Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Biotransformation of Underutilized Natural Resource to Valuable Compounds in Ionic Liquid: Enzymatic Synthesis of Caffeic Acid Phenethyl Ester Analogues from Immature Coffee Beans

Caffeic acid esters are widely distributed in plants and propolis (Tagashira & Ohtake, 1998; Ysrael & Nonato, 1999). Caffeic acid phenethyl ester (CAPE) especially has been found in propolis and has a broad spectrum of biological activities, including antimicrobial, antiinflammatory, antioxidant, and antitumor activities (Bankova, 2005); it also has an inhibitory effect on HIV-1 integrase, cyclooxygenase, and lipooxygenase (Fesen et al., 1993; Michaluart et al., 1999; Nicklaus et al., 1997; Sud'ina et al., 1993). It has been reported that the ester part of CAPE is important for its antiproliferative effect on various human tumor cells (Nagaoka et al., 2003). Additionally, it was suggested that conversion of the phenyl group to a cyclohexyl group in a CAPE analogue enhanced the antiproliferative effect (Kadota & Tezuka, 2004). Immature green coffee beans are not marketed as coffee because contamination of these beans negatively affects the flavor. However, they contain appreciable amounts of various caffeoylquinic acids, for example, 4.8–5.8 g of 5-caffeoylquinic acid/100 g of immature green coffee beans (Kishimoto et al., 2005a). These immature beans are notable among unused agricultural resources, and we are therefore currently investigating the enzymatic conversion of their caffeoylquinic acids to valuable products. In recent work, we synthesized CAPE using 5-caffeoylquinic acid and 2-phenylethanol as substrates with chlorogenate hydrolase by a transesterification reaction in a biphasic aqueous-alcohol state and elucidated the antibacterial, antimutagenic, and anti-influenza virus activities of CAPE (Kishimoto et al., 2005b). The procedure using chlorogenate hydrolase provided various CAPE analogues, but the maximum conversion yield of CAPE was 50%. The insufficient yield was probably due to the hydrolysis of 5-caffeoylquinic acid by the enzyme to caffeic acid in the aqueous phase. Therefore, a new procedure for the synthesis of CAPE analogues superior to that method in terms of the conversion yield remained to be developed. Ionic liquids (ILs), which are composed of a bulky asymmetric cation and a small anion, are easily modified with respect to the combination of cation and anion, and therefore,
New formulations of-cyanoacrylate for biomedical applications

Introduction * Physical-chemical properties of the -cyanoacrylate * ABSTRACT Currently, new formulations of -cyanoacrylic tissue adhesives, are being studied for the repair of soft and hard tissue in order to improve properties such as: biodegradability, biocompatibility bone flexibility (in the soft tissue applications) and ease of handling. This paper presents a review of scientific literature related to new formulations of -cyanoacrylic adhesives and medical applications.
A critical evaluation of mass isotopomer distribution analysis of gluconeogenesis in vivo

Previs, Stephen F. , Gary W. Cline, and Gerald I. Shulman. A critical evaluation of mass isotopomer distribution analysis of gluconeogenesis in vivo. Am. J. Physiol. 277 (Endocrinol. Metab. 40): E154–E160, 1999. —There are conflicting reports concerning the reliability of mass isotopomer distribution analysis (MIDA) for estimating the contribution of gluconeogenesis to total glucose production (f) during [13C]glycerol infusion.1 We have evaluated substrate-induced effects on rate of appearance (Ra) of glycerol and glucose and f during [2-13C]glycerol infusion in vivo. Five groups of mice were fasted for 30 h and then infused with [2-13C]glycerol at variable rates and variable 13C enrichments (group I: 20 μmol ·kg21 ·min21, 99% 13C; group II: 60 μmol ·kg21 ·min21, 60% 13C; group III: 60 μmol ·kg21 ·min21, 99% 13C; group IV: 120 μmol · kg21 · min21, 40% 13C; or group V: 120 μmol ·kg21 ·min21, 99% 13C). The total glycerol Ra increased from ,104 to ,157 and to ,210 μmol ·kg21 ·min21 as the infusion of [2-13C]glycerol increased from 20 to 60 and to 120 μmol ·kg2 1 ·min21, respectively. As the amount of 99% enriched [2-13C]glycerol increased from 20 to 60 and to 120 μmol ·kg21 ·min21 (groups I, III, and V, respectively), plasma glycerol enrichment increased from ,21 to ,42 and to ,57% and the calculated f increased from ,27 to ,56 and to ,87%, respectively. Similar plasma glycerol enrichments were observed in groups I, II, and IV (i.e., ,21–24%), yet f increased from ,27 to ,57 and to ,86% in groups II and IV, respectively. Estimates of absolute gluconeogenesis increased from ,14 to ,33 and ,86 μmol ·kg21 ·min21 as the infusion of [2-13C]glycerol increased from 20 to 60 and 120 μmol·kg21 ·min21. Plausible estimates of f were obtained only under conditions that increased total glycerol Ra ,2-fold (P , 0.001) and increased glucose Ra ,1.5-fold (P , 0.01) above basal. We conclude that in 30-h fasted mice, 1) estimates of f by MIDA with low infusion rates of [2-13C]glycerol yield erroneous results and 2) reasonable estimates of f are obtained at glycerol infusion rates that perturb glycerol and glucose metabolism.
Estimating the burden of early onset dementia; systematic review of disease prevalence

Dementia is more common in older age but a number of people develop symptoms at a younger age and are said to have early onset dementia (EOD). Those with EOD face different challenges to those with onset later in life. It has been difficult to quantify this disease burden. This is a systematic review of papers reporting on the prevalence of EOD. A search of Medline and Embase was performed. This was followed by a hand search of the references of these papers. Eleven suitable studies were included. All of the data was from more economically developed countries. The studies were heterogeneous in their design hindering direct comparison. The majority of the papers looked at all types of dementia although many gave a breakdown of the prevalence of different subgroups. A variety of diagnostic criteria was employed. Figures of 38 to 260 per 100 000 are quoted by papers looking at various different types of dementia together with an onset of between 30 and 64 or up to 420 per 100 000 for those aged 55–64. Prevalence rises as age approaches 65. Epidemiological data for prevalence rates for EOD are sparse. EOD remains a rare condition with low case numbers. Assimilation and comparison of results from existing studies is difficult due to methodological heterogeneity. Cross‐national standardization of methodology should be a priority for future research in this area.
Adaptive Human-Robot Interaction Based on Lag-Lead Modelling for Home-Based Stroke Rehabilitation: Novel Mechanisms for Assessment and Performance Based Adaptation of Task Difficulty

In this work we present three interaction algorithms developed under the EU project SCRIPT in order to evaluate stroke patients' capabilities, evaluate their performance during robot-assisted exercise and consequently adapt the difficulty of the exercise to each individual. The first procedure assesses movement amplitude and duration with the subject making only a few repetitions of the motion. The second algorithm, aimed at evaluation of subject performance, is based on whether that the subject is lagging or leading with respect to a target reference trajectory. Finally, the third procedure aims at modifying the task difficulty (time allowed to reach the target, in this case) based on a performance indicator. The proposed mechanisms are completely independent from each other and could thus be exploited as single units. Furthermore, all of them are generalizable to any movement. These components have been adopted in the SCRIPT system, which is currently being tested in patients' home.
The Influence of Perioperative Risk Factors and Therapeutic Interventions on Infection Rates After Spine Surgery: A Systematic Review

Study Design. Systematic review. Objective. The objectives of this systematic review were to determine the patient and perioperative risk factors that contribute to infections after spine surgery and to examine the level of evidence to support the use of therapeutic interventions to reduce infection rates. Summary of Background Data. Infection continues to be one of the most common and feared complications after spine surgery. As such, it is used as a sentinel event for quality assurance processes. It is clear that the causes of infections after spine surgery are multifactorial and numerous patient- and procedure-related factors have been proposed as contributory elements. In addition, numerous perioperative adjuncts have been suggested to reduce infection rates. Methods. A systematic review of the English-language literature (published between January 1990 and June 2009) was undertaken to identify articles examining risk factors associated with and adjunct treatment measures for preventing surgical-site infections. Two independent reviewers assessed the level of evidence quality using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation criteria, and disagreements were resolved by consensus. Results. Of the 127 articles identified, 32 met the criteria to undergo full-text review. Individual patient, operative, and perioperative variables have been identified that are associated with increased infection rates (i.e., older age, obesity, diabetes, malnutrition, higher American Society of Anesthesiologists score, posterior approaches, and blood transfusions) but these variables have not been combined to provide individual patient risks based on a composite of factors (e.g., risk stratification). Of the surgical adjuncts investigated, only irrigation with dilute betadine solution showed moderate support for reducing infection rates. Conclusion. It is clear that the causes of postoperative spinal site infections are multifactorial and related to a complex interplay of patient and procedural influences. Because of these complexities, for any individual and surgical procedure, predictable infection rates likely exist that do not extrapolate to 0. Although we have identified factors associated with increased infection rates, further studies will be required to allow multifactorial risk stratification for individual patients and to further investigate the use of therapeutic adjuncts.
Verbal working memory deficits in abstinent heroin abusers

Background: A prevailing belief is that opioids tend not to impair cognitive performance in opioid-dependent users. However, the impact of heroin abuse on verbal memory, especially on working memory, is not well studied and the results available are inconsistent. Objective: This study was carried out to test the hypothesis that abstinent heroin abusers have intact working memory capacity. Methods: N-back task and backward digit span task were used to measure the verbal working memory capacity in 28 abstinent heroin abusers and 25 controls matched for age, education level and gender. Forward digit span task was used as a control task to measure short-term memory capacity. Results: Compared with the control subjects, heroin abusers showed normal backward/forward digit spans but significant performance impairment in the n-back task. Conclusion: Abstinent heroin abusers have intact short-term memory capacity but impaired verbal working memory capacity.
Comparing of feedback-collection and think-aloud methods in program comprehension studies

This paper reports an explorative experimental comparison of (i) an experience-sampling method called feedback collection and (ii) the think-aloud methods with respect to their usefulness in studies on program comprehension. Think-aloud methods are widely used in studies of cognitive processes, including program comprehension. Alternatively, as in the feedback-collection method (FCM), cognitive processes can be traced by collecting written feedback from the subjects at regular intervals. We compare FCM with concurrent think-aloud (CTA) and retrospective think-aloud (RTA) regarding type and usefulness of the collected information, costs related to analysis of the collected information and effects of the data collection methods on the subjects' performance. FCM allowed us to identify a greater number of comprehension problems that prevented progress or caused significant delay (FCM: 30 problems; CTA: 5; RTA: 15). It was less precise in identifying strategies for comprehension than CTA (92% correctness for FCM; 100% for CTA). FCM was less expensive in analysis (transcription and coding) than the other two methods (FCM: 0.7 h of analysis per protocol; CTA: 31 h; RTA: 7.9 h). The results indicate that all three methods of data collection were intrusive and affected the performance of the subjects with respect to time and correctness (small to medium effect size). This research confirms that FCM can be used beneficially in studies that trace the cognitive processes involved in, and identify problems related to, the comprehension of software applications. On the basis of our experience, we recommend that FCM be used in studies that have a large number of subjects and as a complement to other methods for tracing cognitive processes, such as user log files. We recommend a design with two groups (verbalisation and silent control) and a pretest task to be used in studies with FCM or CTA that focus on performances.
Treatment of Hepatitis C in HIV-Coinfected Patients

Objective: To review the current management of hepatitis C virus (HCV) in persons coinfected with HIV. Data Sources: A MEDLINE search (1966–February 2006) was conducted, using key words such as HIV, human immunodeficiency virus, hepatitis C, interferon, pegylated interferon, and therapy. Article bibliographies and conference abstracts were also reviewed to identify relevant studies. Study Selection and Data Extraction: Studies that examined HCV treatment in individuals coinfected with HIV and articles that focused on HCV/HIV coinfection were considered for this review. Data Synthesis: Coinfection with HIV leads to a more rapid and severe course of HCV-related liver disease. Treatment of HCV with pegylated interferon (PEG-IFN) and ribavirin therapy is relatively well tolerated in individuals coinfected with HIV, with overall sustained virologic response (SVR) rates of 27–40%. High relapse rates and poor response in HCV-genotype 1 contribute to the lower SVR in coinfected individuals compared with HCV monoinfection. Treatment of HCV is more complicated in HIV-infected persons due to increased risk of myelosuppression, drug interactions, hepatotoxicity of antiretroviral therapy, and the relative contraindication to interferon therapy in advanced HIV disease. Current guidelines recommend that all HIV-positive patients with chronic HCV infection be considered as treatment candidates for anti-HCV therapy due to the higher risk of liver disease progression. Further studies are needed, however, to define the appropriate dose and duration of therapy in HCV/HIV-coinfected individuals. Conclusions: Response to treatment with PEG-IFN and ribavirin is poorer in patients coinfected with HCV/HIV than in those infected with HCV alone. The benefits of anti-HCV therapy, including viral eradication, need to be weighed against the risks of adverse effects and drug-drug interactions between anti-HCV and antiretroviral medications.
SPC Methods for Quality Improvement

Introduction to Quality Control Concepts Probability Distributions to Describe Variability in Data Sets Collecting and Studying Data Sets: Descriptive Statistics and Sampling Distributions Classical Shewhart Control Charts for Variables Classical Shewhart Control Charts for Attributes MA, EWMA, and CUSUM Charts for Classical Stable Processes Q-Charts for Variables Q-Charts for Attributes Process Capability and Performance Analysis, Quadratic Loss Functions Measurement Assurance Regression SPC Models Combining Statistical Process Control and Statistical Process Adjustment Methods Some SPC Methods for Autocorrelated Processes Q-Charts for Two or More Quality Variables Appendix References Index.
Dynamic behavior evaluation for malware detection

The number of malicious applications, their diversity and complexity is continuously growing. To provide the best protection against these advanced threats, there is a need to develop proactive detection solutions, that are able to detect malware based on their behavior. One of the essential concerns when developing such solutions is identifying specific actions based on which malicious applications will be detected. Almost all actions commonly performed by malware can also be encountered in the behavior of clean applications, making it necessary to develop a scoring engine able to evaluate the potential malicious behavior of a process, based on its entire set of actions. We propose a set of dynamic behavior evaluation concepts that should be considered by any proactive security researcher. Using these concepts we developed a scoring engine for a behavior-based solution that has a high detection rate, a small number of false positives, and is highly adaptable and extensible.
Inter‐ and intrarater scoring agreement using grades 1.0 to 3.5 of the Kurtzke Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS)

We determined inter- and intrarater Kurtzke Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) scoring agreement for four trained examining physicians who evaluated 10 clinically stable multiple sclerosis patients. These patients had previously been determined to have EDSS scores of 1.0 to 3.5 and were scheduled to participate in a funded clinical trial of intramuscular recombinant interferon-beta. Intrarater reliability was greater than interrater reliability for scoring the EDSS and all of its component functional systems scores (FSS). Specifically, individual examiners were able to reproduce three serial examination scores on the same patient on the same day (intrarater agreement) within 1.0 EDSS or 2.0 individual FSS points. Reproducible scoring across examiners (interrater agreement), however, could only be accomplished within 1.5 EDSS or 3.0 individual FSS points. Additionally, the interrater scoring variability in our patients is greater than that previously reported for patients with higher EDSS scores. We conclude that clinical trials that employ the EDSS as an outcome measure of treatment efficacy should include inter- and intrarater agreement data for all examining physicians. Most importantly, studies using a single examining physician to evaluate individual patients throughout the course of a clinical trial will require less change in the EDSS to reliably measure disease activity than will studies using more than one examining physician to evaluate individual patients throughout the trial.
Natural population dynamics of phlebotomine sandflies in Panama.

The population dynamics of phlebotomine sandflics were studied in a Panamanian forest for 69 consecutive weeks. Sandfly populations were characterized by high species diversity, spatial heterogeneity and temporal change. Thirtyseven species were identified among 60,455 specimens collected. Light traps set near the ground captured 38.7% of the flies collected, 12.5% were caught in arboreal light traps, and 48.8% were aspirated from resting sites on tree trunks and buttresses. Anthropophilic species comprised 31.2% of all specimens, with light traps attracting nearly 2× as manynear the ground as compared to the forest canopy. Collecting stations in 3 distinct biotopes showed identical species composition but marked quantitative differences. Mature forest was a more productive sandfly habitat than secondary forest and, within mature forest, hilltop biotope was more productive than lowland (stream bed). Sandflies were perennial with marked seasonal fluctuations. Temporal density changes were related to amount and distributional pattern of rainfall which apparently acted by modifying the developmental conditions in the ground. Dryness or waterlogging of the forest floor, caused by scanty or excessive rainfall, was correlated with reduced adult density. Peak activity was attained during the first week of August with a second peak during the first half of January. The maximum increase, over the low level in dry season, was about 5-fold for the general population and 8-fold for the anthropophilic species. Seasonal population changes for a number of principal and anthropophilic species are presented.
A Brief Review and Survey of Segmentation for Character Recognition - TI Journals

Abstract: In the proposed methodology, the character segmentation regions are determined by using projection profiles and topographic features extracted from the gray-scale images. Then a nonlinear character segmentation path in each character segmentation region is found by using multi-stage graph search algorithm. Finally, in order to confirm the nonlinear character segmentation paths and recognition results, recognition-based segmentation method is adopted. Through the experiments with various kinds of printed documents, it is convinced that the proposed methodology is very effective for the segmentation and recognition of touched and overlapped characters. This paper is an approach to develop a method to get the optimized results using the easily available resources . Segmentation helps to extract out some common features among distinct handwriting styles of different people.
Investigation of Dual-Modal Information Presentation

To design computing interfaces enabling users to best receive information, the effects of multimodal information presentation on user task performance and acceptance must first be ascertained. Based upon human attention models and prior research findings, this paper investigates dual-modal information presentation designed to test users’ ability to receive information via auditory channel in addition to normal visual mode. By examining users’ task performance and the extent to which users will accept dual-modal information presentation, this investigation seeks to establish a theoretical foundation for the design of multi-modal interfaces to allow users to access rich multimedia information space in the future.
Analysing the fiscal process under a stochastic environment: evidence from Egypt

This paper investigates the sustainability of the fiscal budgeting process for Egypt, for both stochastic and non-stochastic environments. Note that persistent deficits and the accumulation of debt do not necessarily imply that the debt is unmanageable, and hence, that fiscal processes are unsustainable. It is possible for a government to change the historical pattern it has been following so that it will not continue to borrow and run a ‘Ponzi’ scheme in the future. This implies that the standard cointegration approach to testing whether a government adheres to its intertemporal budget constraint does not provide sufficient criteria for determining whether the fiscal process is truly sustainable. Consequently, we also use a more encompassing set of criteria under more realistic assumptions for determining whether the fiscal process in Egypt exhibits a sustainable budgeting process. These criteria for sustainability are based on the multicointegration approach. Therefore, both cointegration and multicointegration methodologies were used to evaluate these processes. It was found that the fiscal budgeting process in Egypt is sustainable in neither a stochastic nor a non-stochastic environment. Furthermore, the earlier and recent nationalisation of foreign trade resulted in an increase in deficits-GDP ratio. Adopting an austerity budget in 1967 and paying an additional cost of living allowance to government employees since 1975 were the only two policy regime changes which reduced the deficit per GDP.