Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
[Antitumor activity of new derivatives of camptothecin].

With the purpose of obtaining more potent and less toxic camptothecin (CPT) analogs, we prepared many derivatives of CPT. Among them, 7-ethyl-CPT (SN 22) and 7-ethyl-10-hydroxy-CPT (SN 38) showed strong antitumor activity with less toxicity. They were, however, insoluble and when they were made soluble, their activity was markedly diminished, as a result of cleavage of the delta-lactone ring. We therefore attempted to make soluble derivatives without breaking the delta-lactone ring and obtained 7-ethyl-10-[4-(1-piperidino)-1-piperidino]-carbonyloxy-CPT (CPT-11), which showed very strong antitumor activity by i.p., i.v. or p.o. administration against the ascites type of L1210 leukemia, P388 leukemia, sarcoma 180, Meth A fibrosarcoma, B16 melanoma, Ehrlich carcinoma and MH134 hepatoma and the solid type of sarcoma 180, Meth A fibrosarcoma, Lewis lung carcinoma, C3H/HeN mammary carcinoma, Ehrlich carcinoma and MH134 hepatoma. The antileukemic activity of CPT-11 against L1210 was much higher than that of adriamycin. The acute toxicity of CPT-11 was extremely low, particularly in the case of oral administration, the LD50 being 765.3 mg/kg, 22 times greater than that of CPT-Na.
An evaluation of noncoding genome annotation tools through enrichment analysis of 15 genome-wide association studies

Functionally annotating genetic variations is an essential yet challenging topic in human genetics research. As large consortia including ENCODE and Roadmap Epigenomics Project continue to generate high-throughput transcriptomic and epigenomic data, many computational frameworks have been developed to integrate these experimental data to predict functionality of genetic variations in both protein-coding and noncoding regions. Here, we compare a number of recently developed annotation frameworks for noncoding regions through enrichment analysis on genome-wide association studies (GWASs). We also compare several different strategies to quantify enrichment using GWAS summary statistics. Our analyses highlight the importance of jointly modeling context-specific annotations with genome-wide data in providing statistically powerful and biologically interpretable enrichment for complex disease associations. Our findings provide insights into when and how computational genome annotations may benefit future complex disease studies on the genome-wide scale.
Relay node deployment strategies in heterogeneous wireless sensor networks: single-hop communication case

Device deployment is a major challenge to successful implementation of large scale wireless sensor network (WSN) applications. The number and positions of devices determine many intrinsic properties of a WSN system. However, the deployment issue has mostly been confined to studies concerning coverage and connectivity. The impact of device deployment on the usability or system lifetime has been largely neglected. In this research, we investigate how a deployment strategy can affect both connectivity and network lifetime of a WSN. Based on quantitative analysis of such effects, we propose three deployment strategies, namely, connectivity-oriented, lifetime-oriented, and hybrid deployment. The performance of the three strategies is evaluated through simulation. The results of this research provide tangible guidance of efficient provisioning for large scale WSNs.
Centralized control of step voltage regulators and energy storage system under high photovoltaic penetration

The penetration level of distributed energy resources (DERs) especially photovoltaic (PV) system is envisioned to keep on increasing in future distribution grid. Current step voltage regulators (SVRs) equipped with local controls such as line drop compensation (LDC) will experience the increased tap operation in the presence of PV system particularly on a cloudy day. This operational stress will increase the annual maintenance cost and reduce the lifespan of SVRs. To cope with this issue, current volt/VAR control (VVC) schemes need to integrate additional control equipment and adopt different coordinated control schemes. This paper proposes a centralized coordinated control scheme to reduce the SVRs' operational burden by contributing towards voltage support. The centralized coordinated control is ensured by integrating SVRs and battery energy storage system (BESS) into the smart distribution management system (DMS). Particle swarm optimization (PSO) has reduced the tap operation and optimized the charging and discharging operations of BESS. Simulation studies are conducted using modified quasi-static time-series IEEE 34-bus test feeder. The PSO is implemented in MATLAB while DigSILENT PowerFactory is used for quasi-dynamic simulations. Results indicate the effectiveness of BESS in voltage support and considerable decline in operational cost.
A Multi-Objective Model for Bank Asset Liability Management: The Case of a Tunisian Bank

This paper presents the application of a goal programming (GP) model to develop an asset liability management (ALM) strategy from a balance sheet of a Tunisian commercial bank. The model determines the optimal structure of the balance sheet for the year 2007. To reach our objective, we have analyzed the 2006 bank’s balance sheet facing several conflicting goals such as solvency, liquidity, maximizing net interest margin and increasing deposits and loans under the structural, political, and regulatory constraints. The solution of this model involves the minimization of the sum deviations from the target values of goals. The results differ significantly from the current values of the bank’s balance sheet, which shows the relevance of the model and its use as a strategic planning and decision support tool. Then, a post optimality analysis was performed to check the validity and the stability of the optimal solution. Finally, forecasts of asset and liability accounts were made to maintain a long term ALM strategy for the bank.
Cardiovascular regulatory functions in elderly patients with hypertension.

To dissociate the effects of an elevated blood pressure on the cardiovascular regulatory functions from those of aging in the hypertensive elderly individual, resting hemodynamic measurements and circulatory autonomic functions in 30 elderly (mean age, 66 years) hypertensive (World Health Organization stages I and II) patients were compared with those in 30 healthy elderly (mean age, 65 years) normotensive volunteers. The elderly hypertensive group showed a significantly lower cardiac index and higher total peripheral resistance. beta-Receptor sensitivity, as determined by chronotropic dose of infused isoproterenol, and baroreceptor reflex sensitivity index, derived from phase II, but not phase IV, of Valsalva's maneuver, were only slightly but significantly reduced in the hypertensive group. The variability of heart rate at rest as an index of parasympathetic control of heart was similar between these two groups. Plasma norepinephrine level was significantly inversely related to resting mean blood pressure (r = -0.31, p less than 0.05) when analyzed as a whole group. Plasma renin activity, but not plasma aldosterone, was significantly decreased in the hypertensive group. To define the effects of age itself, these parameters in normotensive elderly subjects were also compared with those in 12 young normotensive subjects (mean age, 23 years). Although resting hemodynamic measurements did not differ, various circulatory autonomic functions were significantly different between these two age groups. The variability of heart rate in 24-hour ambulatory monitoring, beta-receptor responsiveness, resting vagal cardiac activity, and baroreceptor reflex sensitivity derived from phase IV of Valsalva's maneuver were significantly depressed in the elderly. Resting plasma norepinephrine level was elevated and renin-aldosterone system decreased in the elderly. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Murine graft‐versus‐host disease induced using interferon‐γ‐deficient grafts features antibodies to double‐stranded DNA, T helper 2‐type cytokines and hypereosinophilia

Acute, lethal graft‐versus‐host disease (GvHD) develops in B6D2F1 hybrid recipients of wild‐type, C57BL/6, parental strain grafts; however, when interferon‐γ (IFN‐γ) gene knockout (gko) donors are used, the disease is prolonged and associated with a higher level of engraftment, particularly of T cells. Lesions containing large, mixed cellular infiltrates develop in the skin, liver, pancreas, salivary gland, lung and kidney. In our current study, we wished to determine whether GvHD features a preponderance of T helper 2 (Th2) cytokines in the absence of donor‐derived IFN‐γ, and whether autoantibody production, commonly associated with chronic GvHD, also occurs. Because mitogen responsiveness is consistently suppressed in mice with acute GvHD, we wished to measure this response in recipients of IFN‐γ gko grafts. Our findings indicate that spleen cells from the latter produce interleukin (IL)‐4, IL‐5 and IL‐13 in culture, but respond poorly to concanavalin A (Con A) and lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Their sera contain anti‐nuclear antibodies (ANA), some of which are specific for double‐stranded (ds)DNA and are predominantly immunoglobulin (Ig)M and IgG1. We also noted the presence of numerous eosinophils in the infiltrates developing within the target organs. In some respects, this syndrome bears resemblance to both systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and chronic GvHD. However, histological evidence of glomerulonephritis is lacking and proteinuria fails to develop in recipients of IFN‐γ gko grafts, suggesting that IFN‐γ may be necessary for the development of lupus nephritis. On a broader scope, our findings underscore the importance of IFN‐γ in the pathogenetic mechanism of GvHD, and demonstrate that the absence of this cytokine promotes the development of chronic GvHD and autoimmunity.
Mobilization of intracellular calcium by substance p in a human astrocytoma cell line (U‐373 MG)

Variations in intracellular free calcium concentration (Δ[Ca2+]i) were measured in intact and isolated human astrocytoma cells (U373 MG) loaded with fura‐2 acetoxymethylester. Microperfusion of 50 nM substance P (SP), applied for 1 s, increased [Ca2+]i by 351 nM from a stable basal level of [Ca2+]i of 26 nM. The peak Δ[Ca2+]i induced by SP was dose dependent with a threshold of 10‐3 nM, an ED50 of 1.3 nM and a maximal effect for concentrations of SP greater than 100 nM. The NKI receptor agonist, [Sar9Met(O2)11]SP, mimicked the effect of SP, while the NK2 and NK3 selective receptor agonists, [N110]NKA(4‐10) and senktide, respectively, had no effect. The Δ[Ca2+]i induced by SP was unaffected by 100 μM cadmium or by removal of extracellular calcium ions. Caffeine up to 30 mM had no effect on [Ca2+]i. In contrast, thapsigargin increased resting [Ca2+]i by 92 nM and reduced the Δ[Ca2+]i induced by SP. A pertussis treatment (500 ng/ml‐24 h) did not modify the Δ[Ca2+]i induced by SP.
Associations between physical activity and sedentary time on components of metabolic syndrome among adults with HIV

Recent data show that people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) are at a greater risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD), which could possibly be explained by an increased prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MetSyn) due to the known toxicities associated with antiretroviral therapy (ART). The purpose of this study is to examine the relationships between physical activity (PA) and components of MetSyn in a sample of PLWHA taking ART. A total of 31 males and 32 females living with HIV and currently taking ART were enrolled in a home-based PA intervention aimed to reduce risk factors for CVD. Clinical assessments included measures of resting blood pressure (BP), waist circumference, height, weight, PA levels via accelerometer, and a fasted blood draw. Components of MetSyn were divided into three clusters (1 = 0–1; 2 = 2; 3 = 3 or more). A one-way analysis of variance was used to determine differences between clusters. Multiple linear regressions were used to identify significant associations between moderate intensity PA (MPA) and sedentary time among components of MetSyn. MPA was significantly lower across MetSyn clusters (p < 0.001), whereas sedentary time was significantly higher (p = 0.01). A multiple linear regression showed MPA to be a significant predictor of waist circumference after controlling for age, race, gender, and sedentary time. Routine PA can be beneficial in helping PLWHA reduce waist circumference ultimately leading to metabolic improvements. This in turn would help PLWHA self-manage known components of MetSyn, thus reducing their risk of CVD and mortality.
Comparison of modern nonlinear multichannel filtering techniques using recent fullreference fullreference fullreference image quality assessment methods

In the paper the quality analysis of some modern nonlinear color image filtering methods is presented. Traditionally, many image filtering algorithms are analyzed using classical image quality assessment metrics, mainly based on the Mean Square Error (MSE). However, they are all poorly correlated with subjective evaluation of images performed by observers. Due to necessity of better image quality estimation, some other methods have been recently proposed. They are especially useful for development of new lossy image compression algorithms, as well as evaluation of images obtained after applying some image processing algorithms e.g. filtering methods. Most of image quality algorithms are based on the comparison of similarity between two images: the original (reference) one and the second one which is processed e.g. contaminated by noise, filtered or lossily compressed. Such a group of full-reference methods is actually the only existing universal solution for automatic image quality assessment. There are also some "blind" (no-reference) algorithms but they are “specialized” for some kinds of distortions e.g. blocky effects in the JPEG compressed images. The last years’ state-of-the-art full-reference metrics are Structural Similarity (SSIM) and M-SVD based on the Singular Value Decomposition of two images' respective blocks. Another important aspect of color image quality assessment is the way the color information is utilized in the quality metric. The authors of two analyzed metrics generally do not consider the effects of using color information at all or limit the usage of their metrics to luminance information in YUV color model only so in this article the solutions based on RGB and CIE LAB models are compared. In the paper the results of quality assessment using the SSIM and M-SVD methods obtained for some modern median-based filters and Distance-Directional Filter for color images are presented with comparison to those obtained using classical metrics as the verification of their usefulness. e-mail adress: okarma@ps.pl Pobrane z czasopisma Annales AIInformatica http://ai.annales. umcs.pl Data: 19/10/2017 04:55:53
Quick Response: Managing the Supply Chain to Meet Consumer Demand

THE BUSINESS WORLD. A New Environment. New Forces. New Thinking. QUICK RESPONSE WITHIN THE ORGANIZATION. Quick Response: Origins, Status and Outlook. Quick Response Applications. Quick Response Implementation. SUPPLY PIPELINE MODELING. Simulation Studies. The Sourcing Simulator. Retail Sourcing and Performance. The Manufacturing Model. RESEARCH DIRECTIONS. Research Directions. List of Acronyms. Bibliography. Index.
Change of working length in curved canals by various instrumentation techniques

To evaluate the change of working length with various instrumentation techniques in curved canals, working length and canal curvature were determined before and after canal instrumentation in buccal or mesial canals of extracted human molars. Stainless steel K-files (, Matsutani Seisakusho Co. Takanezawa, Japan), nickel-titanium K-files (Naviflex , Brassier, Savannah, USA) , , and ProTaper (Dentsply-Maillefer, Ballaigues, Switzerland) were used to prepare the canals with crown-down technique. In two hand instrumentation groups coronal flaring was made with Gates Glidden burs. Apical canals were instrumented until apical diameter had attained a size of 30. Positional relation between the tooth apex and the K-file tip was examined by using AutoCAD 2000 (Autodesk Corp., San Rafael. CA, USA) under a stereomicroscope before and after coronal flaring, and after apical instrumentation. Degree of canal curvature was also measured with Schneider's method in radiographs. Data of working length and canal curvature changes were statistically analyzed with one-way ANOVA and Tukey's studentized range test. Working length and canal curvature were decreased significantly in each step in all instrumentation groups. Coronal flaring using Cates Glidden burs in hand instrument groups and whole canal instrumentation using stainless steel hand K-files caused significantly more working length change than in ProFile instrumentation group (p
Multi-Scale Entropy and Neural Networks for Detection of Depth of Anaesthesia within EEG Signals

In recent years, multi-scale sample entropy (MSSE) is rapidly gaining popularity as an interesting tool for exploring neurophysiological mechanisms. In this paper, we propose a new method based on MSSE for on-line monitoring of the depth of anaesthesia (DoA) to quantify the anaesthetic effect with real-time electroencephalography by using MSSE. Empirical mode decomposition (EMD) was used successfully to filter EEG recordings of artefacts before the imitation of the recognition phases. Artificial neural networks were used to classify three scales of the MSSE into three stages of hypnosis. Results showed 95% accuracy of the tested clinical anaesthesia EEG recordings obtained for 20 patients.
Designing an Intelligent System for Optical Handwritten Character Recognition using ANN

OCR is a technology which is unique in itself and is used for the various applications involving scanning and recognition. Although recognition of the slant and cursivity of a handwritten text is the major field of research but the recognition rate of the hand written text is extremely lower than the hand printed text. This is because for the recognition of hand written text use of the contextual information and grammar associated with the grammar is required i.e. whether the word identified is a verb, a noun or an adjective. Thus with the recognition of the characters we need to recognize a word completely and along with that find the respective properties of the word according to semantics of the sentence. This helps to develop an intelligent system for the recognition of the handwriting of a person. In this paper, an intelligent system for “OPTICAL CHARACTER RECOGINITION” using Artificial Neural Network based approach and a Feature Extraction algorithm before an ANN can be applied for classification of characters for the character recognition is proposed.
Host-side Filesystem Journaling for Durable Shared Storage

Hardware consolidation in the datacenter occasionally leads to scalability bottlenecks due to the heavy utilization of critical resources, such as the shared network bandwidth. Host-side caching on durable media is already applied at the block level in order to reduce the load of the storage backend. However, block-level caching is often criticized for added overhead, and restricted data sharing across different hosts. During client crashes, writeback caching can also lead to unrecoverable loss of written data that was previously acknowledged as stable. We improve the durability of shared storage in the datacenter by supporting journaling at the kernel-level client of an object-based distributed filesystem. Storage virtualization at the file interface achieves clear consistency semantics across data and metadata blocks, supports native file sharing between clients over the same or different hosts, and provides flexible configuration of the time period during which the data is durably staged at the host side. Over a prototype implementation that we developed, we experimentally demonstrate improved performance up to 58% for specific durability guarantees, and reduced network and disk bandwidth at the storage servers by up to 42% and 82%, respectively.
A consensus-based frequency control for photovoltaic connected virtual synchronous generators in microgrid

This paper presents a novel consensus-based control strategy of multiple photovoltaic connected virtual synchronous generators (PV-VSG) in microgrid frequency control. The control object is to achieve a fair allocation of active power between different PV-VSGs and control the system frequency to converge to a reference value. Based on the consensus algorithm, a closed control loop is designed and the frequency deviation is considered into the input power reference. The proposed control strategy makes it possible to communicate only with the output variables of PV-VSGs so that communications between different devices are more applicable in practice. Furthermore, the control scheme is designed in an adjustable way without changing the structure of traditional VSG control. The effectiveness of the proposed control strategy is verified in a microgrid model with three PV-VSGs and one synchronous generator on the Matlab/Simulink platform.
An empirical examination of guests' adoption of interactive mobile technologies in hotels

Purpose – Interactive mobile technologies (IMT) offered to hotel guests during their stay represent an interesting development in consumer technologies in the hotel industry. Such technologies are designed to facilitate transactions and enhance the quality of guest experience. This research explains how hotel guests develop attitudes and intentions to use IMT in hotels. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach – Using data from students enrolled in a large hospitality program located in the Southwestern USA, the study validates a variant of the technology acceptance model, extended with constructs such as cognitive absorption and security that capture better the context of IMT in hotels. Findings – The conceptual model explained a large part of variability in intentions to use IMT. Among several predictors, cognitive absorption was the stronger predictor of attitudes. The analysis also revealed the dimensions of cognitive absorption as a second-order factor in the context of mob.
Differences in Coronary Blood Flow in Aortic Regurgitation and Systemic Arterial Hypertension Have Implications for Diastolic Blood Pressure Targets: A Systematic Review and Meta‐Analysis

The objective was to evaluate coronary blood flow (CBF) in patients with systemic arterial hypertension (HTN) and to compare it with CBF in patients with aortic regurgitation (AR). A systematic literature search was conducted using the reference terms “coronary blood flow” and either “aortic regurgitation” or “hypertension. ” The selection criteria included CBF measurement in a concomitant control group, except studies evaluating CBF with aortic‐valve replacement surgery. Twenty‐two studies met the inclusion criteria. There were 318 persons with HTN, with 185 controls; and 102 persons with AR, with 144 controls. Despite an overall increase in CBF in HTN, CBF per gram of left ventricular mass was significantly (P < 0.0001) reduced. In contrast, CBF per gram of left ventricular mass was significantly (P = 0.004) increased in AR. Aortic regurgitation was associated with a significant (P < 0.0001) increase in CBF during systole and away from diastole, in contrast to persons with HTN. Aortic‐valve replacement reversed the increase in systolic CBF. These data suggest that patients with HTN are more vulnerable than patients with AR to lower diastolic blood pressure (DBP), because resting CBF is compromised in HTN. Furthermore, patients with HTN may not compensate for DBP reductions by shifting CBF to systole, such as can occur with the low DBP in AR. Lower DBP in patients with AR cannot be used to justify treating patients with HTN to similar DBP because of the dramatic differences in CBF between the 2 conditions.