Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Exposure to Night-Time Traffic Noise, Melatonin-Regulating Gene Variants and Change in Glycemia in Adults

Traffic noise has been linked to diabetes, with limited understanding of its mechanisms. We hypothesize that night-time road traffic noise (RTN) may impair glucose homeostasis through circadian rhythm disturbances. We prospectively investigated the relationship between residential night-time RTN and subsequent eight-year change in glycosylated hemoglobin (ΔHbA1c) in 3350 participants of the Swiss Cohort Study on Air Pollution and Lung and Heart Diseases in Adults (SAPALDIA), adjusting for diabetes risk factors and air pollution levels. Annual average RTN (Lnight) was assigned to participants in 2001 using validated Swiss noise models. HbA1c was measured in 2002 and 2011 using liquid chromatography. We applied mixed linear models to explore RTN–ΔHbA1c association and its modification by a genetic risk score of six common circadian-related MTNR1B variants (MGRS). A 10 dB difference in RTN was associated with a 0.02% (0.003–0.04%) increase in mean ΔHbA1c in 2142 non-movers. RTN–ΔHbA1c association was modified by MGRS among diabetic participants (Pinteraction = 0.001). A similar trend in non-diabetic participants was non-significant. Among the single variants, we observed strongest interactions with rs10830963, an acknowledged diabetes risk variant also implicated in melatonin profile dysregulation. Night-time RTN may impair glycemic control, especially in diabetic individuals, through circadian rhythm disturbances. Experimental sleep studies are needed to test whether noise control may help individuals to attain optimal glycemic levels.
Mechanical properties of reactive powder concrete (RPC)

In present paper, the varying laws of strength and elastic modulus of RPC were studied as well as the relationship between its compressive strength and dynamic modulus and the varying tendency of compressive strength of RPC with various size of sample. Further, the load-displacement curve of prism specimen in pressure was also investigated through experiment. These results will supply some technical information for aplication of RPC.
The Nexus of Monetary Policy and Shadow Banking in China

We study how monetary policy in China influences banks’ shadow banking activities. We develop and estimate the endogenously switching monetary policy rule that is based on institutional facts and at the same time tractable in the spirit of Taylor (1993). This development, along with two newly constructed micro banking datasets, enables us to establish the following empirical evidence. Contractionary monetary policy during 2009–2015 caused shadow banking loans to rise rapidly, offsetting the expected decline of traditional bank loans and hampering the effectiveness of monetary policy on total bank credit. We advance a theoretical explanation of our empirical findings. (JEL E32, E52, G21, O16, O23, P24, P34)
Employee commitment before and after an economic crisis: A stringent test of profile similarity

Researchers have recently begun to take a person-centered (profile) approach to investigate how the affective, normative and continuance commitment mindsets combine within the three-component model of organizational commitment. The meaningfulness of the profiles identified in this research depends, in part, on evidence that similar profiles emerge across samples, particularly those drawn from a common population. We conducted a particularly stringent test of similarity by comparing profiles for samples of employees drawn from a large Turkish conglomerate prior to (N = 346) and following (N = 797) a major economic crisis. Using procedures recently introduced by Morin et al., (2016) we found similarity in the number (seven) and structure of the profiles before and after the crisis; only the distribution of individuals across profiles (i.e. the relative size of the profiles) differed. We also found similarity in the patterns of relations with theoretical antecedent, correlate, and outcome variables, suggesting that a common set of principles might be operating regardless of major differences in the work environment. In addition to providing strong evidence for the meaningfulness of commitment profiles, this study is one of the first to investigate the impact of an economic crisis on employee commitment.
Endocytic recycling via the TGN underlies the polarized hyphal mode of life

Intracellular traffic in Aspergillus nidulans hyphae must cope with the challenges that the high rates of apical extension (1μm/min) and the long intracellular distances (>100 μm) impose. Understanding the ways in which the hyphal tip cell coordinates traffic to meet these challenges is of basic importance, but is also of considerable applied interest, as fungal invasiveness of animals and plants depends critically upon maintaining these high rates of growth. Rapid apical extension requires localization of cell-wall-modifying enzymes to hyphal tips. By combining genetic blocks in different trafficking steps with multidimensional epifluorescence microscopy and quantitative image analyses we demonstrate that polarization of the essential chitin-synthase ChsB occurs by indirect endocytic recycling, involving delivery/exocytosis to apices followed by internalization by the sub-apical endocytic collar of actin patches and subsequent trafficking to TGN cisternae, where it accumulates for ~1 min before being re-delivered to the apex by a RAB11/TRAPPII-dependent pathway. Accordingly, ChsB is stranded at the TGN by Sec7 inactivation but re-polarizes to the apical dome if the block is bypassed by a mutation in geaAgea1 that restores growth in the absence of Sec7. That polarization is independent of RAB5, that ChsB predominates at apex-proximal cisternae, and that upon dynein impairment ChsB is stalled at the tips in an aggregated endosome indicate that endocytosed ChsB traffics to the TGN via sorting endosomes functionally located upstream of the RAB5 domain and that this step requires dynein-mediated basipetal transport. It also requires RAB6 and its effector GARP (Vps51/Vps52/Vps53/Vps54), whose composition we determined by MS/MS following affinity chromatography purification. Ablation of any GARP component diverts ChsB to vacuoles and impairs growth and morphology markedly, emphasizing the important physiological role played by this pathway that, we propose, is central to the hyphal mode of growth.
Concentration-Dependent Effects of Tetrodotoxin in Function of Adult Rat and Rabbit Heart

Voltage-gated sodium channels (Navs) govern many aspects of cardiac excitability, including the depolarization of atrial and ventricular myocytes and the propagation of excitation from sinoatrial node (SAN). There are nine isoforms of sodium channel alpha subunits, Nav1.1 through Nav1.9, and these show differences in tissue distribution, biophysical properties, physiological roles, and pharmacology [1,2]. Pharmacologically, sodium channels can be grouped into tetrodotoxin-sensitive (TTX-S) channels Nav1.1, Nav1.2, Nav1.3, Nav1.4, Nav1.6, and Nav1.7, which are inhibited by TTX with IC50 tens of nanomolar, and tetrodotoxin-resistant (TTX-R) channels Nav1.5, Nav1.8, and Nav1.9, which are inhibited by micromolar or higher concentrations of TTX [3].
Sustained effectiveness of weekly iron-folic acid supplementation and regular deworming over 6 years in women in rural Vietnam

Background Weekly iron-folic acid (IFA) supplementation and regular deworming is effective for the prevention of iron deficiency and anaemia in women of child-bearing age. Between 2006 and 2013, a program of weekly IFA and biannual deworming was implemented in Yen Bai province, Vietnam. In this study we aimed to determine the effectiveness of the program in reducing anaemia and the prevalence of hookworm infection after 72 months (six years). Methods This prospective cohort study followed up a cohort of 389 women of child-bearing age from baseline until six years after the introduction of the weekly IFA (one tablet containing 200 mg ferrous sulphate, 0.4mg folic acid) and deworming (one 400mg tablet of albendazole given twice yearly) program (May 2006 to 2012). In each of the six surveys (baseline and five follow-up surveys) we measured haemoglobin and ferritin, and the burden of soil transmitted helminth (STH) infections, and in the 72 month survey we also administered a questionnaire to assess adherence and possible impediments to participating in the program. Results Two hundred and fifty six (65.8%) of the original 389 women enrolled in the cohort attended the final 72 month survey. Haemoglobin levels were 122 g/L [95% C.I. 120, 124] at baseline and increased to 135g/L [95% C.I. 133, 138] after 72 months. The prevalence of anaemia was 37.8% [95% C.I. 31.0, 44.7] at baseline and reduced to 14.3% [95% C.I. 9.5, 19.1]. Hookworm infection prevalence, 75.9% [95% C.I. 68.1, 83.8] at baseline, reduced to 10.2% [95% C.I. 5.4, 15.0] with no moderate or heavy intensity infections. Seventy-two percent of participants reported still taking at least 75% of the weekly supplements, and 85.0% had taken the most recent deworming treatment. Discussion Anaemia rates fell significantly during the six-year program, and STH infections were eliminated as a public health risk. Adherence was well maintained but long-term sustainability is challenging in the absence of ongoing external support.
An infundibulum of thalamoperforator arteries: Importance of angiographic images for appropriate diagnosis

Background: The identification of infundibula on noninvasive imaging modalities may be challenging. Because these lesions have generally been viewed as nonpathological, distinguishing them from small or micro-aneurysms is important. Case Description: A 39-year-old male was diagnosed with recurrence of typical orgasmic headache. An outpoutching arising from the distal part of the right P1 at the take-off of thalamoperforator arteries was visualized on noninvasive investigations. The patient was referred to neurosurgery for surgical management of a right P1 aneurysm. Its unusual location and morphology led to be suspicious of an infundibular dilatation. Catheter angiography with 2D projections and 3D rotational reconstruction revealed an infundibulum at the common origin of two thalamoperforators, giving rise to a double-peaked shape, mimicking a true aneurysm, rather than the more characteristic conical shape of an infundibulum. Conclusion: Although noninvasive modalities may identify typical infundibula, the catheter angiogram with 2D projections was critical to establishing the diagnosis. The 3D rotational reconstruction enabled a straightforward understanding of the 3D vascular anatomy. This pyramidal variant of infundibular dilatation should be included in the differential diagnosis of a wide-based nonsaccular arterial contour deformities located in an area of multiple perforators.
Molecular Dynamics Folding Simulation of β-hairpin Protein (1E0Q)

The structure and trajectories of the mutant peptide of ubiquitin (PDB ID: 1E0Q) has been studied using Molecular Dynamics (MD) simulation. The simulation was performed using AMBER 11 utilizing force field 99 for 50 ns at constant temperature 325 K. The purpose of this study is to investigate the protein folding pathway of protein 1E0Q. In this simulation, the protein 1E0Q has folded into its near native β-hairpin structure within 5 ns. The RMSD value as compared to the NMR structure from the first residue to 17 residues is 2.17 A. It has been observed that Gly 10 had been responsible to promote β-turn which caused the structure to turn into β-hairpin. In secondary structure analysis, it is shown that the residue from Thr 6 to Lys 11 has formed a bend in the structure. Two beta strands has also been found comprising residues Glu 2 to Lys 5 and Ile 13 to Glu 16.
Shifts in metabolic scaling, production, and efficiency across major evolutionary transitions of life

The diversification of life involved enormous increases in size and complexity. The evolutionary transitions from prokaryotes to unicellular eukaryotes to metazoans were accompanied by major innovations in metabolic design. Here we show that the scalings of metabolic rate, population growth rate, and production efficiency with body size have changed across the evolutionary transitions. Metabolic rate scales with body mass superlinearly in prokaryotes, linearly in protists, and sublinearly in metazoans, so Kleiber’s 3/4 power scaling law does not apply universally across organisms. The scaling of maximum population growth rate shifts from positive in prokaryotes to negative in protists and metazoans, and the efficiency of production declines across these groups. Major changes in metabolic processes during the early evolution of life overcame existing constraints, exploited new opportunities, and imposed new constraints.
Depression and Cardiac Function in Patients With Stable Coronary Heart Disease: Findings From the Heart and Soul Study

Objective: To determine whether depression is associated with worse cardiac disease severity in patients with stable coronary heart disease (CHD). There is considerable evidence that depression is a risk factor for adverse cardiovascular events in patients with CHD. However, a frequent criticism of this literature is that the association between depression and adverse cardiovascular outcomes may be confounded by worse baseline cardiac disease severity in depressed patients. Method: In a sample of 1020 outpatients with stable CHD, we examined the association between major depression (assessed using the Computerized National Institute of Mental Health Diagnostic Interview Schedule) with measures of cardiac disease severity, including systolic dysfunction, diastolic dysfunction, exercise-induced ischemia, and cardiac wall motion abnormalities. Cross-sectional univariate and multivariate models controlling for demographic and clinical variables were computed. Results: Of the 1020 participants, 224 (22%) had current (past month) major depression. After adjustment for age, major depression was not associated with systolic dysfunction, diastolic dysfunction, inducible ischemia, or cardiac wall motion abnormalities. Similarly, multivariate models revealed no significant relationship between major depression and cardiac disease severity. Conclusions: Overall, we found little evidence that depression is associated with worse cardiac disease severity. This suggests that greater baseline cardiac disease severity is unlikely to be responsible for the increased risk of CHD events in depressed patients. AMI = acute myocardial infarction; BMI = body mass index; CABG = coronary artery bypass graft; CDIS-IV = Computerized National Institute of Mental Health Diagnostic Interview Schedule; CHD = coronary heart disease; LVEF = left ventricular ejection fraction; PHQ-9 = Patient Health Questionnaire.
Fibroblast growth factor-23 and early decrements in kidney function: the Heart and Soul Study.

BACKGROUND Fibroblast growth factor-23 (FGF-23) is associated with mortality in dialysis patients, and concentrations are elevated in moderate chronic kidney disease (CKD). The threshold of CKD or albuminuria at which FGF-23 begins to change is unknown. METHODS In 792 outpatients with stable cardiovascular disease (CVD) and normal kidney function to moderate CKD, we evaluate the associations of estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and albumin-to-creatinine ratio (ACR) with plasma FGF-23 concentrations. RESULTS Compared to participants with eGFR >or=90 ml/min/1.73 m(2), mean FGF-23 concentrations were 7.8 RU/ml higher (4.3-11.5, P = 0.01) in those with eGFR 60-89 ml/min/1.73 m(2) in models adjusted for age, sex, race, ACR, blood pressure, diabetes and body mass index. More advanced decrements in eGFR were associated with much higher FGF-23 concentrations. In spline analysis, the slope of change in FGF-23 concentration was evident at eGFR <90 ml/min/1.73 m(2). Compared to participants with ACR <30 mg/g, mean FGF-23 concentrations were 18.4 RU/ml higher (9.3-29.2, P < 0.001) in those with ACR 30-299 mg/g in models adjusted for identical covariates plus eGFR and much higher in individuals with ACR >or=300 mg/g. Spline analysis demonstrated a linear relationship of ACR with FGF-23, independent of eGFR, even among persons with ACR <30 mg/g. CONCLUSION Modest decrements in eGFR or elevations in albuminuria are each independently associated with higher FGF-23 concentrations in outpatients with stable CVD.
Randomized comparison of liposomal amphotericin B versus placebo to prevent invasive mycoses in acute lymphoblastic leukaemia

Objectives To prevent invasive fungal disease (IFD) in adult patients undergoing remission-induction chemotherapy for newly diagnosed acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL). Patients and methods In a double-blind multicentre Phase 3 study, patients received prophylactic liposomal amphotericin B (L-AMB) at 5 mg/kg intravenously or placebo twice weekly in a 2:1 random allocation during remission-induction treatment. The primary endpoint was the development of proven or probable IFD. Secondary endpoints included those focused on the safety and tolerability of prophylactic L-AMB. Results Three hundred and fifty-five patients from 86 centres in Europe and South America received at least one dose of L-AMB ( n = 237) or placebo ( n = 118). Rates of proven and probable IFD assessed independently were 7.9% (18/228) in the L-AMB group and 11.7% (13/111) in the placebo group ( P = 0.24). Rates of possible IFD were 4.8% (11/228) in the L-AMB and 5.4% (6/111) in the placebo group ( P = 0.82). The remission-induction phase was a median of 22 days for both groups. Overall mortality was similar between the groups: 7.2% (17/237) for L-AMB and 6.8% (8/118) for placebo ( P = 1.00). Hypokalaemia and creatinine increase were significantly more frequent with L-AMB. Conclusions The IFD rate among adult patients undergoing remission-induction chemotherapy for newly diagnosed ALL was 11.7% in the placebo group, and was not significantly different in patients receiving L-AMB, suggesting that the L-AMB regimen studied is not effective as prophylaxis against IFD. The IFD rate appears higher than previously reported, warranting further investigation. Tolerability of L-AMB was what might be expected. Further studies are needed to determine the optimal antifungal strategy during remission-induction chemotherapy of ALL.
Experimental Research on the Fracture Properties of Roller Compacted Steel Fiber Recycled Concrete

Comparative experiments on the ordinary steel fiber recycled concrete (SFRC) and roller compacted SFRC were carried out to research the fracture properties of roller compacted SFRC. The results show that compressive strength, fracture toughness and fracture energy of roller compacted SFRC increase with the increase of fiber volume fraction. Compressive strength increase with the increase of recycled aggregate replacement rate and fracture toughness decrease, however, Crack tip opening displacement has little changes and fracture energy features fluctuation with the replacement ratio of recycled coarse aggregates increasing. The rolled formed layers have significant influence on the fracture properties of SFRC. The fracture toughness of roller compacted SFRC is generally lower than ordinary SFRC and compressive strength is higher than ordinary steel fiber concrete for the same aggregate replacement ratio and fiber volume fraction. Fracture energy of roller compacted SFRC is higher than ordinary SFRC for the higher steel fiber volume ratio.
Deep Recurrent Neural Network Reveals a Hierarchy of Process Memory during Dynamic Natural Vision

The human visual cortex extracts both spatial and temporal visual features to support perception and guide behavior. Deep convolutional neural networks (CNNs) provide a computational framework to model cortical representation and organization for spatial visual processing, but unable to explain how the brain processes temporal information. To overcome this limitation, we extended a CNN by adding recurrent connections to different layers of the CNN to allow spatial representations to be remembered and accumulated over time. The extended model, or the recurrent neural network (RNN), embodied a hierarchical and distributed model of process memory as an integral part of visual processing. Unlike the CNN, the RNN learned spatiotemporal features from videos to enable action recognition. The RNN better predicted cortical responses to natural movie stimuli than the CNN, at all visual areas especially those along the dorsal stream. As a fully-observable model of visual processing, the RNN also revealed a cortical hierarchy of temporal receptive window, dynamics of process memory, and spatiotemporal representations. These results support the hypothesis of process memory, and demonstrate the potential of using the RNN for in-depth computational understanding of dynamic natural vision.
Ophraella communa, the ragweed leaf beetle, has successfully landed in Europe: fortunate coincidence or threat?

Summary We report the occurrence of the North American ragweed leaf beetle Ophraella communa in Europe. During our surveys to monitor populations of the invasive alien plant Ambrosia artemisiifolia in Europe, we found the beetle south of the Alps, in more than 130 sites in southern Switzerland (Ticino) and northern Italy (Lombardia, Piemonte and Emilia-Romagna). At sites where O. communa was present, up to 100% of the plants were attacked with damage levels high enough to completely defoliate and prevent flowering and seed set of most ragweed plants. That in its first year of discovery, O. communa was already found over a large area of c. 20 000 km 2
Two-Level Micro-to-Nanoscale Hierarchical TiO2 Nanolayers on Titanium Surface

Joint replacement is being actively developed within modern orthopedics. One novel material providing fast implantation is bioactive coatings. The synthesis of targeted nanocoatings on metallic nanotitanium surface is reported in this paper. TiO2-based micro- and nanocoatings were produced by sol-gel synthesis using dip-coating technology with subsequent fast (shock) drying in hot plate mode at 400 °C. As a result of shock drying, the two-level hierarchical TiO2 nanolayer on the nanotitanium was obtained. This two-level hierarchy includes nanorelief of porous xerogel and microrelief of the micron-sized “defect” network (a crack network). The thickness of TiO2 nanolayers was controlled by repeating dip-coating process the necessary number of times after the first layer deposition. The state of the MS3T3-E1 osteoblast cell line (young cells that form bone tissue) on the two-level hierarchical surface has been studied. Particularly, adhesion character, adhesion time and morphology have been studied. The reported results may serve the starting point for the development of novel bioactive coatings for bone and teeth implants.