Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Immunization with a Modified Vaccinia Virus Expressing Simian Immunodeficiency Virus (SIV) Gag-Pol Primes for an Anamnestic Gag-Specific Cytotoxic T-Lymphocyte Response and Is Associated with Reduction of Viremia after SIV Challenge

ABSTRACT The immunogenicity and protective efficacy of a modified vaccinia virus Ankara (MVA) recombinant expressing the simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) Gag-Pol proteins (MVA-gag-pol) was explored in rhesus monkeys expressing the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I allele, MamuA*01. Macaques received four sequential intramuscular immunizations with the MVA-gag-polrecombinant virus or nonrecombinant MVA as a control. Gag-specific cytotoxic T-lymphocyte (CTL) responses were detected in all MVA-gag-pol-immunized macaques by both functional assays and flow cytometric analyses of CD8+ T cells that bound a specific MHC complex class I-peptide tetramer, with levels peaking after the second immunization. Following challenge with uncloned SIVsmE660, all macaques became infected; however, viral load set points were lower in MVA-gag-pol-immunized macaques than in the MVA-immunized control macaques. MVA-gag-pol-immunized macaques exhibited a rapid and substantial anamnestic CTL response specific for the p11C, C-M Gag epitope. The level at which CTL stabilized after resolution of primary viremia correlated inversely with plasma viral load set point (P = 0.03). Most importantly, the magnitude of reduction in viremia in the vaccinees was predicted by the magnitude of the vaccine-elicited CTL response prior to SIV challenge.
Early-onset neonatal sepsis in the era of group B streptococcal prevention.

OBJECTIVE To determine whether intrapartum antibiotic prophylaxis for neonatal group B streptococcal (GBS) disease has resulted in an increased rate of non-GBS or antibiotic-resistant early-onset invasive neonatal disease. METHODS Maternal and infant chart review of all infants with bacteria other than GBS isolated from blood or spinal fluid in 1996 through 1999 in 19 hospitals (representing 81% of in-state births to state residents) throughout Connecticut. Suspected cases were identified through clinical microbiology laboratory records or through International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision codes when microbiology records were incomplete. RESULTS Ninety-four cases of non-GBS early-onset sepsis or meningitis were detected between 1996 and 1999. The rate of GBS-related early-onset infection (days 0-6 of life) dropped from 0.61/1000 to 0.23/1000 births, but the annual rate of non-GBS sepsis remained steady, ranging from 0.65 to 0.68/1000 during the surveillance period. There was an increase in the proportion of Escherichia coli infections that were ampicillin resistant between 1996 and 1998, but the proportion decreased. in 1999 CONCLUSION There was no increase in the incidence of non-GBS early-onset neonatal infections between 1996 and 1999. Fluctuations in the annual incidence of E coli infections, including ampicillin-resistant infections, suggest the need for continuation of surveillance in Connecticut and expansion to monitor larger populations.
Effects of a Six-Week Strength Training Programme on Change of Direction Performance in Youth Team Sport Athletes

This study investigated the effects of eccentric phase-emphasis strength training (EPE) on unilateral strength and performance in 180- and 45-degree change of direction (COD) tasks in rugby union players. A 12-week cross-over design was used to compare the efficacy of resistance training executed with 3 s eccentric duration (EPE, n = 12) against conventional strength training, with no constraints on tempo (CON, n = 6). Players in each condition were categorised as ‘fast’ (FAST) or ‘slow’ (SLOW) using median trial times from baseline testing. Players recorded greater isometric strength improvements following EPE (ES = −0.54 to 1.80). Whilst these changes were not immediate, players improved in strength following cessation. Improvements in 180-degree COD performance was recorded at all test-points following EPE (ES = −1.32 to −0.15). Improvements in 45-degree COD performance were apparent for FAST following CON (ES = −0.96 to 0.10), but CON was deleterious for SLOW (ES = −0.60 to 1.53). Eccentric phase-emphasis strength training shows potential for sustained strength enhancement. Positive performance changes in COD tasks were category- and condition-specific. The data indicate the greatest improvement occurred at nine weeks following resistance training in these players. Performance benefits may also be specific to COD task, player category, and relative to emphasis on eccentric phase activity.
A linguistic feature representation of the speech waveform

Linguistic theory views a phoneme as a shorthand notation for a bundle of binary features related to the operation of the speaker's articulators. A representation of the speech waveform in terms of these underlying distinctive features is described here. The estimation of the probability of each of 14 linguistic features being encoded locally in the waveform is performed on a frame-by-frame basis. In going from the abstract to the physical level, it is recognized that the features are encoded in the waveform hierarchically and that time-varying manifestations of a feature within a phonemic segment are possible. These issues are addressed simultaneously through a two-stage procedure. In the first pass, the time portion and broad class of sound being represented by each frame are estimated. On the second pass, for each distinctive linguistic feature, models built explicitly for the estimated broad class portion are evaluated to arrive at the probability that each frame is part of a realization of a phoneme in which the feature is present. The distinctive feature representation is applied to the tasks of phoneme recognition and secondary classification in keyword spotting. <<ETX>>
The Case against the SAT

Every year, 1.5 million applicants to American colleges and universities take the Scholastic Aptitude Test. Over 1,500 colleges and universities either require or strongly recommend that applicants submit SAT scores. The College Entrance Examination Board and the Educational Testing Service claim that the SAT helps colleges select students, helps college-bound students select appropriate institutions, and furthers equality of opportunity. But does it really? Drawing on three national surveys and on hundreds of studies conducted by colleges, James Crouse and Dale Trusheim refute the justifications the College Board and the ETS give for requiring high school students to take the SAT. They show that the test neither helps colleges and universities improve their admissions decisions nor helps applicants choose schools at which they will be successful. They outline the adverse effect the SAT has on students from nonwhite and low-income backgrounds. They also question the ability of the College Board and the ETS to monitor themselves adequately. Crouse and Trusheim do not, however, recommend abolishing either college admissions testing or the College Board and the ETS. Rather, they propose dropping the SAT and relying on such already available measures as students' high school coursework and grades, and they raise the possibility that new achievement tests that measure the mastery of high school courses could be developed to replace the SAT. "The Case Against the SAT" provides important new information for policymakers, college and university administrators, and researchers in testing and measurement. It forces a rethinking not only of what admissions testing accomplishes now but also of what it might and should accomplish in the future.
Foundations for Virtual Types

Virtual types have been proposed as a notation for generic programming in object-oriented languages--an alternative to the more familiar mechanism of parametric classes. The tradeoffs between the two mechanisms are a matter of current debate: for many examples, both appear to offer convenient (indeed almost interchangeable) solutions; in other situations, one or the other seems to be more satisfactory. However, it has proved difficult to draw rigorous comparisons between the two approaches, partly because current proposals for virtual types vary considerably in their details, and partly because the proposals themselves are described rather informally, usually in the complicating context of full-scale language designs. Work on the foundations of object-oriented languages has already established a clear connection between parametric classes and the polymorphic functions found in familiar typed lambda-calculi. Our aim here is to explore a similar connection between virtual types and dependent records. We present, by means of examples, a straight forward model of objects with embedded type fields in a typed lambda-calculus with subtyping, type operators, fixed points, dependent functions, and dependent records with both "bounded" and "manifest" type fields (this combination of features can be viewed as a measure of the inherent complexity of virtual types). Using this model, we then discuss some of the major differences between previous proposals and show why some can be checked statically while others require run-time checks. We also investigate how the partial "duality" of virtual types and parametric classes can be understood in terms of translations between universal and (dependent) existential types.
The R OLLENT Planning and Learning System at the IPC-8 Learning Track

This paper describes the ROLLENT system submitted to the Eight International Planning Competition, Learning Track. ROLLENT combines two machine learning techniques: generation of entanglements and decision tree learning by ROLLER. Entanglements capture causal relationships for a class of problems while ROLLER learns relational decision trees useful to sort the applicable operators at a given state. The key idea is to exploit both types of knowledge during planning. Specifically ROLLENT planning phase applies this knowledge to guide a “vanilla” search algorithm based on
An Analysis of Gamma-Ray Burst Spectral Break Models

Typical γ-ray burst (GRB) spectra are characterized by a spectral break Ep, which for bright BATSE bursts is found to be narrowly clustered around 300 keV. Recently identified X-ray flashes, which may account for a significant portion of the whole GRB population, seem to extend the Ep distribution to a broader range below 40 keV. Positive correlations among Ep and some other observed parameters have been noticed. On the other hand, within the cosmological fireball model, the issues concerning the dominant energy ingredient of the fireball as well as the location of the GRB emission site are still unsettled, leading to several variants of the fireball model. Here we analyze these models within a unified framework and critically reexamine the Ep predictions in the various model variants. Attention is focused on the predictions of the narrowness of the Ep distribution in different models and the correlations among Ep and other measurable observables. These model properties can be tested against the current and upcoming GRB data, through which the nature of the fireball as well as the mechanism and site of the GRB emission will be identified. In view of the current data, various models are appraised through a simple Monte Carlo simulation, and a tentative discussion about the possible nature of X-ray flashes is presented.
The Liminal Family: Return Migration and Intergenerational Conflict in Japan

The central aim of this article is to explore, from the perspective of return migrants, the interplay of power and multiple obligations that shapes the experience of return migration from major metropolitan areas to rural areas in Japan. I suggest that for many, return migration means inhabiting a liminal social position between the neolocal and stem family ideologies that co-exist in Japan. I examine the narratives of two return migrants, with specific reference to the interplay of power relations within the family that contributed to their returns. This article also presents an example of how quantitative demographic data taken from a national census can be used by anthropologists to inform traditional qualitative data. Employing a demographic technique known as cohort analysis, I examine inter- and intraprefectural migration patterns in Japan. Data from the Japanese national census are analyzed to consider the relationship between population distribution and age structure.
The Fuzzy Front End of Experience Design: Eliciting and Communicating Experience Goals

When starting an experience design process, designers should first determine the experience to aim for. In the fuzzy front end of the experience design process, there are often several alternative sources for gaining insight and inspiration in defining this experience. In this paper, we describe our findings from two surveys about experience goal setting and approaches to communicate about these goals with stakeholders. The results from researchers working on 9 different experience design cases suggest that "empathic understanding of the users' world" is the most used source of insight and inspiration in defining experience goals. As an end result, we propose the model for Experience Goal Elicitation Process to clarify the fuzzy front end of experience design and instructions to support designers in defining and evaluating experience goals.
Crohn's disease activity assessed by doppler sonography: the role of aortic flow parameters

OBJECTIVES: Intestinal neovascularization and abnormal abdominal arterial flow rates have been reported in Crohn's disease. The aim of this study was to evaluate Doppler sonography as a method for assessing Crohn's disease activity based on changes in splanchnic hemodynamics. METHODS: Forty-eight patients with Crohn's disease, 22 healthy volunteers and 12 patients with irritable bowel syndrome were evaluated by Doppler ultrasound for flow parameters of the aorta and superior mesenteric artery. This evaluation included the cross-sectional area, maximum flow volume, peak systolic velocity, end diastolic velocity, resistance and the pulsatility index. Disease activity was classified according to the Crohn's disease activity index. RESULTS: Most measurements in the aorta and superior mesenteric artery were significantly different between Crohn's disease patients and both control groups. Only the aortic maximum flow volume (CC = 0.37, p = 0.009) and aortic peak systolic velocity (CC = 0.30, p = 0.035) showed a significant positive correlation with the Crohn's disease activity index. The determination of cut-off points for the aortic maximum flow volume and peak systolic velocity measurements increased the sensitivity (80 and 75% for flow volume and velocity, respectively), specificity (57 and 75%), accuracy (67 and 75%) and positive (57 and 68%) and negative (80 and 81%) predictive values. These cut-off values permitted the correct classification of most of the patients with Crohn's disease with respect to disease activity. None of the superior mesenteric artery measurements were able to discriminate patients in relation to disease activity. CONCLUSION: The aortic maximum flow volume and peak systolic velocity levels estimated by Doppler sonography reflected disease activity in Crohn's disease. Doppler sonography of the aorta is therefore a novel noninvasive adjunct method that may be useful in the clinical follow-up of patients with Crohn's disease.
Dimerization with Retinoid X Receptors Promotes Nuclear Localization and Subnuclear Targeting of Vitamin D Receptors*

The vitamin D receptor (VDR) acts as heterodimer with the retinoid X receptor α (RXR) to control transcriptional activity of target genes. To explore the influence of heterodimerization on the subcellular distribution of these receptors in living cells, we developed a series of fluorescent-protein chimeras. The steady-state distribution of the yellow fluorescent protein-RXR was more nuclear than the unliganded green fluorescent protein (GFP)-VDR. Coexpression of RXR-blue fluorescent protein (BFP) promoted nuclear accumulation of GFP-VDR by influencing both nuclear import and retention. Fluorescence resonance energy transfer microscopy (FRET) demonstrated that the unliganded GFP-VDR and RXR-BFP form heterodimers. The increase in nuclear heterodimer content correlated with an increase in basal transcriptional activity. FRET also revealed that calcitriol induces formation of multiple nuclear foci of heterodimers. Mutational analysis showed a correlation between hormone-dependent nuclear VDR foci formation and DNA binding. RXR-BFP also promoted hormone-dependent nuclear accumulation and intranuclear foci formation of a nuclear localization signal mutant receptor (nlsGFP-VDR) and rescued its transcriptional activity. Heterodimerization mutant RXR failed to alter GFP-VDR andnlsGFP-VDR distribution or activity. These experiments suggest that RXR has a profound effect on VDR distribution. This effect of RXR to promote nuclear accumulation and intranuclear targeting contributes to the regulation of VDR activity and probably the activity of other heterodimerization partners.
Children’s perceptions of their imaginary companions and the purposes they serve: An exploratory study in the United Kingdom

Imaginary companions of school age children are a relatively unexplored phenomenon. This article reports on a qualitative study carried out in the UK investigating British children’s perceptions of their imaginary companions. Eight children aged between 5 and 11 years were interviewed. Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis was used to explore individual and cross-case themes. It was found that imaginary companions provided friendship, playmates and entertainment, enabling children to overcome times of boredom and loneliness. They appeared to provide a level of wish fulfilment for some children. Children’s interactions with their imaginary companions provided support when there were problem situations in the children’s lives.
Idiopathic necrosis of the femoral head in adults.

1. Idiopathic necrosis of the femoral head is generally considered to be a rare disease but it appears to be rather frequent in France in view of the fact that 139 cases were recorded in the orthopaedic clinic of Hopital Cochin between 1959 and 1963. Ninety cases treated by operation have been analysed in this paper. Men are nearly exclusively affected between the ages of eighteen and seventy, with the highest incidence between thirty and fifty years of age. Both hips are affected in 52 per cent of cases. 2. The etiology is unknown, but steroid therapy was noted in 36 per cent of the cases and some history of slight injury in 30 per cent. The sudden onset of pain in half the cases suggests the obliteration of one of the blood vessels supplying the femoral head. 3. Radiographs are often normal at the time of onset of the symptoms but later they show increased density of the head localised to the antero-superior aspect, and later still collapse of this weight-bearing region. The extent of the lesion appears to be determined from the very beginning rather than to be progressive. The superior joint space is never reduced and may in fact be widened. 4. Pathological examination of the head and neck confirms necrosis of the cancellous bone and the integrity of the overlying cartilage, but shows deep to the necrotic region a highly reactive zone characterised by hypervascularity and raised metabolism. These features have been demonstrated by injection of the blood vessels and also by the uptake of phosphorus 32 and by the succino-deshydrogenase test. 5. In six cases microscopic vascular lesions were found in the antero-lateral pedicle of the femoral head. 6. The high degree of activity of the tissue deep to the necrotic zone gives some hope for revascularisation of the necrotic segment. For this reason protection from pressure may be the way to prevent dramatic collapse of the head. Rest, medical treatment and freedom from weight bearing, however, do not achieve adequate protection. Varus or rotation osteotomy of the femoral neck not only gives relief from pain but appears to prevent collapse of the femoral head. 7. When destruction of the head has already taken place good results may be expected from the insertion of a metallic prosthesis, provided the acetabulum is sound. The results are less favourable when the acetabulum has been altered by secondary arthritic change, and arthrodesis may have to be considered if the disease is unilateral or when a prosthesis has been successfully inserted on the other side.
A Theoretical Review on IT Project Success / Failure Factors and Evaluating the Associated Risks

There is empirical evidence that information technology projects are exposed to multiple sources of risks because it seems certain that the IT projects are considered as agile, technical and complex projects. However, it is necessary to know why majority of IT projects fail and what the perceived success/failure factors are and to what extent the risk management concept is of central importance in every IT projects. This study fills the gap in the current literature by unpacking comprehensive project level factors, risk areas that may influence the risk perception of project managers and consequently, lead to fail in infant, toddler and mature stages of IT projects. Therefore, a theoretical revision on this topic was performed. Although many studies have explored success/failure factors in projects, a few of them are comprised of the perception that to what extent project’s success/failure factors are noteworthy. Key-Words: IT Project, Critical Success Factor, Risk Perception, Risk Mitigation, Success/Failure Factors and Project Management
Lonely and Susceptible: The Influence of Social Exclusion and Gender on Persuasion by an Artificial Agent

Earlier research showed that artificial social agents can influence human behavior. This article argues that, especially under certain circumstances, people are sensitive to persuasion by (artificial) social agents. For example, when people feel socially excluded, they are motivated to increase their social connections with others. It was hypothesized that socially excluded people would attribute more human-likeness and be persuaded more by an artificial agent than socially included people. These hypotheses were investigated in two studies in which participants were either socially included or excluded, after which they performed an energy-saving task while receiving social feedback from an artificial agent. Results did not support the expectation that socially excluded people ascribe more human-likeness to an artificial agent, but they did show the expected effects on behavior change, indicating the importance of including a person’s psychological state in the design of human–agent interactions. Also, in line with earlier findings, female participants were more susceptible to the agent’s feedback than male participants, indicating that a user’s gender may also determine the effectiveness of persuasive technology.
Russian Studies Without Studying

An American expert on Russian politics analyzes prominent claims that American “Russia-watchers” have mischaracterized and misunderstood the post-Soviet situation, contributed to the dissolution of the USSR, and helped cause Russia's socioeconomic crisis. Assertions that a change in the mind-set of American scholarship on Russia and that a transfer of billions of dollars to the Russian government are necessary to ameliorate the situation also are examined. The article draws upon a large body of contemporary scholarly work and newspaper articles as well as United Nations and World Bank statistics.