Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
High seroprevalence of human herpesvirus 8 and herpes simplex virus 2 infections in men who have sex with men in Shanghai, China

Men who have sex with men (MSM) are an important risk group for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and at high‐risk of herpesvirus infection. However, limited information on epidemiologic patterns of HHV8 and HSV2 among MSM is available in mainland China. A cross‐sectional study of 486 participants was performed in Shanghai, China from January 2013 to December 2014 to explore epidemiologic features of HHV8 and HSV2 among MSM. Serum samples were collected and tested for HHV8 by immunofluoresence assay and HSV2 antibodies by ELISA. Logistic regression analysis was conducted to determine the risk factors of HHV8 and HSV2 infections, respectively. The overall seroprevalence was 23.0% for HHV8 infection and 22.4% for HSV2 infection. HHV8 seropositivity was significantly associated with being a money boy (odds ratio (OR) = 1.64; 95%CI: 1.04–2.58), having a steady sex partner (OR = 0.52; 95%CI: 0.31–0.87), having ever had anal sex with men (OR = 2.05; 95%CI: 1.09–3.86), and being HSV2 positive (OR = 2.14; 95%CI: 1.22–3.76). HSV2 seropositivity was significantly associate with being positive for HIV (OR = 2.12; 95%CI: 1.01–4.42), syphilis (OR = 1.98; 95%CI: 1.12–3.52), HHV8 (OR = 2.17; 95%CI: 1.24–3.83), and was marginally associated with being a money boy (OR = 1. 61; 95%CI: 0.97–2.86), and having ever had unprotected casual sex (OR = 1. 72; 95%CI: 0.99–2.99). HHV8 and HSV2 infections are common in Chinese MSM. It is important to implement programs for preventing herpes virus infection among MSM, particularly high‐risk groups such as money buys. And protected sexual intercourse should be propagated. J. Med. Virol. 89:887–894, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Development of whole body motion imitation in humanoid robot

To be able to interact with humans, robot are made to perform similar motion to human movement. Imitation Learning or often called Motion Capture is one of the humanoid robot control techniques with human as an actor and the robot as an agent who will imitate the movement of the actor. This method offers flexibility and ease to modify robot system. This paper explores the method of designing whole body imitation in Humanoid Robot. Robot motion is controlled by Joint Space Control with reference motion captured by natural human motion through Microsoft Kinect. The motions are also preserved in database for later used on robot motion generation and teaching as well. Finally, the effectiveness of the proposed method is illustrated by the experiment of imitating Indonesia Traditional Dances motion using humanoid robot with 18 DOF.
Electrical impedance myography for the in vivo and ex vivo assessment of muscular dystrophy (mdx) mouse muscle

Introduction: Sensitive, non‐invasive techniques are needed that can provide biomarkers of disease status and the effects of therapy in muscular dystrophy. Methods: We evaluated electrical impedance myography (EIM) to serve in this role by studying 2‐month‐old and 18‐month‐old mdx and wild‐type (WT) animals (10 animals in each of 4 groups). Results: Marked differences were observed in EIM values between mdx and WT animals; the differences were more pronounced between the older age groups (e.g., reactance of 92.6 ±4.3 Ω for mdx animals vs. 130 ± 4.1 Ω for WT animals, P < 0.001). In addition, in vivo EIM parameters correlated significantly with the extent of connective tissue deposition in the mdx animals. Conclusions: EIM has the potential to serve as a valuable non‐invasive method for evaluating muscular dystrophy. It can be a useful biomarker to assist with therapeutic testing in both pre‐clinical and clinical studies. Muscle Nerve 49: 829–835, 2014
Pivotal role of filler/matrix interface in dental composites: Review

Dental material research has improved the application and performance of the polymer-based restorative dental composite materials. In spite of these advances, some deficiencies exist in their behaviour. Long term performance of composites is vulnerable due to its polymerization shrinkage and associated shrinkage stresses and also degradation of the filler/matrix interface. Development of low shrinkage resin systems that hinder the volumetric shrinkage and enhancing the quality of the filler/matrix interface has been the ultimate destination for the recent studies. A wide variety of coupling agent materials and techniques are currently available for surface treatment of inorganic fillers in composite materials, however there are still some concerns related to the best coupling agent at the interface that guarantee long term stability and crack resistance of these restorations. The surface modification of the inorganic part of a composite filling material possess a strong potential more than just a bond between the two different phases and can therefore be considered as a medium to compensate the deficits of dental composites. The objective of this article is to review available literatures regarding the improvements made in surface treatments of composite filler particles. Articles that were recently published on this subject focused on the polymer-grafted particles that can be designed with the preferred properties through an appropriate selection of grafting monomers and condition. Application of long chain hydrophobic polymers at the particle surface of composite materials, not only improve hydrolytic stability and uniform dispersion of fillers, but also reduce the polymerization shrinkage and associated stresses which would be very advantageous for restorative dental composites.
Generating a Domain Specific Checklist through an Adaptive Framework for Evaluating Social Networking Websites

The growth of the Internet and related technologies has enabled the development of a new breed of dynamic websites and applications that are growing rapidly in use and that have had a great impact on many businesses. These websites need to be continuously evaluated and monitored to measure their efficiency and effectiveness, to assess user satisfaction, and ultimately to improve their quality. The lack of an adaptive usability evaluation checklist for improvement of the usability assessment process for social network sites (SNSs) represents a missing piece in usability testing. This paper presents an adaptive Domain Specific Inspection (DSI) checklist as a tool for evaluating the usability of SNSs. The results show that the adaptive social network usability checklist helped evaluators to facilitate the evaluation process, and it helped website owners to choose the specific-context usability areas that they feel are important to their usability evaluations. Moreover, it was more efficient and effective than user testing and heuristics evaluation methods.
A Pilot Study of Tobacco Screening and Referral for Smoking Cessation Program among HIV-Infected Patients in France

Background: The prevalence of tobacco smoking is high among patients living with HIV, supporting the need for effective targeted interventions. Materials and Methods: All current smokers at our outpatient HIV clinic were invited to participate in a smoking cessation program. Results: Of the 716 patients living with HIV, 280 (39%) reported active smoking and were younger, more recently HIV infected and more frequently infected due to intravenous drug use (IDU). One hundred forty-seven (53%) smokers agreed to participate in the smoking cessation program and had a higher Fagerström score and were less likely IDU. During follow-up, 41 (28%) smokers withdrew from the program. After 6 months, 60 (57%) of the 106 smokers who completed the intervention had stopped tobacco smoking and were more likely to use varenicline, adjusting for a history of depression. Conclusion: Our smoking cessation program was feasible. However, strategies to reach and retain in smoking cessation program specific groups such as IDU are needed to improve the smoking cessation cascade.
Molecular Confirmation of Parelaphostrongylus tenuis Infection in a Horse With Verminous Encephalitis

>> Editor: Advances in molecular diagnostic technology have enabled us to identify and confirm an etiologic agent that was not possible when we published a case report of verminous encephalitis in a colt in Veterinary Pathology. 2 Although we presumed that the cause of the encephalitis was Parelaphostrongylus tenuis—a meningeal helminth that commonly parasitizes white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus)—we could identify only the parasites as members of the family Protostrongylidae. We recently applied a polymerase chain reaction–(PCR) based approach to the DNA isolated from archival paraffin blocks. Using genus-specific primers and sequence analysis, we confirmed the infection specifically as P tenuis. Thin sections of formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded brain tissue containing protostrongylid larvae were processed for DNA extraction with a QIAamp 1 DNA Mini Kit (Qiagen, Valencia, CA) according to the manufacturer’s instructions. The Parelaphostrongylus spp–specific primers used for PCR were described previously (PTP1, 5 0 -CCGTCGAATACATGT CATCC-3 0 ; PTP2, 5 0 -TCGTCAAGACGATGATTCCC-3 0 ). 1 Specificity of these primers for Parelaphostrongylus spp was confirmed by BLAST comparison with nonredundant sequences in the BLASTn database (National Center for Biotechnology Information). These primers amplify a 248–base pair product covering a portion of the second internal transcribed spacer of the ribosomal RNA gene in Parelaphostrongylus spp. The PCR reaction mixture included 10mM Tris-HCl (pH 9.0), 50mM KCl, 0.1% Triton X-100, 1.5mM MgCl2, 250mM deoxynucleotide triphosphates, 0.5mM of each primer, and 1 U of Taq DNA polymerase (Promega, Madison, WI). Cycling parameters included denaturation at 94 � Cf or 3 minutes, followed by 40 cycles of denaturation at 94 � Cf or 1 minute, annealing at 60 � C for 1 minute, and extension at 72 � C for 1 minute. Reaction products were examined by electrophoresis in a 1% agarose gel and were subsequently purified with a QIAquick 1 Gel Extraction Kit (Qiagen) according to
Patterns of Bacterial Colonization of Human Milk

Bacterial studies on breast milk collected by an electric suction pump from 44 postpartum mothers were conducted. All samples had bacterial growth, while 84% had organisms identical to those cultured from the mother's nipple. Colony counts varied greatly, with a median of 8700 and mean of nearly 20,000. In 30% of the milk samples, potentially pathogenic organisms were recovered. The significance of these results and collection techniques that might modify these results are discussed.
Interleukin-12 and tumor necrosis factor alpha mediate innate production of gamma interferon by group B Streptococcus-treated splenocytes of severe combined immunodeficiency mice

The existence of interleukin-12-mediated innate immune responses to group B streptococci (GBS) was tested by examining T-lymphocyte-independent gamma interferon (IFN) production in cultured splenocytes from severe combined immunodeficiency mice. Splenocytes were cultured with killed or living GBS for 48 h, and then IFN was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Type III GBS as well as other extracellular bacterial agents of neonatal sepsis (staphylococci and enterococci) induced IFN production, which was enhanced by interleukin-2 and was inhibited by neutralizing antibodies to tumor necrosis factor alpha and to mouse interleukin-12. Interleukin-12 bioactivity was present in conditioned medium from GBS-treated adherent macrophages. Adherent peritoneal macrophages and bone marrow-derived natural killer cells from severe combined immunodeficiency mice cultured separately with GBS did not produce IFN, whereas cocultures did produce IFN. Functional macrophage activation was evident by nitric oxide production in GBS-treated splenocyte cultures. The results show that extracellular pathogens such as GBS, similarly to intracellular microbes, induce macrophage interleukin-12 and tumor necrosis factor alpha, which promote natural killer cell secretion of IFN, which then enhances innate phagocyte resistance mechanisms.
Mechanistic quantitative structure–activity relationship model for the photoinduced toxicity of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons: I. Physical model based on chemical kinetics in a two‐compartment system

A quantitative structure–activity relationship model for the photoinduced toxicity of 16 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) to duckweed (Lemna gibba) in simulated solar radiation (SSR) was developed. Lemna gibba was chosen for this study because toxicity could be considered in two compartments: water column and leaf tissue. Modeling of photoinduced toxicity was described by photochemical reactions between PAHs and a hypothetical group of endogenous biomolecules (G) required for normal growth, with damage to G by PAHs and/or photomodified PAHs in SSR resulting in impaired growth. The reaction scheme includes photomodification of PAHs, uptake of PAHs into leaves, triplet‐state formation of intact PAHs, photosensitization reactions that damage G, and reactions between photomodified PAHs and G. The assumptions used were: the PAH photomodification rate is slower than uptake of chemicals into leaves, the PAH concentration in aqueous solution is nearly constant during a toxicity test, the fluence rate of actinic radiation is lower within leaves than in the aqueous phase, and the toxicity of intact PAHs in the dark is negligible. A series of differential equations describing the reaction kinetics of intact and photomodified PAHs with G was derived. The resulting equation for PAH toxicity was a function of treatment period, initial PAH concentration, relative absorbance of SSR by each PAH, quantum yield for formation of triplet‐state PAH, and rate of PAH photomodification. Data for growth in the presence of intact and photomodified PAHs were used to empirically solve for a photosensitization constant (PSC) and a photomodification constant (PMC) for each of the 16 PAHs tested. For 9 PAHs the PMC dominates and for 7 PAHs the PSC dominates.
GENOME-WIDE ANALYSIS OF CORE PROMOTER REGIONS IN EMILIANIA HUXLEYI

Emiliania huxleyi (E. huxleyi), the most abundant coccolithophorid, has served as a model system for environmental studies pertaining to global carbon cycling, oceanic sulfur bio-transformations, and paleoclimatology. It has also potential applications in material sciences and biomedical studies. E. huxleyi was selected by the Department of Energy in 1999 for genome sequencing, which was recently completed in 2006. To date, little is known about the transcription regulatory elements of E. huxleyi and other coccolithophorids. Because of its exceptionally high GC content (~66%), the E. huxleyi genome may contain unique and novel regulatory elements that have not yet been identified in other organisms. Genome-wide analysis of core promoter regions in E. huxleyi represents an initial and important step towards understanding the transcriptional regulation mechanism in this important organism. Using a collection of 190 full-length complementary DNAs (cDNAs) and 84,385 expressed sequence tags (ESTs) , we first extracted a robust dataset of 3,132 potential core promoter regions of from the first assembly the E. huxleyi genome (released November 3, 2006). These promoter regions were then scanned for both known and novel sequence motifs. The E. huxleyi core-promoters lack the TATA motif but contain overrepresented novel motifs. In addition we computed for these regions dinstictive physical and structural properties that may be related to the transcriptional regulation process. Twelve out of fourteen properties analyzed showed significant distinction between the promoter regions and other background coding and non-coding regions. The core-promoter profile consisting of regulatory motifs, sequence characteristics, and structural and physical features will be used to develop computational models to predict core promoters across the entire E. huxleyi genome.
Recurrent hepatocellular carcinoma after transplantation: Use of a pathological score on explanted livers to predict recurrence

Milan and University of California at San Francisco (UCSF) criteria are used to select patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) for liver transplantation (LT). Recurrent HCC is a significant cause of death. There is no widely accepted pathological assessment strategy to predict recurrent HCC after transplantation. This study compares the pathology of patients meeting Milan and UCSF criteria and develops a pathological score and nomogram to assess the risk of recurrent HCC after transplantation. All explanted livers with HCC from our center over the 18‐yr period 1985 to 2003 were assessed for multiple pathological features and relevant clinical data were recorded; multivariate analysis was performed to determine features associated with recurrent HCC. Using pathological variables that independently predicted recurrent HCC, a pathological score and nomogram were developed to determine the probability of recurrent HCC. Of 75 cases analyzed, 50 (67%) met Milan criteria, 9 (12%) met only UCSF criteria and 16 (21%) met neither criteria based on explant pathology. There were 20 cases of recurrent HCC and the mean follow‐up was 8 yr. Recurrent HCC was more common (67 vs. 12%; P < 0.001) and survival was lower (15 vs. 83% at 5 yr; 15 vs. 55% at 8 yr; P < 0.001) with those who met only UCSF criteria, compared to those who met Milan criteria. Cryptogenic cirrhosis (25 vs. 5%; P = 0.015), preoperative AFP >1,000 ng/mL (20 vs. 0%; P < 0.001) and postoperative OKT3 use (40 vs. 15%; P = 0.017) were more common among patients with recurrent HCC. While microvascular invasion was the strongest pathological predictor of recurrent HCC, tumor size ≥3 cm (P = 0.004; odds ratio [OR] = 7.42), nuclear grade (P = 0.044; OR = 3.25), microsatellitosis (P = 0.020; OR = 4.82), and giant/bizarre cells (P = 0.028; OR = 4.78) also predicted recurrent HCC independently from vascular invasion. The score and nomogram stratified the risk of recurrent HCC into 3 tiers: low (<5%), intermediate (40–65%), and high (>95%). In conclusion, compared to patients meeting Milan criteria, patients who meet only UCSF criteria have a worse survival and an increased rate of recurrent HCC with long‐term follow‐up, as well as more frequent occurrence of adverse histopathological features, such as microvascular invasion. Application of a pathological score and nomogram could help identify patients at increased risk for tumor recurrence, who may benefit from increased surveillance or adjuvant therapy. Liver Transpl, 2007. © 2007 AASLD.
Low probability of intercept R-Conjugate CDMA codes

Privacy and security have become increasingly important in code division multiple access (CDMA) systems, for both cellular and military applications. One way to improve security is to use spreading code diversity to transmit user information, a technique known as multi-code CDMA. In this paper, we present a new method of generating codes for multi-code CDMA that exhibit low probability of detection (LPD) and low probability of interception (LPI) while achieving near single code performance. The codes are calculated by first estimating the channel and interference plus noise covariance matrix, denoted Q. The eigenvectors of the resultant matrix are fed into a filter that performs a series of orthogonal projections to generate the codes. This results in codes that are R-conjugate, i.e. maintain orthogonality after propagating through the channel. The unknown channel must be estimated, but since it is time-varying, the resulting codes are dynamic. The LPD/LPI characteristics come about because the filter produces codes with random amplitudes. We demonstrate that these codes perform as well as the previously introduced R-conjugate codes based on eigen-decomposition of the interference plus noise covariance matrix, by maintaining the R-conjugate properties. Furthermore, if the channel can be accurately estimated, then we can achieve near ideal performance. This requires a slow fading channel which remains approximately constant over a block size M ≫ 20N, where N is the length of the spreading code. We also illustrate the improved LPD/LPI properties of the codes.
Feature Mining for Hyperspectral Image Classification

Hyperspectral sensors record the reflectance from the Earth's surface over the full range of solar wavelengths with high spectral resolution. The resulting high-dimensional data contain rich information for a wide range of applications. However, for a specific application, not all the measurements are important and useful. The original feature space may not be the most effective space for representing the data. Feature mining, which includes feature generation, feature selection (FS), and feature extraction (FE), is a critical task for hyperspectral data classification. Significant research effort has focused on this issue since hyperspectral data became available in the late 1980s. The feature mining techniques which have been developed include supervised and unsupervised, parametric and nonparametric, linear and nonlinear methods, which all seek to identify the informative subspace. This paper provides an overview of both conventional and advanced feature reduction methods, with details on a few techniques that are commonly used for analysis of hyperspectral data. A general form that represents several linear and nonlinear FE methods is also presented. Experiments using two widely available hyperspectral data sets are included to illustrate selected FS and FE methods.
Comparison of the tuning of outer hair cells and the basilar membrane in the isolated cochlea.

Therefore, the vibrations of outer hair cells and Hensen's cells are usually measured along an axis roughly perpendicular to the reticular lamina. To measure the vibrations of the basilar membrane the cochlea has to be tilted so that the measuring laser beam of the interferometer will pass through the space between the outer edge of the Hensen's cells and the edge of the bony shell
Concomitant tuberculosis and hydatid cyst in a solitary pulmonary nodule of left lower lobe

We report a case of a 25-year-old woman who presented with recurrent attacks of haemoptysis over a 12 month period. Physical examination was normal. Chest x ray and computed tomography scan showed a 2.6×1.9 cm pulmonary nodule. Full blood count and biochemical profile were normal. Fibreoptic bronchoscopy was normal and bronchial aspirate was negative for Ziehl-Neelsen staining and malignant cells. The nodule was removed surgically because it was feared that it could be malignant. Histology showed concomitant hydatid disease and tuberculosis. This is a rare occurrence with only one similar case reported in the literature.
Composition at Different Development Stages of the Essential Oil of Four Achillea Species Grown in Iran

Four Achillea species, A. millefolium, A. nobilis, A. eriophora and A. biebersteinii, were grown in small field plots in Iran and harvested at four developmental stages: vegetative, at the appearance of the first flower heads, at full flowering, and at late flowering. The composition of the main volatile compounds in dichloromethane extracts and the essential oil obtained by microdistillation was established by GC/MS and GC. 1,8-Cineole (27-41%) was the main compound in the oils from A. millefolium and A. biebersteinii. These two species reached the highest amount of volatile compounds at the full blooming stage. α-Thujone was the main compound in A. nobilis oil (25-64%). Fully blooming plants of this species also had a high proportion of artemisia ketone (up to 40%) in the oil. The main oil compounds of A. eriophora were camphor (about 35%) and 1,8-cineol (about 30%). This species produces only a small number of flower heads and the composition of the essential oil did not change during development.