Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Study of Hydroquinone Mediated Cytotoxicity and Hypopigmentation Effects from UVB-Irradiated Arbutin and DeoxyArbutin

Arbutin (Arb) and deoxyArbutin (dA) are both effective hypopigmentation agents. However, they are glucoside derivatives of hydroquinone (HQ), which may be decayed into HQ under higher energy environments. Therefore, safety and toxicity are very important issues when considering the usage of these compounds. However, no study has verified the properties of Ultra-Violet B (UVB)-irradiated Arb and dA. In this work, we investigated the cytotoxicity and hypopigmentation effects of UVB-irradiated Arb and dA in Detroit 551 human fibroblast cells and B16-F10 mouse melanoma cells. The results showed that UVB-irradiated Arb and dA have strong cytotoxicity for the fibroblast cells, especially for dA, the caspase-3 is also activated by the treatment of UVB-irradiated dA in Detroit 551 cells. The results correlated with the produced HQ. In addition, UVB-irradiated Arb and dA suppressed the production of melanin in melanoma cells; this is due to the release of HQ that compensates for the UVB triggered Arb and dA decomposition.
Changes in human skull morphology across the agricultural transition are consistent with softer diets in preindustrial farming groups

Significance Agriculture changed not only human culture and lifeways, but human biology as well. Previous studies indicate that softer agricultural diets may have resulted in a less robust craniofacial morphology in early farmers. However, obtaining reliable estimates of worldwide subsistence effects has proved challenging. Here, we quantify changes in human skull shape and form across the agricultural transition at a global scale. Although modest, the effects are often reliably directional and most pronounced in craniofacial features that are directly involved in mastication. Agricultural foods and technologies are thought to have eased the mechanical demands of diet—how often or how hard one had to chew—in human populations worldwide. Some evidence suggests correspondingly worldwide changes in skull shape and form across the agricultural transition, although these changes have proved difficult to characterize at a global scale. Here, adapting a quantitative genetics mixed model for complex phenotypes, we quantify the influence of diet on global human skull shape and form. We detect modest directional differences between foragers and farmers. The effects are consistent with softer diets in preindustrial farming groups and are most pronounced and reliably directional when the farming class is limited to dairying populations. Diet effect magnitudes are relatively small, affirming the primary role of neutral evolutionary processes—genetic drift, mutation, and gene flow structured by population history and migrations—in shaping diversity in the human skull. The results also bring an additional perspective to the paradox of why Homo sapiens, particularly agriculturalists, appear to be relatively well suited to efficient (high-leverage) chewing.
Comparative metabolomics in vegans and omnivores reveal constraints on diet-dependent gut microbiota metabolite production

Objective The consumption of an agrarian diet is associated with a reduced risk for many diseases associated with a ‘Westernised’ lifestyle. Studies suggest that diet affects the gut microbiota, which subsequently influences the metabolome, thereby connecting diet, microbiota and health. However, the degree to which diet influences the composition of the gut microbiota is controversial. Murine models and studies comparing the gut microbiota in humans residing in agrarian versus Western societies suggest that the influence is large. To separate global environmental influences from dietary influences, we characterised the gut microbiota and the host metabolome of individuals consuming an agrarian diet in Western society. Design and results Using 16S rRNA-tagged sequencing as well as plasma and urinary metabolomic platforms, we compared measures of dietary intake, gut microbiota composition and the plasma metabolome between healthy human vegans and omnivores, sampled in an urban USA environment. Plasma metabolome of vegans differed markedly from omnivores but the gut microbiota was surprisingly similar. Unlike prior studies of individuals living in agrarian societies, higher consumption of fermentable substrate in vegans was not associated with higher levels of faecal short chain fatty acids, a finding confirmed in a 10-day controlled feeding experiment. Similarly, the proportion of vegans capable of producing equol, a soy-based gut microbiota metabolite, was less than that was reported in Asian societies despite the high consumption of soy-based products. Conclusions Evidently, residence in globally distinct societies helps determine the composition of the gut microbiota that, in turn, influences the production of diet-dependent gut microbial metabolites.
A Coarse Alignment Method Based on Digital Filters and Reconstructed Observation Vectors

In this paper, a coarse alignment method based on apparent gravitational motion is proposed. Due to the interference of the complex situations, the true observation vectors, which are calculated by the apparent gravity, are contaminated. The sources of the interference are analyzed in detail, and then a low-pass digital filter is designed in this paper for eliminating the high-frequency noise of the measurement observation vectors. To extract the effective observation vectors from the inertial sensors’ outputs, a parameter recognition and vector reconstruction method are designed, where an adaptive Kalman filter is employed to estimate the unknown parameters. Furthermore, a robust filter, which is based on Huber’s M-estimation theory, is developed for addressing the outliers of the measurement observation vectors due to the maneuver of the vehicle. A comprehensive experiment, which contains a simulation test and physical test, is designed to verify the performance of the proposed method, and the results show that the proposed method is equivalent to the popular apparent velocity method in swaying mode, but it is superior to the current methods while in moving mode when the strapdown inertial navigation system (SINS) is under entirely self-contained conditions.
Modelling Dynamics in Semantic Web Knowledge Graphs with Formal Concept Analysis

In this paper, we propose a novel data-driven schema for large-scale heterogeneous knowledge graphs inspired by Formal Concept Analysis (FCA). We first extract the sets of properties associated with individual entities; these property sets (aka. characteristic sets) are annotated with cardinalities and used to induce a lattice based on set-containment relations, forming a natural hierarchical structure describing the knowledge graph. We then propose an algebra over such schema lattices, which allows to compute diffs between lattices (for example, to summarise the changes from one version of a knowledge graph to another), to add lattices (for example, to project future changes), and so forth. While we argue that this lattice structure (and associated algebra) may have various applications, we currently focus on the use-case of modelling and predicting the dynamic behaviour of knowledge graphs. Along those lines, we instantiate and evaluate our methods for analysing how versions of the Wikidata knowledge graph have changed over a period of 11 weeks. We propose algorithms for constructing the lattice-based schema from Wikidata, and evaluate their efficiency and scalability. We then evaluate use of the resulting schema(ta) for predicting how the knowledge graph will evolve in future versions.
On unconditionally secure multiparty computation for realizing correlated equilibria in games

In game theory, a trusted mediator acting on behalf of the players can enable the attainment of correlated equilibria, which may provide better payoffs than those available from the Nash equilibria alone. We explore the approach of replacing the trusted mediator with an unconditionally secure sampling protocol that jointly generates the players' actions. We characterize the joint distributions that can be securely sampled by malicious players via protocols using error-free communication. This class of distributions depends on whether players may speak simultaneously (“cheap talk”) or must speak in turn (“polite talk”). In applying sampling protocols toward attaining correlated equilibria with rational players, we observe that security against malicious protocols may be much stronger than necessary. We propose the concept of secure sampling by rational players, and show that many more distributions are feasible given certain utility functions. However, the payoffs attainable via secure sampling by malicious players are a dominant subset of the rationally attainable payoffs.
An FET With a Source Tunneling Barrier Showing Suppressed Short-Channel Effects for Low-Power Applications

A device design technique using tunneling barriers (TBs) for reducing the short-channel effects (SCEs) is proposed. By introducing TBs at the source and drain junctions of a Si FET, the threshold voltage (<inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">${V}_{\text {th}}$ </tex-math></inline-formula>) roll-off can be significantly suppressed. This is because the TBs weaken the electrical coupling between drain bias and transmission/current spectrum in energy. Specifically, as compared with a conventional FET, the <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">${V}_{\text {th}}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> roll-off for channel length reduction from 20 to 5 nm is mitigated by more than 40% when a thin TB is embedded at the source junction. This paper further reveals that the TB at the source junction dominates the physical mechanism minimizing the SCEs of the TBFET, and thus the device performance can be improved appreciably by removing the TB at the drain side and by decreasing the TB height at the source side.
In Situ Observation of Oxygen Precipitation in Silicon with High Energy X-Rays

Oxygen precipitation in silicon has been studied in-situ by high energy X-ray diffraction. A gain of diffracted intensity is expected if an ideal crystal is distorted by growing precipitates as the diffraction mode changes from a dynamical to a more kinematical one. Irreversible changes in the intensity of a 220 and a 400 Bragg peak are detected for Czochralski grown samples only, but not in a float zone grown reference crystal. Thus, these changes are attributed to oxygen precipitation, which is confirmed by a subsequent classical ex-situ characterization. Further, the changes of the intensities of the two measured Bragg peaks are compared to each other to get the level of change in the diffraction mode from a dynamical to a kinematical one. The detection limit of the specific setup is estimated via a simulation of the defect inventory to correspond to a precipitate diameter of 50nm with the density of 6.9•109 1/cm3. The diffraction experiments are done with polychromatic and divergent X-rays generated by a laboratory source, albeit with high energy. This results in a simple and accessible setup for the characterization of oxygen precipitates.
An electron microscope study of mechanical twinning and fracture in TiAl alloys

Deformation twinning is an important mode of plastic deformation in γ(TiAl)-based titanium aluminide alloys. The paper describes conventional and high-resolution electron microscope investigations of twinning arrangements in γ-based titanium aluminide alloys. The major areas of study are: (i) twin nucleation and propagation, (ii) effects of solutes and precipitates on the kinematics and dynamics of twin propagation, (iii) association of mechanical twinning and fracture. The implications of the results will be discussed with respect to alloy design strategies towards improved mechanical properties.
On the separation of heart sound components using a translated empirical mode decomposition

In this paper, we aim at correctly separating components of heart sounds using the well-known method "Empirical Modal Decomposition" (EMD) combined with a modulation step and a demodulation one. PhonoCardioGram (PCG) signals are first translated to low frequencies. Then they are processed using the EMD method for separating the components of interest. Once this step fulfilled, the separated components are translated back into the original frequency domain. Simulation results show the method proposed outperforms the classical EMD when applied to two components having close frequencies. The processing of real PCG data shows the obtained results to be in agreement with clinical auscultation. Moreover, the time split in heart sound components the detection of which using audition accuracy is suboptimal, can be accurately estimated using the proposed method. This time split could have a clinical meaning and perhaps in some cases a therapeutic consequence.
Two histidine kinases can sense different stress cues for activation of the MAPK Hog1 in a fungal insect pathogen

Filamentous fungi possess a large family of histidine kinases (HKs) classified to 11 distinct groups. Of those, only Group III (HK3) homologues in some fungi can sense osmotic, fungicidal and/or oxidative cues upstream of the signalling MAPK Hog1 cascade that usually governs two hallmark phenotypes, i.e., osmotolerance and dicarboximide/phenylpyrrole fungicide resistance. Here we examined functions of all eight HK groups with each possessing a single member in Beauveria bassiana. HK3 and HK8 (Group VIII) were evidently localized at hyphal cell periphery and had more functions in aerial conidiation and multiple stress responses than six other HKs. Increased osmosensitivity occurred uniquely in Δhk8 while high resistance to fludioxonil (phenylpyrrole) or iprodione (dicarboximide) fungicide appeared only in Δhk3. Phosphorylation of Hog1 was inhibited only in the Δhk3 cells triggered with fludioxonil cue and reduced only in the Δhk8 cells triggered with osmotic cue. However, an oxidative cue resulted in no signal change of phosphorylated Hog1 in either Δhk3 or Δhk8. Other Δhk mutants showed minor changes in some non-hallmark phenotypes. Altogether, HK3 and HK8 act as unique sensors of fungicidal and hyperosmotic cues respectively, upstream of the Hog1 cascade that regulates fungicidal resistance negatively and osmotolerance positively in B. bassiana.
Effectiveness of cigarette warning labels in informing smokers about the risks of smoking: findings from the International Tobacco Control (ITC) Four Country Survey

Background: Health warnings on cigarette packages are among the most common means of communicating the health risks of smoking. However, few studies have evaluated the impact of package warnings on consumer knowledge about tobacco risks. Objective: The aim of the current study was to use nationally representative samples of adult smokers from the United States (USA), the United Kingdom (UK), Canada (CAN), and Australia (AUS) from the International Tobacco Control Four Country Survey (ITC-4) to examine variations in smokers’ knowledge about tobacco risks and the impact of package warnings. Methods: A telephone survey was conducted with 9058 adult smokers from the following countries: USA (n = 2138), UK (n = 2401), CAN (n = 2214) and AUS (n = 2305). Respondents were asked to state whether they believed smoking caused heart disease, stroke, impotence, lung cancer in smokers, and lung cancer in non-smokers. Respondents were also asked whether the following chemicals are found in cigarette smoke: cyanide, arsenic and carbon monoxide. Findings: Smokers in the four countries exhibited significant gaps in their knowledge of the risks of smoking. Smokers who noticed the warnings were significantly more likely to endorse health risks, including lung cancer and heart disease. In each instance where labelling policies differed between countries, smokers living in countries with government mandated warnings reported greater health knowledge. For example, in Canada, where package warnings include information about the risks of impotence, smokers were 2.68 (2.41–2.97) times more likely to agree that smoking causes impotence compared to smokers from the other three countries. Conclusion: Smokers are not fully informed about the risks of smoking. Warnings that are graphic, larger, and more comprehensive in content are more effective in communicating the health risks of smoking.
Adhesion Molecule Polymorphisms and Pulse Wave Velocity in American Youth

Abstract Background: Our research group recently reported that aorto-radial (radial) and aorto-dorsalis-pedis (foot) pulse wave velocity (PWV) as proxies of arterial stiffness are substantially heritable in healthy youth. This article aimed at uncovering the genetic contributions of adhesion molecules, key members in the inflammatory process, to PWV in these young individuals. Methods: Radial and foot PWV were noninvasively measured with applanation tonometry in 702 black and white subjects (42% blacks, mean age 17.7 ± 3.3 years) from the Georgia Cardio vascular Twin Study. Eight functional polymorphisms from genes for E-selectin (SELE), P-selectin (SELP), intercellular adhesion molecules-1 (ICAM1), and vascular cell adhesion molecules-1 (VCAM1) were genotyped. Results: Youth with Ser290Asn or Asn290Asn genotype (SELP) compared to those with Ser290Ser had an increase in both radial and foot PWV (6.61 ± 0.07 vs. 6.41 ± 0.05 m/s, p = .026; 7.22 ± 0.05 vs. 7.04 ± 0.04 m/s, p = .007). TT homozygotes of rs2244529 (SELP) had higher foot PWV (7.28 ± 0.07 vs. 7.06 ± 0.03 m/s, p = .002) than CT heterozygotes and CC homozygotes. There appeared to be a decrease in foot PWV in youth with the 241Arg allele (ICAM1) as compared to those without (6.96 ± 0.08 vs. 7.14 ± 0.03 m/s, p = .005). For the Asp693Asp (C to T) polymorphism (VCAM1), CC genotype had higher foot PWV than CT and TT genotypes (7.18 ± 0.04 vs. 6.95 ± 0.06 m/s, p < .0001). There was an epistatic interaction between Ser290Asn, Gly241Arg, and Asp693Asp on foot PWV (p = .017), explaining 3.6% variance of the foot PWV. Conclusion: Genetic variation of adhesion molecules may be implicated in the development of arterial stiffness. Screening for adhesion molecule polymorphisms may help identify high-risk youth.
2-D angle estimation using the constrained MUSIC with circular array

This paper presents the constrained MUSIC (multiple signal classification) method with circular array. It is well known that the MUSIC method with a circular array is the high resolution technique to estimate the azimuthal and elevational directions-of-arrival (DOA). However, in general, the MUSIC method cannot distinguish multiple signals when the unknown source signal is highly coherent with the known source signal. By incorporating known source directions, the estimation of unknown source directions can be significantly improved. We propose the constrained MUSIC method with circular array and perform computer simulations to demonstrate the usefulness of the new approach.
COMER: Cloud-based medicine recommendation

With the development of e-commerce, a growing number of people prefer to purchase medicine online for the sake of convenience. However, it is a serious issue to purchase medicine blindly without necessary medication guidance. In this paper, we propose a novel cloud-based medicine recommendation, which can recommend users with top-N related medicines according to symptoms. Firstly, we cluster the drugs into several groups according to the functional description information, and design a basic personalized medicine recommendation based on user collaborative filtering. Then, considering the shortcomings of collaborative filtering algorithm, such as computing expensive, cold start, and data sparsity, we propose a cloud-based approach for enriching end-user Quality of Experience (QoE) of medicine recommendation, by modeling and representing the relationship of the user, symptom and medicine via tensor decomposition. Finally, the proposed approach is evaluated with experimental study based on a real dataset crawled from Internet.
Supervised learning for robust term extraction

We propose a machine learning method to automatically classify the extracted ngrams from a corpus into terms and non-terms. We use 10 common statistics in previous term extraction literature as features for training. The proposed method, applicable to term recognition in multiple domains and languages, can help 1) avoid the laborious work in the post-processing (e.g. subjective threshold setting); 2) handle the skewness and demonstrate noticeable resilience to domain-shift issue of training data. Experiments are carried out on 6 corpora of multiple domains and languages, including GENIA and ACLRD-TEC(1.0) corpus as training set and four TTC subcorpora of wind energy and mobile technology in both Chinese and English as test set. Promising results are found, which indicate that this approach is capable of identifying both single word terms and multiword terms with reasonably good precision and recall.
Selective roles for toll-like receptors 2, 4, and 9 in systemic inflammation and immune dysfunction following peripheral tissue injury

BACKGROUND Toll-like receptors (TLRs) detect endogenous ligands released after trauma and contribute to the proinflammatory response to injury. Posttraumatic mortality correlates with the extent of the immunoinflammatory response to injury that is composed of a complex regulation of innate and adaptive immune responses. Although TLRs are known to modulate innate immune responses, their role in the suppression of lymphocyte responses following traumatic tissue injury is unclear. METHODS This study used a murine model of severe peripheral tissue injury, involving muscle crush injury and injection of fracture components, to evaluate the roles of TLR2, TLR4, and TLR9 in the early and delayed immunoinflammatory phenotype. Posttraumatic immune dysfunction was measured in our trauma model using the following parameters: ex vivo splenocyte proliferation, TH1 cytokine release, and iNOS (inducible nitric oxide synthase) induction within splenic myeloid-derived suppressor cells. Systemic inflammation and liver damage were determined by circulating interleukin 6 levels and hepatocellular injury. RESULTS Suppression of splenocyte responses after injury was dependent on TLR4 and TLR9 signaling as was posttraumatic iNOS upregulation in splenic myeloid-derived suppressor cells. TLR2 was found to have only a partial role through contribution to inhibition of splenocyte proliferation. This study also reveals the involvement of TLR2 and TLR4 in the initial systemic inflammatory response to traumatic tissue injury; however, this response was found to be TLR9 independent. CONCLUSION These findings demonstrate the previously unidentified role of TLR2, TLR4, and TLR9 in the T cell–associated immune dysfunction following traumatic tissue injury. Importantly, this study also illustrates that TLRs play differing and selective roles in both the initial proinflammatory response and adaptive immune response after trauma. Furthermore, results in TLR9-deficient mice establish that the upregulation of early proinflammatory markers do not always correlate with the extent of sustained immune dysfunction. This suggests potential for targeted therapies that could limit immune dysfunction through selective inhibition of receptor function following injury.