Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Analysis of HTLV-I proviral load in 202 HAM/TSP patients and 243 asymptomatic HTLV-I carriers: high proviral load strongly predisposes to HAM/TSP.

In order to examine the effect of HTLV-I proviral load on the pathogenesis of HAM/TSP, we measured the HTLV-I proviral load in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from a large number of HAM/TSP patients and asymptomatic HTLV-I carriers. To measure the proviral load, we used an accurate and reproducible quantitative PCR method using a dual-labeled fluorogenic probe (ABI PRISM 7700 Sequence Detection System). The mean +/- standard error of mean (s.e.m.) HTLV-I proviral copy number per 1 x 10(4) PBMC was 798 +/- 51 (median 544) in 202 HAM/TSP patients; 120 +/- 17 (median 34) in 200 non HAM-related (general) asymptomatic HTLV-I carriers (RC); and 496 +/- 82 (median 321) in 43 asymptomatic HTLV-I carriers genetically related to HAM/TSP patients (FA). The prevalence of HAM/TSP rises exponentially with log (proviral load) once the proviral load exceeds 1% PBMC. The HTLV-I proviral load of female patients with HAM/TSP was significantly higher than that of male patients, however there was no significant difference in proviral load between sexes in RC. There was a significant correlation between the proviral load and the concentration of neopterin in CSF of HAM/TSP patients. These results indicate that the HTLV-I proviral load in PBMC may be related to the inflammatory process in the spinal cord lesion. The increased proviral load in FA suggests the existence of genetic factors contributing to the replication of HTLV-I in vivo.
Visual Evoked Cortical Potential (VECP) Elicited by Sinusoidal Gratings Controlled by Pseudo-Random Stimulation

The contributions of contrast detection mechanisms to the visual cortical evoked potential (VECP) have been investigated studying the contrast-response and spatial frequency-response functions. Previously, the use of m-sequences for stimulus control has been almost restricted to multifocal electrophysiology stimulation and, in some aspects, it substantially differs from conventional VECPs. Single stimulation with spatial contrast temporally controlled by m-sequences has not been extensively tested or compared to multifocal techniques. Our purpose was to evaluate the influence of spatial frequency and contrast of sinusoidal gratings on the VECP elicited by pseudo-random stimulation. Nine normal subjects were stimulated by achromatic sinusoidal gratings driven by pseudo random binary m-sequence at seven spatial frequencies (0.4–10 cpd) and three stimulus sizes (4°, 8°, and 16° of visual angle). At 8° subtence, six contrast levels were used (3.12–99%). The first order kernel (K1) did not provide a consistent measurable signal across spatial frequencies and contrasts that were tested–signal was very small or absent–while the second order kernel first (K2.1) and second (K2.2) slices exhibited reliable responses for the stimulus range. The main differences between results obtained with the K2.1 and K2.2 were in the contrast gain as measured in the amplitude versus contrast and amplitude versus spatial frequency functions. The results indicated that K2.1 was dominated by M-pathway, but for some stimulus condition some P-pathway contribution could be found, while the second slice reflected the P-pathway contribution. The present work extended previous findings of the visual pathways contribution to VECP elicited by pseudorandom stimulation for a wider range of spatial frequencies.
Occurrence and distribution of pharmaceutical organic compounds in the groundwater downgradient of a landfill (grindsted, denmark).

Usually landfill leachates contain specific organic compounds as BTEXs (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylenes), chlorinated aliphatic hydrocarbons and chlorobenzenes originating from household chemicals and waste from small businesses (I). However, where industrial waste has been landfilled, the leachate may contain many other organic compounds (2). Another paper of ours (3) described the distribution of commonly found organic compounds in the leachate plume downgradient of the Grindsted Landfill and discussed the fate of the organic compounds in view of the redox environments determined in the plume (4). In this paper, we describe the occurrence and distribution of organic compounds originating from waste from the pharmaceutical industry in the groundwater downgradient of the same landfill. According to our knowledge, this is the first report on pharmaceutical compounds in a leachate plume.
Determining the Neural Substrates of Goal-Directed Learning in the Human Brain

Instrumental conditioning is considered to involve at least two distinct learning systems: a goal-directed system that learns associations between responses and the incentive value of outcomes, and a habit system that learns associations between stimuli and responses without any link to the outcome that that response engendered. Lesion studies in rodents suggest that these two distinct components of instrumental conditioning may be mediated by anatomically distinct neural systems. The aim of the present study was to determine the neural substrates of the goal-directed component of instrumental learning in humans. Nineteen human subjects were scanned with functional magnetic resonance imaging while they learned to choose instrumental actions that were associated with the subsequent delivery of different food rewards (tomato juice, chocolate milk, and orange juice). After training, one of these foods was devalued by feeding the subject to satiety on that food. The subjects were then scanned again, while being re-exposed to the instrumental choice procedure (in extinction). We hypothesized that regions of the brain involved in goal-directed learning would show changes in their activity as a function of outcome devaluation. Our results indicate that neural activity in one brain region in particular, the orbitofrontal cortex, showed a strong modulation in its activity during selection of a devalued compared with a nondevalued action. These results suggest an important contribution of orbitofrontal cortex in guiding goal-directed instrumental choices in humans.
A small and efficient dimerization/packaging signal of rat VL30 RNA and its use in murine leukemia virus-VL30-derived vectors for gene transfer

Retroviral genomes consist of two identical RNA molecules associated at their 5' ends by the dimer linkage structure located in the packaging element (Psi or E) necessary for RNA dimerization in vitro and packaging in vivo. In murine leukemia virus (MLV)-derived vectors designed for gene transfer, the Psi + sequence of 600 nucleotides directs the packaging of recombinant RNAs into MLV virions produced by helper cells. By using in vitro RNA dimerization as a screening system, a sequence of rat VL30 RNA located next to the 5' end of the Harvey mouse sarcoma virus genome and as small as 67 nucleotides was found to form stable dimeric RNA. In addition, a purine-rich sequence located at the 5' end of this VL30 RNA seems to be critical for RNA dimerization. When this VL30 element was extended by 107 nucleotides at its 3' end and inserted into an MLV-derived vector lacking MLV Psi +, it directed the efficient encapsidation of recombinant RNAs into MLV virions. Because this VL30 packaging signal is smaller and more efficient in packaging recombinant RNAs than the MLV Psi + and does not contain gag or glyco-gag coding sequences, its use in MLV-derived vectors should render even more unlikely recombinations which could generate replication-competent viruses. Therefore, utilization of the rat VL30 packaging sequence should improve the biological safety of MLV vectors for human gene transfer.
Effect of Sericin Protein on Growth of Hydroxyapatite over Surface of Silk Fibers Using Simulated Body Fluid

Crystal of hydroxyapatite (HAp) was grown on silk fibers using simulated body fluid (SBF) at a temperature of 37 °C. Effect of SBF concentrations and sericin protein on the growth of HAp crystals on the silk fiber was discussed. The results showed that sericin protein was an important parameter to induce HAp crystals. Furthermore, the crystal was grown perfectly for both 1.0 and 1.5  standard SBF concentrations but difference in HAp crystal size. Sericin protein may lower nucleation barrier and high surface area to absorb SBF for HAp nucleation. These results may be a new research topic on HAp crystallization using protein as a seed. It may lead to further improvement and applied for many HAp-based biomaterial applications.
Review of Atrophic Gastritis and Intestinal Metaplasia as a Premalignant Lesion of Gastric Cancer

Atrophic gastritis (AG) and intestinal metaplasia (IM) are the main precursor lesions of gastric cancer as the incidence of gastric cancer increases in the gastric mucosa involved with AG and IM. The prevalence of AG and IM vary depending on countries, even it represents diverse results in the same nation. Usually AG is antecedent of IM but the etiologies of AG and IM are not always the same. The sensitivity and specificity of diagnostic methods to detect AG and IM are different. Furthermore, the management strategy of AG and IM has not been established, yet. Helicobacter pylori infection has been proved as the most important cause of AG and IM. Thus the eradication of H. pylori is very important to prevent the progression to gastric cancer which is still placed in the high rank in morbidity and mortality among cancers. However, the reversibility of AG and IM by eradication of H. pylori which was assumed to be certain by meta-analysis is; however, controversial now. Therefore, the understanding and early diagnosis of AG and IM are very important, especially, in high incidence area of gastric cancer such as Republic of Korea.
The Generation and Evaluation of Generic Sentences

A new logic is introduced, and applied to the generating, evaluating, using, and revising of generic sentences. This logic is designed for an adaptive system working with insufficient knowledge and resources. It is different from existing logics by using a term-oriented language, an experience-grounded semantics, and a set of syllogistic inference rules. It is argued that a generic sentence should be seen as summarized experience, which is represented as a multi-valued statement, evaluated according to available evidence, and generated by various types of inference rule.
Implications of Postprandial Glucose and Weight Control in People With Type 2 Diabetes

The International Diabetes Federation (IDF) recently published guidelines for the management of postmeal hyperglycemia. These guidelines were established in view of the risk of postmeal hyperglycemia for vascular events. Because of the rising incidence and prevalence of diabetes and its complications, the IDF took action to state useful strategies for the treatment of diabetes, focusing on the detection and therapy of postprandial hyperglycemia. Besides nonpharmacological measures (blood glucose self-control and diet), drugs such as short-acting insulinotropic agents (sulfonylureas and glinides), glucosidase inhibitors, insulin, and incretin-based therapies can specifically be used to act on postmeal glucose elevations. The specific action profiles of these agents are shown and discussed with respect to the IDF guidelines. Type 2 diabetes is a chronic and progressive disease that affects ∼250 million people worldwide today, with an increasing incidence in the years to come (1). With this epidemic dimension, type 2 diabetes is of global concern. Poor control of the disease is a leading cause of death in most developed countries and is associated with microvascular complications (renal failure and blindness due to retinopathy) and macrovascular complications (cardiovascular disease and stroke) as well as neurological complications such as diabetic neuropathy. Macrovascular complications are the major cause of death in type 2 diabetic patients (2–7). Numerous epidemiological studies have shown that postprandial hyperglycemia substantially adds to the micro- and macrovascular risk not only in type 1 and type 2 diabetes, but already in impaired glucose tolerance (2–4,8). The associations between postmeal hyperglycemia and markers of cardiovascular disease such as oxidative stress, inflammation, endothelial dysfunction, and carotid IMT have been well characterized. In addition, postprandial hyperglycemia has also been connected with the incidence of carcinomas and cognitive dysfunction in elderly type 2 diabetic patients (9–11). Large intervention trials …
Exploiting Document-Level Context for Data-Driven Machine Translation

This paper presents a method for exploiting document-level similarity between the documents in the training corpus for a corpus-driven (statistical or example-based) machine translation system and the input documents it must translate. The method is simple to implement, efficient (increases the translation time of an example-based system by only a few percent), and robust (still works even when the actual document boundaries in the input text are not known). Experiments on French-English and Arabic-English showed relative gains over the same system without using document-level similarity of up to 7.4% and 5.4%, respectively, on the BLEU metric.
Foundational certification of data-flow analyses

Data-flow analyses, such as live variables analysis, available expressions analysis etc., are usefully specifiable as type systems. These are sound and, in the case of distributive analysis frameworks, complete wrt. appropriate natural semantics on abstract properties. Applications include certification of analyses and "optimization" of functional correctness proofs alongside programs. On the example of live variables analysis, we show that analysis type systems are applied versions of more foundational Hoare logics describing either the same abstract property semantics as the type system (liveness states) or a more concrete natural semantics on transition traces of a suitable kind (future defs and uses). The rules of the type system are derivable in the Hoare logic for the abstract property semantics and those in turn in the Hoare logic for the transition trace semantics. This reduction of the burden of trusting the certification vehicle can be compared to foundational proof-carrying code, where general-purpose program logics are preferred to special-purpose type systems and universal logic to program logics. We also look at conditional liveness analysis to see that the same foundational development is also possible for conditional data-flow analyses proceeding from type systems for combined "standard state and abstract property" semantics.
On the Indentation Modulus of Sintered Materials

When the depth-sensing (nano)indentation is applied to sintered samples, measured properties, which are expected to represent the material of an individual grain, seem to depend on the overall porosity of the macroscopic sample. To understand such a result, it is assumed that while the nanoindenter penetrates into the surface grain and probes the properties of its material, the grain itself serves as another, larger indenter indenting the rest of sample and probing the properties that represent the bulk of material rather than individual grains. Load vs. displacement curve reflects the synergetic response of these two “indenters” and so it contains information about the sample’s mechanical properties at both microscopic and macroscopic scales. Obtained theoretical results agree qualitatively with the experimental data (the dependence of the indentation modulus on the porosity of sample; the indentation size effect).
GröBner-Shirshov Bases and Embeddings of Algebras

In this paper, by using Grobner–Shirshov bases, we show that in the following classes, each (respectively, countably generated) algebra can be embedded into a simple (respectively, two-generated) algebra: associative differential algebras, associative Ω-algebras, associative λ-differential algebras. We show that in the following classes, each countably generated algebra over a countable field k can be embedded into a simple two-generated algebra: associative algebras, semigroups, Lie algebras, associative differential algebras, associative Ω-algebras, associative λ-differential algebras. We give another proofs of the well known theorems: each countably generated group (respectively, associative algebra, semigroup, Lie algebra) can be embedded into a two-generated group (respectively, associative algebra, semigroup, Lie algebra).
Recent Advances and Future Perspectives in a Grinding Wheel with Defined Grain Pattern

It is achieved that abrasive grains could be ordered on the surface of a grinding wheel using modern manufacturing methods. The excellent feature of a grain-arranged grinding wheel is that it can increase the proportion of active grains, improve the cutting efficiency, increase the chip volume space, effectively reduce the grinding temperature, prolong the service life of the grinding wheel and improve the surface finish of workpiece. Consequently, in the area of academic and industry the research of a grain-arranged grinding wheel has become a hot research topic, and more and more scholars focus on the research of the grain-arranged grinding wheel. In this paper, distribution patterns of abrasive grains were introduced; molding techniques for distributing abrasive grains were summed up; progress in research and future research trends of a grain-arranged grinding wheel was presented.
A Hybrid Model for Word Sense Disambiguation in English-Portuguese Machine Translation

We present the proposal for an approach to word sense disambiguation with application in machine translation from English to Brazilian Portuguese. This approach follows a hybrid natural language processing method, that is, a mixture of knowledge and corpus-based approaches. The main innovative feature is the formalism that we intend to use to represent the instances and the background knowledge. Opposed to other approaches to word sense disambiguation, which use restricted propositional formalisms, we will employ a relational one. As a consequence, we expect that the resultant system will overcome the limitations of the current work, effectively dealing with the lexical semantic ambiguity in machine translation.
Video Indexing, Search, Detection, and Description with Focus on TRECVID

There has been a tremendous growth in video data the last decade. People are using mobile phones and tablets to take, share or watch videos more than ever before. Video cameras are around us almost everywhere in the public domain (e.g. stores, streets, public facilities, .etc). Efficient and effective retrieval methods are critically needed in different applications. The goal of TRECVID is to encourage research in content-based video retrieval by providing large test collections, uniform scoring procedures, and a forum for organizations interested in comparing their results. In this tutorial, we present and discuss some of the most important and fundamental content-based video retrieval problems such as recognizing predefined visual concepts, searching in videos for complex ad-hoc user queries, searching by image/video examples in a video dataset to retrieve specific objects, persons, or locations, detecting events, and finally bridging the gap between vision and language by looking into how can systems automatically describe videos in a natural language. A review of the state of the art, current challenges, and future directions along with pointers to useful resources will be presented by different regular TRECVID participating teams. Each team will present one of the following tasks: Semantic INdexing (SIN) Zero-example (0Ex) Video Search (AVS) Instance Search (INS) Multimedia Event Detection (MED) Video to Text (VTT)
A yeast estrogen screen for examining the relative exposure of cells to natural and xenoestrogens.

Xenoestrogens, such as o,p'-DDT and octyl phenol (OP), have been associated with reproductive abnormalities in various wildlife species. Xenoestrogens mimic the natural estrogen 17 beta-estradiol and compete for binding to the estrogen receptor. Even though the affinity of o,p'-DDT and OP for the estrogen receptor is approximately 1000-fold lower than 17 beta-estradiol, the actions of xenoestrogens could be enhanced if their bioavailability in serum were greater than 17 beta-estradiol. To test this hypothesis, the yeast estrogen screen (YES) was created by expressing human estrogen receptor (hER) and two estrogen response elements (ERE) linked to the lacZ gene. The beta-galactosidase activity of the YES system was significantly increased after treatment with 17 beta-estradiol or the xenoestrogens diethylstilbestrol (DES), o,p'-DDT, and OP but not with vehicle, antiestrogen ICI 164,384, dexamethasone, or testosterone. To determine whether serum proteins affected the bioavailability of natural estrogens compared to xenoestrogens, albumin, sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG), or charcoal-stripped serum were added to the YES system and beta-galactosidase activity assayed. Albumin and SHBG decreased beta-galactosidase activity in the presence of estradiol to a greater extent than DES, o,p'-DDT, and OP. Human and alligator charcoal-stripped serum were also effective at selectively reducing beta-galactosidase activity in the presence of estradiol compared to xenoestrogens. Human serum was more effective than alligator serum in reducing beta-galactosidase activity in the presence of xenoestrogens, indicating that serum may serve as a biomarker for sensitivity to xenoestrogens. Selective binding of 17 beta-estradiol by proteins in serum indicates that certain xenoestrogens may exert greater estrogenicity than originally predicted. The estrogenic potency of a compound involves its binding affinity, bioavailability in serum, and persistence in the environment. Our data demonstrate the utility of the YES system for identifying and characterizing environmental estrogens. ImagesFigure 1.Figure 2.Figure 3.Figure 4.Figure 5. AFigure 5. B
Distribution, Sources Analysis and Eco-Toxicological Risk Assessment of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) in Surface Soils in the Northern Yellow River Delta, China

Recent occurrence and distribution of 16 priority polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) proposed by USEPA in the northern Yellow River Delta (YRD) were studied based on the analytical data of 20 surface soil samples. The concentrations of 16 PAHs varied from 27.5 to 129 ng g-1 (dry weight). A clear tendency was observed that the total concentration of 16 PAHs is getting lower from west to the east in this area. The eco-toxicological risk assessment showed that this area is at low ecological risk region, which might not exert significant potential damage to the organisms. Four to six ring PAHs were predominantly from the coal and wood combustions in the whole area.
Visual discomfort with stereo displays: effects of viewing distance and direction of vergence-accommodation conflict

Prolonged use of conventional stereo displays causes viewer discomfort and fatigue because of the vergenceaccommodation conflict. We used a novel volumetric display to examine how viewing distance and the sign of the vergence-accommodation conflict affect discomfort and fatigue. In the first experiment, we presented a fixed conflict at short, medium, and long viewing distances. We compared subjects' symptoms in that condition and one in which there was no conflict. We observed more discomfort and fatigue with a given vergence-accommodation conflict at the longer distances. The second experiment compared symptoms when the conflict had one sign compared to when it had the opposite sign at short, medium, and long distances. We observed greater symptoms with uncrossed disparities at long distances and with crossed disparities at short distances. These findings help define comfortable viewing conditions for stereo displays.