Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Complete Genome Sequence of a Pepper mild mottle virus Isolate from Northeast China

ABSTRACT The complete genome sequence of a Pepper mild mottle virus (PMMoV) isolate obtained from Northeast China was determined by reverse transcription-PCR (RT-PCR) and rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE). Phylogenetic analysis showed that the virus isolate is closely related to Japanese, Chinese, Spanish, and U.S. isolates.
Parallelization of ontology construction and fusion based on MapReduce

As a data integration technology, ontology has been widely used in the knowledge systems and domain knowledge representation. An ontology construction and fusion technology for large-scale data is very important. In this paper, we propose a parallel ontology construction and fusion approach adapted to MapReduce framework based on the traditional ontology technology and MapReduce. The method separates the ontology model building process from the repeated calculation processes, and realizes the massive data integration. The evaluations tested on scientific literature data show the feasibility and efficiency of our approach.
Sensor-Motor Maps for Describing Linear Reflex Composition in Hopping

In human and animal motor control several sensory organs contribute to a network of sensory pathways modulating the motion depending on the task and the phase of execution to generate daily motor tasks such as locomotion. To better understand the individual and joint contribution of reflex pathways in locomotor tasks, we developed a neuromuscular model that describes hopping movements. In this model, we consider the influence of proprioceptive length (LFB), velocity (VFB) and force feedback (FFB) pathways of a leg extensor muscle on hopping stability, performance and efficiency (metabolic effort). Therefore, we explore the space describing the blending of the monosynaptic reflex pathway gains. We call this reflex parameter space a sensor-motor map. The sensor-motor maps are used to visualize the functional contribution of sensory pathways in multisensory integration. We further evaluate the robustness of these sensor-motor maps to changes in tendon elasticity, body mass, segment length and ground compliance. The model predicted that different reflex pathway compositions selectively optimize specific hopping characteristics (e.g., performance and efficiency). Both FFB and LFB were pathways that enable hopping. FFB resulted in the largest hopping heights, LFB enhanced hopping efficiency and VFB had the ability to disable hopping. For the tested case, the topology of the sensor-motor maps as well as the location of functionally optimal compositions were invariant to changes in system designs (tendon elasticity, body mass, segment length) or environmental parameters (ground compliance). Our results indicate that different feedback pathway compositions may serve different functional roles. The topology of the sensor-motor map was predicted to be robust against changes in the mechanical system design indicating that the reflex system can use different morphological designs, which does not apply for most robotic systems (for which the control often follows a specific design). Consequently, variations in body mechanics are permitted with consistent compositions of sensory feedback pathways. Given the variability in human body morphology, such variations are highly relevant for human motor control.
ATF7 mediates TNF-α–induced telomere shortening

Abstract Telomeres maintain the integrity of chromosome ends and telomere length is an important marker of aging. The epidemiological studies suggested that many types of stress including psychosocial stress decrease telomere length. However, it remains unknown how various stresses induce telomere shortening. Here, we report that the stress-responsive transcription factor ATF7 mediates TNF-α–induced telomere shortening. ATF7 and telomerase, an enzyme that elongates telomeres, are localized on telomeres via interactions with the Ku complex. In response to TNF-α, which is induced by various stresses including psychological stress, ATF7 was phosphorylated by p38, leading to the release of ATF7 and telomerase from telomeres. Thus, a decrease of ATF7 and telomerase on telomeres in response to stress causes telomere shortening, as observed in ATF7-deficient mice. These findings give credence to the idea that various types of stress might shorten telomere.
Immobilisation of TiO2 films on activated carbon fibres by a hydrothermal method for photocatalytic degradation of toluene

To improve the degradation efficiency of TiO2 for low concentrations of volatile organic compounds, TiO2 loaded on activated carbon fibres (ACF) was prepared by an impregnation–hydrothermal method. The crystal structure, surface area, dispersion, optical absorption properties, and chemical composition of the TiO2/ACF composite materials were characterised by X-ray diffraction, Brunauer−Emmett−Teller analysis, scanning electron microscopy, ultraviolet–visible absorption spectroscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The influence of the hydrothermal temperature, illumination time, space velocity, and light intensity on the photocatalytic activities of the TiO2/ACF composite materials was investigated with toluene as a model pollutant. The results showed that the phase of TiO2 was anatase, which was dispersed as a thin film on the ACF surface. The crystallinity, dispersion, UV absorption, and hydroxyl group content of TiO2 increased with an increase of hydrothermal temperature, whereas the photocatalytic activity of TiO2/ACF was maximised when the hydrothermal temperature was 180°C. Increases in illumination time, space velocity, and light intensity were beneficial for regeneration of the composite materials. However, the energy efficiency decreased with increased light intensity. The degradation efficiency of toluene reached 40% with reaction conditions of illumination time: 3 h, space velocity: 1400 h−1, and light intensity: 32 W. This degradation efficiency decreased 3.3% after recycling five times.
Trip Router: A Time-Sensitive Route Recommender System

Location-based services allow users to perform geo-spatial recording actions, which facilitates the mining of the moving activities of human beings. This paper proposes a system, Trip Router, to recommend time-sensitive trip routes consisting of a sequence of locations with associated time stamps based on knowledge extracted from large-scale location check-in data. We first propose a statistical route goodness measure considering: (a) the popularity of places, (b) the visiting order of places, (c) the proper visiting time of each place, and (d) the proper transit time from one place to another. Then we construct the time-sensitive route recommender with two major functions: (1) constructing the route based on the user-specified source location with the starting time, (2) composing the route between the specified source location and the destination location given a starting time. We devise a search method, Guidance Search, to derive the routes efficiently and effectively. Experiments on Gowalla check-in datasets with user study show the promising performance of our Trip Router system.
Selection of an HLA-C*03:04-Restricted HIV-1 p24 Gag Sequence Variant Is Associated with Viral Escape from KIR2DL3+ Natural Killer Cells: Data from an Observational Cohort in South Africa

Background Viruses can evade immune surveillance, but the underlying mechanisms are insufficiently understood. Here, we sought to understand the mechanisms by which natural killer (NK) cells recognize HIV-1-infected cells and how this virus can evade NK-cell-mediated immune pressure. Methods and Findings Two sequence mutations in p24 Gag associated with the presence of specific KIR/HLA combined genotypes were identified in HIV-1 clade C viruses from a large cohort of infected, untreated individuals in South Africa (n = 392), suggesting viral escape from KIR+ NK cells through sequence variations within HLA class I—presented epitopes. One sequence polymorphism at position 303 of p24 Gag (TGag303V), selected for in infected individuals with both KIR2DL3 and HLA-C*03:04, enabled significantly better binding of the inhibitory KIR2DL3 receptor to HLA-C*03:04-expressing cells presenting this variant epitope compared to the wild-type epitope (wild-type mean 18.01 ± 10.45 standard deviation [SD] and variant mean 44.67 ± 14.42 SD, p = 0.002). Furthermore, activation of primary KIR2DL3+ NK cells from healthy donors in response to HLA-C*03:04+ target cells presenting the variant epitope was significantly reduced in comparison to cells presenting the wild-type sequence (wild-type mean 0.78 ± 0.07 standard error of the mean [SEM] and variant mean 0.63 ± 0.07 SEM, p = 0.012). Structural modeling and surface plasmon resonance of KIR/peptide/HLA interactions in the context of the different viral sequence variants studied supported these results. Future studies will be needed to assess processing and antigen presentation of the investigated HIV-1 epitope in natural infection, and the consequences for viral control. Conclusions These data provide novel insights into how viruses can evade NK cell immunity through the selection of mutations in HLA-presented epitopes that enhance binding to inhibitory NK cell receptors. Better understanding of the mechanisms by which HIV-1 evades NK-cell-mediated immune pressure and the functional validation of a structural modeling approach will facilitate the development of novel targeted immune interventions to harness the antiviral activities of NK cells.
On human motion imitation by humanoid robot

In this paper, the imitation of human captured motions by a humanoid robot is considered. The main objective is to reproduce an imitated motion which should be as close as possible to the original human captured motion. To achieve this goal, the imitation problem is formulated as an optimization problem and the physical limits of the humanoid robot are considered as constraints. The optimization problem is then solved recursively by using an efficient dynamics algorithm, which allows the calculation of the gradient function with respect to the control parameters analytically. The simulation results using OpenHRP platform, which is a dynamical simulator for humanoid robot motions, have pointed out that the imitated motions preserve the salient characteristics of the original human captured motion. Moreover the optimization procedure converges well thanks to the analytical calculation of the gradient function.
Factors associated with adherence to asthma treatment with inhaled corticosteroids: A cross-sectional exploratory study

ABSTRACT Background: Understanding factors at the patient, provider or organizational level associated with inhaled corticosteroids (ICSs) adherence is important when planning adherence-enhancing interventions. Objective: To explore factors associated with adherence to ICS among patients with asthma aged 12–45 years. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among patients with asthma reporting ICS prescription during the baseline interview of an intervention study. Three methods were used to measure ICS adherence: a 4-item self-report questionnaire, a single question (SQ) measuring past 7-day exposure to ICS and a medication possession ratio (MPR, i.e., the sum of ICS days of supply/365). We assessed 46 potential factors of ICS adherence derived from the Predisposing, Reinforcing and Enabling Constructs in Educational Diagnosis and Evaluation (PRECEDE) model. Their association with ICS adherence was measured using multivariate logistic regressions. Results: Among the 319 participants included, 16.0% were deemed adherent according to the 4-item questionnaire. This proportion was 43.0% and 9.1% for the SQ and the MPR method, respectively. Ten factors were associated with good ICS adherence. Among these factors, four were associated with adherence through one of the measuring methods: a low family income level, a high number of asthma drugs used, a good knowledge of asthma pathophysiology and the perception that following the ICS prescription was easy. Two factors emerged through more than one measure: perceiving asthma severity as moderate to very severe and perceiving a high risk of death if ICSs are not taken as prescribed. Conclusion: ICS adherence was poor in those individuals with asthma. Future adherence-enhancing interventions could target the identified modifiable risk factors. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier NCT02093013
EXERCISE PRESCRIPTION WHEN THERE IS NO EXERCISE TEST: THE TALK TEST

The Talk Test is a subjective measure of exercise intensity which, like RPE, has come to be accepted as an alternative to objective measures (%HRR, %VO2max) for exercise evaluation and prescription. This paper reviews the history and indications for using the Talk Test as a tool for both exercise evaluation and exercise prescription. The Talk Test, in one form or the other, has a long history, dating from at least 1937. It appears to be robust relative to the method of provoking speech and to the exercise mode. In the most widely used version, the subject recites a standard paragraph of 30-100 words, and responds to the question ‘Can you speak comfortably? ’ With answers of ‘Yes’ (POSITIVE), ‘Yes, but…’ (EQUIVOCAL), and ‘No” (NEGATIVE), the Talk Test appears to be able to identify exercise intensities closely associated with the ventilatory (VT) and respiratory compensation (RCT) thresholds, and to bracket subjects into %HRR intensities closely associated with the accepted exercise/training intensity guidelines, without the need for performing a maximal exercise test. The Talk Test appears to work well in a range of populations from college students, healthy adults, elite athletes to patients with chronic diseases. It also seems to be a valid and reliable marker of the presence of exertional ischemia. In a variety of populations, the Talk Test appears capable of being translated into absolute exercise training intensities, on the basis of a commonsense step down sequence. The Talk Test appears to work by allowing detection of when the suppression of breathing frequency, which is necessary for speech, begins to lead to CO2 trapping, which interferes with breathing comfort. Its response to disrupting stimuli such as stochastic exercise, exercise training and blood donation follow predictable patterns. Guiding exercise intensity using the Talk Test instead of %HRR provides comparable responses during exercise training, without the need for an anchoring maximal exercise test. In summary, the Talk Test seems to offer a considerable promise as a means of exercise evaluation and prescription, in a wide variety of exercising individuals, without the need for a preliminary exercise test.Key words: exercise prescription, breathing, ventilatory threshold
Screening Obesity by Direct and Derived Anthropometric Indices with Evaluation of Physical Efficiency Among Female College Students of Kolkata

Background: The available information regarding the obesity pattern of the undergraduate female students of Kolkata is inadequate, though there are several reports which indicate the complications and/or awful consequences of obesity on female health particularly, during the reproductive years. Aim: The present investigation has thus been carried out to report their present physiological status along with the prevalence of obesity, based on their body mass index (BMI), some direct and derived anthropometric indices, and physical fitness. Subjects and Methods: This small-scale cross-sectional study conducted in randomly selected 100 female students of different colleges of Kolkata with the age of 18-22 [mean age 20.4 (2.3)] years. Measurements of body composition included total 24 variables, with thirteen direct and eleven derived anthropometric variables; while physical efficiency parameters were physical fitness index, VO2max, energy expenditure and anaerobic power. The data of the experimental group were compared with those of the control group by t-test, using SPSS v.15. 0 and MS-Excel v.2013. Results: Analysis of collected data showed majority of the students have normal range of BMI (67.95%), but, 21.95% of students found to be overweight and 3.84% are obese. They also showed higher fat mass [14.40 (4.11)], but, lower waist-to-hip ratio and conicity index. They were found to have poor to moderate physical fitness [57.60 (3.90)] and higher energy expenditure [5.61 (0.72)]. Conclusion: The findings of the present obesity screening reports almost one of four female students (24 out of 100 participants) are overweight/obese, indicated higher body fat distribution and increased propensity of being obese with age. Thus, the overall data along with their low physical fitness points out to health risks among female undergraduates of Kolkata.
Experimental Study on Naringin Decoction Combined with Bone Marrow Mesenchymal Stromal Stem Cells in Repair of Articular Cartilage Defects in Rabbits

Objective:To further verify Naringin decoction effects on the repair of rabbit articular cartilage defects using BMSCs. Methods:Take BMSCs rabbit in vitro proliferation and implanted into rabbit articular cartilage defects by Naringin decoction feeding. Establish Naringin decoction group,BMSCs group,rabbit articular cartilage defects group,composite applications group. Morphological observation and histological examination were performed in repaired tissue at 8 weeks. Results:After 8 weeks,in morphological observation and histological examination,Naringin decoction group and BMSCs group achieved some repair effect.However,the repair of the defect composite applications group was better than the other groups,and the difference was statistically significant. Conclusion:Results have indicated that BMSCs and Naringin decoction can repair articular cartilage defects in rabbits.Composite applications can promote cartilage repair,and improve the quality of repair.
An Efficient Approach for Content based Image Retrieval using SVM, KNN-GA as Multilayer Classifier

technology is growing day by day in various fields and image retrieval is one of the most of them, it is more interesting and fastest growing research areas. It is an effective and efficient tool for managing large image databases. In most Content-Based Image Retrieval (CBIR) systems, images are represented and differentiated by a set of low-level visual features; hence a direct correlation with high- level semantic information will be absent. Therefore, a gap exists between high-level information. In this paper they proposed novel approach for content based image retrieval was two tier architecture model is used for most accurate retrieval. In the first tier first feature extraction process done using PSO with SVM classifier, after successful classification in first tier the retrieved result has been passed into the second tier classifier. And in the second tier KNN classifier is used but as they knew that GA is one of the optimization technique and it produces the best optimized result in maximum cases so it is applied with the KNN classifier, and it produces more accurate and efficient compared result. Keywordsbased image retrieval (CBIR), feature extraction, SVM, PSO, KNN, GA, object optimization.
Coordination in Teams: A Real Effort-Task Experiment with Informal Punishment

This paper reports the results from a real-effort team production experiment, where best performers can impose either tacit or explicit sanctions on their less-performing partners. The behavior of the best performer in the team differs from one condition to another. When explicit sanctions are not allowed, good performers reduce their effort in response to the advantageous difference in scores; when they can impose sanctions, their change in effort is no longer related to the difference in scores. To some extent, a mechanism of explicit sanctions allows good performers to focus on their own performance. Not sanctioning an opponent who under-performs, what we refer to as forgiveness, prompts the latter to improve his performance, but applying the sanction has a stronger effect.
Virus infections of the gastrointestinal tract of poultry

Abstract Several different viruses have been identified as causes of gastrointestinal tract infections in poultry. These include rotaviruses, coronaviruses, enteroviruses, adenoviruses, astroviruses, and reoviruses. In addition, a number of other viruses of unknown importance have been associated with gastrointestinal diseases in poultry based on electron microscopic examination of feces and intestinal contents. Viral infections of the gastrointestinal tract of poultry are known to negatively impact poultry production, and they likely contribute to the development of other, extragastrointestinal diseases. Our current understanding of the viruses that cause gastrointestinal tract infections in poultry is reviewed, with emphasis given to those of greatest importance.
Decreased levels of serum exosomal miR‐638 predict poor prognosis in hepatocellular carcinoma

Currently available studies have implicated that exosome‐delivered microRNAs (miRNAs) play crucial roles in human cancer. However, the association of serum exosomal miR‐638 and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains largely unknown. We aim to investigate the expression of exosomal miR‐638 in serum of HCC patients and its prognostic role in this deadly disease. Kaplan‐Meier and Cox regression analyses were used to determine the survival of patients histologically diagnosed with HCC. Reduced levels of exosomal miR‐638 in serum samples from patients with HCC were identified by real‐time PCR. Negative association of serum exosomal miR‐638 with tumor size, vascular infiltration, and TNM stage was observed in HCC patients. Besides, the proliferation of Huh7 and SMCC7721 HCC cells were significantly inhibited when miR‐638 was over‐expressed in these cells. In addition, HCC patients with lower levels of serum exosomal miR‐638 had poor overall survival than those with higher levels of exosomal miR‐638 in serum. Our study strongly suggests that serum exosome‐delivered miR‐638 may serve as a novel circulating biomarker for HCC. Downregulation of miR‐638 predicts poor prognosis for patients with HCC.
A novel ion-activated in situ gelling ophthalmic delivery system based on κ-carrageenan for acyclovir

Abstract The aim of this study was to prepare and evaluate ion-activated in situ gel ophthalmic drug delivery system based on κ-carrageenan (KC), using acyclovir as a model drug, hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) as the viscosity agent and hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin (HP-β-CD) as the penetration enhancer. The two ternary phase diagrams exhibited the effect of K+ and Ca2+ on the sol-to-gel transition, which turned out that KC was more sensitive to K+. The optimal ophthalmic matrix (prepared from KC and HPMC) was optimized with in vitro drug release test. The apparent permeability coefficient of acyclovir under 2% HP-β-CD was found to have dramatically increased (2.16-ploid) than that of conventional eye drops (p < .05). The ion-activated in situ gel based on KC significantly delayed drug release and its bioavailability could be improved in comparison with the conventional eye drops. Hence, it has the potential to be a novel kind of ocular drug delivery system.