Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Telaprevir for the treatment of hepatitis C

Introduction: More than 180 million people worldwide are infected with the chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV), a major cause of liver cirrhosis, and its life-threatening complications including liver failure, portal hypertension and hepatocellular carcinoma. For patients infected with HCV genotype 1, the chances of a sustained virologic response (SVR) with the previous standard of care treatment (Peg-IFN-α + ribavirin) are only 40 – 50%. Neither drug targets a specific HCV protein, and treatment is not only compromised by insufficient SVR rates but also associated with several side effects. With a better understanding of the HCV life-cycle, and of the structural features of HCV proteins, several promising direct antiviral drugs (DAAs) have entered clinical development. Areas covered: This review summarizes the clinical development of telaprevir and discusses the possible role of telaprevir in combination with Peg-IFN-α and ribavirin as a new standard treatment against HCV infection, as well as any possible challenges in the future. Expert opinion: Triple therapy, with telaprevir in combination with Peg-IFN-α + ribavirin, is the new standard for chronic hepatitis C treatment in genotype 1-infected patients. At present, there are several next-generation DAAs in clinical development in combination with Peg-IFN-α. The future, however, may also include new treatment strategies, such as oral DAA combinations.
Caracterización y tratamiento de efluentes de la industria conservera de champiñones

no 14 Julio-Agosto 2015 Carlos Luis Leite Amor investigador predoctoral, Universidade de Tras-os-Montes e Alto Douro Joana Lopes Fernandes estudiante Master Ingenieria Medioambiental, Universidade de Tras-os-Montes e Alto Douro Marco Paulo Sousa Lucas investigador auxiliar, Universidade de Tras-os-Montes e Alto Douro Jose Alcides Silvestre Peres profesor titular, Universidade de Tras-os-Montes e Alto Douro Jorge Rodriguez-Chueca investigador postdoctoral, Universidade de Tras-os-Montes e Alto Douro Caracterizacion y tratamiento de efluentes de la industria conservera de champinones
Privacy-awareness in blockchain-based PKI

Conventional public key infrastructure (PKI) designs are not optimal and contain security flaws; there is much work underway in improving PKI. The properties given by the Bitcoin blockchain and its derivatives are a natural solution to some of the problems with PKI - in particular, certificate transparency and elimination of single points of failure. Recently-proposed blockchain PKI designs are built as public ledgers linking identity with public key, giving no provision of privacy. We consider the suitability of a blockchain-based PKI for contexts in which PKI is required, but in which linking of identity with public key is undesirable; specifically, we show that blockchain can be used to construct a privacy-aware PKI while simultaneously eliminating some of the problems encountered in conventional PKI.
Performance and egg quality of Japanese quails submitted to cyclic heat stress

Aiming at evaluating the influence of cyclic temperatures on the performance and egg quality of Japanese quails an experiment was carried out with 480 birds after egg production peak. Birds were housed in a bioclimatic chamber with automatic temperature control that contained two rooms, one maintained at thermoneutral temperature (21 oC) and the other adjusted for the tested cyclic temperatures (24, 27, 30, 33 and 36 oC at a time). Each room had a battery of five floors and ten cages, with a capacity of 24 birds per cage, totaling 240 birds per battery. Birds were fed iso-nutritious and iso-caloric diets. Data obtained under the tested cyclic temperatures were compared with those obtained under thermoneutral temperature. At the end of each experimental period (14 days) performance and egg quality parameters were evaluated. A completely randomized experimental design with two treatments (thermoneutral temperature and tested temperature) and ten replicates of 24 birds each. Cyclic increases of 27 oC and higher in environmental temperature negatively affected bird performance, with reduced feed intake and consequent reductions in egg weight and mass. A cyclic increase of the environmental temperature to 36 oC reduced the percentage of saleable eggs and egg production.
A 60 GHz single-walled carbon nanotube composite material for dipole antenna applications

This paper aim to present a good candidate material structure, in order to design dipole antenna at 60 GHz frequency. The single-walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT) is the basic material of this structure material. For the purpose of achieving this aim, the effective electromagnetic (EM) modeling approach for the single-walled carbon nanotube composite material (SWCNT-composite) is presented. The equivalent Bulk material (EBM) modeling approach is implemented for this purpose. Where, the SWCNT-composite material is consist of SWCNT coated by thin layer of graphite material. As well as, the required mathematical analysis is performed based on analysis of the electromagnetic properties of this material. The simulation model are performed using an available 3D electromagnetic simulation software package CST (MWS). The results of this paper shows the performance of the SWCNT-graphite dipole antenna at 60 GHz.
The malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum has only one pyruvate dehydrogenase complex, which is located in the apicoplast

The relict plastid (apicoplast) of apicomplexan parasites synthesizes fatty acids and is a promising drug target. In plant plastids, a pyruvate dehydrogenase complex (PDH) converts pyruvate into acetyl‐CoA, the major fatty acid precursor, whereas a second, distinct PDH fuels the tricarboxylic acid cycle in the mitochondria. In contrast, the presence of genes encoding PDH and related enzyme complexes in the genomes of five Plasmodium species and of Toxoplasma gondii indicate that these parasites contain only one single PDH. PDH complexes are comprised of four subunits (E1α, E1β, E2, E3), and we confirmed four genes encoding a complete PDH in Plasmodium falciparum through sequencing of cDNA clones. In apicomplexan parasites, many nuclear‐encoded proteins are targeted to the apicoplast courtesy of two‐part N‐terminal leader sequences, and the presence of such N‐terminal sequences on all four PDH subunits as well as phylogenetic analyses strongly suggest that the P. falciparum PDH is located in the apicoplast. Fusion of the two‐part leader sequences from the E1α and E2 genes to green fluorescent protein experimentally confirmed apicoplast targeting. Western blot analysis provided evidence for the expression of the E1α and E1β PDH subunits in blood‐stage malaria parasites. The recombinantly expressed catalytic domain of the PDH subunit E2 showed high enzymatic activity in vitro indicating that pyruvate is converted to acetyl‐CoA in the apicoplast, possibly for use in fatty acid biosynthesis.
An integrated analysis of acute treatment-emergent extrapyramidal syndrome in patients with schizophrenia during olanzapine clinical trials: comparisons with placebo, haloperidol, risperidone, or clozapine.

BACKGROUND The frequency and severity of extrapyramidal syndrome (EPS) were evaluated in patients with DSM-III or DSM-IV schizophrenia in the acute phase (- 8 weeks) of randomized, double-blind, controlled trials from the integrated olanzapine clinical trial database. METHOD This retrospective analysis included 23 clinical trials and 4611 patients from November 11, 1991, through July 31, 2001. Incidences of dystonic, parkinsonian, and akathisia events were compared using treatment-emergent adverse-event data. Categorical analyses of Simpson-Angus Scale and Barnes Akathisia Scale (BAS) scores, use of anticholinergic medications, and baseline-to-endpoint changes in Simpson-Angus Scale and BAS scores were compared. RESULTS A significantly smaller percentage of olanzapine-treated patients experienced dystonic events than did haloperidol- (p <.001) or risperidone-treated patients (p =.047). A significantly greater percentage of haloperidol-treated patients experienced parkinsonian (p <.001) and akathisia (p <.001) events than did olanzapine-treated patients. Categorical analysis of Simpson-Angus Scale scores showed significantly more haloperidol- (p <.001) or risperidone-treated patients (p =.004) developed parkinsonism than did olanzapine-treated patients. Olanzapine-treated patients experienced significantly greater reductions in Simpson-Angus Scale scores than did haloperidol- (p <.001), risperidone- (p <.001), or clozapine-treated (p =.032) patients. Categorical analysis of BAS scores showed significantly more haloperidol-treated patients experienced treatment-emergent akathisia versus olanzapine-treated patients (p <.001). Significantly greater reductions in BAS scores were experienced during olanzapine treatment versus placebo (p =.007), haloperidol (p <.001), and risperidone (p =.004) treatments. A significantly smaller percentage of olanzapine-treated patients received anticholinergic medications compared with that of haloperidol- (p <.001) or risperidone-treated patients (p =.018). Compared with that in olanzapine-treated patients, the duration of anticholinergic cotreatment was significantly longer among haloperidol- (p <.001) or risperidone-treated patients (p =.040) and significantly shorter among clozapine-treated patients (p =.021). CONCLUSION This analysis of available data from olanzapine clinical trials lends additional support to olanzapine's favorable EPS profile.
Specific Uncoupling of GRB2 from the Met Receptor

The biological effects of hepatocyte growth factor/scatter factor are mediated by autophosphorylation of its receptor, the Met tyrosine kinase, on two carboxyl-terminal tyrosines. These phosphotyrosines (Y1349VHVNATY1356VNV) are multifunctional docking sites for several effectors. Grb2, the adaptor for the Ras guanyl-nucleotide exchanger SOS, binds to Tyr1356 in the YVV motif. By site-directed mutagenesis we either abrogated or duplicated the Grb2 consensus, without interfering with the other effectors. Loss of the link with Grb2 severely impaired transformation. The same mutation, however, had no effect on the “scattering” response, indicating that the level of signal which can be reached by Grb2-independent routes is permissive for motility. Duplication of the Grb2 binding site enhanced transformation and left motility unchanged. Thus, two Met-mediated biological responses, motility and growth, can be dissociated on the basis of their differential requirement for a direct link with Ras.
Volatility Spillover Analysis and Empirical Studyon the Financial Market Based on Copula Theory

It is very important to mensurate the volatility spillover for the dynamic investment portfolio and risk management. The known literature is based on linear correlation of the volatility between different financial markets, however, linear correlation cannot describe the non-linear relationship between the financial markets. We use Copula technology to describe the non-linear relationship between the financial markets and SV models to depict the marginal distribution of the data of the financial markets, and by introducing Volatility Structural Change to analyze volatility spillover, empirically analyze the feasibility of the method.
Quasi Two-Level Operation of Modular Multilevel Converter for Use in a High-Power DC Transformer With DC Fault Isolation Capability

DC fault protection is one challenge impeding the development of multiterminal dc grids. The absence of manufacturing and operational standards has led to many point-to-point HVDC links built at different voltage levels, which creates another challenge. Therefore, the issues of voltage matching and dc fault isolation are undergoing extensive research and are addressed in this paper. A quasi two-level operating mode of the modular multilevel converter is proposed, where the converter generates a square wave with controllable dv/dt by employing the cell voltages to create transient intermediate voltage levels. Cell capacitance requirements diminish and the footprint of the converter is reduced. The common-mode dc component in the arm currents is not present in the proposed operating mode. The converter is proposed as the core of a dc to dc transformer, where two converters operating in the proposed mode are coupled by an ac transformer for voltage matching and galvanic isolation. The proposed dc transformer is shown to be suitable for high-voltage high-power applications due to the low-switching frequency, high efficiency, modularity, and reliability. The dc transformer facilitates dc voltage regulation and near instant isolation of dc faults within its protection zone. Analysis and simulations confirm these capabilities in a system-oriented approach.
Factors Affecting the Distribution of Neural Blockade by Local Anesthetics in Epidural Anesthesia and a Comparison of Lumbar Versus Thoracic Epidural Anesthesia

The spread of sensory blockade after epidural injection of a specific dose of local anesthetic (LA) differs considerably among individuals, and the factors affecting this distribution remain the subject of debate. Based on the results of recent investigations regarding the distribution of epidural neural blockade, specifically for thoracic epidural anesthesia, we noted that the total mass of LA appears to be the most important factor in determining the extent of sensory, sympathetic, and motor neural blockade, whereas the site of epidural needle/catheter placement governs the pattern of distribution of blockade relative to the injection site. Age may be positively correlated with the spread of sensory blockade, and the evidence is somewhat stronger for thoracic than for lumbar epidural anesthesia. Other patient characteristics and technical details, such as patient position, and mode and speed of injection, exert only a small effect on the distribution of sensory blockade, or their effects are equivocal. However, combinations of several patient and technical factors may aid in predicting LA dose requirements. Based on these results, we have also formulated suggested epidural insertion sites that may optimize both analgesia and sympathicolysis for various surgical indications.
Age differences in physique of adult males aged 30 to 86 years in Rarotonga, the Cook Islands

In the Pacific Region, some adult populations have shown a steady rise in overweight and obesity across the 1970s and into the 1990s. While younger adults have been shown to have lower body mass index (BMI) than older ones in both the least and most modernised Samoan populations, among intermediately modernised Samoan populations, BMI has been found to be higher in younger adults than in older ones. A survey in the Cook Islands carried out in 1966 showed no age group differences in height, weight and BMI among adult males, but significantly higher mean weight and BMI among adult males aged 30 years and above. The present analysis gives mean height, weight, BMI and skinfolds of adult males above 30 years of age on Rarotonga in 1996, and examines whether the BMI – age group relationship now shows a similar transitional pattern to that observed on American Samoa. In addition, the 1996 values are compared with values obtained in 1986, to determine whether changes in physique have taken place across this time. In the 1996 volunteer sample of 142 male Cook Islanders, older adults are significantly shorter, lighter, with lower BMI than younger adults. Furthermore, the younger adults of the 1996 survey are significantly heavier, with greater BMI than the 1986 sample. This suggests that the adult male Rarotongan population is in an intermediate position with respect to lifestyle transition, the secular trend in body size and increasing prevalence of obesity, and that there has been a rapid increase in body fatness prevalence among younger adults.
EUROPEAN SOCIETY FOR PAEDIATRIC INFECTIOUS DISEASES

INVASIVE PNEUMOCOCCAL DISEASE AMONG CllILDREN IN FINLAND 1 Aino Takala MD, Jussi Jero MD, Juhani Eskola MD National Public llealth Institute, SF-00300 Ilelsinki; FINLAND In industrial countries pneumococccll (Pnc) diseases are, second to llaemophilus influenzae type b (llib), the most cause of invasive infections in children. The prevention of Pnc disease wiLh vaccination has been handicapped by the low immunogenicity of polysaccharide vaccines in young children. Ilowever. similar to llib conjugate vaccines. Pnc capsular polysaccharides can be conjugated to protein carriers, which is expected to improve their immunogenicity and make them possible candidates for the prevention of invasive Pnc disease in children. In Finland all invasive infections in children (0-15 years of age) have been intensively surveilled since 1985. During the past 5 years (1985-89) 447 cases were reported, in which Pnc was isolated from blood, CSF or deep aspirate. The annual incidence among 0-4 years old children was 231100000 (431100000 among those less than 2 years of age), 2.51100 000 among 5-9 years old and 1,21100 000 among those 10-15 years old. No isolate was resistant to penicillin. The most common clinical manifestation was septicemia (63%) followed by pneumonia (IS%), meningitis (14%). cellulitis (2%). arthritis (1%) and others (6%). 91% of the 325 isolates typed thus far belonged to 8 capsular types: 6(19%), 14(19%), 19(17%), 7(10%), 18(8%), 23(7%), 9(6%) and 15(5%). A Pnc conjugate vaccine containing e.g. five (6,14,18,19 and 23) capsular polysaccharide would cover 70% of invnsive infections caused by Pnc among children in Finland.
Temporal trends of invasive disease due to Streptococcus pneumoniae among children in the intermountain west: emergence of nonvaccine serogroups.

BACKGROUND Use of the heptavalent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV-7 [Prevnar]) has been associated with decreased a incidence of invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) among children in the United States. METHODS Cases of IPD in children < 18 years of age insured by or receiving health care from Intermountain Health Care during 1996-2003 were identified. Isolates of S. pneumoniae from children with IPD treated at Primary Children's Medical Center (PCMC; Salt Lake City, UT) during 1997-2003 were serogrouped. Temporal trends of IPD, serogroup distribution of pneumococci, and antibiotic resistance among pneumococci were analyzed. RESULTS A total of 1535 cases of IPD were identified. The rate of IPD decreased 27% after the introduction of PCV7. Among children with IPD who were cared for at PCMC, disease in 73% was caused by PCV7 serogroups in 1997-2000, compared with 50% in 2001-2003 (P < .001), and the percentage of isolates resistant to penicillin decreased from 34% in 1997-2000 to 22% in 2001-2003 (P = .04). The percentage of IPD cases that were empyema increased from 16% to 30% (P = .015), and the percentage of severe cases of IPD increased from 57% to 71% (P = .026). Children with IPD due to non-PCV7 serogroups were older, were more likely to have parapneumonic empyema, and had longer hospital stays. CONCLUSIONS The incidence of IPD in the IMW decreased by 27% after the introduction of the PCV7 vaccine. During the postvaccine period (2001-2003), there were significant decreases in the proportion of cases of IPD caused by PCV7 and antibiotic-resistant serogroups. These benefits were accompanied by a significant increase in the proportion of IPD cases due to non-PCV7 serogroups, with increases in the incidence of empyema and severe IPD.
Data Transmission by Frequency-Division Multiplexing Using the Discrete Fourier Transform

The Fourier transform data communication system is a realization of frequency-division multiplexing (FDM) in which discrete Fourier transforms are computed as part of the modulation and demodulation processes. In addition to eliminating the bunks of subcarrier oscillators and coherent demodulators usually required in FDM systems, a completely digital implementation can be built around a special-purpose computer performing the fast Fourier transform. In this paper, the system is described and the effects of linear channel distortion are investigated. Signal design criteria and equalization algorithms are derived and explained. A differential phase modulation scheme is presented that obviates any equalization.
Notable encyclopedias of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries : nine predecessors of the Encyclopédie

General encyclopedias illuminate the culture of an era, but they tend to be neglected as a subject of scholarly research. This is especially true for the period from 1674 to 1750. Of the more than thirty encyclopedias published in those years, the contributors to this book examine nine of the most important, paying particular attention to their publishing history, editing, prose style, political and religious views, and contents as books of knowledge. Seven of them - those either in English or French - went into at least five editions. The other two encyclopedias are Johann Heinrich Zedler's German-language Universal-lexicon, by far the longest European encyclopedia of the period, and Gianfrancesco Pivati's Nuovo dizionario, the first learned alphabetized Italian encyclopedia to be completed. Also, at least seven of the nine works deserve notice, because they served as models or sources for the Encyclopedie. The epilogue of this study compares the Encyclopedie with the nine predecessors so that the renowned work edited by Diderot and D'Alembert can be more accurately evaluated and appreciated once a previously ignored part of its background is clarified. This book is a companion to Notable encyclopedias of the late eighteenth century: eleven successors of the 'Encyclopedie' (SVEC 315, 1994), edited by Frank A. Kafker.
Regulation of sulfate assimilation in Arabidopsis and beyond.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS Sulfate assimilation is a pathway used by prokaryotes, fungi and photosynthetic organisms to convert inorganic sulfate to sulfide, which is further incorporated into carbon skeletons of amino acids to form cysteine or homocysteine. The pathway is highly regulated in a demand-driven manner; however, this regulation is not necessarily identical in various plant species. Therefore, our knowledge of the regulation of sulfate assimilation is reviewed here in detail with emphasis on different plant species. SCOPE Although demand-driven control plays an essential role in regulation of sulfate assimilation in all plants, the molecular mechanisms of the regulation and the effects of various treatments on the individual enzymes and metabolites are often different. This review summarizes (1) the molecular regulation of sulfate assimilation in Arabidopsis thaliana, especially recent data derived from platform technologies and functional genomics, (2) the co-ordination of sulfate, nitrate and carbon assimilations in Lemna minor, (3) the role of sulfate assimilation and glutathione in plant-Rhizobia symbiosis, (4) the cell-specific distribution of sulfate reduction and glutathione synthesis in C(4) plants, (5) the regulation of glutathione biosynthesis in poplar, (6) the knock-out of the adenosine 5'phosphosulfate reductase gene in Physcomitrella patens and identification of 3'-phosphoadenosyl 5'-phosphosulfate reductase in plants, and (7) the sulfur sensing mechanism in green algae. CONCLUSIONS As the molecular mechanisms of regulation of the sulfate assimilation pathway are not known, the role of Arabidopsis as a model plant will be further strengthened. However, this review demonstrates that investigations of other plant species will still be necessary to address specific questions of regulation of sulfur nutrition.