Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Joint-modal Distribution-based Similarity Hashing for Large-scale Unsupervised Deep Cross-modal Retrieval

Hashing-based cross-modal search which aims to map multiple modality features into binary codes has attracted increasingly attention due to its storage and search efficiency especially in large-scale database retrieval. Recent unsupervised deep cross-modal hashing methods have shown promising results. However, existing approaches typically suffer from two limitations: (1) They usually learn cross-modal similarity information separately or in a redundant fusion manner, which may fail to capture semantic correlations among instances from different modalities sufficiently and effectively. (2) They seldom consider the sampling and weighting schemes for unsupervised cross-modal hashing, resulting in the lack of satisfactory discriminative ability in hash codes. To overcome these limitations, we propose a novel unsupervised deep cross-modal hashing method called Joint-modal Distribution-based Similarity Hashing (JDSH) for large-scale cross-modal retrieval. Firstly, we propose a novel cross-modal joint-training method by constructing a joint-modal similarity matrix to fully preserve the cross-modal semantic correlations among instances. Secondly, we propose a sampling and weighting scheme termed the Distribution-based Similarity Decision and Weighting (DSDW) method for unsupervised cross-modal hashing, which is able to generate more discriminative hash codes by pushing semantic similar instance pairs closer and pulling semantic dissimilar instance pairs apart. The experimental results demonstrate the superiority of JDSH compared with several unsupervised cross-modal hashing methods on two public datasets NUS-WIDE and MIRFlickr.
Learning-Based Demand Response for Privacy-Preserving Users

Demand response (DR), as a vital component of smart grid, plays an important role in shaping the load profiles in order to improve system reliability and efficiency. Incentive-based DR has been used in many DR programs by incentivizing customers to adapt their loads to supply availability. Note that users’ behavior patterns can be easily identified from fine-grained power consumption when interacting with the load serving entity (LSE), giving rise to serious privacy concerns. One common approach to address the privacy threats is to incorporate perturbations in users’ load measurements. Although it can protect the users’ privacy, yet the usage data modification would degrade the LSE's performance in achieving an optimal incentive strategy due to unknown characteristics of the augmented perturbations. In this paper, we cast the incentive-based DR problem as a stochastic Stackelberg game. To tackle the challenge induced by users’ privacy protection behaviors, we propose a two-timescale reinforcement learning algorithm to learn the optimal incentive strategy under users’ perturbed responses. The proposed algorithm computes the expected utility cost to mitigate the impacts of the random characteristics of the augmented perturbations and then updates the incentive strategy based on the perceived expected utility costs. We derive the conditions under which the proposed incentive scheme converges almost surely to an $\epsilon$-optimal strategy. The efficacy of the proposed algorithm is demonstrated using extensive numerical simulation using real data.
Bacterial whole genome sequencing: The future of clinical bacteriology

Corresponding Author: Dr. Shamsudin Aliyu, Department of Medical Microbiology, Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital, Shika, Zaria, Kaduna State, Nigeria. E-mail: shamsualiyu@gmail.com The genomic revolution promises to transform the practice of medicine, including the specialty of clinical microbiology. Clinical microbiology is the branch of medicine that is concerned with the laboratory diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of infectious diseases. Clinical microbiology helps to direct the management of infections in individual patients (diagnostic microbiology), and helps to monitor and control the spread of infectious diseases (public health microbiology). Ongoing developments in sequencing technology will have a huge impact on the way clinical microbiologist identify and characterize all pathogens, namely bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites. However, because of the burden of infections caused by bacterial pathogens worldwide, this editorial focuses on the impact of whole genome sequencing (WGS) on clinical bacteriology.
Gray matter alterations in restless legs syndrome

Abstract Background: Voxel-based morphometry (VBM) is an objective structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technique which allows researchers to investigate group-level differences in regional gray matter (GM) volume or density over the whole brain. In the last decade, VBM studies in restless leg syndrome (RLS) have exhibited inconsistent and conflicting findings. Methods: Studies will be identified through a computerized literature search of the following databases: PubMed, Web of Science, and Embase until October 1, 2018 and updated on March 1, 2020. This protocol will be performed in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic review and Meta-Analysis Protocols (PRISMA-P). In addition, we will follow the recent guidelines and recommendations for coordinate-based meta-analysis (CBMA). This CBMA will be performed with the seed-based d mapping with permutation of subject images (SDM-PSI) software. Results: This CBMA will offer the latest evidence of GM alterations in RLS. Conclusions: To our knowledge, this will be the first CBMA that pooled VBM findings in RLS. This quantitative evidence of GM alterations will characterize brain morphometry of RLS. PROSPERO registration number: CRD42018117014.
Downregulation of miR-193a-3p via targeting cyclin D1 in thyroid cancer

Thyroid cancer (TC) is a frequently occurring malignant tumor with a rising steadily incidence. microRNA (miRNA/miR)-193a-3p is an miRNA that is associated with tumors, playing a crucial role in the genesis and progression of various cancers. However, the expression levels of miR-193a-3p and its molecular mechanisms in TC remain to be elucidated. The present study aimed to probe the expression of miR-193a-3p and its clinical significance in TC, including its underlying molecular mechanisms. Microarray and RNA sequencing data gathered from three major databases, specifically Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO), ArrayExpress and The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) databases, and the relevant data from the literature were used to examine miR-193a-3p expression. Meta-analysis was also conducted to evaluate the association between clinicopathological parameters and miR-193a-3p in 510 TC and 59 normal samples from the TCGA database. miRWalk 3.0, and the TCGA and GEO databases were used to predict the candidate target genes of miR-193a-3p. Gene Ontology, Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes and protein-protein interaction network enrichment analyses were conducted by using the predicted candidate target genes to investigate the underlying carcinogenic mechanisms. A dual luciferase assay was performed to validate the targeting regulatory association between the most important hub gene cyclin D1 (CCND1) and miR-193a-3p. miR-193a-3p expression was considerably downregulated in TC compared with in the non-cancer controls (P<0.001). The area under the curve of the summary receiver operating characteristic was 0.80. Downregulation of miR-193a-3p was also significantly associated with age, sex and metastasis (P=0.020, 0.044 and 0.048, respectively). Bioinformatics analysis indicated that a low miR-193a-3p expression may augment CCND1 expression to affect the biological processes of TC. In addition, CCND1, as a straightforward target, was validated through a dual luciferase assay. miR-193a-3p and CCND1 may serve as prognostic biomarkers of TC. Finally, miR-193a-3p may possess a crucial role in the genesis and progression of TC by altering the CCND1 expression.
Maternal embryonic leucine zipper kinase serves as a poor prognosis marker and therapeutic target in osteosarcoma

Osteosarcoma is the most common primary malignancy of bones and frequently affects young children and adolescents. There are several challenges associated with treating osteosarcoma owing to the aggressiveness of the disease, as well as the risk of chemoresistance. Numerous studies are being performed with the aim of identifying improved prognostic and therapeutic markers for this malignancy. Maternal embryonic leucine zipper kinase (MELK) is an oncogene that has been studied in several types of cancer in recent years. In the present study, the expression of MELK in osteosarcoma and normal tissue samples was examined, and the effects of MELK expression on osteosarcoma cellular proliferation, metastasis, the cell cycle and apoptosis were demonstrated using CCK-8, wound healing, migration and invasion and apoptosis assays. The role of MELK in cancer progression in osteosarcoma was determined, revealing the association between MELK expression and prognosis of osteosarcoma. It was demonstrated that knockdown of MELK resulted in reduced proliferation, migration and invasion in vitro along with potentiation of apoptosis and cell cycle arrest. Furthermore, the effect of the targeted MELK inhibitor, OTSSP167, on tumor progression of osteosarcoma in vitro and in vivo was assessed. Mechanistically, it was demonstrated that MELK promoted osteosarcoma proliferation and metastasis by regulating PCNA and MMP9 expression via the PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway. Thus, the present study revealed the oncogenic role played by MELK, and established MELK as a valuable prognostic and therapeutic marker in osteosarcoma.
Cultural Stress and Substance Use Risk among Venezuelan Migrant Youth in the United States

Abstract Background Since 2015, more than four million Venezuelans have fled their once prosperous nation, prompting an ever-intensifying refugee crisis. Recent research with Venezuelan parents suggests that many are exposed to elevated migration-related stress, experience behavioral health problems, and express profound concern for their children’s post-migration wellbeing. We examine the relationships between stress, family functioning, and substance use risk with a cultural stress theoretical lens. Methods: Survey data were collected between November 2018 and June 2019 from 402 recently-arrived Venezuelan immigrant youth ages 10–17. Outcomes include perceived discrimination, negative context of reception, family support/communication, and substance use intentions and normative beliefs. Structural equation modeling was used to examine the relationships between variables. Results: Structural equation modeling results indicated that negative context of reception was associated with permissive substance use norms (via family communication; B = 0.070, p < .01) and intentions to use (via family support; B = 0.051, p < .01). Discrimination was not mediated by family functioning, rather it exerted a direct effect on substance use norms (β = 0.20, p < .01) and intentions (β = 0.33, p < .001). Discussion: We see clear evidence that negative context of reception and discrimination are related to substance use risk, both directly (in the case of discrimination) and indirectly (in the case of negative context of reception). Given the manifold stressors faced by Venezuelan immigrants both prior to migration and in the process of resettling in the US, it is critical that practitioners and policymakers support this rapidly-growing population.
The effect of early trough level of infliximab on subsequent disease course in patients with Crohn disease

Abstract Decreased trough level of infliximab (TLI) is associated with diminished efficacy in patients with Crohn disease (CD). We examined whether TLI at 14 weeks subsequent to the start of infliximab (IFX) treatment would impact long-term clinical course. Serum IFX levels and antibodies to IFX (ATI) at 14 and 54 weeks after IFX administration were measured in 12 patients with mild to moderate CD. We examined patient background, clinical severity, blood test values, and the relationship between ATI and TLI up to 108 weeks. We compared the group with TLI < 3 μg/mL at 14 weeks (TLI(14) < 3 group) the group with TLI > 3 μg/mL (TLI(14) ≥ 3 group). Patients in the TLI(14) ≥ 3 group were significantly more likely to use immunomodulators before IFX treatment induction (P = .01). At 54 weeks, 2 cases of ATI production were observed in the TLI(14) < 3 group, but no ATI production was observed in the TLI(14) ≥ 3 group. TLI in the TLI(14) ≥ 3 group at 54 weeks was significantly higher than in the TLI(14) < 3 group (6.5 μg/mL vs 1.0 μg/mL; P < .01). Although CD activity index and serum albumin values in the TLI(14) ≥ 3 group at 14, 54, and 108 weeks significantly improved compared to baseline, these improvements were not observed in the TLI(14) < 3 group. The remission maintenance rate at 108 weeks evaluated with the Kaplan–Meier method was significantly higher in the TLI(14) ≥ 3 group than the TLI(14) < 3 group (100% vs 33.3%; P = .02). The TLI 14 weeks after IFX treatment in patients with CD affects long-term outcome.
Electroformation of liposomes and phytosomes using copper electrode

Abstract A novel method for electroformation of liposomes and phytosomes using copper electrode is described. Liposomes made at 2 V and 10 Hz AC field from L-α-egg-phosphatidylcholine (egg-PC), K. pneumoniae phosphatidylethanolamine, K. pneumoniae polar lipids and E. coli polar lipids on copper electrode were (777.9 ± 118.4), (370.2 ± 100.5), (825.3 ± 21.54), and (281.3 ± 42.3) nm in diameter, respectively. Giant vesicles were formed at 30 V and 10 Hz AC field from polar lipids of K. pneumoniae and E. coli were (106 ± 29.7) and (86 ± 24.3) µm in diameter, respectively. All liposomes were unilamellar as indicated by their unilamellar indices of 50 ± 2, had surface charge comparable to vesicles made from lipid(s) with similar composition and exhibited only 1–2 mol% of oxidized lipids. Cu concentration in the liposomal samples was <1.5 ppm for large unilamellar vesicles (LUVs) and ˂5 ppm for giant unilamellar vesicles (GUVs). The vesicles were stable for >15 d without loss of their size, charge, or unilamellarity. The method was successfully applied to prepare phytosomes from egg-PC and a phytochemical fraction of Dimorphocalyx glabellus, a medicinal plant with anti-diuretic properties. Phytosomes formed were 1000–1500 nm in diameter and exhibited altered fluorescence and absorbance properties compared to the unencapsulated phytochemical. Phytosomes with phytochemical: egg-PC ratio from 0.15 to 1.5 had encapsulation efficiency ranging 90–30%, respectively, and was stable for 1 month. Our method is easy, inexpensive and convenient that will prove to be useful for preparation of liposomes and phytosomes.
Phasin interactome reveals the interplay of PhaF with the polyhydroxyalkanoate transcriptional regulatory protein PhaD in Pseudomonas putida

Summary Phasin PhaF, a multifunctional protein associated with the surface of polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) granules that also interacts with the nucleoid, contributes significantly to PHA biogenesis in pseudomonads. As a protein present on the surface of PHA granules, PhaF participates in granule stabilization and segregation, whereas its deletion has a notable impact on overall transcriptome, PHA accumulation and cell physiology, suggesting more extensive functions besides solely being a granule structural protein. Here, we followed a systematic approach to detect potential interactions of PhaF with other components of the cell, which could pinpoint unexplored functions of PhaF in the regulation of PHA production. We determined the PhaF interactome in Pseudomonas putida KT2440 via pull‐down‐mass spectrometry (PD‐MS) experiments. PhaF complexed with PHA‐related proteins, phasin PhaI and the transcriptional regulator PhaD, interactions that were verified to be direct using in vivo two‐hybrid analysis. The determination of the PHA granule proteome showed that PhaI and three other potential PhaF interacting partners, but not PhaD, were granule‐associated proteins. Analysis of the interaction of PhaF and PhaD with the phaI promoter by EMSA suggested a new role for PhaF in interacting with PhaD and raises new questions on the regulatory system controlling pha gene expression.
MACHINE LEARNING USING SPEECH UTTERANCES FOR PARKINSON DISEASE DETECTION

Pathophysiological recordings of patients measured from various testing methods are frequently used in the medical field for determining symptoms as well as for probability prediction for selected diseases. There are numerous symptoms among the Parkinson’s disease (PD) population, however changes in speech and articulation – is potentially the most significant biomarker. This article is focused on PD diagnosis classification based on their speech signals using pattern recognition methods (AdaBoost, Bagged trees, Quadratic SVM and k-NN). The dataset investigated in the article consists of 30 PD and 30 HC individuals’ voice measurements, with each individual being represented with 2 recordings within the dataset. Training signals for PD and HC underwent an extraction of relatively well-discriminating features relating to energy and spectral speech properties. Model implementations included a 5-fold cross validation. The accuracy of the values obtained employing the models was calculated using the confusion matrix. The average value of the overall accuracy = 82.3 % and averaged AUC = 0.88 (min. AUC = 0.86) on the available data.
Effects of candidate genes' polymorphisms on meat quality traits in pigs

Abstract The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in nine candidate genes on meat quality traits in longissimus dorsi muscle of pigs. Each SNP allele's main effects were as follows: ADRB3 c. 1192G allele increased intramuscular fat (IMF; p<0.01) and yellowness (p<0.05). MC4R c. 745G allele increased body weight (p<0.05). LEPR c. 232T allele increased rib eye area and decreased tenderness (p<0.05). HSL c. 873G allele increased rib eye area and decreased IMF and backfat thickness (p<0.05). LPL c. 74T allele increased IMF, tenderness, and yellowness (p<0.05). MYF5 c. 1205A allele improved tenderness (p<0.05). H-FABP c. 1322T allele improved tenderness and yellowness (p<0.05). PPARγ c. 175G allele decreased water loss (p<0.05). The identified genetic markers might be useful for evaluation and utilization of meat quality related gene in the effort to improve porcine meat quality.
Female reproductive state is associated with changes in distinct arginine vasotocin cell types in the preoptic area of Astatotilapia burtoni

Nonapeptides play a crucial role in mediating reproduction, aggression, and parental care across taxa. In fishes, arginine vasotocin (AVT) expression is related to social and/or reproductive status in most male fishes studied to date, and is linked to territorial defense, paternal care, and courtship. Despite a plethora of studies examining AVT in male fishes, relatively little is known about how AVT expression varies with female reproductive state or its role in female social behaviors. We used multiple methods for examining the AVT system in female African cichlid fish Astatotilapia burtoni, including immunohistochemistry for AVT, in situ hybridization for avt‐mRNA, and quantitative PCR. Ovulated and mouthbrooding females had similar numbers of parvocellular, magnocellular, and gigantocellular AVT cells in the preoptic area. However, ovulated females had larger magnocellular and gigantocellular cells compared to mouthbrooding females, and gigantocellular AVT cell size correlated with the number of days brooding, such that late‐stage brooding females had larger AVT cells than mid‐stage brooding females. In addition, we found that ventral hypothalamic cells were more prominent in females compared to males, and were larger in mouthbrooding compared to ovulated females, suggesting a role in maternal care. Together, these data indicate that AVT neurons change across the reproductive cycle in female fishes, similar to that seen in males. These data on females complement studies in male A. burtoni, providing a comprehensive picture of the regulation and potential function of different AVT cell types in reproduction and social behaviors in both sexes.
X chromosome dosage of histone demethylase KDM5C determines sex differences in adiposity.

Males and females differ in body composition and fat distribution. Using a mouse model that segregates gonadal sex (ovaries and testes) from chromosomal sex (XX and XY), we showed that XX chromosome complement in combination with a high-fat diet led to enhanced weight gain in the presence of male or female gonads. We identified the genomic dosage of Kdm5c, an X chromosome gene that escapes X-chromosome inactivation, as a determinant of the X chromosome effect on adiposity. Modulating Kdm5c gene dosage in XX female mice to levels that are normally present in males reduced body weight, fat content, and food intake to a similar degree as altering the entire X chromosome dosage. In cultured preadipocytes, the levels of KDM5C histone demethylase influenced chromatin accessibility (ATAC-seq), gene expression (RNA-seq), and adipocyte differentiation. Both in vitro and in vivo, Kdm5c dosage influenced gene expression involved in extracellular matrix remodeling, which is critical for adipocyte differentiation and adipose tissue expansion. In humans, adipose tissue KDM5C mRNA levels and KDM5C genetic variants were associated with body mass. These studies demonstrate that the sex-dependent dosage of Kdm5c contributes to male/female differences in adipocyte biology, and highlight X-escape genes as a critical component of female physiology.
The possible role of the seaweed Sargassum vulgare as a promising functional food ingredient minimizing aspartame-associated toxicity in rats

ABSTRACT Thirty-two male Wistar albino rats were chosen to test the possible protective role of antioxidants of the edible seaweed Sargassum vulgare as a functional food additive to alleviate oxidative stress and toxicity associated with consumption of the artificial sweetener ‘aspartame (ASP)’. Biochemical and spleen histopathological analyses of the orally ASP-administrated rats, at a dose of 500 mg/kg for one week daily, showed different apoptotic and inflammatory patterns. Rats treated with ASP and then supplemented orally with the S. vulgare-MeOH extract, at a dose of 150 mg/kg for three consecutive weeks daily, showed significant positive reactions in all investigated assays related to ASP consumption. The protective and immune-stimulant efficacy of S. vulgare-MeOH extract, inferred from combating oxidative stress-induced lipid peroxidation, modulating the low levels of the endogenous antioxidant enzymes superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) and of the thyroid hormones T3 and T4, attenuating the elevated levels of apoptotic CASP-3 and inflammatory biomarkers TNF-α and IL-6, as well as heat shock proteins (Hsp70), can be most likely ascribed to the synergistic effect of its potent antioxidant phenolics (mainly gallic, ferulic, salicylic, and chlorogenic, and p-coumaric acids) and flavonoids (rutin, kaempferol, and hesperidin). Mechanism of action of these natural antioxidants was discussed.