Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Response of masticatory muscles to passive stretch stimulus - from perspectives of functional appliances

Objective The aims of this study were to examine whether a passive stretch stimulus by means of a functional appliance induces changes in the fiber composition of masticatory muscles and whether these changes are similar to the changes in stretched limb muscle fibers by using RT-PCR, western blot, and immunohistochemical assays. Methods Five male New Zealand White rabbits were fitted with a prefabricated inclined plane on the maxillary central incisors to force the mandible forward (- 2 mm) and downward (- 4 mm). Further, 1 hind limb was extended and constrained with a cast so that the extensor digitorum longus (EDL) was stretched when the animal used the limb. The animals were sacrificed after 1 week and the masseter, lateral pterygoid, and EDL were processed and compared with those from control animals (n = 3). Results The stretched EDL had a significantly higher percentage of slow fibers, whereas the stretched masticatory muscles did not show changes in the composition of the major contractile proteins after 7 days. Conclusions The transition of fiber phenotypes in response to a stretch stimulus may take longer in the masticatory muscles than in the limb muscles.
CDX1 Gene Expression in Recurrent Spontaneous Abortion under Extracellular Regulatory Protein Kinase1/2 Signaling Pathway

The aim was to explore the mechanism of the gene expression of caudal-related homeobox transcription factor 1 ( CDX1 ) in recurrent spontaneous abortion (RSA) based on the extracellular regulatory protein kinase 1/2(ERK1/2) signaling pathway. In this study, 25 non-pregnant female patients were grouped into the experimental group (group B), who were admitted to the Binzhou Medical University Hospital from August 15, 2022 to June 10, 2023. Besides, 25 non-pregnant healthy female employees were selected as the control group (group A). The DNA was extracted from venous blood, which was amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Besides, the uterine tissue samples were processed and subjected to immunohistochemistry to monitor the phosphorylation level of ERK1/2, so as to analyze the expression of decidua and villous tissue cells in cytoplasm from group A and B. The results showed that the decidua and villous tissue cells of patients with RSA were almost not expressed in the cytoplasm. Through the χ 2 test, the frequency of CC genotype in patients from group B was sharply lower than that of group A (χ 2 =13.9 and P <0.05). However, the frequency of TT genotype in patients from group B was markedly higher than that of group A (χ 2 =9.1 and P <0.05), and the frequency of TT genotype in patients with 3 or more than 3 abortions was higher than that of patients with less than3 abortions. Therefore, it proved that there was a damage in the ERK1/2 signaling pathway in the cytoplasm of decidua and villous tissue cells of patients with RSA. RSA was also closely related to homocysteine, folic acid and vitamin B12 levels in serum. Moreover, the level of homocysteine in serum is associated with mutations of CDX1.In addition, patients with more than 3 abortions indicated a greater probability of CDX1 abnormalities.
Noisy Visual Training: Learning Robust Low-level Image Prior

Recently, self-supervision has been applied to low-level computer vision tasks as a powerful tool that no longer requires image pairs. However, directly applying self-supervision on deep estimators would lead to poor image fidelity due to lack of effective supervision. In this work, we study self-supervised deep denoisers and develop a new pre-training scheme with several plug-and-play modules to directly reconstruct invariant representation under unknown noise domains. Experiments on synthetic and real noise removal tasks shows the proposed scheme can improve current state-of-the-art self-supervised methods by a large margin and can achieves comparable performance with supervised methods. Code has been released in GitLab.
The Na+ /H+ exchanger (NHE1) as a novel co-adjuvant target in paclitaxel therapy of triple-negative breast cancer cells

Dysregulation of Na+ /H+ exchanger isoform one (NHE1) activity is a hallmark of cells undergoing tumorigenesis and metastasis, the leading cause of patient mortality. The acidic tumor microenvironment is thought to facilitate the development of resistance to chemotherapy drugs and to promote extracellular matrix remodeling leading to metastasis. Here, we investigated NHE1 as a co-adjuvant target in paclitaxel chemotherapy of metastatic breast cancer. We generated a stable NHE1-knockout of the highly invasive, triple-negative, MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells. The NHE1-knockout cells proliferated comparably to parental cells, but had markedly lower rates of migration and invasion in vitro. In vivo xenograft tumor growth in athymic nude mice was also dramatically decreased compared to parental MDA-MB-231 cells. Loss of NHE1 expression also increased the susceptibility of knockout cells to paclitaxel-mediated cell death. NHE1 inhibition, in combination with paclitaxel, resulted in a dramatic decrease in viability, and migratory and invasive potential of triple-negative breast cancer cells, but not in hormone receptor-positive, luminal MCF7 cells. Our data suggest that NHE1 is critical in triple-negative breast cancer metastasis, and its chemical inhibition boosts the efficacy of paclitaxel in vitro, highlighting NHE1 as a novel, potential co-adjuvant target in breast cancer chemotherapy.
Hippocampal place-cell firing during movement in three-dimensional space.

"Place" cells of the rat hippocampus are coupled to "head direction" cells of the thalamus and limbic cortex. Head direction cells are sensitive to head direction in the horizontal plane only, which leads to the question of whether place cells similarly encode locations in the horizontal plane only, ignoring the z axis, or whether they encode locations in three dimensions. This question was addressed by recording from ensembles of CA1 pyramidal cells while rats traversed a rectangular track that could be tilted and rotated to different three-dimensional orientations. Cells were analyzed to determine whether their firing was bound to the external, three-dimensional cues of the environment, to the two-dimensional rectangular surface, or to some combination of these cues. Tilting the track 45 degrees generally provoked a partial remapping of the rectangular surface in that some cells maintained their place fields, whereas other cells either gained new place fields, lost existing fields, or changed their firing locations arbitrarily. When the tilted track was rotated relative to the distal landmarks, most place fields remapped, but a number of cells maintained the same place field relative to the x-y coordinate frame of the laboratory, ignoring the z axis. No more cells were bound to the local reference frame of the recording apparatus than would be predicted by chance. The partial remapping demonstrated that the place cell system was sensitive to the three-dimensional manipulations of the recording apparatus. Nonetheless the results were not consistent with an explicit three-dimensional tuning of individual hippocampal neurons nor were they consistent with a model in which different sets of cells are tightly coupled to different sets of environmental cues. The results are most consistent with the statement that hippocampal neurons can change their "tuning functions" in arbitrary ways when features of the sensory input or behavioral context are altered. Understanding the rules that govern the remapping phenomenon holds promise for deciphering the neural circuitry underlying hippocampal function.
Thermal properties of low density polyethylene-filled kenaf cellulose composites.

The main objective of this paper is to investigate the thermal properties of the kenaf cellulose (0 - 50 %wt) and the low-density polyethylene (LDPE) composites. In addition, the effect of two different weights of compatibilizing agent, polyethylene glycol (PEG),was examined. Each sample of biocomposites was subjected to the heating of the cycle between 35-600 °C to obtain their thermal behavior by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The differential scanning calorimetric (DSC) also was determined in the cycle heating of 25- 600 °C. By increasing cellulose content, the thermal stability was slightly improved. The thermal stability of LDPE-cellulose composites was affected by cellulose and PEG. The onset degradation temperature and the decomposition temperature of the composites were increased when the cellulose is added to the LDPE matrix. Also, the melting temperature (Tm) and the enthalpy (ΔH) of these biocomposites were slightly soared by increasing cellulose and PEG content. This enhancement of thermal stability and properties can be attributed to an improvement in the interfacial adhesion and compatibility between the cellulose and matrix, due to the treatment of compatibilizing agent.
Knowledge about Breast Cancer and Barriers to Screening among Saudi Women in Al-Baha Region.

OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to measure the knowledge about breast cancer and to identify the barriers in screening among Saudi women in the Al-Baha region. To achieve this, a cross-sectional study was conducted, involving 468 women, to assess their understanding of breast cancer and to explore the obstacles they face in accessing breast cancer screening services. METHODS The cross-sectional study included 468 women from Al Baha, Saudi Arabia, starting from May 17, 2022, to May 17, 2023. Participants were interviewed by well-trained team members of the research, and their responses were subsequently entered into a Google Form. This process aimed to evaluate their awareness, knowledge, and barriers to breast cancer screening. RESULTS The majority of participants (48.9%) were in the 18-28 age group. The findings reveal a high level of awareness (96.4%) among participants regarding the significance of early breast cancer detection. For the effectiveness of breast cancer treatment, 59% believed there is an effective treatment, while 32.9% were uncertain or did not know. Knowledge about various risk factors for breast cancer varied. Smoking (73.5%), genetic factors (65.6%), and a family history of breast cancer (70.7%) were well-recognized as risk factors. Education and occupation significantly influenced knowledge about breast cancer (p-value of 0.000, and 0.035 respectively). CONCLUSION this research highlights strong awareness of breast cancer's importance but gaps in knowledge regarding lesser-known factors. Education is crucial, requiring tailored campaigns and healthcare professional engagement.
Spectral Methods for Supervised Topic Models

Supervised topic models simultaneously model the latent topic structure of large collections of documents and a response variable associated with each document. Existing inference methods are based on either variational approximation or Monte Carlo sampling. This paper presents a novel spectral decomposition algorithm to recover the parameters of supervised latent Dirichlet allocation (sLDA) models. The Spectral-sLDA algorithm is provably correct and computationally efficient. We prove a sample complexity bound and subsequently derive a sufficient condition for the identifiability of sLDA. Thorough experiments on a diverse range of synthetic and real-world datasets verify the theory and demonstrate the practical effectiveness of the algorithm.
The development of reference models for the RENISYS specification method

New trends in globalization encourage firms to consider new forms of organizational structures and supporting information system infrastructure. Information systems for these emerging global business networks are hard to specify because of their complexity and changeability. A problem with current specification methods is that they are not sufficiently capable of capturing the context of the information system. To address this problem, we examine the role that reference models can play in increasing the context-sensitivity of such methods. We present the reference framework from the RENISYS approach to help in the specification of a more adequate information system infrastructure for business networks. Within this framework we distinguish between three modeling levels: the problem domain, human network, and information system level. To further refine the problem domain we apply the roles-linkage model from the area of network analysis. This model is used to represent the actors and links between those actors as the basis for the exact definition of the communication patterns between the participants of the network. A small case study shows how such a context-sensitive specification method could be implemented.
Minimally Invasive Ablation of a Toxic Thyroid Nodule by High-Intensity Focused Ultrasound

SUMMARY: HIFU is used in the treatment of cancer (prostate, breast) and uterine fibroma but not yet in TNs. This case report describes the first successful ablation of a toxic TN with HIFU. TSH and radioiodine scan normalization were achieved without complications and maintained for 18 months. HIFU treatment is a minimally invasive technique that may be an effective safe alternative to radioiodine or surgery in patients with toxic TNs.
Discovering Admissible Models of Complex Systems Based on Scale-Types and Idemtity Constraints

SDS is a discovery system from numeric measurement data. It outperforms the existing systems in every aspect of search efficiency, noise tolerancy, credibility of the resulting equations and complexity of the target system that it can handle. The power of SDS comes from the use of the scale-types of the measurement data and mathematical property of identity by which to constrain the admissible solutions. Its algorithm is described with a complex working example and the performance comparison with other systems are discussed.
Antioxidant and Antiadipogenic Activities of Galkeun-Tang, a Traditional Korean Herbal Formula

Galkeun-tang (GKT; Galgen-tang in Chinese and Kakkon-to in Japanese), a traditional herbal formula, has been used for treatment of the common cold. Here, we report in vitro antioxidant and antiadipogenic effects of GKT. GKT increased the activities of scavenging 2,2′-azinobis-(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) and 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radicals. GKT also significantly reduced the malondialdehyde (MDA) generation during low-density lipoprotein (LDL) oxidation and the electrophoretic mobility of oxidized LDL, indicating inhibitory effects of GKT on Cu2+-mediated oxidation of LDL. Regarding antiadipogenic activity, GKT treatment significantly suppressed lipid accumulation, triglyceride production, and glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GPDH) activity in differentiated 3T3-L1 adipocytes. Consistent with this, GKT significantly reduced the secretion of leptin, a major adipokine, in differentiated 3T3-L1 adipocytes. Overall, our findings suggest that GKT has the potential for antioxidative and antiadipogenic properties.
Motion Modes Analysis with Elastic Network Model from the p53 DNA-binding Domain

p53 DNA-binding domain (p53DBD) plays crucial roles in domain stability, DNA binding and dimerization. In this article, we analyze the motion mode of p53DBD using the Gaussian network model and anisotropy elastic network model. For each structure, the calculated B-factors by two models obtain good agree with the experimentally determined B-factors in x-ray crystal structures. The results show that the four CRs (conserved regions) in the p53DBD have small fluctuation in the slowest mode of GNM, but the same regions lay the peaks of the fast modes. With the aid of the anisotropy elastic network mode, we analyze the motion directions of this domain. The first slowest mode of ANM for both structures mainly corresponds to the rotational motion. However, the CR V (N-terminal) shows an opposite direction with the other parts of structure. Through this motion, p53DBD will bind to its consensus sequence DNA in a highly cooperative manner. By analyzing cross-correlations between residue fluctuations of p53DBD, the results indicate that residues involved in similar functions are fluctuating in a cooperative manner.
The monoclonal antibody to cytotoxic T lymphocyte antigen 4, ipilimumab, in the treatment of melanoma

Background: Cytotoxic T lymphocyte antigen 4 (CTLA-4) is an inhibitory regulator of the T-cell immune response against tumor cells. Ipilimumab is a monoclonal antibody directed against CTLA-4. Objective: This review describes the basic mechanism of ipilimumab and discusses data avail-able to date with regards to its safety and efficacy profile. Methods: Data from clinical trials including abstracts was reviewed using the PubMed Database, as well as the American Society of Clinical Oncology Abstract Database. Conclusion: CTLA-4 inhibition with a monoclonal antibody is usually well tolerated and has efficacy as a therapeutic agent in a variety of cancers. The classical response interpreta-tion has changed because of the delayed mechanism of action. The toxicities are autoimmune events and guidelines for treatment of these effects are discussed. Therapy with ipilimumab leads to durable responses. The first two Phase III randomized studies showed an improvement of survival at 1, 2, and 3 years. Other studies are currently underway to better understand the optimal treatment administration of ipilimumab in melanoma.
On the capacity of MIMO interference channels

The capacity region of a multiple-input-multiple-output interference channel (MIMO IC) in which the channel matrices are square and invertible is studied. The capacity region for strong interference is established where the definition of strong interference parallels that of scalar channels. Moreover, the sum-rate capacity for Z interference, noisy interference, and mixed interference is established. These results generalize known results for the scalar Gaussian IC.
A Critical Role for the Transient Receptor Potential Channel Type 6 in Human Platelet Activation

While calcium signaling is known to play vital roles in platelet function, the mechanisms underlying its receptor-operated calcium entry component (ROCE) remain poorly understood. It has been proposed, but never proven in platelets, that the canonical transient receptor potential channel-6 (TRPC6) mediates ROCE. Nonetheless, we have previously shown that the mouse TRPC6 regulates hemostasis, thrombogenesis by regulating platelet aggregation. In the present studies, we used a pharmacological approach to characterize the role of TRPC6 in human platelet biology. Thus, interestingly, we observed that a TRPC6 inhibitor exerted significant inhibitory effects on human platelet aggregation in a thromboxane receptor (TPR)-selective manner; no additional inhibition was observed in the presence of the calcium chelator BAPTA. This inhibitor also significantly inhibited human platelet secretion (dense and alpha granules), integrin IIb-IIIa, Akt and ERK phosphorylation, again, in a TPR-selective manner; no effects were observed in response to ADP receptor stimulation. Furthermore, there was a causal relationship between these inhibitory effects, and the capacity of the TRPC6 inhibitor to abrogate elevation in intracellular calcium, that was again found to be TPR-specific. This effect was not found to be due to antagonism of TPR, as the TRPC6 inhibitor did not displace the radiolabeled antagonist [3H]SQ29,548 from its binding sites. Finally, our studies also revealed that TRPC6 regulates human clot retraction, as well as physiological hemostasis and thrombus formation, in mice. Taken together, our findings demonstrate, for the first time, that TRPC6 directly regulates TPR-dependent ROCE and platelet function. Moreover, these data highlight TRPC6 as a novel promising therapeutic strategy for managing thrombotic disorders.
Shifting Covert Attention to Spatially Indexed Locations Increases Retrieval Performance of Verbal Information

People look at emptied spatial locations where information has been presented during encoding. There is evidence that this socalled ‘looking at nothing’ behaviour plays a functional role in memory retrieval of visuospatial and verbal information. However, it is unclear whether this effect is caused by the oculomotor movement of the eyes per se or if covertly shifting attention is sufficient to cause the observed differences in retrieval performance. In an experimental study (N = 26), participants were manipulated in being able to shift either their eyes or their focus of attention to a blank spatial location whilst retrieving verbal information that was associated with the location during a preceding encoding phase. Results indicate that it is not the oculomotor movement of the eyes that causes the facilitation while retrieving verbal materials, but rather covert shifts of attention are sufficient to promote differences in retrieval performance.
Habitat selection by Mottled Duck Anas fulvigula broods

The western coast of the Gulf of Mexico provides important habitat for migrating and resident waterfowl, including the Mottled Duck Anas fulvigula , which relies on this region for all of its life-cycle events. The Western Gulf Coast (WGC) population has been in decline since the 1970s, primarily because of loss and degradation of large tracts of wetlands and coastal prairies due to human activities. The Mottled Duck Conservation Plan, developed by academics involved in Mottled Duck research, state and federal biologists, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service migratory bird staff, flyway council representatives, and others, suggested that increasing recruitment is essential for the recovery of the population. Management and preservation of brood-rearing habitats are crucial for increasing recruitment rates. However, gaps still exist in knowledge of the species’ ecological requirements, and relatively little research has been conducted on wetland habitat selection by female Mottled Ducks with broods. This study investigated habitat selection by 82 Mottled Duck broods from six replicate surveys of 300 wetlands in 1994 and 330 wetlands in 1995 along the Texas coast, and by tracking the movements of 14 radio-marked Mottled Duck females with broods in 2001. Brood-rearing Mottled Ducks selected palustrine unconsolidated bottom, palustrine aquatic bed, palustrine emergent, and estuarine intertidal aquatic bed wetlands. The average distance between the nest site and the wetland first used by Mottled Duck broods was 1,073 m, and the median longest daily movement by female Mottled Ducks throughout the brood-rearing period was 1,497 m. These results indicate that the proximity of nesting habitat to brood-rearing habitat is an important landscape variable to consider for future management strategies. Brood survival is a major factor driving Mottled Duck recruitment; creating or managing wetlands for these key characteristics therefore may help increase recruitment rates and stabilise the WGC Mottled Duck population.
When Less is Less and When Less is More: Starting Small with Staged Input

It has been suggested that external and/or internal limitations may paradoxically lead to superior learning (i.e., the concepts of “starting small” and “less is more”; Elman, 1993; Newport, 1990). In this paper, we explore what conditions might lead to a starting small effect. We report on four artificial grammar learning experiments with human participants. In Experiment 1A, we found an effect of starting small with visual center-embedded, recursive input staged incrementally. Experiment 1B replicated this finding and extended the effect to right-branching recursive structure. Finally, in Experiments 2A and 2B we found no effect for starting small with auditory center-embedded or rightbranching input. These results suggest that starting small can confer a learning advantage but perhaps only under certain conditions.