Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Design and evaluation of deformable talc agglomerates prepared by crystallo-Co-agglomeration technique for generating heterogenous matrix

The crystallo-co-agglomeration technique was used to design directly compressible and deformable agglomerates of talc containing the low-dose drug bromhexine hydrochloride (BXH). The process of agglomeration involved the use of dichloromethane as a good solvent and bridging liquid for BXH, water as a poor solvent, talc as diluent, and Tween 80 to aid dispersion of BXH and diluent into the poor solvent. Hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (50 cps) 4% wt/wt was used to impart the desired mechanical strength and polyethylene glycol 6000 5% wt/wt was used to impart the desired sphericity to the agglomerates. Clarity of the supernatant was considered an endpoint for completion of the agglomeration process. The drug-to-talc ratio in optimized batch 1 (BT1) and batch 2 (BT2) was kept at 1:15.66 and 1:24, respectively. The spherical agglomerates obtained were evaluated for topographic, micromeritic, mechanical, deformation, compressional, and drug release properties. The agglomeration yield and drug entrapment for both batches were above 94% wt/wt. Crushing strength and friability studies showed good handling qualities of agglomerates. Heckel plot studies showed low mean yield pressure and high tensile strength, indicating excellent compressibility and compactibility of agglomerates. Diametral and axial fracture of compacts showed deformation of agglomerates revealing formation of a heterogeneous compact. Drug release was sustained for 9 hours and 5 hours from BT1 and BT2, respectively, in 0.1N HCl. Hence, the crystallo-co-agglomeration technique can be successfully used for obtaining spherical, deformable, and directly compressible agglomerates, generating a heterogeneous matrix system and providing sustained drug release.
Reward Backpropagation Prioritized Experience Replay

Sample efficiency is an important topic in reinforcement learning. With limited data and experience, how can we converge to a good policy more quickly? In this paper, we propose a new experience replay method called Reward Backpropagation, which gives higher minibatch sampling priority to those (s, a, r, s′) with r 6= 0 and then propagate the priority backward to its previous transition once it has been sampled and so on. Experiments show that DQN model combined with our method converges 1.5x faster than vanilla DQN and also has higher performance.
Presenilin‐dependent γ‐secretase processing of β‐amyloid precursor protein at a site corresponding to the S3 cleavage of Notch

The presenilin (PS)‐dependent site 3 (S3) cleavage of Notch liberates its intracellular domain (NICD), which is required for Notch signaling. The similar γ‐secretase cleavage of the β‐amyloid precursor protein (βAPP) results in the secretion of amyloid β‐peptide (Aβ). However, little is known about the corresponding C‐terminal cleavage product (CTFγ). We have now identified CTFγ in brain tissue, in living cells, as well as in an in vitro system. Generation of CTFγ is facilitated by PSs, since a dominant‐negative mutation of PS as well as a PS gene knock out prevents its production. Moreover, γ‐secretase inhibitors, including one that is known to bind to PS, also block CTFγ generation. Sequence analysis revealed that CTFγ is produced by a novel γ‐secretase cut, which occurs at a site corresponding to the S3 cleavage of Notch.
The Effects of the Hydroalcohol Extract of Rosa canina L. Fruit on Experimentally Nephrolithiasic Wistar Rats

This research evaluated the possible therapeutic potential of Rosa canina (RC) as a preventive agent in experimentally induced calcium oxalate (CaOx) nephrolithiasis with ethylene glycol (1% EG) in rats. In this experiment, 50 Wistar rats were divided randomly into five groups (n = 10). These groups received tap drinking water (group I), 1% EG (group II), 250 mg/kg RC + 1% EG (group III), 500 mg/kg RC + 1% EG (group IV), or 2.5 g/kg potassium citrate + 1% EG (group V) for a period of 30 days. Blood and urine were collected for biochemical analysis, and the liver and kidneys were prepared for total lipid peroxides, calcium content and histological evaluation. The extract was analysed for total phenolics, flavonoids, ascorbic acid, citric acid and radical scavenger activity. The supplementation of the hydromethanol RC extract contributed to reducing the kidney and liver lipid peroxides to optimum levels in rats that had been treated with EG‐induced CaOx lithiasis. The extract also decreased renal and urinary calcium contents, decreased the size and number of CaOx calculi in the kidneys, and significantly increased citrate excretion without changing the volume, pH, or urinary concentrations of oxalate in comparison with the control group. According to these results, RC can be useful as a preventive agent against the formation of CaOx kidney stones. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Determination of Echinocandin MICs for Candida Species in Less than 8 Hours: Comparison of the Rapid Susceptibility Assay with the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute's Broth Microdilution Assay

ABSTRACT The echinocandins prevent fungal cell wall synthesis by inhibiting β-1,3-glucan synthesis, a significant glucose-consuming process. Previous studies suggested that echinocandin inhibitory activity is evident within 1 h of exposure. We hypothesized that a susceptibility assay based on glucose consumption may provide clinically useful MICs rapidly. The rapid susceptibility assay (RSA), which provides MICs in less than 8 h, was compared with the standard broth microdilution susceptibility assay (Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute, document M27-A3, 2008) for 56 Candida species strains. Variables which are known to influence MICs determined by the M27-A3 method were also assessed for their effects on the RSA results. Excellent agreement (>90%) between the results of the RSA and M27-A3 methods was achieved for all three FDA-approved echinocandins (micafungin, caspofungin, and anidulafungin). Candida lusitaniae strains were responsible for most of the discordant results. Assay variables such as the test medium, the age of the inoculum culture, and the presence of human serum affected MIC results from the RSA and the M27-A3 method similarly. The RSA is equivalent to the standard M27-A3 method for determining echinocandin MICs for Candida species. The RSA provides MIC results in less than 8 h and can be applied to old and young yeast colonies. The assay could potentially provide clinically useful MICs on the same day that yeast growth from a specimen is first detected on solid medium.
Categorical Perception of Porteño Nuclear Accents

By applying the categorical perception (CP) paradigm complemented by measurements of reaction time (RT), we provide evidence for a categorical scaling contrast in the nuclear position of utterances with narrowly focused constituents in Argentinean Porteño-Spanish. While the tritonal accent L+H*+L is perceived as signaling contrast, L* is interpreted as its neutral counterpart.
Mixed Cooperation MAC Protocol with Sleep Mechanism for Data Acquisition in Wireless Machine-to-Machine Networks

By exploring the idle state of each sensor node, a mixed sleep-cooperative time division multiple access (TDMA) media access control (MAC) protocol (MS-CTDMA) is proposed for the wireless data gathering network in wireless machine-to-machine (M2M) networks. The basic idea is that in the idle state, each sensor node dynamically goes into sleep state or cooperative state to maximize the network lifetime. A single-hop network delay model of MS-CTDMA is established by the M X / G / 1 N-policy queue with multiple exhaustive vacations, which provides a way to balance energy consumption in network and the delay of each node with the delay sensitive traffic constraint. Furthermore, based on some reasonable assumptions, the proposed MS-CTDMA analysis model can be extended to the whole M2M network. Consequently, we propose an optimal source node selection strategy from the perspective of the relay node during its idle time, regarding the traffic load, residual energy, and channel state. Numerical results reveal that with proper tradeoff between delays and energy conservations, MS-CTDMA can significantly prolong the network lifetime in Rayleigh fading channels compared to pure sleep scheme.
Hemagglutinin Receptor Specificity and Structural Analyses of Respiratory Droplet-Transmissible H5N1 Viruses

ABSTRACT Two ferret-adapted H5N1 viruses capable of respiratory droplet transmission have been reported with mutations in the hemagglutinin receptor-binding site and stalk domains. Glycan microarray analysis reveals that both viruses exhibit a strong shift toward binding to “human-type” α2-6 sialosides but with notable differences in fine specificity. Crystal structure analysis further shows that the stalk mutation causes no obvious perturbation of the receptor-binding pocket, consistent with its impact on hemagglutinin stability without affecting receptor specificity.
Carotid intima-media thickness and ınsulin resistance changes in patients who underwent sleeve gastrectomy: A prospective study.

OBJECTIVES Our aim was to examine changes in insulin resistance, Carotid Intima-Media Thickness (CIMT), in morbid obese patients without any known associated chronic diseases who underwent sleeve gastrectomy. MATERIALS AND METHODS The subjects of this study were patients with minimum BMI of 40, who did not have any known chronic diseases. Sleeve gastrectomy was performed and perioperative control endoscopy was performed. The following values were measured before the operation and after follow-up period after the operation: Fasting blood glucose and insulin, lipid profile, BMI, liver function tests, right and left CIMT. Furthermore, the patients' insulin resistance was calculated by HOMA method, and the values of 2.7. PARTICIPANTS Six-teen patients (14 women and 2 men, average age: 39.12 ± 10.63 years), who did not have a known additional chronic disease, took part in the study. RESULTS There was a significant difference between baseline and follow-up values of the patients, and the mean weight loss was 20.5%. Given the statistical evaluation of baseline and follow-up values, there was a significant difference in BMI, insulin resistance rates and right and left CIMT values. CONCLUSIONS Bariatric surgery may provide some additional advantages for the management of cardiovascular risks in obese patients. However, it should be kept in mind that the most important components of fight against obesity are appropriate diet and exercise programs.
Complete maps of molecular‐loop conformational spaces

This paper presents a numerical method to compute all possible conformations of distance‐constrained molecular loops, i.e., loops where some interatomic distances are held fixed, while others can vary. The method is general (it can be applied to single or multiple intermingled loops of arbitrary topology) and complete (it isolates all solutions, even if they form positive‐dimensional sets). Generality is achieved by reducing the problem to finding all embeddings of a set of points constrained by pairwise distances, which can be formulated as computing the roots of a system of Cayley–Menger determinants. Completeness is achieved by expressing these determinants in Bernstein form and using a numerical algorithm that exploits such form to bound all root locations at any desired precision. The method is readily parallelizable, and the current implementation can be run on single‐ or multiprocessor machines. Experiments are included that show the method's performance on rigid loops, mobile loops, and multiloop molecules. In all cases, complete maps including all possible conformations are obtained, thus allowing an exhaustive analysis and visualization of all pseudo‐rotation paths between different conformations satisfying loop closure. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Comput Chem, 2007
Long-term follow-up with I-care phakic IOLs

Aim To evaluate visual quality and postoperative results as well adverse events in myopic patients undergoing I-CARE anterior-chamber angle-supported phakic intraocular lens (IOL) implantation. Design A retrospective, non-randomised, case series. Participants Data on 29 eyes (16 patients) receiving I-CARE phakic IOL for high myopia (–11.66±3.3) were analysed. Methods The IOLs were implanted between 2003 and 2006 at the Department of Ophthalmology, Medical University, Graz, Austria. The mean follow-up was 51.7±16 months (17–78 months). Main outcome measures The authors measured uncorrected visual acuity (UCVA) and best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA); patients underwent slit-lamp examination, corneal topography, Scheimpflug imaging and measurement of endothelial cells (EC). Results The mean UCVA and BCSVA were 0.63 and 0.94 decimal after 1 year. Endothelial cell loss was the most serious adverse event observed. The mean EC loss was 2%, 9%, 17%, 21%, 33% and 47% after 1 year (n=17), 2 years (n=20), 3 years (n=17), 4 years (n=17), 5 years (n=12) and 6 years (n=3), respectively. Eight IOL explantations were made due to severe EC loss 3–6 years after implantation. Other serious complications included one patient with Urrets–Zavalia Syndrome (one eye). Conclusion Implantation of the I-CARE phakic-IOL is not a safe method for the correction of high myopia due to serious endothelial cell loss that might occur in a high number of patients. Patients with these IOLs should be followed up at least every 6 months, and the IOL should be explanted, once the EC count drops to less than 2000 cells/mm2.
Development of active cord mechanism ACM-R3 with agile 3D mobility

This paper describes the development of ACM-R3, which is a new version of the active cord mechanism with three-dimensional mobility. This ACM-R3 is equipped with large passive wheels which wrap its overall body, and has frictional characteristic as snake-like skin. It is also equipped with radio controlled servomotors with some gears added to them, and held tightly by shell flames so that it can move steadily and with high power. Each unit of ACM-R3 consists of a very simple structure, batteries, and electronic circuits to control itself. Consequently, ACM-R3 consists of as many units as we want to use, and is suitable for the platform of snake-like robotics researchers. ACM-R3 can demonstrate new propulsion methods and motions, combining the ability of a manipulator and a propulsion unit.
Genome-derived vaccines

Vaccine research entered a new era when the complete genome of a pathogenic bacterium was published in 1995. Since then, more than 97 bacterial pathogens have been sequenced and at least 110 additional projects are now in progress. Genome sequencing has also dramatically accelerated: high-throughput facilities can draft the sequence of an entire microbe (two to four megabases) in 1 to 2 days. Vaccine developers are using microarrays, immunoinformatics, proteomics and high-throughput immunology assays to reduce the truly unmanageable volume of information available in genome databases to a manageable size. Vaccines composed by novel antigens discovered from genome mining are already in clinical trials. Within 5 years we can expect to see a novel class of vaccines composed by genome-predicted, assembled and engineered T- and B-cell epitopes. This article addresses the convergence of three forces – microbial genome sequencing, computational immunology and new vaccine technologies – that are shifting genome mining for vaccines onto the forefront of immunology research.
Promoting Physical Activity Among University Students: A Systematic Review of Controlled Trials

Objective: University study is often accompanied by a decline in physical activity (PA) levels but can offer the opportunity to promote a lifelong active lifestyle. This review aims to summarize controlled trials of interventions promoting PA among university students, describing the quality of the evidence, effective strategies, and deficiencies in the interventions employed, to provide directions for future research and for practical implementations. Data Source: PubMed, PsychINFO, Cochrane Library, Education Source, and SPORTDiscus. Study Inclusion Criteria: Randomized or nonrandomized controlled trial, describing an intervention to promote PA in university students, where PA was one of the outcomes and results were published in English. Data Extraction: Country, study design, participants’ inclusion criteria, participation rate and characteristics, randomization, blinding, theoretical framework, intervention characteristics, participant retention rate and withdrawal reasons, measures employed, data analysis, PA results, and findings regarding PA correlates. Data Synthesis: Data were synthetized considering study characteristics, strategies used, and outcomes. Results: Two thousand five hundred eighty-five articles were identified. Twenty-seven studies met the inclusion criteria. Sixteen studies reported an increase in PA levels. Conclusion: Physical Activity promotion interventions should address a range of behavioral determinants. Personalized approaches and PA sessions should be considered in future studies. The high risk of bias of many studies (mainly due to attrition and poor reporting) and missing information about intervention components limit the strength of conclusions about the most effective strategies and the evidence of effectiveness, highlighting the need for further high-quality studies.
The plasma von Willebrand factor O‐glycome comprises a surprising variety of structures including ABH antigens and disialosyl motifs

Summary. Background: von Willebrand factor (VWF) is a key component for maintenance of normal hemostasis. Its glycan moieties, accounting for about 20% of its molecular weight, have been shown to affect many of its properties. Previous studies reported correlations between VWF secretion, half‐life and the nature or presence of its N‐glycans, and more importantly between VWF plasma level and the type of N‐linked ABH antigens. Despite the presence of 10 predicted O‐glycosylation sites, the O‐glycome remains poorly characterized, impairing the complete elucidation of its influence on VWF functions. So far only a single glycan structure, a disialyl core 1 glycan, has been identified. Objectives: To define an exhaustive profile of the VWF O‐glycan structures to help the understanding of their role in VWF regulation and properties. Methods: Plasma‐derived VWF O‐linked sugars were isolated and analyzed using state‐of‐the‐art mass spectrometry methodologies. Results and conclusions: We provide here a detailed analysis of the human plasma‐derived VWF O‐glycome. Eighteen O‐glycan structures including both core 1 and core 2 structures are now demonstrated to be present on VWF. Amongst the newly determined structures are unusual tetra‐sialylated core 1 O‐glycans and ABH antigen‐containing core 2 O‐glycans. In conjunction with current models explaining VWF activity, knowledge of the complete O‐glycome will facilitate research aimed at providing a better understanding of the influence of glycosylation on VWF functions.
Comparison of the structures of the metal-thiolate binding site in Zn(II)-, Cd(II)-, and Hg(II)-metallothioneins using molecular modeling techniques.

The first fully energy-minimized structures for a series of structurally related metal complexes of the important mammalian metal binding protein metallothionein are described. The structures were calculated based on structural information obtained from existing spectroscopic and crystallographic data, and minimized using molecular mechanics (MM2) techniques. A two domain structure, with stoichiometries of M(II)3-(Scys)9 and M(II)4-(Scys)11 where M = zinc(II), cadmium(II), and mercury(II), was assembled and minimized. The resultant three-dimensional structure closely resembled that of rat liver Cd5Zn2-MT 1 obtained by analysis of x-ray diffraction data [A. H. Robbins, D.E. McRee, M. Williamson, S. A. Collett, N. H. Xuong, W. F. Furey, B. C. Wang and C. D. Stout, J. Mol. Biol. 221, 1269-1293 (1991)]. Minimized structures for Zn7-MT, Cd7-MT, and Hg7-MT are reported. Deep crevices that expose the metal-thiolate clusters are seen in each structure. However, for the mercury-containing protein, much of the mercury-thiolate structure is visible and it is proposed that this provides access for extensive interaction between solvent water molecules and the mercury(II), resulting in the observed distortion away from tetrahedral geometry for Hg7-MT. Volume calculations are reported for the protein metallated with 7 Zn(II), Cd(II), or Hg(II). A series of structural changes calculated for the step-wise isomorphous replacement of Zn(II) by Cd(II) and Hg(II) in the Zn4S11 alpha domain are shown.
Induction of transcription by a viral regulatory protein depends on the relative strengths of functional TATA boxes

The mechanisms by which viral regulatory proteins activate the cellular transcription apparatus without binding to specific DNA elements are not fully understood. Several lines of evidence suggest that activation by one such regulatory protein, herpes simplex virus ICP4, could be mediated, at least in part, by TFIID. To test this model, we replaced the TATA box of the ICP4-responsive viral thymidine kinase gene with functional TATA boxes that displayed different apparent affinities for TATA-box-binding protein as measured by DNase I footprinting. We measured the effects of these TATA boxes on ICP4 induction by constructing ICP4-deficient recombinant viruses containing the different TATA alleles and comparing their expression in cells lacking or expressing ICP4. Overall, ICP4 induced weak TATA boxes (those that displayed low apparent affinity for TATA-box-binding protein and low basal expression) the most (18- to 41-fold) and strong TATA boxes the least (7- to 10-fold). Therefore, ICP4 induction correlated inversely with TATA box strength. Using a reconstituted in vitro transcription assay, we determined that the relative levels of induction by ICP4 of the different TATA alleles were similar to those measured in vivo, suggesting that ICP4 was the only viral protein required for induction. These results fit a model in which ICP4 acts in part to enhance binding of TFIID to the TATA box. We compare and contrast these results with those observed with the viral regulatory proteins adenovirus E1a and simian virus 40 large T antigen and the cellular coactivator PC4.
Reo assessment to guide the ReoGo Therapy: Reliability and validity of novel robotic scores

The ReoGo TherapyTM system, is designed to provide robotic therapy for stroke victims. The success of robotic rehabilitation has called for the need to develop a tool that can quantitatively diagnose as well as monitor therapy of stroke victims. This poster evaluates the validity and reliability of the newly developed Reo Assessment. The Reo Assessment was found to be valid and reliable, and thus opens the path to the development of a standard assessment battery as an integral part of the ReoGo™ therapy.
Rotational dielectric-dome design for wide-angle scanning applications

The paper proposes a rotational dielectric-dome antenna scanning a beam with constant gain over a wide-angle range. The dielectric-dome profile is successfully designed by introducing optimization techniques which are based on secondary patterns radiated from the dome surface in addition to ray analysis of the geometrical optics (GO). It is numerically confirmed that the dielectric-dome antenna with a primary array realizes wide-angle operation up to 70/spl deg/, keeping the gain constant.