Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Acceptability of vaginal microbicides among female sex workers and their intimate male partners in two Mexico–US border cities: A mixed methods analysis

Female sex workers (FSWs) may benefit from pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) including microbicides for HIV prevention. Since adherence is a key factor in PrEP efficacy, we explored microbicide acceptability and potential barriers to use within FSWs’ intimate relationships in Tijuana and Ciudad Juárez, Mexico, where HIV prevalence is increasing. FSWs and their verified intimate (non-commercial) male partners completed quantitative and qualitative interviews from 2010 to 2012. Our complementary mixed methods design followed an iterative process to assess microbicide acceptability, explore related relationship dynamics and identify factors associated with concern about male partners’ anger regarding microbicide use. Among 185 couples (n=370 individuals), interest in microbicides was high. In qualitative interviews with 28 couples, most participants were enthusiastic about microbicides for sex work contexts but some explained that microbicides could imply mistrust/infidelity within their intimate relationships. In the overall sample, nearly one in six participants (16%) worried that male partners would become angry about microbicides, which was associated with higher self-esteem among FSWs and lower self-esteem and past year conflicts causing injury within relationships among men. HIV prevention interventions should consider intimate relationship dynamics posing potential barriers to PrEP acceptability and adherence, involve male partners and promote risk communication skills.
Ligand-induced changes in the binding sites of proteins

Classical molecular interaction potentials, in conjunction with other theoretical techniques, are used to analyze the dependence of the binding sites of representative proteins on the bound ligand. It is found that the ligand bound introduces in general small structural perturbations at the binding site of the protein. However, such small structural changes can lead to important alterations in the recognition pattern of the protein. The impact of these findings in docking procedures is discussed.
Influence of High-Frequency Charge–Discharge Cycling Induced by Cell Voltage Equalizers on the Life Performance of Lithium-Ion Cells

Various types of cell voltage equalizers that exchange charges among cells have been proposed for series-connected lithium-ion cells. During equalization, cells are possibly cycled not only over a conventional period that ranges from seconds to hours but at a high frequency that is equal to the operating frequency of the equalizers as well. This paper investigates how the high-frequency cycling occurs and the factor that affects the life performance of the cells during high-frequency cycling. Experiments on charge-discharge cycling at frequencies of 1-100 kHz were performed for lithium-ion cells. The capacity of cells cycled at frequencies below 10 Hz significantly deteriorated, whereas the capacity decay of cells cycled at higher frequencies were identical to the corresponding calendar degradation. Simulation analyses revealed that the cycling current at high frequencies served only to charge and discharge the double-layer capacitance Cdl, whereas the current that flows through the charge-transfer resistance Rct, indicating the charge-transfer process, dominated at low frequencies. A correlation between the degradation trend and current distribution to Cdl and Rct was observed, implying that the calendar degradation and the degradation due to the charge-transfer process were the major causes of capacity decay in the frequency range below 10 Hz.
Assessing DSM–5 Level of Personality Functioning From Videotaped Clinical Interviews: A Pilot Study With Untrained and Clinically Inexperienced Students

Several authors have raised the concern that the DSM–5 Level of Personality Functioning Scale (LPFS) is relatively complex and theory laden, and thus might put high requirements on raters. We addressed this concern by having 22 untrained and clinically inexperienced students assess the personality functioning of 10 female psychotherapy inpatients from videotaped clinical interviews, using a multi-item version of the LPFS. Individual raters’ LPFS total scores showed acceptable interrater reliability, and were significantly associated with 2 distinct expert-rated measures of the severity of personality pathology. These findings suggest that, contrary to the previously mentioned concerns, successfully applying the LPFS to clinical cases might require neither extensive clinical experience nor training.
Characterization of microsatellite loci in the lichen-forming fungus Cetraria aculeata (Parmeliaceae, Ascomycota)

Premise of the study: Polymorphic microsatellite markers were developed for the lichen species Cetraria aculeata (Parmeliaceae) to study fine-scale population diversity and phylogeographic structure. Methods and Results: Using Illumina HiSeq and MiSeq, 15 fungus-specific microsatellite markers were developed and tested on 81 specimens from four populations from Spain. The number of alleles ranged from four to 13 alleles per locus with a mean of 7.9, and average gene diversities varied from 0.40 to 0.73 over four populations. The amplification rates of 10 markers (CA01– CA10) in populations of C. aculeata exceeded 85%. The markers also amplified across a range of closely related species, except for locus CA05, which did not amplify in C. australiensis and C. “panamericana,” and locus CA10 which did not amplify in C. australiensis. Conclusions: The identified microsatellite markers will be used to study the genetic diversity and phylogeographic structure in populations of C. aculeata in western Eurasia.
Factors related to the achievement and adjustment of young African American children.

Data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Yough (NLSY) were used to examine factors related to the achievement and adjustment of African American children in the early elementary grades. All African American children between the ages of 6 and 9 years for whom data were available in the NLSY were included in this study (N = 378). Consistent with past research, there was a positive relation between the number of risk factors children were exposed to and the probability that they were experiencing academic or behavioral problems. Favorable outcomes in the cognitive and social-emotional domains (i.e., scoring in the top quartile for this sample) were associated with high scores on an "advantage index. " The need for more research on successful African American children is discussed.
Importance versus practice of knowledge management constructs in manufacturing companies

With the growing popularity of knowledge management (KM), many studies concentrating on KM have been carried out by researchers and practitioners. However, little attempts have been made to empirically investigate its status quo in manufacturing organizations. Thus, this article presents the results of an exploratory KM survey conducted in Malaysia’s manufacturing industry. The perception of importance and extent of practice of a set of KM constructs among manufacturing companies were investigated and the important findings obtained from the survey were highlighted. It is hoped that the survey results will give valuable insights to help practitioners in strategizing their KM efforts effectively and serve as a guideline for further research and development.
Effect of aromatherapy on the quality of sleep in ischemic heart disease patients hospitalized in intensive care units of heart hospitals of the Isfahan University of Medical Sciences

BACKGROUND: Sleep disorder is one of the common problems patients face in ICU and CCU and it is usually treated by sleeping pills. Nowadays, the complementary medicine is highly considered because of its effectiveness and safety. Aromatherapy is one of the holistic nursing cares which sees human beings as a biological, mental and social unit while the psychological dimension has the central role. Each of these dimensions is dependent on each other and is affected by each other. Therefore, it is fundamental for nurses to provide aromatherapy in their clinical performance. Aromatherapy helps treatment of diseases by using vegetable oils and it seems to be effective in reducing sleeplessness. METHODS: This was a clinical trial on 64 patients (male and female) hospitalized in CCU in Al-zahra and Chamran hospitals. The intervention included 3 nights, each time 9 hours aromatherapy with lavender oil for the experiment group, while the controls received no intervention. Both groups filled out the SMHSQ that includes 11 items to assess sleep quality before and after intervention. RESULTS: Data analysis showed that the mean scores of sleep quality in the two groups of experiment and control were significantly different after the aromatherapy with lavender oil (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Quality of sleep in ischemic heart disease patients was significantly improved after aromatherapy with lavender oil. Therefore, using aromatherapy can improve the quality of their sleep and health.
Improved Yield Through Use of a Scalable Parametric Measurement Macro

Incorporating a scalable parametric measurement (SPM) macro in semiconductor products enables N to P ratio screening at wafer test where each die can be tested. While in line scribe line measurements provide valuable feedback to correct manufacturing problems, in line test sample sizes and the need to disposition entire wafers limit the usefulness of this technique as a product screen. Functional patterns applied at module test provide a measure of protection against escapes to system level, but module yield loss results in higher cost than wafer yield loss because of the added loss of package and module test costs. Use of a SPM macro for N to P ratio disposition maximizes yield and minimizes false rejects and false accepts.
Bio equivalence of Two Subcutaneous Pharmaceutical Products of Interferon Beta la

Abstract Blastoferon®, in the following referred to as the test product, is a pharmaceutical product of interferon beta la (CAS 220581-49-7) currently marketed as a biosimilar to the innovator interferon beta la product (referred to as the reference product). Pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics assays are critically relevant to demonstrate similarity between biopharma-ceuticals. The aims of the present study were to investigate the bioavailability (BA) of the test product (either absolute or relative to the innovator product) and to compare the extent of increase of neopterin concentration following administration of either product. Two studies were performed: initially, an absolute BA assay with i.V. and s.c. injection of test product to 12 healthy subjects. Second, a formal relative BA study with s.c. injections of 88 μg of both products to 24 healthy volunteers. Blood samples for pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic profiling were drawn at different intervals after injection. Interferon beta (IFNB) concentrations were determined by ELISA. In the absolute BA study, a single s.c. dose of 44 μg of the test product resulted in a median bioavailable fraction of 29%, a median Tmax of 4 h (4–6) and a Cmax of 3.69 (3.27–4.41) IU · ml−1. In the relative BA study, values for the test product were: median Tmax of 3 h (2–18), Cmax of 5.39 (4.99–6.31) IU · ml−1, AUC(0–72) of 142.86 (134.16–190.15) IU 9 h ml1 and AUC(0–infinity) of 190.95 (174.23–303.13) IU 0 h ml−1. The corresponding values for the innovator product were: Tmax of 3h (l-24),Cmax of 4.44 (4.12–5.40) IU I ml−1, AUC(0–72) of 128.77 (121.18–170.92) IU 7 h ml−1 and AUC(0-infinity) of 192.61 (183.04–286.46) IU 8 h h ml−1. The Alicia ratio was 111% (CI 90%: 106–116), the AUC(0-infinity) was 99% (CI 90%: 92–107) and the Cmax ratio was 121% (CI 90%: 112–131). IFNBla increased neopterin levels in both studies. Both products induced side-effects commonly reported for IFN with no serious adverse events. This study presents pharmacokinetics parameters of the test product and demonstrates similar bioavailability of IFNBla for both pharmaceutical products.
Characterization and modeling of hysteresis phenomena in high K dielectrics

An original technique for the dynamic analysis of Id(Vg) hysteresis on high K stacks is proposed, allowing the characterization of Vt shift transients at short times. The experimental results demonstrate that trapping/de-trapping mechanism by tunneling from the substrate must be considered. Furthermore, a new model based on a trap-like approach is successfully developed to interpret the dependence of hysteresis phenomena with high k gate stack architecture.
Caspase-1-deficient mice are protected against cisplatin-induced apoptosis and acute tubular necrosis.

BACKGROUND Cisplatin is a commonly used chemotherapeutic agent which causes apoptosis or necrosis of renal tubular epithelial cells in vitro. Caspases are a family of cysteine proteases that mediate apoptosis (caspase-3) and inflammation (caspase-1). Although well studied in vitro, caspases have not been previously studied in cisplatin-induced acute renal failure (ARF) in vivo. METHODS Cisplatin (30 mg/kg) was injected intraperitoneally into wild-type and caspase-1-deficient (-/-) C57BL/6 mice. Serum creatinine and blood urea nitrogen (BUN), and renal caspase-1, -3, -8 and -9 activity were measured on days 1, 2, and 3 after cisplatin injection. Kidneys were examined for acute tubular necrosis (ATN), neutrophils, and apoptosis on days 1, 2, and 3. RESULTS After cisplatin injection, serum creatinine and BUN were normal on day 1, began to increase on day 2, and peaked on day 3. Similarly, ATN scores and neutrophil counts peaked on day 3. In contrast, renal apoptosis significantly increased on day 2. Renal dysfunction, apoptosis, ATN scores and neutrophil infiltration were all reduced in the caspase-1(-/-) mice. In wild-type mice, caspase-1 and -3 activity increased on days 2 and 3. Caspase-3 activity was reduced by approximately 50% in caspase-1(-/-) mice; active caspase-3 detected by immunoblot was also reduced in caspase-1(-/-) mice. In vitro, addition of recombinant caspases to kidney cytosolic extracts determined that caspase-1 activates caspase-3 in renal tissue. CONCLUSION These results indicate that caspase-1 contributes to cisplatin-induced ARF and ATN (day 3). Furthermore, caspase-1 affects caspase-3 activation and apoptosis in cisplatin-induced ARF (day 2).
Detection and characterization of carboniferous foraminifera for content-based retrieval from an image database

Carboniferous Foraminifers are a specific type of microfossil which are manifest in plane sections of rock and are used by geologists for dating rock samples. The images contain a high degree of visual noise and currently must be interpreted by human experts. We are studying the classification problem in the context of intelligent image databases. Here we present a technique for automatic identification of microfossil structures and for classification of the structures according to which type of 3-D section they represent. This is achieved by using: (1) A specialized filter to detect local curves in the gray level image data; and (2) Hough transform processing of the resulting feature point vectors. An interesting aspect of our approach is that the processing of the features is not embedded in a program but is instead specified using a visual query language. This allows us to experiment quickly with different types of grouping criteria. The detection performance of our system is comparable with that of a trained geologist. We store the information obtained in a database together with the raw image data. The system can then present the user with only those images which contain structures of interest.
Aspects on long-term treatment with tyrosine kinase inhibitors in Chronic myeloid leukemia

Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) is caused by the tyrosine kinase activity of the oncoprotein BCR-ABL. The introduction of tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) targeting BCR-ABL has profoundly changed the prognosis of CML. Currently, there are three TKIs approved for treatment of CML, imatinib, nilotinib and dasatinib. The five-year-survival is about 90 % in CML patients treated with TKI in first chronic phase and the side-effects are generally mild and manageable. However, some concerns remain in CML treatment. Some patients fail TKI therapy. They need to be identified by regular evaluations of hematologic, cytogenetic and molecular response. Moreover, TKI therapy is life-long and the long-term side effects are in part unknown. The aims of this doctoral thesis were to investigate some aspects of long-term treatment with TKIs in CML, especially side-effects of TKIs on bone in vitro and in vivo, variations in molecular response and adherence to imatinib therapy. We showed that CML patients treated with imatinib had stable bone mineral density (BMD) over time despite a high incidence of secondary hyperparathyroidism (Papers I and VI). Imatinib and dasatinib inhibited proliferation of mesenchymal stem cells, i.e. osteoblast progenitors, in vitro (Papers II and IV). Dasatinib significantly and dose-dependently inhibited osteoblast differentiation in vitro (Paper II), whereas the imatinib-mediated inhibition of osteoblast differentiation was most marked at low concentrations (Paper IV). Molecular response to TKI therapy is determined by serial measurement of the BCR-ABL transcript level in leukocytes from peripheral blood. In CML the BCR-ABL fusion gene is predominantly expressed in myeloid leukocytes. We showed that changes in the relative proportion of myeloid and lymphoid leukocytes induced by exercise, significantly affected the BCR-ABL transcript level measured in peripheral blood (Paper III). CML patients treated with imatinib at the Sahlgrenska University Hospital were interviewed in a structured way to assess adherence. Contrary to previous studies from United Kingdom and Belgium, adherence to imatinib was estimated as good in our cohort. The study also revealed factors known to predict adherence to therapy, namely the patients being well-informed and having sufficient access to the treating clinic (Paper V). In conclusion, imatinib and dasatinib affect osteoblast differentiation in vitro and bone metabolism in vivo, but the bone quality measured as BMD remains unaffected in imatinib-treated patients. Moreover, variations in molecular response may simply be due to pre-analytic variations in blood counts rather than real changes in CML burden. Thus, small variations in the BCRABL transcript level should be interpreted cautiously. Finally, good adherence to imatinib can be obtained through simple measures.
The human cytomegalovirus UL55 (gB) and UL75 (gH) glycoprotein ligands initiate the rapid activation of Sp1 and NF-kappaB during infection

The cellular transcription factors Sp1 and NF-kappaB were upregulated shortly after the binding of purified live or UV-inactivated human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) to the cell surface. The rapid time frame of transcription factor induction is similar to that seen in other systems in which cellular factors are induced following receptor-ligand engagement. This similarity suggested that a cellular receptor-viral ligand interaction might be involved in Sp1 and NF-kappaB activation during the earliest stages of HCMV infection. To focus on the possible role viral ligands play in initiating cellular events following infection, we first used purified viral membrane extracts to demonstrate that constituents on the membrane are responsible for cellular activation. Additionally, these studies showed, through the use of neutralizing antibodies, that the viral membrane mediators of this activation are the major envelope glycoproteins gB (UL55) and gH (UL75). To confirm these results, neutralizing anti-gB and -gH antibodies were used to block the interactions of these glycoproteins on whole purified virus with their cell surface receptors. In so doing, we found that Sp1 and NF-kappaB induction was inhibited. Lastly, through the use of purified viral gB protein and an anti-idiotypic antibody that mimics the image of the viral gH protein, it was found that the engagement of individual viral ligands with their appropriate cell surface receptors was sufficient to activate cellular Sp1 and NF-kappaB. These results support our hypothesis that HCMV glycoproteins mediate an initial signal transduction pathway which leads to the upregulation of host cell transcription factors and suggests a model wherein the orderly sequence of virus-mediated changes in cellular activation initiates with viral binding via envelope glycoproteins to the cognate cellular receptor(s).
Saw-tooth shaped legs birdcage RF coil for small animal NMR imaging at 1.5T MRI system

In this paper we are demonstrating a novel method of designing and implementing a modified birdcage type Radio Frequency (RF) coil for small animal Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) imaging. This RF coil is basically a band pass type birdcage coil which is specifically designed to perform the whole body NMR imaging of small animal at 1.5T MRI systems. The designed RF coil contains the saw tooth shaped pattern as the leg conductors. The magnetic field produced at 63.85 MHz resonance frequency by this designed saw toothed shape leg pattern RF coil is significantly stronger than the magnetic field produced by a conventional straight leg band pass type birdcage coil designed with the same dimension. A full wave 3D electromagnetic simulation is carried out to optimize the RF coil dimensions, capacitor values and to study the RF coil electromagnetic characteristics.
Performance evaluation of dynamic composition & dynamic reconfiguration in SOA applications

Business-to-Business (B2B) applications are developed predominantly based on service-oriented architectural style which is generally realized using a set of loosely coupled web services. These web services can be selected statically during design-time or dynamically during run-time. The functional and non-functional QoS requirements are typically captured in the Service Level Agreement (SLA) that is mutually agreed between the service provider and the service consumer. Whenever an SLA violation happens, the service provider incurs a penalty. In order to minimize such penalties, the application that is built through a design-time composition of web services needs to be monitored. Whenever a violation of SLA is predicted, those statically composed web services are dynamically reconfigured. This is called as dynamic reconfiguration in SOA. In this case, even the alternate service selection happens at design-time itself. On the other hand, whenever the web services needed for an SOA application development are selected and composed dynamically at run-time, it is called as dynamic composition. The turnaround time involved in both these approaches for mission-critical applications with stringent SLA requirements is compared. It has been inferred that the dynamic reconfiguration approach not only maintained the turnaround time always within the accepted limits, it also incurred only less overhead when compared to dynamic composition approach.