Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Sex-Specific Effects of Stress on Mood-Related Gene Expression

Women are twice as likely as men to be diagnosed with major depressive disorder (MDD). Recent studies report distinct molecular changes in depressed men and women across mesocorticolimbic brain regions. However, it is unclear which sex-related factors drive distinct MDD-associated pathology. The goal of this study was to use mouse experimental systems to investigate sex-specific mechanisms underlying the distinct molecular profiles of MDD in men and women. We used unpredictable chronic mild stress to induce an elevated anxiety-/depressive-like state and “four core genotypes” (FCG) mice to probe for sex-specific mechanisms. As predicted, based on previous implications in mood, stress impacted the expression of several dopamine-, GABA-, and glutamate-related genes. Some of these effects, specifically in the prefrontal cortex, were genetic sex-specific, with effects in XX mice but not in XY mice. Stress also impacted gene expression differently across the mesocorticolimbic circuit, with increased expression of mood-related genes in the prefrontal cortex and nucleus accumbens, but decreased expression in basolateral amygdala. Our results suggest that females are sensitive to the effects of chronic stress, partly due to their genetic sex, independent of gonadal hormones. Furthermore, these results point to the prefrontal cortex as the node in the mesocorticolimbic circuitry with the strongest female-specific effects.
Clinical utility of ixekizumab in the treatment of moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis

Psoriasis vulgaris is a chronic, immune-mediated systemic disease that affectŝ7. 5 million people in the US. It can be treated with many therapies, often in combination, which include topicals, phototherapy, oral systemics, and biologics. Biologic agents target specific components of the immune system involved in the pathogenesis of psoriasis including TNF-alpha, IL-12, IL-17, and IL-23. The biologic ixekizumab, approved for the treatment of moderate–severe plaque psoriasis in the US, targets IL-17. This review describes the role of IL-17 in psoriasis, the mechanism by which ixekizumab targets this cytokine, and the clinical utility of ixekizumab.
Shape transition in InAs nanostructures formed by Stranski-Krastanow growth mode on InP (001) substrate

The shape of InAs nanostructures formed by molecular beam epitaxy on a (001) InP substrate in the Stranski-Krastanow growth mode is studied. A transition from wires to round-shaped islands is observed as a function of the amount of InAs deposited. It is attributed to the non-equivalent energies of the A and B facets existing in zinc blende materials (facets along [11⎯⎯0] and [110], respectively). This surface energy anisotropy is considered to determine the nanostructure equilibrium shape from the balance between the elastic energy and the surface energy. At low volumes, the most energetically favorable shape is the wire-like shape, while at high volumes, the equilibrium shape is the island-like shape. The calculated sizes for which the shape changes are in good agreement with experimental sizes. The low lattice mismatch and the low surface energy of (114)A InAs facets around 41 meV/A2, as obtained from density functional theory calculations, enhance this effect in the InAs/InP system.
An Effective Palmprint Recognition Approach for Visible and Multispectral Sensor Images

Among several palmprint feature extraction methods the HOG-based method is attractive and performs well against changes in illumination and shadowing of palmprint images. However, it still lacks the robustness to extract the palmprint features at different rotation angles. To solve this problem, this paper presents a hybrid feature extraction method, named HOG-SGF that combines the histogram of oriented gradients (HOG) with a steerable Gaussian filter (SGF) to develop an effective palmprint recognition approach. The approach starts by processing all palmprint images by David Zhang’s method to segment only the region of interests. Next, we extracted palmprint features based on the hybrid HOG-SGF feature extraction method. Then, an optimized auto-encoder (AE) was utilized to reduce the dimensionality of the extracted features. Finally, a fast and robust regularized extreme learning machine (RELM) was applied for the classification task. In the evaluation phase of the proposed approach, a number of experiments were conducted on three publicly available palmprint databases, namely MS-PolyU of multispectral palmprint images and CASIA and Tongji of contactless palmprint images. Experimentally, the results reveal that the proposed approach outperforms the existing state-of-the-art approaches even when a small number of training samples are used.
Litho-, Bio-, and Magnetostratigraphy and Paleoenvironment of Tunggur Formation (Middle Miocene) in Central Inner Mongolia, China

Abstract The Tunggur Formation is presently exposed along the edge of the Tunggur Tableland. Being mostly flat-lying and with a maximum thickness of less than 80 m (most sections are less than 40 m thick), exposures along the northern, western, and southern edges of the platform all produce vertebrate fossils. The American Museum Wolf Camp Quarry and Platybelodon Quarry produced most of the early collections. To the east, the Tableland gradually blends into the landscape, and its distribution becomes less well delineated. At the extreme eastern end, the Tunggur Formation is probably overlain by the late Miocene Baogeda Ula Formation. The Tunggur Formation has its stratotype along a small exposure at Mandelin Chabu in the northwest edge of the Tableland. The Tunggur Formation in the Tableland is divided into two informal sedimentary units, the upper and lower beds. The stratotype section, Wolf Camp, and Platybelodon Quarry, along with most localities in the northern escarpment, belong to the upper beds, which are characterized by cross-bedded sandstones, variegated mudstones, and occasional marls. The entire southern Tairum Nor badland and lower part of the Aletexire section belong to the lower beds, which are characterized by more uniform red mudstones interrupted by a channel sandstone. The upper beds produce the Tunggur Fauna, which includes most of what is traditionally known as the Platybelodon Fauna. The lower beds contain a more recently named Tairum Nor Fauna, which has the latest occurrence of Tachyoryctoides and three musteloid carnivorans: Leptarctus neimenguensis, a new species of Sthenictis, and a new form possibly related to Aelurocyon, with all three being well represented in the North American Miocene. Paleomagnetic study of two key sections at Moergen small mammal locality and at Tairum Nor locality suggests a correlation in the magnetozones C5Ar.3r through part of C5r.3r, with an age range of 11.8–13 Ma. Systematic prospecting in known and previously unexplored areas has resulted in an expansion of the faunal representations in the region. By integrating the faunal data with magnetostratigraphy, we provide the first chronological tie point in the Chinese middle Miocene mammalian stratigraphy. Paleoenvironmental studies of the Tunggur Formation indicate a mosaic of grassland and mixed conifer–broadleaf woodland. Shallow channels were abundant, and floodplains had undergone different degrees of soil formation. Large mammal communities contain many low-crowned browsers and a few high-crowned grazers, but small mammals are dominated by grassland-adapted forms.
AOP: 23 – Annex 1, assessment of the relative level of confidence in the overall AOP based on rank

1 Defining Question High (Strong) Moderate Low (Weak) 1. Support for Biological Plausibility of KERS a) Is there a mechanistic relationship between KEup and KEdown consistent with established biological knowledge? Extensive understanding of the KER based on extensive previous documentation and broad acceptance. KER is plausible based on analogy to accepted biological relationships, but scientific understanding is incomplete Empirical support for association between KEs , but the structural or functional relationship between them is not understood.
Tracking Skills Development and Self-efficacy in a New First-year Engineering Design Course

This evidence-based practice paper describes the development and implementation of surveys and a focus group to understand the impact of a new first-year engineering design course. With the intent of adding a practical design experience for first-year students, the Engineering Design and Communication course was introduced as a pilot program in the fall of 2017 at Duke University. Over the course of a semester, students work in teams to learn and apply the engineering design process to a client-based problem drawn from a community partner. In the course, the students should learn to 1) apply the engineering design process to meet the needs of a client; 2) iteratively prototype a solution using appropriate tools and materials; 3) work collaboratively on a team; and 4) communicate the critical steps in the design process in written, oral, and visual formats. The course was created following many best practices in first-year engineering education. This paper focuses specifically on how the course contributes to students’ confidence about themselves as engineers, students’ understanding of the engineering design process, and students’ progress in technical skills. The paper also assesses students’ satisfaction with the course. This information is designed to help leaders in the engineering school comprehend the specific impact of the first-year design course, in addition to laying the foundation for a long-term retention study. There are two parts of this study: online surveys and a focus group. The participants for the surveys included subsets of the 48 freshmen students in the course. To conduct this data collection, three surveys were administered to generate paired data used to investigate trends over time. To generate qualitative data and gain insight into what might be underlying the results of the surveys, a focus group session was conducted. Statistical analyses, two-sample t-tests, paired t-tests, and chi-squared tests, with the survey data to determine significance of changes over time. Qualitative data from the open-ended questions was by frequency of response. Major findings study include: students definitively progressed in crafting, CAD, and rapid prototyping over the course of the semester; participants’ confidence in each step of the engineering design process increased; and the course successful providing students real-world self-efficacy.
The Latarjet procedure for the treatment of recurrence of anterior instability of the shoulder after operative repair: a retrospective case series of forty-nine consecutive patients.

BACKGROUND Recurrence of anterior shoulder instability after operative repair is an uncommon but disabling condition for which treatment options have been insufficiently studied. Coracoid transfer as described by Latarjet is a highly successful primary operation for recurrent anterior shoulder instability. The purpose of this study was to verify the hypothesis that this procedure is also effective for treating recurrent glenohumeral instability after previous operative repair. METHODS Forty-nine consecutive patients with either one (n = 32), two (n = 12), or at least three (n = 5) previous stabilizations other than a Latarjet procedure and recurrence of anterior glenohumeral instability associated with a lesion of the anterior aspect of the glenoid rim had revision with a coracoid transfer as described by Latarjet. Clinical outcomes at a mean of thirty-eight months postoperatively included the subjective shoulder value, the Constant-Murley score, and glenohumeral stability. Standardized anteroposterior and axial radiographs before and after the Latarjet revision were used to grade the degree of glenohumeral osteoarthritis. RESULTS The results in all forty-nine patients were reviewed. No shoulder redislocated, subluxations recurred in two patients, and five patients reported slight, unspecified shoulder symptoms. No revision surgery was needed. Forty-three shoulders (88%) were subjectively graded as excellent or good; three, fair; and three, poor. Dissatisfaction was associated with persistent pain, and patients with preoperative pain had a twentyfold higher probability of having postoperative pain. The mean subjective shoulder value increased from 53% preoperatively to 79% at the time of follow-up (p < 0.001), and the Constant-Murley score remained high (80% preoperatively and 85% at the time of follow-up; p = 0.061). Optimal graft placement was obtained in thirty cases and was related to better clinical outcome and less progression of osteoarthritis than was suboptimal graft placement. CONCLUSIONS Coracoid transfer as described by Latarjet can effectively restore anterior glenohumeral shoulder stability if previous operation(s) have failed to do so. If recurrence is associated with chronic pain, the pain is likely to persist and compromise the subjective outcome.
Groundwater quality and its variation along irrigation canals in Pakistan

The Indus Basin of Pakistan is thickly populated and supports a rapidly growing population of 170 million. More than 90 percent of food production in the country is contributed by the irrigated agriculture which is presently facing many challenges and hardships such as salinity, extreme scarcity of canal water, groundwater mining and degradation of its quality. Water and soil samples were collected in a canal command area to assess and analyze the quality of pumped groundwater and soil salinity respectively. Data of crop yield and income of the farmers was also collected. The results show that electrical conductivity (EC) of groundwater increases from upper to lower reaches along all the irrigation channels i.e. the main, secondary and tertiary canals. The groundwater was found suitable only in about one-half of the command area. In rest of the area groundwater is either marginally fit for irrigation or it is hazardous (unfit). Similarly the soil salinity also increased from upper to lower reaches along the irrigation canals. The soil salinity almost follows the pattern of groundwater salinity. The crop yield and net income of the water users decreased along all the irrigation channels (i.e. the main, secondary and tertiary canals) but decrease in net income was much more than decrease in crop yield. Due to less canal water supply along the lower reaches of the irrigation channels, the downstream water users pump more groundwater to meet their irrigation needs. The deteriorating groundwater quality along the lower reaches of the irrigation channels further adds misery to the downstream farmers by degrading productivity of their lands caused by excessive use of saline groundwater. Location of the water users along the canal irrigation system had significant impact on their crop yield as well as income and these parameters decreased from head of the irrigation channels towards their lower reaches. For example, the net income of the tail-end farmers
Oral and pharyngeal cancer mortality rates in Mexico, 1979-2003.

BACKGROUND In Mexico, information on oral and pharyngeal cancer (OPC) is scarce. The purpose of this study was to explore the trends in OPC mortality rates in Mexico from 1979 through 2003 and to describe the distribution of OPC deaths for selected socio-demographic variables for the period of 2001-2003. MATERIAL AND METHODS Annual crude and age-adjusted mortality rates were obtained by gender and site of lesion, using the 2003 WHO World standard million population. The Poisson regression model was used to detect a trend in the mortality rates, testing the hypothesis beta(1) = 0. Also, the annual percentage change (APC) was computed over the age-adjusted rates. RESULTS The total number of OPC deaths during the period 1979-2003 was 15,576. The age-adjusted mortality rate was 1.13/100,000 in 1979 and 1.08/100,000 in 2003. Oral cancer was more frequently found than salivary gland and pharyngeal cancer (41.5% vs. 13.4% and 17.1%). The tongue (19%) was the most frequent oral affected site. The Poisson regression analysis indicated a stationary trend in cancer mortality rate; also, the APC regression model showed no increase or decrease in OPC from 1979 to 2003. CONCLUSIONS Oral and pharyngeal cancer mortality rates in Mexico were low compared to most countries, and remained stable in the past two decades.
Experimental Study of Oversized Backward Wave Oscillator with Coaxial Slow-Wave Structure

Studies of coaxial oversized backward wave oscillators (BWOs) are reported. The beam voltage is weakly relativistic (less than 100 kV). The slow-wave structure consists of a periodically corrugated oversized waveguide and periodically corrugated inner conductor, whose target operating frequency due to Cherenkov interaction is in the K-band. A starting energy exists for the coaxial oversized BWO as it does for a hollow oversized BWO. The coaxial slow-wave structure has two surface wave modes caused by the inner and outer corrugations. Operation based on these surface modes can be controlled by the beam diameter. The phase difference between the inner and outer corrugations has little effect on operation of the oversized BWO.
Fcγ receptors: genetic variation, function, and disease

Fcγ receptors (FcγRs) are key immune receptors responsible for the effective control of both humoral and innate immunity and are central to maintaining the balance between generating appropriate responses to infection and preventing autoimmunity. When this balance is lost, pathology results in increased susceptibility to cancer, autoimmunity, and infection. In contrast, optimal FcγR engagement facilitates effective disease resolution and response to monoclonal antibody immunotherapy. The underlying genetics of the FcγR gene family are a central component of this careful balance. Complex in humans and generated through ancestral duplication events, here we review the evolution of the gene family in mammals, the potential importance of copy number, and functionally relevant single nucleotide polymorphisms, as well as discussing current approaches and limitations when exploring genetic variation in this region.
Dynamic transition of transcription and chromatin landscape during fission yeast adaptation to glucose starvation

Shortage of glucose, the primary energy source for all organisms, is one of the most critical stresses influencing cell viability. Glucose starvation promptly induces changes in mRNA and noncoding RNA (ncRNA) transcription. We previously reported that glucose starvation induces long ncRNA (lncRNA) transcription in the 5′ segment of a fission yeast gluconeogenesis gene (fbp1+), which leads to stepwise chromatin alteration around the fbp1+ promoter and to subsequent robust gene activation. Here, we analyzed genomewide transcription by strand‐specific RNA sequencing, together with chromatin landscape by immunoprecipitation sequencing (ChIP‐seq). Clustering analysis showed that distinct mRNAs and ncRNAs are induced at the early, middle and later stages of cellular response to glucose starvation. The starvation‐induced transcription depends substantially on the stress‐responsive transcription factor Atf1. Using a new computer program that examines dynamic changes in expression patterns, we identified ncRNAs with similar behavior to the fbp1+ lncRNA. We confirmed that there are continuous lncRNAs associated with local reduction of histone density. Overlapping with the regions for transcription of these lncRNAs, antisense RNAs are antagonistically transcribed under glucose‐rich conditions. These results suggest that Atf1‐dependent integrated networks of mRNA and lncRNA govern drastic changes in cell physiology in response to glucose starvation.
Ultrasound Imaging is a Valid Method of Measuring the Cross-Sectional Area of the Quadratus Femoris Muscle

Atrophy of the stabilizing muscles of the hip, such as quadratus femoris (QF), may predispose the hip joint to dysfunction. Ultrasound imaging (USI) has been shown to be a valid and reliable method of measuring the size of several hip muscles, but QF size has not been investigated. The objectives of this study were to establish the criterion validity of USI against the “gold standard” magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for measuring the QF cross-sectional area (CSA) and to investigate intra-rater reliability of USI. Eleven current or retired professional ballet dancers (six women, five men) volunteered for USI of their QF within 1 week of MRI. The mean CSAs of QF were compared between the two imaging modalities, and the mean USI CSAs from two different trials were compared. Mean CSA with MRI (4.8 cm2, ± 1.54) was significantly larger than mean CSA with USI (4.29 cm2 ± 1.56; t = 5.82; p < 0.001), and the mean difference was 0.41 cm2 (9%). However, the measures were highly correlated for intra-class reliability (r = 0.96, p < 0.001), and intra-class correlation coefficients (ICC) demonstrated excellent agreement (ICC = 0.90; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.20 -0.97) and consistency of measures (ICC = 0.96; 95% CI: 0.90- 0.98). Intra-rater reliability of measuring QF with USI was excellent between two trials (ICC = 0.98; 95% CI: 0.96- 0.99). The minimal detectable change at a 95% CI (MDC95) was 0.38 cm2 (9.5%). It is concluded that USI is a valid and reliable measure of QF muscle size and can be used to measure QF CSA in a research or clinical setting.
A Theory of Whistleblower Rewards

To enforce the law, the government must learn about violations of the law. One way of obtaining such information is by employing police officers and investigators. An alternative way is by rewarding whistleblowers. In this paper I consider two basic questions relating to whistleblower rewards. First, what is the optimal size of whistleblower rewards? Second, how should we choose between employing police officers and rewarding whistleblowers? I develop a model that highlights two features of the whistleblowing context: whistleblowers bear a personal cost, and a reward may encourage false reports. I find that there is a nonmonotonic relationship between the personal cost to whistleblowers and the optimal reward, and between the risk of a false report and the optimal reward. Furthermore, offering a whistleblower reward dominates the employment of police officers and investigators when the risk of a false report is small.
Distribution of cytomegalovirus genotypes among ulcerative colitis patients in Okinawa, Japan

Background/Aims To determine the prevalence of glycoprotein B (gB), glycoprotein N (gN), and glycoprotein H (gH) genotypes of human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) superimposed on ulcerative colitis (UC) patients in Japan. Methods Four archived stool samples and 7-archived extracted DNA from stool samples of 11 UC patients with positive multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) results for HCMV were used UL55 gene encoding gB, UL73 gene encoding gN, and UL75 gene encoding gH were identified by PCR. Genotypes of gB and glycoprotein N were determined by sequencing. Results Among 11 samples, 8 samples were amplified through PCR. gB, gN, and gH genotypes were successfully detected in 3 of 8 (37.5%), 4 of 8 (50%), and 8 of 8 (100%), respectively. The distribution of gB and gN genotypes analyzed through phylogenetic analysis were as follows: gB1 (2/3, 66.7%), gB3 (1/3, 33.3%), gN3a (2/4, 50%), and gN3b (2/4, 50%). Other gB genotypes (gB2 and gB4) and gN genotypes (gN1, gN2, and gN4) were not detected in this study. Out of successfully amplified 8 samples of gH genotype, gH1 and gH2 were distributed in 12.5% and 75% samples, respectively. Only 1 sample revealed mixed infection of gH genotype. The distribution of gH1 and gH2 differed significantly (1:6, P<0.05) in UC patients. The distribution of single gH genotype also revealed significant difference in UC patients who were treated with immunosuppressive drug (P<0.05). Conclusions In this study, gB1, gN3, and gH2 gene were determined as the most frequently observed genotypes in UC patients, which suggest that there might be an association between these genotypes of HCMV and UC.