Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Identification and Characterisation of the Early Differentiating Cells in Neural Differentiation of Human Embryonic Stem Cells

One of the challenges in studying early differentiation of human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) is being able to discriminate the initial differentiated cells from the original pluripotent stem cells and their committed progenies. It remains unclear how a pluripotent stem cell becomes a lineage-specific cell type during early development, and how, or if, pluripotent genes, such as Oct4 and Sox2, play a role in this transition. Here, by studying the dynamic changes in the expression of embryonic surface antigens, we identified the sequential loss of Tra-1-81 and SSEA4 during hESC neural differentiation and isolated a transient Tra-1-81(−)/SSEA4(+) (TR−/S4+) cell population in the early stage of neural differentiation. These cells are distinct from both undifferentiated hESCs and their committed neural progenitor cells (NPCs) in their gene expression profiles and response to extracellular signalling; they co-express both the pluripotent gene Oct4 and the neural marker Pax6. Furthermore, these TR−/S4+ cells are able to produce cells of both neural and non-neural lineages, depending on their environmental cues. Our results demonstrate that expression of the pluripotent factor Oct4 is progressively downregulated and is accompanied by the gradual upregulation of neural genes, whereas the pluripotent factor Sox2 is consistently expressed at high levels, indicating that these pluripotent factors may play different roles in the regulation of neural differentiation. The identification of TR-S4+ cells provides a cell model for further elucidation of the molecular mechanisms underlying hESC neural differentiation.
The Effects of Different Insufflation Pressures on Liver Functions Assessed with LiMON on Patients Undergoing Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy

Purpose. Laparoscopic cholecystectomy has been accepted as an alternative to laparotomy, but there is still controversy regarding the effects of pneumoperitoneum on splanchnic and hepatic perfusion. We assessed the effects of different insufflation pressures on liver functions by using indocyanine green elimination tests (ICG-PDR). Methods. We analyzed 43 patients who were scheduled for laparoscopic cholecystectomy. The patients were randomly allocated to two groups. In Group I, the operation was performed using 10 mmHg pressure pneumoperitoneum. In Group II, 14 mmHg pressure pneumoperitoneum was used. The ICG-PDR measurements were made after induction (ICG-PDR 1) and after the end of the operation (ICG-PDR 2). Serum aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and total bilirubin levels were all recorded preoperatively, 1 hour, and postoperative 24 hours after surgery. Results. The ICG-PDR 1 values for Groups I and II were as follows: 26.78 ± 4.2% per min versus 26.01 ± 2.4% per min (P > 0.05). ICG-PDR 2 values were found to be 25.63 ± 2.1% per min in Group I versus 19.06 ± 2.2% per min in Group II (P < 0.05). There was a statistically significant decrease between baseline and postoperative ICG-PDR values in Group II compared to Group I (P < 0.05). Statistically, there was an increase between baseline and postoperative 1st-hour serum AST and ALT level in Group II (P < 0.05) compared to Group I. No statistical differences were detected on postoperative 24st-hour serum AST and ALT levels and all the time bilirubin between groups (P > 0.05). Conclusion. In conclusion, the results show that 14 mmHg pressure pneumoperitoneum decreased the blood flow to the liver and increased postoperative 1st-hour serum AST and ALT levels. We think that 10 mmHg pressure pneumoperitoneum is superior to 14 mmHg pressure pneumoperitoneum in laparoscopic cholecystectomy.
Uptake of potentially toxic metals by vegetable plants grown on contaminated soil and their potential bioavailability using sequential extraction

In order to estimate plant available fraction of metals in three soils, three vegetable samples: Amaranthus viridis, Celosea argentea and Corchorus olitorius were grown on contaminated soils. Matured plants were harvested and analyzed for their metal concentration. The soil samples were collected before and after planting, acid digested and analyzed to determine the pseudo total metal concentration, and quantification was done using flame - atomic absorption spectroscopy (FAAS). To correlate metal accumulation by these plants with potential bioavailability of metals in soils, sequential extraction (SE) using the modified BCR technique was performed on the soils. A secondary soil reference material (GLAURM) was used for quality control. The results of the reference material showed that the found values were within three standard deviations of the target values for the elements determined in the aqua regia digests and for most steps of the SE. It was observed that each metal differed considerably in uptake. Of the plants investigated, A. viridis had the highest tissue concentration of Cd, Cr, Pb and Zn from the soils with concentration of 1.4, 5.2 and 3.2 mgkg -1 of Cd,
A compressed classical description of quantum states

We show how to approximately represent a quantum state using the square root of the usual amount of classical memory. The classical representation of an n-qubit state $\psi$ consists of its inner products with $O(\sqrt{2^n})$ stabilizer states. A quantum state initially specified by its $2^n$ entries in the computational basis can be compressed to this form in time $O(2^n \mathrm{poly}(n))$, and, subsequently, the compressed description can be used to additively approximate the expectation value of an arbitrary observable. Our compression scheme directly gives a new protocol for the vector in subspace problem with randomized one-way communication complexity that matches (up to polylogarithmic factors) the best known upper bound, due to Raz. We obtain an exponential improvement over Raz's protocol in terms of computational efficiency.
Use of platelet gel with connective tissue grafts for root coverage: a randomized-controlled trial.

BACKGROUND Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) was speculated to be a promoter of periodontal regeneration. There are only a few clinical comparative studies using PRP in the treatment of gingival recession. AIM The aim of the present study was to compare connective tissue graft (CTG)+PRP with CTG alone in the treatment of gingival recession. MATERIAL AND METHODS Forty patients with Miller I/II recessions were included. Each recession was randomly treated with either CTG+PRP or CTG. Clinical variables were recorded at baseline and at 6 weeks, 6 and 12 months. Root coverage (RC) and attachment gain (AG) were also calculated. RESULTS Probing depth, recession depth, clinical attachment level, keratinized tissue width and recession width (RW) were improved in both study groups. However, no difference was observed between groups, except RW. RW in the control group was statistically lower than the test group at all follow-up periods. CONCLUSION Treatment of recession with CTG or a CTG-PRP combination resulted in favourable clinical outcomes. However, no difference could be found between CTG and CTG+PRP. Whether much longer follow-up studies with higher statistical power may change these results remains questionable.
Rumination on Anger and Sadness in Adolescence: Fueling of Fury and Deepening of Despair

We examined anger rumination and sadness rumination in clinic-referred adolescents (N = 121). Factor analysis indicated that items from analogous anger and sadness rumination measures loaded onto 2 factors tapping anger rumination and sadness rumination, respectively. Structural equation modeling confirmed unique relations between each form of rumination and specific emotional or behavioral problems. Anger and anger rumination were independent predictors of aggression, suggesting that both the affective component of anger (i.e., angry feelings) and the cognitive process (i.e., recurrent thoughts about anger) are important in predicting aggressive behavior. Girls reported higher levels of both forms of rumination compared to boys; however, no sex differences were found in the relations between either form of rumination and outcomes.
Processing Asymmetry of Transitions between Order and Disorder in Human Auditory Cortex

Auditory environments vary as a result of the appearance and disappearance of acoustic sources, as well as fluctuations characteristic of the sources themselves. The appearance of an object is often manifest as a transition in the pattern of ongoing fluctuation, rather than an onset or offset of acoustic power. How does the system detect and process such transitions? Based on magnetoencephalography data, we show that the temporal dynamics and response morphology of the neural temporal-edge detection processes depend in precise ways on the nature of the change. We measure auditory cortical responses to transitions between “disorder,” modeled as a sequence of random frequency tone pips, and “order,” modeled as a constant tone. Such transitions embody key characteristics of natural auditory edges. Early cortical responses (from ∼50 ms post-transition) reveal that order–disorder transitions, and vice versa, are processed by different neural mechanisms. Their dynamics suggest that the auditory cortex optimally adjusts to stimulus statistics, even when this is not required for overt behavior. Furthermore, this response profile bears a striking similarity to that measured from another order–disorder transition, between interaurally correlated and uncorrelated noise, a radically different stimulus. This parallelism suggests the existence of a general mechanism that operates early in the processing stream on the abstract statistics of the auditory input, and is putatively related to the processes of constructing a new representation or detecting a deviation from a previously acquired model of the auditory scene. Together, the data reveal information about the mechanisms with which the brain samples, represents, and detects changes in the environment.
The Prognostic Role of BRAF Mutation in Metastatic Colorectal Cancer Receiving Anti-EGFR Monoclonal Antibodies: A Meta-Analysis

Background BRAF mutation has been investigated as a prognostic factor in metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) undergoing anti-EGFR monoclonal antibodies (moAbs), but current results are still inconclusive. The aim of this meta-analysis was to evaluate the relationship between BRAF mutation status and the prognosis of mCRC patients treated with moAbs. Methods Eligible studies were identified by systematically searching Pubmed, the Cochrane Library, Web of Knowledge, and OVID. Risk ratio (RR) for overall response rate (ORR), Hazard ratios (HRs) for Progression free survival (PFS) and Overall survival (OS) were extracted or calculated. Prespecified subgroup analyses were conducted in KRAS wild-type and in different study types. The source of between-trial variation was explored by sensitivity analyses. Quality assessment was conducted by the Hayden’s criteria. Results A total of twenty one trials including 5229 patients were identified for the meta-analysis. 343 patients displayed BRAF mutations of 4616 (7.4%) patients with known BRAF status. Patients with BRAF wild-type (WT) showed decreased risks of progression and death with an improved PFS(HR 0.38, 95% confidence intervals 0.29–0.51) and an improved OS (HR 0.35 [0.29–0.42]), compared to BRAF mutant. In KRAS WT population, there were even larger PFS benefit (HR 0.29[0.19,0.43]) and larger OS benefit (HR 0.26 [0.20,0.35]) in BRAF WT. A response benefit for BRAF WT was observed (RR 0.31[0.18,0.53]) in KRAS WT patients, but not observed in unselected patients (RR 0.76 [0.43–1.33]). The results were consistent in the subgroup analysis of different study types. Heterogeneity between trials decreased in the subgroup and explained by sensitivity analysis. No publication bias of ORR, PFS and OS were detected. Conclusions The results indicate that BRAF mutant is a predictive biomarker for poor prognosis in mCRC patients undergoing anti-EGFR MoAbs therapy, especially in KRAS WT patients. Additional large prospective trials are required to confirm the predictive role of BRAF status.
Capitalizing on order effects in the bids of peer-reviewed conferences to secure reviews by expert referees

Peer review supports scientific conferences in selecting high-quality papers for publication. Referees are expected to evaluate submissions equitably according to objective criteria e.g., originality of the contribution, soundness of the theory, validity of the experiments. We argue that the submission date of papers is a subjective factor playing a role in the way they are evaluated. Indeed, program committee PC chairs and referees process submission lists that are usually sorted by paperIDs. This order conveys chronological information, as papers are numbered sequentially upon reception. We show that order effects lead to unconscious favoring of early-submitted papers to the detriment of later-submitted papers. Our point is supported by a study of 42 peer-reviewed conferences in Computer Science showing a decrease in the number of bids placed on submissions with higher paperIDs. It is advised to counterbalance order effects during the bidding phase of peer review by promoting the submissions with fewer bids to potential referees. This manipulation intends to better share bids out among submissions in order to attract qualified referees for all submissions. This would secure reviews from confident referees, who are keen on voicing sharp opinions and recommendations acceptance or rejection about submissions. This work contributes to the integrity of peer review, which is mandatory to maintain public trust in science.
Plasma proteome profiling reveals biomarker patterns associated with prognosis and therapy selection in glioblastoma multiforme patients

Purpose: Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is a frequent and aggressive type of primary brain tumor with a heterogeneous origin. GBM is highly therapy resistant and carries a dismal prognosis for the patient. The purpose of this discovery study was to define candidate plasma biomarker signatures for improved classification and novel means for selecting patients for refined individualized therapy.
Response Binning: Improved Weak Classifiers for Boosting

This paper demonstrates the value of improving the discriminating strength of weak classifiers in the context of boosting by using response binning. The reasoning is centered around, but not limited to, the well known Haar-features used by Viola and Jones (2001) in their face detection/pedestrian detection systems. It is shown that using a weak classifier based on a single threshold is sub-optimal and in the case of the Haar-feature inadequate. A more general method for features with multi-modal responses is derived that is easily used in boosting mechanisms that accepts a confidence measure, such as the RealBoost algorithm. The method is evaluated by boosting a single stage classifier and compare the performance to previous approaches
Ferromagnetic coupling and magnetic anisotropy in oxalato-bridged trinuclear chromium(III)-cobalt(II) complexes with aromatic diimine ligands.

Two novel heterotrinuclear chromium(III)-cobalt(II) complexes of formula {[Cr(III)(bpy)(ox)(2)](2)Co(II)(Me(2)bpy)}. 2H(2)O (1) and {[Cr(III)(phen)(ox)(2)](2)Co(II)(Me(2)bpy)}. 1.5H(2)O (2) [ox = oxalato, bpy = 2,2'-bipyridine, Me(2)bpy = 6,6'-dimethyl-2,2'-bipyridine, and phen = 1,10-phenanthroline] have been synthesized using the "complex-as-ligand/complex-as-metal" strategy. The X-ray crystal structure of 2 consists of neutral oxalato-bridged Cr(III)(2)Co(II) bent entities formed by the coordination of two anionic [Cr(III)(phen)(ox)(2)](-) complexes through one of their oxalato groups toward a cationic cis-[Co(II)(Me(2)bpy)](2+) complex. The three tris(chelated), six-coordinated metal atoms possess alternating propeller chiralities leading thus to a racemic mixture of heterochiral (Lambda,Delta,Lambda)- and (Delta,Lambda,Delta)-Cr(III)Co(II)Cr(III) triads, whereby the two peripheral chromium(III) ions adopt a trigonal distorted trapezoidal bipyramidal geometry and the central high-spin cobalt(II) ion exhibits a compressed rectangular bipyramidal one. The intermolecular pi-pi stacking interactions between the enantiomeric pairs of heterochiral Cr(III)(2)Co(II) entities through the aromatic diimine terminal ligands lead to a unique two-dimensional supramolecular network. Variable temperature (2.0-300 K) magnetic susceptibility and variable-field (0-5.0 T) magnetization measurements for 1 and 2 reveal the presence of weak but non-negligible intermolecular antiferromagnetic interactions [zj = -0.012 (2a) and -0.08 cm(-1) (2b)] between the Cr(III)(2)Co(II) molecules possessing a moderately anisotropic S = 9/2 ground state. This results from the moderately weak intramolecular ferromagnetic coupling [J = +2.43 (1) and +2.34 cm(-1) (2)] between the two peripheral Cr(III) (S(Cr) = 3/2) and the central high-spin Co(II) (S(Co) = 3/2) ions across the oxalato bridge as well as the appreciable single-ion axial magnetic anisotropy of the central high-spin Co(II) (S(Co) = 3/2) ion [D(Co) = -2.29 (1) and -2.15 cm(-1) (2)]. A simple molecular orbital analysis of the exchange interaction in 1 and 2 identifies the sigma- and pi-type pathways involving the d(x(2)-y(2))(Cr)/d(xy)(Co) and d(xz)(Cr)/d(yz)(Co) pairs of orthogonal magnetic orbitals, respectively, as the two main individual contributions responsible for the overall ferromagnetic coupling observed.
Salvadoran fathers' attendance at prenatal care, delivery, and postpartum care.

OBJECTIVE To provide a baseline perspective on the prevalence of Salvadoran men's attendance at prenatal care, delivery, and postpartum well-baby care and on sociodemographic factors associated with their attendance, with the goal of informing efforts to help men play more positive roles in maternal-child health. METHODS The data came from the 2003 Salvadoran National Male Health Survey. The data focused on fathers (n = 418) and their most recent live-born child in the preceding five years. Factors associated with the fathers' participation in prenatal care visits, attendance at delivery, and participation in postnatal well-baby visits were explored using logistic and multinomial regression models. RESULTS Ninety percent of the recent Salvadoran fathers who were surveyed participated in a prenatal care visit, attended the delivery, or participated in a postpartum well-baby care visit; 34% participated in all three of the activities. Attendance at delivery was most common, reported by 81% of fathers; the most common reason that subjects cited for not attending was that they had had to work. CONCLUSIONS A large majority of the Salvadoran fathers participated in at least one prenatal care visit, delivery, or a postpartum well-baby care visit. While attendance alone does not necessarily indicate that men are supporting their partners, the results suggest that norms are in place for men to play positive roles in maternal-child health matters. Furthermore, the participation of fathers in these maternal and child health care activities may provide new opportunities to educate and further support men in both their own health and their family's health.
Habitat preferences of the secretive forest buffalo (Syncerus caffer nanus) in Central Africa

The forest buffalo Syncerus caffer nanus is one of the three subspecies of African buffalo inhabiting the rainforests of Western and Central Africa. Because of its secretive behaviour and main habitat (dense rainforests), there is little quantitative information on the habitat preferences of this buffalo. We present here the first data on the frequencies of this species along a habitat gradient ranging from clearings and rivers to forests, as well as the characteristics of the buffalo's resting places. We recorded information from a buffalo herd during the period January 2002–January 2004 in the Bai-Hokou area (Dzanga-Ndoki National Park, Central African Republic). Resting places were firstly compared with available habitat (i.e. resting vs. random sites) and, successively, comparisons were made between diurnal versus nocturnal and wet versus dry season resting places. Forest buffalos were found to be highly dependent on clearings, as well as on the more open forest stands, characterized by large trees and open canopy. Such preferences could be due to the tendency of the buffalos to rest all together; open patches are likely to facilitate social interactions between the members of the herd.
Semantic Analysis Does Not Occur in the Absence of Awareness Induced by Interocular Suppression

It has been intensely debated whether visual stimuli are processed to the point of semantic analysis in the absence of awareness. In the present study, we measured the extent to which the meaning of a stimulus was registered using the N400 component of human event-related potentials (ERPs), a highly sensitive index of the semantic mismatch between a stimulus and the context in which it is presented. Observers judged the semantic relatedness of a context and target word while ERPs were recorded under continuous flash suppression (Experiments 1 and 2) and binocular rivalry (Experiment 3). Finally, we parametrically manipulated the visibility of the target word by increasing the contrast between the target word and the suppressive stimulus presented to the other eye (Experiment 4). We found that the amplitude of the N400 was attenuated with increasing suppression depth and was absent whenever the observers could not discriminate the meaning of suppressed words. We discuss these findings in the context of single-process models of consciousness, which can account for a large body of empirical evidence obtained from visual masking, attentional manipulations, and, now, interocular suppression paradigms.
A combination of tumor necrosis factor‐α and neuronal nitric oxide synthase antibodies applied topically over the traumatized spinal cord enhances neuroprotection and functional recovery in the rat

The possibility that neutralization of nitric oxide synthase and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF‐α) in the cord using their antiserum will induce neuroprotection and improve functional outcome following spinal cord injury (SCI) was examined in a rat model. The SCI was induced in rats by a unilateral incision of the right dorsal horn at the T10–11 segments under equithesin anesthesia. TNF‐α and/or neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) antibodies were applied over the traumatized spinal cord at 10–90 minutes after injury and functional recovery and cord pathophysiology were examined at five hours. Topical application of TNF‐α antiserum at 10 min followed by NOS antiserum at 20 min after SCI significantly improved functional recovery and attenuated blood‐spinal cord barrier (BSCB) disturbances, edema formation, and cord pathology. These neuroprotective effects were also seen when the NOS antiserum was applied 10 min after injury followed by TNF‐α antiserum at 30 min after trauma. However, when TNF‐α antiserum was applied 1 h after injury and NOS antiserum was given either before or after TNF‐α antiserum, no neuroprotective effects were observed. Interestingly, neuronal injury was tightly correlated with nNOS expression in the cord in antibody treated groups. These novel observations suggest that early blockade of TNF‐α and nNOS expression within 20–30 min after SCI is beneficial in nature. This indicates that TNF‐α and nitric oxide play synergistic roles in the pathophysiology of SCI and combined antibodies therapy has added neuroprotective values in spinal trauma.