Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
MakeupBag: Disentangling Makeup Extraction and Application

This paper introduces MakeupBag, a novel method for automatic makeup style transfer. Our proposed technique can transfer a new makeup style from a reference face image to another previously unseen facial photograph. We solve makeup disentanglement and facial makeup application as separable objectives, in contrast to other current deep methods that entangle the two tasks. MakeupBag presents a significant advantage for our approach as it allows customization and pixel specific modification of the extracted makeup style, which is not possible using current methods. Extensive experiments, both qualitative and numerical, are conducted demonstrating the high quality and accuracy of the images produced by our method. Furthermore, in contrast to most other current methods, MakeupBag tackles both classical and extreme and costume makeup transfer. In a comparative analysis, MakeupBag is shown to outperform current state-of-the-art approaches.
Fully Quantum Scalable Description of Driven-Dissipative Lattice Models

Methods for modeling large driven dissipative quantum systems are becoming increasingly urgent due to recent experimental progress in a number of photonic platforms. We demonstrate the positive-P method to be ideal for this purpose across a wide range of parameters, focusing on the archetypal driven dissipative Bose-Hubbard model. Notably, these parameters include intermediate regimes where interactions and dissipation are comparable, and especially cases with low occupations for which common semiclassical approximations can break down. The presence of dissipation can alleviate instabilities in the method that are known to occur for closed systems, allowing the simulation of dynamics up to and including the steady state. Throughout the parameter space of the model, we determine the magnitude of dissipation that is sufficient to make the method useful and stable, finding its region of applicability to be complementary to that of truncated Wigner. We then demonstrate its use in a number of examples with nontrivial quantum correlations, including a demonstration of solving the urgent open problem of large and highly non-uniform systems with even tens of thousands of sites.
The Effect of Traditional and Stabilization-Oriented Exercises on Deep Stabilization System Function in Elite Futsal Players

Background: This study aimed to compare the effect of traditional and stability-oriented strength exercises on trunk stability and deep stabilization system (DSS) activation in elite futsal players. Methods: Twenty elite futsal players (21–34 years, 180 ± 13 cm, 79 ± 15 kg) were randomly divided into a group that performed stability-oriented exercises and a group that performed traditional strength exercises. Both interventions lasted for 10 weeks and included 25 strength training sessions. Main outcome measures: The DSS pretest and posttest included the diaphragm test, trunk flexion test, back extension test, hip flexion test, intraabdominal pressure test, and a side plank test on a 1–5 point scale. Results: Both groups had similar initial test results, where the stability-oriented exercise group had significantly improved intraabdominal pressure test (p = 0.004, by lower quartile rate), trunk flexion (p = 0.036, by 0.5 grade in median), and side plank (p = 0.002, by 1 grade in median) in posttest results. Traditional exercise did not change the results of any of the included DSS function tests. Conclusions: Stabilization-oriented exercises effectively activate the functions of the DSS and should be prioritized over traditional strength exercises in injury prevention training programs. The use of stabilization-oriented exercises might prevent injury and overloading in elite futsal players.
Impact of Genetic Variations and Epigenetic Mechanisms on the Risk of Obesity

Rare genetic obesity disorders are characterized by mutations of genes strongly involved in the central or peripheral regulation of energy balance. These mutations are effective in causing the early onset of severe obesity and insatiable hunger (hyperphagia), suggesting that the genetic component can contribute to 40–70% of obesity. However, genes’ roles in the processes leading to obesity are still unclear. This review is aimed to summarize the current knowledge of the genetic causes of obesity, especially monogenic obesity, describing the role of epigenetic mechanisms in obesity and metabolic diseases. A comprehensive understanding of the underlying genetic and epigenetic mechanisms, with the metabolic processes they control, will permit adequate management and prevention of obesity.
Cardioprotective Effect of Tangeretin by Inhibiting PTEN/AKT/mTOR Axis in Experimental Sepsis-Induced Myocardial Dysfunction

Sepsis aggregates undesirable immune response causing depression of ventricular myocardium and diastolic dysfunction. This present study examined the effect of a plant-derived flavone tangeretin (TG) on autophagy and reduction in myocardial dysfunction. The sepsis was induced by cecum ligation and puncture (CLP) in male Sprague–Dawley rats. Abnormal changes were seen in the heart after the sepsis induction. These abnormalities were analyzed based on the cardiac markers, namely Cardiac myosin light chain-1 (cMLC1) and Cardiac troponin I (cTnl), echocardiography, and plasma parameters, like Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and Creatinine kinase (CK). Microanatomy of the heart was studied using hematoxylin and eosin stained histopathological samples of cardiac tissue. Western blot technique was used to detect the nature and extent of protein with the amount of a specific RNA (gene expression) in the cardiac homogenate. Oxidative damage was analyzed using redox marker, reduced glutathione. This study successfully showed that TG attenuated sepsis-induced myocardial dysfunction by inhibiting myocardial autophagy via silencing the Phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) expression and acting on the AKT/mTOR pathway. The present findings supported that TG is a novel cardioprotective therapeutic target for sepsis induced myocardial dysfunction.
The Lipid Transfer Protein 1 from Nicotiana benthamiana Assists Bamboo mosaic virus Accumulation

Host factors play a pivotal role in regulating virus infection. Uncovering the mechanism of how host factors are involved in virus infection could pave the way to defeat viral disease. In this study, we characterized a lipid transfer protein, designated NbLTP1 in Nicotiana benthamiana, which was downregulated after Bamboo mosaic virus (BaMV) inoculation. BaMV accumulation significantly decreased in NbLTP1-knockdown leaves and protoplasts compared with the controls. The subcellular localization of the NbLTP1-orange fluorescent protein (OFP) was mainly the extracellular matrix. However, when we removed the signal peptide (NbLTP1/ΔSP-OFP), most of the expressed protein targeted chloroplasts. Both NbLTP1-OFP and NbLTP1/ΔSP-OFP were localized in chloroplasts when we removed the cell wall. These results suggest that NbLTP1 may have a secondary targeting signal. Transient overexpression of NbLTP1 had no effect on BaMV accumulation, but that of NbLTP1/ΔSP significantly increased BaMV expression. NbLTP1 may be a positive regulator of BaMV accumulation especially when its expression is associated with chloroplasts, where BaMV replicates. The mutation was introduced to the predicted phosphorylation site to simulate the phosphorylated status, NbLTP/ΔSP/P(+), which could still assist BaMV accumulation. By contrast, a mutant lacking calmodulin-binding or simulates the phosphorylation-negative status could not support BaMV accumulation. The lipid-binding activity of LTP1 was reported to be associated with calmodulin-binding and phosphorylation, by which the C-terminus functional domain of NbLTP1 may play a critical role in BaMV accumulation.
ESCRT recruitment by the S. cerevisiae inner nuclear membrane protein Heh1 is regulated by Hub1-mediated alternative splicing

ABSTRACT Misassembled nuclear pore complexes (NPCs) are removed by sealing off the surrounding nuclear envelope (NE), which is conducted by the endosomal sorting complexes required for transport (ESCRT) machinery. Recruitment of ESCRT proteins to the NE is mediated by the interaction between the ESCRT member Chm7 and the inner nuclear membrane protein Heh1, which belongs to the conserved LEM family. Increased ESCRT recruitment results in excessive membrane scission at damage sites but its regulation remains poorly understood. Here, we show that Hub1-mediated alternative splicing of HEH1 pre-mRNA, resulting in production of its shorter form Heh1-S, is critical for the integrity of the NE in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. ESCRT-III mutants lacking Hub1 or Heh1-S display severe growth defects and accumulate improperly assembled NPCs. This depends on the interaction of Chm7 with the conserved MSC domain, which is only present in the longer variant Heh1-L. Heh1 variants assemble into heterodimers, and we demonstrate that a unique splice segment in Heh1-S suppresses growth defects associated with the uncontrolled interaction between Heh1-L and Chm7. Together, our findings reveal that Hub1-mediated splicing generates Heh1-S to regulate ESCRT recruitment to the NE. This article has an associated First Person interview with the first author of the paper. Highlighted Article: Heh1-S, the inner nuclear membrane protein resulting from Hub1-mediated splicing of HEH1 pre-mRNA, contributes to nuclear envelope maintenance by preventing excessive recruitment of the ESCRT adaptor Chm7.
Bidding Through the Lens of Attribution: Pick the Right Labels!

Attribution-the mechanism that assigns conversion credits to individual marketing interactions-is one of the foremost digital marketing research topic. Indeed, attribution is used everywhere in online marketing whether for budget decisions or for the design of algorithmic bidders that the advertiser relies on to buy inventory. Still, an attribution definition over which everyone in the marketing community agrees upon is yet to be found. In this paper, we focus on the problem faced by a bidder who is subject to an attribution black box decided by the advertiser and needs to convert it into a bid. This naturally introduces a second level of attribution, performed internally by the bidder. We first formalize an often implicitly used solution concept for this task. Second, we characterize the solution of this problem which we call the core internal attribution. Moreover, we show it can be computed using a fixed-point method. Interestingly, the core attribution is based on a notion of marginality that differs from previously used definitions such as the counterfactual marginality.
Compressive Privatization: Sparse Distribution Estimation under Locally Differentially Privacy

We consider the problem of discrete distribution estimation under locally differential privacy. Distribution estimation is one of the most fundamental estimation problems, which is widely studied in both non-private and private settings. In the local model, private mechanisms with provably optimal sample complexity are known. However, they are optimal only in the worst-case sense; their sample complexity is proportional to the size of the entire universe, which could be huge in practice (e.g., all IP addresses). We show that as long as the target distribution is sparse or approximately sparse (e.g., highly skewed), the number of samples needed could be significantly reduced. The sample complexity of our new mechanism is characterized by the sparsity of the target distribution and only weakly depends on the size the universe. Our mechanism does privatization and dimensionality reduction simultaneously, and the sample complexity will only depend on the reduced dimensionality. The original distribution is then recovered using tools from compressive sensing. To complement our theoretical results, we conduct experimental studies, the results of which clearly demonstrate the advantages of our method and confirm our theoretical findings.
Cooking as a Health Behavior: Examining the Role of Cooking Classes in a Weight Loss Intervention

Americans are cooking fewer meals at home and eating more convenience foods prepared elsewhere. Cooking at home is associated with higher quality diets, while a reduction in cooking may be associated with increases in obesity and risk factors for chronic disease. The aims of this study were to examine cooking as an intervention for weight control in overweight and obese adults, and whether such an intervention increases participants’ food agency and diet quality. Overweight and obese adults were randomized into one of two intervention conditions: active or demonstration. Both conditions received the same 24-week behavioral weight loss intervention, and bi-weekly cooking classes. The active condition prepared a weekly meal during a hands-on lesson, while the demonstration condition observed a chef prepare the same meal. The active condition lost significantly more weight at six months compared with the demonstration condition (7.3% vs. 4.5%). Both conditions saw significant improvements in food agency scores and Healthy Eating Index scores, though no significant differences were noted between groups. The addition of active cooking to a weight management intervention may improve weight loss outcomes, though benefits in diet quality and cooking behaviors may also be seen with the addition of a demonstration-only cooking intervention.
Trajectory of Unawareness of Memory Decline in Individuals With Autosomal Dominant Alzheimer Disease

Key Points Question How does lack of awareness (anosognosia) of memory impairment evolve in the Alzheimer disease (AD) trajectory? Findings In this cohort study of 2379 members of the Alzheimer’s Prevention Initiative Registry with a presenilin (PSEN1 E280A) variant for autosomal dominant AD, awareness of memory function was increased in carriers and noncarriers approximately 14 years before their estimated median age of dementia onset (49 years). In variant carriers only, awareness of memory function was reduced in the predementia stages, reaching anosognosia 6 years before dementia onset. Meaning The findings suggest that alteration of awareness of memory function in predementia stages may inform practitioners about AD progression.
Changes in Glucose Metabolism after Adrenalectomy or Treatment with a Mineralocorticoid Receptor Antagonist for Primary Aldosteronism.

Background Data on the effects of excess aldosterone on glucose metabolism are inconsistent. This study compared the changes in glucose metabolism in patients with primary aldosteronism (PA) after adrenalectomy or treatment with a mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist (MRA). Methods Overall, 241 patients were enrolled; 153 underwent adrenalectomy and 88 received an MRA. Fasting glucose, homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), and homeostatic model assessment of β-cell function (HOMA-β) were compared between the treatment groups after 1 year. Plasma aldosterone concentration (PAC) and factors determining HOMA-IR and PAC were evaluated. Results No baseline differences were observed between the groups. Fasting insulin, HOMA-IR, and HOMA-β increased in both groups and there were no significant differences in fasting glucose following treatment. Multiple regression analysis showed associations between PAC and HOMA-IR (β=0.172, P=0.017) after treatment. Treatment with spironolactone was the only risk factor associated with PAC >30 ng/dL (odds ratio, 5.2; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.7 to 10; P<0.001) and conferred a 2.48-fold risk of insulin resistance after 1 year compared with surgery (95% CI, 1.3 to 4.8; P=0.007). Conclusion Spironolactone treatment might increase insulin resistance in patients with PA. This strengthened the current recommendation that adrenalectomy is the preferred strategy for patient with positive lateralization test. Achieving a post-treatment PAC of <30 ng/dL for improved insulin sensitivity may be appropriate.
Anti-Endotoxin 9-Meric Peptide with Therapeutic Potential for the Treatment of Endotoxemia

Inflammatory reactions activated by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) of gram-negative bacteria can lead to severe septic shock. With the recent emergence of multidrug-resistant gram-negative bacteria and a lack of efficient ways to treat resulting infections, there is a need to develop novel anti-endotoxin agents. Antimicrobial peptides have been noticed as potential therapeutic molecules for bacterial infection and as candidates for new antibiotic drugs. We previously designed the 9-meric antimicrobial peptide Pro9-3 and it showed high antimicrobial activity against gram-negative bacteria. Here, to further examine its potency as an anti-endotoxin agent, we examined the antiendotoxin activities of Pro9-3 and elucidated its mechanism of action. We performed a dye-leakage experiment and BODIPY-TR cadaverine and limulus amebocyte lysate assays for Pro9-3 as well as its lysine-substituted analogue and their enantiomers. The results confirmed that Pro9-3 targets the bacterial membrane and the arginine residues play key roles in its antimicrobial activity. Pro9-3 showed excellent LPS-neutralizing activity and LPS-binding properties, which were superior to those of other peptides. Saturation transfer difference-nuclear magnetic resonance experiments to explore the interaction between LPS and Pro9-3 revealed that Trp3 and Tlr7 in Pro9-3 are critical for attracting Pro9-3 to the LPS in the gram-negative bacterial membrane. Moreover, the anti-septic effect of Pro9-3 in vivo was investigated using an LPS-induced endotoxemia mouse model, demonstrating its dual activities: antibacterial activity against gram-negative bacteria and immunosuppressive effect preventing LPS-induced endotoxemia. Collectively, these results confirmed the therapeutic potential of Pro9-3 against infection of gram-negative bacteria.
Dietary glycemic index, glycemic load, and chronic disease: an umbrella review of meta-analyses of prospective cohort studies

Abstract We aimed to present a comprehensive review of the association of dietary glycemic index (GI) and load (GL) with the risk of chronic disease. Published meta-analyses of prospective observational studies evaluating the association of dietary GI and GL with risk of chronic disease were identified by a search in PubMed and Scopus to November, 2020. Summary relative risks (SRRs) were recalculated using random-effects models. The certainty of evidence was rated by the GRADE approach. Eighteen meta-analyses of prospective cohort studies, reporting 19 SRRs for dietary GI and 17 SRRs for dietary GL were identified. There was a positive association between dietary GI and the risk of type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease, and colorectal, breast, and bladder cancers, as well as between dietary GL and the risk of coronary heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and stroke. With regard to cancers at other sites, there was no significant association. The certainty of evidence ranged from very low to low. Although by GRADE classification no associations were rated stronger than low, they were classified as one grade higher when the NutriGrade system was used. Further research is needed to add evidence for the relation of dietary GI and GL with cancer risk.
The Effect of Virulence and Resistance Mechanisms on the Interactions between Parasitic Plants and Their Hosts

Parasitic plants have a unique heterotrophic lifestyle based on the extraction of water and nutrients from host plants. Some parasitic plant species, particularly those of the family Orobanchaceae, attack crops and cause substantial yield losses. The breeding of resistant crop varieties is an inexpensive way to control parasitic weeds, but often does not provide a long-lasting solution because the parasites rapidly evolve to overcome resistance. Understanding mechanisms underlying naturally occurring parasitic plant resistance is of great interest and could help to develop methods to control parasitic plants. In this review, we describe the virulence mechanisms of parasitic plants and resistance mechanisms in their hosts, focusing on obligate root parasites of the genera Orobanche and Striga. We noticed that the resistance (R) genes in the host genome often encode proteins with nucleotide-binding and leucine-rich repeat domains (NLR proteins), hence we proposed a mechanism by which host plants use NLR proteins to activate downstream resistance gene expression. We speculated how parasitic plants and their hosts co-evolved and discussed what drives the evolution of virulence effectors in parasitic plants by considering concepts from similar studies of plant–microbe interaction. Most previous studies have focused on the host rather than the parasite, so we also provided an updated summary of genomic resources for parasitic plants and parasitic genes for further research to test our hypotheses. Finally, we discussed new approaches such as CRISPR/Cas9-mediated genome editing and RNAi silencing that can provide deeper insight into the intriguing life cycle of parasitic plants and could potentially contribute to the development of novel strategies for controlling parasitic weeds, thereby enhancing crop productivity and food security globally.
Eukaryotic Elongation Factor 3 Protects Saccharomyces cerevisiae Yeast from Oxidative Stress

Translation is a core process of cellular protein homeostasis and, thus, needs to be tightly regulated. The production of newly synthesized proteins adapts to the current needs of the cell, including the response to conditions of oxidative stress. Overall protein synthesis decreases upon oxidative stress. However, the selective production of proteins is initiated to help neutralize stress conditions. In contrast to higher eukaryotes, fungi require three translation elongation factors, eEF1, eEF2, and eEF3, for protein synthesis. eEF1 and eEF2 are evolutionarily conserved, but they alone are insufficient for the translation elongation process. eEF3 is encoded by two paralogous genes, YEF3 and HEF3. However, only YEF3 is essential in yeast, whereas the function of HEF3 remains unknown. To elucidate the cellular function of Hef3p, we used cells that were depleted of HEF3 and treated with H2O2 and analyzed the growth of yeast, global protein production, and protein levels. We found that HEF3 is necessary to withstand oxidative stress conditions, suggesting that Hef3p is involved in the selective production of proteins that are necessary for defense against reactive oxygen species.
Keeping an Eye on Effort: A Pupillometric Investigation of Effort and Effortlessness in Visual Word Recognition

Rapid and seemingly effortless word recognition is a virtually unquestioned characteristic of skilled reading, yet the definition and operationalization of the concept of cognitive effort have proven elusive. We investigated the cognitive effort involved in oral and silent word reading using pupillometry among adults (Experiment 1, N = 30; Experiment 2, N = 20) and fourth through sixth graders (Experiment 3, N = 30; Experiment 4, N = 18). We compared multiple pupillary measures (mean, peak, and peak latency) for reading familiar words (real words) and unfamiliar letter strings (pseudowords) varying in length. Converging with the behavioral data for accuracy and response times, pupillary responses demonstrated a greater degree of cognitive effort for pseudowords compared with real words and stronger length effects for pseudowords than for real words. These findings open up new possibilities for studying the issue of effort and effortlessness in the field of word recognition and other fields of skill learning.