Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Improved Pulse Wave Velocity and Renal Function in Individualized Calcineurin Inhibitor Treatment by Immunomonitoring: The Randomized Controlled Calcineurin Inhibitor-Sparing Trial

Background A new immune monitoring tool which assesses the expression of nuclear factor of activated T cells (NFAT)-regulated genes measures the functional effects of cyclosporine A. This is the first prospective randomized controlled study to compare standard pharmacokinetic monitoring by cyclosporine trough levels to NFAT-regulated gene expression (NFAT-RE). Methods Expression of the NFAT-regulated genes was determined by qRT-PCR at cyclosporine trough and peak level. Cardiovascular risk was assessed by change of pulse wave velocity from baseline to month 6. Clinical follow-up was 12 months. Results In total, 55 stable kidney allograft recipients were enrolled. Mean baseline residual NFAT-RE was 13.1 ± 9.1%. Patients in the NFAT-RE group showed a significant decline in pulse wave velocity from baseline to month 6 versus the standard group (−1.7 ± 2.0 m/s vs 0.4 ± 1.4 m/s, P < 0.001). Infections occurred more often in the standard group compared with the immune monitoring group. No opportunistic infections occurred with NFAT-RE monitoring. At 12 months of follow-up, renal function was significantly better with NFAT-RE versus standard monitoring (Nankivell glomerular filtration rate: 68.5 ± 17.4 mL/min vs 57.2 ± 19.0 mL/min; P = 0.009). Conclusions NFAT-RE as translational immune monitoring tool proved efficacious and safe in individualizing cyclosporine therapy, with the opportunity to reduce the cardiovascular risk and improve long-term renal allograft function.
Angular-momentum-dependent splitting of light through metal nanohole

We numerically study the splitting of light beam which carries orbital angular momentum (OAM) through single metal nano-scale hole. A light beam carrying with OAM has a helical phase distribution in the transverse plane, where the electric field has the form: E(r,θ)=E0exp(lθ), and l is the topological charge which denotes the value of OAM. The circular polarization state is corresponding to the spin angular momentum (SAM), where s=+1 represents the left-handed polarization and s=-1 the right-handed polarization. Simulation results show l dependent splitting of beam through nano metal hole. When l is odd, the transmitted far field splits while no splitting happens when l is even. This phenomenon is attributed to the interaction between OAM beam and plasmonic mode of metal nano-hole. It is revealed that different OAM beam can excite different transverse mode in the metal cavity, which means the interaction should obey an OAM section rule. We show that even l can excite transverse mode with zero total AM and odd l can excite transverse mode with non-zero total AM within the hole. Orbital-spin conversion is also revealed in the free wave/plasmon interaction.
Joint tracking with event grouping and temporal constraints

Vision systems become more and more popular to be applied in monitoring tasks such as controlling traffic flows or for security issues. The analysis of target behavior is always based on its observed trajectory, which can be acquired by tracking approaches. Although the fashion of tracking-by-detection is favored by the research community, it still faces challenges like unexpected occlusion caused by background objects or other tracked targets, which can interfere the matching operation and result in tracking errors. In this paper, we propose a novel approach by aggregating prediction events within target groups and integrating a graph-modeling based stitching procedure to handle the above mentioned problems. The evaluation results on the UA-DETRAC benchmark demonstrated the state-of-the-art performance of our tracking approach.
A three-caller pipeline for variant analysis of cancer whole-exome sequencing data

Rapid advancements in next generation sequencing (NGS) technologies, coupled with the dramatic decrease in cost, have made NGS one of the leading approaches applied in cancer research. In addition, it is increasingly used in clinical practice for cancer diagnosis and treatment. Somatic (cancer-only) single nucleotide variants and small insertions and deletions (indels) are the simplest classes of mutation, however, their identification in whole exome sequencing data is complicated by germline polymorphisms, tumor heterogeneity and errors in sequencing and analysis. An increasing number of software and methodological guidelines are being published for the analysis of sequencing data. Usually, the algorithms of MuTect, VarScan and Genome Analysis Toolkit are applied to identify the variants. However, one of these algorithms alone results in incomplete genomic information. To address this issue, the present study developed a systematic pipeline for analyzing the whole exome sequencing data of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) using a combination of the three algorithms, named the three-caller pipeline. Application of the three-caller pipeline to the whole exome data of HCC, improved the detection of true positive mutations and a total of 75 tumor-specific somatic variants were identified. Functional enrichment analysis revealed the mutations in the genes encoding cell adhesion and regulation of Ras GTPase activity. This pipeline provides an effective approach to identify variants from NGS data for subsequent functional analyses.
Two New Metabolites from the Endophytic Fungus Alternaria sp. A744 Derived from Morinda officinalis

Two new compounds isobenzofuranone A (1) and indandione B (2), together with eleven known compounds (3–13) were isolated from liquid cultures of an endophytic fungus Alternaria sp. , which was obtained from the medicinal plant Morinda officinalis. Among them, the indandione (2) showed a rarely occurring indanone skeleton in natural products. Their structures were elucidated mainly on the basis of extensive spectroscopic data analysis. All of the compounds were evaluated with cytotoxic and α-glucosidase inhibitory activity assays. Compounds 11 and 12 showed significant inhibitory activities against four tumor cell lines; MCF-7, HepG-2, NCI-H460 and SF-268, with IC50 values in the range of 1.91–9.67 μM, and compounds 4, 5, 9, 10, 12 and 13 showed excellent inhibitory activities against α-glucosidase with IC50 values in the range of 12.05–166.13 μM.
Model of Cell Damage in Single Session Radiation Treatments Based on Continuous-Time Markov Chains

A new continuous-time statistical model for modelling the effect of radiotherapy treatment is proposed. In contrast with classical models, it takes in account heterogeneity of cell damage and repair. In this paper, a bi-scale continuous-time model is derived to describe tumor and normal tissue lifespans. We show that the cell lifespan can be described by a continuous-time Markov model. The tumor control probabilities and normal tissue complication probabilities are expressed. The model has been implemented into Matlab and numerical simulations have emphasised the effects of the model parameters on the model output.
Improved dynamic time warping algorithm with adaptive scaling for steel plate thickness matching

Steel plated rolling is an important part of steel production, which is composed of multiple processes. Effective matching, tracking and analysis of the plate thickness data is of great significance to the production efficiency and quality detection of steel plate. Aiming at the problem that the rolling speed and sampling frequency of each rolling process are dynamically changed, an improved Dynamic Time Warping (DTW) algorithm with adaptive scaling is proposed in this paper. This method calculates the relative offset and its direction of two non-equal length sequences by using the warping distance matrix, and then adaptive scaling is performed on the heads and ends of the sequences to find the best matching position of the query sequence. In addition, as the length of the steel plate data is too large, the method segments the long main sequence to perform adaptive scaling efficiently, which significantly reduces the time consumption. The simulation experiments on real industrial data showed that the proposed method could find the reasonable matching positions and effectively decrease the computing time complexity, which laid the foundation for the tracking and analysis work of the rolling process.
One-Pass Wavelet Synopses for Maximum-Error Metrics

We study the problem of computing wavelet-based synopses for massive data sets in static and streaming environments. A compact representation of a data set is obtained after a thresholding process is applied on the coefficients of its wavelet decomposition. Existing polynomial-time thresholding schemes that minimize maximum error metrics are disadvantaged by impracticable time and space complexities and are not applicable in a data stream context. This is a cardinal issue, as the problem at hand in its most practically interesting form involves the time-efficient approximation of huge amounts of data, potentially in a streaming environment. In this paper we fill this gap by developing efficient and practicable wavelet thresholding algorithms for maximum-error metrics, for both a static and a streaming case. Our algorithms achieve near-optimal accuracy and superior runtime performance, as our experiments show, under frugal space requirements in both contexts.
Towards Proximity Tracking and Sensemaking for Supporting Teamwork and Learning

A large number of learning tools offering some sort of personalisation features rely mainly on the analysis of logged interactions between students and particular user interfaces. Much less attention has been given to the analysis of physical aspects so often present in 'traditional' intellectual tasks, although these are both important in the full development of a life-long learner. This paper (1) discusses existing literature focused on supporting learning using proximity and location analytics and sensors, and, based on this, (2) illustrates the feasibility and potential of these analytics for teaching and learning through an study in the context of proximity and location analytics in a team-based health simulation classroom.
Mitigating malicious insider cyber threat

This paper examines malicious insider threat and explains the key differences from other types of insider threat and from external threat actors. A phase based “kill-chain” malicious insider threat model is developed and proposed to help inform selection of mitigation countermeasures which are complementary or incremental to a typically implemented traditional ISO 17799/27002 information security management system (ISMS). An analysis of best practice guidance is used to select appropriate countermeasures and strategic considerations for implementing an effective insider threat mitigation programme. Mitigating malicious insider cyber threat Jason Anthony Smith 2014
Release from prey preservation behavior via prey switch allowed diversification of cuticular hydrocarbon profiles in digger wasps

The cuticle of insects is covered by a layer of hydrocarbons (CHC), whose original function is the protection from desiccation and pathogens. However, in most insects CHC profiles are species specific. While this variability among species was largely linked to communication and recognition functions, additional selective forces may shape insect CHC profiles. Here, we show that in Philanthinae digger wasps (Crabronidae) the CHC profile coevolved with a peculiar brood‐care strategy. In particular, we found that the behavior to embalm prey stored in the nest with hydrocarbons is adaptive to protect larval food from fungi in those species hunting for Hymenoptera. The prey embalming secretion is identical in composition to the alkene‐dominated CHC profile in these species, suggesting that their profile is adaptively conserved for this purpose. In contrast, prey embalming is not required in those species that switched to Coleoptera as prey. Released from this chemical brood‐care strategy, Coleoptera‐hunting species considerably diversified their CHC profiles. Differential needs to successfully protect prey types used as larval food have thus driven the diversification of CHCs profiles of female Philanthinae wasps. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first evidence of a direct link between selection pressure for food preservation and CHC diversity.
SYNTHESIS OF LEAD FREE SODIUM BISMUTH TITANATE (NBT) CERAMIC BY CONVENTIONAL AND MICROWAVE SINTERING METHODS

Dielectric studies were carried out on a lead free Sodium Bismuth Titanate, NBT, (Na0.5Bi0.5TiO3) composition. The material was synthesized by conventional ceramic method (CS) and microwave sintering (MS). The presence of single phase has been confirmed by X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy of NBT ceramic. The later technique (MS) resulted in material with high density, dielectric properties and improved microstructure. The transition temperature was observed slightly higher for microwave sintered (MS) material. Longitudinal modulus measurements are very sensitive property to identify the phase transitions in ceramics. Longitudinal modulus (L) measurements were also employed on these samples in the frequency 136 kHz and can be studied in the wide temperature range 30°C to 400°C. The elastic behavior (L) showed a break at two temperatures (~200°C and 350°C) in both the conventional and microwave sintered ceramics. In NBT ceramics, permittivity anomalies are connected to modulus anomalies. The results are correlated with the dielectric measurements. This behavior explained in the light of structural phase transitions in the ferroelectric ceramics.
Kinetic Mechanism of Protein N-terminal Methyltransferase 1*

Background: Protein N-terminal methyltransferases (NTMTs) methylate protein N-terminal α-amines. Results: Inhibition pattern and methylation progress analyses were performed to determine the kinetic mechanism and processivity of NTMT1. Conclusion: NTMT1 utilizes a random sequential Bi Bi mechanism and proceeds in a distributive manner. Significance: This information provides a rational basis for developing specific inhibitors targeting NTMT1. The protein N-terminal methyltransferase 1 (NTMT1) catalyzes the transfer of the methyl group from the S-adenosyl-l-methionine to the protein α-amine, resulting in formation of S-adenosyl-l-homocysteine and α-N-methylated proteins. NTMT1 is an interesting potential anticancer target because it is overexpressed in gastrointestinal cancers and plays an important role in cell mitosis. To gain insight into the biochemical mechanism of NTMT1, we have characterized the kinetic mechanism of recombinant NTMT1 using a fluorescence assay and mass spectrometry. The results of initial velocity, product, and dead-end inhibition studies indicate that methylation by NTMT1 proceeds via a random sequential Bi Bi mechanism. In addition, our processivity studies demonstrate that NTMT1 proceeds via a distributive mechanism for multiple methylations. Together, our studies provide new knowledge about the kinetic mechanism of NTMT1 and lay the foundation for the development of mechanism-based inhibitors.
Report of rpoB mutation in clinically suspected cases of drug resistant leprosy: a study from Eastern India.

BACKGROUND The current strategy for leprosy control depends mainly on early case detection and providing the recommended multidrug therapy (MDT) dosage. Understanding the molecular mechanisms of drug resistance to each of these drugs is essential in providing effective treatment and preventing the spread of resistant strains in the community. The progress of molecular biology research provides a very efficient opportunity for the diagnosis of drug resistance by in vitro method. AIM We aimed to investigate the point mutations within the rpoB gene region of the Mycobacterium leprae genome, which are responsible for resistance to rifampicin, in order to determine the emergence of drug resistance in leprosy in the Kolkata region of West Bengal. METHODS A total of 50 patients with a relapse of leprosy were enrolled in the study. Skin smears were obtained for estimation of bacillary index and biopsies were obtained in 70% alcohol for extraction of DNA. The extracted DNA was amplified by M. leprae-polymerase chain reaction (PCR) targeting rpoB gene region. Every single nucleotide base in the sequence is aligned to reference sequence and identity gaps were determined by NCBI - BLAST. Later in-silico analysis was done to identify the changes in the translated protein sequences. RESULTS A mutation at the base pair position 2275405 where G is replaced by C in the M. leprae genome, which corresponds to the coding region of rpoB gene (279 bp - 2275228 to2275506), was observed in two patients. This missense mutation in CAC codon brings about a glutamic acid to histidine change in the amino acid sequence of RNA polymerase beta subunit at the position 442 (Glu442His), a region specific for rifampicin interaction, which might be responsible for unresponsiveness to rifampicin by manifesting a stable bacteriological index in these 2 patients even after completion of 24 months of multibacillary multi-drug therapy (MB-MDT). LIMITATIONS The major limitations of multiple-primer PCR amplification refractory mutation system (MARS) assay is that it capable of detecting mutation at codon 425 and cannot distinguish any silent amino acid changes. CONCLUSION The study indicates the existence of rifampicin drug resistance in Eastern India.
Patient Reported Outcomes After Radiation Therapy for Bone Metastases as a Function of Age: A Secondary Analysis of the NCIC CTG SC—Twenty-Three Randomized Trial

Purpose: To explore the age difference in response and patient-reported outcomes in patients with cancer having bone metastases undergoing palliative radiotherapy. Methods: Patients completed the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) Quality-of-Life (QOL) Bone Metastases module (QLQ-BM22), EORTC QOL Core-15-Palliative (QLQ-C15-PAL), and Dexamethasone Symptom Questionnaire (DSQ) before a single 8-Gy radiation treatment, on days 10 and 42 after treatment. Patient demographics, performance status, analgesic consumption, BM22, C15, and DSQ were compared with multivariant analysis between patients under 75 years and 75 years and older. Multiple linear regression models were used to assess the differences between age-groups, adjusting for baseline demographics and primary disease sites. Results: There were 298 patients (170 male) with 209 (70%) less than 75 years of age. Most common primary cancer sites include lung, prostate, and breast. At baseline, younger patients had better performance status, consumed more analgesic, and reported worse scores in nausea, insomnia, and functional interference, while older patients more commonly had prostate cancer. There were no significant differences in the incidence of radiation-induced pain flare; response to radiation; changes from baseline for BM22, C15-PAL; and DSQ, nor overall survival at day 42 between the 2 groups. Responders to radiation in the elderly group reported better improvement in physical and emotional domains when compared with nonresponders. Conclusions: In patients with cancer having bone metastases undergoing palliative radiotherapy, there was no significant difference in general with age in response to radiation and patient-reported outcomes. Palliative radiotherapy should be offered to elderly patients when needed.
Study on the location of building evacuation indicators based on eye tracking

Evacuation indicator is an important factor affecting evacuation efficiency during emergency evacuation. In order to study the relationship between the distribution of human's points of regard and evacuation indicators during building evacuation, this paper carried out two groups of building emergency evacuation experiments, to get the data of human's points of regard, one of the experimenters was selected to put on eye tracker during the experiment. This paper presents a method to preprocess the data of eye tracker and further analyzes the pretreatment results. The results show that evacuation indicators in different areas are suitable for different placement, which based on the position distribution of human's points of regard. For example, evacuation indicators in the corridor are suitable for higher placement, and evacuation indicators in the staircase are suitable for lower placement.
Comparison of the Nodal Integral Method and Nonstandard Finite-Difference Schemes for the Fisher Equation

The relationship between the so-called nonstandard finite-difference schemes and the nodal integral method (NIM) is investigated using the Fisher equation as a model problem. Exact and best finite-difference schemes are reviewed first. Next, the NIM for the Fisher equation is developed. It is shown that the NIM leads to a nonstandard evaluation of the derivatives. Moreover, the resulting scheme possesses the desirable characteristics of the nonstandard finite difference schemes, such as the nonlocal evaluation of the nonlinear terms. Thus, the NIM provides a systematic framework to obtain schemes similar to the best finite-difference schemes. Numerical results for a propagating front problem show that the NIM can capture the shape and speed of the front very accurately. Results also show that the best finite-difference scheme is stable for large grid sizes but only at the cost of inaccuracy in the front propagation speed. Additional results are obtained using the NIM for symmetric and asymmetric initial conditions. These describe the interaction of two fronts of advantageous genes that approach each other and merge. It is noted that the traveling fronts evolving from certain asymmetric initial conditions become indistinguishable from those that evolve from symmetric initial conditions.
Evaluation of Compatibility between Sugarcane Straw Particles and Portland Cement

Brazilian agro industries generate several types of crop residues and most of them show interesting properties for cement composite production. Among these residues, actually sugarcane straw particles (SCSP) are available in a great amount as a by-product of the sugarcane industries. However, residual sugar and other chemical products remain in the materials structure. In the most of the cases, these compounds inhibit cement setting. The aim of this research work was to evaluate, by means the hydration curve methodology, the performance of several treatments applied to the SCSP. Results indicated that mineralization was the most effective treatment and allows appropriate cement setting for the composite. SCSP treated by soaking in sodium silicate solution at 4%, followed by a second soaking in aluminum sulfate at 10%, showed an appropriate cement setting. Keywords: cement composite, hydration curve, chemical treatment, mineralization, agricultural waste
Development of a High-Throughput Immunoassay for Rapid Detection of Multiple Antibiotic Residues in Cosmetics

Antibiotic residues in cosmetics can cause seriously healthy problems such as sensitization, systemic toxicity, or even death. The developments of rapid methods for multiple antibiotics detection are needed to conveniently detect out the illegal additives. In this study, a simple, cost-effective and time-saving immunoassay, multi-analyte dot enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (Multi-Dot-ELISA), for the simultaneous detection of three most common abused antibiotics (CPFX, TC, and SMD) was successfully designed and developed. Based on the competitive Multi-Dot-ELISA, real samples from 5 of 15 (33%) commercial cosmetic products were found CPFX and SMD additives which are banned in China. We demonstrate that this rapid and low-cost platform is a promising tool in human health protection.