Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Measuring Adherence to Antiretroviral Medications in Clinical Trials

Abstract Antiretroviral medications have the potential to transform HIV infection from a fatal to a chronic disease. One of the significant barriers to clinical success is medication nonadherence. Measuring adherence in clinical trials is increasingly important because inadequate adherence may explain some of the variation in clinical response in antiretroviral clinical trials. Additionally, to quantitate the success of interventions that improve adherence, accurate measures need to be utilized. This article summarizes commonly used adherence measures in HIV clinical trials and observational studies such as patient self-report, pill counts, plasma levels, and electronic monitoring. The merits and shortcomings of each measure are discussed.
Nanotribological behaviors of friction-induced hillocks on monocrystalline silicon

With an atomic force microscope, friction and wear behaviors of the friction induced hillocks on monocrystalline silicon were investigated. With the increase of normal load from one to twelve microNewtown, the friction force on silicon substrate showed a sharp increase at eight microNewtown, while the friction force on the hillocks kept a stably linear increase. Since no scratch damage was detected on the hillock below a contact pressure of ten point three gigaPascal, the friction induced hillocks on silicon can withstand the typical contact and sliding in dynamic devices. It was also noted that the friction induced hillock presented anisotropic friction and wear behaviors during scratching. The sliding parallel to the scanning direction for producing the hillock can reduce the friction in dynamic devices. This study can shed new light on potential application of the friction induced nanostructures.
An investigation of the textural characteristics associated with gray level cooccurrence matrix statistical parameters

The aim of this study was to investigate the statistical meaning of six GLCM (Gray Level Cooccurrence Matrix) parameters. This objective was mainly pursued by means of a selfcorrsistent, theoretical assessment in order to remain independent from test image. The six statistical parameters are energy, contrast, variance, correlation, entropy and inverse dzfference moment, which are considered the most relevant among the 14 originally proposed by Haralick et al. The functional analysis supporting theoretical considerations was based on natural clustering in the feature space of segment texture values. The results show that among the six GLCM statistical parameters, five different sets can be identified, each set featuring a specific textural meaning. The first set contains energy and entropy, while the four remaining parameters can be regarded as belonging to four different sets. Two parameters, energy and contrust, are considered to be the most efficient for discriminating different textural patterns. A new GLCM statistical parameter, recursivity, is presented in order to replace energy which presents some degree of correlation with contrast. It is demonstrated that in some cases it may be reasonable to replace the computation of GLCM with that of GLDH (Gray Level Difference Histogram), in order to benefit by a better compromise between texture measurement accuracy, computer storage and computation time.
Trajectory planning and real-time control of an autonomous mobile robot equipped with vision and ultrasonic sensors

The aim of this paper is to discuss and present a navigation architecture for an autonomous mobile robot, based on the integration of ultrasonic sensors and stereo vision. The distinctive features are the integration of a "classical" planning approach and subsumption architecture for obstacle avoidance, and the fusion of visual and ultrasonic sensory data. The goal of the experiment is to plan missions between two user defined points in the environment, autonomously avoiding static and dynamic obstacles along the planned path. <<ETX>>
Two complementation groups mediate tetracycline resistance determined by Tn10

The structural and regulatory tetracycline resistance genes of transposon Tn10 are located on a 2,700-base pair HpaI fragment. We have used eight tetracycline-sensitive mutations in the 2,700-base pair fragment, cloned into two compatible plasmids, to demonstrate that two complementation groups are required for tetracycline resistance. By genetic recombination with plasmids containing the regulatory or structural regions for resistance, we have determined that both complementation groups reside within the structural region. The complementation groups, designated tetA and tetB, are proximal and distal, respectively, to the promoter for the tetracycline resistance structural region. The tetB mutations are in the portion of the structural region that is known to encode the 36,000-molecular-weight, inner-membrane TET protein. The levels of tetracycline resistance expressed during complementation suggest a complex interaction between the products of the tetA and tetB loci.
On the use of data-mining algorithms to improve FOQA tools for airlines

In this paper, we investigate potential contributions of clustering algorithms for flight safety management within airlines. Based on independent analysis of a set of commercial flights with different methodologies, we identify the strengths of each approach. Then, the paper discusses the design of an analysis process using a flight decomposition relying on crew activities and including discrete parameters that reflect crew actions. The results lay the foundations for a better use of such data-mining algorithms in the next generation of Flight Data Monitoring tools used by airlines.
Learning About Monetary Policy Rules When Long-Horizon Expectations Matter

This paper considers the implications of an important source of model misspecification for the design of monetary policy rules: the assumed manner of expectations formation. Following a considerable literature on learning, it is assumed that private agents seek to maximize their objectives subject to standard constraints and the restriction of using an econometric model to make inferences about future uncertainty. Agents do not know other agents’ tastes or beliefs and therefore do not have a complete economic model with which to derive true probability laws. Because agents solve a multi-period decision problem, their actions depend on forecasts of macroeconomic conditions many periods into the future, unlike the analysis of the Bullard and Mitra (2002) and Evans and Honkapohja (2002). The central question addressed is whether the learning dynamics converge to the equilibrium predicted by rational expectations equilibrium analysis. This question is considered for several prominent instrument rules for the determination of the nominal interest rate. A key result is that a Taylor rule ensures convergence to rational expectations equilibrium, if the so-called Taylor principle is satisfied, under any of a broad class of specifications of the learning dynamics. This suggests the Taylor rule to be desirable from the point of view of eliminating instability due to self-fulfilling expectations. A companion paper, Preston (2002b), demonstrates that several policy rules argued to be desirable in the recent literature on monetary policy and learning frequently lead to the propagation of self-fulfilling expectations and hence economic instability.
Inactivation of Methionine Synthetase by Nitrous Oxide in Mice

To characterize the nitrous oxide-induced inhibition of the enzyme, methionine synthetase, we measured enzyme inactivation as a function of nitrous oxide concentration and exposure time. Mice exposed to 0.8 atm nitrous oxide exhibited more than a 50 per cent decrease in liver methionine synthetase activity within 30 min, and activity dropped to 5–25 per cent of the original value after a 4-hour exposure. Although 4-hour exposures to low nitrous oxide partial pressures (less than 0.05 atm) did not significantly alter methionine synthetase activity, higher concentrations of nitrous oxide caused a progressive inhibition over this time period. Continuous exposure to trace levels of nitrous oxide (approximately 1100 ppm) for eight to 22 days produced a small but significant reduction in liver and brain methionine synthetase activity. Methionine synthetase activity returned to control levels two to four days following inactivation. Other anesthetics (xenon, halothane, isoflurane, enflurane) did not produce inactivation.
Two-dimensional extension of nonlinear normalization method using line density for character recognition

Some of the authors previously proposed a few nonlinear normalization methods using line density for handwritten characters and it was verified that those nonlinear methods were more effective than a linear method. Those nonlinear methods, however, could not use two-dimensional information of the line density, because the line density was projected onto the axes of coordinates. The paper proposes an extended nonlinear normalization method which uses two-dimensional information of the line density. It is confirmed that the proposed method is more powerful than conventional methods by experiments tested on the handwritten character database ETL-8.
Immuno‐selection In vivo of H‐2D phenotypic variants from a metastatic clone of sarcoma cells results in cell lines of altered metastatic competence

To find out whether manipulation of H‐2 expression on metastatic cells could alter their metastatic properties, we immunoselected in vivo H‐2 antigen variants from a metastatic clone of the T10 sarcoma [originating in a (C57BL/6 XC3H.eB)F1 mouse] and tested their metastatic capacity. The unselected metastatic cells (IE7) were previously found to express H‐2Db and H‐2Dk antigens, but they did not express the H‐2K antigens of either parental haplotype. Transplantation of IE7 cells into C57BL/6J irradiated mice resulted in loss of H‐2Dk expression and a reduction in H‐2Db antigen density. Further transplantation of these cells into non‐irradiated C57BL/6J mice led to a total loss of H‐2 expression. The cells concomitantly lost their metastatic potency. Immunoselection of IE7 cells in C3H.eB irradiated and non‐irradiated mice resulted in cells which were H‐2Dk‐positive but H‐2Db‐negative. Cells of these selected variants not only retained their metastatic potential, but in fact were far more metastatic than the unselected IE7 cells. Thus, changes in H‐2 expression on tumor cells may alter their metastatic potential. In the case of T10 cells, H‐2Dk expression seems to be directly involved in their metastatic capacitiy.
Expression, characterization and crystal structure of thioredoxin from Schistosoma japonicum

SUMMARY Schistosoma japonicum, a human blood fluke, causes a parasitic disease affecting millions of people in Asia. Thioredoxin–glutathione system of S. japonicum plays a critical role in maintaining the redox balance in parasite, which is a potential target for development of novel antischistosomal agents. Here we cloned the gene of S. japonicum thioredoxin (SjTrx), expressed and purified the recombinant SjTrx in Escherichia coli. Functional assay shows that SjTrx catalyses the dithiothreitol (DTT) reduction of insulin disulphide bonds. The coupling assay of SjTrx with its endogenous reductase, thioredoxin glutathione reductase from S. japonicum (SjTGR), supports its biological function to maintain the redox homeostasis in the cell. Furthermore, the crystal structure of SjTrx in the oxidized state was determined at 2·0 Å resolution, revealing a typical architecture of thioredoxin fold. The structural information of SjTrx provides us important clues for understanding the maintenance function of redox homeostasis in S. japonicum and pathogenesis of this chronic disease.
IP Network Address Translator (NAT) Terminology and Considerations

Network Address Translation is a method by which IP addresses are mapped from one realm to another, in an attempt to provide transparent routing to hosts. Traditionally, NAT devices are used to connect an isolated address realm with private unregistered addresses to an external realm with globally unique registered addresses. This document attempts to describe the operation of NAT devices and the associated considerations in general, and to define the terminology used to identify various flavors of NAT.
A New Method to Isolate Large Numbers of Rabbit Osteoclasts and Osteoclast‐like Cells: Application to the Characterization of Serum Response Element Binding Proteins During Osteoclast Differentiation

We have developed a new method that allows the purification of large numbers of both authentic osteoclasts (OCs) and in vitro differentiated osteoclast‐like cells (OCLs) from rabbits. We characterized the OCLs in terms of the expression of different phenotypic markers of OC differentiation and their ability to resorb bone. The method provides a system for performing biochemical and molecular studies of OC differentiation and function in a single species. We used this system to characterize the effect of 1,25‐dihydroxyvitamin D3 (1,25(OH)2D3) on the expression of proteins that bind to the serum response element (SRE) of the c‐fos promoter. We found that OCLs and OCs displayed similar SRE‐binding activities, including the serum response factor (SRF). This pattern is established in a time‐dependent and cell‐specific manner in response to long‐term treatment of rabbit bone marrow by 1,25(OH)2D3. Thus, 1,25(OH)2D3 can modulate SRF and/or SRF‐related protein. This finding may contribute to understanding the role of c‐Fos in the regulation of OC differentiation.
Characterization of regional and age‐related variations in the growth of the rabbit distal femur

Fluorochrome labeling and microcomputed tomography were used to completely characterize the regional and age‐related variations in bone growth in the distal femur of the very young rabbit. Use of the microcomputed tomography system, in conjunction with the more routine fluorochrome labeling, allows the investigation of changes in shape that occur during development. The growth plate in the distal femur studied here is remarkable for several reasons. First, growth rates of as much as 700 μm/day were measured, a much higher rate than those typically measured in other species or in more mature animals. In addition, regional variations in bone growth rates of as much as 300 μm/day were identified in the 6‐week‐old rabbit. These variations resulted in the formation of a complex curvature in the growth plate, including four mammillary processes. Identifying the factors that regulate this type of regional variation may be especially useful in understanding the causes for angular deformities such as tibia vara or developmental dysplasias.
Stochastic Variational Inference for Fully Bayesian Sparse Gaussian Process Regression Models

This paper presents a novel variational inference framework for deriving a family of Bayesian sparse Gaussian process regression (SGPR) models whose approximations are variationally optimal with respect to the full-rank GPR model enriched with various corresponding correlation structures of the observation noises. Our variational Bayesian SGPR (VBSGPR) models jointly treat both the distributions of the inducing variables and hyperparameters as variational parameters, which enables the decomposability of the variational lower bound that in turn can be exploited for stochastic optimization. Such a stochastic optimization involves iteratively following the stochastic gradient of the variational lower bound to improve its estimates of the optimal variational distributions of the inducing variables and hyperparameters (and hence the predictive distribution) of our VBSGPR models and is guaranteed to achieve asymptotic convergence to them. We show that the stochastic gradient is an unbiased estimator of the exact gradient and can be computed in constant time per iteration, hence achieving scalability to big data. We empirically evaluate the performance of our proposed framework on two real-world, massive datasets.
Single Incision Laparoscopy Using Sitraccport for Large Adnexal Mass Excision and Cholecystectomy : A Case Report

Single incision laparoscopy (SIL) is the last breakthrough in the field of minimally invasive surgery. It is considered as a promising technique for the approach of abdominal and pelvic cavities, and emerges as an alternative to open surgery or multiple incisions laparoscopy (MIL). Recent studies have hypothesized that SIL might provide better scars and less parietal trauma if compared to MIL. In this article, we report a case of adnexectomy and cholecystectomy, accomplished through SIL in a synchronous surgical time, using SITRACC (for “single trocar access”; Edlo, Porto Alegre, Brazil) port.
Regulatory elements in the immunoglobulin kappa locus induce c‐myc activation and the promoter shift in Burkitt's lymphoma cells.

In Burkitt's lymphoma cells the proto‐oncogene c‐myc is constantly juxtaposed through chromosomal translocation to one of the immunoglobulin loci on chromosomes 14, 2 or 22. In the majority of cases the chromosomal breakpoint is localized 3′ or 5′ of the gene leaving the physiological c‐myc transcription unit intact. As a consequence of the translocation the c‐myc gene on the translocation chromosome becomes transcriptionally activated in such a manner that the c‐myc promoter P1 is more active than promoter P2. In order to define elements involved in c‐myc activation through t(2;8) translocation we have studied the expression of constructs consisting of c‐myc and different parts of the immunoglobulin kappa locus after stable transfection into Burkitt's lymphoma cells. The c‐myc gene under the control of the complete Ig kappa locus containing matrix attachment region, intron enhancer, constant kappa gene and 3′ enhancer was strongly activated with predominant usage of promoter P1. Deletion analysis revealed that the intron or 3′ enhancers alone activated c‐myc to a much lesser extent and with normal promoter usage (P1 < P2). The cooperation of the same regulatory elements is required not only for transcriptional activation and induction of the promoter shift but also for down‐regulation of promoter P1 of the translocated c‐myc allele by sodium butyrate, another characteristic feature of Burkitt's lymphoma cells. This supports the notion that all elements involved in transcriptional activation and dysregulation of c‐myc are contained within the myc‐Ig specific minichromosome.
Capacity building in physical activity and non-communicable disease prevention: a low-cost online training course can reach isolated practitioners

Physical inactivity is the fourth most important risk factor contributing to global non-communicable disease (NCD) deaths, occurring in high-, middle- and low-income countries. Building capacity in NCD prevention is a daunting task, and toward this end, an introductory open online course about physical activity (PA), exercise, and NCD prevention was developed. This was led by academics from the University of Sydney and the WHO Collaborating Centre for Physical Activity, Nutrition and Obesity. The course was designed to address the needs of participants from areas where geography and economy would often prevent them from participating in NCD training programs. Around 120 participants from four continents signed up for the six-week online course, with the greatest numbers from the host country (Australia) followed by participants from Pacific Island nations and from the Middle East. The course consisted of video lectures, quizzes, and online discussions facilitated by experts. More than a third of the participants fully completed the course, which received very positive participant evaluations. This also included completion of relevant quiz questions on each section of the PA course, and averaged over 70% correct responses. This successful online course has the potential to increase knowledge and skills about PA and prevention, as part of building global capacity in NCD prevention at low cost, and importantly within easy reach of potentially isolated practitioners.
THE POLISH SENTENCE TEST FOR SPEECH INTELLIGIBILITY EVALUATIONS

The main purpose of this study was to prepare Polish sentence sts for measuring speech intelligibility against an interfering noise. The tests we re developed from meaningful sentences taken from everyday utterances, TV, literature etc. Two sets of sentence lists were created. The first set was optimized for the so-called binary scoring and was composed of 25 lists of 20 sentences each, while the second set was prepar ed for word-based scoring and was composed of 22 lists of 20 sentences each. The respective lis s were statistically and phonemically balanced, i.e. they produced comparable psyc hometric functions and revealed comparable phonemic distribution. The mean SRT (Speech Rec eption Threshold) andS50 (slope of a psychometric function at the SRT point) were: −6.1 dB and29.5%/dB for the binary scoring and−7.4 dB and26.7%/dB for the word-based scoring, respectively. The test lists comply with the requirements of the high quality test f or measuring speech intelligibility of the Polish language.
A Structure‐based, Quantitative Structure–Activity Relationship Approach for Predicting HLA‐A*0201‐restricted Cytotoxic T Lymphocyte Epitopes

In this investigation, we first constructed four types of non‐bonding interaction matrixes by defining direct contacting residue types for HLA‐A*0201 protein in interaction with each position of HLA‐A*0201‐restricted cytotoxic T lymphocyte epitope as well as several formulae calculating ligand/receptor non‐bonding interactions. Relative to these studies, a method which we refer to as structure‐based, quantitative structure–activity relationship is proposed and utilized for studies on 266 HLA‐A*0201‐restricted cytotoxic T lymphocyte epitopes. The resulting genetic algorithm‐partial least square regression model is consistent with both published studies and molecular graphics analysis. Two non‐bonding interactions (i.e. hydrophobic and hydrogen bonding), are found to play important roles in antigen recognition and presentation, especially exerting effects at positions of anchor residues in antigen peptides.
Fixed-size kernel logistic regression for phoneme classification

Kernel logistic regression (KLR) is a popular non-linear classification technique. Unlike an empirical risk minimization approach such as employed by Support Vector Machines (SVMs), KLR yields probabilistic outcomes based on a maximum likelihood argument which are particularly important in speech recognition. Different from other KLR implementations we use a Nystrom approximation to solve large scale problems with estimation in the primal space such as done in fixed-size Least Squares Support Vector Machines (LS-SVMs). In the speech experiments it is investigated how a natural KLR extension to multi-class classification compares to binary KLR models coupled via a one-versus-one coding scheme. Moreover, a comparison to SVMs is made.