Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
HIV type 1 infection, and not short-term HAART, induces endothelial dysfunction

Objective:Ischemic cardiovascular events increasingly occur during long-lasting HIV infection and are attributed either to the infection itself or to the use of HAART. Endothelial dysfunction and platelet activation are markers of atherosclerosis. Our aim was to assess whether patients with chronic HIV infection present endothelial dysfunction and whether this is the consequence of infection or of HAART. Design:Fifty-six HIV-infected patients were studied in a retrospective cohort study before and 3, 6, 12 and 24 months after starting HAART with protease inhibitors (n = 28) or nonnucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (n = 28), and compared with 28 age-matched and sex-matched healthy controls, and with 10 naive HIV-infected patients studied at diagnosis and after 12 months of untreated infection. Methods:Soluble endothelial and platelet activation markers were measured in plasma by flow cytometry. Results:Soluble P-selectin, soluble vascular cell adhesion molecule-1, monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 and von Willebrand factor were significantly higher in HIV-infected patients than in healthy controls, whereas soluble CD40 ligand and tissue type plasminogen activator were within normal range. During follow-up, soluble vascular cell adhesion molecule-1, monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 and von Willebrand factor but not soluble P-selectin decreased progressively, without significant differences between protease inhibitors and nonnucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors treatment. In naive, untreated patients, increased plasma markers of endothelial dysfunction were confirmed at diagnosis, with no changes upon follow-up. Conclusion:Chronic HIV infection, and not its pharmacological treatment, induces alterations of markers of endothelial function. Short-term treatment with HAART reduces some markers of endothelial dysfunction, with no differences between protease inhibitors and nonnucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors.
Estimating Human Actions Affinities Across Views

This paper deals with the problem of estimating the affinity level between different types of human actions observed from different viewpoints. We analyse simple repetitive upper body human actions with the goal of producing a view-invariant model from simple motion cues, that have been inspired by studies on the human perception. We adopt a simple descriptor that summarizes the evolution of spatio-temporal curvature of the trajectories, which we use for evaluating the similarity between actions pair on a multi-level matching. We experimentally verified the presence of semantic connections between actions across views, inferring a relations graph that shows such affinities.
A hybrid simulated annealing and threshold accepting for for satisfiability problems using dynamically cooling schemes

For Satisfiability (SAT) Problem there is not a deterministic algorithm able to solve it in a polynomial time. Simulated Annealing (SA) and similar algorithms like Threshold Accepting (TA) are able to find very good solutions of SAT instances only if their control parameters are correctly tuned. Classical TA usually uses the same Markov chain length for each temperature cycle but they spend a lot of time. In this paper a method based on the neighborhood structure to get the Markov chain length in a dynamical way for each temperature cycle is proposed. Three cooling schemes are also presented in the paper. The experimentation presented in the paper shows that the proposed method is more efficient than the classical one.
Repression of I-A beta gene expression by the transcription factor PU.1.

The PU.1 protein is an ets-related transcription factor that is expressed in macrophages and B lymphocytes. We present evidence that PU.1 binds to the promoter of the I-A beta gene, i.e. a PU box located next to the Y box. Transfection of PU.1 in B lymphocytes or in interferon-gamma-treated macrophages represses I-A beta gene expression. The inhibitory effect of PU.1 was obtained with the DNA binding domain of the protein, but not with the activation domain. Using the gel shift retardation assay we found that in vitro transcribed/translated NF-YA and NF-YB bind to the Y box of the I-A beta promoter. When PU.1 was added to the assay, a supershifted DNA band was found, indicating that PU.1 and NFY proteins bind to the same DNA molecule. We conclude that I-A beta gene expression is repressed by PU.1 binding to the PU box domain.
Primary gastric lymphoma

Primary Gastric Lymphoma (PGL) is not a common cancer and account for 10% of malignant lymphoma and approximately 2-8% of gastric cancer [1]. The correlation with Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection with MALT is now well documented and some of the low grade MALT can be cured sorely by triple agent eradication therapy. The most common type of PGL is diffuse large B cell lymphoma followed by MALT. In the recent 15 years chemotherapy combined with anti-CD 20 monoclonal antibody such as rituximab, achieved higher complete response rate and more than 80% are long-term survival. The so-called R-CHOP (rituximab, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristin, prednisolone) now become the new gold standard therapy [2,3]. The role of surgical resection prior to chemotherapy is not commonly applied in the real world, as yet the diagnosis can be made by endoscopic biopsy. H pylori There is approximately 10-20% cases of suboptimal response (no complete remission up to 4 cycles) to R-CHOP or patient is non-fit to tolerate the immuno-chemotherapy will be feasible to surgical resection as a salvage or alternative therapy. The radiotherapy as an adjuvant therapy is currently less commonly considered as primary treatment but still a good option for advanced disease and the elderly who are non-fit to aggressive chemotherapy. Patients with advanced PGL with high international prognostic index risk and along with co-morbidity diseases are prone to get treatment related complications from abovementioned modality of treatment. The treatment paradigm is changing since our understanding to the pathogenesis of MALT and diffuse large B cell lymphoma.
Optimization of vapor compression cycle based on genetic algorithm

This paper presents a model-based optimization strategy for vapor compression refrigeration cycle. The optimization problem is formulated as minimizing the total operating cost of all energy consuming devices with mechanical limitations, component interactions, environment conditions and cooling load demands as constraints. Genetic algorithm is utilized to calculate optimal set point under different operating conditions. The simulation results comparison between the proposed algorithm and traditional on-off control verifies the energy saving effect of the proposed method.
Manipulating Cx43 expression triggers gene reprogramming events in dermal fibroblasts from oculodentodigital dysplasia patients.

Oculodentodigital dysplasia (ODDD) is primarily an autosomal dominant disorder linked to over 70 GJA1 gene [connexin43 (Cx43)] mutations. For nearly a decade, our laboratory has been investigating the relationship between Cx43 and ODDD by expressing disease-linked mutants in reference cells, tissue-relevant cell lines, 3D organ cultures and by using genetically modified mouse models of human disease. Although salient features of Cx43 mutants have been revealed, these models do not necessarily reflect the complexity of the human context. To further overcome these limitations, we have acquired dermal fibroblasts from two ODDD-affected individuals harbouring D3N and V216L mutations in Cx43, along with familial controls. Using these ODDD patient dermal fibroblasts, which naturally produce less GJA1 gene product, along with RNAi and RNA activation (RNAa) approaches, we show that manipulating Cx43 expression triggers cellular gene reprogramming. Quantitative RT-PCR, Western blot and immunofluorescent analysis of ODDD patient fibroblasts show unusually high levels of extracellular matrix (ECM)-interacting proteins, including integrin α5β1, matrix metalloproteinases as well as secreted ECM proteins collagen-I and laminin. Cx43 knockdown in familial control cells produces similar effects on ECM expression, whereas Cx43 transcriptional up-regulation using RNAa decreases production of collagen-I. Interestingly, the enhanced levels of ECM-associated proteins in ODDD V216L fibroblasts is not only a consequence of increased ECM gene expression, but also due to an apparent deficit in collagen-I secretion which may further contribute to impaired collagen gel contraction in ODDD fibroblasts. These findings further illuminate the altered function of Cx43 in ODDD-affected individuals and highlight the impact of manipulating Cx43 expression in human cells.
Distributed $\alpha$ -Optimal User Association and Cell Load Balancing in Wireless Networks

In this paper, we develop a framework for user association in infrastructure-based wireless networks, specifically focused on flow-level cell load balancing under spatially inhomogeneous traffic distributions. Our work encompasses several different user association policies: rate-optimal, throughput-optimal, delay-optimal, and load-equalizing, which we collectively denote α-optimal user association. We prove that the optimal load vector ρ* that minimizes a generalized system performance function is the fixed point of a certain mapping. Based on this mapping, we propose and analyze an iterative distributed user association policy that adapts to spatial traffic loads and converges to a globally optimal allocation. We then address admission control policies for the case where the system is overloaded. For an appropriate system-level cost function, the optimal admission control policy blocks all flows at cells edges. However, providing a minimum level of connectivity to all spatial locations might be desirable. To this end, a location-dependent random blocking and user association policy are proposed.
Le genre des médecins et des patients influence-t-il le déroulement des consultations ? A propos de 93 consultations en médecine générale

Ce travail quantitatif analyse le deroulement de la consultation en medecine generale en fonction du genre du medecin et des patients. Il repose sur l'observation et le sequencage de 93 consultations chez 10 medecins generalistes. Les differentes phases de la consultation ont ete regroupees en trois temps : le " temps-patient ", le " temps-medecin " et le " temps-autre ". Le " temps-medecin " est plus long si le medecin est une femme mais les autres temps et le temps total ne varient pas. Le " temps-medecin " est egalement plus long si le patient est une femme. En mettant en lien le genre du patient et du medecin, on remarque que c'est dans la dyade homme medecin / homme patient que les temps de la consultation sont les plus court. Cependant, quel que soit le genre des participants, l'expression spontanee des patients n'est pas modifiee. Cela implique un role important du medecin dans ces differences liees au genre. Il serait interessant d'approfondir l'etude par une etude qualitative pour mieux comprendre les mecanismes en jeu. Il semble cependant pertinent de prendre en compte des a present ces differences au cours des etudes de medecine.
Considerations regarding constructive variants of reluctance synchronous motors

In this paper there are presented the constructive variants of reluctance synchronous motors. A special attention is paid to the main features, their advantages and drawbacks. In order to confirm this study there have been carried out experimental tests with a flux-barrier motor. There are presented the circuit we used and the main steady state characteristics we obtained. The paper ends with conclusions and references.
Musculoskeletal MRI at 3.0 T: relaxation times and image contrast.

OBJECTIVE The purpose of our study was to measure relaxation times in musculoskeletal tissues at 1.5 and 3.0 T to optimize musculoskeletal MRI methods at 3.0 T. MATERIALS AND METHODS In the knees of five healthy volunteers, we measured the T1 and T2 relaxation times of cartilage, synovial fluid, muscle, marrow, and fat at 1.5 and 3.0 T. The T1 relaxation times were measured using a spiral Look-Locker sequence with eight samples along the T1 recovery curve. The T2 relaxation times were measured using a spiral T2 preparation sequence with six echoes. Accuracy and repeatability of the T1 and T2 measurement sequences were verified in phantoms. RESULTS T1 relaxation times in cartilage, muscle, synovial fluid, marrow, and subcutaneous fat at 3.0 T were consistently higher than those measured at 1.5 T. Measured T2 relaxation times were reduced at 3.0 T compared with 1.5 T. Relaxation time measurements in vivo were verified using calculated and measured signal-to-noise results. Relaxation times were used to develop a high-resolution protocol for T2-weighted imaging of the knee at 3.0 T. CONCLUSION MRI at 3.0 T can improve resolution and speed in musculoskeletal imaging; however, interactions between field strength and relaxation times need to be considered for optimal image contrast and signal-to-noise ratio. Scanning can be performed in shorter times at 3.0 T using single-average acquisitions. Efficient higher-resolution imaging at 3.0 T can be done by increasing the TR to account for increased T1 relaxation times and acquiring thinner slices than at 1.5 T.
Quantitative X‐ray imaging of labelled molecules in tissues and cells

Using cisplatin as a model system, we have been able to demonstrate the feasibility of studying the cellular and subcellular distribution of a labelled molecule containing a single atom of platinum per molecule in bone marrow. An X‐ray imaging system consisting of a microcomputer, a 4pi system and a software package was interfaced with an electron microscope enabling the computer to control the beam movements as well as receive signals from the STEM and EDS X‐ray detectors. X‐ray imaging is useful for both tissue and samples in which the population of cells is not homogeneous. Imaging permits elemental distributions to be measured throughout the sample and not in just randomly selected areas as previously done in X‐ray microanalysis. Images are created for not only the element labelling the molecule of interest but also other specified elements present.
Testing k-wise independent distributions

A probability distribution over {0, 1} is k-wise independent if its restriction to any k coordinates is uniform. More generally, a discrete distribution D over Σ1 × · · · × Σn is called (non-uniform) k-wise independent if for any subset of k indices {i1, . , ik} and for any z1 ∈ Σi1 , . , zk ∈ Σik , PrX∼D[Xi1 · · ·Xik = z1 · · · zk] = PrX∼D[Xi1 = z1] · · ·PrX∼D[Xik = zk]. k-wise independent distributions look random “locally” to an observer of only k coordinates, even though they may be far from random “globally”. Because of this key feature, k-wise independent distributions are important concepts in probability, complexity, and algorithm design. In this thesis, we study the problem of testing (non-uniform) k-wise independent distributions over product spaces. For the problem of distinguishing k-wise independent distributions supported on the Boolean cube from those that are δ-far in statistical distance from any k-wise independent distribution, we upper bound the number of required samples by O(n/δ) and lower bound it by Ω(n k−1 2 /δ) (these bounds hold for constant k, and essentially the same bounds hold for general k). To achieve these bounds, we use novel Fourier analysis techniques to relate a distribution’s statistical distance from k-wise independence to its biases, a measure of the parity imbalance it induces on a set of variables. The relationships we derive are tighter than previously known, and may be of independent interest. We then generalize our results to distributions over larger domains. For the uniform case we show an upper bound on the distance between a distribution D from k-wise independent distributions in terms of the sum of Fourier coefficients of D at vectors of weight at most k. For the non-uniform case, we give a new characterization of distributions being k-wise independent and further show that such a characterization is robust based on our results for the uniform case. Our results yield natural testing algorithms for k-wise independence with time and sample complexity sublinear in terms of the support size of the distribution when k is a constant. The main technical tools employed include discrete Fourier transform and the theory of linear systems of congruences. Thesis Supervisor: Ronitt Rubinfeld Title: Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
Alternate Energy Coupling of ArsB, the Membrane Subunit of the Ars Anion-translocating ATPase*

The arsenical resistance (ars) operon of the conjugative R-factor R773 confers resistance to arsenical and antimonial compounds in Escherichia coli, where resistance results from active extrusion of arsenite catalyzed by the products of the arsA and arsB genes. Previous in vivo studies on the energetics of arsenite extrusion showed that expression of both genes produced an ATP-coupled arsenite extrusion system that was independent of the electrochemical proton gradient. In contrast, in cells expressing only the arsB gene, arsenite extrusion was coupled to electrochemical energy and independent of ATP, suggesting that the Ars transport system exhibits a dual mode of energy coupling depending on the subunit composition. In vitro the ArsA-ArsB complex has been shown to catalyze ATP-coupled uptake of 73AsO2−1 in everted membrane vesicles. However, transport catalyzed by ArsB alone has not previously been observed in vitro. In this study we demonstrate everted membrane vesicles prepared from cells expressing only arsB exhibit uptake of 73AsO2−1 coupled to electrochemical energy.
Comportamiento psicológico, social y familiar de la mujer sometida a mastectomía

Determinar el comportamiento psicologico, social y familiar de la mujer sometida a mastectomia. Pregunta central: ? Por que para la mujer, la mama es tan fundamental? Se trabajo con las siguientes categorias: Noticia ante el diagnostico de cancer, mastectomia, impacto inmediato, conflictos tempranos, relaciones con la pareja, familia y entorno, respuestas a mediano plazo, vision de futuro. Material y Metodos: es un estudio cualitativo: fenomenologico y hermeneutico que utilizo el estudio de caso desde la estetica, para entender las particularidades de la mujer mastectomizada y analizar los factores que producen cambio en ella. Es un relato de existencias y construccion de una vida particular. Lo datos fueron recolectados a traves de una entrevista a profundidad, aplicada por la investigadora y organizados para el analisis de contenido. Resultados: Emociones como: miedo, tristeza, llanto, negacion, estuvo presente en la mujer y entre los familiares durante el descubrimiento del cancer y frente a la noticia de la cirugia. El cancer de mama afecto su sexualidad, autoimagen, feminidad, autoestima. Establece grandes diferencias en su autopercepcion antes y despues de la enfermedad. Conclusion: el cancer de mama es una enfermedad agresiva, traumatica y afecta a la mujer en todas las dimensiones de su vida, acarreando cambios en el desempeno de sus roles y en la percepcion de su imagen corporal
Unveiling Cell Surface and Type IV Secretion Proteins Responsible for Archaeal Rudivirus Entry

ABSTRACT Sulfolobus mutants resistant to archaeal lytic virus Sulfolobus islandicus rod-shaped virus 2 (SIRV2) were isolated, and mutations were identified in two gene clusters, cluster sso3138 to sso3141 and cluster sso2386 and sso2387, encoding cell surface and type IV secretion proteins, respectively. The involvement of the mutations in the resistance was confirmed by genetic complementation. Blocking of virus entry into the mutants was demonstrated by the lack of early gene transcription, strongly supporting the idea of a role of the proteins in SIRV2 entry.
Silencing Glycogen Synthase Kinase-3β Inhibits Acetaminophen Hepatotoxicity and Attenuates JNK Activation and Loss of Glutamate Cysteine Ligase and Myeloid Cell Leukemia Sequence 1*

Previously we demonstrated that c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) plays a central role in acetaminophen (APAP)-induced liver injury. In the current work, we examined other possible signaling pathways that may also contribute to APAP hepatotoxicity. APAP treatment to mice caused glycogen synthase kinase-3β (GSK-3β) activation and translocation to mitochondria during the initial phase of APAP-induced liver injury (∼1 h). The silencing of GSK-3β, but not Akt-2 (protein kinase B) or glycogen synthase kinase-3α (GSK-3α), using antisense significantly protected mice from APAP-induced liver injury. The silencing of GSK-3β affected several key pathways important in conferring protection against APAP-induced liver injury. APAP treatment was observed to promote the loss of glutamate cysteine ligase (GCL, rate-limiting enzyme in GSH synthesis) in liver. The silencing of GSK-3β decreased the loss of hepatic GCL, and promoted greater GSH recovery in liver following APAP treatment. Silencing JNK1 and -2 also prevented the loss of GCL. APAP treatment also resulted in GSK-3β translocation to mitochondria and the degradation of myeloid cell leukemia sequence 1 (Mcl-1) in mitochondrial membranes in liver. The silencing of GSK-3β reduced Mcl-1 degradation caused by APAP treatment. The silencing of GSK-3β also resulted in an inhibition of the early phase (0–2 h), and blunted the late phase (after 4 h) of JNK activation and translocation to mitochondria in liver following APAP treatment. Taken together our results suggest that activation of GSK-3β is a key mediator of the initial phase of APAP-induced liver injury through modulating GCL and Mcl-1 degradation, as well as JNK activation in liver.
Gesture-based robot control: Design challenges and evaluation with humans

In this paper we introduce a gesture-based robot control framework, we discuss the adopted design principles and we report results about its evaluation with humans. Gesture-based control using wearable devices may constitute a novel form of human-robot interaction, but its implications have not been discussed in the literature. We discuss the main challenging issues, possible design guidelines and an open source, freely available implementation using commercially available devices and robots. The overall performance of the architecture, as well as its validation with 27 untrained volunteers, is reported.
Tension at the surface of the dividing sea-urchin egg.

1. Cyclic changes in tension correlating with the division cycle were demonstrated by compression method of Cole. 2. A sharp peak in the tension was found 8 min before the onset of cleavage at 13°C 3. A computer method indicated that the tension reached a maximum at the start of cleavage, after which it steadily decreased throughout the course of cleavage. 4. A rough estimation revealed that the force of constriction at the equatorial ring amounted to 6 x 10 -3 dyne, which compares well with Rappaport9s result (1967).