Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Specificity, cross-reactivity, and function of antibodies elicited by Zika virus infection

Characterizing the Zika virus antibody response Given the public health emergency that Zika virus poses, scientists are seeking to understand the Zika-specific immune response. Stettler et al. analyzed 119 monoclonal antibodies isolated from four donors that were infected with Zika virus during the present epidemic, including two individuals that had previously been infected with dengue virus, another member of the flavivirus family. Neutralizing antibodies primarily recognized the envelope protein domain III (EDIII) or quaternary epitopes on the intact virus, and an EDIII-targeted antibody protected mice against lethal infection. Some EDI/II-targeting antibodies cross-reacted with dengue virus in vitro and could enhance disease in dengue-infected mice. Whether dengue and Zika virus antibodies cross-react in humans remains to be tested. Science, this issue p. 823 Cross-reactive antibody responses may pose a risk for disease on secondary infections with Dengue and/or Zika viruses. Zika virus (ZIKV), a mosquito-borne flavivirus with homology to Dengue virus (DENV), has become a public health emergency. By characterizing memory lymphocytes from ZIKV-infected patients, we dissected ZIKV-specific and DENV–cross-reactive immune responses. Antibodies to nonstructural protein 1 (NS1) were largely ZIKV-specific and were used to develop a serological diagnostic tool. In contrast, antibodies against E protein domain I/II (EDI/II) were cross-reactive and, although poorly neutralizing, potently enhanced ZIKV and DENV infection in vitro and lethally enhanced DENV disease in mice. Memory T cells against NS1 or E proteins were poorly cross-reactive, even in donors preexposed to DENV. The most potent neutralizing antibodies were ZIKV-specific and targeted EDIII or quaternary epitopes on infectious virus. An EDIII-specific antibody protected mice from lethal ZIKV infection, illustrating the potential for antibody-based therapy.
A 0.3 V 10-bit 1.17 f SAR ADC With Merge and Split Switching in 90 nm CMOS

This paper presents a 10-bit ultra-low voltage energy-efficient SAR ADC. The proposed merge-and-split (MS) switching effectively reduces DAC switching energy by 83% compared with conventional one without the need of extra reference voltage (Vcm) and the issue of common-mode voltage variation. To maintain good input linearity, a new double-bootstrapped sample-and-hold (S/H) circuit is proposed under an ultra-low voltage of 0.3 V. In addition, by employing asymmetric logic in SAR control, the leakage power is reduced with the penalty of slight conversion speed degradation. The test chip fabricated in 90 nm CMOS occupied a core area of 0.03 mm2. With a single 0.3 V supply and a Nyquist rate input, the prototype consumes 35 nW at 90 kS/s and achieves an ENOB of 8.38 bit and a SFDR of 78.2 dB, respectively. The operation frequency is scalable up to 2 MS/s and power supply range from 0.3 V to 0.5 V. The resultant FOMs are 1.17-to-1.78 fJ/conv. -step.
Meniscal Allograft Interposition Arthroplasty for the Arthritic Shoulder: Description of a New Surgical Technique

Soft tissue interposition with hemiarthroplasty recently has generated considerable interest as a treatment alternative in the younger patient with advanced arthritis of the glenohumeral joint. Despite early promising results, there have been concerns regarding the durability of currently used interposition materials in the shoulder. The authors hypothesized that resurfacing the glenoid with a lateral meniscal allograft would offer several advantages to the previously described techniques. These advantages include an established history of synovial healing in the knee, improved structural characteristics for durability, and a wedge shape that could compensate for pre-existing glenoid wear. A technique was developed to allow secure fixation of the meniscal allograft to the glenoid in combination with hemiarthroplasty replacement of the humeral head. The authors discuss the indications and contraindications for the procedure and describe the surgical technique.
Utility of Ki-67, CD10, CD34, p53, CD117, and Mast Cell Content in the Differential Diagnosis of Cellular Fibroadenomas and in the Classification of Phyllodes Tumors of the Breast

Adequate management of phyllodes tumors of the breast (PTB) remains a challenge because of the difficulty in correctly establishing preoperative diagnosis. The aim of this study was to evaluate the usefulness of Ki-67, CD10, CD34, p53, CD117, and of the number of mast cells in the differential diagnosis of benign PTB and cellular fibroadenomas (CFs) as well as in the grading of PTB. Fifty-one primary PTB and 14 CFs were examined by immunohistochemistry.When evaluating CD117 expression, higher epithelial expression was present in CF as well as an increased number of mast cells in benign PTB. Stromal expression of Ki-67, CD10, CD34, and p53 were relevant to PTB grading, of which the first 3 showed significance in the distinction of benign and borderline PTB, as well as between benign and malignant PTB. P53 was relevant only for the discrimination between benign and malign PTB. None of the markers showed significance in distinguishing between borderline and malign PTB.
Delay testable sequential circuit designs

New method of a sequential circuit design based on using mixed description of the circuit behavior is suggested. A combinational part behavior of a sequential circuit is represented with the composition of ROBDDs (Reduced Ordered Binary Decision Diagrams) and monotonous products. The method provides fully delay testability of a combinational part of a sequential circuit. Algorithms of deriving test pairs for robust PDFs (Path Delay Faults) are suggested. The method is oriented to cut the path lengths of the obtained circuits.
Preprints for the life sciences

The time is right for biologists to post their research findings onto preprint servers A preprint is a complete scientific manuscript (often one also being submitted to a peer-reviewed journal) that is uploaded by the authors to a public server without formal review. After a brief inspection to ensure that the work is scientific in nature, the posted scientific manuscript can be viewed without charge on the Web. Thus, preprint servers facilitate the direct and open delivery of new knowledge and concepts to the worldwide scientific community before traditional validation through peer review (1, 2). Although the preprint server arXiv.org has been essential for physics, mathematics, and computer sciences for over two decades, preprints are currently used minimally in biology.
Direct imaging discovery of a Jovian exoplanet within a triple-star system

Spying a planet in a triple-star system Thousands of extrasolar planets are now known, but only a handful have been detected in direct images. Wagner et al. used sophisticated adaptive optics to discover a planet in images of the triple-star system HD 131399 and to take a spectrum of its atmosphere (see the Perspective by Oppenheimer). The planet, about four times the mass of Jupiter, orbits around one star in the system while the other two stars move farther out. This unusual arrangement is puzzling: The planet's orbit may be stable, but it is unclear how it could have formed or migrated there. The results will be used to refine theories of planet formation. Science, this issue p. 673; see also p. 644 Images of the triple-star system HD 131399 reveal an extrasolar planet on an unusual orbit. Direct imaging allows for the detection and characterization of exoplanets via their thermal emission. We report the discovery via imaging of a young Jovian planet in a triple-star system and characterize its atmospheric properties through near-infrared spectroscopy. The semimajor axis of the planet is closer relative to that of its hierarchical triple-star system than for any known exoplanet within a stellar binary or triple, making HD 131399 dynamically unlike any other known system. The location of HD 131399Ab on a wide orbit in a triple system demonstrates that massive planets may be found on long and possibly unstable orbits in multistar systems. HD 131399Ab is one of the lowest mass (4 ± 1 Jupiter masses) and coldest (850 ± 50 kelvin) exoplanets to have been directly imaged.
Minocycline Therapy for Traumatic Wound Infections Caused by the Multidrug-Resistant Acinetobacter baumannii-Acinetobacter calcoaceticus Complex

The Acinetobacter baumannii-Acinetobacter calcoaceticus complex has become an important cause of traumatic wound infections in US Army soldiers injured in Iraq. Treatment options for these infections are limited by the organism's ability to acquire broad antimicrobial resistance. Alternative antimicrobial agents that are safe and well tolerated are needed. Minocycline has activity against Acinetobacter and has been used by some in the treatment of pneumonia caused by this pathogen. We report a case series of 8 patients treated with minocycline for traumatic wound infections caused by the multidrug-resistant A. baumannii-A. calcoaceticus complex. Minocycline therapy led to clinical cure for 7 of these patients. The remaining patient experienced adverse effects from minocycline requiring a change in therapy. Minocycline is an alternative agent that may be an effective therapy for multidrug-resistant A. baumannii-A. calcoaceticus complex.
A Low-Power Dual-Injection-Locked RF Receiver With FSK-to-OOK Conversion for Biomedical Implants

We present in this paper an ultra low power ISM band RF receiver intended for implantable biomedical devices. The proposed circuit, which represents the reception part of a new energy-efficient RF FSK transceiver, consist of an FSK receiver (Rx) with OOK fully passive wake-up device (WuRx). This WuRx is batteryless with energy harvesting technique which plays an important role in making the RF transceiver energy-efficient. This proposed receiver is achieved with a reduced hardware architecture which does not use an accurate local oscillator, high Q external inductor and I/Q signal path. The circuit is base on a dual injection locked FSK-to-ASK conversion technique. The circuit is implemented in IBM 0.13 μm CMOS technology with 1.2 V supply voltage. This WuRx achieves a data rate of 100 kbps for 0.2 μW power dissipation at -53 dBm input signal. The Rx shows -78 dBm sensitivity for 8 Mbps data rate while consuming 639 μW power.
Gynecomastia With Atypical Ductal Hyperplasia and Ductal Carcinoma In Situ Associated With Invasive Breast Carcinoma in a Male Patient on Antiretroviral Therapy

Breast carcinoma in males is rare although a 4-fold increased incidence is reported in HIV-infected men. Herein we report a case of invasive breast carcinoma in a HIV-positive man on antiretroviral therapy. The carcinoma was associated with features of florid gynecomastia, atypical ductal hyperplasia, ductal carcinoma in situ, and columnar cell change. This combination of morphological changes has not previously been reported in the context of male breast carcinoma and their etiopathological associations are discussed.
Prevalence of BRAF and NRAS Mutations and a Comparative Analysis in Primary and Metastatic Melanoma of Korean Patients

Objectives: The aim of this study is to verify the status and the clinical significance of BRAF and NRAS mutations in patients of one of the university hospitals in Korea. Methods: Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification and direct sequencing were performed for the analysis of melanoma samples (n=22) for the detection of mutations in exon 15 of the BRAF gene, and exons 2 and 3 of the NRAS gene in genomic DNA. Mutations of the BRAF gene were correlated with the clinicopathologic features of patients and the BRAF mutation status was compared in 18 paired primary and metastatic tumors. Results: Incidence of somatic mutations within the BRAF and NRAS genes was 27.3% (6/22) and 0% (0/22), respectively. Age, gender, Breslow thickness, and ulceration did not show correlation with BRAF mutations. Among 18 patients with metastasis, BRAF mutation was detected in 22.2% of cases (4/18), and all four cases with BRAF mutations were identified in metastatic lymph node tissues. BRAF mutations were only found in lymph node metastases, which was statistically significant (28.6% vs 0%, P<0.01). Conclusion: The incidence of BRAF mutation is as low as in other Asian reports and the NRAS mutation was not found in patients of our institute. (Ewha Med J 2014;37(1):30-35)
Matching Properties of Femtofarad and Sub-Femtofarad MOM Capacitors

Small metal-oxide-metal (MOM) capacitors are essential to energy-efficient mixed-signal integrated circuit design. However, only few reports discuss their matching properties based on large sets of measured data. In this paper, we report matching properties of femtofarad and sub-femtofarad MOM vertical-field parallel-plate capacitors and lateral-field fringing capacitors. We study the effect of both the finger-length and finger-spacing on the mismatch of lateral-field capacitors. In addition, we compare the matching properties and the area efficiency of vertical-field and lateral-field capacitors. We use direct mismatch measurement technique, and we illustrate its feasibility using experimental measurements and Monte Carlo simulations. The test-chips are fabricated in a 0.18 μm CMOS process. A large number of test structures is characterized (4800 test structures), which improves the statistical reliability of the extracted mismatch information. Despite conventional wisdom, extensive measurements show that vertical-field and lateral-field MOM capacitors have the same matching properties when the actual capacitor area is considered. Measurements show that the mismatch depends on the capacitor area but not on the spacing; thus, for a given mismatch specification, the lateral-field MOM capacitor can have arbitrarily small capacitance by increasing the spacing between the capacitor fingers, at the expense of increased chip area.
Sustained virologic control in SIV+ macaques after antiretroviral and α4β7 antibody therapy

Antibodies sustain viral control For many infected individuals, antiretroviral therapy (ART) means that an HIV-1 diagnosis is no longer a death sentence. But the virus persists in treated individuals, and complying with the intense drug regimen to keep virus loads down can be challenging for patients. Seeking an alternative, Byrareddy et al. treated ART-suppressed monkeys with antibodies targeting α4β7 integrin. When ART was halted in the antibody-treated animals, viral loads stayed undetectable, and normal CD4 T cell counts were maintained for over 9 months—and persisted—even after stopping the antibody therapy. Science, this issue p. 197 Update: An Editorial Expression of Concern has been published here Combining short-term antiretroviral therapy with specific anti-integrin treatment sustains low viral loads in monkeys. Antiretroviral drug therapy (ART) effectively suppresses replication of both the immunodeficiency viruses, human (HIV) and simian (SIV); however, virus rebounds soon after ART is withdrawn. SIV-infected monkeys were treated with a 90-day course of ART initiated at 5 weeks post infection followed at 9 weeks post infection by infusions of a primatized monoclonal antibody against the α4β7 integrin administered every 3 weeks until week 32. These animals subsequently maintained low to undetectable viral loads and normal CD4+ T cell counts in plasma and gastrointestinal tissues for more than 9 months, even after all treatment was withdrawn. This combination therapy allows macaques to effectively control viremia and reconstitute their immune systems without a need for further therapy.
Assessing the Performance of Virtualization Technologies for NFV: A Preliminary Benchmarking

The NFV paradigm transforms those applications executed for decades in dedicated appliances, into software images to be consolidated in standard server. Although NFV is implemented through cloud computing technologies (e.g., Virtual machines, virtual switches), the network traffic that such components have to handle in NFV is different than the traffic they process when used in a cloud computing scenario. Then, this paper provides a (preliminary) benchmarking of the widespread virtualization technologies when used in NFV, which means when they are exploited to run the so called virtual network functions and to chain them in order to create complex services.
Spin- and density-resolved microscopy of antiferromagnetic correlations in Fermi-Hubbard chains

The repulsive Hubbard Hamiltonian is one of the foundational models describing strongly correlated electrons and is believed to capture essential aspects of high-temperature superconductivity. Ultracold fermions in optical lattices allow for the simulation of the Hubbard Hamiltonian with control over kinetic energy, interactions, and doping. A great challenge is to reach the required low entropy and to observe antiferromagnetic spin correlations beyond nearest neighbors, for which quantum gas microscopes are ideal. Here, we report on the direct, single-site resolved detection of antiferromagnetic correlations extending up to three sites in spin-1/2 Hubbard chains, which requires entropies per particle well below s* = ln(2). The simultaneous detection of spin and density opens the route toward the study of the interplay between magnetic ordering and doping in various dimensions.
Closing global achievement gaps in MOOCs

Brief interventions address social identity threat at scale Advocates for free massive open online courses (MOOCs) have heralded them as vehicles for democratizing education and bridging divides within and across countries (1). More than 25 million people enrolled in MOOCs between 2012 and 2015, including 39% from less-developed countries (LDCs) (2). But the educated and affluent in all countries enroll in and complete MOOCs at relatively higher rates (3, 4). Judged by completion rates, MOOCs do not spread benefits equitably across global regions. Rather, they reflect prevailing educational disparities between nations (see the first chart) (5). Although the global achievement gap could be caused by barriers in LDCs, such as less broadband Internet access, formal education, and English proficiency, we explore another potential but underappreciated cause. Members of LDCs may suffer from the cognitive burden of wrestling with feeling unwelcome while trying to learn and, therefore, underperform. This can be exacerbated by social identity threat, which is the fear of being seen as less capable because of one's group (6). We discuss field experiments with interventions that targeted social identity threat and caused substantial improvements in MOOC persistence and completion rates among learners in LDCs, eliminating the global achievement gap.
Crystal structure of Zika virus NS2B-NS3 protease in complex with a boronate inhibitor

Zooming in on the Zika virus protease The lack of a vaccine or antiviral drugs to combat the Zika virus has scientists scrambling to identify and better characterize potential drug targets. One attractive candidate is the NS2B/NS3 viral protease, which, together with host cell proteases, cleaves the viral polyprotein into the individual proteins required for viral replication. Lei et al. report the crystal structure of this protease bound to a peptido-mimetic inhibitor. The structure reveals key interactions that probably contribute to the high catalytic efficiency of this enzyme relative to other flaviviruses, indicating promising starting points for drug design. Science, this issue p. 503 Analysis of Zika virus protease bound to a peptidomimetic inhibitor reveals its catalytic efficiency and promise as a drug target. The ongoing Zika virus (ZIKV) outbreak is linked to severe neurological disorders. ZIKV relies on its NS2B/NS3 protease for polyprotein processing; hence, this enzyme is an attractive drug target. The 2.7 angstrom; crystal structure of ZIKV protease in complex with a peptidomimetic boronic acid inhibitor reveals a cyclic diester between the boronic acid and glycerol. The P2 4-aminomethylphenylalanine moiety of the inhibitor forms a salt-bridge with the nonconserved Asp83 of NS2B; ion-pairing between Asp83 and the P2 residue of the substrate likely accounts for the enzyme’s high catalytic efficiency. The unusual dimer of the ZIKV protease:inhibitor complex seen in the crystal may provide a model for assemblies formed at high local concentrations of protease at the endoplasmatic reticulum membrane, the site of polyprotein processing.
Primary Tumour Characteristics as Potential Prognostic Factors in Brain Metastases from Breast Cancer

Background: Recursive partitioning analysis classes is the prognostic score that has been found by several groups to predict survival in patients with brain metastases from primary breast cancer. Recent data suggests that primary tumour characteristics might provide further important information. Methods: The impact of primary tumour size, histological grade, hormone receptor status, number of lymph node metastases and Nottingham prognostic index (NPI) was evaluated together with established factors such as performance status by uni- and multivariate analyses in 90 patients. All patients had been treated with whole-brain radiotherapy with or without radiosurgery or surgical resection. Results: In multivariate analysis, only performance status, age and interval from primary tumour diagnosis to brain metastases were significant. Patients with favourable NPI survived longer. However, this finding is based on a small group of patients and needs to be confirmed in larger studies. Higher histological grade and NPI were associated with significantly shorter interval to development of brain metastases. Conclusions: The standard brain metastases scores might not fully appreciate the unique biology and time course of breast cancer. Emerging prognostic factors such as NPI or triple-negative status might improve the models currently used by clinicians.
Predicting Subharmonic Oscillation of Voltage-Mode Switching Converters Using a Circuit-Oriented Geometrical Approach

A circuit-oriented geometrical approach in predicting subharmonic oscillation (SHO) of voltage-mode switching converters is presented. It is based on a straightforward graphical analysis of the operation of the converter without using advanced mathematical techniques. It is shown that the slope of the output of the compensator at the trip point is an important factor in determining the onset of SHO. The critical condition of SHO of the buck converter working in continuous conduction mode (CCM) is derived and expressed in terms of circuit parameters that serve as the design guideline for avoiding SHO. The proposed approach is applied to analyze three schemes, namely, proportional, dominant-pole and Type-III compensation. The analysis of SHO in discontinuous conduction mode (DCM) for both the buck and the boost converters are also included to demonstrate the universality of the proposed approach. Crucial Cadence simulation results and measurement results are presented to verify the analysis.