Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Identification of Compounds that Correlate with ABCG2 Transporter Function in the National Cancer Institute Anticancer Drug Screen

ABCG2 is an ATP-binding cassette transporter that counts multiple anticancer compounds among its substrates and is believed to regulate oral bioavailability as well as serve a protective role in the blood-brain barrier, the maternal-fetal barrier, and hematopoietic stem cells. We sought to determine whether novel compounds that interact with the transporter could be identified through analysis of cytotoxicity profiles recorded in the NCI Anticancer Drug Screen database. A flow cytometric assay was used to measure ABCG2 function in the 60 cell lines and generate a molecular profile for COMPARE analysis. This strategy identified >70 compounds with Pearson correlation coefficients (PCCs) >0.4, where reduced drug sensitivity correlated with ABCG2 expression, as well as >120 compounds with PCCs < −0.4, indicating compounds to which ABCG2 expression conferred greater sensitivity. Despite identification of known single nucleotide polymorphisms in the ABCG2 gene in a number of the cell lines, omission of these lines from the COMPARE analysis did not affect PCCs. Available compounds were subjected to validation studies to confirm interaction with the transporter, including flow cytometry, [125I]IAAP binding, and cytotoxicity assays, and interaction was documented in 20 of the 27 compounds studied. Although known substrates of ABCG2 such as mitoxantrone or topotecan were not identified, we characterized three novel substrates—5-hydroxypicolinaldehyde thiosemicarbazone (NSC107392), (E)-N-(1-decylsulfanyl-3-hydroxypropan-2-yl)-3-(6-methyl-2,4-dioxo-1H-pyrimidin-5-yl)prop-2-enamide (NSC265473), and 1,2,3,4,7-pentahydroxy-1,3,4,4a,5,11b-hexahydro[1,3]dioxolo[4,5-j]phenanthridin-6(2H)-one [NSC349156 (pancratistatin)]—and four compounds that inhibited transporter function—2-[methyl(2-pyridin-2-ylethyl)-amino]fluoren-9-one hydroiodide (NSC24048), 5-amino-6-(7-amino-5,8-dihydro-6-methoxy-5,8-dioxo-2-quinolinyl)-4-(2-hydroxy-3,4-dimethoxyphenyl)-3-methyl-2-pyridinecarboxylic acid, methyl ester (NSC45384), (17β)-2,4-dibromo-estra-1,3,5(10)-triene-3,17-diol (NSC103054), and methyl N-(pyridine-4-carbonylamino)carbamodithioate (NSC636795). In summary, COMPARE analysis of the NCI drug screen database using the ABCG2 functional profile was able to identify novel substrates and transporter-interacting compounds.
Assessing the impact of public debt on economic growth

In the current economic framework, characterized by a global increase in the public debt burden and weak performances concerning economic growth, it is imperative to study and to understand the hypothetical impact of public debt on economic growth. Although there already exist several studies in this field, this research aspires to provide information regarding this phenomenon in Portugal. A Markov switching model is estimated, using quarterly data spanning the period from 2000 to 2015, in order to assess the impact of public debt on economic growth when the economy is either in an expansionary or contractionary environment. The result extracted from this empirical analysis suggests that public debt harmed economic growth in Portugal during recessions, having no impact during economic expansions.
SDN control framework for QoS provisioning

This paper presents new Software Defined Networking (SDN) control framework for Quality of Service (QoS) provisioning. The proposed SDN controller automatically and flexibly programs network devices to provide required QoS level for multimedia applications. Centralized control monitors state of the network resources and performs smart traffic management according to collected information. Beside QoS provisioning for priority flows, the proposed solution aims at minimizing degradation of best-effort traffic. The experimental results show significant performance improvement under high traffic load compared to traditional best-effort and IntServ service models.
Nettoyage de données guidé par la sémantique inter-colonnes

De nos jours, il est intéressant de développer de nouveaux outils d’intégration et de manipulation de données (ETL) afin d’aider à mieux comprendre la sémantique et la structure des données manipulées Boufarès et al. (2013), Ben Salem (2015). Nous réalisons ce travail en collaboration avec la société Talend (éditeur d’un ETL). La première partie du projet a traité des anomalies inter-lignes une fois la sémantique de la colonne est connue et ses anomalies corrigées. La deuxième phase du projet consiste à découvrir d’éventuels liens sémantiques inter-colonnes afin de corriger d’autres types d’anomalies . La vérification des contraintes de dépendances permettra de corriger les anomalies telles que les valeurs nulles et certaines dépendances fonctionnelles. La reconnaissance sémantique des données est présentée dans le premier paragraphe. La section deux aborde l’étape de nettoyage de données intra et intercolonnes. (1) La Catégorisation sémantique des données consiste à déterminer le sens de chaque colonne d’une source de données S. En effet, pour pouvoir qualifier une donnée syntaxiquement incorrecte, il faudrait l’évaluer dans son contexte. Plusieurs exemples peuvent illustrer nos propos : (i) La chaîne de caractères "Pari" ne peut être considérée incorrecte syntaxiquement que s’il s’agit du nom en français de la ville "Paris" ; (ii) Les mots "Pékin" et "Beijing" désignent la même chose dans deux langues différentes, s’il l’on sait qu’il s’agit de noms de villes. "Beijing" pourrait être considérée sémantiquement incorrecte si la langue dominante est le français ; (iii) Les deux chaînes de caractères "16-10-1996" et "10-16-1996" représentent la même information de type date définie par une expression régulière. Le format n’est pas le même. Pour ce faire nous utilisons des connaissances stockées dans un réferentiel appelé dictionnaire de données (DD), Zaidi et al. (2015), identifiées (i) par extension, c’est une liste donnée à priori tels que des noms de villes ou des mots clés ; (ii) par intention qui sont des connaissances qui vérifient des propriétés telles que des expressions régulières (un Email ou une date). Chaque catégorie correspond à un seul type de données (String, Nombre ou Date). La reconnaissance de la structure sémantique de données (le processus de catégorisation) renvoie un nom sémantique (une catégorie) à chaque colonne, une sous-catégorie (la langue), un type de données (domaine syntaxique), des contraintes (intra et inter-colonnes) et des commentaires. La reconnaissance sémantique consiste à trouver des similarités entre les données de S et celles de DD afin d’inférer la catégorie de chaque colonne en utilisant des mesures de distance de similarité avec les méthodes "s’écrit comme" et "se prononce comme" telles que Jaro-Winkler et Soundex. La reconnaissance de dépendances sémantiques inter-colonnes
Nuclear texture analysis: a new prognostic tool in metastatic prostate cancer.

This report describes the prognostic value of computerized nuclear texture analysis in metastatic prostate cancer. Seventy-seven patients with histologically verified prostate carcinomas and skeletal metastases were selected from a Scandinavian multicenter study (SPCG-2). Thirty-six therapy-resistant patients experienced objective progression and cancer-related death within 2 years after orchiectomy. Thirty patients responded well to orchiectomy, i.e., showed objective disease remission and no signs of progression during 3 years of follow-up. From this data set, 10 randomly chosen therapy-resistant and 10 randomly chosen therapy-sensitive carcinomas were used in our previous study to find the optimal combination of features that can discriminate between the two groups (Yogesan et al.: Cytometry 24:268-276, 1996). In addition to these two groups, 11 patients experienced stable disease or disease remission during the first year and a secondary progression during the second or third year of follow-up, with subsequent cancer-related death. Traditional clinical prognostic factors such as histopathological grading and serum markers could not discriminate between these groups of patients. Therefore, image analysis techniques based on texture analysis have been utilized in this study of prognosis of prostate cancer. Feulgen-stained monolayers of nuclei were prepared from paraffin-embedded material taken from the primary tumor before endocrine ablation. Four different textural features were selected from the training data set to calculate the discriminating function. This function separated the therapy-sensitive and the therapy-resistant patients with 87% accuracy in the independent data set. This study demonstrates that it is possible to predict tumor progression and survival for endocrine-ablated metastatic prostate carcinomas using computerized nuclear texture analysis on light microscopy images from prostate biopsies taken at the time of diagnosis.
The Effects of a Walking/Talking Program on Communication, Ambulation, and Functional Status in Residents with Alzheimer Disease

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of a walking/talking program on residents' communication, ambulation, and level of function when there were two residents to one care provider (2:1). A randomized control trial design was used. Subjects were residents with Alzheimer disease in three geriatric long-term care facilities in Metropolitan Toronto. Residents who met the inclusion criteria were randomly assigned to one of three groups: walk-and-talk group (30 min, 5 times per week for 16 weeks, walking/talking in pairs), talk-only group (30 min, 5 times per week for 16 weeks, talk only in pairs), or no intervention. The outcome measures were the Functional Assessment of Communication Skills for Adults, the 2-min walk test, and London Psychogeriatric Rating Scale. Residents who received the walk-and-talk intervention did not demonstrate statistically significant differences in the outcome variables measured posttest when compared with residents who received the talk-only intervention or no intervention, even after controlling for individual differences. Variability in the outcomes measured posttest is explained by differences in the residents' level of cognitive impairment before the study rather than by study group membership. These findings are contradictory to those of previous studies.
Fluorescent amplified fragment length polymorphism genotyping of Salmonella Enteritidis: a method suitable for rapid outbreak recognition.

OBJECTIVE To perform fluorescent amplified fragment length polymorphism (FAFLP) analysis on phage type (PT) reference strains of Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica serotype Enteritidis (S. Enteritidis), and S. Enteritidis PT 6 and 6a recent clinical isolates to determine its usefulness for primary characterization of clinical S. Enteritidis isolates, and then to determine whether FAFLP is suitable for rapid characterization of strains in an outbreak situation. METHODS Twenty-five PT reference strains of S. Enteritidis and 20 S. Enteritidis PT 6 and 6a clinical isolates were subjected to FAFLP analysis using the selective primer combinations Eco + 0-Mse + T and Eco + 0-Mse + TA. RESULTS FAFLP successfully separated each one of the 25 S. Enteritidis PT strains into distinct profiles, while macrorestriction and PFGE using XbaI identified 20 pulsed-field profiles. FAFLP also resolved cases and outbreaks due to S. Enteritidis PTs 6 and 6a. CONCLUSIONS The resolving power of FAFLP was higher than that of PFGE. FAFLP is a highly discriminatory genotyping method and, in conjunction with phage typing for primary subdivision of S. Enteritidis, provides a rapid and powerful tool for strain differentiation, both for outbreak investigation and for epidemiologic surveillance.
Automatic segmentation of mandible in panoramic x-ray

Abstract. As the panoramic x-ray is the most common extraoral radiography in dentistry, segmentation of its anatomical structures facilitates diagnosis and registration of dental records. This study presents a fast and accurate method for automatic segmentation of mandible in panoramic x-rays. In the proposed four-step algorithm, a superior border is extracted through horizontal integral projections. A modified Canny edge detector accompanied by morphological operators extracts the inferior border of the mandible body. The exterior borders of ramuses are extracted through a contour tracing method based on the average model of mandible. The best-matched template is fetched from the atlas of mandibles to complete the contour of left and right processes. The algorithm was tested on a set of 95 panoramic x-rays. Evaluating the results against manual segmentations of three expert dentists showed that the method is robust. It achieved an average performance of >93% in Dice similarity, specificity, and sensitivity.
Family History Correlates of Digit Ratio Abnormalities in Schizophrenia

Background: The differences in digit ratio are proposed to arise due to differential effects of sex steroids on the growth of finger bones. In this study, we sought to examine the sex differences and the influence of family history of psychosis on digit ratio in patients with schizophrenia compared to matched healthy controls (HCs). Materials and Methods: Digit ratio (2D: 4D) was examined for a large sample of schizophrenia patients (n=200) and HC (n=177) to evaluate the potential effects of family history. Results: The right hand 2D: 4D digit ratio was lesser in schizophrenia patients compared to HC (0.97±0.05 vs 0.98±0.04, t=2.2, P=0.02). There was a significant difference in the right hand 2D: 4D digit ratio of female patients with schizophrenia when compared to female HCs (0.96±0.05 vs 0.98±0.03, t=2.1, P=0.03) while males showed no such difference on either hands. On the contrary, family history‑positive males showed a significantly greater digit ratio for the left hand (FH present (0.99±0.04) vs HC (0.97±0.04), t=2.15, P=0.03), while there was no difference between family history‑positive females and HC. Conclusion: Overall, in patients, reversal of expected “directionality” in digit ratio was observed in our study with greater left 2D: 4D in male patients having a family history of schizophrenia being a novel finding. Reversal of sexual dimorphism has been linked to the pathogenesis of schizophrenia. It is possible that such reversal might have a putative genetic basis, perhaps only in men with schizophrenia.
Design and optimization processes of delete skin neoplasm by Nd:YAG-laser radiation

The results of optimization parameters of laser radiation and cooling surface of the skin for no traumatic warts removal using Nd: YAG-laser are presented. The mathematical model and software simulation Monte Carlo processes of interaction of laser radiation with biotissues taking into account their heterogeneous properties, absorption and scattering characteristics of individual layers, the peculiarities of cooling from the surface are developed.
Pre-DFT Processing for MIMO-OFDM Systems with Space-Time-Frequency Coding

Subcarrier based space processing was conventionally employed in Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) systems under Multiple-Input and Multiple-Output (MIMO) channels to achieve optimal performance. At the receiver of such systems, multiple Discrete Fourier Transform (DFT) blocks, each corresponding to one receive antenna, are required to be used. This induces considerable complexity. In this paper, we propose a pre-DFT processing scheme for the receiver of MIMO-OFDM systems with space-time-frequency coding. With the proposed scheme, the number of DFT blocks at the receiver can be any number from one to the number of receive antennas, thus enabling effective complexity and performance tradeoff. Using the pre-DFT processing scheme, the number of input signals to the space-time-frequency decoder can be reduced compared with the subcarrier based space processing. Therefore, a high dimensional MIMO system can be shrunk into an equivalently low dimension one. Due to the dimension reduction, both the complexity of the decoder and the complexity of channel estimation can be reduced. In general, the weighting coefficients calculation for the pre-DFT processing scheme should be relevant to the specific space-time-frequency code employed. In this paper, we propose a simple universal weighting coefficients calculation algorithm that can be used to achieve excellent performance for most practical space-time-frequency coding schemes. This makes the design of the pre-DFT processing scheme independent of the optimization of the space-time-frequency coding, which is desirable for multiplatform systems.
Does Common Agricultural Policy Reduce Farm Labor Migration? A Panel Data Analysis Across EU Regions

The paper deals with the determinants of labour out-migration from agriculture across 149 EU regions over the 1990-2008 period. The central aim is to shed light on the role played by CAP payments on this important adjustment process. Using static and dynamic panel data estimators, we show that standard neo-classic drivers, like the relative income and the relative labour share, represent significant determinants of the inter-sectoral migration of agricultural labour. Overall, CAP payments contributed significantly to job creation in agriculture, although the magnitude of the economic effect was quite moderate. We also found that Pillar I subsidies exerted an effect approximately two times greater than that of Pillar II payments.
A Simple Digital Autotuning For Analog Controller in SMPS

This paper discusses the self-tuning capabilities of an analog current-mode controller for switch-mode power supplies. The proposed tuning techniques are based on the insertion of nonlinear (NL) blocks in the analog control loop and the generation of a controlled oscillation on the output voltage, in order to measure the closed-loop properties like gain margin, phase margin, and crossover frequency and to tune the analog controller according to the desired specifications. The NL blocks are based either on the NL gain or NL phase. The most relevant properties are as follows: 1) the oscillation amplitude is controlled by the NL action during the tuning procedure; 2) A/D converters are not required; 3) the parameter variations can be obtained with ancillary analog blocks (variable gain operational transconductance amplifier, switched capacitors, etc.); and 4) the tuning digital control algorithm is simple. Experimental results on a 10 A, 1.5 V point-of-load converter, where the controller tuning has been implemented using components off-the-shelf and a field-programmable gate array are provided to show the properties of the proposed system.
Etoposide-loaded nanoparticles made from glyceride lipids: Formulation, characterization, in vitro drug release, and stability evaluation

The aim of the study was to prepare etoposide-loaded nanoparticles with glyceride lipids and then characterize and evaluate the in vitro steric stability and drug release characteristics and stability. The nanoparticles were prepared by melt emulsification and homogenization followed by spray drying of nanodispersion. Spray drying created powder nanoparticles with excellent redispersibility and a minimal increase in particle size (20–40 nm). Experimental variables, such as homogenization pressure, number of homogenization cycles, and surfactant concentration, showed a profound influence on the particle size and distribution. Spray drying of Poloxamer 407-stabilized nanodispersion lead to the formation of matrix-like structures surrounding the nanoparticles, resulting in particle growth. The in vitro steric stability test revealed that the lipid nanoparticles stabilized by sodium tauroglycocholate exhibit excellent steric stability compared with Poloxamer 407. All 3 glyceride nanoparticle formulations exhibited sustained release characteristics, and the release pattern followed the Higuchi equation. The spray-dried lipid nanoparticles stored in black polypropylene containers exhibited excellent long-term stability at 25°C and room light conditions. Such stable lipid nanoparticles with in vitro steric stability can be a beneficial delivery system for intravenous administration as long circulating carriers for controlled and targeted drug delivery.
Longitudinal Analysis of Cerebrospinal Fluid and Plasma HIV-1 Envelope Sequences Isolated From a Single Donor with HIV Asymptomatic Neurocognitive Impairment.

OBJECTIVE Combined antiretroviral treatment (cART) has changed the clinical presentation of HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders (HAND) to that of the milder forms of the disease. Asymptomatic neurocognitive impairment (ANI) is now more prevalent and is associated with increased morbidity and mortality risk in HIV-1-infected people. HIV-1 envelope (env) genetic heterogeneity has been detected within the central nervous system (CNS) of individuals with ANI. Changes within env determine co-receptor use, cellular tropism, and neuropathogenesis. We hypothesize that compartmental changes are associated with HIV-1 env C2V4 during ANI and sought to analyze paired HIV-1 env sequences from plasma and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of a female subject undergoing long-term cART. METHODS Paired plasma and CSF samples were collected at 12-month intervals and HIV-1 env C2V4 was cloned and sequenced. RESULTS Phylogenetic analysis of paired samples consistently showed genetic variants unique to the CSF. Phenotypic prediction showed CCR5 (R5) variants for all CSF-derived sequences and showed minor X4 variants (or dual-tropic) in the plasma at later time points. Viral compartmentalization was evident throughout the study, suggesting that the occurrence of distinctive env strains may contribute to the neuropathogenesis of HAND. CONCLUSIONS Our study provides new insights about the genetic characteristics within the C2V4 of HIV-1 env that persist after long-term cART and during the course of persistent ANI.
CEREBRAL BLOOD FLOW IN TRAUMATIC CONTUSIONS IS PREDOMINANTLY REDUCEDAFTER AN INDUCED ACUTE ELEVATION OF CEREBRAL PERFUSION PRESSURE

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the response to an acute elevation of cerebral perfusion pressure (CPP) of the regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) measured in the edematous area of traumatic contusions. METHODSrCBF was measured in the intracontusional low-density area, in the pericontusional healthy-appearing brain tissue surrounding the contusion, in a healthy-appearing area in the contralateral hemisphere, in 16 head-injured patients with 16 traumatic contusions larger than 2 cm at baseline, and after 20 minutes of norepinephrine-induced 20-mmHg elevation of CPP levels. RESULTSAfter an induced acute elevation of CPP from baseline values of 65.8 ml/100 g/min (standard deviation, 8.6) to final values of 88.7 ml/100 g/min (standard deviation, 8.9; P ≤ 0.0001), we found that rCBF mean levels decreased in the intracontusional low-density area (P = 0.0278), and change in rCBF was inversely associated to the baseline values. After grouping contusions according to the rCBF response to induced acute CPP elevation, rCBF mean values recorded at baseline were significantly lower in lesions with “rCBF improvement” than in those with “rCBF reduction” in the intracontusional low-density area (P = 0.0435). CONCLUSIONOur findings suggest that CPP elevation induced by norepinephrine is effective in improving contusional rCBF only in selected cases, which are represented by a subset of contusions with critical perfusion, which can be identified by rCBF measurements. Conversely, in contusions with rCBF higher than critical low values, the CPP elevation could probably induce a temporary breakdown of the blood brain barrier, and the norepinephrine leads to a vasoconstriction with a worsening of regional perfusion.