Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
On Outage Probability and Ergodic Rate of Downlink Multi-User Relay Systems with Combination of NOMA, SWIPT, and Beamforming

A downlink of multi-user non-orthogonal multiple access (NOMA) relay systems is considered. To improve system performance, relay nodes are used to forward signals from the base station (BS) to the end users, and they are wirelessly powered by energy harvesting from the radio frequency transmitted from the BS. Moreover, beamforming is applied at the BS based on multiple antennas and relay nodes consist of one transmit antenna but several receive ones. The system performance is demonstrated through closed-form expressions of outage probability (OP) and ergodic rate (ER) over Rayleigh fading channels. The proposed system is investigated in two cases of perfect and imperfect successive interference cancellation (SIC), and the imperfect channel state information condition is also taken into consideration. The OP and ER are calculated in many scenarios and the optimal time fraction of energy harvesting corresponding to the minimum OP is discussed. The exact and approximate theoretical results are compared with the simulation result to confirm the proposed theoretical analysis method.
Factors determining host recognition in the clover-rhizobium symbiosis

Rhizobia are microbes that exploit host plants as a nutritional source but cause little or no host damage. They may provide, through biological nitrogen fixation, a valuable source of nitrogen for plant growth. Different rhizobia nodulate a limited range of plants. In this review we will show that host range specificity is determined by the success or otherwise of communication events between the interacting partners. To infect different plant species, a distinct cocktail of phenolic compounds (flavonoids) is recognised. Flavonoids of the correct structure induce the expression of several bacterial nodulation (nod) and other genes required for plant infection. Flavonoids of the incorrect, but related, structure can antagonise nod gene induction. Some nod genes are responsible for the synthesis of a small family of lipo-oligosaccharides necessary for the triggering of a defined but complex series of morphological responses in the host plant including root hair curling and cortical cell division. Lipo-oligosaccharides are active at concentrations of between 10-8 and 10-12 M. The appropriate lipo-oligosaccharide required for infection of one plant host can have antagonistic effects on other non-host plants and this effect appears to be determined by minor chemical changes to the basic lipo-oligosaccharide structure. Apart from host specificity operating at the genus level, other interdependent nod gene functions determine host specificity at the cultivar level. A complex interplay between positively and negatively acting nod genes and a single host gene affects cultivar specificity in a manner analogous to, but more complex than, the gene-for-gene interactions common amongst plant-pathogen interactions.
Factors Influencing Medication Non-Adherence among Chinese Older Adults with Diabetes Mellitus

Objectives: This study aimed to examine the prevalence of medication non-adherence among older adults with diabetes mellitus (DM) in Shandong province, China and to identify its influencing factors. Methods: A sample of 1002 older adults aged 60 or above with DM was analyzed. Medication adherence was measured using the Morisky–Green–Levine (MGL) Medication Adherence Scale. Descriptive statistical analysis, chi-square test, univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were employed. Results: The prevalence of self-reported medication non-adherence among older adults with DM was 19.9%. Female respondents (adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 1.56, 95% CI: 1.09–2.24) and respondents who perceived medication adherence to be unimportant (AOR = 1.69, 95% CI: 1.05–2.74) were more likely to experience medication non-adherence. Respondents with 5 years of disease duration or longer were less likely (AOR = 0.63, 95% CI: 0.46–0.87) to experience medication non-adherence. Conclusions: This study showed that about one out of five older adults with DM in Shandong province, China, experienced medication non-adherence, and that gender, disease duration and perceived importance of medication adherence were associated with medication non-adherence in this population group. Provision of counseling and health education programs could be the future priority to raise patients’ awareness of the importance of medication adherence and improve patients’ self-management of DM.
The Structural Basis of IRF-3 Activation upon Phosphorylation

Key Points The crystal structures of phosphorylated IRF-3/CBP complexes have been determined. Both Ser386 and Ser396 are involved in IRF-3 activation, but Ser386 is more crucial. The mechanism of mouse IRF-3 activation is similar to but distinct from human IRF-3. The innate immune system is the first line of defense against bacterial and viral infections. The recognition of pathogen-associated molecular patterns by the RIG-I–like receptors, TLRs, and cGAS leads to the induction of IFN-I by activating the transcription factor IRF-3. Although the mechanism of IRF-3 activation has been extensively studied, the structural basis of IRF-3 activation upon phosphorylation is not fully understood. In this study, we determined the crystal structures of phosphorylated human and mouse IRF-3 bound to CREB-binding protein (CBP), which reveal that phosphorylated IRF-3 forms a dimer via pSer386 (pSer379 in mouse IRF-3) and a downstream pLxIS motif. Size-exclusion chromatography and cell-based studies show that mutations of key residues interacting with pSer386 severely impair IRF-3 activation and IFN-β induction. By contrast, phosphorylation of Ser396 within the pLxIS motif of human IRF-3 only plays a moderate role in IRF-3 activation. The mouse IRF-3/CBP complex structure reveals that the mechanism of mouse IRF-3 activation is similar but distinct from human IRF-3. These structural and functional studies reveal the detailed mechanism of IRF-3 activation upon phosphorylation.
Merged Tacrine-Based, Multitarget-Directed Acetylcholinesterase Inhibitors 2015–Present: Synthesis and Biological Activity

Acetylcholinesterase is an important biochemical enzyme in that it controls acetylcholine-mediated neuronal transmission in the central nervous system, contains a unique structure with two binding sites connected by a gorge region, and it has historically been the main pharmacological target for treatment of Alzheimer’s disease. Given the large projected increase in Alzheimer’s disease cases in the coming decades and its complex, multifactorial nature, new drugs that target multiple aspects of the disease at once are needed. Tacrine, the first acetylcholinesterase inhibitor used clinically but withdrawn due to hepatotoxicity concerns, remains an important starting point in research for the development of multitarget-directed acetylcholinesterase inhibitors. This review highlights tacrine-based, multitarget-directed acetylcholinesterase inhibitors published in the literature since 2015 with a specific focus on merged compounds (i.e., compounds where tacrine and a second pharmacophore show significant overlap in structure). The synthesis of these compounds from readily available starting materials is discussed, along with acetylcholinesterase inhibition data, relative to tacrine, and structure activity relationships. Where applicable, molecular modeling, to elucidate key enzyme-inhibitor interactions, and secondary biological activity is highlighted. Of the numerous compounds identified, there is a subset with promising preliminary screening results, which should inspire further development and future research in this field.
Metastasis Model of Cancer Stem Cell-Derived Tumors

Metastasis includes the dissemination of cancer cells from a malignant tumor and seed in distant sites inside the body forming secondary tumors. Metastatic cells from the primary tumor can move even before the cancer is detected. Therefore, metastases are responsible for more than 90% of cancer-related deaths. Over recent decades there has been adequate evidence suggesting the existence of CSCs with self-renewing and drug-resistant potency within heterogeneous tumors. Cancer stem cells (CSCs) act as a tumor initiating cells and have roles in tumor retrieve and metastasis. Our group recently developed a unique CSC model from mouse induced pluripotent stem cells cultured in the presence of cancer cell-conditioned medium that mimics tumors microenvironment. Using this model, we demonstrated a new method for studying metastasis by intraperitoneal transplantation of tumors and investigate the metastasis ability of cells from these segments. First of all, CSCs were injected subcutaneously in nude mice. The developed malignant tumors were minimized then transplanted into the peritoneal cavity. Following this, the developed tumor in addition to lung, pancreas and liver were then excised and analyzed. Our method showed the metastatic potential of CSCs with the ability of disseminated and moving to blood circulation and seeding in distant organs such as lung and pancreas. This method could provide a good model to study the mechanisms of metastasis according to CSC theory.
The Heat Resistance of Intertidal Snails at Bimini, Bahamas; Ocean Springs, Mississippi; and Woods Hole, Massachusetts

IT is widely believed that intertidal snails tolerate higher temperatures than snails which are permanently submerged, and that the degree of heat resistance within a particular area is correlated with the position in the tidal zone (see, e.g., Gunter, 1957; Dzhamuzova, 1962; Newell, 1963; Ushakov, 1964). Much of the evidence underlying this hypothesis is, however, based on experimentation open to serious criticism. Most of the earlier work (e.g., Vernon, 1899; Mayer, 1914) is useless because of failure to consider the time factor in heat treatment. The more relevant data concern snails in temperate zones, and little is known about those in warmer climates. Unfortunately, most previous work was based on the determination of the temperature at which snails ceased to react when heated at the rate of 1 C/5 min. While this procedure yields data of comparative value (Gunter, 1957), it tells nothing about resistance to particular temperatures in relation to time of exposure. The extensive recent Russian literature on heat resistance (see the reviews by Alexandrov, 1964; Ushakov, 1964; and the collection of articles edited by Vorob'ev, 1961) takes for granted the adaptation of the intact organism to the climate of its surrounding and deals with the heat resistance of isolated organs or enzymes. It shows conclusively, and on a great variety of biological material, a close correlation between the climatic conditions to which an organism is ordinarily exposed and resistance to high temperatures. This work included extensive data on intertidal snails in different regions of the U.S.S.R. (Dzhamuzova, 1962), which show that the resistance of isolated muscles clearly depends on geographical location and position in the tidal zone. However, the absence of information on the resistance of the intact snails makes it difficult to evaluate the ecological significance of these findings. 1 The work reported here was supported by grant ONR 1834 from the United States Office of Naval Research and grant USNSF GB-1005 from the National Science Foundation. The author is much indebted to Dr. R. F. Mattheson of the Lerner Marine Laboratory, Bimini, and Dr. G. Gunter of the Gulf Coast Research Laboratory, Ocean Springs, Mississippi, for placing the resources of their laboratories at his disposal.
Front Vehicle Detection Algorithm for Smart Car Based on Improved SSD Model

Vehicle detection is an indispensable part of environmental perception technology for smart cars. Aiming at the issues that conventional vehicle detection can be easily restricted by environmental conditions and cannot have accuracy and real-time performance, this article proposes a front vehicle detection algorithm for smart car based on improved SSD model. Single shot multibox detector (SSD) is one of the current mainstream object detection frameworks based on deep learning. This work first briefly introduces the SSD network model and analyzes and summarizes its problems and shortcomings in vehicle detection. Then, targeted improvements are performed to the SSD network model, including major advancements to the basic structure of the SSD model, the use of weighted mask in network training, and enhancement to the loss function. Finally, vehicle detection experiments are carried out on the basis of the KITTI vision benchmark suite and self-made vehicle dataset to observe the algorithm performance in different complicated environments and weather conditions. The test results based on the KITTI dataset show that the mAP value reaches 92.18%, and the average processing time per frame is 15 ms. Compared with the existing deep learning-based detection methods, the proposed algorithm can obtain accuracy and real-time performance simultaneously. Meanwhile, the algorithm has excellent robustness and environmental adaptability for complicated traffic environments and anti-jamming capabilities for bad weather conditions. These factors are of great significance to ensure the accurate and efficient operation of smart cars in real traffic scenarios and are beneficial to vastly reduce the incidence of traffic accidents and fully protect people’s lives and property.
Unraveling the Global Phylodynamic and Phylogeographic Expansion of Mycoplasma gallisepticum: Understanding the Origin and Expansion of This Pathogen in Ecuador

Mycoplasma gallisepticum (MG) is among the most significant problems in the poultry industry worldwide, representing a serious threat to international trade. Despite the fact that the mgc2 gene has been widely used for diagnostic and molecular characterization purposes, there is a lack of evidence supporting the reliability of this gene as a marker for molecular epidemiology approaches. Therefore, the current study aimed to assess the accuracy of the mgc2 gene for phylogenetic, phylodynamic, and phylogeographic evaluations. Furthermore, the global phylodynamic expansion of MG is described, and the origin and extension of the outbreak caused by MG in Ecuador were tracked and characterized. The results obtained strongly supported the use of the mgc2 gene as a reliable phylogenetic marker and accurate estimator for the temporal and phylogeographic structure reconstruction of MG. The phylodynamic analysis denoted the failures in the current policies to control MG and highlighted the imperative need to implement more sensitive methodologies of diagnosis and more efficient vaccines. Framed in Ecuador, the present study provides the first piece of evidence of the circulation of virulent field MG strains in Ecuadorian commercial poultry. The findings derived from the current study provide novel and significant insights into the origin, diversification, and evolutionary process of MG globally.
Molecular Epidemiology Reveals Low Genetic Diversity among Cryptococcus neoformans Isolates from People Living with HIV in Lima, Peru, during the Pre-HAART Era

Cryptococcosis, a mycosis presenting mostly as meningoencephalitis, affecting predominantly human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected people, is mainly caused by Cryptococcus neoformans. The genetic variation of 48 C. neoformans isolates, recovered from 20 HIV-positive people in Lima, Peru, during the pre-highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) era, was studied retrospectively. The mating type of the isolates was determined by PCR, and the serotype by agglutination and CAP59-restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP). Genetic diversity was assessed by URA5-RFLP, PCR-fingerprinting, amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP), and multilocus sequence typing (MLST). All isolates were mating type alpha, with 39 molecular type VNI, seven VNII, corresponding to C. neoformans var. grubii serotype A, and two VNIII AD hybrids. Overall, the cryptococcal population from HIV-positive people in Lima shows a low degree of genetic diversity. In most patients with persistent cryptococcal infection, the same genotype was recovered during the follow-up. In four patients with relapse and one with therapy failure, different genotypes were found in isolates from the re-infection and from the isolate recovered at the end of the treatment. In one patient, two genotypes were found in the first cryptococcosis episode. This study contributes data from Peru to the ongoing worldwide population genetic analysis of Cryptococcus.
Effects of sex on placebo effects in chronic pain participants: a cross-sectional study.

Sex-related differences can influence outcomes of randomized clinical trials and may jeopardize the effectiveness of pain management and other therapeutics. Thus, it is essential to understand the mechanistic and translational aspects of sex differences in placebo outcomes. Recently, studies in healthy participants have shed light on how sex-related placebo effects might influence outcomes, yet no research has been conducted in a patient population. Herein, we used a tripartite approach to evaluate the interaction of prior therapeutic experience (e.g. conditioning), expectations, and placebo effects in 280 chronic (orofacial) pain patients (215 women). In this cross-sectional study, we assessed sex differences in placebo effects, conditioning as a proxy of prior therapeutic effects, and expectations evaluated before and after the exposure to positive outcomes, taking into account participant-experiment sex concordance and hormonal levels (estradiol and progesterone assessed in premenopausal women). We used mediation analysis to determine how conditioning strength and expectations impacted sex differences in placebo outcomes. Independent of gonadal hormone levels, women showed stronger placebo effects than men. We also found significant statistical sex differences in the conditioning strength and reinforced expectations whereby reinforced expectations mediated the sex-related placebo effects. Additionally, the participant-experimenter sex concordance influenced conditioning strength, reinforced expectations, and placebo effects in women but not in men. Our findings suggest that women experience larger conditioning effects, expectations and placebo response emphasizing the need to consider sex as a biological variable when placebo outcomes are parts of drug development trials and in pain management.
A Novel R2R3-MYB Transcription Factor PqMYB4 Inhibited Anthocyanin Biosynthesis in Paeonia qiui

Paeonia qiui is a wild tree peony native to China. Its leaves show a clear purple-red color from the germination to the flowering stage, and it has high leaf-viewing value. A MYB transcription factor gene, designated as PqMYB4, was isolated from leaves of P. qiui based on transcriptome datas. The full-length cDNA of PqMYB4 was 693 bp, encoding 230 amino acids. Sequence alignment and phylogenetic analysis revealed that PqMYB4 was a R2R3-MYB transcription factor clustered with AtMYB4 in Arabidopsis thaliana. Moreover, it contained a C1 motif, an EAR repression motif and a TLLLFR motif in the C-terminal domains, which were unique in transcription repression MYB. Subcellular location analysis showed that PqMYB4 was located in the cell nucleus. PqMYB4 was highly expressed in the late stage of leaf development, and was negatively correlated with the anthocyanin content. The petiole of wild-type Arabidopsis seedlings was deeper in color than the transgenic lines of PqMYB4 and showed a little purple-red color. The seed coat color of Arabidopsis seeds that overexpressed PqMYB4 gene was significantly lighter than that of wild-type seeds. In transgenic Arabidopsis, the expression level of AtCHS, AtCHI, AtDFR and AtANS were down-regulated significantly. These results showed that PqMYB4 was involved in the negative regulation of anthocyanin biosynthesis in tree peony leaves, which can control the anthocyanin pathway genes. Together, these findings provide a valuable resource with which to further study the regulatory mechanism of anthocyanin biosynthesis in the leaf of P. qiui. They also benefit the molecular breeding of tree peony cultivars with colored leaf.
Astrocyte responses to experimental glaucoma in mouse optic nerve head

Purpose To delineate responses of optic nerve head astrocytes to sustained intraocular pressure (IOP) elevation in mice. Methods We elevated IOP for 1 day to 6 weeks by intracameral microbead injection in 4 strains of mice. Astrocyte alterations were studied by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) including immunogold molecular localization, and by laser scanning microscopy (LSM) with immunofluorescence for integrin β1, α-dystroglycan, and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP). Astrocyte proliferation and apoptosis were quantified by Ki67 and TUNEL labeling, respectively. Results Astrocytes in normal optic nerve head expressed integrin β1 and α-dystroglycan by LSM and TEM immunogold labeling at electron dense junctional complexes that were found only on cell membrane zones bordering their basement membranes (BM) at the peripapillary sclera (PPS) and optic nerve head capillaries. At 1–3 days after IOP elevation, abnormal extracellular spaces appeared between astrocytes near PPS, and axonal vesical and mitochondrial accumulation indicated axonal transport blockade. By 1 week, abnormal spaces increased, new collagen formation occurred, and astrocytes separated from their BM, leaving cell membrane fragments. Electron dense junctional complexes separated or were absent at the BM. Astrocyte proliferation was modest during the first week, while only occasional apoptotic astrocytes were observed by TEM and TUNEL. Conclusions Astrocytes normally exhibit junctions with their BM which are disrupted by extended IOP elevation. Responses include reorientation of cell processes, new collagen formation, and cell proliferation.
Phase-Shift Optimization in AA/PVA Photopolymers by High-Frequency Pulsed Laser

Photopolymers can be used to fabricate different holographic optical elements, although maximization of the phase-shift in photopolymers has been a challenge for the last few decades. Different material compositions and irradiation conditions have been studied in order to achieve it. One of the main conclusions has been that with continuous laser exposure better results are achieved. However, our results show for the first time that higher phase-shift can be achieved using a pulsed laser. The study has been conducted with crosslinked acrylamide-based photopolymers exposed with a pulsed laser (532 nm). The increment of the phase-shift between the pulsed laser and continuous laser exposure is 17%, achieving a maximum phase-shift of 3π radians and a refractive index shift of 0.0084 at the zero spatial frequency limit, where monomer diffusion does not take place. This allows this photopolymer to be used in large-scale manufacturing.
Mental Health Nurses’ Attitudes towards Consumers with co-Existing Mental Health and Drug and Alcohol Problems: A Scoping Review

Abstract Consumers with co-existing mental health and drug/alcohol problems are exposed to more stigma than those with any other health problems. This scoping review aimed to systematically map the available literature regarding mental health nurses' attitudes, empathy, and caring efficacy towards consumers with a dual diagnosis. Twenty studies reported outcomes regarding nurse attitudes; however, none reported nurses' empathy or caring efficacy towards consumers with a dual diagnosis. Further research is required to advance the evidence on the impact of mental health nurses' attitudes, empathy and caring effectiveness, and the outcomes should lead to improved service delivery for consumers with a dual diagnosis.