Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Genetic Characteristics of CRF01_AE Among Newly Diagnosed HIV-1-Infected 16- to 25-Year Olds in 3 Geographic Regions of Guangxi, China

AbstractThe aim of this study was to analyze the distribution of clusters and drug resistance of CRF01_AE among newly diagnosed, treatment-naïve HIV-infected teenagers and young adults in 3 major HIV-affected geographic regions of Guangxi Province, including the cities of Hezhou, Liuzhou, and Nanning.Samples were sequentially collected from newly diagnosed HIV-infected 16- to 25-year olds in these 3 regions from 2009 to 2013. The viral genome was extracted, and the partial pol gene was amplified and sequenced. Phylogenetic analyses were used to determine HIV-1 subtypes and CRF01_AE clusters. Transmitted drug resistance (TDR) mutations were identified using the 2009 WHO list of TDR mutations.A total of 216 sequences were obtained from CRF01_AE strains, which accounted for 83.1% of the 260 genotyped samples, of which 36 were from Hezhou, 147 from Liuzhou, and 33 in Nanning. Most (83.3%, 180/216) were from heterosexuals, followed by injection drug users (5.6%), homosexuals (4.2%), and unknown risk group (6.9%). Based on phylogenetic analyses by the maximum likelihood method, 5 distinct clusters (cluster 1–5) were identified with 213 (98.6%) sequences, whereas 3 (1.4%) sequences were ungrouped. In Hezhou, 88.9% (32/36) of CRF01_AE infections were caused by cluster 2, and 11.1% (4/36) were caused by cluster 1. In Liuzhou, 83.0% (122/147) of the CRF01_AE strains were found in cluster 1, 11.6% (17/147) from cluster 2, 1.4% (2/147) from cluster 3, 2.7% (4/147) from cluster 4, and 0.7% (1/147) from cluster 5. The distribution of CRF01_AE clusters was more even in Nanning than it was in the other 2 regions, with 18.2% (6/33) from cluster 1, 36.3% (12/33) from cluster 2, 9.1% (3/33) from cluster 3, 18.2% (6/33) from cluster 4, and 12.1% (4/33) from cluster 5. The most frequent TDR mutations were M46I (2) in the protease region and Y181C (2) from the reverse transcriptase fragment.Clusters 1 and 2 of CRF01_AE strains were prevalent in Liuzhou and Hezhou, respectively. However, multiple CRF01_AE clusters existed in Nanning. This can be partially explained by the high mobility of laborers in Nanning, the capital city of Guangxi. The prevalence of TDR was low.
Research Note: The Relationship Between Children's Geographical Knowledge and Travel Experience: An Exploratory Study

ABSTRACT As learning is identified as a main motive for family travel, this study explores the link between children's demographic characteristics, travel experience and their geographical knowledge. Interviews were conducted with 261 children, aged 6 to 13, in nineteen schools in England. To validate the children's reports of travel experience, a questionnaire was also distributed to the parents of the participants. The analysis was conducted using simultaneous multiple regression. The results suggest a direct link between social class, age and travel experience. Unexpectedly, no link was found between travel experience and geographical knowledge. It is suggested that there is a need for further research on the effects of travel on children and specifically on the learning that results from tourist activity.
Consensus conference on platelet transfusion: final statement.

Accessible online at: http://BioMedNet.com/karger Dr. Marcela Contreras Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh 9 Queen Street Edinburgh EH2 1JQ (UK) Members of the Consensus Panel: Professor Alan K. Burnett (Vice-Chairman), Dr. Virginia Clough, Ms. Maggie Grundy, Mr. Chris Holme, Professor Peter J. Lachmann (Chairman), Mr. Charles Marshall, Mr. Lloyd Scott, Dr. Patricia Skacel, Dr. Colin J. Sinclair, Mr. Peter C. Taylor, Mrs. Pat Walsh. Introduction
Surprising but not shocking: The reality of the first year of teaching

The need in many countries not merely to recruit but – critically – to retain effective teachers has been a key factor in shaping induction policies. Past reviews of teacher induction have highlighted two important sources of difficulty: novices’ own unrealistic expectations of teaching and of students, and others’ unrealistic expectations of the novices. This article, which examines the relationship between teachers’ expectations of the first year of teaching and the realities that they encounter, explores the ways in which two policies in England – school-based initial teacher education partnerships (established since the early 1990s) and formal induction arrangements (re-introduced in 2000) have impacted on beginning teachers’ experience of the transition. Drawing on data from a three-year longitudinal study it focuses specifically on how the teachers’ reflections on their experience of their first year in teaching are related to the accounts that they give of their learning over the same period.
Efficient Multi-way Theta-Join Processing Using MapReduce

Multi-way Theta-join queries are powerful in describing complex relations and therefore widely employed in real practices. However, existing solutions from traditional distributed and parallel databases for multi-way Theta-join queries cannot be easily extended to fit a shared-nothing distributed computing paradigm, which is proven to be able to support OLAP applications over immense data volumes. In this work, we study the problem of efficient processing of multi-way Theta-join queries using MapReduce from a cost-effective perspective. Although there have been some works using the (key, value) pair-based programming model to support join operations, efficient processing of multi-way Theta-join queries has never been fully explored. The substantial challenge lies in, given a number of processing units (that can run Map or Reduce tasks), mapping a multi-way Theta-join query to a number of MapReduce jobs and having them executed in a well scheduled sequence, such that the total processing time span is minimized. Our solution mainly includes two parts: 1) cost metrics for both single MapReduce job and a number of MapReduce jobs executed in a certain order; 2) the efficient execution of a chain-typed Theta-join with only one MapReduce job. Comparing with the query evaluation strategy proposed in [23] and the widely adopted Pig Latin and Hive SQL solutions, our method achieves significant improvement of the join processing efficiency.
The Impact of Changing Communication Practices

Due to advancements in communication technologies, how we interact with each other has changed significantly. An advantage is being able to keep in touch (family, friends) and collaborate (colleagues) with others over large distances. However, these technologies can remove behavioural cues, such as, changes in tone, gesturing and posture which can add depth and meaning to an interaction. In this paper two studies are presented which investigate changing communication practices in 1) the workplace and in 2) a loosely connected social group. The interactions of the participants were analysed by comparing synchronous (occurring in real time; e.g. face to face) and asynchronous (delayed; email, sms) patterns of communication. The findings showed a prevalence of asynchronous methods of communication in Study 1, which had an impact on affective states (positive and negative) and on self reported measures of productivity, creativity, while in Study 2 synchronous communication patterns affected stress.
A 16 mW, 120 dB linear switched-capacitor delta-sigma modulator with dynamic biasing

A high resolution fourth-order ΔΣ ADC is presented. Power reduction techniques have been applied across many aspects of the design. A class-A amplifier was designed with bias currents optimized according to the expected activity in each clock phase. The modulator achieves a 122dB dynamic range over a 400Hz bandwidth, -123dB THD, and 16mW power consumption from a single 5V supply. It is implemented in a 0. 6µm double polysilicon CMOS process, and has an active area of 2 mm2.
PFED: a prediction-based fair active queue management algorithm

In this paper, we propose a novel active queue management algorithm PFED, which is based on network traffic prediction. The main properties of PFED are: (1) stabilizing queue length at a desirable level with consideration of future traffic, and using a MMSE (minimum mean square error) predictor to predict future network traffic; (2) imposing effective punishment upon misbehaving flow with a full stateless method; (3) maintaining queue arrival rate bounded by queue service rate through more reasonable calculation of packet drop probability. To verify the performance of PFED, PFED is implemented in NS2 and is compared with RED and CHOKe with respect to different performance metrics. Simulation results show that PFED outperforms RED and CHOKe in stabling instantaneous queue length and in fairness. It is also shown that PFED enables the link capacity to be fully utilized by stabilizing the queue length at a desirable level, while not incurring excessive packet loss ratio.
3D-model-based face replacement in video

The development in digital technologies and the widespread Web 2.0 concept have made many digital videos accessible. Editing and modifying digital videos have become an interesting and important topic. In this paper, we present a system for face replacement in video. Most digital processing software can perform face replacement only when the poses for the source and target faces are similar, and the manipulation process with those software is often time-consuming and labor-intensive. While previous work [Blanz et al. 2004] focuses on image face replacement, our system performs face replacement in video by constructing 3D models for both target and source faces and swapping them accordingly. 3D face models are created by fitting 3D morphable models [Blanz et al. 1999] and the input is reduced to two pictures for the face to be placed in.
Ownership passing: efficient distributed memory programming on multi-core systems

The number of cores in multi- and many-core high-performance processors is steadily increasing. MPI, the de-facto standard for programming high-performance computing systems offers a distributed memory programming model. MPI's semantics force a copy from one process' send buffer to another process' receive buffer. This makes it difficult to achieve the same performance on modern hardware than shared memory programs which are arguably harder to maintain and debug. We propose generalizing MPI's communication model to include ownership passing, which make it possible to fully leverage the shared memory hardware of multi- and many-core CPUs to stream communicated data concurrently with the receiver's computations on it. The benefits and simplicity of message passing are retained by extending MPI with calls to send (pass) ownership of memory regions, instead of their contents, between processes. Ownership passing is achieved with a hybrid MPI implementation that runs MPI processes as threads and is mostly transparent to the user. We propose an API and a static analysis technique to transform legacy MPI codes automatically and transparently to the programmer, demonstrating that this scheme is easy to use in practice. Using the ownership passing technique, we see up to 51% communication speedups over a standard message passing implementation on state-of-the art multicore systems. Our analysis and interface will lay the groundwork for future development of MPI-aware optimizing compilers and multi-core specific optimizations, which will be key for success in current and next-generation computing platforms.
Training and development activities and career success among Filipino managerial women

This study examined Filipino managerial women’s participation in a variety of education, training and development activities and the usefulness and impact of such activities. Filipino managerial women rated orientation programs, career development programs, technical training and management development programs most useful. Filipino women also participated in such activities to a significantly greater degree than did Canadian managerial women. Participation in and perceived usefulness of these activities were related to work and career outcomes, controlling for relevant personal and organizational factors.
Comparison of quantitative and semiquantitative indicators of joint space narrowing in subjects with knee osteoarthritis

Objective: To compare quantitative estimates of change in joint space width (JSW) with semiquantitative ratings of the progression of joint space narrowing (JSN) with respect to sensitivity to change over time. Methods: 431 obese women 45 to 64 years old with unilateral radiographic knee osteoarthritis were randomised to 30 months’ treatment with doxycycline 100 mg twice daily or placebo. Quantitative estimates of change in JSW in the medial tibiofemoral compartment from fluoroscopically assisted semiflexed AP radiographs were obtained at baseline and 16 and 30 months after randomisation. Radiographic JSN was rated (0–3 scale) in the same images by two readers using a standard atlas. Changes in overall severity of knee osteoarthritis were derived from gradings of conventional standing AP radiographs at baseline and 30 months, with blinding to treatment group and chronological order of examination. Results: Follow up radiographs were obtained from 381 subjects (88%) at 16 months and from 367 (85%) at 30 months. The treatment groups did not differ in the frequency of significant loss of JSW by dichotomous criteria (⩾0.5 mm, ⩾1.0 mm, ⩾20%, or ⩾50% of baseline JSW). Progressors and non-progressors, as defined by each of the dichotomous outcomes, differed significantly in mean value for quantitative measurement of change in JSW at 30 months (p⩽0.001). Conclusions: Quantitative and semiquantitative indicators of progression of osteoarthritis in fluoroscopically standardised radiographs of osteoarthritic knees are highly related, but the effect of doxycycline on articular cartilage thickness was more easily detected with quantitative measurements of change in JSW than with semiquantitative ratings of JSN.
Mitochondrial DNA Mutations in Grade II and III Glioma Cell Lines Are Associated with Significant Mitochondrial Dysfunction and Higher Oxidative Stress

The role of mitochondria in tumorigenesis has regained much attention as it could dysregulate cellular energetics, oxidative stress and apoptosis. However, the role of mitochondria in different grade gliomasis still unknown. This study aimed to identify mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) sequence variations that could possibly affect the mitochondrial functions and also the oxidative stress status. Three different grades of human glioma cell lines and a normal human astrocyte cell line were cultured in-vitro and tested for oxidative stress biomarkers. Relative oxidative stress level, mitochondria activity, and mitochondrial mass were determined by live cell imaging with confocal laser scanning microscope using CM-H2DCFDA, MitoTracker Green, and MitoTracker Orange stains. The entire mitochondrial genome was sequenced using the AffymetrixGeneChip Human Mitochondrial Resequencing Array 2.0. The mitochondrial sequence variations were subjected to phylogenetic haplogroup assessment and pathogenicity of the mutations were predicted using pMUT and PolyPhen2. The Grade II astrocytoma cells showed increased oxidative stress wherea high level of 8-OHdG and oxidative stress indicator were observed. Simultaneously, Grade II and III glioma cells showed relatively poor mitochondria functions and increased number of mutations in the coding region of the mtDNA which could be due to high levels of oxidative stress in these cells. These non-synonymous mtDNA sequence variations were predicted to be pathogenic and could possibly lead to protein dysfunction, leading to oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) impairment, mitochondria dysfunction and could create a vicious cycle of oxidative stress. The Grade IV cells had no missense mutation but preserved intact mitochondria and excellent antioxidant defense mechanisms thus ensuring better survival. In conclusion, Grade II and III glioma cells demonstrated coding region mtDNA mutations, leading to mitochondrial dysfunction and higher oxidative stress.
The Challenge of Cultural Explanations and Religious Requirements for Children with Autistic Spectrum Conditions: South Asian Muslim Parents in Bradford, England

The development in Bradford, England, of specific training materials for parents from Muslim communities of Pakistani origin caring for children with autistic spectrum conditions is outlined, with particular emphasis on challenges arising from non-scientific ‘religious’ explanations for children's conditions and from parents feelings of obligation to ensure that children meet religious requirements. Relevant literature is reviewed and parents’ responses to materials reported and discussed. It is suggested that such parents will benefit from opportunities to explore cultural ideas about causality with each other and with informed and non-judgmental professionals and to share concerns around matters such as washing and prayer.
Simultaneous recordings of visual evoked potentials and BOLD MRI activations in response to visual motion processing

Visual motion processing in humans was studied by simultaneous 32‐channel electroencephalography (EEG) recordings of visual evoked potentials and BOLD MRI activations at 2.9 T. The paradigms compared three different random dot patterns (12 s duration) with stationary random dots (18 s) or with each other. The stimuli represented pattern reversal (500 ms switches between two stationary patterns), motion onset (200 ms of starfield motion followed by 1000 ms of stationary dots) and motion reversal (reversal of moving starfield directions every 1000 ms). Whereas motion‐evoked visual potentials, and in particular the N2 component in occipito‐temporal channels, were most prominent for motion onset, the most extended BOLD MRI activations and strongest signal changes in V5/MT+ were obtained in response to motion reversal. These apparently contradictory findings most likely reflect different physiological aspects of the neural activity associated with visual motion processing. For example, desynchronized activity of subpopulations of cortical neurons inside V5/MT+ is expected to attenuate visual evoked potentials in scalp recordings while continuously driving metabolic demands that lead to sustained BOLD MRI responses. The understanding of the physiological correlates and neural processes underlying either technique is fundamental to exploring fully the potential of combined EEG–MRI for studying human brain function at both high temporal and spatial resolution. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Frequency of sternal variations and anomalies evaluated by MDCT.

OBJECTIVE Our objective was to reveal the frequency and MDCT appearances of sternal variations and anomalies in subjects without sternal deformities. SUBJECTS AND METHODS One thousand consecutive patients who underwent thoracic MDCT examination were enrolled in the study. All MDCT data, including multiplanar and curved-planar reconstructed images, were evaluated for detection of sternal variations and anomalies. Various kinds of sternal variations and anomalies, such as suprasternal bones and tubercles, manubriosternal and sternoxiphoidal fusions, sternal clefts and foramina, and sternal sclerotic bands were documented. RESULTS In 1,000 subjects, the frequencies of main sternal variations and anomalies were as follows: suprasternal bone in 4.1%, suprasternal tubercle in 4%, complete manubriosternal fusion in 19.6%, complete sternoxiphoidal fusion in 30.3%, sternal foramen in 4.5%, and sternal sclerotic band in 37.1%. Xiphoidal foramen was seen in 27.4%, and the most common type was single foramen. Xiphoid process mostly ended as a single process (71%). Double-ended xiphoid process was also frequent (27.2%). Pseudocleft and pseudoforamen at the sternoxiphoidal junction were detected in 3.3% and in 3.6% of subjects, respectively. CONCLUSION MDCT exhibited various sternal variations and anomalies. Sternal foramen is a frequent minor anomaly and generally associated with sternal sclerotic bands. Early manubriosternal and sternoxiphoidal fusions can be seen in early adulthood without osteodegeneration. Double-ended xiphoid process and single xiphoidal foramen are frequent sternal variations. Awareness of MDCT appearances of sternal variations and anomalies provides a better differential diagnosis with pathologic conditions.
Demethylation of CpG islands in the 5' upstream regions mediates the expression of the human testis-specific gene MAGEB16 and its mouse homolog Mageb16

Tissue-specific gene expression is regulated by epigenetic modification involving trans-acting factors. Here, we identified that the human MAGEB16 gene and its mouse homolog, Mageb16, are only expressed in the testis. To investigate the mechanism governing their expression, the promoter methylation status of these genes was examined in different samples. Two CpG islands (CGIs) in the 5' upstream region of MAGEB16 were highly demethylated in human testes, whereas they were methylated in cells without MAGEB16 expression. Similarly, the CGI in Mageb16 was hypomethylated in mouse testes but hypermethylated in other tissues and cells without Mageb16 expression. Additionally, the expression of these genes could be activated by treatment with the demethylation agent 5'-aza-2'-deoxycytidine (5'-aza-CdR). Luciferase assays revealed that both gene promoter activities were inhibited by methylation of the CGI regions. Therefore, we propose that the testis-specific expression of MAGEB16 and Mageb16 is regulated by the methylation status of their promoter regions. [BMB Reports 2014; 47(2): 86-91]
Eriksonian Lifespan Theory and Life History Theory: An Integration Using the Example of Identity Formation

Furthering the cause of consilience in the social sciences a model is proposed in which Eriksonian life span theory and life history theory are integrated. The model explains individual differences in the Eriksonian developmental stages as a function of the individual differences in developmental trajectories of life history theory as conceptualized by Belsky, Steinberg, and Draper (1991). Erikson's fifth stage of identity formation is used to examine the model, with the results of three studies presented to illustrate the viability of the model. Future research should examine other aspects of the model and the relationship between the developmental trajectories in life history theory and the Eriksonian stages in greater detail.
Geo-based Social Media Analytics and SMART Dashboard for Tracking Influenza Outbreaks

To track outbreaks of influenza (flu), we computed twitter rates from 31 US cities and compare rates to influenza-like-illness (ILI) surveillance rates. Over 2 flu seasons, 2012-14, significant correlations and similar graphic patterns were observed. We demonstrate an interactive dashboard "SMART" that allows practitioners to monitor and visualize daily changes of flu tweets and related news. Compared to regional or national approaches such a GoogleFluTrends, this system allows rapid public opinion analysis and flu outbreak detection at the local level. The SMART dashboard can provide timely and actionable information for local for agencies and practitioners.