Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Phase 1 safety and immunogenicity evaluation of a multiclade HIV-1 DNA candidate vaccine.

BACKGROUND Gene-based vaccine delivery is an important strategy in the development of a preventive vaccine for acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). Vaccine Research Center (VRC) 004 is the first phase 1 dose-escalation study of a multiclade HIV-1 DNA vaccine. METHODS VRC-HIVDNA009-00-VP is a 4-plasmid mixture encoding subtype B Gag-Pol-Nef fusion protein and modified envelope (Env) constructs from subtypes A, B, and C. Fifty healthy, uninfected adults were randomized to receive either placebo (n=10) or study vaccine at 2 mg (n=5), 4 mg (n=20), or 8 mg (n=15) by needle-free intramuscular injection. Humoral responses (measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbant assay, Western blotting, and neutralization assay) and T cell responses (measured by enzyme-linked immunospot assay and intracellular cytokine staining after stimulation with antigen-specific peptide pools) were measured. RESULTS The vaccine was well tolerated and induced cellular and humoral responses. The maximal CD4(+) and CD8(+) T cell responses occurred after 3 injections and were in response to Env peptide pools. The pattern of cytokine expression by vaccine-induced HIV-specific T cells evolved over time, with a diminished frequency of interferon- gamma -producing T cells and an increased frequency of interleukin-2-producing T cells at 1 year. CONCLUSIONS DNA vaccination induced antibody to and T cell responses against 3 major HIV-1 subtypes and will be further evaluated as a potential component of a preventive AIDS vaccine regimen.
[Effect of microRNA-mediated p65 gene silencing on the proliferation and apoptosis of human breast cancer MDA-MB-231 cells].

OBJECTIVE To explore the effect of microRNA (miRNA)-mediated p65 gene knockdown on the proliferation and apoptosis of human breast cancer MDA-MB-231 cells. METHODS p65-targeted miRNA plasmid was constructed and transfected into MDA-MB-231 cells via lipofectamine(TM)2000. The expression of p65 gene in the transfected cells at the mRNA and protein levels were detected by RT-PCR and Western blotting, respectively. The cell proliferation and apoptosis were measured by MTT assay and flow cytometry (FCM), respectively. The expressions of apoptosis-related proteins were detected by Western blotting in the transfected cells. RESULTS Compared with the negative control group, the expressions of p65 mRNA and protein in p65miRNA-trasnfected cells were significantly down-regulated (P<0.05). MTT assay showed significantly lowered viability of MDA-MB-231 cells after the transfection (P<0.05). FCM showed an increased cell apoptosis rate in p65miRNA group compared with that in the negative control group (P<0.05). Caspase-3 and PARP were both cleaved into their active forms and the expression of these active forms was increased in p65miRNA group. CONCLUSION The miRNA targeting p65 gene can inhibit the proliferation and induce apoptosis of breast cancer cells, and p65 gene might become a new target in gene therapy for human breast cancer.
EFFECTS OF SEVERAL CARDIOVASCULAR DRUGS ON VARIOUS PHASES OF CIRCULATORY DYNAMICS.

Abstract This study shows some of the cardiovascular parameters which can influence cardiac output, all of which are in operation simultaneously. Changes in cardiac output were inconsistent, although each drug invariably produced characteristic directional changes in blood pressure and ventricular contractile force. During the administration of drugs the reflex response to cardiovascular changes were of prime concern in the regulation of cardiac output. The algebraic sum of the drug effect and the reflex homeostatic response to the drug determines the end changes in cardiovascular dynamics. Therefore, directional changes in cardiac output cannot always be categorically stated. The pressor drugs (epinephrine and levarterenol) which have a positive inotropic action usually produced an increment in cardiac output even though there was an increase in peripheral resistance to systolic ejection. The pressor drug methoxamine, which has little or no cardiac action, always produced a decrease in cardiac output consequent to the marked increase in peripheral resistance and reflex bradycardia. Nitroglycerin, a vasodilator with little cardiac action, decreased cardiac output associated with progressive peripheral pooling of blood; however, isoproterenol, a vasodilator with marked positive inotropic action, always produced an increment in cardiac output as a result of increased myocardial contractility and heart rate. Indeed, the value of pressorinotropic drugs over pressor drugs as supportive measures in shock therapy cannot be overemphasized.
Quality assessment of voice converted speech using articulatory features

We propose a novel application of the acoustic-to-articulatory inversion (AAI) towards a quality assessment of the voice converted speech. The ability of humans to speak effortlessly requires the coordinated movements of various articulators, muscles, etc. This effortless movement contributes towards a naturalness, intelligibility and speaker's identity (which is partially present in voice converted speech). Hence, during voice conversion (VC), the information related to the speech production is lost. In this paper, this loss is quantified for a male voice, by showing an increase in RMSE error (up to 12.7 % in tongue tip) for voice converted speech followed by showing a decrease in mutual information (I) (by 8.7 %). Similar results are obtained in the case of a female voice. This observation is extended by showing that the articulatory features can be used as an objective measure. The effectiveness of the proposed measure over MCD is illustrated by comparing their correlation with a Mean Opinion Score (MOS). Moreover, the preference score of MCD contradicted ABX test by 100 %, whereas the proposed measure supported ABX test by 45.8 % and 16.7 % in the case of female-to-male and male-to-female VC, respectively.
Early mother-infant interaction: Determinants and Predictivity

11 TIIVISTELMÄ . 13 INTRODUCTION. 15 REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE. 16 Early mother-infant interaction.16 How early is early mother-infant interaction? 16 Mother’s behaviour in early mother-infant interaction.16 Transition to motherhood . 16 Mother’s interactive behaviour: sensitivity . 17 Mother’s intrusiveness and remoteness . 18 Mother’s affective behaviour.19 Infant’s behaviour in early mother-infant interaction . 20 Developmental stage of the infant at 2-3 months . 20 Infant’s interactive behaviour: Attentiveness and withdrawal . 21 Infant’s fussiness, irritability and temperamental factors . 22 Aspects of the dyad in early mother-infant interaction.22 Factors relating to the quality of early mother-infant interaction . 23 Maternal psychopathology . 23 Mother’s close relationships . 25 Continuity of attachment across relationships.25 Social support . 27 Infant factors.28 Temperament . 28 Early mother-infant interaction and its effects on the child and child development.30 Evolving of the attachment relationship.31
Adapting to Asthma: Are Some Asthma Effects Acceptable?

Health-related quality-of-life scores depend on patients' judgments about their condition and its effect on them. Asthma is a long-term disease, and it is possible that patients may learn to accept some of its effects. We tested the hypothesis that patients come to accept some asthma effects and then discount them as being important when rating their health. We asked patients which of the asthma effects listed in the St. George's Respiratory Questionnaire were acceptable to them. This enabled us to calculate a score for effects of asthma that patients experienced, yet were acceptable to them. The comparative validity of the Current, Acceptable and Unacceptable St George's Respiratory Questionnaire scores was examined by testing their correlations with a variety of asthma-related variables. Eighty patients participated, mean age 50 years, mean forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1) 73 (SD 24)% predicted. Acceptability of St George's Respiratory Questionnaire items was related to the previously identified severity weights (rho = −0.65, p < 0.0001), but some severe effects were acceptable to some patients. Patients who accepted higher levels of health impairment were older with more severe disease. Unacceptable health was less well correlated with asthma-related variables than was current health. We conclude that patients accept some asthma effects but do not appear to discount them when using a detailed health status questionnaire.
Parental Socialization of Moral Behaviors in the Context of Poverty

Parents play a key role in promoting children’s moral behaviors. How­ever, other forces such as children’s characteristics, and contextual and temporal factors are also at work (Bronfenbrenner & Evans, 2000). This study investigated parental socialization of children’s moral be­haviors and determined factors perceived to influence children’s moral behaviors within the context of urban poverty using Bronfenbrenner’s Person-Process-Context-Time (PPCT) Framework (Bronfenbrenner & Morris, 2006). To achieve these objectives, pakikipagkwentuhan was used among 12 children aged 7 to 14, while individual interviews were conducted with their respective mothers. Parental socialization prac­tices were classified along two dimensions: verbal and behavioral, and punitive and non-punitive. Verbal socialization practices are predomi­nantly used, especially among 10- to 14-year-olds, whereas punitive so­cialization practices are more salient among 7 to 9-year-olds and their mothers. Factors such as the child’s age and gender, mother and child attributions, danger and negative influences in the community, cultural beliefs, and the changing times were also found to have an impact on parents’ socialization practices and children’s moral behaviors. Impli­cations for research and practice in parenting are discussed in light of these multiple influences.
Early events in preprotein recognition in E. coli: interaction of SRP and trigger factor with nascent polypeptides.

In Escherichia coli, components of a signal recognition particle (SRP) and its receptor have been identified which appear to be essential for efficient translocation of several proteins. In this study we use cross‐linking to demonstrate that E. coli SRP interacts with a variety of nascent presecretory proteins and integral inner membrane proteins. Evidence is presented that the interaction is correlated with the hydrophobicity of the core region of the signal sequence and thereby with its ability to promote transport in vivo. A second E. coli component, which is identified as trigger factor, can be efficiently cross‐linked to all tested nascent chains derived from both secreted and cytosolic proteins. We propose that SRP and trigger factor act as secretion‐specific and general molecular chaperone respectively, early in protein synthesis.
Measuring fiber alignment in electrospun scaffolds: a user's guide to the 2D fast Fourier transform approach

In this study we describe how to use a two-dimensional fast Fourier transform (2D FFT) approach to measure fiber alignment in electrospun materials. This image processing function can be coupled with a variety of imaging modalities to assign an objective numerical value to scaffold anisotropy. A data image of an electrospun scaffold is composed of pixels that depict the spatial organization of the constituent fibers. The 2D FFT function converts this spatial information into a mathematically defined frequency domain that maps the rate at which pixel intensities change across the original data image. This output image also contains quantitative information concerning the orientation of objects in a data image. We discuss the theory and practice of using the frequency plot of the 2D FFT function to measure relative scaffold anisotropy and identify the principal axis of fiber orientation. We note that specific degrees of scaffold anisotropy may represent a critical design feature in the fabrication of tissues that will be subjected to well-defined uniaxial mechanical loads. This structural property may also represent a source of guidance cues that can be exploited to regulate cell phenotype.
Clonal Structure and Characterization of Staphylococcus aureus Strains from Invasive Infections in Paediatric Patients from South Poland: Association between Age, spa Types, Clonal Complexes, and Genetic Markers

The aim of current study was to examine clonal structure and genetic profile of invasive Staphylococcus aureus isolates recovered from infants and children treated at the Jagiellonian University Children’s Hospital of Krakow, Poland. The 107 invasive S. aureus isolates, collected between February 2012 and August 2014, were analysed retrospectively. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing, spa typing and DNA microarray analysis were performed to determine clonal distribution, diversity and gene content in regard to patients characteristics. In total, 107 isolates were recovered from 88 patients with clinical symptoms of invasive bacterial infection. The final set of 92 non-duplicate samples included 38 MRSA isolates. Additionally, a set of 54 S. aureus isolates collected during epidemiological screening was genotyped and analysed. There were 72 healthcare-associated (HCA) and 20 community-onset (CO) infection events caused by 33 and 5 MRSA isolates, respectively. The majority of isolates were affiliated with the major European clonal complexes CC5 (t003, spa-CC 002), CC45 (spa-CC 015), CC7 or CC15 (t084, t091, spa-CC 084). Two epidemic clones (CC5-MRSA-II or CC45-MRSA-IV) dominated among MRSA isolates, while MSSA population contained 15 different CCs. The epidemiological screening isolates belonged to similar genetic lineages as those collected from invasive infection cases. The HCA infection events, spa types t003, t2642 or CC5 were significantly associated with infections occurring in neonates and children under 5 years of age. Moreover, carriage of several genetic markers, including erm(A), sea (N315), egc-cluster, chp was significantly higher in isolates obtained from children in this age group. The spa types t091 and t008 were underrepresented among patients aged 5 years or younger, whereas spa type t008, CC8 and presence of splE was associated with infection in children aged 10 years or older. The HCA-MRSA strains were most frequently found in children under 5 years, although the majority of invasive infections was associated with MSSA strains. Moreover, an association between age group of children from the study population and a specific strain genotype (spa type, clonal complex or genetic content) was observed among the patients.
Augmenting images of non-rigid scenes using point and curve correspondences

Our goal is to augment images of non-rigid scenes coming from single-camera footage. We do not assume any a priori information about the scene being viewed, such as for example a parameterized 3D model or the motion of the camera. One possible solution is to use non-rigid factorization of points, from which a dense interpolating function modeled by a thin-plane spline can be computed. However, in many cases, point correspondences fail to capture precisely all the deformations occurring in the scene. Examples include the eyebrows or the lips when augmenting sequences of a face. Such deformations can be captured by tracking curves, but then point correspondences are not obtained directly due to the aperture problem. We propose an integrated method for non-rigid factorization and thin-plate spline interpolant estimation using point and curve correspondences over multiple views. The main novelties lie in the introduction of curves into the non-rigid factorization framework and in a direct global solution for the registration map, obtained by minimizing the registration error over all points and curves while taking all the images into account. The parameters of the registration map are set using cross-validation. The fidelity of the map is demonstrated by augmenting video footage undergoing various types of deformation.
THE STRUCTURE OF SEPTATE DESMOSOMES

The most common type of specialized adhesive site between invertebrate epithelial cells has been characterized by Wood (13) as a "septate desmosome. " He found them in various species of Hydra and in flatworms (Dugesia). He also drew attention to similar structures in annelids (6), anemones (5), and in echinoderm embryos (1). They also occur in insects (8); in fact, they are probably universally present in invertebrates. The structures in insect eyes described as ultratracheoles (3) are also probably profiles of septate desmosomes. In two important papers, the high permeability from cell to cell and the low permeability across the epithelium along the intercellular spaces (7) has been correlated with the distribution and form of these junctions (12), but the illustrations and figures of these authors add little to Wood's description of the structure. Wood defined the septate desmosome as an adherent region between two plasma membranes which are joined together by paralled arrays of lamellae arranged at right angles to the surface. This description seemed to fit the structures uniting insect epidermal cells. However, nearly all the interpretations of the structure are based upon transverse sections of plasma membranes. Recently it has been possible to obtain sections tangential to the surface in the region of these desmosomes which suggest a modification of the original interpretation of the structure. The new structure proposed can be likened to a lipidwater phase known from in vitro studies of liquidcrystals (9). The structure and distribution of septate desmosomes has been studied in the epidermis of the caterpillar Calpodes ethlius (Lepidoptera, Hesperiidae). When seen in transverse section they seem identical with the structures described by Wood. Adjacent plasma membranes are about 140 A apart and are joined by septa about 85 A thick which repeat every 190 A. In tangential sections, however, additional structure is revealed (Figs. 1 and 2). This structure is also mentioned and discussed in references 7 and 12. The septa are not merely straight sheets joining the plasma membranes together, but form a hexagonal network of septa arranged as the walls of symmetrical intercellular compartments. Each space in the net has a mean diameter of about 105 A. The walls of the spaces are formed from three arrays of septa oriented at 120 ° to one another, giving an almost perfectly symmetrical pattern with regard to spacing. The arrays of septa themselves are not alike; those in one direction are more dense than the other two. The typical pattern of the septate desmosome is only seen when the section is exactly normal to the dense array of septa. If the section is in some other plane the intercellular space may appear almost uniformly dense. The dense arrays may be an intermediate stage between a perfectly hexagonal pattern and separate parallel septa. The simple situation of a single array of septa de-
Current Methods for Inducing Pluripotency in Somatic Cells

The groundbreaking discovery of reprogramming fibroblasts towards pluripotency merely by introducing four transcription factors (OCT4, SOX2, KLF4 and c‐MYC) by means of retroviral transduction has created a promising revolution in the field of regenerative medicine. These so‐called induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) can provide a cell source for disease‐modelling, drug‐screening platforms, and transplantation strategies to treat incurable degenerative diseases, while circumventing the ethical issues and immune rejections associated with the use of non‐autologous embryonic stem cells. The risk of insertional mutagenesis, caused both by the viral and transgene nature of the technique has proven to be the major limitation for iPSCs to be used in a clinical setting. In view of this, a variety of alternative techniques have been developed to induce pluripotency in somatic cells. This review provides an overview on current reprogramming protocols, discusses their pros and cons and future challenges to provide safe and transgene‐free iPSCs.
Increased cefepime MIC for enterobacteriacae clinical isolates.

UNLABELLED Background : Cefepime was used as empirical treatment in ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) induced by gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria. This study aimed to determine the antimicrobial susceptibility pattern of cefepime against microorganism causing VAP in Mazandaran, North of Iran. METHODS This study was performed on VAP patients diagnosed with clinical pulmonary infection score (CPIS) scores in ICU of two hospitals. For each patient suspected of having VAP, quantitative culture of endotracheal aspiration (QEA) was performed and MIC was determined by micro dilution test. Data were collected and analyzed. RESULTS Thirty- five cases of enterobacteriaceae were isolated orderly including E coli 13, P. aeruginosa 11, Enterobacter 7 and K. pneumonia 4 cases. All the isolated E. coli, Enterobacter and Klebsiella, 54.5% of P. aeruginosa isolated were fully resistant to cefepime. CONCLUSION The results of this study show that cefepime is not a reasonable choice for empirical treatment of nosocomial pneumonia and VAP.
How Hyperpolarization and the Recovery of Excitability Affect Propagation through a Virtual Anode in the Heart

Researchers have suggested that the fate of a shock-induced wave front at the edge of a “virtual anode” (a region hyperpolarized by the shock) is a key factor determining success or failure during defibrillation of the heart. In this paper, we use a simple one-dimensional computer model to examine propagation speed through a hyperpolarized region. Our goal is to test the hypothesis that rapid propagation through a virtual anode can cause failure of propagation at the edge of the virtual anode. The calculations support this hypothesis and suggest that the time constant of the sodium inactivation gate is an important parameter. These results may be significant in understanding the mechanism of the upper limit of vulnerability.
The Spectroscopic Orbit of the Planetary Companion Transiting HD 209458

We report a spectroscopic orbit with period P = 3.52433 ± 0.00027 days for the planetary companion that transits the solar-type star HD 209458. For the metallicity, mass, and radius of the star, we derive [Fe/H] = 0.00 ± 0.02, M* = 1.1 ± 0.1 M☉, and R* = 1.2 ± 0.1 R☉. This is based on a new analysis of the iron lines in our HIRES template spectrum and also on the absolute magnitude, effective temperature, and color of the star, and it uses isochrones from four different sets of stellar evolution models. Using these values for the stellar parameters, we reanalyze the transit data and derive an orbital inclination of i = 86. °1 ± 1. °6. For the planet, we derive a mass of Mp = 0.69 ± 0.05 MJup, a radius of Rp = 1.40 ± 0.17 RJup, and a density of ρ = 0.31 ± 0.07 g cm-3.