Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Human motor unit characteristics of the superior trapezius muscle with age-related comparisons.

Current understanding of human motor unit (MU) control and ageing is mostly derived from hand and limb muscles that have spinal motor neuron innervations. The aim here was to characterize and test whether a muscle with a shared innervation supply from brainstem and spinal MU populations will demonstrate similar age-related adaptations as those reported for other muscles. In humans, the superior trapezius (ST) muscle acts to elevate and stabilize the scapula and has primary efferent supply from the spinal accessory nerve (cranial nerve XI) located in the brainstem. We compared electrophysiological properties obtained from intramuscular and surface recordings between ten young (22-33 yrs) and ten old (77-88 yrs) men at a range of voluntary isometric contraction intensities (from 15-100% of maximal efforts). The old group was 41% weaker with 43% lower MU discharge frequencies compared to the young (47.2 ± 9.6 Hz young and 26.7 ± 5.8 Hz old, P < 0.05) during maximal efforts. There was no difference in MU number estimation between age groups (228 ± 105 young and 209 ± 89 old, P = 0.33). Furthermore, there were no differences in needle detected near fibre (NF) stability parameters of jitter or jiggle. The old group had lower amplitude and smaller area of the stimulated compound muscle action potential and smaller NF MU potential area with higher NF counts. Thus, despite age-related ST weakness and lower MU discharge rates, there was minimal evidence of MU loss or compensatory reinnervation.
Comparative Evaluation of Hormones and Hormone-Like Molecule in Lineage Specification of Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells

Background and Objectives Proficient differentiation of human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) into specific lineages is required for applications in regenerative medicine. A growing amount of evidences had implicated hormones and hormone-like molecules as critical regulators of proliferation and lineage specification during in vivo development. Therefore, a deeper understanding of the hormones and hormone-like molecules involved in cell fate decisions is critical for efficient and controlled differentiation of hPSCs into specific lineages. Thus, we functionally and quantitatively compared the effects of diverse hormones (estradiol 17-β (E2), progesterone (P4), and dexamethasone (DM)) and a hormone-like molecule (retinoic acid (RA)) on the regulation of hematopoietic and neural lineage specification. Methods and Results We used 10 nM E2, 3 μM P4, 10 nM DM, and 10 nM RA based on their functional in vivo developmental potential. The sex hormone E2 enhanced functional activity of hematopoietic progenitors compared to P4 and DM, whereas RA impaired hematopoietic differentiation. In addition, E2 increased CD34+CD45+ cells with progenitor functions, even in the CD43− population, a well-known hemogenic marker. RA exhibited lineage-biased potential, preferentially committing hPSCs toward the neural lineage while restricting the hematopoietic fate decision. Conclusions Our findings reveal unique cell fate potentials of E2 and RA treatment and provide valuable differentiation information that is essential for hPSC applications.
Residual structures and transient long-range interactions of p53 transactivation domain: Assessment of explicit solvent protein force fields.

Molecular dynamics simulations using physics-based atomistic force fields have been increasingly used to characterize the heterogeneous structural ensembles of intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs). To evaluate the accuracy of latest atomistic explicit-solvent force fields in modelling larger IDPs with non-trivial structural features, we focus on the 61-residue N-terminal transactivation domain (TAD) of tumor suppressor p53, an important protein in cancer biology that has been extensively studied and abundant experimental data is available for evaluation of simulated ensembles. We performed extensive replica exchange with solute tempering simulations, in excess of 1.0 μs/replica, to generate disordered structural ensembles of p53-TAD using six latest explicit solvent protein force fields. Multiple local and long-range structural properties, including chain dimension, residual secondary structures, and transient long-range contacts, were analyzed and compared against available experimental data. The results show that IDPs such as p53-TAD remains highly challenging for atomistic simulations due to conformational complexity and difficulty in achieving adequate convergence. Structural ensembles of p53-TAD generated using various force fields differ significantly from each other. The a99SB-disp force field demonstrates the best agreement with experimental data at all levels, and proves to be suitable for simulating unbound p53-TAD and how its conformational properties may be modulated by phosphorylation and other cellular signals or cancer-associated mutations. Feasibility of such detailed structural characterization is a key step towards establishing the sequence-disordered ensemble-function-disease relationship of p53 and other biologically important IDPs.
Macrococcus canis contains recombinogenic methicillin resistance elements and the mecB plasmid found in Staphylococcus aureus.

OBJECTIVES To analyse the genetic context of mecB in two Macrococcus canis strains from dogs, compare the mecB-containing elements with those found in other Macrococcus and Staphylococcus species, and identify possible mobilizable mecB subunits. METHODS Whole genomes of the M. canis strains Epi0076A and KM0218 were sequenced using next-generation sequencing technologies. Multiple PCRs and restriction analysis confirmed structures of mecB-containing elements, circularization and recombination of mecB subunits. RESULTS Both M. canis strains contained novel composite pseudo (Ψ) staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec (SCCmec) elements. Integration site sequences for SCC flanked and subdivided composite ΨSCCmecEpi0076A (69 569 bp) into ΨSCC1Epi0076A-ΨSCCmecEpi0076A-ΨSCC2Epi0076A and composite ΨSCCmecKM0218 (24 554 bp) into ΨSCCKM0218-ΨSCCmecKM0218. Putative γ-haemolysin genes (hlgB and hlgC) were found at the 3' end of both composite elements. ΨSCCmecKM0218 contained a complete mecB gene complex (mecIm-mecR1m-mecB-blaZm) downstream of a new IS21-family member (ISMaca1). ΨSCCmecEpi0076A carried a blaZm-deleted mecB gene complex similar to that reported in 'Macrococcus goetzii' CCM4927T. A second mecB gene was found on the 81 325 bp MDR plasmid pKM0218 in KM0218. This plasmid contained a complete Tn6045-associated mecB gene complex distinct from that of ΨSCCmecKM0218. pKM0218 was almost identical to the mecB-containing plasmid recently reported in Staphylococcus aureus (overall 99.96% nucleotide identity). Mobilization of mecB within an unconventional circularizable structure was observed in Epi0076A as well as chromosomal plasmid insertion via recombination of mecB operons in KM0218. CONCLUSIONS Our findings provide evidence of both the continuing evolution of mecB-containing elements in macrococci and M. canis as a potential source of the mecB-containing plasmid found in staphylococci.
Affective distraction along the flexibility-stability continuum

ABSTRACT This study explored whether conditions that promote flexibility in task processing enhance the detrimental impact of irrelevant negative stimulation on performance. We approached this flexibility from a transient and a sustained perspective, by manipulating whether participants repeated or switched between two tasks in consecutive trials and whether they performed the tasks in separate blocks or randomly mixed. Participants categorised either a letter or the colour of a bar, which were presented close to an irrelevant negative or neutral picture. Performance was worse in the presence of negative rather than neutral pictures. Repeating or switching tasks transiently did not modulate this detrimental impact of affective distraction in three experiments (nExp1 = 32, nExp2 = 32, nExp3 = 64). Attentional capture by negative content did decline in single compared to mixed task contexts, but only when these sustained task contexts also differed in the frequency of affective stimulation. When affective stimulation was the same in mixed and single task contexts, this modulation vanished. Overall, these results suggest that the influence of task-irrelevant negative stimulation on performance is surprisingly independent of cognitive states that favour either flexible or stable processing of task-relevant information.
Parents Influence the Visual Learning Environment Through Children's Manual Actions.

The present research studied children in the second year of life (N = 29, Mage = 21.14 months, SD = 2.64 months) using experimental manipulations within and between subjects to show that responsive parental influence helps children have more frequent sustained object holds with fewer switches between objects compared to when parents are either not involved or over-involved. Regardless of parental involvement, sustained holds were visually rich, based on the size, centeredness, and dominance of the held object relative to other objects. These findings are important because they suggest not only that the child's body creates visually rich scenes across play contexts but also that a responsive parent can increase the frequency of these visually rich and informative moments.
TheraSling Therapy (TST) Combined with Neuromuscular Facilitation Technique on Hemiplegic Gait in Patients with Stroke

Background TheraSling therapy (TST) is a kind of rehabilitation therapy for patients with stroke in order to improving neural function. The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical efficacy of TST combined with neuromuscular facilitation technique on hemiplegic gait in patients with stroke. Material/Methods Fifty-six patients with abnormal gait after stroke were recruited for this study and assigned randomly to either the control group (n=28) or the TST experiment group (n=28). Patients in the 2 groups all received neuromuscular facilitation technique treatment. In addition, patients in the TST experiment group were received TST. Treatments were 45 minutes a day for 6 weeks. Result The functional ambulation category (FAC) score, improved Barthel index, Fugl-Meyer assessment (FMA), Berg balance scale (BBS), and 10 meters walking time and step length were significantly improve in both the TST experiment group and the control group after 6 weeks of treatment with a statistical difference (P<0.05). And the aforementioned indices in the TST experiment group after treatment were significantly higher than those of control group (P<0.05). Conclusions Lower extremity motor function and quality of life were significantly improved by TST combined with neuromuscular facilitation technique. However, the study had a small sample size, thus, further multicenter well-designed prospective randomized controlled trials are needed to confirm our findings.
Improving Terrestrial Squamate Surveys with Camera-Trap Programming and Hardware Modifications

Simple Summary Camera-traps are a useful tool in wildlife research and management, as they allow researchers to observe wildlife with minimal intrusion. However, despite their utility, the rapid pace of technological change and the relative novelty of camera-traps in wildlife research mean that many aspects of their use have not been resolved. Put simply, it may be possible to use camera-traps far more effectively than they are currently being used. Here, we examined whether detections of terrestrial snakes and lizards could be improved with camera-traps by using both time-lapse and passive infrared triggers, which are present on most camera-traps, and by adjusting the focal length of the camera to improve image clarity. Additionally, we examined whether increasing the sensitivity of passive infrared sensors is of benefit. We found that using both types of trigger simultaneously improves detections of terrestrial snakes and lizards, and users can modify the focal length to improve image clarity of fauna that occur close to the lens. These minor adjustments in the use of camera-traps result in major improvements for detecting terrestrial snakes and lizards. Abstract Camera-traps are used widely around the world to census a range of vertebrate fauna, particularly mammals but also other groups including birds, as well as snakes and lizards (squamates). In an attempt to improve the reliability of camera-traps for censusing squamates, we examined whether programming options involving time lapse capture of images increased detections. This was compared to detections by camera-traps set to trigger by the standard passive infrared sensor setting (PIR), and camera-traps set to take images using time lapse in combination with PIR. We also examined the effect of camera trap focal length on the ability to tell different species of small squamate apart. In a series of side-by-side field comparisons, camera-traps programmed to take images at standard intervals, as well as through routine triggering of the PIR, captured more images of squamates than camera-traps using the PIR sensor setting alone or time lapse alone. Similarly, camera traps with their lens focal length set at closer distances improved our ability to discriminate species of small squamates. With these minor alterations to camera-trap programming and hardware, the quantity and quality of squamate detections was markedly better. These gains provide a platform for exploring other aspects of camera-trapping for squamates that might to lead to even greater survey advances, bridging the gap in knowledge of this otherwise poorly known faunal group.
Acoustic Impulsive Noise Based on Non-Gaussian Models: An Experimental Evaluation

In general, acoustic channels are not Gaussian distributed neither are second-order stationary. Considering them for signal processing methods designed for Gaussian assumptions is inadequate, consequently yielding in poor performance of such methods. This paper presents an analysis for audio signal corrupted by impulsive noise using non-Gaussian models. Audio samples are compared to the Gaussian, α-stable and Gaussian mixture models, evaluating the fitting by graphical and numerical methods. We discuss fitting properties as the window length and the overlap, finally concluding that the α-stable model has the best fit for all tested scenarios.
Effect of belimumab on proteinuria and anti-phospholipase A2 receptor autoantibody in primary membranous nephropathy

Abstract Background Immunosuppressant drugs reduce proteinuria and anti-phospholipase A2 receptor autoantibodies (PLA2R-Ab) in primary membranous nephropathy (PMN) with varying success and associated toxicities. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of belimumab on proteinuria and PLA2R-Ab in participants with PMN. Methods In this prospective, open-label, experimental medicine study, 14 participants with PMN and persistent nephrotic-range proteinuria received up to 2 years belimumab monotherapy (10 mg/kg, every 4 weeks). Changes in proteinuria (urinary protein:creatinine ratio), PLA2R-Ab, albumin, cholesterol, B-cell subsets and pharmacokinetics were analysed during treatment and up to 6 months after treatment. Results Eleven participants completed to the primary endpoint (Week 28) and nine participants completed the study. In the intention-to-treat population population, baseline proteinuria of 724 mg/mmol [95% confidence interval (CI) 579–906] decreased to 498 mg/mmol (95% CI 383–649) and 130 mg/mmol (95% CI 54–312) at Weeks 28 and 104, respectively, with changes statistically significant from Week 36 (n = 11, P = 0.047). PLA2R-Ab decreased from 174 RU/mL (95% CI 79–384) at baseline to 46 RU/mL (95% CI 16–132) and 4 RU/mL (95% CI 2–6) at Weeks 28 and 104, respectively, becoming statistically significant by Week 12 (n = 13, P = 0.02). Nine participants achieved partial (n = 8) or complete (n = 1) remission. Participants with abnormal albumin and/or cholesterol at baseline gained normal/near normal levels by the last follow-up. Adverse events were consistent with those expected in this population. Conclusions Belimumab treatment in participants with PMN can reduce PLA2R-Ab and subsequently proteinuria, important preludes to remission induction.
Role and molecular mechanism of stem cells in colorectal cancer initiation

Abstract In recent years, the rate of colorectal cancer has sharply increased, especially in China, where it ranks second for the number of cancer fatalities. Currently, the treatment of colorectal cancer patients involves the combination of resection surgery and treatment with postoperative anticancer drugs such as 5-FU and oxaliplatin. However, recurrence and metastasis after treatment are still the dominant reasons for the low survival rate. Colorectal cancer stem cells (CSCs) are regarded as the key contributors to tumour recurrence and metastasis due to their resistance to chemotherapy drugs and their extremely high tumourigenicity. Once CSCs overcome chemotherapy treatment, they continue to survive and reinitiate proliferation to form tumours, leading to recurrence. The dominant reason for CSC resistance is that most anticancer drugs are aimed at inhibiting proliferative pathways in cancer cells that differ from those in CSCs. Therefore, studies on the characteristics of CSCs and their intracellular molecular pathways are essential for the exploration of CSC-targeted drugs. In this report, we review recent advances in the research of CSCs and, in particular, review the important intracellular molecular pathways, such as HOXA5-catenin, STRAP-NOTCH and YAP/TAZ, related to the maintenance and differentiation of stem cells to generate a theoretical basis for the exploration of CSC-targeted drugs.
A prediction model on rockburst intensity grade based on variable weight and matter-element extension

Rockburst is a common dynamic disaster in deep underground engineering. To accurately predict rockburst intensity grade, this study proposes a novel rockburst prediction model based on variable weight and matter-element extension theory. In the proposed model, variable weight theory is used to optimize the weights of prediction indexes. Matter-element extension theory and grade variable method are used to calculate the grade variable interval corresponding to the classification standard of rockburst intensity grade. The rockburst intensity grade of Engineering Rock Mass is predicted by rock burst intensity level variable and the interval. Finally, the model is tested by predicting the rockburst intensity grades of worldwide several projects. The prediction results are compared with the actual rockburst intensity grades and the prediction results of other models. The results indicate that, after using variable weight theory and grade variable method, the correct rate of prediction results of matter-element extension model is improved, and the safety of the prediction results is also enhanced. This study provides a new way to predict rock burst in underground engineering.
Pulmonary capillary surface area in supine exercising humans: demonstration of vascular recruitment.

In exercising humans, cardiac output (CO) increases, with minor increases in pulmonary artery pressure (PAP). It is unknown if the CO is accommodated via distention of already perfused capillaries or via recruitment of non-concomitantly perfused pulmonary capillaries. Ten subjects (9 female) performed symptom-limited exercise. Six had resting mean PAP (PAPm) < 20 mm Hg and four had PAPm between 21 and 24 mm Hg. The first-pass pulmonary circulatory metabolism of 3H-benzoyl-Phe-Ala-Pro (BPAP) was measured at rest and at peak exercise, and functional capillary surface area (FCSA) was calculated. Data are mean±SD. Mean pulmonary arterial pressure rose from 18.8±3.3 SD mm Hg to 28.5±4.6, CO from 6.4±1.6 L/min to 13.4±2.9, and pulmonary artery wedge pressure from 14±3.3 mm Hg to 19.5±5 (all p ≤ 0.001). Percent BPAP metabolism fell from 74.7%±0.1 to 67.1±0.1, and FCSA/body surface area (FCSA/BSA) rose from 2939±640 mL/min/m2 to 5018±1032 (all p < 0.001). In nine subjects, the FCSA/BSA to CO relationship suggested principally capillary recruitment and not distention. In subject 10, a marathon runner, resting CO and FCSA/BSA were high, and increases with exercise suggested distention. Exercising humans demonstrate pulmonary capillary recruitment and distention. At moderate resting CO, increasing blood flow causes principally recruitment while, based on one subject, when exercise begins at high CO, further increases appear to cause distention. Our findings clarify an important physiologic question. The technique may provide a means for further understanding exercise physiology, its limitation in pulmonary hypertension, and responses to therapy.
Robust Image Segmentation Using LBP Embedded Region Merging

The region merging algorithm by the maximal similarity with color histogram has been applied successfully in color image segmentation. However, only using color histogram information is not sufficient and effective for superior segmentation. We propose a novel color image segmentation method based on region merging by using joint color-texture histogram in this paper. The proposed method incorporates both color histogram and texture histogram information to measure the similarity of different regions and thus to guide the region merging process. Experiments show that our method is more accurate and robust than traditional image segmentation methods based on region merging.
Perspectives from nongovernmental organizations on education and training needs for community disaster recovery.

OBJECTIVE Individuals leading nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) often lack adequate training to best serve their communities' needs during disaster recovery even as they are often tasked with filling in gaps left by governmental and private resources. Thus, it is essential that education and training initiatives address NGO efforts specifically. This paper identifies training and education needs as proffered by organizational representatives that have themselves been involved in long-term recovery efforts following disasters in the past 10 years across Texas. DESIGN, SETTING, AND SUBJECTS Qualitative interviews with nearly 100 local NGO representatives, government officials, and regional and state-level NGO representatives were conducted using purposive and snowball sampling. The participants conducted recovery activities in six different locations in Texas since 2008. RESULTS Many respondents noted that they had little experience in disaster recovery and a lack of understanding of what recovery involved. Interviewees identified needs for training including how to coordinate recovery tasks among multiple organizations and agencies (eg, who to involve, what skillsets are needed, what group structure should be formed), how to distribute financial and nonfinancial resources (eg, how to prioritize needs, how to distribute funds, who should receive funding), and how to manage media and external organizational attention. CONCLUSION This paper provides recommendations for augmenting existing NGO training and educational activities and developing new training schemes offering practical advice from recovery leaders who have been on the frontline of recent disasters.