Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Association between NLPR1, NLPR3, and P2X7R Gene Polymorphisms with Partial Seizures

Objectives. Clinical and experimental evidence has clarified that the inflammatory processes within the brain play a pivotal role in the pathophysiology of seizures and epilepsy. Inflammasomes and P2X7 purinergic receptor (P2X7R) are important mediators during the inflammatory process. Therefore, we investigated the possible association between partial seizures and inflammasomes NLPR1, NLRP3, and P2X7R gene polymorphisms in the present study. Method. A total of 163 patients and 201 health controls were enrolled in this study and polymorphisms of NLPR1, NLRP3, and P2X7R genes were detected using polymerase chain reaction- (PCR-) ligase detection reaction method. Result. The frequency of rs878329 (G>C) genotype with C (CG + CC) was significantly lower among patients with partial seizures relative to controls (OR = 2.033, 95% CI = 1.290–3.204, p = 0.002 for GC + CC versus GG). Intriguingly, we found that the significant difference of rs878329 (G>C) genotype and allele frequency only existed among males (OR = 2.542, 95% CI = 1.344–4.810, p = 0.004 for GC + CC versus GG), while there was no statistically significant difference among females. However, no significant results were presented for the genotype distributions of rs8079034, rs4612666, rs10754558, rs2027432, rs3751143, and rs208294 polymorphisms between patients and controls. Conclusion. Our study demonstrated the potentially significant role of NLRP1 rs878329 (G>C) in developing susceptibility to the partial seizures in a Chinese Han population.
Prognostic significance of B7-H4 expression in matched primary pancreatic cancer and liver metastases

Liver metastasis development in pancreatic cancer patients is common and confers a poor prognosis. Clinical relevance of biomarker analysis in metastatic tissue is necessary. B7-H4 has an inhibitory effect on T cell mediated response and may be involved in tumor development. Although B7-H4 expression has been detected in pancreatic cancer, its expression in liver metastases from pancreatic cancer is still unknown. In this study, overall 43 pancreatic cancer liver metastases (with matched primaries in 15/43 cases) and 57 pancreatic cancer cases without liver metastases or other distant metastases were analyzed for their expression of B7-H4 by immunohistochemistry. Survival curves and log-rank tests were used to test the association of B7-H4 expression with survival. B7-H4 was highly expressed in 28 (65.1%) of the 43 liver metastases and 9 (60.0%) of the 15 matched primary tumors. The expression of B7-H4 in liver metastases was significantly higher than in the matched primary tumors (p < 0.05). Patients with high B7-H4 expression in their primary pancreatic cancer had higher risk of developing liver metastases (p < 0.05). In univariate analysis, B7-H4 expression was significantly associated with the risk of death (p < 0.05). And the multivariate analysis identified that B7-H4 was an independent prognostic indicator (p < 0.05). Our results revealed B7-H4 to be associated with poor prognosis in patients with pancreatic cancer liver metastasis. B7-H4 may promote pancreatic cancer metastasis and was promising to be a potential prognostic indicator of pancreatic cancer.
Let's All Speak Together! Exploring the Masking Effects of Various Languages on Spoken Word Identification in Multi-Linguistic Babble

This study aimed to characterize the linguistic interference that occurs during speech-in-speech comprehension by combining offline and online measures, which included an intelligibility task (at a −5 dB Signal-to-Noise Ratio) and 2 lexical decision tasks (at a −5 dB and 0 dB SNR) that were performed with French spoken target words. In these 3 experiments we always compared the masking effects of speech backgrounds (i.e., 4-talker babble) that were produced in the same language as the target language (i.e., French) or in unknown foreign languages (i.e., Irish and Italian) to the masking effects of corresponding non-speech backgrounds (i.e., speech-derived fluctuating noise). The fluctuating noise contained similar spectro-temporal information as babble but lacked linguistic information. At −5 dB SNR, both tasks revealed significantly divergent results between the unknown languages (i.e., Irish and Italian) with Italian and French hindering French target word identification to a similar extent, whereas Irish led to significantly better performances on these tasks. By comparing the performances obtained with speech and fluctuating noise backgrounds, we were able to evaluate the effect of each language. The intelligibility task showed a significant difference between babble and fluctuating noise for French, Irish and Italian, suggesting acoustic and linguistic effects for each language. However, the lexical decision task, which reduces the effect of post-lexical interference, appeared to be more accurate, as it only revealed a linguistic effect for French. Thus, although French and Italian had equivalent masking effects on French word identification, the nature of their interference was different. This finding suggests that the differences observed between the masking effects of Italian and Irish can be explained at an acoustic level but not at a linguistic level.
The dynamical evolution of very low mass binaries in open clusters

Very low mass binaries (VLMBs), with system masses <0.2 M⊙ appear to have very different properties to stellar binaries. This has led to the suggestion that VLMBs form a distinct and different population. As most stars are born in clusters, dynamical evolution can significantly alter any initial binary population, preferentially destroying wide binaries. In this paper, we examine the dynamical evolution of initially different VLMB distributions in clusters to investigate how different the initial and final distributions can be. We find that the majority of the observed VLMB systems, which have separations 100 au can be destroyed in high-density clusters, but are mainly unaffected in low-density clusters. Therefore, the initial VLMB population must contain many more binaries with these separations than now, or such systems must be made by capture during cluster dissolution. M-dwarf binaries are processed in the same way as VLMBs and so the difference in the current field populations either points to fundamentally different birth populations or significant observational incompleteness in one or both samples.
Modeling the Vertical Distribution of Oyster Larvae in Response to Environmental Conditions

A size-structured, time and vertically-dependent model was used to investigate the effects of water column structure on the distribution of larvae of the oyster Crassostrea virginica. Formulations used to model larval growth and behavior are based upon laboratory studies. Simulated vertical larval distributions obtained for conditions representative of a well-mixed, partially stratified and strongly stratified water column illustrate the effect that salinity and temperature gradients have on moderating larval swimming and hence on larvae vertical location. For well-mixed conditions, smaller larvae are dispersed throughout most of the water column. For strongly stratified conditions, the smaller-sized larvae cluster within the region of strong salinity change. Intermediate-sized larvae cluster within or directly below the region of strong salinity change. The oldest larvae are found near the bottom for all salinity conditions since their location is determined primarily by sinking rate. Additional simulations show that diurnal salinity changes interact with larval behavioral responses to create patchy larval distributions Finally, simulations show that the inclusion of an upwelling or downwelling velocity can overwhelm the behavioral responses of smaller larvae and result in much different vertical distributlons. The simulated vertical larval distributions show that changes in larval migratory behav~or which are brought about by changes in the vertical sal~nity gradient can significantly alter larval distribution patterns. These, when combined with horizontal advective flows, have important implications for larval dispersal.
Quantitative phase imaging through scattering media by means of coherence-controlled holographic microscope

Abstract. A coherence-controlled holographic microscope (CCHM) enables quantitative phase imaging with coherent as well as incoherent illumination. The low spatially coherent light induces a coherence gating effect, which makes observation of samples possible also through scattering media. The paper describes theoretically and simulates numerically imaging of a two-dimensional object through a static scattering layer by means of CCHM, with the main focus on the quantitative phase imaging quality. The authors have investigated both strongly and weakly scattering media characterized by different amounts of ballistic and diffuse light. It is demonstrated that the phase information can be revealed also for the case of the static, strongly scattering layer. The dependence of the quality of imaging process on the spatial light coherence is demonstrated. The theoretical calculations and numerical simulations are supported by experimental data gained with a model phase object, as well as living carcinoma cells treated in an optically turbid emulsion.
Autologous reconstitution of human cancer and immune system in vivo

Correlative studies from checkpoint inhibitor trials have indicated that better understanding of human leukocytic trafficking into the human tumor microenvironment can expedite the translation of future immune-oncologic agents. In order to directly characterize signaling pathways that can regulate human leukocytic trafficking into the tumor, we have developed a completely autologous xenotransplantation method to reconstitute the human tumor immune microenvironment in vivo. We were able to genetically mark the engrafted CD34+ bone marrow cells as well as the tumor cells, and follow the endogenous leukocytic infiltration into the autologous tumor. To investigate human tumor intrinsic factors that can potentially regulate the immune cells in our system, we silenced STAT3 signaling in the tumor compartment. As expected, STAT3 signaling suppression in the tumor compartment in these autologously reconstituted humanized mice showed increased tumor infiltrating lymphocytes and reduction of arginase-1 in the stroma, which were associated with slower tumor growth rate. We also used this novel system to characterize human myeloid suppressor cells as well as to screen novel agents that can alter endogenous leukocytic infiltration into the tumor. Taken together, we present a valuable method to study individualized human tumor microenvironments in vivo without confounding allogeneic responses.
Effects of dopamine‐related gene–gene interactions on working memory component processes

Dopamine modulates complex cognitive functions like working memory and cognitive control. It is widely accepted that an optimal level of prefrontal dopamine supports working memory performance. In the present study we used a molecular genetic approach to test whether the optimal activity of the dopamine system for different component processes of working memory is additionally related to the availability of dopamine D2 receptors. We sought evidence for this assumption by investigating the interaction effect (epistasis) of variations in two dopaminergic candidate genes: the catechol‐O‐methyltransferase (COMT) Val158Met polymorphism, which has been shown to influence prefrontal dopamine concentration, and the DRD2/ANKK1‐Taq‐Ia polymorphism, which has been related to the density of D2 receptors. Our results show that COMT effects on working memory performance are modulated by the DRD2/ANKK1‐TAQ‐Ia polymorphism and the specific working memory component process under investigation. Val− participants – supposedly characterized by increased prefrontal dopamine concentrations – outperformed Val+ participants in the manipulation of working memory contents, but only when D2 receptor density could be considered to be high. No such effect was present for passive maintenance of working memory contents or for maintenance in the face of distracting information. This beneficial effect of a balance between prefrontal dopamine availability and D2 receptor density reveals the importance of considering epistasis effects and different working memory subprocesses in genetic association studies.
Asian emissions of CO and NOx : Constraints from aircraft and Chinese station data

[1] Observations of CO and NOy from the Transport and Chemical Evolution over the Pacific (TRACE-P) aircraft mission over the northwest Pacific and from two Chinese ground stations (Hong Kong and Lin An) during spring 2001 are used in conjunction with an optimal estimation inverse model to constrain estimates of Asian emissions of CO and NOx. A priori emissions are based on a detailed bottom-up inventory for the observation period. The inversion analysis requires 43% and 47% increases in Chinese emissions of CO and NOx, respectively, distributed heterogeneously, with the largest adjustments required for central China. A posteriori estimates of emissions from biomass burning in Southeast Asia are much lower than a priori values. Inversion results for NOx emissions are consistent with CO emissions in terms of the sense of the adjustments. Inclusion of the station data in the inversion analysis significantly improves estimates for emissions from central and south China. A large increase in NOx emissions inferred for central China (a factor of 3) is attributed to decomposition of organic wastes associated with the human-animal food chain and extensive applications of chemical fertilizer. An analysis of emission ratios for CO relative to NOx for different sectors indicates that emissions attributed to industry and transportation may be underestimated in the bottom-up inventory for central China, while emissions from the domestic sector may be underestimated for south China. An increase in emission factors could help reconcile results from the inversion analysis with the “bottom-up” approach. Detailed analysis of the surface observations using a posteriori emissions indicates the importance of meteorological phenomena, notably cold fronts in March and small-scale high- and low-pressure systems in April in modulating concentrations of CO, with the latter most evident in the data from Lin An.
Trivalent flu vaccine won’t protect against influenza B strain predominantly circulating

Public Health England has warned that the trivalent flu vaccine most commonly administered in general practice will not protect against the strain of influenza B that appears to be predominately circulating this year. The latest figures show influenza is circulating at higher than seasonally expected levels, with increases in GP consultations and emergency department attendance.1 In the last week of 2017 there were 24 influenza deaths reported across the UK with 48 confirmed in the past three months, according to the latest monitoring figures. The overall GP consultation rate for influenza-like illness increased to 21 per 100 000 population, up from 18.9 in the week to 24 December. This is above the normal of 13.1 per 100 000 for this season. There were also increases in out-of-hours calls for influenza-like illness with …
Part 2 . The Interdisciplinary Context for Dene-Yeniseian GENES ACROSS BERINGIA : A PHYSICALANTHROPOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE ON THE DENE-YENISEIAN HYPOTHESIS

In the Boasian triad of race, language and culture (Boas 1940), anthropologists have long acknowledged that the process of change, or evolution, accelerates as one moves from biology, to language, to culture. Deducing deep historical relationships based on cultural elements is difficult, given the ease of borrowing (diffusion) and the rapidity of developing and adopting new ideas (innovation) or losing old ones (cultural drift/selection). Despite its comparable potential for horizontal as well as vertical transmission, language is still much more conservative than culture. Linguistic ties can often be perceived over many millennia, though there is no consensus among historical linguists on the temporal limits of establishing ‘genetic’ relationships. Given the well known case of Indo-European languages, most would agree that recognizable linguistic similarities can persevere for at least 5000 years. Beyond that temporal limit, the consensus among linguists falls apart. Manning (2006) sets the range from about 5000 to 10,000 years. Biology, in the form of observable (cf. skin, hair, eye color), measurable (cf. stature, cephalic index), morphological (cf. shovelshaped incisors, fingerprint patterns), and genetic traits (red blood cell antigens, serum proteins, red cell enzymes, DNA polymorphisms), is much more conservative than language. Biological affi nities are evident among populations whose linguistic ties are entirely obscured. For example, there is no obvious connection between Indo-European and Caucasian, but the biological similarities of speakers from these two language families is observed consistently across many biological systems. Eskimo-Aleuts and American Indians, whose linguistic affinities are blurred by the passage of time, also have biological ties that are clearly discernible. For these examples and more, see Cavalli-Sforza et al. (1994) for genetic markers and Scott and Turner (1997) for tooth crown and root trait frequencies. The linguistic similarities between members of the Na-Dene and Yenisei language families demonstrated by Edward Vajda, Merritt Ruhlen (1998), and others (i.e., Dené-Yeniseian hypothesis), can only be fully appreciated by those with training in linguistics. Our goal is to survey the literature in physical anthropology and genetics that has some bearing on the linguistic hypothesis linking Dené and Yenisei speakers. In the case of Na-Dene, that involves populations from Alaska and western Canada who are referred to as northern Athapaskans (e.g., Kutchin, Tanana, Koyukon, Ahtna, Ingalik, Tanaina, Dogrib, Slave, Tutchone, Beaver, etc.), recent migrant populations to the American Southwest who are called southern Athapaskans (Navajo, Apache), and the more distantly related Tlingit on the coast of southeast Alaska. There are few biological data available for Athapaskan groups from California (Hupa), the Plateau (Nicola) and northern
Nozzle dispensing additive manufacturing of polysiloxane: dimensional control

Polysiloxane (silicone) has been widely used in production of in-vivo prostheses due to its unique properties such as biocompatibility. Traditional methods of producing polysiloxane prostheses are mostly based on casting. These methods are time consuming and require high technical expertise. Moreover, the process can be tedious for the patients as it requires their presence in the design and fabrication steps. Using additive manufacturing for production of polysiloxane prostheses eliminate the need for presence of patient and reduce the production time. However, additive manufacturing has been mostly used for production of moulds for polysiloxane casting. In this study, a nozzle dispensing method for rapid manufacturing of polysiloxane products is assessed. Owing to importance of dimensional accuracy of prosthetic products in micro-scale, the effects of process parameters on final dimensions of printed parts have been investigated using design of experiments to optimise parameter values. A t-test is also employed to validate optimisation model.
Dimensionally reduced emulation of an AOGCM for application to integrated assessment modelling

Integrated Assessment Models are widely used tools for the evaluation of environmental policy. In order to include uncertainty estimates or derive optimal policies, highly efficient calculations of global change are generally required, often using pattern scaling to derive spatial distributions of change. Here we develop an alternative to pattern scaling that allows for nonlinear spatio‐temporal behaviour. We use an intermediate complexity AOGCM to perform an ensemble of simulations for a range of greenhouse gas concentration profiles and model parameters. We decompose climate change fields into a series of spatial patterns and then derive the functional dependence of the dominant patterns on model input. This allows us to rapidly reconstruct a good approximation to the simulated change from an arbitrary concentration profile (without the need for further simulation). The efficiency of the approach paves the way for incorporating improved calculations of climate change into integrated assessment, including location‐dependent estimates of uncertainty.
Evaluation of a variable-inductor-controlled LLC resonant converter for battery charging applications

Based on the respective merits of the LLC resonant converter and the VI (Variable Inductor), a new battery charger topology is proposed. This paper presents a design methodology for the LLC resonant converter controlled with a VI. The output of the converter is regulated through a variable resonant tank in order to control the charging process. A small-scale prototype fed by a 50V DC input, with an IGBT based inverter working at 11.3 kHz was built in order to test the proposed control method. Experimental results are presented.
A Cdc48 “Retrochaperone” Function Is Required for the Solubility of Retrotranslocated, Integral Membrane Endoplasmic Reticulum-associated Degradation (ERAD-M) Substrates*

A surprising feature of endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-associated degradation (ERAD) is the movement, or retrotranslocation, of ubiquitinated substrates from the ER lumen or membrane to the cytosol where they are degraded by the 26S proteasome. Multispanning ER membrane proteins, called ERAD-M substrates, are retrotranslocated to the cytosol as full-length intermediates during ERAD, and we have investigated how they maintain substrate solubility. Using an in vivo assay, we show that retrotranslocated ERAD-M substrates are moved to the cytoplasm as part of the normal ERAD pathway, where they are part of a solely proteinaceous complex. Using proteomics and direct biochemical confirmation, we found that Cdc48 serves as a critical “retrochaperone” for these ERAD-M substrates. Cdc48 binding to retrotranslocated, ubiquitinated ERAD-M substrates is required for their solubility; removal of the polyubiquitin chains or competition for binding by addition of free polyubiquitin liberated Cdc48 from retrotranslocated proteins and rendered them insoluble. All components of the canonical Cdc48 complex Cdc48-Npl4-Ufd1 were present in solubilized ERAD-M substrates. This function of the complex was observed for both HRD and DOA pathway substrates. Thus, in addition to the long known ATP-dependent extraction of ERAD substrates during retrotranslocation, the Cdc48 complex is generally and critically needed for the solubility of retrotranslocated ERAD-M intermediates.