Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Quantifying Sexual Dimorphism in the Human Cranium: A Preliminary Analysis of a Novel Method

In forensic anthropology, sexually dimorphic cranial features are traditionally visually assessed and scored using an ordinal scale, which is highly subjective. This study quantifies six cranial features using original three‐dimensional coordinate measurements to provide greater accuracy in sex estimation. Cranial features include supraorbital ridges, glabella, external occipital protuberance, nuchal protuberances, mastoid processes, and frontal bosses. Measurements were taken using coordinate calipers from 158 White and Black male and female crania from the Maxwell Documented Collection at University of New Mexico and Tennessee's Bass Collection. Overall, 72.2% of the crania were correctly classified. Males were correctly classified 69.9% of the time, while females were correctly classified 74.7% of the time. The overall value is similar to the results from traditional methods and suggests this method may be just as reliable as established visual sex estimation techniques.
Vancomycin-resistant enterococci in acute myeloid leukemia and myelodysplastic syndrome patients undergoing induction chemotherapy with idarubicin and cytarabine

Abstract We conducted a retrospective study to determine the risk factors associated with vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) acquisition/infection in newly diagnosed acute myeloid leukemia and myelodysplastic syndrome patients undergoing chemotherapy with the 7 + 3 regimen of cytarabine and idarubicin. Although only 2.5% (6/235) patients were colonized with VRE on admission, 59% (134/229) of patients acquired VRE during their hospitalization. Multivariable analysis identified the use of intravenous vancomycin (p = .024; HR: 1.548) and cephalosporin (p = .009; HR: 1.596) as the risk factors for VRE acquisition. VRE infection developed in 14% (33/229) of patients, with bloodstream infections accounting for 82% (27/33) of cases. VRE infection occurred in 25/126 (20%) of the VRE-colonized patients, but only 8/103 (8%) of those who were not (p = .01). Our study provides the evidence for the role of intravenous cephalosporin and vancomycin in VRE acquisition and highlights the clinical significance of VRE colonization in these patients.
The Real-World Safety and Efficacy of Daclatasvir and Asunaprevir for Elderly Patients

Background/Aims Although daclatasvir with asunaprevir was approved in Japan for interferon ineligible or intolerant patients, patients aged ≥75 years were excluded in the phase III trial. The present study aimed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of this therapy for elderly patients aged ≥75 years and to clarify whether an extremely high sustained virological response (SVR) rate can be achieved, even in a real-world setting when patients with resistance-associated substitutions (RASs) to nonstructural protein 5A (NS5A) inhibitors or prior simeprevir failure are excluded. Methods Daclatasvir (60 mg) and asunaprevir (100 mg) were orally administered daily for 24 weeks. Patients without pre-existing NS5A RASs and simeprevir failure were enrolled in this study. Results Overall, 110 patients were treated. The median age was 73 years old. The SVR rates of total patients, those aged ≥75 years, and those aged <75 years were 97% (107/110), 98% (46/47), and 97% (61/63), respectively. The treatment of two patients (2%) was discontinued because of adverse events. Conclusions Daclatasvir with asunaprevir was a safe treatment, even in patients aged ≥75 years. When patients without pre-existing NS5A RASs and prior simeprevir failure were selected, an extremely high SVR rate could be achieved irrespective of age.
Daam1 regulates fascin for actin assembly in mouse oocyte meiosis

ABSTRACT As a formin protein, Daam1 (Dishevelled-associated activator of morphogenesis 1) is reported to regulate series of cell processes like endocytosis, cell morphology and migration via its effects on actin assembly in mitosis. However, whether Daam1 plays roles in female meiosis remains uncertain. In this study, we investigated the expression and functions of Daam1 during mouse oocyte meiosis. Our results indicated that Daam1 localized at the cortex of oocytes, which was similar with actin filaments. After Daam1 morpholino (MO) microinjection, the expression of Daam1 significantly decreased, which resulted in the failure of oocyte polar body extrusion. These results might be due to the defects of actin assembly, since the decreased fluorescence intensity of actin filaments in oocyte cortex and cytoplasm were observed. However, Daam1 knockdown seemed not to affect the meiotic spindle movement. In addition, we found that fascin might be the down effector of Daam1, since the protein expression of fascin decreased after Daam1 knockdown. Thus, our data suggested that Daam1 affected actin assembly during oocyte meiotic division via the regulation of fascin expression.
AP1 mediates uPA/uPAR induced FUT4 expression and trophoblast invasion

Trophoblast invasion is crucial for embryo implantation and successful pregnancy. Urokinase‐type plasminogen activator (uPA)/urokinase‐type plasminogen activator receptor (uPAR) are expressed on trophoblasts and involved in trophoblast invasion. The transcription factor activator protein 1 (AP1) (c‐Fos and cJun) and fucosyltransferase IV (FUT4) have been found to be involved in this process. However, the relationship of uPA/uPAR, AP1 and FUT4 is unclear. The current study aimed to investigate the role of AP1 in uPA/uPAR induced FUT4 expression and trophoblast invasion. We found that p‐c‐Fos and p‐c‐Jun were decreased in abortion patients compared to that in normal pregnant women. Employing human trophoblastic cells, we then demonstrated that uPA/uPAR induced the expression of p‐c‐Fos and p‐c‐Jun. Applying an electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA) and chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP), we further proved that transcription factor AP1 bound to FUT4 promoter that could increase FUT4 transcriptional activity, further promoting trophoblast cell migration and invasion through JNK MAPK signaling pathway. Taken together, these results suggest that uPA/uPAR induces FUT4 expression, and trophoblast cell invasion mediated by AP1 transcription factor (c‐Fos and c‐Jun). Our findings provide novel insights into the relationship between AP1 and abortion.
Rural posting experience, requests for transfer, and perspectives about critical factors for staff retention among primary health care workers in urban Kano, Nigeria

Background: Inadequate skilled manpower at rural posts is a serious impediment toward equitable and universal access to healthcare in Nigeria. Objective: To examine the experiences of primary health care (PHC) workers on rural assignments, requests for transfer, and perspectives about critical factors for retention of healthcare workers at rural posts. Materials and Methods: Using descriptive cross-sectional design, 262 PHC workers in Kano were studied. Data were collected using semi-structured questionnaires and analyzed on Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 22. Pearson's Chi-square and Fisher's exact tests were used to test for significant association between categorical variables. P ≤ 0.05 was considered significant. Results: The mean age of the workers was 36.0 ± 9 years. Majority were females (55.4%) and married (64.2%) with mean working experience of 13.0 ± 8.0 years. Only 29 (11.2%) had rural posting experience. Mean duration of posting was 4.0 ± 2.0 years; 19 (65.5%) sought re-deployment for lack of social amenities and good schools for children 19 (100.0%) and poor work environment 17 (89.5%). Common positive rural experiences mentioned were less work pressure 26 (89.7%), cordial relationship with colleagues and community members 24 (82.8%), and willingness of the community to partake in health activities 24 (82.8%). Common negative experiences reported include lack of social amenities 27 (93.1), lack of equipment and supplies in facilities 26 (89.7%), and stagnation 22 (75.9%). The workers' perspectives about critical factors for retention at rural posts include good facility infrastructure and functional equipment 240 (92.3%), good housing 237 (91.2%), potable water and electricity supply 238 (91.5%), good schools for staff's children 38 (91.5%), and good access of road to town 239 (91.9%). Conclusion and Recommendation: While steering gear at upgrading basic infrastructures in rural areas, government should in the interim, ensure attractive working and living conditions at rural posts.
Aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) is a potential tumour suppressor in pituitary adenomas

Pituitary adenomas (PA) represent the largest group of intracranial neoplasms and yet the molecular mechanisms driving this disease remain largely unknown. The aim of this study was to use a high-throughput screening method to identify molecular pathways that may be playing a significant and consistent role in PA. RNA profiling using microarrays on eight local PAs identified the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) signalling pathway as a key canonical pathway downregulated in all PA types. This was confirmed by real-time PCR in 31 tumours. The AHR has been shown to regulate cell cycle progression in various cell types; however, its role in pituitary tissue has never been investigated. In order to validate the role of AHR in PA behaviour, further functional studies were undertaken. Over-expression of AHR in GH3 cells revealed a tumour suppressor potential independent of exogenous ligand activation by benzo α-pyrene (BαP). Cell cycle analysis and quantitative PCR of cell cycle regulator genes revealed that both unstimulated and BαP-stimulated AHR reduced E2F-driven transcription and altered expression of cell cycle regulator genes, thus increasing the percentage of cells in G0/G1 phase and slowing the proliferation rate of GH3 cells. Co-immunoprecipitation confirmed the interaction between AHR and retinoblastoma (Rb1) protein supporting this as a functional mechanism for the observed reduction. Endogenous Ahr reduction using silencing RNA confirmed the tumour suppressive function of the Ahr. These data support a mechanistic pathway for the putative tumour suppressive role of AHR specifically in PA, possibly through its role as a cell cycle co-regulator, even in the absence of exogenous ligands.
Does self-control modify the impact of interventions to change alcohol, tobacco, and food consumption? A systematic review

ABSTRACT Low self-control is associated with increased consumption of alcohol, tobacco, and unhealthy food. This systematic review aimed to assess whether individual differences in self-control modify the effectiveness of interventions to reduce consumption of these products, and hence their potential to reduce consumption amongst those whose consumption is generally greater. Searches of six databases were supplemented with snowball searches and forward citation tracking. Narrative synthesis summarised findings by: consumption behaviour (alcohol, tobacco, food); psychological processes targeted by the intervention (reflective, non-reflective, or both); and study design (experiment, cohort, or cross-sectional). Of 54 eligible studies, 22 reported no evidence of modification, 18 reported interventions to be less effective in those with low self-control, and 14 reported interventions to be more effective in those with low self-control. This pattern did not differ from chance. Whilst self-control often influenced intervention outcomes, there was no consistent pattern of effects, even when stratifying studies by consumption behaviour, intervention type, or study design. There was a notable absence of evidence regarding interventions that restructure physical or economic environments. In summary, a heterogeneous, low-quality evidence base suggests an inconsistent moderating effect of low self-control on the effectiveness of interventions to change consumption behaviours.
On the use of I-vectors and average voice model for voice conversion without parallel data

Recently, deep and/or recurrent neural networks (DNNs/RNNs) have been employed for voice conversion, and have significantly improved the performance of converted speech. However, DNNs/RNNs generally require a large amount of parallel training data (e.g., hundreds of utterances) from source and target speakers. It is expensive to collect such a large amount of data, and impossible in some applications, such as cross-lingual conversion. To solve this problem, we propose to use average voice model and i-vectors for long short-term memory (LSTM) based voice conversion, which does not require parallel data from source and target speakers. The average voice model is trained using other speakers' data, and the i-vectors, a compact vector representing the identities of source and target speakers, are extracted independently. Subjective evaluation has confirmed the effectiveness of the proposed approach.
Fixed-Gain Augmented-State Tracking-Filters

The complex frequency response is a complete description of a tracking filter's behavior at steady state. For example: 1) The flatness order at zero frequency determines the kinematic state dimension, thus the polynomial degree of trackable target trajectories; 2) The magnitude and phase error at a given non-zero frequency determine the radial and angular (bias) errors for a target on a circular orbit of a given angular velocity; and 3) The integral of squared magnitude determines the (random) measurement-noise attenuation. A procedure for the design of fixed-gain tracking filters, using an augmented-state observer with signal and interference subspaces, is proposed as a way of satisfying these frequency-response requirements. The signal subspace incorporates an integrating Newtonian model and a second-order maneuver model that is matched to a sustained constant-g turn; the deterministic interference model attenuates high frequencies for smoother track estimates. The selected models provide a simple means of shaping the steady-state response of tracking-filters of elevated order, when noise statistics are unknown and non-Gaussian. Pole placement is used to tune the transient response as an alternative to process noise.
Randomized Phase II Study of Azacitidine Alone or in Combination With Lenalidomide or With Vorinostat in Higher-Risk Myelodysplastic Syndromes and Chronic Myelomonocytic Leukemia: North American Intergroup Study SWOG S1117.

Purpose Azacitidine is standard, first-line therapy in higher-risk myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS). Whether azacitidine-based combinations with lenalidomide or vorinostat produce superior overall response rates (ORRs) to azacitidine is not known. Patients and Methods North American Intergroup Study S1117 is a phase II/III trial that randomly assigned patients with higher-risk MDS and chronic myelomonocytic leukemia (CMML) 1:1:1 to azacitidine (75 mg/m2/day on days 1 to 7 of a 28-day cycle); azacitidine plus lenalidomide (10 mg/day on days 1 to 21); or azacitidine plus vorinostat (300 mg twice daily on days 3 to 9). The primary phase II end point was improved ORR. Results Of 277 patients from 90 centers, 92 received azacitidine, 93 received azacitidine plus lenalidomide, and 92 received azacitidine plus vorinostat. Median age was 70 years (range, 28 to 93 years), 85 patients (31%) were female, and 53 patients (19%) had CMML. Serious adverse events were similar across arms, although combination-arm patients were more likely to undergo nonprotocol-defined dose modifications ( P < .001). With a median follow-up of 23 months (range, 1 to 43 months), the ORR was 38% for patients receiving azacitidine, 49% for azacitidine plus lenalidomide ( P = .14 v azacitidine), and 27% for azacitidine plus vorinostat ( P = .16 v azacitidine). For patients with CMML, ORR was higher for azacitidine plus lenalidomide versus azacitidine (68% v 28%, P = .02) but similar for all arms across cytogenetic subgroups, as was remission duration and overall survival. ORR was higher with mutations in DNMT3A and lower for SRSF2, whereas ORR duration improved with fewer mutations. Lenalidomide dose reduction was associated with worse overall survival (hazard ratio, 1.30; P = .05). Conclusion Patients with higher-risk MDS treated with azacitidine-based combinations had similar ORR to azacitidine monotherapy, although patients with CMML benefitted from azacitidine plus lenalidomide. The efficacy of combination regimens may have been affected by dose modifications.
Assessment of trophic ecomorphology in non‐alligatoroid crocodylians and its adaptive and taxonomic implications

Although the establishment of trophic ecomorphology in living crocodylians can contribute to estimating feeding habits of extinct large aquatic reptiles, assessment of ecomorphological traits other than the snout shape has scarcely been conducted in crocodylians. Here, I tested the validity of the proposed trophic ecomorphological traits in crocodylians by examining the correlation between those traits and the snout shape (an established trophic ecomorphology), using 10 non‐alligatoroid crocodylian species with a wide range of snout shape. I then compared the ontogenetic scaling of trophic ecomorphology to discuss its adaptive and taxonomic significance. The results demonstrated that degree of heterodonty, tooth spacing, size of supratemporal fenestra (STF), ventral extension of pterygoid flange and length of lower jaw symphysis are significantly correlated with snout shape by both non‐phylogenetic and phylogenetic regression analyses. Gavialis gangeticus falls outside of 95% prediction intervals for the relationships of some traits and the snout shape, suggesting that piscivorous specialization involves the deviation from the typical transformation axis of skull characters. The comparative snout shape ontogeny revealed a universal trend of snout widening through growth in the sampled crocodylians, implying the existence of a shared size‐dependent biomechanical constraint in non‐alligatoroid crocodylians. Growth patterns of other traits indicated that G. gangeticus shows atypical trends for degree of heterodonty, size of STF, and symphysis length, whereas the same trends are shared for tooth spacing and ventral extension of pterygoid flange among non‐alligatoroid crocodylians. These suggest that some characters are ontogenetically labile in response to prey preference shifts through growth, but other characters are in keeping with the conserved biomechanics among non‐alligatoroid crocodylians. Some important taxonomic characters such as the occlusal pattern are likely correlated with ontogeny and trophic ecomorphology rather than are constrained by phylogenetic relationships, and careful reassessment of such characters might be necessary for better reconstructing the morphological phylogeny of crocodylians.
Growing a Graph Matching from a Handful of Seeds

In many graph--mining problems, two networks from different domains have to be matched. In the absence of reliable node attributes, graph matching has to rely on only the link structures of the two networks, which amounts to a generalization of the classic graph isomorphism problem. Graph matching has applications in social--network reconciliation and de-anonymization, protein--network alignment in biology, and computer vision. The most scalable graph--matching approaches use ideas from percolation theory, where a matched node pair "infects" neighbouring pairs as additional potential matches. This class of matching algorithm requires an initial seed set of known matches to start the percolation. The size and correctness of the matching is very sensitive to the size of the seed set. In this paper, we give a new graph--matching algorithm that can operate with a much smaller seed set than previous approaches, with only a small increase in matching errors. We characterize a phase transition in matching performance as a function of the seed set size, using a random bigraph model and ideas from bootstrap percolation theory. We also show the excellent performance in matching several real large-scale social networks, using only a handful of seeds.
Man Versus Machine: Comparing Double Data Entry and Optical Mark Recognition for Processing CAHPS Survey Data

Objective:Historically, double data entry (DDE) has been considered the criterion standard for minimizing data entry errors. However, previous studies considered data entry alternatives through the limited lens of data accuracy. This study supplies information regarding data accuracy, operational efficiency, and cost for DDE and Optical Mark Recognition (OMR) for processing the Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems 5.0 survey. Methods:To assess data accuracy, we compared error rates for DDE and OMR by dividing the number of surveys that were arbitrated by the total number of surveys processed for each method. To assess operational efficiency, we tallied the cost of data entry for DDE and OMR after survey receipt. Costs were calculated on the basis of personnel, depreciation for capital equipment, and costs of noncapital equipment. Results:The cost savings attributed to this method were negated by the operational efficiency of OMR. There was a statistical significance between rates of arbitration between DDE and OMR; however, this statistical significance did not create a practical significance. Conclusions:The potential benefits of DDE in terms of data accuracy did not outweigh the operational efficiency and thereby financial savings of OMR.
Optogenetic Mapping of Intracortical Circuits Originating from Semilunar Cells in the Piriform Cortex

Abstract Despite its comparatively simple trilaminar architecture, the primary olfactory (piriform) cortex of mammals is capable of performing sophisticated sensory processing, an ability that is thought to depend critically on its extensive associational (intracortical) excitatory circuits. Here, we used a novel transgenic mouse model and optogenetics to measure the connectivity of associational circuits that originate in semilunar (SL) cells in layer 2a of the anterior piriform cortex (aPC). We generated a mouse line (48L) in which channelrhodopsin‐2 (ChR) could be selectively expressed in a subset of SL cells. Light‐evoked excitatory postsynaptic currents (EPSCs) could be evoked in superficial pyramidal cells (17.4% of n = 86 neurons) and deep pyramidal cells (33.3%, n = 9) in the aPC, but never in ChR− SL cells (0%, n = 34). Thus, SL cells monosynaptically excite pyramidal cells, but not other SL cells. Light‐evoked EPSCs were also selectively elicited in 3 classes of GABAergic interneurons in layer 3 of the aPC. Our results show that SL cells are specialized for providing feedforward excitation of specific classes of neurons in the aPC, confirming that SL cells comprise a functionally distinctive input layer.
Spontaneous versus posed smile recognition via region-specific texture descriptor and geometric facial dynamics

As a typical biometric cue with great diversities, smile is a fairly influential signal in social interaction, which reveals the emotional feeling and inner state of a person. Spontaneous and posed smiles initiated by different brain systems have differences in both morphology and dynamics. Distinguishing the two types of smiles remains challenging as discriminative subtle changes need to be captured, which are also uneasily observed by human eyes. Most previous related works about spontaneous versus posed smile recognition concentrate on extracting geometric features while appearance features are not fully used, leading to the loss of texture information. In this paper, we propose a region-specific texture descriptor to represent local pattern changes of different facial regions and compensate for limitations of geometric features. The temporal phase of each facial region is divided by calculating the intensity of the corresponding facial region rather than the intensity of only the mouth region. A mid-level fusion strategy of support vector machine is employed to combine the two feature types. Experimental results show that both our proposed appearance representation and its combination with geometry-based facial dynamics achieve favorable performances on four baseline databases: BBC, SPOS, MMI, and UvA-NEMO.