Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Diode laser hair removal does not interfere with botulinum toxin A treatment against axillary hyperhidrosis

The possible interference of combined laser hair removal and Botulinum toxin A (BoNT/A) injections in the treatment of axillary hyperhidrosis has not previously been explored. In order to examine this potential interference, we assessed the effect of BoNT/A on axillary hyperhidrosis with and without concomitant diode laser axillary hair removal.
Getting serious about the development of computational humor

Society needs humor, not just for entertainment. In the Web age, presentations become more and more flexible and personalized and they will require humor contributions for electronic commerce developments (e.g. product promotion, getting selective attention, help in memorizing names, etc.) more or less as it happened in the world of broadcasted advertisement. Even if deep modeling of humor in all of its facets is not something for the near future, there is something concrete that has been achieved and that can help in providing attention to the field. The paper refers to the results of HAHACRONYM, a project devoted to humorous acronym production, a circumscribed task that nonetheless requires various generic components. The project opens the way to developments for creative language, with applications in the world of advertisement.
Generation of physical map contig-specific sequences

Rapid advances of the next-generation sequencing technologies have allowed whole genome sequencing of many species. However, with the current sequencing technologies, the whole genome sequence assemblies often fall in short in one of the four quality measurements: accuracy, contiguity, connectivity, and completeness. In particular, small-sized contigs and scaffolds limit the applicability of whole genome sequences for genetic analysis. To enhance the quality of whole genome sequence assemblies, particularly the scaffolding capabilities, additional genomic resources are required. Among these, sequences derived from known physical locations offer great powers for scaffolding. In this mini-review, we will describe the principles, procedures and applications of physical-map-derived sequences, with the focus on physical map contig-specific sequences.
Multiple-Strain Infections of Borrelia afzelii: A Role for Within-Host Interactions in the Maintenance of Antigenic Diversity?

Genetically diverse infections are common but little is known about what effects coinfecting strains have on each other in natural host-parasite systems. To explore the nature and consequences of interactions in the wild, we studied the tick-transmitted bacterium Borrelia afzelii in one of its main reservoir hosts, the bank vole Myodes glareolus. We measured overall infection intensity with quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and resolved the composition of multiple infections using strain-specific PCR assays targeting the ospC gene (which encodes an immunodominant surface protein). We found seven different strains, as defined by ospC genotype. There was little evidence for interactions affecting infection intensities, but strains were highly aggregated (i.e., there were more multiple infections than expected from random co-occurrence). Moreover, there was a positive correlation between the difference at the amino acid level between two OspC types and their degree of association. Overall, the observed patterns suggest that facilitation is more important than competition in this system and that more diverse infections have an advantage in establishing and/or maintaining infection. We propose that this advantage is one of the factors that favors antigenic diversity.
Ozone partially prevents diabetic neuropathy in rats.

Neuropathy is one of the most common complications of diabetes mellitus. Although the beneficial effects of good blood glucose control on diabetic neuropathy are known, this control cannot completely prevent the occurrence and progression of diabetic neuropathy. The aim of this study was to investigate whether ozone prevents diabetic neuropathy. 36 adult female Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into 6 groups (n=6): control (C), ozone (O), diabetic (D), ozone-treated diabetic (DO), insulin-treated diabetic (DI), and ozone- and insulin-treated diabetic (DOI). Diabetes was induced by a single injection of streptozotocin (60 mg/kg, intraperitoneal [i.p.]), after which insulin was administered (3 IU, i.p.) to the DI and DOI groups for 28 days, and 1.1 mg/kg (50 µg/ml) ozone was given to the O, DO, and DOI groups for 15 days. 4 weeks after the induction of diabetes, the nerve conduction velocity (NCV), amplitude of the compound action potential (CAP), total oxidant status (TOS), and total antioxidant status (TAS) were measured, and the oxidative stress index (OSI) was calculated. The NCV, amplitude of CAP, and TAS of the DI and DOI groups were higher than those of the D group; the amplitudes of CAP and TAS of the DO group were higher than those of the D group; and the TOS and OSI of the DO, DI, and DOI groups were lower than those of the D group. These findings indicate that ozone partially prevents diabetic neuropathy in rats. It appears that the preventive effects of ozone are mediated through oxidant/antioxidant mechanisms.
EEG Recorded from the Ear: Characterizing the Ear-EEG Method

Highlights Auditory middle and late latency responses can be recorded reliably from ear-EEG. For sources close to the ear, ear-EEG has the same signal-to-noise-ratio as scalp. Ear-EEG is an excellent match for power spectrum-based analysis. A method for measuring electroencephalograms (EEG) from the outer ear, so-called ear-EEG, has recently been proposed. The method could potentially enable robust recording of EEG in natural environments. The objective of this study was to substantiate the ear-EEG method by using a larger population of subjects and several paradigms. For rigor, we considered simultaneous scalp and ear-EEG recordings with common reference. More precisely, 32 conventional scalp electrodes and 12 ear electrodes allowed a thorough comparison between conventional and ear electrodes, testing several different placements of references. The paradigms probed auditory onset response, mismatch negativity, auditory steady-state response and alpha power attenuation. By comparing event related potential (ERP) waveforms from the mismatch response paradigm, the signal measured from the ear electrodes was found to reflect the same cortical activity as that from nearby scalp electrodes. It was also found that referencing the ear-EEG electrodes to another within-ear electrode affects the time-domain recorded waveform (relative to scalp recordings), but not the timing of individual components. It was furthermore found that auditory steady-state responses and alpha-band modulation were measured reliably with the ear-EEG modality. Finally, our findings showed that the auditory mismatch response was difficult to monitor with the ear-EEG. We conclude that ear-EEG yields similar performance as conventional EEG for spectrogram-based analysis, similar timing of ERP components, and equal signal strength for sources close to the ear. Ear-EEG can reliably measure activity from regions of the cortex which are located close to the ears, especially in paradigms employing frequency-domain analyses.
Periodic Mechanical Stress Activates Integrinβ1-Dependent Src-Dependent PLCγ1-Independent Rac1 Mitogenic Signal in Rat Chondrocytes through ERK1/2

The effects of periodic mechanical stress on the mitogenesis of chondrocytes have been studied extensively in recent years. However, the mechanisms underlying the ability of chondrocytes to sense and respond to periodic mechanical stress remain a matter of debate. We explored the signal transduction pathways of proliferation and matrix synthesis when chondrocytes were exposed to periodic mechanical stress. We observed that periodic mechanical stress statistically and significantly enhanced the phosphorylation and activation of Rac1 (p<0.05 for each). Pre-treatment with the Rac1 selective inhibitor NSC23766 attenuated periodic mechanical stress-induced chondrocyte proliferation and matrix synthesis (p<0.05 for each) and abrogated ERK1/2 signal activation (p<0.05), but did not block periodic mechanical stressinduced Src and PLCγ1 phosphorylation in this context. In addition, inhibition of Src with its selective inhibitor PP2 and shRNA targeted to Src blocked Rac1 signal activation (p<0.05 for each), but inhibition of the activity of PLCγ1 did not affect the phosphorylation and activation levels of Rac1 under conditions of periodic mechanical stress. The up-regulation of proliferation and matrix synthesis was inhibited in chondrocytes in response to periodic mechanical stress after pretreatment with blocking antibody against integrinβ1 (p<0.05 for each) but not after pretreatment with blocking antibody against integrinβ3. The phosphorylation levels of ERK1/2, Rac1, PLCγ1 and Src, and Rac1 activation level were also reduced when integrinβ1 was blocked in this context (p<0.05 for each). These findings suggest that periodic mechanical stress promotes chondrocyte proliferation and matrix synthesis in part by activating the ERK1/2 mitogenic signal through the integrinβ1-Src-PLCγ1/Rac1-ERK1/2 pathway, which links these important signaling molecules into mitogenic cascades.
Dynamic relay node selection scheme for multi-hop time synchronization in Link-16

Link-16 is a widely used tactical data link system for battlefield networks. A key component of Link-16 is network time synchronization. Link-16 provides two types of time synchronization methods: global positioning system (GPS)-based time synchronization and GPS-less time synchronization. In particular, Link-16 requires relay nodes for multi-hop time synchronization. However, in Link-16, the relay nodes are selected statically before the network begins, which inhibits direct communication from incoming nodes; therefore, time synchronization fails. In this paper, we propose a new dynamic relay node selection scheme for multi-hop time synchronization in Link-16. Thus, all nodes can be dynamically identified as relay nodes for new incoming nodes. Consequently, if a new incoming node connects to any registered node, time synchronization can be achieved. Simulation results show that our proposed scheme outperforms Link-16, regardless of the number of round trip time slots or the failure probability.
Exploratory analysis of estimated acoustic peak rarefaction pressure, recanalization, and outcome in the transcranial ultrasound in clinical sonothrombolysis trial

Acoustic peak rarefaction pressure (APRP) is the main factor that influences ultrasound‐enhanced thrombolysis. We sought to determine whether recanalization rate and functional outcomes in the Transcranial Ultrasound in Clinical SONothrombolysis (TUCSON) trial could be predicted by estimated in vivo APRP.
Performance, Reliability, and Performability Aspects of Hierarchical RAID

We consider a two level Hierarchical RAID: RAID $/math/$ with MDS erasure coding, so that it tolerates knode and $/math/$ disk failures per node with the minimum redundancy level. With no controller failures HRAID $/math/$ tolerates all $/math/$ disk failures, while the maximum number of disk failures tolerated in an array with k nodes and k disks per node is $/math/$. We vary RAID controller failure rates with respect to the disk failure rate in a simulation study to determine the Mean Time to Data Loss (MTTDL) and HRAID perform ability defined as number of I/Os processed till the system fails, while disks are processing requests at their maximum bandwidth. Rebuild via restriping is used to handle both disk and node failures until check strips are exhausted. HRAID $/math/$ provides the higher MTTDL and performability for k
Molecular Beacons of Xeno-Nucleic Acid for Detecting Nucleic Acid

Molecular beacons (MBs) of DNA and RNA have aroused increasing interest because they allow a continuous readout, excellent spatial and temporal resolution to observe in real time. This kind of dual-labeled oligonucleotide probes can differentiate between bound and unbound DNA/RNA in homogenous hybridization with a high signal-to-background ratio in living cells. This review briefly summarizes the different unnatural sugar backbones of oligonucleotides combined with fluorophores that have been employed to sense DNA/RNA. With different probes, we epitomize the fundamental understanding of driving forces and these recognition processes. Moreover, we will introduce a few novel and attractive emerging applications and discuss their advantages and disadvantages. We also highlight several perspective probes in the application of cancer therapeutics.
Descriptive sensory analysis and free sugar contents of chestnut cultivars grown in North America.

BACKGROUND Various chestnut (Castanea) species and cultivars are currently produced and marketed in North America including Peach, Qing, AU-Homestead, Eaton, Marrone di Castel del Rio, and Colossal. In spite of their availability in the marketplace, similarities in sensory characteristics of chestnuts, as well as their unique attributes, have not been explored. Therefore, the objectives of this study were to evaluate texture and flavor attributes of commonly grown chestnut cultivars using descriptive sensory analysis and to quantify their free sugar content by gas-liquid chromatography. RESULTS Twenty-three sensory terms were used for descriptive analysis of roasted chestnuts. All but two attributes (raw impression and fermented) were common to all chestnut cultivars. Peelability, initial firmness, dissolvability, and mustard, sweet, and sour flavors varied among cultivars. Sucrose, the predominant free sugar in chestnuts, was greatest in Colossal chestnuts from California, while those of Peach had the lowest content. Glucose, fructose and maltose were also present in chestnuts. CONCLUSION This study demonstrated that cultivars of various chestnut species share several common sensory attributes, but differ in intensity ratings of six descriptors. Of these attributes, sweetness has been associated with consumer acceptance and can be promoted in the marketplace.
Crystal Structure of ORF12 from Lactococcus lactis Phage p2 Identifies a Tape Measure Protein Chaperone

ABSTRACT We report here the characterization of the nonstructural protein ORF12 of the virulent lactococcal phage p2, which belongs to the Siphoviridae family. ORF12 was produced as a soluble protein, which forms large oligomers (6- to 15-mers) in solution. Using anti-ORF12 antibodies, we have confirmed that ORF12 is not found in the virion structure but is detected in the second half of the lytic cycle, indicating that it is a late-expressed protein. The structure of ORF12, solved by single anomalous diffraction and refined at 2.9-Å resolution, revealed a previously unknown fold as well as the presence of a hydrophobic patch at its surface. Furthermore, crystal packing of ORF12 formed long spirals in which a hydrophobic, continuous crevice was identified. This crevice exhibited a repeated motif of aromatic residues, which coincided with the same repeated motif usually found in tape measure protein (TMP), predicted to form helices. A model of a complex between ORF12 and a repeated motif of the TMP of phage p2 (ORF14) was generated, in which the TMP helix fitted exquisitely in the crevice and the aromatic patches of ORF12. We suggest, therefore, that ORF12 might act as a chaperone for TMP hydrophobic repeats, maintaining TMP in solution during the tail assembly of the lactococcal siphophage p2.
Using MEDLINE Elemental Similarity to Assist in the Article Screening Process for Systematic Reviews

Background Systematic reviews and their implementation in practice provide high quality evidence for clinical practice but are both time and labor intensive due to the large number of articles. Automatic text classification has proven to be instrumental in identifying relevant articles for systematic reviews. Existing approaches use machine learning model training to generate classification algorithms for the article screening process but have limitations. Objective We applied a network approach to assist in the article screening process for systematic reviews using predetermined article relationships (similarity). The article similarity metric is calculated using the MEDLINE elements title (TI), abstract (AB), medical subject heading (MH), author (AU), and publication type (PT). We used an article network to illustrate the concept of article relationships. Using the concept, each article can be modeled as a node in the network and the relationship between 2 articles is modeled as an edge connecting them. The purpose of our study was to use the article relationship to facilitate an interactive article recommendation process. Methods We used 15 completed systematic reviews produced by the Drug Effectiveness Review Project and demonstrated the use of article networks to assist article recommendation. We evaluated the predictive performance of MEDLINE elements and compared our approach with existing machine learning model training approaches. The performance was measured by work saved over sampling at 95% recall (WSS95) and the F-measure (F1). We also used repeated analysis over variance and Hommel’s multiple comparison adjustment to demonstrate statistical evidence. Results We found that although there is no significant difference across elements (except AU), TI and AB have better predictive capability in general. Collaborative elements bring performance improvement in both F1 and WSS95. With our approach, a simple combination of TI+AB+PT could achieve a WSS95 performance of 37%, which is competitive to traditional machine learning model training approaches (23%-41% WSS95). Conclusions We demonstrated a new approach to assist in labor intensive systematic reviews. Predictive ability of different elements (both single and composited) was explored. Without using model training approaches, we established a generalizable method that can achieve a competitive performance.
Pokemon Silencing Leads to Bim-Mediated Anoikis of Human Hepatoma Cell QGY7703

Pokemon is an important proto-oncogene that plays a critical role in cellular oncogenic transformation and tumorigenesis. Anoikis, which is regulated by Bim-mediated apoptosis, is critical to cancer cell invasion and metastasis. We investigated the role of Pokemon in anoikis, and our results show that Pokemon renders liver cells resistant to anoikis via suppression of Bim transcription. We knocked-down Pokemon in human hepatoma cells QGY7703 with small interfering RNAs (siRNA). Knockdown of Pokemon alone did not significantly affect the growth and survival of QGY7703 cells but notably enhanced their sensitivity to apoptotic stress due to the presence of chemical agents or cell detachment, thereby inducing anoikis, as evidenced by flow cytometry and caspase-3 activity assays. In contrast, ectopic expression of Pokemon in HL7702 cells led to resistance to anoikis. Dual-luciferase reporter and ChIP assays illustrated that Pokemon suppressed Bim transcription via direct binding to its promoter. Our results suggest that Pokemon prevents anoikis through the suppression of Bim expression, which facilitates tumor cell invasion and metastasis. This Pokemon-Bim pathway may be an effective target for therapeutic intervention for cancer.
Medical image segmentation using watershed segmentation with texture-based region merging

The use of the watershed algorithm for image segmentation is widespread because it is able to produce a complete division of the image. However, it is susceptible to over-segmentation and in medical image segmentation, this meant that that we do not have good representations of the anatomy. We address this issue by thresholding the gradient magnitude image and performing post-segmentation merging on the initial segmentation map. The automated thresholding technique is based on the histogram of the gradient magnitude map while the post-segmentation merging is based on the similarity in textural features (namely angular second moment, contrast, entropy and inverse difference moment) belonging to two neighboring partitions. When applied to the segmentation of various facial anatomical structures from magnetic resonance (MR) images, the proposed method achieved an overlap index of 92.6% compared to manual contour tracings. It is able to merge more than 80% of the initial partitions, which indicates that a large amount of over-segmentation has been reduced. Results produced using watershed algorithm with and without the proposed and proposed post-segmentation merging are presented for comparisons.
Pharmacogenomics of Prostaglandin and Leukotriene Receptors

Individual genetic background together with environmental effects are thought to be behind many human complex diseases. A number of genetic variants, mainly single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), have been shown to be associated with various pathological and inflammatory conditions, representing potential therapeutic targets. Prostaglandins (PTGs) and leukotrienes (LTs) are eicosanoids derived from arachidonic acid and related polyunsaturated fatty acids that participate in both normal homeostasis and inflammatory conditions. These bioactive lipid mediators are synthesized through two major multistep enzymatic pathways: PTGs by cyclooxygenase and LTs by 5-lipoxygenase. The main physiological effects of PTGs include vasodilation and vascular leakage (PTGE2); mast cell maturation, eosinophil recruitment, and allergic responses (PTGD2); vascular and respiratory smooth muscle contraction (PTGF2), and inhibition of platelet aggregation (PTGI2). LTB4 is mainly involved in neutrophil recruitment, vascular leakage, and epithelial barrier function, whereas cysteinyl LTs (CysLTs) (LTC4, LTD4, and LTE4) induce bronchoconstriction and neutrophil extravasation, and also participate in vascular leakage. PTGs and LTs exert their biological functions by binding to cognate receptors, which belong to the seven transmembrane, G protein-coupled receptor superfamily. SNPs in genes encoding these receptors may influence their functionality and have a role in disease susceptibility and drug treatment response. In this review we summarize SNPs in PTGs and LTs receptors and their relevance in human diseases. We also provide information on gene expression. Finally, we speculate on future directions for this topic.
Lead exposure increases blood pressure by increasing angiotensinogen expression

ABSTRACT Lead exposure can induce increased blood pressure. Several mechanisms have been proposed to explain lead-induced hypertension. Changes in angiotensinogen (AGT) expression levels or gene variants may also influence blood pressure. In this study, we hypothesized that AGT expression levels or gene variants contribute to lead-induced hypertension. A preliminary HEK293 cell model experiment was performed to analyze the association between AGT expression and lead exposure. In a population-based study, serum AGT level was measured in both lead-exposed and control populations. To further detect the influence of AGT gene single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in lead-induced hypertension, two SNPs (rs699 and rs4762) were genotyped in a case-control study including 219 lead-exposed subjects and 393 controls. Lead exposure caused an increase in AGT expression level in HEK 293 cell models (P < 0.001) compared to lead-free cells, and individuals exposed to lead had higher systolic and diastolic blood pressure (P < 0.001). Lead-exposed individuals had higher serum AGT levels compared to controls (P < 0.001). However, no association was found between AGT gene SNPs (rs699 and rs4762) and lead exposure. Nevertheless, the change in AGT expression level may play an important role in the development of lead-induced hypertension.