Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A Simple Single-Item Rating Scale to Measure Medication Adherence: Further Evidence for Convergent Validity

Background: Self-report measures of medication adherence are inexpensive and minimally intrusive. However, the validity of self-reported adherence is compromised by recall errors for missed doses and socially desirable responding. Method: Examined the convergent validity of 2 self-report adherence measures administered by computerized interview: (a) recall of missed doses and (b) a single-item visual analogue rating scale (VAS). Adherence was also monitored using unannounced phone-based pill counts that served as an objective benchmark. Results: The VAS obtained adherence estimates that paralleled unannounced pill counts (UPCs). In contrast, self-reported recall (SR-recall) of missed medications consistently overestimated adherence. Correlations with participant characteristics also suggested that the computer-administered VAS was less influenced by response biases than SR-recall of missed medication doses. Conclusions: A single-item VAS offers an inexpensive and valid method of assessing medication adherence that may be useful in clinical as well as research settings.
Differential substrate specificity of group I and group II chaperonins in the archaeon Methanosarcina mazei

Chaperonins are macromolecular machines that assist in protein folding. The archaeon Methanosarcina mazei has acquired numerous bacterial genes by horizontal gene transfer. As a result, both the bacterial group I chaperonin, GroEL, and the archaeal group II chaperonin, thermosome, coexist. A proteome‐wide analysis of chaperonin interactors was performed to determine the differential substrate specificity of GroEL and thermosome. At least 13% of soluble M. mazei proteins interact with chaperonins, with the two systems having partially overlapping substrate sets. Remarkably, chaperonin selectivity is independent of phylogenetic origin and is determined by distinct structural and biochemical features of proteins. GroEL prefers well‐conserved proteins with complex α/β domains. In contrast, thermosome substrates comprise a group of faster‐evolving proteins and contain a much wider range of different domain folds, including small all‐α and all‐β modules, and a greater number of large multidomain proteins. Thus, the group II chaperonins may have facilitated the evolution of the highly complex proteomes characteristic of eukaryotic cells.
Gap junctions assemble in the presence of cytoskeletal inhibitors, but enhanced assembly requires microtubules.

The role of cytoskeletal elements in gap junction (GJ) assembly has been studied using Novikoff hepatoma cells treated with cytochalasin B (CB) to disrupt actin filaments or with colchicine or nocodazole to disrupt microtubules. After 60 min of cell reaggregation, freeze-fracture was used to evaluate quantitatively the "initiation," "maturation," and "growth" phases of GJ assembly. The development of junctional permeability to fluorescent dyes was also analyzed. The only effects of CB on the structure or permeability of the developing junctions involved an elongation of GJ aggregates and a small decrease in formation plaque areas. Colchicine (but not the inactive form, lumicolchicine) prevented the enhancement of GJ growth by cholesterol, but its effect on basal growth was equivocal. Nocodazole inhibited the growth of GJ, even under basal conditions, without an effect on initiation. Nocodazole also blocked the forskolin-enhanced increase in the growth of GJs and, in living MDCK cells, reduced the movement of transport intermediates containing green fluorescent protein-tagged connexin43. Thus, neither actin filaments nor microtubules appear to restrict GJ assembly by anchoring intramembrane GJ proteins, nor are they absolutely required for functional GJs to form. However, microtubules are necessary for enhanced GJ growth and likely for facilitating connexin trafficking under basal conditions.
On Non-monetary Incentives for the Provision of Public Goods

We propose a non-monetary incentive mechanism to encourage high levels of contribution in public good provision. Based on a generic public good game, we implement a variation that imposes a minimum individual contribution level and offers individuals the choice between respecting it if they decide to contribute, or contributing zero. Restricting the individuals' strategy space in that way can stimulate them toward higher eorts while leaving them the possibility of contributing zero ensures that such eorts remain voluntary. We investigate how to tune the minimum contribution level in order to maximize the total contribution and to reach a stable outcome where no individual has incentive to free-ride. Exploiting the potential nature of the game, we show that one can set the minimum contribution level such that there exists a unique potential maximizer equilibrium in which all the individuals contribute to the public good. Our work is of particular relevance to the growing eld of information economics. Specically, we provide an application of our model to data analytics projects using information with privacy implications, a domain where individuals (and regulatory provisions) consider as fundamental to be able to exercise control and where monetary compensation has so-far received little traction in practical scenarios.
Comparing the Structural Components Variance Estimator and U-Statistics Variance Estimator When Assessing the Difference Between Correlated AUCs with Finite Samples

COMPARING THE STRUCTURAL COMPONENTS VARIANCE ESTIMATOR AND USTATISTICS VARIANCE ESTIMATOR WHEN ASSESSING THE DIFERENCE BETWEEN CORRELATED AUCs WITH FINITE SAMPLES By Anna Leigh Bosse, M.S. A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science at Virginia Commonwealth University. Virginia Commonwealth University, 2017 Major Director: Dr. Le Kang, Associate Professor, Department of Biostatistics Introduction: The structural components variance estimator proposed by DeLong et al. (1988) is a popular approach used when comparing two correlated AUCs. However, this variance estimator is biased and could be problematic with small sample sizes. Methods: A U-statistics based variance estimator approach is presented and compared with the structural components variance estimator through a large-scale simulation study under different finite-sample size configurations. Results: The U-statistics variance estimator was unbiased for the true variance of the difference between correlated AUCs regardless of the sample size and had lower RMSE than the structural components variance estimator, providing better type 1 error control and larger power. The structural components variance estimator provided increasingly biased variance estimates as the correlation between biomarkers increased. Discussion: When comparing two correlated AUCs, it is recommended that the U-Statistics variance estimator be used whenever possible, especially for finite sample sizes and highly correlated biomarkers.
Question, answer, compare: a cross-category comparison of answers on question and answer websites

Online information seekers make heavy use of websites that accept their natural language questions. This study compared the three types of such websites: social question and answer (Q&A), digital reference services, and ask-an-expert services. Questions reflecting daily life, research, and crisis situations were posed to high use websites of all three types. The resulting answers’ characteristics were analyzed in terms of speed, transparency, formality, and intimacy. The results indicate that social Q&A websites excel in speed, ask-an-expert websites in intimacy, and digital reference services in transparency and formality.
Craniofacial resection for malignant neoplasms of the skull base: An overview

Advances in combined transcranial and transfacial (craniofacial) approaches for malignant tumors involving the anterior skull base have demonstrated improved survival. The technique allows adequate assessment of the intracranial extent of the tumor through an appropriate craniotomy. Vital structures, such as the dura, brain, and blood vessels, can be protected or resected and reconstructed safely. An en bloc excision can be accomplished. Dural defects and/or tears are satisfactorily repaired under direct vision, ensuring a watertight closure. Finally, adequate closure of the soft tissue defect is obtained, thus segregating the cranial cavity from the potentially infected nasal cavity and the nasopharynx with a resultant decrease in morbidity. Operative mortality is low, although complication rates are high. The technique is safe and continues to be improved to reduce morbidity. To evaluate the true impact of this surgical procedure on improvement in survival as well as quality of life, a multiinstitutional registry with uniform indications is indicated. With increasing experience and well‐defined indications, improvement in survival (from 50% to 60%) and reduction in morbidity (from 30% to 40%) can be demonstrated through multiinstitutional, cooperative efforts. J. Surg. Oncol. 1998;69:275–284. © 1998 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
In situ kinetic analysis of glyoxalase I and glyoxalase II in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

The kinetics of glyoxalase I [(R)-S-lactoylglutathione methylglyoxal-lyase; EC 4.4. 1.5] and glyoxalase II (S-2-hydroxyacylglutathione hydrolase; EC 3.1.2.6) from Saccharomyces cerevisiae was studied in situ, in digitonin permeabilized cells, using two different approaches: initial rate analysis and progress curves analysis. Initial rate analysis was performed by hyperbolic regression of initial rates using the program HYPERFIT. Glyoxalase I exhibited saturation kinetics on 0.05-2.5 mM hemithioacetal concentration range, with kinetic parameters Km 0.53 +/- 0.07 mM and V (3.18 +/- 0.16) x 10(-2) mM.min(-1). Glyoxalase II also showed saturation kinetics in the SD-lactoylglutathione concentration range of 0.15-3 mM and Km 0.32 +/- 0.13 mM and V (1.03 +/- 0.10) x 10(-3) mM.min(-1) were obtained. The kinetic parameters of both enzymes were also estimated by nonlinear regression of progress curves using the raw absorbance data and integrated differential rate equations with the program GEPASI. Several optimization methods were used to minimize the sum of squares of residuals. The best parameter fit for the glyoxalase I reaction was obtained with a single curve analysis, using the irreversible Michaelis-Menten model. The kinetic parameters obtained, Km 0.62 +/- 0.18 mM and V (2.86 +/- 0.01) x 10(-2) mM.min(-1), were in agreement with those obtained by initial rate analysis. The results obtained for glyoxalase II, using either the irreversible Michaelis-Menten model or a phenomenological reversible hyperbolic model, showed a high correlation of residuals with time and/or high values of standard deviation associated with Km. The possible causes for the discrepancy between data obtained from initial rate analysis and progress curve analysis, for glyoxalase II, are discussed.
A 1.7-GHz GaN MMIC Doherty power amplifier using an adaptive bias circuit with a quadrature coupler

A 2-stage 1.7-GHz Doherty power amplifier (PA) with an adaptive bias (ADB) circuit was designed for small-cell base station applications. An uneven power cell size ratio was used to provide a large back-off efficiency for high peak-to-average power ratio (PAPR) signals. To simplify the power divider and inter-stage matching network, a lumped Lange-type quadrature coupler was used. The leakage signal from the isolated port of the coupler was used as an input signal for the ADB circuit of the peaking amplifier. The PA was implemented in a 0.25-μm GaN on a SiC MMIC process. For a 1.7-GHz continuous wave, the PA has a 45.8% power added efficiency (PAE) at the output power of 38.6-dBm and a 31.2% PAE at 7-dB back-off power. For an LTE downlink signal, adjacent channel leakage ratio (ACLR) of −25.9-dBc was obtained at the average output power of 31.4-dBm without a digital pre-distortion (DPD).
DEVELOPMENT OF A PLAQUE REDUCTION ASSAY AND APPLICATION TO THE STUDY OF PSORALEN‐DAMAGED DNA

Abstract— We have developed a procedure called a plaque reduction assay to assess the biological activity of duplex circular DNA modified by covalent adduct formation with psoralen derivatives. The replicating form (RF) of bacteriophage DNA modified by photochemical addition of a psoralen derivative was introduced into bacterial cells using the CaCI2 transfection method. The transfected cells. plated upon a confluent lawn of cells permissive for the bacteriophage in the inoculum, provided a measure of the reduction in infectivity of the RF DNA which resulted from its covalent modification. Use of this assay is illustrated in studies which screened and compared the activities of several recently synthesized psoralen derivatives. We describe two new compounds. β‐(8‐psoralenoxy)‐ethanol and β‐(8‐psoralenoxy)ethylamine that are significantly more active than either 8‐methoxypsoralen or trioxsalen in the biological assay
Alterations in Oxidative Stress-Related Parameters in Rat Testis Following Monensin Administration

Monensin, a carboxylic ionophore, is well known for Na+/H+ exchanger activity across biological membranes. It is also used in the poultry industry for its useful effects as a food additive. The present study has been designed to investigate the effects of monensin on some oxidative stress-related parameters in rat testis. Monensin was administered intratesticularly (5 μg/testis) to both testes by a single dose to Wistar rats for different time periods. After the completion of the respective treatments, various parameters reflecting the antioxidant defense system of the tissue were monitored and marked changes were found in the activities of various enzymes as well as in the levels of reduced glutathione and lipid peroxidation. After 1, 2, 3, and 4 days of monensin treatment, the activity of superoxide dismutase was found to be unaltered. However, after 2 days of monensin treatment, glutathione-S-transferase and catalase showed inhibition in their activities along with the depletion of glutathione (reduced) accompanied by a marked increase in lipid peroxidation. The increase in lipid peroxidation was noticeable even after 1 day of monensin administration. The inhibition in glutathione-S-transferase and glutathione peroxidase activities was also observed along with an increase in lipid peroxidation at the end of the 3-day posttreatment period, while, the 4-day posttreatment schedule caused an increase in the activity of glutathione reductase and glutathione peroxidase that was also accompanied by an inhibition of catalase. The findings of the present study are indicative of the potential of monensin in testicular tissue in contraceptive intervention.
A classification and Pareto domination based multiobjective evolutionary algorithm

In multiobjective evolutionary algorithms, most selection operators are based on the objective values or the approximated objective values. It is arguable that the selection in evolutionary algorithms is a classification problem in nature, i.e., selection equals to classifying the selected solutions into one class and the unselected ones into another class. Following this idea, we propose a classification based preselection for multiobjective evolutionary algorithms. This approach maintains two external populations: one is a positive data set which contains a set of `good' solutions, and the other is a negative data set contains a set of `bad' solutions. In each generation, the two external populations are used to train a classifier firstly, then the classifier is applied to filter the newly generated candidate solutions and only the ones labeled as positive are kept as the offspring solutions. The proposed preselection is integrated into the Pareto domination based algorithm framework in this paper. A systematic empirical study on the influence of different classifiers and different reproduction operators has been done. The experimental results indicate that the classification based preselection can improve the performance of Pareto domination based multiobjective evolutionary algorithms.
A pilot study in using web 2.0 to aid academic writing skills

Today a wide range of Web 2.0 applications (such as Facebook, Twitter, Blogs, RSS, Podcasts and Wikis) are giving new challenges and opportunities in teaching and learning. The work described here concerns a pilot study to investigate the acceptability and effectiveness of using web 2.0 as an aid to learning. The work focuses on a university course on academic writing skills. The role of Web 2.0 applications are studied in building informal classes for traditional students and in adopting Web 2.0 practices by educators responsible for delivering existing courses. The extension of the UTAUT model is used as a research framework to evaluate the acceptability and effectiveness of web 2.0 applications.
Differential Effects of Fexofenadine on Arachidonic Acid Metabolism in Cultured Human Monocytes

The relief of nasal congestion with the antihistamine fexofenadine in seasonal allergic rhinitis is thought to be due to its additional anti-inflammatory properties. The objective of this study was to evaluate the in vitro effects of fexofenadine on stimulated arachidonic acid metabolism. Human monocytes, isolated from blood and donated by 5 healthy volunteers, were either incubated for 20 h with 10 µg/ml lipopolysaccharide, with and without fexofenadine (10<sup>–8</sup>–10<sup>–3</sup> mol/l, n = 8–19), or were incubated for 20 h, with and without fexofenadine, and then stimulated with 0.5 mg/ml zymosan for 2 h. Leukotriene B<sub>4</sub> (LTB<sub>4</sub>), LTC<sub>4</sub>, LTD<sub>4</sub> and LTE<sub>4</sub>, prostaglandin E<sub>2</sub> (PGE<sub>2</sub>) and F<sub>2</sub>α(PGF<sub>2</sub>α) production was determined by enzyme immunoassay. Zymosan-stimulated production of LTC<sub>4</sub>, LTD<sub>4</sub> and LTE<sub>4</sub> was significantly inhibited by clinically relevant concentrations of fexofenadine HCl: 10<sup>–7</sup>mol/l (22% inhibition vs. control, p = 0.008) and 10<sup>–6</sup> mol/l (24% inhibition vs. control, p = 0.020). Higher concentrations of fexofenadine (10<sup>–4</sup> and 10<sup>–3</sup> mol/l) inhibited LTB<sub>4</sub> generation. Lipopolysaccharide-stimulated production of PGE<sub>2</sub> was significantly inhibited by fexofenadine HCI 10<sup>–6</sup> mol/l (26% inhibition, p = 0.035) and 10<sup>–5</sup> mol/l (40% inhibition, p = 0.001). Higher concentrations of fexofenadine HCI (10<sup>–4</sup> and 10<sup>–3</sup> mol/l) significantly inhibited PGF<sub>2</sub>α production by 50% (p = 0.026) and 63% (p = 0.001), respectively. Fexofenadine, at both clinically relevant and higher concentrations, inhibits LTC<sub>4</sub>, LTD<sub>4</sub>, LTE<sub>4</sub> and PGE<sub>2</sub> in cultured human monocytes. These additional anti-inflammatory properties may underlie the relief of nasal congestion observed in clinical studies.
The Nature of Schizotypy

The matrix of intercorrelations between scales of schizotypy presented by Kendler and Hewitt in 1992 was reanalyzed, and results rather different from those reported by the original authors were found. The new structure shows good agreement with the theory of personality disorder published by Eysenck in 1987. In all, the different scales seem to fall into three groups or factors, identified as Neuroticism (N), Extraversion (E), and Psychoticism (P). It is doubtful if there is a common element left over once these three groups have been eliminated.
Therapeutics , Targets , and Chemical Biology Combined Gene Expression Profiling and RNAi Screening in Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma Identify PLK 1 and Other Therapeutic Kinase Targets

In recent years, several molecularly targeted therapies have been approved for clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC), a highly aggressive cancer. Although these therapies significantly extend overall survival, nearly all patients with advanced ccRCC eventually succumb to the disease. To identify other molecular targets, we profiled gene expression in 90 ccRCC patient specimens for which tumor grade information was available. Gene set enrichment analysis indicated that cell-cycle–related genes, in particular, Polo-like kinase 1 (PLK1), were associated with disease aggressiveness. We also carried out RNAi screening to identify kinases and phosphatases that when inhibited could prevent cell proliferation. As expected, RNAi-mediated knockdown of PLK1 and other cell-cycle kinases was sufficient to suppress ccRCC cell proliferation. The association of PLK1 in both disease aggression and in vitro growth prompted us to examine the effects of a small-molecule inhibitor of PLK1, BI 2536, in ccRCC cell lines. BI 2536 inhibited the proliferation of ccRCC cell lines at concentrations required to inhibit PLK1 kinase activity, and sustained inhibition of PLK1 by BI 2536 led to dramatic regression of ccRCC xenograft tumors in vivo. Taken together, these findings highlight PLK1 as a rational therapeutic target for ccRCC. Cancer Res; 71(15); 5225–34. 2011 AACR.
A scalable and efficient Web 2.0 reader platform for mashups

Two of the icons of Web 2.0 applications are feed readers and mashup platforms. On one hand, feed readers provide end-users with updates of content of feeds they subscribe to. On the other hand, mashups are conceptually web services created by end-users and hosted by mashup platforms which empower end-users with a tool to query the web based on their personalised interests. In this paper, we combine the best of mashup readers and mashup platforms in order to design a novel Web 2.0 application called mashup reader. Mashup reader enables end-users to subscribe to their favourite mashups and obtain updates of the result of executing those mashups. In this paper, we introduce the design of mashup reader, provide ways to improve its efficiency, and evaluate its execution mechanism. Our experiments show that mashup reader is an efficient and scalable Web 2.0 platform which provides end-users with an effective web querying tool.