Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Mouse Systems to Model Hepatitis C Virus Treatment and Associated Resistance

While addition of the first-approved protease inhibitors (PIs), telaprevir and boceprevir, to pegylated interferon (PEG-IFN) and ribavirin (RBV) combination therapy significantly increased sustained virologic response (SVR) rates, PI-based triple therapy for the treatment of chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection was prone to the emergence of resistant viral variants. Meanwhile, multiple direct acting antiviral agents (DAAs) targeting either the HCV NS3/4A protease, NS5A or NS5B polymerase have been approved and these have varying potencies and distinct propensities to provoke resistance. The pre-clinical in vivo assessment of drug efficacy and resistant variant emergence underwent a great evolution over the last decade. This field had long been hampered by the lack of suitable small animal models that robustly support the entire HCV life cycle. In particular, chimeric mice with humanized livers (humanized mice) and chimpanzees have been instrumental for studying HCV inhibitors and the evolution of drug resistance. In this review, we present the different in vivo HCV infection models and discuss their applicability to assess HCV therapy response and emergence of resistant variants.
Convexity of geodesic-length functions: a reprise

New results on the convexity of geodesic-length functions on Teichmuller space are presented. A formula for the Hessian of geodesic-length is presented. New bounds for the gradient and Hessian of geodesic-length are described. A relationship of geodesic-length functions to Weil-Petersson distance is described. Applications to the behavior of Weil-Petersson geodesics are discussed.
Genetic Dissection of Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor Signaling during Luteinizing Hormone-Induced Oocyte Maturation

Recent evidence that luteinizing hormone (LH) stimulation of ovulatory follicles causes transactivation of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) has provided insights into the mechanisms of ovulation. However, the complete array of signals that promote oocyte reentry into the meiotic cell cycle in the follicle are still incompletely understood. To elucidate the signaling downstream of EGFR involved in oocyte maturation, we have investigated the LH responses in granulosa cells with targeted ablation of EGFR. Oocyte maturation and ovulation is disrupted when EGFR expression is progressively reduced. In granulosa cells from mice with either global or granulosa cell-specific disruption of EGFR signaling, LH-induced phosphorylation of MAPK3/1, p38MAPK, and connexin-43 is impaired. Although the LH-induced decrease in cGMP is EGFR-dependent in wild type follicles, LH still induces a decrease in cGMP in Egfrdelta/f Cyp19-Cre follicles. Thus compensatory mechanisms appear activated in the mutant. Spatial propagation of the LH signal in the follicle also is dependent on the EGF network, and likely is important for the control of signaling to the oocyte. Thus, multiple signals and redundant pathways contribute to regulating oocyte reentry into the cell cycle.
Random matrices: Universality of ESDs and the circular law

Given an n x n complex matrix A, let mu(A)(x, y) := 1/n vertical bar{1 <= i <= n, Re lambda(i) <= x, Im lambda(i) <= y}vertical bar be the empirical spectral distribution (ESD) of its eigenvalues lambda(i) is an element of C, i = l, . , n. We consider the limiting distribution (both in probability and in the almost sure convergence sense) of the normalized ESD mu(1/root n An) of a random matrix A(n) = (a(ij))(1 <= i, j <= n), where the random variables a(ij) - E(a(ij)) are i.i. d. copies of a fixed random variable x with unit variance. We prove a universality principle for such ensembles, namely, that the limit distribution in question is independent of the actual choice of x. In particular, in order to compute this distribution, one can assume that x is real or complex Gaussian. As a related result, we show how laws for this ESD follow from laws for the singular value distribution of 1/root n A(n) - zI for complex z. As a corollary, we establish the circular law conjecture (both almost surely and in probability), which asserts that mu(1/root n An) converges to the uniform measure on the unit disc when the a(ij) have zero mean.
An incremental verification framework for component-based software systems

We present a tool-supported framework for the efficient reverification of component-based software systems after changes such as additions, removals or modifications of components. The incremental verification engine at the core of our INcremental VErification STrategy (INVEST) framework uses high-level algebraic representations of component-based systems to identify and execute the minimal set of component-wise reverification steps after a system change. The generality of the INVEST engine allows its integration with existing assume-guarantee verification paradigms. We illustrate this integration for an existing technique for the assume-guarantee verification of probabilistic systems. The resulting instance of the INVEST framework can reverify probabilistic safety properties of a cloud-deployed software system in a fraction of the time required by compositional assume-guarantee verification alone.
MICROTUBULES IN HAMSTER PLATELETS

The increasing frequency with which microtubules are observed in electron micrographs of many cell types has led to much speculation about the possible structural and functional significance of these cytoplasmic elements. Two basic interpretations have been made: that they serve as cytoskeletal elements has been suggested by the work of many investigators (3, 4, 5, 9, 10, 12, 16-18); that they perhaps function in the intracellular transport of various substances has also been suggested (3, 9, 10, 16-18). Incidental to recent light and electron microscope studies of hamster tissue, we have observed characteristic arrays of parallel microtubules in the ultrastructure of individual and clumped platelets. These microtubules are of the same basic dimensions as those previously reported in the literature.
Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis Research Department Staff Report 358 a Model of Job and Worker Flows London School of Economics and Federal Reserve Bank of New York

We develop a model of gross job and worker flows and use it to study how the wages, permanent incomes, and employment status of individual workers evolve over time. Our model helps explain various features of labor markets, such as the amount of worker turnover in excess of job reallocation, the length of job tenures and unemployment duration, and the size and persistence of the changes in income that workers experience due to displacements or job-to-job transitions. We also examine the effects that labor market institutions and public policy have on the gross flows, as well as on the resulting wage distribution and employment in the equilibrium. From a theoretical standpoint, we propose a notion of competitive equilibrium for random matching environments, and study the extent to which it achieves an efficient allocation of resources. for helpful comments. Financial support from the C.V. Starr Center for Applied Economics at NYU is gratefully acknowledged. The views expressed herein are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis, the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, or the Federal Reserve System.
Relation of teacher self-efficacy and classroom practices: A preliminary investigation

Teachers’ perceptions of self-efficacy are one of the few individual characteristics that predict teacher practice. There is limited research linking teachers’ perceptions of self-efficacy and actual classroom practices. The study examined teacher’ perceptions of self-efficacy and actual instructional and behavior management practices using the Classroom strategies assessment system (CSAS), a multidimensional validated observation system. Fifty-eight Greek teachers completed the Teacher sense of efficacy scale (TSES) and were observed using the CSAS by independent observers. Significant differences between teachers’ self-reported self-efficacy and observers’ ratings were found in the domain of instructional strategies. Implications for research, professional development and school psychological practice are discussed.
Model-based off-line compensation of path deviation for industrial robots in milling applications

The scope of applications for industrial robots is limited in cases with strong forces at the end effector and high positioning and path accuracies required. Thus, their use in machining applications as a cost-saving, flexible alternative for machining tools is restricted due to mechanical compliance. A model-based off-line concept is presented to analyze, predict, and compensate the resulting path deviation of the robot under process force in milling applications. For this purpose a rigid multi-body dynamics model of the robot extended with additional joint elasticities and tilting effects is coupled with a material removal simulation providing the process forces. After systematically adjusting model parameters, an efficient simulation-based path correction strategy shows significant improvements of path accuracy. The general framework is applicable to any tree structured robots and allows for sensitivity analysis with respect to arbitrary model parameters.
A Bayesian network based algorithm for gene regulatory network reconstruction

Bayesian network (BN) modeling is a commonly used method for constructing gene regulatory networks from gene microarray data. Learning the structures of BNs from data is of significant importance in applications of various fields. In this paper, we propose a Sparse Graph Search (SGS) algorithm that not only reduces BN computation times significantly but also obtains optimal network constructions by using hybrid approach that combines search-and-score with constraint-based method. The algorithm is applied to several sets of benchmark networks and is shown to outperform PC and TPDA algorithms.
Pilot Beam Pattern Design for Channel Estimation in Massive MIMO Systems

In this paper, the problem of pilot beam pattern design for channel estimation in massive multiple-input multiple-output systems with a large number of transmit antennas at the base station is considered, and a new algorithm for pilot beam pattern design for optimal channel estimation is proposed under the assumption that the channel is a stationary Gauss-Markov random process. The proposed algorithm designs the pilot beam pattern sequentially by exploiting the properties of Kalman filtering and the associated prediction error covariance matrices and also the channel statistics such as spatial and temporal channel correlation. The resulting design generates a sequentially-optimal sequence of pilot beam patterns with low complexity for a given set of system parameters. Numerical results show the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm.
The relationship between spiritual health and hope in multiple sclerosis patients: A descriptive-correlational study

Background and Objectives:Spiritual health is the ultimate extremity of health which becomes the main objective of life by creating sense and meaning in life. In chronic disease such as Multiple Sclerosis, hope is one of the factors that can bring about positive consequences in order for the patient to cope with the disease consequences and improve his/ her ability to cope with the disease. In current study, the study of the role of hope in promotion of spiritual health is addressed. It is essential to study the relationship between spiritual health and hope in chronic patients due to the necessity of change in their lifestyle. Therefore, this study has been carried out with the objective of exploring the relationship between spiritual health and hope in MS patients in Iran.Materials and Methods:This descriptive-correlational study was performed on 103 subjects admitted by Red Crescent Clinic in Tabriz, a metropolitan city in the north-west of Iran. They all suffered from Multiple Sclerosis. Paloutzian and Ellison’s Questionnaire of Spiritual Health and Snyder’s Questionnaire of Hope was utilized to collect the data. Data analysis was performed on the basis of Independent T-Test and Mann-Whitney’s U-Test and correlation coefficient was calculated with the help of SPSS ver. 19.Findings:Mean and standard deviation of total score of spiritual health 92.39 ± 20.89 and mean and standard deviation of total score of hope 39.98 ± 7.97 were obtained and the results indicated that there is a significant relationship between spiritual health and hope in the patients (P < 0.001 and r = 0.538) and no significant relationship between spiritual health and hope could be seen regarding any demographic variables. Also, there was no significant relationship between existential health and demographic variables. There was no significant relationship between religious health and demographic variables excluding education.Conclusion:According to the results of this study, one can consider hope as a factor in relation with spiritual health that can have positive and useful effects on the improvement of MS patients. Therefore, hope promotion plans can be considered as effective in promoting spiritual health so as to care for the patients.
The Impact of Humor in North American versus Middle East Cultures

North American (Canadian) and Middle East (Lebanese) participants rated their reactions to four different humorous comments (self-enhancing, affiliative, self-defeating, and aggressive), presented by others in brief scenarios. Consistent with predictions generated from a humor styles model originally formulated in a North American context, all participants responded most negatively to aggressive humorous comments by indicating the saddest mood, the highest ratings of rejection, and the least desire to continue interacting with the person making the comments. Only the North American participants showed a distinctive positive reaction to the self-enhancing humorous comments by displaying the happiest mood, the least rejection, and the greatest desire to continue with the interaction. In contrast, the Middle East Lebanese participants did not differentiate in their responses between self-enhancing, affiliative and self-defeating humorous comments. These findings were considered in light of cultural distinctions in collectivistic versus individualistic self-construals. Here, it was suggested that the collectivistic self-construals that characterize Lebanese Middle East participants may have blurred the self versus other distinctions in the humor styles model, thus leading to significantly less humor differentiation in a Lebanese Middle East context. The implications of these findings for further cross-cultural work on humor and its impact in social interactions was then considered.
Pentapods with Mobility 2

In this paper, we give a full classification of all pentapods with mobility 2, where neither all platform anchor points nor all base anchor points are located on a line. Therefore, this paper solves the famous Borel–Bricard problem for two-dimensional motions beside the excluded case of five collinear points with spherical trajectories. But even for this special case, we present three new types as a side-result. Based on our study of pentapods, we also give a complete list of all nonarchitecturally singular hexapods with two-dimensional self-motions.
Students’ Attitude and Motivation in Bilingual Education

Motivation and attitude are two affective factors that can determine the success of students’ learning. The objective of this study is to investigate how attitude and motivation affect students in bilingual teaching programs. This study comprised a total of 159 Spanish students and was conducted in the third and fourth year of primary education in which the level of the L2 corresponds to A2.1 of the CEFR (Common European Framework of Reference). The study involved two schools in the province of Cordoba (Andalusia) in which CLIL (Content and Language Integrated Learning) program is implemented. A quantitative methodology has been used whereby students´ attitude and motivation have been analysed through a questionnaire. The results show that although motivation and attitude are positive in science subjects within the bilingual program, it is necessary to pay greater attention to diversity and to the different pace of learning among students.
The " New Masculinity " : Addiction Treatment as a Reconstruction of Gender in Puerto Rican Evangelist Street Ministries

This article, based on ethnographic fieldwork including twelve months of participant observation and 428 interviews with 84 converts and leaders in Pentecostal ministries founded and run by former addicts in Puerto Rico, describes redefined masculinity as a treatment for addiction. Industrial disinvestment and resulting unemployment and drug trade in urban North and Latin America have led to narcotic addiction among Latino and African American men and attendant homicide, infection, and incarceration. Pentecostal-evangelical street ministries are prevalent in these regions. Their alternative vision of masculine honor and power addresses a cultural crisis of men's social space. They replace the unachievable ideal of the male breadwinner with an image of male spiritual power. In place of the violence of the drug trade, they cultivate male domesticity and responsibility for the home. In place of a deleterious drug economy, they offer the social and cultural capital of ministry networks and biblical knowledge. Yet the trajectories of ministry converts reveal the limits, as well as the promise, of evangelist masculinity as a treatment for addiction. In the course of building leadership among their converts, the ministries create their own, internal hierarchies, fall short of the spiritual democracy they espouse, and lead to relapse among those left at the bottom. Introduction " The New Masculinity: no vulgarity, no discourteousness, a man who is a model for children, who gives kisses and affection, who cries when sad, is a hard worker, and never loses sight of his principles. "-From a poster by the Mayagüez Baptist Church, hung outside of an addiction ministry for men in Puerto Rico. Narcotics use is a major cause of mortality and morbidity among Latino and African American men in the U.S.; compared with white men, they are significantly more likely to be diagnosed with AIDS Some authors cite structural, intersectional effects of ethnicity and social class to explain these disparities, but only a few examine the way that ideals and norms of masculine behavior relate to drug use and its consequences. These authors point to drug use as an effort to solve a crisis of masculinity among socially dislocated men lacking the skills and social networks to enter the legal workforce, and therefore lacking a respectable role and power within their families and communities (Singer, 1992, 2005). These men assert an oppositional identity by entering the narcotics-based informal which then becomes the basis for further marginalization from the formal economy. A …
Comparing the Predictive Ability of Prognostic Models in Ischemic Stroke; Derivation, Validation, and Discrimination Beyond the ROC Curve

A number of new studies have introduced a different risk score in contrast to National Institute of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) to predict prognosis in ischemic stroke (1, 2). Other recent studies have evaluated NIHSS and compared traditionally established risk scores, with newly modified models (3–8). New modeling can ease the access of scaling systems, develop a better educational background, and reveal the main common basis of the more complex models. Though the idea is clever, we’d like to highlight three educational concerns regarding the handling of the future studies on NIHSS, stroke scaling, and relative comparisons.
Extracting Rule RF in Educational Data Classification: From a Random Forest to Interpretable Refined Rules

To early detect in-trouble students in an academic credit system has been emerging in the educational data mining research arena. This problem has been taken into consideration with a multi-class educational data classification task. Although many existing supervised learning algorithms are available and able to provide us with many acceptable classification models, the interpretability of these models needs to be investigated so that they can be applied in practice. On the other hand, random forests have been examined and appeared to be an appropriate solution to effectively classify the students for early in-trouble student detection in a credit system. However, random forests are black-box ensemble models which lack a capability of explanation for the reasoning behind their prediction. Therefore, in this paper, we define a rule extraction algorithm named ExtractingRuleRF to derive an interpretable refined classification rule set from a random forest for a multi-class data classification task. The proposed algorithm follows a greedy approach with two phases: rule refinement and rule extraction. In the first phase, we prepare a ranked weighted rule set with more interpretability and equivalent classification power of the input random forest by retaining its classification scheme. In the second phase, our rule extraction process returns the best rules for the highest accuracy and/or a full coverage based on the priority of each ranked rule. Consequently, the theoretical analysis of the algorithm and experimental results on real educational data sets have shown that ExtractingRuleRF can produce a more effective and interpretable rule-based classification model than its corresponding random forest. Such a result helps our knowledge-based educational decision support with interpretable classification rules to be more practical.
Unravelling Quasi–Causal Environmental Effects via Phenotypic and Genetically Informed Multi–Rater Models: The Case of Differential Parenting and Authoritarianism

This study investigated the association between different experiences of parenting and individual right–wing authoritarianism (RWA) using twin family data comprising self– and informant reports. We applied a design that allowed us to examine whether the link between retrospective assessments of parenting and current RWA is effectively environmental or whether the association is attributable to genetic influences. We hypothesized that an authoritarian parenting style (low responsiveness and high demandingness) provided by the parents is associated with higher offspring's RWA, and that this association is similar for both twin siblings as a function of their genetic relatedness and shared familial experiences—that is, genotype–environment correlation. A sample of 875 twins as well as 319 mothers and 268 fathers completed a questionnaire on twins’ parental environment and their own authoritarian attitudes. Additionally, 1322 well–informed peers assessed twins’ RWA. Applying structural equation modelling, we found twins’ experiences of parental responsiveness and demandingness to be positively associated with self–reported and peer–reported RWA. The correlation between responsiveness and RWA was similar for both twins due to their genetic similarity, whereas twin differences in demandingness were positively associated with twin differences in RWA, indicating quasi–causal environmental effects. Implications for the interdependence between parenting and RWA are discussed. Copyright © 2018 European Association of Personality Psychology