Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Profiles of Elderly People Infected with HIV and Response to Antiretroviral Treatment in Burkina Faso: A Retrospective Cohort Study

Background: In sub-Saharan Africa, few studies exist on elderly HIV-positive populations. Therefore, we aimed to examine the profiles of elderly people living with HIV (PLHIV) in Burkina Faso and their response to antiretroviral therapy (ART). Methods: We reviewed the monitoring and treatment of PLHIV over the age of 50 years and then compared with the monitoring and treatment of PLHIV under 50 years. Results: A total of 3367 patients were included. The median age of elderly people was 54.5 years and of young people was 34.9 years (P = .03). In both the groups, screening was performed following clinical suspicion (64.9% in elderly versus 56% in young people; P < .001). Cardiovascular risk factors were generally more significant in the elderly people. The risk of death while on ART was 2.3 times higher in elderly people (P < .001). Conclusion: HIV infection in older people occurs in those who already have some cardiovascular risk factors. Particular attention should be given to multidisciplinary care for the elderly individuals.
Self-adaptive lower confidence bound: A new general and effective prescreening method for Gaussian Process surrogate model assisted evolutionary algorithms

Surrogate model assisted evolutionary algorithms are receiving much attention for the solution of optimization problems with computationally expensive function evaluations. For small scale problems, the use of a Gaussian Process surrogate model and prescreening methods has proven to be effective. However, each commonly used prescreening method is only suitable for some types of problems, and the proper prescreening method for an unknown problem cannot be stated beforehand. In this paper, the four existing prescreening methods are analyzed and a new method, called self-adaptive lower confidence bound (ALCB), is proposed. The extent of rewarding the prediction uncertainty is adjusted on line based on the density of samples in a local area and the function properties. The exploration and exploitation ability of prescreening can thus be better balanced. Experimental results on benchmark problems show that ALCB has two main advantages: (1) it is more general for different problem landscapes than any of the four existing prescreening methods; (2) it typically can achieve the best result among all available prescreening methods.
Curves of genus 2 with split Jacobian

We say that an algebraic curve has split jacobian if its jacobian is isogenous to a product of elliptic curves. If X is a curve of genus 2, and f: X t E a map from X to an elliptic curve, then X has split jacobian. It is not true that a complement to E in the jacobian of X is uniquely determined, but, under certain conditions, there is a canonical choice of elliptic curve E' and algebraic f: X > E', and we give an algorithm for finding that curve. The construction works in any characteristic other than two. Applications of the algorithm are given to give explicit examples in characteristics 0 and 3. O. Introduction. We say that a curve has split jacobian if its jacobian is isogenous to a product of elliptic curves. In the later half of the nineteenth century a considerable body of work was done on the reduction of abelian integrals to elliptic. Krazer [1] gives a summary of the results obtained. Stated geometrically, the results are particular families of algebraic curves of genus 2 with maps of degree 2, 3 or 4 to elliptic curves. Such curves have split jacobian. The general question of split jacobian curves and particularly, those of genus 2, is of interest for several reasons. Split jacobian curves often have the maximal number of points over finite fields, e.g. the examples of Moret-Bailley [2] are one parameter families of curves of genus 2 over fields of order p2 whose jacobians are isomorphic to the square of the supersingular elliptic curare, and which have maximal numbers of points over fields of order p2n, n > 2. Split jacobian curves of genus 2 have also been used to exhibit nonisomorphic curves with the same jacobian; vide [3, 4]. The approach in these papers is through the algebraic geometry of abelian varieties, and the constructions are therefore far from explicit. Consider the following: Let X be a curve of genus 2, and f: X E a map from X to an elliptic curve. The jacobian of X is therefore isogenous to a product of E and another elliptic curve, E'. Problem: find E', e.g. what is its j-invariant? It is not clear, nor even true (vide T. Shioda [7]), that E' is uniquely determined. However, under certain conditions there is a canonical choice of complement, and we give an algorithm for finding that curve. Our aim is to provide explicit equations for the curves and the maps between them. We obtain a fairly complete combinatorial characterization of the splitting of the jacobians of curves of genus 2. The splitting is characterized by the degree of the map 5 above. Jacobi, generalizing an example of Legendre, gave the complete solution for degree 2. Given any involution Of pl, and three points not fixed by the involution, the curve of genus 2 which has its 6 Weierstrass points above the three points and their images under the involution, maps to the two elliptic curves represented as double covers of the quotient Of pl by the involution, ramified at Received by the editors July 20, 1987. 1980 Mathematicx Xubject (laxsiJication (1985 Revitsion). Primary 14H40, llG10. (ff)1988 American Mathematical Society 0002-9947/88 $1.00 + $. 25 per page
Upfront use of plerixafor and granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (GCSF) for stem cell mobilization in patients with multiple myeloma: efficacy and analysis of risk factors associated with poor stem cell collection efficiency*

Abstract Plerixafor (P), an agent that selectively and reversibly binds to the chemokine receptor CXCR4, has been approved in combination with G-CSF (P + G-CSF) for stem cell (SC) mobilization in patients with multiple myeloma (MM). The goal of this study was to determine the SC collection success rate of P + G-CSF using a clinically relevant outcome defined as the ability to collect at least 5 × 106 CD34+ cells/kg to allow safely two transplants, and identify risk factors impacting SC mobilization. One hundred and thirty-eight patients were mobilized with P + G-CSF upfront following induction. The SC collection success rate was 92.8%. We identified exposure to lenalidomide alone (p = .038), WBC count <4 × 103/mcL prior to mobilization (p = .01) and non-African American race (p = .019), as risk factors for low efficiency by multivariate analysis. This study demonstrates that P + G-CSF is highly efficient in MM patients and provides strong support for its upfront use in SC collection for MM patients.
Relationship between Healthy Lifestyle and Sociodemographic Factors in Adolescents in Catalonia: Application of VISA-TEEN Questionnaire

Introduction There is a clear relationship between the way of life and the health of individuals, and therefore, we can speak of healthy and unhealthy lifestyles. There are different surveys and questionnaires that evaluate the lifestyles of adolescents, but none of them offers a final score that can quantify the healthfulness of an adolescent’s lifestyle. It was with this goal that the VISA-TEEN questionnaire is developed and validated. The objective of this study is to apply the questionnaire to a sample of adolescents who attend school in Catalonia to evaluate the healthfulness of their lifestyles and to relate the scores obtained to different sociodemographic variables. Methods Cross-sectional study. A total of 2,832 students from 25 schools in Catalonia responded to the questionnaire. A descriptive analysis was performed, calculating the mean (Standard deviation), median (p25, p75), and confidence interval. The results were calculated for the total population, factoring according to gender, age, urban/rural population, origin (native/immigrant), and family wealth, which was based on the Family Affluence Scale (FAS II). The significance of the difference was calculated for each factor with the appropriate statistical test. Results For the total score of healthy lifestyle, the youngest students and those with the highest family wealth obtained higher scores. With respect to eating habits, girls scored higher than boys, and higher scores were observed in natives and those with high family wealth. For physical activity, boys scored higher, as well as younger individuals, natives, and those from rural areas. With respect to substance abuse, the worst scores were found in older individuals, students from rural areas, and natives. The rational use of leisure technology was only associated with age (worsening scores with older age). Lastly, hygiene was better with girls, decreased with age, and was worse with natives than immigrants.
An automatic method for vine detection in airborne imagery using wavelet transform and multiresolution analysis

The problem of automatic vine detection from airborne Infrared Color (IRC) images is addressed. An automatic method was designed, based on a separate modeling of the textural and spectral information extracted from the data. A multiresolution analysis associated with a wavelet transform allows the separation of spectral and spatial information. After a description of the vine detection problem, the automatic method is described. An example application is proposed and a quantitative evaluation of the results achieved is presented. The analysis of the results demonstrates the efficiency of the method. The square system of planting is the main source of errors. But this growing technique is now nearly abandoned in France due to mechanization. Thus, this method may help photointerpreters in the updating or definition of agricultural registers of vineyards as defined by the European Commission. Background The automatic characterization of heterogeneous environments with regular structures are of interest for cultures such as orchards, vineyards, and market gardens, and is of tremendous importance for the establishment and the survey of national or European registers. The diversity of objects that compose these environments (plants, soil, shadow, grass, stones, and organic residues) makes it a very complex process. This paper focuses on automatic vine detection. This problem is representative, at an easily accessible scale in the field, of the complexity of these environments. Only a few studies have been conducted in the field of remote sensing for vine detection (Riom, 1992). Boissard (1972; 1973) has shown that the textural and structural elements in avine parcel can be accessed by the Fourier transformation of airborne photographs. These elements lead to the characterization of the stocks of vine and of their structure (orientation of the rows, distance between the stocks, dimension of the stocks, and leaves). Using spectral and temporal parameters with a very high spatial resolution, Debusshe (1975), Josa (1978), Sentex (1984), and Naert (1985) performed comprehensive analyses of some elements of the vine states: physiological states, growing methods, and type of vine. These
Comparative Validity of MMPI-2 Scores of African American and Caucasian Mental Health Center Clients

The comparative validity of Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 (MMPI-2) scores for African American (n = 123) and Caucasian (n = 561) clients from a community mental health center was investigated by contrasting mean MMPI-2 scores and correlations between those scores and conceptually related therapist rating scales for the 2 groups. The African American men scored significantly higher on the Lie scale and Fears content scale than did their Caucasian counterparts, and the African American women scored higher than Caucasian women on Hypomania. Caucasian women scored higher on the Low Self Esteem content scale. Correlations between MMPI-2 scores and patient description form ratings were not significantly different between racial groups, indicating that the differences in MMPI-2 mean scale score elevations reflect actual differences in client psychopathology. There was no evidence of test bias in the current study. Suggestions are made for additional research.
MoSh

Marker-based motion capture (mocap) is widely criticized as producing lifeless animations. We argue that important information about body surface motion is present in standard marker sets but is lost in extracting a skeleton. We demonstrate a new approach called MoSh (Motion and Shape capture), that automatically extracts this detail from mocap data. MoSh estimates body shape and pose together using sparse marker data by exploiting a parametric model of the human body. In contrast to previous work, MoSh solves for the marker locations relative to the body and estimates accurate body shape directly from the markers without the use of 3D scans; this effectively turns a mocap system into an approximate body scanner. MoSh is able to capture soft tissue motions directly from markers by allowing body shape to vary over time. We evaluate the effect of different marker sets on pose and shape accuracy and propose a new sparse marker set for capturing soft-tissue motion. We illustrate MoSh by recovering body shape, pose, and soft-tissue motion from archival mocap data and using this to produce animations with subtlety and realism. We also show soft-tissue motion retargeting to new characters and show how to magnify the 3D deformations of soft tissue to create animations with appealing exaggerations.
Comparison of the DSM-IV combined and inattentive types of ADHD in a school-based sample of Latino/Hispanic children.

BACKGROUND The aim of this investigation was to examine the construct validity and distinctiveness of the inattentive type (IT) and combined type (CT) of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in a Latino/Hispanic sample. METHOD A comprehensive assessment was conducted with a clinically diagnosed school-based sample of 98 children aged 6 to 11 (CT=44; IT=25; control group=29). RESULTS Both ADHD groups were impaired on academic achievement measures, presented more ADHD-type behaviors during math and vigilance tasks, and exhibited greater internalizing symptoms. The IT group had a later onset of inattention symptoms, presented more sluggish cognitive tempo symptoms, was less prone to initiate social interactions or to be assertive and more self-controlled in social interchanges, was less likely to have externalizing behaviors, had mothers who reported less child-related family stress, and was less impaired in their adaptive functioning. CONCLUSIONS Findings supported the construct validity of ADHD in this culturally different sample and suggested that the CT and IT represent distinct disorders.
Seasonal Variation in Human Gut Microbiome Composition

The composition of the human gut microbiome is influenced by many environmental factors. Diet is thought to be one of the most important determinants, though we have limited understanding of the extent to which dietary fluctuations alter variation in the gut microbiome between individuals. In this study, we examined variation in gut microbiome composition between winter and summer over the course of one year in 60 members of a founder population, the Hutterites. Because of their communal lifestyle, Hutterite diets are similar across individuals and remarkably stable throughout the year, with the exception that fresh produce is primarily served during the summer and autumn months. Our data indicate that despite overall gut microbiome stability within individuals over time, there are consistent and significant population-wide shifts in microbiome composition across seasons. We found seasonal differences in both (i) the abundance of particular taxa (false discovery rate <0.05), including highly abundant phyla Bacteroidetes and Firmicutes, and (ii) overall gut microbiome diversity (by Shannon diversity; P = 0.001). It is likely that the dietary fluctuations between seasons with respect to produce availability explain, at least in part, these differences in microbiome composition. For example, high levels of produce containing complex carbohydrates consumed during the summer months might explain increased abundance of Bacteroidetes, which contain complex carbohydrate digesters, and decreased levels of Actinobacteria, which have been negatively correlated to fiber content in food questionnaires. Our observations demonstrate the plastic nature of the human gut microbiome in response to variation in diet.
Oxygen‐Vacancy Abundant Ultrafine Co3O4/Graphene Composites for High‐Rate Supercapacitor Electrodes

The metal oxides/graphene composites are one of the most promising supercapacitors (SCs) electrode materials. However, rational synthesis of such electrode materials with controllable conductivity and electrochemical activity is the topical challenge for high‐performance SCs. Here, the Co3O4/graphene composite is taken as a typical example and develops a novel/universal one‐step laser irradiation method that overcomes all these challenges and obtains the oxygen‐vacancy abundant ultrafine Co3O4 nanoparticles/graphene (UCNG) composites with high SCs performance. First‐principles calculations show that the surface oxygen vacancies can facilitate the electrochemical charge transfer by creating midgap electronic states. The specific capacitance of the UCNG electrode reaches 978.1 F g−1 (135.8 mA h g−1) at the current densities of 1 A g−1 and retains a high capacitance retention of 916.5 F g−1 (127.3 mA h g−1) even at current density up to 10 A g−1, showing remarkable rate capability (more than 93.7% capacitance retention). Additionally, 99.3% of the initial capacitance is maintained after consecutive 20 000 cycles, demonstrating enhanced cycling stability. Moreover, this proposed laser‐assisted growth strategy is demonstrated to be universal for other metal oxide/graphene composites with tuned electrical conductivity and electrochemical activity.
Autoregulation of Ribosome Biosynthesis by a Translational Response in Fission Yeast

ABSTRACT Maintaining the appropriate balance between the small and large ribosomal subunits is critical for translation and cell growth. We previously identified the 40S ribosomal protein S2 (rpS2) as a substrate of the protein arginine methyltransferase 3 (RMT3) and reported a misregulation of the 40S/60S ratio in rmt3 deletion mutants of Schizosaccharomyces pombe. For this study, using DNA microarrays, we have investigated the genome-wide biological response of rmt3-null cells to this ribosomal subunit imbalance. Whereas little change was observed at the transcriptional level, a number of genes showed significant alterations in their polysomal-to-monosomal ratios in rmt3Δ mutants. Importantly, nearly all of the 40S ribosomal protein-encoding mRNAs showed increased ribosome density in rmt3 disruptants. Sucrose gradient analysis also revealed that the ribosomal subunit imbalance detected in rmt3-null cells is due to a deficit in small-subunit levels and can be rescued by rpS2 overexpression. Our results indicate that rmt3-null fission yeast compensate for the reduced levels of small ribosomal subunits by increasing the ribosome density, and likely the translation efficiency, of 40S ribosomal protein-encoding mRNAs. Our findings support the existence of autoregulatory mechanisms that control ribosome biosynthesis and translation as an important layer of gene regulation.
Antidepressant Treatment for Acute Bipolar Depression: An Update

While studies in the past have focused more on treatment of the manic phase of bipolar disorder (BD), recent findings demonstrate the depressive phase to be at least as debilitating. However, in contrast to unipolar depression, depression in bipolar patients exhibits a varying response to antidepressants, raising questions regarding their efficacy and tolerability. Methods. We conducted a MEDLINE and Cochrane Collaboration Library search for papers published between 2005 and 2011 on the subject of antidepressant treatment of bipolar depression. Sixty-eight articles were included in the present review. Results. While a few studies did advocate the use of antidepressants, most well-controlled studies failed to show a robust effect of antidepressants in bipolar depression, regardless of antidepressant class or bipolar subtype. There was no significant increase in the rate of manic/hypomanic switch, especially with concurrent use of mood stabilizers. Prescribing guidelines published in recent years rely more on atypical antipsychotics, especially quetiapine, as a first-line therapy. Conclusions. Antidepressants probably have no substantial role in acute bipolar depression. However, in light of conflicting results between studies, more well-designed trials are warranted.
Cultivation of Human Oral Mucosal Explants on Contact Lenses

ABSTRACT Purpose/Aim: Autologous cultivated oral mucosal (OM) epithelial transplantation has been successfully used as corneal epithelial replacement in bilateral limbal stem cell deficiency. Recently, lotrafilcon A contact lens (CL) surface was described as a suitable carrier for cultured stem cells in corneal epithelial transplantation. Our aim was to establish explant cultures from human OM on CL carriers that are free of animal-derived materials and feeder cells. Materials and methods: Human cadaveric 2 mm OM explants were sutured onto CL surfaces and cultivated with fetal calf serum (FCS) or human serum (HS) supplemented culture medium without feeder cells. Confluent cultures were harvested and evaluated morphologically with hematoxylin and eosin stain and with immunofluorescence microscopy for the presence of p63, vimentin and cytokeratins (CK) 3, 4, 13 and 14. Results: Confluent cell sheets covering the whole CL surface were produced from OM explants after 2 weeks of culture with HS and after 3 weeks with FCS. A basal layer consisted of small, vimentin, p63 and CK14 positive putative stem/progenitor cells, which were present in the whole cell sheet. Large, CK3, CK4 and CK13 positive, differentiated cells appeared to spread above this confluent layer. Conclusions: We have established an animal-free culture system from human OM explants on CL surface. The cultured OM sheets contain large numbers of putative stem cells including limbal-like CK3 and CK14 positive cells. This method can be adapted to good manufacturing practice (GMP) conditions and has, therefore, great potential for clinical use.
Building a Social Conversational Pedagogical Agent: Design Challenges and Methodological approaches

The chapter discusses some design challenges encountered when developing a conversational pedagogical agent. By tracing the historical roots of pedagogical agents in Intelligent Tutoring Systems (ITS), we discern central developments of creating an agent that is both knowledgeable and fosters a social relationship with the learner. Some main challenges when attempting to develop a pedagogical agent of this kind regard: i) learners’ expectations on the agent’s knowledge profile and social profile, ii) dealing with learners’ engagement in off-task conversation and iii) managing potential abuse of the agent. We illustrate these challenges and possible ways to address them, with reference to an ongoing R&D project, and with a focus on the design of a pedagogical agent’s visual embodiment and of its conversational capacities. (Less)