Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Assessment of the Toxicities of Systemic Low-Dose Interleukin-2 Administered in Conjunction with a Melanoma Peptide Vaccine

In this phase 2 study, the authors assessed the hematologic and clinical toxicities of a melanoma peptide vaccine administered in conjunction with low-dose interleukin-2 (IL-2) therapy. Forty patients were randomized to receive a weekly vaccine paired with a regimen of subcutaneous IL-2 (3 × 106 IU/m2 /day) administered daily for 6 weeks beginning either at week 1 or at week 4 of vaccine therapy. The differences in the time course of the IL-2 between the two groups permitted assessment of the cause of the toxicities, due either to IL-2 or to vaccine components. Both treatment regimens were well tolerated in the outpatient setting. Toxicities attributable to the vaccine components were principally limited to grade 1 injection site reactions. Systemic clinical toxicities correlated with the initiation of IL-2 therapy. These toxicities coincided temporally and in magnitude with changes in circulating eosinophil counts, suggesting that systemic clinical toxicities and eosinophilia may have common etiologic pathways. Other minor toxicities attributable to this low-dose IL-2 regimen were clinically insignificant hepatic toxicity, mild anemia, and mild thrombocytosis. The hematologic effects of this therapy were delayed in time between the two treatment groups, without dramatic differences in magnitude, which suggests minimal modulation of the IL-2 toxicity by components of the vaccine.
Performance Guarantees for Scheduling Algorithms

One approach to coping with the apparent difficulty of many schedule-optimization problems, such as occur in machine shops and computer processing, is to devise efficient algorithms that find schedules guaranteed to be "near-optimal. " This paper presents an introduction to this approach by describing its application to a well-known multiprocessor scheduling model and illustrating the variety of algorithms and results that are possible. The paper concludes with a brief survey of what has been accomplished to date in the area of scheduling using this approach.
The Clearance of Hepatitis C Virus Infection in Chimpanzees May Not Necessarily Correlate with the Appearance of Acquired Immunity

ABSTRACT Clearance of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in humans and chimpanzees is thought to be associated with the induction of strong T-cell responses. We studied four chimpanzees infected with HCV derived from an infectious full-length HCV genotype 1b cDNA. Two of the chimpanzees cleared the infection to undetectable levels for more than 12 months of follow-up; the other two became persistently infected. Detailed analyses of HCV-specific immune responses were performed during the courses of infection in these chimpanzees. Only weak and transient T helper responses were detected during the acute phase in all four chimpanzees. A comparison of the frequency of gamma interferon (IFN-γ)-producing CD4+ and CD8+ T cells in peripheral blood by ELISpot assay did not reveal any correlation between viral clearance and T-cell responses. In addition, analyses of IFN-γ, IFN-α, and interleukin-4 mRNA levels in liver biopsies, presumably indicative of intrahepatic T-cell responses, revealed no distinct pattern in these chimpanzees with respect to infection outcome. The present study suggests that the outcome of HCV infection in chimpanzees is not necessarily attributable to HCV sequence variation and that chimpanzees may recover from HCV infection by mechanisms other than the induction of readily detectable HCV-specific T-cell responses.
Rapid Detection, by PCR and Reverse Hybridization, of Mutations in the Helicobacter pylori 23S rRNA Gene, Associated with Macrolide Resistance

ABSTRACT A PCR-based reverse hybridization system (research prototype kit INNO-LiPA for H. pylori resistance) was developed and evaluated for simultaneous detection of 23S ribosomal DNA point mutations, associated with macrolide resistance in Helicobacter pylori. Fifty-seven H. pylori strains (51 natural, 6 laboratory-derived artificial, 52 resistant, and 5 susceptible strains) were tested by PCR-LiPA (detecting mutations A2115→G, G2141→A, A2142→G, A2142→C, A2143→G, A2143→C, and A2143→T), DNA sequencing, restriction fragment length polymorphism, and/or hybridization to oligonucleotide probes. Results were highly concordant, but PCR-LiPA appears to be more sensitive for the simultaneous detection of multiple mutants.
Gene Expression and Cell Cycle Arrest Mediated by Transcription Factor DMP1 Is Antagonized by D-Type Cyclins through a Cyclin-Dependent-Kinase-Independent Mechanism

ABSTRACT A novel 761-amino-acid transcription factor, DMP1, contains a central DNA binding domain that includes three imperfect myb repeats flanked by acidic transactivating domains at the amino and carboxyl termini. D-type cyclins associate with a region of the DMP1 DNA binding domain immediately adjacent to the myb repeats to form heteromeric complexes which detectably interact neither with cyclin-dependent kinase 4 (CDK4) nor with DNA. The segment of D-type cyclins required for its interaction with DMP1 falls outside the “cyclin box,” which contains the residues predicted to contact CDK4. Hence, D-type cyclin point mutants that do not interact with CDK4 can still bind to DMP1. Enforced coexpression of either of three D-type cyclins (D1, D2, or D3) with DMP1 in mammalian cells canceled its ability to activate gene expression. This property was not shared by cyclins A, B, C, or H; did not depend upon CDK4 or CDK2 coexpression; was not subverted by a mutation in cyclin D1 that prevents its interaction with CDK4; and was unaffected by inhibitors of CDK4 catalytic activity. Introduction of DMP1 into mouse NIH 3T3 fibroblasts inhibited entry into S phase. Cell cycle arrest depended upon the ability of DMP1 to bind to DNA and to transactivate gene expression and was specifically antagonized by coexpression of D-type cyclins, including a D1 point mutant that does not bind to CDK4. Taken together, these findings suggest that DMP1 induces genes that inhibit S phase entry and that D-type cyclins can override DMP1-mediated growth arrest in a CDK-independent manner.
MobiSeg: Interactive region segmentation using heterogeneous mobility data

With the acceleration of urbanization and modern civilization, more and more complex regions are formed in urban area. Although understanding these regions could provide huge insights to facilitate valuable applications for urban planning and business intelligence, few methods have been developed to effectively capture the rapid transformation of urban regions. In recent years, the widely applied location-acquisition technologies offer a more effective way to capture the dynamics of a city through analyzing people's movement activities based on mobility data. However, several challenges exist, including data sparsity and difficulties in result understanding and validation. To tackle these challenges, in this paper, we propose MobiSeg, an interactive visual analytics system, which supports the exploration of people's movement activities to segment the urban area into regions sharing similar activity patterns. A joint analysis is conducted on three types of heterogeneous mobility data (i.e., taxi trajectories, metro passenger RFID card data, and telco data), which can complement each other and provide a full picture of people's activities in a region. In addition, advanced analytical algorithms (e.g., non-negative matrix factorization (NMF) based method to capture latent activity patterns, as well as metric learning to calibrate and supervise the underlying analysis) and novel visualization designs are integrated into our system to provide a comprehensive solution to region segmentation in urban areas. We demonstrate the effectiveness of our system via case studies with real-world datasets and qualitative interviews with domain experts.
On the Relationship between Carbon Isotope Discrimination and the Intercellular Carbon Dioxide Concentration in Leaves

Theory is developed to explain the carbon isotopic composition of plants. It is shown how diffusion of gaseous COz can significantly affect carbon isotopic discrimination. The effects on discrimination by diffusion and carboxylation are integrated, yielding a simple relationship between discrimination and the ratio of the intercellular and atmospheric partial pressures of COZ. The effects of dark respiration and photorespiration are also considered, and it is suggested that they have relatively little effect on discrimination other than cia their effects on intercellular p(COz). It is also suggested that various environmental factors such as light, temperature, salinity and drought will also have effects via changes in intercellular p(C0,). A simple method is suggested for assessing water use efficiencies in the field.
Verkehrsablauf an Fahrstreifenreduktionen

Es wurden Fahrstreifenreduktionen an Bundesautobahnen (von drei auf zwei Fahrstreifen ohne Baustelle) untersucht. Das Forschungsvorhaben hatte die Kapazitaet und die Verkehrssicherheit an Autobahnabschnitten mit einer Fahrstreifenreduktion zu analysieren und quantifizieren, um verallgemeinernde Aussagen ueber das Entwurfselement "Fahrstreifenreduktion" treffen zu koennen. Vor allem die Einfluesse der Fahrzeugzusammensetzung und der Streckencharakteristik wurden dabei eingehend untersucht. Als Ergebnis der Arbeit wurde ein standardisiertes Verfahren mit Bemessungsdiagrammen entwickelt, das es ermoeglicht, die Auswirkungen von Fahrstreifenreduktionen auf den Verkehrsablauf im Vorfeld abzuschaetzen. Dieses Verfahren ist so aufbereitet, dass es in das Handbuch fuer die Bemessung von Strassenverkehrsanlagen (HBS) integriert werden kann. Die Untersuchung des Verkehrsablaufs brachte folgende Ergebnisse: Die Kapazitaet einer Fahrstreifenreduktion im Bereich von Knotenpunkten von Autobahnen wurde nicht bestimmt, da sich zeigte, dass oft nicht die Fahrstreifenreduktion hinter der Ausfahrt sondern die darauf folgende Einfahrt den entscheidenden Einfluss auf die Kapazitaet des Knotenpunkts hat. Zusammenfassend kann man festhalten, dass Fahrstreifenreduktionen Sicherheitsdefizite aufweisen (mit Zunahme der Verkehrsstaerke sinkt die Verkehrssicherheit deutlich; ab einer Staerke von 30.000 Kfz/Tag und Richtung ist eine signifikante Haeufung von Unfaellen festzustellen) und Kapazitaetsengpaesse darstellen (fuer Fahrstreifenreduktionen von drei auf zwei Fahrstreifen auf der freien Strecke von Autobahnen wurde eine Kapazitaet ermittelt, die durchschnittlich um 15 Prozent unter der durchgaengig zweistreifigen Richtungsfahrbahn liegt), weswegen sie moeglichst zu vermeiden sind. Titel in Englisch: Traffic flow on lane reductions.
A History of Modern Singapore, 1819-2005

When C.M. Turnbull's A History of Singapore, 1819-1975 appeared in 1977, it quickly achieved recognition as the definitive history of Singapore. A second edition published in 1989 brought the story up to the elections held in 1988. In this fully revised edition, rewritten to take into account recent scholarship on Singapore, the author has added a chapter on Goh Chok Tong's premiership (1990-2004) and the transition to a government headed by Lee Hsien Loong. The book now ends in 2005, when the Republic of Singapore celebrated its 40th anniversary as an independent nation. Major changes occurred in the 1990s as the generation of leaders that oversaw the transition from a colony to independence stepped aside in favour of a younger generation of leaders. Their task was to shape a course that sustained the economic growth and social stability achieved by their predecessors, and they would be tested towards the end of the decade when Southeast Asia experienced a severe financial crisis. Many modern studies on Singapore focus on current affairs or very recent events and pay a great deal of attention to Singapore's successful transition from the developing to the developed world. However, younger historians are increasingly interested in other aspects of the country's past, particularly social and cultural issues. A History of Modern Singapore, 1819-2005 provides a solid foundation and an overarching framework for this research, surveying Singapore's trajectory from a small British port to a major trading and financial hub within the British Empire and finally to the modern city state that Singapore became after gaining independence in 1965.
Complementary Dual Subfield Linear Codes Over Finite Fields

Two families of complementary codes over finite fields $\mathbb{F}_q$ are studied, where $q=r^2$ is square: i) Hermitian complementary dual linear codes, and ii) trace Hermitian complementary dual subfield linear codes. Necessary and sufficient conditions for a linear code (resp., a subfield linear code) to be Hermitian complementary dual (resp., trace Hermitian complementary dual) are determined. Constructions of such codes are given together their parameters. Some illustrative examples are provided as well.
Mediated transfer from visual to high-level programming language

Visual programming languages (VPLs) are becoming more popular and making the transition from the informal to conventional educational settings. One of the important features of VPL is that novices are not required to remember a list of commands or complex syntax since everything they need is just there in the environment. The objective of introductory computer programming courses at the university is to teach students how to develop solutions in high-level computer programming languages such as C#. However, they also need to acquire problem-solving skills. Since computer programming and problem-solving are both challenging, schools and universities often make use of VPLs combined with game-based programming. Students will eventually need to transfer programming concepts learnt from VPL into a high-level programming language. A transition from VPL to the text-based high-level programming language is not seamless and additional tools and efforts are required. This paper presents prototypes we have developed for undergraduate university students to enable mediated transfer from VPL to high-level programming language by using the idea of mini-languages.
Bargaining about Futility

What I propose in this article is application of existing dispute resolution practices that take place outside the courtroom to the negotiating that takes place between health providers and families when they try to reach agreement about the limits of medical care that arguably is futile. Specifically, I focus on a bargaining paradigm that is associated with divorce proceedings, and suggest how this paradigm is at work in the conflict about futile treatment. At issue are not the well-publicized aspects of high profile cases, but the rather unpublicized bargaining that goes no further than the clinical setting. Physicians and families who disagree about the futility of medical treatments frequently engage in give-and-take exchanges about whether to start disputed treatments, about what period of time might comprise a reasonable trial period if a treatment is to be administered, and about when and how to transfer a patient to another facility if the dispute cannot be resolved.
Gate Leakage Current in GaN HEMT's: A Degradation Modeling Approach

In this paper we p resent an empirical preliminary model able to simulate the degradation with t ime in the gate leakage current in GaN HEMT devices. The model is based on extensive reverse and forward current measurements, carried out on a wide range of different device designs and under different bias, performed over aged transistors by III-V Lab (Alcatel-Thales) within the European KORRIGA N. A closed form expression for the reverse gate current, depending on time, as well as the expression parameters extraction procedure are presented. The experimental and simulated results presented illustrate the validity of the model as well as it's usefulness in reliability studies.
Teachers’ Perspectives on Preventing Suicide in Children and Adolescents in Schools: A Qualitative Study

Given the important role teachers play as gatekeepers in school suicide prevention, this study explored teachers' perspectives on what should be done to improve current suicide prevention efforts. The study, in Queensland, Australia, was part of a large-scale survey examining teachers' knowledge, attitudes and experience of suicidality. One hundred and fifteen teachers responded to an online survey question regarding their views on the requirements for school suicide prevention. Qualitative analysis identified five themes from teachers' responses: awareness and stigma reduction, support services for students, education and training, bullying and the role of social media. The results of this study provide some profound insights into teachers' perspectives on suicide and highlight the critical need for improved suicide prevention efforts in schools.
CONSTRUCT VALIDITY OF THE OMNI RESISTANCE EXERCISE SCALE

This study examined the construct validity of the Adult OMNI Perceived Exertion Scale for Resistance Exercise (OMNI-RES). Forty (20 men and 20 women) subjects performed 1 repetition of the knee extension exercise at 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, and 90% of the 1 repetition maximum. Active muscle and overall body ratings of perceived exertion (RPE) were collected from the Borg 15-category RPE scale and the OMNI-RES immediately following each repetition. Construct validity was established by correlating RPE from the OMNI-RES with RPE from the Borg RPE scale using regression analysis. The results indicated a positive and linear relationship between RPE from the OMNI-RES and RPE from the Borg scale for both men and women. Validity coefficients ranged from r = 0.94 to 0.97. The high level of construct validity indicates that the OMNI-RES measures the same properties of exertion as the Borg RPE scale during resistance exercise and suggests that the 2 scales can be used interchangeably during resistance exercise.
Investigation of an optically reconfigurable plasma for silicon based microwave applications

This paper investigates the use of photoconductive plasmas for controlling microwave circuits and antennas on semiconductor substrates. Initial experiments show that significant changes in the reflection coefficient characteristics can be obtained by varying the length of a photo-illuminated plasma region from 0 to 2mm. The resulting structure forms the basis for further experiments involving tuneable microwave devices.
Proposal and implementation of a novel perturb and observe algorithm using embedded software

The aim of this paper is to implement a modified Perturb and Observe algorithm (P&O), in order to solve the oscillations problem of photovoltaic (PV) power output generated by the conventional P&O algorithm. A comparison between the novel and the basic P&O algorithms is made. The first is implemented using embedded C language; the second is implemented using analog blocks. Next, the simulation study is made to present the response of the modified method to rapid temperature, solar irradiance and load change.
Explicit rate ABR schemes using traffic load as congestion indicator

A central issue in congestion control for available bit rate (ABR) services is the computation of the fair share for every connection at each switching node in the network. An important class of algorithms for the switch behavior computes the fair share according to the exact definition of max-min fairness, and uses it as the explicit rate conveyed to the sources. These algorithms may encounter difficulties due to the complex task of keeping track of active connections. In addition, since these schemes treat all connections equally, they lead to under-utilization of the link capacity when on-off sources are present in the network. To obviate these shortcomings, it has been proposed to use the traffic load to correct the computed fair share when setting the explicit rate. In this paper, first we show that using the traffic load as suggested in literature inherently perturbs rate allocation, and makes the schemes sensitive to the round-trip delay of the connections, leading to unfairness. Then, we introduce a scheme called the enhanced fast max-min rate allocation (E-FMMRA) algorithm, which solves the problem by keeping track of the maximum explicit rate over all backward RM cells. The same technique used in E-FMMRA can also be applied to the popular explicit rate indication for congestion avoidance (ERICA) scheme to solve similar problems associated with the use of the traffic load.
Intranasal immunization induces long-term protection in mice against a Chlamydia trachomatis genital challenge

In an attempt to confer long-term protective immunity, BALB/c female mice were immunized intranasally with 10(4) inclusion-forming units (IFU) of the Chlamydia trachomatis mouse pneumonitis biovar (MoPn). Animals were subsequently challenged in the ovarian bursa with 10(5) C. trachomatis MoPn IFU at 60, 120, or 180 days post-intranasal immunization. Two control groups were included in the study. One control was sham immunized and mock challenged, and another group was sham immunized and challenged with 10(5) C. trachomatis MoPn IFU. Vaginal cultures were collected at regular intervals following the intrabursal challenge. In comparison with the sham-immunized mice, the animals that were intranasally immunized with C. trachomatis had significant protection, as shown by a reduction in the number of animals that had positive vaginal cultures and by a decrease in the intensity and length of the shedding. Furthermore, histopathological characterization of the genital tract following challenge, in the three groups of mice, showed a minimal inflammatory infiltrate in the C. trachomatis-immunized animals, when compared with the sham-immunized control group. Subsequently, the three groups of female mice that were challenged at 60, 120 and 180 days postimmunization were mated at 6 weeks following the challenge. Overall, in the mice intranasally immunized with C. trachomatis the fertility rates and the number of embryos were similar to those in the sham-immunized and mock-challenged group. In contrast, there was a significant increase in infertility in the groups of mice that were sham immunized and C. trachomatis challenged. In conclusion, intranasal immunization with C. trachomatis induces long-term protection against a genital challenge as shown by a decrease in the infection and infertility rates when compared with sham-immunized animals. Thus, this model may help to characterize the parameters of the immune response that are important in maintaining long-term protection and may aid in identifying the antigenic determinants involved in eliciting protection.
Human detection from fish-eye image by Bayesian combination of probabilistic appearance models

This paper presents a method for automated human detection using fisheye lens camera. We introduce a probabilistic model to describe the wide variation of human appearance in hemispherical image. In our method, a human is modeled as variable shape features of body silhouette and head-shoulder contour. These features are extracted from the human images taken at various distance and orientation with respect to the camera, and form the training data set for template modeling. Non linear template models are build by the combination of Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and Kernel Ridge Regression (KRR). Finally, the problem of human detection is formulated as maximum a posteriori (MAP) estimation using above model. Experiments are conducted on indoor space where a fisheye lens camera is installed on the ceiling. The robustness and accuracy of our method is discussed through the experimental results.