Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Antihypertensive Peptides from Food Proteins

Hypertension or elevated blood pressure (BP) is a global health concern, thought to affect up to 30 % of the adult population in developed and developing countries. It is defined by a BP measurement of 140/90 mmHg or above. Hypertension is a major risk factor concomitant with cardiovascular disease (CVD) states such as coronary heart disease, peripheral artery disease and stroke, and kidney disease. Essential hypertension, the most common type of hypertension and to which 90-95% of cases belong, is manifested as an increase in an individual’s BP due to an unknown cause. This class of hypertension can be improved with lifestyle choices such as regular exercise, heart-healthy eating, non smoking, reducing sodium intake and reducing the level of stress [1]. For these reasons it is defined as a controllable risk factor of CVD. At present there is a range of synthetic drugs on the market for treatment of hypertension including diuretics, adrenergic inhibitors such as αand βblockers, direct vasodilators, calcium channel blockers, angiotensin II (Ang II) receptor blockers and angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors. However, although hypertension can be controlled by pharmacological agents, it represents a major burden on annual global healthcare costs. According to the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) [2], it was estimated that hypertension-related costs reached $76.6 billion in the USA in 2010. It is thought that prevention through lifestyle choices and early treatment for individuals with mild hypertension can significantly reduce global health-care costs.
Volumetric imaging of shark tail hydrodynamics reveals a three-dimensional dual-ring vortex wake structure

Understanding how moving organisms generate locomotor forces is fundamental to the analysis of aerodynamic and hydrodynamic flow patterns that are generated during body and appendage oscillation. In the past, this has been accomplished using two-dimensional planar techniques that require reconstruction of three-dimensional flow patterns. We have applied a new, fully three-dimensional, volumetric imaging technique that allows instantaneous capture of wake flow patterns, to a classic problem in functional vertebrate biology: the function of the asymmetrical (heterocercal) tail of swimming sharks to capture the vorticity field within the volume swept by the tail. These data were used to test a previous three-dimensional reconstruction of the shark vortex wake estimated from two-dimensional flow analyses, and show that the volumetric approach reveals a different vortex wake not previously reconstructed from two-dimensional slices. The hydrodynamic wake consists of one set of dual-linked vortex rings produced per half tail beat. In addition, we use a simple passive shark-tail model under robotic control to show that the three-dimensional wake flows of the robotic tail differ from the active tail motion of a live shark, suggesting that active control of kinematics and tail stiffness plays a substantial role in the production of wake vortical patterns.
KI stress intensity factor of cracks with a hard inclusion by finite element method and reflection photoelasticity technique

A finite element method and reflection photoelastic techniques are presented to determine the KI stress intensity factor of cracks with hard inclusion and several crack length per width for two-dimensional fracture mechanics problems. The paper starts from describing two-dimensional fracture mechanics theory and finite element formulation using the quadrilateral and triangular finite elements. The computational procedure and related finite element equations are explained. The reflection photoelastic theory and its experimental procedure with the use of the stress optic laws are then described. Performance of both techniques is evaluated by analyzing a single edge cracked plate made from polycarbonate. A plate with a hard inclusion is studied. The hard inclusion is made from aluminum. The KI stress intensity factor is found to be a function of the crack length per width. The both results are evaluated with Brown. This example demonstrates the efficiency of the finite element method to provide accurate solutions as compared to those from the reflection photoelastic technique.
microRNA 17/20 inhibits cellular invasion and tumor metastasis in breast cancer by heterotypic signaling

microRNAs are thought to regulate tumor progression and invasion via direct interaction with target genes within cells. Here the microRNA17/20 cluster is shown to govern cellular migration and invasion of nearby cells via heterotypic secreted signals. microRNA17/20 abundance is reduced in highly invasive breast cancer cell lines and node-positive breast cancer specimens. Cell-conditioned medium from microRNA17/20–overexpressing noninvasive breast cancer cell MCF7 was sufficient to inhibit MDA-MB-231 cell migration and invasion through inhibiting secretion of a subset of cytokines, and suppressing plasminogen activation via inhibition of the secreted plasminogen activators (cytokeratin 8 and α-enolase). microRNA17/20 directly repressed IL-8 by targeting its 3′ UTR, and inhibited cytokeratin 8 via the cell cycle control protein cyclin D1. At variance with prior studies, these results demonstrated a unique mechanism of how the altered microRNA17/20 expression regulates cellular secretion and tumor microenvironment to control migration and invasion of neighboring cells in breast cancer. These findings not only reveal an antiinvasive function of miR-17/20 in breast cancer, but also identify a heterotypic secreted signal that mediates the microRNA regulation of tumor metastasis.
A phase 1 trial of donor lymphocyte infusions expanded and activated ex vivo via CD 3 / CD 28 costimulation

Donor lymphocyte infusions (DLIs) induce potent graft versus tumor (GVT) effects for relapsed chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) after allogeneic stem cell transplantation (SCT) but are disappointing for other diseases. Disease resistance can occur if donor T cells are not appropriately activated in vivo. Ex vivo T-cell activation might overcome diseaseinduced anergy and augment GVT activity. We performed a phase 1 trial of ex vivo–activated DLI (aDLI) for 18 patients with relapse after SCT. Activated donor T cells are produced through costimulation with anti-CD3– and anti-CD28–coated beads. Patients with aggressive malignancies received induction chemotherapy, and all patients received conventional DLI (median, 1.5 108 mononuclear cells/ kg) followed 12 days later by aDLI. Activated DLI was dose escalated from 1 106 to 1 108 CD3 cells per kilogram in 5 levels. Seven patients developed acute graft versus host disease (GVHD) (5 grade I-II, 2 grade III), and 4 developed chronic GVHD. Eight patients achieved complete remission, including 4 of 7 with acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL), 2 of 4 with acute myelogenous leukemia (AML), 1 with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), and 1 of 2 with non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL). Four complete responders relapsed while 4 remain alive in remission a median 23 months after aDLI. Overall, 10 of 18 remain alive 11 to 53 months after aDLI. Adoptive transfer of costimulated activated allogeneic T cells is feasible, does not result in excessive GVHD, and may contribute to durable remissions in diseases where conventional DLI has been disappointing. (Blood. 2006;107: 1325-1331)
Swelling and Dissolution of Cellulose Part 1: Free Floating Cotton and Wood Fibres in N‐Methylmorpholine‐N‐oxide–Water Mixtures

Five modes describing the behaviour of cellulose fibres dipped in a chemical have been identified: Mode 1: Fast dissolution by disintegration into rod-like fragments Mode 2: Large swelling by ballooning, and then dissolution of the whole fibre Mode 3: Large swelling by ballooning, and partial dissolution of the fibre, still keeping its fibre shape Mode 4: Homogeneous swelling, and no dissolution of any part of the fibre Mode 5: No swelling and no dissolution (case of a non-solvent) In the case of the behaviour of wood and cotton cellulose fibres in N-methylmorpholine-N-oxide (NMMO) and water mixtures, four domains of water content have been identified. Below 17% of water up to monohydrate (13%), the fibres are disintegrated into rod-like fragments and dissolve (mode 1). In NMMO - water mixtures containing 19-24% water, the cellulose fibres exhibit a heterogeneous swelling by forming balloons (composed of dissolved cellulose holds inside a membrane) separated with non-swollen sections. The whole fibre will completely dissolve (mode 2) in four successive steps (growth of the balloons, burst of the balloons, dissolution of the non-swollen sections and finally dissolution of the membrane). With still greater water contents (25-30%), only the ballooning phenomenon is observed, with a partial dissolution inside the balloon (mode 3). Above 35% of water, the fibres swell homogeneously and are not dissolving (mode 4).
A client-side statistical prediction scheme for energy aware multimedia data streaming

The recent proliferation of streaming multimedia on a variety of mobile devices has severely tested their battery lifetime. The long running nature of typical streaming applications results in significant energy consumption by the wireless network interface card (WNIC) in these mobile devices. In this paper we explore linear prediction-based client-side strategies that reduce the WNIC energy consumption to receive multimedia streams by judiciously transitioning the WNIC to a lower power consuming sleep state during the no-data intervals in the multimedia stream, without explicit support from the multimedia servers themselves. Experimental results on popular streaming formats such as Microsoft Media, Real and Apple QuickTime show that a linear prediction-based strategy performs better than history-based strategies that use simple temporal averaging
Optically modulated rapid electrokinetic patterning for micro and nano particles

We show an optically induced AC electrokinetic technique that rapidly and continuously accumulates colloids on an electrode surface resulting in a crystalline-like monolayer aggregation. We demonstrate colloidal aggregation for particles ranging from 100 nm to 3 μm. Electrothermal hydrodynamics produce a microfluidic vortex that carries particles in suspension towards its center where they are trapped by low-frequency AC electrokinetic forces. We characterize the rate of particle aggregation as a function of the applied AC voltage and hence characterize trapping kinetics of this technique. We show that inter-particle distance varies with frequency and we explain this in the light of available theory.
Occurrence of Thermotolerant Hartmannella vermiformis and Naegleria Spp. in Hot Springs of Ardebil Province, Northwest Iran

Background Geothermal waters could be suitable niches for thermophilic free living amoebae including Naegleria and Hartmannella. Ardebil Province, northwest Iran is popular for having many hot springs for recreational and health purposes activity. The present research is the first molecular based investigation regarding the presence of Naegleria and Hartmannella in the hot springs of Ardebil Province in Iran. Methods Overall, 30 water samples were taken from waters of thermal hot springs in Ardebil Province, Iran during 2010-2011. All collected samples were transferred to Dept. of Parasitology and Mycology, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. Cultivation of concentrated water samples was performed using culture-enrichment method. Cloning of the target amoebae was obtained and morphological and molecular analysis was done using page key combined with two sets of primers, respectively. Sequence analysis and homology search was used for strains identification. Results Of 30 water samples, 8 (26.7%) were positive for thermotolerant Vahlkampfiids and Hartmannella based on morphological characteristics of vegetative form and double walled cysts. Cloning of the target amoebae were done successfully. Sequencing of the positive isolates revealed that the strains belonged to Naegleria (N. carteri and N. spp) and H. vermiformis. Conclusion The result highlights a need for improved filtration and disinfection and periodic monitoring of recreational thermal waters in order to prevent disease related to free- living amoebae. This is the first comprehensive molecular study of thermophilic Naegleria and Hartmannella in hot springs of Iran.
Evaluation of therapeutic response to donepezil by positron emission tomography.

BACKGROUND Donepezil hydrochloride (Donepezil) is an acetylcholinesterase inhibitor (AChEI) that is used for the symptomatic treatment of Dementia of the Alzheimer's Type (DAT). Recently, the effects of AChEI in patients with DAT have been investigated using positron emission tomography (PET) or single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT). This study is to evaluate the usefulness of fluorine-18-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG)-PET in assessing the therapeutic response of Donepezil to DAT using Regions of Interest (ROI) analysis. METHODS The participants included eleven outpatients diagnosed as having DAT according to Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (DSM-IV). The patients were performed FDG-PET before initiating Donepezil therapy and after 12 weeks of medication. Cognitive change was measured using the Japanese version of the Alzheimer's disease Assessment Scale cognitive subscale (ADAS-J cog) and the group was divided into Responders and Non-responders based on these results. We used FDG-PET to investigate glucose metabolism of the brain and measured FDG uptake in the ROI set in each lobe of the brain. Then the ratios of the post-treatment uptake to pre-treatment uptake were determined. RESULTS In the Responders, the mean ratios in the frontal, temporal, occipital, parietal, and temporoparietal lobes were 2.18, 1.62, 1.15, 1.12, and 1.09 respectively. The mean ratios of the Non-responders were 0.69, 0.88, 0.75, 0.98, and 0.68 respectively. Significant differences were found between the ratios of the Responders and Non-responders in the frontal and occipital lobes (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS These findings suggest that FDG-PET could be useful for the evaluation for monitoring response to Donepezil.
Endogenous Mortgage Current Coupons

We consider the problem of identifying current coupons for agency-backed To-Be-Announced pools of residential mortgage loans. In a doubly stochastic model which allows for prepayment intensities to depend upon current and origination mortgage rates, as well as underlying investment factors, we identify the current coupon with solutions to a degenerate elliptic, non-linear fixed point problem. Using Schaefer’s theorem we prove existence of current coupons. We also provide an explicit approximation to the fixed point, valid for compact perturbations off a baseline model where intensities only depend on the underlying factors. Numerical examples are provided which show that the approximation performs well in estimating the current coupon.
Characterization of a Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon Degradation Gene Cluster in a Phenanthrene-Degrading Acidovorax Strain

ABSTRACT Acidovorax sp. strain NA3 was isolated from polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH)-contaminated soil that had been treated in a bioreactor and enriched with phenanthrene. The 16S rRNA gene of the isolate possessed 99.8 to 99.9% similarity to the dominant sequences recovered during a previous stable-isotope probing experiment with [U-13C]phenanthrene on the same soil (D. R. Singleton, S. N. Powell, R. Sangaiah, A. Gold, L. M. Ball, and M. D. Aitken, Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 71:1202-1209, 2005). The strain grew on phenanthrene as a sole carbon and energy source and could mineralize 14C from a number of partially labeled PAHs, including naphthalene, phenanthrene, chrysene, benz[a]anthracene, and benzo[a]pyrene, but not pyrene or fluoranthene. Southern hybridizations of a genomic fosmid library with a fragment of the large subunit of the ring-hydroxylating dioxygenase gene from a naphthalene-degrading Pseudomonas strain detected the presence of PAH degradation genes subsequently determined to be highly similar in both nucleotide sequence and gene organization to an uncharacterized Alcaligenes faecalis gene cluster. The genes were localized to the chromosome of strain NA3. To test for gene induction by selected compounds, RNA was extracted from amended cultures and reverse transcribed, and cDNA associated with the enzymes involved in the first three steps of phenanthrene degradation was quantified by quantitative real-time PCR. Expression of each of the genes was induced most strongly by phenanthene and to a lesser extent by naphthalene, but other tested PAHs and PAH metabolites had negligible effects on gene transcript levels.
Effect of Thermal Cycling on Microcracking and Strength Degradation of High-Temperature Polymer Composite Materials for Use in Next-Generation SST Structures

The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of thermal cycles encountered by an SST in service on the cumulative frequency of microcracks and degradation of open-hole-compressive (OHC) strength in high-temperature polymer-matrix composite materials. One cycle of thermal cycling was designated as the sequence from room temperature (RT) to 54C, up to +177C, and back to RT. Thermal-cycling tests were conducted up to 10,000 cycles on two kinds of carbonfiber/thermoplastic polyimide composite material: IM7/PIXA, IM7/K3B, and up to 1000 cycles on G40-800/5260 carbon fiber/bismaleimide composite material. At scheduled thermal cycles, transverse microcracks initiated on the sectional surface of the laminates were observed and counted using an optical microscope. Static mechanical tests at RT provided OHC strength before and after thermal cycles. In addition, a simple and approximate finite element model (FEM) analysis using basic lamina data of the T800H/PMR-15 carbon fiber/polyimide composite was conducted to estimate the thermal stresses generated in the laminate. Major results obtained by the tests and FEM analysis are as follows: A fairly large number of microcracks were initiated, though the number as a function of thermal cycles varied according to the material; OHC strength before and after thermal cycles did not change during the course of this study; thermal cycles and transverse microcracks did not affect OHC strength; the calculated thermal-stress level in layers generated by one thermal-cycle of 231C temperature difference was under the limit for crack initiation of the T800H/PMR-15.
The EGFR T790M Mutation in Acquired Resistance to an Irreversible Second-Generation EGFR Inhibitor

Molecular target therapies using first-generation, reversible epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI), such as gefitinib or erlotinib, have been shown to be effective for patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who harbor activating mutations in EGFR. However, these patients eventually develop resistance to the reversible TKIs, and this has led to the development of second-generation, irreversible EGFR inhibitors. Currently, the mechanism of acquired resistance to irreversible EGFR inhibitors is not clear. Using an in vitro cell culture system, we modeled the acquired resistance to first-line treatment with second-generation EGFR-TKIs using an EGFR-mutant NSCLC cell line. Here, we report a mechanism of resistance involving T790M secondary mutation as well as a corresponding clinical case. The results of these findings suggest that inhibition of EGFR by currently available second-generation EGFR-TKIs may not be sufficient to physiologically prevent the emergence of cells that are still dependent on EGFR signaling. This finding bears important implications on the limitations of currently available second-generation EGFR-TKIs. Mol Cancer Ther; 11(3); 784–91. ©2012 AACR.
Unsupervised generation of data mining features from linked open data

The quality of the results of a data mining process strongly depends on the quality of the data it processes. A good result is more likely to obtain the more useful background knowledge there is in a dataset. In this paper, we present a fully automatic approach for enriching data with features that are derived from Linked Open Data, a very large, openly available data collection. We identify six different types of feature generators, which are implemented in our open-source tool FeGeLOD. In four case studies, we show that our approach can be applied to different problems, ranging from classical data mining to ontology learning and ontology matching on the semantic web. The results show that features generated from publicly available information may allow data mining in problems where features are not available at all, as well as help improving the results for tasks where some features are already available.
Research on the Corrosion Resistance of Manganese Slag Cement Stabilized Macadam Base

In this study, the unconfined compressive strength and anti-corrosion capacity and erosion resistibility were evaluated. Different admixture amounts of manganese slag cement were used as constituents of stabilized macadam base specimens. On the prepared specimens mechanical property test、continuous immersion experiment and anti erosion experiment were carried out for the research on the corrosion resistance of manganese slag cement stabilized macadam base. It was observed that corrosion resistance and scour resistance performances were significantly improved with the incorporation of manganese. The performance of corrosion resistance reduce after first enhance when slag manganese slag cement stabilized macadam base are marinated with acid rain. During continuous acid rain marinate, the anti-corrosion capacity is improved on the first 21day, but it is observed declined rapidly after 21day acid rain marinate and finally manganese slag cement stabilized macadam base is lose its workability because of full corrosion.
Integration of CMOS front-end circuits with silicon photonic devices for high speed PAM-4 optical links

This paper presents our recent studies on CMOS front-end circuits for high speed optical links. The circuit topologies of both transimpedance amplifier (TIA) and modulator driver (MD) are discussed for achieving wideband operation in PAM-4 modulation using advanced CMOS technology. Also, issues of integration of the circuits with silicon photonic devices such as the Ge-on-Si photo diode (PD) and silicon modulator are addressed for high performance silicon-based transceiver front-end of optical link.
Secret key generation from correlated sources and secure link

In this paper, we study the problem of secret key generation with one-way communication, where in addition to the rate limited public channel, which can be observed by both Bob and Eve, we add a secure channel, which only connects Alice and Bob. In this model, we do not pose any constraints on the sources, i.e. Bob is not degraded to or less noisy than Eve. We propose an achievability scheme, and we also suggest a converse, which meets the achievability. Therefore, we obtain the secret key capacity for this model.