Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Fetal Bovine Serum Lot Selection for OP9 Cells Culture Induction System in Differentiation of Hematopoietic Stem Cells

O P9 cell is a novel stromal cell line which had been established from new born calvaria of B6C3F2-op/op mice which lack functional M-CSF. From the original report, mice homozygous for the recessive mutation osteopetrosis (op) on chromosome 3 have a restricted capacity for bone remodelling and are severely deficient in mature macrophages and osteoclasts because the mutant mice have a mutation in the coding sequence of the M-CSF gene (Csfm gene). Despite the absence of functional M-CSF activity, the level of Csfm mRNA expression remains normal. This might be due to the aberrant protein production in op/ op mice. In the past, the study of the development of hematopoietic progenitor cells in vitro from human embryonic stem cells did not produce satisfying results. Three different strategies were utilized to induce embryonic stem (ES) cells to lymphoid and myeloid precursors. The first method used was the method of embryoid body (EB) formation. In this method, ES cells were cultured with cytokines or infected with retroviruses. After a period of time, the populations of mature B, T and macrophages appeared and then they were transplanted to irradiated mice. Co-cultured cells with bone marrow stromal cell lines are another method for ES differentiation. The third method is a combination of EB formation and co-culturing with ES cells. However, all these three methods possessed a lot of different pitfalls such as the requirement of EB formation, the need for exogenous growth factors, and differentiation into myeloids and lymphoids which appeared at different time points.
Auto-labeling of respiratory time points in free-breathing thoracic dynamic MR image acquisitions for 4D image construction

Determining the EE (End of Expiration) and EI (End of Inspiration) time points in the respiratory cycle is one key step during the 4D image construction from free-breathing dynamic thoracic computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) acquisitions. However, the cost of manually labeling EE and EI time points is extensive. An automatic image-based EE and EI labeling method makes image annotation independent of the image acquisition process, avoiding use of internal or external markers for the patient during image acquisition. The purpose of this paper is to introduce a novel optical-flow-based technique for finding EE and EI time points from dynamic thoracic MRI acquired during natural tidal-breathing. The diaphragm is tracked as a marker to determine the state of breathing. A region of interest (ROI) containing the diaphragm is selected to calculate the pixel optical flow values between two adjacent time slices. The average optical flow values of all pixels including diaphragm motion speed is used as a reference for labeling EE and EI. When the direction of movement of the diaphragm changes, EE or EI is found depending on the direction of the change. Quantitative evaluation was carried out to evaluate the effectiveness of our method in different locations in the lungs as compared to manual labeling. When tested on 28 patient dynamic thoracic MRI data sets, the average error was found to be less than 1 time point. Automatic labeling greatly shortened the labeling time, requiring less than 8 minutes compared to 4 hours for manual labeling per study.
ALLELOPATHIC EFFECTS OF AGERATUM CONYZOIDES AND CALOTROPIS GIGANTEAN ON GERMINATION AND SEEDLING VIGOUR OF RICE

Allelopattrlc effects of Ageratum conyzoides and Calofropis gigantea on germination and seedling vigour pf rice were investigated. The aqueous extracts of root, stem, leaf and stem+leaf of these weeds were used for study. The extracts of different parts of these weeds produced significant effects on germiantion and seedling vigour or rice. Agreatum leaf extract identified as a promising extract and produced maximum root and shoot elongation without affecting the germination of rice seeds.
Regulation of chemoconvulsant‐induced seizures by store‐operated Orai1 channels

Temporal lobe epilepsy is a complex neurological disease caused by imbalance of excitation and inhibition in the brain. Growing literature implicates altered Ca2+ signalling in many aspects of epilepsy but the diversity of Ca2+ channels that regulate this syndrome are not well‐understood. Here, we report that mice lacking the store‐operated Ca2+ channel, Orai1, in the brain show markedly stronger seizures in response to the chemoconvulsants, kainic acid and pilocarpine. Electrophysiological analysis reveals that selective deletion of Orai1 channels in inhibitory neurons disables chemoconvulsant‐induced excitation of GABAergic neurons in the CA1 hippocampus. Likewise, deletion of Orai1 in GABAergic neurons abrogates the chemoconvulsant‐induced burst of spontaneous inhibitory postsynaptic currents (sIPSCs) on CA1 pyramidal neurons in the hippocampus. This loss of chemoconvulsant inhibition likely aggravates status epilepticus in Orai1 KO mice. These results identify Orai1 channels as regulators of hippocampal interneuron excitability and seizures.
The effects of sitting Tai Chi on physical and psychosocial health outcomes among individuals with impaired physical mobility

Abstract Background: Impaired physical mobility, most often seen in people with neurological disorders (i.e., stroke and spinal cord injury survivors), musculoskeletal diseases or frailty, is a limitation in independent and purposeful physical movement of the body or one or more extremities. The physical restrictions result in negative consequences on an individual's physical and psychosocial functions. This proposal describes a systematic review protocol to determine the effectiveness and approaches of sitting Tai Chi intervention for individuals with impaired physical mobility. Our review would inform stakeholders’ decisions in integrating this complementary therapy into current rehabilitation services. Methods: Randomized controlled trials or quasi-experimental studies that compared an intervention group receiving sitting Tai Chi with a control group among adult participants with impaired physical mobility resulting from any health condition(s) will be included. Outcomes of interest will include physical and psychosocial health outcomes. The Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, MEDLINE, EMBASE, PubMed, CINAHL, Scopus, Web of Science, AMED, PsycINFO, SPORDiscus, PEDro, WanFang Data and China National Knowledge Infrastructure will be searched from their inception to January 2020. Additional searches will be performed to identify studies that are being refereed, to be published, unpublished or ongoing. Two reviewers will select the trials and extract data independently. The risk of bias of the included studies will be assessed using the Cochrane risk-of-bias tools. The Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation will be used to assess evidence quality for each review outcome. Data synthesis will be performed using Review Manager 5.3. When a meta-analysis is possible, we will assess the heterogeneity across the studies by computing the I2 statistics. Results: A high-quality synthesis of current evidence of sitting Tai Chi for impaired physical mobility will be stated from several aspect using subjective reports and objective measures of performance. Conclusion: This protocol will present the evidence of whether sitting Tai Chi is an effective intervention for impaired physical mobility. PROSPERO registration number: CRD 42019142681.
MicroRNA‐195 controls MICU1 expression and tumor growth in ovarian cancer

MICU1 is a mitochondrial inner membrane protein that inhibits mitochondrial calcium entry; elevated MICU1 expression is characteristic of many cancers, including ovarian cancer. MICU1 induces both glycolysis and chemoresistance and is associated with poor clinical outcomes. However, there are currently no available interventions to normalize aberrant MICU1 expression. Here, we demonstrate that microRNA‐195‐5p (miR‐195) directly targets the 3′ UTR of the MICU1 mRNA and represses MICU1 expression. Additionally, miR‐195 is under‐expressed in ovarian cancer cell lines, and restoring miR‐195 expression reestablishes native MICU1 levels and the associated phenotypes. Stable expression of miR‐195 in a human xenograft model of ovarian cancer significantly reduces tumor growth, increases tumor doubling times, and enhances overall survival. In conclusion, miR‐195 controls MICU1 levels in ovarian cancer and could be exploited to normalize aberrant MICU1 expression, thus reversing both glycolysis and chemoresistance and consequently improving patient outcomes.
Calcium modulates the domain flexibility and function of an α-actinin similar to the ancestral α-actinin

Significance Actin is one of the most abundant proteins in eukaryotic cells. Actin filaments together with a large number of actin-binding proteins are critical players in many cellular functions, ranging from cell motility and muscle contraction to maintenance of cell shape and transcription regulation. α-Actinin—a member of the spectrin superfamily—is an archetypical F-actin–binding and –bundling protein. It is known that Ca2+ inhibits α-actinin capacity to bundle F-actin. We present a structure of a Ca2+-regulated α-actinin and propose the mechanism for its regulation. We uncover that Ca2+ binding triggers an increase in protein rigidity, leading to reduced conformational flexibility and bundling activity. The proposed molecular mechanism is likely to be a blueprint for regulation of spectrin-like proteins. The actin cytoskeleton, a dynamic network of actin filaments and associated F-actin–binding proteins, is fundamentally important in eukaryotes. α-Actinins are major F-actin bundlers that are inhibited by Ca2+ in nonmuscle cells. Here we report the mechanism of Ca2+-mediated regulation of Entamoeba histolytica α-actinin-2 (EhActn2) with features expected for the common ancestor of Entamoeba and higher eukaryotic α-actinins. Crystal structures of Ca2+-free and Ca2+-bound EhActn2 reveal a calmodulin-like domain (CaMD) uniquely inserted within the rod domain. Integrative studies reveal an exceptionally high affinity of the EhActn2 CaMD for Ca2+, binding of which can only be regulated in the presence of physiological concentrations of Mg2+. Ca2+ binding triggers an increase in protein multidomain rigidity, reducing conformational flexibility of F-actin–binding domains via interdomain cross-talk and consequently inhibiting F-actin bundling. In vivo studies uncover that EhActn2 plays an important role in phagocytic cup formation and might constitute a new drug target for amoebic dysentery.
On the path towards universal coverage of hepatitis C treatment among people receiving opioid agonist therapy (OAT) in Norway: a prospective cohort study from 2013 to 2017

Objectives We aimed to calculate cumulative hepatitis C virus (HCV) treatment coverage among individuals enrolled in opioid agonist therapy (OAT) in Norway between 2013 and 2017 and to document the treatment transition to direct-acting antiviral (DAA) agents. Moreover, we aimed to describe adherence to DAAs in the same cohort. Design Prospective cohort, registry data. Setting Specialist healthcare service (secondary) Participants and outcomes This observational study was based on data from The Norwegian Prescription Database. We studied dispensed OAT and HCV treatment annually to calculate the cumulative frequency, and employed secondary sources to calculate prevalence, incidence and HCV treatment coverage from 2013 to 2017, among the OAT population. Factors associated with adherence to DAAs were identified a priori and subject to logistic regression. Results 10 371 individuals were identified with dispensed OAT, 1475 individuals of these were identified with dispensed HCV treatment. Annual HCV treatment coverage increased from 3.5% (95% CI: 3.2 to 4.4) in 2013 to 17% (95% CI: 17 to 20) in 2017, giving a cumulative HCV coverage among OAT patients in Norway of 38.5%. A complete shift to interferon-free treatment regimens occurred, where DAAs accounting for 32% of HCV treatments in 2013 and 99% in 2017. About two-thirds of OAT patients were considered adherent to their DAA regimens across all genotypes. High level of OAT continuity was associated with improved adherence to DAAs (adjusted OR 1.4, 95% CI: 1 to 2, p=0.035). Conclusions A large increase in HCV treatment coverage attributed by a complete shift to interferon-free regimens among the Norwegian OAT population has been demonstrated. However, treatment coverage is inadmissibly too low and a further substantial scale-up in HCV treatment is required to reach the universal targets of controlling and eliminating the HCV endemic.
A Primer in Study Design for Dermatologic Surgery Studies for Publication.

This article serves as an educational primer for physicians and clinical researchers when assessing the validity of studies of dermatologic surgery. Cosmetic surgery and skin cancer reconstruction present unique challenges of study design that fall outside the clinical study appraisal tools. As research techniques evolve, a reader may benefit from periodic reviews of current reporting standards of evidence. This commentary aims to simplify study assessment to facilitate clinical implementation of study findings.
Scan-Chain-Fault Diagnosis Using Regressions in Cryptographic Chips for Wireless Sensor Networks

Scan structures, which are widely used in cryptographic circuits for wireless sensor networks applications, are essential for testing very-large-scale integration (VLSI) circuits. Faults in cryptographic circuits can be effectively screened out by improving testability and test coverage using a scan structure. Additionally, scan testing contributes to yield improvement by identifying fault locations. However, faults in circuits cannot be tested when a fault occurs in the scan structure. Moreover, various defects occurring early in the manufacturing process are expressed as faults of scan chains. Therefore, scan-chain diagnosis is crucial. However, it is difficult to obtain a sufficiently high diagnosis resolution and accuracy through the conventional scan-chain diagnosis. Therefore, this article proposes a novel scan-chain diagnosis method using regression and fan-in and fan-out filters that require shorter training and diagnosis times than existing scan-chain diagnoses do. The fan-in and fan-out filters, generated using a circuit logic structure, can highlight important features and remove unnecessary features from raw failure vectors, thereby converting the raw failure vectors to fan-in and fan-out vectors without compromising the diagnosis accuracy. Experimental results confirm that the proposed scan-chain-diagnosis method can efficiently provide higher resolutions and accuracies with shorter training and diagnosis times.
Evaluating genomic biomarkers associated with resistance or sensitivity to chemotherapy in patients with advanced breast and colorectal cancer

Introduction Carcinogenesis is driven by an array of complex genomic patterns; these patterns can render an individual resistant or sensitive to certain chemotherapy agents. The Personalized Oncogenomics (POG) project at BC Cancer has performed integrative genomic analysis of whole tumour genomes and transcriptomes for over 700 patients with advanced cancers, with an aim to predict therapeutic sensitivities. The aim of this study was to utilize the POG genomic data to evaluate a discrete set of biomarkers associated with chemo-sensitivity or-resistance in advanced stage breast and colorectal cancer POG patients. Methods This was a retrospective multi-centre analysis across all BC CANCER sites. All breast and colorectal cancer patients enrolled in the POG program between July 1, 2012 and November 30, 2016 were eligible for inclusion. Within the breast cancer population, those treated with capecitabine, paclitaxel, and everolimus were analyzed, and for the colorectal cancer patients, those treated with capecitabine, bevacizumab, irinotecan, and oxaliplatin were analyzed. The expression levels of the selected biomarkers of interest (EPHB4, FIGF, CD133, DICER1, DPYD, TYMP, TYMS, TAP1, TOP1, CKDN1A, ERCC1, GSTP1, BRCA1, PTEN, ABCB1, TLE3, and TXNDC17) were reported as mRNA percentiles. Results For the breast cancer population, there were 32 patients in the capecitabine cohort, 15 in the everolimus cohort, and 12 in the paclitaxel cohort. For the colorectal cancer population, there were 29 patients in the bevacizumab cohort, 12 in the oxaliplatin cohort, 29 in the irinotecan cohort, and 6 in the capecitabine cohort. Of the biomarkers evaluated, the strongest associations were found between Bevacizumab-based therapy and DICER1 (P = 0.0445); and between capecitabine therapy and TYMP (P = 0.0553). Conclusions Among breast cancer patients, higher TYMP expression was associated with sensitivity to capecitabine. Among colorectal cancer patients, higher DICER1 expression was associated with sensitivity to bevacizumab-based therapy. This study supports further assessment of the potential predictive value of mRNA expression of these genomic biomarkers.
REPLACEMENT OF SERINE363 AND SERINE375 CODONS BY ALANINE IN RAT MOU-OPIOID RECEPTOR CDNA

The aim of this study was to use site directed mutagenesis technique to construct a vector in which serine363 and serine375 residues of the COOH-terminal portion of the μ-opioid receptor (MOR) were substituted by alanine. These constructs are essential in studying G-protein coupled receptor kinase-mediated MOR desensiti-zation. The nested PCR carried out for conversion of serine363 and serine375 to alanine resulted in the production of a band comparable to the expected size of 1400 bp. Restriction analysis of these bands confirmed the integrity of the PCR products. Ligation of the mutated PCR product into pcDNA3 and its digestion with appropriate restriction enzymes further confirmed the integrity of the PCR product and its orientation into the vector.
H″IT″ting the Barriers for Exercising during Social Isolation

Aerobic exercise is traditionally recommended to improve general health and prevent many non-communicable diseases. However, the measures adopted to control the novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak culminated with closing of exercise facilities and fitness centers and, as a primary consequence, impaired aerobic exercise practice. This contributed to an increase in risk factors associated with physical inactivity such as insulin resistance, high blood pressure, low-grade inflammation, weight gain, and mental health problems. The scenario is worrisome, and it is important to propose alternatives for exercise practice during the COVID-19 pandemic. Interval training (IT) emerges as an exercise mode that might be feasible, low-cost, and potentially safe to be performed in many different places. IT consists of interspersing relative brief bouts of high-intensity exercise with recovery periods and promotes similar or greater health benefits when compared to moderate-intensity continuous exercise. Among the different types of IT, sprint interval training and “Tabata protocols” might be particularly useful during social isolation. These protocols can be controlled and performed without the need of complex equipment and can be adapted to different places, including domestic environments. In this article, we present variations of IT as possible alternatives to cope physical inactivity during COVID-19 pandemics with a focus on its practical applications. The protocols suggested can be performed without the need of specialized equipment or facilities, in a time-efficient manner, and aiming to prevent detraining or even improve physical fitness and general health.
Efficacy and safety of scalp acupuncture in improving neurological dysfunction after ischemic stroke

Abstract Background: Scalp acupuncture is remarkable in improving neurological dysfunction of ischemic stroke patients. This study aims to systematically evaluate the efficacy and safety of scalp acupuncture in improving neurological dysfunction of ischemic stroke patients. Methods: Randomized controlled trials of scalp acupuncture against ischemic stroke patients will be searched in PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, Cochrane Library, the Chongqing VIP Chinese Science and Technology Periodical Database, Chinese Biological and Medical database, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, and Wanfang database from inception to July, 2020. Two researchers will perform data extraction and risk of bias assessment independently. Statistical analysis will be conducted in RevMan 5.3. Results: This study will summarize the present evidence by exploring the efficacy and safety of scalp acupuncture in improving neurological dysfunction in ischemic stroke patients. Conclusions: The findings of the study will help to determine potential benefits of scalp acupuncture against ischemic stroke at different stage. OSF Registration number: DOI 10.17605/OSF.IO/T26P8.
Projections of incident atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease and incident type 2 diabetes across evolving statin treatment guidelines and recommendations: A modelling study

Background Experimental and observational research has suggested the potential for increased type 2 diabetes (T2D) risk among populations taking statins for the primary prevention of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD). However, few studies have directly compared statin-associated benefits and harms or examined heterogeneity by population subgroups or assumed treatment effect. Thus, we compared ASCVD risk reduction and T2D incidence increases across 3 statin treatment guidelines or recommendations among adults without a history of ASCVD or T2D who were eligible for statin treatment initiation. Methods and findings Simulations were conducted using Markov models that integrated data from contemporary population-based studies of non-Hispanic African American and white adults aged 40–75 years with published meta-analyses. Statin treatment eligibility was determined by predicted 10-year ASCVD risk (5%, 7.5%, or 10%). We calculated the number needed to treat (NNT) to prevent one ASCVD event and the number needed to harm (NNH) to incur one incident case of T2D. The likelihood to be helped or harmed (LHH) was calculated as ratio of NNH to NNT. Heterogeneity in statin-associated benefit was examined by sex, age, and statin-associated T2D relative risk (RR) (range: 1.11–1.55). A total of 61,125,042 U.S. adults (58.5% female; 89.4% white; mean age = 54.7 years) composed our primary prevention population, among whom 13–28 million adults were eligible for statin initiation. Overall, the number of ASCVD events prevented was at least twice as large as the number of incident cases of T2D incurred (LHH range: 2.26–2.90). However, the number of T2D cases incurred surpassed the number of ASCVD events prevented when higher statin-associated T2D RRs were assumed (LHH range: 0.72–0.94). In addition, females (LHH range: 1.74–2.40) and adults aged 40–50 years (LHH range: 1.00–1.14) received lower absolute benefits of statin treatment compared with males (LHH range: 2.55–3.00) and adults aged 70–75 years (LHH range: 3.95–3.96). Projected differences in LHH by age and sex became more pronounced as statin-associated T2D RR increased, with a majority of scenarios projecting LHHs < 1 for females and adults aged 40–50 years. This study’s primary limitation was uncertainty in estimates of statin-associated T2D risk, highlighting areas in which additional clinical and public health research is needed. Conclusions Our projections suggest that females and younger adult populations shoulder the highest relative burden of statin-associated T2D risk.