Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC‐PUFA) and perinatal development

This paper reports on the conclusions of a workshop on the role of long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC‐PUFA) in maternal and child health The attending investigators involved in the majority of randomized trials examining LC‐PUFA status and functional outcomes summarize the current knowledge in the field and make recommendations for dietary practice. Only studies published in full or in abstract form were used as our working knowledge base.
A Rapid Phenotypic Assay for Detecting Multiple Nucleoside Analogue Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitor-Resistant HIV-1 in Plasma

Zidovudine and other nucleoside analogue reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs), like zalcitabine and didanosine used for treatment of individuals infected with HIV-1, can select for viruses with Q151M and other associated mutations (for example, A62V, S68G, V75I, F77L, F116Y) in the reverse transcriptase (RT) enzyme. These mutations confer resistance to multiple nucleoside analogues, and thereby compromise the efficacy of this class of drugs. Presently available phenotypic assays for detection of multiple nucleoside analogue resistant (MNR) HIV-1 require testing for each NRTI individually. Here we report an enzymatic RT assay that uses resistance to zidovudine triphosphate (zidovudine-TP) as a diagnostic biochemical marker of MNR HIV-1. This assay exploits the different biochemical mechanisms for zidovudine-resistance conferred by either Q151M or T215Y/F mutations and the inability of conventional RT assays to detect T215Y/F-associated zidovudine resistance. The assay detects RT activity directly in plasma by using Amp-RT, an ultra-sensitive PCR-based RT assay. We show that enzymatic resistance to zidovudine-TP is specific to MNR RT and is distinguishable from both wild-type (WT) and RT containing classical zidovudine-resistant mutations (D67N, K70R, T215Y/F, K219Q). Compared to WT, MNR HIV-1 RT had 5- to 36-fold increases in the concentration of drug required to inhibit 50% (IC50) of RT activity, depending on the presence of Q151M alone or with additional MNR mutations. A screening assay utilizing 1 μM zidovudine-TP was developed and validated on 14 reference isolates, 37 plasma specimens, and seven patient-derived viruses. Twenty-three specimens were found to have reduced susceptibility to zidovudine-TP, and all had Q151M. In contrast, 21 specimens were sensitive to zidovudine-TP, of which 12 had WT genotypes, four had T215Y/F, and five had T69S-insertions along with T215Y/F mutations. This RT-based phenotypic assay provides a specific and rapid tool for the direct identification and monitoring of Q151M-associated MNR HIV-1 in plasma.
Effect of ESD on complex programmable logic device and field programmable gate arrays

Complex electronics devices are becoming more sensitive to electrostatic discharge (ESD). These components are being developed with higher density (extra memory bits per unit volume) and are becoming faster (MHz, GHz, THz, etc.). These upgrades in technology do not come without a "technological price". By enhancing the products' performance to meet the users' demands and requirements, one drawback is the reduction in the ESD sensitivity voltage levels. Indirect and direct air/contact discharge test has been conducted on the ALS-SDA-CPLD/FPGA trainer kit linked to the digital to analog converter (DAC) module. The Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGA) and Complex Programmable Logic Devices (CPLD) are found to be very ESD sensitive. The FPGA 3s50 IC was affected during the contact discharge to the input pin. There was damage to the bond pad as well as the metal top layer was damaged. The DAC ICs were affected during the ESD discharge " one due to direct ESD effects and the other due to indirect ESD effects. There was dielectric breakdown damage observed in the CPLD 9572 IC.
A proline-threonine substitution in codon 351 of ADH1C is common in Native Americans.

BACKGROUND The alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) genes have been repeatedly associated with protection against alcoholism. Until now, only four protein coding variants have been identified (ADH1C Arg271Gln, Ile349Val, ADH1B Arg47His, and Arg369Cys), and only two of these (ADH1CIle349Val and ADH1B Arg47His) have been routinely tested in association studies with alcoholism. METHODS The new ADH1C*351Thr allele was identified by direct sequencing of DNA samples that gave different typing results for the ADH1C Ile349Val polymorphism with different typing protocols. RESULTS A new coding variant has been identified at codon 351 of ADH1C. This allele is found in most Native American populations that we have studied with allele frequencies of the new ADH1C*351Thr allele as high as 26%. Only two instances of this allele have been seen in a large survey of African and Eurasian populations. CONCLUSIONS The changes in charge, size, and rotational mobility caused by this amino acid substitution should be significant. Because this new variant codes for a new enzyme form in Native Americans, the kinetics of this enzyme should be studied and considered in studies of the role of in the protection against alcoholism in Native Americans.
In Vitro Phenotypic Susceptibility of Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 2 Clinical Isolates to Protease Inhibitors

ABSTRACT We determine phenotypic susceptibility of human immunodeficiency virus type 2 (HIV-2) isolates to amprenavir, atazanavir, darunavir, indinavir, lopinavir, nelfinavir, saquinavir, and tipranavir. Saquinavir, lopinavir, and darunavir are potent against wild-type HIV-2 isolates and should be preferred as first-line options for HIV-2-infected patients. Other protease inhibitors are less active against HIV-2 than against HIV-1.
Novel AC-DC and DC-DC converters with a diode-capacitor multiplier

This paper presents a transformerless ac-dc and or dc-dc converter with a high output voltage multiplicity, which contains only one switch. The converter consists of an inverter and a diode-capacitor multiplier (DCM) and provides a voltage gain equal to double the number of multiplier steps. In the case of ac-dc conversion the proposed converter offers a practically unit power factor and provides a sine wave input current. The analysis of the steady state as well as the transient behavior of the DCM is given and simplified equivalent circuits are proposed. The prototype of the DCM has been built and tested to show the validity of the proposed converter. The theoretical analysis, the computer simulation results, and the experimental testing results are in good agreement.
A case of rapid-growing anaplastic meningiomas

Meningiomas are tumours originating from the leptomeningeal covering of the brain and spinal cord and are generally benign and slow growing. Rarely, they show malignant anaplastic characteristics with a high recurrence rate. A number of factors have been reported to predict this high recurrence. Such factors are histopathological ones, such as necrosis and hypercellularity, the World Health Organization (WHO) grade, mitotic index, positivity of proliferation markers (Ki-67 or MIB-1), clinical parameters such as age, gender, localisation, cytogenetic factors and radiation treatment. The present case reports a patient with a giant meningioma over the right frontal lobe who had almost all possible negative prognostic parameters and showed an explosive multifocal recurrence in a timespan of about 5 months.
Optimal Design of an Inset PM Motor With Assisted Barriers and Magnet Shifting for Improvement of Torque Characteristics

This paper presents an optimal design of an inset permanent magnet (PM) motor for improved torque characteristics. The key of the design is to introduce a bidirectional way of magnet shifting, along with assisted air barriers, into an inset PM motor, where magnets are shifted clockwise or anti-clockwise as needed. The introduced bidirectional shifting way lowers the requirement for shifting space between poles and also can reduce undesirable radial force to decrease vibration and noise. Moreover, the proposed inset PM motor can guarantee the torque density with great reduction of on-load torque ripple because the assisted air barriers can not only enhance the utilization of reluctance torque but also will not introduce any other torque harmonic and even can reduce torque ripple further. Also, the analytical expressions of torques are established and the appropriate angles of magnets shifting and assisted air barriers are, respectively, chosen to obtain low torque ripple and optimal torque density. Finally, these theoretical analyses are verified by the finite-element method.
A 0.5 V PWM CMOS Imager With 82 dB Dynamic Range and 0.055% Fixed-Pattern-Noise

This paper presents a 0.5 V operated pulse-width modulation (PWM) CMOS imager with threshold-variation canceling (TVC) and programmable current-controlled threshold (PCCT) schemes implemented in 0.18 μm CMOS technology. The proposed TVC scheme efficiently improves the fixed-pattern-noise (FPN) issue caused by process variation in conventional PWM sensors. The limited dynamic range in ultra-low-voltage operated sensor can be extended by 56.5 dB with the proposed PCCT operation. The measurement results of the prototype chip show an array FPN of 0.055%, a column FPN of 0.016%, a dark random noise of 0.65 LSB, and a dynamic range (DR)of 82 dB. The total chip consumes 4.95 uW and 29.6 μW at 11.8 fps and 78.5 fps, which achieves an iFOM of 163.9 pW/f-p and 147.3 pW/f-p, respectively.
Reciprocal regulation of the tandemly duplicated PHO5/PHO3 gene cluster within the acid phosphatase multigene family of Saccharomyces cerevisiae

We characterized the organization and expression of PHO5 and PHO3, the tightly linked repressible and constitutive acid phosphatase genes of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The "constitutive" gene, PHO3, is expressed only when PHO5 is not. Altering PHO5 expression, either through promoter deletions or through mutations in trans-acting regulatory genes, showed that PHO5 expression is sufficient to block transcription of PHO3. An active genomic copy of PHO5 was able to block expression of PHO3 from a high-copy-number plasmid, showing that some trans-acting product of PHO5 is involved. This is probably a translation product, since the presence of a nontranslatable PHO5 RNA did not inhibit transcription of PHO3.
On the criteria to be used in decomposing systems into modules

This paper discusses modularization as a mechanism for improving the flexibility and comprehensibility of a system while allowing the shortening of its development time. The effectiveness of a “modularization” is dependent upon the criteria used in dividing the system into modules. A system design problem is presented and both a conventional and unconventional decomposition are described. It is shown that the unconventional decompositions have distinct advantages for the goals outlined. The criteria used in arriving at the decompositions are discussed. The unconventional decomposition, if implemented with the conventional assumption that a module consists of one or more subroutines, will be less efficient in most cases. An alternative approach to implementation which does not have this effect is sketched.
Emotional Design in Multimedia: Does Gender and Academic Achievement Influence Learning Outcomes?.

This study was designed as a preliminary study (N=33) to explore the effects of gender and academic achievement (Cumulative Grade Point Average-CGPA) on polytechnic students learning outcomes when exposed to Multimedia Learning Environments (MLE) designed to induce emotions. Three designs namely; positive (PosD), neutral (NeuD) and negative (NegD) had similar contents and narrations but differed visually based on colours, images and font (size and style) so that it depicted the intended emotions it is designed for. The learning outcomes evaluated are learning achievement, perceived intrinsic motivation and satisfaction. Overall, there were no significant difference between gender and CGPA when exposed to the emotionally designed MLE. However, male students were significantly more motivated and satisfied with the NegD design compared to the female students. A significant positive relationship was observed between intrinsic motivation and satisfaction and between gender and design. Female students preferred PosD and male students, NegD. Users of PosD and NegD showed strong relationship between perceived intrinsic motivation and satisfaction. With regards to learning achievement, high academic achievers performed better in the PosD design compared to other designs. No significant relationships were found between any of the variables for the NueD design.
An Extension to the Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) for Symmetric Response Routing

The Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) operates over UDP and TCP, among others. When used with UDP, responses to requests are returned to the source address the request came from, and to the port written into the topmost Via header field value of the request. This behavior is not desirable in many cases, most notably, when the client is behind a Network Address Translator (NAT). This extension defines a new parameter for the Via header field, called "rport", that allows a client to request that the server send the response back to the source IP address and port from which the request originated.
Single electron tunneling based arithmetic computation

In this dissertation we investigate the implementation of computer arithmetic operations with Single Electron Tunneling (SET) technology based circuits. In our research we focus on the effective utilization of the SET technologys specific characteristic, i.e., the ability to control the transport of individual electrons. We pursue two main research directions: Single Electron Encoded Logic (SEEL) and Electron Counting (EC) arithmetic. All the design we propose are verified by means of simulation and evaluated in terms of area, delay and energy consumption. The first line of research, i.e., the SEEL paradigm, is based on encoding Boolean variables as a net charge of zero or one electron thus charge transport in a SEEL gate due to switching activity is limited to one electron. Within the SEEL paradigm we first propose a generic Threshold Logic Gate (TLG) from which we derive a Boolean logic gate family. Subsequently, we investigate the behavior of the SEEL TLG as a network component, argue that buffering is a method to reduce crosstalk problems and propose four SEEL buffers. A buffer choice is argued, based on TLG buffering suitability, and subsequently utilized to implement buffered Boolean gates. We next explore SEEL implementations of memory elements and propose static latches, flip-flops and dynamic memory elements. Given the above components, i.e., SEEL Boolean gates, threshold gates and memory elements, we propose building blocks for serial adders, ripple carry adders, carry-lookahead adders and tree multipliers and evaluate the above adders and multipliers. The second line of research, i.e., the EC paradigm, is based on encoding integer values as charge and performing arithmetic operations on charge encoded operands. Within the EC paradigm we first suggest a set of EC building blocks and propose generic schemes for EC based addition and multiplication. We then assume that limited amounts of charge can be transported in an EC block and propose designs for high radix EC addition and multiplication that can manage such limitations.
Introductory Lecture: In Vitro Translation Analysis of Integral Membrane Proteins

AbstractA method of in vitro translation scanning was applied to a variety of polytopic integral membrane proteins, a transition metal P type ATPase from Helicobacter pylori, the SERCA 2 ATPase, the gastric H+,K+ ATPase, the CCK-A receptor and the human ileal bile acid transporter. This method used vectors containing the N terminal region of the gastric H+,K+ ATPase or the N terminal region of the CCK-A receptor, coupled via a linker region to the last 177 amino acids of the β-subunit of the gastric H+,K+ ATPase. The latter contains 5 potential N-linked glycosylation sites. Translation of vectors containing the cDNA encoding one, two or more putative transmembrane domains in the absence or presence of microsomes allowed determination of signal anchor or stop transfer properties of the putative transmembrane domains by the molecular weight shift on SDS PAGE. The P type ATPase from Helicobacter pylori showed the presence of 8 transmembrane segments with this method. The SERCA 2 Ca2+ ATPase with this method .
High-Density, Low-Mating-Force, Magnetically-Coupled, Percutaneous Connector for Implanted Electrode Arrays

As the fields of neuroscience and neural engineering have advanced, chronic implantable microelectrode arrays with 16 to 256 active channels have reached widespread use. However, implanted connector systems for these arrays have not received much attention and are a common source of experiment failure and irregularities. Intermittent connections, unreliable mechanical coupling, contamination, breaks and failures of materials, and high mating forces are common issues that plague most of the connector schemes used today. This paper discusses the design of a novel percutaneous connector for implanted microelectrode arrays with up to 128 individual channels, that addresses many of these issues. The implanted pedestal uses an array of high-density contacts, distributed in a titanium base that can be mounted to bone or other fixation points. The external connector uses an array of spring-loaded pins to make electrical contact and an innovative magnetic coupling mechanism to mate and hold the connector to the pedestal. The implanted pedestal can be produced inexpensively, and the connector can be mated and unmated without applying significant forces to the pedestal
Enzalutamide (formerly MDV3100) prolongs survival in docetaxel-pretreated castration-resistant prostate cancer patients

Until lately, castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) patients who progressed following docetaxel chemotherapy had no treatment alternative with proven survival benefit. This changed with a series of recently published phase III trials that lead to approval of several new, life-prolonging agents by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the European Medicines Agency (EMA).
Do nutrient–gut–microbiota interactions play a role in human obesity, insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes?

The current obesity and type 2 diabetes pandemics have causes beyond changes in eating and exercise habits against a susceptible genetic background. Gut bacteria seem to additionally contribute to the differences in body weight, fat distribution, insulin sensitivity and glucose‐ and lipid‐metabolism. Data, mostly derived from preclinical studies, suggest that gut microbiota play an important role in conditions such as obesity, diabetes, metabolic syndrome and non‐alcoholic fatty liver disease. Regulation of energy uptake from the gut, by digesting otherwise indigestible common polysaccharides in our diet, production or activation of signalling molecules involved in host metabolism, modification of gut permeability, the release of gut hormones and inflammation, are among the mechanisms by which gut microbiota may influence the host cardiometabolic phenotype. Recent evidence suggests that quantitative and qualitative differences in gut microbiota exist between lean and obese, and between diabetic and non‐diabetic individuals. Modification of the gut microbiota composition and/or its biochemical capacity by specific dietary or pharmacological interventions may favourably affect host metabolism. Large‐scale intervention trials, investigating the potential benefit of prebiotics and probiotics in improving cardiometabolic health in high‐risk populations, are eagerly awaited.
Role of glial and neuronal glycine transporters in the control of glycinergic and glutamatergic synaptic transmission in lamina X of the rat spinal cord

Using whole cell voltage clamp recordings from lamina X neurones in rat spinal cord slices, we investigated the effect of glycine transporter (GlyT) antagonists on both glycinergic inhibitory postsynaptic current (IPSCs) and glutamatergic excitatory postsynaptic current (EPSCs). We used ORG 24598 and ORG 25543, selective antagonists of the glial GlyT (GlyT1) and neuronal GlyT (GlyT2), respectively. In rats (P12–P16) and in the presence of kynurenic acid, 6‐cyano‐7‐nitroquinoxaline‐2,3‐dione (CNQX) and bicuculline, ORG 24598 and ORG 25543 applied individually at a concentration of 10 μm induced a mean inward current of −10/−50 pA at −60 mV and increased significantly the decay time constants of miniature (mIPSCs), spontaneous (sIPSCs) and electrically evoked glycinergic (eIPSCs) inhibitory postsynaptic currents. ORG 25543, but not ORG 24598, decreased the frequency of mIPSCs and sIPSCs. Replacing extracellular sodium with N‐methyl‐d‐glucamine or superfusing the slice with micromolar concentrations of glycine also increased the decay time constant of glycinergic IPSCs. By contrast, the decay time constant, amplitude and frequency of miniature GABAergic IPSCs recorded in the presence of strychnine were not affected by ORG 24598 and ORG 25543. In the presence of strychnine, bicuculline and CNQX, we recorded electrically evoked NMDA receptor‐mediated EPSCs (eEPSCs). eEPSCs were suppressed by 30 μmd‐2‐amino‐5‐phosphonovalerate (APV), an antagonist of the NMDA receptor, and by 30 μm dichlorokynurenic acid (DCKA), an antagonist of the glycine site of the NMDA receptor. Glycine (1–5 μm) and d‐serine (10 μm) increased the amplitude of eEPSCs whereas l‐serine had no effect. ORG 24598 and ORG 25543 increased significantly the amplitude of NMDA receptor‐mediated eEPSCs without affecting the amplitude of non‐NMDA receptor‐mediated eEPSCs. We conclude that blocking glial and/or neuronal glycine transporters increased the level of glycine in spinal cord slices, which in turn prolonged the duration of glycinergic synaptic current and potentiated the NMDA‐mediated synaptic response.
Sequential CD4-Coreceptor Interactions in Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 Env Function: Soluble CD4 Activates Env for Coreceptor-Dependent Fusion and Reveals Blocking Activities of Antibodies against Cryptic Conserved Epitopes on gp120

ABSTRACT We devised an experimental system to examine sequential events by which the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) envelope glycoprotein (Env) interacts with CD4 and coreceptor to induce membrane fusion. Recombinant soluble CD4 (sCD4) activated fusion between effector cells expressing Env and target cells expressing coreceptor (CCR5 or CXCR4) but lacking CD4. sCD4-activated fusion was dose dependent, occurred comparably with two- and four-domain proteins, and demonstrated Env-coreceptor specificities parallel to those reported in conventional fusion and infectivity systems. Fusion activation occurred upon sCD4 preincubation and washing of the Env-expressing effector cells but not the coreceptor-bearing target cells, thereby demonstrating that sCD4 exerts its effects by acting on Env. These findings provide direct functional evidence for a sequential two-step model of Env-receptor interactions, whereby gp120 binds first to CD4 and becomes activated for subsequent functional interaction with coreceptor, leading to membrane fusion. We used the sCD4-activated system to explore neutralization by the anti-gp120 human monoclonal antibodies 17b and 48d. These antibodies reportedly bind conserved CD4-induced epitopes involved in coreceptor interactions but neutralize HIV-1 infection only weakly. We found that 17b and 48d had minimal effects in the standard cell fusion system using target cells expressing both CD4 and coreceptor but potently blocked sCD4-activated fusion with target cells expressing coreceptor alone. Both antibodies strongly inhibited sCD4-activated fusion by Envs from genetically diverse HIV-1 isolates. Thus, the sCD4-activated system reveals conserved Env-blocking epitopes that are masked in native Env and hence not readily detected by conventional systems.