Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Yeast Genetic Analysis Reveals the Involvement of Chromatin Reassembly Factors in Repressing HIV-1 Basal Transcription

Rebound of HIV viremia after interruption of anti-retroviral therapy is due to the small population of CD4+ T cells that remain latently infected. HIV-1 transcription is the main process controlling post-integration latency. Regulation of HIV-1 transcription takes place at both initiation and elongation levels. Pausing of RNA polymerase II at the 5′ end of HIV-1 transcribed region (5′HIV-TR), which is immediately downstream of the transcription start site, plays an important role in the regulation of viral expression. The activation of HIV-1 transcription correlates with the rearrangement of a positioned nucleosome located at this region. These two facts suggest that the 5′HIV-TR contributes to inhibit basal transcription of those HIV-1 proviruses that remain latently inactive. However, little is known about the cell elements mediating the repressive role of the 5′HIV-TR. We performed a genetic analysis of this phenomenon in Saccharomyces cerevisiae after reconstructing a minimal HIV-1 transcriptional system in this yeast. Unexpectedly, we found that the critical role played by the 5′HIV-TR in maintaining low levels of basal transcription in yeast is mediated by FACT, Spt6, and Chd1, proteins so far associated with chromatin assembly and disassembly during ongoing transcription. We confirmed that this group of factors plays a role in HIV-1 postintegration latency in human cells by depleting the corresponding human orthologs with shRNAs, both in HIV latently infected cell populations and in particular single-integration clones, including a latent clone with a provirus integrated in a highly transcribed gene. Our results indicate that chromatin reassembly factors participate in the establishment of the equilibrium between activation and repression of HIV-1 when it integrates into the human genome, and they open the possibility of considering these factors as therapeutic targets of HIV-1 latency.
Errors in laboratory medicine.

BACKGROUND The problem of medical errors has recently received a great deal of attention, which will probably increase. In this minireview, we focus on this issue in the fields of laboratory medicine and blood transfusion. METHODS We conducted several MEDLINE queries and searched the literature by hand. Searches were limited to the last 8 years to identify results that were not biased by obsolete technology. In addition, data on the frequency and type of preanalytical errors in our institution were collected. RESULTS Our search revealed large heterogeneity in study designs and quality on this topic as well as relatively few available data and the lack of a shared definition of "laboratory error" (also referred to as "blunder", "mistake", "problem", or "defect"). Despite these limitations, there was considerable concordance on the distribution of errors throughout the laboratory working process: most occurred in the pre- or postanalytical phases, whereas a minority (13-32% according to the studies) occurred in the analytical portion. The reported frequency of errors was related to how they were identified: when a careful process analysis was performed, substantially more errors were discovered than when studies relied on complaints or report of near accidents. CONCLUSIONS The large heterogeneity of literature on laboratory errors together with the prevalence of evidence that most errors occur in the preanalytical phase suggest the implementation of a more rigorous methodology for error detection and classification and the adoption of proper technologies for error reduction. Clinical audits should be used as a tool to detect errors caused by organizational problems outside the laboratory.
Fertility and family planning in Jordan: results from the 1985 Jordan Husbands' Fertility Survey.

The 1985 Jordan Husbands' Fertility Survey (JHFS) was designed to assess husbands' attitudes and behavior toward fertility and family planning. The 1985 JHFS was a follow-up survey to obtain data from husbands of women who were currently married in the 1983 Jordan Fertility and Family Health Survey (JFFHS). The results from the 1985 JHFS point to the usefulness of collecting fertility and family planning information from husbands. These findings showed that nearly 40 percent of the husbands do not believe in practicing contraception, and more than 50 percent of the husbands report that family size should be "up to God. " How program officials address these issues will be important for the future success of the family planning program in Jordan.
High-frequency on-chip inductance model

The effect of random signal lines on the on-chip inductance is quantitatively investigated, using an S-parameter-based methodology and a full wave solver, leading to an empirical model for high-frequency inductance. The results clearly indicate that the random signal lines as well as designated ground lines provide return paths for gigahertz-frequency signals. In particular, quasi TEM-wave-like propagation mode is observed above 10 GHz, revealing a unique relationship between capacitance and inductance of the signal line. Incorporating the random capacitive coupling effect, our frequency-dependent RLC model is confirmed to be valid up to 100 GHz.
High-speed optical response of pseudomorphic InGaAs high electron mobility transistors

The optical responses of very high-frequency pseudomorphic InGaAs HEMTs with f/sub T/ of 140 GHz were obtained. These measurements were done using the picosecond time domain optoelectronic technique at room and low temperatures. The optical photovoltaic responses of these HEMTs show FWHM values of 8.4 and 7.5 ps at room temperature and 20 K, respectively. Photoconductive responsivity as high as 4 A/W with an external quantum efficiency of >600% is reported. <<ETX>>
Particulate Matter From Saudi Arabia Induces Genes Involved in Inflammation, Metabolic Syndrome and Atherosclerosis

Airborne particulate matter (PM) exposure is a major environmental health concern and is linked to metabolic disorders, such as cardiovascular diseases (CVD) and diabetes, which are on the rise in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. This study investigated changes in mouse lung gene expression produced by administration of PM10 collected from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. FVB/N mice were exposed to 100 μg PM10 or water by aspiration and euthanized 24 h later. The bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) was collected and analyzed for neutrophil concentration and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α and interleukin (IL)-6 levels. RNA was extracted from lungs and whole transcript was analyzed using Affymetrix Mouse Gene 1.0 ST Array. Mice exposed to PM10 displayed an increase in neutrophil concentration and elevated TNF-α and IL-6 levels. Gene expression analysis revealed that mice exposed to PM10 displayed 202 genes that were significantly upregulated and 40 genes that were significantly downregulated. PM10 induced genes involved in inflammation, cholesterol and lipid metabolism, and atherosclerosis. This is the first study to demonstrate that Saudi Arabia PM10 increases in vivo expression of genes located in pathways associated with diseases involving metabolic syndrome and atherosclerosis.
Multidimensional Functional and Structural Evaluation Reveals Neuroretinal Impairment in Early Diabetic Retinopathy

Purpose To test whether quantitative functional tests and optical coherence tomography (OCT)-defined structure can serve as effective tools to diagnose and monitor early diabetic neuroretinal disease. Methods Fifty-seven subjects with diabetes (23 without diabetic retinopathy [no DR], 19 with mild nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy [mild NPDR], 15 with moderate to severe [moderate NPDR]), and 18 controls underwent full ophthalmic examination, fundus photography, spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT), e-ETDRS (Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study) acuity, and the quick contrast sensitivity function (qCSF) method. Perimetry testing included short-wavelength automated perimetry (SWAP), standard automated perimetry (SAP), frequency doubling perimetry (FDP), and rarebit perimetry (RBP). Results ETDRS acuity and RBP were not sensitive for functional differences among subjects with diabetes. AULCSF, a metric of qCSF, was reduced in diabetics with moderate compared to mild NPDR (P = 0.03), and in subjects with no DR compared to controls (P = 0.04). SWAP and SAP mean deviation (MD) and foveal threshold (FT) were reduced in moderate compared to mild NPDR (SWAP, MD P = 0.002, FT P = 0.0006; SAP, MD P = 0.02, FT P = 0.007). FDP 10-2 showed reduced MD in moderate compared to mild NPDR (P = 0.02), and FDP 24-2 revealed reduced pattern standard deviation (PSD) in mild NPDR compared to no DR (P = 0.02). Structural analysis revealed thinning of the ganglion cell layer and inner plexiform layer (GCL+IPL) of moderate NPDR subjects compared to controls. The thinner GCL+IPL correlated with impaired retinal function. Conclusions This multimodal testing analysis reveals insights into disruption of the neuroretina in diabetes and may accelerate the testing of novel therapies.
Erosive Wear Performance Analysis of Jute-Epoxy-SiC Hybrid Composites

The present article reports the solid particle erosion response of a new class of multi-component composite system consisting of epoxy resin reinforced with jute—fiber and SiC particles derived from a bio-resource like rice husk. Erosion trials are carried out at various test conditions. For this, an air jet type erosion test rig and Taguchi’s orthogonal arrays are used. Significant control factors influencing the erosion wear rate are identified. This article also presents the development of a theoretical model for estimating erosion damage caused by solid particle impact on the composites. The model is based upon conservation of particle kinetic energy and relates the erosion rate with some of the material properties and test conditions. The theoretical results are compared and are found to be in good agreement with the experimental values.
Impact of buccal glucose spray, liquid sugars and dextrose tablets on the evolution of plasma glucose concentration in healthy persons.

OBJECTIVES The purpose of this prospective controlled trial was to assess the efficacy of three commercially available glucose products, (1) buccal glucose spray, (2) liquid sugars, and (3) dextrose tablet, on the evolution of plasma glucose concentration (PG). METHODS Sixteen healthy volunteers aged 21.8 +/- 0.78 y (mean +/- SE), BMI 23.5 +/- 0.84 kg/m(2), tested their PG over the course of 3 sets of 4 sessions (S) each: S(0)-control fasting, S(1)-buccal administration of 10 glucose spray-doses (0.84 g of glucose) without swallowing; S(2-) consumption of 1 sachet (13 ml) of liquid sugar (ca. 5.2 g glucose, 5.2 g fructose, 5.2 g sucrose); S(3-) consumption of one dextrose tablet (6 g). PG was tested in finger-prick capillary blood using a personal glucometer Linus at the start, and at 5, 10, 15, 20 and 30 min. The means of 3 respective sessions for each of the 16 subjects were analyzed. RESULTS The Wilcoxon signed rank test revealed no significant differences between changes in the mean PG at the start vs. 5-minute interval either in control, or any intervention sessions. Analysis of regression coefficients after 30 min compared to the control session, demonstrated an increase in PG with the sachet of liquid sugars (0.068 mmol/l/min, p = 0.001) which was greater than a single dextrose tablet (0.052 mmol/l/min, p = 0.002), but no significant PG increase was found after buccal glucose spray. CONCLUSION Liquid sugars or dextrose tablets, but not the buccal glucose spray, are effective means to increase PG within 10 minutes after ingestion.
‘We need to know what’s going on’: Views of family members toward the sexual expression of people with dementia in residential aged care

This paper reports on a study which explored the views and attitudes of family members towards the sexual expression of residents with dementia in residential aged care facilities in two states in Australia. Recruitment was challenging and only seven family members agreed to an interview on this topic. Data were analysed using a constant comparative method. Family were generally supportive of residents’ rights to sexual expression, but only some types of behaviours were approved of. There was an acknowledgement that responding to residents’ sexuality was difficult for staff and many families believed that they should be kept informed of their relative’s sexual behaviours and moreover be involved in decision making about it. Findings suggest the need for family education and a larger study to better understand the views and motivations of family carers and how these might impact on the sexual expression of the older person with dementia living in residential aged care.
Early Events in Retrovirus XMRV Infection of the Wild-Derived Mouse Mus pahari

ABSTRACT A novel gammaretrovirus, xenotropic murine leukemia virus-related virus (XMRV), has been identified in patients with prostate cancer and in patients with chronic fatigue syndromes. Standard Mus musculus laboratory mice lack a functional XPR1 receptor for XMRV and are therefore not a suitable model for the virus. In contrast, Gairdner's shrew-mice (Mus pahari) do express functional XPR1. To determine whether Mus pahari could serve as a model for XMRV, primary Mus pahari fibroblasts and mice were infected with cell-free XMRV. Infection of cells in vitro resulted in XMRV Gag expression and the production of XMRV virions. After intraperitoneal injection of XMRV into Mus pahari mice, XMRV proviral DNA could be detected in spleen, blood, and brain. Intravenous administration of a green fluorescent protein (GFP) vector pseudotyped with XMRV produced GFP+ CD4+ T cells and CD19+ B cells. Mice mounted adaptive immune responses against XMRV, as evidenced by the production of neutralizing and Env- and Gag-specific antibodies. Prominent G-to-A hypermutations were also found in viral genomes isolated from the spleen, suggesting intracellular restriction of XMRV infection by APOBEC3 in vivo. These data demonstrate infection of Mus pahari by XMRV, potential cell tropism of the virus, and immunological and intracellular restriction of virus infection in vivo. These data support the use of Mus pahari as a model for XMRV pathogenesis and as a platform for vaccine and drug development against this potential human pathogen.
Ultrafine particle generation by high-velocity impact of metal projectiles

Ultrafine particle generation through mechanical processes was not carefully deepened so far, even if it could be related to the human health-based researches. In particular, the evaluation of ultrafine particles produced in battlefield scenarios can be useful to quantify the exposure of soldiers to particles carrying toxic heavy metals. In the present work ultrafine particle generation during high-velocity impact of metal projectiles was deepened performing symmetrical high velocity Taylor impacts of copper cylinder tests (Rod-on-Rod tests) by means of a gas-gun facility. Particle number distributions and total concentrations were measured through one-second-time resolution instruments in a chamber where impact events at different velocities were performed. Particle number generation per impact was also evaluated. Particle concentrations in the 106 part. cm-3 range were measured corresponding to particle generations higher than 1012 particles per impact, then comparable to those typical of combustion sources. Particle number distribution showed a unimodal distribution with a 10 nm mode. Summarizing, the performed experimental campaign revealed an extremely high generation of ultrafine particles from mechanical processes.
Role of Dickeya dadantii 3937 chemoreceptors in the entry to Arabidopsis leaves through wounds

Summary Chemotaxis enables bacteria to move towards an optimal environment in response to chemical signals. In the case of plant‐pathogenic bacteria, chemotaxis allows pathogens to explore the plant surface for potential entry sites with the ultimate aim to prosper inside plant tissues and to cause disease. Chemoreceptors, which constitute the sensory core of the chemotaxis system, are usually transmembrane proteins which change their conformation when sensing chemicals in the periplasm and transduce the signal through a kinase pathway to the flagellar motor. In the particular case of the soft‐rot pathogen Dickeya dadantii 3937, jasmonic acid released in a plant wound has been found to be a strong chemoattractant which drives pathogen entry into the plant apoplast. In order to identify candidate chemoreceptors sensing wound‐derived plant compounds, we carried out a bioinformatics search of candidate chemoreceptors in the genome of Dickeya dadantii 3937. The study of the chemotactic response to several compounds and the analysis of the entry process to Arabidopsis leaves of 10 selected mutants in chemoreceptors allowed us to determine the implications of at least two of them (ABF‐0020167 and ABF‐0046680) in the chemotaxis‐driven entry process through plant wounds. Our data suggest that ABF‐0020167 and ABF‐0046680 may be candidate receptors of jasmonic acid and xylose, respectively.
Transposon-mediated BAC transgenesis in human ES cells

Transgenesis is a cornerstone of molecular biology. The ability to integrate a specifically engineered piece of DNA into the genome of a living system is fundamental to our efforts to understand life and exploit its implications for medicine, nanotechnology and bioprospecting. However, transgenesis has been hampered by position effects and multi-copy integration problems, which are mainly due to the use of small, plasmid-based transgenes. Large transgenes based on native genomic regions cloned into bacterial artificial chromosomes (BACs) circumvent these problems but are prone to fragmentation. Herein, we report that contrary to widely held notions, large BAC-sized constructs do not prohibit transposition. We also report the first reliable method for BAC transgenesis in human embryonic stem cells (hESCs). The PiggyBac or Sleeping Beauty transposon inverted repeats were integrated into BAC vectors by recombineering, followed by co-lipofection with the corresponding transposase in hESCs to generate robust fluorescent protein reporter lines for OCT4, NANOG, GATA4 and PAX6. BAC transposition delivers several advantages, including increased frequencies of single-copy, full-length integration, which will be useful in all transgenic systems but especially in difficult venues like hESCs.
Muscular coordination of biceps brachii and brachioradialis in elbow flexion with respect to hand position

Contribution of synergistic muscles toward specific movements over multi joint systems may change with varying position of distal or proximal joints. Purpose of this study is to reveal the relationship of muscular coordination of brachioradialis and biceps brachii during elbow flexion with respect to hand position and biomechanical advantages and disadvantages of biceps brachii. A group of 16 healthy subjects has been advised to perform 20 repetitions of single elbow flexion movements in different hand positions (pronated, neutral, and supinated). With a speed of 20°/s, simultaneously sEMG of biceps brachii and brachioradialis and kinematics of the movement were recorded in a motion analysis laboratory. Normalized to MVC the sEMG amplitudes of both muscles contributing to elbow flexion movements were compared in pronated, supinated, and neutral hand position over elbow joint angle. Significant differences in the contribution of brachioradialis were found in pronated hand position compared to supinated and neutral hand position while the muscular activity of biceps brachii shows no significant changes in any hand position. In conclusion, a statistical significant dependency of the inter-muscular coordination between biceps brachii and brachioradialis during elbow flexion with respect to hand position has been observed depending on a biomechanical disadvantage of biceps brachii.
Macroscopic Properties of Inhomogeneous Material with Randomly Distributed Pores

Porous materials such as engineering ceramics and metal foams have a specific feature such that internal structure has a significant influence on the mechanical properties from the viewpoint of porosity and morphology. This paper discusses the relationship between microscopic morphology and macroscopic properties of the porous materials based on the homogenization technique, in which pores are randomly distributed over the domain. Various types of pores are examined and the conjunction between different elemental types is discussed. A wide range of porosity is covered from a low porosity of 5% such as engineering ceramics to 80% of foam-like materials within the same numerical strategy. It is found that the macroscopic property with low porosity shows good agreement with both experimental curve and micromechanics prediction, in which the elasticity coefficient is affected by morphology of internal structure. In contrast with the low porosity, the morphology effect diminishes and is hardly observed in high porosity region where the macroscopic stiffness is almost linear on the porosity.
Overexpression of Receptor for Advanced Glycation End Products and High-Mobility Group Box 1 in Human Dental Pulp Inflammation

High mobility group box 1 (HMGB1), a nonhistone DNA-binding protein, is released into the extracellular space and promotes inflammation. HMGB1 binds to related cell signaling transduction receptors, including receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE), which actively participate in vascular and inflammatory diseases. The aim of this study was to examine whether RAGE and HMGB1 are involved in the pathogenesis of pulpitis and investigate the effect of Prevotella intermedia (P. intermedia) lipopolysaccharide (LPS) on RAGE and HMGB1 expression in odontoblast-like cells (OLC-1). RAGE and HMGB1 expression levels in clinically inflamed dental pulp were higher than those in healthy dental pulp. Upregulated expression of RAGE was observed in odontoblasts, stromal pulp fibroblasts-like cells, and endothelial-like cell lining human pulpitis tissue. Strong cytoplasmic HMGB1 immunoreactivity was noted in odontoblasts, whereas nuclear HMGB1 immunoreactivity was seen in stromal pulp fibroblasts-like cells in human pulpitis tissue. LPS stimulated OLC-1 cells produced HMGB1 in a dose-dependent manner through RAGE. HMGB1 translocation towards the cytoplasm and secretion from OLC-1 in response to LPS was inhibited by TPCA-1, an inhibitor of NF-κB activation. These findings suggest that RAGE and HMGB1 play an important role in the pulpal immune response to oral bacterial infection.
Serum Helicobacter pylori FliD antibody and the risk of gastric cancer

FliD and CagA are important virulence factors of H. pylori. We aimed to evaluate the screening values of FliD and CagA for gastric cancer (GC). Serum samples were obtained from 232 cases and 266 controls in a case-control study. Unconditional multivariate logistic regression with odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) was used to analyze the relationships between FliD, CagA and GC. The sensitivities, specificities and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were calculated. Finally, the combined screening values of FliD, FlaA, NapA and CagA were assessed based on discriminant analysis. In all subjects, the associations of FliD and CagA with GC were evident with ORs (95% CIs) of 7.6 (4.7-12.3) and 2.5 (1.6-3.8), respectively (*p<0.001). The areas under ROC curves (AUCs) for FliD and CagA were 0.800 and 0.653, respectively. The AUC for the combination of FliD, FlaA and NapA was 0.915, which represented an increase of 0.115 over that of FliD alone (*p<0.001). These findings indicate that the FliD antibody is associated with GC and could exhibit high validity as a biomarker in screening for GC patients. The combination of FliD, FlaA and NapA improved the screening validity.