Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Modulation of the Leishmania donovani Peroxin 5 Quaternary Structure by Peroxisomal Targeting Signal 1 Ligands

ABSTRACT The import of proteins containing the peroxisomal targeting signal 1 (PTS1) into the Leishmania glycosome is dependent on the docking of the PTS1-loaded LdPEX5 cytosolic receptor with LdPEX14 on the glycosome surface. Here we show that, in the absence of PTS1, LdPEX5 is a tetramer that is stabilized by two distinct interaction domains; the first is a coiled-coil motif encompassing residues 277 to 310, whereas the second domain is localized to residues 1 to 202. By using microcalorimetry, surface plasmon resonance, and size exclusion chromatography techniques, we show that PTS1 peptide binding to LdPEX5 tetramers promotes their dissociation into dimeric structures, which are stabilized by a coiled-coil interaction. Moreover, we demonstrated that the resulting LdPEX5-PTS1 complex is remarkably stable and exhibits extremely slow dissociation kinetics. However, binding of LdPEX14 to LdPEX5 modulates the LdPEX5-PTS1 affinity as it decreases the thermodynamic dissociation constant for this latter complex by 10-fold. These changes in the oligomeric state of LdPEX5 and in its affinity for PTS1 ligand upon LdPEX14 binding may explain how, under physiological conditions, LdPEX5 can function to deliver and unload its cargo to the protein translocation machinery on the glycosomal membrane.
Computerized and conventional neuropsychological assessment of HIV‐1‐infected homosexual men

We administered a battery of computerized and conventional neuropsychological measures to a group of 507 HIV-1 seronegative, 439 asymptomatic HIV-1 seropositive (Centers for Disease Control [CDC] groups 2 and 3), and 47 symptomatic HIV-1 seropositive (CDC group 4) homosexual/bisexual men enrolled in the Los Angeles center of the Multicenter AIDS Cohort Study. Tasks included multiple measures of attention, reaction time, memory, and psychomotor speed. Comparison of group means revealed significant differences in performance between HIV-1 seronegative and symptomatic HIV-1 seropositive men on computerized measures of choice reaction time and on conventional measures of memory and motor speed. These findings are consistent with previous research in this area and support the sensitivity of both computerized and conventional neuropsychological instruments for detecting cognitive changes found in symptomatic HIV-1-infected individuals. Asymptomatic seropositive men, on the other hand, did not differ significantly from seronegative subjects on any of the computerized or conventional neuropsychological measures. Only 13% of the asymptomatic HIV-1 seropositive men showed abnormal performance on a composite measure of cognitive functioning from the computerized test battery. This proportion did not differ significantly from that of seronegative controls (14%), but was significantly lower than the percentage of abnormal findings observed among symptomatic HIV-1 seropositive subjects (28%). Thus, results from this study support the hypothesis that the frequency of neuropsychological abnormalities in asymptomatic HIV-1-infected homosexual men is low and not statistically different from that of seronegative controls.
Synthesis and Stability Studies of 2′,3′,5′-tri- O -Acetyl-2-Amino(-N 6 -Cyclopentyl)-1-Deazaadenosines

In this article, we report on the synthesis of 2′,3′,5′-tri-O-acetyl-2-amino-1-deazaadenosine and of 2′,3′,5′-tri-O-acetyl-2-amino-N 6 -cyclopentyl-1-deazaadenosine, which are very versatile intermediates for the preparation of 2-substituted 1-deazaadenosine derivatives. The two synthesized compounds showed to be quite unstable, with the N 6 -substituted derivatives being less stable than the N 6 -unsubstituted counterpart, according to the calculated HOMO-LUMO energy gap. Stability studies were performed through HPLC-MS analysis.
Higgs portal vector dark matter for GeV scale γ-ray excess from galactic center

We show that the GeV scale γ-ray excess from the direction of the Galactic Center can be naturally explained by the pair annihilation of Abelian vector dark matter (VDM) into a pair of dark Higgs bosons (VV→ ϕ ϕ), followed by the subsequent decay of ϕ into bb̄ or τ τ̄ . All the processes are described by a renormalizable VDM model with the Higgs portal, which is naturally flavor-dependent. Some parameter space of this scenario can be tested at the near future direct dark matter search experiments such as LUX and XENON1T.
Optimal Semi-Persistent Uplink Scheduling Policy for Large-Scale Antenna Systems

In this paper, the uplink semi-persistent scheduling policy problem of minimizing network latency is considered for a training-based large-scale antenna system employing two simple linear receivers, a maximum ratio combiner and a zero-forcing receiver, while satisfying each user’s reliability and latency constraints under an energy constraint. The network latency is defined as the air-time requested either to serve all users with a minimum quality-of-service, including reliability constraints and minimum throughput levels, or to maximize the spectral efficiency. Optimal non-orthogonal pilots are used to decrease the network latency. An optimization algorithm for determining the latency-optimal uplink scheduling policy using binary-integer programming (BIP) with an exponential-time complexity is proposed. In addition, it is proven that a linear programming relaxation of the BIP can provide an optimal solution with a polynomial-time complexity. Numerical simulations demonstrate that the proposed scheduling policy can provide several times lower network latency in realistic environments than conventional policies. The proposed optimal semi-persistent scheduling policy provides critical guidelines for designing 5G and future cellular systems, particularly for their ultra-reliable low-latency communication services.
Continuous harmonically tuned Class-B power amplifier: A closed form equation design approach

This paper presents a set of closed form equations for the calculation of the impedances for the continuous harmonically tuned (HT) Class-B power amplifier (PA). These equations have been derived by assuming a “quartic” drain current rather than the usually assumed half-wave rectified sinusoidal wave current. The resulting impedances were verified in simulations using a proven, large-signal GaN transistor model at three frequencies (900MHz, 2.1GHz and 3.5GHz). Moreover, a PA was built and measured at 2.1GHz, based on a 10W GaN HEMT transistor, achieving a power added efficiency (PAE) of 72.8% at maximum output power confirming the proposed design approach.
Caffeine in the neonatal period induces long‐lasting changes in sleep and breathing in adult rats

Caffeine is commonly used clinically to treat apnoeas and unstable breathing associated with premature birth. Caffeine antagonizes adenosine receptors and acts as an efficient respiratory stimulant in neonates. Owing to its persistent effects on adenosine receptor expression in the brain, neonatal caffeine administration also has significant effects on maturation of the respiratory control system. However, since adenosine receptors are critically involved in sleep regulation, and sleep also modulates breathing, we tested the hypothesis that neonatal caffeine treatment disrupts regulation of sleep and breathing in the adult rat. Neonatal caffeine treatment (15 mg kg−1 day−1) was administered from postnatal days 3–12. At adulthood (8–10 weeks old), sleep and breathing were measured with a telemetry system and whole‐body plethysmography respectively. In adult rats treated with caffeine during the neonatal period, sleep time was reduced, sleep onset latency was increased, and non‐rapid eye movement (non‐REM) sleep was fragmented compared to controls. Ventilation at rest was higher in caffeine‐treated adult rats compared to controls across sleep/wake states. Hypercapnic ventilatory responses were significantly reduced in caffeine‐treated rats compared to control rats across sleep/wake states. Additional experiments in adult anaesthetized rats showed that at similar levels of arterial blood gases, phrenic nerve activity was enhanced in caffeine‐treated rats. This study demonstrates that administration of caffeine in the neonatal period alters respiratory control system activity in awake and sleeping rats, as well as in the anaesthetized rats, and also has persistent disrupting effects on sleep that are apparent in adult rats.
Web-Based Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for Mental Health Problems in College Students

There are significant challenges in addressing the mental health needs of college students. The current study tested an acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), web-based self-help program to treat a broad range of psychological problems students struggle with. A sample of 79 college students was randomized to web-based ACT or a waitlist condition, with assessments at baseline and posttreatment. Results indicated adequate acceptability and program engagement for the ACT website. Relative to waitlist, participants receiving ACT improved on overall distress, general anxiety, social anxiety, depression, academic concerns, and positive mental health. There were no between-group effects on eating concerns, alcohol use, or hostility, or on some key ACT process of change measures. ACT participants improved more on mindful acceptance and obstruction to valued living, both of which mediated treatment outcomes. Results are discussed in the context of lessons learned with the website prototype, and areas for further research are presented.
Activation of Cells Containing Estrogen Receptor Alpha or Somatostatin in the Medial Preoptic Area, Arcuate Nucleus, and Ventromedial Nucleus of Intact Ewes During the Follicular Phase, and Alteration after Lipopolysaccharide1

ABSTRACT Cells in the medial preoptic area (mPOA), arcuate nucleus (ARC), and ventromedial nucleus (VMN) that possess estrogen receptor alpha (ER alpha) mediate estradiol feedback to regulate endocrine and behavioral events during the estrous cycle. A percentage of ER alpha cells located in the ARC and VMN express somatostatin (SST) and are activated in response to estradiol. The aims of the present study were to investigate the location of c-Fos, a marker for activation, in cells containing ER alpha or SST at various times during the follicular phase and to determine whether lipopolysaccharide (LPS) administration, which leads to disruption of the luteinizing hormone (LH) surge, is accompanied by altered ER alpha and/or SST activation patterns. Follicular phases were synchronized with progesterone vaginal pessaries, and control animals were killed at 0, 16, 31, and 40 h (n = 4–6/group) after progesterone withdrawal (PW [time 0]). At 28 h, other animals received LPS (100 ng/kg) and were subsequently killed at 31 h or 40 h (n = 5/group). Hypothalamic sections were immunostained for c-Fos and ER alpha or SST. LH surges occurred only in control ewes with onset at 36.7 ± 1.3 h after PW; these animals had a marked increase in the percentage of ER alpha cells that colocalized c-Fos (%ER alpha/c-Fos) in the ARC and mPOA from 31 h after PW and throughout the LH surge. In the VMN, %ER alpha/c-Fos was higher in animals that expressed sexual behavior than in those that did not. SST cell activation in the ARC and VMN was greater during the LH surge than in other stages in the follicular phase. At 31 or 40 h after PW (i.e., 3 or 12 h after treatment, respectively), LPS decreased %ER alpha/c-Fos in the ARC and the mPOA, but there was no change in the VMN compared to that in controls. The %SST/c-Fos increased in the VMN at 31 h after PW (i.e., 3 h after LPS) with no change in the ARC compared to controls. These results indicate that there is a distinct temporal pattern of ER alpha cell activation in the hypothalamus during the follicular phase, which begins in the ARC and mPOA at least 6–7 h before the LH surge onset and extends to the VMN after the onset of sexual behavior and LH surge. Furthermore, during the surge, some of these ER alpha-activated cells may be SST-secreting cells. This pattern is markedly altered by LPS administered during the late follicular phase, indicating that the disruptive effects of this stressor are mediated by suppressing ER alpha cell activation at the level of the mPOA and ARC and enhancing SST cell activation in the VMN, leading to the attenuation of the LH surge.
Facial talon cusps.

This is a report of two patients with isolated facial talon cusps. One occurred on a permanent mandibular central incisor; the other on a permanent maxillary canine. The locations of these talon cusps suggests that the definition of a talon cusp include teeth in addition to the incisor group and be extended to include the facial aspect of teeth.
Raspberry Pi based vehicle collision avoidance system

Vehicle collision avoidance and obstacle detection system is one of the most critical factor in the automotive field. In the present, most of the vehicles enable an alert system which acts as a safety feature for the passengers. In this work, advanced navigation system which detects and avoids the object, is used in autonomous vehicles to safely navigate through the path. This system detects the obstacle in front of the vehicle, alarms the system and moves away. Camera is used for the purpose of detecting moving or stationary objects. The ultrasonic sensor is enclosed with this system to compute the distance of real-time moving and the stationary object. The main work contributes the detection of obstacles ahead of the vehicle. The alarm is given to the system in the vehicle regarding the obstacle in front so that the system helps in collision avoidance. In this work, the distance between the vehicle and obstacle is measured by the ultrasonic sensor and object detection is done by the camera. By fusing both these sensor values the obstacle is detected and the distance is also accurately measured.
Vitexin confers HSF-1 mediated autophagic cell death by activating JNK and ApoL1 in colorectal carcinoma cells

Heat shock transcription factor-1 (HSF-1) guards the cancerous cells proteome against the alterations in protein homeostasis generated by their hostile tumor microenvironment. Contrasting with the classical induction of heat shock proteins, the pro-oncogenic activities of HSF-1 remains to be explored. Therefore, cancer's fragile proteostatic pathway governed by HSF-1 could be a potential therapeutic target and novel biomarker by natural compounds. Vitexin, a natural flavonoid has been documented as a potent anti-tumor agent on various cell lines. However, in the present study, when human colorectal carcinoma HCT-116 cells were exposed to vitexin, the induction of HSF-1 downstream target proteins, such as heat shock proteins were suppressed. We identified HSF-1 as a potential molecular target of vitexin that interact with DNA-binding domain of HSF-1, which inhibited HSF-1 oligomerization and activation (in silico). Consequently, HSF-1 hyperphosphorylation mediated by JNK operation causes transcriptional inactivation of HSF-1, and supported ROS-mediated autophagy induction. Interestingly, in HSF-1 immunoprecipitated and silenced HCT-116 cells, co-expression of apolipoprotein 1 (ApoL1) and JNK was observed which promoted the caspase independent autophagic cell death accompanied by p62 downregulation and increased LC3-I to LC3-II conversion. Finally, in vivo findings confirmed that vitexin suppressed tumor growth through activation of autophagic cascade in HCT-116 xenograft model. Taken together, our study insights a probable novel association between HSF-1 and ApoL-1 was established in this study, which supports HSF-1 as a potential target of vitexin to improve treatment outcome in colorectal cancer.
Logical Characterization of Trace Metrics

In this paper we continue our research line on logical characterizations of behavioral metrics obtained from the definition of a metric over the set of logical properties of interest. This time we provide a characterization of both strong and weak trace metric on nondeterministic probabilistic processes, based on a minimal boolean logic L which we prove to be powerful enough to characterize strong and weak probabilistic trace equivalence. Moreover, we also prove that our characterization approach can be restated in terms of a more classic probabilistic L-model checking problem.
Emotion analysis using SAM (Self-Assessment Manikin) scale

Background: Emotions are collective functional behaviors and action dispositions which has significant effects in our perception, thinking and behavior. The aim of our study is to detect and recognize the human emotion using SAM (Self-Assessment Manikin) rating. The objective of this study is to find the emotions of south Indian subjects and the classical dancers in addition to determine whether the perceived emotions are the same. Methods: A strong stimulus is need for inducing an emotion. Hence International Affective Picture System (IAPS) developed by the National Institute of Mental Health Center for the Study of Emotion and Attention at the University of Florida was used in our study. Fifty five subjects participated in the experiment (20 Males, 20 Females, and 15 Classical dancers). In this present study, a distinct attempt has been made by including the classical dancers among the group of participants. The perceived emotions are recorded in three dimensional spaces (valence, arousal, and dominance domain) for the Indian subjects using Self-Assessment Manikin Scale (SAM). Results: The male perceived the pleasant pictures in valence space as pleased and in arousal space it was excited (rs=0.511) in dominance space as dependant (rs=0.301). while female (rs=0.405) and classical dancers (rs=0.551) perceived the pleasant pictures in valence space as pleasant and in arousal space it was excited, as well as in dominance space as dependant (rs=0.202), (rs=0.210). The unpleasant pictures were rated as unpleasant by all in valance space whereas in arousal space female and male rated in arousal space rated as was dull (rs=0.222) and classical dancers as wide awake (rs=0.480). Whereas female (rs=0.170) and classical dancers (rs=0.332) rated dependant in dominance space. The neutral pictures were perceived as neutral by males, females and classical dancers. Conclusion: As emotion is subjective and it varies across culture, the valence scoring is same for gender to pleasant, unpleasant and neutral stimuli. The variations were noted in arousal and dominance space. The study concludes classical dancers perceived emotion for all the three categories of stimulus (pleasant/unpleasant/neutral) better when compared with female and male.
Frequency Estimation for Closely Spaced Sinsoids: Simple Approximations to the Cramer-Rao Lower Bound

Simple approximate formulas for the evaluation of the Cramer-Ran lower bound (CRLB) of unbiased frequency estimates for the deterministic and stochastic cases of multiple snapshots of two closely spaced cisoids in complex noise are introduced. These are based on general expressions recently published by Stoica and Nehorai. Also explored, along the same lines, is the case of a single snapshot com- prising either one real sinusoid in real noise or two cisoids in complex noise. These formulas, though simple, are accurate to within a few percent where the number of data points per snapshot is greater than about 6. It is felt that they add insight into the behavior of the CRLB, and cover many of the situations commonly cited in the literature.
Serum Soluble Corin Is Decreased in Stroke

Background and Purpose— Soluble corin was decreased in coronary heart disease. Given the connections between cardiac dysfunction and stroke, circulating corin might be a candidate marker of stroke risk. However, the association between circulating corin and stroke has not yet been studied in humans. Here, we aimed to examine the association in patients wtith stroke and community-based healthy controls. Methods— Four hundred eighty-one patients with ischemic stroke, 116 patients with hemorrhagic stroke, and 2498 healthy controls were studied. Serum soluble corin and some conventional risk factors of stroke were examined. Because circulating corin was reported to be varied between men and women, the association between serum soluble corin and stroke was evaluated in men and women, respectively. Results— Patients with ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke had a significantly lower level of serum soluble corin than healthy controls in men and women (all P values, <0.05). In multivariate analysis, men in the lowest quartile of serum soluble corin were more likely to have ischemic (odds ratio [OR], 4.90; 95% confidence interval, 2.99–8.03) and hemorrhagic (OR, 17.57; 95% confidence interval, 4.85–63.71) stroke than men in the highest quartile. Women in the lowest quartile of serum soluble corin were also more likely to have ischemic (OR, 3.10; 95% confidence interval, 1.76–5.44) and hemorrhagic (OR, 8.54; 95% confidence interval, 2.35–31.02) stroke than women in the highest quartile. ORs of ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke were significantly increased with the decreasing levels of serum soluble corin in men and women (all P values for trend, <0.001). Conclusions— Serum soluble corin was decreased in patients with stroke compared with healthy controls. Our findings raise the possibility that serum soluble corin may have a pathogenic role in stroke.
Neutralization of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 by complement occurs by viral lysis

The ability of complement to inactivate human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in the presence of specific antibody was evaluated. HIV was treated with complement and/or antibody, and then its titer was determined on the CD4+ H9 cell line. While complement alone had no effect on the HIV titer, complement plus subneutralizing levels of antibody resulted in titer reductions. Complement sources deficient in membrane attack component C5 or C8 did not inactivate antibody-treated HIV, suggesting that neutralization occurred via lysis. This possibility was investigated by assessing release of reverse transcriptase (RT) from the virion. Antibody plus complement, but neither reagent alone, released RT from HIV in a dose-dependent manner. Release of RT did not occur with C5- or C8-deficient sera, also indicating a requirement for membrane attack components. These studies show that complement can neutralize HIV via the classical complement pathway and that this neutralization occurs via C5b-9-mediated viral lysis. Thus, complement may play a major role in resistance to disease by lysing HIV and preventing infection of Fc- and complement receptor-positive cells, as well as CD4+ cells.
Self-Esteem and Quality of Life in mild cerebral palsy : a cross cultural study

Self esteem has been reported to be low in individuals with physical disabilities like cerebral palsy. This in turn is known to affect their quality of life. The purpose of this study was to investigate self-esteem and quality of life (QOL) among individuals with mild spastic cerebral palsy in a cross cultural study across India and United States of America. 60 participants aged twelve to twenty five years (30 from India, 30 from USA) were subjects of the study. They were administered the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale and the World Health Organization-Quality Of Life Brief Scale to measure the study variables. Data was collected using the method of convenience sampling. The results were analysed using multivariate analysis of variance. As hypothesized, there was no significant difference between self-esteem and quality of life among cerebral palsy adolescents in India and Unites States of America. Results suggested that the type of cerebral palsy has an effect on self-esteem but not quality of life. The country of one’s residence also showed no effect on one’s self esteem and quality of life.