Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Depressed Synaptic Transmission and Reduced Vesicle Release Sites in Huntington's Disease Neuromuscular Junctions

Huntington's disease (HD) is a progressive and fatal degenerative disorder that results in debilitating cognitive and motor dysfunction. Most HD studies have focused on degeneration of the CNS. We previously discovered that skeletal muscle from transgenic R6/2 HD mice is hyperexcitable due to decreased chloride and potassium conductances. The progressive and early onset of these defects suggest a primary myopathy in HD. In this study, we examined the relationship between neuromuscular transmission and skeletal muscle hyperexcitability. We used an ex vivo preparation of the levator auris longus muscle from male and female late-stage R6/2 mice and age-matched wild-type controls. Immunostaining of the synapses and molecular analyses revealed no evidence of denervation. Physiologically, we recorded spontaneous miniature endplate currents (mEPCs) and nerve-evoked EPCs (eEPCs) under voltage-clamp, which, unlike current-clamp records, were independent of the changes in muscle membrane properties. We found a reduction in the number of vesicles released per action potential (quantal content) in R6/2 muscle, which analysis of eEPC variance and morphology indicate is caused by a reduction in the number of vesicle release sites (n) rather than a change in the probability of release (prel). Furthermore, analysis of high-frequency stimulation trains suggests an impairment in vesicle mobilization. The depressed neuromuscular transmission in R6/2 muscle may help compensate for the muscle hyperexcitability and contribute to motor impersistence. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Recent evidence indicates that Huntington's disease (HD) is a multisystem disorder. Our examination of neuromuscular transmission in this study reveals defects in the motor nerve terminal that may compensate for the muscle hyperexcitability in HD. The technique we used eliminates the effects of the altered muscle membrane properties on synaptic currents and thus provides hitherto the most detailed analysis of synaptic transmission in HD. Clinically, the striking depression of neurotransmission we found may help explain the motor impersistence in HD patients. Therapies that target the highly accessible peripheral nerve and muscle system provide a promising new avenue to lessen the debilitating motor symptoms of HD.
Pedestrian proposal generation using depth-aware scale estimation

In this work, we propose an efficient method that generates pedestrian proposals suitable for the autonomous vehicle. Our main intuition is that depth information provides an important cue to assign the scale of pedestrian proposals. Based on the observation that in a 3-D world coordinate the scales of pedestrians are almost similar, we formulate the scales of pedestrian patches by projecting 3-D models to an image plane with its corresponding depth. We also introduce a scale-aware binary description using both color and depth images. By using this descriptor, the regression models are trained to rank the pedestrian proposal candidates and adjust the proposal bounding boxes for an accurate localization. Our algorithm achieves significant performance gains compared to conventional proposal generation methods on the challenging KITTI dataset.
A pool of deep models for event recognition

This paper proposes a novel two-stage framework for event recognition in still images. First, for a generic event image, deep features, obtained via different pre-trained models, are fed into an ensemble of classifiers, whose posterior classification probabilities are thereafter fused by means of an order-induced scheme, which penalizes the yielded scores according to their confidence in classifying the image at hand, and then averages them. Second, we combine the fusion results with a reverse matching paradigm in order to draw the final output of our proposed pipeline. We evaluate our approach on three challenging datasets and we show that better results can be attained, advancing recent leading works.
Mechanical properties of aluminium alloy AA2219 reinforced with graphite

Aluminium alloy-based metal matrix composites (AMMCs) normally used in wear resistant and light weight applications. In this work, mechanical properties like Hardness test and SEM analysis of Aluminium Alloy AA2219 is reinforced with graphite powder in the ratio of 1.5%, 3%, 4.5% (in terms of weight) was done. Fabrication of AA2219 with graphite was done by using stir casting method, maintained at the temperature of 1023 K and running speed at 500 rpm. The proposal work is aimed at obtaining a composite material with good surface finish and less casting effects. By testing, we obtained the increase in graphite percentage, hardness values is decreased between 37.14 to 32.65 BHN. From the X-Ray diffraction analysis, Peak value of alumina is attained in the range of 44°–45°, but by adding graphite reinforcement, the peak value is obtained in the range of 38°–39°, which results in phase change.
Interference pair-based distributed spectrum allocation in wireless mesh networks with frequency-agile radios

Spectrum allocation algorithms are able to improve the performance of wireless mesh networks by exploiting the frequency agility of modern radios, and several such algorithms have been proposed. However, their interference constraints are at a coarse-grained level, which results in a low spectrum efficiency. To achieve higher spectrum resource utilization, we use interference pairs as a finer granularity to model the interference constraints in wireless mesh networks, and derive a sufficient and necessary condition for interference-free spectrum allocation. Based on a set of rigorous models, we formulate spectrum allocation as an optimization problem and divide it into two subproblems, for which we propose a two-phase interference pair-based distributed spectrum allocation (IPDSA) algorithm. In IPDSA, a negotiation-based frequency hierarchy mechanism heuristically determines the relation between the center frequencies of links in each interference pair; and then a dual decomposition-based spectrum allocation algorithm converges to the optimal allocation of center frequencies and spectral widths of all links. Extensive simulation results show that IPDSA is able to significantly improve spectrum utilization and thus increase network utility and aggregate throughput, thanks to a high accuracy in modeling interference constraints.
The effects of host derived metalloproteinases on dentin bond and the role of MMPs inhibitors on dentin matrix degradation.

OBJECTIVES The work has the objective to analyze the literature on the degradation of the adhesive interface. In particular the study is focused on the role of the metalloproteinase in the hydrolytic degradation of collagen matrix in the bonded interface. The survey will concern also the latest innovations to improve and increase the link between dentin and the restorative materials through the MMPs inhibitors. METHODS The research has been carried out in the MEDLINE database by choosing keywords as "metalloproteinases" and "dentin bond" and "degradation". In vitro studies were included in the research, excluding studies with no human and deciduous teeth. Language was limited to English. RESULTS The collagenolytic enzymes in mineralized dentin have been demonstrated to have an important role in dental hard tissue pathologies, including the degradation of the hybrid layer. CONCLUSION The preservation of the collagen matrix integrity is a key issue in the attempts to improve the dentin bonding durability.
H-Formulation Using the Discontinuous Galerkin Method for the 3-D Modeling of Superconductors

In this paper, a new approach to model efficiently high-temperature superconductors, whose electrical behavior is characterized by a non-linear power law, in 3-D is investigated. The commonly used non-linear H-formulation will be discretized based on the discontinuous Galerkin method. This numerical approach will likely provide fast simulations through parallel computations. Its application on simple examples, such as a superconducting cube subjected to an external magnetic field, will show robustness, convergence, and fast computations.
An abnormal behavior detection technology for run-time mobile application

In view of the problem of the high cost of monitoring the API calling behavior of the mobile application, a dynamic behavior detection technology was proposed for inserting the API monitoring code into the mobile application layer. The method, which didn't have access to the root permissions, can be used to insert the monitoring code of the sensitive API calling in the application native layer through an hook method, and realize the monitoring and recording of the application behavior. Then, by inserting the monitoring code in the normal samples and malicious samples, the API behavior feature sample library was obtained after the automatic installation and operation. Finally, the behavior feature library was trained by the SVM algorithm to obtain the classifier. The classifier can be used as the basis for the anomaly detection of the dynamic behavior of the mobile applications in the actual operating environment.
The MTP1 promoters from Arabidopsis halleri reveal cis-regulating elements for the evolution of metal tolerance.

In the hyperaccumulator Arabidopsis halleri, the zinc (Zn) vacuolar transporter MTP1 is a key component of hypertolerance. Because protein sequences and functions are highly conserved between A. halleri and Arabidopsis thaliana, Zn tolerance in A. halleri may reflect the constitutively higher MTP1 expression compared with A. thaliana, based on copy number expansion and different cis regulation. Three MTP1 promoters were characterized in A. halleri ecotype I16. The comparison with the A. thaliana MTP1 promoter revealed different expression profiles correlated with specific cis-acting regulatory elements. The MTP1 5' untranslated region, highly conserved among A. thaliana, Arabidopsis lyrata and A. halleri, contains a dimer of MYB-binding motifs in the A. halleri promoters absent in the A. thaliana and A. lyrata sequences. Site-directed mutagenesis of these motifs revealed their role for expression in trichomes. A. thaliana mtp1 transgenic lines expressing AtMTP1 controlled by the native A. halleri promoter were more Zn-tolerant than lines carrying mutations on MYB-binding motifs. Differences in Zn tolerance were associated with different distribution of Zn among plant organs and in trichomes. The different cis-acting elements in the MTP1 promoters of A. halleri, particularly the MYB-binding sites, are probably involved in the evolution of Zn tolerance.
Fabrication of Nanofiber Microarchitectures Localized within Hydrogel Microparticles and Their Application to Protein Delivery and Cell Encapsulation

A simple method to generate well‐defined microscopic architectures composed of electrospun nanofibers is reported and their potential application to biomedical fields are described. The photopatterning of polyethylene glycol (PEG) hydrogel on electrospun polycarprolactone (PCL) nanofibers leads to the formation of two different microdomains in nanofibrous mats: a bare nanofiber region and a hydrogel‐entrapped nanofiber region. The selective dissolution of bare nanofibers with an organic solvent that cannot penetrate the PEG hydrogel enables the localization of PCL nanofibers within the hydrogel microstructures, thus generating microarchitectured nanofibers. The resultant microarchitectures are easily detached from the substrate by the water‐induced swelling of the PEG hydrogel. Microparticles are ultimately obtained, the size and shape of which can be easily controlled with proper photomask designs. In proof of concept experiments, bovine serum albumin(BSA)‐loaded PCL nanofibers that are entrapped within the hydrogel microparticles are prepared and the sustained release of BSA from micropatterned nanofibers is successfully demonstrated, indicating the potential application of the proposed microarchitectured nanofibers to drug delivery systems. For another possible application, the capability of the nanofiber‐incorporated hydrogel to encapsulate mammalian cells is investigated and the incorporation of nanofibers within the PEG hydrogel promoted cell adhesion and spreading when compared with bare PEG hydrogel is confirmed.
Less is More, More or Less... Finding the Optimal Threshold for Lexicalization in Chunking

Lexicalization of the input of sequential taggers has gone a long way since it was invented by Molina and Pla [4]. In this paper we thoroughly investigate the method introduced by Indig and Endredy [2] to find out ´ the best lexicalization level for chunking and to explore the behavior of different IOB representations. Both tasks are applied to the CoNLL-2000 dataset. Our goal is to introduce a transformation method to accommodate the parameters of the development set to the training set using their frequency distributions which other tasks like POS tagging or NER could benefit too.
Epigenetic silencing of tumor suppressor long non-coding RNA BM742401 in chronic lymphocytic leukemia

BM742401 is a tumor suppressor lncRNA downregulated in gastric cancer. As the promoter region and the entire transcript are embedded in a CpG island, we postulated that BM742401 is a tumor suppressor lncRNA inactivated by DNA methylation in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). The promoter of BM742401 was unmethylated in normal controls including three each of normal bone marrow, peripheral blood buffy coats, and CD19-sorted peripheral B-cells, but methylated in four (57.1%) CLL cell lines. Methylation of BM742401 correlated inversely with expression. In the completely methylated WAC3CD5+ CLL cells, 5-Aza-2′-deoxycytidine treatment led to promoter demethylation and re-expression of BM742401 transcript. Functionally, stable overexpression of BM742401 resulted in inhibition of cellular proliferation and enhanced apoptosis through caspase-9-dependent intrinsic but not caspase-8-dependent extrinsic apoptosis pathway, suggesting a tumor suppressor role of BM742401 in CLL. In primary CLL samples, methylation of BM742401 was detected in 43/98 (43.9%) of patients. Moreover, among CLL patients with standard-risk cytogenetic aberrations, methylation of BM742401 correlated with advanced Rai stage (≥ stage 2)(P = 0.002). Furthermore, BM742401 methylation was associated with miR-129-2 methylation (P = 0.05). BM742401 is a tumor suppressor lncRNA frequently methylated in CLL. The mechanism of BM742401 as a tumor suppressor warrants further studies.
Video segmentation via boundary-aware flow

We present a new algorithm for unsupervised video segmentation based on boundary-aware optical flow. Existing video segmentation methods usually tweak their segmentation model to tolerate the inaccuracy in the estimation of optical flow around object boundaries. In contrast, we directly manipulate the optical flow for better quality. We smooth the optical flow via transductive inference to make the flow consistent within the object and fit to the object boundaries. We then use the boundary-aware optical flow to estimate the initial foreground object region from each frame for learning the appearance model. The learned appearance model is consequently used to refine the segmentation result. Experiments on the DAVIS dataset show that our method performs favorably against the existing ones.
Integrating motivational interviewing and narrative therapy to teach behavior change to family medicine resident physicians

Introduction Motivational interviewing is a useful skill to address the common problem of patient ambivalence regarding behavior change by uncovering and strengthening a person’s own motivation and commitment to change. The Family Medicine Milestones underline the need for clear teaching and monitoring of skills in communication and behavior change in Family Medicine postgraduate training settings. Methods This article reports the integration of a motivational interviewing curriculum into an existing longitudinal narrative therapy-based curriculum on patient-centered communication. Outcomes Observed structured clinical examination for six participants indicate that intern physicians are able to demonstrate moderate motivational interviewing skill after a brief 2-h workshop. Participant self-evaluations for 16 participants suggest a brief 2-h curriculum was helpful at increasing importance of learning motivational interviewing by participants, and that participants desire further training opportunities. Conclusion A brief motivational interviewing curriculum can be integrated into existing communication training in a Family Medicine residency training program.
Association between expression of inflammatory markers in normal breast tissue and mammographic density among premenopausal and postmenopausal women

Objective: Inflammatory markers may be associated with breast cancer risk. We assessed the association between expression levels of proinflammatory (interleukin 6, tumor necrosis factor-&agr;, C-reactive protein, cyclooxygenase 2, leptin, serum amyloid A1, interleukin 8, and signal transducer and activator of transcription 3) and anti-inflammatory markers (transforming growth factor-&bgr;, interleukin 10, and lactoferrin) in normal breast tissue with mammographic density, a strong breast cancer risk indicator, among 163 breast cancer patients. Methods: The expression of inflammatory markers was visually evaluated on immunohistochemistry stained slides. The percent mammographic density (PMD) was estimated by a computer-assisted method in the contralateral cancer-free breast. We used generalized linear models to estimate means of PMD by median expression levels of the inflammatory markers while adjusting for age and waist circumference. Results: Higher expression levels (above median) of the proinflammatory marker interleukin 6 were associated with higher PMD among all women (24.1% vs 18.5%, P = 0.007). Similarly, higher expression levels (above median) of the proinflammatory markers (interleukin 6, tumor necrosis factor-&agr;, C-reactive protein, and interleukin 8) were associated with higher PMD among premenopausal women (absolute difference in the PMD of 8.8% [P = 0.006], 7.7% [P = 0.022], 6.7% [P = 0.037], and 16.5% [P = 0.032], respectively). Higher expression levels (above median) of the anti-inflammatory marker transforming growth factor-&bgr; were associated with lower PMD among all (18.8% vs 24.3%, P = 0.005) and postmenopausal women (14.5% vs 20.7%, P = 0.013). Conclusions: Our results provide support for the hypothesized role of inflammatory markers in breast carcinogenesis through their effects on mammographic density. Inflammatory markers could be targeted in future breast cancer prevention interventions.
Back Pain in a Pediatric Emergency Department: Etiology and Evaluation

Objectives Back pain is an uncommon chief complaint in the pediatric emergency department (ED). However, there are serious underlying conditions requiring prompt diagnosis and treatment. While the etiology is usually benign, variation exists in the evaluation. The study purpose was to describe pediatric patients who presented to the ED with back pain and evaluate for associations with laboratory and radiologic abnormalities indicative of underlying musculoskeletal pathology. Methods A retrospective review was conducted of patients aged birth to 18 years who presented to a pediatric ED with a chief complaint of back pain during a 1-year period. Primary outcome was discharge diagnosis, categorized as nonpathologic back pain, pathologic back pain, and other etiologies. Descriptive statistics were used. Results Two-hundred thirty-two patient encounters were reviewed, with 177 included in data analysis. A nonpathologic diagnosis of back pain was found in 76.8% of visits. Back pain and back or muscle strain were the most common diagnoses. Pathologic back pain diagnoses represented 2.3% of visits. Radiologic imaging was performed in 37.9%. Positive findings were noted in 16.9% of radiographs; no abnormalities were noted on computed tomography scan or magnetic resonance imaging. Laboratory studies were conducted in 35%. Abnormal plain radiographs were associated with a pathologic diagnosis of back pain (P < 0.001). Conclusions Most pediatric patients presenting to the ED with back pain were found to have a nonpathologic etiology and were discharged. Among those with a pathologic back pain diagnosis, abnormal radiograph findings were the only statistically significant factor, whereas laboratory studies, computed tomography scans, and magnetic resonance imaging scans were less indicative.
Monitoring Pitting Corrosion by Holographic Interferometry

Abstract The corrosion current density of aluminum in 5% sulfuric acid (H2SO4) and copper in seawater was measured using an optical corrosion meter developed to test and evaluate materials in relation to different corrosion phenomena. The optical corrosion meter is based upon principles of holographic interferometry for measuring microsurface dissolution (i.e., mass loss) and on principles of electrochemistry for measuring bulk electronic current (i.e., corrosion current) of metallic samples in aqueous solutions. In the early stage of corrosion monitoring of both metals, pitting phenomena were observed using holographic interferometry. Observations of pitting basically were interferometric perturbations detected on the surface of both metals. These perturbations were interpreted as localized corrosion in the form of early pitting. Depths ranged between 0.3 μm and several micrometers. Results indicated optical holography is a very useful technique for monitoring pitting at the initiation stage for differen.