Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The C-terminal of CASY-1/Calsyntenin regulates GABAergic synaptic transmission at the Caenorhabditis elegans neuromuscular junction

The C. elegans ortholog of mammalian calsyntenins, CASY-1, is an evolutionarily conserved type-I transmembrane protein that is highly enriched in the nervous system. Mammalian calsyntenins are strongly expressed at inhibitory synapses, but their role in synapse development and function is still elusive. Here, we report a crucial role for CASY-1 in regulating GABAergic synaptic transmission at the C. elegans neuromuscular junction (NMJ). The shorter isoforms of CASY-1; CASY-1B and CASY-1C, express and function in GABA motor neurons where they regulate GABA neurotransmission. Using pharmacological, behavioral, electrophysiological, optogenetic and imaging approaches we establish that GABA release is compromised at the NMJ in casy-1 mutants. Further, we demonstrate that CASY-1 is required to modulate the transport of GABAergic synaptic vesicle (SV) precursors through a possible interaction with the SV motor protein, UNC-104/KIF1A. This study proposes a possible evolutionarily conserved model for the regulation of GABA synaptic functioning by calsyntenins.
The effect of layup and boundary conditions on the modal damping of FRP composite panels

The degree of the modal damping in a fiber-reinforced plastic (FRP) composite panel depends on a number of factors including the nature of the layup, the modal deformation, the geometry and the boundary conditions of the panel. In this article, using the theoretical predictions of modal response of a square layered FRP panel, the variation of damping with the plate layup under a combination of clamped and free boundary conditions is studied. Particular attention is paid to the variation of modal damping with the fiber orientation of the two outmost layers of the panel with a view to possibly manipulation of this orientation in order to maximisze the modal damping.
Observation of topological valley modes in an elastic hexagonal lattice

We report on the experimental observation of topologically protected edge waves in a two-dimensional elastic hexagonal lattice. The lattice is designed to feature K point Dirac cones that are well separated from the other numerous elastic wave modes characterizing this continuous structure. We exploit the arrangement of localized masses at the nodes to break mirror symmetry at the unit cell level, which opens a frequency bandgap. This produces a non-trivial band structure that supports topologically protected edge states along the interface between two realizations of the lattice obtained through mirror symmetry. Detailed numerical models support the investigations of the occurrence of the edge states, while their existence is verified through full-field experimental measurements. The test results show the confinement of the topologically protected edge states along pre-defined interfaces and illustrate the lack of significant backscattering at sharp corners. Experiments conducted on a trivial waveguide in an otherwise uniformly periodic lattice reveal the inability of a perturbation to propagate and its sensitivity to backscattering, which suggests the superior waveguiding performance of the class of non-trivial interfaces investigated herein.
Liver Fat Content, Evaluated through Semi-Quantitative Ultrasound Measurement, Is Associated with Impaired Glucose Profiles: A Community-Based Study in Chinese

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is closely associated with type 2 diabetes mellitus. We investigated whether the deposition of fat in the liver is associated with glycemic abnormalities and evaluated the contribution of the liver fat content (LFC) to the impaired glucose regulation. We conducted a community-based study among 2836 residents (1018 males and 1818 females) without prior known diabetes mellitus from the Changfeng Study who were at least 45 years old. A standard interview, anthropometrics and laboratory parameters were performed for each participant. The standardised ultrasound hepatic-renal echo-intensity and hepatic echo-intensity attenuation rate were used to assess the LFC. The cohort was stratified according to the quintiles for LFC. Two-hour glucose and fasting blood glucose increased across the LFC quintiles after adjustment for age and gender. LFC increased continuously among glucose categories after adjustment for age and gender (NGT: 7.7±0.3%, IFG: 10.0±0.8%, IGT: 11.8±0.5%, IFG+IGT: 11.7±0.9%, new- DM: 12.4±0.6%, P<0.001). By logistic regression analysis, 1% LFC increment independently predicted prediabetes and diabetes (OR 1.032, 1.019–1.045, P<0.001; 1.021, 1.005–1.037, P = 0.012, respectively) after adjustment for all potential confounders. Furthermore, participants with LFC higher than 10% had higher odds ratios of impaired glucose regulation as compared with those with LFC below 10% in fully adjusted logistic models. These results suggest that the LFC is strongly associated with impaired glucose regulation in the Chinese population, and that an even slightly elevated LFC is associated with increased glucose dysregulation.
Potential of Spice-Derived Phytochemicals for Cancer Prevention

Although spices have been used for thousands of years and are known for their flavor, taste and color in the food, they are not usually recognized for their medicinal value. Extensive research within the last two decades from our laboratory and others has indicated that there are phytochemicals present in spices that may prevent various chronic illnesses including cancerous, diabetic, cardiovascular, pulmonary, neurological and autoimmune diseases. For instance, the potential of turmeric (curcumin), red chilli (capsaicin), cloves (eugenol), ginger (zerumbone), fennel (anethole), kokum (gambogic acid), fenugreek (diosgenin), and black cumin (thymoquinone) in cancer prevention has been established. Additionally, the mechanism by which these agents mediate anticancer effects is also becoming increasingly evident. The current review describes the active components of some of the major spices, their mechanisms of action and their potential in cancer prevention.
Total ionizing dose effects on 4-transistor CMOS image sensor pixels

This work presents a study on the degradation mechanism of 4T CMOS Image Sensors (CIS) induced by X-Rays irradiation. The degradation is mainly demonstrated by measurements of increased dark signal and dark random noise. The radiation affects the sensor's behavior differently for different reset voltages and transfer gate control, which is evaluated in detail. The basic failure mechanism is presented and it shows that the radiation induced increase of random telegraph signal noise and dark random noise is mostly originated from the Si-SiO2 interface trap generation. Meanwhile, the charge trapping in the shallow trench isolation oxide (STI) is responsible for the post-irradiation dark signal increase as well. It is also illustrated that the post-irradiation pinned photodiode (PPD) and the transfer gate will obviously contribute to the sensor degradation as a post-irradiation dark signal and noise source.
A boost of positive affect

In a series of five studies we examined the relationship between sharing positive experiences and positive affect using a diary method (Study 1) and laboratory manipulations (Studies 2 and 3). All of these studies demonstrated that sharing the positive experience heightened its impact on positive affect. In Study 4, we conducted a four-week journal study in which the experimental participants kept a journal of grateful experiences and shared them with a partner twice a week. Control participants either kept a journal of grateful experience (without sharing), or kept a journal of class learnings and shared it with a partner. Those who shared their positive experiences increased in positive affect, happiness, and life satisfaction over the course of four weeks. Study 5 showed that those who received an “active-constructive” response to good news (enthusiastic support) expressed more positive affect than participants in all other conditions, indicating that the response of the listener is important. In sum, our findings suggest that positive affect, happiness, and life satisfaction reach a peak only when participants share their positive experiences and when the relationship partner provides an active-constructive response.
J-Orthogonal Matrices: Properties and Generation

A real, square matrix Q is J-orthogonal if QTJQ = J, where the signature matrix $J = \diag(\pm 1)$. J-orthogonal matrices arise in the analysis and numerical solution of various matrix problems involving indefinite inner products, including, in particular, the downdating of Cholesky factorizations. We present techniques and tools useful in the analysis, application, and construction of these matrices, giving a self-contained treatment that provides new insights. First, we define and explore the properties of the exchange operator, which maps J-orthogonal matrices to orthogonal matrices and vice versa. Then we show how the exchange operator can be used to obtain a hyperbolic CS decomposition of a J-orthogonal matrix directly from the usual CS decomposition of an orthogonal matrix. We employ the decomposition to derive an algorithm for constructing random J-orthogonal matrices with specified norm and condition number. We also give a short proof of the fact that J-orthogonal matrices are optimally scaled und.
AccessRank: predicting what users will do next

We introduce AccessRank, an algorithm that predicts revisitations and reuse in many contexts, such as file accesses, website visits, window switches, and command lines. AccessRank uses many sources of input to generate its predictions, including recency, frequency, temporal clustering, and time of day. Simulations based on log records of real user interaction across a diverse range of applications show that AccessRank more accurately predicts upcoming accesses than other algorithms. The prediction lists generated by AccessRank are also shown to be more stable than other algorithms that have good predictive capability, which can be important for usability when items are presented in lists as users can rely on their spatial memory for target location. Finally, we present examples of how real world applications might use AccessRank.
Cytogenetic Effects of Ethanol Extract of Sun Dried Seeds of Soursop (Annona muricata) on The Male Germ Line Cells of The African Pest Grasshopper Zonocerus variegatus L.

This study was carried out to investigate the effect of Ethanol extract of the seeds of Annona muricata on some meiotic parameters in the pest grasshopper Zonocerus variegatus. Adult grasshoppers were treated with 28μl of the Ethanol extract of sun dry seeds of Annona muricata and absolute ethanol (control) for 48 hours and all the parameters (chiasma frequency, formation of rod and ring shaped bivalents and meiotic anomalies) were affected by the extract. Chiasma formation was observed to significantly (P<0.05) increase following treatment and this was correlated by a significant increase in the formation of ring shaped bivalents. The incidences of meiotic anomalies such as laggards and bridges at first and second meiotic Anaphases, second meiotic Metaphase as well as in first and second meiotic Telophases were observed to increase when insects were treated with the ethanol extract. These observations indicated that the Ethanol extract of the seeds of A. muricata contain substances that could induce cytotoxicity. The importance of such property in the formulation of grasshopper pest control measures cannot be overemphasized. Keyword: Ethanol Extract, Sundried Seeds, Annona muricata, Cytogentic Effect, Zonocerus variegatus.
Potential of rod, sphere and semi-cube shaped gold nanoparticles to induce cytotoxicity and genotoxicity in human blood lymphocytes in vitro

Abstract Aim: Gold nanoparticles (GNPs) are intended to be used in nanomedicine. Due to nanotechnology innovation GNPs of variable sizes and in different shapes including rods, spheres, cubes, etc., can easily be produced. The aim of the present studies was to evaluate the cyto-and genotoxicity inducible by different shaped GNPs on normal human peripheral blood lymphocytes. Methods: Four different shapes of GNPs including big rod GNPs (BR-GNPs, 50 nm), small rod GNPs (SR-GNPs, 30 nm), sphere GNPs (S-GNPs, 15 nm) and semi-cube GNPs (SC-GNPs, 15 nm) were studied. Cultured human blood lymphocytes were treated with different concentrations of these GNPs for 24 h in vitro. Cytotoxicity was evaluated based on the mitotic index (MI), while genotoxicity was studied by an interphase-fluorescence in situ hybridization (I-FISH) assay. The following genes were studied in I-FISH: TP53, CASP3, CASP7, CASP9, TNF and CRP. The induction of cell death was investigated using the apoptotic-necrotic assay. Results: The lowest concentration of BR-GNPs neither had an effect mitotic activity nor enhanced gain or loss of examined gene signals in a significant manner with I-FSH. Other concentrations of BR-GNPs, SR-GNPs, S-GNPs and SC-GNPs with all concentrations inhibited the mitotic activity of the cells and reduced the cell proliferation highly significantly. The different types of GNPs initiated the duplication of CASP3, CASP7 and CASP9 besides TP53 genes; however they reduced the signals of TNF and CRP genes highly significantly as supported by I-FISH results. The apoptotic-necrotic assay demonstrated that small rod, sphere and semi-cube GNPs enhanced the cell death rate through the apoptotic pathway. Conclusion: GNPs at high concentration can reduce the cell proliferation and induce DNA damage. Low concentration of rod-shaped GNPs at 50 nm was safe on human lymphocytes. Further research studies are required to optimize the concentration, shape and size of GNPs before using them in nanomedicine.
The effects of creep and fatigue on damage accumulation in ligament

Ligaments are collagenous tissues that passively resist tensile forces to maintain joint stability and guide joint motion. When ligaments are damaged or are healing from an injury, they have increased laxity. Increased ligament laxity may cause increased joint laxity, which could lead to other musculoskeletal complications. As damage is thought to influence ligament laxity, it is important to understand damage mechanisms and accumulation in ligament. Ligaments can be damaged during loading and in vivo loads can be either constant (creep) or cyclic (fatigue); therefore, the effects of creep and fatigue on damage accumulation were investigated in ligament. Medial collateral ligaments were subject to in vitro, uniaxial creep or fatigue tensile loading. Testing was completed at three maximum stresses: 6 0 % , 3 0 % and 15% of the ultimate tensile strength. Some ligaments were loaded until rupture, and some did not rupture during loading. Behaviour of ligaments subjected to creep was compared to those subjected to fatigue at each stress level. Ligament behaviour was quantified with times-torupture, strain profiles, and stress-strain characteristics. Damage was confirmed with a stretch to failure for those ligaments that did not rupture in creep or fatigue. Fatigue loading was more damaging than creep loading. Fatigue ligaments failed sooner than creep ligaments and the strain profiles differed between the two loading profiles. On a normalized time scale, creep ligaments experienced higher strains than fatigue ligaments. When time of loading was accounted for, fatigue ligaments failed sooner, which resulted in greater strains in fatigue than creep at specific time-points. Both creep and fatigue loading resulted in changes in stress-strain characteristics. Tangent modulus was used to track damage and inputted into a continuum damage mechanics model to predict time-to-rupture of creep and fatigue. Results indicate that fatigue loading likely involves an additional damage mechanism not present in creep loading. In essence, fatigue loading involves both cycle-dependent and time-dependent damage, while creep loading only involves time-dependent damage. Therefore, loading condition (static versus cyclic) was found to affect damage accumulation in ligament. Information from this study furthers the current understanding of ligament damage accumulation.
Loss of the golgin GM130 causes Golgi disruption, Purkinje neuron loss, and ataxia in mice

Significance It has been known for many years that the Golgi apparatus, the central organelle of the secretory pathway, is fragmented upon neurodegenerative disease. However, it has remained an open question whether Golgi disruption contributes to neuronal death, as seen in disease, or is simply a consequence of this process. Here, we show that knocking out the Golgi protein GM130 in mice causes Golgi fragmentation and impaired secretory trafficking in Purkinje neurons, resulting in cell death and ataxia. The cell death and ataxia are first observed in postnatal development, but worsen with age. These findings indicate that targeted disruption of the Golgi apparatus can result in neuronal loss in vivo, supporting the view that Golgi dysfunction can contribute to neurodegeneration. The Golgi apparatus lies at the heart of the secretory pathway where it is required for secretory trafficking and cargo modification. Disruption of Golgi architecture and function has been widely observed in neurodegenerative disease, but whether Golgi dysfunction is causal with regard to the neurodegenerative process, or is simply a manifestation of neuronal death, remains unclear. Here we report that targeted loss of the golgin GM130 leads to a profound neurological phenotype in mice. Global KO of mouse GM130 results in developmental delay, severe ataxia, and postnatal death. We further show that selective deletion of GM130 in neurons causes fragmentation and defective positioning of the Golgi apparatus, impaired secretory trafficking, and dendritic atrophy in Purkinje cells. These cellular defects manifest as reduced cerebellar size and Purkinje cell number, leading to ataxia. Purkinje cell loss and ataxia first appear during postnatal development but progressively worsen with age. Our data therefore indicate that targeted disruption of the mammalian Golgi apparatus and secretory traffic results in neuronal degeneration in vivo, supporting the view that Golgi dysfunction can play a causative role in neurodegeneration.
Author ' s personal copy

Both nitric oxide (NO) and reactive oxygen species (ROS) generated by nNOS and NADPH oxidase (NOX), respectively, in the brain have been implicated in an array of behaviors ranging from learning and memory to social interactions. Although recent work has elucidated how these separate redox pathways regulate neural function and behavior, the interaction of these two pathways in the regulation of neural function and behavior remains unspecified. Toward this end, the p47phox subunit of NOX, and nNOS were deleted to generate double knockout mice that were used to characterize the behavioral outcomes of concurrent impairment of the NO and ROS pathways in the brain. Mice were tested in a battery of behavioral tasks to evaluate learning and memory, as well as social, affective, and cognitive behaviors. p47phox deletion did not affect depressive-like behavior, whereas nNOS deletion abolished it. Both p47phox and nNOS deletion singly reduced anxiety-like behavior, increased general locomotor activity, impaired spatial learning and memory, and impaired preference for social novelty. Deletion of both genes concurrently had synergistic effects to elevate locomotor activity, impair spatial learning and memory, and disrupt prepulse inhibition of acoustic startle. Although preference for social novelty was impaired in single knockouts, double knockout mice displayed elevated levels of preference for social novelty above that of wild type littermates. These data demonstrate that, depending upon modality, deletion of p47phox and nNOS genes have dissimilar, similar, or additive effects. The current findings provide evidence that the NOX and nNOS redox signaling cascades interact in the brain to affect both cognitive function and social behavior. © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
MicroRNA-126 affects rheumatoid arthritis synovial fibroblast proliferation and apoptosis by targeting PIK3R2 and regulating PI3K-AKT signal pathway

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic autoimmune disease that causes inflammation and destruction of the joints as well as an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. RA synovial fibroblasts (RASFs) are involved in the progression of RA and release pro-inflammatory cytokines. On the other hand, microRNAs (miRs) may help control the inflammatory response of immune and non-immune cells. Therefore, our study used lentiviral expression vectors to test the effects of miR-126 overexpression on RASF proliferation and apoptosis. Luciferase experiments verified the targeting relationship between miR-126 and PIK3R2 gene. The co-transfection of anti-miR-126 and PIK3R2 siRNA to RASFs were used to identify whether PIK3R2 was directly involved in proliferation and apoptosis of miR-126-induced RASFs. Real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used to detect miR-126 and PIK3R2 expressions. MTT assay was used to detect cell proliferation. Flow cytometry was used to detect cell apoptosis and cell cycle. Western blotting was used to detect PIK3R2, PI3K, AKT and p-AKT proteins. After Lv-miR-126 infected RASFs, the relative expression of miR-126 was significantly enhanced. MiR-126 promoted RASF proliferation and inhibited apoptosis. Levels of PIK3R2 decreased while total PI3K and p-AKT levels increased in RASFs overexpressing miR-126. Co-transfection of anti-miR-126 and PIK3R2 siRNA also increased PI3K and p-AKT levels as well as RASF proliferation and reduced apoptosis, as compared to anti-miR-126 treatment alone. Finally, luciferase reporter assays showed that miR-126 targeted PIK3R2. Our data indicate that miR-126 overexpression in RASFs inhibits PIK3R2 expression and promotes proliferation while inhibiting apoptosis. This suggests inhibiting miR-126 may yield therapeutic benefits in the treatment of RA.
Assessment of knowledge of parents towards paediatric dental traumatic injuries

Introduction: A high percentage of children with dental trauma present late for treatment, possibly because of lack of awareness and knowledge among related adults, resulting in unfavourable long-term prognosis. Forty-one percent of dental injuries occur at home, so parents play an important role in appropriate decision making. The aim of the present study is an evaluation of parental knowledge of and attitude towards dental traumatic injuries in children. Materials & Methods: Approximately 1000 parents accompanying children seeking dental treatment at the Department of Paediatric Dentistry. The present study was a descriptive, questionnaire study. The questionnaire was composed of different objective type questions for the assessment of parental knowledge of and attitude towards emergency management of paediatric dental traumatic injuries. Results: Parents who belongs to higher age groups significantly (p≤0.05) given answer that they should Visit a Dentist instead of other places. Parents who had better education think that they will put the tooth back into socket in compare to who are unemployed and had primary education, and this association was found to be highly statistically significant. (p≤0.05). Majority of the parents who belongs to lower socioeconomic status significantly believed that tooth cannot be save once come out of the socket. Discussion & Results: The role of education in improving parents’ knowledge of both first aid and dental first aid has been previously documented. The fact that education improved the overall ability of the parent to deal with dental trauma was a significant observation in our study. This has implications for public health professions across the region. There is a need to improve education of parents towards the management of dental trauma.