Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Blind interference cancellation schemes for DS-CDMA systems

We consider the use of independent component analysis (ICA) (Hyva/spl uml/rinen, A. et al., 2001) to circumvent the main bottlenecks of conventional methods for the DS-CDMA interference cancellation problem. In the uplink, we present a single antenna interference cancellation scheme (Huovinen, T. and Ristaniemi, T., Proc. IEEE SPAWC, 2004) wherein internal MAI as well as external interference is mitigated using a combination of ICA and the principle of conventional successive interference cancellation (SIC). For the downlink case, we look at an antenna array scheme (Raju, K. et al., IEEE Trans. Wireless Commun., 2002), where ICA acts as a pre-filter to conventional detection, separating the information component from the interference component and thus providing an interference-free signal to conventional receivers.
Irinotecan in the treatment of colorectal cancer: clinical overview.

PURPOSE AND METHODS For more than three decades, the therapeutic options for patients with advanced colorectal cancer have almost exclusively been based on fluoropyrimidines. With the recognition that topoisomerase-I (TOP-I) is an important therapeutic target in cancer therapy, irinotecan, a semisynthetic TOP-I-interactive camptothecin derivative, has been clinically established in the treatment of colorectal cancer. RESULTS Irinotecan was investigated as second-line chemotherapy after prior treatment with fluorouracil (FU)-based regimens in two large randomized phase III trials comparing irinotecan with either best supportive care or an infusional FU/leucovorin (LV) regimen. The outcomes of these trials established irinotecan as the standard therapy in the second-line treatment of colorectal cancer. The therapeutic value of irinotecan in the first-line treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer was investigated in two large randomized phase III trials comparing the combination of irinotecan and FU/LV with FU/LV alone. Both trials demonstrated significant superior efficacy for the combination of irinotecan and FU/LV in terms of response rate, median time to disease progression, and median survival time. Consequently, the combination of irinotecan and FU/LV has been approved as first-line chemotherapy for patients with metastatic colorectal cancer and constitutes the reference therapy against which other treatment options must be tested in the future. CONCLUSION In this review, the clinical rationale and update of the present clinical status of irinotecan in the treatment of colorectal cancer and future prospects of irinotecan-based combinations are discussed.
Nano-engineered microcapsules boost the treatment of persistent pain

Abstract Persistent pain remains a major health issue: common treatments relying on either repeated local injections or systemic drug administration are prone to concomitant side-effects. It is thought that an alternative could be a multifunctional cargo system to deliver medicine to the target site and release it over a prolonged time window. We nano-engineered microcapsules equipped with adjustable cargo release properties and encapsulated the sodium-channel blocker QX-314 using the layer-by-layer (LbL) technology. First, we employed single-cell electrophysiology to establish in vitro that microcapsule application can dampen neuronal excitability in a controlled fashion. Secondly, we used two-photon excitation imaging to monitor and adjust long-lasting release of encapsulated cargo in target tissue in situ. Finally, we explored an established peripheral inflammation model in rodents to find that a single local injection of QX-314-containing microcapsules could provide robust pain relief lasting for over a week. This was accompanied by a recovery of the locomotive deficit and the amelioration of anxiety in animals with persistent inflammation. Post hoc immunohistology confirmed biodegradation of microcapsules over a period of several weeks. The overall remedial effect lasted 10–20 times longer than that of a single focal drug injection. It depended on the QX-314 encapsulation levels, involved TRPV1-channel-dependent cell permeability of QX-314, and showed no detectable side-effects. Our data suggest that nano-engineered encapsulation provides local drug delivery suitable for prolonged pain relief, which could be highly advantageous compared to existing treatments.
Integrative analyses of triple negative dysregulated transcripts compared with non‐triple negative tumors and their functional and molecular interactions

Triple‐negative (TN) tumors are a subtype of breast cancer with aggressive behaviors and limited targeted therapies. Microarray studies were not concerned with interactions and functional relations of dysregulated transcripts. Here, we aimed to conduct integrative strategy to analyze gene and miRNA available microarray data as well as bioinformatic analyses to catch a more inclusive picture of pivotal dysregulated transcripts and their interactions in TN tumors. Several online datasets and offline bioinformatic tools were used to detect differentially expressed (DE) transcripts, both protein and nonprotein coding, in TN compared with non‐TN tumors and their functional and molecular interactions.
2‐deoxyglucose inhibits chemotheapeutic drug‐induced apoptosis in human monocytic leukemia U937 cells ith inhibition of c‐Jun N‐terminal kinase 1/stress‐activated protein kinase activation

Human monocytic leukemia U937 cells undergo apoptosis when treated with antitumor drugs, such as etoposide, camptothecin and mitomycin C. The molecular mechanism of the drug‐induced apoptosis is not well understood. In this study, we found that 2‐deoxyglucose (2DG), an analog of D‐glucose and an inducer of glucose‐regulated stress, inhibited anticancer drug‐induced but not tumor necrosis factor‐alpha‐induced apoptosis of U937 cells. 2DG did not reduce initial cellular damage caused by etoposide, an inhibitor of topoisomerase II, suggesting that 2DG affected subsequent cellular responses involved in apoptosis. 2DG inhibited the etoposide‐induced activation of c‐Jun N‐terminal kinase 1/stress‐activated protein kinase (JNK1/SAPK) and the subsequent activation of CPP32, both of which are positive regulators for etoposide‐induced apoptosis of U937 cells. Our results indicate that 2DG inhibits apoptosis by blocking the signals from cellular DNA damage for JNK1/SAPK activation. Int. J. Cancer 76:86–90, 1998. © 1998 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Human leukocyte antigen-haploidentical stem cell transplantation using T-cell-replete bone marrow grafts

Purpose of reviewOnce considered too dangerous for all but the sickest of patients, partially human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-mismatched, or HLA-haploidentical, related donor bone marrow transplantation (haploBMT) has seen a revival, thanks to the reduced intensity conditioning (RIC) regimens and graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) prophylaxis with high-dose posttransplantation cyclophosphamide (PT/Cy). Recent findingsRIC haploBMT with high-dose PT/Cy is associated with a cumulative incidence of acute grades II–IV GVHD of approximately 30% and incidences of chronic GVHD and nonrelapse mortality (NRM) less than 15%. These results have been confirmed in single and multicenter clinical trials. PT/Cy appears to nullify the detrimental effects of HLA mismatching on the outcome of haploBMT, thereby permitting the selection of haplo donors based upon criteria other than HLA matching. Overall and event-free survivals of RIC haploBMT compare favorably to the outcomes of RIC unrelated adult donor or umbilical cord blood stem cell transplantation. SummaryWith its improved toxicity profile, haploBMT is a feasible alternative for patients who lack an HLA-matched donor and can now be applied to treat patients with nonmalignant disorders.
Imaging in vivo redox status in high spatial resolution with OMRI

Abstract Redox-reactions are playing a significant role in regulation of homeostasis of organism. Disorder of the redox-status is related with the onset and/or propagation of oxidative diseases such as lifestyle-related diseases, including cancers and cardiac diseases, etc. In vivo imaging of redox-status is thereby important in the analysis of mechanisms of oxidative diseases and developments of new medicines for the diseases. Aminoxyl radicals are redox-sensitive reporter molecules, which lose their paramagnetic moiety by reactions of free radicals or reducing compounds. Electron spin resonance (ESR) technique has been used to measure the molecules in vivo. In vivo spatial resolution in ESR imaging is in the range of a few millimeters and is not sufficient for the detailed diagnosis of disease models. Overhauser enhanced MRI (OMRI) is an emerging free radical imaging technique, which utilised electron–proton coupling to image the distribution of free radicals. In vivo imaging of redox-status is applicable with OMRI/aminoxyl radical technique. The detailed imaging analysis was demonstrated in oxidative diseases, such as tumour-bearing, neurodegeneration or gastric ulcer models. The OMRI/aminoxyl radical technique has a large potential as a diagnostic system for biomedical applications in the future.
Household Snack-Food Purchases: Does Nutrition Matter?

Purchase patterns for two types of snack foods--pretzels and popcorn, and potato, corn, and tortilla chips--were analyzed using the data from a national survey. The study examined the effect of socio-economic and lifestyle factors including nutritional awareness and exercise habits of household respondents on snack-food purchase. A geometric-hurdle count-data model that distinguished between market-participation and purchase-frequency decisions revealed that the decision to participate in the market for snack food was separate from the purchase-level decision. Pretzels and popcorn consumers were unaffected by nutrition consideration of any kind. However, respondents who were overly concerned about desirable nutritional factors were unlikely to be buyers or potential buyers of snacks such as potato, corn, and tortilla chips.
Mandarin-English Bilinguals Process Lexical Tones in Newly Learned Words in Accordance with the Language Context

Previous research has mainly considered the impact of tone-language experience on ability to discriminate linguistic pitch, but proficient bilingual listening requires differential processing of sound variation in each language context. Here, we ask whether Mandarin-English bilinguals, for whom pitch indicates word distinctions in one language but not the other, can process pitch differently in a Mandarin context vs. an English context. Across three eye-tracked word-learning experiments, results indicated that tone-intonation bilinguals process tone in accordance with the language context. In Experiment 1, 51 Mandarin-English bilinguals and 26 English speakers without tone experience were taught Mandarin-compatible novel words with tones. Mandarin-English bilinguals out-performed English speakers, and, for bilinguals, overall accuracy was correlated with Mandarin dominance. Experiment 2 taught 24 Mandarin-English bilinguals and 25 English speakers novel words with Mandarin-like tones, but English-like phonemes and phonotactics. The Mandarin-dominance advantages observed in Experiment 1 disappeared when words were English-like. Experiment 3 contrasted Mandarin-like vs. English-like words in a within-subjects design, providing even stronger evidence that bilinguals can process tone language-specifically. Bilinguals (N = 58), regardless of language dominance, attended more to tone than English speakers without Mandarin experience (N = 28), but only when words were Mandarin-like—not when they were English-like. Mandarin-English bilinguals thus tailor tone processing to the within-word language context.
Association Between Preeclampsia and Congenital Heart Defects.

IMPORTANCE The risk of congenital heart defects in infants of women who had preeclampsia during pregnancy is poorly understood, despite shared angiogenic pathways in both conditions. OBJECTIVE To determine the prevalence of congenital heart defects in offspring of women with preeclampsia. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS Population-level analysis of live births before discharge, 1989-2012, was conducted for the entire province of Quebec, comprising a quarter of Canada's population. All women who delivered an infant with or without heart defects in any Quebec hospital were included (N = 1,942,072 neonates). EXPOSURES Preeclampsia or eclampsia with onset before or after 34 weeks of gestation. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES Presence of any critical or noncritical congenital heart defect detected in infants at birth, comparing prevalence in those exposed and not exposed to preeclampsia. RESULTS The absolute prevalence of congenital heart defects was higher for infants of women with preeclampsia than those without it. Infants of women with preeclampsia had no increased prevalence of critical heart defects but did have an increased prevalence of noncritical heart defects compared with infants of nonpreeclamptic women. [table: see text]. Among specific defects, prevalence was greatest for septal defects. Compared with infants of women with late-onset preeclampsia, those with early onset (<34 weeks) had greater prevalence of critical heart defects (364.4/100,000 [20/5488]; prevalence ratio, 2.78; 95% CI, 1.71-4.50; prevalence difference, 249.6/100,000; 95%CI, 89.7-409.6) and noncritical heart defects (7306.9/100,000 [401/5488]; prevalence ratio, 5.55; 95%CI, 4.98-6.19; prevalence difference, 6089.2/100,000; 95%CI, 5350.0-6828.3). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE In this population-based study, preeclampsia was significantly associated with noncritical heart defects in offspring, and preeclampsia before 34 weeks was associated with critical heart defects. However, the absolute risk of congenital heart defects was low.
External and Domestic Growth Forces in the Performance of European Union Economies

The interaction of the export ratio and the investment ratio, including foreign direct investment ratio, with income per capita was examined for all members in the EU using Granger-causality tests. Best results were obtained when the investigated variables were expressed in levels. These results bring to light a significant number of causality relations. From bidirectional causalities between (a) the export ratio and GDP per capita and (b) the investment ratio and GDP per capita there is prima facie evidence in support of Myrdal’s hypothesis of cumulative circular causation, and of small countries being primary beneficiaries from EU participation. Evidence for the importance of foreign direct investment was generally lacking, suggesting that the new EU members will be disappointed if they wrongly expect stimulation of their economies from foreign capital inflows.
A heuristic-based technique for university resource allocation problems

Most academic institutions face the problem of scheduling both courses and examinations in every year. As the difficulty of the problem increases, due to a large number of students, courses, exams, rooms and invigilator constraints, an automated resource allocation system that can produce feasible and high quality timetables is often required. To provide a good university planning, a fast and efficient solver is required. Various techniques are proposed to solve the timetabling problem, since course planning is a combinatorial optimization problem, we apply a heuristic based approach to solve it. In this paper we propose a solver based on using an efficient heuristic for planning: tabu search. We show how all hard and soft constraints are taken into account to solve some real life benchmarks. We conclude the paper by presenting some issues to improve the proposed algorithm and discussing their the possibility for hybridizing with other powerful heuristics.
Mitogenomic sequence and phylogenetic placement of the Hortle's whipray Himantura hortlei (Elasmobranchii: Dasyatidae)

Abstract Chondrichthyans are a class of fishes threatened with habitat destruction and fishing pressures. The current study presents the complete mitochondrial genome sequence (17,688 bp) of the vulnerable Hortle's whipray, Himantura hortlei. The mitochondrial genome arrangement is consistent with that seen in most vertebrates, containing 13 protein-coding, 22 tRNA, 2 rRNA genes, and 1 control region. Phylogenetic analyses were performed based on mitogenome and ND2 sequences. Under our taxon sampling scheme, Himantura hortlei was found to be most closely related to H. fai.
Arabidopsis Phospholipase Dδ Is Involved in Basal Defense and Nonhost Resistance to Powdery Mildew Fungi1[W]

An Arabidopsis family of phospholipases, probed using reverse genetics for involvement in cell wall-based defense to nonhost powdery mildew, identifies one isoform as a component in the defense reaction. Plants have evolved a complex array of defensive responses against pathogenic microorganisms. Recognition of microbes initiates signaling cascades that activate plant defenses. The membrane lipid phosphatidic acid, produced by phospholipase D (PLD), has been shown to take part in both abiotic and biotic stress signaling. In this study, the involvement of PLD in the interaction between Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) and the barley powdery mildew fungus Blumeria graminis f. sp. hordei (Bgh) was investigated. This nonadapted pathogen is normally resisted by a cell wall-based defense, which stops the fungal hyphae from penetrating the epidermal cell wall. Chemical inhibition of phosphatidic acid production by PLD increased the penetration rate of Bgh spores on wild-type leaves. The analysis of transfer DNA knockout lines for all Arabidopsis PLD genes revealed that PLDδ is involved in penetration resistance against Bgh, and chemical inhibition of PLDs in plants mutated in PLDδ indicated that this isoform alone is involved in Bgh resistance. In addition, we confirmed the involvement of PLDδ in penetration resistance against another nonadapted pea powdery mildew fungus, Erysiphe pisi. A green fluorescent protein fusion of PLDδ localized to the plasma membrane at the Bgh attack site, where it surrounded the cell wall reinforcement. Furthermore, in the pldδ mutant, transcriptional up-regulation of early microbe-associated molecular pattern response genes was delayed after chitin stimulation. In conclusion, we propose that PLD is involved in defense signaling in nonhost resistance against powdery mildew fungi and put PLDδ forward as the main isoform participating in this process.
A label of health: a previous immune challenge is reflected in the expression of a female plumage trait

Studies of ornaments as indicators of individual quality have hitherto focused on males, while studies of female ornaments have been almost absent. However, females within the same species may show large variation in both outer appearance and individual quality. We experimentally examined the effect of an immune challenge on the size of white fringes in the wing feathers produced one to two months after the challenge in female common eiders (Somateria mollissima), a long-lived sea duck. Immune-challenged females produced feathers with smaller white fringes, showing that a previous immune challenge may affect the expression of a plumage trait. We also report an unexpected difference in the expression of this white plumage trait within the immune-challenged group, related to the specific immune response against one of the injected antigens.
Non-attendance or non-invitation? A case-control study of failed outpatient appointments.

OBJECTIVE--To determine the causes of non-attendance at new outpatient appointments. DESIGN--Case-control study of non-attenders and attenders. SETTING--Outpatient department of a general hospital. SUBJECTS--All non-attenders (n = 277) for first outpatient appointments in six specialties during a three month period were included. Controls (n = 135) were the attenders who followed every second non-attender; thus they attended the same consultant on the same day that the non-attenders were expected. INTERVENTIONS--None. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS--Information on the clinical problem, difficulties in attending the hospital, and reasons for non-attendance from the questionnaire were coded and classified. Non-attenders had received shorter notice of their appointment than attenders (14% v 1% had received three days' notice or less). There were small differences in the seriousness of patients' clinical condition. CONCLUSIONS--Client factors are less important than aspects of the service in explaining non-attendance at outpatient appointments.
Epidermal growth factor receptor mediates stress-induced expression of its ligands in rat gastric epithelial cells.

BACKGROUND & AIMS Epidermal growth factor (EGF)-like growth factors are induced after acute gastric injury and may play an important role in mucosal repair. However, the mechanisms that trigger these growth factors are poorly understood. We determined the role of EGF receptor (EGFR) in stress-induced expression of heparin-binding EGF-like growth factor (HB-EGF) in a rat gastric epithelial cell line (RGM1 cells). METHODS RGM1 cells were transfected with a plasmid containing complementary DNA encoding a dominant-negative human EGFR (HERCD533). Cells were treated with hydrogen peroxide (0-400 micromol/L) or sorbitol (600 mmol/L). Tyrosine phosphorylation of EGFR was determined by immunoprecipitation and Western blotting with an antiphosphotyrosine antibody. HB-EGF messenger RNA and protein were determined with Northern and Western blotting, respectively. Cell growth was evaluated by cell number and [(3)H]thymidine incorporation. RESULTS Oxidative stress and osmotic stress induced tyrosine phosphorylation of EGFR within 2 minutes, followed by a marked increase in HB-EGF and amphiregulin transcripts in RGM1 cells. Introduction of HERCD533 into the cells inhibited not only tyrosine phosphorylation of EGFR but also growth response to EGF. Furthermore, oxidative stress-induced HB-EGF messenger RNA expression was impaired in HERCD533-expressing cells. CONCLUSIONS EGFR plays a crucial role in the stress-induced expression of EGF-like growth factors in gastrointestinal epithelial cells.