Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Differences in HIV Disease Progression by Injecting Drug Use in HIV-Infected Persons in Care

BackgroundIn the United States and many Western countries, injecting drug use continues to be an important cause of HIV infection. This has important clinical and public health implications if injecting drug users (IDUs) have greater barriers to antiretroviral effectiveness than other risk groups. We assessed if there were differences between HIV-infected IDUs and non-IDU patients in the development of AIDS-defining illnesses (ADIs) from the time the patients started their first combination antiretroviral therapy (CART) regimen. MethodsWe compared clinical outcomes for IDU patients (n = 827) with those for non-IDU patients (n = 1314) after they started CART. We controlled for financial access, because all patients had access to CART through insurance or a drug assistance program. The incidence (number of ADI cases per 100 person-years) was compared for IDUs and non-IDUs from 1995 through 2002. Incidence ratios were calculated for IDUs compared with non-IDUs. Risk factors for development of ADIs were assessed using negative binomial regression. ResultsFrom 1995–1996 to 2001–2002, there was a decline in ADI incidence among IDUs from 31.9 to 16.2 cases per 100 person-years of follow-up. Over the same time, there was a decline in ADI incidence among non-IDUs from 37.0 to 9.7 cases per 100 person-years. The incidence ratio (incidence among IDUs compared with that among non-IDUs) increased from 0.87 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.65–1.15) to 1.67 (95% CI, 1.25–2.18) from 1995–1996 to 2001–2002. By negative binomial regression, the incidence ratio for ADIs among IDUs versus non-IDUs increased to 1.45 (95% CI, 1.21–1.75), after 1998, adjusting for differences in demographic, clinical, and treatment factors. ConclusionsThe relative incidence of ADIs among IDUs with access to treatment increased ∼50% compared with non-IDUs since 1999. This suggests greater barriers to the effective use of CART for IDUs, resulting in a higher individual and public health burden of clinical HIV disease. It will be important to understand reasons for this growing difference and to implement appropriate interventions to improve the effective use of CART for IDUs.
Human erythrocyte anion permeabilities measured under conditions of net charge transfer

1. The permeability of the human erythrocyte to anions has been measured under conditions of net charge transfer: for Cl− and HCO3− ions, at 37° C, this permeability is 5 orders of magnitude too small to account for the rate of the electroneutral anion exchange which is responsible for the chloride, or Hamburger, shift.
Individualism: A Valid and Important Dimension of Cultural Differences Between Nations

Oyserman, Coon, and Kemmelmeier's (2002) meta-analysis suggested problems in the measurement of individualism and collectivism. Studies using Hofstede's individualism scores show little convergent validity with more recent measures of individualism and collectivism. We propose that the lack of convergent validity is due to national differences in response styles. Whereas Hofstede statistically controlledfor response styles, Oyserman et al.'s meta-analysis relied on uncorrected ratings. Data from an international student survey demonstrated convergent validity between Hofstede's individualism dimension and horizontal individualism when response styles were statistically controlled, whereas uncorrected scores correlated highly with the individualism scores in Oyserman et al.'s meta-analysis. Uncorrected horizontal individualism scores and meta-analytic individualism scores did not correlate significantly with nations' development, whereas corrected horizontal individualism scores and Hofstede's individualism dimension were significantly correlated with development. This pattern of results suggests that individualism is a valid construct for cross-cultural comparisons, but that the measurement of this construct needs improvement.
Voice Conversion Matlab Toolbox

This paper documents function and properties of the Voice Conversion Matlab Toolbox (version 2007-02-18). It contai s information on system requirements, an overview about the modules included, shows examples of applying the toolbox to voice conversion based on vocal tract length normalizati on (VTLN) and linear transformation in a step-by-step manner, and gives details about the parameter settings.
Detection and Molecular Characterization of Mycobacterium microti Isolates in Wild Boar from Northern Italy

ABSTRACT Approximately 23,000 hunter-harvested wild boars from the pre-Alpine area of northern Italy were examined for tuberculosis over a 9-year period (2003 to 2011). Retropharyngeal and mandibular lymph nodes from the wild boars were examined grossly, and 1,151 of the lymph nodes were analyzed in our laboratory by histology (728 samples) and culture isolation (819 samples). Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTBC)-specific PCR (1,142 samples) was used for molecular-level detection in tissue samples, as was a gyrB restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) assay (322 samples). Lesions compatible with tuberculosis and indistinguishable from those described in cases of Mycobacterium bovis infection had been observed since 2003. Mycobacterium microti was identified directly in 256 tissue samples by the adopted molecular approaches. However, only 26 M. microti strains were obtained by culture isolation due to the well-known difficulties in isolating this slow-growing mycobacterium. During 2006, a prevalence study was performed in two provinces of the area, and the diffusion of M. microti was calculated to be 5.8% (95% confidence intervals surrounding the estimated prevalences [CIP95%], 3.94 to 7.68%). Over the following years (2007 to 2011), the presence of M. microti appeared to be stable. All isolates were genotyped by spoligotyping and exact tandem repeat analysis (ETR types A to F). In addition to the typical vole type (SB0118), a new spoligotype lacking the 43 spacers was found. Spoligotyping was also applied directly to tissue samples, and a geographical cluster distribution of the two spoligotypes was observed. This is the first report studying the diffusion and genetic variability of M. microti in wild boar.
Transient expression assays in grapevine: a step towards genetic improvement.

In the past few years, the usefulness of transient expression assays has continuously increased for the characterization of unknown gene function and metabolic pathways. In grapevine (Vitis vinifera L.), one of the most economically important fruit crops in the world, recent systematic sequencing projects produced many gene data sets that require detailed analysis. Due to their rapid nature, transient expression assays are well suited for large-scale genetic studies. Although genes and metabolic pathways of any species can be analysed by transient expression in model plants, a need for homologous systems has emerged to avoid the misinterpretation of results due to a foreign genetic background. Over the last 10 years, various protocols have thus been developed to apply this powerful technology to grapevine. Using cell suspension cultures, somatic embryos, leaves or whole plantlets, transient expression assays enabled the study of the function, regulation and subcellular localization of genes involved in specific metabolic pathways such as the biosynthesis of phenylpropanoids. Disease resistance genes that could be used for marker-assisted selection in conventional breeding or for stable transformation of elite cultivars have also been characterized. Additionally, transient expression assays have proved useful for shaping new tools for grapevine genetic improvement: synthetic promoters, silencing constructs, minimal linear cassettes or viral vectors. This review provides an update on the different tools (DNA constructs, reporter genes, vectors) and methods (Agrobacterium-mediated and direct gene transfer methods) available for transient gene expression in grapevine. The most representative results published thus far are then described.
Serologic and Molecular Evidence of Vaccinia Virus Circulation among Small Mammals from Different Biomes, Brazil

Vaccinia virus (VACV) is a zoonotic agent that causes a disease called bovine vaccinia, which is detected mainly in milking cattle and humans in close contact with these animals. Even though many aspects of VACV infection have been described, much is still unknown about its circulation in the environment and its natural hosts/reservoirs. To investigate the presence of Orthopoxvirus antibodies or VACV DNA, we captured small rodents and marsupials in 3 areas of Minas Gerais state, Brazil, and tested their samples in a laboratory. A total of 336 animals were tested; positivity ranged from 18.1% to 25.5% in the 3 studied regions located in different biomes, including the Atlantic Forest and the Cerrado. Analysis of nucleotide sequences indicated co-circulation of VACV groups I and II. Our findings reinforce the possible role played by rodents and marsupials in VACV maintenance and its transmission chain.
Exposure to suicidal behaviors: A common suicide risk factor or a personal negative life event?

Background: Numerous suicide risk factors have been proposed but not adequately validated for epidemiology, treatment and prevention efforts. Aims: Exposures to suicidal behaviors (ESB), from family and friend suicide attempts and completions, were tested for validity as a suicidal risk factor and also for measurement and construct adequacy. Methods: An anonymous online survey yielded 713 participants (aged 18–71), who reported ESB, completed the Suicidal Affect-Behavior-Cognition Scale (SABCS), and comprised a broad spectrum on those variables. Results: Tests of dimensionality and internal consistency showed the four ESB variables (attempts/completions through family/friends) were independent and did not form a common factor or an identifiable ESB latent trait. ESB variables were, however, associated with demographic and psychiatric histories. A battery of tests revealed no meaningful associations between ESB and total suicidality or suicide risk factors (social support, depression, anxiety, stress, satisfaction with life and emotional stability). In addition, in contrast to previous reports, young adults (n = 200; aged 18–20) showed no increased suicidality due to ESB. Conclusion: Results showed no validity for ESB as a common risk factor for suicidality or other psychopathology, or as a latent trait. ESB showed evidence as a personal negative life event with individual effects and interpretations.
A survey of secure fingerprinting localization in wireless local area networks

Secure localization has gained considerable attention because position estimation is often required for location based applications. This problem becomes more important for wireless local area networks (WLANs), where the radio signals are susceptible to a variety of attacks due to the nature of the open medium. This paper proposes a survey of security positioning systems in WLANs. We classify secure positioning mechanisms into two categories: signal-based and model-based approaches. The former attempts to detect attacks and exclude them during positioning while the latter enhances localization schemes capable of tolerating attacks. This study examines three signal-based approaches, including median-based method, sensor selection, and RSM (Ration-based Signal strength Metric), and three model-based approaches, including cluster-based method, RWGH (Residual Weighting), and IDM (Inclusive Disjunction Model). We evaluate their robustness to attacks, positioning accuracy, and computational complexity. Simulation results show that the model-based techniques generally perform better robustness; However, the improvement is gained at the expense of degrading performance in an attack-free condition and higher computational overhead. This paper also investigates how the number of attacks impact these secure positioning algorithms.
Mobile-assisted language learning community and culture in French-speaking Belgium: the teachers' perspective

This paper focuses on the perceptions and uses of mobile technologies by 118 Belgian teachers in foreign language teaching and learning in secondary education. The purpose of the study is to analyze the teachers’ attitudes towards the use of mobile technologies inand outside the classroom via an online questionnaire. The preliminary findings presented in this paper establish that the concept of a ‘Mobile-Assisted Language Learning (MALL) community’ does not yet exist in our context as the use of mobile devices is still limited. Nevertheless, it can also be stated that teachers’ attitudes and behavioral intention towards the use of tablets are slightly more positive than towards the use of smartphones, and that a vast majority of the teachers are interested in being trained to MALL.
Incorporation of CD40 Ligand into the Envelope of Pseudotyped Single-Cycle Simian Immunodeficiency Viruses Enhances Immunogenicity

ABSTRACT A vaccine for the prevention of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection is desperately needed to control the AIDS pandemic. To address this problem, we developed vesicular stomatitis virus glycoprotein-pseudotyped replication-defective simian immunodeficiency viruses (dSIVs) as an AIDS vaccine strategy. The dSIVs retain characteristics of a live attenuated virus without the drawbacks of potential virulence caused by replicating virus. To improve vaccine immunogenicity, we incorporated CD40 ligand (CD40L) into the dSIV envelope. CD40L is one of the most potent stimuli for dendritic cell (DC) maturation and activation. Binding of CD40L to its receptor upregulates expression of major histocompatibility complex class I, class II, and costimulatory molecules on DCs and increases production of proinflammatory cytokines and chemokines, especially interleukin 12 (IL-12). This cytokine polarizes CD4+ T cells to Th1-type immune responses. DC activation and mixed lymphocyte reaction (MLR) studies were performed to evaluate the immunogenicity of CD40L-dSIV in vitro. Expression levels of CD80, CD86, HLA-DR, and CD54 on DCs transduced with the dSIV incorporating CD40L (CD40L-dSIV) were significantly higher than on those transduced with dSIV. Moreover, CD40L-dSIV-transduced DCs expressed up to 10-fold more IL-12 than dSIV-transduced DCs. CD40L-dSIV-transduced DCs enhanced proliferation and gamma interferon secretion by naive T cells in an MLR. In addition, CD40L-dSIV-immunized mice exhibited stronger humoral and cell-mediated immune responses than dSIV-vaccinated animals. The results show that incorporating CD40L into the dSIV envelope significantly enhances immunogenicity. As a result, CD40L-dSIVs can be strong candidates for development of a safe and highly immunogenic AIDS vaccine.
Effects of Corexit Dispersants on Cytotoxicity Parameters in a Cultured Human Bronchial Airway Cells, BEAS-2B

The objective of this study was to assess the cytotoxicity of COREXIT dispersants EC9500A, EC9527A, and EC9580A on human airway BEAS-2B epithelial cells. Cells were exposed to dispersants for 2 or 24 h at concentrations ranging from 0 to 300 ppm. COREXIT EC9527 at 100 ppm produced 50% viability loss as measured by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) at 24 h. COREXIT 9527 at 200 ppm produced 50% cell death at 2 h and 100% at 24 h. At 300 ppm COREXIT 9527 induced 100% cell death at 2 or 24 h. In the case of COREXIT 9500A 50% cell viability was noted with 200 ppm at 2 or 24 h, with a significant decrease in cell survival to 2% at 300 ppm. In contrast, no marked change in cell viability was observed in cells treated at any COREXIT 9580A concentration examined. Western blot analysis showed an increase in expression of LC3B, a marker of autophagy, in cells treated for 2 h with 300 ppm COREXIT EC9527A as well as 100 or 300 ppm Corexit EC9500A. No marked effect on LC3B expression was observed for any COREXIT 9580A concentration. Apoptosis markers as measured by cleaved caspase-3 and cleaved poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) were detectable only in cells incubated with 300 ppm COREXIT EC9527A. Although all three dispersants induced enhanced generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) after 2-h treatment at 300 ppm, Western blot analysis revealed that 2-h incubation was not sufficient to induce a significant change in the protein expression of superoxide dismutases SOD1, SOD2, and SOD3. Data thus indicate exposure to certain dispersants may be harmful to human airway epithelial cells in a concentration-dependent manner.
Localizing an unknown number of targets with radio tomography networks

Radio tomography network (RTN) is an emerging technology which deploys wireless sensor nodes around an area of interest and uses variation of received signal strength (RSS) to localize objects in that area. Existing localization methods for RTN all require a priori knowledge of the number of objects to be localized. This paper presents a novel localization method which can localize an unknown number of objects with RTN using RSS measurements at a single time step. Moreover, the method can adapt to different environments without changing parameters. First, we utilize the kernel density estimation (KDE) to approximate the RSS distribution of a link and determine whether the link is affected or not. Then, a localization strategy is proposed to detect all possible target regions in the network area, and a clustering method is applied to give the final decision. Experiments with a 16-node RTN deployed around a 16 square meters area in an office room show that both number and positions of multiple targets can be accurately estimated.
The Macroeconomic Effects of Income and Consumption Tax Changes

This paper estimates the effects of exogenous changes in income and consumption taxes. The tax shocks are proxied with a narrative account of tax liability changes in the United Kingdom. Income tax cuts have large effects on GDP, private consumption, and investment. The effects of consumption tax cuts are modest and not statistically significant on GDP and its components. Shifting the burden of taxation from income to consumption is expansionary. Consistent with conventional public finance theories, these results indicate that it is crucial to distinguish between direct and indirect taxation when studying the transmission mechanism of fiscal policy. (JEL E21, E22, E23, H24, H25)
Government Spending Efficiency on Economic Growth: Roles of Value-added Tax

Abstract This study examines the impact of government spending efficiency on the economic growth of 115 countries with value-added tax (VAT) system. We seek to examine the moderating role of the VAT system on the relationship between public spending efficiency and the economic growth. Using Generalized Method of Moments estimation based on two-step estimate, we found (1) government spending efficiency promotes economic growth, (2) the VAT system is found to enhance the effect of an efficient government spending on the economic growth and (3) the moderating role of the VAT system is further enhanced by quality of democracy and legislative strength of the government.
Re-exploring the nexus between oil prices and ASEAN exchange rates: An ARDL bounds testing approach

In this paper we use quarterly data from 1973:Q1 to 2013:Q4 to explore the long-run relationship between real oil prices and real exchange rates for selected ASEAN countries (namely Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand) by employing the Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) bounds testing approach of cointegration. We don't find any evidence of a long-run relationship, where we failed to reject the null hypothesis of no cointegration for all countries, even when the structural breaks were incorporated in the ARDL model. As opposed to much empirical work that found cointegration, we believe that the previous work assumed the variables to be integrated of order one, due to the fact that it used conventional unit root tests that lack power in the presence of structural breaks, thus leading to a high probability of accepting a false null hypothesis. The paper then used the TodaYamamoto causality test to investigate the causality direction. The results show unidirectional causality from exchange rate to oil prices in all countries except for Singapore where the causality goes from oil prices to exchange rate, with all results significant.
Carbachol-stimulated Transactivation of Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor and Mitogen-activated Protein Kinase in T84 Cells Is Mediated by Intracellular Ca2+, PYK-2, and p60 src *

Ca2+-dependent agonists, such as carbachol (CCh), stimulate epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) transactivation and mitogen-activated protein kinase activation in T84 intestinal epithelial cells. This pathway constitutes an antisecretory mechanism by which CCh-stimulated chloride secretion is limited. Here, we investigated mechanisms underlying CCh-stimulated epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) transactivation. Thapsigargin (TG, 2 μm) stimulated EGFR and extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) phosphorylation in T84 cells. Inhibition of either EGFR or ERK activation, with tyrphostin AG1478 (1 μm) and PD 98059 (20 μm), respectively, potentiated chloride secretory responses to TG, as measured by changes in short-circuit current (I sc) across T84 cells. CCh (100 μm) stimulated tyrosine phosphorylation and association of the Ca2+-dependent tyrosine kinase, PYK-2, with the EGFR, which was inhibited by the Ca2+ chelator, BAPTA (20 μm). The calmodulin inhibitor, fluphenazine (50 μm) inhibited CCh-stimulated PYK-2 association with the EGFR and phosphorylation of EGFR and ERK. CCh also induced tyrosine phosphorylation of p60 src and association of p60 src with both PYK-2 and the EGFR. The Src family kinase inhibitor, PP2 (20 nm-20 μm) attenuated CCh-stimulated EGFR and ERK phosphorylation and potentiated chloride secretory responses to CCh. We conclude that CCh-stimulated transactivation of the EGFR is mediated by a pathway involving elevations in intracellular Ca2+, calmodulin, PYK-2, and p60 src . This pathway represents a mechanism that limits CCh-stimulated chloride secretion across intestinal epithelia.
Sex-Specific Genetic Admixture of Mestizos, Amerindian Kichwas, and Afro-Ecuadorans from Ecuador

ABSTRACT Three main ethnic groups live in the South American country of Ecuador: Mestizos, Amerindian natives, and African-derived populations, or Afro-Ecuadorans. Mestizos and Afro-Ecuadorans can be considered trihybrid populations containing genes originating in the Americas, Europe, and Africa, as is the case with equivalent populations in other Latin American countries. The proportion and the dynamics of the admixture process remain unknown. However, a certain sex asymmetry of the admixture process can be expected for historical reasons. We typed 11 Y-chromosome short tandem repeats (STRs) in these three ethnic groups to provide adequate allele and haplotype frequencies for forensic genetic purposes and to quantify admixture proportions in male lineages. In addition, a data set of 15 autosomal STRs in the same samples were reanalyzed for the same purpose. Contributions to Mestizo Y chromosomes were estimated to be 70% European, 28% Amerindian, and 2% African, whereas in autosomes the contributions were 19%, 73%, and 8%, respectively, which underlines the sexual asymmetry in mating, with Europeans contributing mostly males. European Y-chromosome haplotypes in Mestizos were similar to those in Spain. Moreover, about 10% of European Y chromosomes were found in the Amerindian Kichwa. As for Afro-Ecuadorans, their contributions to the male line are 44% African, 31% European, and 15% Native American; the last value is the highest percentage reported so far for an African-derived American group. Autosomal admixture was estimated as 56% African, 16% European, and 28% Amerindian.