Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Emerging Business Models and Strategies to Accelerate Innovation in the Biopharmaceutical Industry

We focus on assessing and addressing the current challenges faced by the companies that comprise the biopharmaceutical industry. Â These include: improving productivity in the drug development process while managing many issues arising from partnering across the value chain more effectively; pricing of its products in the face of long, risky, and expensive development cycles; and, regaining the public trust as an industry that reliably and repeatedly delivers value to its constituencies at an affordable cost. Â The motivation for this paper is derived from a panel organized for BIO 2016 in San Francisco, organized by the author and the leadership team of the 12th annual entrepreneurship Boot camp held there. The panel discussed â€œEmerging Issues and Trends in the Business of Biotechnology Entrepreneurshipâ€. Â Discussion was held around three topics that are pertinent to accelerating innovation in the industry: emerging business models; applicability of the lean startup model to biopharma; and pricing. Â The panel was led and moderated by the author, with participation of Steven Sammut, James Jordan, and Dennis Gross. Â Their specific contributions are noted in the text, and their overall contributions to the panel and to this article are gratefully acknowledged.
Effect of Mindfulness Meditation on Perceived Stress Scores and Autonomic Function Tests of Pregnant Indian Women.

INTRODUCTION Various pregnancy complications like hypertension, preeclampsia have been strongly correlated with maternal stress. One of the connecting links between pregnancy complications and maternal stress is mind-body intervention which can be part of Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM). Biologic measures of stress during pregnancy may get reduced by such interventions. AIM To evaluate the effect of Mindfulness meditation on perceived stress scores and autonomic function tests of pregnant Indian women. MATERIALS AND METHODS Pregnant Indian women of 12 weeks gestation were randomised to two treatment groups: Test group with Mindfulness meditation and control group with their usual obstetric care. The effect of Mindfulness meditation on perceived stress scores and cardiac sympathetic functions and parasympathetic functions (Heart rate variation with respiration, lying to standing ratio, standing to lying ratio and respiratory rate) were evaluated on pregnant Indian women. RESULTS There was a significant decrease in perceived stress scores, a significant decrease of blood pressure response to cold pressor test and a significant increase in heart rate variability in the test group (p< 0.05, significant) which indicates that mindfulness meditation is a powerful modulator of the sympathetic nervous system and can thereby reduce the day-to-day perceived stress in pregnant women. CONCLUSION The results of this study suggest that mindfulness meditation improves parasympathetic functions in pregnant women and is a powerful modulator of the sympathetic nervous system during pregnancy.
Effects of maternal exposure to aflatoxin B1 during pregnancy on fertility output of dams and developmental, behavioral and reproductive consequences in female offspring using a rat model

Abstract A suboptimal in utero environment can have detrimental effects on the pregnancy and long-term adverse “programing” effects on the offspring. Aflatoxin B1 is one of the potent reproductive toxicants and currently detected in both milk and tissues. This article focuses on the effects of prenatal exposure to graded doses of aflatoxin B1 on the pregnancy outcomes of dams and postnatal developments of the female offspring, since these issues have ethological relevance in both animals and humans. Pregnant Wistar rats were injected intramuscularly with vehicle or aflatoxin B1 (10, 20, 50 or 100 μg/kg body weight/day) on days 12–19 of gestation. At parturition, newborns were observed for clinical signs of toxicity and survival. The female offspring were examined through a battery of tests in order to evaluate their developmental, behavioral and reproductive end points. All animals were born alive. The litter size of the aflatoxin B1 treated rats was comparable to the controls. However, the birth weight of the pups in the experimental group was significantly lower when compared to controls. Significant and persistent lags in cliff avoidance, negative geotaxis, surface rightening activity and ascending wire mesh, with a delay in elapsed time for vaginal opening were detected in the female progeny exposed to aflatoxin B1 during embryonic development. The locomotor activity and exploratory behavior in experimental females were significantly decreased than that of controls. Embryonic exposure to aflatoxin B1 also resulted in prolonged stress response, irregular estrus and suppressed fertility output in the progeny at their adulthood. These results indicate that in utero exposure to aflatoxin B1 severely compromised postnatal development of neonatal rats and caused irregular estrus that was accompanied by suppressed fertility output.
Oxidative Stress in Vero Cells Infected with Vesicular Stomatitis Virus

Viral-induced apoptosis might be mediated by oxidative stress. It has already been described that cell death in vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV)-infected cells occurs by apoptosis. In this study, oxidative stress parameters present in VSV-infected Vero cells were analyzed. Lipid peroxides (LP) were evaluated in cellular extracts and expressed as thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances. LP levels exhibited a rise at different times post infection, according to the multiplicity of infection (MOI), while the presence of cycloheximide determined a reduction on LP. Also, an increase in protein degradation products and a decrease in polyunsaturated fatty acids content was observed, indicating that cellular proteins and lipids began to be susceptible to degradation during VSV infection. In addition, we analyzed cell viability of VSV-infected Vero cells, which were incubated in the presence of butylated hydroxyanisole. This antioxidant was able to protect Vero cells, at least at MOIs assayed in this study, and to reduce viral yield only when VSV infection was done at MOI 0.05. Further, superoxide dismutases, which occupy the first step within the antioxidant enzyme cascade, also exhibit a rise in VSV-infected Vero cells, at different MOI. These results suggest that both an oxidative stress and an antioxidative cell response precede the induction of apoptosis by VSV.
Green versus Conventional Housing: Time-to-Sell and Willingness to Pay

This research is the first to explore the time-to-sell (TTS) and willingness to pay (WTP) in the context of green real estate. We employ unique data on transactions and household characteristics of owner-occupiers in newly developed green and conventionally built condominiums. We find that, after addressing the potential endogeneity between unit TTS and price, the average TTS of units in green, as compared to conventional, structures is significantly shorter. Considering developers’ financing cost, this shorter TTS is equivalent to an indirect price premium of 1.8%–5.3%. We further find that whenever the indirect green premium associated with TTS decreases, the green quality-adjusted price premium increases. Finally, we find an insignificant difference between the green and conventional structures in the correlation between household characteristics and the WTP. Our findings may serve both developers and policymakers in promoting green real estate construction.
Mutational analysis of the cowpea mosaic virus movement protein.

Cowpea mosaic virus moves from cell-to-cell in a virion form through tubular structures that are assembled in modified plasmodesmata. Similar tubular structures are formed on the surface of protoplasts inoculated with cowpea mosaic virus. The RNA 2-encoded movement protein (MP) is responsible for the induction and formation of these structures. To define functional domains of the MP, an alanine-substitution mutagenesis was performed on eight positions in the MP, including two conserved sequence motifs, the LPL and D motifs. Results show that these two conserved motifs as well as the central region of the MP are essential for cell-to-cell movement. Several viruses carrying mutations in the N- or C-terminal parts of their MP retained infectivity on cowpea plants. Coexpression studies revealed that mutant MPs did not interfere with the activity of wild-type MP and could not mutually complement their defects.
Optical flow sensor

We present the development of an optical flow sensor, designed as a device which can be used by a software application throught a control and data access interface. The device uses a CCD image sensor and the Intel Edison platform where sensor images are processed and optical flow computation is performed. We wil describe the development of the software that estimate optical flow, which takes advantage of the Intel SSEx technology, available in the Intel Edison, in order to achieve appropriate processing times that allow to share the Intel processor with the UAV's navigation and control algorithms.
Dual-metal gate CMOS with HfO2 gate dielectric

We report for the first time on a novel dual-metal gate CMOS integration on HfO/sub 2/ gate dielectric using TiN (PMOS) and TaSiN (NMOS) gate electrodes. Compared to a single metal integration, the dual-metal integration does not degrade gate leakage, mobility and charge trapping behavior. Promising preliminary TDDB data were obtained from dual-metal gate MOSFETs, while still delivering much improved gate leakage (10/sup 4/ - 10/sup 5/ X better than SiO/sub 2/).
Structure and structural changes in India: A fundamental economic structure approach

This research aims to provide an understanding of the economic structure and structural change for the Indian economy at the national and regional levels applying the fundamental economic structure (FES) approach. The overarching problem addressed in this study is whether there are identifiable patterns of relations between various macro aggregates and economic transactions as revealed via input-output tables. Would identification of such patterns allow regional analysts to predict economic change? The FES construct implies that selected characteristics of an economy will vary predic tably with region size, as measured by gross national/regional product, population and total gross output. Jensen, Hewings and West discussed three approaches: ‘partitioned’, ‘tiered’, and ‘temporal’ to identify FES. This study utilizes the tiered approach. A linear and logarithmic regression models are used to identify the FES and non-FES cells for the Indian national and regional economies. The research questions addressed are: Does an identifiable FES exists for the Indian national and regional economies? What proportions of the cells are predictable? Can the 1968-90 temporal FES predict the 1993-94 input-output table and if the regional FES can predict the Punjab 1983-84 table? Does the temporal and regional FES manifest an enhanced understanding of the Indian economic structure? Small sample estimation issues are addressed using the maximum entropy econometrics and cross-entropy methods.
Model-based feature selection based on Radial Basis Functions and information measures

In this paper the development of a new embedded feature selection method is presented, based on a Radial-Basis-Function Neural-Fuzzy modelling structure. The proposed method is created to find the relative importance of features in a given dataset (or process in general), with special focus on manufacturing processes. The proposed approach evaluates the impact/importance of processes features by using information theoretic measures to measure the correlation between the process features and the modelling performance. Crucially, the proposed method acts during the training of the process model; hence it is an embedded method, achieving the modelling/classification task in parallel to the feature selection task. The latter is achieved by taking advantage of the information in the output layer of the Neural Fuzzy structure; in the presented case this is a TSK-type polynomial function. Two information measures are evaluated in this work, both based on information entropy: mutual information, and cross-sample entropy. The proposed methodology is tested against two popular datasets in the literature (IRIS - plant data, AirFoil - manufacturing/design data), and one more case study relevant to manufacturing - the heat treatment of steel. Results show the good and reliable performance of the developed modelling structure, on par with existing published work, as well as the good performance of the feature selection task in terms of correctly identifying important process features.
The Value of Human Growth Hormone as an Adjuvant for Ovarian Stimulation in a Human in vitro Fertilization Program

The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether the combined treatment of growth hormone (GH) and gonadotropins can improve ovulation stimulation in previously poor responders. Twelve patients who, had suboptimal responses in previous in vitro fertilization cycle were enrolled. They underwent 1 cycle with gonadotropin‐releasing hormone analogue (GnRH‐a) and gonadotropins and another cycle with GnRH‐a, gonadotropins, and GH. Serum gonadotropins, insulin‐like growth factor‐1 (IGF‐1), and sex steroids, including estradiol (E2), progesterone (P4), testosterone, and androstenedione were measured on Day 2 and during ovulation induction. The serum IGF‐1 level was higher in the GH cycle. There were no significant differences in the levels of the serum luteinizing hormone, E2, P4, testosterone, and androstenedione between the 2 cycles, so was IGF‐1, E2 and P4 in follicular fluid. Co‐treatment with GH did not improve the ovarian response. However, the GH cycles had better performance in terms of the number of oocytes fertilized and the pregnancy rate.
Goals 2000: Overview and Analysis. CRS Report for Congress.

Goals 2000: Educate America Act (P.L. 103-227) authorizes a range of initiatives for federal support of education reform. Its basic strategy is that of systemic reform guided by sets of agreed-upon educational goals and standards at each level of governance. An overview and analysis of the Act's basic provisions and authorizations is provided. Goals 2000 establishes eight National Education Goals to be accomplished by the year 2000, a National Education Goals Panel, a National Education Standards and Improvement Council, grants for the implementation of State systemic reform, waivers of requirements and regulations under designated Federal education programs, and a National Skills Standards Board. P.L. 103-227 includes other new authorities and provisions, such as: reauthorization of the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Educational Research and Improvement; a Safe Schools Act of 1994; parental information and resource centers; an educational' technology effort including creation of an Office of Educational Technology; grants for "midnight basketball" leagues in disadvantaged communities; nonsmoking policies in federally supported educational institutions; and a required policy for expulsion of any student determined to have brought a weapon to school. The following issues were addressed during the consideration of Goals 2000: (1) the ' appropriate strategy for the reform of elementary and secondary education; (2) standards for providing students with learning opportunities; (3) unfunded federal mandates and federal control over education; and (4) conditions for success, which include maintaining broad support, providing sustained professional development, meeting technical challenges, and recognizing the importance of time in implementation. One table is includee (LMI) *********************************************************************** Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. * ***********************************************************************
Psoriatic arthritis: An assessment of clinical, biochemical and radiological features in a single-centre South African cohort.

BACKGROUND Although psoriatic arthritis (PsA) is a well-documented clinical entity, epidemiological, clinical and radiological studies of South African (SA) patients are scarce. OBJECTIVES To assess clinical, biochemical and radiological features in a single-centre SA cohort. METHODS We conducted a prospective assessment of the clinical, biochemical and radiological features of 384 consecutive patients with PsA seen at the rheumatology clinic at Prince Mshiyeni Memorial Hospital, Durban, SA, between January 2007 and December 2013. Patients were assessed at enrolment and 6 months after enrolment. They were classified into five groups as described by Moll and Wright, being entered into the group that best described the clinical manifestations. Clinicopathological characteristics recorded at enrolment were age at the time of examination, racial background, personal and family medical history, age and symptoms at the onset of PsA, pattern of joint involvement, joint pain, and the relationship between joint pain and the onset of PsA. RESULTS Of the patients, 59.1% had a polyarticular presentation indistinguishable from rheumatoid arthritis, 19.0% had distal interphalangeal involvement, 9.1% had spondyloarthropathy, 11.9% had oligoarthritis and 0.9% had arthritis mutilans. The epidemiological trends (male/female ratio 1.45:1, mean age at onset of arthritis 50.2 (standard deviation 11.8) years, female preponderance in the polyarticular group and male preponderance in the spondyloarthropathy and oligoarticular groups) were similar to trends published elsewhere. A notable characteristic of our cohort was the complete absence of black South Africans with PsA. CONCLUSIONS The complete absence of black South Africans with PsA is interesting. We anticipate that our findings will prompt genetic studies to isolate both protective and susceptibility genes for further elucidating PsA.
A wavelet theory about online wavelets denoising based on Moving Window and Principal Component Analysis (PCA)

In this paper, we have described a general wavelet theory about online wavelet denoising based on Moving Window and Principal Component Analysis (PCA). Using the online lifting scheme of signals and wavelet thresholding in a moving window of dyadic length, we can remove unpleasant or noise errors in the data. Insufficiency of traditional Wavelet denoising in real-time signal processing is discussed. Requirements of online denoising are studied, and a moving window is introduced into traditional Wavelet transform. Genuine images are frequently corrupted by noise from various sources. It has been confirmed to have a better edge-preserving quality than linear filters in certain applications. By using the moving window, an online Wavelet denoising method is recommended. Many different developments are described by the signal extensively used in denoising domain. The simulation results show the success of these improvements for fault diagnosis.
Weekly rifapentine/isoniazid or daily rifampin/pyrazinamide for latent tuberculosis in household contacts.

RATIONALE Treatment of latent tuberculosis (TB) infection with weekly rifapentine and isoniazid is a potentially effective alternative to current therapies. OBJECTIVES To compare the efficacy of weekly rifapentine/isoniazid to daily rifampin/pyrazinamide in preventing TB in household contacts of patients with pulmonary TB in Brazil. METHODS Contacts of patients with TB were randomized to rifapentine 900 mg/isoniazid 900 mg once weekly for 12 wk or rifampin 450-600 mg/pyrazinamide 750-1,500 mg daily for 8 wk and followed for at least 2 yr. MEASUREMENTS TB rates, adverse events, and adherence to therapy. MAIN RESULTS A total of 399 household contacts were enrolled, 206 in the rifapentine/isoniazid arm and 193 in the rifampin/pyrazinamide arm. The median age was 34 yr, median weight was 63 kg, 60% of participants were female, and only one patient was HIV infected. Rifapentine/isoniazid was well tolerated, but the trial was halted by the investigators before completion because of unanticipated hepatotoxicity in the rifampin/pyrazinamide arm. Twenty of 193 participants (10%) receiving rifampin/pyrazinamide experienced grade 3 or 4 hepatotoxicity, compared with 2 of 206 participants (1%) on rifapentine/isoniazid (p<0.001). There were no hospitalizations or deaths due to hepatotoxicity, and all participants' liver enzyme levels returned to normal during follow-up. During follow-up, four cases of active TB developed, three in the rifapentine/isoniazid group and one in the rifampin/pyrazinamide group (1.46 vs. 0.52%; difference, 0.94%; 95% confidence interval, -1.6 to 3.7%). CONCLUSIONS Rifapentine/isoniazid was better tolerated than rifampin/pyrazinamide and was associated with good protection against TB. Rifapentine/isoniazid weekly for 12 wk is likely a promising therapy for latent TB infection.
Thallium-201 scintigraphy to assess effect of chemotherapy in osteosarcoma.

UNLABELLED Imaging results in patients with high-grade osteosarcoma of the extremities were reviewed to determine whether scintigraphic appearance correlated with histologic response to preoperative chemotherapy. METHODS Histologically, the percent tumor necrosis in specimens from 30 patients were classified into three grades: grade 1 = necrosis less than 60%, grade 2 = 60%-89% necrosis and grade 3 = diffuse necrosis greater than 90% based upon whole transverse sections. Scintigraphically, we analyzed 201TI uptake before and after preoperative chemotherapy. The changes in the tumor-to-background ratio were defined by an alteration ratio. RESULTS Of the 11 patients with a grade 1 response, the ratio showed -67.1% +/- 45.4% (mean +/- s.d.). Of the 9 patients with a grade 2 response, the ratio showed 37.9% +/- 29.9% of the 10 patients with a grade 3 response the ratio showed 105.5% +/- 12.4%. The ratios correlated well with the histologic grades (p < 0.0001; analysis of variance). CONCLUSION Thallium-201 scintigraphy accurately assesses the effect of chemotherapy on osteosarcoma.
Branchfall dominates annual carbon flux across lowland Amazonian forests

Tropical forests play an important role in the global carbon cycle, but knowledge of interannual variation in the total tropical carbon flux and constituent carbon pools is highly uncertain. One such pool, branchfall, is an ecologically important dynamic with links to nutrient cycling, forest productivity, and drought. Identifying and quantifying branchfall over large areas would reveal the role of branchfall in carbon and nutrient cycling. Using data from repeat airborne light detection and ranging campaigns across a wide array of lowland Amazonian forest landscapes totaling nearly 100 000 ha, we find that upper canopy gaps—driven by branchfall—are pervasive features of every landscape studied, and are seven times more frequent than full tree mortality. Moreover, branchfall comprises a major carbon source on a landscape basis, exceeding that of tree mortality by 21%. On a per hectare basis, branchfall and tree mortality result in 0.65 and 0.72 Mg C ha−1 yr−1 gross source of carbon to the atmosphere, respectively. Reducing uncertainties in annual gross rates of tropical forest carbon flux, for example by incorporating large-scale branchfall dynamics, is crucial for effective policies that foster conservation and restoration of tropical forests. Additionally, large-scale branchfall mapping offers ecologists a new dimension of disturbance monitoring and potential new insights into ecosystem structure and function.