Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
KIR Variation in Iranians Combines High Haplotype and Allotype Diversity With an Abundance of Functional Inhibitory Receptors

Natural killer (NK) cells are innate lymphocytes that eliminate infected and transformed cells. They discriminate healthy from diseased tissue through killer cell Ig-like receptor (KIR) recognition of HLA class I ligands. Directly impacting NK cell function, KIR polymorphism associates with infection control and multiple autoimmune and pregnancy syndromes. Here we analyze KIR diversity of 241 individuals from five groups of Iranians. These five populations represent Baloch, Kurd, and Lur, together comprising 15% of the ethnically diverse Iranian population. We identified 159 KIR alleles, including 11 not previously characterized. We also identified 170 centromeric and 94 telomeric haplotypes, and 15 different KIR haplotypes carrying either a deletion or duplication encompassing one or more complete KIR genes. As expected, comparing our data with those representing major worldwide populations revealed the greatest similarity between Iranians and Europeans. Despite this similarity we observed higher frequencies of KIR3DL1*001 in Iran than any other population, and the highest frequency of HLA-B*51, a Bw4-containing allotype that acts as a strong educator of KIR3DL1*001+ NK cells. Compared to Europeans, the Iranians we studied also have a reduced frequency of 3DL1*004, which encodes an allotype that is not expressed at the NK cell surface. Concurrent with the resulting high frequency of strong viable interactions between inhibitory KIR and polymorphic HLA class I, the majority of KIR-A haplotypes characterized do not express a functional activating receptor. By contrast, the most frequent KIR-B haplotype in Iran expresses only one functional inhibitory KIR and the maximum number of activating KIR. This first complete, high-resolution, characterization of the KIR locus of Iranians will form a valuable reference for future clinical and population studies.
Viewing Art in Different Contexts

While aesthetic experiences are not limited to any particular context, their sensorial, cognitive and behavioral properties can be profoundly affected by the circumstances in which they occur. Given the ubiquitous nature of contextual effects in nearly all aspects of behavior, investigations aimed at delineating the context-dependent and context-independent aspects of aesthetic experience and engagement with aesthetic objects in a diverse range of settings are important in empirical aesthetics. Here, we analyze the viewing behavior of visitors (N = 19) freely viewing 15 paintings in the 20th-century Australian collection room at the Art Gallery of New South Wales. In particular, we focus on how aspects of viewing behavior including viewing distance in the gallery condition and eye gaze measures such as fixation count, total fixation duration and average fixation duration are affected by the artworks’ physical characteristics including size and image statistics properties such as Fourier amplitude spectrum, fractal dimension and entropy. In addition, the same artworks were viewed in the laboratory, either scaled to fit most of the screen (N = 22) or to preserve their relative size as in the museum condition (N = 17) to assess the robustness of these relationships across different presentation contexts. We find that the effects of presentation context are modulated by the artworks’ physical characteristics.
Robot Morphology and Children's Perception of Social Robots: An Exploratory Study

The aim of this study was to investigate whether robot morphology (i.e., anthropomorphic, zoomorphic, or caricatured) influences children's perceptions of animacy, anthropomorphism, social presence, and perceived similarity. Based on a sample of 35 children aged seven to fourteen, we found that, depending on the robot's morphology, children's perceptions of anthropomorphism, social presence and perceived similarity varied, with the anthropomorphic robot typically ranking higher than the zoomorphic robot. Our findings suggest that the morphology of social robots should be taken into account when planning, analyzing, and interpreting studies on child-robot interaction.
Gene Expression Dynamics at the Neurovascular Unit During Early Regeneration After Cerebral Ischemia/Reperfusion Injury in Mice

With increasing distribution of endovascular stroke therapies, transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (tMCAO) in mice now more than ever depicts a relevant patient population with recanalized M1 occlusion. In this case, the desired therapeutic effect of blood flow restauration is accompanied by breakdown of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) and secondary reperfusion injury. The aim of this study was to elucidate short and intermediate-term transcriptional patterns and the involved pathways covering the different cellular players at the neurovascular unit after transient large vessel occlusion. To achieve this, male C57Bl/6J mice were treated according to an intensive post-stroke care protocol after 60 min occlusion of the middle cerebral artery or sham surgery to allow a high survival rate. After 24 h or 7 days, RNA from microvessel fragments from the ipsilateral and the contralateral hemispheres was isolated and used for mRNA sequencing. Bioinformatic analyses allowed us to depict gene expression changes at two timepoints of neurovascular post-stroke injury and regeneration. We validated our dataset by quantitative real time PCR of BBB-associated targets with well-characterized post-stroke dynamics. Hence, this study provides a well-controlled transcriptome dataset of a translationally relevant mouse model 24 h and 7 days after stroke which might help to discover future therapeutic targets in cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury.
Attention-Based Multimodal Fusion for Estimating Human Emotion in Real-World HRI

Toward empathetic and harmonious human-robot interaction (HRI), automatic estimation of human emotion has attracted increasing attention from multidisciplinary research fields. In this report, we propose an attention-based multimodal fusion approach that explores the space between traditional early and late fusion approaches, to deal with the problem of asynchronous multimodal inputs while considering their relatedness. The proposed approach enables the robot to align the human's visual and speech signals (more specifically, facial, acoustic, and lexical information) extracted by its cameras, microphones, and processing modules and is expected to achieve robust estimation performance in real-world HRI.
Evaluating the Usability of New Software for Medication Management on a Social Robot

As the world's population is rapidly ageing, social robots are being developed to help patients manage their chronic conditions at home. An important task for robots is to remind people of their medications. Although medication management systems aim to simplify the process of programming robots, these systems often suffer from usability issues that increase data entry errors. This study aimed to investigate whether cosmetic and validation changes in a social robot medication management system (Robogen) improved system usability and reduced medication errors. Forty participants underwent a 60-minute study during which they entered prescriptions using both the old and new systems in a random order. System usability and preference were assessed using questionnaires. Results showed that the new system (Robogen 2) had significantly higher usability scores and was preferred by the significant majority of participants (80%). This new system has been adopted for programming the robot in subsequent healthcare studies.
Lack of Conventional Acinar Cells in Parotid Salivary Gland of Patient Taking an Anti-PD-L1 Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor

Background: Salivary glands (SGs) can be damaged by immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) therapy. In patients with ICI-induced SG dysfunction, 60% progress to fulfill classification criteria for primary Sjögren's syndrome (pSS), owing to immune foci in SGs and/or anti-SSA autoantibody positivity. We report the SG tissue analysis of a patient with SG dysfunction after treatment with a programmed death ligand-1 (PD-L1) inhibitor, compared to that of a dry mouth (“sicca”) control and pSS patient. Case presentation: The patient received the PD-L1 inhibitor durvalumab (10 mg/kg, every 2 weeks by intravenous infusion) as adjuvant treatment for stage 3 non-small cell lung carcinoma, following concurrent chemo radiotherapy. At 43 weeks after 21 cycles of Durvalumab, the patient was not capable of producing unstimulated or stimulated parotid gland saliva, and a biopsy was taken. Immunohistochemical analysis showed no classical AQP5+ CK7− acinar cell clusters (CK7 marks intercalated ducts, IDs). In contrast, the parenchyma was dominated by hybrid epithelial “structures” with ID-like morphology, containing a mixture of AQP5+CK7−, AQP5−CK7+, and AQP5+CK7+ cells (30 structures/mm2). These structures were present at lower frequencies in sicca control (2/mm2) and pSS (10/mm2) tissue. Hybrid structures contained proliferating (Ki67+) cells and senescent (p16+) cells. Striated ducts showed no abnormal morphology post PD-L1 treatment, in contrast to pSS tissue. PD-L1 expression was detected in the SG parenchyma following anti-PD-L1 therapy. The SG post-PD-L1 therapy further demonstrated focal lymphocytic sialadentitis, harboring disperse, and focal CD4+ T cell-rich infiltrates. CD8+ T cells were also present. In this patient, these CD4+ and CD8+ T cells were observed in-between and inside hybrid structures. CD20+ B-cells were infrequently detected following PD-L1 blockade, in contrast to their preponderance in pSS SG tissue. Conclusion: This patient lacked conventional SG acinar cells following anti-PD-L1 therapy and demonstrated presence of hybrid intercalated duct-like structures. Understanding which mechanisms and dynamics underpinning this aberrant parenchyma may be crucial to understand how SG dysfunction post ICI therapy, and potentially other affected organs. Furthermore, although the patient treated with anti-PD-L1 antibody examined here fulfills the criteria for pSS and demonstrated focal lymphocytic sialadentitis, the further histopathological characteristics do not resemble pSS.
Visualization of the initial fixed nitrogen transport in nodulated soybean plant using [13N]N2 tracer gas in real-time

The observation of initial transport of fixed nitrogen in intact soybean plants in real-time was conducted by using the positron-emitting tracer imaging system (PETIS). Soybean root nodules were fed with [13N]N2 for 10 minutes, and the radioactivity of [13N]N tracer was recorded for 60 minutes. The serial images of nitrogen fixation activity and translocation of fixed nitrogen in the soybean plant were reconstructed to estimate the fixed-N transport to the upper shoot. As a result, the signal of nitrogen radiotracer moving upward through the intact stem was successfully observed. This is the first report that the translocation of fixed-N is visualized in real-time in soybean plant by a moving image. The signal of nitrogen radiotracer appeared at the base stem at about 20 minutes after the feeding of tracer gas and it took 40 minutes to reach the upper stem. The velocity of fixed nitrogen translocation was estimated approximately at 1.63 cm min-1. The autoradiography taken after PETIS experiment showed a clear picture of transport of fixed 13N in the whole plant that the fixed-N moved not only via xylem system but also via the phloem system to the shoot after transferring from xylem to phloem in the stem although it has been generally considered that the fixed-N in nodule is transported dominantly via xylem by transpiration stream toward mature leaves. This result also suggests that the initial transport of fixed-N was mainly into the stem and subsequently translocated to young leaves and buds via the phloem system. These new findings in the initial transport of fixed nitrogen of soybean by PETIS observation will become the basis for future study of fixed-N transport in the whole legume plants.
A Long-term Study of Robot-Assisted Therapy for Children with Severe Autism and ADHD

Social robots are increasingly being used as a mediator between therapists and children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). This paper describes an ongoing work that aims to target children with diverse forms of ASD that undergo long-term interventions with the robot. Additionally, this paper describes a novel behavior that was implemented to introduce and to practice a set of social behaviors used for greetings and non-verbal communications. We conducted a long-term study with a cohort of 15 children aged from 3 to 12 years old and this paper presents the preliminary results.
Are People Ready for Social Robots in Public Spaces?

Recent developments in robotics are potentially changing the nature of service, and research in human-robot interaction has previously shown that humanoid robots could possibly work in public spaces. We conducted an ethnographic study with the humanoid robot Pepper at a central train station. The results indicate that people are not yet accustomed to talking to robots, and people seem to expect that the robot does not talk, that it is a queue ticket machine, or that, one should interact with it by using the tablet on the robot's chest.
Cheating with a Socially Assistive Robot?: A Matter of Personality

Socially assistive robots might improve the quality of life of individuals by carrying out therapeutic interventions. However, when users try to cheat with robots by disregarding their recommendations, they might not be able to perform their supporting functions. In the present study, we aimed to evaluate how the robot behavior style could affect the users' compliance and cheating behavior. Sixty volunteers underwent neuro-psychological testing administered by Pepper that was configured as neutral, friendly, or authoritarian. The results revealed that the robot characterized by neutral behavioral style seems to reduce individuals' compliance.
GJB2 Mutations Linked to Hearing Loss Exhibit Differential Trafficking and Functional Defects as Revealed in Cochlear-Relevant Cells

GJB2 gene (that encodes Cx26) mutations are causal of hearing loss highlighting the importance of Cx26-based channel signaling amongst the supporting cells in the organ of Corti. While the majority of these GJB2 mutations are inherited in an autosomal recessive manner, others are inherited in an autosomal dominant manner and lead to syndromic hearing loss as well as skin diseases. To assess if common or divergent mechanisms are at the root of GJB2-linked hearing loss, we expressed several mutants in cochlear-relevant HEI-OC1 cells derived from the developing organ of Corti. Since supporting cells of the mature mammalian organ of Corti have negligible Cx43, but HEI-OC1 cells are rich in Cx43, we first used CRISPR-Cas9 to ablate endogenous Cx43, thus establishing a connexin-deficient platform for controlled reintroduction of hearing-relevant connexins and Cx26 mutants. We found three distinct outcomes and cellular phenotypes when hearing loss-linked Cx26 mutants were expressed in cochlear-relevant cells. The dominant syndromic Cx26 mutant N54K had trafficking defects and did not fully prevent wild-type Cx26 gap junction plaque formation but surprisingly formed gap junctions when co-expressed with Cx30. In contrast, the dominant syndromic S183F mutant formed gap junctions incapable of transferring dye and, as expected, co-localized in the same gap junctions as wild-type Cx26 and Cx30, but also gained the capacity to intermix with Cx43 within gap junctions. Both recessive non-syndromic Cx26 mutants (R32H and R184P) were retained in intracellular vesicles including early endosomes and did not co-localize with Cx30. As might be predicted, none of the Cx26 mutants prevented Cx43 gap junction plaque formation in Cx43-rich HEI-OC1 cells while Cx43-ablation had little effect on the expression of reference genes linked to auditory cell differentiation. We conclude from our studies in cochlear-relevant cells that the selected Cx26 mutants likely evoke hearing loss via three unique connexin defects that are independent of Cx43 status.
The cytosolic Arabidopsis thaliana cysteine desulfurase ABA3 delivers sulfur to the sulfurtransferase STR18

The biosynthesis of many sulfur-containing molecules depends on cysteine as a sulfur source. Cysteine desulfurase (CD) and rhodanese (Rhd) domain-containing protein families participate in the trafficking of sulfur for various metabolic pathways in bacteria and human, but their connection is not yet described in plants. The existence of natural chimeric proteins, however, containing both CD and Rhd domains in specific bacterial genera suggests a general interaction between both proteins. We report here the biochemical relationships between two cytosolic proteins from Arabidopsis thaliana, a Rhd domain containing protein, the sulfurtransferase 18 (STR18), and a CD isoform referred to as ABA3, and compare these biochemical features to those of a natural CD-Rhd fusion protein from the bacterium Pseudorhodoferax sp. We observed that the bacterial enzyme is bifunctional exhibiting both CD and STR activities using L-cysteine and thiosulfate as sulfur donors but preferentially uses L-cysteine to catalyze trans-persulfidation reactions. In vitro activity assays and mass spectrometry analyses revealed that STR18 stimulates the CD activity of ABA3 by reducing the intermediate persulfide on its catalytic cysteine thereby accelerating the overall transfer reaction. Both proteins interact in planta and form an efficient sulfur relay system whereby STR18 catalyzes trans-persulfidation reactions from ABA3 to the model acceptor protein roGFP2. In conclusion, the ABA3-STR18 couple likely represents an uncharacterized pathway of sulfur trafficking in the cytosol of plant cells, independent of ABA3 function in molybdenum cofactor maturation.
An Examination Of Correlation Between Preadmission Indicators Of College Readiness And Clinical Performance Of Nursing Students

A significant body of literature supports the proposition that the development of a culturally competent healthcare workforce is enhanced by diversity in the cohorts of students graduating from post-secondary educational programs related to careers in health and healthcare. However, increasing diversity in these programs is contingent upon increasing acceptance rates of historically disadvantaged students, such as students from racial/ethnic minority groups and/or low socioeconomic status, into highly selective postsecondary institutions, such as state flagship universities, and highly selective majors such as nursing. A significant barrier to increasing enrollment of disadvantaged students at more selective post-secondary institutions is the combined effect of admissions practices which rely heavily on scores associated with a group of pre-admission indicators of college readiness and generally lower scores on these indicators by students from disadvantaged backgrounds as compared to their more affluent counterparts. A growing body of research is emerging concerning relationships between the traditional indicators of college readiness and subsequent academic performance; however, to date, little research exists concerning the relationships between the preadmission indicators of college readiness and the clinical performance of students enrolled in clinically based health related majors. This study utilized a retrospective cross sectional observational design to examine the relationship between pre-admission indicators of college readiness at a state flagship university in New England and the clinical performance of nursing students in senior year clinical practica. The results of linear regression analysis failed to identify any statistically significant correlation between any of a group of five commonly used pre-admission indicators of college readiness and student’s clinical performance. The findings raise new questions concerning the usefulness of these commonly used criteria in the selection of students for admission into programs of nursing.
Direct visualization and characterization of the human zona incerta and surrounding structures

The zona incerta (ZI) is a small gray matter region of the deep brain first identified in the 19th century, yet direct in vivo visualization and characterization has remained elusive. Noninvasive detection of the ZI and surrounding region could be critical to further our understanding of this widely connected but poorly understood deep brain region and could contribute to the development and optimization of neuromodulatory therapies. We demonstrate that high resolution (submillimetric) longitudinal (T1) relaxometry measurements at high magnetic field strength (7 Tesla) can be used to delineate the ZI from surrounding white matter structures, specifically the fasciculus cerebellothalamicus, fields of Forel (fasciculus lenticularis, fasciculus thalamicus, field H), and medial lemniscus. Using this approach, we successfully derived in vivo estimates of the size, shape, location, and tissue characteristics of substructures in the ZI region, confirming observations only previously possible through histological evaluation that this region is not just a space between structures but contains distinct morphological entities that should be considered separately. Our findings pave the way for increasingly detailed in vivo study and provide a structural foundation for precise functional and neuromodulatory investigation.
Improving Cell Penetration of Gold Nanorods by Using an Amphipathic Arginine Rich Peptide

Introduction Gold nanorods are highly reactive, have a large surface-to-volume ratio, and can be functionalized with biomolecules. Gold nanorods can absorb infrared electromagnetic radiation, which is subsequently dispersed as local heat. Gold nanoparticles can be used as powerful tools for the diagnosis and therapy of different diseases. To improve the biological barrier permeation of nanoparticles with low cytotoxicity, in this study, we conjugated gold nanorods with cell-penetrating peptides (oligoarginines) and with the amphipathic peptide CLPFFD. Methods We studied the interaction of the functionalized gold nanorods with biological membrane models (liposomes) by dynamic light scattering, transmission electron microscopy and the Langmuir balance. Furthermore, we evaluated the effects on cell viability and permeability with an MTS assay and TEM. Results and Discussion The interaction study by DLS, the Langmuir balance and cryo-TEM support that GNR-Arg7CLPFFD enhances the interactions between GNRs and biological membranes. In addition, cells treated with GNR-Arg7CLPFFD internalized 80% more nanoparticles than cells treated with GNR alone and did not induce cell damage. Conclusion Our results indicate that incorporation of an amphipathic sequence into oligoarginines for the functionalization of gold nanorods enhances biological membrane nanoparticle interactions and nanoparticle cell permeability with respect to nanorods functionalized with oligoarginine. Overall, functionalized gold nanorods with amphipathic arginine rich peptides might be candidates for improving drug delivery by facilitating biological barrier permeation.