Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Virologic response to treatment with Pegylated Interferon alfa-2b and Ribavirin for chronic hepatitis C in children.

BACKGROUND This study assessed the efficacy and safety of treatment of chronic hepatitis C in children with pegylated interferon alpha and ribavirin. MATERIAL/METHODS Investigations were performed on 53 children with chronic hepatitis C, aged 8-17 years. Children were divided into 2 groups: naïve (n=29) and retreated (n=24). All children were administered a combined therapy with pegylated interferon (IFN) alpha-2b 1.5 mcg/kg/wk and ribavirin 15 mg/kg/d for 48 weeks. Mean baseline viral load was 0.456×10(6) IU/mL, mean alanine aminotransferase (ALT) activity was 45.8±24.3 IU/mL. No child had liver disease assessed greater than grade 2, stage 2 according to modified Scheuer scale. Serum hepatitis C virus (HCV) RNA in TW 12-EVR, TW 48-ETR, and W 72-sustained virologic response (SVR) with the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method (Roche TaqMan) were evaluated. RESULTS Sustained virologic response was achieved in 47% of children. The prevalence of relapses was 7.5%. The most important predictor of SVR in both groups was undetectable HCV RNA at TW 12. All retreated children who achieved partial EVR - (the HCV RNA level decreased more than 2 logs relative to baseline) were relapsers. In responders from both groups, baseline ALT activity was higher and baseline viral load was lower. In all children who achieved SVR, HCV RNA was undetectable 12 months later. CONCLUSIONS Pegylated IFN and ribavirin are effective in treating chronic hepatitis C in children. Complete EVR is predictive of a sustained viral response. And high rate of relapses in retreated patients may suggest a longer duration of retherapy.
The Ecoresponsive Genome of Daphnia pulex

The Daphnia genome reveals a multitude of genes and shows adaptation through gene family expansions. We describe the draft genome of the microcrustacean Daphnia pulex, which is only 200 megabases and contains at least 30,907 genes. The high gene count is a consequence of an elevated rate of gene duplication resulting in tandem gene clusters. More than a third of Daphnia’s genes have no detectable homologs in any other available proteome, and the most amplified gene families are specific to the Daphnia lineage. The coexpansion of gene families interacting within metabolic pathways suggests that the maintenance of duplicated genes is not random, and the analysis of gene expression under different environmental conditions reveals that numerous paralogs acquire divergent expression patterns soon after duplication. Daphnia-specific genes, including many additional loci within sequenced regions that are otherwise devoid of annotations, are the most responsive genes to ecological challenges.
The validity of EORTC QLQ-C30 fatigue scale in advanced cancer patients and cancer survivors

Fatigue is a major complaint among advanced cancer patients. Several instruments are available for measuring fatigue. The EORTC QLQ-C30 is one of the most frequently used health-related quality of life (HRQOL) instruments, and it includes a three-item fatigue subscale. Limited knowledge exists about the validity, performance and sensitivity of EORTC QLQ-C30 fatigue scale as compared with a fatigue-specific instrument. The aim of the present study was to validate the EORTC QLQ-C30 fatigue scale (FA) against the Fatigue Questionnaire (FQ). The FQ is frequently used and was developed to measure fatigue in both cancer and noncancer populations. The FQ measures physical (PF, seven items) and mental fatigue (MF, four items). The study population included two different cohorts: A) patients with advanced metastatic cancer included in a prospective randomized study of palliative radiotherapy (n = 238); B) patients with leukaemia and malignant lymphoma curatively treated with stem-cell transplantation and high-dose chemotherapy (n = 128). The analysis demonstrated that the FA correlated higher with the PF scale (r = 0.67–0.75) as compared with the MF scale (r = 0.49–0.61). The item–scale correlations between FA items and the PF scale were consistently higher than between FA items and the MF scale. A factor analysis including all the items within the FA and the FQ identified two factors. All FA items loaded on a PF factor (0.70–0.85). A floor/ ceiling effect, indicating a high number of respondents with lowest, respectively, highest scores was observed more frequently in the FA as compared with the FQ. The PF discriminated better between diagnostic groups with different levels of fatigue than the FA did. In conclusion, the EORTC QLQ-C30 fatigue scale is measuring physical fatigue. A floor/ ceiling effect seems to appear for the EORTC QLQ-C30 fatigue scale. The validity of the EORTC QLQ-C30 fatigue scale is to be questioned for use in palliative care patients. In studies with fatigue as a defined end point, a domain-specific instrument should, therefore, be added.
In Vivo Comparison of Two Human Norovirus Surrogates for Testing Ethanol-Based Handrubs: The Mouse Chasing the Cat!

Human noroviruses (HuNoV), a major cause of acute gastroenteritis worldwide, cannot be readily cultured in the lab. Therefore, a feline calicivirus (FCV) is often used as its surrogate to, among other things, test alcohol-based handrubs (ABHR). The more recent laboratory culture of a mouse norovirus (MNV) provides an alternative. While MNV is closer to HuNoV in several respects, to date, no comparative testing of FCV and MNV survival and inactivation on human hands has been performed. This study was designed to address the knowledge gap. The rates of loss in viability during drying on hands were −1.91 and −1.65% per minute for FCV and MNV, respectively. When the contaminated skin was exposed for 20 s to either a commercial ABHR with 62% (v/v) ethanol or to 75% (v/v) ethanol in water, FCV infectivity was reduced by <1 log10 while that of MNV by nearly 2.8 log10. Extending the contact time to 30 s reduced the FCV titer by almost 2 log10 by both test substances and that of MNV by >3.5 log10 by the commercial ABHR while 75% ethanol did not show any noticeable improvement in activity as compared to the 20 s contact. An 80% (v/v) aqueous solution of ethanol gave only a 1.75 log10 reduction in MNV activity after 20 s. The results show significant differences in the ethanol susceptibility of FCV and MNV in contact times relevant to field use of ABHR and also that 62% ethanol was a more effective virucide than either 75% or 80% ethanol. These findings indicate the need for a review of the continuing use of FCV as a surrogate for HuNoV.
A Survey based Accomplishment Techniques for Biometric Finger Print Matching System

Fingerprints are the biometric features most used for detection. Dormant prints are routinely recovered commencing crime scenes and are comparing with existing databases of notorious fingerprints for identifying criminals. A lot of matching algorithms with different uniqueness have been introduced in recent years. For real time systems these algorithms are usually based on minutiae features. The detection of known systems tries to find which fingerprint in a database matches the fingerprint requires the matching of its minutiae against the input fingerprint. Since the detection intricacy is many minutiae of other fingerprints. Hence, fingerprint matching is a higher than verification, detection systems usually accept key process. This paper introduced study on a novel approach like Minutia Cylinder Code (MCC) algorithm, Graphic Processing Unit (GPU) and Biometric Encryption for security purpose also for feature extraction in which the extracted features are self-determining of shift and rotation of the fingerprint and at the meantime the matching operation is performed much more easily and with higher alacrity and accuracy. Keywordsminutiae, Latent prints, alacrity, Minutia
Physical modeling and measurement of fish acoustic backscatter

Physical acoustic model of fish is used to explain the variability in backscatter and target size. The research has the aim to apply the theoretical physics-based acoustic scattering models of single animal and laboratory measurements of backscattering by individual fish. The scattering process was modeled using the distorted-wave Born approximation. Results showed that the acoustic backscatter strongly depended on the fish orientation. Predicted scattering over the measured distribution of orientations resulted in predictions of target strength consistent with measurements of target strength of fish.
Micromechanics for Ceramic Matrix Composites via Fiber Substructuring

A generic unit cell model which includes a unique fiber substructuring concept is proposed for the development of micromechanics equations for continuous fiber reinforced ceramic composites. The unit cell consists of three constituents: fiber, matrix and an interphase. In the present approach, the unit cell is further subdivided into several slices and the equations of micromechanics are derived for each slice. These are subsequently integrated to obtain ply level properties. A stand-alone computer code containing the micromechanics model as a module is currently being developed specifically for the analysis of ceramic matrix composites. Towards this development, equivalent ply property results for a SiC (silicon carbide fiber) /Ti-15-3 (titanium matrix) composite with a 0.5 fiber volume ratio are presented and compared with those obtained from customary micromechanics models to illustrate the concept. Also, comparisons with limited experimental data for the ceramic matrix composite, SiC/RBSN (Reaction Bonded Silicon Nitride) with a 0.3 fiber volume ratio are given to validate the concepts.
Workflow Complexities of Fit Criteria on Strategy Applications and Structure Adaptations

In studying the correlation between structure–strategy and workflow process, empirical research has shown that knowledge flow has an influence on professional team workflow performance. Using multiple sources of case study evidence, we propose a contingent model of a criteria fit in which the effect of structure on strategies is efficiency of Knowledge Applicability (KA) and effectiveness of Knowledge Adaptability (KA). A case study analysis of building permit approval processing by the Town and Country Planning Department (TCPD) and the various planning agencies in Ghana finds strong support for the model explaining that structure is the measurement attribute determining the efficiency and effectiveness of knowledge flow. A framework of four types of KA is outlined. These show that the viability of organisations is contingent on adaptations of efficient structure and applications of effective strategies. With an emphasis on two organisational environmental variables (uncertainty and equivocality) and structural configuration, we demonstrated the impact of formalisation and centralisation on knowledge flow and workflow process using Virtual Design Team Computational Organisational Theory (VDTCOT).
Augmented Smartphone Applications Through Clone Cloud Execution

Smartphones enable a new, rich user experience in pervasive computing, but their hardware is still very limited in terms of computation, memory, and energy reserves, thus limiting potential applications. In this paper, we propose a novel architecture that addresses these challenges via seamlessly--but partially--off-loading execution from the smartphone to a computational infrastructure hosting a cloud of smartphone clones. We outline new augmented execution opportunities for smartphones enabled by our CloneCloud architecture.
Fast authentication for mobility support in wireless mesh networks

We propose new authentication protocols that support fast hand-off for real-time applications such as voice over IP and audio/video conferencing in wireless mesh networks (WMNs). A client and a mesh access point (MAP) mutually authenticate each other using one-hop communications. The central authentication server is not involved during the handover process. Fast authentication for roaming from one MAP to another is supported by using tickets. Our performance analysis, simulation results and security analysis show that our proposed authentication protocols are efficient and resilient to various kinds of attacks.
Fractal Prediction Model of Friction Coefficient in Dry Friction Pair

To research the friction coefficient of rough surface under different contact loads. A mathematical model is proposed between the fractal parameters D and G and the non-dimensional real contact area based on M-B fractal contact model, surface profile curves are scanned by APE500 surface morphology, dimension change index k and size change index s are identified in tests, the model is verified on UMT-3 pin-on-disk wear apparatus. Results showed that the modeling method relying on limiting cases is feasible, this model could improve prediction accuracy of friction coefficient, and the experimental results are consistent with the theoretical prediction.
An educational simulation platform for GPS-denied unmanned Aerial Vehicles aimed to the detection and tracking of moving objects

The main motivation of this work is to show, for educational purposes, that the visual based object tracking problem can be illustrated through the simulation-in-the-loop approach: by using the MathWorks™ Virtual Reality Toolbox together with Matlab®, it is possible to simulate the behavior of a drone in a 3D environment when detection and control algorithms are run. Matlab VR is used due to the familiarity that students have with. In this way the attention can be moved to the classifier, the references generator and the trajectory tracking control. Each block is decoupled and independent, so it can be easily replaced with others thus simplifying the development phase.
Analytical framework for analysis and demagnetization study of a slotted solid-rotor line-start permanent-magnet synchronous motor

Slotted solid rotor line-start permanent magnet motor can synchronize well in high load torques and high moment of inertias. In this paper, a magnetic equivalent circuit model (MEC) of a slotted solid rotor line-start permanent magnet motor is developed, whereby main characteristics of the device with an emphasis on the demagnetization withstand capability of PMs, are analyzed. It is shown that the results extracted from the proposed model match well with those calculated from FEM method. At the end, a 4-pole, 1500 rpm, 1050 watt, 3-phase line-start synchronous motor is prototyped to validate the high performance of the case-study motor.
Power and performance tradeoffs using various caching strategies

In this paper, we propose several different data and instruction cache configurations and analyze their power as well as performance implications on the processor. Unlike most existing work in low power microprocessor design, we explore a high performance processor with the latest innovations for performance. Using a detailed, architectural-level simulator, we evaluate full system performance using several different power/performance sensitive cache configurations such as increasing cache size or associatively and including buffers along side L1 caches. We then use the information obtained from the simulator to calculate the energy consumption of the memory hierarchy of the system. As an alternative to simply increasing cache associatively or size to reduce lower-level memory energy consumption (which may have a detrimental effect on on-chip energy consumption), we show that, by using buffers, energy consumption of the memory subsystem may be reduced by as much as 13% for certain data cache configurations and by as much as 23% for certain instruction cache configurations without adversely effecting processor performance or on-chip energy consumption.
An electro-taxonomic survey of bacteria.

A taxonomic survey of a wide range of bacteria has been made with the aid of an electrical computing machine. The strains examined fell into five main groups: (1) Gram-positive organisms, including streptococci, micrococci, staphylococci, Aerococcus, Erysipelothrix, Listeria and certain diphtheroids; (2) predominantly Gram-negative organisms, including enterobacteria, pseudomonads Pasteurella, Vibrio, Actinobacillus, Loefflerella, Brucella, Neisseria, Chromobacterium and also Bacillus; (3) Corynebacterium diphtheriae; (4) acid-fast bacilli; (5) spirilla. Within group 1 were subgroups representing Streptococcus, Micrococcus and Staphylococcus. Within group 2 were subgroups representing: (a) most enterobacteria together with Pasteurella pestis and Vibrio; (b) Brucella, Neisseria, Actinobacillus lignieresi, Pasteurella septica and possibly also Shigella; (c) pseudomonads; (d) Bacillus; (e) Chromobacterium violaceum and (f) Proteus. The taxonomy suggested by this study is compared with that in current use. Temporary working type strains of most of the species are suggested for use in surveys of this kind. The limitations of the method and of using old laboratory records are discussed.
Statistical analysis of the mechanical properties of natural fibers and their composite materials. II. Composite materials

In this study, the tensile behavior of different natural fiber reinforced composite materials were analyzed. The statistical analysis used to study the natural fibers in the first article, has been extended to analyze the behavior of PP-matrix composites, combining the probability density function estimation of fiber properties with the Halpin-Tsai equation. In this case, the advanced statistical approach overestimates the mechanical properties of the composites, probably because of the poor matrix-fiber adhesion between polypropylene and natural fibers in the real system. POLYM. COMPOS. , 2008. © 2008 Society of Plastics Engineers
The Crystal Structure of Toxoplasma gondii Pyruvate Kinase 1

Background Pyruvate kinase (PK), which catalyzes the final step in glycolysis converting phosphoenolpyruvate to pyruvate, is a central metabolic regulator in most organisms. Consequently PK represents an attractive therapeutic target in cancer and human pathogens, like Apicomplexans. The phylum Aplicomplexa, a group of exclusively parasitic organisms, includes the genera Plasmodium, Cryptosporidium and Toxoplasma, the etiological agents of malaria, cryptosporidiosis and toxoplasmosis respectively. Toxoplasma gondii infection causes a mild illness and is a very common infection affecting nearly one third of the world's population. Methodology/Principal Findings We have determined the crystal structure of the PK1 enzyme from T. gondii, with the B domain in the open and closed conformations. We have also characterized its enzymatic activity and confirmed glucose-6-phosphate as its allosteric activator. This is the first description of a PK enzyme in a closed inactive conformation without any bound substrate. Comparison of the two tetrameric TgPK1 structures indicates a reorientation of the monomers with a concomitant change in the buried surface among adjacent monomers. The change in the buried surface was associated with significant B domain movements in one of the interacting monomers. Conclusions We hypothesize that a loop in the interface between the A and B domains plays an important role linking the position of the B domain to the buried surface among monomers through two α-helices. The proposed model links the catalytic cycle of the enzyme with its domain movements and highlights the contribution of the interface between adjacent subunits. In addition, an unusual ordered conformation was observed in one of the allosteric binding domains and it is related to a specific apicomplexan insertion. The sequence and structural particularity would explain the atypical activation by a mono-phosphorylated sugar. The sum of peculiarities raises this enzyme as an emerging target for drug discovery. Enhanced version This article can also be viewed as an enhanced version in which the text of the article is integrated with interactive 3D representations and animated transitions. Please note that a web plugin is required to access this enhanced functionality. Instructions for the installation and use of the web plugin are available in Text S1.
Feature-Rich Log-Linear Lexical Model for Latent Variable PCFG Grammars

Context-free grammars with latent annotations (PCFG-LA) have been found to be effective for parsing many languages; however, currently their lexical model may be subject to over-fitting and requires language engineering to handle out-ofvocabulary (OOV) words. Inspired by previous studies that have incorporated rich features into generative models, we propose to use a feature-rich log-linear lexical model to train PCFG-LA grammars that are more robust to rare and OOV words. The proposed lexical model has three advantages: over-fitting is alleviated via regularization, OOV words are modeled using rich features, and lexical features are exploited for grammar induction. Our approach results in significantly more accurate PCFG-LA grammars that are flexible to train for different languages (with test F scores of 90.5, 85.0, and 81.9 on WSJ, CTB6, and ATB, respectively).
Postinfarction survival and inducibility of ventricular arrhythmias in the spontaneously hypertensive rat : effects of ramipril and hydralazine.

BACKGROUND Hypertensive patients with left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) have been found to have greater peri-infarction and postinfarction mortality. In this study, we evaluated the postinfarction survival, susceptibility to ventricular arrhythmias, and degree of LVH and cardiac fibrosis in the spontaneously hypertensive rat (SHR) and the effects of the ACE inhibitor ramipril and the direct vasodilator hydralazine on these characteristics. METHODS AND RESULTS An acute myocardial infarction (MI) was produced by ligation of the left anterior descending coronary artery. Rats were randomized to either control (n=50), hydralazine (n=41), or ramipril (n=45). Treatments were started 4 hours after infarction and continued for 8 weeks. Ramipril and hydralazine reduced arterial pressure similarly. Medications were stopped 72 hours before euthanasia, at which time hemodynamic, programmed electrophysiological stimulation (PES), and morphological studies were performed. Mortality was decreased in ramipril (56%) compared with hydralazine (78%) and control (82%) SHRs (P=0.008). This was accompanied by a decrease in myocardial hypertrophy and fibrosis and a decrease in inducibility of ventricular arrhythmias by PES in the ramipril group regardless of MI size. Treatment with hydralazine had little or no effect on LVH and cardiac fibrosis and did not modify inducibility of ventricular arrhythmias by PES. Ramipril but not hydralazine prevented the increase in LV end-diastolic pressure in rats with large MIs. CONCLUSIONS In the SHR, the ACE inhibitor ramipril reduces LVH, cardiac fibrosis, and susceptibility to ventricular arrhythmias by PES and improves survival and LV function. Despite a similar decrease in arterial pressure, hydralazine does not have these beneficial effects.
Object representation model for a cache memory in a real-time Java environment

Conventional cache memories act to bridge the gap in speeds between the processor and main memory. However, typical cache memories do not take into account of the specific characteristics of objects-oriented programs. As result it may incur in a performance penalty. In this paper, we discuss how an objects-based cache device can support Java objects. This feature is especially useful in the field of real-time programming, where the determinism for memory cache accesses is a limiting factor. In order to do that, we propose an object layout which splits objects into the same sized blocks; in this way, each cache memory line supports a block. This memory model avoids external fragmentation, while minimizing internal fragmentation.