Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effect of Electric-Field Intensity on Electropermeabilization and Electrosensitmty of Various Tumor-Cell Lines In Vitro

Electropermeabilization (electroporation) is a technique widely used to introduce various membrane-impermeable molecules into cells in vitro or in vivo. In this study we determined the effect of different electric-field intensities on electropermeabilization and electrosensitivity of a variety of tumor-cell lines in vitro. For this purpose we used two assays: propidium iodide uptake for measurement of cell electropenneabilization, and the clono-genic or MTT assay for determination of electrosensitivity. Our results showed that electropermeabilization of almost all cell lines tested occurred at 600 V/cm. In contrast, a marked difference in electrosensitivity existed among these cell lines. Our results could be of great importance for pharmacological and biochemical studies in vilro, and for prediction and determination of tumor response in vivo to electropermeabilization combined with chemo-therapeutic drugs (electrochemotherapy) and gene therapy.
Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine Open Access Traditional Medicinal Plant Use in Loja Province, Southern Ecuador

This paper examines the traditional use of medicinal plants in Loja province, Southern Ecuador. Two hundred fifteen plant species were collected, identified and their vernacular names and traditional uses recorded. This number of species indicates that the healers, market vendors and members of the public interviewed still have a very high knowledge of plants in their surroundings, which can be seen as a reflection of the knowledge of the population in general. However, the area represents only an outlier of the larger Northern Peruvian cultural area, where more than 500 species of plants are used medicinally, indicating that in Ecuador much of the original plant knowledge has already been lost. Most plant species registered are only used medicinally, and only a few species have any other use (construction, fodder, food). The highest number of species is used for the treatment of "magical" (psychosomatic) ailments (39 species), followed by respiratory disorders (34), problems of the urinary tract (28), Fever/Malaria (25), Rheumatism (23) and nervous system problems (20).
A gaze-responsive self-disclosing display

An information display system is described which uses eye-tracking to monitor user looking about its graphics screen. The system analyzes the user's patterns of eye movements and fixations in real-time to make inferences about what item or collection of items shown holds most relative interest for the user. Material thus identified is zoomed-in for a closer look, and described in more detail via synthesized speech.
Knowledge network and innovation activities by MNC subsidiaries: The effects of internal and external knowledge resources

This paper examines the influence of internal and external knowledge on innovation activities of subsidiaries of multinational firms in an emerging market. We argue that many subsidiaries are under pressure to upgrade from manufacturing hubs to centers of innovation. Subsidiaries respond to this pressure by taking advantage of internal and external knowledge resources in the host country. Further, the relationship between these knowledge network resources and a subsidiary's innovation activity depends on the local market orientation of the subsidiary. The empirical test uses data on innovation activities of foreign subsidiaries and social-economic factors in Chinese cities from 1998 to 2005.
Pregnancy in Patients With Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

Summary: We reviewed the obstetrical performance and outcome of 15 pregnancies in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) (study group) and compared them with 45 age and parity‐matched normal pregnancies (control group). Eleven women (73.8%) were in remission phase and 4 (26.7%) had active disease at the time of conception. The time interval between disease diagnosis and the index pregnancy was 4.2 ± 2.5 years. Two patients with renal involvement had lupus flare‐up during the antenatal period. There was no case of lupus flare‐up in the postpartum period. Gestational age at delivery was significantly lower in SLE patients (35.9 ± 2.5 weeks) compared to the control group (37.4 ± 2.2 weeks). The incidence of intrauterine growth retardation was significantly higher in the SLE patients (40%). There was no case of neonatal lupus or congenital heart block.
Self-report depressive symptoms do not directly predict suicidality in nonclinical individuals: Contributions toward a more psychosocial approach to suicide risk

ABSTRACT Although suicidality is associated with mental illness in general and depression in particular, many depressed individuals do not attempt suicide and some individuals who attempt to or do die by suicide do not present depressive symptoms. This article aims to contribute to a more psychosocial approach to understanding suicide risk in nonclinical populations. In advocating a psychosocial perspective rather than a depression-focused approach, this article presents four diverse studies that demonstrate sampling and measurement invariance in findings across different populations and specific measures. Study 1 tests the mediation effects of 2 interpersonal variables, thwarted belongingness and perceived burdensomeness, in the association between depressive symptoms and recent suicidality. Studies 2 and 3 evaluate the contribution of hopelessness and psychache, beyond depressive symptoms, to suicidality. Study 4 tests the contribution of life events behind depressive symptoms, and other relevant sociodemographic and clinical variables, to the estimation of “future suicidality. ” Overall, results demonstrate that depressive symptoms do not directly predict suicidality in nonclinical individuals, but that other psychosocial variables mediate the association between depressive symptoms and suicidality or predict suicidality when statistically controlling for depressive symptoms. The article contributes to understanding some of the nonpsychopathological factors that potentially link depressive symptoms to suicide risk and that might themselves contribute to suicidality, even when controlling for depressive symptoms.
The Spatial Periodicity of Grid Cells Is Not Sustained During Reduced Theta Oscillations

Grid cell firing vanished after medial septum inhibition, while most hippocampal place cell firing was retained. Grid cells in parahippocampal cortices fire at vertices of a periodic triangular grid that spans the entire recording environment. Such precise neural computations in space have been proposed to emerge from equally precise temporal oscillations within cells or within the local neural circuitry. We found that grid-like firing patterns in the entorhinal cortex vanished when theta oscillations were reduced after intraseptal lidocaine infusions in rats. Other spatially modulated cells in the same cortical region and place cells in the hippocampus retained their spatial firing patterns to a larger extent during these periods without well-organized oscillatory neuronal activity. Precisely timed neural activity within single cells or local networks is thus required for periodic spatial firing but not for single place fields.
Clinical significance of multidrug resistance P-glycoprotein expression on acute nonlymphoblastic leukemia cells at diagnosis.

To evaluate the clinical value of the expression of multidrug resistance P-glycoprotein (P-170) on the surface of acute nonlymphoblastic leukemia (ANLL) cells, we analyzed specimens from 150 newly diagnosed patients for staining with MRK16, a monoclonal antibody (MoAb) that binds to an external epitope of P-170. Other surface markers (CD13, CD14, CD15, and CD34) were studied by the same technique. A marker was considered positive when 20% or more cells were stained. Of 150 samples, 71 were P-170-positive. These cases did not differ from P-170-negative cases with regard to age, sex, initial white blood cell (WBC) counts, or French-American-British (FAB) type (except for M3 ANLL, which were more frequently negative). However, leukemias arising from previous myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) and therapy-induced leukemias were more frequently P-170-positive. CD34 and P-170 expression were significantly associated. All patients were treated by intensive chemotherapy. Complete remission (CR) rates were significantly lower in P-170-positive (23/71, 32%) than in P-170-negative cases (64/79, 81%) (P less than 10(-5)). CD34 positivity was also associated with a low remission rate (P less than 10(-5)). Survival was shorter for P-170- and CD34-positive patients (P less than 10(-5)). The prognostic value of both markers was confirmed in multivariate analysis. CR duration was also shorter for P-170-positive cases, but the difference is less significant (P = .05). It is concluded that P-170 analysis may be an important tool for predicting the outcome of intensive chemotherapy in ANLL patients.
Data Locality in Graph Databases through N-Body Simulation

Data locality poses a major performance requirement in graph databases, since it forms a basis for efficient caching and distribution. This vision paper presents a new approach to satisfy this requirement through n-body simulation. We describe our solution in detail and provide a theoretically complexity estimation of our method. To prove our concept, we conducted an evaluation using the DBpedia dataset data. The results are promising and show that n-body simulation is capable to improve data locality in graph databases significantly.
The Relay Area Problem in Wireless Sensor Networks

Wireless sensor networks often combine many-to-one traffic flows with multi-hop communication. This leaves them vulnerable to routing holes where empty spaces or voids inside the network area cause problems with routing. Large voids prevent traffic flowing through them and require nodes to calculate routes around the holes. In this paper, we discuss what we call the relay area problem. This is when small empty spaces in the network cause routes to become less direct which increases latency and reduces energy efficiency. Our analysis shows that it is extremely difficult to prevent these small holes existing inside the network. However, they significantly impact the network's performance. We show that, even in dense networks, nearly 20% of the nodes have the relay area problem which increases the latency of any packet passing through them. Latency can be increased by almost 15% as a result of the problem.
Sofosbuvir-based therapy for patients with chronic hepatitis C: Early experience of its efficacy and safety in Korea

Background/Aims The previous standard treatment for chronic hepatitis C (CHC) patients, comprising a combination of pegylated interferon (IFN) and ribavirin, was associated with suboptimal efficacy and severe adverse reactions. A new era of direct-acting antivirals is now dawning in Korea. Early experience of applying sofosbuvir-based therapy to CHC patients in Korea is reported herein. Methods Data on efficacy and safety were collected for CHC patients treated with a combination of sofosbuvir plus ribavirin or sofosbuvir/ledipasvir with or without ribavirin. Results This retrospective study included 25 consecutive patients who received sofosbuvir-based therapy (19 with genotype 1b and 6 with genotype 2) at Seoul National University Hospital from May 2014 to April 2015. A virologic response was achieved at week 4 by 85.7% and 80% of the patients with genotypes 1b and 2, respectively. The HCV-RNA level decreased more slowly in IFN-experienced than in treatment-naïve patients with genotype 1b. However, the sustained virologic response at week 12 (SVR12) rate did not differ among these patients, and was as high as 100%. The presence of cirrhosis significantly increased the risk of a virologic response failure at week 4 (OR, 11.0; P=0.011) among patients with HCV genotype 1b. Only five patients (20%) experienced minor adverse events, including grade 1 fatigue and headache. The hemoglobin level decreased slightly after sofosbuvir-based therapy, but there was no case of premature discontinuation of this therapy. Conclusions In a real clinical practice, sofosbuvir-based therapy for CHC patients in Korea achieved optimal antiviral efficacy with insignificant adverse events. Long-term follow-up data are warranted to ensure the sustained antiviral efficacy and long-term safety of sofosbuvir-based IFN-free therapy.
Field Measurements of Unsteady Turbulence in a Tidal Bore: the Garonne River in October 2013

ABSTRACT A tidal bore is an unsteady rapidly-varied open channel flow generated by the swift advance of the early flood tide in a funnel-shaped river estuary when the tidal range exceeds 4.5 to 6 m. This contribution presents a detailed field investigation conducted on the tidal bore of the Garonne River (France). The bore was undular and the bore's leading edge was followed by well-defined secondary waves, or whelps. The instantaneous ADV velocity data indicated large and rapid fluctuations of all velocity components during the tidal bore. Large Reynolds shear stresses were observed during and after the tidal bore passage. The investigation characterized some unusual transient turbulence caused by the bore propagation in a large river system, and the results suggested the advection of large-scale eddies in the wake of the bore front. The present study highlighted the need for detailed field measurements with fine temporal resolution, to characterize the highly unsteady rapidly-varied nature of tidal bore flows.
Activation of Saccharomyces cerevisiae HIS3 Results in Gcn4p-Dependent, SWI/SNF-Dependent Mobilization of Nucleosomes over the EntireGene

ABSTRACT The effects of transcriptional activation on the chromatin structure of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae HIS3 gene were addressed by mapping the precise positions of nucleosomes in uninduced and induced chromatin. In the absence of the Gcn4p activator, the HIS3 gene is organized into a predominant nucleosomal array. In wild-type chromatin, this array is disrupted, and several alternative overlapping nucleosomal arrays are formed. The disruption of the predominant array also requires the SWI/SNF remodeling machine, indicating that the SWI/SNF complex plays an important role in nucleosome mobilization over the entire HIS3 gene. The Isw1 remodeling complex plays a more subtle role in determining nucleosome positions on HIS3, favoring positions different from those preferred by the SWI/SNF complex. Both the SWI/SNF and Isw1 complexes are constitutively present in HIS3 chromatin, although Isw1 tends to be excluded from the HIS3 promoter. Despite the apparent disorder of HIS3 chromatin generated by the formation of multiple nucleosomal arrays, nucleosome density profiles indicate that some long-range order is always present. We propose that Gcn4p stimulates nucleosome mobilization over the entire HIS3 gene by the SWI/SNF complex. We suggest that the net effect of interplay among remodeling machines at HIS3 is to create a highly dynamic chromatin structure.
The Watermarking for 3D CAD Drawing using Line, ARC, 3DFACE Components

Currently there has been much interested in developing the watermarking for 3D graphic data of mesh model or NURBS. However, the watermarking technique based on 3D CAD drawing leaves something to be desired. This paper proposes a watermarking technique for 3D design drawing using the components of Line, 3DFACE and ARC based on vertex that prevent the infringement of copyright from unlawfulness reproductions and distribution. By experimental result, we confirmed the invisibility of embedded watermarks as well as the robustness in geometrical attacks and file conversion to DWG, DXF, DWT and DWS
MPI-Based Adaptive Task Migration Support on the HS-Scale System

In this article, we present an original MPI-based adaptive task migration support for the HS-Scale system. Our previous communication API was modified in order to be MPI compliant. In order to enable task migration without any MMU, a Position Independent Code compilation technique is implemented. The self-adaptability is based on monitoring information collected at run-time by each processing element (PE). Each PE is endowed with the same decisional capability insuring the scalability of the solution. A MJPEG case study validated on a multi-FPGA prototyping platform is presented. The observation of the dynamic behavior of HS-Scale shows that the system is able to find itself a stable task placement providing the best performance in terms of processing throughput.
The Importance of F0 Tracking in Query-by-singing-humming

In this paper, we present a comparative study of several state-of-the-art F0 trackers applied to the context of queryby-singing-humming(QBSH). This study has been carried out using the well known, freely available, MIR-QBSH dataset in differentconditionsof added pub-style noise and smartphone-style distortion. For audio-to-MIDI melodic matching, we have used two state-of-the-art systems and a simple, easily reproduciblebaselinemethod. Fortheevaluation, we measured the QBSH performance for 189 different combinations of F0 tracker, noise/distortion conditions and matcher. Additionally, the overall accuracy of the F0 transcriptions (as defined in MIREX) was also measured. In the results, we found that F0 tracking overall accuracy correlates with QBSH performance, but it does not totally measure the suitability of a pitch vector for QBSH. In addition, we also found clear differences in robustness to F0 transcription errors between different matchers.
Progestogen-only contraceptives and the risk of acute myocardial infarction: a meta-analysis.

CONTEXT The association between combined oral contraceptives (OC) and the risk of myocardial infarction (MI) has been intensively studied, and conclusions are controversial. While progestogen-only contraceptives (POC) are commonly used worldwide, their impact on cardiovascular diseases is poorly investigated and remains unclear. OBJECTIVE We carried out a meta-analysis based on EMBASE- and MEDLINE-referenced literature corresponding to OC marketed since 1960. METHODS Eligible articles published in English language describing OC or POC use and MI outcome were reviewed, and relevant ones were extracted. All types of POC and route of administration were considered. RESULTS Six case-control studies were identified. The combined odds ratio showed no increase in the MI risk with POC use (odds ratio = 1.07; 95% confidence interval, 0.62-1.84). This result was similar according to the route of administration, including implant, injectable, and oral POC. CONCLUSION Data from observational studies suggest no increase in risk of MI with POC use. However, these results are based on limited data. Further investigations are needed, especially among women at high MI risk.
Binding of Fibrinogen to Cultured Bovine Endothelial Cells

Summary The binding properties of purified bovine fibrinogen to bovine aortic endothelial cells have been examined in a tissue culture system. Endothelial cells bound 125I-fibrinogen in a calcium dependent fashion. Removal of calcium by EDTA instantaneously detached most of the cell-associated fibrinogen. Binding of fibrinogen to the endothelial cells was not saturable with time and dosage. Competition studies and displacement experiments did not indicate the involvement of a specific receptor site for the fibrinogen-endothelial cell-interaction. Bovine serum albumin provided in the physiological ratio of 20:1 to fibrinogen competed as effectively as unlabelled fibrinogen for 125I-fibrinogen binding to the endothelial cells. And furthermore, internalization of cell- associated tracer into the endothelial cells that could be demonstrated in the presence of serum free medium did not occur in the presence of albumin. These data suggest that fibrinogen binding to intact bovine endothelial cells is unspecific and presumably negligible in the presence of physiological albumin concentrations.
RAX and anophthalmia in humans: Evidence of brain anomalies

Purpose To report the clinical and genetic study of two families of Egyptian origin with clinical anophthalmia. To further determine the role of the retina and anterior neural fold homeobox gene (RAX) in anophthalmia and associated cerebral malformations. Methods Three patients with clinical anophthalmia and first-degree relatives from two consanguineous families of Egyptian origin underwent full ophthalmologic, general and neurologic examination, and blood tests. Cerebral magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was performed in the index cases of both families. Genomic DNA was prepared from venous leukocytes, and direct sequencing of all the exons and intron-exon junctions of RAX was performed after PCR amplification. Results Clinical bilateral anophthalmia was observed in all three patients. General and neurologic examinations were normal; obesity and delay in psychomotor development were observed in the isolated case. Orbital MRI showed a hypoplastic orbit with present but rudimentary extraocular muscles and normal lacrimal glands. Cerebral MRI showed agenesis of the optic nerves, optic tracts, and optic chiasma. In the index case of family A, the absence of the frontal and sphenoidal sinuses was also noted. In the index case of family B, only the sphenoidal sinus was absent, and there was significant cortical atrophy. The three patients carried a novel homozygous c.543+3A>G mutation (IVS2+3A>G) in RAX. Parents were healthy heterozygous carriers. No mutations were detected in orthodenticle homeobox 2 (OTX2), ventral anterior homeobox 1 (VAX1), or sex determining region Y-box 2 (SOX2). Conclusions This is the first report of a homozygous splicing RAX mutation associated with autosomal recessive bilateral anophthalmia. To our knowledge, only two isolated cases of anophthalmia, three null and one missense case affecting nuclear localization or the DNA-binding homeodomain, have been found to be caused by compound heterozygote RAX mutations. A novel missense RAX mutation was identified in three patients with bilateral anophthalmia and a distinct systemic and neurologic phenotype. The mutation potentially affects splicing of the last exon and is thought to result in a protein that has an aberrant homeodomain and no paired-tail domain. Functional consequences of this change still need to be characterized.
A spatially adaptive multi-model denoising strategy for infrared dim small target detection

In the field of infrared remote sensing, the problem of IR small target detection is still an important component part. Concerning infrared dim small target (IRDST) detection, firstly the infrared image is processed with DWT method to get the wavelet coefficients image, but the distribution characteristics, such as scales, frequencies, orientations of wavelet coefficients in different sub-bands are various, so wavelet image denoised by a single threshold criterion can not give a satisfying estimation. Based on this motivation, a spatially adaptive multi-model de-noising strategy (SAMMDS) based IRDST detection method is proposed in this paper, which can adjust thresholding strategy according to the distribution of noise in different scales and directions. Spatially adaptive BayesShrink (SABS) thresholding, traditional BayesShrink (BS) thresholding and generalized cross validation (GCV) thresholding are all adopted here to process each sub-band separately. After reconstructing the denoised wavelet image, a simple global thresholding is used to separate the background and target finally. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed algorithm performs better than other typical wavelet methods for small target detection with various complex backgrounds.