Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Teratomas from pluripotent stem cells: A clinical hurdle

Although basic research on human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) at the laboratory bench has progressed with enviable speed there has been little head way in terms of its clinical application. A look at the Internet however shows several stem cell clinics worldwide offering direct transplantation of undifferentiated hESCs to patients for the cure of a variety of diseases before bona fide evidence‐based results can be demonstrated from large controlled studies. This raises concern because reliable protocols have to be first developed to resolve the three major hurdles delaying clinical trials such as inadequate cell numbers, immunorejection and tumorigenesis. Cell expansion methods using bioreactors, rotary culture and mitotic agents have now been developed to generate stem cell derivatives in large numbers. The problem of immunorejection can now be overcome with the development of indirect and direct reprogramming protocols to personalize tissues to patients (human induced pluripotent stem cells, hiPSCs; nuclear transfer stem cells, NTSCs; induced neuronal cells, iN). However, hESC, hiPSC, and NTSCs being pluripotent have the disadvantage of teratoma formation in vivo which has to be carefully addressed so as to provide safe stem cell based therapies to the patient. This review addresses the issue of tumorigenesis and discusses approaches by which this concern may be overcome and at the same time emphasizes the need to concurrently explore alternative stem cell sources that do not confer the disadvantages of pluripotency but are widely multipotent so as to yield safe desirable tissues for clinical application as soon as possible. J. Cell. Biochem. 111: 769–781, 2010. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
N-[2,6-Bis(1-methylethyl)phenyl]pyridine-4-carboxamide

In the title compound, C18H22N2O, the dihedral angle between the benzene ring and the pyridine ring is 80.0 (1)°. In the crystal, N—H⋯O hydrogen bonds connect the molecules into chains along the b axis. The packing also features C—H⋯O and C—H⋯N hydrogen bonds and C—H⋯π interactions, one directed to the benzene ring and the other to the center of the pyridine ring.
Offshoring of services as a competitive strategy in the tourism industry

The offshoring of services has steadily expanded in recent years and acquired growing importance in certain tourism subsectors. The present study analyses for the first time the offshoring indices and the trend seen in tourism services, based on input–output data (Spanish National Accounts) during the 2000–2007 expansive period. A distinction is made between offshoring associated with international fragmentation of production and offshoring due to a shift from domestic to foreign suppliers. The results point to a relocation of intermediate services to foreign countries in certain tourism subsectors (including travel agencies and air and maritime transport), involving both the international fragmentation of production and a substitution of the source of supply.
Evaluation of anticarcinogenic effects of Clerodendron inerme on 7,12-dimethylbenz(a) anthracene-induced hamster buccal pouch carcinogenesis.

INTRODUCTION Oral cancer is the fifth most frequent cancer worldwide and India has recorded the highest incidence (40-50 percent) of oral malignancy. Clerodendron inerme is used by Indian traditional practitioners for the treatment of various ailments, including cancer. Our aim was to investigate the chemopreventive potential of the aqueous leaf extract of Clerodendron inerme (CiAet) in 7,12-dimethylbenz(a) anthracene (DMBA)-induced hamster buccal pouch carcinogenesis. METHODS We developed oral squamous cell carcinoma in the buccal pouch of male Syrian golden hamsters by painting them with 0.5% DMBA in liquid paraffin thrice a week for 14 weeks. The tumour incidence, tumour volume and tumour burden that were formed in the hamster buccal pouches were determined. RESULTS Oral administration of CiAet at a dose of 500 mg/kg body weight to DMBA-painted animals on days alternate to DMBA painting for 14 weeks significantly prevented the tumour incidence, tumour volume and tumour burden. CiAet also exerts potent antilipidperoxidative effect and improved the antioxidant defence system in DMBA-painted animals. The chemopreventive efficacy of CiAet was evident by inhibition of tumour formation (80%) in DMBA-painted animals. CONCLUSION The chemopreventive potential of CiAet is probably due to its antilipidperoxidative effect or the presence of some potent bioactive chemopreventive principles in the leaves of Clerodendron inerme.
Characterization of ubiquitin and ubiquitin-like-protein isopeptidase activities

Conjugation or deconjugation of ubiquitin (Ub) or ubiquitin‐like proteins (UBLs) to or from cellular proteins is a multifaceted and universal means of regulating cellular physiology, controlling the lifetime, localization, and activity of many critical proteins. Deconjugation of Ub or UBL from proteins is performed by a class of proteases called isopeptidases. Herein is described a readily quantifiable novel isopeptidase assay platform consisting of Ub or UBL fused to the reporter enzyme phospholipase A2 (PLA2). Isopeptidase activity releases PLA2, which cleaves its substrate, generating a signal that is linear with deubiquitylase (DUB) concentration and is able to discriminate DUB, deSUMOylase, deNEDDylase, and deISGylase activities. The power and sensitivity of the UBL‐PLA2 assay are demonstrated by its ability to differentiate the contrasting deISGylase and DUB activities of two coronavirus proteases: severe acute respiratory syndrome papain‐like protease (SARS‐CoV PLpro) and NL63 CoV papain‐like protease 2 (PLP2). Furthermore, direct comparisons with the current Ub‐7‐amino‐4‐methylcoumarin (Ub‐AMC) assay demonstrated that the Ub‐PLA2 assay is an effective tool for characterizing modulators of isopeptidase activity. This observation was expanded by profiling the inhibitory activity of the nonselective isopeptidase inhibitor NSC 632839 against DUBs and deSUMOylases. Taken together, these studies illustrate the utility of the reporter‐based approach to measuring isopeptidase activity.
Malnutrition in end stage liver disease: Recommendations and nutritional support

Malnutrition has increasingly been acknowledged as an important prognostic factor which can influence the clinical outcome of patients suffering from end‐stage liver disease (ESLD). Despite the fact that malnutrition is not included in the Child–Pugh classification, its presence should alert clinicians to the same extent as do other complications, such as ascites and hepatic encephalopathy. The pathophysiological mechanisms and the clinical conditions that drive cirrhotic patients to an ill‐balanced metabolic state are multiple and they intertwine. Inadequate offer of nutrients, the hypermetabolic state in cirrhosis, the diminished synthetic capacity of the liver and the impaired absorption of nutrients are the main reasons that disrupt the metabolic balance in ESLD. Identifying patients that are approaching the state of malnutrition by simple and easily applied methods is necessary in order to provide nutritional support to those that need it most. According to the European Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism, simple bedside methods such as Subjective Global Assessment and anthropometric parameters are reliable in assessing the nutritional state of cirrhotic patients. Correcting the nutrient deficit of the affected patients is mandatory. Avoidance of alcohol and excess fat and ingestion of 4–6 meals/day containing carbohydrates and protein are the most common recommendations. In severe malnutrition, initiation of enteral feeding and/or use of special formulae such as branched‐chain amino acid‐enriched nutrient mixtures are often recommended. Enteral nutrition improves nutritional status and liver function, reduces complications, prolongs survival and is therefore indicated.
OWC wave power plants capture chamber modelling

The European Union is promoting the use of renewable energies as a path to fight global warming. Among them are diverse ocean energies and in particular, Oscillating Water Column (OWC)-based wave energy stands as one of the most promising technologies. An OWC device is basically composed by a capture chamber with a turbo-generator module attached to it. Although the study of the induction power module can be considered a well-known matter, the control-oriented modelling of the capture chamber composes still an open issue. In this work, an analytical model of the OWC chamber is developed and numerically implemented. The proposed model is then successfully tested and validated by means of experimental results for the particular case of Mutriku OWC wave power plant, affording excellent results.
Smartphone-Enabled Health Coach Intervention for People With Diabetes From a Modest Socioeconomic Strata Community: Single-Arm Longitudinal Feasibility Study

Background Lower socioeconomic strata (SES) populations have higher chronic disease risks. Smartphone-based interventions can support adoption of health behaviors that may, in turn, reduce the risks of type 2 diabetes-related complications, overcoming the obstacles that some patients may have with regular clinical contact (eg, shiftwork, travel difficulties, miscommunication). Objective The intent of the study was to develop and test a smartphone-assisted intervention that improves behavioral management of type 2 diabetes in an ethnically diverse, lower SES population within an urban community health setting. Methods This single-arm pilot study assessed a smartphone application developed with investigator assistance and delivered by health coaches. Participants were recruited from the Black Creek Community Health Centre in Toronto and had minimal prior experience with smartphones. Results A total of 21 subjects consented and 19 participants completed the 6-month trial; 12 had baseline glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) levels >7.0% and these subjects demonstrated a mean reduction of 0.43% (SD 0.63) (P<.05) with minimal changes in medication. Conclusions This project supported the feasibility of smartphone-based health coaching for individuals from lower SES with minimal prior smartphone experience.
The Effects of Sequence Length, Tree Topology, and Number of Taxa on the Performance of Phylogenetic Methods

Simulations were used to study the performance of several character-based and distance-based phylogenetic methods in obtaining the correct tree from pseudo-randomly generated input data. The study included all the topologies of unrooted binary trees with from 4 to 10 pendant vertices (taxa) inclusive. The length of the character sequences used ranged from 10 to 10(5) characters exponentially. The methods studied include Closest Tree, Compatibility, Li's method, Maximum Parsimony, Neighbor-joining, Neighborliness, and UPGMA. We also provide a modification to Li's method (SimpLi) which is consistent with additive data. We give estimations of the sequence lengths required for given confidence in the output of these methods under the assumptions of molecular evolution used in this study. A notation for characterizing all tree topologies is described. We show that when the number of taxa, the maximum path length, and the minimum edge length are held constant, there it little but significant dependence of the performance of the methods on the tree topology. We show that those methods that are consistent with the model used perform similarly, whereas the inconsistent methods, UPGMA and Li's method, perform very poorly.
Frequency Switchable Printed Yagi-Uda Dipole Sub-Array for Base Station Antennas

A frequency switchable printed Yagi-Uda dipole sub-array is proposed as an array element for base station antennas. The sub-array consists of four Yagi-Uda dipole elements loaded with PIN diodes. The electrical lengths of the director and driven dipole elements can be changed by controlling the PIN diodes states so that the sub-array can operate in two different frequency bands. The impedance bandwidth (|S11|≤ -10dB) is measured to be 4.9% and 12.9% in the lower (from 2.39 to 2.51 GHz) and higher band (from 3.18 to 3.62 GHz), respectively. The measured gain of the sub-array is 9.2 and 11.9 dBi at 2.44 and 3.4 GHz, respectively. The end-fire fan-beam pattern is obtained across the two operation bands, which makes the antenna element suitable for base station application with frequency reconfigurablity.
Moringa oleifera-based diet protects against nickel-induced hepatotoxicity in rats

Multiple health-promoting effects have been attributed to the consumption of Moringa oleifera leaves, as part of diet without adequate scientific credence. This study evaluated the effect of M. oleifera-based diets on nickel (Ni) - induced hepatotoxicity in rats. Male rats assigned into six groups were given oral administration of 20 mg/kg body weight nickel sulfate in normal saline and either fed normal diet orM. oleifera-based diets for 21 days. All animals were sacrificed under anesthesia 24 hours after the last treatment. Ni exposure elevated the rat plasma activities of alanine transaminase, aspartate transaminase and alkaline phosphatase significantly. Ni exposure also raised the levels of triglyceride, total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol while depleting the high-density lipoprotein cholesterol concentration. Further, Ni exposure raised rat plasma malondialdehyde but depleted reduced glutathione concentrations. The histopathological presentations revealed inflammation and cellular degeneration caused by Ni exposure. We show evidence thatM. oleifera-based diets protected against Ni-induced hepatotoxicity by improving the rat liver function indices, lipid profile as well as restoring cellular architecture and integrity. Study lends credence to the health-promoting value ofM. oleifera as well as underscores its potential to attenuate hepatic injury.
The selective permeability barrier in the nuclear pore complex

ABSTRACT The nuclear pore complex (NPC) mediates the shuttle transport of macromolecules between the nucleus and cytoplasm in eukaryotic cells. The permeability barrier formed by intrinsically disordered phenylalanine-glycine-rich nucleoporins (FG-Nups) in the NPC functions as the critical selective control for nucleocytoplasmic transport. Signal-independent small molecules (< 40 kDa) passively diffuse through the pore, but passage of large cargo molecules is inhibited unless they are chaperoned by nuclear transport receptors (NTRs). NTRs are capable of interacting with FG-Nups and guide the cargos to cross the barrier by facilitated diffusion. The native conformation of the FG-Nups permeability barrier and the competition among multiple NTRs interacting with this barrier in the native NPCs are the 2 core questions still being highly debated in the field. Recently, we applied high-speed super-resolution fluorescence microscopy to map out the natural structure of the FG-Nups barrier and determined the competition among multiple NTRs as they interact with the barrier in the native NPCs. In this extra-view article, we will review the current understanding in the configuration and function of FG-Nups barrier and highlight the new evidence obtained recently to answer the core questions in nucleocytoplasmic transport.
Sub-manifold distance based object recognition in clutter

Object recognition is challenging problem in computer vision due to appearance variation and presence of visual clutter and occlusions. Recently manifolds are thought to be fundamental for visual perception, and manifold learning algorithms are developed for discovering intrinsical features. Selective visual attention mechanism provides tools to reduce computation cost and avoid the influence of clutter background. In this paper, we described a new object recognition method, the submanifold distance (SMD) algorithm, which is induced by the visual attention mechanism to provide complex object recognition. Experiments with airport remote sensing images illustrated that our proposed algorithm can recognize complex objects accurately, robustly and quickly.
Novel half mode substrate integrated waveguide power amplifier

In this paper, a novel half mode substrate integrated waveguide (HMSIW) 10W power amplifier (PA) designed with HMSIW matching network (MN) is presented for the first time. The HMSIW-based matching network (MN) is designed with microstrip-to-HMSIW transition and an inductive metalized post in HMSIW. The impedance matching for the fundamental frequency 2.14 GHz is realized by moving the position of the inductive metalized post in the HMSIW. Both the input and output MNs are designed with the proposed HMSIW-based MN concept. One HMSIW-based 10W PA using GaN HEMT at 2.14 GHz is designed, fabricated, and measured. The proposed HMSIW-based PA can be easily connected with any microstrip or SIW-based circuit. Measured results show that the maximum power added efficiency (PAE) is 72.2 % with 40.7 dBm output power and the maximum gain is 20.1 dB. At the design frequency of 2.14 GHz, the size of the proposed HMSIW-based PA is comparable with other microstrip-based PAs.
Mediating the Landing of a Commercial Aircraft at Waterkloof Air Force Base

Abstract The debate on Africanising media theories has been broadly framed through the bifocal prism of postmodernism and postcolonialism. While the postmodernists argue that there is no single framework for studying the media in a pluralised world, the postcolonialists contend media theories inspired by the lived realities of the Anglo-American sphere are not suited to the African context. This paper contributes to this debate by replicating an Anglo-American media theory in the South African context. The paper tests Entman’s cascading activation thesis through an analysis of inter-elite contestations in the South African media. The paper examines the inter-elite struggle over the framing of the landing of a commercial aircraft at Waterkloof Air Force Base in four South African newspapers and news sites (City Press, Independent Online, Mail & Guardian and TimesLIVE [N = 75]). Using framing analysis, the paper examines the framing challenge mounted by the Gupta family against the ANC-led government over the narrative of the landing of a commercial aircraft at Waterkloof Air Force Base in the four news sources. The paper identifies two dominant framings of the incident, Waterkloofgate and Guptagate, depicting the two narratives promoted by the ANC-led government on the one hand and the Guptas on the other hand.
A Review of Waste Management Decision Support Tools and Their Ability to Assess Circular Biowaste Management Systems

The circular economy concept offers a number of solutions to increasing amounts of biowaste and resource scarcity by valorising biowaste. However, it is necessary to consistently address the environmental benefits and impacts of circular biowaste management systems (CBWMS). Various decision support tools (DST) for environmental assessment of waste management systems (WMS) exist. This study provides a review of life cycle assessment based WMS-DSTs. Twenty-five WMS-DSTs were identified and analysed through a shortlisting procedure. Eight tools were shortlisted for the assessment of their applicability to deliver sustainability assessment of CBWMS. It was found that six tools model key properties that are necessary for assessing the environmental sustainability of CBWMSs, including waste-specific modelling of gaseous emissions, biogas generation or bioproduct composition. However, only two tools consider both waste-specific heavy metals content in bioproducts and the associated implications when applied on soil. Most of the shortlisted tools are flexible to simulate new technologies involved in CBWMS. Nevertheless, only two tools allow importing directly new background data, which is important when modelling substitution of new bioproducts developed in emerging biowaste refineries.
An examination of the number of required apertures for step-and-shoot IMRT

We have examined the degree to which step-and-shoot IMRT treatment plans can be simplified (using a small number of apertures) without sacrificing the dosimetric quality of the plans. A key element of this study was the use of direct aperture optimization (DAO), an inverse planning technique where all of the multi-leaf collimator constraints are incorporated into the optimization. For seven cases (1 phantom, 1 prostate, 3 head-and-neck and 2 lung), DAO was used to perform a series of optimizations where the number of apertures per beam direction varied from 1 to 15. In this work, we attempt to provide general guidelines for how many apertures per beam direction are sufficient for various clinical cases using DAO. Analysis of the optimized treatment plans reveals that for most cases, only modest improvements in the objective function and the corresponding DVHs are seen beyond 5 apertures per beam direction. However, for more complex cases, some dosimetric gain can be achieved by increasing the number of apertures per beam direction beyond 5. Even in these cases, however, only modest improvements are observed beyond 9 apertures per beam direction. In our clinical experience, 38 out of the first 40 patients treated using IMRT plans produced using DAO were treated with 9 or fewer apertures per beam direction. The results indicate that many step-and-shoot IMRT treatment plans delivered today are more complex than necessary and can be simplified without sacrificing plan quality.
MODELING THE DYNAMICS OF INTERNATIONAL AGRICULTURAL COMMODITY PRICES: A COMPARISON OF GARCH AND STOCHASTIC VOLATILITY MODELS

In this study, we employ generalized autoregressive conditional heteroscedastic (GARCH) and stochastic volatility models to investigate the dynamics of wheat, corn, and soybean prices. We find that the stochastic volatility model provides the highest persistence of the volatility estimation in all cases. In addition, based on the monthly data, we find that the jump process and asymmetric effect do not exist in agricultural commodity prices. Finally, by estimating Value at risk (VaR) for these agricultural commodities, we find that the upsurge in agricultural prices in 2008 may have been caused by financialization.
Recommendation System in E-Commerce Websites: A Graph Based Approached

This paper is regarding the lack of semantic factor in recommendation systems and describes the different recommendation techniques that are being employed in the current e-commerce website. Recommendation system can be broadly classified into three categories: content-based, collaborative, and hybrid recommendation approaches. Content based systems consider the properties of the items to be recommended. For instance, if a Amazon user has purchased many romantic novels, then content based recommendation system recommends novels in the database as having the "romantic" genre. Collaborative filtering systems recommend items based on similarity measures between like minded users and/or items. The items recommended to a user are those preferred by similar users. This paper also emphasizes the need for semantics in current recommendation system to recommend products accurately. This also describes various limitations that are present in the current recommendation methods and suggests possible solutions that can improve current recommendation system used in e-commerce websites. It also includes a survey on popular e-commerce websites such as Amazon, Ebay, Flipkart Snapdeal and Paytm by rating them on different parameters and doing their comparative analyses This paper also focuses on how graph algorithm can be used to improve recommendation in ecommerce websites. The proposed system compares flickr.com recommendation of images with the proposed method. The method incorporates semantic recommendation using overlap technique based in graph.