Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Editorial ABC Tr3"Sporters: Role in Modulation of Drug Pharmacokinetics and in Physiopathology and Therapeutic Perspectives

EdillJrial Editorial ABC Tr3"Sporters: Role in Mo dulation of Drug Pharmacokinetics and in Physiopathology a nd Therapeutic Perspectives The superfami ly of ABC transporters comprises 49 proteins in humans. They all use ATP hydrolysis as an energy source and share common structural features. In particular, the presen ce of 2 membrane-spanning domains made of 6 transmembrane segments and of 2 ATP binding cassettes is required to make them functiona l. Yet, the fun ction of many of these pro teins still needs to be elucidated and their substrates rem ain unknown, but for those tbat are best characterized, it is clear that they playa critical role in the maintenance of cell homeostasis, by moduial'ing the ce ll concentration in xenobiotics or in physio logical substrates. ]n the present issue, we will examine th e rolc of selected transportcrs in this superfamily, to illus trate their importance in drug disposition or in physiopathology. We wil l also discuss therapcutic perspectives related 10 modulation of their act ivity. The figure illustrates the transporters we wiIJ focus on. together with the indication of their fu nction and of the pathology associated to their dysfunction. ABCA1 cho/estetol trans! oner elasticum ABCB11 bile transporter ~ chol • • III~c liver disease ABCC7 Ct channel ~ cystic fibrosis ABC[l1(2-41 peroXIsomal t"'"$pOrters ~ adrenoleukodystrophy ABCG1 cholesterol trans! "l111r atberosceros/s Figure: Families of ABC transporters (squared) with indication oftbe number of transporters in the fam ily (circled). Xenobiotic transporters catalyse the efflux of drugs, or metabolites thereof, out of the cells. [n contrast to many other transporters, they all display very broad substrate specificity, recognizing their substra tcs based on physico-chemical properties rather than on specific molecular detenninants. hence their appellation of 'MuJtidrug Transporters'. These transporters belong to 3 families, namely ABCB for P-glycoprotein, ABCC for MRPs (Multidrug-res istance Re lated Proteins), and ABCG for the half transporter BeRP (Breast Cancer Resistance Protein). In this issue, we wil1 review their specific role in modulating drug pharmacokinetics [1] or in conferring resistance to anticancer chemotherapy [2]1 and the interest of inhibitors to reverse their effect. We w ill also d iscuss for 2 of them (ABCBl and ABCC2) how genetic polymorpbisms can lead to variations in their transport capacity among individuals and therefore just'ify thcrapeutic monitoring of blood levels, or patient's genotyping for drugs with narrow therapeutic index [3]. Other ABC transporters rathcr transport physiological substrates that can be highly variab …
Design and Performance of a Self-Organizing Adaptive Content Distribution Network

Content distribution networks (CDN) have been increasingly used to deliver bandwidth-intensive multimedia content to a large amount of users. In a CDN, the content is replicated from the origin server to so-called surrogate servers in order to improve the quality of service experienced by the end-users and decrease the network load. However, despite the promising concept, current centralized and distributed CDN architectures lack placement and retrieval algorithms that are both scalable and provide a close to optimal placement. In this article, we propose a novel replica placement algorithm called COCOA (cooperative cost optimization algorithm), suited for a self-organizing hybrid CDN architecture. Our results show that COCOA achieves a performance comparable to the less scalable centralized algorithms, while maintaining the benefits of distributed approaches. Contrary to the more common off-line content replication and management strategies, on-line replication in a self-optimizing CDN puts an additional strain on the network. We explore techniques to control this traffic and study its implications on the performance of the CDN. Because in a CDN content is replicated to geographically distributed surrogate servers, one of the main benefits is its ability to recover from network failures and increase the availability of content during flash crowds. As illustrated in this article, we succeed in making the CDN more robust by effectively reducing the convergence time of the network after the occurrence of such disruptive events
Severe P. falciparum malaria in Kenyan children: evidence for hypovolaemia.

BACKGROUND The role of volume resuscitation in severe Plasmodium falciparum malaria is controversial. AIM To examine the role of hypovolaemia in severe childhood malaria. STUDY DESIGN Retrospective review. METHODS We studied 515 children admitted with severe malaria to a high-dependency unit (HDU) in Kilifi, Kenya. On admission to the HDU, children underwent a further assessment of vital signs and a standard clinical examination. RESULTS Factors associated with a fatal outcome included deep breathing or acidosis (base excess below -8), hypotension (systolic blood pressure <80 mmHg), raised plasma creatinine (>80 micro mol/l), low oxygen saturation (<90%), dehydration and hypoglycaemia (<2.5 mmol/l). Shock was present in 212/372 (57%) children, of whom 37 (17.5%) died, and was absent in 160, of who only 7 (4.4%) died (chi(2) = 14.9; p = 0.001). DISCUSSION Impaired tissue perfusion may play a role in the mortality of severe malaria. Moreover, volume resuscitation, an important life-saving intervention in children with hypovolaemia, should be considered in severe malaria with evidence of impaired tissue perfusion.
Large-scale byzantine fault tolerance: safe but not always live

The overall correctness of large-scale systems composed of many groups of replicas executing BFT protocols scales poorly with the number of groups. This is because the probability of at least one group being compromised (more than 1/3 faulty replicas) increases rapidly as the number of groups increases. In this paper we address this problem with a simple modification to Castro and Liskov's BFT replication that allows for arbitrary choice of n (number of replicas) and f (failure threshold). The price to pay is a more restrictive liveness requirement, and we present the design of a large-scale BFT replicated system that obviates this problem.
S ep 2 00 3 Quantum lower bounds of set equality problems

The set equality problem is to decide whether two sets given by functions a and b such that A = {a(1), a(2), . , a(n)} and B = {b(1), b(2), . , b(n)} are equal or disjoint, under the promise that one of these is the case. Some other problems, like the Graph Isomorphism problem, is solvable by reduction to the set equality problem. This motivates to find a polynomial quantum lower bound for the set equality problem, showing that this is not the way to solve the Graph Isomorphism problem by a quantum computer. We will prove Ω( n 1/3 log1/3 n ) lower bound for set equality problem when the set of the preimages are very small for every element in A and B. To find any w(1) lower bound of set equality problem when a and b are one-to-one functions still remains open.
SDSS J080449.49+161624.8 : a peculiar AM CVn star from a colour-selected sample of candidates

We describe a spectroscopic survey designed to uncover an estimated similar to 40 AM Canum Venaticorum (AM CVn) stars hiding in the photometric data base of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. We have constructed a relatively small sample of about 1500 candidates based on a colour selection, which should contain the majority of all AM CVn binaries while remaining small enough that spectroscopic identification of the full sample is feasible. We present the first new AM CVn star discovered using this strategy, SDSS J080449.49+161624.8, the ultracompact binary nature of which is demonstrated using high-time-resolution spectroscopy obtained with the Magellan telescopes at Las Campanas Observatory, Chile. A kinematic 'S-wave' feature is observed on a period P-orb = 44.5 +/- 0.1 min, which we propose is the orbital period, although the present data cannot yet exclude its nearest daily aliases. The new AM CVn star shows a peculiar spectrum of broad, single-peaked helium emission lines with unusually strong series of ionized helium, reminiscent of the (intermediate) polars among the hydrogen-rich cataclysmic variables. We speculate that SDSS J0804+1616 may be the first magnetic AM CVn star. The accreted material appears to be enriched in nitrogen, to N/O greater than or similar to 10 and N/C > 10 by number, indicating CNO cycle hydrogen burning, but no helium burning, in the prior evolution of the donor star.
A Two-Variable Model for SAT-Based ATPG

Automatic test pattern generation (ATPG) is one of the first applications that motivated the development of modern Boolean satisfiability (SAT). It is now widely accepted that ATPG is easy for current state-of-the-art SAT solvers. Nevertheless, as with any NP-hard problem, for large complex industrial circuits, some faults may be difficult to detect or prove undetectable. Recent work on SAT-based ATPG has been motivated by industrial designs with ever increasing size, for which more efficient ATPG models are essential. Moreover, ATPG models and algorithms find applications in a number of other settings, which further motivate the development of more efficient SAT-based ATPG solutions. Interestingly, despite the interest in more efficient ATPG approaches, the core SAT-based ATPG model has remained essentially unchanged since it was first proposed in the 1980s. This paper describes an alternative model for SAT-based ATPG. The proposed model is fundamentally different from previous SAT-based ATPG models in that the number of used variables is significantly reduced. This paper proposes extensions and optimizations to the basic model, and integrates known techniques for further improving performance. This paper extends the new model, proposes optimizations to it, and integrates known techniques for further improving performance. To achieve an unbiased evaluation, this paper also reimplements previous models and comprehensively compares them with the proposed models. Experimental results, obtained on a wide range of publicly available benchmarks for ATPG, demonstrate that the basic model and extended models allow significant performance improvements over other well-established models.
Roundtable: Exposing Shadow Culture for Transformative Learning

Discussion will be based from the proposed transformative learning framework lesson materials to determine 1) whether a critical event can be expected from material exposure; 2) how long disorientation is likely to ensue based on previous knowledge; and 3) best classroom techniques to manage individuals’ transformative learning needs within group instruction. Instruction materials include historical timelines, extent of exposure around the world, and sketches of prime examples for comparison and are structured as an observation inquiry project for learners to determine the prevalence of astrology as a socially constructed shadow culture influence. What I want to provide lesson structure that allows the learner to run image discrimination tests as a way of showing how our body language somatically (Vgotsky, 1978) shapes us and how society affects that shape through schema projections at the social interactional level. Learners would be asked to view and tell a narrative from the nuances presumed from features and expressions of sketches of six males and six females, mostly European decent (Parker & Parker, 1984). The experimental lesson design is intended to test the validity of these sketches as a tool for use in Mezirow’s (1997) transformative learning framework while revealing to the learner the effects of subtle discriminations in day-to-day social interactions. The finding expected is how repeated facial expressions from repeated expression leave traces that can be somatically read and what that means in schema creation. The analysis would be comparing the answers between participants to determine if there is a shared social construct. If there is a shared social construct from this test, then the instrument would be usable for a transformative learning framework addressing stereotyping and what that means in terms of cause and effect at the social interactional level. Why My instrument choice (Parker & Parker, 1984) is an astrology tool I am familiar with, yet is obscure to most audiences, because mainstream U.S. culture already dismisses the subject completely. The subject matter itself is particularly valuable for catalytic purposes as head sketches display physical traits, purportedly imbued by ones zodiac sign. I suggest this has a significant shadow influence in western culture in which birthdates have socially constructed meaning that is so entrenched, its evidence goes unidentified. It is predicted that the material chosen will incite a critical event (Mezirow, 1997) and subsequent disorientation (Mezirow, 1997) in a significant percentage of participants engaged in the learning because of its novelty (Yorks, Dilworth, Marquardt, Marsick, & O’Neil, 2000). I seek to validate the claim that length of time disorientation lasts is directly related to 1) how foreign the knowledge is to the recipient; 2) how much resistance predicated acceptance of the
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Enhancement of Neoangiogenesis and Follicle Survival by Sphingosine-1-Phosphate in Human Ovarian Tissue Xenotransplants

Ovarian transplantation is one of the key approaches to restoring fertility in women who became menopausal as a result of cancer treatments. A major limitation of human ovarian transplants is massive follicular loss during revascularization. Here we investigated whether sphingosine-1-phosphate or its receptor agonists could enhance neoangiogenesis and follicle survival in ovarian transplants in a xenograft model. Human ovarian tissue xenografts in severe-combined-immunodeficient mice were treated with sphingosine-1-phosphate, its analogs, or vehicle for 1–10 days. We found that sphingosine-1-phosphate treatment increased vascular density in ovarian transplants significantly whereas FTY720 and SEW2871 had the opposite effect. In addition, sphingosine-1-phosphate accelerated the angiogenic process compared to vehicle-treated controls. Furthermore, sphingosine-1-phosphate treatment was associated with a significant proliferation of ovarian stromal cell as well as reduced necrosis and tissue hypoxia compared to the vehicle-treated controls. This resulted in a significantly lower percentage of apoptotic follicles in sphingosine-1-phosphate-treated transplants. We conclude that while sphingosine-1-phosphate promotes neoangiogenesis in ovarian transplants and reduces ischemic reperfusion injury, sphingosine-1-phosphate receptor agonists appear to functionally antagonize this process. Sphingosine-1-phosphate holds great promise to clinically enhance the survival and longevity of human autologous ovarian transplants.
What does it mean to be human

We do psychology in order to improve our understanding of the behavior and thought processes of both humans and nonhuman animals, and in order to apply this understanding for humanistic purposes. What makes psychology different from other efforts to understand people is its reliance on the scientific method. A statement has no scientific value unless the evidence that favors it is considered to be beyond reproach. This means that untested speculations, beliefs, myths, and superstitions about the nature of thought and behavior have no place in psychology, other than as objects of study themselves. Making yourself the object of scientific study poses some challenges. In addition to many methodological challenges, we are also handicapped by common notions that interfere with understanding our humanity in a scientific way.
Partitioning Perfect Graphs into Stars

The partition of graphs into “nice” subgraphs is a central algorithmic problem with strong ties to matching theory. We study the partitioning of undirected graphs into same‐size stars, a problem known to be NP‐complete even for the case of stars on three vertices. We perform a thorough computational complexity study of the problem on subclasses of perfect graphs and identify several polynomial‐time solvable cases, for example, on interval graphs and bipartite permutation graphs, and also NP‐complete cases, for example, on grid graphs and chordal graphs.
Discussing single phase PWM voltage source inverters with different frequency modulation factors

This paper presents two designs for a single phase, voltage source inverters using Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) control with different frequency modulation values and compares between them. One design adopted a triangular carrier signal that is 250 times faster than the reference, i.e. with frequency modulation factor of 250, and the other design demonstrated a carrier signal with frequency modulation factor of 500. Both designs were simulated using Matlab Simulink and implemented in hardware then compared in terms of Total Harmonic Distortion (THD), efficiency, speed and size.
Extracting and using trace-free functional dependencies from the penn treebank to reduce parsing complexity

Many extensions to text-based, data-intensive knowledge management approaches, such as Information Retrieval or Data Mining, focus on integrating the impressive recent advances in language technology. For this, they need fast, robust parsers that deliver linguistic data which is meaningful for the subsequent processing stages. This paper introduces such a parsing system. Its output is a hierarchical structure of syntactic relations, functional dependency structures.
ECG biometric authentication using Pulse Active Width (PAW)

This paper presents a new feature extraction method known as Pulse Active Width (PAW) implemented on electrocardiogram (ECG) for biometric authentication. This method is developed based on the concept of Pulse Width Modulation (PWM). A total of 196 ECGs from 98 subjects, taken from the Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB) database are used in the simulations. Biometric performance profile such as the area under ROC (AUR) and equal error rate (EER) are then used to evaluate the results. It is shown that the PAW method outperforms conventional temporal feature extraction techniques.
Plant L‐ascorbic acid: chemistry, function, metabolism, bioavailability and effects of processing

Humans are unable to synthesise L-ascorbic acid (L-AA, ascorbate, vitamin C), and are thus entirely dependent upon dietary sources to meet needs. In both plant and animal metabolism, the biological functions of L-ascorbic acid are centred around the antioxidant properties of this molecule. Considerable evidence has been accruing in the last two decades of the importance of L-AA in protecting not only the plant from oxidative stress, but also mammals from various chronic diseases that have their origins in oxidative stress. Evidence suggests that the plasma levels of L-AA in large sections of the population are sub-optimal for the health protective effects of this vitamin. Until quite recently, little focus has been given to improving the L-AA content of plant foods, either in terms of the amounts present in commercial crop varieties, or in minimising losses prior to ingestion. Further, while L-AA biosynthesis in animals was elucidated in the 1960s, 1 it is only very recently that a distinct biosynthetic route for plants has been proposed. 2 The characterisation of this new pathway will undoubtedly provide the necessary focus and impetus to enable fundamental questions on plant L-AA metabolism to be resolved. This review focuses on the role of L-AA in metabolism and the latest studies regarding its bio- synthesis, tissue compartmentalisation, turnover and catabolism. These inter-relationships are considered in relation to the potential to improve the L-AA content of crops. Methodology for the reliable analysis of L-AA in plant foods is briefly reviewed. The concentrations found in common food sources and the effects of processing, or storage prior to consumption are discussed. Finally the factors that determine the bioavailability of L-AA and how it may be improved are considered, as well as the most important future research needs. # 2000 Society of Chemical Industry
A Cluster Analysis Typology of Suicide in the United States Air Force

Abstract : Background. Suicide remains a significant public health problem in the United States (U.S.) military. Given the heterogeneity among suicide decedents, what remains unclear is whether subgroups, or typologies, exist that characterize suicide decedents and whether these typologies can be effectively targeted in preventing suicide. Purpose. A decade of surveillance data of U.S. Air Force (USAF) suicides was examined to determine whether a useful typological model of suicide could be constructed. Specific aims of the current study were (1) to describe the characteristics of USAF suicide decedents for the past decade; (2) to compare characteristics of USAF suicide decedents before the onset of Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) with suicides occurring afterwards; (3) to employ hierarchical cluster analysis to determine the presence of subgroups based on demographic and psychosocial characteristics; and (4) to evaluate the stability and external validity of these subgroups. Method. Data on all USAF active duty suicides registered in the Suicide Event Surveillance System (SESS) database, between 1999 and 2009, were obtained from the USAF Suicide Prevention Program (USAFSPP). Preliminary analyses focused on general characteristics of suicide decedents and potential differences between pre- and post- OEF suicides. Next, hierarchical cluster analysis of demographic and psychosocial variables was used to assign all cases to initial clusters and determine cluster centroids. Iterative partitioning clustering procedures were employed to determine cluster stability via split-half analysis. Members of the observed clusters were compared on their utilization of helping services to assess external validity and usefulness of the cluster solution.
WLAN Emulation on StarBED R ǎ

In this paper we present the Wireless LAN (WLAN) emulator that we design to run on StarBED, the large scale network experiment environment of the Hokuriku Research Centre in Ishikawa, Japan. As WLANs start to spread on an ever wider scale, the need to investigate application deployment on WLANs has become stringent. We develop an emulation environment since it allows using in experiments the real applications that will be deployed in practice. In addition, it offers full control of the network conditions in which the applications will be tested. Our approach is user-oriented in the sense that the input of the system is a user-level scenario representation. This is subsequently converted into a quality degradation description that represents the effect the network will have on application traffic. Finally, the quality degradation description is transformed into an emulator configuration that is effectively used in the emulation environment to enforce network quality degradation on the application traffic.