Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Presence of rare hepatitis C virus subtypes, 2j, 2k, and 2r in Mexico City as identified by sequencing

The HCV 5'UTR, Core/E1, and NS5B regions of samples from fifty patients infected with the hepatitis C virus (HCV) were analyzed. Seventeen patients were identified with genotype (GT) 1b, eleven with GT‐1a, nine with GT‐2b and four with GT‐3a. Two rare subtypes were detected: GT‐2j in two patients and GT‐2r in one patient. Three patients had mixed infections: one with GT‐2k + 2j and two with GT‐1b + 2b. This work identifies HCV GTs, 2j, 2k, and 2r for the first time in Mexico.
Predicting motion picture box office performance using temporal tweet patterns

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate temporal tweet patterns and their effectiveness in predicting the financial performance of a movie. Specifically, how tweet patterns are formed prior to and after a movie’s release and their usefulness in predicting a movie’s success is explored. Design/methodology/approach Volume was measured and sentiment analysis was performed on a sample of Tweets posted four days before and after the release of 86 movies. The temporal pattern of tweeting for financially successful movies was compared with those that were financial disappointments. Using temporal tweet patterns, a number of machine learning models were developed and their predictive performance was compared. Findings Results show that the temporal patterns of tweet volume, length and sentiment differ between “hits” and “busts” in the days surrounding their releases. Compared with “busts” the tweet pattern for “hits” reveal higher volume, shorter length, and more favourable sentiment. Discriminant patterns in social media features occur days in advance of a movie’s release and can be used to develop models for predicting a movie’s success. Originality/value Analysis of temporal tweet patterns and their usefulness in predicting box office returns is the main contribution of this research. Results of this research could lead to development of analytical tools allowing motion picture studios to accurately predict and possibly influence the opening night box-office receipts prior to the release of the movie. Also, the specific temporal tweet patterns presented by this work may be applied to problems in other areas of research.
Inositol polyphosphate multikinase regulation of Trypanosoma brucei life stage development

The regulation of Trypanosoma brucei life stage development remains unclear. Inositol polyphosphate multikinase regulates the development of mammalian bloodforms to insect stages that normally develop in flies. Specific inositol phosphates, perhaps as second messengers, interact with proteins of the regulatory network that controls development.
A Single-Day Treatment with Mifepristone Is Sufficient to Normalize Chronic Glucocorticoid Induced Suppression of Hippocampal Cell Proliferation

Background Chronic stress or prolonged administration of glucocorticoids suppresses proliferation and/or survival of newborn cells in adult rat dentate gyrus. Earlier we showed that administration of the glucocorticoid receptor antagonist mifepristone during the final 4 days of a 21 days period of corticosterone treatment fully normalized the number of newborn cells. Here we aimed to better understand how mifepristone achieves this effect and questioned whether an even shorter (single day) mifepristone treatment (instead of 4 days) also suffices to normalize neurogenesis. Methods We investigated various steps of the neurogenic process, using the immunohistochemical markers BrdU, doublecortin, proliferating cell nuclear antigen as well as glial fibrillary acidic protein, after 17 or 21 days of corticosterone (versus vehicle) treatment. Results Corticosterone primarily attenuates the proliferation of cells which subsequently develop into neurons; this is fully reversed by mifepristone. Surprisingly, the corticosteroid effects on neurogenesis can even be fully re-set by a single-day treatment with mifepristone (on day 18), despite the continued corticosterone exposure on subsequent days. Conclusions Our results emphasize that studies into the therapeutical efficacy of new antidepressants, especially those targeting HPA-activity or the glucocorticoid receptor, should explore the possibility to reduce treatment duration.
Temporal transitions of spontaneous brain activity

Spontaneous brain activity, typically investigated using resting-state fMRI (rsfMRI), provides a measure of inter-areal resting-state functional connectivity (RSFC). Previous rsfMRI studies mainly focused on spatial characteristics of RSFC, but the temporal relationship between RSFC patterns is still elusive. Particularly, it remains unknown whether separate RSFC patterns temporally fluctuate in a random manner, or transit in specific orders. Here we investigated temporal transitions between characteristic RSFC patterns in awake rats and humans. We found that transitions between RSFC patterns were reproducible and significantly above chance, suggesting that RSFC pattern transitions were nonrandom. The organization of RSFC pattern transitions in rats was analyzed using graph theory. Pivotal RSFC patterns in transitions were identified including hippocampal, thalamic and striatal networks. This study has revealed nonrandom temporal relationship between characteristic RSFC patterns in both rats and humans. It offers new insights into understanding the spatiotemporal dynamics of spontaneous activity in the mammalian brain.
Recent developments in nanoparticle-based drug delivery and targeting systems with emphasis on protein-based nanoparticles

Background: Drug delivery systems with nm dimensions (nanoparticles [NPs]) are attracting increasing attention because they can sequester drugs in systemic circulation, prevent non-specific biodistribution, and target to specific tissues. Objective: We reviewed the recent literature pertinent to NP-based drug delivery, primarily emphasizing NPs fabricated from proteins. Methods: A summary of common NP fabrication techniques is provided along with the range of sizes and functional properties obtained. The NP properties critical for injectable drug delivery are reviewed, as well as the attempts to design ‘tissue-specific’ NPs. Results/conclusions: It has been possible to design > 100 nm NPs from different biomaterials, and further understanding of in vivo stability and interactions with physiologic systems will lead to improved drug delivery systems.
Efficiency of magnetic coupled boost DC‐DC converters mainly dedicated to renewable energy systems: influence of the coupling factor

This paper presents a specific analysis of an individual basic magnetically coupled direct current‐to‐direct current (DC–DC) converter specially designed for integration in a distributed architecture of renewable energy generators for smart grid applications. In such distributed architecture dedicated for renewable energy, parallel high‐voltage DC presents many advantages over the classical centralized one. We show that in such setup, high voltage can be advantageously produced using a specific magnetically coupled boost converter, and we point out the influence of the coupling factor, generally considered equal to one, on the overall performance of the converter and on the global energy efficiency of the installation. In this study, the generalized concepts of system energy parameters of DC–DC converters are introduced and applied to the transient analysis. Consequently, the operation of a magnetic coupled DC–DC converter with a recovery stage is modeled. The simulation results are compared with those of the behavioral study, deduced from the model pointing out the large influence of the coupling factor value on the global behavior and mainly on the value of the recovery voltage, in all the various parts of the switching cycle. The renewable energy generator operating parameters, such as current and voltage values, can then be predicted in a more useful way to compute new similar DC–DC converter systems. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Acute effects of endurance exercise on nocturnal autonomic functions in sedentary subjects: a pilot study

Nocturnal heart rate variability (HRV) is thought to reflect healthy recovery function of the autonomic nervous system. Although exercise is recommended for health promotion, exercise itself decreases HRV. We studied acute effect of daytime exercise on nocturnal HRV in 5 healthy adults (age, 22–40 years; 2 female subjects) without regular exercise habit. Using a treadmill, they performed 30-min walking at 4 km/hr and 30-min running at 9 km/hr from 11 a.m. on different days at an interval of 2 weeks. On these days and a day without exercise (control), Holter electrocardiograms were recorded from 9 a.m. for 24 hr. The amplitudes of low-frequency (LF, 0.04–0.15 Hz) and high-frequency (HF, 0.15–0.45 Hz) components of HRV were measured continuously by complex demodulation and were averaged over periods of 11:00–11:30 a.m., 3 hr after going to bed, and time in bed at night. Exercise intensities of the walking and running were at 10% to 44% and 55% to 67% of heart rate reserve, respectively. During exercise, heart rate increased and LF and HF amplitudes decreased with exercise intensity. Nocturnal heart rate and LF and HF amplitude, however, showed no consistent changes with exercise intensity and their averages on the days of walking and running did not differ significantly from those of the control day. In conclusion, 30-min walking and running exercises performed in the morning had no significant acute effects on nocturnal heart rate or HRV.
Evaluation of promoter methylation status of MLH1 gene in Iranian patients with colorectal tumors and adenoma polyps

Aim: The aim of this study was to evaluate the methylation status of the promoter region of MLH1 gene in colorectal cancer (CRC) and its precursor lesions as well as elucidate its association with various clinicopathological characteristics among Iranian population. Background: Epigenetic silencing of mismatch repair genes, such as MLH1, by methylation of CpG islands of their promoter region has been proved to be an important mechanism in colorectal carcinogenesis. Methods: Fifty colorectal cancer and polyp tissue samples including 13 Primary colorectal tumor and 37 Adenoma polyp samples were enrolled in this study. Methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction (MSP) was performed to find the frequency of MLH1 Promoter Methylation. Results: Promoter methylation of MLH1 gene was detected in 5 out of 13 tumor tissues and 4 out of 37 adenoma polyp. The frequency of MLH1 methylation in tumor samples was significantly higher compared to that in polyp tissues (P= 0.026). No significant association was observed between MLH1 promoter methylation and clinicopathological characteristics of the patients. Conclusion: The frequency of MLH1 promoter methylation in CRC and colon polyp was 18%. Our findings indicated that methylation of MLH1 promoter region alone cannot be considered as a biomarker for early detection of CRC.
A skin cancer prevention photoageing intervention for secondary schools in Brazil delivered by medical students: protocol for a randomised controlled trial

Introduction The incidence of melanoma is increasing faster than any other major cancer both in Brazil and worldwide. The Southeast of Brazil has especially high incidences of melanoma, and early detection is low. Exposure to UV radiation represents a primary risk factor for developing melanoma. Increasing attractiveness is a major motivation for adolescents for tanning. A medical student-delivered intervention that harnesses the broad availability of mobile phones as well as adolescents’ interest in their appearance may represent a novel method to improve skin cancer prevention. Methods and analysis We developed a free mobile app (Sunface), which will be implemented in at least 30 secondary school classes, each with 21 students (at least 30 classes with 21 students for control) in February 2018 in Southeast Brazil via a novel method called mirroring. In a 45 min classroom seminar, the students’ altered three-dimensional selfies on tablets are ‘mirrored’ via a projector in front of their entire class, showing the effects of unprotected UV exposure on their future faces. External block randomisation via computer is performed on the class level with a 1:1 allocation. Sociodemographic data, as well as skin type, ancestry, UV protection behaviour and its predictors are measured via a paper–pencil questionnaire before as well as at 3 and 6 months postintervention. The primary end point is the group difference in the 30-day prevalence of daily sunscreen use at a 6-month follow-up. Secondary end points include (1) the difference in daily sunscreen use at a 3-month follow-up, (2) if a self-skin examination in accordance with the ABCDE rule was performed within the 6-month follow-up and (3) the number of tanning sessions. Ethics and dissemination Ethical approval was obtained from the ethics committee of the University of Itauna. Results will be disseminated at conferences and in peer-reviewed journals. Trial registration number NCT03178240; Pre-results.
Fast Algorithms for Demixing Sparse Signals From Nonlinear Observations

We study the problem of <italic>demixing</italic> a pair of sparse signals from noisy, nonlinear observations of their superposition. Mathematically, we consider a nonlinear signal observation model, <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$y_i = g(a_i^Tx) + e_i, \ i=1,\ldots,m$</tex-math></inline-formula>, where <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$x = \Phi w+\Psi z$</tex-math></inline-formula> denotes the superposition signal, <inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\Phi$</tex-math></inline-formula> and <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\Psi$</tex-math></inline-formula> are orthonormal bases in <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\mathbb {R}^n$</tex-math></inline-formula>, and <inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX"> $w, z\in \mathbb {R}^n$</tex-math></inline-formula> are sparse coefficient vectors of the constituent signals, and <inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$e_i$</tex-math></inline-formula> represents the noise. Moreover, <inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$g$</tex-math></inline-formula> represents a nonlinear <italic>link</italic> function, and <inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$a_i\in \mathbb {R}^n$</tex-math></inline-formula> is the <inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$i$</tex-math></inline-formula>th row of the measurement matrix <inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$A\in \mathbb {R}^{m\times n}$</tex-math></inline-formula>. Problems of this nature arise in several applications ranging from astronomy, computer vision, and machine learning. In this paper, we make some concrete algorithmic progress for the above demixing problem. Specifically, we consider two scenarios: first, the case when the demixing procedure has no knowledge of the link function, and second is the case when the demixing algorithm has perfect knowledge of the link function. In both cases, we provide fast algorithms for recovery of the constituents <inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$w$</tex-math></inline-formula> and <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$z$</tex-math></inline-formula> from the observations. Moreover, we support these algorithms with a rigorous theoretical analysis and derive (nearly) tight upper bounds on the sample complexity of the proposed algorithms for achieving stable recovery of the component signals. We also provide a range of numerical simulations to illustrate the performance of the proposed algorithms on both real and synthetic signals and images.
Gender classification via lips: static and dynamic features

Automatic gender classification has many security and commercial applications. Various modalities have been investigated for gender classification with face-based classification being the most popular. In some real-world scenarios the face may be partially occluded. In these circumstances a classification based on individual parts of the face known as local features must be adopted. The authors investigate gender classification using lip movements. They show for the first time that important gender-specific information can be obtained from the way in which a person moves their lips during speech. Furthermore, this study indicates that the lip dynamics during speech provide greater gender discriminative information than simply lip appearance. They also show that the lip dynamics and appearance contain complementary gender information such that a model which captures both traits gives the highest overall classification result. They use discrete cosine transform-based features and Gaussian mixture modelling to model lip appearance and dynamics and employ the XM2VTS database for their experiments. These experiments show that a model which captures lip dynamics along with appearance can improve gender classification rates by between 16 and 21% compared with models of only lip appearance.
A new look at filtering techniques for illumination invariance in automatic face recognition

Illumination invariance remains the most researched, yet the most challenging aspect of automatic face recognition. In this paper we propose a novel, general recognition framework for efficient matching of individual face images, sets or sequences. The framework is based on simple image processing filters that compete with unprocessed greyscale input to yield a single matching score between individuals. It is shown how the discrepancy between illumination conditions between novel input and the training data set can be estimated and used to weigh the contribution of two competing representations. We describe an extensive empirical evaluation of the proposed method on 171 individuals and over 1300 video sequences with extreme illumination, pose and head motion variation. On this challenging data set our algorithm consistently demonstrated a dramatic performance improvement over traditional filtering approaches. We demonstrate a reduction of 50-75% in recognition error rates, the best performing method-filter combination correctly recognizing 96% of the individuals
Rab7 GTPase controls lipid metabolic signaling in myeloid-derived suppressor cells

Lysosomal acid lipase (LAL) is a critical neutral lipid metabolic enzyme that regulates metabolic reprogramming in myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) through over-activation of mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR). Affymetrix GeneChip microarray analysis of MDSCs from LAL deficient mouse (lal−/−) revealed upregulation of Rab7 GTPase protein, which belongs to a superfamily of small-molecular-weight GTPase known to regulate intracellular membrane trafficking from early to late endosomes and lysosomes. Here, the physical protein-protein interaction between Rab7 GTPase and mTOR has been detected by co-immunoprecipitation in the cell extract of wild type HD1A and lal−/− MDSC-like HD1B myeloid cell lines. The GST pull down assay using the recombinant GST-Rab7 GTPase fusion protein showed that Rab7 GTPase interacts with the mTOR N-terminal heat repeat domain. Rab7 GTPase siRNA knocking down reversed the altered lysosome/mTOR distribution and expression levels in HD1B cells. Rab7 GTPase siRNA knocking down in isolated bone marrow lal−/− MDSCs or HD1B cells not only reduced over-activation of mTOR and its downstream effector S6, but also decreased glucose consumption, decreased ROS over-production, and increased healthy mitochondria by membrane potential measurement. Inhibition of Rab7 GTPase led to reduced lal−/− MDSCs differentiation from bone marrow Lin− progenitor cells, reduced lal−/− MDSCs trans-endothelial migration, and reversed lal−/− MDSCs suppression of T cell proliferation. Furthermore, inhibition of Rab7 GTPase reduced lal−/− MDSCs ability to stimulate tumor cell proliferation in vitro, tumor growth in vivo, and tumor invasion. Together, these results showed that Rab7 GTPase is critically involved in MDSCs homeostasis and pathogenic functions.
A sub-threshold to super-threshold Level Conversion Flip Flop for sub/near-threshold dual-supply operation

This paper presents a novel Current-Mirror (CM) based Master-Slave Level Conversion Flip Flop (MS-LCFF) to perform data latching and level shifting from sub-threshold voltage, to near-threshold voltage, and up to super-threshold voltage. The CM-based MS-LCFF enables energy-efficient ultra-low-voltage operation by applying dual-supply and multi-supply designs into sub/near-threshold regions. Simulation results show that with a 0.18-μm technology the proposed LCFF is able to conduct data latching and level shifting from 0.3 V to 0.5 V, and up to 1.8 V, with performance improved by 8×, power consumption decreased by 3×, and silicon area reduced by 13.3% over the conventional method, when performing conversion from 0.3 V to 0.5 V. The measurement results of applying the proposed LCFF-based dual-supply operation to a sub-threshold FIR filter operating at 300 kHz demonstrate that a 21.8% power reduction can be achieved without performance loss by dual-supply operation at 0.3V and 0.5V, compared to the single-supply operation at 0.5V.
Individual female common cuckoos Cuculus canorus lay constant egg types but egg appearance cannot be used to assign eggs to females

Females of the obligate brood parasitic common cuckoo Cuculus canorus are assumed to lay eggs of consistent colour and pattern and egg characteristics have been used to separate between different individuals. We tested the “constant egg-type hypothesis” in blind tests using test persons who grouped cuckoo eggs into “potential clutches” based on similarity in appearance. A correct classification of eggs laid by known (radiotagged) females supported the hypothesis. However, comparisons between maternity based on visual assessments and DNA-based parentage analyses revealed rather poor concordance between the two methods. Our findings indicate that egg characteristics cannot be used to separate between cuckoo females, even if they lay eggs with constant appearance. The reason is probably that there are only small or negligible variations in egg appearance between some females like mothers and daughters or other closely related individuals.
Mass spectral analysis of the multikinase inhibitor BZG and its metabolites and analysis of their binding to vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-2

We previously showed that BZG is a novel multitarget kinase inhibitor, which inhibited hepatocellular carcinoma in vivo and in vitro. In the present study, we used ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC/Q-TOF MS) to characterize BZG and its metabolites generated in vivo. The probable metabolic mechanism was further confirmed by analysis of Phase I and Phase II metabolism in liver microsomes and with recombinant enzymes. In addition, the binding affinities of BZG metabolites to vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 (VEGFR2) were predicted using electronic high throughput screening (eHiTS). The results showed that BZG underwent phase I and phase II metabolism. We detected 11 BZG metabolites and identified hydroxylation, glucuronation, acetylation, sulfonation and degradation as the major metabolic processes in vivo and in vitro. Five of the eleven metabolites showed highly favorable eHiTS energy scores that were lower than sorafenib. Knowledge of the in vivo metabolic pathways of BZG and its binding affinities to VEGFR2 will be beneficial for further clinical development of BZG.