Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Efficacy of a New Tonic Containing Urea, Lactate, Polidocanol, and Glycyrrhiza inflata Root Extract in the Treatment of a Dry, Itchy, and Subclinically Inflamed Scalp

Background/Aims: Dry, itchy and inflamed scalp conditions are common and often associated with diseases such as atopic dermatitis or psoriasis. To improve these symptoms, we investigated the efficacy of a new tonic containing the active ingredients urea, lactate, polidocanol, and Glycyrrhiza inflata root extract, containing licochalcone A. Study Design/Methods: 30 subjects with dry and itchy scalp conditions underwent a randomized half-head study for 4 weeks, applying the leave-on tonic three times a week on one side of the scalp. Tonic effects on skin hydration, itching, lipids, microinflammation, and substantivity of tonic compounds were determined using corneometry, middle-infrared spectroscopy, direct analysis in real-time mass spectrometry, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Volunteers performed a self-assessment; changes in scalp condition were documented by in vivo microscopy. Results: After tonic treatment, scalp moisture was significantly increased, whereas scalp itching and tautness were significantly reduced. Results also demonstrated a high substantivity of urea and lactate on the scalp, an increase in triglyceride, and a decrease in free fatty acid levels. The amount of total lipids was unchanged. Analyses of scalp wash-ups verified a significant reduction in important pro-inflammatory markers. Conclusion: Due to the actives urea, lactate, polidocanol, and the anti-inflammatory licochalcone A, the new scalp tonic exhibited excellent performance in alleviating scalp dryness, itching, microinflammation, and in normalizing disturbances of scalp lipids.
Naturalistic follow-up of a behavioral treatment for chronically parasuicidal borderline patients.

BACKGROUND A randomized clinical trial was conducted to evaluate whether the superior performance of dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), a psychosocial treatment for borderline personality disorder, compared with treatment-as-usual in the community, is maintained during a 1-year posttreatment follow-up. METHODS We analyzed 39 women who met criteria for borderline personality disorder, defined by Gunderson's Diagnostic Interview for Borderline Personality Disorder and DSM-III-R criteria, and who had a history of parasuicidal behavior. Subjects were randomly assigned either to 1 year of DBT, a cognitive behavioral therapy that combines individual psychotherapy with group behavioral skills training, or to treatment-as-usual, which may or may not have included individual psychotherapy. Efficacy was measured on parasuicidal behavior (Parasuicide History Interview), psychiatric inpatient days (Treatment History Interview), anger (State-Trait Anger Scale), global functioning (Global Assessment Scale), and social adjustment (Social Adjustment Scale--Interview and Social Adjustment Scale--Self-Report). Subjects were assessed at 6 and 12 months into the follow-up year. RESULTS Comparison of the two conditions revealed that throughout the follow-up year, DBT subjects had significantly higher Global Assessment Scale scores. During the initial 6 months of the follow-up, DBT subjects had significantly less parasuicidal behavior, less anger, and better self-reported social adjustment. During the final 6 months, DBT subjects had significantly fewer psychiatric inpatient days and better interviewer-rated social adjustment. CONCLUSION In general, the superiority of DBT over treatment-as-usual, found in previous studies at the completion of 1 year of treatment, was retained during a 1-year follow-up.
The Effects of Sampling Bias and Model Complexity on the Predictive Performance of MaxEnt Species Distribution Models

Species distribution models (SDMs) trained on presence-only data are frequently used in ecological research and conservation planning. However, users of SDM software are faced with a variety of options, and it is not always obvious how selecting one option over another will affect model performance. Working with MaxEnt software and with tree fern presence data from New Zealand, we assessed whether (a) choosing to correct for geographical sampling bias and (b) using complex environmental response curves have strong effects on goodness of fit. SDMs were trained on tree fern data, obtained from an online biodiversity data portal, with two sources that differed in size and geographical sampling bias: a small, widely-distributed set of herbarium specimens and a large, spatially clustered set of ecological survey records. We attempted to correct for geographical sampling bias by incorporating sampling bias grids in the SDMs, created from all georeferenced vascular plants in the datasets, and explored model complexity issues by fitting a wide variety of environmental response curves (known as “feature types” in MaxEnt). In each case, goodness of fit was assessed by comparing predicted range maps with tree fern presences and absences using an independent national dataset to validate the SDMs. We found that correcting for geographical sampling bias led to major improvements in goodness of fit, but did not entirely resolve the problem: predictions made with clustered ecological data were inferior to those made with the herbarium dataset, even after sampling bias correction. We also found that the choice of feature type had negligible effects on predictive performance, indicating that simple feature types may be sufficient once sampling bias is accounted for. Our study emphasizes the importance of reducing geographical sampling bias, where possible, in datasets used to train SDMs, and the effectiveness and essentialness of sampling bias correction within MaxEnt.
Semantic features for face recognition

Face recognition is an important part of many computer vision applications. In this paper, we present a face recognition algorithm based on semantic feature extraction and tensor subspace analysis. The semantic features we employ include eyes and mouth, plus the region outlined by the three weight centres of the edges between them. We then evaluate these features using tensor subspace analysis. Singular value decomposition is used to solve the eigenvector problem and to project the geometrical properties to the face manifold. Experimental results demonstrate that our proposed algorithm performs well, and that it is capable of achieving more accurate convergence coupled with a lower computational demand compared to standard approaches.
Laser Photoacoustic Detection Allows in Planta Detection of Nitric Oxide in Tobacco following Challenge with Avirulent and Virulent Pseudomonas syringae Pathovars1

We demonstrate the use of laser photoacoustic detection (LPAD) as a highly sensitive method to detect in planta nitric oxide (.NO) production from tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum). LPAD calibration against . NO gas demonstrated a linear relationship over 2 orders of magnitude with a detection threshold of <20 pmol h−1 (1 part per billion volume [ppbv]). The specificity of the photoacoustic signal for . NO when adding gas or the . NO donor, sodium nitroprusside, on injection into plant leaves, was demonstrated by its abolition with O3 (.NO + O3 → NO2 + O2). The utility of the LPAD method was shown by examination of a nonhost hypersensitive response and a disease induced by Pseudomonas syringae (P. s.) pv phaseolicola and P. s. pv tabaci in tobacco. NO was detected within 40 min of challenge with P. s. pv phaseolicola, some 5 h before the initiation of visible tissue collapse. The wildfire tobacco pathogen P. s. pv tabaci initiated . NO generation at 2 h postinfection. The use of . NO donors, the scavenger CPTIO ([4-carboxyphenyl]-4,5-dihydro-4,4,5,5-tetramethyl-3-oxide), and the mammalian nitric oxide synthase inhibitor l-NMMA (NG-monomethyl-l-arginine) indicated that . NO influenced the kinetics of cell death and resistance to both avirulent and virulent bacteria in tobacco. These observations suggest that . NO is integral to the elicitation of cell death associated with these two bacterial pathogens in tobacco.
XTW: a parallel and distributed logic simulator

In this paper, a new event scheduling mechanism XEQ and new rollback procedure rb-messages are proposed for use in optimistic logic simulation. We incorporate both of these techniques in a simulator XTW. XTW groups LPs into clusters, and makes use of a multi-level queue, XEQ, to schedule events in the cluster. XEQ has an 0(1) event scheduling time complexity. Our new rollback mechanism replaces the use of anti-messages by an rb-message, and eliminates the need for an output queue at each LP. Experimental comparisons to Time Warp reveal a superior performance on the part of XTW, while experimental results over large circuits (5-million-gate to 25-million-gate) shows XTW scales well with both the size of circuits and the number of processors.
A modified laboratory canning protocol for quality evaluation of dry bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L).

The effects of calcium (Ca2+ ) level in the soak water, blanch water and brine, blanching temperature, and total seed solids on dry bean canning quality were investigated to optimise a laboratory canning protocol. A linear increase in the Ca2+ level of soak water, blanch water and brine resulted in a linear decrease in hydration coefficient and percent washed drained weight but a linear increase in texture. Low Ca2+ level (10 mg kg-1 ) reduced the hydration time for dry bean seed from 14 to 1 h. Blanching temperatures of 50, 70 and 88 °C had non-significant effects on canning quality traits. Blanching for 30 min at 70 °C for black bean or at 88 °C for navy bean and pinto bean resulted in percent washed drained weight ≥ 60, as required by the Canada Agricultural Products Standards Act. Seed solids levels of 95-97 g per 300 × 407 (14 fl oz) can were sufficient to attain a percent washed drained weight of 60. It was confirmed that the thermal processing conditions (115.6 °C retort temperature, 45 min) used in this study were sufficient to achieve commercial sterility. The optimised lab protocol for evaluation of the canning quality of dry bean breeding lines is as follows. Seed containing 95 g of solids for pinto bean, 96 g for navy bean and 97 g for black bean is soaked in water for 30 min at 20 °C and blanched for 30 min at 70 °C for black bean and 88 °C for navy bean and pinto bean in water containing 10 mg kg-1 of Ca2+ . The seed is then transferred to a 300 × 407 can, filled with brine containing 10 mg kg-1 of Ca2+ , 1.3% (w/v) of NaCl and 1.6% (w/v) of sugar. The can is then sealed, processed in steam at 115.6 °C for 45 min and cooled at 20 °C for 20 min. Cans are stored for at least 2 weeks prior to quality evaluation of the canned product. Canning of dry bean seed according to this protocol results in precise estimation of canning quality traits, particularly percent washed drained weight. © 2000 Society of Chemical Industry.
Contextuality, Cohomology and Paradox

Contextuality is a key feature of quantum mechanics that provides an important non-classical resource for quantum information and computation. Abramsky and Brandenburger used sheaf theory to give a general treatment of contextuality in quantum theory [New Journal of Physics 13 (2011) 113036]. However, contextual phenomena are found in other fields as well, for example database theory. In this paper, we shall develop this unified view of contextuality. We provide two main contributions: firstly, we expose a remarkable connection between contexuality and logical paradoxes; secondly, we show that an important class of contextuality arguments has a topological origin. More specifically, we show that "All-vs-Nothing" proofs of contextuality are witnessed by cohomological obstructions.
Microcirculation imaging based on full-range high-speed spectral domain correlation mapping optical coherence tomography

Abstract. Microcirculation imaging is a key parameter for studying the pathophysiological processes of various disease conditions, in both clinical and fundamental research. A full-range spectral-domain correlation mapping optical coherence tomography (cm-OCT) method to obtain a complex-conjugate-free, full-range depth-resolved microcirculation map is presented. The proposed system is based on a high-speed spectrometer at 91 kHz with a modified scanning protocol to achieve higher acquisition speed to render cm-OCT images with high-speed and wide scan range. The mirror image elimination is based on linear phase modulation of B-frames by introducing a slight off-set of the probe beam with respect to the lateral scanning fast mirror’s pivot axis. An algorithm that exploits the Hilbert transform to obtain a complex-conjugate-free image in conjunction with the cm-OCT algorithm is used to obtain full-range imaging of microcirculation within tissue beds in vivo. The estimated sensitivity of the system was around 105 dB near the zero-delay line with ∼20 dB roll-off from ±0.5 to ±3 mm imaging-depth position. The estimated axial and lateral resolutions are ∼12 and ∼30 μm, respectively. A direct consequence of this complex conjugate artifact elimination is the enhanced flow imaging sensitivity for deep tissue imaging application by imaging through the most sensitive zero-delay line and doubling the imaging range.
De Novo Assembly and Characterization of Narrow-Ridged Finless Porpoise Renal Transcriptome and Identification of Candidate Genes Involved in Osmoregulation

During the evolutionary transition from land to water, cetaceans have undergone numerous critical challenges, with osmoregulation being the major one. Two subspecies of the narrow-ridged finless porpoise (Neophocaena asiaeorientalis), the freshwater Yangtze finless porpoise (N. a. asiaeorientalis, NAA) and the marine East Asian finless porpoise (N. a. sunameri, NAS), provide excellent subjects to understand the genetic basis of osmoregulatory divergence between freshwater and marine mammals. The kidney plays an important and well-established role in osmoregulation in marine mammals and thus, herein, we utilized RNA-seq to characterize the renal transcriptome and preliminarily analyze the divergence between the NAA and the NAS. Approximately 48.98 million clean reads from NAS and 49.40 million clean reads from NAA were obtained by RNA-Seq. And 73,449 (NAS) and 68,073 (NAA) unigenes were assembled. Among these annotations, 22,231 (NAS) and 21,849 (NAA) unigenes were annotated against the NCBI nr protein database. The ion channel complex GO term and four pathways were detected as relevant to osmoregulation by GO and KEGG pathway classification of these annotated unigenes. Although the endangered status of the study species prevented analysis of biological replicates, we identified nine differentially expressed genes (DEGs) that may be vital in the osmoregulation of the narrow-ridged finless porpoise and worthwhile for future studies. Of these DEGs, the differential expression and distribution of the aquaporin-2 (AQP2) in the collecting duct were verified using immunohistochemical experiments. Together, this work is the first report of renal transcriptome sequencing in cetaceans, and it will provide a valuable resource for future molecular genetics studies on cetacean osmoregulation.
Unconscious learning of likes and dislikes is persistent, resilient, and reconsolidates

Preferences profoundly influence decision-making and are often acquired through experience, yet it is unclear what role conscious awareness plays in the formation and persistence of long-term preferences and to what extent they can be altered by new experiences. We paired visually masked cues with monetary gains or losses during a decision-making task. Despite being unaware of the cues, subjects were influenced by their predictive values over successive trials of the task, and also revealed a strong preference for the appetitive over the aversive cues in supraliminal choices made days after learning. Moreover, the preferences were resistant to an intervening procedure designed to abolish them by a change in reinforcement contingencies, revealing a surprising resilience once formed. Despite their power however, the preferences were abolished when this procedure took place shortly after reactivating the memories, indicating that the underlying affective associations undergo reconsolidation. These findings highlight the importance of initial experiences in the formation of long-lasting preferences even in the absence of consciousness, while suggesting a way to overcome them in spite of their resiliency.
Theory of edge detection

A theory of edge detection is presented. The analysis proceeds in two parts. (1) Intensity changes, which occur in a natural image over a wide range of scales, are detected separately at different scales. An appropriate filter for this purpose at a given scale is found to be the second derivative of a Gaussian, and it is shown that, provided some simple conditions are satisfied, these primary filters need not be orientation-dependent. Thus, intensity changes at a given scale are best detected by finding the zero values of ∇2G(x, y)* I(x, y) for image I, where G(x, y) is a two-dimensional Gaussian distribution and ∇2 is the Laplacian. The intensity changes thus discovered in each of the channels are then represented by oriented primitives called zero-crossing segments, and evidence is given that this representation is complete. (2) Intensity changes in images arise from surface discontinuities or from reflectance or illumination boundaries, and these all have the property that they are spatially localized. Because of this, the zero-crossing segments from the different channels are not independent, and rules are deduced for combining them into a description of the image. This description is called the raw primal sketch. The theory explains several basic psychophysical findings, and the operation of forming oriented zero-crossing segments from the output of centre-surround ∇2G filters acting on the image forms the basis for a physiological model of simple cells (see Marr & Ullman 1979).
Knowledge of HIV/AIDS and use of mandatory premarital HIV testing as a prerequisite for marriages among religious leaders in Sokoto, North Western Nigeria

Background In Sub-Saharan Africa, an estimated 1.8 million became infected with the HIV in 2009 and Nigeria currently has about 3.4 million people living with HIV. Measures put in place by religious organizations to combat HIV/AIDS in Nigeria include mandatory premarital HIV testing. The knowledge of HIV/AIDS amongst religious leaders in Nigeria has not been sufficiently explored . In this study, we assessed the knowledge of HIV/AIDS amongst religious leaders in Sokoto and if they routinely demand for mandatory premarital HIV testing for all intending couples. Methods This was a descriptive cross-sectional study involving 158 religious leaders (30 Christians and 128 Muslims) who officiate or assist during marriages. Data was collected using interviewer and self administered questionnaire which sought such information as biodata, knowledge of HIV/AIDS , speaking to congregation about AIDS and using Premarital HIV status as a pre-requisite for contracting marriages. Data was entered into and analysed using Epi-info computer soft ware program. Level of statistical significance was put at P=0.05. Results The ages of the respondents ranged from 35 to 78 years with a mean age of 26.3 ± 20.3years. Forty nine percent of the respondents had adequate knowledge of HIV/AIDS with more Christian clerics compared to Muslim Clerics having better knowledge of HIV/AIDS (P<0.0001). All the Christian clerics opined that they would insist on mandatory premarital HIV testing for their subjects before joining them in marriages. Conclusion The results of the study have shown that most of the religious leaders lacked adequate knowledge of HIV/AIDS and the use of mandatory premarital HIV testing is yet to be adopted by the Muslim clerics. Awareness campaigns should be intensified for the religious leaders to improve their knowledge of HIV/AIDS.
How Important is it to Score a Goal? The Influence of the Scoreline on Match Performance in Elite Soccer

The goal of this study was to examine the effects of three different scorelines (1 Goal Up, Level Score, 1 Goal Down) on match performance indicators in elite soccer. Ball possession decreased when teams were 1 goal up. High Range Budget Clubs (HRBC) and Upper-Mid Range Budget Clubs (UMRBC) dominated possession against their opponents whether winning, losing, or drawing. Lower-Mid Range Budget Clubs (LMRBC) and Low Range Budget Clubs (LRBC) had less possession than HRBC. The probability of reaching the final one-third of the pitch decreased when teams were 1 goal up. LMRBC and LRBC had less match final third entries than HRBC. Similarly, shots on goal decreased when teams were 1 goal up. These findings could be used by coaches and match analysts when they evaluate performance and develop training drills.
Phosphatidylinositol 4,5-Biphosphate (PIP2)-induced Vesicle Movement Depends on N-WASP and Involves Nck, WIP, and Grb2* 210

Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome protein (WASP)/Scar family proteins promote actin polymerization by stimulating the actin-nucleating activity of the Arp2/3 complex. While Scar/WAVE proteins are thought to be involved in lamellipodia protrusion, the hematopoietic WASP has been implicated in various actin-based processes such as chemotaxis, podosome formation, and phagocytosis. Here we show that the ubiquitously expressed N-WASP is essential for actin assembly at the surface of endomembranes induced as a consequence of increased phosphatidylinositol 4,5-biphosphate (PIP2) levels. This process resulting in the motility of intracellular vesicles at the tips of actin comets involved the recruitment of the Src homology 3 (SH3)-SH2 adaptor proteins Nck and Grb2 as well as of WASP interacting protein (WIP). Reconstitution of vesicle movement in N-WASP-defective cells by expression of various N-WASP mutant proteins revealed three independent domains capable of interaction with the vesicle surface, of which both the WH1 and the polyproline domains contributed significantly to N-WASP recruitment and/or activation. In contrast, the direct interaction of N-WASP with the Rho-GTPase Cdc42 was not required for reconstitution of vesicle motility. Our data reveal a distinct cellular phenotype for N-WASP loss of function, which adds to accumulating evidence that the proposed link between actin and membrane dynamics may, at least partially, be reflected by the actin-based movement of vesicles through the cytoplasm.
The Chlamydia outer membrane protein OmcB is required for adhesion and exhibits biovar-specific differences in glycosaminoglycan binding

Chlamydia pneumoniae, an obligate intracellular human pathogen, causes a number of respiratory diseases. We explored the role of the conserved OmcB protein in C. pneumoniae infections, using yeast display technology. (i) Yeast cells presenting OmcB were found to adhere to human epithelial cells. (ii) Pre‐incubation of OmcB yeast cells with heparin, but not other glycosaminoglycans (GAGs), abrogated adhesion. (iii) Pre‐treatment of the target cells with heparinase inhibited adherence, and GAG‐deficient CHO cell lines failed to bind OmcB yeast. (iv) A heparin‐binding motif present near the N‐terminus of OmcB is required for host cell binding. (v) Pre‐treatment of chlamydial elementary bodies (EBs) with anti‐OmcB antibody or pre‐incubation of target cells with recombinant OmcB protein reduced infectivity upon challenge with C. pneumoniae. (vi) Adhesion of fluorescently labelled EBs to epithelial or endothelial cells was abrogated by prior addition of heparin or OmcB protein. Thus, C. pneumoniae OmcB is an adhesin that binds heparan sulphate‐like GAGs. OmcB from Chlamydia trachomatis serovar L1 also adheres to human cells in a heparin‐dependent way, unlike its counterpart from serovar E. We show that a single position in the OmcB sequence determines heparin dependence/independence, and variations there may reflect differences between the two serovars in cell tropism and disease pattern.