevating tRNA(His) expression under conditions in which the excess tRNA cannot be fully aminoacylated. The second class of suppressor plasmids all carried the same gene encoding a mutant form of tRNA(Val) (AAC) with an A-to-G transition at the 3' encoded nucleotide, a mutation shown previously to reduce aminoacylation of tRNA(Val) in vitro. In contrast to the wild-type tRNA(His) genes, the mutant tRNA(Val) gene efficiently suppressed a gcn2 deletion, and this suppression was independent of the phosphorylation site on eIF-2 alpha (Ser-51). Overexpression of the mutant tRNA(Val) did, however, stimulate GCN4 expression at the translational level. We propose that the multicopy mutant tRNA(Val) construct leads to an accumulation of uncharged tRNA(Val) that derepresses GCN4 translation through a pathway that does not involve GCN2 or eIF-2 alpha phosphorylation. This GCN2-independent pathway was also stimulated to a lesser extent by the multicopy tRNA(His) constructs in histidine-deprived cells. Because the mutant tRNA(Val) exacerbated the slow-growth phenotype associated with eIF-2 alpha hyperphosphorylation by an activated GCN2c kinase, we suggest that the GCN2-independent derepression mechanism involves down-regulation of eIF-2 activity.
Role of the Common Fragile Sites in Cancers with a Human Papillomavirus Etiology

High-risk human papillomaviruses (HPVs) are known to be associated with different anogenital cancers including cervical, anal, penile, and vaginal cancers. They are also found to be responsible for the dramatic increases in oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC) observed in the United States and Europe. The model for how high-risk HPVs induce cancer formation comes from studies of cervical cancer which usually involves integration of the HPV into the human genome and subsequent changes due to induced chromosomal instability. Recent work, discussed here, however suggests that this model may not be completely correct. In addition, we summarize studies now done in OPSCC which demonstrate that the role of HPV in these cancers may be different from that in cervical cancer. Finally, we propose new models for how HPV may be involved in the formation of these 2 cancers.
Processing and analysis of serum antibody binding signals from Printed Glycan Arrays for diagnostic and prognostic applications

Procedures for data preprocessing, quality control, data analysis, evaluation and visualization of the new high-throughput biomarker platform based on printed glycan arrays (PGA) are presented in this paper. PGAs are similar in concept to DNA arrays but contain deposits of various carbohydrate structures (glycans) instead of spotted DNAs. PGA biomarker discovery for the early detection, diagnosis and prognosis of human malignancies and viral diseases is based on the response of the immune system as measured by the level of binding of anti-glycan antibodies from human serum to the glycans on the array. Procedures related to PGA data processing are herein demonstrated in a pilot study of cases representing 50 sera from patients with malignant mesothelioma and a control sample of 65 sera from high risk subjects exposed to asbestos without symptoms of disease.
Execution And Cache Performance Of A Decoupled Non-Blocking Multithreaded Architecture

In this paper we will present an evaluation of the execution performance and cache behavior of a new multithreaded architecture being investigated by the authors. Our architecture uses non-blocking multithreaded model based on dataflow paradigm. In addition, all memory accesses are decoupled from the thread execution. Data is pre-loaded into the thread context (registers), and all results are post-stored after the completion of the thread execution. The decoupling of memory accesses from thread execution requires a separate unit to perform the necessary pre-loads and post-stores, and to control the allocation of hardware thread contexts to the enabled threads. The non-blocking nature of threads reduces the number of context switches, thus reducing the overhead in scheduling threads. Our functional execution paradigm eliminates complex hardware required for dynamic scheduling of instructions used in modern superscalar architectures. We will present our preliminary results obtained from an instruction set simulator using several benchmark programs. We compare the execution and cache performance of our architecture with that of MIPS architecture as facilitated by DLX simulator.
Nitric oxide activates hypoglossal motoneurons by cGMP‐dependent inhibition of TASK channels and cGMP‐independent activation of HCN channels

Nitric oxide (NO) is an important signaling molecule; however mechanism(s) underlying NO modulation of motoneurons (MNs) remain obscure. Here, we used a combination of in vivo and in vitro recording techniques to examine NO modulation of MNs in the hypoglossal motor nucleus (HMN). Microperfusion of DEA (NO donor) into the HMN of anesthetized adult rats increased genioglossus muscle activity. In the brain slice, whole‐cell current‐clamp recordings from hypoglossal MNs show that exposure to DEA depolarized membrane potential and increased responsiveness to depolarizing current injections. Under voltage‐clamp conditions, we found that NO inhibited a Ba2+‐sensitive background K+ conductance and activated a Cs+‐sensitive hyperpolarization‐activated inward current (Ih). The NO‐sensitive K+ conductance exhibited properties similar to TWIK‐related acid‐sensitive K+ (TASK) channels and was blocked by ODQ (soluble guanylyl cyclase antagonist) and KT5823 (PKG antagonist). In Ba2+, NO activated both the instantaneous (Iinst) and time‐dependent (Iss) components of Ih. Interestingly, at more hyperpolarized potentials NO preferentially increased Iinst, and this was retained in ODQ but blocked by a cysteine‐specific oxidant. These results suggest that NO activates hypoglossal MNs by cGMP‐dependent inhibition of a TASK‐like current and S‐nitrosylation‐ dependent activation of Ih.
A Thirteen-Gene Expression Signature Predicts Survival of Patients with Pancreatic Cancer and Identifies New Genes of Interest

Background Currently, prognostication for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is based upon a coarse clinical staging system. Thus, more accurate prognostic tests are needed for PDAC patients to aid treatment decisions. Methods and Findings Affymetrix gene expression profiling was carried out on 15 human PDAC tumors and from the data we identified a 13-gene expression signature (risk score) that correlated with patient survival. The gene expression risk score was then independently validated using published gene expression data and survival data for an additional 101 patients with pancreatic cancer. Patients with high-risk scores had significantly higher risk of death compared to patients with low-risk scores (HR 2.27, p = 0.002). When the 13-gene score was combined with lymph node status the risk-score further discriminated the length of patient survival time (p<0.001). Patients with a high-risk score had poor survival independent of nodal status; however, nodal status increased predictability for survival in patients with a low-risk gene signature score (low-risk N1 vs. low-risk N0: HR = 2.0, p = 0.002). While AJCC stage correlated with patient survival (p = 0.03), the 13-gene score was superior at predicting survival. Of the 13 genes comprising the predictive model, four have been shown to be important in PDAC, six are unreported in PDAC but important in other cancers, and three are unreported in any cancer. Conclusions We identified a 13-gene expression signature that predicts survival of PDAC patients and could prove useful for making treatment decisions. This risk score should be evaluated prospectively in clinical trials for prognostication and for predicting response to chemotherapy. Investigation of new genes identified in our model may lead to novel therapeutic targets.
Ordered polythiophene/fullerene composite core–shell nanorod arrays for solar cell applications

For the first time, we have used melt-assisted wetting of porous alumina templates to prepare ordered core–shell nanorod arrays of poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) and [6,6]-phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM) for use in polymer solar cells. We characterized these arrays using tunneling electron microscopy and conductance atomic force microscopy, which revealed the presence of phase-separated shell (p-type) and core (n-type) regions. Under illumination, we observed a variation of several picoamperes between the currents in the core and shell regions of the P3HT/PCBM nanorod arrays.
The Influence of the BRIMHEALTH Programme to Public Health Development in Lithuania. : A Descriptive - Qualitative Study

The Nordic countries have been assisting the Baltic countries in their public health (PH) development from early nineties. The study describes PH development in Lithuania alongside with the BRIMHEALTH PH training programme. The study aimed at a qualitative assessment of the programme’s implications in Lithuanian partner institutions. The grounded theory method was used in the analysis of the focus group interview and nine in-depth interviews. The subjective meaning attributed to the programme by its participants was summarized in the following five descriptive categories: international postgraduate students feel welcome in BRIMHEALTH (as the core category); providing assistance; building partnerships; being an experimental programme; BRIMHEALTH as a model. The core category focussed on the student, as the main actor. Each category is related to several subcategories. A constant comparative approach was applied to describe the thoughts and values of the participants. The concepts and categories were validated in the data. It was concluded that the study evaluates the impact of the BRIMHEALTH training programme, proving that PH training was connected to training abroad and international collaboration; the importance of the programme is assessed from a number of perspectives and can be helpful for further research.
Spatial models for localization of image tampering using distributed source codes

Media authentication is important in content delivery via untrusted intermediaries, such as peer-to-peer (P2P) file sharing. Many differently encoded versions of a media file might exist. Our previous work applied distributed source coding not only to distinguish the legitimate diversity of encoded images from tampering but also localize the tampered regions in an image already deemed to be inauthentic. An authentication decoder was supplied with a Slepian-Wolf encoded image projection as authentication data. A localization decoder required only incremental localization data beyond the authentication data since we use rate-adaptive distributed source codes. We extend the localization decoder with 1D and 2D spatial models to exploit the contiguity of the tampered regions. Our results show that the spatial decoders save 10% to 17% of authentication plus localization data size and offer greater confidence in tampering localization.
Using complexity measures in information retrieval

Although IR is meant to serve its users, surprisingly little IR research is not user-centered. In contrast, this article utilizes the concept complexity of information as the determinant of the user's comprehension, not as a formal golden measure. Four aspects of user's comprehension are applies on a database of simple and normal Wikipedia articles and found to distinguish between them. The results underline the feasibility of the principle of parsimony for IR: where two topical articles are available, the simpler one is preferred.
Defect tolerance: Fundamental limits and examples

This paper addresses the question of how to add redundancy to a collection of physical objects so that the overall system is more robust to failures. Physical redundancy can (generally) only be achieved by employing copy/substitute procedures. This is fundamentally different from information redundancy, where a single parity check simultaneously protects a large number of data bits against a single erasure. We propose a bipartite graph model of designing defect-tolerant systems where defective objects are repaired by reconnecting them to strategically placed redundant objects. The fundamental limits of this model are characterized under various asymptotic settings and both asymptotic and finite-size optimal systems are constructed. Mathematically, we say that a k by m bipartite graph corrects t defects over alphabet of size q if for every q-coloring of k left vertices there exists a coloring of m right vertices such that every left vertex is connected to at least t same-colored right vertices. We study the tradeoff between redundancy m/k and the total number of edges in the graph divided by k. The question is trivial when q ≥ k: the optimal solution is a simple t-fold replication. However, when q <; k some non-trivial savings are possible by leveraging the inherent repetition of colors.
Knowledge-based document embedding for cross-domain text classification

Cross-domain learning text classification aims to train an accurate model for a target domain by using labeled text data from a source domain with different but related data distributions. To narrow the data distribution gap between different domains, most of the previous approaches utilize the bag-of-words model to obtain latent features representation of the text. However, this kind of model loses the word order information and misses the background knowledge of the text. As the result, the conceptual information of the text is ignored to a big extent. In this paper, we propose a novel framework named Document Concept Vector for the cross-domain text classification which leverages both the neural network and the knowledge base in order to produce a high quality representation of the text. Specifically, a raw document is first transformed into a conceptualized document which consists of a set of concepts by utilizing a large taxonomy knowledge base. After that, the conceptualized document is transformed into a document vector through the neural network and the vector is used as the concept level feature of the original document. Finally, we conducted the experiments on two real-world corpora and compared it with both traditional classification algorithms and several state-of-the-art approaches of cross-domain text classification. The results validate the effectiveness of our framework.
From Activity Recognition to Intention Recognition for Assisted Living Within Smart Homes

The global population is aging; projections show that by 2050, more than 20% of the population will be aged over 64. This will lead to an increase in aging related illness, a decrease in informal support, and ultimately issues with providing care for these individuals. Assistive smart homes provide a promising solution to some of these issues. Nevertheless, they currently have issues hindering their adoption. To help address some of these issues, this study introduces a novel approach to implementing assistive smart homes. The devised approach is based upon an intention recognition mechanism incorporated into an intelligent agent architecture. This approach is detailed and evaluated. Evaluation was performed across three scenarios. Scenario 1 involved a web interface, focusing on testing the intention recognition mechanism. Scenarios 2 and 3 involved retrofitting a home with sensors and providing assistance with activities over a period of 3 months. The average accuracy for these three scenarios was 100%, 64.4%, and 83.3%, respectively. Future will extend and further evaluate this approach by implementing advanced sensor-filtering rules and evaluating more complex activities.
Reverse hierarchies and sensory learning

Revealing the relationships between perceptual representations in the brain and mechanisms of adult perceptual learning is of great importance, potentially leading to significantly improved training techniques both for improving skills in the general population and for ameliorating deficits in special populations. In this review, we summarize the essentials of reverse hierarchy theory for perceptual learning in the visual and auditory modalities and describe the theory's implications for designing improved training procedures, for a variety of goals and populations.
Methods for robust characterization of consonant perception in hearing-impaired listeners

Individuals with sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) are prescribed hearing aids and/or a cochlear implant, based on their pure-tone threshold and speech perception scores. Although these assistive listening devices do help these individuals communicate in quiet surroundings, many still have difficulty understanding speech in noisy environments. Especially, listeners with mild-to-moderate SNHL have complained that their hearing aids do not provide enough benefit to facilitate understanding of normal speech. Why is it that the modern hearing aid, even with a high level of technology, does not produce one-hundred percent efficiency? We shall show that the current clinical measurements, which interpret the result as a mean score (e.g., pure-tone average, speech recognition threshold, AI-gram, etc.), do not deliver sufficient information about the characteristics of a SNHL listener’s impairment when hearing speech, and thus, result in a poorly fitting hearing aid. This dissertation addressed three key questions, fundamental to clinical audiology and hearing science: (1) How well do the results of standard clinical tests predict the speech perception ability of SNHL patients? (2) Are the existing methods of hearing aid fitting (e.g., the half-gain rule, NAL-R, etc.) appropriate for modern hearing aid technology? (3) How useful are measured error patterns of speech perception in SNHL patients in addressing these perception errors? Four sub-studies were conducted for finding answers to the proposed questions:
Mapping the homotypic binding sites in CD31 and the role of CD31 adhesion in the formation of interendothelial cell contacts

CD31 is a member of the immunoglobulin superfamily consisting of six Ig- related domains. It is constitutively expressed by platelets, monocytes, and some lymphocytes, but at tenfold higher levels on vascular endothelial cells. CD31 has both homotypic and heterotypic adhesive properties. We have mapped the homotypic binding sites using a deletion series of CD31-Fc chimeras and a panel of anti-CD31 monoclonal antibodies. An extensive surface of CD31 is involved in homotypic binding with domains 2 and 3 and domains 5 and 6 playing key roles. A model consistent with the experimental data is that CD31 on one cell binds to CD31 on an apposing cell in an antiparallel interdigitating mode requiring full alignment of the six domains of each molecule. In addition to establishing intercellular homotypic contacts. CD31 binding leads to augmented adhesion via beta 1 integrins. The positive cooperation between CD31 and beta 1 integrins can occur in heterologous primate cells (COS cells). The interaction is specific to both CD31 and beta 1 integrins. Neither intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM- 1)/leukocyte function-associated antigen-1 (LCAM-1) nor neural cell adhesion molecule (NCAM)/NCAM adhesion leads to recruitment of beta 1 integrin adhesion pathways. Establishment of CD31 contacts have effects on the growth and morphology of endothelial cells. CD31(D1-D6)Fc inhibits the growth of endothelial cells in culture. In addition, papain fragments of anti-CD31 antibodies (Fab fragments) disrupt interendothelial contact formation and monolayer integrity when intercellular contacts are being formed. The same reagents are without effect once these contacts have been established, suggesting that CD31- CD31 interactions are critically important only in the initial phases of intercellular adhesion.