Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Application of dual internal standards for precise sizing of polymerase chain reaction products using capillary electrophoresis

Capillary electrophoresis (CE) is an analytical technique which provides rapid, high resolution analysis of amplified DNA fragments produced by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR). In this study, two internal standards are used as size markers to bracket und precisely size PCR products. The technique is applied to typing PCR products from the short tandem repeat locus HUMTH01. HUMTH01 consists of five to seven major alleles in the size range of 179–203 bp, with each allele four bp apart. Using this genetic marker, a population containing 97 individuals was examined with both polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and CE. Identical genotypes were obtained with both techniques demonstrating the reliability of CE in DNA typing applications. The DNA analysis took place in sets of 10 with a calibration of the CE being performed between each set of samples. For the 97 samples examined, the pooled standard deviation was 0.3 bp. The observed genotype frequencies determined from the sample set did not deviate significantly from Hardy‐Weinberg expectations. From these CE results, we conclude that HUMTH01 PCR products can be accurately and precisely sized by capillary electrophoresis using the method described.
Potential for the use of duckweed-based pond systems in Zimbabwe

Duckweed systems are a form of natural wastewater treatment method that is ideal for developing countries. They demand less in terms of financial resources for construction and maintenance, manpower sophistication, electricity requirements, and machinery. This paper looks at the duckweed technology as a new phenomenon in Zimbabwe, reviews its requirements and problems, and finally explores its potential in the Zimbabwean environment. A simple spreadsheet model was developed to assess a water and nutrient balance of an ideal duckweed system. It was concluded that under ideal or optimum operating conditions, duckweed systems could achieve the required Zimbabwean nutrient standards of 10 mg·l-1 total nitrogen and 1 mg·l-1 total phosphorus. Duckweed systems would suit areas of moderate to high water consumption to avoid toxicity problems and also to increase the surface area available for duckweed growth. It was recommended that further experiments be carried out locally to improve and validate the model developed and used in this paper.
Blood pressure response after two-step exercise as a powerful predictor of hypertension: the Osaka Health Survey

Objective To investigate the relationship between blood pressure at 4 min after exercise using a Master's two-step and the risk for hypertension. Design Prospective cohort study. Setting Work site in Osaka, Japan. Participants A total of 6557 Japanese men, aged 35–63 years with systolic blood pressure (SBP) < 140 mmHg and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) < 90 mmHg, and no history of hypertension or diabetes at baseline. Main outcome measures Blood pressure was measured by standard techniques, using 160/95 mmHg for diagnosis of hypertension. Normotension was defined as no history of hypertension, and SBP < 130 mmHg and DBP < 85 mmHg. High normal blood pressure was defined as no history of hypertension and SBP ⩾ 130 and < 140 mmHg or DBP ⩾ 85 and < 90 mmHg. Results During the 63 696 person-years follow-up period, we confirmed 660 cases of hypertension. SBP and DBP after exercise were associated with an increased risk for developing hypertension. The multiple-adjusted relative risk for SBP and DBP after exercise were 1.55 per 10 mmHg (confidence interval, 1.42–1.69) and 1.55 per 10 mmHg (confidence interval, 1.42–1.69), respectively. These associations were independent of resting SBP and DBP. Even after stratifying subjects according to blood pressure at rest, SBP or DBP at 4 min after exercise was associated with an increased risk for hypertension in subjects with normotension or high normal blood pressure at rest. Conclusions The blood pressure response after exercise with a two-step was associated with an increased risk for hypertension, independently of resting blood pressures.
Metastatic Cutaneous Squamous Cell Carcinoma: An Update

BACKGROUND Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is the second most common type of skin cancer in the United States. Cutaneous SCC has the potential to metastasize and cause morbidity and mortality. OBJECTIVE Our purpose was to review and summarize the literature on metastatic cutaneous SCC, including risk factors for metastasis, data from clinical studies, and current management. RESULTS Multiple studies confirm that even well-differentiated and small tumors (<2 cm) may metastasize. Over the past two decades, additional literature on the risk factors for metastatic cutaneous SCC, including immunosuppression, has been published. In addition, new staging systems have been proposed that may influence management of these tumors. Chemotherapy regimens are numerous, but remain limited in ability to improve overall survival. CONCLUSION Although we know more about the risk factors, survival for patients with metastatic cutaneous SCC depends on extent of nodal involvement. Therefore, emphasis should remain on prevention and aggressive treatment of cutaneous SCC and vigilant observation for signs and symptoms of metastasis.
Alternative Mechanisms of Vacuolar Acidification in H+-ATPase-deficient Yeast*

Acidification of the endosomal/lysosomal pathway by the vacuolar-type proton translocating ATPase (V-ATPase) is necessary for a variety of essential eukaryotic cellular functions. Nevertheless, yeasts lacking V-ATPase activity (Δvma) are viable when grown at low pH, suggesting alternative methods of organellar acidification. This was confirmed by directly measuring the vacuolar pH by ratio fluorescence imaging. WhenΔvma yeasts were cultured and tested in the acidic conditions required for growth of V-ATPase-deficient mutants, the vacuolar pH was 5.9. Fluid-phase pinocytosis of acidic extracellular medium cannot account for these observations, because the V-ATPase-independent vacuolar acidification was unaffected in mutants deficient in endocytosis. Similarly, internalization of the plasmalemmal H+-ATPase (Pma1p) was ruled out, because overexpression of Pma1p failed to complement the Δvmaphenotype and did not potentiate the vacuolar acidification. To test whether weak electrolytes present in the culture medium could ferry acid equivalents to the vacuole, wild-type and the Δvmayeasts were subjected to sudden changes in extracellular pH. In both cell types, the vacuoles rapidly alkalinized when external pH was raised from 5.5 (the approximate pH of the culture medium) to 7.5 and re-acidified when the yeasts were returned to a medium of pH 5.5. Importantly, these rapid pH changes were only observed when NH4 +, routinely added as a nitrogen source, was present. The NH4 +-dependent acidification was not due to efflux of NH3 from the vacuole, as cells equilibrated to pH 7.5 in the absence of weak electrolytes rapidly acidified when challenged with an acidic medium containing NH4 +. These findings suggest that although NH3 can act as a cell-permeant proton scavenger, NH4 + may function as a protonophore, facilitating equilibration of the pH across the plasma and vacuolar membranes of yeast. The high concentration of NH4 +frequently added as a nitrogen source to yeast culture media together with effective NH4 +transporters thereby facilitate vacuolar acidification when cells are suspended in acidic solutions.
Abnormal Conduction and Morphology in the Atrioventricular Node of Mice With Atrioventricular Canal–Targeted Deletion of Alk3/Bmpr1a Receptor

Background— The atrioventricular (AV) node is essential for the sequential excitation and optimized contraction of the adult multichambered heart; however, relatively little is known about its formation from the embryonic AV canal. A recent study demonstrated that signaling by Alk3, the type 1a receptor for bone morphogenetic proteins, in the myocardium of the AV canal was required for the development of both the AV valves and annulus fibrosus. To test the hypothesis that bone morphogenetic protein signaling also plays a role in AV node formation, we investigated conduction system function and AV node morphology in adult mice with conditional deletion of Alk3 in the AV canal. Methods and Results— High-resolution optical mapping with correlative histological analysis of 28 mutant hearts revealed 4 basic phenotypic classes based on electrical activation patterns and volume-conducted ECGs. The frequency of AV node conduction and morphological abnormalities increased from no detectable anomalies (class I) to severe defects (class IV), which included the presence of bypass tracts, abnormal ventricular activation patterns, fibrosis of the AV node, and twin AV nodes. Conclusion— The present findings demonstrate that bone morphogenetic protein signaling is required in the myocardium of the AV canal for proper AV junction development, including the AV node.
Evaluation of genus-specific and species-specific real-time PCR assays for the identification of Brucella spp.

BACKGROUND The identification of Brucella isolates using conventional microbiological techniques is time-consuming and hazardous. We therefore assessed the performance of real-time PCR assays for the identification of members of the genus Brucella to the genus and species level. METHODS We evaluated an in-house developed assay and various previously published real-time PCR assays targeting bcsp31, per, IS711, alkB/IS711 and BMEI1162/IS711 using 248 Brucella strains representing the biotypes of all species and a large panel of clinically relevant, phylogenetically related and serologically cross-reacting bacteria. RESULTS No misidentification was observed. However, several biotypes of Brucella abortus and Brucella suis were not detected with some of the published assays. The limit of detection varied widely among the assays (16-1600 fg) demonstrating that some assays should not be applied to clinical samples but may help to identify colony material. CONCLUSIONS In summary, most of the assays revealed low detection limits and proved to be highly selective for the detection of the genus Brucella and the species that are most relevant for humans. Assays targeting the bcsp31 gene can be recommended to screen for Brucella. Species-specific assays should be consecutively applied confirming the primary diagnosis by a second gene target.
Effects of finishing diet and pre-slaughter fasting time on meat quality in crossbred pigs

The effects of the carbohydrate composition of finishing diet (fed from 80 to 107 kg of body weight) and the length of pre-slaughter fasting on pork quality were studied in a 2 × 2 factorial experiment with 80 crossbred pigs. The control finishing diet was based on barley and soybean meal, and the fibrous finishing diet was based on barley, barley fibre, faba beans, and rapeseed cake. These diets contained 465 and 362 g starch and 177 and 250 g dietary fibre per kg, respectively. The fasting times of 25 and 41 h were obtained by giving the pigs their last meal at different times. Longer fasting lowered the glycolytic potential of the longissimus lumborum muscle (P = 0.01), whereas the finishing diet had no effect. Different muscles responded differently to the treatments. Longer fasting increased the ultimate pH of the semimembranosus muscle (P = 0.02), but did not affect that of the longissimus lumborum and semispinalis capitis muscles. The finishing diets did not affect the ultimate pH of the investigated muscles. A diet × fasting time interaction was seen in the lightness of the semimembranosus muscle (P = 0.05). The fibrous diet resulted in darker meat than the control diet did in pigs that were fasted for 25 h (P < 0.05). Longer fasting darkened the meat colour in pigs fed the fibrous diet (P < 0.05) but not in those fed the control diet. The meat from the semispinalis capitis muscle was darker in pigs fed the fibrous than those fed the control diet (P = 0.04). The treatments did not affect the colour of the longissimus lumborum muscle. Longer fasting decreased drip loss from the meat of pigs fed the control diet (P < 0.05). The eating quality of the pork was not influenced by the finishing diets or the fasting time. The pigs also grew equally fast on both finishing diets. In conclusion, a moderate alteration in the carbohydrate composition of a finishing diet or longer pre-slaughter fasting can have some effects on pork quality in crossbred pigs, but these effects vary in different muscles.
The effect of confinement on water structure

Neutron diffraction experiments with hydrogen isotope substitution on water confined in MCM41-S15 have been performed at temperatures of 300 and 210 K. Data are analyzed at a microscopic level using a revised version of the empirical potential structure refinement technique. It is found that the influence of the substrate on the water structure is not negligible and depends on the temperature: owing to the geometrical constraints and the symmetry breaking induced by the wall, comparison with the corresponding bulk phases is not straightforward and standard analysis should be replaced by a more suitable one.
Who Pays?: Political Donations and Democratic Accountability

All sides of politics share a fear of governments held hostage to wealthy individuals or organisations that use donations to buy influence. Australia, New Zealand, Canada, the UK and the United States all require that donations to candidates and political parties beyond a threshold must be disclosed and donors identified. Given the importance of a free flow of information about political donations, disclosure remains the best regime of campaign finance regulation. Yet it could be improved.
The Tre2 (USP6) oncogene is a hominoid-specific gene

Gene duplication and domain accretion are thought to be the major mechanisms for the emergence of novel genes during evolution. Such events are thought to have occurred at early stages in the vertebrate lineage, but genomic sequencing has recently revealed extensive amplification events during the evolution of higher primates. We report here that the Tre2 (USP6) oncogene is derived from the chimeric fusion of two genes, USP32 (NY-REN-60), and TBC1D3. USP32 is an ancient, highly conserved gene, whereas TBC1D3 is derived from a recent segmental duplication, which is absent in most other mammals and shows rapid amplification and dispersal through the primate lineage. Remarkably, the chimeric gene Tre2 exists only in the hominoid lineage of primates. This hominoid-specific oncogene arose as recently as 21–33 million years ago, after proliferation of the TBC1D3 segmental duplication in the primate lineage. In contrast to the broad expression pattern of USP32 and TBC1D3, expression of Tre2 is testis-specific, a pattern proposed for novel genes implicated in the emergence of reproductive barriers. The sudden emergence of chimeric proteins, such as that encoded by Tre2, may have contributed to hominoid speciation.
Robust NK Cell-Mediated Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)-Specific Antibody-Dependent Responses in HIV-Infected Subjects

ABSTRACT Antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) is a potentially effective adaptive immune response to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. The study of ADCC responses has been hampered by the lack of simple methods to quantify these responses and map effective epitopes. We serendipitously observed that standard intracellular cytokine assays on fresh whole blood from a cohort of 26 HIV-infected subjects identified non-T lymphocytes expressing gamma interferon (IFN-γ) in response to overlapping linear peptides spanning HIV-1 proteins. The effector cells were CD3− CD4− CD8− CD14− CD2+ CD56+/− NK lymphocytes and degranulated granzyme B and perforin in response to antigen stimulation. Serum transfer assays demonstrated that the specific response was mediated by immunoglobulin G. Fresh blood samples from half of the HIV-infected cohort demonstrated robust HIV peptide-specific IFN-γ expression by NK cells, predominately to Env, Pol, and Vpu HIV-1 proteins. Responses were readily mapped to define minimal epitopes utilizing this assay. Antibody-dependent, HIV-specific NK cell recognition, involving components of both innate and adaptive immune systems, represents a potentially effective immune response to induce by vaccination.
Prediction of Automobile Claims by Psychological Methods. A Case Study in Automobile Insurance

An eight year old program in which accidental risk of underage males is predicted by means of psychological measurement and premiums and limits varied accordingly is described. Data on accident rate, cost and seriousness of injury are presented for six groups of underage males whose risk was predicted and for two groups of adult (lA) drivers. Related data on non-vehicular accident rate and intra-family accident rates are presented. It is suggested that perhaps attitudes are both pervasive and persistent enough that they would constitute a workable base for underwriting or rating a variety of insurance. Casualty underwriters have progressively moved away from the practice of spreading risk over a broad heterogeneous base toward a policy of spreading it over more narrowly defined homogeneous groupings. Age, sex, marital status, zone, vehicle characteristics, prior loss experience and driver training are among the commonly used bases for establishing rate groupings. Combinations of these rating factors are frequently used, resulting in virtually hundreds of sub-groups of insureds and an extremely complicated rating structure. Recently Grinnell Mutual Reinsurance Company has moved in a direction reversing this trend. If successful, this approach could result in a single rating variable. GMRC has taken the position that the attitudes and personality traits of an applicant importantly influence his behavior (e.g. how he drives) and consequently have a direct causal relationship Charles F. Haner, Ph.D., is Austin Professor of psychology at Grinnell College. He is research consultant to Maytag Company and Grinnell Reinsurance Company. Dr. Haner is Past President of Iowa Psychological Association. This paper was presented at the 1967 Annual NIeeting of A.R. I.A. to the risk he represents. By assessing these attitudes through psychological testing devices, accident susceptibility can be predicted and applicants can be placed at various risk levels. If this proves out, only the risk level of the applicant and the valuation of the coverage would need enter into determination of premium. This paper will briefly describe GMRC's Youthful Driver Program, the first and quite successful step in testing out this concept, will present the results of a recently completed study which bears importantly on the company's basic concept and finally will suggest additional topics under investigation or worthy of investigation. The Youthful Driver Program became operational at GMRC in September 1959, eight years ago. The rationale of the program was as follows: 1. The driver is the most important variable influencing both the frequency and severity of automobile accidents.The road, the vehicle and the weather are minor contributing factors to both frequency and severity. 2. The attitude and personality of the driver play a much more important role
HIGD1A-mediated dormancy and tumor survival

Solid tumors contain regions of anoxia that are also glucose deprived. How cancer cells survive such extreme conditions remains unclear. Here, we discuss our recent findings that regulation of hypoxia inducible gene domain family member 1 A (HIGD1A) via epigenetic mechanisms during glucose starvation modulates oxygen consumption and reactive oxygen species production to enable tumor cell survival through the activation of dormancy mechanisms.
Nanoscale electronic devices based on transition metal dichalcogenides

Two-dimensional (2D) transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) have very versatile chemical, electrical and optical properties. In particular, they exhibit rich and highly tunable electronic properties, with a bandgap that spans from semi-metallic up to 2 eV depending on the crystal phase, material composition, number of layers and even external stimulus. This paper provides an overview of the electronic devices and circuits based on 2D TMDs, such as Esaki diodes, resonant tunneling diodes (RTDs), logic and RF transistors, tunneling field-effect transistors (TFETs), static random access memories (SRAMs), dynamic RAM (DRAMs), flash memory, ferroelectric memories, resistitive memories and phase-change memories. We address the basic device principles, the advantages and limitations of these 2D electronic devices, and our perspectives on future developments.
‘Clinics aren't meant for men’: Sexual health care access and seeking behaviours among men in Gauteng province, South Africa

Men may be key players in the transmission of sexually transmitted infections (STI), and it is important that STI/HIV health services reach men. The objective of this study was to explore sexual health care access and seeking behaviours in men. This study used focus groups to examine sexual health care access and seeking behaviours in men 5 years after implementation of free antiretroviral therapy (ART) in the South African public sector. Six focus groups (N=58) were conducted with men ≫18 years in an urban area of Gauteng province. Men were recruited from various locations throughout the community. Men reported several barriers and facilitators to the use of public and private clinics for sexual health services including HIV testing, and many men reported seeking care from traditional healers. Men often viewed public clinics as a place for women and reported experiences with some female nurses who were rude or judgmental of the men. Additionally, some men reported that they sought sexual health care services at public clinics; however, they were not given physical examinations by health care providers to diagnose their STI syndrome. Most men lacked knowledge about ART and avoided HIV testing because of fear of death or being abandoned by their families or friends. Study findings suggest that men still require better access to high-quality, non-judgmental sexual health care services. Future research is needed to determine the most effective method to increase men's access to sexual health care services.
Design Procedure to Minimize Boost PFC Volume Concerning the Trade-offs Among Switching Frequency, Input Current Ripple and Soft-Switching

The current harmonics injected in the mains by non-linear loads forced the use of pre-regulators to attend the IEC61000-3-2 standards and the CISPR22 recommendations. The increase of the switching frequency reduces the boost inductor volume, but requires a bulky EMI filter to operate according to the standards. Higher frequencies also intensify the switching losses in the semiconductor devices, increasing the heat sinks volume. In the same way, higher current ripple demands a lower boost inductor volume, but it also requires a bulky EMI filter and intensifies the conduction losses. However, the switching losses can be minimized using auxiliary commutation circuits, which reduce the power dissipation over the main semiconductor devices, decreasing the heatsinks volume. The goal of this paper is to present a design methodology to define the input current ripple and the switching frequency to minimize the filters and heat sinks volume using different methods to reduce the switching losses