Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Non-Viral Delivery Systems in Gene Therapy and Vaccine Development

Gene therapy is the process of treating a particular disease through the introduction of genetic material in order to elicit a therapeutic benefit [Stone, 2010]. The defective gene of a diagnosed patient can be corrected by a number of different strategies such as “gene replacement”, “gene correction”, and “gene augmentation” [Katare and Aeri, 2010]. In replacement therapy, a normal gene is inserted somewhere in the genome so that its product could replace that of a defective gene. This approach may be suitable for recessive disorders, which are marked by deficiency of an enzyme or other proteins. Although, the gene functions in the genome providing an appropriate regulatory sequence, the approach may not be successful in treating dominant disorders associated with the production of an abnormal gene product, which interferes with the product of normal gene [Katare and Aeri, 2010]. Corrective gene therapy requires replacement of a mutant gene or a part of it with a normal sequence. This can be achieved by using recombinant technology. Another form of corrective therapy involves the suppression of a particular mutation by a transfer RNA that is introduced into a cell [Katare and Aeri, 2010]. In gene augmentation, introducing a normal genetic sequence into a host genome modifies the expression of mutant gene in defective cell and the defective host gene remains unaltered. In general, the gene therapy recipient cells may be germline cells or somatic cells. Germline cells therapy involves modifying the genes in germ cells which will pass these genetic changes to the future generations. Somatic cells therapy involves the insertion of genes into specific somatic cells like the bone marrow stem cells, fibroblasts, hepatocytes or mycocytes [Katare and Aeri, 2010]. This form of gene therapy is being used at most genetic engineering laboratories throughout the world. Clearly, gene therapy provides great opportunities for treating diseases from genetic disorders, infections and cancer [Park et al., 2006]. While the genetic mutations underlying various diseases are well understood, delivering a corrective gene to the unhealthy organs/tissues remains a remarkable challenge [Stone, 2010]. To achieve successful gene therapy, development of proper gene delivery systems could be one of the most important factors. Gene delivery systems should be designed to protect the genetic materials from premature degradation in systemic blood stream and to efficiently transfer the therapeutic genes to target cells. Intracellular delivery systems will be required for all molecules that have intracellular function. For example, nucleic acid molecules including encoding genes, oligonucleotides and RNA molecules must enter cells and target the nucleus when transcription is the target. Regardless of the molecules for delivery, a common requirement
Large-Scale Hierarchical Text Classification Based on Path Semantic Information

Although an improvement of hierarchical text classification can be achieved by using hierarchical structure information, existing hierarchical text classification methods suffer from a problem, namely error propagation (especially in large-scale deep hierarchy). In this paper, we define the concept of path-based semantic vector for the presentation of categories based on which prior information provided by training set can be employed in a classifier-independent way to reduce and further eliminate classification errors. In particular, we first propose the occurrence probability based strategy for hierarchical text classification which can help limit errors rate efficiently. Cooccurrence probability is then introduced to correct the classification errors occurred on higher levels of the hierarchy. Extensive experiments show that our hierarchical classification strategies perform well on ODP dataset, even on deep levels of the hierarchy.
Association Between TNF-δ 238G/A Polymorphisms and the Risk of Ischemic Stroke

ABSTRACT Background: Stroke is the second highest cause of morbidity and functional disability around the world. In addition, it is the second most common cause of death worldwide [1]. However, the genetic pathology of stroke is still unclear. Published data on the association between TNF-a 238G/A polymorphisms and ischemic stroke risk are inconsistent and controversial. To provide a more robust estimate about TNF-a 238G/A polymorphisms on the risk of ischemic stroke, we conducted this meta-analysis. Methods: We used the pooled odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (95%CIs) to investigate the relationship between TNF-α238G/A polymorphisms and ischemic stroke. Publication bias was tested by Begg's test and inverted funnel plot, and Heterogeneity was checked by Cochran's Q statistic and the inconsistency index (I2). Results: There are 7 studies that include 1,766 cases and 1,560 controls in this meta-analysis. The results indicated a significant association between TNF-α238G/A polymorphisms and ischemic stroke in overall analysis, Caucasian and Adult. However, statistical association was not observed in Juvenile and Asian. Conclusions: This meta-analysis suggests that TNF-α238G/A polymorphisms increases the risk of ischemic stroke in Adult, Caucasian, and overall analysis. However, in Juvenile and Asian analysis, significant associations between TNF-α238G/A and ischemic stroke were not found.
Smart water meter system for user-centric consumption measurement

Water scarcity and water stress issues pose a serious threat to the global population. The traditional way of manual meter reading is furthermore inconvenient and time consuming, and it wastes resources. This method is also unable to manage the sustainable water resources effectively since it requires efficient, accurate and reliable monitoring techniques that enable the utilities sector and consumers to know the level of water consumption in real-time. Real-time smart water meters that can be monitored by the user are essential and constitute a key component of the water management system. A smart water-monitoring system will make users mindful of their water consumption and help them to reduce their water usage. At the same time, users will be alerted to abnormal water usage to reduce water loss. This paper introduces the water management system based on wireless sensor networks (WSN). The system uses the IEEE 802.15. 4 standard embedded in ContikiOS LibCoAP as an open-source application to create a robust and intelligent system. Visualisation and monitoring of the system is achieved following the development of a web-based system and through Pandora FMS.
Low-Cost Dual-Loop-Antenna System for Dual-WLAN-Band Access Points

A low-cost, printed three-antenna system suitable to be embedded inside a wireless access point (AP) for multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) applications in the 2.4 and 5 GHz WLAN bands is presented. The antenna system comprises three circular dual-loop antennas occupying a moderate area and printed on the same layer of a circular antenna substrate. Each dual-loop antenna further includes a large outer loop and a small inner loop, both operating at one-wavelength resonant mode and sharing common antenna feeding and grounding. The antennas are set in a sequential, rotating arrangement on the substrate with an equal inclination angle of 120° to form a symmetrical multiantenna structure. The antenna substrate is further stacked above the system circuit board of an AP by a small distance. In this case the design can fully integrate the circuit board of the AP as an efficient reflector for loops into an internal multiantenna solution. The results showed that well port isolation were obtained together with high-gain and dual-polarized radiation characteristics over the 2.4 and 5 GHz bands. Details of a design prototype are described and discussed in this paper.
Rise time and center-frequency effects on auditory brainstem responses to high-frequency tone bursts.

The effects of rise time and center frequency on the auditory brainstem response (ABR) elicited by high-frequency tone bursts were examined in six normal-hearing adults. Tone bursts with rise times of 0.1, 0.25, 0.5, and 1.0 msec, duration of 2 msec, and center frequencies of 8, 10, and 12 kHz were used in this study. The absolute latencies of waves I, III, and V were obtained in all subjects, and interpeak intervals of I-III, III-V, and I-V were calculated. As would be expected, rise time significantly affected the absolute latencies of waves I, III, and V, i.e., faster rise times shortened the absolute latencies, but did not affect the interpeak latencies. The tone-burst frequency significantly affected the latency of wave I but not the later waves. No significant differences were found in reliability of the response at different rise times or frequencies, within or across sessions. An estimate of the effective bandwidth of the stimulus suggests that frequency specificity of the response is maintained with fast rise time tone-burst stimuli.
Problem-Focused Vs. Meaning-Focused Coping as Mediators of the Appraisal-Adjustment Relationship in Chronic Stressors

According to the transactional model of stress and coping, problem- and emotion-focused coping mediate the impact of appraisals on adjustment following stressful events; problem-focused coping appears to be particularly helpful. Recently, researchers suggested that a third type of coping, meaning-focused, is helpful, perhaps more so than problem-focused coping, but little research has directly compared their effects, especially in the context of ongoing stressors. In this study, 181 undergraduate students reported on their most stressful ongoing stressor at three time points over two months, including their cognitive appraisals, coping, and adjustment (depressive symptoms and posttraumatic stress symptoms [PTSS]). We examined the extent to which problem-focused and meaning-focused coping mediated the relationships between event appraisals and adjustment, controlling for initial distress. While most models tested demonstrated that initial distress drove the relationships, one model showed that problem-focu.
Predictors of condom use and multiple partnered sex among sexually‐active adolescent women: Implications for aids‐related health interventions

The development of AIDS interventions for adolescents is hindered by the lack of data on the conditions that influence high‐risk sexual behavior. We examined psychosocial correlates of condom use and multiple partner sex for a sample of sexually‐active heterosexual adolescent women. Respondents reported higher levels of vaginal intercourse than the “average” adolescent. A minority were engaging in anal intercourse. Condom use was associated with perceived enjoyment of condoms and communication skills. Number of sexual partners was associated with susceptibility beliefs, social norms, and sexual communication skills. The findings support the general observation that AIDS interventions with adolescents should build sexual communication skills, address motivational issues, and teach people how to enjoy safe‐sex activities.
Machine learning for the cosmic ray inspection and passive tomography project (CRIPT)

Muons, which are produced naturally in the upper atmosphere, can be used to scan cargo for special nuclear materials (SNM). Preliminary simulated results show that detecting the presence of these materials can be accomplished by measuring the scattering of cosmic ray muons. Machine learning tools have been used on these data to classify it as SNM or not. The muon exists long enough, and is penetrating enough, that it can be used to passively scan cargo to detect SNM. By measuring the deflection angles of muons after they exit a container, one can determine whether or not SNM are present. Different detector approaches have been evaluated by considering the performance, cost, and robustness of several technologies. Simulations have been performed to help design the detectors and to determine the effectiveness of the proposed techniques. Realistic cargo containers have been simulated. Two types of techniques can be used to determine whether the cargo containers contain SNM. More traditional methods use an expert system which uses knowledge of physics to compute physical information about the cargo. The other approach is to use Machine Learning classifiers, which can be used to determine if the cargo contains SNM. These techniques include the following algorithms: decision trees, neural networks, special vector machines, and k nearest neighbours. Preliminary results from the two approaches to classification have been obtained and will be discussed in the paper.
Gene Structures, Evolution, Classification and Expression Profiles of the Aquaporin Gene Family in Castor Bean (Ricinus communis L.)

Aquaporins (AQPs) are a class of integral membrane proteins that facilitate the passive transport of water and other small solutes across biological membranes. Castor bean (Ricinus communis L., Euphobiaceae), an important non-edible oilseed crop, is widely cultivated for industrial, medicinal and cosmetic purposes. Its recently available genome provides an opportunity to analyze specific gene families. In this study, a total of 37 full-length AQP genes were identified from the castor bean genome, which were assigned to five subfamilies, including 10 plasma membrane intrinsic proteins (PIPs), 9 tonoplast intrinsic proteins (TIPs), 8 NOD26-like intrinsic proteins (NIPs), 6 X intrinsic proteins (XIPs) and 4 small basic intrinsic proteins (SIPs) on the basis of sequence similarities. Functional prediction based on the analysis of the aromatic/arginine (ar/R) selectivity filter, Froger’s positions and specificity-determining positions (SDPs) showed a remarkable difference in substrate specificity among subfamilies. Homology analysis supported the expression of all 37 RcAQP genes in at least one of examined tissues, e.g., root, leaf, flower, seed and endosperm. Furthermore, global expression profiles with deep transcriptome sequencing data revealed diverse expression patterns among various tissues. The current study presents the first genome-wide analysis of the AQP gene family in castor bean. Results obtained from this study provide valuable information for future functional analysis and utilization.
Hypertensive retinopathy and incident coronary heart disease in high risk men

Background/aim: Although routine ophthalmoscopy is recommended in the evaluation of people with hypertension, the prognostic significance of retinopathy is unknown. The purpose of this study is to determine if hypertensive retinopathy predicts coronary heart disease (CHD). Methods: A prospective cohort study involving 560 hypertensive, hyperlipidaemic, middle aged men enrolled in the Lipid Research Clinic’s Coronary Primary Prevention Trial. Signs of hypertensive retinopathy (generalised and focal arteriolar narrowing, arteriovenous nicking, widened arteriolar light reflex, retinal haemorrhage and exudates, microaneurysms, and disc swelling) were evaluated by direct funduscopy during a baseline examination by study physicians. Incident CHD events were ascertained from hospital records, necropsy reports, and death certificates, and reviewed by a masked panel of cardiologists. Results: There were 51 definite CHD events (definite CHD deaths or myocardial infarctions) during a median follow up of 7.8 years. After adjusting for age, blood pressure, electrocardiographic manifestations of left ventricular hypertrophy, cholesterol levels and treatment, glucose and creatinine levels, and smoking status in proportional hazards analysis, the presence of hypertensive retinopathy predicted a doubling of the risk of definite CHD events (relative risk 2.1; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.0 to 4.2 ). The presence of either generalised or focal arteriolar narrowing predicted almost a tripling of the risk (relative risk 2.9; 95% CI 1.3 to 6.2). Associations were similar for stage 1 hypertension (systolic and diastolic blood pressures of 140–159 and 90–99 mm Hg, respectively) and for other CHD end points. Conclusion: Hypertensive retinopathy predicts CHD in high risk men, independent of blood pressure and CHD risk factors. The data support the concept that retinal microvascular changes are markers of blood pressure damage and may be useful in risk stratification and in the tailoring of hypertension treatment decisions.
Statistical Analysis of IP Delay Measurements as a Basis for Network Alert Systems

Measuring packet delay and packet loss through dedicated test packet streams in computer networks allows for the assessment of Quality of Service on the path the probes traverse. For this reason, active IP performance measurements have been carried out in X-WiN, Germany's National Research and Educational Network, and GEANT2, its European counterpart, by the WiN-Labor Group of the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg for many years. This paper provides an overview of how network measurements can be interpreted using a variety of statistical concepts in order to gain insight into the state of monitored connections. The focus here is set on the analysis of One-Way Delay (OWD); the approach demonstrates how OWD can be used for the identification of network congestions and can serve as a basis for network alert systems by statistically categorizing changes in the performance metric.
Genetic Association Study of Adiposity and Melanocortin-4 Receptor (MC4R) Common Variants: Replication and Functional Characterization of Non-Coding Regions

Common genetic variants 3′ of MC4R within two large linkage disequilibrium (LD) blocks spanning 288 kb have been associated with common and rare forms of obesity. This large association region has not been refined and the relevant DNA segments within the association region have not been identified. In this study, we investigated whether common variants in the MC4R gene region were associated with adiposity-related traits in a biracial population-based study. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the MC4R region were genotyped with a custom array and a genome-wide array and associations between SNPs and five adiposity-related traits were determined using race-stratified linear regression. Previously reported associations between lower BMI and the minor alleles of rs2229616/Val103Ile and rs52820871/Ile251Leu were replicated in white female participants. Among white participants, rs11152221 in a proximal 3′ LD block (closer to MC4R) was significantly associated with multiple adiposity traits, but SNPs in a distal 3′ LD block (farther from MC4R) were not. In a case-control study of severe obesity, rs11152221 was significantly associated. The association results directed our follow-up studies to the proximal LD block downstream of MC4R. By considering nucleotide conservation, the significance of association, and proximity to the MC4R gene, we identified a candidate MC4R regulatory region. This candidate region was sequenced in 20 individuals from a study of severe obesity in an attempt to identify additional variants, and the candidate region was tested for enhancer activity using in vivo enhancer assays in zebrafish and mice. Novel variants were not identified by sequencing and the candidate region did not drive reporter gene expression in zebrafish or mice. The identification of a putative insulator in this region could help to explain the challenges faced in this study and others to link SNPs associated with adiposity to altered MC4R expression.
FAMILY RISK AND FAMILY LIFE CYCLE: An Explanatory Study of the Perceived Level of Family Risks in Family Life Cycle Stages in Tehran, Iran

This study aims to explore different aspects of risk among Iranian families, and, furthermore, to determine the cumulative risk during the family life cycle stages. The sample comprised 600 women (either employed or unemployed) in six districts of Tehran, whowere selected by the convenience sampling method. Family risk was measured using a 30-item scale pertaining to the marital, social and economic risks among families. The family life cycle stage was measured by asking families to report the number of kids, their age and situation (stay with or left family). The results of factor analysis of family risk items explored four main risks – economic, marital, social and managerial. The results indicate that families perceived the highest level of risk during the second stage of the family life cycle in which the children are born and grow up.
Impaired spontaneous belief inference following acquired damage to the left posterior temporoparietal junction

Efficient social interactions require taking into account other people’s mental states such as their beliefs, intentions or emotions. Recent studies have shown that in some social situations at least, we do spontaneously take into account others’ mental states. The extent to which we have dedicated brain areas for such spontaneous perspective taking is however still unclear. Here, we report two brain-damaged patients whose common lesions were almost exclusively in the left posterior temporoparietal junction (TPJp) and who both showed the same striking and distinctive theory of mind (ToM) deficit. More specifically, they had an inability to take into account someone else’s belief unless they were explicitly instructed to tell what that other person thinks or what that person will do. These patients offer a unique insight into the causal link between a specific subregion of the TPJ and a specific cognitive facet of ToM.
Predictive Strategy to Control Common-Mode Voltage in Loads Fed by Matrix Converters

Common-mode voltages (CMVs) cause overvoltage stress to the winding insulation and bearings deterioration, reducing the lifetime of electric machines. This paper presents a predictive strategy that effectively mitigates CMVs from matrix converters (MCs), without affecting its functionality and allowing the use of rotating vectors. The method was experimentally tested on an MC feeding an induction machine, mitigating CMVs in 70% and reducing abrupt changes. The reduction is achieved with no tradeoff on the performance of the drive until reaching 40%, point where further reduction comes with an increase on the total harmonic distortion of line side currents. The designer can adjust the method in order to protect the AC machine, extending its lifetime and reducing negative effects of CMVs, and still comply with the standard for connection to the grid due to the flexibility allowed by the proposed strategy.
ROPAGATION IN U RBAN M ICROCELLS W ITH H IGH R ISE B UILDINGS

In this paper 2D and 3D ray-tracing-predictions based on UTD are compared to measurements in urban microcellular environments character ized by an ir regular mixture of building heights due to the presence of relatively high r ise buildings. I t is shown that the 2D ray-tracing underestimates the measurement in area far from the transmitter . The theoretical study and the preliminary compar isons with measurements in Rotterdam (NL) showed that the 3D backward diffraction by high r ise buildings might account for the propagation in area far from the transmitter and overcome the limitation of the 2D model in these areas. Trees were found to influence heavily the 2D prediction. Taking into account the same 3D contr ibutions becomes even more important when there are obstructions such as trees in the 2D plane. A reasonable agreement with measurement can be obtained with a combined 3D and 2D (consider ing the absorption effects of trees) predictions.