Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Comparison of 3 AT1 Receptor Binding Assays: Filtration Assay, ScreenReady™ Target, and WGA Flashplate®

In this article, the study of 3 different angiotensin II type 1 (AT1) receptor binding assays in terms of reproducibility, robustness, and feasibility for high-throughput screening (HTS) is described. The following methods were used: a nonhomogeneous filtration assay in a 96-well format using CHO-AT1 cell membranes and 2 homogeneous assays, which include the commercially available ScreenReady™ Target for the AT1 receptor and the wheat germ agglutinin (WGA) Flashplate®, which was coated “in-house” with the CHO-AT1 cell membranes. Receptors were labeled with [125I]-Sar1-Ile8-angiotensin II, and radioligand binding was displaced using the antagonist losartan and the natural agonist angiotensin II. Reproducible Kd, Bmax, and Ki values and good total binding/nonspecific binding (TB/NSB) ratios were obtained with both the ScreenReady™ Targets and the filtration assay, whereas the WGA Flashplates® showed unacceptably high nonspecific binding and high variation when applied as a homogeneous assay. However, when applied as a heterogeneous assay (i.e., when a wash step at the end of the assay is included), the results were significantly better. Interestingly, ligand affinities were consistently lower in Flashplate®-based assays than in the filtration assay. This may be due to the immobilization of the receptors onto the solid surface of the plate, affecting their conformation. In terms of reproducibility, robustness, and feasibility for HTS, the authors conclude that the ScreenReady™ Target plates are most suitable for AT1 receptor binding screening.
Biosynthesis, Characterization, and Biological Activities of Iron Nanoparticles using Sesamum indicum Seeds Extract

Background: Iron nanoparticles (FeNPs) have got many biomedical and health applications because of biocompatible and nontoxic nature to humans. Objective: To synthesize the FeNPs using natural sources. Materials and Methods: In this study, simple and economical procedure was adopted for FeNPs synthesis. Sesame seeds were processed to obtain seed extract as a biological material for FeNPs production. FeNPs were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, and scanning electron microscopic. Results: The average diameter of these FeNPs was 99 nm. These nanoparticles showed significant anti-typhoid activity (30 mm zone of inhibition) as compared to ciprofloxacin (32 mm) as standard. Furthermore, in vitro alpha-amylase inhibitory assay also showed moderate antidiabetic activity with more than 50% inhibition. Conclusion: This study would be helpful in understanding of nanoparticles synthesis from natural sources and ultimately will be used as potential alternative therapeutic agents. Abbreviations used: FeNPs: Iron Nano Particles; SEM: Scanning Electron Microscopy; MIC: Minimum Inhibitory Concentration; S. indicum: Sesamum Indicum.
Social Support at Community Centers: Its Meaning in the Lives of Senior Citizens

Research surrounding older adults, social support, and emotional well-being are richly researched topics. However, literature is devoid of qualitative studies and research focusing specifically on community centers and older adults’ social networks, which are integral for understanding the growing needs of older adults in today’s society. Guided by the theoretical frameworks of phenomenology, activity theory, and ecological theory, four in-in-depth interviews were conducted and then coded for themes. The central themes highlighted family connection, connection with others, resiliency, helping others, type of activity, restoring self, community connection, exploration, convenience, and life stages. Suggestions for future research and possible impacts for clinical practice are discussed.
Evolution of the Neuromatrix Theory of Pain. The Prithvi Raj Lecture: Presented at the Third World Congress of World Institute of Pain, Barcelona 2004

Abstract: The neuromatrix theory of pain proposes that pain is a multidimensional experience produced by characteristic “neurosignature” patterns of nerve impulses generated by a widely distributed neural network—the “body‐self neuromatrix”—in the brain. These neurosignature patterns may be triggered by sensory inputs, but they may also be generated independently of them. Acute pains evoked by brief noxious inputs have been meticulously investigated by neuroscientists, and their sensory transmission mechanisms are generally well understood. In contrast, chronic pain syndromes, which are often characterized by severe pain associated with little or no discernable injury or pathology, remain a mystery. Furthermore, chronic psychological or physical stress is often associated with chronic pain, but the relationship is poorly understood. The neuromatrix theory of pain provides a new conceptual framework to examine these problems. It proposes that the output patterns of the body‐self neuromatrix activate perceptual, homeostatic, and behavioral programs after injury, pathology, or chronic stress. Pain, then, is produced by the output of a widely distributed neural network in the brain rather than directly by sensory input evoked by injury, inflammation, or other pathology. The neuromatrix, which is genetically determined and modified by sensory experience, is the primary mechanism that generates the neural pattern that produces pain. Its output pattern is determined by multiple influences, of which the somatic sensory input is only a part, that converge on the neuromatrix.
Immunohistochemical study of the epithelial-mesenchymal transition phenotype in cancer of unknown primary: incidence, correlations and prognostic utility.

BACKGROUND The epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) has been associated with metastatic dissemination and poor outcome in several solid tumour types. Our aim was to study its incidence and its prognostic significance in cancer of unknown primary (CUP). PATIENTS AND METHODS One hundred tumour samples of CUP were loaded in tissue microarrays and were studied for immunohistochemical (IHC) expression of E-cadherin, N-cadherin, vimentin, the EMT transcription factor (SNAIL) and the stem cell marker octamer-binding transcription marker 4(OCT4). An EMT phenotype was defined as low expression of E-cadherin, expression of N-cadherin with/without vimentin with concomitant expression of SNAIL, as assessed by percentage of tumour cell staining. RESULTS Among 100 CUP cases, the histological diagnosis was adenocarcinoma in 55, squamous carcinoma in 20 and undifferentiated carcinoma in 15, with a high grade seen in 46. Therapy consisted of palliative chemotherapy, mostly platinum based. The median progression-free survival and overall survival (OS) were 7 and 12 months respectively. Distributional studies resulted in selection of IHC cut-offs for E-cadherin (negative when expressed in <60% of tumour cells), N-cadherin, vimentin (positive when expressed in ≥40% of tumour cells), SNAIL (positive when stained in ≥80% of tumour cells). An EMT phenotype was observed in 8 cases (8.1%) and was strongly associated with poor OS (median OS EMT(-)=13 months vs. median OS EMT(+)=8 months, p=0.023). When we used staining intensity (H-Score), an EMT phenotype was observed in 16 patients and carried borderline adverse prognostic utility for outcome (median OS 9 vs. 14 months, p=0.07). The presence of the EMT phenotype correlated significantly with male gender, high grade and presence of visceral metastases (χ(2) p<0.05), while EMT mediator expression was correlated to high NOTCH 2/3 expression. Other factors, prognostic for poor survival, were male gender, PS≥2, non-platinum therapy (χ(2) p<0.05). CONCLUSION EMT is infrequently seen in tumours of CUP. However, an adverse prognostic significance for patient outcome has been identified and may warrant studies of therapeutic targeting.
The voltage-doping transformation: a new approach to the modeling of MOSFET short-channel effects

It is shown that the influence of the drain-source field on the potential barrier height is physically equivalent to and can be replaced by a reduction in channel doping concentration according to a formula derived from the two-dimensional Poisson equation. The actual barrier height for any drain bias and channel length, on which the derived equation depends, can be calculated easily using well-known one-dimensional (long-channel) solutions. This simple but general procedure, called the voltage-doping transformation (VDT), is shown to lead to analytically calculated potential distributions in fairly good agreement with two-dimensional numerical simulation. An application of the VDT to threshold voltage (V/sub tj/) calculations also is shown. The V/sub th/ model is compared with measurements taken on implanted n-MOSFETs with various channel lengths. Good agreement demonstrates the accuracy of both the VDT and the new V/sub th/ model. <<ETX>>
Valuing Public Goods, the Time to Capitalization, and Network Externalities: A Spatial Hedonic Regression Analysis

Valuation studies of public goods, such as a bike trail, typically fail to consider the time to capitalization. Expanding upon previous hedonic housing models, we show that the years since development of the good is an important factor in estimating its value. Using spatial analysis for housing in Bloomington, Illinois, We find the development of a bike trail has an initial negative impact on prices, but over time the value of the trail turns positive, suggesting network effects and information costs impact valuation estimates. Additional analysis finds that networked trail access has a greater impact than nonnetworked trail access. (JEL H41, Q51)
A laboratory PET scanner with silicon detectors segmented to 1 mm3 detection cells

A high resolution PET detectors are useful in imaging small animals and certain types of human cancer. In the presented approach, high-resolution can be achieved by using finely segmented silicon sensors to record impact position of one or both photons from the annihilation pair. As the high-resolution detector is expected to capture a relatively small portion of emitted radiation, a combination of the high-resolution device with a standard PET scanner is envisaged. In this way a standard PET image can be locally improved in areas where there is a substantial probability that at least one of the photon pair will interact in a high-resolution detector. A setup to test the approach was built at University of Michigan, offering possibilities to test a variety of high-resolution detectors. Previously, tests with silicon detectors segmented to square pads with 1.4 mm side were performed, demonstrating radical improvement in system resolution in combined detector operation relative to the standard ring only. The performance prediction shows resolution gain for even finer segmented detectors. This motivated a replacement of 1.4 mm segmented detectors with 1 mm segmented detectors. A detector module is built of a pair of 1 mm thick silicon sensors measuring 40 by 26 mm2 segmented to 1040 independent pads each. The module is read out by a set of 16 VATAGP7 ASICs made by IDEAS. A pair of modules were placed in an edge-on geometry to image a single, lead collimator compressed slice of a high-resolution Derenzo phantom (rod diameters of 1.2 mm to 4.8 mm) filled with 18F-FDG. The performance of the combined device matched the predicted performance.
Cell dynamic morphology analysis by deep convolutional features

Computational analysis of cell dynamic morphology in time-lapse image is a challenging task in biomedical research. Inspired by the recent success of deep learning, we investigate the possibility to apply a deep neural network to cell dynamic morphology analysis in this paper. Specifically, a contour spectrum is composed as the input of neural network to characterize cell spatiotemporal deformation, then a pre-trained convolutional neural network model is performed for automatic feature extraction. Finally, the extracted deep convolutional features are analyzed by SVM. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed strategy outperforms existing methods on the live-cell database, and the features extracted by the last layer and classified by linear kernel SVM allows for the state-of-the-art performance.
Multicriteria Optimization for Coordination of Redundant Robots Using a Dual Neural Network

A dual neural-network method for the coordination of kinematically redundant robots is proposed in this paper. The performance criteria for single robots provided by Nedungadi and Kazerounian are generalized to a multicriteria form for the coordinated-manipulation system composed of multiple serial manipulators. By optimizing the local joint torques and generalized forces applied on the object/workpiece using a designed weighting matrix, the proposed method achieves the global stability during the coordinated-manipulation process. Moreover, the proposed algorithm has an explicit physical meaning, i.e., both the global kinetic energy of the coordination system and the two-norm of the generalized forces applied on the object are minimized simultaneously. In addition, the physical limits of both joint torques and the generalized forces applied on the object are considered, which makes the original coordination problem become a complicated optimization problem subject to both equality and inequality constraints. Compared with numerical optimization algorithms used in existing literatures, the dual neural-network method has better computational capability to deal with the complicated optimization problem. Finally, illustrative examples are given to show that the proposed method is effective and efficient for the multirobot coordinated-manipulation system.
FEMALE DIRECTORS IN ITALY: THE STATE OF ART AFTER THE MANDATORY GENDER QUOTA

In the last decade the female quota issue has become a relevant topic and raised attention all over the world, and especially in the European area, due to the introduction of specific laws on female quota in many countries. Policymakers in European countries have recently begun to increase presence of women in business by adopting gender quota for board of directors. The European Union collectively, and more than a dozen countries individually, have considered these requirements; the first country adopting a law demanding for a minimum amount of female directors in the board was Norway (40%), in 2003. After Norway, other countries such as Spain (2007), Finland (2010), France (2011), Denmark (2005), Iceland (2010), Malaysia (2011), and others introduced some kind of compulsory quota. Alongside the European regulatory framework, literature has started to investigate the effects of female quotas on several firm aspects, like corporate governance quality, firm performance, gendering representation, disentangling discrimination, and earnings quality (Dale-Olsen, Schone and Verner, 2013; De Cabo, Gimeno and Escot, 2011; Rose, 2007; Srinidhi, Gul and Tsui, 2011; Ahern and Dittmar, 2012). In 2011, also in Italy a law on female quota was introduced (law 120/2011), imposing to listed firms to have at least one-third of the board seats held by women. A transition period consisting in threeboard-terms is given to firms to be in compliance with the law. In the first-board-term it is allowed to have one-fifth of the board seats held by females. The provision has started to be in force since August 2012. Before this enactment, some studies focused on the board diversity issues, such as ethnicity, age, directors with multiple seats, board independence, and gender, mentioned also the Italian scenario (Van der Walt and Ingley, 2003; Bohren and Strom, 2010). Since the enactment of the mandatory gender quota in Italy, only the study of Bianco et al. (2015) has focused on this turnaround in Italy. Using a sample composed by publicly traded firms from 2008 to 2010, the authors show that family-affiliated women are more common in firms characterized by small Abstract
Impact of Respiratory Gating Using 4-Dimensional Computed Tomography on the Dosimetry of Tumor and Normal Tissues in Patients With Thoracic Malignancies

Objective:The purpose of this study is to assess the dosimetric impact of gated CT plans on tumor and surrounding normal tissues in patients with primary thoracic malignancies. Materials and Methods:Ten patients underwent treatment planning with gated and nongated CT at Wayne State University. Gated CT images were obtained at full inspiration, expiration, and at the 25th, 50th, and 75th percentile of respiratory effort. Planning treatment volume (PTV) margin for nongated and gated plans was 1.5 cm and 0.5 cm, respectively. The tumor prescription dose was 60 to 70 Gy at 2 Gy per fraction. Results:Average PTV was 292.68 mL for gated and 575.17 mL for nongated plans. Gated plans resulted in higher minimum PTV doses and comparable mean and maximum doses when compared with nongated plans (53.52, 65.17, and 70.92 Gy vs. 48.06, 65.08, and 71.40 Gy, respectively). Volumes of lung receiving doses of 20 and 10 Gy or above were 26.26% and 30.96% for gated plans and 34.82% and 40.16% for nongated plans (P < 0.0001). Gated plans resulted in lower mean lung, esophageal, and heart doses compared with nongated plans (14.27, 17.28, and 10.86 Gy vs. 19.5, 21.85, and 16.45 Gy, respectively; P ≤ 0.003). Conclusions:4-Dimensional computed tomography (4D-CT) respiratory gating significantly decreases target volumes and normal tissue dosing. With the emerging image-guided radiation therapy technology, 4D-CT treatment planning may be used for radiation dose escalation with tighter radiation fields and has the potential for improving outcomes in patients with thoracic malignancies.
A fast and stable lane detection method based on B-spline curve

A new structure road detection algorithm based on open uniform B-spline curve model is proposed. Firstly, canny edge detection algorithm is used to extract the road edge. Then road markings are gotten from the edge map by the least square method. Lastly, the road model (B-spline model) is fitted after the central points of the road are gotten from the lane markings. In order to accurate the position of the road bend, the algorithm introduces the maximum deviation of position shift (MDPS) method to search control points. A large number of experiments show that the algorithm is fast, stable, and flexible. It is able to meet the requirements of intelligent navigation.
A parallel BOA-PSO hybrid algorithm for history matching

In order to make effective decisions regarding the exploitation of oil reservoirs, it is necessary to create and update reservoir models using observations collected over time in a process known as history matching. This is an inverse problem: it requires the optimization of reservoir model parameters so that reservoir simulation produces response data similar to that observed. Since reservoir simulations are computationally expensive, it makes sense to use relatively sophisticated algorithms. This led to the use of the Bayesian Optimization Algorithm (BOA). However, the high performance of a much simpler algorithm — Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) — led to the development of a BOA-PSO hybrid that outperformed both BOA and PSO on their own.
The Influence of Servant Leadership on Subordinate Resilience in Law Enforcement

Law enforcement professionals experience stressful and traumatic events by nature of their occupation. Stressful and traumatic experiences can induce psychological and physiological disruptions that may interfere with the careers and personal lives of law enforcement professionals. Pre-traumatic stress inoculation is a concept which suggests that increasing resilience through the advancement of the biopsychosocial-spiritual holistic self may provide amelioration of the adverse effects of stress and trauma before experiencing them. The practice of servant leadership behaviors finds alignment with increased resilience. This dissertation in practice study used qualitative research to examine the influence of three specific servant leader behaviors on subordinate resilience in a resident office of a Central Californian division of a federal law enforcement agency. The results of this study revealed an evidence-based connection between those behaviors and subordinates’ perceptions of increased resilience. The three servant leader behaviors are: (a) creating collaborative environments, (b) promoting subordinates’ autonomy, and (c) leading with ethical and moral decision-making. This study not only further informs the discussion on the influence of leader behaviors on subordinate resilience, but the research also provides amalgamation between servant leader behaviors and subordinate resilience with application to the law enforcement field. Augmented resilience may save the lives of law enforcement professionals and the lives of those they serve.
Lymphoma and other lymphoproliferative disorders in inflammatory bowel disease: A review

The lymphoproliferative disorders (LDs) are a heterogeneous group of at least 70 conditions that result from the clonal proliferation of B, T, and NK cells. Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)‐associated lymphomas are typically B‐cell LD, while T‐cell or Hodgkin's lymphomas are rare.
Low-Invasive Implantable Devices of Low-Power Consumption Using High-Efficiency Antennas for Cloud Health Care

This paper presents low-invasive and low-power implantable biomedical devices based on a novel high-efficiency antenna for cloud health care. The proposed simple architecture was applied to fulfill a low-power consumption implantable system, including a readout circuit, an oscillator, a power management circuit, and an implantable antenna. This paper proposes a novel compact antenna for teeth implanting to attach on a low-invasive biomedical device to monitor human health conditions. A low-power consumption oscillator was connected directly to the antenna without any additional power amplifier. A hybrid of Archimedean spirals and Hilbert-based curve 3-D folded antenna was designed and fabricated on ceramic denture (ZrO2) in Medical Radio (MedRadio) band. A compact, high gain, and large bandwidth antenna was achieved. In addition, such simple architecture also performs a high precise measurement, demonstrated by the temperature sensing of basal body temperature (BBT), indicating the conditions of female endocrine abnormalities. High sensitivity was enhanced by a negative resistance sample amplifier, and the biological BBT signals were transmitted by a frequency-modulation transmitter. The wireless measurement results indicate a small error of ±0.058°C at a distance of 60 cm indoors, and satisfy the BBT resolution requirement of 0.1 °C.