Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Targeted therapy in prostate cancer—Are we our own worst enemy?

T he current management of castrate-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) includes second-line hormone manipulations and cytotoxic chemotherapy. Docetaxel, the only chemotherapy drug that has been approved based on a survival benefit, results in a median prolongation of life of only 2.5 months. New therapies aimed at improving overall survival clearly constitute an unmet need. Targeted therapies are emerging as active agents in other malignancies. In just the past few years, the vascular endothelial growth factor receptor and mammalian target of rapamycin inhibitors have revolutionized the treatment of metastatic renal cell carcinoma. Targeted therapies currently are being assessed in CRPC, but their development is slow, and the correct targets are not always clear. Given the propensity for prostate cancer to metastasize to bone, therapies targeting the bone microenvironment are a logical choice. Enothelins in the bone microenvironment not only contribute to preservation of the vicious cycle of tumor migration to bone and its stimulation through release of various bone-derived growth factors; they also contribute to the sensation of pain. The endothelin receptor antagonists primarily block the binding of endothelin-1 (ET-1) to the endothelin A receptor (ETAR), but they also can block binding to the endothelin B receptor (ETBR). Binding to these receptors can have somewhat opposing effects on cancer progression, with ETBR mediating apoptosis and ETAR mediating the stimulation of mitogenesis, angiogenesis, osteoblast formation, and nocioception. Atrasentan is a selective ETAR antagonist that shows supplementary activity at the ETBR. Nelson et al previously reported on atrasentan in CRPC in the metastatic setting. In that trial, atrasentan did not reduce the risk of disease progression relative to placebo despite evidence of biologic effects on prostate-specific antigen (PSA) and bone alkaline phosphatase as markers of disease burden. In their current article, these investigators report on a phase 3, randomized, placebo-controlled trial of atrasentan in patients with nonmetastatic CRPC. Given the expectation that targeted therapies are more likely to result in disease stabilization, it is well justified to evaluate this drug in a setting of lower tumor burden. On the surface, the results from their study are negative. The primary endpoint of time to progression (TTP) was 93 days longer in the atrasentan arm, See referenced original article on pages 2478–87, this issue.
NtcA, a global nitrogen regulator from the cyanobacterium Synechococcus that belongs to the Crp family of bacterial regulators

The gene ntcA is required for full expression of proteins subject to ammonium repression in the cyanobacterium Synechococcus. A 3.1 kb DNA fragment able to complement an ntcA mutant was digested with exonuclease III, and deleted fragments of different sizes were tested for complementation of that mutant, allowing the localization of its mutation within a BamHI‐HindIII genomic fragment of c. 0.4 kb. Insertion of a chloramphenicol‐resistance‐encoding gene cassette into both the BamHI and the HindiIII sites of wild‐type Synechococcus resulted in a pleiotropic, nitrogen‐assimilation‐minus phenotype, corroborating the presence of the ntcA gene in that genomic region. Sequencing of DNA in this region showed the presence of an open reading frame that included both the BamHI and the HindIII sites. The ntcA gene product, NtcA, is a protein of 24817 Da which belongs to a family of bacterial transcriptional activators that, among others, includes Crp and Fnr from Escherichia coli. Of special biological significance, it appears, is the presence of a conserved helix‐turn‐helix motif in the sequence close to the C‐terminal end of all the proteins in the family. The gene ntcA is proposed to encode a transcriptional activator of genes subject to nitrogen control in Synechococcus.
Evaluation of the Effectiveness of Small and Medium Sized Businesses Websites in a Business to Business Context

Many small and medium sized businesses (SMEs) have set up their own Web sites, as part of their business strategies, to improve their competitiveness and responsiveness. Careful evaluation and adoption of Web sites by SMEs can assist them in improving the effectiveness of their venture into e-commerce. This chapter discusses and analyses the effectiveness of SME business to business Web sites from a user perspective. An effective method of evaluating a Web site can contribute to the development of more quality Web sites and greater realization of benefits. Therefore, an established evaluation instrument (eQual) is used to assess 80 Web sites in terms of usability, information quality, and interaction and service. The analysis shows that although a significant number of sites reflect little understanding of the attributes of good design or potential benefits to be gained from Web sites, there are examples of competent and effective Web site use. INFORMATION SCIENCE PUBLISHING IGR5150
Understanding the use of balanced scorecard in the context of State-owned Enterprises in developing Countries: A case from Ghana.

This paper examines the conception, adoption and implementation of BSC from the context of a developing country and relatively less researched tier of the public sector – State-owned enterprises. The study adopts a case study approach where data was collected via semi-structured interview. Results show a BSC that emphasizes performance measurement and management and to some degree strategic management. Evidence on the extent of normalisation is mixed. Less than 50% of the interviewees on the average assert that there is collective action when it comes to the BSC. Furthermore, on the average a higher percent of the interviews took a neutral position (N) under each of the four elements that provide evidence in establishing the normalisation of the BSC. The limitation of this study are primarily those associated with case studies. This limitation instigates future studies drawing on other research strategies. At public sector level and SOEs in particular, this the findings of this study provide a first view of BSC being used in a Ghanaian state-owned enterprise Keywords: state-owned enterprises, balanced scorecard, Normalisation process theory, Ghana
Development of mathematical models for standard cells timing analysis at the 28 nm technology and below

The impact of negative short-channel effects in transistors is increasing with the shrinking of geometrical sizes especially at the 28 nm technology and below. The usage of FinFET technology instead of standard planar CMOS for 22 nm node and below provides a solution of problems with short-channel effects. Paper is devoted to research and development of mathematical models for timing analysis of standard cells at the nanometer VLSI technology. Proposed graph theoretical model for logic elements of CMOS technology with 3D gate of the transistor, which suitable for standard cell layout formation. The introduced model is based on using SP-NM-graph of seriesparallel structures. This model allows the analysis of the circuit timing on the basis of Elmore delay model for the specific transistors and their parallel and serial connections. It is proposed to replace each transistor of cells to its equivalent Pi-model. In this paper the formulas for calculating the conductance and capacitance of transistors are derived. In this approach, the gate delay is represented as a product of its equivalent resistance and capacitance of the output node. We considered only a common use case for Gaussian elimination for translation of RC-model to equivalent Pi-model with point of Elmore delay view.
Risk and Capital Flight in Developing Countries

The risks of large capital losses on the domestic assets of developing countries resulting from expropriation, inflation, or devaluations are identified as the major causes of capital flight. The combination of large foreign loans and capital flight from developing countries during the 1970s and early 1980s reflected different perceptions of domestic residents and foreign lenders regarding the risks of holding domestic assets. However, the debt crisis reduced these differences in perceived risks, and resulted in a decline of foreign loans coupled with continuation of capital flight. If sound macroeconomic and structural policies can reduce those risks, they can also stem capital flight.
Introducing Privacy Threats from Ad Libraries to Android Users Through Privacy Granules

Android mobile users are provided with a per- missions list before installing an app that displays the list of resources available to that app. Users can review the permissions list and decide to install the app if they trust the app with their information. However, this information is accessible not only to the app provider but may also be available to third party ad libraries included in the app, which users are unaware of. In this paper, we propose a novel icon-based privacy threat representation as an alternative to permissions list that shows privacy threats to users from both app providers and associated ad libraries. Our approach considers users' privacy in terms of three granules: location, identity and query. Our proposed interface aims to educate users about which particular app providers and third parties have access to their privacy granules. We obtained user feedback on our technique in two user surveys (n = 137; 294), one each for testing the icons and the icon-based privacy threat display. We present our findings for ease of use and effectiveness of the novel privacy threat interface and further evaluate its impact on users' installation decision. user location, contacts list etc.) from the user's device and send it to their servers along with the device id. Authors in (24) analyzed 13 most popular Android ad libraries and concluded that: (a) Different ad libraries have different practices in place when accessing data from users' devices i.e., some ad libraries might access data that is not disclosed in their documentation while some may not. (b) Third party ad libraries can keep track of users' activity over multiple apps (in which that particular ad library is included) with users' device ids acting as unique identifiers for such data. Although, ad libraries are capable of accessing critical information from the user's device, those details are not revealed to the user during install time through the app's permissions list, since permissions lists only display information accessible to the app provider. Therefore, it would be helpful to provide an interface to end users that communicates the information accessible to both app providers and third party ad libraries, so they can make an informed decision during app installation.
Thyroid hormone modulation of brain in vivo tyrosine hydroxylase activity and kinetics in the female catfish Heteropneustes fossilis.

In the female catfish Heteropneustes fossilis, administration of thyroxine (T(4))(,) 1 micro g/g body weight, i.p., in both gonadal resting and preparatory phases for 7, 14 and 21 days caused hyperthyroidism, as evidenced from a duration-dependent significant increase in serum triiodothyronine (T(3)), and of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) activity in telencephalon, hypothalamus-pituitary and medulla oblongata (Newman-Keuls' test; P<0.05). Hypothyroidism induced by adding 0.03% thiourea to aquarium water holding the catfish for 7, 14 and 21 days decreased serum T(3) levels in a duration-dependent manner (Newman-Keuls' test; P<0.05) and inhibited TH activity in the brain regions. T(4) replacement in 21day thiourea-treated fish restored and even elevated significantly serum T(3) levels as well as brain TH activity in a duration-dependent manner. In general, the changes in enzyme activity were higher in the forebrain regions than medulla oblongata and in the resting phase than preparatory phase. Kinetic studies by Lineweaver-Burk plots showed that the stimulatory effect following T(4) administration and T(4) replacement on TH activity was due to increased affinity of the enzyme for its cofactor (6,7-dimethyl-2-amino-4-hydroxy-5,6,7,8-tetrahydropteridine), as evident from a significant decrease in apparent Michaelis-Menten constant (K(m)) and an increase in apparent velocity maximum (V(max)). The TH inhibition due to the thiourea treatment can be related to decreased affinity of the enzyme for its cofactor, as evident from a significant increase in apparent K(m) value and a significant decrease in V(max). These data clearly show that circulating levels of T(4)/T(3) modulate brain TH activity by altering the kinetic properties of the enzyme, which, in turn, influence catecholaminergic activity and dependent functions.
Oscillator mechanism of notch pathway in the segmentation clock

Somites are formed by periodic segmentation of the presomitic mesoderm (PSM). This periodic event is controlled by the segmentation clock, where Notch signaling plays an essential role. The basic helix–loop–helix factor Hes7, a Notch effector, is cyclically expressed by negative feedback and regulates cyclic expression of Lunatic fringe (Lfng), a Notch modulator. Lfng then seems to periodically inhibit Notch, leading to oscillation in Notch activity. It is thought that these coupled negative feedback loops by Hes7 and Lfng are important for sustained and synchronized oscillations in the PSM. Of interest, another Notch effector, Hes1, is cyclically expressed by many cell types such as neuroblasts, suggesting that this clock is widely distributed and regulates many biological events. This review summarizes the recent finding about roles and mechanism of Notch signaling in the segmentation clock and discusses the significance of Hes1 oscillation in non‐PSM cells. Developmental Dynamics 236:1403–1409, 2007. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
How are medication errors defined? A systematic literature review of definitions and characteristics.

OBJECTIVE Multiplicity in terminology has been suggested as a possible explanation for the variation in the prevalence of medication errors. So far, few empirical studies have challenged this assertion. The objective of this review was, therefore, to describe the extent and characteristics of medication error definitions in hospitals and to consider the consequences for measuring the prevalence of medication errors. DATA SOURCES AND STUDY SELECTION and data extraction Studies were searched for in PubMed, PsychINFO, Embase and CINAHL employing primary search terms such as 'medication errors' and 'adverse drug events'. Peer-reviewed articles containing these terms as primary end-points were included. Study country, year, aim, design, data-collection methods, sample-size, interventions and MAIN RESULT were extracted. Result of data synthesis Forty-five of 203 relevant studies provided a generic definition of medication errors including 26 different forms of wordings. The studies conducted in nine countries represented a variety of clinical settings and the approach was mainly descriptive. Of utmost importance is the documented prevalence of medication errors, which ranged from 2 to 75% with no associations found between definitions and prevalence. CONCLUSION Inconsistency in defining medication errors has been confirmed. It appears that definitions and methods of detection rather than being reproducible and reliable methods are subject to the individual researcher's preferences. Thus, application of a clear-cut definition, standardized terminology and reliable methods has the potential to greatly improve the quality and consistency of medication error reporting. Efforts to achieve a common accepted definition that defines the scope and content are therefore needed.
Quantifying prosthetic gait deviation using simple outcome measures.

AIM To develop a subset of simple outcome measures to quantify prosthetic gait deviation without needing three-dimensional gait analysis (3DGA). METHODS Eight unilateral, transfemoral amputees and 12 unilateral, transtibial amputees were recruited. Twenty-eight able-bodied controls were recruited. All participants underwent 3DGA, the timed-up-and-go test and the six-minute walk test (6MWT). The lower-limb amputees also completed the Prosthesis Evaluation Questionnaire. Results from 3DGA were summarised using the gait deviation index (GDI), which was subsequently regressed, using stepwise regression, against the other measures. RESULTS Step-length (SL), self-selected walking speed (SSWS) and the distance walked during the 6MWT (6MWD) were significantly correlated with GDI. The 6MWD was the strongest, single predictor of the GDI, followed by SL and SSWS. The predictive ability of the regression equations were improved following inclusion of self-report data related to mobility and prosthetic utility. CONCLUSION This study offers a practicable alternative to quantifying kinematic deviation without the need to conduct complete 3DGA.
Survival of patients with renovascular disease and ACE inhibition.

AIM Renovascular hypertension (RVH) is associated with a high prevalence of target organ damage and a high mortality. We have undertaken this follow-up study to assess the role played by comorbid conditions, and pharmacological treatment on survival, and on renal function in 64 patients with diffuse atherosclerotic vascular and renovascular disease (RVD). PATIENTS AND METHODS The patients were followed for an average period of 37.3+/-20.4 months. RESULTS At the end of the follow-up we found a cumulative survival at 5 years of 60%+/-10. Cerebrovascular and cardiovascular disease were responsible for 92% of deaths. A decrease in creatinine clearance >10 ml/min at 5 years was found in 65% of patients, 3 of whom ended in dialysis. Multivariate analysis of predictors of survival showed that treatment with angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEi) was significantly associated with a favourable outcome (p = 0.019). Conversely, proteinuria had a negative effect. Renal survival was best predicted by the level of renal function at entry (p = 0.02), and was not influenced by pharmacological treatment. CONCLUSION We conclude that ACEi exerts a beneficial effect on survival without affecting renal function in patients with RVD due to unilateral renal stenosis.
SAR-ISAR Blending Using Compressed Sensing Methods

Inverse Synthetic Aperture Radar (ISAR) target images are extracted using compressed sensing methods. The extracted images are edited and merged into measured Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) images. A noise free image of the target is extracted from the Radar Cross Section (RCS) measurement by using the Basis Pursuit Denoise (BPDN) method and then solving for a model consisting of point scatterers. The target signature point scatterers are then merged into a point scatterer representation of the SAR background scene. This method means that SAR images acquired in expensive airborne field trials can be used efficiently to evaluate different targets and camouflage measured separately in a ground based setup. The method is demonstrated with turntable measurements of a full scale target, with and without camouflage, signature extraction and blending into a SAR background. We find that the method provides an efficient way of evaluating measured target signatures in SAR backgrounds. (Less)
An Integrated 122-GHz Antenna Array With Wire Bond Compensation for SMT Radar Sensors

This paper shows the antenna design of an integrated 122-GHz radar sensor. The sensor consists of a SiGe IC with a complete radar circuit and two antennas for transmitting and receiving the 122-GHz signal. The IC and the antennas are integrated into a low-cost plastic package that is assembled using wire bond technology. The antenna design was specifically optimized regarding the integration into the package and the compensation of the parasitic effects of the wire bond interconnect. First, the antenna design and its novel feeding technique based on a GCPW transmission line are explained. Then, measurement results including the wire bond interconnect are presented. Finally, details of the complete radar sensor are given.
The ERM Process: Evidence from Interviews of ERM Champions

This paper investigates the processes that comprise enterprise-wide risk management (ERM) programs implemented by organizations. ERM is a holistic approach of risk management that looks at organization-level risks on a portfolio basis, unlike traditional risk management that looks at silos of individual risks within an organization. The practitioner and academic literatures provide many insights into different frameworks that could be used to implement ERM, but there is little written about the processes and activities that represent actual organizations’ ERM approaches. By looking at the way an organization accomplishes its mission through its management style and communication methods, the role corporate culture plays in an ERM implementation are
Institutional Ownership and the Rise of Shelf Offerings in U.S. Equity Raisings

Shelf offerings have become the dominant method of issuing seasoned equity over the last decade. We find that the increased institutional ownership of U.S. public firms and in particular shelf issuers is the key determinant in the shift in SEO issue method over time. The increase in institutional ownership provides additional monitoring and mitigates the under-certification problem induced by shelf offerings and lowers issue costs. Firms with higher institutional ownership have a more elastic demand curve and there is less need for underwriters to build demand through marketing.
Factors associated with recurrent nasal polyps: a tertiary care experience.

OBJECTIVE To assess the factors associated with recurrence of nasal polyps in operated patients by endoscopic surgery. METHODS A retrospective study was conducted on 192 patients operated for nasal polyps in a hospital set-up between 2001 and 2007. The median follow-up period was 24 months (range 12 months to 60 months). Ten variables were analyzed to study their association with polyp recurrence namely; age, gender, history of purulent nasal discharge, facial pain, anosmia, post nasal dripping (PND), headache, nasal allergy, asthma and computed tomography (C.T) staging. Analysis of recurrences was accomplished using independent sample t-test, chi-square and Fishers exact test. A probability value of p < 0.05 was selected as the level of significance. RESULTS During the study period, recurrences developed in 36 patients, with a rate of 19%. No association of recurrence with age, gender, purulent nasal discharge, facial pain, anosmia, post nasal dripping, headache, nasal allergy, and asthma were observed. The C.T staging was significantly higher among the group with recurrence as compared to the group without recurrence (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION Patients presenting with extensive disease suggested by C.T scan staging are at higher risk for the development of recurrences after endonasal surgery for nasal polyps.
Optimization of short‐term transgene expression by sodium butyrate and ubiquitous chromatin opening elements (UCOEs)

Predictable and adequate transgene expression is essential for clinical gene therapy. Several studies have focused on optimization of transgene expression. In this study the effect of sodium butyrate (NaB) and a ubiquitous chromatin opening element (UCOE) on short‐term gene expression after adenovirus‐mediated gene transfer in fibroblastic interface cells from periprosthetic tissue in loosened orthopedic implants is investigated.
VHF pulse transmitter for EMC applications

A pulse transmitter operating at VHF band has been designed using a pulse generator circuit and a pulse amplifier. The pulse generator circuit has been built using commercially available digital logic integrated circuits by taking advantage of the propagation delay characteristics. The pulse generator circuit produces a very short pulse in the order of several nanoseconds which is amplified by an RF amplifier. The goal of this design is to provide active shielding for electronics equipment within the VHF band when the well known passive shielding technique-Faraday cage-is unavailable or takes up too much space or is very costly.