Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Association of GSTM1, GSTT1, GSTM3, and GSTP1 Genes Polymorphisms with Susceptibility to Osteosarcoma: a Case-Control Study and Meta-Analysis

Background: Some studies have investigated the association of GSTM1, GSTT1, GSTM3, and GSTP1 polymorphisms with susceptibility to osteosarcoma; however, these studies results are inconsistent and inconclusive. In order to drive a more precise estimation, the present case-control study and meta-analysis was performed to investigate association of GSTM1, GSTT1, GSTM3, and GSTP1 polymorphisms with osteosarcoma. Methods: Eligible articles were identified by a search of several electronic databases for the period up to May 5, 2018. Odds ratios were pooled using either fixed-effects or random effects models. Results: Finally, a total of 24 case-control studies with 2,405 osteosarcoma cases and 3,293 controls were included in the present meta-analysis. Overall, significantly increased osteosarcoma risk was found when all studies were pooled into the meta-analysis of GSTT1 (Null vs. Present: OR= 1.247 95% CI 1.020-1.524, P= 0.031) and GSTP1 polymorphism (B vs. A: OR= 8.899 95% CI 2.722-29.094, P≤0.001). In the stratified, significantly increased osteosarcoma risk was observed for GSTT1 polymorphism among Asians (Null vs. Present: OR= 1.300 95% CI 1.034-1.635, P= 0.025), but not among Caucasians. Conclusions: This meta-analysis demonstrated that GSTP1 and GSTT1 null genotype are associated with the risk of osteosarcoma. Future large well-designed epidemiological studies are warranted to validate our results.
Role of botulinum toxin injection in treatment of achalasia

Achalasia is an uncommon disorder that can be found in children and adults of any age which typically presents with dysphagia, chest pain, and/or regurgitation of food. With the evolution of treatment options, decisions about optimal treatment have become more complex. This review aims to address the role for botulinum injection in the management of achalasia. After a period of enthusiasm for this treatment in the 1990s, most current guidelines suggest that its role is primarily restricted to adult patients who are unfit for more definitive therapies, such as balloon dilatation, Heller’s myotomy with partial fundoplication (usually performed laparoscopically), or peroral endoscopy myotomy (POEM). Idiopathic achalasia occurs due to a loss of the nitric oxide-releasing inhibitory nerves in the lower esophageal sphincter, which creates an imbalance between excitatory input added to intrinsic myotonic tone and inhibitory input. The concept behind botulinum toxin injection for achalasia is that it addresses this imbalance by blocking acetylcholine release from excitatory neurones acting on the lower esophageal sphincter. This results in a decrease in lower esophageal sphincter tone that can allow improved esophageal emptying. This review is based on a Medline search of relevant guidelines and literature, with the aim of identifying when botulinum toxin is an appropriate treatment option for achalasia. We also examine what is known about patient selection, technique, efficacy, duration of efficacy, and best practice in terms of botulinum toxin injection for achalasia.
Vitamin D supplementation alters the expression of genes associated with hypertension and did not induce DNA damage in rats

ABSTRACT Vitamin D3 deficiency has been correlated with altered expression of genes associated with increased blood pressure (BP); however, the role of vitamin D3 supplementation in the genetic mechanisms underlying hypertension remains unclear. Thus, the aim of this study was investigate the consequences of vitamin D3 supplemented (10,000 IU/kg) or deficient (0 IU/kg) diets on regulation of expression of genes related to hypertension pathways in heart cells of spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) and normotensive Wistar Kyoto (WKY) controls. An additional aim was to assess the impact of vitamin D3 on DNA damage and oxidative stress markers. The gene expression profiles were determined by PCR array, DNA damage was assessed by an alkaline comet assay, and oxidative stress markers by measurement of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) and glutathione (GSH) levels. In SHR rats data showed that the groups of genes most differentially affected by supplemented and deficient diets were involved in BP regulation and renin-angiotensin system. In normotensive WKY controls, the profile of gene expression was similar between the two diets. SHR rats were more sensitive to changes in gene expression induced by dietary vitamin D3 than normotensive WKY animals. In addition to gene expression profile, vitamin D3 supplemented diet did not markedly affect DNA or levels of TBARS and GSH levels in both experimental groups. Vitamin D3 deficient diet produced lipid peroxidation in SHR rats. The results of this study contribute to a better understanding of the role of vitamin D3 in the genetic mechanisms underlying hypertension. Abbreviations: AIN, American Institute of Nutrition; EDTA, disodium ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid; GSH, glutathione; PBS, phosphate buffer solution; SHR, spontaneously hypertensive rats; TBARS, thiobarbituric acid reactive substances; WKY, Wistar Kyoto.
Non-Isothermal Sublimation Kinetics of 2,4,6-Trinitrotoluene (TNT) Nanofilms

Non-isothermal sublimation kinetics of low-volatile materials is more favorable over isothermal data when time is a crucial factor to be considered, especially in the subject of detecting explosives. In this article, we report on the in-situ measurements of the sublimation activation energy for 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT) continuous nanofilms in air using rising-temperature UV-Vis absorbance spectroscopy at different heating rates. The TNT films were prepared by the spin coating deposition technique. For the first time, the most widely used procedure to determine sublimation rates using thermogravimetry analysis (TGA) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) was followed in this work using UV-Vis absorbance spectroscopy. The sublimation kinetics were analyzed using three well-established calculating techniques. The non-isothermal based activation energy values using the Ozawa, Flynn–Wall, and Kissinger models were 105.9 ± 1.4 kJ mol−1, 102.1 ± 2.7 kJ mol−1, and 105.8 ± 1.6 kJ mol−1, respectively. The calculated activation energy agreed well with our previously reported isothermally-measured value for TNT nanofilms using UV-Vis absorbance spectroscopy. The results show that the well-established non-isothermal analytical techniques can be successfully applied at a nanoscale to determine sublimation kinetics using absorbance spectroscopy.
The Effect of Heart Rate Variability Biofeedback Training on Mental Health of Pregnant and Non-Pregnant Women: A Randomized Controlled Trial

In this study, we examined the efficacy of heart rate variability (HRV)-biofeedback on stress and stress-related mental health problems in women. Furthermore, we examined whether the efficacy differed between pregnant and non-pregnant women. Fifty women (20 pregnant, 30 non-pregnant; mean age 31.6, SD = 5.9) were randomized into an intervention (n = 29) or a waitlist condition (n = 21). All participants completed questionnaires on stress, anxiety, depressive symptoms, sleep, and psychological well-being on three occasions with 6-week intervals. Women in the intervention condition received HRV-biofeedback training between assessment 1 and 2, and women in the waitlist condition received the intervention between assessment 2 and 3. The intervention consisted of a 5-week HRV-biofeedback training program with weekly 60–90 min. sessions and daily exercises at home. Results indicated a statistically significant beneficial effect of HRV-biofeedback on psychological well-being for all women, and an additional statistically significant beneficial effect on anxiety complaints for pregnant women. No significant effect was found for the other stress-related complaints. These findings support the use of HRV-biofeedback as a stress-reducing technique among women reporting stress and related complaints in clinical practice to improve their well-being. Furthermore, it supports the use of this technique for reducing anxiety during pregnancy.
Bioinformatic Exploration of the Targets of Xylem Sap miRNAs in Maize under Cadmium Stress

Cadmium (Cd) has the potential to be chronically toxic to humans through contaminated crop products. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) can move systemically in plants. To investigate the roles of long-distance moving xylem miRNAs in regulating maize response to Cd stress, three xylem sap small RNA (sRNA) libraries were constructed for high-throughput sequencing to identify potential mobile miRNAs in Cd-stressed maize seedlings and their putative targets in maize transcriptomes. In total, about 199 miRNAs (20–22 nucleotides) were identified in xylem sap from maize seedlings, including 97 newly discovered miRNAs and 102 known miRNAs. Among them, 10 miRNAs showed differential expression in xylem sap after 1 h of Cd treatment. Two miRNAs target prediction tools, psRNAtarget (reporting the inhibition pattern of cleavage) and DPMIND (discovering Plant MiRNA-Target Interaction with degradome evidence), were used in combination to identify, via bioinformatics, the targets of 199 significantly expressed miRNAs in maize xylem sap. The integrative results of these two bioinformatic tools suggested that 27 xylem sap miRNAs inhibit 34 genes through cleavage with degradome evidence. Moreover, nearly 300 other genes were also the potential miRNAs cleavable targets without available degradome data support, and the majority of them were enriched in abiotic stress response, cell signaling, transcription regulation, as well as metal handling. These approaches and results not only enhanced our understanding of the Cd-responsive long-distance transported miRNAs from the view of xylem sap, but also provided novel insights for predicting the molecular genetic mechanisms mediated by miRNAs.
Online Distributed User Association for Heterogeneous Radio Access Network

Future-generation radio access networks (RAN) are projected to fulfill the diverse requirements of user equipment (UE) by adopting a heterogeneous network (HetNet) environment. Necessary integration of different radio access technologies (RAT), such as 2G, 3G, 4G, wireless local area network (WLAN), and visible light communication (VLC) is inevitable. Moreover, UEs equipped with diverse requirements will be capable of accessing some or all the RATs. The complex HetNet environment with diverse requirements of UEs will present many challenges. The HetNet is likely to suffer severely from load imbalance among the base stations (BSs) from inheriting the traditional user association scheme such as max-SINR (signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio)/max-RSSI (received signal strength indicator), unless some sophisticated schemes are invented. In this paper, a novel scheme is devised for a joint-user association for load balancing, where BSs are densely deployed and UEs typically have a certain degree of mobility. Unlike most of the present works, a dynamic network is considered where the position and channel condition of the UEs are not fixed. We develop two complex and distributed association schemes based on probability and d-choices, while carefully considering both loads of the BSs and SINR experienced by the UEs. Numerical results validate the efficiency of the proposed schemes by showing a received data-rate fairness among UEs and an improvement in the UE’s minimum received data rate.
Investigation of transmission computed tomography (CT) image quality and x-ray dose achievable from an experimental dual-mode benchtop x-ray fluorescence CT and transmission CT system.

OBJECTIVE To investigate the image quality and x-ray dose associated with a transmission computed tomography (CT) component implemented within the same platform of an experimental benchtop x-ray fluorescence CT (XFCT) system for multimodal preclinical imaging applications. METHODS Cone-beam CT scans were performed using an experimental benchtop CT + XFCT system and a cylindrically-shaped 3D-printed polymethyl methacrylate phantom (3 cm in diameter, 7 cm in height) loaded with various concentrations (0.05-1 wt. %) of gold nanoparticles (GNPs). Two commercial CT quality assurance phantoms containing 3D line-pair (LP) targets and contrast targets were also scanned. The x-ray beams of 40 and 62 kVp, both filtered by 0.08 mm Cu and 0.4 mm Al, were used with 17 ms of exposure time per projection at three current settings (2.5, 5, and 10 mA). The ordered-subset simultaneous algebraic reconstruction and total variation-minimization methods were used to reconstruct images. Sparse projection and short scan were considered to reduce the x-ray dose. The contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) and modulation transfer function (MTF) were calculated. RESULTS The lowest detectable concentration of GNPs (CNR > 5) and the highest spatial resolution (per MTF50%) were 0.10 wt. % and 9.5 LP/CM, respectively, based on the images reconstructed from 360 projections of the 40 kVp beam (or x-ray dose of 3.44 cGy). The background noise for the image resulting in the lowest GNP detection limit was 25 Hounsfield units. CONCLUSION The transmission CT component within the current experimental benchtop XFCT system produced images deemed acceptable for multimodal (CT + XFCT) imaging purposes, with less than 4 cGy of x-ray dose.
HARMONICS ELIMINATION IN POWER GENERATION USING ACTIVE POWER FILTER

In distribution systems, the load has been a sudden increase or decreases and it is like as nonlinear loads so the load draw non-sinusoidal currents from the AC mains and causes the load harmonics and reactive power, and excessive neutral currents that give pollution in power systems. Most pollution problems created in power systems are due to the nonlinear characteristics and fast switching of power electronic devices. Shunt active filter based on current controlled PWM converters are seen as a most viable solution. This paper presents the harmonics and reactive power compensation from 3P4W micro-grid distribution system by IP controlled shunt active. The technique which is used for generate desired compensation current extraction based on offset command instantaneous currents distorted or voltage signals in the time domain because compensation time domain response is quick, easy implementation and lower computational load compared to the frequency domain.
Cyclodextrins in Skin Formulations and Transdermal Delivery

: This mini review aims to describe the main physicochemical properties and characteristics of cyclodextrin derivatives (CDs) having been used in various skin-related formulations over the last nearly 50 years. Due to many misunderstandings and inconsistent data on the Internet, the basic properties of CDs, water content, solubility properties, and maximum complexing capabilities are summarized. CDs are grouped by their solubility properties and briefly described by chemical synthesis to reveal the potential contaminants. Soluble and insoluble CD-based polymers are also discussed.
On stability, Bohl exponent and Bohl–Perron theorem for implicit dynamic equations

In this paper, we develop a stability theory for implicit dynamic equations which is a general form of differential-algebraic equations and implicit difference equations. We derive some results about robust stability of these equations subjected to Lipschitz perturbations. After that the so-called Bohl–Perron type stability theorems, which are known in the literature for regular explicit difference equations, are extended for implicit dynamic equations. Finally, the notion of Bohl exponent is introduced and we characterise the relation between the exponential stability and the Bohl exponent. Then, it is investigated that how the Bohl exponent with respect to dynamic perturbations and two-side perturbations depends on the system data.
Combination of Multiple Global Descriptors for Image Retrieval

Recent studies in image retrieval task have shown that ensembling different models and combining multiple global descriptors lead to performance improvement. However, training different models for the ensemble is not only difficult but also inefficient with respect to time and memory. In this paper, we propose a novel framework that exploits multiple global descriptors to get an ensemble effect while it can be trained in an end-to-end manner. The proposed framework is flexible and expandable by the global descriptor, CNN backbone, loss, and dataset. Moreover, we investigate the effectiveness of combining multiple global descriptors with quantitative and qualitative analysis. Our extensive experiments show that the combined descriptor outperforms a single global descriptor, as it can utilize different types of feature properties. In the benchmark evaluation, the proposed framework achieves the state-of-the-art performance on the CARS196, CUB200-2011, In-shop Clothes, and Stanford Online Products on image retrieval tasks. Our model implementations and pretrained models are publicly available.
DETERMINANTS OF E-TAX SYSTEM ACCEPTANCE BY USERS

This study aims to find out the determinants of the e-tax system acceptance by its users based on theory of planned behavior. As we all know that taxes are the largest national revenue for Indonesia, and expected to increase from year to year. Because of it, the government tries to make it easy for society to pay taxes. One of the ways the government has is to improve e-system taxation. The users in this context were the taxpayers domiciled in Surabaya. The analysis technique used in this study was structural equation modeling. WarpPLS 6.0 software was used to process the data collected through the study. Based on the data collected and processed during the study, some findings were found out. First of all, the users' attitudes were significantly influenced by the perceived useful, beliefs, and compatibility. Secondly, the subjective norms were not affected by the external influence, but rather by interpersonal influence. In addition to those, the perceived behavioral control was completely and significantly influenced by self-efficacy and facilitating conditions. Lastly, the users' intentions in using the e-tax system were influenced by two factors only: the users' attitude and the perceived behavioral control
A new coupling mechanism between two graphene electron waveguides for ultrafast switching

In this paper, we report a novel coupling between two graphene electron waveguides, in analogy the optical waveguides. The design is based on the coherent quantum mechanical tunneling of Rabi oscillation between the two graphene electron waveguides. Based on this coupling mechanism, we propose that it can be used as an ultrafast electronic switching device. Based on a modified coupled mode theory, we construct a theoretical model to analyze the device characteristics, and predict that the switching speed is faster than 1 ps and the on–off ratio exceeds 106. Due to the long mean free path of electrons in graphene at room temperature, the proposed design avoids the limitation of low temperature operation required in the traditional design by using semiconductor quantum-well structure. The layout of our design is similar to that of a standard complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor transistor that should be readily fabricated with current state-of-art nanotechnology.
Non-equilibrium chemistry and destruction of CO by X-ray flares

Sources of X-rays such as active galactic nuclei and X-ray binaries are often variable by orders of magnitude in luminosity over time-scales of years. During and after these flares the surrounding gas is out of chemical and thermal equilibrium. We introduce a new implementation of X-ray radiative transfer coupled to a time-dependent chemical network for use in 3D magnetohydrodynamical simulations. A static fractal molecular cloud is irradiated with X-rays of different intensity, and the chemical and thermal evolution of the cloud are studied. For a simulated $10^5\, \mathrm{M}_\odot$ fractal cloud, an X-ray flux <0.01 erg cm−2 s−1 allows the cloud to remain molecular, whereas most of the CO and H2 are destroyed for a flux of ≥1 erg cm−2 s−1. The effects of an X-ray flare, which suddenly increases the X-ray flux by 105×, are then studied. A cloud exposed to a bright flare has 99 per cent of its CO destroyed in 10–20 yr, whereas it takes >103 yr for 99 per cent of the H2 to be destroyed. CO is primarily destroyed by locally generated far-UV emission from collisions between non-thermal electrons and H2; He+ only becomes an important destruction agent when the CO abundance is already very small. After the flare is over, CO re-forms and approaches its equilibrium abundance after 103–105 yr. This implies that molecular clouds close to Sgr A⋆ in the Galactic Centre may still be out of chemical equilibrium, and we predict the existence of clouds near flaring X-ray sources in which CO has been mostly destroyed but H is fully molecular.
FVNet: 3D Front-View Proposal Generation for Real-Time Object Detection from Point Clouds

3D object detection from raw and sparse point clouds has been far less treated to date, compared with its 2D counterpart. In this paper, we propose a novel framework called FVNet for 3D front-view proposal generation and object detection from point clouds. It consists of two stages: generation of front-view proposals and estimation of 3D bounding box parameters. Instead of generating proposals from camera images or bird's-eye-view maps, we first project point clouds onto a cylindrical surface to generate front-view feature maps which retains rich information. We then introduce a proposal generation network to predict 3D region proposals from the generated maps and further extrude objects of interest from the whole point cloud. Finally, we present another network to extract the point-wise features from the extruded object points and regress the final 3D bounding box parameters in the canonical coordinates. Our framework achieves real-time performance with 12ms per point cloud sample. Extensive experiments on the 3D detection benchmark KITTI show that the proposed architecture outperforms state-of-the-art techniques which take either camera images or point clouds as input, in terms of accuracy and inference time.
Machine learning and the physical sciences

Machine learning (ML) encompasses a broad range of algorithms and modeling tools used for a vast array of data processing tasks, which has entered most scientific disciplines in recent years. This article reviews in a selective way the recent research on the interface between machine learning and the physical sciences. This includes conceptual developments in ML motivated by physical insights, applications of machine learning techniques to several domains in physics, and cross fertilization between the two fields. After giving a basic notion of machine learning methods and principles, examples are described of how statistical physics is used to understand methods in ML. This review then describes applications of ML methods in particle physics and cosmology, quantum many-body physics, quantum computing, and chemical and material physics. Research and development into novel computing architectures aimed at accelerating ML are also highlighted. Each of the sections describe recent successes as well as domain-specific methodology and challenges.
Randomized controlled trial of the effects of nursing care based on a telephone intervention for medication adherence in schizophrenia.

PURPOSE Our aim was to determine the effects of "Telephone Intervention Problem Solving" (TIPS) on medication adherence among individuals diagnosed with schizophrenia. DESIGN AND METHODS This randomized controlled trial was conducted with 45 patients. TIPS was applied to the intervention group for 2 months, whereas the control group received routine care. FINDINGS We found that the rate of voluntary continuation of medicine (P < 0.001), belief in the necessity of medication (P = 0.008) and medication adherence scores were higher in the intervention group (P < 0.001). PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS This study may serve as a guide for applying telephone communication to clinical interventions in psychiatric nursing.