Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Concept of Hormesis in Cancer Therapy – Is Less More?

There has, in recent years, been a paradigm shift in our understanding of the role of the immune system in the development of cancers. Immune dysregulation, manifesting as chronic inflammation, not only facilitates the growth and spread of tumors but prevents the host from mounting effective immune defenses against it. Many attempts are being made to develop novel immunotherapeutic strategies, but there is growing evidence that a radical reevaluation of the mode of action of chemotherapeutic agents and ionizing radiation is required in the light of advances in immunology. Based on the concept of hormesis – defined as the presence of different modes of action of therapeutic modalities at different doses – a ‘repositioning’ of chemotherapy and radiotherapy may be required in all aspects of cancer management. In the case of chemotherapy, this may involve a change from the maximum tolerated dose concept to low dose intermittent (‘metronomic’) therapy, whilst in radiation therapy, highly accurate stereotactic targeting enables ablative, antigen-releasing (immunogenic) doses of radiation to be delivered to the tumor with sparing of surrounding normal tissues. Coupled with emerging immunotherapeutic procedures, the future of cancer treatment may well lie in repositioned chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and more localized debulking surgery.
Managing Personal Information by Automatic Titling of E-mails

This paper presents an approach that enables automatic titling of e-mails relying on the morphosyntactic study of real titles. Automatic titling of e-mails has two interests: Titling mails 'no object' and managing personal information. The method is developed in three stages: Candidate sentences determination for titling, noun phrases extraction in the candidate sentences, and nally, selecting a particular noun phrase as a possible e-mail title. A human evaluation associated with ROC Curves are presented.
Action of cytochalasin D on cytoskeletal networks

Extraction of SC-1 cells (African green monkey kidney) with the detergent Triton X-100 in combination with stereo high-voltage electron microscopy of whole mount preparations has been used as an approach to determine the mode of action of cytochalasin D on cells. The cytoskeleton of extracted BSC-1 cells consists of substrate-associated filament bundles (stress fibers) and a highly cross-linked network of four major filament types extending throughout the cell body; 10-nm filaments, actin microfilaments, microtubules, and 2- to 3-nm filaments. Actin filaments and 2- to 3-nm filaments form numerous end- to-side contacts with other cytoskeletal filaments. Cytochalasin D treatment severely disrupts network organization, increases the number of actin filament ends, and leads to the formation of filamentous aggregates or foci composed mainly of actin filaments. Metabolic inhibitors prevent filament redistribution, foci formation, and cell arborization, but not disorganization of the three-dimensional filament network. In cells first extracted and then treated with cytochalasin D, network organization is disrupted, and the number of free filament ends is increased. Supernates of preparations treated in this way contain both short actin filaments and network fragments (i.e., actin filaments in end-to-side contact with other actin filaments). It is proposed that the dramatic effects of cytochalasin D on cells result from both a direct interaction of the drug with the actin filament component of cytoskeletal networks and a secondary cellular response. The former leads to an immediate disruption of the ordered cytoskeletal network that appears to involve breaking of actin filaments, rather than inhibition of actin filament-filament interactions (i.e., disruption of end-to-side contacts). The latter engages network fragments in an energy-dependent (contractile) event that leads to the formation of filament foci.
On Partitioning the Domain for Test Case Reusability (Short Paper)

During the life time of software or even within the development stage, it is inevitable that the software needs to be modified. Test cases used before for the previous version could be reused in order to reduce the cost of regression testing. This paper proposes a regression testing methodology, called Partitioning of Domain Testing (PDT), to analyze the input domains of the previous version and the modified version so that test cases can be maximally reused. As a result, software test engineers can spend less effort in generating test cases to test the modified software. This methodology is different from traditional domain-based testing strategies in the sense that the partitioning is achieved by two supplementary perspectives, namely the specifications of the program and its testing criterion. First, the input domain is partitioned according to the specification and testing criterion of the program under test. Then, further refining methods are introduced to obtain 100% reusable test cases. We also illustrate the idea of PDT using a case study with 3 different testing criteria.
A Wiener Filter Approach to the Design of Filter Bank Based Single-Carrier Precoding and Equalisation

Oversampled filter banks have recently been considered for channel coding applications as well as precoders and equaliser, whereby both inter-symbol interference and channel noise can be mitigated by the filter bank design. Existing methods are block-based designs which dedicate degrees of freedom towards cancelling inter-block interference. In this paper, we propose a non-block based OSFB design for precoding and equalisation, which is based on Mertins' extended Wiener solution, whereby polynomial matrices are admitted for precoders and equalisers by applying a recently proposed broadband eigenvalue decomposition (BEVD) algorithm. Some simulation results are provided to highlight the effectiveness of the proposed approach.
PROPHYLACTIC IMPLANTATION OF A DEFIBRILLATOR IN PATIENTS WITH MYOCARDIAL INFARCTION AND REDUCED EJECTION FRACTION

A BSTRACT Background Patients with reduced left ventricular function after myocardial infarction are at risk for lifethreatening ventricular arrhythmias. This randomized trial was designed to evaluate the effect of an implantable defibrillator on survival in such patients. Methods Over the course of four years, we enrolled 1232 patients with a prior myocardial infarction and a left ventricular ejection fraction of 0.30 or less. Patients were randomly assigned in a 3:2 ratio to receive an implantable defibrillator (742 patients) or conventional medical therapy (490 patients). Invasive electrophysiological testing for risk stratification was not required. Death from any cause was the end point. Results The clinical characteristics at base line and the prevalence of medication use at the time of the last follow-up visit were similar in the two treatment groups. During an average follow-up of 20 months, the mortality rates were 19.8 percent in the conventional-therapy group and 14.2 percent in the defibrillator group. The hazard ratio for the risk of death from any cause in the defibrillator group as compared with the conventional-therapy group was 0.69 (95 percent confidence interval, 0.51 to 0.93; P=0.016). The effect of defibrillator therapy on survival was similar in subgroup analyses stratified according to age, sex, ejection fraction, New York Heart Association class, and the QRS interval. Conclusions In patients with a prior myocardial infarction and advanced left ventricular dysfunction, prophylactic implantation of a defibrillator improves survival and should be considered as a recommended therapy. (N Engl J Med 2002;346:877-83.)
Financial conglomeration: efficiency, productivity and strategic drive

Consolidation in the global banking industry has resulted in the emergence of financial conglomerates that conduct an extensive range of businesses with a group structure. To date, few studies have investigated the performance features of such groups. This study aims to extend the literature by evaluating the cost and profit efficiency and productivity change of Italian financial conglomerates during the 1990s using both parametric and nonparametric approaches. The impact of diversification and growth strategies on cost and profit efficiency is also investigated. The results seem to indicate that Italian banking groups have benefited from a consistent improvement in profit efficiency, while they have not experienced a clear increase in cost efficiency. Indeed, profit efficient banking groups display a high risk-high return profile.
WBuST: A real-time energy-aware MAC layer protocol for wireless embedded systems

The design of wireless embedded systems for realtime applications requires a careful management of timing and energy requirements. This paper describes a wireless communication protocol that can guarantee both message deadlines and system lifetime by properly allocating the network bandwidth to each node. The protocol allows multi-hop wireless communication under different network topologies. The proposed approach is validated through both theoretical and experimental results.
The Effect of Statin on Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition in Peritoneal Mesothelial Cells

Background Statins have recently been highlighted for their pleiotropic actions distinct from cholesterol-lowering effects. Despite this interest, it is currently unknown whether statin therapy inhibits peritoneal dialysis (PD)-related epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Methods In vitro, human peritoneal mesothelial cells (HPMCs) were exposed to 5.6 mM glucose (NG) or 100 mM glucose (HG) with or without simvastatin (1 µM). In vivo, PD catheters were inserted into 32 Sprague-Dawley rats, and saline (C, n = 16) or 4.25% peritoneal dialysis fluid (PDF) (PD, n = 16) was infused for 4 weeks. Eight rats from each group were treated with 5 mg/kg/day of simvastatin intraperitoneally. Changes in the protein expression of EMT markers such as E-cadherin, α-SMA, Snail, and fibronectin in HPMCs and the peritoneum were evaluated by Western blot analysis and immunofluorescence or immunohistochemical staining. We also explored whether activation of the mevalonate pathway and its downstream small GTPases were involved in dialysis-related peritoneal EMT and could be inhibited by statin treatment. Results Compared to NG cells, E-cadherin expression was significantly decreased, while α-SMA, Snail, and fibronectin expression were significantly increased in HPMCs exposed to HG, and these changes were abrogated by simvastatin (p<0.05). In addition, the cobblestone-like appearance of normal HPMCs was converted into a fibroblast-like morphology after HG treatment, which was reversed by simvastatin. These EMT-like changes were also observed in HPMCs treated with geranyl-geranyl pyrophosphate (5 µM). HG significantly increased the protein expression of RhoA and Rac1 in the membrane fractions, and these increases were ameliorated by simvastatin (p<0.05). In PD rats, E-cadherin in the peritoneum was significantly decreased, whereas α-SMA, Snail, and fibronectin expression were significantly increased (p<0.05) compared to C rats. The thickness of the mesothelial layer in the peritoneum were also significantly greater in PD rats than in C rats (p<0.05). These changes of the peritoneum in PD rats were significantly attenuated by simvastatin. Conclusion This study demonstrated that PD-related EMT was mediated via the mevalonate pathway, and statin treatment inhibited the EMT changes in HG-treated HPMCs and PDF-stimulated PD rats. These findings suggest that statins may be a promising therapeutic strategy for preservation of peritoneal membrane integrity in long-term PD patients.
An Ontology Driven Software Framework for the Healthcare Applications Based on ANT+ Protocol

Programmers are not flexible in integrating devices and sensors for their products due to lack of interoperability between thousands of drivers, ah-hoc APIs and protocols. How to concentrate on the functionality instead of technical details is a major requirement. We propose a development framework which classifies the devices based on their functionality and provides an abstraction layer to escape physical hardware constraints and connectivity issues. We propose the usage of ontologies in order to expose the devices functionality represented by an ontology concept. The problem is addressed in context to the healthcare application domain while using the ANT+ protocol technology.
Porcine study on the efficacy of autogenous tooth bone in the maxillary sinus

Objectives This study sought to elucidate the effect of autogenous tooth bone material by experimenting on minipig's maxillary sinus and performing histological and histomorphometric analyses. Materials and Methods Five 18-24 month-old male minipigs were selected, and right maxillary sinuses were grafted with bone graft material made of their respective autogenous teeth extracted eight weeks earlier. The left sides were grafted with synthetic hydroxyapatite as control groups. All minipigs were sacrificed at 12 weeks after bone graft, which was known to be 1 sigma (σ) period for pigs. Specimens were evaluated histologically under a light microscope after haematoxylin-eosin staining followed by semi-quantitative study via histomorphometric analysis. The ratio of new bone to total area was evaluated using digital software for calculation of area. Results All specimens were available, except one on the right side (experimental group), which was missing during specimen preparation. This study demonstrated new bone at the periphery of the existing bone in both groups, showing evidence of bone remodeling, however, encroachment of new bone on the central part of the graft at the 1 σ period was observed only in the autogenous tooth bone group (experimental group). Histomorphometric analysis showed more new bone formation in the experimental group compared to the control group. Although the difference was not statistically significant (P>0.05), the mean percentage area for new bone for the experimental and control groups were 57.19%±11.16% and 34.07%±13.09%, respectively. Conclusion The novel bone graft material using autogenous tooth is a good alternative to autogenous bone, comparable to autogenous bone, and outperforming synthetic hydroxyapatite bone graft materials in terms of bone regeneration capacity. Augmentation with autogenous tooth bone materials will reduce donor site morbidity without hampering the safety of the autogenous bone graft.
Control strategies for complex relational query processing in shared nothing systems

In this paper, we present an original and complete methodology for supervising relational query processing in shared nothing systems. A new control mechanism is introduced which allows the detection and the correction of optimizer estimation errors and load imbalance. We especially focus on the management of intraprocessor communication and on the overlapping of communication and computation. Performance evaluations on an hypercube and a grid interconnection machine show the efficiency and the robustness of the proposed methods.
The Quest for Natural Machine Motion: An Open Platform to Fast-Prototyping Articulated Soft Robots

Soft robots are one of the most significant recent evolutions in robotics. They rely on compliant physical structures purposefully designed to embody desired characteristics. Since their introduction, they have shown remarkable applicability in overcoming their rigid counterparts in such areas as interaction with humans, adaptability, energy efficiency, and maximization of peak performance. Nonetheless, we believe that research on novel soft robot applications is still slowed by the difficulty in obtaining or developing a working soft robot structure to explore novel applications.
Stochastic Valuation of Hybrid Rice Technology in Arkansas

Despite the rapid producer adoption of hybrid rice (Oryza sativa L.) in recent years, the economic advantage of hybrid rice in the mid-Southern United States remains disputed. This study compares the economic risk and return of three popularly sown hybrid rice varieties: XL723, Clearfield® (CL) XL729, and CL XL745; and eight conventional rice varieties: Cheniere, CL 142-AR, CL 151, Francis, Roy J, Taggart, Templeton, and Wells; using University of Arkansas experimental test plot data from 2006 – 2010. Paddy and milling yield data on each variety are used to estimate a Just-Pope production function, allowing comparison of mean yields and mean yield variances across varieties. A Monte Carlo simulation is used to compare net returns and net return variance (risk) across hybrid and conventional varieties. Just-Pope estimation results indicate that hybrid varieties exhibit mean paddy yield premiums of 1.1 to 1.8 Mg ha-1 relative to the best performing conventional variety (Francis), furthermore the hybrid yield advantage is not associated with increased yield risk. Among hybrid-CL® and conventional-CL®, varieties, hybrid milling quality is not statistically different than conventional varieties. Among non-CL varieties, the hybrid XL723 exhibits a mean head rice yield (HRY) premium relative to conventional alternatives. Monte Carlo simulation results suggest that the net revenue advantage of hybrid-CL and conventional-CL® varieties makes them preferable to and non-CL conventional alternatives, respectively, across the entire range of producer risk preferences considered in this study.
Production of Active Nonglycosylated Recombinant B-Chain of Type-2 Ribosome-Inactivating Protein from Viscum articulatum and Its Biological Effects on Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells

Type-2 ribosome-inactivating proteins, composed of a toxic A-chain and lectin-like B-chain, display various biological functions, including cytotoxicity and immunomodulation. We here cloned the lectin-like B-chain encoding fragment of a newly identified type-2 RIP gene, articulatin gene, from Viscum articulatum, into a bacterial expression vector to obtain nonglycosylated recombinant protein expressed in inclusion bodies. After purification and protein refolding, soluble refolded recombinant articulatin B-chain (rATB) showed lectin activity specific toward galactoside moiety and was stably maintained while stored in low ionic strength solution. Despite lacking glycosylation, rATB actively bound leukocytes with preferential binding to monocytes and in vitro stimulated PBMCs to release cytokines without obvious cytotoxicity. These results implicated such a B-chain fragment as a potential immunomodulator.
The effects of turmeric supplementation on antioxidant status, blood gas indices and mortality in broiler chickens with T3-induced ascites

1. A total of 320 one-day-old Ross male broiler chickens were used to investigate the effects of 0·0, 2·5, 5·0 and 7·5 g/kg turmeric rhizome powder (TRP) in the diet, on antioxidant status, biochemical gas indices and mortality in broiler chickens with triiodothyronine (T3) induced ascites. 2. The TRP supplementation had no effect on blood pH, pO2 or pCO2 during the whole period of study. Moreover, supplementation of TRP did not influence the heart weight, right ventricle, left ventricle, or total ventricle weights, all relative to total live weight; RV/TV (right ventricle to total ventricle) ratio; or serum GPX (glutathione peroxidase) or SOD (superoxide dismutase) activities at week 6. 3. TRP supplementation influenced the blood and O2 saturation during the whole period of study, total mortality due to ascites, and serum total tocopherol and malondialdehyde (MDA) contents. Blood and serum total tocopherol increased linearly as dietary TRP level increased. Blood O2 saturation increased quadratically as dietary TRP increased. 4. Total ascites mortality and serum MDA content decreased linearly with increasing TRP level to 5 mg/kg and then reached a plateau. 5. The results of the study indicate that the addition of 5·0 g/kg TRP is sufficient to increase the blood O2 saturation and bicarbonate ( ) concentration, and reduce the mortality due to ascites and serum MDA content.
Tonotopic Gradients of Membrane and Synaptic Properties for Neurons of the Chicken Nucleus Magnocellularis

Nucleus magnocellularis (NM) is a division of the avian cochlear nucleus that extracts the timing of auditory signals. We compared the membrane excitability and synaptic transmission along the tonotopic axis of NM. Neurons expressed a Kv1.1 potassium channel mRNA and protein predominantly in the high characteristic frequency (CF) region of NM. In contrast, the expression of Kv1.2 mRNA did not change tonotopically. Neurons also showed tonotopic gradients in resting potential, spike threshold, amplitude, and membrane rectification. All neurons were sensitive to 100 nm dendrotoxin, but the effects were most significant in the high CF neurons. The EPSC recorded by minimal stimulation of auditory nerve fibers (ANFs) was 13 times larger in high CF neurons than in low CF neurons. Moreover, EPSCs were generated in an all-or-none manner in the high CF neurons when stimulus intensity was increased, whereas EPSCs were graded in the low CF neurons, indicating multiple axonal inputs. ANF synaptic terminals were visualized by DiI. ANF formed enfolding end-bulbs of Held around the cell body in the high and middle CF region but not in the low CF region. These observations indicate coordinated gradients of neuronal properties both presynaptically and postsynaptically along the tonotopic axis. Such specializations may be suitable for extracting and preserving the timing information of auditory signals over a wide range of acoustic frequencies.
A new based distance language model for a dictation machine: application to MAUD

This paper deals with the use of a stochastic language model based on the split of the words history into d words where d is the length of the history. One of our aims is to modelise the semantic and syntactic relationships between words. This model can be considered as a first step for this goal. We experimented our model through the Shannon game (on 10 000 truncated sentences) and implemented it in MAUD, our dictation machine. Tests on MAUD have been done on 300 sentences pronounced by several women and men. This model predicts more words (in the Shannon game) than any other methods we developed before in our team. However, these models are sophisticated in contrast to the one we describe. Moreover, when including unknown words, the results are better than the model ones we presented in a recent work in terms of mean rank, ranks from 1 to 5 and perplexity. This work has needed to use two interpolation methods inspired from Markov model. Also, we discuss the problem of the unknown word modelling.
Finance-growth nexus and inflation dynamics in Kenya: an empirical investigation

This study takes a fresh look at the direction of causality between financial development and economic growth in Kenya by examining the impact of inflation on the finance-growth nexus. The empirical results reveal that economic growth Granger-causes financial development in Kenya irrespective of whether the causality is estimated in a bivariate framework or in a trivariate setting. The study, therefore, concludes that the financial sector development in Kenya is largely dependent on the demand for, rather than the supply of, financial services. Other results show that economic growth Granger-causes inflation while inflation Grangercauses financial development in Kenya. The results apply irrespective of whether the causality is estimated in the short run or in the long run.