Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Mutations of basic amino acids of NCp7 of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 affect RNA binding in vitro

The nucleocapsid (NC) protein of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 is required for packaging of viral RNA and for virion assembly. It contains two clusters of basic amino acids, consisting of five and four amino acid residues, flanking the first of its two zinc fingers. These amino acid residues have been mutagenized to neutral ones individually, as well as in various combinations, by site-directed mutagenesis. Wild-type NCp7 and the mutant proteins were expressed as recombinant proteins in Escherichia coli, with six histidines as tags at their amino termini in order to allow efficient purification. The purified proteins were analyzed for RNA binding in vitro with human immunodeficiency virus type 1 5' leader RNA transcribed in vitro. Assays comprised Northwestern blots at various salt concentrations and filter binding tests which allowed determination of the dissociation constants of the various mutants. The results indicated that mutations of the amino acid R-7 and of R-32 and K-33 were more critical for RNA binding than other mutations. Mutation of the other amino acid residues reduced the binding affinity in proportion to the number of mutations. Mutation of seven of the nine basic amino acid residues reduced the binding of RNA by 50- to 90-fold.
No . 245 Asia Research Institute ● Singapore 1 A Decolonial Lens on Cities and Urbanisms : Reflections on the System of Petty Production in India

This paper is organized at two levels. First it discusses some epistemic concerns that have been recently articulated regarding urban studies and its theories. These relate to the use of the theories of modernity and developmentalism which scholars of urban studies have questioned. In the first part of the paper, I bring into conversation the two discussions-the first of urban studies scholars and the second of the Latin American social theorists whose critique of Eurocentrism, called the decolonial position presents, in my opinion an entry point for a way to do global social science. The second part of this paper looks at the system of petty production; in urban studies literature this was and is still referred to as the ‘informal system’. ARI Working Paper No. 245 Asia Research Institute ● Singapore
Practice guidelines for primary care physicians: 2003 ESH/ESC hypertension guidelines.

R. Cifkova (Czech Republic) S. Erdine (Turkey) R. Fagard (Belgium) C. Farsang (Hungary) A.M. Heagerty (UK) W. Kiowski (Switzerland) S. Kjeldsen (Norway) T. Lüscher (Switzerland) J.M. Mallion (France) G. Mancia (Italy, Coordinator) N. Poulter (UK) K.H. Rahn (Germany) J.L. Rodicio (Spain) L.M. Ruilope (Spain) P. van Zwieten (Netherlands) B. Waeber (Switzerland) B. Williams (UK) A. Zanchetti (Italy, Coordinator)
DO PICTURES SAY MORE THAN A THOUSAND WORDS ? A VALIDATION OF THE PICTORIAL EMPATHY TEST AND THE EFFECT OF TRAUMA

Objective: Empathy is a significant aspect of interpersonal relationships and has an impact on many life domains. Many questionnaires have been developed to measure empathy, but all have their shortcomings. Because of a lack of a decent instrument to measure empathy, Koirikivi (2014) designed the Pictorial Empathy Test (PET). Using pictures provides many advantages and a chance to overcome shortcomings of questionnaires. Current research aims at finding further evidence for the PET as a reliable and valid instrument to measure affective empathy (hypothesis 1). Moreover, we want to investigate the effect childhood traumatic events has on affective empathy (hypothesis 2). Even though there is some evidence there are still uncertainties whether experiencing a trauma leads to alterations in empathy. Methods: In total 286 participants were collected via Prolific Academic and had to fill in a web-based questionnaire. To validate the PET, questionnaires that measure stress, anxiety and depression were also used in this study. Next to that, the Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI) was added to establish convergent validity. To answer the second hypothesis (n=196) concerning trauma, we used the Early Trauma Inventory Self Report-Short Form (ETISR-SF) which measures traumatic experiences. Results: Positive correlations between the PET and affective subscales of the IRI provided evidence for the reliability and validity of this instrument. Regarding the effect of childhood traumatic events, a significant difference was found between both groups on the affective empathy subscale of the IRI. Individuals who experienced child abuse, scored higher on affective empathy. Conclusion: This study confirmed that the PET can serve as an effective tool for assessing affective empathy. Besides that, experiencing childhood maltreatment led to higher affective empathy in this sample.
Changes of circulating ghrelin and obestatin levels in obese patients with or without type 2 diabetes mellitus

Objective: Most patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus are successful in control their blood glucose and able to stop taking anti-diabetic medications including insulin after bariatric surgery. However, the underlying mechanism of how these operations work on patients with type 2 Diabetes Mellitus is still unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate the changes of ghrelin and obestatin in obese patients and in normal lean patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus before and after operation. Materials and methods: Total plasma ghrelin and obestatin levels were measured by radioimmunoassay in patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus and control subjects, at both before and one month after Mini-Bypass or laparoscopic adjustable gastric band (LAGB) operation. Body mass index, fasting blood glucose, insulin, HbA1C, peptide C and waist-hip ratio were calculated. Results: Post-operative circulating ghrelin and obestatin were elevated in obese subjects, suggesting that high ghrelin and obestatin may be involved in the etiology and pathophysiology of obesity. Conclusions: Improved Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus symptoms after operation may due to the decreased circulating ghrelin.
Experimental application of Lamb wave based SHM system at complex composite material structures

Due to the high sensitivity to damage and defects, the actual potential of composite materials in civil aviation is not fully exploited, resulting often in increased structural mass and expensive maintenance approaches. In the last decades, many attempts have been doing in order to reduce the conservativism of the current design approach, and to improve time and cost-saving maintenance procedures by considering the application of SHM systems tailored for composite structures. In SMAF project, the application of SHM systems is finalised to replace the current two levels of the traditional maintenance approach based on visual and NDI inspections, with only one level entirely focused on SHM inspections, and also to support the design of new structures by achieving consistent weight reductions respect to the current design methods. Under this topic, this work is concerned with numerical and experimental application of an SHM system for the detection and characterization of low-energy impact damages on composite stiffened panels. The SHM system presented is based on the elliptical triangulation method and high frequency Lamb waves. In the last years, few nondestructive techniques based on measurement of Lamb waves were developed, and on the same approach is based the elliptical triangulation method presented in this paper. Through the calculation of the Time of Flight (ToF) of the signals and the knowledge of the actuator-sensor position, the method identifies position and dimension of the damage. The effectiveness of the method has been validated for stiffened CFRP structures, via simulations and tests, and it is presented in this article. Low-velocity damage impacts have been induced in the above panels. The numerical results for damage detection, position and area measurement, have been correlated with the experimental ones. The capability of the SHM system to evaluate the position and the damaged area on complex structures has been discussed. The damage detection results (positioning and sizing of the damage) evaluated with the ellipse triangulation method have been compared with those ones obtained using the ultrasonic C-scan.
The prevalence of infertility in 2049 years women in Yazd , 2014-2015 : A cross-sectional study

Received: 10 January 2018 Revised: 5 July 2018 Accepted: 25 July 2018 Abstract Background: Infertility is a serious health problem that affects the individual, her/his family, and the community. Infertility is defined as failure to achieve clinical pregnancy after at least 12 months of unprotected coitus. Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate the prevalence of primary and secondary infertility and the associated factors in Yazd Greater Area during 2014-2015. Materials and Methods: This is a cross-sectional analytic study using Yazd Health Study data which was conducted on 10,000 people. We studied 2611 women between 20-49 yr old who lived in Yazd Greater Area. Data were collected using a validated questionnaire. Anthropometrics were collected using standardized instruments. Results: Among women participating in the study, 135 cases of infertility were documented and the overall prevalence of infertility was 4.73% (95% CI: 3.94%5.59%), among them 2.6% (95% CI: 2.4-3.8%) had primary and 2.1% (95% CI: 1.83.4%) had secondary infertility. In this study, infertility was significantly correlated with age (r=0.051, p=0.032), educational level (r=-0.41, p=0.001), body mass index (r=-0.012, p=0.018), waist circumference (r=0.027, p=0.022), history of abortion (r=0.099, p=0.026), and family history of infertility (r=0.121, p=0.001). Conclusion: The results of our study showed that the prevalence of infertility among women living in Yazd was lower compared to the other regions in Iran. Female factors were the main cause of infertility in central part of Iran.
Evaluation of 2-Year Experience With EGFR Mutation Analysis of Small Diagnostic Samples

Mutation analysis of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) gene is an essential part of the diagnostic algorithm in patients with metastatic or recurrent non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Small biopsies or cytology specimens represent >80% of the available diagnostic material. EGFR mutation analyses were realized on 835 samples (675 cytology specimens, 151 formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded blocks, 5 tumors, and 4 pleural effusions). EGFR mutation analysis was performed by high-resolution melting analysis in combination with mutant-enriched polymerase chain reaction and sequencing analysis. Because of increased risk of inaccuracy in histology diagnosis of small specimens, all subtypes of NSCLC were analyzed. EGFR mutations were detected in 83 cases (10%). EGFR mutation testing failed in 5% (42/835) and was associated with poor cellularity, low percentage of tumor cells, and bad quality of DNA. Although 281 samples were evaluated as insufficient material (poor cellularity and/or unrepresentative tumor content), mutation rates were 7%. Although only adenocarcinomas or NSCLC-not otherwise specified are recommended for EGFR mutation testing, EGFR mutations in 11% of the large cell carcinomas and 4% of the squamous cell carcinomas were observed. Our results indicate that defined algorithm for EGFR testing of small diagnostic samples is sensitive, fast, and suitable even for samples with poor cellularity. The results of this testing should be evaluated depending on tumor content and DNA quality for each sample individually. At the conclusion of our results, we recommend to realize EGFR mutation analysis of small diagnostic samples regardless of the histologic subtypes of NSCLC.
Brachial plexus lesions in patients with cancer=100 cases

In patients with cancer, brachial plexus signs are usually caused by tumor infiltration or injury from radiation therapy (RT). We analyzed 100 cases of brachial plexopathy to determine which clinical criteria helped differentiate tumor from radiation injury. Seventy-eight patients had tumor (34 with previous RT), and 22 had radiation injury. Severe pain occurred in 8Wo of tumor patients but in only 19% of patients with radiation injury. The lower trunk (C7-8, T1) was involved in 72% of the tumors, and 32% also had epidural tumors. Seventy-eight percent of the radiation injuries affected the upper plexus (C5-6). Horner syndrome was more common in tumor, and lymph-edema in radiation injury. The time from RT to onset of plexus symptoms, and the dose of RT, also differed. For symptoms within 1 year of RT, doses exceeding 6000 R were associated with radiation damage, whereas lower doses were associated with infiltration. Therefore, painless upper trunk lesions with lymphedema suggest radiation injury, and painful lower trunk lesions with Horner syndrome imply tumor infiltration.
Activation‐induced deaminase heterozygous MRL/lpr mice are delayed in the production of high‐affinity pathogenic antibodies and in the development of lupus nephritis

We previously reported that activation‐induced deaminase (AID) heterozygous MRL/lpr mice have substantially lower levels of serum anti‐dsDNA autoantibodies than AID wild‐type littermates. Given the known functions of AID, here we examined whether this decrease in pathogenic autoantibodies in the heterozygotes was the result of a defect in class switch recombination, somatic hypermutation, or both. We report significant impairment of switch recombination to most isotypes except immunoglobulin G3 (IgG3) in vitro. However, serum levels of IgG were similar to AID wild‐type levels even in very young mice. Mutation accumulation in the B cells from Peyer’s patches also revealed reduced somatic hypermutation in the heterozygotes. Unlike the switch defect, the hypermutation defect probably resulted in an in vivo effect because the serum IgG antibodies from the heterozygotes were of strikingly lower affinity to dsDNA than serum IgG antibodies from wild‐type littermates. This suggests that the somatic hypermutation defect resulted in impaired affinity maturation of autoantibodies in these mice and explains the low levels of specific anti‐dsDNA antibodies in the heterozygotes. This correlated with a delay in the development of kidney damage. These results imply that AID levels impact the class switch recombination and somatic hypermutation mechanisms and directly implicate affinity maturation of autoantibodies in autoimmunity.
ACTIVE CONTROL OF NEAR-WALL TURBULENCE WITH PERIODIC FORCING BY PLASMA ACTUATOR

An experimental study has been undertaken to reduce skin friction drag by applying spatially periodic forcing in the near wall region of a turbulent channel flow with micro plasma actuators. Measurements are made by a laser Doppler velocimeter (LDV) at Re! = 297 and 602. We fabricate arrayed micro plasma actuators and reproduce spatially periodic control input assumed in the previous numerical simulation. However, the present plasma actuators induce a spanwise tangential velocity very close to the wall surface as we expect, but with considerable wall-normal velocities (blowing and suction). The latter effect cannot be neglected and should be taken into account for the turbulent drag reduction control in the future study.
1 Quantifying aerosol size distributions and their temporal variability in the Southern Great Plains , USA

A quality-controlled, 5-year dataset (2009-2013) of aerosol number size distributions (particles with diameters (Dp) from 7 nm through 14 μm) was developed using observations from a scanning mobility particle sizer, aerodynamic particle sizer, and a condensation particle counter at the Department of Energy’s Southern Great Plains (SGP) site. This dataset was used for two purposes. First, typical characteristics of the aerosol size distribution (number, surface area, and 10 volume) were calculated for the SGP site, both for the entire dataset and on a seasonal basis, and size distribution lognormal fit parameters are provided. While the median size distributions generally had similar shapes (4 lognormal modes) in all the seasons, there were some significant differences between seasons. These differences were most significant in the smallest particles (Dp<30nm) and largest particles (Dp>800nm). Second, power spectral analysis was conducted on this long-term dataset to determine key temporal cycles of total aerosol concentrations, as well as aerosol concentrations in specified size 15 ranges. The strongest cyclic signal was associated with a diurnal cycle in total aerosol number concentrations that was driven by the number concentrations of the smallest particles (Dp<30nm). This diurnal cycle in the smallest particles occurred in all seasons, in ~50% of the observations, suggesting a persistence influence of new particle formation events on the number concentrations observed at SGP. This finding contrasts with earlier studies that suggested new particle formation is observed primarily in the springtime at this site. The timing of peak concentrations associated with this diurnal cycle was shifted by 20 several hours depending on the season, which was consistent with seasonal differences in insolation and boundary layer processes. Significant diurnal cycles in number concentrations were also found for particles with Dp between 140 nm and 800 nm, with peak concentrations occurring in the overnight hours, which were primarily associated with both nitrate and organic aerosol cycles. Weaker cyclic signals were observed for longer time scales (days to weeks) and are hypothesized to be related to the time scales of synoptic weather variability. The strongest periodic signals (3.5-5-day and 7-day cycles) for 25 these longer time scales varied depending on the season, with no cyclic signals and the lowest variability in the summer.
Expression of Prion Protein Increases Cellular Copper Binding and Antioxidant Enzyme Activities but Not Copper Delivery*

The N-terminal region of the prion protein PrPC contains a series of octapeptide repeats. This region has been implicated in the binding of divalent metal ions, particularly copper. PrPC has been suggested to be involved in copper transport and metabolism and in cell defense mechanisms against oxidative insult, possibly through the regulation of the intracellular CuZn superoxide dismutase activity (CuZn-SOD) or a SOD-like activity of PrPC itself. However, up to now the link between PrPC expression and copper metabolism or SOD activity has still to be formally established; particularly because conflicting results have been obtained in vivo. In this study, we report a link between PrPC, copper binding, and resistance to oxidative stress. Radioactive copper (64Cu) was used at a physiological concentration to demonstrate that binding of copper to the outer plasma cell membrane is related to the level of PrPC expression in a cell line expressing a doxycycline-inducible murine PrPC gene. Cellular PIPLC pretreatment indicated that PrPC was not involved in copper delivery at physiological concentrations. We also demonstrated that murine PrPC expression increases several antioxidant enzyme activities and glutathione levels. Prion protein may be a stress sensor sensitive to copper and able to initiate, following copper binding, a signal transduction process acting on the antioxidant systems to improve cell defenses.
Transplantation of Schwann cells in a collagen tube for the repair of large, segmental peripheral nerve defects in rats.

OBJECT Segmental nerve defects pose a daunting clinical challenge, as peripheral nerve injury studies have established that there is a critical nerve gap length for which the distance cannot be successfully bridged with current techniques. Construction of a neural prosthesis filled with Schwann cells (SCs) could provide an alternative treatment to successfully repair these long segmental gaps in the peripheral nervous system. The object of this study was to evaluate the ability of autologous SCs to increase the length at which segmental nerve defects can be bridged using a collagen tube. METHODS The authors studied the use of absorbable collagen conduits in combination with autologous SCs (200,000 cells/μl) to promote axonal growth across a critical size defect (13 mm) in the sciatic nerve of male Fischer rats. Control groups were treated with serum only-filled conduits of reversed sciatic nerve autografts. Animals were assessed for survival of the transplanted SCs as well as the quantity of myelinated axons in the proximal, middle, and distal portions of the channel. RESULTS Schwann cell survival was confirmed at 4 and 16 weeks postsurgery by the presence of prelabeled green fluorescent protein-positive SCs within the regenerated cable. The addition of SCs to the nerve guide significantly enhanced the regeneration of myelinated axons from the nerve stump into the proximal (p < 0.001) and middle points (p < 0.01) of the tube at 4 weeks. The regeneration of myelinated axons at 16 weeks was significantly enhanced throughout the entire length of the nerve guide (p < 0.001) as compared with their number in a serum-only filled tube and was similar in number compared with the reversed autograft. Autotomy scores were significantly lower in the animals whose sciatic nerve was repaired with a collagen conduit either without (p < 0.01) or with SCs (p < 0.001) when compared with a reversed autograft. CONCLUSIONS The technique of adding SCs to a guidance channel significantly enhanced the gap distance that can be repaired after peripheral nerve injury with long segmental defects and holds promise in humans. Most importantly, this study represents some of the first essential steps in bringing autologous SC-based therapies to the domain of peripheral nerve injuries with long segmental defects.
Curcumin Improves Chronic Stress Induced Potentiated Seizure Activity in Experimental Model of Epilepsy

Curcumin Improves Chronic Stress Induced Potentiated Seizure Activity in Experimental Model of Epilepsy Haydeh HAGHIGHIZAD, Atefeh TOUHIDI, Ali POURMOTABBED, Farshad MORADPOUR, Seyed Ershad NEDAEI, Tayebeh POURMOTABBED Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran, Islamic Republic of University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Molecular Sciences, Memphis, USA
DETAILED RESEARCH ON RICH-LEAN TYPE SINGLE SECTOR AND FULL ANNULAR COMBUSTOR FOR SMALL AIRCRAFT ENGINE

In the TechCLEAN project of JAXA, experimental research has been conducted to develop a combustor for a small aircraft engine. The combustor was tuned to show the behavior of the Rich-Lean combustion through tests under atmospheric and practical conditions. Finally, through full annular combustion experiment under practical conditions, the combustor was tuned to reduce NOx emissions to 38% of the ICAO CAEP4 standard, also sustaining low CO and THC emissions. Successively, to investigate the performance of the combustor in detail, parametric experiments were conducted with single-sector and full annular combustors under additional test conditions with inlet air temperature from 450K to 700K. Furthermore, detailed measurements at the full annular combustor exit were also conducted to obtain the distribution of temperature, pressure and gas composition, using a traversable measuring system. The correlation between measured emissions data and test conditions are estimated to obtain the combustion characteristics of the rich-lean type combustor.