Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Chlamydia trachomatis, Herpes Simplex Virus 2, and Human T-Cell Lymphotrophic Virus Type 1 Are Not Associated With Grade of Cervical Neoplasia in Jamaican Colposcopy Patients

Background A few recent studies have suggested that other sexually transmitted infections may increase the likelihood of a human papillomavirus (HPV) infection progressing to high-grade cervical neoplasia and cancer. Goal The goal was to assess whether exposures to Chlamydia trachomatis, human T-cell lymphotrophic virus type 1 (HTLV-I), and/or human simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) are greater in colposcopy patients with cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade 3 or cancer (CIN3+) than in patients with low-grade cervical neoplasia (CIN1). Study Design Sequential patients (n = 447) attending a colposcopy clinic in Kingston, Jamaica, a country with high cervical cancer rates and high HTLV-I prevalence, were tested for (1) HPV DNA by L1 consensus primer (MY09/11) polymerase chain reaction assays, (2) C trachomatis DNA by ligase chain reaction, (3) C trachomatis antibodies by both microimmunofluorescence and a peptide (VS4) enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), (4) HTLV-I antibodies by ELISA confirmed by western blotting, and (5) HSV-2 antibodies by a recombinant HSV-2-specific ELISA. Odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals were estimated with use of multinomial logistic regression models. Results HPV DNA detection was associated with grade of cervical neoplasia but other evaluated sexually transmitted infections were not. Conclusions HTLV-I, C trachomatis, and/or HSV-2 were not associated with severity of cervical neoplasia in Jamaican women.
Quantifying freezing of gait in Parkinson's disease during the instrumented timed up and go test

Over half of patients with PD eventually develop freezing of gait (FoG), an intermittent failure to initiate or maintain walking that is often associated with trembling of the legs. We tested 21 PD with FoG, 27 PD without FoG, and 21 healthy elderly people in a clinic with the Intrumented Timed Up and Go test (ITUG). FoG was quantified from the power spectral density of the antero-posterior shank acceleration from which a Frequency Ratio was calculated as the square of the total power in the 3-8 Hz band, divided by the square of the total power in the . 5-3 Hz band. Spatiotemporal gait parameters calculated from synchronized gyroscopes on the two legs were also measured in these subjects. The Frequency Ratio was significantly larger in freezers than in non-freezers or control subjects. It better differentiated gait disorders between PD subjects with and without FoG than traditional gait measures such as stride length, stride velocity and double support time. The Frequency Ratio was validated as significantly correlated with self-perceived severity of gait and balance confidence. This Freezing Ratio will be useful to quantify FoG during a simple ITUG, a popular clinical test of mobility.
Grid synchronization method based on a quasi-ideal low-pass filter stage and a phase-locked loop

This paper proposes a new phase-locked loop (PLL) scheme for detection of the positive sequence in three-phase systems. The scheme includes the use of the Park transformation and moving average filters (MAF). Performance of the MAF is mathematically analyzed and represented in Bode diagrams. The analysis allows proper selection of the optimal filterpsilas window width for its application in d-q transformed variables. The proposed detector scheme allows fast detection of the grid voltage positive sequence (within one grid voltage cycle). The MAF completely eliminates any oscillation multiple of the frequency for what it is designed. Thus, this algorithm is not affected by the presence of imbalances or harmonics in the electrical grid. Furthermore, although it is designed to operate under constant frequency, it can also operate properly well in the presence of small grid frequency variations. Performance of the entire PLL-based detector is verified through simulation and experiment. It shows very good performance under several extreme grid voltage conditions.
The interaction of nanoparticles with plasma proteins and the consequent influence on nanoparticles behavior

Introduction: Plasma protein binding with nanoparticles (NPs) occurs immediately upon their introduction into a physiological environment and is affected by the characteristics of NPs, including their composition, size, shape and surface properties. According to their specific functions, adsorbed proteins can be divided into opsonins and dysopsonins. Opsonins often induce the rapid blood clearance of NPs, while dysopsonins benefit prolonged blood circulation. Areas covered: This review discusses the influential factors that are involved in the interaction between NPs and plasma proteins. The influence of this interaction on distribution of NPs was reviewed followed by the function and influence of ligand modification. Expert opinion: Protein adsorption is a key element that influences biological responses, such as endocytosis and biodistribution, and also contributes to the characteristics of NPs and the physiological environment. By contrast, the surface modification of ligands is a common and useful method to functionalize NPs to provide an engineered targeting effect. The protein adsorption of ligand-modified NPs is even more important and requires in-depth discussion. Differences between modified and unmodified NPs lead to varying degrees of opsonization, which greatly affects targeting and may result in opposing effects. Understanding these influences is necessary to improve targeting effects and reduce defects in protein adsorption, which are crucial for drug delivery.
Estimation and analysis of iron losses in induction motors under sinusoidal and PWM excitation

In this paper the iron losses in induction motors are estimated and analysed using time-stepping Finite Element Method (FEM) both with sinusoidal and PWM supply. The iron losses calculation has been carried out by add up the iron losses produced by orthogonal components of the flux density, as if the iron losses produced by these components were independent phenomena. The rotational hysteresis loss has been calculated applying a correction factor based on experimental data. This factor is a function of the peak flux density value and of the major and minor axis of the B loci. The experimental validations are provided for several frequencies and saturation levels.
Myocilin, a glaucoma‐associated protein, promotes cell migration through activation of integrin‐focal adhesion kinase‐serine/threonine kinase signaling pathway

The MYOCILIN gene encodes a secreted glycoprotein which is highly expressed in eye drainage structures. Mutations in this gene may lead to juvenile open‐angle glaucoma and adult onset primary open‐angle glaucoma, one of the leading causes of irreversible blindness in the world. Functions of wild‐type myocilin are still unclear. We have recently demonstrated that myocilin is a modulator of Wnt signaling and may affect actin cytoskeleton organization. Here we report that myocilin and its naturally occurring proteolytic fragments, similar to Wnt3a, are able to stimulate trabecular meshwork, NIH3T3, and FHL124 cell migration with the N‐terminal proteolytic fragment of myocilin lacking the olfactomedin domain producing the highest stimulatory effect. Stimulation of cell migration occurs through activation of the integrin‐focal adhesion kinase (FAK)‐serine/threonine kinase (AKT) signaling pathway. Inhibition of FAK by siRNA reduced the stimulatory action of myocilin by threefold. Activation of several components of this signaling pathway was also demonstrated in the eyes of transgenic mice expressing elevated levels of myocilin in the eye drainage structures. These data extend the similarities between actions of myocilin and Wnt proteins acting through a β‐catenin‐independent mechanism. The modification of the migratory ability of cells by myocilin may play a role in normal functioning of the eye anterior segment and its pathology including glaucoma. J. Cell. Physiol. 226: 3392–3402, 2011. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Formulation in vitro and in vivo evaluation of SRMS-based heterolipid-templated homolipid delivery system for diclofenac sodium

Abstract The sole objective of this work was to design successful dosage oral forms of diclofenac sodium (DiNa)-loaded solid lipid microparticles (SLM) based on solidified reverse micellar solution (SRMS). Hot homogenization technique was employed to prepare DicNa SLM using a mixture goat fat and Phospholipon® 90 G as lipid matrix and Tween®-80 as mobile surfactant. Characterization based on percentage yield, morphology, particle size, zeta potential, percentage encapsulation, pH and stability of SLMs were investigated. Anti-inflammatory, gastrointestinal tract (GIT) sparing effect and pharmacokinetics were carried out in rat model after oral administration. Results showed that the SLMs were spherical and smooth. The optimized formulation (SLM-4) had particle size of 79.40 ± 0.31 µm, polydispersity index of 0.633 ± 0.190, zeta potential of −63.20 ± 0.12 mV and encapsulation efficiency of 91.2 ± 0.1% with good stability after 8 months of storage. The DicNa SLM had sustained release effect with good anti-inflammatory activity. Higher and prolonged plasma DicNa concentration was shown by the SLM-4 compared to pure drug and a conventional sample. These studies demonstrate that DicNa-loaded SLM based on SRMS could be a promising oral formulation for enhanced bioavailability, pharmacologic activity and gastrointestinal sparing effect of the NSAID, DicNa.
Functions of ERp57 in the Folding and Assembly of Major Histocompatibility Complex Class I Molecules*

ERp57 is a thiol oxidoreductase of the endoplasmic reticulum that appears to be recruited to substrates indirectly through its association with the molecular chaperones calnexin and calreticulin. However, its functions in living cells have been difficult to demonstrate. During the biogenesis of class I histocompatibility molecules, ERp57 has been detected in association with free class I heavy chains and, at a later stage, with a large complex termed the peptide loading complex. This implicates ERp57 in heavy chain disulfide formation, isomerization, or reduction as well as in the loading of peptides onto class I molecules. In this study, we show that ERp57 does indeed participate in oxidative folding of the heavy chain. Depletion of ERp57 by RNA interference delayed heavy chain disulfide bond formation, slowed folding of the heavy chain α3 domain, and caused slight delays in the transport of class I molecules from the endoplasmic reticulum to the Golgi apparatus. In contrast, heavy chain-β2-microglobulin association kinetics were normal, suggesting that the interaction between heavy chain and β2 -microglobulin does not depend on an oxidized α3 domain. Likewise, the peptide loading complex assembled properly, and peptide loading appeared normal upon depletion of ERp57. These studies demonstrate that ERp57 is involved in disulfide formation in vivo but do not support a role for ERp57 in peptide loading of class I molecules. Interestingly, depletion of another thiol oxidoreductase, ERp72, had no detectable effect on class I biogenesis, consistent with a specialized role for ERp57 in this process.
Increased Energy Expenditure, Decreased Adiposity, and Tissue-Specific Insulin Sensitivity in Protein-Tyrosine Phosphatase 1B-Deficient Mice

ABSTRACT Protein-tyrosine phosphatase 1B (PTP-1B) is a major protein-tyrosine phosphatase that has been implicated in the regulation of insulin action, as well as in other signal transduction pathways. To investigate the role of PTP-1B in vivo, we generated homozygotic PTP-1B-null mice by targeted gene disruption. PTP-1B-deficient mice have remarkably low adiposity and are protected from diet-induced obesity. Decreased adiposity is due to a marked reduction in fat cell mass without a decrease in adipocyte number. Leanness in PTP-1B-deficient mice is accompanied by increased basal metabolic rate and total energy expenditure, without marked alteration of uncoupling protein mRNA expression. In addition, insulin-stimulated whole-body glucose disposal is enhanced significantly in PTP-1B-deficient animals, as shown by hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamp studies. Remarkably, increased insulin sensitivity in PTP-1B-deficient mice is tissue specific, as insulin-stimulated glucose uptake is elevated in skeletal muscle, whereas adipose tissue is unaffected. Our results identify PTP-1B as a major regulator of energy balance, insulin sensitivity, and body fat stores in vivo.
Choice strategies in Drosophila are based on competition between olfactory memories

The brain mechanisms by which animals deal with multiple experiences to predict outcomes are not yet fully understood. We explored the choice strategies that flies use to assess degrees of disadvantage, as well as how flies weigh past and recent experiences to guide decisions. Drosophila were exposed to two conditioning events in a T‐maze: an odor paired with an electric shock followed by a second odor paired with an electric shock of a different intensity. Subsequently, flies were forced to choose between the two odors. We found that flies chose to avoid the more ‘dangerous’ odor by a linear subtraction mechanism that was based on two coexisting memories. We also found that flies weighed experiences of the same danger level (60 V electric shocks) according to the times when the experiences had occurred. More recent experiences had a greater impact and past experiences gradually became ‘overlooked’ during decisions as the time delay between the two events lengthened. However, the past memory was not so much disrupted as it was overshadowed by recent memories during decisions. Finally, when a past experience was more disadvantageous, wild‐type flies were able to coordinate both the temporal factor and the degree of disadvantage into their decisions. By contrast, amnesiac mutant flies made choices completely according to the temporal factor, ignoring the degree of disadvantage. Taken together, wild‐type flies are able to store multiple olfactory memories and can coherently evaluate learned experiences to guide their decisions according to the degree of disadvantage and/or the temporal factor.
Rapid Detection, Identification, and Enumeration ofEscherichia coli Cells in Municipal Water by Chemiluminescent In Situ Hybridization

ABSTRACT A new chemiluminescent in situ hybridization (CISH) method provides simultaneous detection, identification, and enumeration of culturableEscherichia coli cells in 100 ml of municipal water within one working day. Following filtration and 5 h of growth on tryptic soy agar at 35°C, individual microcolonies of E. coliwere detected directly on a 47-mm-diameter membrane filter using soybean peroxidase-labeled peptide nucleic acid (PNA) probes targeting a species-specific sequence in E. coli 16S rRNA. Within each microcolony, hybridized, peroxidase-labeled PNA probe and chemiluminescent substrate generated light which was subsequently captured on film. Thus, each spot of light represented one microcolony of E. coli. Following probe selection based on 16S ribosomal DNA (rDNA) sequence alignments and sample matrix interference, the sensitivity and specificity of the probe Eco16S07C were determined by dot hybridization to RNA of eight bacterial species. Only the rRNA of E. coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa were detected by Eco16S07C with the latter mismatch hybridization being eliminated by a PNA blocker probe targetingP. aeruginosa 16S rRNA. The sensitivity and specificity for the detection of E. coli by PNA CISH were then determined using 8 E. coli strains and 17 other bacterial species, including closely related species. No bacterial strains other thanE. coli and Shigella spp. were detected, which is in accordance with 16S rDNA sequence information. Furthermore, the enumeration of microcolonies of E. coli represented by spots of light correlated 92 to 95% with visible colonies following overnight incubation. PNA CISH employs traditional membrane filtration and culturing techniques while providing the added sensitivity and specificity of PNA probes in order to yield faster and more definitive results.
trans-Diaquabis(pyridazine-3-carboxylato-κ2 N 2,O)cobalt(II) dihydrate

The title compound, [Co(C5H3N2O2)2(H2O)2]·2H2O, contains a CoII ion on an inversion center, exhibiting an octahedral coordination geometry. The equatorial plane is formed by two trans-related N,O-bidentate pyridazine-3-carboxylate ligands and the axial positions are occupied by two water molecules. The CoII complex molecules are stacked in a column along the a-axis direction by an O—H⋯N hydrogen bond between the non-coordinating pyridazine N atom and the coordinating water molecule. These columns are further connected into a layer parallel to the ac plane by additional hydrogen bonds involving the coordinating and non-coordinating water molecules, and the non-coordinating carboxylate O atom. The crystal packing is completed by interlayer weak C—H⋯O interactions.
A novel switched-capacitor AC-AC converter with a ratio of 1/4

The paper proposes a novel AC-AC converter based on the Switched-Capacitor principle, which can achieve a ratio of 1/4. Its circuit topology and the conversion principle of the details are given in this paper. Based on the theoretical analysis, a simulation model was established to simulate the circuit topology. A switching frequency of 50 kHz 500W 220V/55V prototype converter has been designed to carry out the experiment. Both simulation and experimental results demonstrate the feasibility and effectiveness of the topology.
Toward a unified theory of efficient, predictive, and sparse coding

Significance Sensory neural circuits are thought to efficiently encode incoming signals. Several mathematical theories of neural coding formalize this notion, but it is unclear how these theories relate to each other and whether they are even fully consistent. Here we develop a unified framework that encompasses and extends previous proposals. We highlight key tradeoffs faced by sensory neurons; we show that trading off future prediction against efficiently encoding past inputs generates qualitatively different predictions for neural responses to natural visual stimulation. Our approach is a promising first step toward theoretically explaining the observed diversity of neural responses. A central goal in theoretical neuroscience is to predict the response properties of sensory neurons from first principles. To this end, “efficient coding” posits that sensory neurons encode maximal information about their inputs given internal constraints. There exist, however, many variants of efficient coding (e.g., redundancy reduction, different formulations of predictive coding, robust coding, sparse coding, etc.), differing in their regimes of applicability, in the relevance of signals to be encoded, and in the choice of constraints. It is unclear how these types of efficient coding relate or what is expected when different coding objectives are combined. Here we present a unified framework that encompasses previously proposed efficient coding models and extends to unique regimes. We show that optimizing neural responses to encode predictive information can lead them to either correlate or decorrelate their inputs, depending on the stimulus statistics; in contrast, at low noise, efficiently encoding the past always predicts decorrelation. Later, we investigate coding of naturalistic movies and show that qualitatively different types of visual motion tuning and levels of response sparsity are predicted, depending on whether the objective is to recover the past or predict the future. Our approach promises a way to explain the observed diversity of sensory neural responses, as due to multiple functional goals and constraints fulfilled by different cell types and/or circuits.
A novel role for nuclear factor-erythroid 2 in erythroid maturation by modulation of mitochondrial autophagy

We have recently demonstrated that the transcription factor nuclear factor-erythroid 2, which is critical for erythroid maturation and globin gene expression, plays an important role in the pathophysiology of myeloproliferative neoplasms. Myeloproliferative neoplasm patients display elevated levels of nuclear factor-erythroid 2 and transgenic mice overexpressing the transcription factor develop myeloproliferative neoplasm, albeit, surprisingly without erythrocytosis. Nuclear factor-erythroid 2 transgenic mice show both a reticulocytosis and a concomitant increase in iron deposits in the spleen, suggesting both enhanced erythrocyte production and increased red blood cell destruction. We therefore hypothesized that elevated nuclear factor-erythroid 2 levels may lead to increased erythrocyte destruction by interfering with organelle clearance during erythroid maturation. We have previously shown that nuclear factor-erythroid 2 overexpression delays erythroid maturation of human hematopoietic stem cells. Here we report that increased nuclear factor-erythroid 2 levels also impede murine maturation by retarding mitochondrial depolarization and delaying mitochondrial elimination. In addition, ribosome autophagy is delayed in transgenics. We demonstrate that the autophagy genes NIX and ULK1 are direct novel nuclear factor-erythroid 2 target genes, as these loci are bound by nuclear factor-erythroid 2 in chromatin immunoprecipitation assays. Moreover, Nix and Ulk1 expression is increased in transgenic mice and in granulocytes from polycythemia vera patients. This is the first report implying a role for nuclear factor-erythroid 2 in erythroid maturation by affecting autophagy.
Extemporaneous Procedures for Dissolving Risedronate Tablets for Oral Administration and for Feeding Tubes

BACKGROUND: Risedronate (Actonel, Procter & Gamble Pharmaceuticals) is commercially available only as film-coated tablets. Extemporaneous procedures for dissolving tablets for feeding tubes and for preparation of an oral liquid have not previously been evaluated. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate procedures for dissolving risedronate sodium tablets for administration in liquid form and drug recovery following dissolution in cups and following passage through different types of feeding tubes. METHODS: Tablets (5 and 35 mg) were individually dispersed in 2 oz of water. After 2 minutes, the solution was stirred for 30 seconds, dispensed, and rinsed with an additional 4 oz of water. The sample was filtered and analyzed by HPLC. Ten replicates were performed using the various cups. Gastrostomy and nasoenteric tubes were flushed with 1 oz of water. Individual tablets were dispersed in 2 oz of water; after 2 minutes, the solution was stirred for 30 seconds and poured through the tube and flushed with 1 oz of water. Samples were filtered and analyzed by HPLC. Ten replicates were performed for each type of feeding tube. RESULTS: For cups, the mean amount of drug recovered ranged from 95.7% to 100.5% of the label claim, with a relative standard deviation (RSD) range of 1.1–6.3%. For gastrostomy and nasoenteric tubes, the mean amount of drug recovered ranged from 98.3% to 101.9% of label claim, with an RSD range of 0.9–3.3%. CONCLUSIONS: A simple and accurate procedure was developed for dissolving risedronate tablets in water to prepare a liquid formulation for administration orally or through feeding tubes.