Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Vestibular evoked myogenic potential (VEMP) testing: normative threshold response curves and effects of age.

BACKGROUND Vestibular evoked myogenic potential (VEMP) testing has gained increased interest in the diagnosis of a variety of vestibular etiologies. P13/N23 latency, amplitude and threshold response curves have been used to compare pathologic groups to normal controls. Appropriate characterization of these etiologies requires normative data across the frequency spectrum and age range. PURPOSE The objective of the current study was to test the hypothesis that significant changes in VEMP responses occur as a function of increased age across all test stimuli as well as characterize the VEMP threshold response curve across age. RESEARCH DESIGN This project incorporated a prospective study design using a sample of convenience. Openly recruited subjects were assigned to groups according to age. STUDY SAMPLE Forty-six normal controls ranging between 20 and 76 years of age participated in the study. Participants were separated by decade into five age categories from 20 to 60 plus years. Normal participants were characterized by having normal hearing sensitivity, no history of neurologic or balance/dizziness involvement, and negative results on a direct office vestibular examination. INTERVENTION VEMP responses were measured at threshold to click and 250, 500, 750, and 1000 Hz tone burst stimuli and at a suprathreshold level to 500 Hz toneburst stimuli at123 dB SPL. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS A mixed group factorial ANOVA (analysis of variance) and linear regression were performed to examine the effects of VEMP characteristics on age. RESULTS There were no significant differences between ears for any of the test parameters. There were no significant differences between age groups for n23 latency or amplitude in response to any of the stimuli. Significant mean differences did exist between age groups for p13 latency (250, 750, and 1000 Hz) and threshold (500 and 750 Hz). Age was significantly correlated with VEMP parameters. VEMP threshold was positively correlated (250, 500, 750, 1000 Hz); and amplitude was negatively correlated (500 Hz maximum). The threshold response curves revealed best frequency tuning at 500 Hz with the highest thresholds in response to click stimuli. However, this best frequency tuning dissipated with increased age. VEMP response rates also decreased with increased age. CONCLUSION We have demonstrated that minor differences in VEMP responses occur with age. Given the reduced response rates and flattened frequency tuning curve for individuals over the age of 60, frequency tuning curves may not be a good diagnostic indicator for this age group.
Optical, dielectric and electrical properties of PVA doped with Sn nanoparticles

Films of pure and doped polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) with different concentrations of Sn nanoparticles (≦̸100 nm) were prepared using casting technique. The effect of Sn addition on micro-structural, optical, electrical and dielectric properties of PVA was investigated. Microstructure of Sn/PVA nanocomposite films was characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Dielectric properties and ac conductivity measurements were carried out at room temperature over a wide range of frequencies ranging from 50 Hz to 5 MHz. AC conductivity was found to increase with frequency. Besides, addition of Sn nanoparticles to PVA leads to a change in conductivities of the films. Coulomb blockade effect was found to dominate at certain concentrations of Sn which may be used to explain the obtained results. The dielectric properties of the Sn/PVA films were also investigated and results were discussed in correlation with the relevant models. The frequency dependence of the imaginary part of complex electric modulus for the Sn/PVA composites shows a loss peak attributed to interfacial polarization at a certain frequency. Optical energy gap of Sn/PVA films was determined and found to decrease for Sn concentrations up to 20% due to the interaction between the Sn nanoparticles and the host polymeric network leading to the creation of new molecular dipoles. For higher Sn concentrations, the optical energy gap starts to increase which may be resulting from structural changes leading to passivation of localized states near the band edges and hence widening of the energy gap.
CD69 Gene Is Differentially Regulated in T and B Cells by Evolutionarily Conserved Promoter-Distal Elements1

CD69 is a type II C-type lectin involved in lymphocyte migration and cytokine secretion. CD69 expression represents one of the earliest available indicators of leukocyte activation and its rapid induction occurs through transcriptional activation. In this study we examined the molecular mechanism underlying mouse CD69 gene transcription in vivo in T and B cells. Analysis of the 45-kb region upstream of the CD69 gene revealed evolutionary conservation at the promoter and at four noncoding sequences (CNS) that were called CNS1, CNS2, CNS3, and CNS4. These regions were found to be hypersensitive sites in DNase I digestion experiments, and chromatin immunoprecipitation assays showed specific epigenetic modifications. CNS2 and CNS4 displayed constitutive and inducible enhancer activity in transient transfection assays in T cells. Using a transgenic approach to test CNS function, we found that the CD69 promoter conferred developmentally regulated expression during positive selection of thymocytes but could not support regulated expression in mature lymphocytes. Inclusion of CNS1 and CNS2 caused suppression of CD69 expression, whereas further addition of CNS3 and CNS4 supported developmental-stage and lineage-specific regulation in T cells but not in B cells. We concluded CNS1–4 are important cis-regulatory elements that interact both positively and negatively with the CD69 promoter and that differentially contribute to CD69 expression in T and B cells.
HGF/SF Increases Number of Skin Melanocytes but Does Not Alter Quality or Quantity of Follicular Melanogenesis

Melanins are an important factor determining the vulnerability of mammalian skin to UV radiation and thus to UV-induced skin cancers. Transgenic mice overexpressing hepatocyte growth factor/scatter factor (HGF/SF) have extra-follicular dermal melanocytes, notably in the papillary upper dermis, and are susceptible to UV-induced melanoma. Pigmented HGF/SF neonatal mice are more susceptible than albino HGF/SF animals to UVA -induced melanoma, indicating an involvement of melanin in melanoma formation. This raises the question of the effect of transgenic HGF/SF on melanization. We developed a methodology to accurately quantitate both the production of melanin and the efficiency of melanogenesis in normal, and HGF/SF transgenic mice in vivo. Skin and hair shafts of 5 day old and adult (3 week old) C57BL/6-HGF/SF and corresponding C57BL/6 wild type mice were investigated by electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy (EPR) to quantitate melanin, by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) for the presence of melanosomes, and by standard histology and by Western blotting and zymography to determine the expression and activity of melanogenesis-related proteins. Eumelanin but no phaeomelanin was detected in transgenic C57BL/6-HGF and C57BL/6 wild type mice. Transgenic HGF/SF overexpression did not change the type of melanin produced in the skin or hair, did not affect the terminal content of melanin production in standard samples of hair and did not influence hair cycle/morphogenesis-related changes in skin thickness. No melanocytes were found in the epidermis and no melanosomes were found in epidermal keratinocytes. HGF/SF transgenic mice thus lack the epidermal melanin UV-protection found in constitutively dark human skin. We conclude that melanocytes in the HGF/SF transgenic mouse, particularly in the papillary dermis, are vulnerable to UVA which interacts with eumelanin but not phaeomelanin to induce melanoma.
Metagenomics of the Svalbard Reindeer Rumen Microbiome Reveals Abundance of Polysaccharide Utilization Loci

Lignocellulosic biomass remains a largely untapped source of renewable energy predominantly due to its recalcitrance and an incomplete understanding of how this is overcome in nature. We present here a compositional and comparative analysis of metagenomic data pertaining to a natural biomass-converting ecosystem adapted to austere arctic nutritional conditions, namely the rumen microbiome of Svalbard reindeer (Rangifer tarandus platyrhynchus). Community analysis showed that deeply-branched cellulolytic lineages affiliated to the Bacteroidetes and Firmicutes are dominant, whilst sequence binning methods facilitated the assemblage of metagenomic sequence for a dominant and novel Bacteroidales clade (SRM-1). Analysis of unassembled metagenomic sequence as well as metabolic reconstruction of SRM-1 revealed the presence of multiple polysaccharide utilization loci-like systems (PULs) as well as members of more than 20 glycoside hydrolase and other carbohydrate-active enzyme families targeting various polysaccharides including cellulose, xylan and pectin. Functional screening of cloned metagenome fragments revealed high cellulolytic activity and an abundance of PULs that are rich in endoglucanases (GH5) but devoid of other common enzymes thought to be involved in cellulose degradation. Combining these results with known and partly re-evaluated metagenomic data strongly indicates that much like the human distal gut, the digestive system of herbivores harbours high numbers of deeply branched and as-yet uncultured members of the Bacteroidetes that depend on PUL-like systems for plant biomass degradation.
Non-destructive electrochemical characterizations of reinforced concrete corrosion: basic and symbolic data analysis

Abstract Reinforcement corrosion is one of the major structural performance issues that need to be solved to extend the service lifetime of a concrete structure. It is influenced, on the one hand, by the concrete itself sound or contaminated (with chloride or carbonated) and, on the other hand, by the environmental conditions such as temperature and relative humidity (controlled or outdoor). To characterize the corrosion of steel rebar in concrete prisms, several electrochemical measurements such as half-cell potential, linear polarization resistance and impedance were performed and corrosion rates were then calculated. A database containing >3000 values has been established. These data have been firstly analyzed with basic statistics and secondly they have been modeled as symbolic data and studied with a principal component analysis. It is shown that symbolic principal component analysis is a powerful tool leading to more refined results.
Correlation between Nasoalveolar Molding and Surgical, Aesthetic, Functional and Socioeconomic Outcomes Following Primary Repair Surgery: a Systematic Review

ABSTRACT Objectives The authors performed a systematic review to evaluate the potential beneficial effects of the nasoalveolar molding appliance on nonsyndromic unilateral clefts of the lip and/or palate prior to primary lip repair. Material and Methods A literature search was performed using three electronic databases (PubMed, Embase, Web of Science) and three journals (“Cleft Palate-Craniofacial Journal”, “Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Journal” and “American Journal of Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopaedic”) from January 1980 to April 2017. Data extraction was performed with tables treating different subjects: surgical, aesthetical, functional, socio-economical effects of nasoalveolar molding (NAM) appliances and the evolution of NAM appliances, especially three-dimensional technology. Results Of the 145 articles retrieved in the literature surveys, 28 were qualified for the final analysis and 20 studies were excluded because of their small sample size (less than 10 patients) and/or too long follow-up (exceeded 18 months). Four randomized controlled trials were available. Although literature allowed discussing the short-term benefits of NAM appliance and the three-dimensional technology, scientific evidence is lacking. Conclusions Based on the results, nasoalveolar molding appliances have positive surgical, aesthetical, functional and socio-economical effects on unilateral clefts of the lip and/or palate treatment before the primary repair surgeries. Three-dimensional technology results in a more efficient and predictable nasoalveolar molding appliance treatment. However, nasoalveolar molding appliance effect in a short term remains unclear with the available literature. Further studies that integrate three-dimensional technology in a large scale are still needed.
Vitamin D status in Greenland is influenced by diet and ethnicity: a population-based survey in an Arctic society in transition

Vitamin D status as measured by plasma 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) is important to human health. Circumpolar people rely on dietary sources and societal changes in the Arctic are having profound dietary effects. The objective of the present study was to determine plasma 25(OH)D status and factors important to plasma 25(OH)D in populations in Greenland. Inuit and non-Inuit aged 50–69 years in the capital in West Greenland (latitude 64°15′N) and in a major town and remote settlements in East Greenland (latitude 65°35′N) were surveyed. Supplement use and lifestyle factors were determined by questionnaires. Inuit food scores were computed from a FFQ of seven traditional Inuit and seven imported food items. 25(OH)D2 and 25(OH)D3 levels were measured in the plasma. We invited 1 % of the population of Greenland, and 95 % participated. 25(OH)D3 contributed 99·7 % of total plasma 25(OH)D. Non-Inuit had the lowest median plasma 25(OH)D of 41 (25th–75th percentile 23–53) nmol/l compared with 64 (25th–75th percentile 51–81) nmol/l in Inuit (P< 0·001). Plasma 25(OH)D was below 20 and 50 nmol/l in 13·8 and 60·1 % of participants, respectively, with Inuit food item scores below 40 % (P< 0·001), and in 0·2 and 25·0 % of participants, respectively, with higher scores (P< 0·001). The Inuit diet was an important determinant of plasma 25(OH)D (P< 0·001) and its effect was modified by ethnicity (P= 0·005). Seal (P= 0·005) and whale (P= 0·015) were major contributors to plasma 25(OH)D. In conclusion, a decrease in the intake of the traditional Inuit diet was associated with a decrease in plasma 25(OH)D levels, which may be influenced by ethnicity. The risk of plasma 25(OH)D deficiency in Arctic populations rises with the dietary transition of societies in Greenland. Vitamin D intake and plasma 25(OH)D status should be monitored.
On the inverse and the dual index of a tree

The inverse of a graph with the spectrum λ 1, λ 1, …λ n (λ 1≠0) is a graph with the spectrum 1/λ1,1/λ2,…,1/λ n ,. We present a purely graph-theoretic construction of the inverse ol a tree with a perfect matening. We apply this method for deriving results concerning the least nonnegative eigenvalue of a tree (called the dual index of a tree), including the best possible upper bound for the dual index of a tree in terms of a the number of its vertices.
Characterization of the PvdS‐regulated promoter motif in Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato DC3000 reveals regulon members and insights regarding PvdS function in other pseudomonads

Bacteria that survive under variable conditions possess an assortment of genetic regulators to meet these challenges. The group IV or extracytoplasmic function (ECF) sigma factors regulate gene expression in response to specific environmental signals by altering the promoter specificity of RNA polymerase. We have undertaken a study of PvdS, a group IV sigma factor encoded by Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato DC3000 (DC3000), a plant pathogen that is likely to encounter variations in nutrient availability as well as plant host defences. The gene encoding PvdS was previously identified by sequence similarity to the Pseudomonas aeruginosa orthologue, which directs transcription of genes encoding the biosynthesis of pyoverdine, a siderophore involved in iron acquisition, and is responsible for the characteristic fluorescence of the pseudomonads. We identified 15 promoters regulated by PvdS in DC3000 and characterized the promoter motif using computational analysis. Mutagenesis of conserved nucleotides within the motif interfered with promoter function and the degree of the effect was different depending on which region of the motif was mutated. Hidden Markov models constructed from alignments of sequence motifs extracted from DC3000 and PAO1 were used to query genomes of DC3000 and other fluorescent pseudomonads for similar motifs. We conclude that the role of PvdS as a regulator of pyoverdine synthesis is conserved among the fluorescent pseudomonads, but the promoters recognized by PvdS orthologues may differ subtly from species to species.
In vitro development of palatal tissues from embryonic mice. I. Differentiation of the secondary palate from 12‐day mouse mebryos

Single palatal processes or homotypic paired palatal processes from 12‐day mouse embryos (strain C57B1) were grown in organ culture on Millipore filters. The epithelium along the medial edge of each palatal process became disrupted, and, by 72 hours of culture, paired palatal processes achieved mesenchymal fusion at the site of disruption. The nasal epithelium of paired palatal processes became a recognizable pseudostratified ciliated columnar epithelium by 96 hours of culture, and the oral epithelium became a recognizable stratified squamous epithelium by 120 hours of culture. These events correspond temporally to the differentiation of palatal tissue in vivo. Differentiative changes of single palatal processes followed the same schedule as double processes. Observations also suggest that the epithelium at the tip of the vertically oriented young palatal process corresponds to the medial epithelium of the more advanced horizontal process — these observations have bearing on the mechanism of palatal movement. In addition, the results suggest that a re‐evaluation of the terminology “potential for fusion” is necessary.
Interaction of wheat α‐thionin with large unilamellar vesicles

The interaction of the wheat antibacterial peptide α‐thionin with large unilamellar vesicles has been investigated by means of fluorescence spectroscopy. Binding of the peptide to the vesicles is followed by the release of vesicle contents, vesicle aggregation, and lipid mixing. Vesicle fusion, i.e., mixing of the aqueous contents, was not observed. Peptide binding is governed by electrostatic interactions and shows no cooperativity. The amphipatic nature of wheat α‐fhionin seems to destabilize the membrane bilayer and trigger the aggregation of the vesicles and lipid mixing. The presence of distearoylphosphatidylethanolamine‐poly(ethylene glycol 2000) (PEG‐PE) within the membrane provides a steric barrier that inhibits vesicle aggregation and lipid mixing but does not prevent leakage. Vesicle leakage through discrete membrane channels is unlikely, because the release of encapsulated large fluorescent dextrans is very similar to that of 8‐aminonaphthalene‐1,3,6, trisulfonic acid (ANTS). A minimum number of 700 peptide molecules must bind to each vesicle to produce complete leakage, which suggests a mechanism in which the overall destabilization of the membrane is due to the formation of transient pores rather than discrete channels.
Statistical model for prediction of hearing loss in patients receiving cisplatin chemotherapy.

IMPORTANCE This statistical model might be used to predict cisplatin-induced hearing loss, particularly in patients undergoing concomitant radiotherapy. OBJECTIVE To create a statistical model based on pretreatment hearing thresholds to provide an individual probability for hearing loss from cisplatin therapy and, secondarily, to investigate the use of hearing classification schemes as predictive tools for hearing loss. DESIGN Retrospective case-control study. SETTING Tertiary care medical center. PARTICIPANTS A total of 112 subjects receiving chemotherapy and audiometric evaluation were evaluated for the study. Of these subjects, 31 met inclusion criteria for analysis. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES The primary outcome measurement was a statistical model providing the probability of hearing loss following the use of cisplatin chemotherapy. RESULTS Fifteen of the 31 subjects had significant hearing loss following cisplatin chemotherapy. American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Society and Gardner-Robertson hearing classification schemes revealed little change in hearing grades between pretreatment and posttreatment evaluations for subjects with or without hearing loss. The Chang hearing classification scheme could effectively be used as a predictive tool in determining hearing loss with a sensitivity of 73.33%. Pretreatment hearing thresholds were used to generate a statistical model, based on quadratic approximation, to predict hearing loss (C statistic = 0.842, cross-validated = 0.835). The validity of the model improved when only subjects who received concurrent head and neck irradiation were included in the analysis (C statistic = 0.91). A calculated cutoff of 0.45 for predicted probability has a cross-validated sensitivity and specificity of 80%. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE Pretreatment hearing thresholds can be used as a predictive tool for cisplatin-induced hearing loss, particularly with concomitant radiotherapy.
Succinct Randomized Encodings and their Applications

A randomized encoding allows to express a "complex" computation, given by a function f and input x, by a "simple to compute" randomized representation f(x) whose distribution encodes f(x), while revealing nothing else regarding f and x. Existing randomized encodings, geared mostly to allow encoding with low parallel-complexity, have proven instrumental in various strong applications such as multiparty computation and parallel cryptography. This work focuses on another natural complexity measure: the time required to encode. We construct succinct randomized encodings where the time to encode a computation, given by a program Π and input x, is essentially independent of Π's time complexity, and only depends on its space complexity, as well as the size of its input, output, and description. The scheme guarantees computational privacy of (Π,x), and is based on indistinguishability obfuscation for a relatively simple circuit class, for which there exist instantiations based on polynomial hardness assumptions on multi-linear maps. We then invoke succinct randomized encodings to obtain several strong applications, including: Succinct indistinguishability obfuscation, where the obfuscated program IObf({Π}) computes the same function as Π for inputs x of apriori-bounded size. Obfuscating Π is roughly as fast as encoding the computation of Π on any such input x. Here we also require subexponentially-secure indistinguishability obfuscation for circuits. Succinct functional encryption, where a functional decryption key corresponding to Π allows decrypting Π(x) from encryptions of any plaintext x of apriori-bounded size. Key derivation is as fast as encoding the corresponding computation. Succinct reusable garbling, a stronger form of randomized encodings where any number of inputs x can be encoded separately of Π, independently of Π's time and space complexity. Publicly-verifiable 2-message delegation where verifying the result of a long computation given by Π and input x is as fast as encoding the corresponding computation. We also show how to transform any 2-message delegation scheme to an essentially non-interactive system where the verifier message is reusable. Previously, succinct randomized encodings or any of the above applications were only known based on various non-standard knowledge assumptions. At the heart of our techniques is a generic method of compressing a piecemeal garbled computation, without revealing anything about the secret randomness utilized for garbling.