Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A comparison of methods for determining HIV viral set point

During a course of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV‐1) infection, the viral load usually increases sharply to a peak following infection and then drops rapidly to a steady state, where it remains until progression to AIDS. This steady state is often referred to as the viral set point. It is believed that the HIV viral set point results from an equilibrium between the HIV virus and immune response and is an important indicator of AIDS disease progression. In this paper, we analyze a real data set of viral loads measured before antiretroviral therapy is initiated, and propose two‐phase regression models to utilize all available data to estimate the viral set point. The advantages of the proposed methods are illustrated by comparing them with two empirical methods, and the reason behind the improvement is also studied. Our results illustrate that for our data set, the viral load data are highly correlated and it is cost effective to estimate the viral set point based on one or two measurements obtained between 5 and 12 months after HIV infection. The utility and limitations of this recommendation will be discussed. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Pores Formed by Single Subunits in Mixed Dimers of Different CLC Chloride Channels*

CLC chloride channels comprise a gene family with nine mammalian members. Probably all CLC channels form homodimers, and some CLC proteins may also associate to heterodimers. ClC-0 and ClC-1, the only CLC channels investigated at the single-channel level, display two conductances of equal size which are thought to result from two separate pores, formed individually by the two monomers. We generated concatemeric channels containing one subunit of ClC-0 together with one subunit of ClC-1 or ClC-2. They should display two different conductances if one monomer were sufficient to form one pore. Indeed, we found a 8-picosiemens (pS) conductance (corresponding to ClC-0) that was associated with either a 1.8-pS (ClC-1) or a 2.8-pS (ClC-2) conductance. These conductances retained their typical gating, but the slow gating of ClC-0 that affects both pores simultaneously was lost. ClC-2 and ClC-0 current components were modified by point mutations in the corresponding subunit. The ClC-2 single pore of the mixed dimer was compared with the pores in the ClC-2 homodimer and found to be unaltered. We conclude that each monomer individually forms a gated pore. CLC dimers in general must be imagined as having two pores, as shown previously for ClC-0.
The Clickable Guard Cell, Version II: Interactive Model of Guard Cell Signal Transduction Mechanisms and Pathways

Abstract Guard cells are located in the leaf epidermis and pairs of guard cells surround and form stomatal pores, which regulate CO2 influx from the atmosphere into leaves for photosynthetic carbon fixation. Stomatal guard cells also regulate water loss of plants via transpiration to the atmosphere. Signal transduction mechanisms in guard cells integrate a multitude of different stimuli to modulate stomatal apertures. Stomata open in response to light. Stomata close in response to drought stress, elevated CO2, ozone and low humidity. In response to drought, plants synthesize the hormone abscisic acid (ABA) that triggers closing of stomatal pores. Guard cells have become a highly developed model system for dissecting signal transduction mechanisms in plants and for elucidating how individual signaling mechanisms can interact within a network in a single cell. Many new findings have been made in the last few years. This chapter is an update of an electronic interactive chapter in the previous edition of The Arabidopsis Book (Mäser et al. 2003). Here we focus on mechanisms for which genes and mutations have been characterized, including signaling components for which there is substantial signaling, biochemical and genetic evidence. Ion channels have been shown to represent targets of early signal transduction mechanisms and provide functional signaling and quantitative analysis points to determine where and how mutations affect branches within the guard cell signaling network. Although a substantial number of genes and proteins that function in guard cell signaling have been identified in recent years, there are many more left to be identified and the protein-protein interactions within this network will be an important subject of future research. A fully interactive clickable electronic version of this publication can be accessed at the following web site: http://www-biology.ucsd. edu/labs/schroeder/clickablegc2/. The interactive clickable version includes the following features: Figure 1. Model for the roles of ion channels in ABA signaling. Figure 2. Blue light signaling pathways in guard cells. Figure 3. ABA signaling pathways in guard cells. Figure 1 is linked to explanations that appear upon mouse-over. Figure 2 and Figure 3 are clickable and linked to info boxes, which in turn are linked to TAIR, to relevant abstracts in PubMed, and to updated background explanations from Schroeder et al (2001), used with permission of Annual Reviews of Plant Biology.
État du secteur forêts-bois du Cameroun (2015)

Depuis 2010, un Accord de partenariat volontaire (APV) a ete signe entre l'Union europeenne (UE) et la Republique du Cameroun sur l'application des reglementations forestieres, la gouvernance et les echanges commerciaux de bois et de produits derives destines a l'Union europeenne (FLEGT). Selon l'APV, l'UE et le Cameroun se sont entendus pour faire en sorte que les termes de l'Accord et le regime d'autorisation FLEGT qu'il prevoit soient bien compris par l'ensemble des acteurs. L'acces a l'information sur les objectifs, la mise en œuvre, le suivi et le controle permettra une comprehension complete des processus ainsi qu'une implication de tous les acteurs en vue d'atteindre les objectifs de l'Accord. C'est pour repondre a cette demande de transparence, que l'Annexe VII de l'APV, dont le titre est « Information rendue publique », a ete elaboree.Dans le cadre de la mise en œuvre de cette annexe, le Cameroun s'est dote d'un site web (www.apvcameroun.cm), ou sont consignees les informations rendues publiques par le ministere des Forets et de la Faune (MINFOF). Etant donne que les informations disponibles sont multiples et presentees sous plusieurs formats, le MINFOF, avec le soutien du Programme FAO-FLEGT, a voulu proposer cet « Etat du secteur forets-bois du Cameroun (2015) », qui se veut un document de synthese, un compendium et une « interface graphique » accompagnant certaines donnees brutes presentees sur le site web.
Globalisierung, Entwicklungspolitik und private Finanzierung

Traditional development policy and development finance – both top-down approaches essentially based upon bilateral or multilateral official aid – are in deep crisis. Due to their ineffectiveness in poverty reduction, most donor countries have substantially reduced development aid over the past decade. Globalization, however, has opened up many promising private-sector alternatives to official development assistance.
MOD : an organic detector for the future robotic exploration ofMars

Searching for extinct or extant life on Mars is part of the future NASA surveyor class missions. Looking for key organic compounds that are essential for biochemistry as we know it or indicative of extraterrestrial organic in ux is the primary goal of the Mars Organic Detector (MOD). MOD is able to detect amino acids, amines and PAHs with at least 100 times higher sensitivity than the Viking GCMS experiment. MOD is not capable of identifying speci c organic molecules but can assess the organic inventory of amines and PAHs on the planet. MOD can also quantify adsorbed and chemisorbed water and evolved carbon dioxide in a stepped heating cycle to determine speci c carbon-bearing minerals. All that comes with no sample preparation and no wet chemistry. The organics can be isolated from the carrier matrix by heating the sample and recovering the volatile organics on a cold nger. This sublimation technique can be used for extracting amino acids, amines and PAHs under Mars ambient conditions. The detection of amino acids, amines and PAHs is based on a uorescence detection scheme. The MOD concept has functioned as a laboratory breadboard since 1998. A number of natural samples including shells, clays, bones, -DNA and E. -coli bacteria have been used and organic molecules have been extracted successfully in each case. The rst prototype of MOD is operational as of early fall of 1999. MOD has been selected for the de nition phase of the NASA-MSR 2003 mission. c © 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.
Longer anogenital distance is associated with higher testosterone levels in women: a cross‐sectional study

Animal models have suggested that anogenital distance (AGD) at birth reflects androgen levels during in utero development and predicts adult AGD. A recent study showed an association between perineal length and androgen levels in men, suggesting that serum testosterone levels in adulthood will depend on factors involved during the fetal period. The aim of this study is to assess the relationship between AGD measures and reproductive hormone levels in women.
Direct evidence that release‐stimulating α7* nicotinic cholinergic receptors are localized on human and rat brain glutamatergic axon terminals

The existence on glutamatergic nerve endings of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) mediating enhancement of glutamate release has often been suggested but not demonstrated directly. Here, we study the effects of nAChR agonists on [3H]‐d‐aspartate ([3H]‐d‐ASP) release from synaptosomes superfused in conditions known to prevent indirect effects. Nicotinic receptor agonists, while unable to modify the basal [3H]‐d‐ASP release from human neocortex or rat striatal synaptosomes, enhanced the Ca2+‐dependent exocytotic release evoked by K+ (12 mm) depolarization. Their rank order of potency were anatoxin‐a > epibatidine > nicotine > ACh (+ atropine). The anatoxin‐a effect, both in human and rat synaptosomes, was antagonized by mecamylamine, α‐bungarotoxin or methyllycaconitine. The basal release of [3H]ACh from human cortical synaptosomes was increased by (–)‐nicotine (EC50 = 1.16 ± 0.33 µm) or by ACh plus atropine (EC50 = 2.0 ± 0.04 µm). The effect of ACh plus atropine was␣insensitive to α‐bungarotoxin, methyllycaconitine or α‐conotoxin MII, whereas it was totally antagonized by mecamylamine or dihydro‐β‐erythroidine. To conclude, glutamatergic axon terminals in human neocortex and in rat striatum possess α7* nicotinic heteroreceptors mediating enhancement of glutamate release. Release‐enhancing cholinergic autoreceptors in human neocortex are nAChRs with a pharmacological profile compatible with the α4β2 subunit combination.
Study On The Relationship Between Housing Price And Transportation Accessibility In Urban District Of Tianjin, China

This paper examines the relationship between transportation accessibility and housing price in Tianjin,China. The transportation accessibility was measured by some indexes, such as Betweenness, Closeness and Straightness on the road network. The indexes and sample plots were transformed into the same dimension by means of Kernel Density Estimation. Based on the dimension, the correlationship between housing price and transportation accessibility was analyzed under the conditions of including or excluding some other important factors, such as construction year, distance from subway and education resources. Finally, an optimum proposal for the road network is given and the change feature of housing price is analyzed. Results indicate that housing price are highly correlated with transportation accessibility, which is more significant when excluding the other factors, and the optimization of road network will make different influences on transportation accessibility and the housing price increasing in terms of different indexes. If to plan residential quarters or adjust the housing price, the government should focus on Closeness and Straightness of the road network
A double cost hidden level of effort approach to decentralization of road provision

The Central American isthmus embraces in area of 533,000 square kilometers, almost 35 million people and an array of diverse multicultural and multilingual societies comprised of indigenous, Afro-Caribbean, mestizo and white groups. Even though it is much smaller and less diverse than many large countries in the world, Central America includes seven countries with ten political borderlines-Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Panama. In addition, Dominican Republic is the only Caribbean democracy of Hispanic origin, and feels culturally and economically close to Central America - it has been admitted as an observer thus far, and will become a full member of the integrated region shortly. Despite the number of small countries, civil and political leaders of Central America have long identified the need for the region to act to some extent as a unified block, both from a political as well as from an economic perspective. The degree of that integration, however, is an issue over which there seems to be no unified view. Acting on that belief, Central America started to take seriously its integration process in the middle of the last Century. The dynamics of that process stalled with the onset of the civil disturbances and the debt crisis of the 1980s. The region leaders, as one of the elements to restore peace, democracy and economic viability to the region, decided to revamp the integration process during the 1990s.
A Study of Organizational Culture in Ontario Colleges with High Student Satisfaction

Academic institutions face countless pressures within a context of ongoing globalization, societal change, and increased accountability measures. The use of organizational culture assessment can assist organizations to understand their current culture and, consequently, to inform strategies for change management. This study examined the perceptions held by administrators at four Ontario colleges with above average Student Satisfaction (KPI) about their institution’s current and preferred organizational culture and their own management competencies. A descriptive research method was employed using a modified version of Cameron and Quinn’s (2006) Organizational Culture Assessment Instrument (OCAI) and Management Skills Assessment Instrument (MSAI). Different culture types were found in the current state at the four colleges. Two colleges exhibited a dominant Market or ‘competing’ type culture, one a dominant Hierarchy or ‘controlling’ type culture and, one a dominant Clan or ‘collaborative’ type culture. Evidence of strength and congruence of organizational culture was found at some of the four colleges. Results from all colleges combined exhibited meaningful influence of both Clan and Hierarchy type cultures. Dominant culture type differed by gender and number of years’ experience in the job. Administrators at all four of the colleges reported use of Clan type management skills (i.e., Managing Teams, Interpersonal Relations, and Development of Others) most frequently. This was followed by Adhocracy, Hierarchy and Market type skills. Three colleges ranked Managing Competitiveness as their lowest. OCAI dominant culture type differed from MSAI dominance at three of the colleges and one exhibited the same Clan type OCAI and MSAI. Desire in the preferred state to increase collaboration was evident with dominant Clan type culture and focus on flexibility. Focus was split equally with two internal and two external, and culture strength was found at two colleges. Consistency exists between preferred dominant culture type and management skills of administrators, suggesting administrators’ skills at each of the colleges are aligned with where they desire their college’s organizational culture to be heading. This study identifies implications for leadership of college culture linked to effective performance. The results build on existing evidence that dominant type, strength and/or congruence of culture is linked with performance effectiveness. %%%%PhD
Persistent inequity in maternal health care utilization in Nepal despite impressive overall gains

ABSTRACT Background: Maternal health care utilization is at the core of global public health provision and an area of focus in the now-concluded Millennium Development Goal agenda. Objective: This study aims to examine trends in maternal health care utilization over the last 15 years in Nepal, focusing on coverage and equity. Methods: This paper used data from the Demographic Health Survey (DHS) 2001, 2006 and 2011 and Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS), 2014. Coverage rates were calculated and logistic regression models used to examine inequity. Results: Impressive gains were found in antenatal care (ANC) attendance, which increased from nearly half of women attending (49%) in 2001 to 88% in 2014, and the rate of facility delivery increased from just 7–44%. This development did not, however, influence the equity gap in ANC and skilled attendance at birth, as women from low socioeconomic backgrounds were six times more likely to deliver without skilled assistance than those from high socioeconomic backgrounds (AdjOR 6.38 CI 95% 4.57–8.90) in 2014. Conclusion: These persistent equity gaps call for targeted interventions focusing on the most disadvantaged and vulnerable women in order to achieve the new Sustainable Development Goal of universal health coverage.
The amount of brainstem gliosis in sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) victims correlates with maternal cigarette smoking during pregnancy

Brainstem gliosis is elevated in some SIDS victims and has been associated with hypoxicischaemic events. Factors which increase the risk of SIDS include possible risk factors for hypoxic‐ischaemic events during foetal and perinatal life. In this study a scoring system was developed whereby possible risk factors for hypoxic‐ischaemic events during pregnancy, birth and in the perinatal period were correlated with the level of gliosis in the nucleus olivaris inferior in SIDS victims (n= 19). The mothers' antenatal care and obstetric records and the SIDS infants' perinatal hospital records were investigated, and each possible risk factor for hypoxic‐ischaemic events was given one point. The points were summarized for each infant, and this sum was correlated with the level of gliosis in the infant's nucleus olivaris inferior. The number of cigarettes the mothers smoked during pregnancy was also compared with the level of gliosis. Our results show that in SIDS victims there is 41% probability that the more the mothers smoked during pregnancy, the more gliosis in the nucleus olivaris inferior is found in their infants (p < 0.01). Gliosis in the nucleus olivaris inferior also correlated with the possible risk factors for hypoxic‐ischaemic events during pregnancy, birth and the perinatal period (r2= 0.28, p < 0.05). However, if cigarette smoking was excluded as a possible hypoxic‐ischaemic risk factor, no correlation was found.
The Macroeconomic Effects of Official Debt Restructuring: Evidence from the Paris Club

This paper presents new empirical results on the macroeconomic impact of sovereign debt restructurings with official-sector creditors. Using a novel dataset on Paris Club restructurings and Local Projection methods, we find that Paris Club treatments can have a significant impact on economic growth -- 2% higher GDP growth two years after the restructuring -- when a nominal haircut is provided. At the same time, the countries that had received nominal debt relief tend to be less prudent in conducting their fiscal policy than those benefiting from a restructuring in NPV terms. Furthermore, as regards the external sector adjustment after debt restructuring, we observe an improvement in the net foreign asset position, due to the combination of less external debt and higher foreign reserves. Our study suggests that the official sector faces some short-term trade-offs between the objectives of stimulating economic growth, promoting fiscal prudence and improving a country's position in international capital markets when designing a debt restructuring.
SELF-FERTILIZATION AND THE ESCAPE FROM POLLEN LIMITATION IN VARIABLE POLLINATION ENVIRONMENTS

Abstract Seed production in many plants is pollen limited, likely because of unpredictable variation in the pollinator environment. One way for plants to escape the consequences of pollinator variability is to evolve mating systems, such as autonomous selfing, that assure reproduction without relying on pollinators. We explore this hypothesis through the construction and analysis of heuristic models of plant population dynamics in seed- or site-limited populations. Our analysis suggests several important points: the familiar rule that inbreeding depression greater than 0.5 maintains outcrossing significantly underestimates the threshold required under pollen limited conditions with prior selfing; variability in the pollination environment erodes the ability of inbreeding depression to maintain outcrossing; and variable pollination environments can result in stable intermediate rates of prior selfing. The results reflect the importance of geometric mean fitness (which in a variable environment is less than the arithmetic mean) in the face of temporal variation.