Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Fundamental Molecules and Mechanisms for Forming and Maintaining Neuromuscular Synapses

The neuromuscular synapse is a relatively large synapse with hundreds of active zones in presynaptic motor nerve terminals and more than ten million acetylcholine receptors (AChRs) in the postsynaptic membrane. The enrichment of proteins in presynaptic and postsynaptic membranes ensures a rapid, robust, and reliable synaptic transmission. Over fifty years ago, classic studies of the neuromuscular synapse led to a comprehensive understanding of how a synapse looks and works, but these landmark studies did not reveal the molecular mechanisms responsible for building and maintaining a synapse. During the past two-dozen years, the critical molecular players, responsible for assembling the specialized postsynaptic membrane and regulating nerve terminal differentiation, have begun to be identified and their mechanism of action better understood. Here, we describe and discuss five of these key molecular players, paying heed to their discovery as well as describing their currently understood mechanisms of action. In addition, we discuss the important gaps that remain to better understand how these proteins act to control synaptic differentiation and maintenance.
Amphotericin B, an Anti-Fungal Medication, Directly Increases the Cytotoxicity of NK Cells

Immunomodulatory drugs (IMiDs) present one example of immunomodulatory agents that improve cancer immunotherapy. Based on the cytotoxic activity of natural killer (NK) cells against cancer cells, a high throughput screening method for the identification of novel immunomodulatory molecules with the potential to stimulate NK cell cytotoxicity against cancer cells was designed and tested using an approved drug library. Among the primary hit compounds, the anti-fungal drug amphotericin B (AMP-B) increased the cytotoxicity of NK cell line and human primary NK cells in a direct manner. The increase in NK cell activity was related to increased formation of NK-target cell conjugates and the subsequent granule polarization toward target cells. The results of the present study indicate that AMP-B could serve a dual function as an anti-fungal and immunomodulatory drug.
Comparison of the effects of mini-implant and traditional anchorage on patients with maxillary dentoalveolar protrusion.

OBJECTIVE To compare the treatment effects of mini-implants as anchor units with conventional methods of anchorage reinforcement in maxillary dentoalveolar protrusion patients in terms of skeletal, dental, and soft tissue changes. MATERIALS AND METHODS We searched the databases of the Cochrane Library, PubMed, OVIDSP, CBM, VIP, WanFang Data, and CNKI covering December 1966 to March 2016 for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and clinical controlled trials that compared the treatment effects of mini-implants with conventional anchorage reinforcement in maxillary dentoalveolar protrusion patients. Literature filtering, data extraction, and methodological quality evaluation were finished independently by two researchers and disagreements were solved by discussion. Meta-analysis was performed when possible; otherwise descriptive assessment was done. RESULTS Through a predefined search strategy, we finally included 14 eligible studies. Eight outcomes were evaluated in this study: maxillary incisor retraction, maxillary molar movement, U1-SN, SNA, SN-MP, UL-E Plane, NLA and G-Sn-Pg. CONCLUSIONS Mini-implant anchorage was more effective in retracting the anterior teeth, produced less anchorage loss, and had a greater effect on SN-MP for the high-angle patients than did traditional anchorage. Both mini-implants and traditional anchorage underwent decreases in on U1-SN and SNA. More qualified RCTs are required to make reliable recommendations about the anchorage capacity of mini-implant and traditional anchorage in patients with maxillary dentoalveolar protrusion, especially on the UL-E plane, NLA, and G-Sn-Pg.
Patterns of Horse-Rider Coordination during Endurance Race: A Dynamical System Approach

In riding, most biomechanical studies have focused on the description of the horse locomotion in unridden condition. In this study, we draw the prospect of how the basic principles established in inter-personal coordination by the theory of Coordination Dynamics may provide a conceptual and methodological framework for understanding the horse-rider coupling. The recent development of mobile technologies allows combined horse and rider recordings during long lasting natural events such as endurance races. Six international horse-rider dyads were thus recorded during a 120 km race by using two tri-axial accelerometers placed on the horses and riders, respectively. The analysis concentrated on their combined vertical displacements. The obtained shapes and angles of Lissajous plots together with values of relative phase between horse and rider displacements at lower reversal point allowed us to characterize four coordination patterns, reflecting the use of two riding techniques per horse's gait (trot and canter). The present study shows that the concepts, methods and tools of self-organizing dynamic system approach offer new directions for understanding horse-rider coordination. The identification of the horse-rider coupling patterns constitutes a firm basis to further study the coalition of multiple constraints that determine their emergence and their dynamics in endurance race.
Research on annealing mechanism in freeze-drying process of pharmaceuticals

By using thermodynamic and kinetic theories,the mechanism that annealing in freeze-drying process of pharmaceuticals can change the structure of frozen pharmaceuticals was explained.The relationships of chemical potential changes with radius of curvature of ice crystal,ice crystal radius changes with time during recrystallization and the viscosity of amorphous matrix changes with temperature were analyzed.Several guides to practice are concluded:(1) Annealing temperature must be above the glass transition temperature of frozen pharmaceuticals;(2) The optimal annealing duration is related to the velocity of recrystallization and is the function of annealing temperature;(3) Post-annealing re-solidification cooling rates do not affect the primary drying rate.
Effect of PEG on PLA/PEG blend and its nanocomposites: A study of thermo‐mechanical and morphological characterization

In this study, the effect of poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) on the preparation of Poly(lactic acid) (PLA)/PEG blend and its nanocomposites by melt intercalation method were investigated. The PEG having molecular weight of 6,000 g/mol used with various concentrations (0, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30 wt%) in the preparation of PLA/PEG blend. Again, two types of commercialized organoclay [cloisite 93A (C93A) and cloisite 30B (C30B)] were used for the preparation of blend nanocomposites. With the incorporation of PEG into PLA the tensile strength and modulus decreases, whereas the percentage elongation and impact strength increases predominantly. Further, the PLA/PEG blend nanocomposites showed improved tensile strength and modulus with the addition of oraganoclays into the blend. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) reveals the surface and miscibility study of the PLA/PEG blend. The effect of clay interaction in the PLA/PEG blend nanocomposites were also studied by using wide angle X-ray diffraction (WAXD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) was used to investigate the viscoelastic behavior of the blends and its nanocomposites. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) study reveals decreased glass transition temperature in case of PLA/PEG blend. The thermal stability of the blend and its nanocomposites were being studied by using thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). POLYM. COMPOS. , 35:283–293, 2014. © 2013 Society of Plastics Engineers
Flecainide-metoprolol combination reduces atrial fibrillation clinical recurrences and improves tolerability at 1-year follow-up in persistent symptomatic atrial fibrillation.

AIMS Atrial fibrillation (AF) affects ∼2% of the total population. In order to prevent AF recurrences, many anti-arrhythmic drugs are currently available, but most of them are burdened by serious side effects and suboptimal efficacy. The aim of the present study was to test efficacy and safety of a combination of flecainide and metoprolol in preventing AF clinical recurrences. METHODS AND RESULTS This study is a monocentric, prospective, randomized, open-blinded trial on 173 patients with a recent episode of paroxysmal or persistent AF. Patients were randomized into group A (flecainide + metoprolol; n = 80), group B (flecainide only; n = 72), or group C (metoprolol only; n = 21). Main exclusion criteria were recent acute coronary syndrome, heart failure New York Heart Association class III-IV, left ventricular ejection fraction <0.40, atrioventricular conduction disorders, and severe bradycardia. Primary endpoint was symptomatic recurrence over 1-year follow-up. Secondary endpoint was quality of life (QoL) over 1-year follow-up, as assessed by the SF-36 and Atrial Fibrillation Severity Scale questionnaires. Combination therapy with flecainide and metoprolol significantly reduced recurrences at 1-year follow-up when compared with flecainide alone in the whole population (66.7 vs. 46.8%; P < 0.001) and in patients with persistent AF (71.1 vs. 43.6%; P = 0.025) while adding beta-blocker therapy to paroxysmal AF showed no benefit over IC anti-arrhythmic drug-only. Patients randomized to combination therapy experienced a significant improvement of QoL when compared with those assigned to a flecainide-only regimen irrespective of AF type. CONCLUSION Flecainide-metoprolol combination therapy improves effectiveness of rhythm control in persistent symptomatic AF and increases tolerability, with a concomitant reduction of side effects and a better compliance.
Ease the Process of Machine Learning with Dataflow

Machine learning algorithms have become the key components in many big data applications. However, the full potential of machine learning is still far from been realized because using machine learning algorithms is hard, especially on distributed platforms such as Hadoop and Spark. The key barriers come from not only the implementation of the algorithms themselves, but also the processing for applying them to real applications which often involve multiple steps and different algorithms. In this demo we present a general-purpose dataflow-based system for easing the process of applying machine learning algorithms to real world tasks. In the system, a learning task is formulated as a directed acyclic graph (DAG) in which each node represents an operation (e.g., a machine learning algorithm), and each edge represents the flow of the data from one node to its descendants. Graphical user interface is implemented for making users to create, configure, submit, and monitor a task in a drag-and-drop manner. Advantages of the system include 1) lowering the barriers of defining and executing machine learning tasks; 2) sharing and re-using the implementations of the algorithms, the task dataflow DAGs, and the (intermediate) experimental results; 3) seamlessly integrating the stand-alone algorithms as well as the distributed algorithms in one task. The system has been deployed as a machine learning service and can be access from the Internet.
Repeated study of items with and without repeated context: aging effects on memory discriminability

ABSTRACT Presenting items multiple times during encoding is a common way to enhance recognition accuracy. Under such conditions, older adults often show an increase in false recognition that counteracts benefits of repeated study. Using a false-memory paradigm with related study items and related lures, we tested whether repetition within the same encoding task or repetition across two different encoding tasks would be more beneficial to older adults’ memory discriminability. Results showed that, compared to items not repeated at study, items repeated in the same context and items repeated across different contexts showed improvements in memory discriminability in both young and older adults. This improvement was primarily reflected in improved recollection responses for both age groups across both repeat study conditions, as compared to no repetition. Importantly, the results demonstrated that repetition can be used to successfully mitigate age-related deficits by increasing memory discriminability and without incurring a cost of false recognition specific to any one age group.
The Role of Distal Minority Stress and Internalized Transnegativity in Suicidal Ideation and Nonsuicidal Self-Injury Among Transgender Adults

Transgender people are at elevated risk for nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) and suicidal ideation compared to the general population. Transgender (trans) refers to a diverse group of people who experience incongruence between their gender identity and sex assigned at birth. The present study is guided by the minority stress model and the psychological mediation framework, which postulate that sexual minority groups experience elevated stress as a result of anti-minority prejudice, contributing to negative mental health outcomes. This study utilized these theories to investigate the role of internalized transnegativity—internalization of negative societal attitudes about one’s trans identity—in the relationships of distal trans stress to suicidal ideation and NSSI. A U.S. national sample of trans adults (N = 237) completed a battery of online measures. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to compare models with mediation and moderation effects. Results suggested that internalized transnegativity acts as both a mediator and a moderator in the relationship between distal trans stress and suicidal ideation. Log likelihood comparisons suggested moderation models had the superior fit for these data. Results suggest that clinical interventions should directly target individuals’ internalized transnegativity as well as societal-level transnegativity.
The microbiota-derived metabolite indole decreases mucosal inflammation and injury in a murine model of NSAID enteropathy

ABSTRACT Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are one of the most frequently used classes of medications in the world. Unfortunately, NSAIDs induce an enteropathy associated with high morbidity and mortality. Although the pathophysiology of this condition involves the interaction of the gut epithelium, microbiota, and NSAIDs, the precise mechanisms by which microbiota influence NSAID enteropathy are unclear. One possible mechanism is that the microbiota may attenuate the severity of disease by specific metabolite-mediated regulation of host inflammation and injury. The microbiota-derived tryptophan-metabolite indole is abundant in the healthy mammalian gut and positively influences intestinal health. We thus examined the effects of indole administration on NSAID enteropathy. Mice (n = 5 per group) were treated once daily for 7 days with an NSAID (indomethacin; 5 mg/kg), indole (20 mg/kg), indomethacin plus indole, or vehicle only (control). Outcomes compared among groups included: microscopic pathology; fecal calprotectin concentration; proportion of neutrophils in the spleen and mesenteric lymph nodes; fecal microbiota composition and diversity; small intestinal mucosal transcriptome; and, fecal tryptophan metabolites. Co-administration of indole with indomethacin: significantly reduced mucosal pathology scores, fecal calprotectin concentrations, and neutrophilic infiltration of the spleen and mesenteric lymph nodes induced by indomethacin; modulated NSAID-induced perturbation of the microbiota, fecal metabolites, and inferred metagenome; and, abrogated a pro-inflammatory gene expression profile in the small intestinal mucosa induced by indomethacin. The microbiota-derived metabolite indole attenuated multiple deleterious effects of NSAID enteropathy, including modulating inflammation mediated by innate immune responses and altering indomethacin-induced shift of the microbiota.
Isoprenoids Production from Lipid-Extracted Microalgal Biomass Residues Using Engineered E. coli

Microalgae are recognized as a third generation feedstock for biofuel production due to their rapid growth rates and lignin-free characteristics. In this study, a lipid extracted microalgal biomass residues was used as the raw material to produce isoprene, α-pinene and β-pinene with an engineered E. coli strain. We adopted an optimal sulfuric acid hydrolysis method (1:7 ratio of solid to acid solution, 32% (w/v) concentration of sulfuric acid solution at 90 °C for 90 min) to efficiently convert holocellulose into glucose efficiently (6.37 g/L). Futhermore, we explored a novel detoxification strategy (phosphoric acid/calcium hydroxide) to remove inhibitors and notably acetic acid, furfural and 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (5-HMF) were reduced by 5.32%, different number given later 99.19% and 98.22%, respectively. Finally, the fermentation concentrations of isoprene (223.23 mg/L), α-pinene (382.21 μg/L) and β-pinene (17.4 mg/L) were achieved using the detoxified hydrolysate as the carbon source, equivalent to approximately 86.02%, 90.16% and 88.32% of those produced by the engineered E. coli strain fermented on pure glucose, respectively.
Content-Adaptive Superpixel Segmentation

Superpixel segmentation targets at grouping pixels in an image into atomic regions whose boundaries align well with the natural object boundaries. This paper first proposes a new feature representation for superpixel segmentation that holistically embraces color, contour, texture, and spatial features. Then, we introduce a clustering-based discriminability measure to iteratively evaluate the importance of different features. Integrating the feature representation and the discriminability measure, we propose a novel content-adaptive superpixel (CAS) segmentation algorithm. CAS is able to automatically and iteratively adjust the weights of different features to fit various properties of image instances. Experiments on several challenging datasets demonstrate that the proposed CAS outperforms the state-of-the-art methods and has a low computational cost.
Single, Double and Quadruple Alanine Substitutions at Oligomeric Interfaces Identify Hydrophobicity as the Key Determinant of Human Neutrophil Alpha Defensin HNP1 Function

HNP1 is a human alpha defensin that forms dimers and multimers governed by hydrophobic residues, including Tyr16, Ile20, Leu25, and Phe28. Previously, alanine scanning mutagenesis identified each of these residues and other hydrophobic residues as important for function. Here we report further structural and functional studies of residues shown to interact with one another across oligomeric interfaces: I20A-HNP1 and L25A-HNP1, plus the double alanine mutants I20A/L25A-HNP1 and Y16A/F28A-HNP1, and the quadruple alanine mutant Y16A/I20A/L25A/F28A-HNP1. We tested binding to HIV-1 gp120 and HNP1 by surface plasmon resonance, binding to HIV-1 gp41 and HNP1 by fluorescence polarization, inhibition of anthrax lethal factor, and antibacterial activity using the virtual colony count assay. Similar to the previously described single mutant W26A-HNP1, the quadruple mutant displayed the least activity in all functional assays, followed by the double mutant Y16A/F28A-HNP1. The effects of the L25A and I20A single mutations were milder than the double mutant I20A/L25A-HNP1. Crystallographic studies confirmed the correct folding and disulfide pairing, and depicted an array of dimeric and tetrameric structures. These results indicate that side chain hydrophobicity is the critical factor that determines activity at these positions.
Full-field fan-beam x-ray fluorescence computed tomography with a conventional x-ray tube and photon-counting detectors for fast nanoparticle bioimaging

Abstract. X-ray fluorescence computed tomography (XFCT) was performed on a high-intensity synchrotron radiation source or a pencil beam with a long exposure time due to the low emission and detection efficiency of x-ray fluorescence photons. For the first time, the feasibility and experimental results of a full-field fan-beam XFCT with a photon-counting detector array are presented. This full-field fan-beam XFCT consists of a conventional low-intensity x-ray tube, an energy-sensitive photon-counting detector array, and a tungsten pinhole collimator. A phantom containing gadolinium solution (Kα, 42.74 keV) was scanned for 30 min using a polychromatic x-ray fan beam with a third-generation computed tomography (CT) geometry. After scattering and attenuation corrections, experimental results showed that XFCT had better accuracy and performance than spectral CT. Full-field XFCT is a promising modality for biomedical imaging of exogenous molecular probes containing nanoparticles of high atomic number.
An enhanced and secure trust-extended authentication mechanism for vehicular ad-hoc networks

Vehicular Ad-hoc Networks VANETs are a move towards regulating safe traffic and intelligent transportation system. A VANETs is characterized by extremely dynamic topographical conditions owing to speedily moving vehicles. In VANETs, vehicles can transmit messages within a pre-defined area to achieve safety and efficiency of the system. Then ensuring authenticity of origin of messages to the receiver in such a dynamic environment is a crucial challenge. Another concern in VANET is preservation of privacy of user/vehicle. Recently, Chuang and Lee proposed a trust-extended authentication mechanism TEAM for vehicle-to-vehicle communications in VANETs. TEAM not only satisfies various security features but also enhances the performance of the authentication process using transitive trust relationship among vehicles. Nonetheless, our analysis shows that TEAM is vulnerable to insider attack, privacy breach, impersonation attacks and some other problems. In this paper, to eradicate the vulnerabilities found in Chuang-Lee's scheme, an enhanced trust-extended authentication scheme for VANET is proposed. We display the efficiency of our scheme through security analysis and comparison. Through simulation results using widely accepted NS-2 simulator, we show that our scheme authenticates vehicles faster than Chuang-Lee's scheme. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Anti-Jamming Underwater Transmission With Mobility and Learning

In this letter, we present an anti-jamming underwater transmission framework that applies reinforcement learning to control the transmit power and uses the transducer mobility to address jamming in underwater acoustic networks. The deep <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$Q$ </tex-math></inline-formula>-networks-based transmission scheme can achieve the optimal power and node mobility control without knowing the jamming model and the underwater channel model in the dynamic game. Experiments performed with transducers in a non-anechoic pool show that our proposed scheme can reduce the bit error rate of the underwater transmission against reactive jamming compared with the <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$Q$ </tex-math></inline-formula>-learning based scheme.