Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
HIV-1 subtypes and differences in heterosexual HIV transmission among HIV-discordant couples in Rakai, Uganda

Objective:To determine whether heterosexual transmission of HIV differs according to HIV-1 subtype. Design:A retrospective observational cohort. Methods:HIV-1 subtype effects on heterosexual HIV-1 transmission were determined among 268 HIV-discordant couples retrospectively identified from a population cohort in Rakai, Uganda. HIV-1 subtype (gag and gp41 sequencing and multiregion hybridization assay) and viral loads (reverse transcriptase PCR) were determined. Adjusted incidence rate ratios (adj IRR) of HIV transmission by subtype were estimated by multivariable Poisson regression adjusting for characteristics of index HIV-positive and HIV-negative partners. Results:Adjusting for index HIV-positive partners' age, viral load, stage of disease, genital ulcer disease, and HIV-negative partners' genital ulcer disease and nonuse of condoms, subtype A viruses were associated with a higher rate of transmission than subtype D [adj.IRR 1.98, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.17–3.34], but no differences in transmission were observed between recombinant viruses and subtype D (aIRR 1.53, P = 0.25). Index-positive partners' age less than 30 years (adj.IRR 3.44, 95% CI 1.75–6.78) and viral load (adj.IRR 2.37, 95% CI 1.75–3.21), and index-negative partners' genital ulcer disease (adj.IRR 1.71, 95% CI 1.08–2.70) and nonuse of condoms (adj.IRR 1.94, 95% CI 1.15–3.28) were significant determinants of HIV transmission. Conclusion:In Rakai, Uganda, subtype A viruses have a significantly higher rate of heterosexual transmission than subtype D viruses. Differential subtype transmission efficiency may be important for HIV vaccine evaluation and could contribute to subtype-specific HIV epidemics in sub-Saharan Africa.
Microwave characterization of lithium niobate electrooptic modulators with traveling wave electrodes

The analysis of traveling-wave electrooptic modulator on z-cut and x-cut lithium-niobate substrates is carried out using the finite element method based on a quasi-TEM approximation. The microwave effective index, characteristic impedance, and frequency dependent attenuations are calculated. Optical frequency response is also calculated and hence the bandwidth is estimated for velocity matching and impedance matching conditions. Bandwidth increases significantly for simultaneous velocity and impedance matching but is limited by the microwave losses in the dielectric material. Optical 3-dB bandwidth of more than 140 GHz can be achieved with x-cut LiNbO3 substrate, when two slots are incorporated in the structure.
On a small gain theorem for ISS networks in dissipative Lyapunov form

In this paper we consider several interconnected ISS systems supplied with ISS Lyapunov functions defined in the dissipative form. Our aim is to construct an ISS Lyapunov function for the interconnection. We provide a condition of a small gain type under which this construction is possible and describe a method of an explicit construction of such an ISS Lyapunov function.
The molecular physiology of liver regeneration following partial hepatectomy

Abstract: The ability of the liver to regenerate after resection has been known for many years. Two reports from Germany in the late 1800s probably mark the introduction of the phenomenon into the scientific literature, but in the early 1900s the first reviews of this subject had appeared in the English literature. Predating these early scientific reports the legends from the Greek mythology described the fate of Prometheus. As punishment for defying Zeus and revealing the secret of fire to man, Prometheus was chained to a rock and each day had part of his liver ripped out by an eagle which, returning the following day, repeated the torture because his liver regenerated itself overnight. Although the speed of regeneration in the Greek legend is somewhat greater than that observed either clinically or in the laboratory, the myth does serve to emphasise the remarkable ability of the liver to repeatedly regenerate following repeated resections. This review aims to summarise the more recent literature concerning the early molecular events accompanying liver regeneration and to integrate this with the existing knowledge of this subject.
Antimicrobial activity of four cationic peptides immobilised to poly-hydroxyethylmethacrylate

Abstract The objective of this study was to immobilise and characterise a variety of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) onto poly-hydroxyethylmethacrylate (pHEMA) surfaces to achieve an antibacterial effect. Four AMPs, viz. LL-37, melimine, lactoferricin and Mel-4 were immobilised on pHEMA by 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl) carbodiimide hydrochloride (EDC) which assisted covalent attachment. Increasing concentrations of AMPs were immobilised to determine the effect on the adhesion of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus. The AMP immobilised pHEMAs were characterised by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) to determine the surface elemental composition and by amino acid analysis to determine the total amount of AMP attached. In vitro cytotoxicity of the immobilised pHEMA samples to mouse L929 cells was investigated. Melimine and Mel-4 when immobilised at the highest concentrations showed 3.1 ± 0.6 log and 1.3 ± 0.2 log inhibition against P. aeruginosa, and 3.9 ± 0.6 log and 2.4 ± 0.5 log inhibition against S. aureus, respectively. Immobilisation of LL-37 resulted in up to 2.6 ± 1.0 log inhibition against only P. aeruginosa, but no activity against S. aureus. LFc attachment showed no antibacterial activity. Upon XPS analysis, immobilised melimine, LL-37, LFc and Mel-4 had 1.57 ± 0.38%, 1.13 ± 1.36%, 0.66 ± 0.47% and 0.73 ± 0.32% amide nitrogen attached to pHEMA compared to 0.12 ± 0.14% in the untreated controls. Amino acid analysis determined that the total amount of AMP attachment to pHEMA was 44.3 ± 7.4 nmol, 3.8 ± 0.2 nmol, 6.5 ± 0.6 nmol and 48.9 ± 2.3 nmol for the same peptides respectively. None of the AMP immobilised pHEMA surfaces showed any toxicity towards mouse L929 cells. The immobilisation of certain AMPs at nanomolar concentration to pHEMA is an effective option to develop a stable antimicrobial surface.
The European randomized study of screening for prostate cancer

A consensus meeting on screening and global strategy for prostate carcinoma, held in Antwerp in 1994, determined the willingness among European cancer prevention centers to pursue vigorously the collaborative formation of a multinational randomized screening trial. This trial was to be named the European Randomized Study of Screening for Prostate Cancer (ERSPC).
Tectonic cycles of the New England Orogen, eastern Australia: A Review

Abstract The New England Orogen (NEO), the youngest of the orogens of the Tasmanides of eastern Australia, is defined by two main cycles of compression–extension. The compression component involves thrust tectonics and advance of the arc towards the continental plate, while extension is characterised by rifting, basin formation, thermal relaxation and retreat of the arc towards the oceanic plate. A compilation of 623 records of U–Pb zircon geochronology rock ages from Geoscience Australia, the geological surveys of Queensland and New South Wales and other published research throughout the orogen, has helped to clarify its complex tectonic history. This contribution focuses on the entire NEO and is aimed at those who are unfamiliar with the details of the orogen and who could benefit from a summary of current knowledge. It aims to fill a gap in recent literature between broad-scale overviews of the orogen incorporated as part of wider research on the Tasmanides and detailed studies usually specific to either the northern or southern parts of the orogen. Within the two main cycles of compression–extension, six accepted and distinct tectonic phases are defined and reviewed. Maps of geological processes active during each phase reveal the centres of activity during each tectonic phase, and the range in U–Pb zircon ages highlights the degree of diachronicity along the length of the NEO. In addition, remnants of the early Permian offshore arc formed during extensive slab rollback, are identified by the available geochronology. Estimates of the beginning of the Hunter-Bowen phase of compression, generally thought to commence around 265 Ma are complicated by the presence of extensional-type magmatism in eastern Queensland that occurred between 270 and 260 Ma.
A 10 Gb/s high sensitivity optical receiver using an InGaAs-InAlAs superlattice APD at 1.3 mu m/1.5 mu m

A description is given of the high-speed low-noise operation of an optical receiver using an InGaAs-InAlAs superlattice avalanche photodiode (SL-APD) that has high sensitivity at 1.3 mu m/1.5 mu m wavelength. A minimum detectable power of -24.0 dBm is obtained at a bit rate of 10 Gb/s. This is the best sensitivity ever reported at 10 Gb/s from APDs. <<ETX>>
Sort Story: Sorting Jumbled Images and Captions into Stories

Temporal common sense has applications in AI tasks such as QA, multi-document summarization, and human-AI communication. We propose the task of sequencing -- given a jumbled set of aligned image-caption pairs that belong to a story, the task is to sort them such that the output sequence forms a coherent story. We present multiple approaches, via unary (position) and pairwise (order) predictions, and their ensemble-based combinations, achieving strong results on this task. We use both text-based and image-based features, which depict complementary improvements. Using qualitative examples, we demonstrate that our models have learnt interesting aspects of temporal common sense.
Impacts of random capacity and fluctuating environment on inventory systems

In this paper, we consider an inventory problem with random demand and random capacity in a fluctuating environment. Our objective is to minimize the total discounted cost during the whole sales horizon by choosing an appropriate replenishment policy. We show that the optimal ordering policy has an extended order-up-to type. The optimal cost function and the optimal ordering policy both have some stochastically monotone relationships with the random capacity under some mild conditions.
Effects of hyperbaric oxygenation therapy on symptomatic pneumocephalus

Background Pneumocephalus (PNC) is defined as a pathological collection of gas within the cranial cavity. The authors studied the effects of hyperbaric oxygenation (HBO2) therapy on a group of patients with PNC, comparing them with a control group to determine the relative impact on pneumocephalus volume, clinical symptoms, and duration of hospitalization. Methods Twenty-four patients with PNC treated at our hospital were consecutively studied. These patients were divided into a treated group (n=13) and a control group (n=11). Thirteen patients (treated group) were treated with HBO2 therapy sessions in a monoplace hyperbaric chamber at 2.5 atmospheres with 100% oxygen concentration. The control group was treated with normobaric oxygenation. Results Clinical improvement was seen in all patients. In the treated group, a decrease of the gas bubble was observed on the computerized tomography scan after each session of HBO2. The treated group also experienced a lower rate of meningitis compared with the control group. The length of hospital stay was significantly higher in the control group compared with the treated group. Conclusions HBO2 therapy in selective cases may lead to clinical and radiological improvement in patients with PNC.
Precordial ST‐segment Depression During Acute Inferior Myocardial Infarction: Clinical, Scintigraphic and Angiographic Correlations

The cause and associated pathophysiology of precordial ST-segment depression (ST {) during acute inferior myocardial infarction (IMI) are controversial. To investigate this problem, electrocardiographic findings in 48 consecutive patients with acute IMI were prospectively compared with results of coronary angiography, submaximal exercise thallium-201 (201TI) scintigraphy and multigated blood pool imaging, all obtained 2 weeks after IMI, and with clinical follow-up at 3 months. Patients were classified according to the admission ECG obtained 3.3 ± 3.1 hours after the onset of chest pain. Twenty-one patients (group A) had no or < 1.0 mm ST, and 27 (group B) had > 1.0 mm ST i in two or more precordial (V146) leads. Patients in group B had more prolonged chest pain after admission to the coronary care unit than those in group A (2.8 ± 3.0 vs 1.2 ± 1.1 hours, p < 0.03), greater summed ST-segment elevation in leads II, III, aVF (6.7 ± 4.7 vs 3.3 ± 4.5 mm, p < 0.02), higher plasma peak creatine kinase levels (1133 ± 781 vs 653 ± 482 IU/l, p < 0.01), a higher prevalence of "true posterior" infarction by ECG criteria (26% vs 5%, p < 0.05). a lower radionuclide ejection fraction (46 ± 9% vs 54 6%, p < 0.001), more extensive infarct-related asynergy (p < 0.001) and 201TI perfusion abnormalities (p < 0.01), more complications during hospitalization (p < 0.03), and more cardiac events at 3 months (p < 0.02). There were no significant differences between group A and group B in the extent of underlying coronary disease, prevalence of left anterior descending coronary arterv disease, exercise-induced ST l or angina, and 201TI defects or wall motion abnormalities in anterior or septal segments. Thus, patients with acute IMI who have associated precordial ST I have greater global and regional left ventricular dysfunction due to more extensive inferior or inferoposterior wall infarction. rather than concomitant anteroseptal ischemic injurv.
Bone morphogenetic protein‐4 enhances vascular endothelial growth factor secretion by human retinal pigment epithelial cells

Retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells secrete vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), a cytokine known to promote angiogenesis. Results from RNase protection assays (RPAs) show that RPE from non‐diabetic human donors and from adult retinal pigment epithelium‐19 (ARPE‐19) cells expressed significant bone morphogenetic protein‐4 (BMP‐4) message. In addition, ARPE‐19 cells cultured in high glucose (25 mM), compared to those in physiological glucose (5.5 mM) released significantly more BMP‐4 into the conditioned media (CM). However, the effect of BMP‐4 on the release of VEGF by ARPE‐19 cells has not been studied. Accordingly, ARPE‐19 cells were treated with BMP‐4 to determine VEGF secretion. BMP‐4 and VEGF levels in the CM and cell lysates were measured by enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Cells treated with exogenous BMP‐4 had higher VEGF in the CM and this treatment effect was dose‐ and time‐dependent, while cell lysates had low levels of VEGF. Addition of cycloheximide (CHX) or actinomycin‐D (ACT) significantly reduced VEGF secretion from cells treated with BMP‐4, suggesting that the BMP‐4‐induced secretion of VEGF requires new RNA and protein synthesis. Our results suggest that BMP‐4 may play a role in the regulation of ocular angiogenesis associated with diabetic retinopathy (DR) by stimulating VEGF release from RPE cells. J. Cell. Biochem. 98: 1196–1202, 2006. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Nanosecond-level wavelength tuning using MEMS coupled-cavity laser

The paper presents the dynamic characteristics of a MEMS-based tunable coupled-cavity laser, constructed by integrating a Fabry-Perot chip, a gain chip and a deep-etched parabolic mirror. It gains advantages over the previous tunable lasers in the form of high speed of wavelength tuning, since this wavelength tuning is based on free carrier plasma effect to change the refractive index. The currently measured tuning speed is of 1.2 mus. The MEMS movable mirror is employed to actively adjust the cavity length to build up the optimal lasing operation condition. Single-mode operation with a tuning range over 16.55 nm is demonstrated, and its side mode suppression ratio is better than 30 dB.
Complete Genome Sequence and Annotation of the Treponema pallidum subsp. pallidum Chicago Strain

ABSTRACT In syphilis research, the Nichols strain of Treponema pallidum, isolated in 1912, has been the most widely studied. Recently, important differences among T. pallidum strains emerged; therefore, we sequenced and annotated the Chicago strain genome to facilitate and encourage the use of this strain in studying the pathogenesis of syphilis.
Spatial scale and place field stability in a grid‐to‐place cell model of the dorsoventral axis of the hippocampus

The rodent hippocampus and entorhinal cortex contain spatially modulated cells that serve as the basis for spatial coding. Both medial entorhinal grid cells and hippocampal place cells have been shown to encode spatial information across multiple spatial scales that increase along the dorsoventral axis of these structures. Place cells near the dorsal pole possess small, stable, and spatially selective firing fields, while ventral cells have larger, less stable, and less spatially selective firing fields. One possible explanation for these dorsoventral changes in place field properties is that they arise as a result of similar dorsoventral differences in the properties of the grid cell inputs to place cells. Here, we test the alternative hypothesis that dorsoventral place field differences are due to higher amounts of nonspatial inputs to ventral hippocampal cells. We use a computational model of the entorhinal‐hippocampal network to assess the relative contributions of grid scale and nonspatial inputs in determining place field size and stability. In addition, we assess the consequences of grid node firing rate heterogeneity on place field stability. Our results suggest that dorsoventral differences in place cell properties can be better explained by changes in the amount of nonspatial inputs, rather than by changes in the scale of grid cell inputs, and that grid node heterogeneity may have important functional consequences. The observed gradient in field size may reflect a shift from processing primarily spatial information in the dorsal hippocampus to processing more nonspatial, contextual, and emotional information near the ventral hippocampus. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Meaning as collective use: predicting semantic hashtag categories on twitter

This paper sets out to explore whether data about the usage of hashtags on Twitter contains information about their semantics. Towards that end, we perform initial statistical hypothesis tests to quantify the association between usage patterns and semantics of hashtags. To assess the utility of pragmatic features - which describe how a hashtag is used over time - for semantic analysis of hashtags, we conduct various hashtag stream classification experiments and compare their utility with the utility of lexical features. Our results indicate that pragmatic features indeed contain valuable information for classifying hashtags into semantic categories. Although pragmatic features do not outperform lexical features in our experiments, we argue that pragmatic features are important and relevant for settings in which textual information might be sparse or absent (e.g., in social video streams).
Electroconvulsive therapy: A review of knowledge, experience and attitudes of patients concerning the treatment

Abstract Objectives. Despite its proven efficacy and safety, electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) has a negative image and attracts widespread public criticism. In contrast, perceptions of patients who have received ECT appear to be more favourable. This review intended to encapsulate the evidence on knowledge and views concerning ECT among its recipients. Methods. Extensive electronic and manual searches were conducted to identify all relevant studies on the subject. Results. Seventyfive reports were found suitable. The evidence from these studies suggested that patients undergoing ECT were usually poorly informed about it. This was attributable to factors such as unsatisfactory pre-treatment explanations or post-ECT memory impairment. About one-third undergoing ECT reported feeling coerced to have the treatment. Fear of ECT and distressing side effects were also present in a majority. Despite these problems, a vast majority of patients perceived ECT to be helpful and had positive views regarding the treatment. Simultaneously, a sizeable proportion was quite critical, although little was known about the extent and nature of such disapproval. Conclusions. Overall, the weight of the evidence supports the notion that patients undergoing ECT are well-disposed towards it. However, much needs to be done to improve the practice of ECT and to enhance patients’ satisfaction with the experience of treatment.
Administration of Reconstituted Polyphenol Oil Bodies Efficiently Suppresses Dendritic Cell Inflammatory Pathways and Acute Intestinal Inflammation

Polyphenols are natural compounds capable of interfering with the inflammatory pathways of several in vitro model systems. In this study, we developed a stable and effective strategy to administer polyphenols to treat in vivo models of acute intestinal inflammation. The in vitro suppressive properties of several polyphenols were first tested and compared for dendritic cells (DCs) production of inflammatory cytokines. A combination of the polyphenols, quercetin and piperine, were then encapsulated into reconstituted oil bodies (OBs) in order to increase their stability. Our results showed that administration of low dose reconstituted polyphenol OBs inhibited LPS-mediated inflammatory cytokine secretion, including IL-6, IL-23, and IL-12, while increasing IL-10 and IL-1Rα production. Mice treated with the polyphenol-containing reconstituted OBs (ROBs) were partially protected from dextran sodium sulfate (DSS)-induced colitis and associated weight loss, while mortality and inflammatory scores revealed an overall anti-inflammatory effect that was likely mediated by impaired DC immune responses. Our study indicates that the administration of reconstituted quercetin and piperine-containing OBs may represent an effective and potent anti-inflammatory strategy to treat acute intestinal inflammation.
A direct predictive control of shunt active power filters using multicell converter

Active power filter represents an interesting device to produce a clean electrical network. In this paper, a filter is proposed using a multicell inverter. A direct and predictive control will be applied. The use of this kind of inverters, which proposes more than two output voltage levels, allows to increase the bandwidth of the active filter. This benefit is particularly interesting to reduce the switching frequency on semiconductors. So this device could be attractive for huge power installation or high frequency network. The control of multicell inverter proposed in this paper is made on a original frame, the voltage composed frame which allows to have a particular approach of the inverter control.
Asymptotic analysis of downlink MISO systems over Rician fading channels

In this work, we focus on the ergodic sum rate in the downlink of a single-cell large-scale multi-user MIMO system in which the base station employs N antennas to communicate with K single-antenna user equipments. A regularized zero-forcing (RZF) scheme is used for precoding under the assumption that each link forms a spatially correlated MIMO Rician fading channel. The analysis is conducted assuming N and K grow large with a non trivial ratio and perfect channel state information is available at the base station. Recent results from random matrix theory and large system analysis are used to compute an asymptotic expression of the signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio as a function of the system parameters, the spatial correlation matrix and the Rician factor. Numerical results are used to evaluate the performance gap in the finite system regime under different operating conditions.