Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
GPX1 knockout, not catalase knockout, causes accelerated abnormal optical aberrations and cataract in the aging lens

Purpose Glutathione peroxidase 1 (GPX1) and catalase are expressed in the lens epithelial cells and cortical fiber cells, where they detoxify H2O2 to reduce oxidative stress, which is a major cause for cataractogenesis. We sought to find out, between these two enzymes, which is critical for transparency and homeostasis in the aging lens by investigating alterations in the lens’s refractive property, transparency, and gap junction coupling (GJC) resistance. Methods Wild-type (C57BL/6J), GPX1 knockout (GPX1−/−) and catalase knockout (CAT−/−) mice were used. Lens transparency was quantified using dark-field images and ImageJ software. For optical aberration evaluation, each lens was placed over a copper electron microscopy specimen grid; the grid image was captured through the lens using a digital camera attached to a dark-field binocular microscope. Optical aberrations were assessed by the quality of the magnified gridlines. Microelectrode-based intact lens intracellular impedance was measured to determine GJC resistance. Results In contrast to wild-type (WT) and CAT−/− lenses, GPX1−/− lenses developed accelerated age-related cataracts. While two-month-old lenses were normal, at nine months of age, GPX1−/− mice started to show the development of abnormal optical distortion aberrations and loss of transparency. At 12 months of age, GPX1−/− lenses developed significant opacity and abnormal optical distortion aberrations compared to CAT−/− and WT (p<0.001); these aberrations gradually increased with age and matured into cataracts by 24 months of age. There was also a significant increase (p<0.001) in GJC resistance in the differentiating and mature fiber cells of GPX1−/− lenses at 12 months of age compared to that in similar areas of age-matched CAT−/− and WT lenses. Conclusions Changes in the refractive and physiological properties of the lens occurred before cataract formation in GPX1−/− lenses but not in CAT−/− lenses. GPX1 is more critical than catalase for lens transparency, optical quality, and homeostasis in the aging lens under normal physiological conditions. GPX1 could be a promising therapeutic target for developing potential strategies to reduce adverse oxidative stress and delay/treat/prevent age-related cataracts.
Clinical and Translational Report Reduced pathogenicity of the SARS-CoV-2 omicron variant in hamsters Clinical and Translational Report Reduced pathogenicity of the SARS-CoV-2 omicron variant in hamsters Clinical and Translational Report Clinical and Translational Translational

Syrian golden hamsters infected with the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant did not lose weight and showed less virus in the lung and reduced lung pathology compared with hamsters infected with prior SARS-CoV-2 variants. These observations are consistent with emerging human data suggesting that Omicron infection is less severe than infection with prior variants. Background: The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) Omicron (B.1.1.529) variant has proven to be highly transmissible and has outcompeted the Delta variant in many regions of the world. Early reports have also suggested that Omicron may result in less severe clinical disease in humans. Here, we show that Omicron is less pathogenic than prior SARS-CoV-2 variants in Syrian golden hamsters. Methods: Hamsters were inoculated with either SARS-CoV-2 Omicron or other SARS-CoV-2 variants. Animals were followed for weight loss, and upper and lower respiratory tract tissues were assessed for viral loads and histopathology. Findings: Infection of hamsters with the SARS-CoV-2 WA1/2020, Alpha, Beta, or Delta strains led to 4%–10% weight loss by day 4 and 10%–17% weight loss by day 6. In contrast, infection of hamsters with two different Omicron challenge stocks did not result in any detectable weight loss, even at high challenge doses. Omicron infection led to substantial viral replication in both the upper and lower respiratory tracts but demonstrated lower viral loads in lung parenchyma and reduced pulmonary pathology compared with WA1/2020 infection. Conclusions: These data suggest that the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant may result in robust upper respiratory tract infection, but less severe lower respiratory tract clinical disease, compared with prior SARS-CoV-2 variants. Funding: Funding
Detecting and positioning of traffic incidents via video-based analysis of traffic states in a road segment

Non-recurrent traffic incidents (accidents, stalled vehicles and spilled loads) often bring about traffic congestion and even secondary accidents. Detecting and positioning them quickly and accurately has important significance for early warning, timely incident-disposal and speedy congestion-evacuation. This study proposes a video-based detecting and positioning method by analysing distribution characteristics of traffic states in a road segment. Each lane in the monitored segment is divided into a cluster of cells. Traffic parameters in each cell, including flow rate, average travel speed and average space occupancy, are obtained by detecting and tracking traffic objects (vehicles and spilled loads). On the basis of the parameters, traffic states in the cells are judged via a fuzzy-identification method. For each congested cell, a feature vector is constructed by taking its state together with states of its upstream and downstream neighbouring cells in the same lane. Then, a support vector machine classifier is trained to detect incident point. If a cell is judged to be corresponding to an incident point at least for two successive time periods, an incident is detected and its position is calculated based on the identity number of the cell. Experiments prove the efficiency and practicability of the proposed method.
Normative Data for Brainstem Structures, the Midbrain-to-Pons Ratio, and the Magnetic Resonance Parkinsonism Index

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Imaging biomarkers derived from different brainstem structures are suggested to differentiate among parkinsonian disorders, but clinical implementation requires normative data. The main objective was to establish high-quality, sex-specific data for relevant brainstem structures derived from MR imaging in healthy subjects from the general population in their sixth and seventh decades of life. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 3D T1WI acquired on the same 1.5T scanner of 996 individuals (527 women) between 50 and 66 years of age from a prospective population study was used. The area of the midbrain and pons and the widths of the middle cerebellar peduncles and superior cerebellar peduncles were measured, from which the midbrain-to-pons ratio and Magnetic Resonance Parkinsonism Index [MRPI = (Pons Area / Midbrain Area) × (Middle Cerebellar Peduncles / Superior Cerebellar Peduncles)] were calculated. Sex differences in brainstem measures and correlations to age, height, weight, and body mass index were investigated. RESULTS: Inter- and intrareliability for measuring the different brainstem structures showed good-to-excellent reliability (intraclass correlation coefficient = 0.785–0.988). There were significant sex differences for the pons area, width of the middle cerebellar peduncles and superior cerebellar peduncles, midbrain-to-pons ratio, and MRPI (all, P < .001; Cohen D = 0.44–0.98), but not for the midbrain area (P = .985). There were significant very weak–to-weak correlations between several of the brainstem measures and age, height, weight, and body mass index in both sexes. However, no systematic difference in distribution caused by these variables was found, and because age had the highest and most consistent correlations, age-/sex-specific percentiles for the brainstem measures were created. CONCLUSIONS: We present high-quality, sex-specific data and age-/sex-specific percentiles for the mentioned brainstem measures. These normative data can be implemented in the neuroradiologic work-up of patients with suspected brainstem atrophy to avoid the risk of misdiagnosis.
Disruption of the primary salicylic acid hydroxylases in rice enhances broad-spectrum resistance against pathogens.

Salicylic acid (SA) is a crucial hormone involved in plant immunity. Rice (Oryza sativa) maintains high SA levels that are not induced by pathogens. However, the roles of SA in rice immunity and yield remain largely unknown. Here, we identified SA 5-hydroxylases 1 (OsS5H1) and 2 (OsS5H2) as the primary enzymes engaged in catalyzing SA to 2,5-dihydroxybenzoic acid (2,5-DHBA) in rice. SA levels were significantly increased in the oss5h mutants, while they were dramatically decreased in the OsS5H1 and OsS5H2 overexpression lines. The mutants were resistant, whereas the overexpression lines were susceptible to Pyricularia oryzae and Xanthomonas oryzae pv. Oryzae. Moreover, the PAMPs-triggered immunity (PTI) responses, including reactive oxygen species (ROS) burst and callose deposition, were enhanced in all the mutants and compromised in the overexpression lines. Quantification of the agronomic traits of the oss5h mutants grown in the paddy fields demonstrated that the grain number per panicle was decreased as the SA levels increased; however, the tiller number and grain size were enhanced, resulting in no significant yield penalty. Collectively, we reveal that mildly increasing SA content in rice can confers broad-spectrum resistance without yield penalty and put new insights into the roles of SA in immunity and growth. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
The new generation tyrosine kinase inhibitor improves the survival of chronic myeloid leukemia patients after allogeneic stem cell transplantation

The introduction of tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) in chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) treatment has dramatically improved the prognosis of CML patients and reduced the number of patients receiving allogeneic stem cell transplantation (allo‐SCT). However, the impact of the newest‐generation TKIs on the overall survival (OS) after allo‐SCT has not been well described. To investigate the beneficial effects of TKIs on the prognosis after allo‐SCT, we conducted a retrospective observational study using the Transplant Registry Unified Management Program database in Japan. We analyzed 1188 patients (male/female: 738/450; median age: 44 years; range: 16–75) who underwent their first allo‐SCT between January 2001 and December 2018. We divided the patients into two groups according to the TKI treatment used before allo‐SCT: group 1 was treated with the first generation TKI imatinib; group 2 was treated with the second generation TKIs nilotinib, dasatinib, or bosutinib and/or the third generation TKI ponatinib. We compared the post allo‐SCT OS between the two groups. The 3‐year OS rates (95%CI) of groups 1 and 2 were 59.3% (54.8%–63.5%) and 65.8% (61.6%–69.6%), respectively (p = 0.017). Multivariate analysis confirmed that group 2 had superior OS after allo‐SCT compared to group 1 (p = 0.002). Other factors associated with superior prognosis were age ≤65, performance status (PS) 0/1, a 6/6 HLA‐matched donor and chronic‐phase (CP) disease status at allo‐SCT. A subgroup analysis showed poor prognoses for patients who could not obtain a molecular response before allo‐SCT and patients with positive T315I mutation in the BCR/ABL gene. In group 2, early allo‐SCT was correlated with superior OS in patients with a blast‐crisis disease status at allo‐SCT (p = 0.001). The cumulative incidence of non‐relapse mortality rate significantly decreased in group 2 (p = 0.0005). The post allo‐SCT OS was improved both by pre‐ and post‐management of allo‐SCT and by the introduction of newer TKIs.
Role of hemoglobin alpha and hemoglobin beta in non‐small‐cell lung cancer based on bioinformatics analysis

The differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified and screened differentially in non‐small‐cell lung cancer (NSCLC) using information from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Gene Expression Omnibus databases, and the correlation of DEGs in protein interaction, function, and pathway enrichment were analyzed to search for new biomarkers and potential therapeutic targets for NSCLC. Protein–protein interaction network (PPI) analysis showed that CDK1 and GNGT1 were the most significantly upregulated hub nodes, while FPR2 was the most significantly downregulated. Gene Ontology enrichment analysis showed that upregulated DEGs were significantly enriched in protein heterodimerization activity and other functions, while downregulated DEGs were enriched in functions such as heparin‐binding. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway analysis showed that upregulation of DEGs were significantly associated with neuroactive ligand‐receptor interaction pathways, while downregulation of DEGs were significantly associated with malaria pathways. According to the analysis results, we identified hemoglobin alpha (HBA) and hemoglobin beta (HBB) as the genes of interest for further study. Through tissue level and cell level experiments, we found that the expressions of HBA and HBB in NSCLC tissues were significantly lower than those in paracancerous tissues, and downregulation of HBA and HBB could significantly affect the proliferation ability of NSCLC cells. In addition, we also found that changes in HBA and HBB may affect NSCLC cells through the p38/MAPK pathway and JNK pathway, and ultimately affect the occurrence and development of NSCLC.
Psychiatric nurse's perceptions of their interactions with people who hear voices: A qualitative systematic review and thematic analysis

Accessible Summary What is known on the subject? There is no qualitative systematic review of nurses' perceptions of their interactions with people hearing voices. There are some studies exploring the interventions provided by community psychiatric nurses to people hearing voices; these give a sense of what interactions may contain. What the paper adds to the existing knowledge? Nurses across both community and inpatient mental healthcare settings feel uncertain about how to interact with people hearing voices, sometimes feeling like they can do little to help. Their interactions are affected by the workplace culture, education and training and concern for their own safety. Nurses rely on a therapeutic relationship for all interactions. What are the implications for practice? This is an under investigated area of mental healthcare. None the less this qualitative systematic review highlights that nurses are unclear about how to interact with service users hearing voices with the resultant outcome that service users in great distress may only be receiving minimal benefit from their interactions with the nurses caring for them. Abstract Aims and Objectives The aim of this qualitative systematic review and thematic analysis was to identify and synthesize results from studies that explored psychiatric nurses' perceptions of their interactions with service users experiencing auditory hallucinations (hearing voices). Method Qualitative systematic review and thematic analysis. Results Five studies that met the inclusion criteria were identified. Nurses reported that they felt uncertain about what to do for service users hearing voices, struggled to have interactions with voice hearers, but greatly valued the therapeutic relationship with service users. Nurses also reported that they required more education and training on how to interact effectively with people hearing voices. Finally, various workplace challenges were identified as an important factor mediating nurse interaction with service users hearing voices. Discussion Existing evidence shows that nurses lack clarity about how they can interact effectively and in a way that helps service users who are hearing voices. Significant barriers that they must overcome in order to be more certain of their role in caring for people hearing voices are difficult to engage service users and workplace challenges that were not conducive to helpful interactions and conversations. Implications for Practice Nurses caring for people hearing voices require more and better education and training with a view to them becoming more confident and competent when interacting with this service user group. Furthermore, healthy workplace cultures and maintaining a safe environment are necessary for effective caring interactions with people hearing voices.
Identifying the usage anomalies for ECG-based healthcare body sensor networks

This thesis is looking into the dependability of a Electrocardiogram(ECG) based Healthcare Body Sensor Network system (HC-BSNs). For these type of devices, the dependability is not only depending on the devices themselves, but also heavily depending on how the devices are used. Existing literature has identified that there are around 4% of usage issues when existing ECG devices are used by professionals. The rate of usage issue will not be better for the ECG-Based HC-BSNs as these devices are more likely to be used by untrained people. Subsequently, it is with paramount importance to address the usage issues so that the overall dependability of the ECG-Based HC-BSNs can be assured. Our approach to address the usage issue is to detect the usage-related anomaly, which is contained in the captured signal when erroneous usage is made, and identify the cause to the usage-related anomaly automatically and without human intervention. By doing this, the user can be prompted with clearer and accurate correction instruction. Subsequently, the usage issues can be well corrected by the user. Based on the above concept, in this thesis, we have studied the anomalous signals which can be caused by the usage issues. Two methodologies, names as AID and FFNAID, have been proposed and evaluated to detect the usage-related anomalies. We have also studied how each usage issue can affect the signals on a mote, and we use the knowledge learnt from the study to propose a methodology, named as ACLP, to identify the root cause to the usage-related anomaly. All these methodologies are fully automated and does not require any human intervention once they are deployed. The evaluations have also shown the effectiveness of these methodologies.
Electronic capture and analysis of fraudulent behavioral patterns: an application to identity fraud

The objective of this research was to find a transparent and secure solution for mitigating identity fraud and to find the critical factors that determine the solution's acceptance. Identity fraud is identified as a key problem with total losses exceeding fifty two billion dollars (Javelin Strategy and Research 2005). A common denominator in most identity-fraud-prone transactions is the use of a keypad; hence this research focuses on keypad data entry and proposes a biometric solution. Three studies develop, evaluate and investigate the feasibility of this solution. The first study was done in three stages. Stage one investigated the technical feasibility of the biometric keypad, stage two evaluated the keypad under different field conditions and stage three investigated acceptable user parameters. A key shortcoming with current authentication methods is the use of external identifiers that are prone to theft, unlike biometric patterns. A biometric keypad that supplements the present external identifiers was proposed, prototyped and evaluated. The results demonstrated that a biometric keypad can be a feasible medium performance solution. Addition of pressure and higher typing speeds were found to enhance discrimination accuracy while typing patterns were found to vary with elapsed time which led to deterioration in accuracy. The second study interviewed executives with experience in the introduction of new technologies with the objective of identifying and ranking critical factors that are important in the adoption of new biometrics. Performance, ease-of-use and trust-privacy issues were the most cited factors. A biometric acceptance model was formulated and five hypotheses were proposed from these interviews and prior research. Executives rated the keypad's ease-of-use high in comparison to other biometric approaches but were concerned about its accuracy. The third study was a user attitude survey whose objective was to validate the formulated biometric acceptance model and acquire data on acceptable usage parameters. The proposed biometric model was validated and the proposed hypotheses were supported. Acceptable error rates and training times indicated that the biometric keypad would be more complex to engineer. The dissertation concludes by summarizing the contributions and limitations of the three studies followed by several suggestions for future research.
New composition of tungsten has a broad range of antiviral activity

The water-based combination of two inorganic chemical compounds such as sodium tungstate dihydrate-Na2WO4 × 2H2O and Aluminum sulfate octadecahydrate-Al2 (SO4) 3 × 18H2O that we have conditionally named ‘Vomifal’ has a broad antiviral activity in various DNA and RNA viruses, including Human Herpes Virus (HHV), African Swine Fever Virus (ASFV), Vaccinia Virus (VV), Hepatitis C Virus (HCV), Foot and Mouth Disease Virus (FMDV), Influenza A virus (A/Aichi/2/68 (H3N2)). In vitro and In vivo assays in several tissue cultures as well as in laboratory animals, conformed ‘Vomifal’ has a very low toxicity and the antiviral properties partially are due to its ability to induce gamma-IFN. Based on the results obtained, we can assume the presence of at least two mechanisms of the antiviral action of the studied drug. First or early stage - an unknown mechanism, possibly related to the effect on cellular receptors. Second or late stage – main antiviral properties probably associated with an interferonogenic effect.
Flow force regulation of the main poppet in a large flow load control valve

This paper presents the regulation methods of flow forces acting on the main poppet in a large flow load control valve. The negative flow forces working on the originally designed main poppet, which is as high as 10% of the control force, act as a big disturbance to the main poppet position control, resulting in poor lowering speed control performance of the load control valve or even instability of the main poppet. Firstly, by introducing a damping tail structure to the main poppet, the direction of the flow forces can be regulated to positive and best stability of the main poppet can be achieved with the calculated best parameter combination. Secondly, by introducing a damping tail with holes to the main poppet, the positive flow forces of all main poppet positions can be reduced to minimum, which results in minimum disturbance for the control of main poppet. Computational fluid dynamics calculations were conducted to analyze how the damping tail parameters affect the flow forces and obtain the best parameter combinations. A test rig was set up to validate the effect of above methods. Good agreement of the computational fluid dynamics calculations and experiment results indicates that the proposed methods can provide guidance for the flow force regulation of other valve poppets.