Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Histopathological multiple recanalized lesion is critical element of outcome after pulmonary thromboendarterectomy.

Pulmonary thromboendarterectomy (PEA) is a curative therapy for chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH), but the postoperative mortality remains unsatisfactory (4-10%). Residual pulmonary hypertension is the most common cause of perioperative death. Although PEA specimens seem to contain lesions responsible for hemodynamic improvement, relevant histopathological findings have still to be identified.The aim of this study was to identify histopathological findings that predict postoperative residual pulmonary hypertension after PEA.PEA specimens obtained from 51 consecutive patients with CTEPH were histopathologically assessed. The patient characteristics and disease location were reviewed by medical records. The associations with residual pulmonary hypertension were analyzed.The mean values of preoperative and postoperative vascular resistance (PVR) were 1142 ± 454 and 496 ± 368 dynes•sec/cm(-5), respectively. Twenty of 51 patients (39%), including 2 patients who died, continued to have residual pulmonary hypertension (PVR ≥ 500 dynes•sec/cm(-5)). Statistical tests indicated that male, proximal disease type and the presence of histopathological multiple recanalized thrombus were associated with good surgical outcome (PVR < 500 dynes•sec/cm(-5)). The positive and negative predictive values for surgical outcome estimated by the presence of multiple recanalized lesions were higher than the values estimated by proximal disease type (85% and 88% versus 73% and 71%, respectively). Moreover, the number of multiple recanalize lesions was significantly correlated to the reduction in PVR (P = 0.03). The presence of histopathological multiple recanalized lesions was significantly associated with a decrease in PVR after PEA. Histopathological study may be a potent diagnostic strategy for accurately predicting surgical outcome in the early perioperative period.
Extending the European Union Waste Hierarchy to Guide Nutrient-Effective Urban Sanitation toward Global Food Security : Opportunities for Phosphorus Recovery

With growing urbanization cities become hotspots for nutrients. Food items are imported and food residues, including excreta and not-eaten food, are often exported to landfill sites and water bodies. However, urban sanitation systems can be designed to achieve a high degree of nutrient recovery and food security while counteracting current nutrient resources depletion, environmental degradation and wasteful energy use. This article illustrates how an extended solid waste hierarchy also including human excreta and wastewater can guide actions to save and recover phosphorus (P) by the three sectors: food industry, households, and waste utilities. P use in diets and agricultural production is not part of the analysis, despite the potential to save P. Novel systems thinking and material flow analysis show that waste prevention can replace over 40 % of mined P presently used for making fertilisers. Reuse and recycling of P in excreta and food waste can replace another 15 – 30%, depending on P-efficiency from mine to plate. Keeping excreta separated from other wastewater facilitates such measure. Incineration and land filling are deemed the least appropriate measures since mainly P is recovered in the ashes. The European Union waste management policy is analysed for real barriers and opportunities for this approach. The EU Parliament policy guidelines were watered down in the EU Commission’s Directives and today most bio waste is still being landfilled or incinerated instead of recovered. An anticipated overcapacity of incineration plants in Europe threatens to attract all combustible material and therefore, irrevocably, reduce nutrient recovery. On the other hand, reduced generation and enhanced recovery can delay exhaustion of P resources by several centuries and, simultaneously reduce environmental degradation.
Tracking State Changes in Procedural Text: a Challenge Dataset and Models for Process Paragraph Comprehension

We present a new dataset and models for comprehending paragraphs about processes (e.g., photosynthesis), an important genre of text describing a dynamic world. The new dataset, ProPara, is the first to contain natural (rather than machine-generated) text about a changing world along with a full annotation of entity states (location and existence) during those changes (81k datapoints). The end-task, tracking the location and existence of entities through the text, is challenging because the causal effects of actions are often implicit and need to be inferred. We find that previous models that have worked well on synthetic data achieve only mediocre performance on ProPara, and introduce two new neural models that exploit alternative mechanisms for state prediction, in particular using LSTM input encoding and span prediction. The new models improve accuracy by up to 19%. We are releasing the ProPara dataset and our models to the community.
SUMOylation Is Required for Optimal TRAF3 Signaling Capacity

TNF receptor–associated factors (TRAFs) are multifunctional adaptor proteins involved in temporal and spatial coordination of signals necessary for normal immune function. Here, we report that TRAF3, a TRAF family member with a key role in Toll-like and TNF family receptor signaling and suppressor of lymphomagenesis, is post-translationally modified by the small ubiquitin-related modifier (SUMO). Through yeast two-hybrid and co-immunoprecipitation assays we have identified Ubc9, the SUMO conjugating enzyme, as a novel TRAF3-interacting protein. We show that Ubc9-dependent SUMOylation of TRAF3 modulates optimal association with the CD40 receptor, thereby influencing TRAF3 degradation and non-canonical NF-κB activation upon CD40 triggering. Collectively, our findings describe a novel post-translational modification of a TRAF family member and reveal a link between SUMOylation and TRAF-mediated signal transduction.
Establishment of immortalized mesenchymal stem cells derived from the submandibular glands of tdTomato transgenic mice

Transgenic mice that overexpress the red fluorescent protein tdTomato (tdTomato mice) are well suited for use in regenerative medicine studies. Cultured cells from this murine model exhibit strong red fluorescence, enabling real-time in vivo imaging through the body surface of grafted animals. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have marked potential for use in cell therapy and regenerative medicine; however, the mechanisms that regulate their dynamics in vivo are poorly understood. In the present study, an MSC line was derived from the submandibular gland fibroblasts of tdTomato mice. The fluorescent signal from this cell line was observed in organs throughout the body, as well as in salivary glands. Primary culture cells derived from the submandibular gland were immortalized with SV40 large T antigen (GManSV cells); these cells exhibited increased migratory ability, as compared with those isolated from the sublingual gland. GManSV cells were tdTomato-positive and exhibited spindle-shaped fibroblastic morphology; they also robustly expressed mouse MSC markers: Stem cell antigen-1 (Sca-1), CD44, and CD90. This cell line retained multipotent stem cell characteristics, as evidenced by its ability to differentiate into both osteogenic and adipogenic lineages. These results indicate that Sca-1+/CD44+/CD90+-GManSV cells may be useful for kinetic studies of submandibular gland-derived MSCs in the context of in vitro co-culture with other types of salivary gland-derived cells. These cells may also be used for in vivo imaging studies, in order to identify novel cell therapy and regenerative medicine for the treatment of salivary gland diseases.
Genetic Population Structure Accounts for Contemporary Ecogeographic Patterns in Tropic and Subtropic-Dwelling Humans

Contemporary human populations conform to ecogeographic predictions that animals will become more compact in cooler climates and less compact in warmer ones. However, it remains unclear to what extent this pattern reflects plastic responses to current environments or genetic differences among populations. Analyzing anthropometric surveys of 232,684 children and adults from across 80 ethnolinguistic groups in sub-Saharan Africa, Asia and the Americas, we confirm that body surface-to-volume correlates with contemporary temperature at magnitudes found in more latitudinally diverse samples (Adj. R2 = 0.14-0.28). However, far more variation in body surface-to-volume is attributable to genetic population structure (Adj. R2 = 0.50-0.74). Moreover, genetic population structure accounts for nearly all of the observed relationship between contemporary temperature and body surface-to-volume among children and adults. Indeed, after controlling for population structure, contemporary temperature accounts for no more than 4% of the variance in body form in these groups. This effect of genetic affinity on body form is also independent of other ecological variables, such as dominant mode of subsistence and household wealth per capita. These findings suggest that the observed fit of human body surface-to-volume with current climate in this sample reflects relatively large effects of existing genetic population structure of contemporary humans compared to plastic response to current environments.
Divergent genome evolution caused by regional variation in DNA gain and loss between human and mouse

The forces driving the accumulation and removal of non-coding DNA and ultimately the evolution of genome size in complex organisms are intimately linked to genome structure and organisation. Our analysis provides a novel method for capturing the regional variation of lineage-specific DNA gain and loss events in their respective genomic contexts. To further understand this connection we used comparative genomics to identify genome-wide individual DNA gain and loss events in the human and mouse genomes. Focusing on the distribution of DNA gains and losses, relationships to important structural features and potential impact on biological processes, we found that in autosomes, DNA gains and losses both followed separate lineage-specific accumulation patterns. However, in both species chromosome X was particularly enriched for DNA gain, consistent with its high L1 retrotransposon content required for X inactivation. We found that DNA loss was associated with gene-rich open chromatin regions and DNA gain events with gene-poor closed chromatin regions. Additionally, we found that DNA loss events tended to be smaller than DNA gain events suggesting that they were more tolerated in open chromatin regions. GO term enrichment in human gain hotspots showed terms related to cell cycle/metabolism, human loss hotspots were enriched for terms related to gene silencing, and mouse gain hotspots were enriched for terms related to transcription regulation. Interestingly, mouse loss hotspots were strongly enriched for terms related to developmental processes, suggesting that DNA loss in mouse is associated with phenotypic changes in mouse morphology. This is consistent with a model in which DNA gain and loss results in turnover or “churning” of regulatory regions that are then subjected to selection, resulting in the differences we now observe, both genomic and phenotypic/morphological.
Evaluating arbitrary strain configurations and doping in graphene with Raman spectroscopy

The properties of graphene depend sensitively on strain and doping affecting its behavior in devices and allowing an advanced tailoring of this material. A knowledge of the strain configuration, i.e. the relative magnitude of the components of the strain tensor, is particularly crucial, because it governs effects like band-gap opening, pseudo-magnetic fields, and induced superconductivity. It also enters critically in the analysis of the doping level. We propose a method for evaluating unknown strain configurations and simultaneous doping in graphene using Raman spectroscopy. In our analysis we first extract the bare peak shift of the G and 2D modes by eliminating their splitting due to shear strain. The shifts from hydrostatic strain and doping are separated by a correlation analysis of the 2D and G frequencies, where we find Δω2D/ΔωG=2.21±0.05 for pure hydrostatic strain. We obtain the local hydrostatic strain, shear strain and doping without any assumption on the strain configuration prior to the analysis, as we demonstrate for two model cases: Graphene under uniaxial stress and graphene suspended on nanostructures that induce strain. Raman scattering with circular corotating polarization is ideal for analyzing frequency shifts, especially for weak strain when the peak splitting by shear strain cannot be resolved.
Treatment of Human Brucellosis — Review of Evidence from Clinical Trials

Unresolved issues remain surrounding the treatment of human brucellosis. The present work aims to provide useful information to help clinicians make decisions when treating brucellosis patients. Information based on scientific evidence from clin‐ ical trials published over the past 30 years has been compiled and presented in an up‐ dated form, covering both focal and non-focal, or uncomplicated, human brucellosis. This chapter shows that, despite the studies published in recent years, areas such as the role of monotherapy or treatment in cases of focal disease, have not been ade‐ quately addressed in clinical trials, and demonstrates the need for further research.
An Adaptive Calibration Framework for mVEP-Based Brain-Computer Interface

Electroencephalogram signals and the states of subjects are nonstationary. To track changing states effectively, an adaptive calibration framework is proposed for the brain-computer interface (BCI) with the motion-onset visual evoked potential (mVEP) as the control signal. The core of this framework is to update the training set adaptively for classifier training. The updating procedure consists of two operations, that is, adding new samples to the training set and removing old samples from the training set. In the proposed framework, a support vector machine (SVM) and fuzzy C-mean clustering (fCM) are combined to select the reliable samples for the training set from the blocks close to the current blocks to be classified. Because of the complementary information provided by SVM and fCM, they can guarantee the reliability of information fed into classifier training. The removing procedure will aim to remove those old samples recorded a relatively long time before current new blocks. These two operations could yield a new training set, which could be used to calibrate the classifier to track the changing state of the subjects. Experimental results demonstrate that the adaptive calibration framework is effective and efficient and it could improve the performance of online BCI systems.
Anti-Inflammatory Effects of p-Coumaric Acid, a Natural Compound of Oldenlandia diffusa, on Arthritis Model Rats

Objectives In China, Oldenlandia diffusa (OD) is a natural herb that is widely used and has been proven to be effective in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). This study aimed to preliminarily reveal the mechanism by which OD exerts its beneficial effect. Methods Ultra-performance liquid chromatography photodiode array was applied to identify the absorbable compounds in the plasma of collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) model rats. After 2 weeks, an OD decoction or the identified absorbable compound was administered to CIA rats. Morphology, X-ray images of the joints, pathological images, arthritis index, and cytokine (TNF-α and IL-6) levels were evaluated. Results p-Coumaric acid (p-CA) was identified as the absorbed compound in plasma. After administration of p-CA solution or the OD decoction, symptoms in the treated rats were alleviated as compared to the untreated model rats, and inflammatory cell infiltration was suppressed. The arthritis index and serum levels of TNF-α and IL-6 were decreased as compared to the control group. Conclusions OD may exert its anti-inflammatory effect on RA via its active ingredient, p-CA. This information sheds light on the mechanism by which OD exerts its anti-inflammatory effort in RA and forms the basis for further development of therapeutic agents for RA.
Bone mass and soy isoflavones in socially housed , premenopausal macaques 1 – 3

Background: Soy consumption is associated with a lower incidence of hip fracture in Asian than in Western women, an effect often attributed to estrogen-like compounds (isoflavones) in soy. It is not known whether premenopausal soy exposure initiated in adulthood can increase bone mass and thereby reduce fracture risk. Objective: We aimed to determine whether a high-isoflavone soy diet influences bone mass in soy-naı̈ve, premenopausal cynomolgus monkeys (Macaca fascicularis). Design: Ninety-four skeletally mature females were randomly assigned to consume diets whose protein content came from either high-isoflavone soy or casein and lactalbumin. Animals were socially housed. Bone mass and circulating isoflavone concentrations were measured at baseline and 19 and 31 mo after the start of treatment; bone biomarkers were measured at baseline and 31 mo. Results: There were no significant differences at any timepoint in whole-body bone mineral content between casein-fed (112.5 2.1, 119.2 1.9, and 120.7 2.1 g) and soy-fed (117.2 2.1, 122.4 2.0, and 125.4 2.3 g; P 0.12) monkeys. Similar results were seen for spinal bone mineral density (casein-fed: 0.46 0.01, 0.50 0.01, and 0.52 0.01 g/cm; soy-fed: 0.47 0.01, 0.51 0.01, and 0.52 0.01 g/cm; P 0.30) and bone biomarker measurements— bone-specific alkaline phosphatase (soy-fed: 82.3 4.1 and 63.2 3.4 ng/mL; casein-fed: 94.1 4.5 and 61.7 4.3 ng/mL; P 0.22) and C-terminal crosslink of type 1 collagen (soy-fed: 0.944 0.06 and 0.89 0.08 nmol/L; casein-fed: 0.97 0.07 and 0.78 0.06
How does food addiction influence dietary intake profile?

This study aimed to investigate whether there was any difference in eating pattern, abnormal eating behaviour, obesity and the number of food addiction symptoms according to food addiction presence. A total sample of 851 healthy subjects living in Ankara (n = 360 male, n = 491 female) aged 19–65 years were included in this cross-sectional survey. Data on demographic information, 24-hour dietary recalls, Yale Food Addiction Scale (YFAS), Eating Attitudes Test-26 (EAT-26), and anthropometric measurements were collected through face-to-face interviews. Overall, 11.4% of participants were identified as “food addicted” (F: 13.0%; M: 9.2%). Subjects meeting criteria for ‘food addiction' had higher body mass index (35.1% were obese and 3.1% were underweight), compared to subjects without food addiction (13.1% were obese and 10.2% were underweight) (p<0.05). Abnormal eating attitudes estimated with EAT-26 were determined as 45.5% in males, 37.5% in females and 40.2% in total, among subjects with food addiction. Daily energy, protein and fat intakes were significantly higher in food addicted females, compared to non-addicted females (p<0.05). Participants with food addiction reported significantly more problems with foods, which contain high amounts of fat and sugar, compared to the participants without food addiction. Food addiction behaviour should be considered as a part of efforts towards reducing food related problems involving obesity.
Multiple scattering, radiative transfer, and weak localization in discrete random media: Unified microphysical approach

The radiative transfer theory has been extensively used in geophysics, remote sensing, and astrophysics for more than a century, but its physical basis had remained uncertain until quite recently. This ambiguous situation has finally changed, and the theory of radiative transfer in random particulate media has become a legitimate branch of Maxwell's electromagnetics. This tutorial review is intended to provide an accessible outline of recent basic developments. It discusses elastic electromagnetic scattering by random many‐particle groups and summarizes the unified microphysical approach to radiative transfer and the effect of weak localization of electromagnetic waves (otherwise known as coherent backscattering). It explains the exact meaning of such fundamental concepts as single and multiple scattering, demonstrates how the theories of radiative transfer and weak localization originate in the Maxwell equations, and exposes and corrects certain misconceptions of the traditional phenomenological approach to radiative transfer. It also discusses the challenges facing the theories of multiple scattering, radiative transfer, and weak localization in the context of geophysical applications.
‘I’m not a smoker…yet’: a qualitative study on perceptions of tobacco control in Chinese high schools

Objective Chinese adolescents’ perceptions about tobacco control at schools are rarely researched. We explored how current antismoking strategies work in middle school environments, as well as the attitudes towards these strategies held by students and teaching staff members. Methods Four focus groups (24 eleventh graders; M age=16 years) and five indepth interviews (teaching staff members with tobacco control experience in schools) were conducted in Kunming, Yunnan Province, China. We used thematic analysis combining inductive and deductive processes, along with field observations and research group discussions, for data analysis. Results With educational approaches and practical strategies, antismoking education reported in the middle schools had limited effectiveness. Although smoking is banned in schools, students can circumvent schools’ controls easily. Notably salient is the pessimistic attitude towards school-based antismoking strategies at school. Detrimental influences within (teachers’ smoking) and beyond schools (high societal smoking prevalence) largely challenged the efforts to manage students’ smoking. Conclusions Current antismoking approaches in schools fail to curb smoking among Chinese high school students. Their effectiveness is undermined by both within-campus and off-campus influences. Students’ perceptions of smoking should be valued as their knowledge of smoking is actively constructed. Future antismoking education at school should incorporate interactive sessions rather than merely didactic approaches about the harms of smoking. Although stricter rules for teachers’ smoking are needed, complementary strategies such as population-level interventions and policy measures in wider society will assist in efforts within schools.
Antimicrobial Nanoparticles: applications and mechanisms of action

Nanoparticle technology is rapidly advancing and is used for a wide range of applications in medicine. The potential of metal nanoparticles as antimicrobial agents is widely studied and is considered as an alternative approach to overcome the challenge posed by multidrug resistance in bacteria. This review discusses novel approaches to nanoparticle synthesis including green synthesis and the antimicrobial spectrum of nanoparticles. Approaches for enhancing antimicrobial potential of nanoparticles by surface modification and its potential as a vehicle for antibiotic delivery are also explored.