Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Adjuvanted intranasal Norwalk virus-like particle vaccine elicits antibodies and antibody-secreting cells that express homing receptors for mucosal and peripheral lymphoid tissues.

BACKGROUND Noroviruses cause significant morbidity and mortality from acute gastroenteritis in all age groups worldwide. METHODS We conducted 2 phase 1 double-blind, controlled studies of a virus-like particle (VLP) vaccine derived from norovirus GI.1 genotype adjuvanted with monophosphoryl lipid A (MPL) and the mucoadherent chitosan. Healthy subjects 18-49 years of age were randomized to 2 doses of intranasal Norwalk VLP vaccine or controls 21 days apart. Study 1 evaluated 5-, 15-, and 50-μg dosages of Norwalk antigen, and study 2 evaluated 50- and 100-μg dosages. Volunteers recorded symptoms for 7 days after dosing, and safety was followed up for 180 days. Blood samples were collected for serological profile, antibody secreting cells (ASCs), and analysis of ASC homing receptors. RESULTS The most common symptoms were nasal stuffiness, discharge, and sneezing. No vaccine-related serious adverse events occurred. Norwalk VLP-specific immunoglobulin G and immunoglobulin A antibodies increased 4.8- and 9.1-fold, respectively, for the 100-μg dosage level. All subjects tested who received the 50- or 100-μg vaccine dose developed immunoglobulin A ASCs. These cells expressed molecules associated with homing to mucosal and peripheral lymphoid tissues. CONCLUSIONS The intranasal monovalent adjuvanted Norwalk VLP vaccine was well tolerated and highly immunogenic and is a candidate for additional study.
Normal T-cell activation in elite controllers with preserved CD4+ T-cell counts

Background:HIV elite controllers suppress HIV viremia without antiretroviral therapy (ART), yet previous studies demonstrated that elite controllers maintain an activated T-cell phenotype. Chronic immune activation has detrimental consequences and thus ART has been advocated for all elite controllers. However, elite controllers are not a clinically homogenous group. Since CD4% is among the best predictors of AIDS-related events, in the current study, we assessed whether this marker can be used to stratify elite controllers needing ART. Methods:Sixteen elite controllers were divided into two groups based on CD4% (EChi > 40% and EClo ⩽40%), and T-cell subsets were analyzed for markers of memory/differentiation (CD45RA, CCR7, CD28), activation (CD38/HLA-DR), immunosenescence (CD57), costimulation (CD73, CD28) and exhaustion (PD-1, CD160, Tim-3). Monocyte subsets (CD14, CD16) were also analyzed and sCD14 levels were quantified using ELISA. Results:In the EChi group, expression of activation, exhaustion, and immunosensescence markers on T cells were significantly reduced compared with the EClo group and similar to the seronegative controls. The EChi group expressed higher levels of costimulatory molecules CD28 and CD73 and had lower levels of monocyte activation (HLA-DR expression) with a reduced frequency of inflammatory monocyte (CD14++ CD16+) subset. Furthermore, the EChi group maintained a stable CD4% during a median follow-up of 6 years. Conclusion:Elite controllers with preserved CD4+T cells (EChi) have normal T-cell and monocyte phenotypes and therefore may have limited benefit from ART. CD4% can be an important marker for evaluating future studies aimed at determining the need for ART in this group of individuals.
Online adaptive approximate optimal tracking control with simplified dual approximation structure for continuous-time unknown nonlinear systems

This paper proposes an online adaptive approximate solution for the infinite-horizon optimal tracking control problem of continuous-time nonlinear systems with unknown dynamics. The requirement of the complete knowledge of system dynamics is avoided by employing an adaptive identifier in conjunction with a novel adaptive law, such that the estimated identifier weights converge to a small neighborhood of their ideal values. An adaptive steady-state controller is developed to maintain the desired tracking performance at the steady-state, and an adaptive optimal controller is designed to stabilize the tracking error dynamics in an optimal manner. For this purpose, a critic neural network (NN) is utilized to approximate the optimal value function of the Hamilton-Jacobi-Bellman (HJB) equation, which is used in the construction of the optimal controller. The learning of two NNs, i.e., the identifier NN and the critic NN, is continuous and simultaneous by means of a novel adaptive law design methodology based on the parameter estimation error. Stability of the whole system consisting of the identifier NN, the critic NN and the optimal tracking control is guaranteed using Lyapunov theory; convergence to a near-optimal control law is proved. Simulation results exemplify the effectiveness of the proposed method.
Clonal evolution with + 11q 13, t(1;7) and t(1;4) at relapse in a patient with Ph positive acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) treated with single agent front line imatinib followed by dasatinib

Abstract Imatinib, a selective ABL kinase inhibitor has improved therapeutic outcome in patients with Philadelphia positive chronic or acute leukemia. In the present study, we describe a 56-year-old male with Philadelphia chromosome positive acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) who was treated with up-front single agent imatinib and achieved complete hematologic, cytogenetic and molecular remission. At relapse 11 months later, new chromosomal translocations involving chromosomes 1, 7 and 4 and cryptic addition to chromosome 11 were identified in Ph + cells and the patient had rapid deterioration with progressive disease. The significance of additional chromosomal abnormalities in imatinib treated patients and secondary chromosomal abnormalities in Philadelphia positive chronic myeloid leukemia and ALL are discussed briefly in this report.
Adults only. Reindeer hunting at the middle palaeolithic site salzgitter lebenstedt, northern Germany.

The Middle Palaeolithic site Salzgitter Lebenstedt (northern Germany), excavated in 1952, is well known because of its well-preserved faunal remains, dominated by adult reindeer (Rangifer tarandus). The archaeological assemblage accumulated in an arctic setting in an earlier part of the last (Weichsel) glacial (OIS5-3). The site is remarkable because of the presence of unique Middle Palaeolithic bone tools and the occurrence of the northernmost Neanderthal remains, but this paper focuses on an analysis of its reindeer assemblage. The results indicate autumn hunting of reindeer by Middle Palaeolithic hominids. After the hunt, carcasses were butchered and in subsequent marrow processing of the bones a selection against young and sub-adult animals occurred. Adults were clearly preferred, and from their bones, again, poorer marrow bones were neglected. This focus on primeness of resources has been documented in other domains of Neanderthal behaviour, but Salzgitter Lebenstedt is the best example yet known in terms of systematic and routinized processing of game. The Salzgitter Lebenstedt assemblage displays some remarkable similarities to the Late Glacial reindeer assemblages from the Ahrensburg tunnel valley sites. The subsequent review of the evidence on subsistence strategies from earlier periods of the European Palaeolithic shows that hunting of large mammals may have been a part of the behavioural repertoire of the Middle Pleistocene occupants of Europe from the earliest occupation onwards. At the same time, it is suggested that these early hunting strategies were incorporated in ways of moving through landscapes ("settlement systems") which were different from what we know from the middle parts of the Upper Palaeolithic onwards.
Programmed cell death: Does it play a role in parkinson's disease?

In recent years, the possibility that programmed cell death (PCD), which is mediated by genetic programs intrinsic to the cell, may underlie the degeneration of neurons that occurs in Parkinson's disease (PD) and allied disorders has become an important hypothesis. Although PCD was originally identified in tissues as a normal developmental phenomenon, there is no question that it can also occur in neurologic disease and models thereof. The possibility that PCD could occur in dopamine neurons in degenerative disease is made plausible by the observations that natural cell death, with the morphology of apoptosis, does occur in these neurons and that this event is regulated by developmental target interactions. In addition, it has been shown that apoptotic death can be induced in these neurons in some animal models of parkinsonism. We have shown, for example, that apoptosis can be induced during development by intrastriatal injection of the neurotoxin 6‐hydroxydopamine. Other investigators have shown that apoptosis can be induced in a chronic model of 1‐methyl‐4‐phenyl‐1,2,3,6‐tetrahydropyride toxicity. However, investigations in human PD brains have yielded mixed results thus far, with some investigators identifying evidence of apoptotic death but others not. Further investigation of human postmortem tissue will benefit from a more complete understanding of the molecular basis of PCD in dopamine neurons, such that its molecular features can be investigated, rather than strictly relying on the morphologic markers presently available.
A training exercise in subjectively estimating inhalation exposures.

OBJECTIVES This study examined whether it is possible to train occupational hygienists to estimate inhalation exposures reliably from limited occupational information using a new method and assessed improvements in the quality of the estimate using the aggregate from multiple assessors. METHODS Five occupational hygienists estimated inhalation exposure for 40 tasks covering a range of chemical hazards using a recently developed subjective modeling technique supplemented by detailed guidance notes. The measured exposure levels were used to determine the validity of the method. The correlation coefficients of the log-transformed data were used to assess the discriminative power of the method, and the ratio of the mean estimate to measured values was used to measure accuracy. RESULTS There was good-to-excellent agreement between the assessors' estimates and the measured data, the correlation coefficients ranging from 0.73 to 0.85. There was a tendency for assessors to overestimate the exposure levels by, on the average, two- to fourfold. Aggregating the assessors' estimates helped to improve the correlation coefficient to 0.88, the overestimation being 2.6-fold. Using more than three assessors for aggregate estimates did not improve the reliability of the method. CONCLUSIONS Overall, the assessors found the method to be useful in generating exposure estimates that correlate well with measured levels. The provision of high-quality guidance information is likely to be important in the generation of reliable exposure estimates. The method is likely to be of use in epidemiologic studies in which limited exposure data are available.
Common occurrence of monoclonal B‐cell lymphocytosis among members of high‐risk CLL families

Monoclonal B‐cell lymphocytosis (MBL) is an asymptomatic haematological condition characterized by low absolute levels of B‐cell clones with a surface immunophenotype similar to that of chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL). In the general population, MBL increases with age with a prevalence of 5–9% in individuals over age 60 years. It has been reported to be higher among first‐degree relatives from CLL families. We report results of multi‐parameter flow cytometry among 505 first‐degree relatives with no personal history of lymphoproliferative disease from 140 families having at least two cases of CLL. Seventeen percent of relatives had MBL. Age was the most important determinant where the probability for developing MBL by age 90 years was 61%. MBL clustered in certain families but clustering was independent of the number of known CLL cases in a family. As is the case with CLL, males had a significantly higher risk for MBL than did females (P = 0·04). MBL patients had significantly higher mean absolute lymphocyte counts (2·4 × 109/l) and B‐cell counts (0·53 × 109/l) than those with a normal B‐cell immuno‐phenotype. Our findings show that MBL occurs at a very high rate in high risk CLL families. Both the age and gender distribution of MBL are parallel to CLL, implying a shared inherited risk.
A hybrid discrete Cuckoo Search algorithm for cell formation problem with alternative process routings and operation sequence

As the foremost step for designing a cellular manufacturing system, cell formation is a hard optimization problem. It is necessary and significant to develop methods to find near-optimal solutions in a reasonable time. In this paper, the first hybrid discrete Cuckoo Search (HDCS) algorithm is designed to address the cell formation problem. Alternative process routings and operation sequence of parts are considered. The number of cells is not known as a priori. In HDCS, Lévy flights are redefined to perform the evolution of discrete solutions. Local search is employed to expand the search scope. Computational experiments on six cell formation problems available in the literature are also presented. The results reveal that HDCS outperforms the genetic algorithm-based and particle swarm optimization-based approaches. HDCS is more robust, effective and efficient.
Gender Equality and Women's Issues in Vietnam: The Vietnamese Woman - Warrior and Poet

Exploration of women's issues in Vietnam strengthens the emerging voice of the "exotic other female" in contemporary international feminist discourse. Any women's movement in Vietnam today must be case as the revitalization of the Vietnamese women's collective cultural identity, rather than as a Western imported feminist doctrine. The Vietnamese women's collective cultural identity is based on the history and cultural folklores of Vietnam, including expressions of feminist ideas in law and literature and a long history of warfare and collective sufferings, wherein women have been seen as martyrs, national treasures, and laborers in war and in peace. The advocacy of gender equality in Vietnam today is limited by eight "risk factors. " First, Vietnam's strong matriarchal heritage that persisted through its early history has at times led to the disingenuous proposition that Vietnam has no need for a feminist movement. Second, Vietnam's repetitive, prolonged war and poverty have together overshadowed gender issues. Third, women's movements in Vietnam have not evolved into a doctrine with a structured basis that is independent from nationalism, socialism, or literary movements. Fourth, gender equality in Vietnam has become entangled in what this Article describes as the "fallacy of a trio," in which gender equality becomes synonymous with nationalism and socialism. Fifth, the rule of law in Vietnam has traditionally been considered secondary to customs derived from the oppressive values of Vietnamese Confucian society and the autonomy of the Vietnamese agricultural villages. Sixth, women's rights advocacy has been caught up in the "universality versus cultural relativism" discussion, further complicated by the question of whether there should be "Asian-styled gender rights" in Vietnam. Seventh, Vietnam, despite its age, is a new nation with a wide variety of philosophical bases, legal traditions, and paradoxical values. Finally, the single-party political system of modern Vietnam renders any feminist movement susceptible to Party politics. The limitations on advocacy for gender equality are illustrated by the shortcomings of Vietnam's Year 2000 National Action Plan, which attempted to address women's issues in the aftermath of the United National Fourth World Conference on Women held in Beijing in 1995. While the reassertion of cultural identity can effectively empower Vietnamese women, the feminist advocate must approach cultural identity with caution in order to avoid the semantic traps of euphemism, empty ethnocentrism, and unhealthy preoccupation with the past that can impede progress for the future.
Social support and subjective burden in caregivers of adults and older adults: A meta-analysis

Background Despite the generally accepted belief that social support improves caregiver adjustment in general and subjective burden in particular, the literature shows mixed findings, and a recent review concluded that the predictive strength of caregiver social support in determining caregiver burden is less evident, due to the conceptual diversity of this determinant. Objective The purpose of this review is to analyse the relationship of perceived and received social support with subjective burden among informal caregivers of an adult or older adult. Methods A systematic search was carried out up to September 2017 in the following databases: MEDLINE (PubMed), CINAHL, EMBASE, PsycINFO), Scopus and ISI Proceedings, and a meta-analysis was performed with the results of the selected and included studies. Results Fifty-six studies were included in the meta-analysis, which provided 46 independent comparisons for perceived support and 16 for received support. Most of these studies were cross-sectional. There was a moderate, negative association of perceived social support on subjective burden (r = -0.36; CI 95% = -0.40, -0.32) and a very small, negative association of received support on subjective burden (r = -0.05; CI 95% = -0.095, -0.001). Conclusions 1) perceived and received support are not redundant constructs, 2) the relationships between social support and subjective burden depend on whether the social support is measured as perceived or received, 3) the relationship of perceived social support with subjective burden has a bigger effect size than that of received social support, the relation between received support and subjective burden being clinically irrelevant, 4) perceived social support may be a good predictor of subjective burden. Implications of key findings Our findings broadly support interventions promoting social support in caregivers to prevent or alleviate subjective burden, and specifically, to intervene on the promotion of perceived social support more than on the promotion of received social support when preventing or alleviating burden.
An Object-Based Method for Urban Land Cover Classification Using Airborne Lidar Data

Airborne Lidar (Light detection and ranging) data have been widely used for classifying different land cover types. However, few researchers have conducted urban land cover classification using discrete airborne Lidar data as the sole data source. This research explores the possibility of applying airborne Lidar data to land cover classification in urban areas. The elevation difference and intensity difference between the first and last return, which may not work efficiently in pixel-based classification, were employed as two key attributes at the object level. Since tree objects have a much larger proportion of returns which show the elevation and intensity difference, the two indicators were used to classify the most indistinguishable land cover types, buildings and trees. In addition, height and intensity information were integrated to classify other land cover types. A case study was conducted in the city of Cambridge and eight urban land cover types were classified with an overall accuracy of 93.6%. Each land cover type was classified with an accuracy of between 80% and 100% and among these types, the accuracy of more than 90% for trees and buildings was satisfactory.
Scavenger Receptor Classes A and B: Their Roles in Atherogenesis and the Metabolism of Modified LDL and HDL

Abstract: Scavenger‐receptor class A has been held responsible for the clearance of modified LDL from the blood circulation. However, in mice deficient in scavenger‐receptor class A, the decay in vivo of acetylated LDL (t1/2 < 2 min), as well as tissue distribution and liver uptake (at 5 min 77.4 ±6 4.6% of the injected dose) are not significantly different from control mice. The degradation capacity of acetylated LDL with liver endothelial cells, Kupffer cells, and peritoneal macrophages from knock‐out mice was 58%, 63%, and 17% of the control, respectively, indicating that scavenger‐receptor class A is relatively more important for the degradation of acetylated LDL and foam cell formation in peritoneal macrophages as compared to the liver cell types. This might explain the 60% reduction in atherosclerotic lesion area in scavenger‐receptor‐deficient apoE knock‐out mice as compared to control apoE knock‐out mice. Scavenger‐receptor BI can facilitate selective uptake of cholesterol esters from HDL. A high cholesterol diet for two weeks induced an 80% downregulation of scavenger‐receptor BI in the liver parenchymal cells while expression in liver macrophages is increased fourfold. The in vivo kinetics for the selective uptake of (oxidized) cholesterol esters from HDL correlate with the changes in scavenger‐receptor BI expression. It is suggested that scavenger‐receptor BI is subject to different regulatory mechanisms in parenchymal liver cells and macrophages related to a difference in function in these cell types.
Arsenic in the groundwater: Occurrence, toxicological activities, and remedies

ABSTRACT Arsenic (As) contamination in groundwater has become a geo-environmental as well as a toxicological problem across the globe affecting more than 100-million people in nearly 21 countries with its associated disease “arsenicosis. ” Arsenic poisoning may lead to fatal skin and internal cancers. In present review, an attempt has been made to generate awareness among the readers about various sources of occurrence of arsenic, its geochemistry and speciation, mobilization, metabolism, genotoxicity, and toxicological exposure on humans. The article also emphasizes the possible remedies for combating the problem. The knowledge of these facts may help to work on some workable remedial measure.
[The dopaminergic system and addictions].

AIM All psychoactive substances with a high abuse potential are characterized by altering the mesocorticolimbic dopaminergic neurotransmission system. In this article it is proposed to review the neurobiological mechanisms that comprise the foundation of the development of addiction. DEVELOPMENT The acute drug intake provokes an increase in extracellular dopamine which, in vulnerable individuals, could be the start of the addictive process. Chronic drug use is accompanied by a reduction in the dopaminergic function with the development of neuroadaptive changes in the mesolimbic and mesocortical pathways. In the prefrontal cortex, the changes in dopaminergic function produce an inbalance between receptors D1 and D2, which leads to a predominance of inhibitatory function. Dopaminergic innervation in the amygdala and its interaction with the nucleus accumbens plays an essential role in the conditioning of environmental stimuli, and can trigger the craving and relapse. In drug dependent patients, dopaminergic changes extend from the limbic regions to the associative and sensorimotor striatum, and affect the cortico-striatico-cortical circuits. CONCLUSION The involvement of the dopaminergic systems is crucial in the development of addiction, from the early phases in which drug use begins as an object-directed instrumental behavior, to the consolidation of the addiction as a compulsive habit, controlled by stimulus-response mechanisms, which progressively invade all aspects of the life of an individual.