Abstract: A method of identifying a gene associated with a disease or pathological condition of the disease includes: a) obtaining a first group of exome sequences from a first population suffering from the disease or pathological condition and a second group of exome sequences from a second population not having the disease or pathological condition; b) identifying one or more variants in the first group by comparing it with the second group, and optionally with a public database, to generate a first set of variant data; c) applying a variant quality score calibration tool with a truth sensitivity threshold to remove false-positive variants having a sensitivity lower than the threshold and background variants from the first set of variant data so as to obtain a second set of variant data; d) removing synonymous variants from the second set of variant data to obtain a third set of variant data; and e) identifying one or more deleterious variants from the third set of variant data using a gene burden analysis, optionall

Abstract: A method of preparing a crystalline contrast agent for magnetic resonance imaging from a zwitterionic carboxylic pyridyl ligand includes mixing metal ion and the pyridyl ligand and obtaining crystals therefrom. The crystalline contrast agent includes a manganese-organic or gadolinium-organic 3D framework. The crystalline contrast agent is employed in a kit and a pharmaceutically acceptable composition. The method allows for preparing crystalline contrast agents with superior properties with easily available starting materials and with an economic and efficient process. The method allows for preparing crystalline contrast agents with exceptional water-stability and water-solubility, which exhibit high longitudinal relaxivities and with excellent stabilities under physiological conditions and low cytotoxicity. Further provided is a method for in vivo imaging of a subject, in particular a human, comprising administering the crystalline contrast agent to the subject.

Abstract: One embodiment is a method of treating cancer. The method includes administering a therapeutically effective amount of a compound to a patient.

Abstract: A method for treating a subject suffering from refractory rheumatoid arthritis includes the step of administering an effective amount of a quinonemethide triterpenoid or a pharmaceutically tolerable salt, solvate or anhydrate thereof to the subject. Also is a method for inducing autophagy in a synovial fibroblast, and a method of inducing calcium mobilization in a synovial fibroblast. Further a pharmaceutical composition includes an effective dose of a quinonemethide triterpenoid and an anti-arthritis compound. The quinonemethide triterpenoid is suitable to treat refractory rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in particular ABC-protein-dependent RA and apoptosis-deficient RA. The quinonemethide triterpenoid also possesses significant inhibitory effects on the growth of synovial fibroblasts, in particular modulating the calcium homeostasis in multidrug-resistant rheumatoid arthritis synovial fibroblasts.

Abstract: Controlling operation of a converter circuit regulating power transfer between first and second voltage sources includes comparing a detected power value in the converter circuit with a power command value; determining a converter gain based on detected first and second voltage levels of the first and second voltage sources; and determining operation signals for transmitting to switches in the converter circuit during a steady state to control switching time and duration. When the detected power value differs from the power command value, the method includes determining values of two or more variables associated with adjustment of switching time and duration based on the detected first and second voltage levels; and determining operation signals to transmit to the switches during a power transition state based on the determined values of the two or more variables to adjust switching time and switching duration of the switches, thereby regulating power transition.

Abstract: A system and method of controlling a cluster tool apparatus, wherein the cluster tool includes one or more processing modules and a robot that is configured to move a semiconductor product to and from the one or more processing modules, the cluster tool configured for processing semiconductor products. The method of controlling the cluster tool apparatus to perform a processing cycle includes receiving a plurality of system parameters from a user interface, wherein the system parameters relate to one or more processing steps of the processing cycle, determining a schedule for performing the processing cycle utilizing the one or more processing modules, wherein the schedule being determined based on a semiconductor product residency parameter.

Abstract: A method improves information security by generating a key with which a first multimedia content is encrypted into a second multimedia content. The method generates a first representation for the first multimedia content and a second representation for the second multimedia content on a complex plane, and improves the information security by generating the key by determining a relationship between the first representation and the second representation on the complex plane such that the first multimedia content is encrypted into the second multimedia content with the relationship as the key.

Abstract: Example embodiments include a method that improves calculations of surface roughness that map a planetary surface. The method includes calculating a V-system matrix with a size of ?×? in an interval [0,1]; transforming the V-system matrix into an orthogonal matrix; improving calculations of the surface roughness of the planetary surface by calculating the surface roughness of a digital elevation model generated from data captured from the planetary surface; and generating a map of the planetary surface based on the surface roughness.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method of isolating at least one ingredient with anti-viral efficacy from Baphicacanthus cusia. The ingredient can be an alkaloid, a triterpenoid, a lignan, a phenylethanoid, a sesquiterpene lactone, or a flavonoid. Two new alkaloids are produced, which have not been previously reported. Moreover, the method isolates 12 compounds which could not or have not been previously isolated. A pharmaceutical composition includes the at least one ingredient and at least one pharmaceutical tolerable excipient. A method of treating a subject suffering from a viral disease includes administering at least one ingredient isolated from Baphicacanthus cusia.

Abstract: A system and method of controlling a multi cluster tool system configured to process a semiconductor product includes a plurality of cluster tools arranged adjacent each other, a buffer module positioned between a pair of cluster tools, each cluster tool including a plurality of processing modules and a robot, the method of controlling a multi cluster tool system including receiving a plurality of system parameters from a user interface, wherein the system parameters correspond to one or more processing steps in a system cycle, wherein the system cycle is a cycle of processing the semiconductor product, determining a system schedule for defining the system cycle for processing a semiconductor product, the system schedule providing robot waiting times for each robot of each cluster tool, controlling, via a controller, the operation of each robot of each cluster tool based on the determined schedule.

Abstract: A method of preparing a crystalline copper-based coordination polymer comprises preparing a mixture of copper ions and a first quaternized carboxylate pyridyl ligand; adding a second polypyridyl ligand; and forming crystals of a copper-based coordination polymer therefrom. The crystalline copper-based coordination polymer is suitable for providing a sensing platform for detecting the presence of one or more target nucleic acid sequences such as viral RNA, in particular Dengue virus and/or Zika virus RNA with high selectivity and high specificity. A method of detecting at least a first target nucleic acid sequence, in particular from a viral RNA, in particular it is Flavivirus RNA, in a sample is also provided. Further provided is a kit including the crystalline copper-based coordination polymer and an oligonucleotide probe.

Abstract: A method for treating a subject suffering from a neurodegenerative disease includes administering at least one triterpenoid which can be obtained from Hedera helix. A method for treating a subject suffering from a neurodegenerative disease includes administering an effective amount of a Hedera helix extract which comprises the triterpenoid. The neurodegenerative disease is preferably but not exclusively Parkinson's disease or Huntington's disease. Methods for extracting the triterpenoid from Hedera helix and a method for inducing autophagy in cells by contacting them with the triterpenoid are also provided. The triterpenoid allows an exceptional induction of autophagy, in particular a significant reduction of the protein level of mutant huntingtin, a significant reduction of the protein level of A53T ?-synuclein, a significant inhibition of the oligomerization of ?-synuclein and a significant inhibition of the inclusion formation of huntingtin via the AMPK-mTOR dependent autophagy inducing pathway.

Abstract: A system and a method for determining an association of one or more biological features with a medical condition provides empirical results and simulations confirming that the involvement of both L1/2-regularized logistic regression and L2-regularized logistic regression in the regression model is highly competitive against usual approaches like Lasso, L1/2, SCAD-L2, and Elastic net in analyzing high dimensional and low sample sizes data.

Abstract: A method for inhibiting the expression and/or functional activity of an ABC transporter protein in a subject suffering from a disorder associated with an overexpression of the ABC transporter protein includes administrating a cobalt-polypyridyl complex to the subject. A method for inhibiting the expression and/or functional activity of an ABC transporter in cells includes contacting the cells with an effective amount of the cobalt-polypyridyl complex.

Abstract: A method executed by a computer system to construct an omnidirectional roughness (OR) map of a lunar crater based on a data set of a digital elevation model (DEM) of surface textures of the lunar crater is provided. The method includes setting a center and a first point of the data set, selecting a moving window, utilizing a one point-to-point step when the moving window slides over the DEM, calculating a morphological surface roughness (MSR) that detects a vertical roughness of the lunar crater, calculating a topographic frequency coefficient (TFC) that detects a horizontal roughness of the lunar crater, constructing the OR map, and displaying the OR map to show a surface roughness of the lunar crater.

Abstract: A computer system executes hierarchical MK splines approximation for lunar brightness temperature (TB) data approximation. The computer system constructs a TB model map by generating a final approximation function for constructing an interpolated surface that approximates the TB data set obtained by lunar probe. The method includes executing MK splines approximation to the TB data set with a hierarchy of control lattice from coarsest lattice to densest lattice to iteratively obtain approximation functions. The TB model map is constructed by generating a final approximation function to construct the interpolated surface.

Abstract: A caffeoylquinic acid-rich extract obtained from Erigeron multiradiatus and a method for producing the same. A caffeoylquinic acid-rich extract includes at least 15% by weight of a mixture of certain caffeoylquinic acids. The extract with the mixture of caffeoylquinic acids is highly efficacious in treating and preventing myocardial ischemia or myocardial ischemia reperfusion injuries. A method for treating or preventing a disease caused by myocardial ischemia or myocardial ischemia reperfusion includes administering a therapeutically effective amount of the caffeoylquinic acid-rich extract to a subject. Pharmaceutical compositions including the caffeoylquinic acid-rich extract are also disclosed.

Abstract: Given a sequential resource allocation system (RAS) topology structure, a state space, called an impulse state space, corresponding to the impulse response of a linear time-invariant system (LTS), is computed by small enough configuration of the considered RAS. Given an initial resource configuration of a RAS which corresponds to an input of an LTS, a complete state enumeration can be obtained by defining the convolution of this configuration with the pre-computed impulse state space. One example embodiment reduces central processing unit (CPU) time to process instructions that compute a target state space of a RAS includes constructing an initial RAS and an initial state space, and extending the initial state space iteratively under a target resource configuration.

Abstract: A method constructs an image with improved peak signal-to-noise ratio (PSNR) from a scattered pixel set. The method generates an approximation function that is a linear combination of a plurality of Many-Knot (MK) spline basis functions, and constructs the image with improved PSNR by conducting a least squares treatment on the approximation function to minimize a residual of each pixel value in the scattered pixel set from the approximation function.

Abstract: A quinonemethide triterpenoid is administered to subjects with multidrug-resistant cancer, in particular a cancer with enhanced expression and/or functional activity of ABC transporter proteins such as P-glycoprotein and/or an apoptosis-deficient, in particular p53-, Bax- or Bak-deficient, cancer, i.e. specific subgroups of subjects with cancer. The quinonemethide triterpenoid is suitable to treat cancer allowing for an accumulation of cytotoxic or therapeutic compounds in the cells while having exceptionally increased cytotoxic activity towards the multidrug-resistant cancer cells and while allowing for an increased activity of chemotherapeutic compounds. Methods for specifically targeting cancer cells with multidrug-resistance and methods for potentiating the activity of a chemotherapeutic compound in those cancer cells are also disclosed. A kit including a quinonemethide triterpenoid and a chemotherapeutic compound is also provided.