Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
TUBB3 overexpression has a negligible effect on the sensitivity to taxol in cultured cell lines

Microtubules are cellular targets for a variety of anticancer therapies because of their critical function in mitosis. Taxol belongs to a class of microtubule targeting agents that suppresses microtubule dynamics and interferes with the functioning of the mitotic spindle, thereby effectively blocking cell cycle progression of rapidly proliferating tumor cells. Despite its antitumor activity, drug resistance remains a common obstacle in improving its overall clinical efficacy. Previous studies have shown that the expression of a specific β-tubulin isotype, βIII-tubulin/TUBB3, is dysregulated in drug-refractory tumors. However, whether enhanced TUBB3 expression is directly involved in promoting taxol resistance remains a subject of debate. Here, we have used several approaches to assess the functional relation of TUBB3 overexpression and taxol resistance. First, we generated a number of taxol-resistant cell lines, to find that TUBB3 expression was elevated in a resistant cell line (RPE-20) derived from untransformed retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells, but the abundance of TUBB3 remained unchanged in four other cell lines after taxol treatment. However, although RPE-20 cells displayed enhanced TUBB3 levels, we find that simultaneous up-regulation of the P-glycoprotein (P-gP) drug-efflux pump is responsible for the resistance to taxol. Indeed, we could show that TUBB3 levels were dynamically regulated upon taxol exposure and withdrawal, unrelated to the resistance phenotype. Next, we generated cell lines in which we could induce robust overexpression of TUBB3 from its endogenous locus employing the CRISPRa system. We demonstrate that solely enhancing TUBB3 expression results in a very minor decrease in the sensitivity to taxol. This was further substantiated by selective depletion of TUBB3 in a series of breast cancer cell lines expressing high levels of TUBB3. We find that TUBB3 depletion had a minimal effect on the sensitivity to taxol in one of these cell lines, but had no effect in all of the others. Based on these findings we propose that TUBB3 overexpression can only marginally affect the sensitivity to taxol in cultured cell lines.
Matching pursuit based decision-feedback equalizers

In this paper, equalization of channels with large delay spread but with few nonzero taps, such as those encountered in HDTV, are considered. Exploiting the sparse nature of the channel impulse response, we propose a decision feedback equalizer (DFE) which is based on a channel estimate obtained via a matching pursuit (MP) algorithm rather than the standard least squares (LS) channel estimate. It is shown that equalizers so designed result in a large performance gain. It is also shown that while truncation of the LS channel estimate to give a sparse channel estimate leads to some performance improvement, it falls well short of the MP-based DFE. In addition, an adaptive scheme which is intermediate in complexity between the LMS and RLS is presented for updating the sparse channel estimate in a time-varying environment. This adaptive algorithm outperforms the LMS.
New Strategies to Control Vascular Catheter-Related Bloodstream Infection with Emphasis on Neonatal Intensive Care Unit

The infection associated with the use of intravascular devices represents from 10 to 20% of the total nosocomial infections and is one of the most frequent causes of morbidity and mortality, which represents a source of bacteremia and sepsis in hospitalized patients and increases the costs of hospital admission and the time of hospital stay. In Neonatal Intensive Care Units the rate of infection is inversely proportional to the newborn birth weight. Approximately 20% of the premature neonates with very low birth weight (less than 1,500g) experience a systemic infection during their stay in hospital. The aim of this paper was to review the several aspects of catheter-related bloodstream infections as to pathogenesis, etiology, diagnosis and new prevention strategies based on the knowledge of mechanisms of bacterial adhesion and biofilm formation. A new way to prevent the colonization of catheters and reduce infections related to these devices is to interfere with this cell-cell communication that gives microorganisms the capacity of organizing themselves in complex biofilms that protect them from the host immune system and provide more resistance to antimicrobials.
Traffic Safety in Jordan: Magnitude, Cost and Potential Countermeasures

Accident statistics show a relatively low level of traffic safety in Jordan compared to developed countries producing large socio-economic losses. The number of accidents has increased five old-fold between 1995 and 2009 reaching 122,793 in 2009 with an estimated cost of JOD 336 million ( equivalent to about $504 million). This study investigates the present and future magnitude of road traffic accidents in Jordan in order to provide a better understanding of the road safety trauma and assist strategic planning and optional allocation of resources. Potential countermeasures are identified and evaluated by examining the attitudes of road users toward the effectiveness and favorability of these measures. 
Artisanal Vlasina Raw Goat's Milk Cheese: Evaluation and Selection of Autochthonous Lactic Acid Bacteria as Starter Cultures

Summary The aim of this study is the isolation, characterization and identification of autochthonous lactic acid bacteria (LAB) from artisanal Vlasina raw goat's milk cheese for the selection of potential starter cultures. Soft white Vlasina cheese was manufactured at a household on the Stara Planina Mountain using traditional techniques without starter cultures. One hundred and forty nine LAB isolates were collected from two samples of Vlasina cheese, designated as BGVL2 (5 days old) and BGVL2a (15 days old). The population of LAB in the cheese samples was characterized by phenotype-based assays and presumptively identified using repetitive element palindromic polymerase chain reaction (rep-PCR) with the primer (GTG)5. Results were confirmed by 16S rDNA sequencing. Among the BGVL2 isolates (56), the most numerous LAB species were Leuconostoc pseudomesenteroides (27) and Lactococcus lactis (26). In 15-day-old BGVL2a (93 isolates), Lactobacillus plantarum (33), Enterococcus durans (26) and Pediococcus pentosaceus (14) were predominant. Lc. lactis ssp. lactis BGVL2-8 showed good acidification ability and the ability to produce antimicrobial compounds, Lb. plantarum BGVL2a-18 had good proteolytic ability and produced exopolysaccharides, while BGVL2-29 and BGVL2-63, which belonged to the species Ln. pseudomesenteroides, utilized citrate and produced diacetyl and acetoin. They appeared to be suitable candidates for inclusion in the starter culture. This study contributed to the understanding of the role of autochthonous LAB in the quality of artisanal cheese and the possibility of using the selected LAB as potential starter cultures for cheese making under controlled conditions.
[Effect of shugan liangxue compound for relieving hot flashes in breast cancer patients].

OBJECTIVE To observe the effect of Shugan Liangxue Compound (SLC) for relieving hot flashes in breast cancer patients medicated with tamoxifen. METHODS A randomized, double blind clinical trial for observing the therapeutic effects of SLC was carried out on 73 breast cancer patients hospitalized from October 2004 to November 2006, who were treated with tamoxifen, and revealed hot flashes. They were randomly assigned to two groups, the 37 in the treated group treated by SLC, and the 36 in the control group treated with placebo. Taking the improvement of hot flashes as an end point index and that of sleep as a secondary index, the effects of treatment were compared by Kupperman scoring with the average times of hot flashes per day and condition of sleep within 1 week before treatment as baseline. RESULTS The effects on 66 patients (33 in the treated group and 33 in the control group) were evaluable. In the treated group hot flashes disappeared in 5 patients (15.2%), relieved in 14 (42.4%) and unchanged in 14 (42.4%); while in the control group, it disappeared in none, relieved in 10 (30.3%) and unchanged in 23 (69.7%), comparison between groups showed significant difference (P = 0.012). As for the condition of sleep, it was improved in 21 (63.6%) and unchanged in 12 (36.4%) in the treated group; while the condition of sleep in the control group was improved in 13 (39.4%) and unchanged in 20 (60.6%), also with significant difference between the two groups (P = 0.002). CONCLUSION SLC is effective in alleviating tamoxifen-induced hot flashes and improving the condition of sleep.
Do Audit Committee Characteristics of Bahraini Listed Companies Have an Effect on the Level of Internet Financial Reporting?

Corporate Governance and IFR are influential topics that need to be addressed nowadays due to its importance. Especially since companies are growing and extending globally. This research is conducted in Kingdom of Bahrain through the year 2014, where it investigates the relationship between Audit Committee characteristics as a tool of CG and IFR. Literature review has been conducted, not to mention Multi-regression test was used to evaluate the relationship between Audit Committee characteristics and IFR for Bahraini listed companies. The results have showed that the relationship between Audit Committee characteristics and IFR is negative, which indicates that the Audit committee characteristics have no influence over the disclosure of financial information over the internet. However, Frequency of meeting of the board and Big4 resulted in a positive relationship with internet financial reporting. The study ends with a main conclusion and recommendation that contain certain steps and advices of disclosing financial information in an appropriate way through the internet in order to improve the relationship between Audit committee characteristics and IFR.
[Effect of Rheum palmatum decoction on increasing intelligence].

OBJECTIVE To observe the nootropic effect of Rheum palmatum decoction in mice. METHOD Step-down test. RESULTS Rheum palmatum decoction could increase learning and memory ability of old mice and also improve the impairments of memory acquisition, memory consolidation and memory retrieval induced by scopalamine, NaNO2 and 40% EtOH respectively in mice. CONCLUSION Rheum palmatum decoction contains the substances of increasing intelligence which may be substantial basis of the decoctions mainly containing Rheum palmatum theraping aphasia from apoplexy, senile dysmnesis, sequel from brain trauma, etc.
The positive regulatory function of the 5'-proximal open reading frames in GCN4 mRNA can be mimicked by heterologous, short coding sequences

Translational control of GCN4 expression in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae is mediated by multiple AUG codons present in the leader of GCN4 mRNA, each of which initiates a short open reading frame of only two or three codons. Upstream AUG codons 3 and 4 are required to repress GCN4 expression in normal growth conditions; AUG codons 1 and 2 are needed to overcome this repression in amino acid starvation conditions. We show that the regulatory function of AUG codons 1 and 2 can be qualitatively mimicked by the AUG codons of two heterologous upstream open reading frames (URFs) containing the initiation regions of the yeast genes PGK and TRP1. These AUG codons inhibit GCN4 expression when present singly in the mRNA leader; however, they stimulate GCN4 expression in derepressing conditions when inserted upstream from AUG codons 3 and 4. This finding supports the idea that AUG codons 1 and 2 function in the control mechanism as translation initiation sites and further suggests that suppression of the inhibitory effects of AUG codons 3 and 4 is a general consequence of the translation of URF 1 and 2 sequences upstream. Several observations suggest that AUG codons 3 and 4 are efficient initiation sites; however, these sequences do not act as positive regulatory elements when placed upstream from URF 1. This result suggests that efficient translation is only one of the important properties of the 5' proximal URFs in GCN4 mRNA. We propose that a second property is the ability to permit reinitiation following termination of translation and that URF 1 is optimized for this regulatory function.
Is Firm Performance and Corporate Governance Influenced by Ownership Patterns? – A Study with Reference to Firm Life Cycles

The paper examines the impact of ownership patterns combined with firm life cycle stages on firm performance in the Indian context. The appropriateness of using a proxy derived from cash flow patterns to identify a firm’s life cycle stage is tested and verified. Using time series cross-sectional data from the emerging Indian market, the paper adopts parametric and nonparametric tests to explore the relationship between ownership patterns, firm life cycle stages and firm performance. It also tests the impact of these variables on corporate governance practices. The results imply that optimal performance is obtained at the introductory stage when a firm is closely held at growth and maturity stages by foreign-held firms and at decline and shake out stages by government-held firms. Corporate governance practices are best in mature firms and government-held firms.
A CENTRAL LIMIT THEOREM FOR THE KPZ

We consider the KPZ equation in one space dimension driven by a stationary centred space–time random field, which is sufficiently integrable and mixing, but not necessarily Gaussian. We show that, in the weakly asymmetric regime, the solution to this equation considered at a suitable large scale and in a suitable reference frame converges to the Hopf–Cole solution to the KPZ equation driven by space–time Gaussian white noise. While the limiting process depends only on the integrated variance of the driving field, the diverging constants appearing in the definition of the reference frame also depend on higher order moments.
Evaluation of soft tissue around single-tooth implant crowns: the pink esthetic score.

AIM In this study, the reproducibility of a newly developed pink esthetic score (PES) for evaluating soft tissue around single-tooth implant crowns was assessed. The effect of observer specialization was another point of interest. MATERIAL AND METHODS Twenty observers (five prosthodontists, five oral surgeons, five orthodontists and five dental students) were given photographs of 30 single-tooth implant crowns. Seven variables were evaluated vs. a natural reference tooth: mesial papilla, distal papilla, soft-tissue level, soft-tissue contour, alveolar process deficiency, soft-tissue color and texture. Using a 0-1-2 scoring system, 0 being the lowest, 2 being the highest value, the maximum achievable PES was 14. Each observer was requested to make two assessments at an interval of 4 weeks. At the second assessment, the photographs were scored in the reverse order. RESULTS The mean PES of evaluations at the first assessment (n=600) was 9.46 (+/-3.81 SD), and 9.24 (+/-3.8 SD) at the second one. The difference between these two means was not significant statistically (P=0.6379). Implant-related mean PES for single-tooth implants varied from 2.28 to 13.8, with standard deviations between 0.46 and 3.51. Very poor and very esthetic restorations showed the smallest standard deviations. The mean total PES was 10.6 for the prosthodontists, 9.2 for the oral surgeons, 9.9 for the dental students and 7.6 for the orthodontists. CONCLUSIONS The PES reproducibly evaluates peri-implant soft tissue around single-tooth implants. Thus, an objective outcome of different surgical or prosthodontic protocols can be assessed. Orthodontists were clearly more critical than the other observers.
Should Be Frightened of Change in Freight Rates? A Casuality Analysis Between International Maritime Transportation Costs and Industrial Stock Market Returns

This paper examines on the linkage among stock indexes and transportation costs in global financial crisis. Therefore, we aim to find out whether Dow Jones Composite Average (DJA) and Istanbul Stock Exchange Industrial (BIST-Ind.) have causality relation with Baltic Dry Index (BDI) in 2007-2009 global financial crisis by performing Toda-Yamamoto (1995) causality test with weekly returns of indexes. Tests confirm unidirectional causality from BIST-Ind. to BDI and bidirectional causality between DJA and BDI. Test results show that BIST-Ind. decoupled from DJA in the 2008 global financial crisis when international maritime transportation cost are taken into account. Thus, the impact of international freight rates is influential over more globalized industrial stock markets.
Reliability and failure analysis in power GaN-HEMTs: An overview

Power GaN transistors have recently demonstrated to be excellent devices for application in power electronics. The high breakdown field and the superior mobility of the 2-dimensional electron gas allow to fabricate transistors with low resistive and switching losses, that permit to increase the efficiency of switching mode power converters beyond 99 %. GaN-based transistors are currently supposed to be adopted in KW-range power converters; 650 V transistors are already available on the market, and 1200 V devices are currently under development. During operation, GaN power transistors can reach critical conditions, especially in the off-state (with a high VDS, in excess of 650 V), during hard-switching (where high current and voltage can be simultaneously present), and for high positive gate voltages (in the case of normally-off devices). This paper reports our most recent results on the gradual and catastrophic degradation of GaN-based power HEMTs. We present the results of three different case studies, on: (i) the time-dependent breakdown of power HEMTs submitted to high off-state stress; (ii) the degradation of HEMTs with p-GaN gate submitted to high gate stress; (iii) the hot electron effects in GaN-MISHEMTs submitted to high-temperature source current stress.
Philanthropic Donor Perspectives on Supporting Nursing Excellence in a Community Hospital

OBJECTIVE:The purpose of this research is to explore donors’ perspectives on support of nursing excellence in a community hospital. BACKGROUND:Philanthropic support is rapidly becoming critical to support nursing excellence in hospitals, including continuing education, nursing research, and professional development. However, no research has examined the experience of private donors who support nursing programs in community hospitals. METHODS:Structured interviews were conducted with individuals with a history of providing significant financial support (gifts >$50 000) targeted specifically for nursing in a 176- bed community hospital in the southeastern United States. Analysis was performed using descriptive content analysis. RESULTS:Four themes emerged that centered around making a difference, helping nurses meet new challenges, an existing foundation of service, and valuing excellent nursing care received. CONCLUSIONS:This research provides specific information that nursing administrators can use when seeking philanthropic gifts to support nursing excellence programs in US community hospitals.
Data Envelopment Analysis of SSC Public Examinations 2009 -2011 of Andhra Pradesh

In this Paper we analyse the Board of Secondary data by Data Envelopment Analysis for the Andhra Pradesh state for the academic years 2009-2010 and 2010-2011 to see the Pattern of Efficiencies and Performance of the districts in Andhra Pradesh state Prior to the division of state in to two states . The Performance of the districts are presented along with the Peer Districts Performance of the state as whole.
Failure Modes of 15-kV SiC SGTO Thyristors During Repetitive Extreme Pulsed Overcurrent Conditions

SiC SGTO thyristors are an advanced solution for increasing the power density of medium voltage power electronics. However, for these devices to replace Si thyristor technology in industrial applications their characteristics and failure modes must be understood. This letter presents the failure modes of two 15-kV SiC SGTO thyristors during repetitive overcurrent conditions. The devices were evaluated with 2-kA (3.85 kA/cm2) square pulses of 100 μs duration using a pulse forming network. Throughout testing, each devices' static characteristics were analyzed for signs of degradation; upon degradation, testing was ceased and the physical failure mode was determined through imaging with a scanning electron microscope (SEM) in conjunction with a focused ion beam. The electrical results demonstrate the failure modes of both SiC SGTO thyristors during pulsed overcurrents electrically manifested themselves as a conductive path through the gate-anode junction and an increased device on-state voltage. SEM imaging revealed one SiC thyristor formed an approximately 10-μm wide cylindrical void, and the second SiC thyristor formed an approximately 200-μm long crack. However, the experimental results demonstrate these 15-kV SiC SGTO thyristors' robust ability to repetitively switch at extreme high current density for tens of thousands of cycles.
[3D endoscopy].

With the aid of a 6 mm 0 degree stereo-endoscope supplied with a 100 Hz monitor and high-speed liquid crystal shutter, three-dimensional endoscopy of the upper airway was realized for the first time. The equipment used is based on alternating sequential projections of left and right eye images on a single tv screen. Two high-speed liquid crystal stereo switches (LCSS) are integrated in glasses and a rapid switching time of 100 microseconds is used. In a comparative study this innovative endoscopic technique was tested for its practicability in sinus surgery and endoscopy of the upper airway. With this equipment an excellent view was obtained of the pharynx, larynx and trachea. For sinus surgery, however, a stereoendoscope with smaller dimensions has to be developed.
A Keck/DEIMOS spectroscopic survey of the faint M 31 satellites And XV and And XVI

We present the results of a spectroscopic survey of the recently discovered M31 satellites And XV and And XVI, lying at projected distances from the centre of M31 of 93 and 130 kpc, respectively. These satellites lie to the south of M31, in regions of the stellar halo which wide-field imaging has revealed as relative voids (compared to the ~degree-scale coherent stream-like structures). Using the Deep Imaging Multi-Object Spectrograph mounted on the Keck II telescope, we have defined probable members of these satellites, for which we derive radial velocities as precise as ~6 km s^(−1) down to i ~ 21.5. While the distance to And XVI remains the same as previously reported (525 ± 50 kpc), we have demonstrated that the brightest three stars previously used to define the tip of the red giant branch in And XV are in fact Galactic, and And XV is actually likely to be much more distant at 770 ± 70 kpc (compared to the previous 630 kpc), increasing the luminosity from M_V ≈ −9.4 to −9.8. The And XV velocity dispersion is resolved with v_r = −339^(+7)_(−6) km s^(−1) and σ_v = 11^(+7)_(−5) km s^(−1). The And XVI dispersion is not quite resolved at 1σ with v_r = −385^(+5)_(−6) km s^(−1) and σ = 0^(+10)_(−indef) km s^(−1) . Using the photometry of the confirmed member stars, we find metallicities of And XV (median [Fe/H] = −1.58 , interquartile range ±0.08) and And XVI (median [Fe/H] = −2.23, interquartile range ±0.12). Stacking the spectra of the member stars, we find spectroscopic [Fe/H] = −1.8 (−2.1) for And XV (And XVI), with an uncertainty of ~0.2 dex in both cases. Our measurements of And XV reasonably resolve its mass (~10^8 M_⊙) and suggest a polar orbit, while the velocity of And XVI suggests it is approaching the M31 escape velocity given its large M31 centric distance.