Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
- molecular dynamics simulation on nano-system under external pressure

A new constant-pressure molecular dynamics (MD) method is developed to simulate the dynamic behavior and structure transition of finite system under external pres- sure. In this method, no artificial parameter is introduced and the computation overheads are very small. As an application, a hard-soft transition of single wall carbon nanotube (SWCNT) under external pressure is found, which is in agreement with the experiments.
Disruption of nuclear factor (erythroid‐derived‐2)‐like 2 antioxidant signaling: a mechanism for impaired activation of stem cells and delayed regeneration of skeletal muscle

Recently we have reported that age‐dependent decline in antioxidant levels accelerated apoptosis and skeletal muscle degeneration. Here, we demonstrate genetic ablation of the master cytoprotective transcription factor, nuclear factor (erythroid‐derived‐2)‐like 2 (Nrf2), aggravates cardiotoxin (CTX)‐induced tibialis anterior (TA) muscle damage. Disruption of Nrf2 signaling sustained the CTX‐induced burden of reactive oxygen species together with compromised expression of antioxidant genes and proteins. Transcript/protein expression of phenotypic markers of muscle differentiation, namely paired box 7 (satellite cell) and early myogenic differentiation and terminal differentiation (myogenin and myosin heavy chain 2) were increased on d 2 and 4 postinjury but later returned to baseline levels on d 8 and 15 in wild‐type (WT) mice. In contrast, these responses were persistently augmented in Nrf2‐null mice suggesting that regulation of the regeneration‐related signaling mechanisms require Nrf2 for normal functioning. Furthermore, Nrf2‐null mice displayed slower regeneration marked by dysregulation of embryonic myosin heavy chain temporal expression. Histologic observations illustrated that Nrf2‐null mice displayed smaller, immature TA muscle fibers compared with WT counterparts on d 15 after CTX injury. Improvement in TA muscle morphology and gain in muscle mass evident in the WT mice was not noticeable in the Nrf2‐null animals. Taken together these data show that the satellite cell activation, proliferation, and differentiation requires a functional Nrf2 system for effective healing following injury. —Shelar, S. B. , Narasimhan, M. , Shanmugam, G. , Litovsky, S. H. , Gounder, S. S. , Karan, G. , Arulvasu, C. , Kensler, T. W. , Hoidal, J. R. , Darley‐Usmar, V. M. , Rajasekaran, N. S. Disruption of nuclear factor (erythroid‐derived‐2)—like 2 antioxidant signaling: a mechanism for impaired activation of stem cells and delayed regeneration of skeletal muscle. FASEB J. 30, 1865–1879 (2016). www.fasebj. org
Bistratamides M and N, Oxazole-Thiazole Containing Cyclic Hexapeptides Isolated from Lissoclinum bistratum Interaction of Zinc (II) with Bistratamide K

Two novel oxazole-thiazole containing cyclic hexapeptides, bistratamides M (1) and N (2) have been isolated from the marine ascidian Lissoclinum bistratum (L. bistratum) collected in Raja Ampat (Papua Bar, Indonesia). The planar structure of 1 and 2 was assigned on the basis of extensive 1D and 2D NMR spectroscopy and mass spectrometry. The absolute configuration of the amino acid residues in 1 and 2 was determined by the application of the Marfey’s and advanced Marfey’s methods after ozonolysis followed by acid-catalyzed hydrolysis. The interaction between zinc (II) and the naturally known bistratamide K (3), a cyclic hexapeptide isolated from a different specimen of Lissoclinum bistratum, was monitored by 1H and 13C NMR. The results obtained are consistent with the proposal that these peptides are biosynthesized for binding to metal ions. Compounds 1 and 2 display moderate cytotoxicity against four human tumor cell lines with GI50 values in the micromolar range.
Dress Like a Star: Retrieving Fashion Products from Videos

This work proposes a system for retrieving clothing and fashion products from video content. Although films and television are the perfect showcase for fashion brands to promote their products, spectators are not always aware of where to buy the latest trends they see on screen. Here, a framework for breaking the gap between fashion products shown on videos and users is presented. By relating clothing items and video frames in an indexed database and performing frame retrieval with temporal aggregation and fast indexing techniques, we can find fashion products from videos in a simple and non-intrusive way. Experiments in a large-scale dataset conducted here show that, by using the proposed framework, memory requirements can be reduced by 42.5X with respect to linear search, whereas accuracy is maintained at around 90%.
Establishment of a Segmental Femoral Critical-size Defect Model in Mice Stabilized by Plate Osteosynthesis

The use of tissue-engineered bone constructs is an appealing strategy to overcome drawbacks of autografts for the treatment of massive bone defects. As a model organism, the mouse has already been widely used in bone-related research. Large diaphyseal bone defect models in mice, however, are sparse and often use bone fixation which fills the bone marrow cavity and does not provide optimal mechanical stability. The objectives of the current study were to develop a critical-size, segmental, femoral defect in nude mice. A 3.5-mm mid-diaphyseal femoral ostectomy (approximately 25% of the femur length) was performed using a dedicated jig, and was stabilized with an anterior located locking plate and 4 locking screws. The bone defect was subsequently either left empty or filled with a bone substitute (syngenic bone graft or coralline scaffold). Bone healing was monitored noninvasively using radiography and in vivo micro-computed-tomography and was subsequently assessed by ex vivo micro-computed-tomography and undecalcified histology after animal sacrifice, 10 weeks postoperatively. The recovery of all mice was excellent, a full-weight-bearing was observed within one day following the surgical procedure. Furthermore, stable bone fixation and consistent fixation of the implanted materials were achieved in all animals tested throughout the study. When the bone defects were left empty, non-union was consistently obtained. In contrast, when the bone defects were filled with syngenic bone grafts, bone union was always observed. When the bone defects were filled with coralline scaffolds, newly-formed bone was observed in the interface between bone resection edges and the scaffold, as well as within a short distance within the scaffold. The present model describes a reproducible critical-size femoral defect stabilized by plate osteosynthesis with low morbidity in mice. The new load-bearing segmental bone defect model could be useful for studying the underlying mechanisms in bone regeneration pertinent to orthopaedic applications.
Person Re-identification by Deep Learning Multi-scale Representations

Existing person re-identification (re-id) methods depend mostly on single-scale appearance information. This not only ignores the potentially useful explicit information of other different scales, but also loses the chance of mining the implicit correlated complementary advantages across scales. In this work, we demonstrate the benefits of learning multi-scale person appearance features using Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN) by aiming to jointly learn discriminative scale-specific features and maximise multiscale feature fusion selections in image pyramid inputs. Specifically, we formulate a novel Deep Pyramid Feature Learning (DPFL) CNN architecture for multi-scale appearance feature fusion optimised simultaneously by concurrent per-scale re-id losses and interactive cross-scale consensus regularisation in a closed-loop design. Extensive comparative evaluations demonstrate the re-id advantages of the proposed DPFL model over a wide range of state-of-the-art re-id methods on three benchmarks Market-1501, CUHK03, and DukeMTMC-reID.
Comparative analyses of long non-coding RNA in lean and obese pigs

Objectives Current studies have revealed that long non-coding RNA plays a crucial role in fat metabolism. However, the difference of lncRNA between lean (Duroc) and obese (Luchuan) pig remain undefined. Here, we investigated the expressional profile of lncRNA in these two pigs and discussed the relationship between lncRNA and fat deposition. Materials and Methods The Chinese Luchuan pig has a dramatic differences in backfat thickness as compared with Duroc pig. In this study, 4868 lncRNA transcripts (including 3235 novel transcripts) were identified. We determined that patterns of differently expressed lncRNAs and mRNAs are strongly tissue-specific. The differentially expressed lncRNAs in adipose tissue have 794 potential target genes, which are involved in adipocytokine signaling pathways, the PI3k-Akt signaling pathway, and calcium signaling pathways. In addition, differentially expressed lncRNAs were located to 13 adipose-related quantitative trait loci which include 65 QTL_ID. Subsequently, lncRNA and mRNA in the same QTL_ID were analyzed and their co-expression in two QTL_ID were confirmed by qPCR. Conclusions Our study provides an insight into mechanism behind the fat metabolic differences between the two breeds and lays an important groundwork for further research regarding the regulatory role of lncRNA in obesity development.
LRRK2 G2019S-induced mitochondrial DNA damage is LRRK2 kinase dependent and inhibition restores mtDNA integrity in Parkinson’s disease

Mutations in leucine-rich repeat kinase 2 (LRRK2) are associated with increased risk for developing Parkinson's disease (PD). Previously, we found that LRRK2 G2019S mutation carriers have increased mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) damage and after zinc finger nuclease-mediated gene mutation correction, mtDNA damage was no longer detectable. While the mtDNA damage phenotype can be unambiguously attributed to the LRRK2 G2019S mutation, the underlying mechanism(s) is unknown. Here, we examine the role of LRRK2 kinase function in LRRK2 G2019S-mediated mtDNA damage, using both genetic and pharmacological approaches in cultured neurons and PD patient-derived cells. Expression of LRRK2 G2019S induced mtDNA damage in primary rat midbrain neurons, but not in cortical neuronal cultures. In contrast, the expression of LRRK2 wild type or LRRK2 D1994A mutant (kinase dead) had no effect on mtDNA damage in either midbrain or cortical neuronal cultures. In addition, human LRRK2 G2019S patient-derived lymphoblastoid cell lines (LCL) demonstrated increased mtDNA damage relative to age-matched controls. Importantly, treatment of LRRK2 G2019S expressing midbrain neurons or patient-derived LRRK2 G2019S LCLs with the LRRK2 kinase inhibitor GNE-7915, either prevented or restored mtDNA damage to control levels. These findings support the hypothesis that LRRK2 G2019S-induced mtDNA damage is LRRK2 kinase activity dependent, uncovering a novel pathological role for this kinase. Blocking or reversing mtDNA damage via LRRK2 kinase inhibition or other therapeutic approaches may be useful to slow PD-associated pathology.
Enhanced Glucose Consumption and Organic Acid Production by Engineered Corynebacterium glutamicum Based on Analysis of a pfkB1 Deletion Mutant

ABSTRACT In the analysis of a carbohydrate metabolite pathway, we found interesting phenotypes in a mutant strain of Corynebacterium glutamicum deficient in pfkB1, which encodes fructose-1-phosphate kinase. After being aerobically cultivated with fructose as a carbon source, this mutant consumed glucose and produced organic acid, predominantly l-lactate, at a level more than 2-fold higher than that of the wild-type grown with glucose under conditions of oxygen deprivation. This considerably higher fermentation capacity was unique for the combination of pfkB1 deletion and cultivation with fructose. In the metabolome and transcriptome analyses of this strain, marked intracellular accumulation of fructose-1-phosphate and significant upregulation of several genes related to the phosphoenolpyruvate:carbohydrate phosphotransferase system, glycolysis, and organic acid synthesis were identified. We then examined strains overexpressing several of the identified genes and demonstrated enhanced glucose consumption and organic acid production by these engineered strains, whose values were found to be comparable to those of the model pfkB1 deletion mutant grown with fructose. l-Lactate production by the ppc deletion mutant of the engineered strain was 2,390 mM (i.e., 215 g/liter) after 48 h under oxygen deprivation, which was a 2.7-fold increase over that of the wild-type strain with a deletion of ppc. IMPORTANCE Enhancement of glycolytic flux is important for improving microbiological production of chemicals, but overexpression of glycolytic enzymes has often resulted in little positive effect. That is presumably because the central carbon metabolism is under the complex and strict regulation not only transcriptionally but also posttranscriptionally, for example, by the ATP/ADP ratio. In contrast, we studied a mutant strain of Corynebacterium glutamicum that showed markedly enhanced glucose consumption and organic acid production and, based on the findings, identified several genes whose overexpression was effective in enhancing glycolytic flux under conditions of oxygen deprivation. These results will further understanding of the regulatory mechanisms of glycolytic flux and can be widely applied to the improvement of the microbial production of useful chemicals.
Prolonged Reduction in Shoulder Strength after Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation Treatment of Exercise‐Induced Acute Muscle Pain

Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) is commonly used for reducing musculoskeletal pain to improve function. However, peripheral nerve stimulation using TENS can alter muscle motor output. Few studies examine motor outcomes following TENS in a human pain model. Therefore, this study investigated the influence of TENS sensory stimulation primarily on motor output (strength) and secondarily on pain and disability following exercise‐induced delayed‐onset muscle soreness (DOMS).
Creep and thermal stress analysis of the SMA joint system

The coupled thermal-mechanical transient state analysis was used to investigate the SMA joint system under a temperature field.Those fields of temperature,thermal strain,stress and creep were pre-sented for the system.Critical un-bonded parts were obtained in middle interfaces between the joint and pipes.Precautions were proposed in not only creep stresses but also the excessive deformation and creep strain.It supplies a theoretical basis for the structural reliability and design.
The relationship between physician burnout and quality of healthcare in terms of safety and acceptability: a systematic review

Objectives This study reviews the current state of the published peer-reviewed literature related to physician burnout and two quality of care dimensions. The purpose of this systematic literature review is to address the question, ‘How does physician burnout affect the quality of healthcare related to the dimensions of acceptability and safety? ’ Design Using a multiphase screening process, this systematic literature review is based on publically available peer-reviewed studies published between 2002 and 2017. Six electronic databases were searched: (1) MEDLINE Current, (2) MEDLINE In-process, (3) MEDLINE Epub Ahead of Print, (4) PsycINFO, (5) Embase and (6) Web of Science. Setting Physicians practicing in civilian settings. Participants Practicing physicians who have completed training. Primary and secondary outcome measures Quality of healthcare related to acceptability (ie, patient satisfaction, physician communication and physician attitudes) and safety (ie, minimising risks or harm to patients). Results 4114 unique citations were identified. Of these, 12 articles were included in the review. Two studies were rated as having high risk of bias and 10 as having moderate risk. Four studies were conducted in North America, four in Europe, one in the Middle East and three in East Asia. Results of this systematic literature review suggest there is moderate evidence that burnout is associated with safety-related quality of care. Because of the variability in the way patient acceptability-related quality of care was measured and the inconsistency in study findings, the evidence supporting the relationship between burnout and patient acceptability-related quality of care is less strong. Conclusions The focus on direct care-related quality highlights additional ways that physician burnout affects the healthcare system. These studies can help to inform decisions about how to improve patient care by addressing physician burnout. Continued work looking at the relationship between dimensions of acceptability-related quality of care measures and burnout is needed to advance the field.
Action Recognition from RGB-D Data: Comparison and Fusion of Spatio-Temporal Handcrafted Features and Deep Strategies

In this work, multimodal fusion of RGB-D data are analyzed for action recognition by using scene flow as early fusion and integrating the results of all modalities in a late fusion fashion. Recently, there is a migration from traditional handcrafting to deep learning. However, handcrafted features are still widely used owing to their high performance and low computational complexity. In this research, Multimodal dense trajectories (MMDT) is proposed to describe RGB-D videos. Dense trajectories are pruned based on scene flow data. Besides, 2DCNN is extended to multimodal (MM2DCNN) by adding one more stream (scene flow) as input and then fusing the output of all models. We evaluate and compare the results from each modality and their fusion on two action datasets. The experimental result shows that the new representation improves the accuracy. Furthermore, the fusion of handcrafted and learning-based features shows a boost in the final performance, achieving state of the art results.
Processability, Thermal and Mechanical Properties of Rigid PVC/Kaolin Coated with Liquid Macromolecular Modifier Composites

Abstract In order to investigate the effect of kaolin coated with liquid macromolecular modifier (LKL) particles on the processability, thermal and mechanical properties of PVC materials, rigid poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC)/kaolin and PVC/kaolin coated with liquid macromolecular modifier (PVC/LKL) composites were both fabricated by melt mixing. The processability, dynamic mechanical behavior, mechanical properties and micro-structure of PVC/kaolin and PVC/LKL composites were studied by using torque rheometer, dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA), universal mechanical testing machine and scanning electron microscope (SEM). The results showed that the LKL particles improved the processability of PVC materials, while restrained the degradation of PVC materials during melt mixing due to the plasticization, toughening effect and compatibilization of the liquid macromolecular modifier (LMM). Moreover, the LMM could promote LKL particles uniformly dispersed in PVC matrix, and enhance the interface adhesion between LKL particles and PVC matrix. The notched impact strength and Tg of the PVC/LKL composites achieved 4.0 kJ/m2 and 95.2 °C, which enhanced 29% and 6 °C with respect to neat PVC materials, respectively.
Teamwork Assessment Tools in Obstetric Emergencies: A Systematic Review

Introduction Team-based training and simulation can improve patient safety, by improving communication, decision making, and performance of team members. Currently, there is no general consensus on whether or not a specific assessment tool is better adapted to evaluate teamwork in obstetric emergencies. The purpose of this qualitative systematic review was to find the tools available to assess team effectiveness in obstetric emergencies. Methods We searched Embase, Medline, PubMed, Web of Science, PsycINFO, CINAHL, and Google Scholar for prospective studies that evaluated nontechnical skills in multidisciplinary teams involving obstetric emergencies. The search included studies from 1944 until January 11, 2016. Data on reliability and validity measures were collected and used for interpretation. A descriptive analysis was performed on the data. Results Thirteen studies were included in the final qualitative synthesis. All the studies assessed teams in the context of obstetric simulation scenarios, but only six included anesthetists in the simulations. One study evaluated their teamwork tool using just validity measures, five using just reliability measures, and one used both. The most reliable tools identified were the Clinical Teamwork Scale, the Global Assessment of Obstetric Team Performance, and the Global Rating Scale of performance. However, they were still lacking in terms of quality and validity. Conclusions More work needs to be conducted to establish the validity of teamwork tools for nontechnical skills, and the development of an ideal tool is warranted. Further studies are required to assess how outcomes, such as performance and patient safety, are influenced when using these tools.
Evaluation of the "Early" Use of Albumin in Children with Extensive Burns: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

To compare early versus delayed albumin resuscitation in children with burns in terms of clinical outcome and response.Randomized controlled trial.Burn center at a tertiary care teaching hospital.Forty-six children aged 1-12 years with burns greater than 15-45% total body surface area admitted within 12 hours of burn injury.Fluid resuscitation was based on the Parkland formula (3 mL/kg/% total body surface area), adjusted according to urine output. Patients received 5% albumin solution between 8 and 12 hours post burn in the intervention group (n = 23) and 24 hours post burn in the control group (n = 23). Both groups were assessed for reduction in crystalloid fluid infusion during resuscitation, development of fluid creep, and length of hospital stay.There was no difference between groups regarding age, weight, sex, % total body surface area, cause of burn, or severity scores. The median crystalloid fluid volume required during the first 3 days post burn was lower in the intervention than in the control group (2.04 vs 3.05 mL/kg/% total body surface area; p = 0.025 on day 1; 1.2 vs 1.71 mL/kg/% total body surface area; p = 0.002 on day 2; and 0.82 vs 1.3 mL/kg/% total body surface area; p = 0.002 on day 3). The median urine output showed no difference between intervention and control groups (2.1 vs 2.0 mL/kg/hr; p = 0.152 on day 1; 2.58 vs 2.54 mL/kg/hr; p = 0.482 on day 2; and 2.9 vs 3.0 mL/kg/hr; p = 0.093 on day 3). Fluid creep was observed in 13 controls (56.5%) and in one patient (4.3%) in the intervention group. The median length of hospital stay was 18 days (range, 15-21 d) for controls and 14 days (range, 10-17 d) in the intervention group (p = 0.004). Early albumin infusion in children with burns greater than 15-45% total body surface area reduced the need for crystalloid fluid infusion during resuscitation. Significantly fewer cases of fluid creep and shorter hospital stay were also observed in this group of patients.