Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Apolipoprotein E Genotyping Among the Healthy Kuwaiti Population

Apolipoproteins (lipid-free) are lipid-binding proteins that circulate in the plasma of human blood and are responsible for the clearance of lipoproteins. Apolipoprotein E (ApoE) is one of the several classes of this protein family. It acts as a ligand for the low-density lipid (LDL) receptors and is important for the clearance of very low-density lipid (VLDL) and chylomicron remnants. The APOE gene locus is polymorphic, with three major known alleles, APOE*3, *4, and *2. We investigated the distribution of the allele frequency of the APOE gene locus and describe here the genetic variation in four Kuwaiti subpopulations: Arab origin (Arabian peninsula), Arab Bedouin tribes, Iranian origin, and the heterogeneous population. We also describe the use of Spreadex gels in resolving the amplified and digested products of the APOE gene locus. DNA was extracted from whole blood and subjected to PCR and then to RFLP analysis. Allele and genotype frequencies were estimated for the total population and for each subpopulation. Statistical analysis showed no difference in the allele frequencies between the four groups. The frequency of APOE*3 in the Kuwaiti population was highest (88.4%) followed by the frequency of APOE*4 (6.5%) and APOE*2 (5.1%). The genotype and allele frequencies obtained for the Kuwaiti population fell within the reported worldwide distribution for the APOE gene locus. Moreover, the results obtained in this study showed no statistical difference (p>0.05) between the APOE allele and genotype frequencies between the subgroups for all six genotypes and three alleles, supporting the assumption of admixture in the Kuwaiti population and that the obtained frequencies were in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. Finally, we found that the distribution of the APOE alleles in Kuwait differs somewhat from those reported in other Arab populations, suggesting that the Arabs originating from the Arabian peninsula are different from those of Lebanon, Morocco, and Sudan.
Investigation of different servo motor designs for servo cycle operations and loss minimizing control performance

Servo motors are widely used in many industrial applications. These motors require precise control of acceleration, speed, and position. Different designs can be found in the literature. This paper will compare the response of two of the common types and will propose a new servo motor design that uses a smaller amount of magnet, lowering the price of the motor. The proposed motor would be able to save energy for the required application (minimize the cost of the industrial process) and would be suitable for high-frequency injection based self-sensing techniques.
Magnetic-Field Evaluation in the Vicinity of High-Voltage Electric Systems

This paper presents a simulation model of the magnetic field generated by electric energy distribution and transport facilities. The aim of this paper is to assess the models compliance with current international regulations and recommendations. One of the principal advantages of this model is its relative simplicity, since it represents the facility's elements by using a conductor network. This network is energized by injecting a system of currents that model the load state of the facility. The conductor network is subsequently analyzed as a conventional electrical circuit. This paper applies the model to the specific case of an outdoor substation and the results are later validated when compared with the magnetic-field measurements taken at the facility.
Conserved small protein associates with the multidrug efflux pump AcrB and differentially affects antibiotic resistance

The AcrAB–TolC multidrug efflux pump confers resistance to a wide variety of antibiotics and other compounds in Escherichia coli. Here we show that AcrZ (formerly named YbhT), a 49-amino-acid inner membrane protein, associates with the AcrAB-TolC complex. Co-purification of AcrZ with AcrB, in the absence of both AcrA and TolC, two-hybrid assays and suppressor mutations indicate that this interaction occurs through the inner membrane protein AcrB. The highly conserved acrZ gene is coregulated with acrAB through induction by the MarA, Rob, and SoxS transcription regulators. In addition, mutants lacking AcrZ are sensitive to many, but not all, of the antibiotics transported by AcrAB–TolC. This differential antibiotic sensitivity suggests that AcrZ may enhance the ability of the AcrAB–TolC pump to export certain classes of substrates.
Computer-aided design of coupling units for naval-network power line communications

Powerlines can provide an economical medium for high-speed communications; however, the low-voltage electrical network is an unfriendly environment with interferences, noise, attenuation, and multi-path reflections. This paper presents a reliable multi-step procedure for designing an optimal broadband impedance-matching circuit providing gain equalization and mitigation of the effects of low-impedance loads on modern wide-band power line communications. Special attention is given to the application of such devices on board of luxury yachts, where the use of power line communications could dramatically reduce weights and costs. Results carried out on the network of a real yacht confirm the efficiency of the proposed approach.
Lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2 and carotid intima-media thickness in individuals classified as low-risk according to Framingham.

BACKGROUND The Framingham risk score (FRS) has long been used as a global tool to estimate coronary heart disease (CHD) risk, but data has shown that subclinical CHD may exist in those classified as low risk by FRS, and as a result, there is potential for misclassification. Lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2 (Lp-PLA2) and carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) are two emerging risk markers that are predictive of future CHD events. PURPOSE To examine Lp-PLA2 and CIMT values in low risk individuals, and to explore the relationship between Lp-PLA2 and CIMT. METHODS A total of 229 men and women (age =53±7 years) underwent body composition analysis, objective physical activity measurement, fasting blood draw to determine standard lipid values and Lp-PLA2 mass, and CIMT measurement through ultrasound. RESULTS For all subjects, mean CIMT was 0.61±0.1 mm, mean Lp-PLA2 mass was 197±45 ng/dL. A total of 19.5% and 34.6% of women and 4.6% and 73.8% of men were considered at elevated risk for CHD by CIMT (>75(th) percentile for age) and Lp-PLA2 mass (>200 ng/dL) standards, respectively. Both CIMT and Lp-PLA2 mass were significant independent predictors of each other, whereas traditional risk markers (lipids, glucose) were not. CONCLUSIONS Results suggest that in those classified as low risk by FRS, evidence of increased CHD risk may exist through the use of newer risk markers like CIMT and Lp-PLA2. These emerging markers may aid in the earlier detection and intervention of subclinical CHD.
Identification of New Genes Regulated by the Crt1 Transcription Factor, an Effector of the DNA Damage Checkpoint Pathway in Saccharomyces cerevisiae*

The Crt1 (RFX1) protein in Saccharomyces cerevisiae is an effector of the DNA damage checkpoint pathway. It recognizes a 13-bp cis-regulatory element in the 5′-untranslated region (5′-UTR) of the ribonucleotide reductase genes RNR2, RNR3, and RNR4; the HUG1 gene; and itself. We calculated the weight matrix representing the Crt1p binding site motif according to analysis of the 5′-UTR sequences of the genes that are under its regulation. We subsequently searched the 5′-UTR sequences of all the genes in the yeast genome for the occurrence of this motif. The motif was found in regulatory regions of 30 genes. A statistical analysis showed that it is unlikely that a random gene cluster contains the motif conserved as well as the Crt1p binding site. Analysis of microarray data provided supporting evidence for five putative Crt1p targets: FSH3, YLR345W, UBC5, NDE2, and NTH2. We used reverse transcription-PCR to compare the expression levels of these genes in wild-type and crt1Δ strains. Our results indicated that FSH3, YLR345W, and NTH2 are indeed under the regulation of Crt1p. Sequence analysis of the FSH3p indicated that this protein may be involved in folate metabolism either by carrying serine hydrolase activity required for the novel metabolic pathway involving dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) or by directly interacting with the DHFR enzyme. We postulate that Crt1p may influence deoxyribonucleotide synthesis not only by regulating expression of the RNR genes but also by modulating DHFR activity. FSH3p shares significant sequence similarity with the product of the human tumor suppressor gene OVCA2. YLR345Wp and NTH2p are enzymes involved in the central metabolism under stress conditions.
In Vitro and in Vivo Analyses of a Phe/Tyr Switch Controlling Product Specificity of Histone Lysine Methyltransferases*

The functional significance of mono-, di-, and tri-methylation of lysine residues within histone proteins is under investigation. Evidence from several model organisms suggests that different methylated states of H3 Lys9 (H3K9) are generated by specific histone methyltransferases (MTases) to mark distinct types of silent chromatin. Sequence alignment of all histone lysine MTases with known product specificity suggested that a key residue in the active site determines how many methyl groups they add. We examined this possibility both in vitro and in vivo and found that a Phe at the position equivalent to Phe281 of Neurospora crassa DIM-5 or Phe1205 of human G9a allows the enzyme to perform di and tri-methylation, whereas a Tyr at this position is restrictive, inhibiting tri-methylation and thus yielding a mono- or di-MTase. Phe to Tyr mutants of both DIM-5 and G9a restrict product specificity in vitro and in vivo without compromising overall catalysis. These mutants were employed to probe the biological significance of mono-, di-, and tri-methylation of H3K9 in both mouse embryonic stem cells and N. crassa. G9a F1205Y, when expressed in G9a (–/–) embryonic stem cells, rescued only H3K9 mono-methylation, but not di-methylation, to wild-type levels yet silenced Mage-a gene expression. When expressed in dim-5 strains, DIM-5 F281Y generated significant levels of mono- and di-H3K9 methylation (which are not observed in wild type Neurospora) as well as tri-methyl H3K9. The altered DIM-5 rescued the growth defect characteristic of dim-5 N. crassa but did not fully rescue the gross DNA hypomethylation of dim-5 strains.
Business Process Modelling through Equivalence of Activity Properties

Since two decades ago, business processes have been gaining attention from IS’ managers, consultants and researchers and are becoming a key element in driving IT innovation. Despite such prominence, the concept of business process is not clear enough and even more unclear is the way to depict organization activities into a process blueprint. We claim that a much more precise and consolidate concept for “business process” is required. In this paper, we explain the constraints that influence business process modelling and we propose a solution based on a multi dimensional representation that decomposes processes into the Zachman Framework dimensions. Upon our solution we build up the concept of process equivalence.
Overview of Incursions of Asian H5N1 Subtype Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza Virus into Great Britain, 2005–2008

Abstract Since 2005 there have been five incursions into Great Britain of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) viruses of subtype H5N1 related to the ongoing global epizootic. The first incursion occurred in October 2005 in birds held in quarantine after importation from Taiwan. Two incursions related to wild birds: one involved a single dead whooper swan found in March 2006 in the sea off the east coast of Scotland, and the other involved 10 mute swans and a Canada goose found dead over the period extending from late December 2007 to late February 2008 on or close to a swannery on the south coast of England. The other two outbreaks occurred in commercial poultry in January 2007 and November 2007, both in the county of Suffolk. The first of these poultry outbreaks occurred on a large turkey farm, and there was no further spread. The second outbreak occurred on a free-range farm rearing turkeys, ducks, and geese and spread to birds on a second turkey farm that was culled as a dangerous contact. Viruses isolated from these five outbreaks were confirmed to be Asian H5N1 HPAI viruses; the quarantine outbreak was attributed to a clade 2.3 virus and the other four to clade 2.2 viruses. This article describes the outbreaks, their control, and the possible origins of the responsible viruses.
Towards a 4 MW 170 GHz coaxial gyrotron resonator design

In this work the feasibility of a 4 MW 170 GHz gyrotron resonator design is investigated. The realization of high power gyrotrons will reduce the number of gyrotrons and superconducting magnets required for future fusion reactors. Proper care has been taken in examination of mode competition in the case of very high order modes. A possible outer wall corrugation is discussed and possible improvements are shown. The design considers realistic technical constrains and nominal parameters.
The general model of secure computation system

The paper considers the problem of organization the computations over encrypted data. This problem has become increasingly important due to the expansion of the cloud computing and the need for suitable measures to protect it. Different primitives were proposed to solve the problem in a limited context, such as garbled circuits, fully homomorphic encryption, functional encryption, secure multiparty computations and so on. However, the development of real secure computing system requires some general theory for organization of secure computing, using a systemic approach. We propose to divide all the functionality that the secure computing system must support into the several layers; the interaction between them would be done through the interfaces. Presented six-layer analytical model under the title "Secure computing interface stack" ("SCIS") is intended to standardize and facilitate the work of researchers and developers in the field of cryptographically secure computing, i.e. such systems in which the untrusted parties process the sensitive data in encrypted form without decrypting at the any stage of processing. For each layer we outline the problems researchers deal with, reveal a range of issues that must be addressed, and provide a brief overview of the relative works. We survey and compare known secure computation systems analyzing them within our model and derive some new ideas for improvements of existing CSCS.
A Review of Outdoor Robotics Research D. J. Spero A Review of Outdoor Robotics Research

This report provides an introductory review of the field of mobile robot navigation, with a domanial bias towards unstructured outdoor environments. The navigational process is reviewed in terms of the following fundamental elements: locomotion mechanism, control system, sensing, environmental mapping, path planning, and localisation. These elements are also described using several representative examples of experimental robotic systems, which have been developed for various complex tasks in outdoor environments. Some of these tasks include cross-country and interplanetary exploration, search and rescue, law enforcement, and military operations. It is important to note that this field is still in its technological infancy. Compared to a robot’s potential applicability, somewhat borne out of our own imagination, there exists a substantial amount of research yet to be done and, hence, there is ample room for aspiring roboticists to join the research efforts. Currently, there are numerous open problems that need to be solved before mobile robots can be released into the real-world for affordable, flexible and reliable service. This report discusses a few of the significant problems of late, and provides several avenues for future research. 1 MECSE-17-2004: "A Review of Outdoor Robotics Research", D. J. Spero
Expression of Human Leukocyte Antigen-G during Normal Placentation and in Preeclamptic Pregnancies

Objectives. This study was undertaken to investigate the expression pattern of human leukocyte antigen-G (HLA-G) during normal placentation and determine whether altered expression of HLA-G is associated with severe preeclampsia. Methods. We investigated HLA-G protein levels in first (n = 27), second (n = 7), and third trimester placentas (n = 10) from normal pregnancies, and determined HLA-G levels in term placentas from normal (n = 15) and severe preeclamptic pregnancies (n = 14) using real-time RT-PCR and western blot analysis. Results. In normal placentas, HLA-G protein expression reached a peak level at gestational weeks 6 and 7, then gradually decreased from week 8 to third trimester (p < 0.05). In preeclamptic placentas, both HLA-G mRNA and protein levels were decreased significantly in comparison with normal term placentas (p < 0.05). Conclusion. HLA-G may contribute to placentation during early and mid-term pregnancy, and participate in maintaining gestation during term pregnancy. The reduced level of HLA-G may be associated with pathogenesis of preeclampsia.
Continuous speech recognition from ECoG

Continuous speech production is a highly complex process involving many parts of the human brain. To date, no fundamental representation that allows for decoding of continuous speech from neural signals has been presented. Here we show that techniques from automatic speech recognition can be applied to decode a textual representation of spoken words from neural signals. We model phones as the fundamental unit of the speech process in invasively measured brain activity (intracranial electrocorticographic (ECoG)) recordings. These phone models give insights into timings and locations of neural processes associated with the continuous production of speech and can be used in a speech recognizer to decode the neural data into their textual representations. When restricting the dictionary to small subsets, Word Error Rates as low as 25% can be achieved. As the brain activity data sets are fairly small, alternative approaches to Gaussian models are investigated by relying on robust, regularized discriminative models.
Antibacterial activity of the sponge Suberites domuncula and its primmorphs: potential basis for epibacterial chemical defense

The epibacterial chemical defense of the marine sponge Suberites domuncula was explored by screening sponge extract, sponge primmorph (3-D aggregates containing proliferating cells) extract and sponge-associated as well as primmorph-associated bacteria for antibacterial activ- ity. 16S rDNA sequencing revealed that the antimicrobially active bacteria belonged to the α - and γ- subdivisions of Proteobacteria (α -Proteobacterium MBIC 3368, Idiomarina sp. and Pseudomonas sp., respectively). Moreover, a recombinant perforin-like protein was cloned from S. domuncula that dis- played strong antibacterial activity. Based on these observations, it is proposed that the sponge may be provided with a direct (by producing antibacterial metabolites) as well as an indirect (with the help of associated bacteria) epibacterial defense.
Role of alcohol dehydrogenase 3 and cytochrome P‐4502E1 genotypes in susceptibility to cancers of the upper aerodigestive tract

Alcohol is a recognized risk factor for upper aerodigestive tract (UAT) cancers, but the mechanism by which alcohol causes cancer remains obscure. Ethanol is oxidized to acetaldehyde (the suspected carcinogenic agent in alcohol) by alcohol dehydrogenases (ADHs) and cytochrome P‐4502E1 (CYP2E1), both of which exhibit great inter‐individual variability in activity. The hypothesis that these polymorphisms influence susceptibility to alcohol‐related cancers remains poorly documented. We investigated whether ADH3 and CYP2E1 DraI and RsaI genotypes modified the risk of UAT cancers among 121 oral cavity/pharyngeal cancer patients, 129 laryngeal cancer patients, and 172 controls, all French Caucasians. Cancer risks and gene–alcohol interactions were analyzed by unconditional logistic regression, accounting for potential confounders. ADH3 genotype was not associated with UAT cancer. In contrast, a 2‐fold risk of oral cavity/pharyngeal (OR = 2.0, 95% CI 1.0–3.9) and laryngeal (OR = 1.8, 95% CI 1.0–3.5) cancers was observed for carriers of the CYP2E1 DraI C variant allele compared with other individuals. The risk associated with the CYP2E1 RsaI c2 variant allele also increased for oral cavity/pharyngeal cancer (OR = 2.6, 95% CI 1.0–6.6). The effects of ADH3 or CYP2E1 genotype and alcohol or tobacco were independent. The highest risk of oral cavity/pharyngeal cancer was observed among the heaviest drinkers (>80 g/day) with the CYP2E1 DraI C allele (OR = 5.8, 95% CI 1.9–18.2) or the CYP2E1 RsaI c2 allele (OR = 7.2, 95% CI 1.4–38.2) compared with lighter drinkers with other genotypes. Our study suggests that CYP2E1 genotype modifies the risk of UAT cancers, but due to the low frequency of CYP2E1 variant alleles, large‐scale studies are needed to confirm our findings. Int. J. Cancer 87:734–740, 2000. © 2000 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
A Cross-Sectional Study of Prominent US Mobile Health Applications: Evaluating the Current Landscape

Mobile health (mHealth) could offer unprecedented opportunity to provide medical support closer to the users. We have selected some relevant criteria to describe 100 apps from Google Play store and Apple's App Store's top suggestions in medical category. These characteristics were compared based on the paid or free nature of the apps, the target users: consumers or healthcare professionals, and the platform: Android or iOS. Seventeen provided functionalities and 27 medical subjects covered by these apps were also extracted. Our study shows that even in top rated mHealth apps, a high proportion lacks some basic criteria regarding the quality of the apps including the presence of a privacy policy, describing content sources, participation of the target users in the app development, etc. Paid apps did not ensure better quality compared to free apps. The current mHealth market is not mature enough to be used widely and recommended by healthcare professionals.
Scaffold‐free 3D cellulose acetate membrane‐based cultures form large cartilaginous constructs

Scaffold‐free three‐dimensional (3D) cultures provide clinical potential in cartilage regeneration. The purpose of this study was to characterize a scaffold‐free 3D membrane‐based culture system, in which human articular chondrocytes were cultivated on a cellulose acetate membrane filter, and compare it to pellet and monolayer cultures. Chondrocytes were expanded in monolayer culture for up to 5 passages, transferred to membrane‐based or pellet cultures and harvested after 7 or 21 days. The chondrogenic potential was assessed by histology (toluidine blue, safranin‐O), immunohistochemistry for collagen type II and quantitative analysis of collagen type II α1 (COL2A1). Membrane‐based cultures (P1) formed flexible disc‐like constructs (diameter 4000 µm, thickness 150 µm) with a large smooth surface after 7 days. Positive safranin‐O and collagen type II staining was found in membrane‐based and pellet cultures at P1–3. Expression of COL2A1 after 7 days was increased in both culture systems compared to monolayer culture up to P3, whereas cells from monolayer > P3 did not redifferentiate. The best results for COL2A1 expression were obtained from membrane‐based cultures at P1. After 21 days the membrane‐based cultures did not express COL2A1. We concluded that membrane‐based and pellet cultures showed the ability to promote redifferentiation of chondrocytes expanded in monolayer culture. The number of cell passages had an impact on the chondrogenic potential of cells. Membrane‐based cultures provided the highest COL2A1 expression and a large, smooth and cartilage‐like surface. As these are appropriate features for clinical applications, we assume that membrane‐based cultures might be of use in cartilage regeneration if they displayed similar results in vivo. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.