Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Role of Annealing Temperature, Time, and Composition on the Fabrication of Aux Pd1−x Nanostructures on c-Plane Sapphire by the Solid-State Dewetting of Bimetallic Thin Films

Bimetallic nanostructures (BNSs) are important components in various applications due to their elemental composition and morphology dependent catalytic, electronic and optical properties. In this paper, the systematic evolution of Au <italic><sub>x</sub></italic>Pd<sub>1−</sub><italic><sub>x</sub></italic> (gold–palladium) BNSs on sapphire (0001) is studied via the solid-state dewetting of sequentially deposited Au–Pd bilayers along with the systematic control of elemental composition, annealing temperature, and time. Through the annealing of Au<italic><sub> x</sub></italic>Pd<sub>1−</sub><italic><sub>x</sub></italic> bilayers at various temperatures between 400 and 900 °C, the fabrication of nanoparticles (NPs) on bilayer, voids, and Au–Pd BNSs are observed with various compositions (Au<sub>0.25</sub>Pd<sub>0.75</sub>, Au<sub>0.5</sub>Pd<sub>0.5</sub>, and Au<sub>0.75</sub>Pd <sub>0.25</sub>). The evolution process of Au<italic><sub>x</sub></italic>Pd<sub>1−</sub><italic><sub>x</sub> </italic> BNSs is systematically analyzed based on the interdiffusion of Au and Pd and surface energy minimization mechanism. Along with the increased Au composition, the rate of dewetting is enhanced, which resulted in the significantly larger layer- top bimetallic NPs, voids, and BNSs. Furthermore, with the control of annealing time between 0 and 3600 s, the shape of Au–Pd BNSs is transform from the elongated to the round NPs due to the gradually enhanced diffusion. The reflectance (UV–VIS–NIR) spectra show the tight correlation with the surface morphology of Au<italic><sub>x</sub></italic>Pd<sub>1−</sub><italic><sub>x</sub></italic> BNSs and the average reflectance is gradually decreased along with the increased annealing temperature and time. The dipolar resonance peaks in the NIR region reveal a gradual blue-shift along with the increased annealing time due to the NP size reduction.
Osteopontin deficiency protects mice from cholesterol gallstone formation by reducing expression of intestinal NPC1L1

Homeostasis of cholesterol is regulated by absorption in the intestine and synthesis in the liver. The authors previously demonstrated that OPN (osteopontin) exhibits the ability to alter hepatic cholesterol metabolism, thus affecting cholesterol gallstone formation in mice. The present study investigated the role of OPN in cholesterol gallstone formation, focusing on its effect on intestinal absorption of cholesterol. OPN gene knockout (OPN−/−) mice and wild-type mice were respectively fed with a chow or lithogenic diet (LD) for 8 weeks. Following an 8-week LD period, the incidence of gallstone, bile composition, level of serum and fecal lipids and the expression of intestinal associated genes were analyzed. OPN−/− mice were protected from gallstone formation induced by 8 weeks' LD-feeding. This protective effect from OPN deficiency was associated with alterations in bile composition, including a reduced concentration of biliary cholesterol. Additionally, plasma cholesterol level was decreased in LD-fed OPN−/− mice. The alterations primarily resulted from the decreased expression of intestinal Niemann-Pick C1-like (NPC1 L) 1, which is important in the intestinal absorption of cholesterol. The present study demonstrated that OPN deficiency reduced intestinal absorption of cholesterol by suppressing the expression of NPC1L1, thus protecting mice from cholesterol gallstone formation.
Signatures of Selection and Interspecies Introgression in the Genome of Chinese Domestic Pigs

Abstract Chinese domestic pigs have experienced strong artificial selection for thousands of years. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying the selection-causing phenotypic changes in Chinese domestic pigs are still largely unknown. Here we used whole-genome resequencing data of 54 pigs from 9 Chinese diverse breeds and 16 wild boars from 7 localities across China to identify genes that show evidence of positive selection in the process of domestication. A total of 14 candidate domestication regions were detected by selective sweep analyses of genetic differentiation and variability, and a set of genes in these candidate domestication regions were found to be related to metabolic process, development, reproduction, olfactory, behavior, and nervous system. The most promising candidate gene under selection - TBX19 - probably underlies the metabolic alteration and developmental traits, and may also associate with timidity of Chinese domestic pigs. Intriguingly, we found that the haplotype at TBX19 locus shared by nearly all Chinese domestic pigs was possibly introgressed from another Sus species. We also revealed the AHR gene associated with female reproduction is under strong positive selection. These results advance our understanding of the evolutionary history of Chinese domestic pigs and shed insights into identifying functionally important genes/mutations contributing to the phenotypic diversity in pigs.
Consensus statement for the treatment of infantile haemangiomas with propranolol

Although most infantile haemangiomas do not require treatment due to a natural history of spontaneous involution, some require early intervention. The Australasian Vascular Anomalies Network and the Australasian Paediatric Dermatology Network have developed a consensus statement for the treatment of infantile haemangiomas with oral propranolol. Infants with haemangiomas that are life threatening, at risk of ulceration, or at risk of causing a significant functional impairment, psychological impact or physical deformity should be treated early with oral propranolol. Oral propranolol is safe and effective and in most healthy infants oral propranolol can be started in an outpatient setting.
Reliability of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine Rules for Assessing Sleep Depth in Clinical Practice.

STUDY OBJECTIVES The American Academy of Sleep Medicine has published manuals for scoring polysomnograms that recommend time spent in non-rapid eye movement sleep stages (stage N1, N2, and N3 sleep) be reported. Given the well-established large interrater variability in scoring stage N1 and N3 sleep, we determined the range of time in stage N1 and N3 sleep scored by a large number of technologists when compared to reasonably estimated true values. METHODS Polysomnograms of 70 females were scored by 10 highly trained sleep technologists, two each from five different academic sleep laboratories. Range and confidence interval (CI = difference between the 5th and 95th percentiles) of the 10 times spent in stage N1 and N3 sleep assigned in each polysomnogram were determined. Average values of times spent in stage N1 and N3 sleep generated by the 10 technologists in each polysomnogram were considered representative of the true values for the individual polysomnogram. Accuracy of different technologists in estimating delta wave duration was determined by comparing their scores to digitally determined durations. RESULTS The CI range of the ten N1 scores was 4 to 39 percent of total sleep time (% TST) in different polysomnograms (mean CI ± standard deviation = 11.1 ± 7.1 % TST). Corresponding range for N3 was 1 to 28 % TST (14.4 ± 6.1 % TST). For stage N1 and N3 sleep, very low or very high values were reported for virtually all polysomnograms by different technologists. Technologists varied widely in their assignment of stage N3 sleep, scoring that stage when the digitally determined time of delta waves ranged from 3 to 17 seconds. CONCLUSIONS Manual scoring of non-rapid eye movement sleep stages is highly unreliable among highly trained, experienced technologists. Measures of sleep continuity and depth that are reliable and clinically relevant should be a focus of clinical research.
Identification and functional analysis of two alternatively spliced transcripts of ABSCISIC ACID INSENSITIVE3 (ABI3) in linseed flax (Linum usitatissimum L.)

Alternative splicing is a popular phenomenon in different types of plants. It can produce alternative spliced transcripts that encode proteins with altered functions. Previous studies have shown that one transcription factor, ABSCISIC ACID INSENSITIVE3 (ABI3), which encodes an important component in abscisic acid (ABA) signaling, is subjected to alternative splicing in both mono- and dicotyledons. In the current study, we identified two homologs of ABI3 in the genome of linseed flax. We screened two alternatively spliced flax LuABI3 transcripts, LuABI3-2 and LuABI3-3, and one normal flax LuABI3 transcript, LuABI3-1. Sequence analysis revealed that one of the alternatively spliced transcripts, LuABI3-3, retained a 6 bp intron. RNA accumulation analysis showed that all three transcripts were expressed during seed development, while subcellular localization and transgene experiments showed that LuABI3-3 had no biological function. The two normal transcripts, LuABI3-1 and LuABI3-2, are the important functional isoforms in flax and play significant roles in the ABA regulatory pathway during seed development, germination, and maturation.
Predictors of long-term outcome of first-episode schizophrenia: A ten-year follow-up study

Objective: Schizophrenia is a severe mental disorder for which final outcomes continue to be unfavorable. The main objectives of this research were to examine and determine the baseline predictors of outcome status of first-episode schizophrenia in a long-term follow-up of ten years and of recovery ten years later. Materials and Methods: The study was carried out in a non-governmental, psychiatric hospital and participants consisted of patients available for assessment ten years following their initial diagnosis. Outcome was assessed on clinical and social parameters. Clinical measures of outcome included psychopathology, hospitalization, and suicidality. Social parameters included quality of life functioning, employability, interpersonal functioning, and the ability to live independently. Results: In our sample, mean positive symptoms’ score were reduced by more than 65% between baseline and endpoint. The percentage of reduction in scores of negative symptoms is much less than reduction in positive symptoms. It was observed that only 23-25% patients showed social recovery on two or three different parameters. Additionally, fewer negative symptoms, lower depression scores, and low levels of aggression at baseline predicted good outcome. A higher level of positive symptoms at baseline also predicted recovery. The two social variables that predicted later outcomes were initially high levels of work performance and the ability to live independently at baseline. Conclusions: Clinical information is not sufficient to make an accurate prediction of outcome status; rather, outcome depends upon multiple factors (including social parameters). A major implication of this research is the argument for moving toward a comprehensive assessment of outcome and to plan management accordingly. Bringing social outcome measures to the forefront and into the communities will allow for a more patient-centric approach. It also opens newer vistas for addressing the complex interaction of clinical and social parameters.
Design of a 75‐nW, 0.5‐V subthreshold complementary metal–oxide–semiconductor operational amplifier

This work focuses on the subthreshold design of ultra low‐voltage low‐power operational amplifiers. A well‐defined procedure for the systematic design of subthreshold operational amplifiers (op‐amps) is introduced. The design of a 0.5‐V two‐stage Miller‐compensated amplifier fabricated with a 0.18‐µm complementary metal–oxide–semiconductor process is presented. The op‐amp operates with all transistors in subthreshold region and achieves a DC gain of 70 dB and a gain–bandwidth product of 18 kHz, dissipating just 75 nW. The active area of the chip is ≈0.057 mm2. Experimental results demonstrate that well‐designed subthreshold op‐amps are a very attractive solution to implement sub‐1‐V energy‐efficient applications for modern portable electronic systems. A comparative analysis with low‐voltage, low‐power op‐amp designs available in the literature highlights that subthreshold op‐amps designed according to the proposed design procedure achieve a better trade‐off among speed, power, and load capacitance. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Whole-grain wheat breakfast cereal has a prebiotic effect on the human gut microbiota: a double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover study

Epidemiological studies have shown an inverse association between dietary intake of whole grains and the risk of chronic disease. This may be related to the ability to mediate a prebiotic modulation of gut microbiota. However, no studies have been conducted on the microbiota modulatory capability of whole-grain (WG) cereals. In the present study, the impact of WG wheat on the human intestinal microbiota compared to wheat bran (WB) was determined. A double-blind, randomised, crossover study was carried out in thirty-one volunteers who were randomised into two groups and consumed daily 48 g breakfast cereals, either WG or WB, in two 3-week study periods, separated by a 2-week washout period. Numbers of faecal bifidobacteria and lactobacilli (the target genera for prebiotic intake), were significantly higher upon WG ingestion compared with WB. Ingestion of both breakfast cereals resulted in a significant increase in ferulic acid concentrations in blood but no discernible difference in faeces or urine. No significant differences in faecal SCFA, fasting blood glucose, insulin, total cholesterol (TC), TAG or HDL-cholesterol were observed upon ingestion of WG compared with WB. However, a significant reduction in TC was observed in volunteers in the top quartile of TC concentrations upon ingestion of either cereal. No adverse intestinal symptoms were reported and WB ingestion increased stool frequency. Daily consumption of WG wheat exerted a pronounced prebiotic effect on the human gut microbiota composition. This prebiotic activity may contribute towards the beneficial physiological effects of WG wheat.
Comparison of Different Machine Learning Approaches for Monthly Satellite-Based Soil Moisture Downscaling over Northeast China

Although numerous satellite-based soil moisture (SM) products can provide spatiotemporally continuous worldwide datasets, they can hardly be employed in characterizing fine-grained regional land surface processes, owing to their coarse spatial resolution. In this study, we proposed a machine-learning-based method to enhance SM spatial accuracy and improve the availability of SM data. Four machine learning algorithms, including classification and regression trees (CART), K-nearest neighbors (KNN), Bayesian (BAYE), and random forests (RF), were implemented to downscale the monthly European Space Agency Climate Change Initiative (ESA CCI) SM product from 25-km to 1-km spatial resolution. During the regression, the land surface temperature (including daytime temperature, nighttime temperature, and diurnal fluctuation temperature), normalized difference vegetation index, surface reflections (red band, blue band, NIR band and MIR band), and digital elevation model were taken as explanatory variables to produce fine spatial resolution SM. We chose Northeast China as the study area and acquired corresponding SM data from 2003 to 2012 in unfrozen seasons. The reconstructed SM datasets were validated against in-situ measurements. The results showed that the RF-downscaled results had superior matching performance to both ESA CCI SM and in-situ measurements, and can positively respond to precipitation variation. Additionally, the RF was less affected by parameters, which revealed its robustness. Both CART and KNN ranked second. Compared to KNN, CART had a relatively close correlation with the validation data, but KNN showed preferable precision. Moreover, BAYE ranked last with significantly abnormal regression values.
Phosphatidylinositol 5-Phosphate Links Dehydration Stress to the Activity of ARABIDOPSIS TRITHORAX-LIKE Factor ATX1

Background Changes in gene expression enable organisms to respond to environmental stress. Levels of cellular lipid second messengers, such as the phosphoinositide PtdIns5P, change in response to a variety of stresses and can modulate the localization, conformation and activity of a number of intracellular proteins. The plant trithorax factor (ATX1) tri-methylates the lysine 4 residue of histone H3 (H3K4me3) at gene coding sequences, which positively correlates with gene transcription. Microarray analysis has identified a target gene (WRKY70) that is regulated by both ATX1 and by the exogenous addition of PtdIns5P in Arabidopsis. Interestingly, ATX1 contains a PtdIns5P interaction domain (PHD finger) and thus, phosphoinositide signaling, may link environmental stress to changes in gene transcription. Principal Findings Using the plant Arabidopsis as a model system, we demonstrate a link between PtdIns5P and the activity of the chromatin modifier ATX1 in response to dehydration stress. We show for the first time that dehydration leads to an increase in cellular PtdIns5P in Arabidopsis. The Arabidopsis homolog of myotubularin (AtMTM1) is capable of generating PtdIns5P and here, we show that AtMTM1 is essential for the induced increase in PtdIns5P upon dehydration. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the ATX1-dependent gene, WRKY70, is downregulated during dehydration and that lowered transcript levels are accompanied by a drastic reduction in H3K4me3 of its nucleosomes. We follow changes in WRKY70 nucleosomal K4 methylation as a model to study ATX1 activity at chromatin during dehydration stress. We found that during dehydration stress, the physical presence of ATX1 at the WRKY70 locus was diminished and that ATX1 depletion resulted from it being retained in the cytoplasm when PtdIns5P was elevated. The PHD of ATX1 and catalytically active AtMTM1 are required for the cytoplasmic localization of ATX1. Conclusions/Significance The novelty of the manuscript is in the discovery of a mechanistic link between a chromatin modifying activity (ATX1) and a lipid (PtdIns5P) synthesis in a signaling pathway that ultimately results in altered expression of ATX1 dependent genes downregulated in response to dehydration stress.
Motoring through: the role of kinesin superfamily proteins in female meiosis

BACKGROUND The kinesin motor protein family consists of 14 distinct subclasses and 45 kinesin proteins in humans. A large number of these proteins, or their orthologues, have been shown to possess essential function(s) in both the mitotic and the meiotic cell cycle. Kinesins have important roles in chromosome separation, microtubule dynamics, spindle formation, cytokinesis and cell cycle progression. This article contains a review of the literature with respect to the role of kinesin motor proteins in female meiosis in model species. Throughout, we discuss the function of each class of kinesin proteins during oocyte meiosis, and where such data are not available their role in mitosis is considered. Finally, the review highlights the potential clinical importance of this family of proteins for human oocyte quality. OBJECTIVE AND RATIONALE To examine the role of kinesin motor proteins in oocyte meiosis. SEARCH METHODS A search was performed on the Pubmed database for journal articles published between January 1970 and February 2017. Search terms included 'oocyte kinesin' and 'meiosis kinesin' in addition to individual kinesin names with the terms oocyte or meiosis. OUTCOMES Within human cells 45 kinesin motor proteins have been discovered, with the role of only 13 of these proteins, or their orthologues, investigated in female meiosis. Furthermore, of these kinesins only half have been examined in mammalian oocytes, despite alterations occurring in gene transcripts or protein expression with maternal ageing, cryopreservation or behavioral conditions, such as binge drinking, for many of them. WIDER IMPLICATIONS Kinesin motor proteins have distinct and important roles throughout oocyte meiosis in many non-mammalian model species. However, the functions these proteins have in mammalian meiosis, particularly in humans, are less clear owing to lack of research. This review brings to light the need for more experimental investigation of kinesin motor proteins, particularly those associated with maternal ageing, cryopreservation or exposure to environmental toxicants.
Term relevance estimation for Chinese query expansion

In this paper we propose a novel method to estimate the relevance between query and candidate expansion terms for Chinese information retrieval. In previous method, expansion terms are usually selected by counting term co-occurrences in the documents. However, term co-occurrences are not always a good indicator for relevance, whereas some are background terms of the whole collection. In order to remove noise, an EM-algorithm is used in our model to estimate two kinds of relevance weight. One is the relevance weight between query and its relevant term extracted from the top-ranked documents in initial retrieval results. The other is the relevance weight between each query term and its relevant terms extracted from the snapshot of Google search result when that query term is used as search keyword. The estimated relevance weights are used to select good expansion terms for second retrieval. The experiments on the two test collections show that our query expansion model is more effective than the standard Rocchio expansion.
Overview of Linkage Analysis in Complex Traits

Linkage analysis is a well‐established and powerful method for mapping disease genes. While linkage analysis has been most successful when applied to disorders with clear patterns of Mendelian inheritance, it can also be a useful technique for mapping susceptibility genes for common complex diseases. In this unit, we outline the key concepts of complex disease, and how linkage analysis for complex traits differs from simple Mendelian traits. Optimal genetic studies require careful study design, ascertainment strategy, and analysis methods. We describe how disease parameters such as prevalence, heritability estimates, and mode of inheritance should be considered before data is collected. Furthermore, we outline a general strategic approach for conducting linkage analysis of a complex disease, along with several design considerations that can optimize statistical power to detect disease loci and generally improve the quality of a study. Finally, we discuss the benefits and weaknesses of linkage analysis in contrast to genome‐wide association studies. Curr. Protoc. Hum. Genet. 64:1.9. 1‐1.9. 18. © 2010 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.