Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A Third-Generation Lentivirus Vector with a Conditional Packaging System

ABSTRACT Vectors derived from human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) are highly efficient vehicles for in vivo gene delivery. However, their biosafety is of major concern. Here we exploit the complexity of the HIV genome to provide lentivirus vectors with novel biosafety features. In addition to the structural genes, HIV contains two regulatory genes, tat and rev, that are essential for HIV replication, and four accessory genes that encode critical virulence factors. We previously reported that the HIV type 1 accessory open reading frames are dispensable for efficient gene transduction by a lentivirus vector. We now demonstrate that the requirement for the tat gene can be offset by placing constitutive promoters upstream of the vector transcript. Vectors generated from constructs containing such a chimeric long terminal repeat (LTR) transduced neurons in vivo at very high efficiency, whether or not they were produced in the presence of Tat. When the rev gene was also deleted from the packaging construct, expression of gag and pol was strictly dependent on Rev complementation in trans. By the combined use of a separate nonoverlapping Rev expression plasmid and a 5′ LTR chimeric transfer construct, we achieved optimal yields of vector of high transducing efficiency (up to 107transducing units [TU]/ml and 104 TU/ng of p24). This third-generation lentivirus vector uses only a fractional set of HIV genes: gag, pol, and rev. Moreover, the HIV-derived constructs, and any recombinant between them, are contingent on upstream elements and trans complementation for expression and thus are nonfunctional outside of the vector producer cells. This split-genome, conditional packaging system is based on existing viral sequences and acts as a built-in device against the generation of productive recombinants. While the actual biosafety of the vector will ultimately be proven in vivo, the improved design presented here should facilitate testing of lentivirus vectors.
The Dissociation between Early and Late Selection in Older Adults

Older adults exhibit a reduced ability to ignore task-irrelevant stimuli; however, it remains to be determined where along the information processing stream the most salient age-associated changes occur. In the current study, ERPs provided an opportunity to determine whether age-related differences in processing task-irrelevant stimuli were uniform across information processing stages or disproportionately affected either early or late selection. ERPs were measured in young and old adults during a color-selective attention task in which participants responded to target letters in a specified color (attend condition) while ignoring letters in a different color (ignore condition). Old participants were matched to two groups of young participants on the basis of neuropsychological test performance: one using age-appropriate norms and the other using test scores not adjusted for age. There were no age-associated differences in the magnitude of early selection (attend–ignore), as indexed by the size of the anterior selection positivity and posterior selection negativity. During late selection, as indexed by P3b amplitude, both groups of young participants generated neural responses to target letters under the attend versus ignore conditions that were highly differentiated. In striking contrast, old participants generated a P3b to target letters with no reliable differences between conditions. Individuals who were slow to initiate early selection appeared to be less successful at executing late selection. Despite relative preservation of the operations of early selection, processing delays may lead older participants to allocate excessive resources to task-irrelevant stimuli during late selection.
3D Virtual Intravascular Endoscopy Visualization of Coronary Artery Plaques

The purpose of the study is to investigate the potential diagnostic value of 3D virtual intravascular endoscopy in the visualization of coronary artery plaques in patients with suspected coronary artery disease. Ten patients suspected of coronary artery disease undergoing 64-slice computed tomography scans were included in the study. Four main coronary artery branches including right coronary artery, left main stem, left anterior descending and left circumflex were assessed using virtual intravascular endoscopy with emphasis on the intraluminal appearance of coronary plaques (calcified and noncalcified plaques). Position of the plaques and degree of vessel stenosis was compared with 2D axial images in each patient. Coronary artery disease with >50% stenosis was found in 6 patients involving 7 left anterior descending and 3 right coronary artery branches. Left anterior descending branch was commonly affected with extensive calcification, while more than half of the right coronary arteries were involved with noncalcified plaques. Our results showed that virtual intravascular endoscopy provides unique information of the coronary plaques by demonstrating the intraluminal configuration of coronary plaques, position of the plaques in relation to the artery branches. Both calcified and noncalcified plaques can be identified on virtual endoscopy images. Further studies are needed to clarify the role of virtual intravascular endoscopy in the quantification of plaque volume, stratification of patients suffering from coronary artery disease and patients management.
On Real-Time Fault Detection in Wind Turbines: Sensor Selection Algorithm and Detection Time Reduction Analysis

In this paper, we address the problem of real-time fault detection in wind turbines. Starting from a data-driven fault detection method, the contribution of this paper is twofold. First, a sensor selection algorithm is proposed with the goal to reduce the computational effort of the fault detection method. Second, an analysis is performed to reduce the data acquisition time needed by the fault detection method, that is, with the goal of reducing the fault detection time. The proposed methods are tested in a benchmark wind turbine where different actuator and sensor failures are simulated. The results demonstrate the performance and effectiveness of the proposed algorithms that dramatically reduce the number of sensors and the fault detection time.
Posturography in Patients With Stroke: Estimating the Percentage of Body Weight on Each Foot From a Single Force Platform

Background and Purpose— Posturography in patients with stroke is widely based on the use of a single force platform and the weightbearing asymmetry quantified from the lateral shift of the center of pressure toward the sound leg. Because the percentage of body weight on each side is a more concrete variable, the present study analyzed the possibility of inferring percentage of body weight from center of pressure. Methods— Forty-five hemiparetic subjects were asked to stand on a dual platform in a standardized position 3 months after a hemispheric stroke. First, the relationship between the %BW on each foot and the lateral shift of center of pressure was established. Second, the model was tested with a healthy subject standing on a single force platform. Results— The percentage of body weight may be simply modeled from the center of pressure shift, a center of pressure displacement of 10 mm corresponding to a 5% increase in body weight on this side (r=0.97, P<0.001). This linear model is reliable, accurate, and may be generalized to other stand widths. Conclusions— This finding should be useful for constructors and users of single force platforms, especially those involved in posturographic assessments of asymmetric conditions such as hemiparesis.
Clinical inertia in response to inadequate glycemic control: do specialists differ from primary care physicians?

OBJECTIVE Diabetic patients with inadequate glycemic control ought to have their management intensified. Failure to do so can be termed "clinical inertia. " Because data suggest that specialist care results in better control than primary care, we evaluated whether specialists demonstrated less clinical inertia than primary care physicians. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS Using administrative data, we studied all non-insulin-requiring diabetic patients in eastern Ontario aged 65 or older who had A1c results >8% between September 1999 and August 2000. Drug intensification was measured by comparing glucose-lowering drug regimens in 4-month blocks before and after the elevated A1c test and was defined as 1) the addition of a new oral drug, 2) a dose increase of an existing oral drug, or 3) the initiation of insulin. Propensity score-based matching was used to control for confounding between groups. RESULTS There were 591 patients with specialist care and 1,911 with exclusively primary care. In the matched cohorts, 45.1% of patients with specialist care versus 37.4% with primary care had drug intensification (P = 0.009). Most of this difference was attributed to specialists' more frequent initiation of insulin in response to elevated A1c. CONCLUSIONS Fewer than one-half of patients with high A1c levels had intensification of their medications, regardless of specialty of their physician. Specialists were more aggressive with insulin initiation than primary care physicians, which may contribute to the lower A1c levels seen with specialist care. Interventions assisting patients and physicians to recognize and overcome clinical inertia should improve diabetes care in the population.
Monte Carlo Simulation for Polychromatic X-Ray Fluorescence Computed Tomography with Sheet-Beam Geometry

X-ray fluorescence computed tomography (XFCT) based on sheet beam can save a huge amount of time to obtain a whole set of projections using synchrotron. However, it is clearly unpractical for most biomedical research laboratories. In this paper, polychromatic X-ray fluorescence computed tomography with sheet-beam geometry is tested by Monte Carlo simulation. First, two phantoms (A and B) filled with PMMA are used to simulate imaging process through GEANT 4. Phantom A contains several GNP-loaded regions with the same size (10 mm) in height and diameter but different Au weight concentration ranging from 0.3% to 1.8%. Phantom B contains twelve GNP-loaded regions with the same Au weight concentration (1.6%) but different diameter ranging from 1 mm to 9 mm. Second, discretized presentation of imaging model is established to reconstruct more accurate XFCT images. Third, XFCT images of phantoms A and B are reconstructed by filter back-projection (FBP) and maximum likelihood expectation maximization (MLEM) with and without correction, respectively. Contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) is calculated to evaluate all the reconstructed images. Our results show that it is feasible for sheet-beam XFCT system based on polychromatic X-ray source and the discretized imaging model can be used to reconstruct more accurate images.
Optimizing antibody panels for efficient and cost‐effective flow cytometric diagnosis of acute leukemia

Differentiating acute myeloid leukemia (AML) from acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) determines effective patient management and often depends on flow cytometry. Antibodies used in flow cytometry are costly, and the expenses are not always reimbursed. Having observed that AML and ALL have distinct patterns in the CD45/SSC panel, we set to analyze more leukemia cases and establish an algorithm for the efficient diagnosis of acute leukemia.
First Things First: Internet Relay Chat Openings

Internet Relay Chat (IRC) was the Internet's first widely popular quasi-synchronous computer-mediated communication (CMC) system. While research has consistently demonstrated the interpersonal nature of IRC, and is now turning to more structurally-oriented topics, it is argued that IRC research now needs to systematically address links between interaction structures, technological mediation and the instantiation and development of interpersonal relationships within a framework that privileges IRC interaction and social explanations. This exploration of the openings of IRC interactions is positioned as a step in that direction. The openings investigated in the study are those that occur directly following user's entries into public IRC channels, termed the newly-joined users' Channel Entry Phase (CEP). It is found that turn coordination in the CEP is often ambiguous, has the potential to disrupt relationship development, and leads to considerable emphasis on interactive strategies for the clear ordering of opening phases.
Faculty Publications Physical Activity and Public Health Associations between Screen-based Sedentary Behavior and Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors in Korean Youth Associations between Screen-based Sedentary Behavior and Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors in Korean Youth Byun W, Et Al. @bullet Se

Associations between screen-based sedentary behavior and cardiovascular disease risk factors in Korean youth. which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. The purposes of this study were to: 1) describe the patterns of screen-based sedentary behaviors, and 2) examine the association between screen-based sedentary behavior and cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors in representative Korean children and adolescents, aged 12 to 18 yr, in the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Screen-based sedentary behavior was measured using self-report questionnaires that included items for time spent watching TV and playing PC/video games. Physical activity was measured using items for frequency and duration of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA). CVD risk factors such as body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, LDL cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, total cholesterol, triglycerides, glucose, systolic blood pressure, and diastolic blood pressure were measured. Boys spent more time playing PC/ video games, and girls spent more time watching TV. After adjusting for age, gender, annual household income, and MVPA, an additional hour of watching TV was significantly associated with the risk of overweight An additional hour spent playing PC/video games also increased the risk of high abdominal adiposity (OR 1.20 [1.03-1.40]). Prospective observations and interventions are needed to determine causal relationships between screen-based sedentary behavior and CVD risk profiles in Korean youth. INTRODUCTION During the past few decades, dramatic environmental and societal changes along with technological advances have created sedentary lifestyles which are characterized by having less opportunities for being physically active, and more opportunities for being sedentary. As a result, children and adolescents spend a significant amount of time engaging in sedentary behavior which is defined as activities that do not increase energy expenditure substantially above the resting level such as sitting, watching TV, and playing PC/video games (1). This phenomenon is a major public health concern because children and adolescents are at a stage of development in which lifestyle behaviors, such as physical activity, dietary habit, and smoking, which predict various health outcomes later in adulthood. Recent studies have shown positive associations between screen-based sedentary behavior and cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality in adults (2, 3). It has also been shown that exclusive engagement in screen-based sedentary behavior is associated with CVD risk factors in children and adolescents, especially in their obesity (4) and metabolic risk profile (5). However, null associations have also been observed between screen-based sedentary behavior …
Dual function carbon fibre strengthening and cathodic protection anode for reinforced concrete structures

A novel technique has been proposed and researched in which carbon fibre reinforced polymers (CFRP) are employed to provide both structural strengthening and electrochemical corrosion protection to reinforced concrete (RC) elements suffering from corrosion related damage. CFRPs fabric or rod was used for both flexural strengthening of pre-corroded reinforced concrete beams and operated in a dual functional capacity as an impressed current cathodic protection (ICCP) anode. After a period of ICCP operation at high current density (>64mA/m2 of steel surface area for rod and >128mA/m2 of steel surface area for fabric), the beams were subjected to flexural testing to determine the load-deflection relationship. The potential decays of the steel met recognised ICCP standards and the CFRP remained effective in strengthening the corroded reinforced concrete beams. The ultimate strength of the dual function CFRPs reduced slightly when compared with control reinforced specimens used for strengthening only. This is attributed to the application of the ICCP at high current densities influencing the bond at the concrete/CFRP interface. A number of methods for maintaining and enhancing bond are presently being investigated, together with the optimisation of current densities for operating the CFRP anodes
Convergent Temporal-Difference Learning with Arbitrary Smooth Function Approximation

We introduce the first temporal-difference learning algorithms that converge with smooth value function approximators, such as neural networks. Conventional temporal-difference (TD) methods, such as TD(λ), Q-learning and Sarsa have been used successfully with function approximation in many applications. However, it is well known that off-policy sampling, as well as nonlinear function approximation, can cause these algorithms to become unstable (i.e., the parameters of the approximator may diverge). Sutton et al. (2009a, 2009b) solved the problem of off-policy learning with linear TD algorithms by introducing a new objective function, related to the Bellman error, and algorithms that perform stochastic gradient-descent on this function. These methods can be viewed as natural generalizations to previous TD methods, as they converge to the same limit points when used with linear function approximation methods. We generalize this work to nonlinear function approximation. We present a Bellman error objective function and two gradient-descent TD algorithms that optimize it. We prove the asymptotic almost-sure convergence of both algorithms, for any finite Markov decision process and any smooth value function approximator, to a locally optimal solution. The algorithms are incremental and the computational complexity per time step scales linearly with the number of parameters of the approximator. Empirical results obtained in the game of Go demonstrate the algorithms' effectiveness.
Stillbirth rates among Haitians in Canada.

BACKGROUND Data on cultural groups at risk of stillbirth in high-income countries are scarce. We sought to determine disparities in stillbirth by gestational age for Haitian vs. non-Haitian Canadians. METHODS We used data on 10,287 stillbirths and 2,482,364 livebirths from 1981-2010 in the province of Quebec, Canada. Stillbirth rates for Haitians were compared with non-Haitians using fetuses at risk denominators, and Cox proportional hazards regression models with gestational age as the time scale. RESULTS Stillbirth rates were much higher for Haitians than non-Haitians during the study period (7.2 vs. 3.9 per 1000 total births). Disparities between Haitians and non-Haitians were largest at 32-36 weeks of gestation [hazard ratio 2.22, 95% confidence interval 1.61, 3.07]. CONCLUSIONS Stillbirth rates in Haitian Canadians giving birth in Quebec are exceptionally high. Disparities were greatest during the late preterm period.
Effect of water vapor feedback on internal and anthropogenic variations of the global hydrologic cycle

Using two versions of the GFDL coupled ocean-atmosphere model, one where water vapor anomalies are allowed to affect the longwave radiation calculation and one where they are not, we examine the role of water vapor feedback in internal precipitation variability and greenhouse-gas-forced intensification of the hydrologic cycle. Without external forcing, the experiment with water vapor feedback produces 44% more annual- mean, global-mean precipitation variability than the one without. We diagnose the reason for this difference: In both experiments, global-mean surface temperature anomalies are associated with water vapor anomalies. However, when water vapor interacts with longwave radiation, the temperature anomalies are associated with larger anomalies in surface downward longwave radiation. This increases the temperature anomaly damping through latent heat flux, creating an evaporation anomaly. The evaporation anomaly, in turn, leads to an anomaly of nearly the same magnitude in precipitation. In the experiment without water vapor feedback, this mechanism is absent. While the interaction between longwave and water vapor has a large impact on the global hydrologic cycle internal variations, its effect decreases as spatial scales decrease, so water vapor feedback has only a very small impact on grid-scale hydrologic variability. Water vapor feedback also affects the hydrologic cycle intensification when greenhouse gas concentrations increase. By the 5th century of global warming experiments where CO2 is increased and then fixed at its doubled value, the global-mean precipitation increase is nearly an order of magnitude larger when water vapor feedback is present. The cause of this difference is similar to the cause of the difference in internal precipitation variability: When water vapor feedback is present, the increase in water vapor associated with a warmer climate enhances downward longwave radiation. To maintain surface heat balance, evaporation increases, leading to a similar increase in precipitation. This effect is absent in the experiment without water vapor feedback. The large impact of water vapor feedback on hydrologic cycle intensification does not weaken as spatial scales decrease, unlike the internal variability case. Accurate representations of water vapor feedback are therefore necessary to simulate global-scale hydrologic variability and intensification of the hydrologic cycle in global warming.
Remifentanil Dose/Electroencephalogram Bispectral Response During Combined Propofol/Regional Anesthesia

The effect of opioid administration on the bispectral index (BIS) during general anesthesia is controversial. Several investigators have reported BIS to be insensitive to opioid addition, whereas others have found a hypnotic response. We designed this study to examine the effect of remifentanil on BIS during combined regional/general propofol anesthesia under steady-state conditions. After Human Investigations Committee approval, 19 healthy ASA physical status I or II patients were enrolled in a prospective experimental design. Regional anesthesia was initiated and general anesthesia induced by using computer-assisted continuous infusion of propofol. Propofol was incrementally adjusted to a BIS of approximately 60. After 20 min at a stable propofol infusion rate, a remifentanil computer-assisted continuous infusion (effect-site target concentration of 0.5, 2.5, and then 10 ng/mL) was sequentially administered at stepped 15-min intervals. BIS decreased from 56 ± 2 to 44 ± 1, 95% spectral edge frequency from 17.9 ± 0.5 Hz to 15.0 ± 0.4 Hz, heart rate from 84 ± 5 bpm to 62 ± 4 bpm, and mean arterial blood pressure from 93 ± 4 mm Hg to 69 ± 3 mm Hg with increasing remifentanil concentration. A significant linear correlation between BIS, 95% spectral edge frequency, heart rate, and log (remifentanil effect-site) concentration was found. The change in baseline BIS was relatively modest but significant, suggesting that remifentanil has some sedative/hypnotic properties, or that it potentiates the hypnotic effect of propofol.