Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Clathrin and clathrin adaptor AP-1 control apical trafficking of megalin in the biosynthetic and recycling routes

Megalin (gp330, LRP-2) is a protein structurally related to the low-density lipoprotein receptor family that displays a large luminal domain with multiligand binding properties. Megalin localizes to the apical surface of multiple epithelia, where it participates in endocytosis of a variety of ligands performing roles important for development or homeostasis. We recently described the apical recycling pathway of megalin in Madin–Darby canine kidney (MDCK) cells and found that it is a long-lived, fast recycling receptor with a recycling turnover of 15 min and a half-life of 4.8 h. Previous work implicated clathrin and clathrin adaptors in the polarized trafficking of fast recycling basolateral receptors. Hence, here we study the role of clathrin and clathrin adaptors in megalin’s apical localization and trafficking. Targeted silencing of clathrin or the γ1 subunit of clathrin adaptor AP-1 by RNA interference in MDCK cells disrupted apical localization of megalin, causing its redistribution to the basolateral membrane. In contrast, silencing of the γ2 subunit of AP-1 had no effect on megalin polarity. Trafficking assays we developed using FM4-HA-miniMegalin-GFP, a reversible conditional endoplasmic reticulum–retained chimera, revealed that clathrin and AP-1 silencing disrupted apical sorting of megalin in both biosynthetic and recycling routes. Our experiments demonstrate that clathrin and AP-1 control the sorting of an apical transmembrane protein.
Paraoxonase 1 Q192R (PON1-192) polymorphism is associated with reduced lipid peroxidation in healthy young men on a low-carotenoid diet supplemented with tomato juice

The HDL-bound enzyme paraoxonase (PON) protects LDL from oxidation and may therefore attenuate the development of atherosclerosis. We examined the effect of tomato and carrot juice consumption on PON1 activity and lipid peroxidation in healthy young volunteers with different PON1-192 genotypes (Q/R substitution at position 192). In this randomized cross-over study twenty-two healthy, non-smoking men on a low-carotenoid diet received 330 ml/d tomato juice (37·0 mg lycopene, 1·6 mg β-carotene) or carrot juice (27·1 mg β-carotene, 13·1 mg α-carotene) for 2 weeks. Intervention periods were preceded by 2-week low-carotenoid intake. We determined the PON1-192 genotype by restriction fragment length polymorphism–polymerase chain reaction (RFLP-PCR) and measured ex vivo LDL oxidation (lag time), plasma malondialdehyde and PON1 activity at the beginning and end of each intervention period. At baseline, lag time was higher (P<0·05) in QQ (111 (sd 9) min) than in QR/RR subjects (101 (sd 8) min). Neither tomato nor carrot juice consumption had significant effects on PON1 activity. However, tomato juice consumption reduced (P<0·05) plasma malondialdehyde in QR/RR (Δ: −0·073 (sd 0·11) μmol/l) as compared to QQ subjects (Δ:+0·047 (sd 0·13) μmol/l). Carrot juice had no significant effect on malondialdehyde irrespective of the PON1-192 genotype. Male volunteers with the QR/RR genotype showed an increased lipid peroxidation at baseline. Although tomato and carrot juice fail to affect PON1 activity, tomato juice intake reduced lipid peroxidation in healthy volunteers carrying the R-allele of the PON1-192 genotype and could thus contribute to CVD risk reduction in these individuals.
Screening and Diagnosis of Chronic Pharyngitis Based on Deep Learning

Chronic pharyngitis is a common disease, which has a long duration and a wide range of onset. It is easy to misdiagnose by mistaking it with other diseases, such as chronic tonsillitis, by using common diagnostic methods. In order to reduce costs and avoid misdiagnosis, the search for an affordable and rapid diagnostic method is becoming more and more important for chronic pharyngitis research. Speech disorder is one of the typical symptoms of patients with chronic pharyngitis. This paper introduces a convolutional neural network model for diagnosis based on the typical symptom of speech disorder. First of all, the voice data is converted into a speech spectrogram, which can better output the speech characteristic information and lay a foundation for computer diagnosis and discrimination. Second, we construct a deep convolutional neural network for the diagnosis of chronic pharyngitis through the design of the structure, the design of the network layer, and the description of the function. Finally, we perform a parameter optimization experiment on the convolutional neural network and judge the recognition efficiency of chronic pharyngitis. The results show that the convolutional neural network has a high recognition rate for patients with chronic pharyngitis and has a good diagnostic effect.
Nuclear Factor κB/p49 Is a Negative Regulatory Factor in Nerve Growth Factor‐Induced Choline Acetyltransferase Promoter Activity in PC12 Cells

Abstract: A novel nuclear factor κB (NF‐κB) binding sitehas been identified within the promoter region of the mouse gene encodingcholine acetyltransferase (ChAT), the enzyme that synthesizes acetylcholineand has been implicated in the cognitive deficits associated with aging andAlzheimer's disease. This binding site, which is located within the nervegrowth factor (NGF)‐responsive enhancer element, was recognized by theNF‐κB protein p49 but not p65 or p50. p49 from both basal forebrain andPC12 nuclear extracts interacted with this specific sequence inelectrophoretic mobility shift assays. Mutation of the NF‐κB site causedan increase in NGF‐induced promoter activation, whereas overexpression of p49in NGF‐differentiated PC12 cells caused a decrease in endogenous ChAT enzymeactivity and a decrease in promoter activity that was specifically mediatedthrough this NF‐κB binding site. Treatment of PC12 cells with NGFresulted in a drastic reduction in nuclear p49 binding to the ChAT NF‐κBsite after 24 h, but nuclear p49 levels were not altered, suggesting that lateNGF‐mediated events prevent binding of p49 to the ChAT promoter by an unknownmechanism other than nuclear translocation. Decreased ChAT expression andincreased NF‐κB activity in the brain are associated with aging andAlzheimer's disease. These data indicate that p49 is a negative regulator ofChAT expression and suggest a possible mechanism for aging‐associated declinesin cholinergic function.
Regulation of breathing pattern by IL-10.

Pro-inflammatory cytokines like interleukin-1β affect the control of breathing. Our aim is to determine the effect of the anti-inflammatory cytokine interleukin-10 (IL-10) οn the control of breathing. IL-10 knock-out mice (IL-10-/-, n=10) and wild type mice (IL-10+/+, n=10) were exposed to the following test gases: hyperoxic hypercapnia 7%CO2-93%O2, normoxic hypercapnia 7%CO2-21%O2, hypoxic hypercapnia 7%CO2-10%O2 and hypoxic normocapnia 3%CO2-10%O2. The ventilatory function was assessed using whole body plethysmography. Recombinant mouse IL-10 (rIL-10 10μg kg-1) was administered intraperitoneally to wild type mice (n=10) 30 min before the onset of gas challenge. IL-10 was administered in neonatal medullary slices (10-30 ng/ml, n=8). We found that IL-10-/- mice exhibited consistently increased frequency and reduced tidal volume compared to IL-10+/+ mice during room air breathing and in all test gases (by 23.62% to 33.2%, P<0.05 and -36.23% to -41.69%, P<0.05, respectively). In all inspired gases the minute ventilation of IL-10-/- mice was lower than IL-10+/+ (by -15.67% to -22.74%, P<0.05). The rapid shallow breathing index was higher in IL-10-/- mice compared to IL-10+/+ mice in all inspired gases (by 50.25% to 57.5%, P<0.05). The intraperitoneal injection of rIL-10 caused reduction of the respiratory rate and augmentation of the tidal volume in room air and also in all inspired gases (by -12.22% to -29.53%, and 32.18% to 45.11%, P<0.05, respectively). IL-10 administration in neonatal rat (n=8) in vitro rhythmically-active medullary slice preparations did not affect either rhythmicity or peak amplitude of hypoglossal nerve discharge. In conclusion, IL-10 may induce a slower and deeper pattern of breathing.
Effect of sec-O-glucosylhamaudol on mechanical allodynia in a rat model of postoperative pain

Background This study was performed in order to examine the effect of intrathecal sec-O-glucosylhamaudol (SOG), an extract from the root of the Peucedanum japonicum Thunb. , on incisional pain in a rat model. Methods The intrathecal catheter was inserted in male Sprague-Dawley rats (n = 55). The postoperative pain model was made and paw withdrawal thresholds (PWTs) were evaluated. Rats were randomly treated with a vehicle (70% dimethyl sulfoxide) and SOG (10 μg, 30 μg, 100 μg, and 300 μg) intrathecally, and PWT was observed for four hours. Dose-responsiveness and ED50 values were calculated. Naloxone was administered 10 min prior to treatment of SOG 300 μg in order to assess the involvement of SOG with an opioid receptor. The protein levels of the δ-opioid receptor, κ-opioid receptor, and μ-opioid receptor (MOR) were analyzed by Western blotting of the spinal cord. Results Intrathecal SOG significantly increased PWT in a dose-dependent manner. Maximum effects were achieved at a dose of 300 μg at 60 min after SOG administration, and the maximal possible effect was 85.35% at that time. The medial effective dose of intrathecal SOG was 191.3 μg (95% confidence interval, 102.3–357.8). The antinociceptive effects of SOG (300 μg) were significantly reverted until 60 min by naloxone. The protein levels of MOR were decreased by administration of SOG. Conclusions Intrathecal SOG showed a significant antinociceptive effect on the postoperative pain model and reverted by naloxone. The expression of MOR were changed by SOG. The effects of SOG seem to involve the MOR.
Adaptively Biased 60-GHz Doherty Power Amplifier in 65-nm CMOS

A 60-GHz Doherty power amplifier (PA) implemented in 65-nm bulk CMOS process is proposed. A novel adaptive biasing network is devised to dynamically adjust the bias voltage of the peaking PA, counteracting its low transconductance caused by the class-C biasing condition. At 60 GHz, the fabricated Doherty PA achieves 22% drain efficiency with a saturation power of 13.2 dBm. The measured results show that over 17% and 8% efficiencies at peak and 6-dB back-off power regions are achieved, respectively, from 57 to 64 GHz.
Design and motion control of a cable-driven dexterous robotic arm

Robots with hyper degrees of freedom motion are highly flexible, hence they are the ideal candidates to work in highly-confined spaces. These dexterous robotic arms are classified into two categories, i.e., discrete and continuum. As the weight of the discrete robots is a major concern, this paper discusses about the possibility of reducing their weight by replacing the heavy actuators with light cables. The proposed cable-driven robot consists of a series of identical parallel-structured modules connected to one another via universal joints. Experimental results showed that the cables have demonstrated a good step response with no steady-state errors and a fast settling time of 0.042 seconds. By using the kinematics formulations analysed in this paper, position control has been successfully implemented on a two-module cable-driven prototype. This allows the robot to be controlled in a co-ordinated manner while maintaining a smooth trajectory.
Design and shelf stability assessment of bacterial agents for simultaneous removal of methane and odors

Abstract Two types of solid bacterial agents for the simultaneous removal of methane and odor were designed using humic soil (De-MO-1) and the mixture of humic soil and tobermolite (De-MO-2) as biocarriers. The bacterial consortium, having the removability of methane and dimethyl sulfide (DMS), was immobilized in the biocarriers, and then stored at room temperature for 375 days without additional treatment. Although the lag period, of which the incubation time required for removing methane and DMS, tended to increase over the storage period, the removability of methane and DMS was maintained during 375 days in both bacterial agents. Key bacteria associated with the removal of methane and odors (Streptomyces, Promicromonospora, Paracoccus, Lysobacter, Sphingopyxis and Methylosystis) could keep their abundance during the storage period. The richness and evenness values of the bacterial communities in De-MO-1 and De-MO-2 ranged 4.89 ∼ 6.50 and 0.89 ∼ 0.98, respectively, indicating that high bacterial diversity was maintained during the storage period. The results suggest that De-MO-1 and De-MO-2, designed for the simultaneous removal of methane and odors, had shelf stabilities over one year.
Particle and vapor emissions from vat polymerization desktop-scale 3-dimensional printers

Abstract Little is known about emissions and exposure potential from vat polymerization additive manufacturing, a process that uses light-activated polymerization of a resin to build an object. Five vat polymerization printers (three stereolithography (SLA) and two digital light processing (DLP) were evaluated individually in a 12.85 m3 chamber. Aerosols (number, size) and total volatile organic compounds (TVOC) were measured using real-time monitors. Carbonyl vapors and particulate matter were collected for offline analysis using impingers and filters, respectively. During printing, particle emission yields (#/g printed) ranged from 1.3 ± 0.3 to 2.8 ± 2.6 x 108 (SLA printers) and from 3.3 ± 1.5 to 9.2 ± 3.0 x 108 (DLP printers). Yields for number of particles with sizes 5.6 to 560 nm (#/g printed) were 0.8 ± 0.1 to 2.1 ± 0.9 x 1010 and from 1.1 ± 0.3 to 4.0 ± 1.2 x 1010 for SLA and DLP printers, respectively. TVOC yield values (µg/g printed) ranged from 161 ± 47 to 322 ± 229 (SLA printers) and from 1281 ± 313 to 1931 ± 234 (DLP printers). Geometric mean mobility particle sizes were 41.1–45.1 nm for SLA printers and 15.3–28.8 nm for DLP printers. Mean particle and TVOC yields were statistically significantly higher and mean particle sizes were significantly smaller for DLP printers compared with SLA printers (p < 0.05). Energy dispersive X-ray analysis of individual particles qualitatively identified potential occupational carcinogens (chromium, nickel) as well as reactive metals implicated in generation of reactive oxygen species (iron, zinc). Lung deposition modeling indicates that about 15–37% of emitted particles would deposit in the pulmonary region (alveoli). Benzaldehyde (1.0–2.3 ppb) and acetone (0.7–18.0 ppb) were quantified in emissions from four of the printers and 4-oxopentanal (0.07 ppb) was detectable in the emissions from one printer. Vat polymerization printers emitted nanoscale particles that contained potential carcinogens, sensitizers, and reactive metals as well as carbonyl compound vapors. Differences in emissions between SLA and DLP printers indicate that the underlying technology is an important factor when considering exposure reduction strategies such as engineering controls.
Dynamic Visual Measurement of Driver Eye Movements

Vibrations often cause visual fatigue for drivers, and measuring the relative motion between the driver and the display is important for evaluating this visual fatigue. This paper proposes a non-contact videometric measurement method for studying the three-dimensional trajectories of the driver’s eyes based on stereo vision. The feasibility of this method is demonstrated by dynamic calibration. A high-speed dual-camera image acquisition system is used to obtain high-definition images of the face, and the relative trajectories between the eyes and the display are obtained by a set of robust algorithms. The trajectories of the eyes in three-dimensional space are then reconstructed during the vehicle driving process. This new approach provides three-dimensional information and is effective for assessing how vibration affects human visual performance.
Bacterial biofilms: a possible mechanism for chronic infection in patients with lumbar disc herniation – a prospective proof‐of‐concept study using fluorescence in situ hybridization

A relationship has been suggested between lumbar disc herniation (LDH) and chronic bacterial infection frequently involving Propionibacterium acnes, which is known to cause chronic infection through the formation of biofilm aggregates. The objective of the study was to assess whether a disc infection involving biofilm formation is present in patients with LDH. A total of 51 LDH patients and 14 controls were included. Bacterial DNA was detected by real‐time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in 16/51 samples in the LDH group and 7/14 controls (p = 0.215). Sequencing identified bacteria in 9/16 and 6/7 PCR positive samples in the LDH and control groups, respectively. All samples were stained using fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) and examined by confocal laser scanning microscopy. Microscopy demonstrated tissue‐embedded bacterial aggregates with host inflammatory cells in 7/51 LDH patients and no controls. The presence of both bacterial aggregates and inflammatory cells suggests a chronic infection in a subset of LDH patients. The finding of bacterial 16S rDNA in both LDH and control disc tissue highlights the importance of microscopic observation to discriminate infection vs contamination. Our findings may have therapeutic implications, as the treatment of biofilm infections is different and more challenging than traditional infections.
Evaluating antibiotic stewardship in a tertiary care hospital in Kerala, India: a qualitative interview study

Objectives To determine what barriers and facilitators to antibiotic stewardship exist within a healthcare facility. Setting 1300-bed tertiary care private hospital located in the state of Kerala, India. Participants 31 semistructured interviews and 4 focus groups with hospital staff ranging from physicians, nurses, pharmacists and a clinical microbiologist. Results Key facilitators of antibiotic stewardship (AS) at the hospital included a dedicated committee overseeing appropriate inpatient antibiotic use, a prompt microbiology laboratory, a high level of AS understanding among staff, established guidelines for empiric prescribing and an easily accessible antibiogram. We identified the following barriers: limited access to clinical pharmacists, physician immunity to change regarding stewardship policies, infrequent antibiotic de-escalation, high physician workload, an incomplete electronic medical record (EMR), inadequate AS programme (ASP) physical visibility and high antibiotic use in the community. Conclusions Opportunities for improvement at this institution include increasing accessibility to clinical pharmacists, implementing strategies to overcome physician immunity to change and establishing a more accessible and complete EMR. Our findings are likely to be of use to institutions developing ASPs in lower resource settings.
Effect of spontaneous breathing on umbilical venous blood flow and placental transfusion during delayed cord clamping in preterm lambs

Introduction During delayed umbilical cord clamping, the factors underpinning placental transfusion remain unknown. We hypothesised that reductions in thoracic pressure during inspiration would enhance placental transfusion in spontaneously breathing preterm lambs. Objective Investigate the effect of spontaneous breathing on umbilical venous flow and body weight in preterm lambs. Methods Pregnant sheep were instrumented at 132–133 days gestational age to measure fetal common umbilical venous, pulmonary and cerebral blood flows as well as arterial and intrapleural (IP) pressures. At delivery, doxapram and caffeine were administered to promote breathing. Lamb body weights were measured continuously and breathing was assessed by IP pressure changes. Results In 6 lambs, 491 out of 1117 breaths were analysed for change in body weight. Weight increased in 46.6% and decreased in 47.5% of breaths. An overall mean increase of 0.02±2.5 g per breath was calculated, and no net placental transfusion was observed prior to cord clamping (median difference in body weight 52.3 [−54.9–166.1] g, p=0.418). Umbilical venous (UV) flow transiently decreased with each inspiration, and in some cases ceased, before UV flow normalised during expiration. The reduction in UV flow was positively correlated with the standardised reduction in (IP) pressure, increasing by 109 mL/min for every SD reduction in IP pressure. Thus, the reduction in UV flow was closely related to inspiratory depth. Conclusions Spontaneous breathing had no net effect on body weight in preterm lambs at birth. UV blood flow decreased as inspiratory effort increased, possibly due to constriction of the inferior vena cava caused by diaphragmatic contraction, as previously observed in human fetuses.
Continuously Tunable Slow and Fast Light by Using an Optically Pumped Tilted Fiber Bragg Grating Written in an Erbium/Ytterbium Co-Doped Fiber

Continuously tunable slow and fast light is achieved by using a tilted fiber Bragg grating (TFBG) written in an erbium/ytterbium co-doped fiber. By pumping the TFBG, the magnitude and group delay responses of the cladding mode resonances are changed, which can be used to achieve a tunable time delay or time advance. The proposed method is demonstrated by an experiment in which a tunable time delay from to 18 ps corresponding to a fast to a slow light is achieved for a 13.5-GHz Gaussian pulse.
Clinical usefulness of psoas muscle thickness for the diagnosis of sarcopenia in patients with liver cirrhosis

Background/Aims The most widely used method for diagnosing sarcopenia is the skeletal muscle index (SMI). Several studies have suggested that psoas muscle thickness per height (PMTH) is also effective for detecting sarcopenia and predicting prognosis in patients with cirrhosis. The aim of this study was to evaluate the optimal cutoff values of PMTH for detecting sarcopenia in cirrhotic patients. Methods All cirrhotic patients who underwent abdominal computed tomography (CT) scan including L3 and umbilical levels for measuring SMI and transverse psoas muscle thickness, respectively, were included. Two definitions of sarcopenia were used: (1) sex-specific cutoffs of SMI (≤52.4 cm2 /m2 in men and ≤38.5 cm2 /m2 in women) for SMI-sarcopenia and (2) cutoff of PMTH (<16.8 mm/m) for PMTH-sarcopenia. Results Six hundred fifty-three patients were included. The average age was 53.6 ± 10.2 years, and 499 patients (76.4%) were men. PMTH correlated well with SMI in both men and women (P<0.001). Two hundred forty-one (36.9%) patients met the criteria for SMI-sarcopenia. The best PMTH cutoff values for predicting SMI-sarcopenia were 17.3 mm/m in men and 10.4 mm/m in women, and these were defined as sex-specific cutoffs of PMTH (SsPMTH). The previously published cutoff of PMTH was defined as sex-nonspecific cutoff of PMTH (SnPMTH). Two hundred thirty (35.2%) patients were diagnosed with SsPMTH-sarcopenia, and 280 (44.4%) patients were diagnosed with SnPMTH-sarcopenia. On a multivariate Cox regression analysis, SsPMTH-sarcopenia (hazard ratio [HR], 1.944; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.144–3.304; P=0.014) was significantly associated with mortality, while SnPMTH-sarcopenia was not (HR, 1.446; 95% CI, 0.861–2.431; P=0.164). Conclusions PMTH was well correlated with SMI in cirrhotic patients. SsPMTH-sarcopenia was an independent predictor of mortality in these patients and more accurately predicted mortality compared to SnPMTH-sarcopenia.