Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Characteristics of the Earliest Cross-Neutralizing Antibody Response to HIV-1

Recent cross-sectional analyses of HIV-1+ plasmas have indicated that broadly cross-reactive neutralizing antibody responses are developed by 10%–30% of HIV-1+ subjects. The timing of the initial development of such anti-viral responses is unknown. It is also unknown whether the emergence of these responses coincides with the appearance of antibody specificities to a single or multiple regions of the viral envelope glycoprotein (Env). Here we analyzed the cross-neutralizing antibody responses in longitudinal plasmas collected soon after and up to seven years after HIV-1 infection. We find that anti-HIV-1 cross-neutralizing antibody responses first become evident on average at 2.5 years and, in rare cases, as early as 1 year following infection. If cross-neutralizing antibody responses do not develop during the first 2–3 years of infection, they most likely will not do so subsequently. Our results indicate a potential link between the development of cross-neutralizing antibody responses and specific activation markers on T cells, and with plasma viremia levels. The earliest cross-neutralizing antibody response targets a limited number of Env regions, primarily the CD4-binding site and epitopes that are not present on monomeric Env, but on the virion-associated trimeric Env form. In contrast, the neutralizing activities of plasmas from subjects that did not develop cross-neutralizing antibody responses target epitopes on monomeric gp120 other than the CD4-BS. Our study provides information that is not only relevant to better understanding the interaction of the human immune system with HIV but may guide the development of effective immunization protocols. Since antibodies to complex epitopes that are present on the virion-associated envelope spike appear to be key components of earliest cross-neutralizing activities of HIV-1+ plasmas, then emphasis should be made to elicit similar antibodies by vaccination.
Evaluation of Differentiated Human Bronchial Epithelial Cell Culture Systems for Asthma Research

The aim of the current study was to evaluate primary (human bronchial epithelial cells, HBEC) and non-primary (Calu-3, BEAS-2B, BEAS-2B R1) bronchial epithelial cell culture systems as air-liquid interface- (ALI-) differentiated models for asthma research. Ability to differentiate into goblet (MUC5AC+) and ciliated (β-Tubulin IV+) cells was evaluated by confocal imaging and qPCR. Expression of tight junction/adhesion proteins (ZO-1, E-Cadherin) and development of transepithelial electrical resistance (TEER) were assessed. Primary cells showed localised MUC5AC, β-Tubulin IV, ZO-1, and E-Cadherin and developed TEER with, however, a large degree of inter- and intradonor variation. Calu-3 cells developed a more reproducible TEER and a phenotype similar to primary cells although with diffuse β-Tubulin IV staining. BEAS-2B cells did not differentiate or develop tight junctions. These data highlight the challenges in working with primary cell models and the need for careful characterisation and selection of systems to answer specific research questions.
Surface plasmon resonance imaging detection of silver nanoparticle-tagged immunoglobulin

The detection sensitivity of silver nanoparticle (AgNP)-tagged goat immunoglobulin G (gIgG) microarrays was investigated by studying surface plasmon resonance (SPR) images captured in the visible wavelength range with the help of a Kretchmann-configured optical coupling set-up. The functionalization of anti-gIgG molecules on the AgNP surface was studied using transmission electron microscopy, photon correlation measurements and UV–visible absorption spectroscopy. A value of 1.3 × 107 M−1 was obtained for the antibody–antigen binding constant by monitoring the binding events at a particular resonance wavelength. The detection limit of this SPR imaging instrument is 6.66 nM of gIgG achieved through signal enhancement by a factor of larger than 4 owing to nanoparticle tagging with the antibody.
4-H Women and Their Horses: An Extraordinary Relationship with an Extraordinary Animal

There is minimal research on the large animal-human companionship bond. The purposes of the phenomenological study reported here were to identify the meaning of the relationship between women and their horses and the impact on their adult lives of the human-horse bond. Analysis is based on in-depth interviews with five adult 4-H alumni horsewomen. The meaning of the relationship was a deeply emotional response to a reciprocal relationship between women and their horses. The central finding was the role of the horse in providing needed social support for the women to meet the challenges of life on an everyday basis.
Prosodic focus control in reply speech generation for a spoken dialogue system of information retrieval

A spoken dialogue system of information retrieval on academic documents has been developed with a special attention to reply speech generation. In order to realize speech reply with its prosodic features properly controlled to express dialogue focuses, a scheme was developed for directly generating speech reply from reply content. When developing the system, firstly a priority was placed on the automatic processing, and prosodic focus was controlled by rather simple rules (original rules). Based on the listening test for the reply speech generated using original rules, new rules were then developed. Through the further listening test, the rules were revised and called the revised rules. The validity of the revised rules was verified through an evaluation experiment. It was also indicated that there existed users' preferences on the intonation of the reply speech.
A new nematode Camallanus boomkeri sp. from the fish, Channa orientalis (Oestiechthyes: Channidaes) in freshwaters of Panjgur, Balochistan.

The present study was conducted to investigate the helminth parasites of fish. During this study a new species of genus Camallanus Railliet and Henry, 1915 (Nematoda: Camallanidae) is described from specimens found in the swim bladder of Channa orientalis Bloch and Schneider, 1801 collected from River Gwarko in Panjgur (Balochistan). This new species Camallanus boomkeri n. sp. differs from other reported forms of the genus on the basis of number of longitudinal ridges, body measurements and the caudal end of both sexes. It may also be differed in tridents nature, length of spicules and anal papillae number in males, and by the inflation of vulva lips in females and excretory pore position.
Big Data Migration in the Cloud Environment - An Overview

Big data migration refers moving of large quantity of data from source to destination. Based on population or digitized usages this era requires new technologies to handle large volume of data. So we have to move from legacy system to new system. As well as this migration will reduce cycle times, lower costs of maintenance, increase access to critical data, improve software architecture, improve scalability and reliability. All systems in the organizations may be replaced or enhanced the functionality with other systems. Data migration is very important for a variety of reasons such as server to storage equipment replacements or upgrades, website consolidation, server maintenance and data center relocation. ETL tools are supported the data migration which is the business process but also a set of technical applications and people’s knowledge. But this move is not easy to achieve. It has more challenges and issues. This paper is going to provide the important concepts of big data migration.
Serotonin transporter gene polymorphisms and mental health

Purpose of review The serotonin transporter gene, SERT, is perhaps the most studied candidate gene in the field of psychiatric genetics, with several dozens of studies published during the last year. This review summarizes the recent findings regarding the gene in various psychiatric disorders and discusses some of the studies investigating other aspects of the phenotype such as personality traits. Recent findings A number of unsuccessful attempts to replicate associations between SERT polymorphisms and disorders such as depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and eating disorders have been published. In addition, interesting findings regarding the possible role of these polymorphisms in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder have been presented. Further support for an association between SERT polymorphisms and anxiety-related personality traits in the normal population have been reported, and further substantiated by the intriguing finding that this gene influences cerebral blood flow in response to fearful stimuli. Moreover, recent studies have provided further support for an influence of SERT polymorphisms on antidepressant response. Summary Whereas studies regarding a possible association between SERT polymorphisms and various psychiatric disorders responding to serotonin-acting drugs have been mainly negative, a previously observed association between this gene and anxiety-related personality traits has been confirmed in several reports. One interpretation of these findings would be that serotonergic transmission does indeed influence anxiety and mood, but that the functional consequences of the studied polymorphisms in SERT are insufficient to cause depression or anxiety disorders; in contrast, they may be of sufficient significance to influence more subtle aspects of behavior.
The impact of behaviour problems on caregiver stress in young people with autism spectrum disorders.

BACKGROUND The purpose of this study was to examine the correlates of caregiver stress in a large sample of young people with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs). Two main objectives were to: (1) disentangle the effects of behaviour problems and level of functioning on caregiver stress; and (2) measure the stability of behaviour problems and caregiver stress. METHODS Parents or teachers of 293 young people with ASDs completed measures of stress, behaviour problems and social competence. Parents also completed an adaptive behaviour scale. Eighty-one young people were rated twice at a 1-year interval. RESULTS Parents and teachers did not perfectly agree on the nature and severity of behaviour problems. However, both sets of ratings indicated that behaviour problems were strongly associated with stress. Conduct problems in particular were significant predictors of stress. Adaptive skills were not significantly associated with caregiver stress. Parental reports of behaviour problems and stress were quite stable over the 1-year interval, much more so than teacher reports. Parent ratings suggested that behaviour problems and stress exacerbated each other over time. This transactional model did not fit the teacher data. CONCLUSION Results of this study suggested that it is a specific group of externalized behaviours that are the most strongly associated with both parent and teacher stress. Results were discussed from methodological and conceptual perspectives.
ErbB Transmembrane Tyrosine Kinase Receptors Are Expressed by Sensory and Motor Neurons Projecting into Sciatic Nerve

Adult spinal cord motor and dorsal root ganglion (DRG) sensory neurons express multiple neuregulin-1 (NRG-1) isoforms that act as axon-associated factors promoting neuromuscular junction formation and Schwann cell proliferation and differentiation. NRG-1 isoforms are also expressed by muscle and Schwann cells, suggesting that motor and sensory neurons are themselves acted on by NRG-1 isoforms produced by their peripheral targets. To test this hypothesis, we examined the expression of the NRG-1 receptor sub-units erbB2, erbB3, and erbB4 in rat lumbar DRG and spinal cord. All three erbB receptors are expressed in these tissues. Sciatic nerve transection, an injury that induces Schwann cell expression of NRG-1, alters erbB expression in DRG and cord. Virtually all DRG neurons are erbB2- and erbB3-immunoreactive, with erbB4 also detectable in many neurons. In spinal cord white matter, erbB2 and erbB4 antibodies produce dense punctate staining, whereas the erbB3 antibody primarily labels glial cell bodies. Spinal cord dorsal and ventral horn neurons, including α-motor neurons, exhibit erbB2, erbB3, and erbB4 immunoreactivity. Spinal cord ventral horn also contains a population of small erbB3+/S100β+/GFAP– cells (GFAP-negative astrocytes or oligodendrocytes). We conclude that sensory and motor neurons projecting into sciatic nerve express multiple erbB receptors and are potentially NRG-1 responsive.
Fiber-based testbed architecture enabling advanced experimental research

In 2005, the creation of the network for the Kyatera project began, with the declared goal of designing the most advanced and innovative research and experimental network of Latin America. This paper describes the groundwork for the development of such network in terms of its requirements, functionalities, provided services, enabled researches and design concepts. Structurally, the Kyatera network is composed of three sub-networks that will enable parallel experiments and research to be carried out in optical, networking and applications domains. Given the services and the technologies deployed, it will promote the development of joint experiments with peer advanced research centers both national and international
An improved numerical algorithm for calculating steady-state solutions of deterministic and stochastic Petri net models

Introduces an algorithm for calculating steady-state solutions of DSPN models. The described method employs the randomization technique enhanced by a stable calculation of Poisson probabilities. A complete re-design and re-implementation of the appropriate components implemented in the version 1.4 of the software package GreatSPN has lead to significant savings in both computation time and memory space. These benefits are illustrated by DSPN models taken from the literature. The author considers DSPN models for an E/sub r//D/1/K queueing system and a fault-tolerant clocking system. These examples show that the model solutions are calculated with significantly less computational effort and a better error control by the algorithm described than by the method implemented in the version 1.4 of the software package GreatSPN. <<ETX>>
Autophagy in Atherosclerosis: A Cell Survival and Death Phenomenon With Therapeutic Potential

—Autophagy is a reparative, life-sustaining process by which cytoplasmic components are sequestered in double-membrane vesicles and degraded on fusion with lysosomal compartments. A growing body of evidence suggests that autophagy is stimulated in advanced atherosclerotic plaques by oxidized lipids, inflammation, and metabolic stress conditions. However, despite the increasing interest in autophagy in various pathophysiological situations such as neurodegeneration, cancer, and cardiac myopathies, the process remains an underestimated and overlooked phenomenon in atherosclerosis. As a consequence, its role in plaque formation and stability is poorly understood. Most likely, autophagy safeguards plaque cells against cellular distress, in particular oxidative injury, by degrading damaged intracellular material. In this way, autophagy is antiapoptotic and contributes to cellular recovery in an adverse environment. An interesting observation is that basal autophagy can be intensified by specific drugs. Excessively stimulated autophagic activity is capable of destroying major proportions of the cytosol, leading finally to type II programmed cell death that lacks several hallmarks of apoptosis or necrosis. Because atherosclerosis is an inflammatory disorder of the arterial intima, pharmacological approaches could be developed to stabilize vulnerable, rupture-prone lesions through selective induction of macrophage autophagic death. ( Circ Res . 2009;104:304-317.) the removal of the cellular damage (eg, in the case of severe oxidative stress), leakage of intramitochondrial components such as cytochrome c may induce apoptosis through activation of the caspase cascade. Moreover, oxidative damage of the lysosomal membrane often results in cytosolic leakage of potent hydrolases, which could cause substantial cytosolic damage, even at the neutral cytosolic pH, followed by apoptosis. Severe oxidative stress com- bined with autophagy may also lead to formation of ceroid, a complex of protein associated with oxidized lipids. Ceroid deposits cannot be degraded by lysosomal hydrolases and might lead to preferential allocation of lysosomal enzymes to ceroid-loaded lysosomes at the expense of active autolysosomes, which, in turn, would lead to progressive inhibition of autophagy and the induction of apoptosis. Besides its important antiapoptotic role in atherosclerotic plaques, autophagy may also downregulate apoB-containing lipoproteins in the circulation. Dietary polyunsaturated fatty acids induce the appearance of intracellular aggregates of apoB in the liver. These aggregates slowly degrade by an autophagic process, thereby inhibiting export of apoB lipoproteins by hepatocytes and inﬁltration of these compounds in the vessel wall.
Partition testing, stratified sampling, and cluster analysis

We present a new approach to reducing the manual labor required to estimate software reliability. It combines the ideas of partition testing methods with those of stratified sampling to reduce the sample size necessary to estimate reliability with a given degree of precision. Program executions are stratified by using automatic cluster analysis to group those with similar features. We describe the conditions under which stratification is effective for estimating software reliability, and we present preliminary experimental results suggesting that our approach may work well in practice.
The Effect of Type 2 Diabetes Risk Loci on Insulin Requirements in Type 1 Diabetes

Objective: To analyze the correlation between insulin requirements of type 1 diabetic (T1D) patients and genotype at type 2 diabetes (T2D) risk loci, obtained in our genome-wide association study. Methods: From a database of detailed insulin dosing of 567 patients, we selected 177 for whom we also had genome-wide genotyping data. Using PLINK software, we examined the association between insulin requirement as a quantitative trait and nineteen T2D risk loci. Results: Out of 19 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), rs13266634 on chromosome 8 and rs7901695 on chromosome 10 showed nominal significance of association (p < 0.05). The first SNP is nonsynonymous (325 Arg>Trp) and maps to the SLC30A8 gene encoding the β-cell-specific ZnT8 zinc transporter, while the second is an intronic SNP in TCF7L2, the strongest known T2D association. Both loci exert their effect on β-cells and, in both, the T2D risk allele is associated with lower insulin requirements. Conclusion: We identified two T2D susceptibility loci that modulate insulin requirements in T1D patients. Our results are consistent with the association of lower insulin secretion with higher insulin sensitivity. To explain the continuation of this correlation after β-cell destruction, we hypothesize an epigenetic mechanism that alters insulin responsiveness in T1D patients based on β-cell function in early life. Such knowledge may allow a more precise approach to treatment.
Observing GLUT4 Translocation in Live L6 Cells Using Quantum Dots

The glucose transporter 4 (GLUT4) plays a key role in maintaining whole body glucose homeostasis. Tracking GLUT4 in space and time can provide new insights for understanding the mechanisms of insulin-regulated GLUT4 translocation. Organic dyes and fluorescent proteins were used in previous studies for investigating the traffic of GLUT4 in skeletal muscle cells and adipocytes. Because of their relative weak fluorescent signal against strong cellular autofluorescence background and their fast photobleaching rate, most studies only focused on particular segments of GLUT4 traffic. In this study, we have developed a new method for observing the translocation of GLUT4 targeted with photostable and bright quantum dots (QDs) in live L6 cells. QDs were targeted to GLUT4myc specifically and internalized with GLUT4myc through receptor-mediated endocytosis. Compared with traditional fluorescence dyes and fluorescent proteins, QDs with high brightness and extremely photostability are suitable for long-term single particle tracking, so individual GLUT4-QD complex can be easily detected and tracked for long periods of time. This newly described method will be a powerful tool for observing the translocation of GLUT4 in live L6 cells.
Introducing software agents to support a Web-based collective activity

This paper describes a multi agent approach of the organisation of a collective activity within a pedagogical context. We consider pedagogical situations where learners have to explicitly define the articulation of their collective work and then achieve the different tasks they have defined. Our objective is to support them by taking in charge some of these tasks in a way that emphasizes an explicit analysis of organisation features. For this purpose, we propose to consider that the group of students form a multi agent system. Within this multi-(human)agent group software agents that can achieve some of the tasks are introduced. Although these agents are artificial agents, they share common properties with the other (human) agents: they have a name, their activity is to be defined following the same protocol (delegation of task) and they communicate with the other (humans or software) agents following the same communication channels (chat, email, file transfer). We present how the interactions between these different human and software cognitive agents can be modelled using the general theoretical conceptualization of human activity proposed by the activity theory, how task delegation can be used as an approach to enable students to define the software agents' behaviour and the use of theoretical works on coordination mechanisms and role conflicts to define the agents.
Asymptotic randomization of sofic shifts by linear cellular automata

Let ${\mathbb{M}}={\mathbb{Z}}^D$ be a $D$-dimensional lattice, and let $({\mathcal{A}},+)$ be an abelian group. ${\mathcal{A}}^{\mathbb{M}}$ is then a compact abelian group under componentwise addition. A continuous function $\Phi:{\mathcal{A}}^{\mathbb{M}}\longrightarrow{\mathcal{A}}^{\mathbb{M}}$ is called a linear cellular automaton if there is a finite subset ${\mathbb{F}}\subset{\mathbb{M}}$ and non-zero coefficients $\varphi_{\textsf{f}}\in{\mathcal{Z}}$ so that, for any ${\bf{a}}\in{\mathcal{A}}^{\mathbb{M}}\, \Phi({\bf{a}}) = \sum_{{\textsf{f}}\in{\mathbb{F}}}\varphi_{\textsf{f}}\cdot\sigma^{{\textsf{f}}}({\bf{a}})$. Suppose that $\mu$ is a probability measure on ${\mathcal{A}}^{\mathbb{M}}$ whose support is a subshift of finite type or sofic shift. We provide sufficient conditions (on $\Phi$ and $\mu$) under which $\Phi$asymptotically randomizes$\mu$, meaning that $\mathrm{wk}^*-\lim_{{\mathbb{J}}\ni j\rightarrow\infty} \Phi^j\mu = \eta$, where $\eta$ is the Haar measure on ${\mathcal{A}}^{\mathbb{M}}$, and ${\mathbb{J}}\subset{\mathbb{N}}$ has Cesàro density one. In the case when $\Phi=1+\sigma$ and ${\mathcal{A}}=({{\mathbb{Z}}_{/p}})^s$ ($p$ prime), we provide a condition on $\mu$ that is both necessary and sufficient. We then use this to construct zero-entropy measures which are randomized by $1+\sigma$.
Cytologic evidence for mechanisms of K+ transport and genesis of Hensen bodies and subsurface cisternae in outer hair cells

A system commonly termed the tubulocisternal endoplasmic reticulum (TCER), but designated here the canalicular reticulum (CR), occurs selectively in ion‐transporting epithelia, in which it is interpreted as facilitating the transcellular diffusion of ions. Mechanoelectrical transduction in the cochlear outer hair cells (OHCs) depends on the apical influx and the subsequent basolateral efflux of K+. Cytologic structures that possibly mediate K+ transport in gerbil OHCs were investigated here.