Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Safety and tolerability evaluation of the use of Montanide ISA™51 as vaccine adjuvant: A systematic review

Montanide ISA™51 (ISA 51) is a vaccine adjuvant which has been tested in therapeutic and prophylactic vaccine trials. The aim of this review is to present a comprehensive examination of the safety and tolerability of ISA 51 containing vaccines. A systematic literature search was conducted in PubMed, EMBASE and clinicaltrials.gov. Eligible studies were categorized into: (A) uncontrolled studies with non-healthy subjects, (B) controlled studies with non-healthy subjects, and (C) controlled studies with healthy subjects. Reported adverse events (AEs) were assessed. 91 studies were included in our review. Generally observed AEs included injection site reaction; injection site pain; myalgia; headache; gastro-intestinal disorders; fatigue and fever - regardless of the administration route and subject characteristic. Specific AEs, e.g. injection site reactions and rash, were more frequently reported from subjects receiving ISA 51-adjuvanted vaccines than from subjects receiving antigen or ISA 51 only. The reported AEs were mainly mild to moderate in intensity. Serious AEs (SAEs) were reported in 27% of the uncontrolled trials and 2 trials conducted with healthy subjects. Notably, 2 other trials conducted with healthy subjects were stopped due to unacceptable AEs. Some studies indicate that the mixing procedure of antigen and adjuvant might influence the occurrence of AEs. Reports on SAEs and premature termination of 2 trials advise caution when using ISA 51. Yet, AEs might be preventable by proper mixing of vaccine and adjuvant to a stable emulsion. Trials including an active control group are needed for a fair evaluation of adjuvant safety.
R-TTWD: Robust Device-Free Through-The-Wall Detection of Moving Human With WiFi

Due to rapid developments of smart devices and mobile applications, there is an urgent need for a new human-in-the-loop architecture with better system efficiency and user experience. Compared with conventional device-based human–computer interactive (HCI) methods, device-free technology with WiFi provides a new HCI method and is promising for providing better user-perceived quality-of-experience. Being essential for device-free applications, device-free human detection has gained increasing interest, of which through-the-wall (TTW) human detection is of great challenge. Existing TTW detection systems either rely on massive deployment of transceivers or require specialized WiFi monitors, making them inapplicable for real-world applications. Recently, more and more researchers have tapped into the physical layer for more robust and reliable human detection, ever since channel state information (CSI) can be exported with commodity devices. Despite great progress achieved, there have been few works studying TTW detection. In this paper, we propose a novel scheme for robust device-free TTW detection (R-TTWD) of a moving human with commodity devices. Different from the time dimension-based features exploited in the previous works, R-TTWD takes advantage of the correlated changes over different subcarriers and extracts the first-order difference of eigenvector of CSI across different subcarriers for TTW human detection. Instead of direct feature extraction, we first perform a PCA-based filtering on the preprocessed data, since a simple low-pass filtering is insufficient for noise removal. Furthermore, the detection results across different transmit–receive antenna pairs are fused with a majority-vote-based scheme for more robust and accurate detection. We prototype R-TTWD on commodity WiFi devices and evaluate its performance both in different environments and over long test period, validating the robustness of R-TTWD with both detection rates for moving human and human absence over 99% regardless of different wall materials, dynamic moving speeds, and so on.
Is there a puzzle in the failure of venture capital backed portfolio companies?

We examine the post-Initial Public Offering (IPO) role of Venture Capitalists (VCs) in their portfolio companies’ failures, employing a LOGIT analysis of a matched pair sample of defunct and successful VC-backed companies, and an Ordinary Least Square (OLS) analysis of the lifespan of the defunct set. We find that the reputation and experience of VCs are major factors in extending the lifespan of the defunct portfolio companies. We also find that VC monitoring, experience, reputation and percentage ownership are not significant factors to differentiate between failure and success. VCs are associated with high risk investments making failures inevitable, but surprisingly we find no credible reasons that are related to VCs’ financial management for failures.
Characteristics of small- and large-polaron motion in organic crystals

Based on a generalized theory of charge transport in organic crystals we investigate the motion of polarons of arbitrary size. Within this theory, we analyze the influence of characteristic electronic, vibronic, and thermal energies and their role for the transport regimes. The polaron bandwidth is identified as the central temperature-dependent quantity. The size of the dressed charge carriers is used to analyze the correlation between the polaron size and transport mechanism. In addition, we propose that the band and hopping transport can be distinguished by investigating the mobility anisotropy. To do this only electronic structure parameters are necessary for comparison.
High throughput platform to explore RNA–protein interactomes

Abstract RNA binding proteins (RBPs) and RNA interaction is an emerging topic in molecular biology. Many reports showed that such interactions contribute to many cellular processes as well as disease development. Several standard in vitro and in vivo methods were developed to fulfill the needs of this RBP–RNA interaction study to explore their biological functions. However, these methods have their limitations in terms of throughput. In this review, we emphasize two important high throughput methods to studying RBP–RNA interactions, affinity purification and protein microarray. These methods have recently become robust techniques regarding their efficiency in systematically analyzing RBP–RNA interactions. Here, we provide technique overviews, strategies and applications of these methods during biological research. Although these technologies are just beginning to be explored, they will be most important methods in this study.
The brave new world of open innovation

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the concept of open innovation (OI). Design/methodology/approach – The paper looks at different forms of OI, including suggestive/participative, suggestive/invitational, directed/invitational and directed/participative.Findings – The paper suggests that in choosing which approach to adopt it is important to first define your strategy and identify what you want to get out of OI. It also suggests that OI needs executive level commitment if it is to succeed, as this is generally the first and most important obstacle that companies face in trying to adopt it.Originality/value – The paper provides useful information on the concept of OI in corporate strategy.
Nanoparticles as delivery carriers for anticancer prodrugs

Introduction: Prodrugs are inactive compounds which are metabolized in the body to produce parent active agents. It has been shown that prodrugs hold some advantages over conventional drugs, such as increased solubility, improved permeability and bioavailability, reduced adverse effects and prolonged half-lives. Optimization of the vehicles used is very important in order to employ the advantages of prodrugs. Nanocarriers are currently being widely used as prodrug vehicles because of their ability to enhance storage stability, modulate prodrug release and tumor-targeted delivery and protect against enzymatic attack. This combined approach of prodrugs and nanoparticles has a particular attraction for developing anticancer therapies. Areas covered: This paper discusses liposomes, polymeric nanoparticles and lipid nanoparticles, which are all carriers commonly used for prodrug encapsulation. Macromolecular prodrugs can spontaneously form self-assembled nanoparticles with no intervention of other additives. This review also describes recent developments in prodrug delivery using nanoparticulate strategies. Pharmacokinetic, pharmacodynamic and cytotoxicity evaluations of anticancer prodrugs are systematically elucidated in this review. Expert opinion: More profiles involved in animal and clinical studies will encourage the future applicability of prodrug nanocarrier therapy. The possible toxicity associated with nanoparticles is a concern for development of prodrug delivery.
Labor Market Implications of State Small Group Health Insurance Reform

Small group health insurance reforms such as portability reform and premium rating reforms that limit the use of health status in setting premiums have been implemented in more than 40states. The author determines the impact of these reforms on employment outcomes of individuals with high expected health costs. The effects of these reforms are mixed—the effect of the reforms on small firm hiring and job mobility of costly subgroups is often statistically insignificant. There is some suggestive evidence that rating reforms increase job mobility for the sick. However, rating reforms may redistribute health insurance costs from the sick to the old and, as a result, reduce employment opportunities for the old. Portability reform that aims to reduce job-lock does have a positive effect on job mobility; however, on the whole, the results suggest that the effect of the full package of reforms on job mobility is likely to be small.
Bilateral Import Protection, Free Trade Agreements, and Other Factors Influencing Trade Flows in Agriculture and Clothing

Many factors shape the global network of bilateral trade including fundamental forces of supply and demand factors and government policies. This study uses the generalised gravity framework to distinguish among the different drivers that either deter or aid partner trade in land‐intensive agriculture and labour‐intensive clothing. The dataset used in the analysis includes bilateral trade among 70 countries in 1995, 2000 and 2005. Collectively, the 70 countries account for 85% of the world’s trade in agriculture and 96% of its GDP. Empirical results lend support to the Heckscher–Ohlin explanation of trade, namely that relative factor endowments motivate cross‐border trade. Results also show that tariffs are not always binding and bilateral free‐trade agreements more often divert rather than create trade.
Sonographically detected fetal and placental abnormalities associated with trisomy 16 confined to the placenta. A case report and review of the literature

Trisomy 16 is the most frequent autosomal anomaly seen in early spontaneous abortions, accounting for 15 per cent of all chromosomally abnormal early spontaneous abortions. This trisomy is thought to be lethal in the non‐mosaic state and incompatible with full fetal development. We report a case of placental trisomy 16 mosaicism detected after chorionic villus sampling (CVS). The patient was referred at 18 weeks of gestation on account of moderate intra‐uterine growth restriction (IUGR). Detailed sonography showed a thickened and enlarged placenta with multiple ‘cysts’, polyhydramnios, a single umbilical artery and a small ventricular septal defect (VSD). CVS, amniocentesis (AC) and fetal blood sampling (FBS) were performed. After direct preparation of chorionic villi only 47, XX,+16 cells were seen. However, chromosomal analysis of cultivated amniotic fluid cells and fetal lymphocytes only showed a normal karyotype 46, XX. After direct preparation of a second CVS at 19+4 weeks of gestation the karyotype 47, XX+16 was confirmed in the contralateral part of the placenta and near the insertion of the umbilical cord. A normal female karyotype 46, XX was demonstrated by extensive karyotyping of various sites of the placenta, the neonatal skin fibroblasts and lymphocytes postnatally. In accordance with this observation the multiple ‘cysts’ of the placenta disappeared in the third trimester. We speculate that the sonographic findings of multiple round placental ‘cysts’ without a hyperreflective border may be caused by the trisomic cell lineages and therefore may be a sonographic marker of trisomy 16. Copyright © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Unbiased quantitative proteomics of lipid rafts reveals high specificity for signaling factors

Membrane lipids were once thought to be homogenously distributed in the 2D surface of a membrane, but the lipid raft theory suggests that cholesterol and sphingolipids partition away from other membrane lipids. Lipid raft theory further implicates these cholesterol-rich domains in many processes such as signaling and vesicle traffic. However, direct characterization of rafts has been difficult, because they cannot be isolated in pure form. In the first functional proteomic analysis of rafts, we use quantitative high-resolution MS to specifically detect proteins depleted from rafts by cholesterol-disrupting drugs, resulting in a set of 241 authentic lipid raft components. We detect a large proportion of signaling molecules, highly enriched versus total membranes and detergent-resistant fractions, which thus far biochemically defined rafts. Our results provide the first large-scale and unbiased evidence, to our knowledge, for the connection of rafts with signaling and place limits on the fraction of plasma membrane composed by rafts.
On the synchronous activity induced by 4-aminopyridine in the CA3 subfield of juvenile rat hippocampus.

1. Extracellular field potential and intracellular recordings were made in the CA3 subfield of hippocampal slices obtained from 10- to 24-day-old rats during perfusion with artificial cerebrospinal fluid (ACSF) containing the convulsant 4-aminopyridine (4-AP, 50 microM). 2. Three types of spontaneous, synchronous activity were recorded in the presence of 4-AP by employing extracellular microelectrodes positioned in the CA3 stratum (s.) radiatum: first, inter-ictal-like discharges that lasted 0.2-1.2 s and had an occurrence rate of 0.3-1.3 Hz; second, ictal-like events (duration: 3-40 s) that occurred at 4-38 x 10(-3) Hz; and third, large-amplitude (up to 8 mV) negative-going potentials that preceded the onset of the ictal-like events and thus appeared to initiate them. 3. None of these synchronous activities was consistently modified by addition of antagonists of the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor to the ACSF. In contrast, the non-NMDA receptor antagonist 6-cyano-7-nitroquinoxaline-2,3-dione (CNQX, 2-10 microM) reversibly blocked interictal- and ictallike discharges. The only synchronous, spontaneous activity recorded in this type of medium consisted of the negative-going potentials that were abolished by the GABAA receptor antagonists bicuculline methiodide (5-20 microM) or picrotoxin (50 microM). Hence they were mediated through the activation of the GABAA receptor. 4. Profile analysis of the 4-AP-induced synchronous activity revealed that the gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)-mediated field potential had maximal negative amplitude in s. lacunosum-moleculare, attained equipotentiality at the border between s. radiatum and s. pyramidale, and became positive-going in s. oriens. These findings indicated that the GABA-mediated field potential presumably represented a depolarization occurring in the dendrites of CA3 pyramidal cells. 5. This conclusion was supported by intracellular analysis of the 4-AP-induced activity. The GABA-mediated potential was reflected by a depolarization of the membrane of CA3 pyramidal cells that triggered a few variable-amplitude, fractionated spikes or fast action potentials. By contrast, the ictal-like discharge was associated with a prolonged depolarization during which repetitive bursts of action potentials occurred. Short-lasting depolarizations with bursts of action potentials occurred during each interictal-like discharge. 6. The GABA-mediated potential recorded intracellularly in the presence of CNQX consisted of a prolonged depolarization (up to 12 s) that was still capable of triggering a few fast action potentials and/or fractionated spikes. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
Permanent Income, Current Income, and Consumption: Evidence From Two Panel Data Sets

In this paper, the author estimates Euler equations, i.e., the first order conditions of the consumers' maximization problem, using data from two data sets. Consumption data are taken from the Consumer Expenditure Survey. Income data are taken from the Panel Study of Income Dynamics. Since the data for the estimation come from two samples, the author uses a generalization of the instrumental variables estimator: two-sample instrumental variables estimator. She finds evidence that consumption is excessively sensitive to predictable income growth. The estimates of the coefficient of excess sensitivity for three consumption measures range from 0.2 to 0.5.
Bilateral trade: a study on SAARC countries

This research paper offers a selective survey of gravity equation in the International Trade. Gravity equation was first introduced in the Sixties as a purely empirical proposition to explain bilateral trade flow. The data was taken from the SAARC countries to evaluate the factors affecting the bilateral trade volume. The variables that impact on trade volume are studied in this thesis, as in : Transport Cost, Inflation, Exchange Rate, GDP, population, Tariff and distance by using multiple linear regressions. The results of transport cost, inflation, exchange rate, GDP and distance has the significant impact on the bilateral trade, whereas tariff and population have insignificant values.
Rural Livelihoods and Diversity in Developing Countries

Both livelihoods and diversity have become popular topics in development studies. The livelihood concept offers a more complete picture of the complexities of making a living in rural areas of low income countries than terms formerly considered adequate, such as subsistence, incomes, or employment. Diversity recognizes that people manage by doing many different things rather than just one or a few things. This book sets out the rural livelihoods approach within the larger context of past and current themes in rural development. It adopts diversity as its principal theme and explores the implications of diverse rural livelihoods for ideas about poverty, agriculture, environment, gender, and macroeconomic policy. It also considers appropriate methods for gaining quick and effective knowledge about the livelihoods of the rural poor for project and policy purposes.
Online Estimation of Implement Dynamics for Adaptive Steering Control of Farm Tractors

This paper presents a method to utilize a cascaded extended Kalman filter to estimate the slope of the dc gain Mdc of the steer angle to yaw rate transfer function with respect to the velocity of the tractor. The online estimate of the dc gain for different implements is used to compensate for changes in the yaw dynamics of the tractor implement cause by variations in the hitch loading. This is accomplished by using the online estimate of Mdc to modify the tractor controller gains based on a lookup table of predetermined values that are calculated from system identification tests for different implements. An online analysis of the data is used to determine if enough excitation in the yaw dynamics is available for estimation of the dc gain. The sensitivity of the controller to model simplifications, incorrect velocities, and Mdc estimate errors as well as the accuracy and rate of convergence of the estimated Mdc are also investigated. Experimental and simulation results are provided that show the validity of the Mdc estimate. Finally, experimental results show that the control performance is maintained in the presence of variation in hitch loading and tractor velocity using the adaptive control strategy based on the dc gain estimate for a given implementcondition.
Valuation using multiple price list formats

We examine the properties of a popular method for elicitation of valuations from experimental subjects, the multiple price list format. The main advantages of this format are that it is relatively transparent to subjects and provides simple incentives for truthful revelation. The main disadvantages are that it only elicits interval responses, and could be susceptible to framing effects. We consider extensions to address and evaluate these concerns in the context of eliciting willingness to pay for products. We find that the multiple price list can elicit relatively precise valuations for products, and that those valuations are robust to possible framing effects. It therefore offers an attractive procedure for eliciting valuations for goods. ☆All data, instructions and statistical results are stored in the ExLab Digital Library at http://exlab.bus. ucf.edu
Molecular Pathology of Genetic Epilepsies Associated with GABAA Receptor Subunit Mutations

Mutations in ligand-gated ion channel genes associated with idiopathic generalized epilepsies have been reported in excitatory acetylcholine receptor α4 and β2 subunit genes linked to autosomal dominant nocturnal frontal lobe epilepsy and in inhibitory GABAA receptor α1, β3, γ2, and δ subunit genes associated with childhood absence epilepsy, juvenile myoclonic epilepsy, pure febrile seizures, generalized epilepsy with febrile seizures plus, and generalized epilepsy with tonic–clonic seizures. Recent studies suggest that these mutations alter receptor function or biogenesis, including impaired receptor subunit messenger RNA stability, receptor sub-unit protein folding and stability, receptor assembly, and receptor trafficking.
DISAGGREGATED ANALYSIS OF FISH SUPPLY, DEMAND, AND TRADE IN ASIA: BASELINE MODEL AND ESTIMATION STRATEGY

ABSTRACT Quantitative modeling of fish supply, demand and trade is a useful tool for analyzing recent structural changes, such as the rapid development of aquaculture. Existing models are, however, limited by their use of highly aggregated fish categories and assumed (rather than estimated) elasticities. This paper outlines an estimation strategy and a multiproduct equilibrium model for disaggregated analysis of fish supply, demand, and trade. The model is composed of a producer, consumer and trade core, and is specified to accommodate special features of the fish sector. The estimation and modeling strategy also address common data problems, such as heterogeneity of fish types, diversity of production categories, and so forth. The model has been applied to nine major fish producers in developing Asia.
Epigenetic and Genetic Alterations of the EDNRB Gene in Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma

Background: Loss of heterozygosity (LOH) at 13q22 is a common event in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). EDNRB gene located at 13q22 has been demonstrated to be hypermethylated in some kinds of tumors. In the current study, we focused on the epigenetic and genetic alterations of EDNRB in NPC. Methods: The mRNA expression of EDNRB was detected by semiquantitative RT-PCR and real-time quantitative PCR in 49 NPC and 12 chronic nasopharyngitis biopsies. The methylation and LOH status of EDNRB were examined by methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction, microsatellite PCR and sequencing. We also examined the mRNA expression of EDNRB in four NPC cell lines after 5-aza-2′-deoxycytidine treatment. Results:EDNRB was downregulated in primary NPC tissues and NPC cell lines, and a relatively higher methylation level of EDNRB was found in NPC biopsies (84%) compared to that in chronic nasopharyngitis biopsies (42%). Treatment of NPC cell lines with 5-aza-2′-deoxycytidine activated EDNRB expression. LOH of EDNRB gene was also found at two microsatellite sites with ratios of 6.25 and 16.67% in NPC. Conclusion: Our results suggested that EDNRB expression may be affected by aberrant promoter methylation and gene deletion and may play a role in the development of NPC.