Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 Tat and methamphetamine affect the release and activation of matrix-degrading proteinases

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) dementia (HIVD) is associated with an increase in the number of activated monocytes within the central nervous system (CNS), a pathological feature that may be more remarkable in the setting of superimposed substance abuse. Monocytes may transport HIV to the brain, and, moreover, activated and/or infected monocytes have been shown to release a number of potent neurotoxins. Although the mechanisms responsible for the increase in the CNS ingress of monocytes are multiple, blood-brain barrier (BBB)-degrading matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are likely to play an important role. The current study investigates the effects of the HIV-1—encoded protein Tat, and the drug of abuse methamphetamine, on MMP release from brain derived cells. The release of urokinase plasminogen activator (uPA), an activator of MMPs, was also investigated. Mixed human neuron/astrocyte cultures were stimulated with Tat or methamphetamine, and supernatants were analyzed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and/or gelatin substrate zymography. Results showed that Tat and methamphetamine increased the release of MMP-1 from these cultures. Tat also increased supernatant levels of active MMP-2. In addition, both Tat and methamphetamine stimulated the release of the MMP activator uPA, and in a manner that was sensitive to inhibition with pertussis toxin. Together, these results suggest that in HIVD, Tat and methamphetamine may contribute to CNS inflammation by stimulating increased release and/or activation of matrix-degrading proteinases through mechanisms that include Gi/Go-coupled signaling. These results also suggest a potential mechanism for acceleration of HIVD with methamphetamine use.
The DNA-recognition fold of Sso7c4 suggests a new member of SpoVT-AbrB superfamily from archaea

Organisms growing at elevated temperatures face the challenge of maintaining the integrity of their genetic materials. Archaea possess unique chromatin proteins for gene organization and information processing. We present the solution structure of Sso7c4 from Sulfolobus solfataricus, which has a homodimeric DNA-binding fold forming a swapped β-loop-β ‘Tai-Chi’ topology. The fold is reminiscent of the N-terminal DNA-binding domain of AbrB and MazE. In addition, several amide resonances in the heteronuclear single quantum coherence spectra of Sso7c4 are shifted and broadened with the addition of small amounts of duplex DNA oligomers. The locations of the corresponding amides in the Sso7c4 structure define its DNA-interacting surface. NMR spectra of DNA titrated with the protein further indicated that Sso7c4 interacts with DNA in the major groove. Taken together, a plausible model for the Sso7c4–DNA complex is presented, in which the DNA double helix is curved around the protein dimer.
Hierarchical digital differential analyzer for efficient ray-marching in OpenVDB

VDB[Museth 2013] is a compact data structure and toolset developed at DreamWorks Animation for high-resolution volumetric effects typically encountered in movie production. Since its open source release in 2012, as OpenVDB1, it has been adopted by major third-party renders and VFX tools, including Houdini by SideFX, RenderMan by Pixar, Arnold by Solid Angle, and RealFlow by Next Limit. Thus, it should come as no surprise that it is highly desirable to have efficient algorithms for ray-marching of sparse VDB volumes. The core problem is therefore, how to best utilize the hierarchical data structure of VDB for applications that require efficient ray-marching. As we will demonstrate, the solution is a novel hierarchical digital differential analyzer.
Self-Determined Goal Selection and Planning by Students with Disabilities across Grade Bands and Disability Categories.

The purpose of this study was to analyze a large data base of self-selected/self-determined goals developed by students aged 7-21 that had developmental disabilities. Data included 288 goals developed by 205 students involved in the Kentucky Youth Advocacy Project. Students, teachers, Speech/Language pathologists and families utilized the Self Determined Learning Model of Instruction and Goal Attainment Scaling to develop, plan and monitor student self-selected goals over a school year. 71.2% of the goals were achieved. Information regarding goal types, and relationships between student grade and disability category and goal type, were also investigated. Results support the effectiveness of the SDLMI, as well as the need to increase adult awareness of socially valid goals for students with more significant disabilities.
Feminism, Ethics, and the Question of Theory

Feminist discussions of ethics in the Western philosophical tradition range from critiques of the substance of dominant moral theories to critiques of the very practice of “doing ethics” itself. I argue that these critiques really target a certain historically specific model of ethics and moral theory—a “theoretical-juridical” one. I outline an “expressive'Collaborative” conception of morality and ethics that could be a politically self-conscious and reflexively critical alternative.
Moving Money: Banking and Finance in the Industrialized World

Moving Money: Banking and Finance in the Industrialized World. By Daniel Verdier. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2003. 326p. $65.00 cloth, $23.99 paper. Although it may seem arcane or prosaic to some, the literature on the political economy of money and finance has burgeoned within political science since the mid-1980s. The two decades after the end of the Bretton Woods system in the early 1970s was a time of considerable macroeconomic volatility and cooperative effort to coordinate suitable policy responses. This stimulated scholarly inquiry. Since then, financial globalization has drawn in those interested in the challenge financial markets seem to pose to the official political order centered on states. This developing political science research tradition has, however, existed on the periphery of two other longer-standing literatures. The first is the economic history of monetary and financial affairs. This tradition has exhaustively investigated the formation, organization, and implications of the classical gold standard and the Bretton Woods order. This research stimulated many of the political science pioneers and remains seminal and vibrant. The other tradition to mention is that impulse in the social sciences to identify and characterize different forms, tendencies, or cycles in capitalism, and link these to distinct political and social orders. This much more controversial way of thinking has its origins in the great nineteenth-century systems of ideas. In more recent times, Karl Polanyi, Joseph A. Schumpeter, Alexander Gerschenkron, John Zysman, and the many authors associated with core-periphery and world systems theory have kept the tradition alive. Although many readers will assume Daniel Verdier's new book is unproblematically part of the political science tradition, it should be read squarely as a product of this last tendency, making use of the established historical work to generate a reinterpretation.
Cohabitation, Marriage and Delinquency: The Significance Family Environment

This paper uses Australian data to examine the relationship between parental lifestyles and family environments on the one hand, and occurrence, type and frequency of delinquency on the other. These data, collected by means of interviewing, relate to a part of a longitudinal study including 512 children; 233 were children of cohabiting couples and 279 of married couples. The findings presented in this paper show that (a) there are proportionally more offenders coming from families of cohabiting than of married couples; (b) there are proportionately more offenders who become recidivists coming from families of cohabiting than of married couples; and that (c) the family environments of the majority of offenders are marked by instability, low integration, hostile parental attitudes, domestic violence, parental conflicts and parental indifference.
Incorporating an Authentic Learning Strategy into Undergraduate Apparel and Merchandising Curriculum

An authentic learning strategy fostering students' active learning was studied using the scenario of a real-world project. Students from two different classes at two different universities worked as clients or consultants to develop an apparel sourcing strategy. Quantitative and qualitative data were gathered from 44 undergraduates enrolled in apparel and merchandising classes to assess students' learning experiences from the project. According to the findings, students had a positive learning experience overall, gaining practical competencies and experiences from various perspectives needed to solve the problems. These results were further confirmed by emerging themes in the qualitative data—namely, improved communication skills, enhanced professionalism through real-world experiences, team building, learning through interaction, and improved research skills. The evidence suggests that incorporating an authentic learning strategy in higher education by providing real-world experiences can benefit students' learning and build their professional competence.
The State of the Art of Electric, Hybrid, and Fuel Cell Vehicles

With the more stringent regulations on emissions and fuel economy, global warming, and constraints on energy resources, the electric, hybrid, and fuel cell vehicles have attracted more and more attention by automakers, governments, and customers. Research and development efforts have been focused on developing novel concepts, low-cost systems, and reliable hybrid electric powertrain. This paper reviews the state of the art of electric, hybrid, and fuel cell vehicles. The topologies for each category and the enabling technologies are discussed
Improving Cloaking Detection using Search Query Popularity and Monetizability

is a search engine spamming technique used by some Web sites to deliver one page to a search engine for indexing while serving an entirely different page to users browsing the site. In this paper, we show that the degree of cloaking among search results depends on query properties such as popularity and monetizability. We propose estimating query popularity and monetizability by analyzing search engine query logs and online advertising click-through logs, respectively. We also present a new measure for detecting cloaked URLs that uses a normalized term frequency ratio between multiple downloaded copies of Web pages. Experiments are conducted using 10,000 search queries and 3 million associated search result URLs. Experimental results indicate that while only 73.1% of the cloaked popular search URLs are spam, over 98.5% of the cloaked monetizable search URLs are spam. Further, on average, the search results for top 2% most cloaked queries are 10x more likely to be cloaking than those for the bottom 98% of the queries.
A nested-multilevel redundancy exploitation for fast block matching

In this paper we propose a block matching algorithm (BM) that reduces the computational burden of the motion estimation in an hybrid video encoder. To decrease the global complexity it acts at three different levels represented by the frame itself, the searching window and the macroblock (MB). To achieve an optimal performance also onto current general purpose processors provided with SIMD register files, a particular sub-sampling pattern of the MB is used. The algorithm shows a lower complexity than the three step search (TSS). In sequences where the motion field is formed by large motion vectors, the quality performance can be better than the full search algorithm (FSA) with an a priori fixed maximum motion vector. The algorithm is in fact able to adapt itself to the sequence.
An Influenza A Vaccine Based on Tetrameric Ectodomain of Matrix Protein 2*

Matrix protein 2 (M2) of influenza A is a tetrameric type III membrane protein that functions as a proton-selective channel. The extracellular domain (M2e) has remained nearly invariable since the first human influenza strain was isolated in 1933. By linking a modified form of the leucine zipper of the yeast transcription factor GCN4 to M2e, we obtained a recombinant tetrameric protein, M2e-tGCN4. This protein mimics the quaternary structure of the ectodomain of the natural M2 protein. M2e-tGCN4 was purified, biochemically characterized, and used to immunize BALB/c mice. High M2e-specific serum IgG antibody titers were obtained following either intraperitoneal or intranasal administration. Immunized mice were protected fully against a potentially lethal influenza A virus challenge. Antibodies raised by M2e-tGCN4 immunization specifically bound to the surface of influenza-infected cells and to an M2-expressing cell line. Using a M2e peptide competition enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay with M2-expressing cells as target, we obtained evidence that M2e-tGCN4 induces antibodies that are specific for the native tetrameric M2 ectodomain. Therefore, fusion of an oligomerization domain to the extracellular part of a transmembrane protein allows it to mimic the natural quaternary structure and can promote the induction of oligomer-specific antibodies.
The prevalence of genital warts in the Baltic countries: findings from national cross-sectional surveys in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania

Objectives To assess the prevalence and correlates of self-reported genital warts (GWs) among women and men aged 18–45 years in the Baltic countries. Methods In 2011–2013 we performed a cross-sectional survey using a self-administered questionnaire to collect information on the history of clinically diagnosed GWs, sociodemographic characteristics and sexual behaviour. Probability sampling methods were used to invite 16 959 individuals representing the general population, of whom 7760 (45.8%) participated (Estonia: 1967 women, 1221 men; Latvia: 1525 women, 1525 men; Lithuania: 1522 women). Results The estimated lifetime prevalence of clinically diagnosed GWs in women was 4.6% (95% CI 3.8 to 5.5) in Estonia, 2.9% (95% CI 2.0 to 3.6) in Latvia and 1.5% (95% CI 1.2 to 2.0) in Lithuania. Among men, the corresponding values were 2.8% (95% CI 1.9 to 4.0) in Estonia and 1.9% (95% CI 1.3 to 2.6) in Latvia. The mean age at first episode of clinically diagnosed GW was 24.6 years (95% CI 23.6 to 25.5) for women and 24.5 years (95% CI 22.9 to 26.0) for men. A lifetime history of clinically diagnosed GW was associated with a history of sexually transmitted infections other than GW (adjusted OR (AOR) 3.0, 95% CI 2.1 to 4.3 for women; AOR 5.3, 95% CI 3.0 to 9.2 for men), and a higher number (5+) of lifetime sexual partners (AOR 2.9, 95% CI 1.9 to 4.2 for women; AOR 2.1, 95% CI 1.2 to 3.9 for men). Men living comfortably within their household income had higher odds for GW (AOR 1.9, 95% CI 1.1 to 3.2). Conclusions Our estimated prevalence of clinically diagnosed GWs was lower than estimates from the general population of other European countries.
Optical and Transport Properties of Ni-MoS2

In this paper, MoS2 and Ni-MoS2 crystal layers were fabricated by the chemical vapor transport method with iodine as the transport agent. Two direct band edge transitions of excitons at 1.9 and 2.1 eV were observed successfully for both MoS2 and Ni-MoS2 samples using temperature-dependent optical reflectance (R) measurement. Hall effect measurements were carried out to analyze the transport behavior of carriers in MoS2 and Ni-MoS2, which indicate that the Ni-MoS2 sample is n-type and has a higher resistance and lower mobility than the MoS2 sample has. A photoconductivity spectrum was performed which shows an additional Ni doping level existing at 1.2 eV and a higher photocurrent generating only for Ni-MoS2. The differences between MoS2 and Ni-MoS2 could be attributed to the effect of Ni atoms causing small lattice imperfections to form trap states around 1.2 eV. The temperature-dependent conductivity shows the presence of two shallow levels with activation energies (84 and 6.7 meV in MoS2; 57 and 6.5 meV in Ni-MoS2). Therefore, the Ni doping level leads to high resistance, low mobility and small activation energies. A series of experimental results could provide useful guidance for the fabrication of optoelectronic devices using MoS2 structures.
Combined therapy of silymarin and desferrioxamine in patients with β‐thalassemia major: a randomized double‐blind clinical trial

Silymarin, a flavonolignan complex isolated from Silybum marianum, has a strong antioxidant, hepatoprotective, and iron chelating activities. The present study was designed to investigate the therapeutic activity of orally administered silymarin in patients with thalassemia major under conventional iron chelation therapy. A 3‐month randomized, double‐blind, clinical trial was conducted in 59 β‐thalassemia major patients in two well‐matched groups. Patients were randomized to receive a silymarin tablet (140 mg) three times a day plus conventional desferrioxamine therapy. The second group received the same therapy but a placebo tablet instead of silymarin. Clinical laboratory tests were assessed at the beginning and the end of the trial, except for serum ferritin level that was assessed at the middle of the trial as well. Results of this study revealed that the combined therapy was well tolerated and more effective than desferrioxamine in reducing serum ferritin level. Significant improvement in liver alkaline phosphatase and glutathione levels of red blood cells was also observed in silymarin‐treated β‐thalassemia patients. However, no significant difference in serum ferritin levels was detected between silymarin and placebo groups after 1.5 and 3 months treatment, probably because of insufficient sample size to detect subtle changes in ferritin levels between groups. This is the first report showing the beneficial effects of silymarin in thalassemia patients and suggests that silymarin in combination with desferrioxamine can be safely and effectively used in the treatment of iron‐loaded patients.
E2mC: Improving Emergency Management Service Practice through Social Media and Crowdsourcing Analysis in Near Real Time

In the first hours of a disaster, up-to-date information about the area of interest is crucial for effective disaster management. However, due to the delay induced by collecting and analysing satellite imagery, disaster management systems like the Copernicus Emergency Management Service (EMS) are currently not able to provide information products until up to 48–72 h after a disaster event has occurred. While satellite imagery is still a valuable source for disaster management, information products can be improved through complementing them with user-generated data like social media posts or crowdsourced data. The advantage of these new kinds of data is that they are continuously produced in a timely fashion because users actively participate throughout an event and share related information. The research project Evolution of Emergency Copernicus services (E2mC) aims to integrate these novel data into a new EMS service component called Witness, which is presented in this paper. Like this, the timeliness and accuracy of geospatial information products provided to civil protection authorities can be improved through leveraging user-generated data. This paper sketches the developed system architecture, describes applicable scenarios and presents several preliminary case studies, providing evidence that the scientific and operational goals have been achieved.
Predicting translation initiation sites using a multi-agent architecture empowered with reinforcement learning

The accurate recognition of translation initiation sites (TISs) is an important stage in genome annotation. Due to the complicated nature of the genetic information and our incomplete understanding of it, TIS prediction remains a challenging undertaking. Many computational approaches have been proposed in the literature, some of which have yielded quite impressive performance. However, most of them either investigate the genomic sequences from one single perspective or apply some static central fusion mechanism on a fixed set of features. In this paper, we extend our previous work which proposed a novel multi-agent architecture for TIS prediction and explore the application of reinforcement learning into the negotiation process. Experimental results on three benchmark data sets have shown the effectiveness and robustness of incorporating reinforcement learning in the system.
A Frozen Jacobian Multiscale Mortar Preconditioner for Nonlinear Interface Operators

We present an efficient approach for preconditioning systems arising in multiphase flow in a parallel domain decomposition framework known as the mortar mixed finite element method. Subdomains are coupled together with appropriate interface conditions using mortar finite elements. These conditions are enforced using an inexact Newton--Krylov method, which traditionally required the solution of nonlinear subdomain problems on each interface iteration. A new preconditioner is formed by constructing a multiscale basis on each subdomain for a fixed Jacobian and time step. This basis contains the solutions of nonlinear subdomain problems for each degree of freedom in the mortar space and is applied using an efficient linear combination. Numerical experiments demonstrate the relative computational savings of recomputing the multiscale preconditioner sparingly throughout the simulation versus the traditional approach.
Evaluating the Science of Discovery in Complex Health Systems

Complex health problems such as chronic disease or pandemics require knowledge that transcends disciplinary boundaries to generate solutions. Such transdisciplinary discovery requires researchers to work and collaborate across boundaries, combining elements of basic and applied science. At the same time, calls for more interdisciplinary health science acknowledge that there are few metrics to evaluate the products associated with these new ways of working. The Research on Academic Research (RoAR) initiative was established to evaluate the process of discovery and impact of collaboration that emerged through the Life Sciences Institute (LSI) at the University of British Columbia, a state-of-the-art facility designed to support researchers—self-organized around specific health problems rather than disciplines. A logic model depicting the factors influencing such collaboration is presented along with a multimethod evaluation plan to assist understanding of the discovery process in this new environment and develop new metrics for assessing collaborative impact.
Notice of RetractionA dynamic priority scheduling algorithm based on interestingness evaluation

Supporting multiple applications is a development trend for the consumer electronics devices. In order to improve the quality of user experience under the multi-application operating environment, a novel dynamic priority scheduling algorithm based on applications' interestingness evaluation is proposed. An interestingness evaluation model is proposed first, and the user-application interestingness matrix is generated. Then, CF-based interestingness prediction is utilized to amend the matrix's extremely sparse feature. Finally, a dynamic priority scheduling algorithm in line with the interestingness and an implementation strategy are presented, and an experimental simulation is given subsequently. Analysis shows that this algorithm is more suitable for the resource constrained consumer electronics devices than the traditional ones.