Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Association between IL28B gene polymorphisms and plasma HCV-RNA levels in HIV/HCV-co-infected patients

Background:IL28B polymorphisms influence both the rate of spontaneous hepatitis C virus (HCV) clearance and response to interferon α (IFNα)-based therapy. This observation has been reproduced in HIV-co-infected individuals. Controversy exists about the impact of IL28B alleles on HCV load. Methods:CoRIS is a nationwide, open cohort of newly diagnosed HIV-1 adults in Spain. In the subset of HCV-co-infected individuals, the relationship between plasma HCV-RNA and IL28B (rs12979860) genotypes was evaluated. Results:A total of 4670 HIV-1-infected patients had been included in CoRIS up to June 2010. All were naive for IFNα. HCV antibodies were reactive in 895 (19%). Of them, 289 specimens were available and tested positive for plasma HCV-RNA, with median values of 959 900 IU/ml. The rs12979860 genotype distribution in HCV viremic patients was CC 45%, CT 42.2% and TT 12.8%. The median plasma HCV-RNA according to IL28B genotypes was: CC 1 385 000, CT 848 939 and TT 251 189 IU/ml (P = 0.006). The percentage of patients with HCV-RNA more than 600 000 IU/ml was: CC 67.7%, CT 56.6% and TT 35.1% (P = 0.001). In multivariate analysis, IL28B CC/CT genotypes, infection with HCV genotypes 1/4 and prior intravenous drug users were independent predictors of HCV-RNA more than 600 000 IU/ml. Conclusion:HIV/HCV-co-infected patients with the C allele (CC/CT) at rs12979860 show significantly higher plasma HCV-RNA load than TT carriers. Notably, plasma HCV-RNA levels associated with poorer response to IFNα-based therapy are significantly more frequent in CC/CT than TT carriers. Hypothetically, patients harboring the rs12979860 allele C could display a lower activity of endogenous IFNα, allowing higher HCV replication while keeping an enhanced susceptibility to exogenous IFNα therapy.
ARE SOME PEOPLE CRIME‐PRONE? REPLICATIONS OF THE PERSONALITY‐CRIME RELATIONSHIP ACROSS COUNTRIES, GENDERS, RACES, AND METHODS*

We examined the relation between personality traits and crime in two studies. In New Zealand we studied 18-year-old males and females from an entire birth cohort. In Pittsburgh we studied an ethnically diverse group of 12- and 13-year-old boys. In both studies we gathered multiple and independent measures of personality and delinquent involvement. The personality correlates of delinquency were robust in different nations, in different age cohorts, across gender, and across race: greater delinquent participation was associated with a personality configuration characterized by high Negative Emotionality and weak Constraint. We suggest that when Negative Emotionality (the tendency to experience aversive affective states) is accompanied by weak Constraint (difficulty in impulse control), negative emotions may be translated more readily into antisocial acts. We review additional evidence about the developmental origins and consequences of this personality configuration and discuss its implications for theories about antisocial behavior.
Incertitude, croyances et management de la sécurité

RESUME Les situations a risque sont par excellence des situations caracterisees par de l’incertitude. L’un des buts des actions de securite, c’est justement de minimiser cette incertitude et de rendre ces situations plus ou moins previsibles ou plus ou moins maitrisables. La maitrise des risques passe par leur evaluation et par l’explication des situations accidentogenes. Face a l’incertitude, l’evaluation des risques et l’explication des accidents sont dominees par les representations et les croyances des differents acteurs. Du fait de la complexite des situations qui generent de l’incertitude, ces croyances conduisent a des inferences et des conclusions causales parfois erronees ou biaisees. Ces biais ou illusions conduisent a des fausses certitudes qui peuvent etre prejudiciables a la securite. La connaissance de ces croyances illusoires peut etre utile pour influencer positivement les comportements en faveur d’une meilleure securite.
Expected Flow Parameters Within Hemodialysis Access and Selection for Remedial Intervention of Nonmaturing Conduits

Background Persistent poor patency rates of arteriovenous fistulae and bridge grafts for dialysis access prompted us to investigate whether flow parameters derived from an initial postconstruction, precannulation duplex study could predict access longevity or direct remedial procedures to salvage nonmaturing conduits. Methods We analyzed 125 consecutive dialysis access conduits (34 forearm fistulae, 53 arm fistulae, 38 prosthetic bridge grafts, 108 patients, 82 male/26 female, average age 58 years) over the past 5 years having early (2 to 8 weeks) duplex scanning done prior to attempted hemodialysis cannulation. Velocity waveforms were recorded in the arterial inflow, arterial and venous anastomoses, mid-conduit, and in the venous outflow with averaging of volume flow rate (product of average velocity and cross-sectional area) measured at 3 mid-conduit sites. Conduits were deemed “adequate” for dialysis cannulation or “nonmaturing” by the presence of detected high-grade stenoses (peak systolic velocity >400cm/s, velocity ratio >3, and minimal diameter <2 to 3 mm) and subjected to remedial interventions (endovascular or open). Subsequent access function for hemodialysis use and late patency were recorded and correlated with early duplex findings. Results Average flow rates (forearm fistula 784 ± 623 mL/min, arm fistula 1400 ± 850, bridge graft 1270 ± 604) and mid-conduit peak-systolic velocities (215 ± 214 cm/s forearm fistula vs 312 ± 194 arm fistula) differed between conduit type and location. Remedial interventions were needed in 10 (26%) bridge grafts and 18 (21%) fistulae “nonmaturing” due to occlusive lesions. Conduit flow rates differentiated “nonmaturing” (606 ± 769 mL/min) and “maturing” (1140 ± 857) fistulae (P = .01). A threshold conduit flow rate of 800 mL/min better discriminated failing and functional fistulae and bridge grafts (accuracy 77%) than a flow rate greater or less than 500 mL/min (accuracy 67%). Remedial interventions doubled average flow rates of “nonmaturing” accesses (from 605 to 1159 mL/min) to values similar to “mature, functional” conduits (1374 mL/min) and facilitated a mean duration of patency (12.9 months) equivalent to conduits not needing remedial interventions (11.5 months). Conclusions Duplex-derived hemodynamic parameters characterized early dialysis access conduit function, prognosticated access patency, guided necessary remedial interventions, and facilitated favorable access longevity.
Semiautomatic quantitation of macrophages in human renal biopsy specimens in proteinuric states.

AIMS: To develop and validate a rapid and economical semiautomated approach to the measurement of immunostainable tissue components which is applicable to routine diagnostic practice. To apply this approach to the measurement of macrophages in renal biopsy specimens in nephrotic states, as protein in the renal tubules may induce macrophage infiltration, and the morphology of macrophages in tissue sections does not lend itself to cell counting. METHODS: Macrophages were identified by immunostaining with a pan-macrophage marker, followed by digital image capture and analysis using a macro procedure written for the freeware image analysis program NIH-Image. RESULTS: The method was rapid, robust and accurate to within the limits imposed by sampling error inherent in the use of small needle biopsy specimens. Very few macrophages are found in normal kidney (mean volume fraction (+/- 95% confidence limits) 0.04% (0.02%)) but infiltration of macrophages was detected in minimal change nephropathy (0.29% (0.12%)) and in membranous glomerulonephritis (0.42% (0.11%)). A statistically significant correlation was found between macrophage volume fraction and weight of proteinuria in minimal change nephropathy but not in membranous glomerulonephritis. Correlations were found in both diseases between macrophage volume fraction and serum creatinine at time of biopsy. CONCLUSIONS: The equipment is inexpensive and measurement takes less than one minute per biopsy specimen. The results indicate that macrophage infiltration is part of the pathological process in minimal change nephropathy and membranous glomerulonephritis. The correlation with creatinine at time of biopsy suggests that renal impairment in minimal change nephropathy may result from infiltration by immunologically active cells and not merely from haemodynamic changes in nephrons. However, the correlation is not close, indicating that the relation between macrophage infiltration and disease severity is not a simple one.
The Effects of Parental Care and Parental Control on the Internal Assets of Adolescent Children in Hong Kong

ABSTRACT Drawing on Bowlby's attachment theory, much research has been conducted into the effects of parental care and parental control on internal assets that are key to the development of adolescent children, such as self-esteem, self- efficacy, resilience, and social competence. However, one question that remains unanswered concerns the applicability of this Western-based parental bonding theory to other socio-cultural contexts. The present study examines this question by surveying a community sample of 752 Chinese adolescents in Hong Kong. Of particular concern is the exploration of the ways in which parental care and parental control affect the internal assets of adolescents. The basic premise is that parental factors have independent main effects on the aforementioned youth development outcomes. The results support our hypotheses that parental care and parental control affect internal assets. The implications of the findings for future research and intervention services are discussed.
Mucosal Tolerance to Experimental Autoimmune Myasthenia Gravis Is Associated with Down‐regulation of AChR‐specific IFN‐γ‐expressing Th1‐like Cells and Up‐regulation of TGF‐β mRNA in Mononuclear Cells

Oral and nasal administration of nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (AChR) to Lewis rats prior to myasthenogenic immunization with AChR and complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA) resulted in prevention or marked decrease of the severity of experimental autoimmune myasthenia gravis (EAMG) and suppression of AChR-specific B-cell responses and of AChR-reactive T-cell function. To examine the involvement of immunoregulatory cytokines and the underlying mechanisms involved in tolerance induction, in situ hybridization with radiolabeled cDNA oligonucleotide proves was adopted to enumerate mononuclear cells (MNC) expressing mRNA for the proinflammatory cytokine interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma), the B cell-stimulating interleukin-4 (IL-4), and the immunosuppressive transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta). Popliteal and inguinal lymph nodes from EAMG rats contained elevated numbers of AChR-reactive IFN-gamma, IL-4, and TGF-beta mRNA-expressing cells, compared to control rats receiving PBS orally or nasally and injected with CFA only. Oral and nasal tolerance was accompanied by decreased numbers of AChR-reactive IFN-gamma and IL-4 mRNA-expressing cells and strong up-regulation of TGF-beta mRNA-positive cells in lymphoid organs when compared to nontolerized EAMG control rats. The results suggest that IFN-gamma and IL-4 are central effector molecules in the development of EAMG and that TGF-beta plays an important role in tolerance induction to EAMG.
The fate of global information in dorsal simultanagnosia

Abstract We report a patient with simultanagnosia and Bálint-Holmes syndrome, following bilateral parieto-occlpital lesions, who exhibits a selective disturbance of global processing in everyday situations and in clinical tasks. For hierarchical Navon stimuli, where global letters are formed by the layout of smaller local letters, she could report only local shapes. She could identify the global form via proprioceptive input, when her finger was passively moved to trace the global shape, provided her eyes were closed. However, with her eyes open, the local visible form dominated once again even when the global shape was traced. This demonstrates dominance of pathological vision over intact proprioception, and shows that local capture persists even when the global information can still be processed by the patient, through another modality. This raises the possibility that some visual global processing might likewise still take place despite the local capture. In accordance wlth this notion, additional experiments showed that the patient was faster at naming local shapes if the global shape had the same identity rather than an incongruent identity. Moreover, a visual-search task found that parallel searching for unique features was preserved across the visual field. Taken together, our experiments suggest that the dominance of the local scale for KB is not due to a total inability to code any global information, but rather to an attentional bias towards salient local details following her brain damage.
Reading Kästner's Emil und die Detektive in the Context of a Literacy-Oriented Curriculum

The focus in many language curricula is shifting from “four skills” to “literacy. ” In a literacy-oriented curriculum, texts stand at the center of every course at every level. Teachers introduce content through texts early in the language learning process, assist even advanced students with the challenges of reading and writing in German, and help learners make connections at every level between texts, language, and culture. This article describes approaches and offers materials for teaching a classic German children's novel, Erich Kastner's Emil und die Detektive (1929), in the second year of a literacy-oriented curriculum.
Family-Forming Migration From Turkey and Morocco to Belgium: The Demand for Marriage Partners From the Countries of Origin

This article examines the intensity and trends of marriages of Turks and Moroccans living in Belgium to partners from their countries of origin ('imported partners') and the motives for marrying such partners. Using data from the 1391 Belgian census, we show that large proportions of the migrant groups choose a partner from the country of origin and that marrying such a partner is certainly not: dying out. Furthermore, the results of legit analyses reveal that marrying an imported partner is more than merely an act of traditional behavior: women may marry an imported partner in order to satisfy 'modern' goals.
The Effects of Web-Based Patient Access to Laboratory Results in British Columbia: A Patient Survey on Comprehension and Anxiety

Background Web-based patient access to personal health information is limited but increasing in Canada and internationally. Objective This exploratory study aimed to increase understanding of how Web-based access to laboratory test results in British Columbia (Canada), which has been broadly available since 2010, affects patients’ experiences. Methods In November 2013, we surveyed adults in British Columbia who had had a laboratory test in the previous 12 months. Using a retrospective cohort design, we compared reported wait-time for results, test result comprehension, and anxiety levels of “service users” who had Web-based access to their test results (n=2047) with those of a general population panel that did not have Web-based access (n=1245). Results The vast majority of service users (83.99%, 95% CI 82.31-85.67) said they received their results within “a few days”, compared to just over a third of the comparison group (37.84%, 95% CI 34.96-40.73). Most in both groups said they understood their test results, but the rate was lower for service users than the comparison group (75.55%, 95% CI 73.58-77.49 vs 84.69%, 95% CI 82.59-86.81). There was no significant difference between groups in levels of reported anxiety after receiving test results. Conclusions While most patients who received their laboratory test results online reported little anxiety after receiving their results and were satisfied with the service, there may be opportunities to improve comprehension of results.
Relations Between Indian Children's Home Literacy Environment and Their English Oral Language and Literacy Skills

More than 90 million Indian children are becoming literate in English, yet the home literacy environment for Indian children learning English has not been explored. Preschool children (N = 50) from Bangalore, India, were assessed for vocabulary, phonological awareness, and print skills in English, their language of schooling. Parents reported on the home literacy environment via questionnaires and a children's book title checklist, adapted for an Indian sample. Parents' book-reading practices moderated the role of English in the home in predicting children's English receptive vocabulary, such that high levels of book reading compensated for low ambient levels of English in the home. English in the home also predicted children's phonological awareness, whereas parental book reading and teaching of print both predicted children's print skills. Implications for the role of book reading in families learning English as a second language are discussed.
Planning effective cellular mobile radio networks

This paper deals with the automatic selection and configuration of base station sites for mobile cellular networks. An optimization framework based on simulated annealing is used for site selection and for base-station configuration. Realistic path-loss estimates incorporating terrain data are used. The configuration of each base station involves selecting antenna type, power control, azimuth, and tilt. Results are presented for several design scenarios with between 250 and 750 candidate sites and show that the optimization framework can generate network designs with desired characteristics such as high area coverage and high traffic capacity. The work shows that cellular network design problems are tractable for realistic problem instances.
The Arabidopsis Protein Phosphatase PP2C38 Negatively Regulates the Central Immune Kinase BIK1

Plants recognize pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs) via cell surface-localized pattern recognition receptors (PRRs), leading to PRR-triggered immunity (PTI). The Arabidopsis cytoplasmic kinase BIK1 is a downstream substrate of several PRR complexes. How plant PTI is negatively regulated is not fully understood. Here, we identify the protein phosphatase PP2C38 as a negative regulator of BIK1 activity and BIK1-mediated immunity. PP2C38 dynamically associates with BIK1, as well as with the PRRs FLS2 and EFR, but not with the co-receptor BAK1. PP2C38 regulates PAMP-induced BIK1 phosphorylation and impairs the phosphorylation of the NADPH oxidase RBOHD by BIK1, leading to reduced oxidative burst and stomatal immunity. Upon PAMP perception, PP2C38 is phosphorylated on serine 77 and dissociates from the FLS2/EFR-BIK1 complexes, enabling full BIK1 activation. Together with our recent work on the control of BIK1 turnover, this study reveals another important regulatory mechanism of this central immune component.
Toward Pax Terra-Humana

In this critical instrumental case study, the author examines an application of O'Sullivan's transformative learning theory to foreign language (FL) education. Specifically, he examines such application within the context of national FL standards for culture in secondary-level Japanese FL learning. Findings suggest that transformative learning is possible in the discipline of FL and among adolescents. Findings also suggest that discussions about transformative learning topics in relation to Japanese pop culture media resulted in increased student awareness of the transformative learning themes of cosmology and ecospiritual selfhood that can lead to a deep cultural and planetary literacy of peace.
The Relationships between Big Five Personality Traits and Subjective Vitality

The current study examined the relationship between big five personality traits and subjective vitality. Participant were 307 university students [180 (59%) female, 127 (41%) male, M age = 21.24 years, SD = 1.21] who completed questionnaires package the Adjective Based Personality Scale and the Subjective Vitality Scale. A hierarchical regression analyses was used with big five personality traits to explain variance in subjective vitality. The results showed that extraversion, agreeableness, and openness were significant positive predictors and neuroticism was significant negative predictor of subjective vitality which accounted for 31% of the total variance. Consciousness did not significant predictor of subjective vitality. The significance and limitations of the results are discussed.
An Experimental Comparison of Trust Region and Level Sets

High-order (non-linear) functionals have become very popular in segmentation, stereo and other computer vision problems. Level sets is a well established general gradient descent framework, which is directly applicable to optimization of such functionals and widely used in practice. Recently, another general optimization approach based on trust region methodology was proposed for regional non-linear functionals. Our goal is a comprehensive experimental comparison of these two frameworks in regard to practical efficiency, robustness to parameters, and optimality. We experiment on a wide range of problems with non-linear constraints on segment volume, appearance and shape.
Students' Strategic Use of Multiple Sources During Expository Text Reading: A Longitudinal Think-Aloud Study

This study examined how students' strategic processing and their linking of multiple sources work together during the reading of expository texts. Seven Norwegian law students read self-selected texts at different points in time. Think-aloud protocols were generated during reading and analyzed to identify types of text-processing strategies as well as the sources that the students referred to when they used those strategies. The students primarily used memorization and organization strategies to process information located in the text they were currently reading, whereas they more often used monitoring and, especially, elaboration to focus on sources external to the current text. In addition, the students focused their strategic processing less on text-internal and more on text-external sources over time. A possible explanation for this shift toward text-external processing focus may be that students changed their goals and perception of the reading task as the academic year progressed. Students who tended to focus their organization and elaboration activities most on text-external sources obtained the highest grades at the year-end examination. Three case studies were used to elaborate on the group results and illustrate the individualistic nature of development in strategic use of multiple sources.