Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Relationship of HIV reservoir characteristics with immune status and viral rebound kinetics in an HIV therapeutic vaccine study

Objectives:The objective of this study is to evaluate the impact of therapeutic HIV vaccination on the HIV reservoir and assess the relationship of the viral reservoir with HIV-specific immune status and viral rebound kinetics. Design:A retrospective analysis of ACTG A5197, a randomized, placebo-controlled trial of a therapeutic rAd5 HIV-1 gag vaccine. Methods:Participants received vaccine/placebo at weeks 0, 4 and 26 prior to a 16-week analytic treatment interruption (ATI) at week 38. Cell-associated HIV-1 RNA and DNA (CA-RNA and CA-DNA) and HIV-1 residual viremia were quantified at weeks 0, 8 and 38. HIV-specific CD4+/CD8+ activity was assessed by an intracellular cytokine staining assay. Results:At study entry, CA-RNA and CA-DNA levels were correlated inversely with the numbers of HIV-specific CD4+ interferon-&ggr; producing cells (CA-RNA: r = −0.23, P = 0.03 and CA-DNA: r = −0.28, P < 0.01, N = 93). Therapeutic HIV vaccination induced HIV-specific CD4+ activity, but did not significantly affect levels of CA-RNA or CA-DNA. Vaccine recipients with undetectable residual viremia at week 8 had higher frequencies of HIV-specific CD4+ and CD8+ interferon-&ggr; producing cells (undetectable versus detectable residual viremia: 277 versus 161 CD4+ cells/106 lymphocytes, P = 0.03 and 1326 versus 669 CD8+ cells/106 lymphocytes, P = 0.04). Pre-ATI CA-RNA and CA-DNA were associated with post-ATI plasma HIV set point (CA-RNA: r = 0.51, P < 0.01 and CA-DNA: r = 0.47, P < 0.01). Conclusion:Vaccine-induced T-cell responses were associated with a modest transient effect on residual viremia, but more potent immune responses and/or combination treatment with latency-reversing agents are needed to reduce the HIV reservoir. HIV reservoir measures may act as biomarkers of post-ATI viral rebound kinetics. Clinical Trials Registration:NCT00080106.
Automated Versus Floor Trading: An Analysis of Execution Costs on the Paris and New York Exchanges

A global trend towards automated trading systems raises the important question of whether execution costs are, in fact, lower than on trading floors. This paper compares the trade execution costs of similar stocks in an automated trading structure (Paris Bourse) and a floor-based trading structure (NYSE). Results indicate that execution costs are higher in Paris than in New York after controlling for differences in adverse selection, relative tick size, and economic attributes across samples. These results suggest that the present form of the automated trading system may not be able to fully replicate the benefits of human intermediation on a trading floor. Copyright The American Finance Association 2001.
Similarity of contemporary and historical gene flow among highly fragmented populations of an endangered rattlesnake

Populations of endangered taxa in recently fragmented habitats often show high levels of genetic structure, but the role that contemporary versus historical processes play in generating this pattern is unclear. The eastern massasauga rattlesnake (Sistrurus c. catenatus) is an endangered snake that presently occurs throughout central and eastern North America in a series of populations that are isolated because of habitat fragmentation and destruction. Here, we use data from 19 species‐specific microsatellite DNA loci to assess the levels of genetic differentiation, genetic effective population size, and contemporary and historical levels of gene flow for 19 populations sampled across the range of this snake. Eastern massasaugas display high levels of genetic differentiation (overall θFst = 0.21) and a Bayesian clustering method indicates that each population represents a unique genetic cluster even at regional spatial scales. There is a twofold variation in genetically effective population sizes but little genetic evidence that populations have undergone recent or historical declines in size. Finally, both contemporary and historical migration rates among populations were low and similar in magnitude even for populations located <7 km apart. A test of alternate models of population history strongly favours a model of long‐term drift‐migration equilibrium over a recent isolation drift‐only model. These results suggest that recent habitat fragmentation has had little effect on the genetic characteristics of these snakes, but rather that this species has historically existed in small isolated populations that may be resistant to the long‐term negative effects of inbreeding.
Two-Component System RgfA/C Activates the fbsB Gene Encoding Major Fibrinogen-Binding Protein in Highly Virulent CC17 Clone Group B Streptococcus

Group B streptococcus (GBS) strains with the highest ability to bind to human fibrinogen belong to the highly invasive clonal complex (CC) 17. To investigate the fibrinogen-binding mechanisms of CC17 strains, we determined the prevalence of fibrinogen-binding genes (fbsA and fbsB), and fbs regulator genes (rogB encoding an fbsA activator, rovS encoding an fbsA repressor and rgf encoding a two-component system [TCS] whose role on fbs genes was not determined yet) in a collection of 134 strains representing the major CCs of the species. We showed that specific gene combinations were related to particular CCs; only CC17 strains contained the fbsA, fbsB, and rgf genes combination. Non polar rgfAC deletion mutants of three CC17 serotype III strains were constructed. They showed a 3.2- to 5.1-fold increase of fbsA transcripts, a 4.8- to 6.7-fold decrease of fbsB transcripts, and a 52% to 68% decreased fibrinogen-binding ability, demonstrating that the RgfA/RgfC TCS inhibits the fbsA gene and activates the fbsB gene. The relative contribution of the two fbs genes in fibrinogen-binding ability was determined by constructing isogenic fbsA, fbsB, deletion mutants of the three CC17 strains. The ability to bind to fibrinogen was reduced by 49% to 57% in ΔfbsA mutants, and by 78% to 80% in ΔfbsB mutants, suggesting that FbsB protein plays a greater role in the fibrinogen-binding ability of CC17 strains. Moreover, the relative transcription level of fbsB gene was 9.2- to 12.7-fold higher than that of fbsA gene for the three wild type strains. Fibrinogen-binding ability could be restored by plasmid-mediated expression of rgfAC, fbsA, and fbsB genes in the corresponding deletion mutants. Thus, our results demonstrate that a specific combination of fbs genes and fbs regulator genes account for the high fibrinogen-binding ability of CC17 strains that may participate to their enhanced invasiveness for neonates as compared to strains of other CCs.
Segmentation of Pathological Heart Sound Signal Using Empirical Mode Decomposition

The Phonocardiogram (PCG) is the graphical recording of acoustic energy produced by the mechanical activity of various cardiac. Due to the complicated mechanisms involved in the generation of in the PCG signal, it is considered as multicomponent non stationary signal. Empirical mode decomposition (EMD) allows decomposing an observed multicomponent signal into a set of monocomponent signals, called Intrinsic Mode Functions (IMFs). The goal of this paper is to segment some pathological HS signals into the murmurs related to cardiac diseases. EMD approach allows to automatically selecting the most appropriate IMFs characterizing the murmur using the noise only model. Real-life signals are used in the various cases such as Early Aortic Stenosis (EAS), Late Aortic Stenosis (LAS), Mitral Regurgitation (MR) and Aortic Regurgitation (AR) to validate, and demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method.
Diabetes and shoulder disorders

Musculoskeletal disease is one of the most common complications in patients with diabetes, and yet is receives relatively little attention. The severity and the risks of musculoskeletal complications might not be well recognized as cardiovascular complications; however, the associated ailments certainly inflict both physical and psychological harm on people with diabetes. Among the various musculoskeletal diseases, shoulder pain is one of the most common complaints. In general, it is characterized by pain and limited range of motion of one or both shoulders. Shoulder pain not only causes decreased quality of life, but also leads to disability in daily activities, and might interfere directly or indirectly with control of metabolic processes.
Tratamiento cognitivo conductual en pacientes con dolor lumbar en salud pública: Estudio piloto

Low back pain is a major public health problem due to the physical limitations it produces and the comorbidity with mental problems. The aim of this study was to apply a cognitive behavioral group treatment of six sessions in a public health rehabilitation service, to test its effects on pain, disability, anxiety, depression, fear and avoidance beliefs, catastrophizing, and pain coping strategies. The sample consisted of 5 patients from a public hospital in Valencia diagnosed with low back pain ( M = 57 years), who had been suffering pain for an average of 5.9 years. The results showed a reduction of disability, of the use of maladaptive strategies and fear-avoidance beliefs, indicating that psychological aspects have a great impact on low back pain and that it is possible to apply psychological interventions for this condition in the public health system in Spain.
GramCheck: A Grammar and Style Checker

This paper presents a grammar and style checker demonstrator for Spanish and Greek native writers developed within the project GramCheck. Besides a brief grammar error typology for Spanish, a linguistically motivated approach to detection and diagnosis is presented, based on the generalized use of PROLOG exteusions to highly typed unification-based grammars. The demonstrator, currently including full coverage for agreement errors and certain head-argument relation issues, also provides correction by means of an analysis-transfer-synthesis cycle. Finally, future extensions to the current system are discussed.
Toward a robust control of bipedal walking from human demonstration

An apparatus for storing and dispensing parallelepipedic objects such as boxes, packets or like articles, comprises a main elongated body on which the objects are placed, one behind the other. A push element is mounted to slide longitudinally on this body and an elastic member urges the push element forwards so as to apply it against the last object in the line. An auxiliary body is mounted to slide longitudinally in the main body, to extend the latter over a variable length. The push element comprises guiding members cooperating with guides on the main body and on the auxiliary body to ensure continuous guiding of the push element over the whole length of the telescopic assembly formed by the two bodies.
Upregulated MicroRNA-25 Mediates the Migration of Melanoma Cells by Targeting DKK3 through the WNT/β-Catenin Pathway

Previous research indicates that microRNA-25 (miR-25) regulates carcinogenesis and the progression of various cancers, but the role of miR-25 in melanoma remains unclear. We observed that miR-25 was significantly upregulated in melanoma cell lines and tissue samples. Downregulation of miR-25 markedly suppressed invasion and proliferation of melanoma cells in vitro; however, overexpression of miR-25 markedly increased melanoma cell invasion and proliferation. Moreover, we observed Dickkopf-related protein 3 (DKK3) as a direct target of miR-25 in vitro. Upregulation of DKK3 partially attenuated the oncogenic effect of miR-25 on melanoma cells. Ectopic expression of miR-25 in melanoma cells induced β-catenin accumulation in nuclear and inhibited TCF4 (T cell factor 4) activity, as well as the expression of c-Myc and Cyclin D1. In a nude xenograft model, miR-25 upregulation significantly increased A375 melanoma growth. In summary, miR-25 is upregulated in melanoma and promotes melanoma cell proliferation and invasion, partially by targeting DKK3. These results were indicated that miR-25 may serve as a potential target for the treatment of melanoma in the future.
Effect of the Spacing of Backpack Shoulder Straps on Cervical Muscle Activity, Acromion and Scapular Position, and Upper Trapezius Pain

[Purpose] This study investigated the effect of the spacing of backpack shoulder straps on cervical muscle activity, acromion and scapular position, and upper trapezius (UT) pain. [Subjects] Fourteen males aged 20–32 years, were recruited. [Methods] We measured the MPS (midcervical paraspinal) activity, acromial angle, scapular distance, and UT pain after gait carrying a backpack with different shoulder strap spacings. [Results] The MPS, scapular inferior distance, and UT pressure pain threshold was significantly decreased and the acromion angle was significantly increased when carrying a backpack with wide shoulder straps compared to narrow shoulder straps. [Conclusion] A backpack with wide shoulder straps may cause scapular depression syndrome and chronic UT pain.
Viewpoint simulation for camera pose estimation from an unstructured scene model

We consider the problem of camera pose estimation from a scene model obtained beforehand by a structure-from-motion (SfM) algorithm. The model is made of 3D points, each one of them being represented by its coordinates and a set of photometric descriptors such as SIFT, extracted from some of the input images of the SfM stage. Pose estimation is based on the matching of interest points from a test view with model points, using the descriptors. Descriptors having a limited invariance with respect to viewpoint changes, such an approach is likely to fail when the test view is far away from the images used to construct the model. Viewpoint simulation techniques, as ASIFT, have proved effective for wide-baseline image matching. This paper explores how these techniques can enrich a scene model by adding descriptors from simulated views, using either orthographic or pinhole virtual cameras. Viewpoint simulation permits pose estimation in situations where the approach based on the sole SIFT descriptors simply fails.
Reducing Job Slowdown Variability for Data-Intensive Workloads

A well-known problem when executing data-intensive workloads with such frameworks as MapReduce is that small jobs with processing requirements counted in the minutes may suffer from the presence of huge jobs requiring hours or days of compute time, leading to a job slowdown distribution that is very variable and that is uneven across jobs of different sizes. Previous solutions to this problem for sequential or rigid jobs in single-server and distributed-server systems include priority-based FeedBack Queueing (FBQ), and Task Assignment by Guessing Sizes (TAGS), which kills and restarts from scratch on another server jobs that exceed the local time limit. In this paper, we derive four scheduling policies that are rightful descendants of existing size-based scheduling disciplines (among which FBQ and TAGS) with appropriate adaptations to data-intensive frameworks. The two main mechanisms employed by these policies are partitioning the resources of the datacenter, and isolating jobs with different size ranges. We evaluate these policies by means of realistic simulations of representative MapReduce workloads from Facebook and show that under the best of these policies, the vast majority of short jobs in MapReduce workloads experience close to ideal job slowdowns even under high system loads (in the range of 0.7-0.9) while the slowdown of the very large jobs is not prohibitive. We validate our simulations by means of experiments on a real multicluster system, and we find that the job slowdown performance results obtained with both match remarkably well.
Revolutionary social change and patrilocal residence in China.

The degree to which the patrilocal form of residence of the Chinese peasant family has been altered by the revolutionary changes initiated by the Chinese communists since 1949 is examined. The source of information is intensive and semi-structured interviews conducted in Hong Kong in 1973-1974 with former residents of 63 different villages in Kwangtung the province adjacent to the British colony. The interviews were basically ethnographic in nature. The respondents served as informants "at a distance" about the villages they had lived in. It was learned that important changes in peasant family life have occurred. The destruction of lineage power and ritual life the collectivization of agriculture the expansion of rural education the mobilization of women for regular field labor and other revolutionary changes have all had a marked effect. It is because of such changes that young people have more freedom in selecting their mates authority within the home is not organized so hierarchically and the position of the new bride in her husbands family has been strengthened. None of these changes has served to have a necessary weakening effect on the patrilocal residence principle. In actuality the pattern of uprooting women from their natal homes and incorporating them into the homes of their husbands has been reinforced by the structure created by the Chinese Communists and by a variety of official policies. Consequently patrilocal residence continues despite the occasional ambivalence shown in efforts to publicize the many advantages of uxorilocal residence. This must be because the Chinese leadership accepts the fact that the kinds of strong patrilocally based domestic units that are being perpetuated help to keep peasants rooted in their villages and willing to give both their energy and their loyalty to their leaders. These considerations cannot be ignored in light of the constant battle required to feed Chinas population.
Book Review: Patricia J. Brooks and Vera Kempe, Language development

Despite the experimental limitations of the project and the at times theoretically demanding parts of the book, Francis links theoretical accounts of language acquisition and literacy with language teaching methods and bilingual education programmes. In this respect, this book is informative for educators and policy makers working in bilingual contexts, as well as researchers in bilingual acquisition and literacy.
Optical Flow from Motion Blurred Color Images

This paper presents an algorithm for the estimation of optical flow from a single, motion-blurred, color image. The proposed algorithm is based on earlier work that estimated the optical flow using the information from a single grey scale image. By treating the three color channels separately we improved the robustness of our approach. Since first introduced, different groups have used similar techniques of the original algorithm to estimate motion in a variety of applications. Experimental results from natural as well as artificially motion-blurred images are presented.
Early development of mixed-signal MOS circuit technology

In 1965, Gordon Moore observed that ? single-chip integrated circuits were doubling in complexity approximately every two years, mostly by reducing all dimensions of devices. He correctly foresaw the continuation of that trend for many years ahead. Following announcements of the first 1,024 bit memory chip (Intel 1103, in 1970) and the first microprocessor (Intel 4004, in 1971) it became clear that MOS technology would enable mass production of very low cost digital electronics. Over the next 3 decades, MOS technology matched and then surpassed bipolar technology for all but a few specialized applications.
Expression and Function of the Splice Variant of the Human Cadherin‐11 Gene in Subordination to Intact Cadherin‐11

Cadherin‐11, a member of the type II classic cadherin subfamily, differs from type I family molecules such as P‐, E‐, and N‐cadherins. An isoform of the human cadherin‐11 gene, termed the variant form, encodes a truncated protein with a different cytoplasmic domain. The resulting protein does not possess any part of the cytoplasmic domain common to other cadherins. In the present study, analysis of the genomic organization of the cadherin‐11 gene revealed that an insertion of 179 bp in an intron generates an alternatively spliced form. The mRNA expression of the variant form of cadherin‐11 was examined in normal tissues by reverse transcription‐polymerase chain reaction and/or Northern blot analyses. The variant form was expressed in the heart, brain, placenta, lung, and bone, but not in the kidney, skeletal muscle, pancreas, and liver. Western blot analyses revealed that the variant form is expressed as an 85 kDa protein, and that an additional secreted form also exists as an 80 kDa protein originated from cleavage of the intact form. Gene transfer of the variant form into L cells demonstrated that it lacked the adhesion properties characteristic of the intact form of cadherin‐11 but enhanced the activity of Ca2+‐dependent adhesion of the intact form of cadherin‐11. The variant was expressed on the surface together with the intact form and stabilized the interaction between the intact form and β‐catenin. These findings suggest that expression of the variant form of human cadherin‐11 may regulate the intact cadherin‐11–mediated adhesion and alter the morphogenetic processes during mesenchymal cell differentiation including osteoblasts.
Percentile curves for skinfold thickness for Canadian children and youth

Background. Skinfold thickness (SFT) measurements are a reliable and feasible method for assessing body fat in children but their use and interpretation is hindered by the scarcity of reference values in representative populations of children. The objective of the present study was to develop age- and sex-specific percentile curves for five SFT measures (biceps, triceps, subscapular, suprailiac, medial calf) in a representative population of Canadian children and youth. Methods. We analyzed data from 3,938 children and adolescents between 6 and 19 years of age who participated in the Canadian Health Measures Survey cycles 1 (2007/2009) and 2 (2009/2011). Standardized procedures were used to measure SFT. Age- and sex-specific centiles for SFT were calculated using the GAMLSS method. Results. Percentile curves were materially different in absolute value and shape for boys and girls. Percentile girls in girls steadily increased with age whereas percentile curves in boys were characterized by a pubertal centered peak. Conclusions. The current study has presented for the first time percentile curves for five SFT measures in a representative sample of Canadian children and youth.
Quantifying Transmission of Highly Pathogenic and Low Pathogenicity H7N1 Avian Influenza in Turkeys

Outbreaks of avian influenza in poultry can be devastating, yet many of the basic epidemiological parameters have not been accurately characterised. In 1999–2000 in Northern Italy, outbreaks of H7N1 low pathogenicity avian influenza virus (LPAI) were followed by the emergence of H7N1 highly pathogenic avian influenza virus (HPAI). This study investigates the transmission dynamics in turkeys of representative HPAI and LPAI H7N1 virus strains from this outbreak in an experimental setting, allowing direct comparison of the two strains. The fitted transmission rates for the two strains are similar: 2.04 (1.5–2.7) per day for HPAI, 2.01 (1.6–2.5) per day for LPAI. However, the mean infectious period is far shorter for HPAI (1.47 (1.3–1.7) days) than for LPAI (7.65 (7.0–8.3) days), due to the rapid death of infected turkeys. Hence the basic reproductive ratio, is significantly lower for HPAI (3.01 (2.2–4.0)) than for LPAI (15.3 (11.8–19.7)). The comparison of transmission rates and are critically important in relation to understanding how HPAI might emerge from LPAI. Two competing hypotheses for how transmission rates vary with population size are tested by fitting competing models to experiments with differing numbers of turkeys. A model with frequency-dependent transmission gives a significantly better fit to experimental data than density-dependent transmission. This has important implications for extrapolating experimental results from relatively small numbers of birds to the commercial poultry flock size, and for how control, including vaccination, might scale with flock size.