Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The human survivin promoter: a novel transcriptional targeting strategy for treatment of glioma.

OBJECT Malignant brain tumors have been proved to be resistant to standard treatments and therefore require new therapeutic strategies. Survivin, a recently described member of the inhibitor of apoptosis protein family, is overexpressed in several human brain tumors, primarily gliomas, but is downregulated in normal tissues. The authors hypothesized that the expression of tumor-specific survivin could be exploited for treatment of gliomas by targeting the tumors with gene therapy vectors. METHODS Following confirmation of survivin expression in glioma cell lines, an adenoviral vector containing the survivin promoter and the reporter gene luciferase was tested in established and primary glioma cells, normal astrocytic cells, and normal human brain tissues. High levels of reporter gene expression were observed in established tumor and primary tumor cell lines and low levels of expression in astrocytes and normal human brain tissue. To test oncolytic potency, the authors constructed survivin promoter-based conditionally replicative adenoviruses (CRAds), composed of survivin promoter-regulated E1 gene expression and an RGD-4C capsid modification. These CRAds could efficiently replicate within and kill a variety of established glioma tumor cells, but were inactive in a normal human liver organ culture. Finally, survivin promoter-based CRAds significantly inhibited the growth of glioma xenografts in vivo. CONCLUSIONS Together these data indicate that the survivin promoter is a promising tumor-specific promoter for transcriptional targeting of adenovirus-based vectors and CRAds for malignant gliomas. The strategy of using survivin-CRAds may thus translate into an experimental therapeutic approach that can be used in human clinical trials.
Development of a Certified Reference Material (NMIJ CRM 7505-a) for the Determination of Trace Elements in Tea Leaves

A certified reference material (CRM) for trace elements in tea leaves has been developed in National Metrology Institute of Japan (NMIJ). The CRM was provided as a dry powder (<90 μm) after frozen pulverization of washed and dried fresh tea leaves from a tea plant farm in Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan. Characterization of the property value for each element was carried out exclusively by NMIJ with at least two independent analytical methods, including inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), high-resolution (HR-) ICP-MS, isotope-dilution (ID-) ICP-MS, inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES), graphite-furnace atomic-absorption spectrometry (GF-AAS) and flame atomic-absorption spectrometry (FAAS). Property values were provided for 19 elements (Ca, K, Mg, P, Al, B, Ba, Cd, Cu, Fe, Li, Mn, Na, Ni, Pb, Rb, Sr, Zn and Co) and informative values for 18 elements (Ti, V, Cr, Y, and all of the lanthanides, except for Pm whose isotopes are exclusively radioactive). The concentration ranges of property values and informative values were from 1.59% (mass) of K to 0.0139 mg kg^−1 of Cd and from 0.6 mg kg^−1 of Ti to 0.0014 mg kg^−1 of Lu, respectively. Combined relatively standard uncertainties of the property values were estimated by considering the uncertainties of the homogeneity, analytical methods, characterization, calibration standard, and dry-mass correction factor. The range of the relative combined standard uncertainties was from 1.5% of Mg and K to 4.1% of Cd.
Control of immune response of HIV infection model by gradual reduction of drug dose

It is known that HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) infection that causes AIDS is a dynamic process that can be modeled mathematically. By changing the drug effect in the model, which can be regarded as the control input, the control goal of this paper is to drive any initial state into an equilibrium called the 'non-progressor,' where the symptom of infected patient will not be developed into AIDS. A new treatment idea is proposed which can be simply stated as 'slow reduction of dose after the maximum dose for a period'. This idea is guaranteed to work through mathematical proofs. In particular, we prove the proposed scheme by analyzing the model in view of positively invariant set, non-vanishing basin of attraction with respect to the constant drug dosage, and stability under slowly varying input. We also present a set of conditions on the parameters, which characterizes the model to which the proposed treatment is applicable. In summary, we prove global asymptotic controllability of the equilibrium of non-progressor under the proposed conditions on parameters.
Digital Complementary Assets

Google, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc. are some of the prominent large-scale digital service providers that are having tremendous impact on societies, corporations and individuals. However, despite the rapid uptake and their obvious influence on the behavior of individuals and the business models and networks of organizations, we still lack a deeper, theory-guided understanding of the related phenomenon. We use Teece’s notion of complementary assets and extend it towards ‘digital complementary assets’ (DCA) in an attempt to provide such a theory-guided understanding of these digital services. Building on Teece’s theory, we make three contributions. First, we offer a new conceptualization of digital complementary assets in the form of digital public goods and digital public assets. Second, we differentiate three models for how organizations can engage with such digital complementary assets. Third, user-base is found to be a critical factor when considering appropriability.
Last Mile End-User Programmers: Programming Exposure, Influences, and Preferences of the Masses

In this paper, we set out to explore the level of programming experience present among the masses (the last mile end-user programmers), the influence of various factors such as early exposure to software, as well as age, on programming experience, their effects on the types of software people mightwant to create, and the software development approaches they prefer.
The effects of 17β-estradiol and protein supplement on the response to purified and recombinant follicle stimulating hormone in bovine oocytes

During in vitro maturation of bovine oocytes, effects of gonadotropins (FSH, LH) and growth factors such as epidermal growth factor (EGF) vary among studies. Now that we can use defined or semi-defined medium, it becomes possible to evaluate recombinant products to assess their roles. Therefore, this study was designed to evaluate the effect of purified porcine (pFSH) or recombinant human (r-hFSH; 5, 50, or 500 ng/ml) follicle stimulating hormone, luteinising hormone (LH; 50, 500 or 5000 ng/ml) and epidermal growth factor (EGF; 5, 10, 30 or 50 ng/ml) on subsequent embryonic development of in vitro matured bovine oocytes. In addition, the presence of bovine serum albumin (BSA; 8 mg/ml) as a protein supplement during in vitro maturation (IVM) was studied. For all treatments, cumulus-oocyte complexes were matured in defined maturation medium consisting of synthetic oviduct fluid. Addition of LH to the maturation medium at all concentrations studied did not increase the proportion of oocytes developing to the morula and blastocyst stages. However, morula and blastocyst yield were improved (p < 0.05) after addition of EGF (30 ng/ml) as compared with maturation medium alone (29.3% vs 18.0%, respectively). Addition of r-hFSH to the maturation medium in the presence of 17β-estradiol (E2) significantly (p < 0.0001) increased the morula and blastocyst rate compared with maturation medium alone (40.3% vs 19.3%, respectively). The presence of BSA alone during IVM significantly reduced the developmental competence of oocytes as reflected by the morula and blastocyst yield. These results demonstrate the essential role of FSH, EGF and E2 on the kinetics of nuclear and cytoplasmic maturation that are essential for the formation of an egg capable of fertilisation and development. Also, supplementation of r-hFSH and E2 during IVM under our conditions increases morula and blastocyst yield following in vitro fertilisation and in vitro culture in defined medium. Finally, the presence of BSA as the only protein supplement during IVM may be detrimental to oocyte maturation.
Local changes in microcirculation and the analgesic effects of acupuncture: a laser Doppler perfusion imaging study.

OBJECTIVES Although the local response induced by acupuncture manipulation has been considered to be among the important factors that induce the effects of acupuncture, this connection has not yet been properly studied with standardized tools. The aims of this study are to examine the local changes in microcirculation that occur at different manipulation intensities and explore any associations of these changes with the analgesic effects of acupuncture. PARTICIPANTS/INTERVENTIONS Twelve healthy volunteers received three acupuncture interventions (insertion only, a single manipulation, and repeated manipulations) at the right LI4 (Hegu or Hapgok) in random order. OUTCOME MEASURES Skin blood perfusion was measured in a 100-mm(2) area ellipse centered on LI4 by using laser Doppler perfusion imaging (LDPI) before, during, and after acupuncture stimulation. Pressure pain thresholds (PPTs) were measured at ipsilateral areas, including acupoints ST25 (abdomen), LI5 (hand), LI10 (arm), and SP9 (leg). RESULTS Repeated acupuncture manipulations enhanced microcirculatory perfusion compared with the insertion-only (p<0.01) and the single-manipulation (p<0.05) conditions. The repeated acupuncture manipulations significantly decreased the pressure pain at ST25 compared with the other groups (each p<0.05). Of note, Spearman correlation analysis revealed significant correlation between changes of local perfusion and PPTs (r=0.393; p=0.018). CONCLUSIONS These results suggested that repeated manipulation induced higher local microcirculatory changes that were correlated with the analgesic effects at the relevant sites. The findings suggest that a proper dose of acupuncture stimulation might be essential to elicit the acupuncture effects.
Study of single-phase bidirectional battery charger for high power application

This paper presents a thorough scope of a wide-used single-phase bidirectional battery charger which composes of a pulse-width modulation (PWM) converter in the front-end and a dual active bridge (DAB) converter for high power applications. The computer simulations of PWM converter and DAB converter are separately shown to support theoretical analyses. A prototype converter was built and tested at different operating conditions. Experiment results at 3.3 kW are given to verify theory and simulation results as well.
International Union of Pharmacology. LXIX. Status of the Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide Subtype 2 Receptor

Historically, calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) receptors have been divided into two classes, CGRP1 and CGRP2. After the cloning of calcitonin receptor-like receptor (CLR) and receptor activity-modifying proteins (RAMPs), it became clear that the CGRP1 receptor was a complex between CLR and RAMP1. It is now apparent that the CGRP2 receptor phenotype is the result of CGRP acting at receptors for amylin and adrenomedullin. Accordingly, the term “CGRP2” receptor should no longer be used, and the “CGRP1” receptor should be known as the “CGRP” receptor.
A STUDY OF THE FACTORS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE ACCUMULATION OF RADIOACTIVE IODINATED HUMAN SERUM ALBUMIN (RIHSA) BY INTRACRANIAL TUMOURS AND OTHER LESIONS.

ADIOACTIVE iodina ted (1131) h u m a n se rum a l b u m i n (RIHSA) was first used in externa l b ra in scann ing b y Chou et al2 ~ in 1951. I t s popu la r i t y persists because of its effectiveness, its r eady ava i l ab i l i ty a n d the conven ien t ra te of decay of its r ad ioac t i v i t y (p31 half-life is 8 days) . A knowledge of the mechan i sms invo lved in the u p t a k e of rad ioac t ive mater ia ls by tu rnouts a n d o the r lesions should lead to imp r o v e m e n t s in diagnost ic t echniques a n d perhaps e v e n t u a l l y even to the the rapeu t i c use of isotopes in pa t i en t s wi th t umour s . Th i s ar t icle p resen t s da ta ob ta ined f rom the s t udy of the fate of R I H S A in i n t r ac ran i a l t u rnou t s a n d ce r ta in other lesions. The decision was t a k e n to l imi t the inves t iga t ion to the fate of R I H S A alone because this m a t e r ial was the one cu r ren t ly in diagnost ic use a t this centre . I t is, of course, recognised t h a t the obse rva t ions on the behav iour of R I H S A in the b o d y a n d the conclusions d rawn f rom t h c m are n o t all appl icable to o ther radioact ive subs tances .
Filtenna integration achieving ideal chebyshev return losses

This paper demonstrates that it is possible to find an ideal filter response (Chebyshev, Butterworth,.) considering the antenna as the last resonator of a filter under certain circumstances related with the antenna performance and the bandwidth of the filtenna device. If these circumstances are not accomplished, we can achieve excellent performance as well, by means of an iterative process the goal of which is defined by either a filter mask or a classical filter function itself. The methodology is based on the conventional coupling matrix technique for filter design and has been validated by fabricating a microstrip prototype using hairpin resonators and a rectangular patch antenna.
Digital control of resonant converters at ultra high frequency

Voltage regulators (VRs) powering microprocessors face stringent requirements on size; response; and efficiency. Current-type resonant converters, like the series resonant converter are particularly well-suited for these applications as they are able to achieve efficient high frequency operation, and have a capacitive output filter. However, despite their merits, they are often overlooked because of size and performance issues associated with their control. In this paper, variable frequency pulse density modulation (VF-PDM) control of the series resonant converter (SRC) is presented to enable resonant converter benefits to be realized in VR applications. It achieves efficient multi-megahertz switching frequency, ultra-fast transient response with minimal filter capacitance, and is inherently stable. It will be shown that with proper converter design, these benefits can be achieved with a simple, low clock rate digital controller.
Measurement of antibodies to the Borrelia burgdorferi flagellum improves serodiagnosis in Lyme disease

The isolation of Borrelia burgdorferi flagella and an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for detection of immunoglobulin G (IgG) and IgM to the B. burgdorferi flagellum are described. The diagnostic performance of the flagellum ELISA for serodiagnosis of Lyme disease was compared with the performance of a traditional whole cell B. burgdorferi sonic extract ELISA. We examined sera and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) from 56 patients with lymphocytic meningoradiculitis (Bannwarth's syndrome), the most frequent secondary-stage manifestation of Lyme disease in Europe. Two hundred healthy individuals and patients with aseptic meningitis, encephalitis, Guillain-Barré syndrome, and syphilis served as controls. The flagellum ELISA was significantly more sensitive than the sonic extract ELISA. The diagnostic sensitivities were increased from 41.1 to 76.8% (P less than 0.01) for IgG and from 35.7 to 67.9% (P less than 0.05) for IgM detection in serum. The increase in sensitivity was most pronounced in patients with a short duration of disease (less than 20 days after onset). The diagnostic specificity increased for IgG detection but was almost unaltered for IgM. The flagellum ELISA did not improve the diagnostic sensitivity of measuring antibodies to borreliae in CSF, most likely owing to the low level of unspecific antibodies in CSF compared with serum. The cross-reactivity of sera and CSF from patients with syphilis decreased significantly. The flagellum antigen of B. burgdorferi shows no strain variation, is easy to purify in sufficient quantity, and is therefore a suitable reference antigen for routine serodiagnosis of Lyme disease.
Entwurf einer Regime Recognition im Projekt Allflight

Um wahrend einer Hubschraubermission die bestmoglichen Flugeigenschaften zu haben, muss die Flugregelungsfunktionen stets an die aktuelle Situation angepasst werden. Die Flugenveloppe wird in Bereiche „Regimes“ eingeteilt und jedes Regime wird mit einer dazu passenden Reglerunterstutzung versehen. Wichtig fur die Wahl der optimalen Reglerfunktion sind die Grosen: Fluggeschwindigkeit, Hohe und Hinderniskulisse sowie der durch Schalterbetatigung am Sidestick geauserte Pilotenwunsch. Das Grundprinzip ist: umso langsamer, tiefer oder schlechter Sicht, umso mehr Reglerunterstutzung. Eine erste Version dieser Regime Recognition wurde erarbeitet.
Prevalence of symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder in German professional firefighters.

OBJECTIVE This study investigated the prevalence of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and comorbid symptoms among professional firefighters in Germany and examined not only primary but also secondary traumatic stress disorder experienced by these firefighters who were exposed to the sufferings of others. METHOD To estimate the prevalence of trauma-related disorders, a representative group of 402 professional firefighters from the State of Rheinland-Pfalz in Germany was surveyed through use of the General Health Questionnaire, a PTSD Symptom Scale, a stress coping questionnaire, and a self-rating scale to assess bodily complaints. RESULTS The current prevalence rate of PTSD symptoms among professional firefighters was 18.2%. About 27% of the recruited subjects had a mental disorder according to the General Health Questionnaire. Predictors for the extent of traumatic stress were longer job experience and the number of distressing missions during the last month. Traumatic stress also predicted psychiatric impairment beyond PTSD, such as depressive mood, psychosomatic complaints, social dysfunction, and substance abuse. CONCLUSIONS The high prevalence of PTSD and other psychiatric impairments in firefighters indicates that they often fail to cope with primary and particularly secondary stress in their daily work. This problem, together with the individual psychological consequences and expenses related to work absenteeism and early retirement, seems to be very specific for the profession of firefighters. The present findings provide a better understanding of the relationship between secondary traumatic stress and PTSD in professional helpers and high-risk populations such as firefighters, emergency workers, and the police.
Concerns about medications mediate the association of posttraumatic stress disorder with adherence to medication in stroke survivors.

OBJECTIVES Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) can be a consequence of acute medical events and has been associated with non-adherence to medications. We tested whether increased concerns about medications could explain the association between PTSD and non-adherence to medication in stroke survivors. DESIGN We surveyed 535 participants aged 40 years or older who had at least one stroke or transient ischaemic attack in the previous 5 years. METHODS We assessed PTSD using the PTSD checklist-specific for stroke, medication adherence with the Morisky Medication Adherence Questionnaire, and beliefs about medications with the Beliefs about Medicines Questionnaire. We used logistic regression to test whether concerns about medications mediated the association between stroke-induced PTSD and non-adherence to medication. Covariates for adjusted analyses included age, sex, race, comorbid medical conditions, stroke-related disability, years since last stroke/TIA, and depression. RESULTS Symptoms of PTSD were correlated with greater concerns about medications (r = 0.45; p < .001), and both were associated with medication non-adherence. Adjustment for concerns about medications attenuated the relationship between PTSD and non-adherence to medication, from an odds ratio [OR] of 1.04 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.01-1.06; OR, 1.63 per 1 SD) to an OR of 1.02 (95% CI, 1.00-1.05; OR, 1.32 per 1 SD), and increased concerns about medications remained associated with increased odds of non-adherence to medication (OR, 1.17; 95% CI, 1.10-1.25; OR, 1.72 per 1 SD) in this fully adjusted model. A bootstrap mediation test suggested that the indirect effect was statistically significant and explained 38% of the association of PTSD to medication non-adherence, and the direct effect of PTSD symptoms on medication non-adherence was no longer significant. CONCLUSION Increased concerns about medications explain a significant proportion of the association between PTSD symptoms and non-adherence to medication in stroke survivors.
The association of a novel haplotype in the dopamine transporter with preschool age posttraumatic stress disorder.

OBJECTIVE Significant evidence supports a genetic contribution to the development of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Three previous studies have demonstrated an association between PTSD and the nine repeat allele of the 3' untranslated region (3'UTR) variable number tandem repeat (VNTR) in the dopamine transporter (DAT, rs28363170). Recently a novel, functionally significant C/T single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in the 3'UTR (rs27072) with putative interactions with the 3'VNTR, has been identified. To provide enhanced support for the role of DAT and striatal dopamine regulation in the development of PTSD, this study examined the impact of a haplotype defined by the C allele of rs27072 and the nine repeat allele of the 3'VNTR on PTSD diagnosis in young trauma-exposed children. METHODS DAT haplotypes were determined in 150 trauma-exposed 3-6 year-old children. PTSD was assessed with a semistructured interview. After excluding double heterozygotes, analysis was performed on 143 total subjects. Haplotype was examined in relation to categorical and continuous measures of PTSD, controlling for trauma type and race. Additional analysis within the two largest race categories was performed, as other means of controlling for ethnic stratification were not available. RESULTS The number of haplotypes (0, 1, or 2) defined by the presence of the nine repeat allele of rs28363170 (VNTR in the 3'UTR) and the C allele of rs27072 (SNP in the 3'UTR) was significantly associated with both the diagnosis of PTSD and total PTSD symptoms. Specifically, children with one or two copies of the haplotype had significantly more PTSD symptoms and were more likely to be diagnosed with PTSD than were children without this haplotype. CONCLUSIONS These findings extend previous findings associating genetic variation in the DAT with PTSD. The association of a haplotype in DAT with PTSD provides incremental traction for a model of genetic vulnerability to PTSD, a specific underlying mechanism implicating striatal dopamine regulation, and insight into potential future personalized interventions.
mipMAP: A mobile application for proximate social network communication

mipMAP is a mobile application that promotes the exchange of information among its users within the same proximity, which runs on the android operating system. The objective of creating such an application is to facilitate the user to find geolocation-specific information, such as accommodations, and restaurants. The application is developed for social development with safe and reliable mechanism, and can serve as a building block for possible development of future applications that can use the same infrastructure. Furthermore, this application can detect inappropriate use of Thai language such as rude words, abusive usages of language, and content that does not provide information gain.