Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
[11C]‐(+)‐PHNO PET imaging of dopamine D2/3 receptors in Parkinson's disease with impulse control disorders

Dopamine agonist medications with high affinity for the D3 dopamine receptor are commonly used to treat Parkinson's disease, and have been associated with pathological behaviors categorized under the umbrella of impulse control disorders (ICD). The aim of this study was to investigate whether ICD in Parkinson's patients are associated with greater D3 dopamine receptor availability. We used positron emission tomography (PET) radioligand imaging with the D3 dopamine receptor preferring agonist [11C]‐(+)‐propyl‐hexahydro‐naphtho‐oxazin (PHNO) in Parkinson's patients with (n = 11) and without (n = 21) ICD, and age‐, sex‐, and education‐matched healthy control subjects (n = 18). Contrary to hypotheses, [11C]‐(+)‐PHNO binding in D3‐rich brain areas was not elevated in Parkinson's patients with ICD compared with those without; instead, [11C]‐(+)‐PHNO binding in ventral striatum was 20% lower (P = 0.011), correlating with two measures of ICD severity (r = −0.8 and −0.9), which may reflect higher dopamine tone in ventral striatum. In dorsal striatum, where [11C]‐(+)‐PHNO binding is associated with D2 receptor levels, [11C]‐(+)‐PHNO binding was elevated across patients compared with controls. We conclude that although D3 dopamine receptors have been linked to the occurrence of ICD in Parkinson's patients. Our findings do not support the hypothesis that D3 receptor levels are elevated in Parkinson's patients with ICD. We also did not find ICD‐related abnormalities in D2 receptor levels. Our findings argue against the possibility that differences in D2/3 receptor levels can account for the development of ICD in PD; however, we cannot rule out that differences in dopamine levels (particularly in ventral striatum) may be involved. © 2015 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society
Transcytosis of Junonia coenia densovirus VP4 across the gut epithelium of Spodoptera frugiperda (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)

The Junonia coenia densovirus rapidly traverses the gut epithelium of the host lepidopteran without replicating in the gut cells. The ability of this virus to transcytose across the gut epithelium is of interest for the potential use of virus structural proteins as delivery vehicles for insecticidal peptides that act within the insect hemocoel, rather than in the gut. In this study, we used fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda to examine the binding of the virus to brush border membrane vesicle proteins by two‐dimensional ligand blot analysis. We also assessed the rate of flux of the primary viral structural protein, VP4 fused to eGFP with a proline‐rich linker (VP4‐P‐eGFP) through the gut epithelium ex vivo in an Ussing chamber. The mechanisms involved with transcytosis of VP4‐P‐eGFP were assessed by use of inhibitors. Bovine serum albumin (BSA) and eGFP were used as positive and negative control proteins, respectively. In contrast to BSA, which binds to multiple proteins on the brush border membrane, VP4‐P‐eGFP binding was specific to a protein of high molecular mass. Protein flux was significantly higher for VP4‐P‐eGFP after 2 h than for albumin or eGFP, with rapid transcytosis of VP4‐P‐eGFP within the first 30 min. In contrast to BSA which transcytosed following clathrin‐mediated endocytosis, the movement of VP4‐P‐eGFP was vesicle‐mediated but clathrin‐independent. The specificity of binding combined with the efficiency of transport across the gut epithelium suggest that VP4 will provide a useful carrier for insecticidal peptides active within the hemocoel of key lepidopteran pests including S. frugiperda.
10.Can Appreciation of RMB Improve Trade Status of Sino Japanese and Sino-U.S.? Studies Based on Pass-Through Effect of Exchange Rate

Some scholars argue that the undervalued RMB is the key factor which results in Chinese trade surplus and global imbalance. So the appreciation of RMB can improve trade status between China and the West. Obviously, the logics inside this argument are that the appreciation of RMB will increase the export prices from China, and reduce the relative prices of foreign goods and service,that is to say the pass-through effect of the appreciation RMB is great. Through studying the pass-through effect of RMB, this paper founds that the appreciation of RMB cannot improve American trade status, but Japanese trade status. The reasons for this difference between America and Japan lay in the different pricing in trade.
From species to communities: the signature of recreational use on a tropical river ecosystem

Abstract Disturbance can impact natural communities in multiple ways. However, there has been a tendency to focus on single indicators of change when examining the effects of disturbance. This is problematic as classical diversity measures, such as Shannon and Simpson indices, do not always detect the effects of disturbance. Here, we instead take a multilevel, hierarchical approach, looking for signatures of disturbance in the capacity and diversity of the community, and also in allocation and demography at the population level. Using recreational use as an example of disturbance, and the freshwater streams of Trinidad as a model ecosystem, we repeatedly sampled the fish communities and physical parameters of eight pairs of recreational and nonrecreational sites every 3 months over a 28‐month period. We also chose the Trinidadian guppy (Poecilia reticulata) as the subject of our population‐level analyses. Regression tree analysis, together with analysis of deviance, revealed that community capacity and community species richness were greater at sites with higher levels of recreational use. Interestingly, measures of community diversity that took into account the proportional abundance of each species were not significantly associated with recreational use. Neither did we find any direct association between recreational use and proportion of guppy biomass in the community. However, population‐level differences were detected in the guppy: Sex ratio was significantly more female‐biased at more disturbed sites. Our findings emphasize the importance of considering multiple levels when asking how disturbance impacts a community. We advocate the use of a multilevel approach when monitoring the effects of disturbance, and highlight gaps in our knowledge when it comes to interpreting these effects.
Robust Stereoscopic Crosstalk Prediction

We propose a new metric to predict perceived crosstalk using the original images rather than both the original and ghosted images. The proposed metrics are based on color information. First, we extract a disparity map, a color difference map, and a color contrast map from original image pairs. Then, we use those maps to construct two new metrics (<inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$V_{\mathrm{ dispc}}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> and <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$V_{\mathrm{ dlogc}}$ </tex-math></inline-formula>). Metric <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$V_{\mathrm{ dispc}}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> considers the effect of the disparity map and the color difference map, while <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$V_{\mathrm{ dlogc}}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> addresses the influence of the color contrast map. The prediction performance is evaluated using various types of stereoscopic crosstalk images. By incorporating <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$V_{\mathrm{ dispc}}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> and <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$V_{\mathrm{ dlogc}}$ </tex-math></inline-formula>, the new metric <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$V_{\mathrm{ pdlc}}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> is proposed to achieve a higher correlation with the perceived subject crosstalk scores. Experimental results show that the new metrics achieve better performance than previous methods, which indicate that color information is one key factor for crosstalk visible prediction. Furthermore, we construct a new data set to evaluate our new metrics.
The development of a method for identifying penalty kick strategies in association football

Abstract Penalty takers in association football adopt either a keeper-independent or a keeper-dependent strategy, with the benefits of the keeper-independent strategy presumed to be greater. Yet, despite its relevance for research and practitioners, thus far no method for identifying penalty kick strategies has been available. To develop a validated and reliable method, Experiment 1 assessed characteristics that observers should use to distinguish the two strategies. We asked participants to rate 12 characteristics of pre-recorded clips of kicks of penalty takers that used either a keeper-independent or keeper-dependent strategy. A logistic regression model identified three variables (attention to the goalkeeper, run-up fluency and kicking technique) that in combination predicted kick strategy in 92% of the penalties. We used the model in Experiment 2 to analyse prevalence and efficacy of both the strategies for penalty kicks in penalty shoot-outs during FIFA World Cups (1986–2010) and UEFA Football Championships (1984–2012). The keeper-independent strategy was used much more frequently (i.e., 78–86%) than the keeper-dependent strategy, but successes did not differ. Penalty takers should use both the strategies to be less predictable. Goalkeepers can use the developed model to improve their chances to succeed by adjusting their behaviour to penalty takers’ preferred penalty kick strategy.
Treating each and every depressed patient

Abstract Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a prevalent condition with substantial heterogeneity in terms of clinical symptom profiles, overlapping syndromes and degree of severity. The challenge for any new antidepressant is to demonstrate efficacy across the spectrum of patient subpopulations with a diagnosis of MDD. The anxious depressed patient historically has a lower rate of response to traditional antidepressants and high pretreatment anxiety symptoms have also been shown to increase the risk of recurrence. In addition, severity based on standard antidepressant rating scale scores influences treatment outcomes. Some antidepressants display greater placebo separation at higher levels of severity while others fail to separate from placebo in more severe populations. Gender differences in antidepressant response have also been reported in several studies. In particular, women appear to experience a greater side-effect burden with current antidepressants. This is also important in treating late-life depression, where elderly patients are more prone to experiencing side effects and drug interactions. Despite the improved tolerability with SSRIs and other novel antidepressants, restoration of healthy sleep patterns has frequently been lacking. Finally, antidepressant efficacy must include demonstrated relapse prevention during placebo-controlled drug discontinuation trials. As a novel antidepressant with melatonin receptor agonist and 5HT2C antagonist properties, agomelatine has demonstrated efficacy in randomized placebo-controlled trials. Additional analyses support the benefits of agomelatine in anxious depression, increasing efficacy with greater baseline severity, including severe late-life depression. Agomelatine has also demonstrated favourable tolerability and efficacy in separate analyses of women and men and displays successful relapse prevention at doses 25 and 50 mg. Both subjective and polysomnographic measures of sleep support increased sleep efficiency and decreased awakenings during agomelatine treatment. Combining these efficacy data with favourable effects on sexual function, CNS and GI systems, there are grounds to endorse the view that agomelatine is a well-tolerated and efficacious antidepressant for a diverse range of depressed populations.
An Approximate Approach to Sampling Size Determination for the Equivalence Hypothesis

The equivalence hypothesis is the correct hypothesis to confirm whether the new test product conforms to the standard reference product. It has many applications to evaluation of generic drug products and other new clinical modalities. The two one-sided tests (TOST) procedure was proposed to test the equivalence hypothesis for two treatments. When the difference in population means between two treatments is not 0, the proportion of the type II error rate allocated to each of the two tails of the central t-distribution cannot be analytically determined. Hence, no close form of the exact sample size for the equivalence hypothesis is available. Currently only approximate formulas are proposed. The resulting sample sizes may provide either insufficient power or unnecessarily excessive power. We suggest an approximate approach with consideration of type II error rates for both one-sided hypotheses to determination of the sample size for the equivalence hypothesis. The results of a numerical study are reported. Remarks on the usage of different methods for the sample size determination for the equivalence hypothesis in practical applications are provided.
Control of Translation by the 5′- and 3′-Terminal Regions of the Dengue Virus Genome

ABSTRACT The genomic RNAs of flaviviruses such as dengue virus (DEN) have a 5′ m7GpppN cap like those of cellular mRNAs but lack a 3′ poly(A) tail. We have studied the contributions to translational expression of 5′- and 3′-terminal regions of the DEN serotype 2 genome by using luciferase reporter mRNAs transfected into Vero cells. DCLD RNA contained the entire DEN 5′ and 3′ untranslated regions (UTRs), as well as the first 36 codons of the capsid coding region fused to the luciferase reporter gene. Capped DCLD RNA was as efficiently translated in Vero cells as capped GLGpA RNA, a reporter with UTRs from the highly expressed α-globin mRNA and a 72-residue poly(A) tail. Analogous reporter RNAs with regulatory sequences from West Nile and Sindbis viruses were also strongly expressed. Although capped DCLD RNA was expressed much more efficiently than its uncapped form, uncapped DCLD RNA was translated 6 to 12 times more efficiently than uncapped RNAs with UTRs from globin mRNA. The 5′ cap and DEN 3′ UTR were the main sources of the translational efficiency of DCLD RNA, and they acted synergistically in enhancing translation. The DEN 3′ UTR increased mRNA stability, although this effect was considerably weaker than the enhancement of translational efficiency. The DEN 3′ UTR thus has translational regulatory properties similar to those of a poly(A) tail. Its translation-enhancing effect was observed for RNAs with globin or DEN 5′ sequences, indicating no codependency between viral 5′ and 3′ sequences. Deletion studies showed that translational enhancement provided by the DEN 3′ UTR is attributable to the cumulative contributions of several conserved elements, as well as a nonconserved domain adjacent to the stop codon. One of the conserved elements was the conserved sequence (CS) CS1 that is complementary to cCS1 present in the 5′ end of the DEN polyprotein open reading frame. Complementarity between CS1 and cCS1 was not required for efficient translation.
Efficient setup of acoustic models for large vocabulary continuous speech recognition

Automatic speech transcription systems are developed for various languages, domains, and applications. Statistical models are used in conventional automatic speech transcription systems to produce the most likely transcription. For optimal performance, large task representative databases are required for data driven parameter estimation of statistical speech transcription models. The manual creation of high quality labeled speech data for statistical model training is by far the most time consuming process and also one of the largest cost factors to be considered. In this thesis, we investigate unsupervised parameter training and refinement methods for acoustic models to reduce time and cost factors in the development of automatic speech transcription systems. First, we describe the costly creation process of manually labeled training data to set up a transcription system from scratch. In contrast, we present a cost-efficient rapid porting of an existing transcription system for a new domain or language, when the setup of a transcription system is constrained by a budget or time limit. We summarize a framework to efficiently enrich automatically generated transcription hypotheses with posterior confidence scores for different transcription details, e.g. word, pronunciation, or state confidence scores. We evaluate confidence based weighting and filtering approaches for various unsupervised acoustic model adaptation techniques. Posterior confidence scores on state level are studied for unsupervised adaptation as well as for unsupervised training of acoustic model parameters. We examine different unsupervised training scenarios where the amount and the quality of available language resources vary. We improve the accuracy of a well tuned English transcription system for European parliament speeches – trained on one hundred hours of carefully manually transcribed speech data – by applying additional automatically labeled audio recordings. In contrast to this scenario, we then bootstrap the acoustic model of a Polish transcription system from a Spanish model and iteratively refine the Polish model by exclusively using automatically labeled training data. In addition, we address the scenario of improving a Persian pronunciation lexicon by unsupervised refinement of a statistical pronunciation model. Finally, we discuss the task of developing an acoustic model for a transcription system without any manually labeled training or evaluation data analogously to the task of breaking a cipher system.
Characterization of Burkholderia pseudomallei and Burkholderia pseudomallei-like strains

Previous reports in the literature suggest that Burkholderia pseudomallei strains can be differentiated on the basis of animal virulence. Twenty environmentally and clinically derived isolates of Burkholderia pseudomallei were examined for the production of exoenzymes, morphological and biochemical phenotypes and virulence for Syrian golden hamsters. The partial sequence of the 16S ribosomal RNA [rRNA] genes from a number of these strains was also determined. Based upon these observations, it is suggested that highly virulent Burkholderia pseudomallei strains are true Burkholderia pseudomallei strains. The DNA sequences of the 16S rRNA genes of the true Burkholderia pseudomallei strains were identical to the published sequences for Burkholderia pseudomallei while differences were revealed between the published sequences and those of the lowly virulent strains. Thus, these latter strains have been designated as Burkholderia pseudomallei-like organisms since they demonstrate significant differences in exoenzyme production, hamster virulence and 16S rRNA gene sequences.
Robust Energy and Reserve Dispatch Under Variable Renewable Generation

Global warming and environmental pollution concerns have promoted dramatic integrations of renewable energy sources all over the world. Associated with benefits of environmental conservation, essentially uncertain and variable characteristics of such energy resources significantly challenge the operation of power systems. In order to implement reliable and economical operations, a robust energy and reserve dispatch (RERD) model is proposed in this paper, in which the operating decisions are divided into pre-dispatch and re-dispatch. A robust feasibility constraint set is imposed on pre-dispatch variables, such that operation constraints can be recovered by adjusting re-dispatch after wind generation realizes. The model is extended to more general dispatch decision making problems involving uncertainties in the framework of adjustable robust optimization. By revealing the convexity of the robust feasibility constraint set, a comprehensive mixed integer linear programming based oracle is presented to verify the robust feasibility of pre-dispatch decisions. A cutting plane algorithm is established to solve associated optimization problems. The proposed model and method are applied to a five-bus system as well as a realistic provincial power grid in China. Numeric experiments demonstrate that the proposed methodology is effective and efficient.
In Silico Characterization and Functional Validation of Cell Wall Modification Genes Imparting Waterlogging Tolerance in Maize

Cell wall modification (CWM) promotes the formation of aerenchyma in roots under waterlogging conditions as an adaptive mechanism. Lysigenous aerenchyma formation in roots improves oxygen transfer in plants, which highlights the importance of CWM as a focal point in waterlogging stress tolerance. We investigated the structural and functional compositions of CWM genes and their expression patterns under waterlogging conditions in maize. Cell wall modification genes were identified for 3 known waterlogging-responsive cis-acting regulatory elements, namely, GC motif, anaerobic response elements, and G-box, and 2 unnamed elements. Structural motifs mapped in CWM genes were represented in genes regulating waterlogging stress-tolerant pathways, including fermentation, glycolysis, programmed cell death, and reactive oxygen species signaling. The highly aligned regions of characterized and uncharacterized CWM proteins revealed common structural domains amongst them. Membrane spanning regions present in the protein structures revealed transmembrane activity of CWM proteins in the plant cell wall. Cell wall modification proteins had interacted with ethylene-responsive pathway regulating genes (E3 ubiquitin ligases RNG finger and F-box) in a maize protein-protein interaction network. Cell wall modification genes had also coexpressed with energy metabolism, programmed cell death, and reactive oxygen species signaling, regulating genes in a single coexpression cluster. These configurations of CWM genes can be used to modify the protein expression in maize under waterlogging stress condition. Our study established the importance of CWM genes in waterlogging tolerance, and these genes can be used as candidates in introgression breeding and genome editing experiments to impart tolerance in maize hybrids.
Screening miRNA and their target genes related to tetralogy of Fallot with microarray

Abstract Our aim is to screen miRNAs and genes related to tetralogy of Fallot and construct a co-expression network based on integrating miRNA and gene microarrays. We downloaded the gene expression profile GSE35490 (miRNA) and GSE35776 (mRNA) of tetralogy of Fallot from the Gene Expression Omnibus database, which includes eight normal and 15 disease samples from infants, and screened differentially expressed miRNAs and genes between normal and disease samples (cut-off: p < 0.05; FDR < 0.05; and log FC > 2 or log FC < −2); in addition, we downloaded human miRNA and their targets, which were collected in the miRNA targets prediction database TargetScan, and selected ones that also appeared in our differentially expressed miRNAs and their predicted targets (score >0.9) and then made a relationship of diff_miRNAs and diff_genes of our results. Finally, we uploaded all the diff_target genes into String, constructed a co-expression network regulated by diff_miRNAs, and performed functional analysis with the software DAVID. Comparing normal and disease lesion tissue, we got 32 and 875 differentially expressed miRNAs and genes, respectively, and found hsa-miR-124 with 34 diff_target genes and hsa-miR-138 with two diff_target genes. Then we constructed a co-expression network that contains 231 pairs of genes. Genes in the network were enriched into 14 function clusters, and the most significant one is protein localisation. We screened the tetralogy of Fallot-related hsa-miR-124 and hsa-miR-138 with their direct and indirect differentially expressed target genes, and found that protein localisation is the significant cause affecting tetralogy of Fallot. Our approach may provide the groundwork for a new therapy approach to treating tetralogy of Fallot.