Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
mental health A Quarterly Update from the New England HIV Education Consortium and AIDS the New England AIDS Education and Training Center Volume 3 ( 2 ) , Winter 2002 Biopsychosocial Update HIV Prevention News

About Women & Men In a small study involving five couples, Pilcher et al. (2001) confirmed the widely held suspicion that HIV may be transmitted as early as seven days before an infected individual experiences the flu-like symptoms of primary HIV infection and before antibody testing can detect the virus. Such findings underscore the need for consistency in safer sexual practices to avoid HIV transmission and prompt research to explore ways of promoting and maintaining these practices. From condom use diaries completed by 103 heterosexually-active young adults in Aus-tralia, de Visser and Smith (2001) discerned that condom use with regular partners was based largely on established behavior patterns , while use with casual partners was determined by interactions between the partners during the encounter rather than attitudes or beliefs held by the individuals involved. The authors suggest that " con-dom use with casual partners may be increased by furnishing young adults with skills and confidence for negotiating con-dom use. For young adults in regular relationships , we must ensure that routine patterns of condom use are appropriate for the levels of risk to which the partners are exposed " (p. 413). Regarding risk levels, Dutch researchers (Buunk & Dijkstra, 2001) compared two sets of heterosexual men and women (39 at high risk for HIV, 39 at low risk) and found that the former, while fearful of infection and aware of their risky behavior, more often utilized rationalizations and attributions to justify unprotected sexual behavior than those at low risk. Since individuals at high risk for infection appear to be cognizant of that risk, Buunk and Dijkstra encourage a shift from approaches designed to heighten risk awareness to interventions that challenge rationalizations and defensive attribu-tions that undergird risky sexual behavior in combination with practical exercises to enhance facility with condoms and strengthen beliefs that an individual is capable of using them when necessary. Turning to people living with HIV, Reilly and Woopp (2001) studied 360 men and women receiving HIV medical services and found that 34% of these individuals had engaged in at least one act of unprotected vaginal or anal intercourse over the preceding six months. As in other studies, high-risk sex was associated with lower income, a higher number of sexual partners, disliking condoms, lower likelihood of employing risk avoidance strategies, and use of drugs prior to sex; low self-esteem, depression and anxiety, and alcohol use were not associated …
Dynamic Restructuring of Transactions

Open-ended activities are characterized by uncertain duration, unpredictable developments , and interactions with other concurrent activities. Like other database applications, they require consistent concurrent access and fault-tolerance, but their unconventional characteristics are incompatible with the conventional database mechanisms of concurrency and failure atomicity. We present the split-transaction and join-transaction operations for restructuring in-progress transactions, as an approach to consistent concurrent access and fault-tolerance for open-ended activities. Split-transaction divides an ongoing transaction into two or more transactions that are serializable with respect to each other and all other transactions, and each of the new transactions is later committed or aborted independently of the others. Join-transaction merges two or more transactions that are serializable with respect to each other into a single transaction as if they had always been part of the same transaction, and all their work is now committed or aborted together. Split-transaction is useful for committing some work early or dividing ongoing work among several co-workers. Join-transaction allows to hand over results to a co-worker to integrate into his or her own ongoing task. The transaction manager enforces that the new transaction(s) will in fact be serializable, and does not permit the split or join otherwise.
Treatment with Soluble Tumor Necrosis Factor Receptor (sTNFR):Fc/p80 Fusion Protein Ameliorates Relapsing-remitting Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis and Decreases Chemokine Expression

Experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) is an autoimmune disease with pathological and clinical similarities to the major human demyelinating disease multiple sclerosis (MS). Multiple lines of evidence in recent years implicate the pro-inflammatory cytokine tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) in the pathogenesis of both EAE and MS. TNF-α cellular responses are mediated by signaling through receptors, which are expressed in two functional forms, designated according to molecular weight p55/60 and p75/80. We report a treatment trial using the extracellular domain of the p80 TNFR in a bivalent fusion construct designated soluble tumor necrosis factor receptor (sTNFR):Fc to treat EAE. sTNFR:Fc/p80, given after the onset of clinical signs, reduced the clinical deficit of the first attack of relapsing-remitting EAE (RR-EAE) and the exacerbation rate for subsequent attacks. The effect was reversible as mice treated with sTNFR:Fc/p80 reverted to an exacerbation rate and disease severity typical of placebo-treated animals after treatment was discontinued. Treatment of RR-EAE with sTNFR:Fc/p80 decreased expression of chemokines MIP-1α (Monocyte Inflammatory Protein)/CCL3, MIP-1β/CCL4 and MIP-2/CXCL1-2 in the central nervous system. This treatment trial reveals an important function of TNF in the pathogenesis of RR-EAE and propose the mechanism of beneficial action of sTNFR:Fc/p80 in this disease.
Specification Management with CADo

Specification management has many facets which are tackled by several different disciplines. Conceptual modeling -supported by extended database technology -turns out to be a suitable basis for the unification of these contributions in integrated software information systems. Due to the central importance of process aspects in specification management, such a conceptual model has to include both a structured and versioned object submodel and a strongly teamwork-oriented execution model.
Metric of intrinsic information content for measuring semantic similarity in an ontology

Measuring information content (IC) from the intrinsic information of an ontology is an important however a formidable task. IC is useful for further measurement of the semantic similarity. Although the state-of-art metrics measure IC, they deal with external knowledge base or intrinsic hyponymy relations only. A current complex form of ontology conceptualizes a class (also often called as a concept) explicitly with the help of the hyponymy classes and the asserted relations and restrictions. Therefore, we propose a modified metric for measuring IC intrinsically taking both the concept-to-concept and the concept-to-property relations. We evaluate our system theoretically and with experimental data. Our evaluation shows the effectiveness of our modified metric for extracting intrinsic information content to measure semantic similarity among concepts in an ontology.
Involvement of Ca2+ Sensitization in Ropivacaine-induced Contraction of Rat Aortic Smooth Muscle

Background:The mechanisms of amino-amide local anesthetic agent-induced vasoconstriction remain unclear. The current study was designed to examine the roles of the protein kinase C (PKC), Rho kinase, and p44/42 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p44/42 MAPK) signaling pathways in calcium (Ca2+)–sensitization mechanisms in ropivacaine-induced vascular contraction. Methods:Endothelium-denuded rat aortic rings, segments, and strips were prepared. The cumulative dose–response relations of contraction and intracellular Ca2+ concentration to ropivacaine were tested, using isometric force transducers and a fluorometer, respectively. The dose-dependent ropivacaine-induced phosphorylation of PKC and p44/42 MAPK and the membrane translocation of Rho kinase were also detected using Western blotting. Results:Ropivacaine induced a dose-dependent biphasic contractile response and an increase in intracellular Ca2+ concentration of rat aortic rings, increasing at concentrations of 3 × 10−5 m to 3 × 10−4 m and decreasing from 10−3 m to 3 × 10−3 m, with a greater tension/intracellular Ca2+ concentration ratio than that induced with potassium chloride. The contraction was attenuated in a dose-dependent manner, by the PKC inhibitors bisindolylmaleimide I and calphostin C, the Rho-kinase inhibitor Y 27632, and the p44/42 MAPK inhibitor PD 098059. Ropivacaine also induced an increase in phosphorylation of PKC and p44/42 MAPK, and membrane translocation of Rho kinase in accordance with the contractile responses, which were also significantly inhibited by bisindolylmaleimide I and calphostin C, Y 27632, and PD 098059, correspondingly. Conclusion:These findings demonstrated that PKC-, Rho kinase–, and p44/42 MAPK–mediated Ca2+-sensitization mechanisms are involved in the ropivacaine-induced biphasic contraction of rat aortic smooth muscle.
Quantifying Morphological Computation

The field of embodied intelligence emphasises the importance of the morphology and environment with respect to the behaviour of a cognitive system. The contribution of the morphology to the behaviour, commonly known as morphological computation, is well-recognised in this community. We believe that the field would benefit from a formalisation of this concept as we would like to ask how much the morphology and the environment contribute to an embodied agent’s behaviour, or how an embodied agent can maximise the exploitation of its morphology within its environment. In this work we derive two concepts of measuring morphological computation, and we discuss their relation to the Information Bottleneck Method. The first concepts asks how much the world contributes to the overall behaviour and the second concept asks how much the agent’s action contributes to a behaviour. Various measures are derived from the concepts and validated in two experiments that highlight their strengths and weaknesses.
The SIGIR peer-to-peer information retrieval workshop

Peer-to-peer (P2P) systems have emerged as a popular way to share huge volumes of data. The P2P paradigm holds many promises: it fits naturally with the Internet, the universal knowledge and service exchange medium; it favors scalability, by allowing the seamless plugging of data, services and computational resources into the global system; it increases system resilience, by avoiding unique points of failures; and it can speed up global access by distributing the indexing and query processing tasks to multiple computing nodes. However, retrieval methods for P2P systems are still in their infancy. P2P networks are prone to congestion when messages are not routed intelligently. Many of the most effective routing or data placement methods developed recently rely on relatively simple retrieval methods and homogeneous network environments.
Converse Lyapunov Theorems for Discrete-Time Systems : an Alternative Approach

This paper presents an alternative approach for obtaining a converse Lyapunov theorem for discrete-time systems. The proposed approach is constructive, as it provides an explicit Lyapunov function. The developed converse Lyapunov theorem establishes existence of global Lyapunov functions for globally exponentially stable (GES) systems and for globally asymptotically stable systems, Lyapunov functions on a set [a, b] ⊂ R+ are derived. In particular, we discuss our result for both continuous and discontinuous dynamics. keyword: Discrete-time systems, Stability analysis, Converse Lyapunov theorems
Efek konsentrasi Prekursor Terhadap SIFAT FISIK Film Tipis BASRTIO3 (BST) SRUKRUR MFM DAN MFS yang Ditumbuhkan dengan SPIN COATING

An BST precursor was synthesized by mixing Barium acetate 99,9%, Strontium acetate 99,99% , Titanium isopropoxide 99,999% in 2-methoxyethanol 99,9% and acetic acid glasia 100% at 120 o C along 3 hours. The BST precursor concentration were 0.1 M and 0.5 M. By employing CSD method, the BST precursor was spin coated on p-type Si (100) substrate at 3000 rpm for 30 seconds and pyrolyzed at 130 o C at 10 minutes to obtain BST thin films. The BST thin films were annealed for 15 hours at 1000 o C. The BST thin films structure were MFM and MFS, characterized their physical properties. It was found that grain size and thickness for the MFM structure at the BST 0,1 M were < 0. 3μm and 0.6 μm. , And the BST 0.5 M were 0.5–1.0 μm and 0.9 μm. Grain size and thickness for the MFM structure at the BST 0.1 M were < 0. 3μm and 0.6 μm, for BST 0.5M were 0.5–1μm and 0.8 μm . Latis constant 3.936 Ǻ. Composition of BST thin films was same as BST precursor. Key words : Ferroelektrik , BST , Spin Coating .
Identification of genes related to germination in aged maize seed by screening natural variability

Ageing reduces vigour and viability in maize inbred lines due to non-heritable degenerative changes. Besides non-heritable genetic changes due to chromosome aberrations and damage in the DNA sequence, heritable changes during maize conservation have been reported. Genetic variability among aged seeds of inbred lines could be used for association studies with seed germination. The objective of this study was to identify genes related to germination in aged seeds. The sweet corn inbred line P39 and the field corn inbred line EP44 were used as plant material. Bulks of living and dead seeds after 20 and 22 years of storage were compared by using simple sequence repeats (SSRs) and, when the bulks differed for a marker, the individual grains were genotyped. Differences between dead and living seeds could be explained by residual variability, spontaneous mutation, or ageing. Variability was larger for chromosome 7 than for other chromosomes, and for distal than for proximal markers, suggesting some relationships between position in the genome and viability in aged seed. Polymorphic SSRs between living and dead seeds were found in six known genes, including pathogenesis-related protein 2, superoxide dismutase 4, catalase 3, opaque endosperm 2, and metallothionein1 that were related to germination, along with golden plant 2. In addition, five novel candidate genes have been identified; three of them could be involved in resistance to diseases, one in detoxification of electrophillic compounds, and another in transcription regulation. Therefore, genetic variability among aged seeds of inbreds was useful for preliminary association analysis to identify candidate genes.
Confocal photothermal microscopy of thin films based on etalon and thermal lensing effects

A photothermal apparatus with submicron resolution (~0.5 μm) using a focused 532 nm pump beam is demonstrated. A coaxial probe (633 nm HeNe) detects changes in reflectivity. In addition to detecting modulation of the probes total reflected power caused by perturbation of the Fabry-Perot resonance, a pinhole in confocal geometry detects changes to the probe beam caused by thermal lensing. Based on signal-to-noise measurements made with a film of known absorption, a sensitivity of ~10 ppm is predicted with 200 mW of pump power. The instrument is applied to mapping of local absorption spikes in a Sc2O3 film and characterization of laser-induced ripple pattern in a HfO2 film.
Blurring the Line Between Operating Systems and Storage Devices

Independently, both device firmware and OS software engineers aggressively utilize their knowledge and resources to mitigate disk performance problems. At the same time, the disk firmware folks complain of short request queues; frustrating to them because they can do efficiency-scheduling better than host software, while the file system people have given up on detailed data placement, focusing instead on just trying to use “large” requests to amortize positioning times over more data transfer. An overall goal of some recent PDL projects is to increase the cooperation between these two sets of engineers, significantly increasing the end-to-end performance and robustness of the system as a whole.
Degradable Magnetic Composites for Minimally Invasive Interventions: Device Fabrication, Targeted Drug Delivery, and Cytotoxicity Tests

Superparamagnetic nanoparticles and a functional, degradable polymer matrix based on poly(ethylene glycol) are combined to enable fully degradable magnetic microdevices for minimally invasive biomedical applications. A bioinspired helical microrobot platform mimicking Escherichia coli bacteria is fabricated and actuated using weak rotating magnetic fields. Locomotion based on corkscrew propulsion, targeted drug delivery, and low-degradation-product cytotoxicity are demonstrated.
An Open-label Pilot Trial of Ibandronate for Complex Regional Pain Syndrome

ObjectiveComplex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) type I, also known as reflex sympathetic dystrophy, usually develops after trauma or immobilization, is characterized by focal pain and autonomic dysregulation, and sometimes focal trophic changes such as osteoporosis. The pathophysiology is unknown and there have been few controlled treatment trials. The purpose of this study was to obtain pilot data on the safety and efficacy of a highly potent bisphosphonate, ibandronate, for the treatment of CRPS, which might be responsive to bisphosphonates' inhibition of osteoclast and anti-inflammatory activity. MethodsAn open-label trial (n=10) of 6 mg ibandronate infusions was administered on each of 3 days. The infusions were preceded by a 2-week baseline period, and followed by a 4-week follow-up period. ResultsOne participant dropped out after the first infusion because of a decreased glomerular filtration rate. Otherwise, aside from transitory flu-like symptoms characteristic of bisphosphonate treatments, the drug was well tolerated. Significant postintervention improvements were observed in average and worst pain ratings; the neuropathic pain qualities of “unpleasant,” “sensitive,” “deep,” “intense,” “surface,” “hot,” “cold,” “sharp,” and “dull”; and hyperalgesia and allodynia. Participants with hand CRPS improved significantly more than those with foot CRPS in average and worst pain, as well as in the following neuropathic pain qualities: “dull,” “intense,” “deep,” and “time. ” DiscussionThese data justify a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of ibandronate that should perhaps be limited to patients with hand CRPS.
Dual-responsive inverse opal films based on a crosslinked liquid crystal polymer containing azobenzene

Novel photo and thermal dual-responsive inverse opal films were fabricated based on a crosslinked liquid crystal polymer (CLCP) containing azobenzene. Accompanying the deformation of the CLCP, switchable behavior on the reflection spectra of the inverse opal film was induced by light or temperature. We found that the optical properties were drastically decreased by thermal or photoinduced phase transitions of the CLCP. It was also found that the extent of decrease in the heat-induced inverse opal film is much more than in the one induced by light.
Controlled synthesis of microarc oxidation coating on Ti6Al4V alloy and its antifriction properties

Abstract Ceramic coatings were fabricated on a Ti6Al4V alloy surface by microarc oxidation (MAO) in Na2 SiO3 – (NaPO3)6 aqueous solutions with and without NaAlO2 additive using an AC power supply. The effect of NaAlO2 on microstructure, composition, and homogeneity of ceramic coatings were characterised using SEM, XRD, and EPMA. The antifriction property of the coatings with optimised microstructure sliding against SAE 52 100 steel ball was investigated on a pin-on-disc friction and wear tester. The results show that the addition of NaAlO2 into Na2 SiO3 – (NaPO3)6 solution assists the formation of more dense, uniform, and thicker coatings and increases rutile TiO2 content in the coatings. The optimised coating sliding against the steel has a friction coefficient as low as 0.2 – 0.3 at an applied load of 0.5 N and sliding cycle below 2500, which is much smaller than that of uncoated Ti6Al4V against the same counterpart. The transferring of material from the softer steel ball onto the coating surface is the main wear event, while the microarc oxidation coating is characterised by slight abrasive wear and adhesive wear.
Transcription of the Herpes Simplex Virus Latency-Associated Transcript Promotes the Formation of Facultative Heterochromatin on Lytic Promoters

ABSTRACT An important question in virology is the mechanism(s) by which persistent viruses such as the herpesviruses and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) establish a latent infection in specific types of cells. In the case of herpesviruses, herpes simplex virus (HSV) infection of epithelial cells results in a lytic infection, whereas latent infection is established in sensory neurons. Recent studies have shown the importance of chromatin structure in the regulation of latent infection for both HSV and HIV. For HSV, we have shown previously that the viral latency-associated transcript (LAT) promotes lytic gene silencing and the association of one heterochromatin marker, dimethylation of lysine 9 on histone H3 (H3K9me2), with viral lytic genes. In this study, we further defined the structure of latent viral chromatin by examining the heterochromatin markers on histones associated with the HSV latent genome. We detected the H3K9me2, H3K9me3, and H3K27me3 modifications, with H3K27me3, which is indicative of facultative heterochromatin, exhibiting the highest enrichment on all viral promoters tested. A modification associated with cellular centromeric heterochromatin, H4K20me3, was not detected. A mutant virus containing a 1.8-kbp deletion within the LAT region showed reduced levels of the facultative heterochromatin marker (H3K27me3) along with H3K9me3 during latency, whereas a viral mutant defective for the LAT promoter showed a specific reduction in H3K27me3. Cellular long, noncoding RNAs induce facultative heterochromatin, and this study shows that transcription of a viral noncoding RNA can also induce facultative heterochromatin to promote lytic gene silencing during latency.