Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Helminth-Induced Immune Regulation: Implications for Immune Responses to Tuberculosis

Tuberculosis (TB) caused by the bacteriaMycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) remains a global cause of considerable morbidity and mortality [1]. One of the biggest current challenges of TB control is our incomplete understanding of what constitutes protective immunity in TBendemic areas of the world. Although close to 2,200 million people maintain the infection in a state of latency and act as a reservoir of infection, the risk factors for reactivation to active disease and subsequent transmission in these populations are poorly understood. These areas also report some of the lowest rates of efficacy of the Bacillus Calmette–Guerin (BCG) vaccine [2]. Helminth infections (soil transmitted and vector-borne) exhibit broad geographic overlap with areas of TB endemicity [3]. These complex eukaryotes have the ability to establish chronic, often asymptomatic infections and have evolved highly effective methods for subverting the immune system for their survival. Their immunomodulatory effects (as we discuss below) have been shown to extend to nonparasitic infections and vaccine responses [4, 5]. Our knowledge of how helminth-coinfection-induced immune regulation can affect TB-specific immunity and disease in an endemic area comes from three broad areas of study, with specific animal models providing supplemental evidence for particular immunologic phenomena at various stages of helminth infection. First, the effects of chronic maternal helminth infection can lead to in utero sensitization to helminth antigens [6, 7] and have the potential to affect neonatal responses to BCG vaccination [8] as well as TB-specific immunity. This has important implications, as children less than 3 years of age represent the major pediatric disease burden in endemic areas [9]. Secondly, repeated exposure to vectorand soil-transmitted helminths occurs with increasing age, leading to an age-related increase both in helminth prevalence and in the rate of acquiring TB [10, 11]. Lastly, adult subjects in endemic areas with chronic helminth infection show impaired cellular responses that may alter the responses toMtb antigens and possibly contribute to a higher incidence of active TB disease [12]. In this context, it is important to keep in mind some of the challenges to addressing these questions in a clinical setting. The proper diagnosis of active helminth infection can be challenging and is dependent on various factors such as the species being tested, intensity of infection [13] in a given area, and type of diagnostic test used. Also, polyparasitism is not uncommon, especially for intestinal helminth infections, and newer molecular diagnostic tests might provide higher sensitivity and specificity [14] compared to traditional stool-based techniques. Coinfection with HIV can also be an important confounder, especially for immunologic assessments in these populations. Finally, immunomodulation
SLICC/ACR damage index independently associated with left ventricular diastolic dysfunction in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus

Left ventricular (LV) diastolic dysfunction has been reported in both active and inactive systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients without clinical evidence of cardiovascular disease. However, the relationship between the long-term inflammatory burden reflected by the SLICC/ACR damage index and LV diastolic function has not been studied. Eighty-two SLE patients and 82 controls matched for age, sex, body mass index, blood pressure and heart rate underwent echocardiography with tissue Doppler imaging (TDI). LV diastolic function was estimated by the myocardial early diastolic velocity (E′) at the lateral annulus. There were 51 patients (62.2%) with nephritis, 23 patients (28.0%) with hypertension, 21 patients (25.6%) with vasculitis, 16 patients (19.5%) with pulmonary hypertension, 4 patients (4.9%) with cerebrovascular disease and 2 patients (2.4%) with diabetes mellitus. Sixty-two patients (75.6%) were taking prednisone and 35 patients (42.7%) used a immunosuppressant. Forty-five patients (54.8%) had active disease and suffered from disease-related end-organ damage. Patients with SLICC/ACR damage index ≥1 had more evidence of LV diastolic dysfunction with lower lateral annulus E′ (9.6 ± 3.4 vs 12.9 ± 3.5 cm/s, p < 0.001) than those without. In addition, the proportion of patients with abnormal LV myocardial relaxation (defined as lateral E′ < 10.0 cm/s) (51.1% vs 16.2%, χ2 = 10.8, p = 0.001) were significantly higher. Multivariate analysis showed that the SLICC/ACR damage index ≥1 was independently associated with LV diastolic dysfunction (OR = 3.80, 95%CI: 1.21–11.95, p = 0.023) after adjusting for hypertension, disease duration and medical therapy. This may suggest that the overall inflammatory burden in SLE, as reflected by SLICC/ACR damage index, is associated with the development of diastolic dysfunction in SLE patients.
Evaluating Translocation Gene Fusions by SNP Array Data

Somatic cell genetic alterations are a hallmark of tumor development and progression. Although various technologies have been developed and utilized to identify genetic aberrations, identifying genetic translocations at the chromosomal level is still a challenging task. High density SNP microarrays are useful to measure DNA copy number variation (CNV) across the genome. Utilizing SNP array data of cancer cell lines and patient samples, we evaluated the CNV and copy number breakpoints for several known fusion genes implicated in tumorigenesis. This analysis demonstrated the potential utility of SNP array data for the prediction of genetic aberrations via translocations based on identifying copy number breakpoints within the target genes. Genome-wide analysis was also performed to identify genes harboring copy number breakpoints across 820 cancer cell lines. Candidate oncogenes were identified that are linked to potential translocations in specific cancer cell lines.
Artificial neural networks activation function HDL coder

The sigmoid and hyperbolic tangent functions are usually used as the activation functions in Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs). The exponential nature of these functions make them difficult for hardware implementation. Hence, several different methods for approximating them in hardware are proposed. In this work, we present a MATLAB toolbox called the “SigTan HDL Coder”, that generates synthesizable HDL Code which approximates these functions in hardware according to the specific user requirements. The HDL code is platform independent and can be used for FPGA as well as ASIC implementations. Input parameters to the system are the approximation error, input range, and the approximation method. Three different user-selectable methods for approximating the functions are programmed in the toolbox. All implemented approximation methods avoid the use of multipliers for their implementation, as multipliers are expensive hardware components in terms of area and speed.
Par-4 Inhibits Choline Uptake by Interacting with CHT1 and Reducing Its Incorporation on the Plasma Membrane*

CHT1 is a Na+- and Cl–-dependent, hemicholinium-3 (HC-3)-sensitive, high affinity choline transporter. Par-4 (prostate apoptosis response-4) is a leucine zipper protein involved in neuronal degeneration and cholinergic signaling in Alzheimer's disease. We now report that Par-4 is a negative regulator of CHT1 choline uptake activity. Transfection of neural IMR-32 cells with human CHT1 conferred Na+-dependent, HC-3-sensitive choline uptake that was effectively inhibited by cotransfection of Par-4. Mapping studies indicated that the C-terminal half of Par-4 was physically involved in interacting with CHT1, and the absence of Par-4·CHT1 complex formation precluded the loss of CHT1-mediated choline uptake induced by Par-4, indicating that Par-4·CHT1 complex formation is essential. Kinetic and cell-surface biotinylation assays showed that Par-4 inhibited CHT1-mediated choline uptake by reducing CHT1 expression in the plasma membrane without significantly altering the affinity of CHT1 for choline or HC-3. These results suggest that Par-4 is directly involved in regulating choline uptake by interacting with CHT1 and by reducing its incorporation on the cell surface.
ANTIBACTERIAL ACTIVITIES OF SOME ANTIBIOTICS AGAINST CLINICAL ISOLATES OF CERTAIN BACTERIAL STRAINS WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO LEAF EXTRACTS

Fifteen clinical isolates comprising of (03), (04), (03) and (05) were collected from Gandhi Medical College, Bhopal, India and their resistant pattern against four well known antibiotics; ciprofloxacin (CIP), erythromycin (E), gentamicin (GEN) and methicillin (MET) (all 10 μg disc ) were studied using disc diffusion method with leaves extract. (80% against MET and 60% against GEN) and (75% against MET and 50% against E), in case of (66.67% against MET, GEN and CIP) and (66.67% against MET) species were found to be more resistant against the studied antibiotics as compared to the extracts of . No resistance was observed of leaves derived antibiotics against all the test isolates. It is concluded from these figures that microbial resistance against these antibiotics are increasing in our population which is alarming and therefore it is recommended to physicians to prescribe these antibiotics unless no other substitute is available in clinical practices. Corynebacterium acnei Escherichia coli Klebsiella pneumoniae Staphylococcus aureus Lantana camara Staphylococcus aureus Escherichia coli Klebsiella pneumoniae Corynebacterium acnei Lantana camara Lantana camara -1
Parents' Source of Vaccine Information and Impact on Vaccine Attitudes, Beliefs, and Nonmedical Exemptions

In recent years, use of the Internet to obtain vaccine information has increased. Historical data are necessary to evaluate current vaccine information seeking trends in context. Between 2002 and 2003, surveys were mailed to 1,630 parents of fully vaccinated children and 815 parents of children with at least one vaccine exemption; 56.1% responded. Respondents were asked about their vaccine information sources, perceptions of these sources accuracy, and their beliefs about vaccination. Parents who did not view their child's healthcare provider as a reliable vaccine information source were more likely to obtain vaccine information using the Internet. Parents who were younger, more highly educated, and opposed to school immunization requirements were more likely than their counterparts to use the Internet for vaccine information. Compared to parents who did not use the Internet for vaccine information, those who sought vaccine information on the Internet were more likely to have lower perceptions of vaccine safety (adjusted odds ratio (aOR), 1.66; 95% CI, 1.18–2.35), vaccine effectiveness (aOR, 1.83; 95% CI, 1.32–2.53), and disease susceptibility (aOR, 2.08; 95% CI, 1.49–2.90) and were more likely to have a child with a nonmedical exemption (aOR 3.53, 95% CI, 2.61–4.76). These findings provide context to interpret recent vaccine information seeking research.
An Analysis of Mental Health in Religious Traditions in Africa

There are three main religions practiced in Africa – African Religion, Christianity and Islam. All of them have their peculiar responses and treatment of mental problems, which correspond to psychology of religion. While not disputing clinical or psychiatric treatment, it is the argument that because Africans are highly religious and the prevalent belief that mental health has spiritual dimension, and given the Who Health Organization‘s assessment of the possibility of pervasive mental situation, the need to recognize and utilize spiritual aspects of treatment of the problem became compelling. This paper examined the various ways these religions have treated the problem, and they do agree that there is a spiritual dimension to it. The study employed textual methodology in its analysis.
Novel distributed robust adaptive consensus protocols for linear multi-agent systems with directed graphs and external disturbances

ABSTRACTThis paper addresses the distributed consensus protocol design problem for linear multi-agent systems with directed graphs and external unmatched disturbances. Novel distributed adaptive consensus protocols are proposed to achieve leader–follower consensus for any directed graph containing a directed spanning tree with the leader as the root node and leaderless consensus for strongly connected directed graphs. It is pointed out that the adaptive protocols involve undesirable parameter drift phenomenon when bounded external disturbances exist. By using the σ modification technique, distributed robust adaptive consensus protocols are designed to guarantee the ultimate boundedness of both the consensus error and the adaptive coupling weights in the presence of external disturbances. All the adaptive protocols in this paper are fully distributed, relying on only the agent dynamics and the relative states of neighbouring agents.
Map Learning with a 3D Printed Interactive Small-Scale Model: Improvement of Space and Text Memorization in Visually Impaired Students

Special education teachers for visually impaired students rely on tools such as raised-line maps (RLMs) to teach spatial knowledge. These tools do not fully and adequately meet the needs of the teachers because they are long to produce, expensive, and not versatile enough to provide rapid updating of the content. For instance, the same RLM can barely be used during different lessons. In addition, those maps do not provide any interactivity, which reduces students’ autonomy. With the emergence of 3D printing and low-cost microcontrollers, it is now easy to design affordable interactive small-scale models (SSMs) which are adapted to the needs of special education teachers. However, no study has previously been conducted to evaluate non-visual learning using interactive SSMs. In collaboration with a specialized teacher, we designed a SSM and a RLM representing the evolution of the geography and history of a fictitious kingdom. The two conditions were compared in a study with 24 visually impaired students regarding the memorization of the spatial layout and historical contents. The study showed that the interactive SSM improved both space and text memorization as compared to the RLM with braille legend. In conclusion, we argue that affordable home-made interactive small scale models can improve learning for visually impaired students. Interestingly, they are adaptable to any teaching situation including students with specific needs.
The Identification of MicroRNAs in a Genomically Unstable Region of Human Chromosome 8q24

The PVT1 locus is identified as a cluster of T(2;8) and T(8;22) “variant” MYC-activating chromosomal translocation breakpoints extending 400 kb downstream of MYC in a subset (≈20%) of Burkitt's lymphoma (vBL). Recent reports that microRNAs (miRNA) may be associated with fragile sites and cancer-associated genomic regions prompted us to investigate whether the PVT1 region on chromosome 8q24 may contain miRNAs. Computational analysis of the genomic sequence covering the PVT1 locus and experimental verification identified seven miRNAs. One miRNA, hsa-miR-1204, resides within a previously described PVT1 exon (1b) that is often fused to the immunoglobulin light chain constant region in vBLs and is present in high copy number in MYC/PVT1–amplified tumors. Like its human counterpart, mouse mmu-miR-1204 represents the closest miRNA to Myc (∼50 kb) and is found only 1 to 2 kb downstream of a cluster of retroviral integration sites. Another miRNA, mmu-miR-1206, is close to a cluster of variant translocation breakpoints associated with mouse plasmacytoma and exon 1 of mouse Pvt1. Virtually all the miRNA precursor transcripts are expressed at higher levels in late-stage B cells (including plasmacytoma and vBL cell lines) compared with immature B cells, suggesting possible roles in lymphoid development and/or lymphoma. In addition, lentiviral vector-mediated overexpression of the miR-1204 precursor (human and mouse) in a mouse pre–B-cell line increased expression of Myc. High levels of expression of the hsa-miR-1204 precursor is also seen in several epithelial cancer cell lines with MYC/PVT1 coamplification, suggesting a potentially broad role for these miRNAs in tumorigenesis. (Mol Cancer Res 2008;6(2):212–21)
Anxiety and Quality of Life in Phobic Dental Patients

Little is known about the anxiety patients experience before attending for dental treatment. The aim of this study was to determine, in dentally phobic patients, the temporal relationship of pre-operative anxiety levels, and the disruption to daily life caused by this. Twenty-four phobic and 19 comparison (non-phobic) dental patients were recruited. Four validated questionnaires were used to assess anxiety and quality of life, which each patient completed for 5 days prior to, and on the day of, treatment. Those in the experimental group were found to have significantly greater levels of dental and general anxiety, and a significantly lower quality of life compared with those in the comparison group. Significant temporal relationships were found with all of the questionnaires. Dental and general anxiety scores were significantly correlated with quality-of-life measures. This study suggests that phobic dental patients are experiencing significant increased anxiety, and significant negative quality-of-life effects, in this period.
Significant Molecular and Systemic Adaptations after Repeated Sprint Training in Hypoxia

While intermittent hypoxic training (IHT) has been reported to evoke cellular responses via hypoxia inducible factors (HIFs) but without substantial performance benefits in endurance athletes, we hypothesized that repeated sprint training in hypoxia could enhance repeated sprint ability (RSA) performed in normoxia via improved glycolysis and O2 utilization. 40 trained subjects completed 8 cycling repeated sprint sessions in hypoxia (RSH, 3000 m) or normoxia (RSN, 485 m). Before (Pre-) and after (Post-) training, muscular levels of selected mRNAs were analyzed from resting muscle biopsies and RSA tested until exhaustion (10-s sprint, work-to-rest ratio 1∶2) with muscle perfusion assessed by near-infrared spectroscopy. From Pre- to Post-, the average power output of all sprints in RSA was increased (p<0.01) to the same extent (6% vs 7%, NS) in RSH and in RSN but the number of sprints to exhaustion was increased in RSH (9.4±4.8 vs. 13.0±6.2 sprints, p<0.01) but not in RSN (9.3±4.2 vs. 8.9±3.5). mRNA concentrations of HIF-1α (+55%), carbonic anhydrase III (+35%) and monocarboxylate transporter-4 (+20%) were augmented (p<0.05) whereas mitochondrial transcription factor A (−40%), peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator 1α (−23%) and monocarboxylate transporter-1 (−36%) were decreased (p<0.01) in RSH only. Besides, the changes in total hemoglobin variations (Δ[tHb]) during sprints throughout RSA test increased to a greater extent (p<0.01) in RSH. Our findings show larger improvement in repeated sprint performance in RSH than in RSN with significant molecular adaptations and larger blood perfusion variations in active muscles.
Domain Wall Memory based Digital Signal processors for area and energy-efficiency

In many Digital Signal Processing (DSP) applications such as Viterbi decoder and Fast Fourier Transform (FFT), Static Random Access Memory (SRAM) based embedded memory consumes significant portion of area and power. These DSP units are dominated by sequential memory access where SRAM-based memory is inefficient in terms of area and power. We propose spintronic Domain Wall Memory (DWM) based embedded memories for DSP building blocks e.g., survivor-path memories in Viterbi decoder and First-In-First-Out (FIFO) register files in FFT processor that exploit the unique serial access mechanism, non-volatility and small footprint of the memory for area and power saving. Simulations using 65nm technology show that the DWM based Viterbi decoder achieves 66.4 % area and 59.6 % power savings over the conventional SRAM-based implementation. For 8K point FFT processor, the DWM based design shows 60.6 % area and 60.3 % power savings.
Vitamin C Status Correlates with Markers of Metabolic and Cognitive Health in 50-Year-Olds: Findings of the CHALICE Cohort Study

A cohort of 50-year-olds from Canterbury, New Zealand (N = 404), representative of midlife adults, undertook comprehensive health and dietary assessments. Fasting plasma vitamin C concentrations (N = 369) and dietary vitamin C intake (N = 250) were determined. The mean plasma vitamin C concentration was 44.2 µmol/L (95% CI 42.4, 46.0); 62% of the cohort had inadequate plasma vitamin C concentrations (i.e., <50 µmol/L), 13% of the cohort had hypovitaminosis C (i.e., <23 µmol/L), and 2.4% had plasma vitamin C concentrations indicating deficiency (i.e., <11 µmol/L). Men had a lower mean plasma vitamin C concentration than women, and a higher percentage of vitamin C inadequacy and deficiency. A higher prevalence of hypovitaminosis C and deficiency was observed in those of lower socio-economic status and in current smokers. Adults with higher vitamin C levels exhibited lower weight, BMI and waist circumference, and better measures of metabolic health, including HbA1c, insulin and triglycerides, all risk factors for type 2 diabetes. Lower levels of mild cognitive impairment were observed in those with the highest plasma vitamin C concentrations. Plasma vitamin C showed a stronger correlation with markers of metabolic health and cognitive impairment than dietary vitamin C.
Two‐component signaling in the AAA+ ATPase DctD: binding Mg2+ and BeF3 selects between alternative dimeric states of the receiver domain

A crystal structure is described for the Mg2+‐BeF3‐‐bound receiver domain of Sinorhizobium meliloti DctD bearing amino acid substitution E121K. Differences between the apo‐ and ligandbound active sites are similar to those reported for other receiver domains. However, the off and on states of the DctD receiver domain are characterized by dramatically different dimeric structures, which supports the following hypothesis of signal transduction. In the off state, the receiver domain and coiled‐coil linker form a dimer that inhibits oligomerization of the AAA+ ATPase domain. In this conformation, the receiver domain cannot be phosphorylated or bind Mg2+ and BeF3‐. Instead, these modifications stabilize an alternative dimeric conformation that repositions the subunits by approximately 20 Å, thus replacing the α4‐β5‐α5 interface with an α4‐β5 interface. Reoriented receiver domains permit the ATPase domain to oligomerize and stimulate open complex formation by the ς54 form of RNA polymerase. NtrC, which shares 38% sequence identity with DctD, works differently. Its activated receiver domain must facilitate oligomerization of its ATPase domain. Significant differences exist in the signaling surfaces of the DctD and NtrC receiver domains that may help explain how triggering the common two‐component switch can variously regulate assembly of a AAA+ ATPase domain.
Amplitude detection inside CMOS LC oscillators

In this paper we demonstrate that an intrinsic amplitude detector exists in negative resistance CMOS LC oscillators. The DC bias on the common-mode node in CMOS VCOs depends on the oscillation amplitude. Amplitude control loops can thus be built without a separate amplitude detector. Insights in possible AM to PM noise mechanisms are also derived
Uplink wireless transmission overview in bi-directional VLC systems

This paper introduces the concept of uplink wireless transmission technologies for visible light communication (VLC). An overview of the different uplink existing methods and its feasibility in various applications such us indoor positioning is presented. We also showed that, unlike existing technologies of wireless communication like, Bluetooth, WiFi and Zigbee, Wireless Power Transfer (WPT) can be not only used for uplink transmission but also provides energy for certain power hungry devices. Simulation results and analytical approximations show that around 450 kbps uplink throughput can be achieved in a system capable of delivering up to 1.3 mW to small indoor devices (94.6×56.8×3.65 mm).