Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Interesterified Palm Olein (IEPalm) and Interesterified Stearic Acid-Rich Fat Blend (IEStear) Have No Adverse Effects on Insulin Resistance: A Randomized Control Trial

Chemically-interesterified (CIE) fats are trans-fat free and are increasingly being used as an alternative to hydrogenated oils for food manufacturing industries to optimize their products’ characteristics and nutrient compositions. The metabolic effects of CIE fats on insulin activity, lipids, and adiposity in humans are not well established. We investigated the effects of CIE fats rich in palmitic (C16:0, IEPalm) and stearic (C18:0, IEStear) acids on insulin resistance, serum lipids, apolipoprotein concentrations, and adiposity, using C16:0-rich natural palm olein (NatPO) as the control. We designed a parallel, double-blind clinical trial. Three test fats were used to prepare daily snacks for consumption with a standard background diet over a period of 8 weeks by three groups of a total of 85 healthy, overweight adult volunteers. We measured the outcome variables at weeks 0, 6, and at the endpoint of 8. After 8 weeks, there was no significant difference in surrogate biomarkers of insulin resistance in any of the IE fat diets (IEPalm and IEStear) compared to the NatPO diet. The change in serum triacylglycerol concentrations was significantly lower with the IEStear diet, and the changes in serum leptin and body fat percentages were significantly lower in the NatPO-diet compared to the IEPalm diet. We conclude that diets containing C16:0 and C18:0-rich CIE fats do not affect markers of insulin resistance compared to a natural C16:0-rich fat (NatPO) diet. Higher amounts of saturated fatty acids (SFAs) and longer chain SFAs situated at the sn-1,3 position of the triacylglycerol (TAG) backbones resulted in less weight gain and lower changes in body fat percentage and leptin concentration to those observed in NatPO and IEStear.
Uncertainty Quantification in Sunspot Counts

Observing and counting sunspots constitutes one of the longest-running scientific experiments, with first observations dating back to Galileo (around 1610). Today the sunspot number (SN) time series acts as a benchmark of solar activity in a large range of physical models. An appropriate statistical modeling, adapted to the time series’ complex nature, is, however, still lacking. In this work, we provide the first comprehensive uncertainty quantification analysis of sunspot counts. We study three components: the number of sunspots (Ns), the number of sunspot groups (Ng), and the composite Nc, defined as . Those are reported by a network of observatories around the world and are corrupted by errors of various types. We use a multiplicative framework to provide, for these three components, an estimation of their error distribution in various regimes (short-term, long-term, minima of solar activity). We also propose a robust estimator for the underlying solar signal and fit density distributions that take into account intrinsic characteristics such as overdispersion, excess of zeros, and multiple modes. The estimation of the solar signal underlying the composite Nc may be seen as a robust version of the International Sunspot Number (ISN), widely used as a proxy of solar activity. Therefore, our results on Nc may help characterize the uncertainty on ISN as well. Our results pave the way for a future monitoring of the observatories in quasi-real time, with the aim of alerting the observers when they start deviating from the network and preventing large drifts from occurring.
Optimisation of X-Rays Imaging Techniques for the Assessment of Joint Space

Introduction X-ray (XR) imaging techniques, including plain radiography and computed tomography arthrography (CTA) are widely used in clinical settings to assess the joint space and the mineral components of near the joint space, namely the subchondral bone plate and the subchondral bone in both degenerative and inflammatory joint diseases [1, 2]. The wide availability, low cost, limited acquisition time, paucity of contraindication and direct visualization of the mineral components of the bone-cartilage unit make XR a reliable tool in musculoskeletal imaging, despite the wellestablished superiority of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for the evaluation of the whole joint and the adjacent tissues in osteoarthritis (OA) and in inflammatory joint disease [2, 3]. While MRI is often used as a second line imaging technique or in research, XR techniques are widely used in the routine clinical setting [4–8]. Using MRI, a better spatial resolution is obtained by increasing the acquisition time. Likewise, XR techniques require a higher dose of exposure to obtain a higher level of spatial resolution. On conventional XR, multiple views of the joint are required to better analyse the different sectors of the joint space [9]. Conventional tomography is no longer used because the high radiation burden, especially after the advent of computed tomography [10]. Tomographic views with a lower radiation dose can now be obtained if the XR table is equipped with a digital technique called tomosynthesis [11]. The radiation burden is specifically relevant when imaging joints near organs with high radiation sensitivity such as gonads, thyroid and breast [12–14]. Despite the advances in computed tomography and the wide use of CTA in clinical practice, there is no systematic ex vivo and in vitro study in literature to optimize the dose for joints near radiation-sensitive organs. Using XR imaging techniques to assess the joint space allows an optimization of the dose without loss of information [13, 14]. On XR, the current strategy to reduce the radiation dose is to use a single high standardized and reproducible view (e.g. the Lyon schuss view for the internal femoro-tibial joint) in order to measure a single linear estimate (i.e. the minimum joint space width (mJSW)). This estimate has been proven to correlate with the degree of degeneration of the whole joint [15]. Such a measurement has been only validated for the Hip and knee joints [15, 16]. As mentioned above, a possibility for a more detailed study of the joint space by thin slices is now possible using tomosynthesis [11]. The dose delivered by tomosynthesis to obtain 1 mm thick slices is comparable to that of standard XR [17].
Impact of Baseline Bleeding Risk on Efficacy and Safety of Ticagrelor versus Clopidogrel in Chinese Patients with Acute Coronary Syndrome Undergoing Percutaneous Coronary Intervention

Background: There was still conflict on the antithrombotic advantage of ticagrelor versus clopidogrel among East Asian population with acute coronary syndrome (ACS). We considered that the baseline bleeding risk might be an undetected key factor that significantly affected the efficacy of ticagrelor. Methods: A total of 20,816 serial patients who underwent percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) from October 2011 to August 2014 in the General Hospital of Shenyang Military Region were enrolled in the present study. Patients receiving ticagrelor or clopidogrel were further subdivided according to basic bleeding risk. The primary outcome was net adverse clinical events (NACEs) defined as major adverse cardiac or cerebral events (MACCE, including all-cause death, myocardial infarction, ischemia-driven target vessel revascularization, or stroke) and any bleeding during 1-year follow-up. Comparison between ticagrelor and clopidogrel was adjusted by propensity score matching (PSM). Results: Among the 20,816 eligible PCI patients who were included in this study, there were 1578 and 779 patients in the clopidogrel and ticagrelor groups, respectively, after PSM, their clinical parameters were well matched. Patients receiving ticagrelor showed comparable NACE risk compared with those treated by clopidogrel (5.3% vs. 5.1%, P = 0.842). Furthermore, ticagrelor might reduce the MACCE risk in patients with low bleeding risk but increase MACCE in patients with moderate-to-high bleeding potential (ticagrelor vs. clopidogrel, low bleeding risk: 2.5% vs. 4.9%, P = 0.022; moderate-to-high bleeding risk: 4.8% vs. 3.0%, P = 0.225; interaction P = 0.021), with vast differences in all bleeding (low bleeding risk: 1.5% vs. 0.8%, P = 0.210; moderate-to-high bleeding risk: 4.8% vs. 3.0%, P = 0.002; interaction P = 0.296). Conclusion: Among real-world Chinese patients with ACS treated by PCI, ticagrelor only showed superior efficacy in patients with low bleeding risk but lost its advantage in patients with moderate-to-high bleeding potential.
New Adenovirus Groups in Western Palaearctic Bats

In the context of long-term screening for viruses on Western Palaearctic bats, we tested for the presence of adenovirus 1392 oropharyngeal swabs and 325 stool samples taken from 27 bat species. Adenoviruses were detected in 12 species of the Vespertilionidae and the Rhinolophidae families. Fifty positive respiratory and 26 positive stool samples were studied. Phylogenetic analyses of partial hexon protein and partial DNA-dependent DNA polymerase genes indicate that all these bat adenoviruses belong to the genus Mastadenovirus but without constituting a monophyletic cluster. According to genetic identities, the new groups are distinct to the previously described Bat mastadenovirus A and B species and contribute with potentially new members. Our data support that diversity of bat mastadenovirus is host-dependent and increase the knowledge of potentially pathogenic virus from bats. Due to the active role of bats as viral reservoirs, the characterization of these viruses is relevant for Public Health.
Targeting axonal degeneration and demyelination using combination administration of 17β‐estradiol and Schwann cells in the rat model of spinal cord injury

Schwann cells (SCs) are known to be responsible for axonal ensheathing and myelination, and their transplantation is used commonly for treatment of spinal cord injury (SCI). 17β‐estradiol (E2) has also reported for its protective roles in neurons in the transplanted SCs to the SCI model. In the current study, we evaluated the roles of E2 administration before SCs transplantation in targeting SCI‐induced axonal degeneration and demyelination. E2 (25 µg/kg, IP) was administered to the male Wistar rats underwent contusive SCI at T10 segment. At 7 days after injury, 1 × 106 SCs were transplanted to the injury epicenter of the spinal cord. The groups were laminectomy, SCI, SCI+E2, and SCI+E2+SCs. Functional recovery was evaluated using the Basso‐Bresnahan‐Beattie locomotor test. Sections from spinal cord were also assessed for histoloical staining, including Luxol fast blue, Bielschowsky's silver and immunofluorescence evaluation of myelin basic protein (MBP). The SCI group showed impaired locomotion in the hind limb, increased number of cavities within spinal cord, low observable numbers of regenerating fibers, and a significant decrease in the rate of expression for MBP. These changes were counteracted in the treatment groups ( P < 0.05 vs SCI) with no significant changes among them. From the results, it may be concluded that application of E2 and SCs could be effective when axons undergo demyelination and degenerative processes, and their combination could partly provide cumulative outcomes.
Using XRF and ICP-OES in Biosorption Studies

In this work, a method of recalculation of results of X-ray fluorescence (XRF) technique to Inductively Coupled Plasma-Optical Emission Spectroscopy (ICP-OES) method was elaborated for biosorption studies. Equations that calibrate XRF to ICP-OES were determined, as a biosorbent strawberry, blackcurrant and raspberry seeds after supercritical CO2 extraction were used. ICP-OES showed a better precision and lower detection limits than XRF. The latter technique is cheaper, requires minimal sample preparation and gives faster results. Linear regression of the data gave almost 1:1 correlations without additional correction (for Cu r2 = 0.9998, Mn r2 = 0.807, Zn r2 = 0.979). Calibration and quantification of intensities of XRF was obtained using ICP-OES measurements after samples digestion with HNO3 in a microwave system. High positive correlations were estimated for Cu, Mn, Zn. It was demonstrated that XRF technique can be used together with other well established techniques (ICP-OES) to produce quantitative data from biosorption studies. Elaboration of cheap and quick analytical methodology is an important aspect in development of new processes and products based on biosorption process.
Embryo-Protective Effects of Cerium Oxide Nanoparticles against Gestational Diabetes in Mice

Gestational diabetes is deﬁned as carbohydrate intolerance with onset or ﬁrst recognition during pregnancy. Diabetes during pregnancy increases the incidences of congenital anomalies, in a mother and her embryo. Oxidative stress has been implicated to be responsible in diabetic embryopathy. In this study, we used nanoceria as an antioxidant for amelioration of diabetic embryopathy in diabetic mice. The female mice were divided into 5 groups (6 mice per group). Diabetes was induced by a single dose of streptozotocin (60 mg/kg IP) that dissolved in citrate buffer (pH = 4.6). Blood glucose was checked in 0,5,10, and 15 days of pregnancy. The diabetic state was conﬁrmed when the blood glucose concentration exceeded 200 mg/dL. On the day 16 of pregnancy, all animals were anesthetized with ether and embryos were excised; then oxidative stress, pathological parameters, number of implantations, miscarriage, and live embryo were assayed. Histological study showed that diabetes induced abortion; decrease in weight of mothers, embryo, and the number of embryos were observed. In diabetic mice, significant increase in lipid peroxidation (LPO), ROS formation, and protein carbonyl content were observed. Glutathione (GSH) concentration is found to be decreased in embryo tissue in diabetic mice. Nanoceria treatment significantly inhibited embryonic oxidative stress and also pathologic changes in diabetic mice. Our research showed that diabetes act as a teratogen agent for fetal development and nanoceria abrogated diabetes induced embryopathy via its antioxidant effects. So, early detection of diabetes in pregnancy and antioxidant administration can attenuate these complications.
Baihui (DU20)-penetrating-Qubin (GB7) acupuncture inhibits apoptosis in the perihemorrhagic penumbra

Baihui (DU20)-penetrating-Qubin (GB7) acupuncture can inhibit inflammatory reactions and activate signaling pathways related to proliferation after intracerebral hemorrhage. However, there is no research showing the relationship between this treatment and cell apoptosis. Rat models of intracerebral hemorrhage were established by injecting 60 μL of autologous blood into the right side of the caudate-putamen. Six hours later, the needle traveled subcutaneously from the Baihui acupoint to Qubin acupoint. The needle was alternately rotated (180 ± 10 turns/min) manually along clockwise and counter-clockwise directions. Stimulation lasted for 7 days, and was performed three times each for 6 minutes with 6-minute intervals between stimulations. Rats intraperitoneally receiving Sonic hedgehog pathway activator, purmorphamine (1 mg/kg per day), served as positive controls. Motor and sensory function were assessed using the Ludmila Belayev test. Extent of pathological changes were measured in the perihemorrhagic penumbra using hematoxylin-eosin staining. Apoptosis was examined by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdT)-mediated dUTP nick end labeling assay. Expression of smoothened (Smo) and glioma-associated homolog 1 (Gli1) was determined by western blot assay. Our results showed that Baihui-penetrating-Qubin acupuncture promoted recovery of motor and sensory function, reduced the apoptotic cell percentage in the perihemorrhagic penumbra, and up-regulated Smo and Gli1 expression. We conclude that Baihui-penetrating-Qubin acupuncture can mitigate hemorrhage and promote functional recovery of the brain in a rat model of intracerebral hemorrhage, possibly by activating the Sonic hedgehog pathway.
A Comparative Usability Study of Key Management in Secure Email

• My research centers on the design, prototyping, and evaluation of secure systems that address user needs • Active research areas including authentication, usable encryption, key management, cloud security, and helping software developers write secure code • PI of multiple programs, having obtained $1,810,000 in external funding • Recipient of the John Karat Award, which identifies future leaders in the interdisciplinary field of usable security
Patterns of physical activity in individuals with Parkinson’s disease

This study aims to objectively quantify and describe the diurnal patterns of physical activity (PA) in people with Parkinson’s disease (pwPD) with mild-moderate disability. Eighteen pwPD wore a tri-axial accelerometer on their nondominant wrist 24/h day for 3 months. Data was processed using three different algorithms previously validated for PD and for healthy older individuals, to calculate daily steps and calculate amount and intensity of PA. The results show that participants tend to perform higher level of PA in the morning time slots and to be more sedentary in afternoon and evening. Such findings might help clinicians in suggesting proper strategies either to increase PA levels or optimally distribute it across the whole day.
Point Pair Feature-Based Pose Estimation with Multiple Edge Appearance Models (PPF-MEAM) for Robotic Bin Picking

Automation of the bin picking task with robots entails the key step of pose estimation, which identifies and locates objects so that the robot can pick and manipulate the object in an accurate and reliable way. This paper proposes a novel point pair feature-based descriptor named Boundary-to-Boundary-using-Tangent-Line (B2B-TL) to estimate the pose of industrial parts including some parts whose point clouds lack key details, for example, the point cloud of the ridges of a part. The proposed descriptor utilizes the 3D point cloud data and 2D image data of the scene simultaneously, and the 2D image data could compensate the missing key details of the point cloud. Based on the descriptor B2B-TL, Multiple Edge Appearance Models (MEAM), a method using multiple models to describe the target object, is proposed to increase the recognition rate and reduce the computation time. A novel pipeline of an online computation process is presented to take advantage of B2B-TL and MEAM. Our algorithm is evaluated against synthetic and real scenes and implemented in a bin picking system. The experimental results show that our method is sufficiently accurate for a robot to grasp industrial parts and is fast enough to be used in a real factory environment.
miR-106b targets DAB2 to promote hepatocellular carcinoma cell proliferation and metastasis

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have been proven to have important effects on the proliferation and metastasis of multiple cancers, including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). In the present study, our aim was to explore the biological function of miR-106b in HCC cell proliferation and metastasis. qPCR analysis showed that miR-106b was expressed at higher levels, while disabled homolog 2 (DAB2) was expressed at lower levels in HCC tissues and cells. Moreover, the aberrant miR-106b expression in HCC affected the cell proliferative and migratory ability by MTT and Transwell assay. DAB2 was identified as a specific target of miR-106b in HCC by luciferase reporter assay and regression analysis showed a negative correlation between DAB2 and miR-106b expression. In addition, DAB2 may attenuate the miR-106b promotion effect on HCC cell proliferation and migration. In short, miR-106b may promote HCC cell proliferation and migration by targeting DAB2.
Association of Bisphenol A Exposure with LINE-1 Hydroxymethylation in Human Semen

Bisphenol A (BPA), an exogenous endocrine-disrupting chemical, has been shown to alter DNA methylation. However, little information is available about the effect of BPA exposure on DNA hydroxymethylation in humans. The objective of the present study was to examine whether BPA exposure was associated with DNA hydroxymethylation in human semen samples. We measured urine BPA levels and LINE-1 hydroxymethylation in 158 male factory workers selected from an occupational cohort study conducted in China between 2004 and 2008. Among them, there were 72 male workers with occupational BPA exposure (BPA-exposed group) and 86 male workers without occupational BPA exposure (unexposed group). Multivariate linear regression models were used to examine the association of exposure to BPA with LINE-1 hydroxymethylation. LINE-1 was more highly hydroxymethylated in the BPA-exposed group than in the unexposed group (median 12.97% vs. 9.68%, respectively; p < 0.05), after adjusting for the potential confounders. The medians of 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5hmC) generally increased with increasing urine BPA levels: 8.79%, 12.16%, 11.53%, and 13.45%, for undetected BPA and corresponding tertiles for the detected BPA, respectively. After analysis using data at individual level, our findings indicated that BPA exposure was associated with alterations of sperm LINE-1 hydroxymethylation, which might have implications for understanding the mechanisms underlying BPA-induced adverse effects on male reproductive function.
Longitudinal Bedside Assessments of Brain Networks in Disorders of Consciousness: Case Reports From the Field

Clinicians are regularly faced with the difficult challenge of diagnosing consciousness after severe brain injury. As such, as many as 40% of minimally conscious patients who demonstrate fluctuations in arousal and awareness are known to be misdiagnosed as unresponsive/vegetative based on clinical consensus. Further, a significant minority of patients show evidence of hidden awareness not evident in their behavior. Despite this, clinical assessments of behavior are commonly used as bedside indicators of consciousness. Recent advances in functional high-density electroencephalography (hdEEG) have indicated that specific patterns of resting brain connectivity measured at the bedside are strongly correlated with the re-emergence of consciousness after brain injury. We report case studies of four patients with traumatic brain injury who underwent regular assessments of hdEEG connectivity and Coma Recovery Scale-Revised (CRS-R) at the bedside, as part of an ongoing longitudinal study. The first, a patient in an unresponsive wakefulness state (UWS), progressed to a minimally-conscious state several years after injury. HdEEG measures of alpha network centrality in this patient tracked this behavioral improvement. The second patient, contrasted with patient 1, presented with a persistent UWS diagnosis that paralleled with stability on the same alpha network centrality measure. Patient 3, diagnosed as minimally conscious minus (MCS–), demonstrated a significant late increase in behavioral awareness to minimally conscious plus (MCS+). This patient's hdEEG connectivity across the previous 18 months showed a trajectory consistent with this increase alongside a decrease in delta power. Patient 4 contrasted with patient 3, with a persistent MCS- diagnosis that was similarly tracked by consistently high delta power over time. Across these contrasting cases, hdEEG connectivity captures both stability and recovery of behavioral trajectories both within and between patients. Our preliminary findings highlight the feasibility of bedside hdEEG assessments in the rehabilitation context and suggest that they can complement clinical evaluation with portable, accurate and timely generation of brain-based patient profiles. Further, such hdEEG assessments could be used to estimate the potential utility of complementary neuroimaging assessments, and to evaluate the efficacy of interventions.