Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
PLK1 inhibitor facilitates the suppressing effect of temozolomide on human brain glioma stem cells

Glioblastoma is the most frequent and most aggressive brain tumour in adults. Temozolomide is an oral chemotherapy drug and one of the major components of chemotherapy regimens used as a treatment of some brain cancers. We examined the tolerance of stem cells isolated from glioma cell line U87 and U251 to temozolomide (TMZ) and explored the effect of PLK1 (Polo like kinase 1) protein expression on TMZ sensibility. In our results, the inhibitory effects of TMZ on glioma cells U87, U251 and its stem cells were confirmed to be dose dependent and time dependent. Compared with glioma cells, the glioma stem cells showed a greater degree of tolerance. As the concentration of TMZ increased, the expression of PLK1 protein increased in U87 cells, CD133+ U87 stem cells and CD133‐ U87 cells. The increase range of PLK1 protein was large in CD133+ U87 stem cells and small in CD133‐ U87 cells. TMZ treatment in cells with low PLK1 protein expression efficiently suppressed the cell proliferation and sphere formation, while G2/M arrest was strongly induced. What's more, TMZ and PLK1 inhibitor synergize to inhibit glioma growth in vivo. In conclusion, our results suggest that down‐regulation of PLK1 protein enhanced the inhibition of TMZ on glioma stem cells, suggesting its clinical value to adverse TMZ resistance in glioma treatment.
View morphing and interpolation through triangulation

This paper presents a method for view morphing and interpolation based on triangulation. View morphing here is viewed here as a basic tool for view interpolation. The feature points in each source image are first detected. Based on these feature points, each source image is segmented into a set of triangular regions and local affine transformations are then used for texture mapping of each triangle from the source image to the destination image. This is called triangulation-based texture mapping. However, one of the significant problems associated with this approach is texture discontinuity between adjacent triangles. In order to solve this problem, the triangular patches that might cause these adjacent discontinuities are first detected and the optimal affine transformations for these triangles are then applied. In the subsequent view interpolation step, all source images are transferred to the novel view through view morphing, and the final novel view is the combination of all these candidate novel views. The major improvement over the traditional approach is a feedback-based method proposed to determine the weights for the texture combination from different views. Simulation results show that our method can reduce the discontinuities in triangle-based view morphing and significantly improve the quality of the interpolated views.
Human Emotional State Analysis During Driving Simulation Experiment Using Bio-Emotion Estimation Method

There are many factors that cause accidents while driving a car. Among them, one factor is a negative emotional state such as "anger", "frustration", or "irritation" [1]. To detect these negative emotional states, the are several studies and commercial driving systems that have been presented as the driver monitoring system (DMS). These approaches, that mainly depend on image processing and natural language analysis uses the information that expressed information that could be arbitrarily changed. Alternatively, the emotional analysis method using physiological responses that would not be arbitrarily changed and is objective. In this study, we propose the way of estimating emotion named the Bio-emotion Estimate Method (BeEM) that can identify emotions by applying the brain waves and heart rate estimated using Russell's circular model. We developed a driving simulator that performs emotional analysis and analyzed emotional reactions to multiple incidents using values estimated from this biological information. Then evaluate and compare with the BeEM and iiSA which is a emotion judgment indicator used during driving. The result shows that similar tendency has found in the proposed method and those obtained by the existing emotion evaluation method, suggesting the applicability to DMS of using biological emotion information.
A 3,000‐year lag between the geological and ecological shutdown of Florida's coral reefs

The global‐scale degradation of coral reefs has reached a critical threshold wherein further declines threaten both ecological functionality and the persistence of reef structure. Geological records can provide valuable insights into the long‐term controls on reef development that may be key to solving the modern coral‐reef crisis. Our analyses of new and existing coral‐reef cores from throughout the Florida Keys reef tract (FKRT) revealed significant spatial and temporal variability in reef development during the Holocene. Whereas maximum Holocene reef thickness in the Dry Tortugas was comparable to elsewhere in the western Atlantic, most of Florida's reefs had relatively thin accumulations of Holocene reef framework. During periods of active reef development, average reef accretion rates were similar throughout the FKRT at ~3 m/ky. The spatial variability in reef thickness was instead driven by differences in the duration of reef development. Reef accretion declined significantly from ~6,000 years ago to present, and by ~3,000 years ago, the majority of the FKRT was geologically senescent. Although sea level influenced the development of Florida's reefs, it was not the ultimate driver of reef demise. Instead, we demonstrate that the timing of reef senescence was modulated by subregional hydrographic variability, and hypothesize that climatic cooling was the ultimate cause of reef shutdown. The senescence of the FKRT left the ecosystem balanced at a delicate tipping point at which a veneer of living coral was the only barrier to reef erosion. Modern climate change and other anthropogenic disturbances have now pushed many reefs past that critical threshold and into a novel ecosystem state, in which reef structures built over millennia could soon be lost. The dominant role of climate in the development of the FKRT over timescales of decades to millennia highlights the potential vulnerability of both geological and ecological reef processes to anthropogenic climate change.
2D Oxide Nanomaterials to Address the Energy Transition and Catalysis

2D oxide nanomaterials constitute a broad range of materials, with a wide array of current and potential applications, particularly in the fields of energy storage and catalysis for sustainable energy production. Despite the many similarities in structure, composition, and synthetic methods and uses, the current literature on layered oxides is diverse and disconnected. A number of reviews can be found in the literature, but they are mostly focused on one of the particular subclasses of 2D oxides. This review attempts to bridge the knowledge gap between individual layered oxide types by summarizing recent developments in all important 2D oxide systems including supported ultrathin oxide films, layered clays and double hydroxides, layered perovskites, and novel 2D‐zeolite‐based materials. Particular attention is paid to the underlying similarities and differences between the various materials, and the subsequent challenges faced by each research community. The potential of layered oxides toward future applications is critically evaluated, especially in the areas of electrocatalysis and photocatalysis, biomass conversion, and fine chemical synthesis. Attention is also paid to corresponding novel 3D materials that can be obtained via sophisticated engineering of 2D oxides.
Why do bad balls get wickets? The role of congruent and incongruent information in anticipation

ABSTRACT Skilled anticipation is underpinned by the use of kinematic and contextual information. However, few researchers have examined what happens when contextual information suggests an outcome that is different from the event that follows. We aimed to bridge this gap by manipulating the relationship between contextual information and final ball location in a cricket-batting task. We predicted that when contextual information is congruent with the eventual outcome then anticipation would be facilitated. In contrast, when contextual information is incongruent, this would lead to a confirmation bias on kinematic information and result in decreased anticipation accuracy. We expected this effect to be larger in skilled performers who are more able to utilise context. Skilled and less-skilled cricket batters anticipated deliveries presented using a temporally occluded video-based task. We created conditions whereby contextual information and event outcome were either congruent or incongruent. There was a significant skill by condition interaction (p < 0.05). The skilled group anticipated significantly more accurately than the less-skilled group on the congruent trials. Both groups anticipated less accurately on incongruent trials, with the skilled participants being more negatively affected. Skilled performers prioritise contextual information and confirmation bias affects the use of kinematic information available later in the action.
Crosstalk reduction in passive stereo-projection systems

We describe a scheme for reduction of depolarization artefacts in passive stereo-projection systems. These problems appear due to non-perfectness of stereo-projection equipment: depolarization of the light due to reﬂection from the screen or due to the passage through the screen, non-ideality of polarizing ﬁlters, mixing of left-and right-eye images in a change of relative orientation of the ﬁlters, which together produce a strong crosstalk effect, resulting to difﬁculting stereo-perception. The artefacts are eliminated by software methods, using linear ﬁlter-ing of the image before its projection to the screen. We have implemented this algorithm in VE system Avango 1 by means of texture mappings. All necessary operations are performed by the graphics board, thus providing the real-time rendering rate. The described method considerably improves stability of stereo-perception, making high-quality performances of virtual environment possible on affordable equipment.
Is appropriately conducted neostigmine reversal inferior to sugammadex? A reply

NMB reversal with minimal postoperative sequelae. The key lies in planning, monitoring andwhere possible, minimising NMB use. Adequate neostigmine reversal dosage (50– 70 mcg.kg 1 for moderate block levels) should be administered, ideally after recovery to TOF count = 4, with adequate time allowed before awakening, and objective quantitative NMB measurement used throughout, especially to ensure awakening and recovery, without muscle weakness and residual NMB.
Does vibration superimposed on low-level isometric contraction alter motor unit recruitment strategy?

Objective. Beneficial effects, including improved muscle strength and power performance, have been observed during vibration exercise (VE) and partially ascribed to a specific reflex mechanism referred to as Tonic vibration reflex (TVR). TVR involves motor unit (MU) activation synchronized and un-synchronized with the vibration cycle; this suggests VE to alter the temporal MU recruitment strategy. However, the effects of VE on MU recruitment remain poorly understood. This study aims to elucidate the influence of VE on MU recruitment indirectly, by investigating the effects of low-intensity VE on muscle activation. Approach. Twenty volunteers performed isometric contractions on the biceps brachii of the right arm at a baseline (low) force equal to 30% of the maximum voluntary contraction without vibration (control) and with vibration at 20, 30, 40, and 55 Hz. Three vibration amplitudes were employed at 12.5%, 25%, and 50% of the baseline. Mean muscle-fiber conduction velocity (mCV), mean frequency (MF), and root mean square (RMS) value were estimated from surface electromyography as indicators of the alteration in MU recruitment strategies. Main results. The mCV estimates during VE were significantly (p < 0.05) higher compared to the control condition. Furthermore, six VE conditions produced significantly larger RMS values compared to control condition. The estimated MF did not show any consistent trend. Significance. These results suggest that vibration superimposed on low-level isometric contraction alters the MU recruitment strategy, activating larger and faster MUs.
Anti-apoptotic effects of human placental hydrolysate against hepatocyte toxicity in vivo and in vitro

Apoptosis and oxidative stress are essential for the pathogenesis of acute liver failure and fulminant hepatic failure. Human placental hydrolysate (hPH) has been reported to possess antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. In the present study, the protective effects of hPH against D-galactosamine (D-GalN)- and lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced hepatocyte apoptosis were investigated in vivo. In addition, the molecular mechanisms underlying the anti-apoptotic activities of hPH against D-GalN-induced cell death in vitro were examined. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were injected with D-GaIN/LPS with or without the administration of hPH. Rats were sacrificed 24 h after D-GaIN/LPS intraperitoneal injection, and the blood and liver samples were collected for future inflammation and hepatotoxicity analyses. Changes in cell viability, apoptosis protein expression, mitochondrial mass, mitochondrial membrane potential, reactive oxygen species generation, and the levels of proteins and mRNA associated with a protective mechanism were determined in HepG2 cells pretreated with hPH for 2 h prior to D-GalN exposure. The findings suggested that hPH treatment effectively protected against D-GalN/LPS-induced hepatocyte apoptosis by reducing the levels of alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, lactate dehydrogenase, interleukin-6, and tumor necrosis factor-α, and increasing the level of proliferating cell nuclear antigen. It was also found that hPH inhibited the apoptotic cell death induced by D-GalN. hPH activated the expression of antioxidant enzymes, including superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase, and catalase, which were further upregulated by the Kelch-like ECH2-associated protein 1-p62-nuclear factor-erythroid 2-related factor 2 pathway, a component of oxidative stress defense mechanisms. Furthermore, hPH markedly reduced cytosolic and mitochondrial reactive oxygen species and rescued mitochondrial loss and dysfunction through the reduction of damage-regulated autophagy modulator, p53, and C/EBP homologous protein. Collectively, hPH exhibited a protective role in hepatocyte apoptosis by inhibiting oxidative stress and maintaining cell homeostasis. The underlying mechanisms may be associated with the inhibition of endoplasmic reticulum stress and minimization of the autophagy progress.
Making a difference: ethnic inequality and severe mental illness

Summary In this paper, we explore ethnic inequalities in severe mental illness and care experiences. We consider the barriers to progressive and cohesive action and propose ways of overcoming these. Clinical and policy leadership must bring together hidden patient voices, divergent professional narratives and quality research. Declaration of interest K.B. is Editor of the British Journal of Psychiatry, but has not played any role in the decision-making for this paper. K.B. leads and J.N. is a partner and K.H. a researcher in the Synergi Collaborative Centre.
Molecular epidemiology analysis of enterovirus 71 strains isolated in Dak Lak, Vietnam, 2011‐2016

Human enterovirus 71 (EV71) is the major etiologic agent of hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD). EV71 outbreaks have been reported in Dak Lak in recent years, however, the genotypes/subgenotypes information and phylogeny of circulating EV71 strains are limited. The objectives of this study were to determine the genotypes/subgenotypes and investigate the phylogeny of EV71 isolates in Dak Lak over a 6‐year period. Viruses were isolated from clinical samples from patients with HFMD. In total, 43 EV71 isolates circulated in Dak Lak during 2011‐2016 were used for the phylogenetic analysis using complete VP1 gene. The phylogenetic analysis of the VP1 gene revealed that two major genotypes, B and C, were found. Among the 43 EV71 strains, 29 belonged to subgenotype C4, 2 belonged to subgenotype C5, and 12 belonged to subgenotype B5. Of these, the subgenotype C4 was predominant in 2011‐2013 and this was later replaced by the subgenotype B5 in 2014. The subgenotype B5 was dominant between 2014 and 2015, and then C4 recirculated in 2016. Our study also indicated that the subgenotypes C4 and B5 emerged into Dak Lak were closely related to variants causing epidemics of HFMD in the southern and central region of Vietnam and Thailand. Sequence analysis showed that nine amino acid mutations were detected in the VP1 region. Our results identified two significant amino acid substitutions (D31N and E145G/Q) associated with enhancing EV71 virulence.
RBPvsMIR: A Computational Pipeline to Identify Competing miRNAs and RNA-Binding Protein Pairs Regulating the Shared Transcripts

Gene post-transcription regulation involves several critical regulators such as microRNAs (miRNAs) and RNA-binding proteins (RBPs). Accumulated experimental evidences have shown that miRNAs and RBPs can competitively regulate the shared targeting transcripts. Although this establishes a novel post-transcription regulation mechanism, there are currently no computational tools to scan for the possible competing miRNA and RBP pairs. Here, we developed a novel computational pipeline—RBPvsMIR—that enables us to statistically evaluate the competing relationship between miRNAs and RBPs. RBPvsMIR first combines with previously successful miRNAs and RBP motifs discovery applications to search for overlapping or adjacent binding sites along a given RNA sequence. Then a permutation test is performed to select the miRNA and RBP pairs with the significantly enriched binding sites. As an example, we used RBPvsMIR to identify 235 competing RBP-miRNA pairs for long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) MALAT1. Wet lab experiments verified that splicing factor SRSF2 competes with miR-383, miR-502 and miR-101 to regulate MALAT1 in esophageal squamous carcinoma cells. Our study also revealed the global mutual exclusive pattern for miRNAs and RBP to regulate human lncRNAs. In addition, we provided a convenient web server (http://bmc.med.stu.edu.cn/RBPvsMIR), which should accelerate the exploration of competing miRNAs and RBP pairs regulating the shared targeting transcripts.
Development of hydrophilic gels containing coenzyme Q10-loaded liposomes: characterization, stability and rheology measurements

Abstract Objective: The aim of this study was to develop, characterize and evaluate stability of a gel containing coenzyme Q10 (Q10)-loaded liposomes, and enhance the stability of Q10 in the nanocarrier-containing gel compared to the conventional gel. Methods: Q10-loaded liposome dispersions prepared from unsaturated or saturated lecithin, were characterized for particle size, polydispersity index (PDI), zeta-potential, pH value, oxidation index, Q10-content and morphology, and incorporated into carbomer gel. Liposome gels and liposome-free gel were analyzed for flow properties, pH values, Q10-content, and liposomes size and PDI (liposome gels), 48 h after preparation and in predetermined time intervals during 6 months storage at different temperatures in order to predict their long term stability. Results: Liposomes were of small particle size, homogeneous, negatively charged, and their incorporation into gel did not significantly change (p > .05) their particle size and PDI. All gels revealed non-Newtonian, shear-thinning plastic flow behavior during storage with no marked changes in rheological parameters. Storage of gels did not significantly influence the pH value (p > .05), while it significantly decreased Q10-content (p < .05). Q10 was significantly more (p < .05) stable in liposome gel containing unsaturated lecithin liposomes (G1) than in gel containing saturated lecithin liposomes (G2) and liposome-free gel (G3). Conclusions: Q10-loaded liposome gel G1 was the optimal formulation, since during storage at different temperatures, it did not show significant increase in liposome size and PDI, it provided significantly higher stability for Q10 than other gels and its pH value was suitable for skin application. Due to limited Q10-stability it should be stored at 4 °C.
Winner Determination in Combinatorial Double Auctions Based on Differential Evolution Algorithms

Although combinatorial double auctions make buyers and sellers trade goods more conveniently, the winner determination problem (WDP) in combinatorial double auctions poses a challenge due to computation complexity. Differential evolution (DE) is a competitive evolutionary algorithm widely adopted to deal with complex optimization problems. In this paper, a combinatorial double auction problem with transaction costs, supply constraints and non-negative surplus constraints is considered. The WDP of combinatorial double auction problem is formulated as an integer programming problem. To deal with computational complexity of the WDP for combinatorial double auctions, we propose an algorithm for finding solutions based on two variants of discrete DE approach. The effectiveness of the proposed algorithm is also demonstrated by several numerical examples.
Multimodal interaction-aware motion prediction for autonomous street crossing

For mobile robots navigating on sidewalks, the ability to safely cross street intersections is essential. Most existing approaches rely on the recognition of the traffic light signal to make an informed crossing decision. Although these approaches have been crucial enablers for urban navigation, the capabilities of robots employing such approaches are still limited to navigating only on streets that contain signalized intersections. In this article, we address this challenge and propose a multimodal convolutional neural network framework to predict the safety of a street intersection for crossing. Our architecture consists of two subnetworks: an interaction-aware trajectory estimation stream (interaction-aware temporal convolutional neural network (IA-TCNN)), that predicts the future states of all observed traffic participants in the scene; and a traffic light recognition stream AtteNet. Our IA-TCNN utilizes dilated causal convolutions to model the behavior of all the observable dynamic agents in the scene without explicitly assigning priorities to the interactions among them, whereas AtteNet utilizes squeeze-excitation blocks to learn a content-aware mechanism for selecting the relevant features from the data, thereby improving the noise robustness. Learned representations from the traffic light recognition stream are fused with the estimated trajectories from the motion prediction stream to learn the crossing decision. Incorporating the uncertainty information from both modules enables our architecture to learn a likelihood function that is robust to noise and mispredictions from either subnetworks. Simultaneously, by learning to estimate motion trajectories of the surrounding traffic participants and incorporating knowledge of the traffic light signal, our network learns a robust crossing procedure that is invariant to the type of street intersection. Furthermore, we extend our previously introduced Freiburg Street Crossing dataset with sequences captured at multiple intersections of varying types, demonstrating complex interactions among the traffic participants as well as various lighting and weather conditions. We perform comprehensive experimental evaluations on public datasets as well as our Freiburg Street Crossing dataset, which demonstrate that our network achieves state-of-the-art performance for each of the subtasks, as well as for the crossing safety prediction. Moreover, we deploy the proposed architectural framework on a robotic platform and conduct real-world experiments that demonstrate the suitability of the approach for real-time deployment and robustness to various environments.