Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Tropism of varicella-zoster virus for human CD4+ and CD8+ T lymphocytes and epidermal cells in SCID-hu mice

To investigate the cell tropism and pathogenicity of varicella-zoster virus (VZV) strains, we analyzed VZV replication by using SCID-hu mice that carry human fetal thymus/liver implants under the kidney capsule or as subcutaneous fetal skin implants. MRC-5 cells infected with wild-type VZV or the Oka strain, used in the live attenuated varicella vaccine, were injected into the implants. The implants were surgically removed 2, 7, 14, and 21 days postinfection. The VZV titer from infected thymus/liver implants peaked on day 7 for the wild-type strain and on day 14 for the Oka strain. Histological analysis showed necrotic areas characterized by thymocyte depletion and fibrosis. VZV protein synthesis was detectable by immunohistochemical staining in the necrotic areas and in distant regions that did not show cytopathic changes, and VZV DNA was detected by in situ hybridization in the same distribution. Fluorescence-activated cell sorting analysis of thymocytes harvested at day 7 postinfection showed that VZV proteins were expressed in CD4+, CD8+, and CD4+ CD8+ T cells; VZV was cultured from each T-cell subpopulation. The Oka strain had tropism for human cell types similar to that of wild-type VZV. T lymphocytes released infectious VZV, which is a novel and important observation about the replication of this otherwise highly cell associated virus. VZV-infected skin implants exhibited microscopic epidermal lesions that were indistinguishable histologically from the characteristic lesions of varicella. These experiments demonstrate a unique tropism of VZV for human T lymphocytes, explaining its capacity to cause viremia in natural disease, and demonstrate the value of the SCID-hu model for studies of VZV pathogenesis.
Focal adhesion‐localization of START‐GAP1/DLC1 is essential for cell motility and morphology

There is a class of GTPase activating proteins for the Rho family GTPases (RhoGAPs) that contain the steroidogenic acute regulatory protein (STAR)‐related lipid transfer (START) domain. In mammals three genes encode such proteins and they are designated START‐GAP1–3 or deleted in liver cancer 1–3 (DLC1–3). In this study, we examined the intracellular localization and roles of START‐GAP1/DLC1 in cell motility. Immunofluorescence microscopic analysis of NRK cells and HeLa cells revealed that START‐GAP1 was localized in focal adhesions. Amino acid residues 265–459 of START‐GAP1 were found to be necessary for focal adhesion targeting and we name the region “the focal adhesion‐targeting (FAT) domain. ” It was previously known that ectopic expression of START‐GAP1 induced cell rounding. We demonstrated that the FAT domain of START‐GAP1 was partially required for this morphological change. Furthermore, expression of this domain in HeLa cells resulted in dissociation of endogenous START‐GAP1 from focal adhesions as a dominant negative modulator, reducing cell migration and spreading. Taken together, START‐GAP1 is targeted to focal adhesions via the FAT domain and regulates actin rearrangement through down‐regulation of active RhoA and Cdc42. Its absence from focal adhesions could, therefore, cause abnormal cell motility and spreading.
Vitamin D Status and Monitoring in Female Veterans

An increasing number of women are serving in the military. We initiated a retrospective study to evaluate vitamin D status and monitoring in female veterans, and to examine the potential link between vitamin D status, age, race, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), health care costs, and utilization. Approximately 44 percent of the 3,608 female veterans evaluated between 2001 and 2010 were vitamin D deficient (25(OH)D < 20 ng/ml), a rate substantially higher than that of the general population. While younger (<55 years) and older (55+ years) women did not differ significantly in initial vitamin D status, older women had significantly more vitamin D monitoring and follow-up testing than younger women. Approximately 44 percent of vitamin D deficient women did not receive follow-up vitamin D testing. Minority female veterans were most likely to be vitamin D deficient. Female veterans with PTSD did not differ from others regarding their initial vitamin D status; those that were initially deficient were significantly more likely to receive follow-up testing and were more likely to achieve a replete state. Vitamin D deficiency in female veterans was also associated with increased health-care costs. Appropriate monitoring and replacement of vitamin D should be offered to all female veterans.
Invariants, una aproximació a la filogenètica des de l'àlgebra*

Resum En els darrers anys, una nova aproximacio a la reconstruccio filogenetica basada en tecniques provinents de l’algebra s’ha estat consolidant. Fixat un model evolutiu per a un conjunt donat d’especies, els invariants son relacions algebraiques satisfetes per les distribucions teoriques de nucleotids d’aquestes especies. En aquest article s’exposa com es poden fer servir els invariants per implementar algoritmes de reconstruccio filogenetica i s’explica com l’eficiencia d’aquests algoritmes es veu beneficiada per resultats teorics provinents de la geometria algebraica i la representacio de grups.
Speech based emotion recognition in Tamil and Telugu using LPCC and hurst parameters — A comparitive study using KNN and ANN classifiers

Speech based emotion recognition finds numerous applications in automated speech services such as interactive voice recognition systems. It has great implications in investigative application like lie detectors, in medical applications such as diagnosis of mental depression etc. This work aims at developing a feature based emotion recognition system. The speech recordings with the emotions-anger, happiness and sadness in Tamil and Telugu languages are used for this work. Noise and other disturbances from the speech waveforms were separated from the raw speech signals using pre-processing. Two features-Linear Predictive Cepstral Coefficients (LPCC) and Hurst Parameter were extracted. Based on the statistical parameters obtained from these features, the classification was done. Classifiers — K-Nearest Neighbor (KNN) and Artificial Neural Network (ANN) were used to identify respective emotions. The performance of the classifiers were compared in terms of accuracy, precision and recall. The classification system was analyzed in terms of individual features and combination of features. The results showed that when individual features were considered, for both the languages Hurst parameter gave more accuracy, precision and recall when compared to LPCC. Also the combination of these features render a far better performance.
Pre-exercise branched-chain amino acid administration increases endurance performance in rats.

This study investigated the effects of pre-exercise branched-chain amino acid (BCAA) administration on blood ammonia levels and on time to exhaustion during treadmill exercise in rats. Adult female Wistar rats were trained on a motor driven treadmill. After a 24-h fast, rats were injected intraperitoneally (i.p.) with 1 mL of placebo or BCAA (30 mg), 5 min before performing 30 min of submaximal exercise (N = 18) or running to exhaustion (N = 12). In both cases, rats were sacrificed immediately following exercise, and blood was collected for the measurement of glucose, nonesterified fatty acid (NEFA), lactic acid, BCAA, ammonia, and free-tryptophan (free-TRP) levels. Control values were obtained from sedentary rats that were subjected to identical treatments and procedures (N = 30). Plasma BCAA levels increased threefold within 5 min after BCAA administration. Mean run time to exhaustion was significantly longer (P < 0.01) after BCAA administration (99 +/- 9 min) compared with placebo (76 +/- 4 min). During exercise, blood ammonia levels were significantly higher (P < 0.01) in the BCAA treated compared with those in the placebo treated rats both in the 30-min exercise bout (113 +/- 25 mumol.L-1 (BCAA) vs 89 +/- 16 mumol.L-1) and following exercise to exhaustion (186 +/- 44 mumol.L-1 (BCAA) vs 123 +/- 19 mumol.L-1). These data demonstrate that BCAA administration in rats results in enhanced endurance performance and an increase in blood ammonia during exercise.
Defibrillation efficacy of commercially available biphasic impulses in humans. Importance of negative-phase peak voltage.

BACKGROUND Recent studies have shown that specifically shaped biphasic waveforms can lower energy requirements for ventricular defibrillation. We prospectively compared the defibrillation efficacy of three different biphasic wave shapes incorporated in three commercially available implantable defibrillators. The results led to the development of a second protocol in which the importance of negative-phase peak voltage and duration was investigated. METHODS AND RESULTS Defibrillation threshold (DFT) testing using different biphasic waveforms was performed randomly on 42 patients undergoing implantation of a cardioverter-defibrillator for ventricular arrhythmias. In 23 patients (group 1), 3 waveforms were tested: a CPI waveform with 60% positive-phase (P1) tilt and 50% negative-phase (P2) tilt, a Medtronic waveform with 65% fixed tilt in both P1 and P2, and a Ventritex waveform with 60% P1 tilt and a P2 leading edge voltage equal to half of the P1 trailing edge voltage. In 19 patients (group 2), 3 biphasic waveforms with equal P1 tilt at 65% but shorter P2 duration or smaller P2 peak voltage were tested. The Endotak C 60 series lead system (CPI) was used in 11 patients in group 1 and 10 patients in group 2. A Transvene lead system (Medtronics) was used in the remaining patients. Stored energy required for defibrillation was significantly lower with the CPI waveform compared with the Ventritex waveform. In group 2, energy requirements were significantly increased for the waveform with a smaller P2 peak voltage, whereas a short P2 duration did not influence defibrillation success. CONCLUSIONS Our results suggest that specifically shaped biphasic waveforms delivered from commercially available devices can affect energy requirements for defibrillation. More importantly, the amplitude of the P2 peak voltage may be a more critical determinant than the P2 duration for defibrillation success of biphasic waveforms in humans.
OBSERVATIONS ON HUMAN MONOCYTE KINETICS AFTER PULSE LABELING

Monocyte kinetics were studied in seven hematologically normal individuals using in vivo pulse labeling with tritiated thymidine. Although occasional labeled cells appear in the peripheral blood within 4 or 5 hr of the administration of label, a significant outflow from the marrow begins 13–26 hr later. This interval is occupied by the G2 and M phases of the mitotic cycle since mitotic cells are not observed in the peripheral blood. The duration of the DNA synthesis phase of monocytes is measured at 34 hr ≈ 1.8 hr. Cells do not enter this phase while circulating since exposure of circulating cells to tritiated thymidine does not result in any uptake. If monocytes are not ‘end’cells which have completed their mitotic activity before leaving the marrow they must at least be inhibited from further proliferative activity until they are permanently sequestered in other tissues.
S-Nitrosocysteine Increases Palmitate Turnover on Ha-Ras in NIH 3T3 Cells*

Ha-Ras is modified by isoprenoid on Cys186 and by reversibly attached palmitates at Cys181 and Cys184. Ha-Ras loses 90% of its transforming activity if Cys181 and Cys184 are changed to serines, implying that palmitates make important contributions to oncogenicity. However, study of dynamic acylation is hampered by an absence of methods for acutely manipulating Ha-Ras palmitoylation in living cells. S-nitrosocysteine (SNC) and, to a more modest extent, S-nitrosoglutathione were found to rapidly increase [3H]palmitate incorporation into cellular or oncogenic Ha-Ras in NIH 3T3 cells. In contrast, SNC decreased [3H]palmitate labeling of the transferrin receptor and caveolin. SNC accelerated loss of [3H]palmitate from Ha-Ras, implying that SNC stimulated deacylation and permitted subsequent reacylation of Ha-Ras. SNC also decreased Ha-Ras GTP binding and inhibited phosphorylation of the kinases ERK1 and ERK2 in NIH 3T3 cells. Thus, SNC altered two important properties of Ha-Ras activation state and lipidation. These results identify SNC as a new tool for manipulating palmitate turnover on Ha-Ras and for studying requirements of repalmitoylation and the relationship between palmitate cycling, membrane localization, and signaling by Ha-Ras.
Nucleolar protein B23 translocation after deferoxamine treatment in a human leukemia cell line

Localization of nucleolar protein B23 in HL‐60 cells under the treatment by iron chelator deferoxamine (DSF) was studied using indirect immunofluorescence. Bright nucleolar fluorescence was observed in exponentially growing control cells. The addition of DSF in the culture system resulted in time‐and dose‐dependent Induction of protein B23 translocation from nucleoli to nucleoplasm, inhibition of cell growth, DNA and RNA synthesis. The addition of FeCI3 at culture Initiation completely reversed the effects of DSF. Furthermore, significant numbers of HL‐60 cells could be rescued from the effects of DSF when iron was added back as late as 24 hr after exposure to DSF. Cells resumed their abilities to grow and to synthesize DNA and RNA upon the iron rescue. Protein B23, accordingly, relocated from nucleoplasm to nucleoli. These results indicate the importance of iron for proliferation of leukemfc cells and localization of protein B23 in nucleoli. Preribosomal ribonucleoprotein particles (pre‐rRNPs) were extracted from isolated nucleoli of HL‐60 cells and fractionated on sucrose density gradients. Protein B23 was found to be co‐localized with the pre‐rRNPs as determined by ELISA assays. No such B23‐associated pre‐rRNPs or other pre‐rRNP fractions were obtained from nucleoli of DSF‐treated cells. These results suggest that one of the effects of the anti‐proliferative action of DSF is the Inhibition of rRNA synthesis in nucleoli. Due to the lack of new synthesis of rRNA in nucleoli, protein B23 loses its binding target and translocates into the nucleoplasm. B23 translocation, as observed by immunofluorescence, may be a simple and rapid method for assessing inhibition of cell growth in response to anti‐proliferative drugs such as deferoxamine in cancer chemotherapy.
The role of radiotherapy in patients undergoing mastectomy for carcinoma of the breast.

Several factors, including T stage, nodal involvement, grade, the presence of lymphovascular invasion, and possibly involved or close surgical margins, have been found to affect local recurrence after mastectomy. The majority of recurrences will occur in the first 5 years and 50% of patients will have metastatic disease at the time of recurrence. Early studies on the use of adjuvant radiotherapy are difficult to interpret owing to poor radiotherapy techniques, inadequate dose or a variety of confounding variables within a particular trial. More recent reports have confirmed that adjuvant radiotherapy will reduce the risk of local recurrence and in tumours of <5 cm with involved nodes, produce a reduction in breast cancer deaths. Improvements in breast cancer mortality may however be counterbalanced by increases in cardiac events and deaths caused by second malignancies. This stresses the importance of using megavoltage irradiation and avoiding excess cardiac doses particularly when treating left-sided tumours. Adjuvant radiotherapy combined with tamoxifen has been shown to produce an improvement in both local control and survival in postmenopausal node-positive patients who have undergone mastectomy. Adjuvant radiation combined with systemic chemotherapy has a significant effect on local recurrence and probably on survival in node-positive patients after mastectomy. There is little controversy over its role in patients with tumours >5 cm, with more than four nodes involved or with one to three nodes with extracapsular extension, or in those in whom axillary surgery has been deemed inadequate (i.e. <10 nodes). Debate still exists concerning T1/T2, G1/G2 tumours with only one to three nodes involved when the axillary surgery has been satisfactory (>10 nodes). The ongoing Intergroup trial may answer this question but until then other factors such as tumour grade and the presence of lymphovascular invasion can be included in the equation to determine which of the patients in the latter group should receive postoperative radiotherapy. Controversy still exists about what fields should be irradiated and in particular whether the supraclavicular fossa and internal mammary node chain should be included in adjuvant therapy. The EORTC is presently conducting a randomized trial, which should give us the answer. Treatment at relapse on the chest wall may require a combination of surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy, depending on previous therapy. If radiotherapy has not previously been used, then wide-field irradiation should be administered, including both chest wall and supraclavicular fossa with or without the axilla, depending on the extent of previous axillary surgery and the risk of lymphoedema. Re-irradiation after radical adjuvant radiotherapy can be considered only for selected patients when an adequate discussion with them has taken place with regard to the relative benefits versus toxicity.
Vorformoptimierung mittels Evolutionären Algorithmen

Kurzfassung Die Auslegung einer Stadienfolge für einen Schmiedeprozess ist vom Erfahrungswissen des Konstrukteurs abhängig. Ziel der Vorformoptimierung ist die Auslegung einer Stadienfolge retrograd von der Fertigzur Vorform unter Voraussetzung einer vollständigen und faltenfreien Ausformung der Formen. Im dem Beitrag wird ein Ansatz vorgestellt, der eine solche Auslegung der Vorform unter Kopplung von Umformsimulationen auf Basis der Finiten Elemente mit einem Evolutionären Optimierungsalgorithmus erreicht.
Is impaired set-shifting an endophenotype of anorexia nervosa?

OBJECTIVE Set-shifting difficulties have been reported in subjects with anorexia nervosa and appear to persist after recovery; therefore, they may be endophenotypic traits. The goals of this study were to investigate whether set-shifting difficulties are familial by examining discordant sister-pairs in comparison with healthy unrelated women and to replicate, with a broader battery, the lack of influence of an acute illness state on neuropsychological performance. METHOD Forty-seven pairs of sisters discordant for anorexia nervosa and 47 healthy unrelated women who were comparable in age and IQ completed neuropsychological tasks selected to assess set-shifting ability. Analyses of variance with standard errors that are robust against correlations within family clusters were used to compare the groups. Results were adjusted for obsessive-compulsive, anxiety, and depression symptoms. Subjects with acute (N=24) and fully remitted (N=23) anorexia nervosa were compared to assess state versus trait effects. RESULTS Sisters with and without anorexia nervosa took significantly longer than unrelated healthy women to shift their cognitive set (CatBat task) and demonstrated greater perceptual rigidity (Haptic Illusion task) but did not differ significantly from each other. Women with anorexia nervosa were slower than other groups on Trail Making tasks. Women who had fully recovered from anorexia nervosa made significantly fewer errors than those with acute anorexia nervosa on the Trail Making alphabet task, but these subgroups did not differ on other measures. CONCLUSIONS Both affected and unaffected sisters had more set-shifting difficulties than unrelated healthy women. This finding, together with the replicated finding that set-shifting difficulties persist after recovery, suggests that set-shifting difficulties are trait characteristics and may inform the search for the endophenotype in anorexia nervosa.
The effect of platelet activation on the hypercoagulability induced by murine monoclonal antiphospholipid antibodies

Antiphospholipid antibodies are associated with an increased risk of thrombosis. Findings of this study suggest that platelet activation reinforces the hypercoagulability induced by interference of antiphospholipid antibodies/target complexes with coagulation reactions on membrane surfaces. Background To identify the mechanisms of the hypercoagulability associated with antiphospholipid antibodies, we investigated antibody-mediated platelet activation and interference of antibodies with phospholipid-dependent reactions. Design and Methods We used two murine monoclonal antibodies, one against β2-glycoprotein I (7F6G), the other against prothrombin (28F4). Platelet activation was assessed by phospholipid-related platelet procoagulant activity. Endogenous thrombin potential without activated protein C (ETP0) and the activated protein C concentration that reduced the ETP0 by 50% (IC50-APC) were determined by calibrated automated thrombography. Results Both monoclonal antibodies mimicked the effect of IgG in 11 out of a series of 40 patients with antiphospholipid antibodies in thrombography. In the presence of their target, 7F6G and 28F4 at 200 μg/mL exhibited comparatively low and high binding to platelets and elicited low and high levels of procoagulant phospholipids on platelet surface, respectively. In platelet-poor plasma, these antibodies induced a 1.6 and >12-fold increase in IC50-APC, respectively, thus providing evidence for a procoagulant effect independent of platelet activation. The 84% decrease in ETP0 indicated that 28F4 also displayed an anticoagulant effect. In platelet-rich plasma, this anticoagulant effect was significantly less (23% decrease in ETP0), demonstrating that a high increase in procoagulant surfaces by platelet activation significantly antagonizes the anticoagulant effect of antiphospholipid antibodies. In both types of plasma, the inhibition of thrombin generation (reduced ETP0) was less than the inhibition of activated protein C activity (increased IC50-APC). Conclusions Our findings show that platelet activation reinforces the hypercoagulability induced by competition between antiphospholipid antibodies/target complexes and pro- and anticoagulant complexes for phospholipid surfaces.
205-GHz (Al,In)N/GaN HEMTs

We report 55-nm gate AlInN/GaN high-electron-mobility transistors (HEMTs) featuring a short-circuit current gain cutoff frequency of fT = 205 GHz at room temperature, a new record for GaN-based HEMTs. The devices source a maximum current density of 2.3 A/mm at VGS = 0 V and show a measured transconductance of 575 mS/mm, which is the highest value reported to date for nonrecessed gate nitride HEMTs. Comparison to state-of-the-art thin-barrier AlGaN/GaN HEMTs suggests that AlInN/GaN devices benefit from an advantageous channel velocity under high-field transport conditions.
Impact of intermittent misfire and fire-through on the performance of full converter based WECS

The integration of wind turbines into modern power grids has significantly increased during the last decade. The wind turbine equipped with full converter based wind energy Conversion System (FCWECS) represented about 20.3% of the worldwide total wind capacity in 2003. Since FCWECS is equipped with a voltage source inverter (VSI), it is vulnerable that misfire and fire-through may occur within the VSI switches. In this paper, impact of these switching malfunctions on FCWECS performance is investigated and discussed. Detailed simulations of the system under study are carried out using Matlab/Simulink to highlight the influence of these converter internal faults on PCC voltage, DC link voltage and shaft speed, as well as generator active and reactive power. Furthermore, compliance of the FCWECS with Spain fault ride through (FRT) grid codes is also investigated.