A method for computing Lucas sequences

AbstractMost of public-key cryptosystems rely on one-way functions, which can be used to encrypt and sign messages. Their encryption and signature operations are based on the computation of exponentiation. Recently, some public-key cryptosystems are proposed and based on Lucas functions, and the Lucas sequences are performed as S = V(d)modN. In this paper, we will transform the concept of addition chains for computing the exponentiation evaluations to the Lucas chains for computing the Lucas sequences. Theoretically, the shorter Lucas chain for d is generated, the less computation time for evaluating the value V(d) is required. Therefore, we proposed a heuristic algorithm for evaluating a shorter Lucas chain and then use it to compute the Lucas sequence with less modular multiplications

Improvement of n-butanol tolerance in Escherichia coli by membrane-targeted tilapia metallothionein

Background: Though n-butanol has been proposed as a potential transportation biofuel, its toxicity oftencauses oxidative stress in the host microorganism and is considered one of the bottlenecks preventing itsefficient mass production.Results: To relieve the oxidative stress in the host cell, metallothioneins (MTs), which are known as scavengersfor reactive oxygen species (ROS), were engineered in E. coli hosts for both cytosolic and outer-membrane-targeted (osmoregulatory membrane protein OmpC fused) expression. Metallothioneins from human (HMT),mouse (MMT), and tilapia fish (TMT) were tested. The host strain expressing membrane-targeted TMT showed thegreatest ability to reduce oxidative stresses induced by n-butanol, ethanol, furfural, hydroxymethylfurfural, andnickel. The same strain also allowed for an increased growth rate of recombinant E. coli under n-butanol stress.Further experiments indicated that the TMT-fused OmpC protein could not only function in ROS scavenging butalso regulate either glycine betaine (GB) or glucose uptake via osmosis, and the dual functional fusion proteincould contribute in an enhancement of the host microorganism’s growth rate.Conclusions: The abilities of scavenging intracellular or extracellular ROS by these engineering E. coli wereexamined, and TMT show the best ability among three MTs. Additionally, the membrane-targeted fusion protein,OmpC-TMT, improved host tolerance up to 1.5% n-butanol above that of TMT which is only 1%. These resultspresented indicate potential novel approaches for engineering stress tolerant microorganism strains

Acupuntura: prática baseada em evidências

Acupuncture has been put in evidence more recently. It represents an ascending practice among under-graduated medical students, as well as among graduated physicians in search for their specialization. Recently, acupuncture won BMA approval, which not only recommended NHS to accept acupuncture to treat chronic headache, but suggested that more primary care doctors should be trained to practice acupuncture. In a review of some recent studies, acupuncture has been studied as a validated practice to treat conditions like systemic arterial hypertension and in vitro fertilization, conditions which differ from usual indication of acupuncture. This new situation put a new perspective to acupuncture, perhaps it is on due time that acupuncture should be considered as part of orthodox medicine.A acupuntura está cada vez mais em evidência, além de ser uma especialidade em ascensão tanto entre os estudantes de medicina, como entre os médicos que buscam a sua especialização, ganhou destaque da Associação Médica Britânica que advogou a sua aprovação perante a comunidade médica britânica, além de recomendar o Sistema de Saúde Pública Britânica a aceitar o tratamento de cefaléia crônica por acupuntura, aconselha que o mesmo encoraje os médicos de atenção primária a passar por treinamento em acupuntura. Na revisão de trabalhos recentes, a acupuntura está sendo pesquisada para o tratamento de diversas moléstias ou condições clínicas diferentes daquelas a que eram indicadas. Situações como hipertensão arterial sistêmica e fertilização in vitro, a acupuntura tem sido estudada como opções de tratamento válidas. Essa situação coloca uma nova perspectiva para a especialidade acupuntura, que está sendo considerada cada vez como uma prática em saúde validada, dentro dos paradigmas da medicina ortodoxa

Acupuncture: a validated therapeutic modality in updated physician therapeutic arsenal

One of the most ancient therapeutic maneuvers, acupuncture is part of Traditional Chinese Medicine. Based in ancient philosophic thinking and observation of naturally occurred phenomena, Traditional Chinese Medicine possesses peculiar pathophysiology,complicated diagnosis system based on examination of pulse, tongue and observation of patients´ behavior and attitudes. During long decades, acupuncture has been considered as an exotic alternative to Orthodox Western Medicine, however, recent studies and the panel studies promoted by NIH (National Institutes of Health) in 1988 have elected acupuncture asa validated therapy for a long listed health disorders, thus transforming acupuncture as a serious therapeutic modality. More discussions and studies should be evaluated in order to obtaining more evidence-based indication for acupuncture and to carry out the medical education in teaching acupuncture.Uma das mais antigas modalidades de terapêutica, acupuntura faz parte da MedicinaTradicional Chinesa. Baseada principalmente em um antigo pensamento filosófico chinês e na observação da ocorrência de fenômenos da natureza. Medicina Tradicional Chinesa possui uma fisiopatologia peculiar, um sistema de diagnóstico complicado baseado em exame de língua e pulso e na observação de comportamento e atitudes de pacientes. Durante décadas,a acupuntura foi considerada uma alternativa exótica à Medicina Ocidental Ortodoxa, entretanto, estudos recentes e estudos de painel do NIH norte americano em 1988 elegeram a acupuntura como uma terapia validada para uma extensa lista de afecções, transformando a em uma modalidade terapêutica séria. Necessitamos de mais estudos e discussões para aumentar as indicações baseadas em evidência para outras afecções, além de ajudar a implementar a educação médica em acupuntura

Regulation of neuroD2 expression in mouse brain

AbstractThe basic helix–loop–helix (bHLH) transcription factor, neuroD2, induces neuronal differentiation and promotes neuronal survival. Reduced levels of neuroD2 were previously shown to cause motor deficits, ataxia, and seizure propensity. Because neuroD2 levels may be critical for brain function, we studied the regulation of neuroD2 gene in cell culture and transgenic mouse models. In transgenic mice, a 10-kb fragment of the neuroD2 promoter fully recapitulated the endogenous neuroD2 staining pattern. A 1-kb fragment of the neuroD2 promoter drove reporter gene expression in most, but not all neuroD2-positive neuronal populations. Mutation of two critical E-boxes, E4 and E5 (E4 and E5 situated 149 and 305 bp upstream of the transcriptional start site) eliminated gene expression. NeuroD2 expression was diminished in mice lacking neurogenin1 demonstrating that neurogenin1 regulates neuroD2 during murine brain development. These studies demonstrate that neuroD2 expression is highly dependent on bHLH-responsive E-boxes in the proximal promoter region, that additional distal regulatory elements are important for neuroD2 expression in a subset of cortical neurons, and that neurogenin1 regulates neuroD2 expression during mouse brain development

The risk of false inclusion of a relative in parentage testing – an in silico population study

Aim To investigate the potential of false inclusion of a close genetic relative in paternity testing by using computer generated families. Methods 10 000 computer-simulated families over three generations were generated based on genotypes using 15 short tandem repeat loci. These data were used in assessing the probability of inclusion or exclusion of paternity when the father is actually a sibling, grandparent, uncle, half sibling, cousin, or a random male. Further, we considered a duo case where the mother’s DNA type was not available and a trio case including the mother’s profile. Results The data showed that the duo scenario had the highest and lowest false inclusion rates when considering a sibling (19.03 ± 0.77%) and a cousin (0.51 ± 0.14%) as the father, respectively; and the rate when considering a random male was much lower (0.04 ± 0.04%). The situation altered slightly with a trio case where the highest rate (0.56 ± 0.15%) occurred when a paternal uncle was considered as the father, and the lowest rate (0.03 ± 0.03%) occurred when a cousin was considered as the father. We also report on the distribution of the numbers for non-conformity (non-matching loci) where the father is a close genetic relative. Conclusions The results highlight the risk of false inclusion in parentage testing. These data provide a valuable reference when incorporating either a mutation in the father’s DNA type or if a close relative is included as being the father; particularly when there are varying numbers of non-matching loci

A novel strategy for sibship determination in trio sibling model

Aim To use a virtually simulated population, generated from published allele frequencies based on 15 short tandem repeats (STR), to evaluate the efficacy of trio sibship testing and sibling assignment for forensic purposes. Methods Virtual populations were generated using 15 STR loci to create a large number of related and unrelated genotypes (10 000 trio combinations). Using these virtual populations, the probability of related and unrelated profiles can be compared to determine the chance of inclusions of being siblings if they are true siblings and the chance of inclusion if they are unrelated. Two specific relationships were tested – two reference siblings were compared to a third true sibling (3S trio, sibling trio) and two reference siblings were compared to an unrelated individual (2S1U trio, non-sibling trio). Results When the likelihood ratio was greater than 1, 99.87% of siblings in the 3S trio population were considered as siblings (sensitivity); 99.88% of non-siblings in the 2S1U trio population were considered as non-siblings (specificity); 99.9% of both populations were identified correctly as siblings and non-siblings; and the accuracy of the test was 99.88%. Conclusions The high sensitivity and specificity figures when using two known siblings compared to a putative sibling are significantly greater than when using only one known relative. The data also support the use of increasing number of loci allowing for greater confidence in genetic identification. The system established in this study could be used as the model for evaluating and simulating the cases with multiple relatives

Indigenous Case of Disseminated Histoplasmosis, Taiwan

We report the first indigenous case of disseminated histoplasmosis in Taiwan diagnosed by histopathology of bone marrow, microbiologic morphology, and PCR assay of the isolated fungus. This case suggests that histoplasmosis should be 1 of the differential diagnoses of opportunistic infections in immunocompromised patients in Taiwan