Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Dietary Acrylamide Intake and the Risk of Pancreatic Cancer: The Japan Public Health Center-Based Prospective Study

Acrylamide is a probable carcinogen in humans. Few studies have assessed dietary acrylamide intake and the risk of pancreatic cancer; however, these studies are based on Western populations. Our purpose was to investigate the association of dietary acrylamide intake with the risk of pancreatic cancer utilizing data from the Japan Public Health Center-based Prospective Study. We evaluated the data of 89,729 participants aged 45–74 years, who replied to a questionnaire on past medical history and lifestyle habits from 1995–1998. Dietary acrylamide intake was estimated utilizing a validated food frequency questionnaire. We calculated the hazard ratios and 95% confidence intervals by using Cox proportional-hazards regression models. The average follow-up was 15.2 years, and 576 cases of pancreatic cancer were diagnosed. In the multivariate-adjusted model, an association between dietary acrylamide intake and pancreatic cancer risk was not demonstrated (hazard ratio for the highest vs. lowest quartile = 0.83, 95% confidence interval: 0.65–1.05, p for trend = 0.07). Furthermore, in the analyses stratified by sex, smoking status, coffee consumption, green tea consumption, alcohol consumption, and body mass index, no significant association was detected. Dietary acrylamide intake was not associated with the pancreatic cancer risk in Japanese individuals.
Hybrid Imitation Learning for Real-Time Service Restoration in Resilient Distribution Systems

Self-healing capability is a critical factor for a resilient distribution system, which requires intelligent agents to automatically perform service restoration online, including network reconfiguration and reactive power dispatch. The article proposes the imitation learning framework for training such an agent, where the agent will interact with an expert built based on the mixed-integer program to learn its optimal policy, and therefore significantly improve the training efficiency compared with exploration-dominant reinforcement learning (RL) methods. This significantly improved training efficiency makes the training problem under <inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$N-k$</tex-math></inline-formula> scenarios tractable. A hybrid policy network is proposed to handle tie-line operations and reactive power dispatch simultaneously to further improve the restoration performance. The 33-bus and 119-bus systems with <inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$N-k$</tex-math></inline-formula> disturbances are employed to conduct the training. The results indicate that the proposed method outperforms traditional RL algorithms such as the deep-Q network.
Barium Titanate (BaTiO3) Nanoparticles Exert Cytotoxicity through Oxidative Stress in Human Lung Carcinoma (A549) Cells

Barium titanate (BaTiO3) nanoparticles (BT NPs) have shown exceptional characteristics such as high dielectric constant and suitable ferro-, piezo-, and pyro-electric properties. Thus, BT NPs have shown potential to be applied in various fields including electro-optical devices and biomedicine. However, very limited knowledge is available on the interaction of BT NPs with human cells. This work was planned to study the interaction of BT NPs with human lung carcinoma (A549) cells. Results showed that BT NPs decreased cell viability in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Depletion of mitochondrial membrane potential and induction of caspase-3 and -9 enzyme activity were also observed following BT NP exposure. BT NPs further induced oxidative stress indicated by induction of pro-oxidants (reactive oxygen species and hydrogen peroxide) and reduction of antioxidants (glutathione and several antioxidant enzymes). Moreover, BT NP-induced cytotoxicity and oxidative stress were effectively abrogated by N-acetyl-cysteine (an ROS scavenger), suggesting that BT NP-induced cytotoxicity was mediated through oxidative stress. Intriguingly, the underlying mechanism of cytotoxicity of BT NPs was similar to the mode of action of ZnO NPs. At the end, we found that BT NPs did not affect the non-cancerous human lung fibroblasts (IMR-90). Altogether, BT NPs selectively induced cytotoxicity in A549 cells via oxidative stress. This work warrants further research on selective cytotoxicity mechanisms of BT NPs in different types of cancer cells and their normal counterparts.
Algebraic correlations and anomalous fluctuations in ordered flocks of Janus particles fueled by an AC electric field

We study the polar collective dynamics of Janus colloidal particles fueled by an AC electric field. When the density is high enough, the polar interactions between the particles induce a polar orientationally ordered state which exhibits features reminiscent of the Vicsek model such as true long-range order and giant number fluctuations. Independent measurements of the polarity and velocity at the single particle level allowed us to investigate the single particle dynamics within the ordered state. We discovered theoretically-unaddressed statistical properties of the ordered state such as the asymmetric relation of polarity and velocity, enhanced rotational diffusion stronger than in the disordered state, and an algebraic auto-correlation of the polarity. Our experimental findings, at the crossroad of the Vicsek physics and the Active Brownian Particles physics, sheds light on the so-far-unexplored physics arising from the interplay between the polarity and the velocity.
Repeat screening for syphilis in pregnancy as an alternative screening strategy in the UK: a cost-effectiveness analysis

Objectives To assess the cost-effectiveness of universal repeat screening for syphilis in late pregnancy, compared with the current strategy of single screening in early pregnancy with repeat screening offered only to high-risk women. Design A decision tree model was developed to assess the incremental costs and health benefits of the two screening strategies. The base case analysis considered short-term costs during the pregnancy and the initial weeks after delivery. Deterministic and probabilistic sensitivity analyses and scenario analyses were conducted to assess the robustness of the results. Setting UK antenatal screening programme. Population Hypothetical cohort of pregnant women who access antenatal care and receive a syphilis screen in 1 year. Primary and secondary outcome measures The primary outcome was the cost to avoid one case of congenital syphilis (CS). Secondary outcomes were the cost to avoid one case of intrauterine fetal demise (IUFD) or neonatal death and the number of women needing to be screened/treated to avoid one case of CS, IUFD or neonatal death. The cost per quality-adjusted life year gained was assessed in scenario analyses. Results Base case results indicated that for pregnant women in the UK (n=725 891), the repeat screening strategy would result in 5.5 fewer cases of CS (from 8.8 to 3.3), 0.1 fewer cases of neonatal death and 0.3 fewer cases of IUFD annually compared with the single screening strategy. This equates to an additional £1.8 million per case of CS prevented. When lifetime horizon was considered, the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio for the repeat screening strategy was £120 494. Conclusions Universal repeat screening for syphilis in pregnancy is unlikely to be cost-effective in the current UK setting where syphilis prevalence is low. Repeat screening may be cost-effective in countries with a higher syphilis incidence in pregnancy, particularly if the cost per screen is low.
Investigational drugs with dual activity against HBV and HIV (Review)

Chronic hepatitis B (CHB) and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) are global public health problems that pose a significant health burden. Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and hepatitis B virus (HBV) coinfection is common, as these viruses have similar transmission routes, such as blood transmission, sexual transmission and mother-to-child transmission. Coinfection frequently leads to accelerated disease progression. For individuals coinfected with HIV/HBV, combination antiretroviral therapy containing dual anti-HBV drugs is recommended. Certain studies have also indicated the benefits of antiretroviral drugs with anti-HBV activity in patients with coinfection. A total of four Food and Drug Administration-approved HIV drugs also have anti-HBV activity; namely, emtricitabine, lamivudine, tenofovir disoproxil fumarate and tenofovir alafenamide, which are all nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors. However, various issues, including drug resistance and side effects, limit their application. Therefore, it is necessary to develop more drugs with dual activity against HBV and HIV. The present review outlines the mechanisms, safety and efficacy of certain drugs that have been investigated for this purpose.
Collagenated Synthetic Bone Substitute Material for Sinus Floor Elevation at Sites with a Perforated Schneiderian Membrane

Schneiderian membrane perforation (SMP) is the most common complication during sinus floor elevation (SFE). Conventional methods to repair SMP, such as using a collagen barrier, may be clinically demanding. The aim of the present study was to compare the effects of collagenated bone substitute materials with and without a collagen barrier to repair SMP during SFE in terms of new bone formation and dimensional stability. In 12 rabbits, intentional SMP was made during bilateral SFE. The rabbits were randomly assigned under two groups: the control group, in which the sinus was repaired with a collagen barrier, and the test group, in which the sinus was repaired without a collagen barrier. Collagenated bone substitute material was grafted in both groups. Healing periods of 2 weeks and 4 weeks were provided in both groups. There were no adverse clinical events. Histology revealed that the Schneiderian membrane had atrophied with loss of cilia and serous glands in both groups at 4 weeks. Histomorphometry revealed that the newly formed bone (test: 0.42 ± 0.17 mm2, control: 0.36 ± 0.18 mm2 at 2 weeks; test: 1.21 ± 0.36 mm2, control: 1.23 ± 0.55 mm2 at 4 weeks) or total augmented area did not significantly differ between the two groups at either time points (p > 0.05). In conclusion, collagenated bone substitute material without a collagen barrier demonstrated similar new bone formation and dimensional stability as that with a collagen barrier in repairing SMP.
Rubi Fructus Water Extract Alleviates LPS-Stimulated Macrophage Activation via an ER Stress-Induced Calcium/CHOP Signaling Pathway

Despite the availability of antibiotics and vaccines, many intractable infectious diseases still threaten human health across the globe. Uncontrolled infections can lead to systemic inflammatory response syndrome and the excessive production of inflammatory cytokines, known as a cytokine storm. As cytokines also play necessary and positive roles in fighting infections, it is important to identify nontoxic and anti-inflammatory natural products that can modulate cytokine production caused by infections. Rubi Fructus, the unripe fruits of Rubus coreanus Miquel, are known to possess antioxidative properties. In this study, the effect of the water extract of Rubi Fructus (RF) on the lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced inflammatory response in RAW 264.7 macrophages was investigated using biochemical and cell biology techniques. Our data indicated that RF inhibits p38 phosphorylation, intracellular calcium release, and the production of nitric oxide (NO), interleukin (IL)-6, monocyte chemotactic activating factor (MCP)-1, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF), lipopolysaccharide-induced CXC chemokine (LIX), granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (G-CSF), granulocyte macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), macrophage colony-stimulating factor (M-CSF), macrophage inflammatory protein (MIP)-1α, MIP-1β, MIP-2, and regulated on activation, normal T cell expressed and secreted (RANTES) in LPS-treated macrophages. In addition, we observed decreasing mRNA expression of Chop, Camk2a, Stat1, Stat3, Jak2, Fas, c-Jun, c-Fos, Nos2, and Ptgs2 without cytotoxic effects. We concluded that RF demonstrated immunoregulatory activity on LPS-stimulated macrophages via an endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress-induced calcium/CCAAT-enhancer-binding protein homologous protein (CHOP) pathway and the Janus kinase (JAK)/signal transducers and activators of transcription (STAT) pathway.
The Long-term Evolution of Main-sequence Binaries in DRAGON Simulations

We present a comprehensive investigation of main-sequence binaries in the DRAGON simulations, which are the first one-million-particle direct N-body simulations of globular clusters. We analyze the orbital parameters of the binary samples in two of the DRAGON simulations, D1-R7-IMF93 and D2-R7-IMF01, focusing on their secular evolution and correlations up to 12 Gyr. These two models have different initial stellar mass functions: Kroupa 1993 (D1-R7-IMF93) and Kroupa 2001 (D2-R7-IMF01); and different initial mass-ratio distributions: random paring (D1-R7-IMF93) and a power law (D1-R7-IMF93). In general, the mass ratio of a population of binaries increases over time due to stellar evolution, which is less significant in D2-R7-IMF01. In D1-R7-IMF93, primordial binaries with a mass ratio q ≈ 0.2 are most common, and the frequency linearly declines with increasing q at all times. Dynamical binaries of both models have higher eccentricities and larger semimajor axes than primordial binaries. They are preferentially located in the inner part of the star cluster. Secular evolution of binary orbital parameters does not depend on the initial mass-ratio distribution, but is sensitive to the initial binary distribution of the system. At t = 12 Gyr, the binary fraction decreases radially outwards, and mass segregation is present. A color difference of 0.1 mag in F330W − F814W and 0.2 mag in NUV − y between the core and the outskirts of both clusters is seen, which is a reflection of the binary radial distribution and the mass segregation in the cluster. The complete set of data for primordial and dynamical binary systems at all snapshot intervals is made publicly available.
Pattern of Uveitis Associated with Behçet’s Disease in an Egyptian Cohort

Purpose To report the clinical experience of uveitis associated with Behçet’s disease in a cohort of Egyptian patients. Methods The present study is a retrospective analysis of the medical charts of patients with Behçet’s disease, who were referred to a tertiary eye care center in Egypt between June 2010 and June 2018. Results The current study included 1301 eyes of 681 patients with Behçet’s disease. The mean age of the patients at the time of referral was 27.2 ± 3.9 years. Panuveitis was the most common presentation. About 28% of all involved eyes had a final visual acuity <20/200, by the last follow-up visit. Conclusion Behçet’s disease is an important cause of uveitis in Egypt, and despite the fact that the prognosis of Behçet’s uveitis has globally improved in recent years, the visual outcome in Egypt is still not favorable especially in case of delayed referral to tertiary centers.
Two-coil Wireless Power Transfer System Configured in Series-Series Topology: Fundamental Dynamics and Limitations on Transmitted Power.

The dynamics and performance of a two-coil resonant coupled wireless power transfer system are investigated. At high coupling, the frequency-splitting phenomenon occurs, in which the power transferred to the load attains its maximum at two frequencies away from the resonance frequency. However, this behavior is not a universal property; there exist certain regions of resonator intrinsic parameters in which it is not present for any coupling strength. Therefore, in order to suppress such a phenomenon, there is no need to constrain the coupling of the transmitter and receiver below a certain level as widely reported in the literature. For low-power applications, optimizing the received power is essential. We derive a rigorous asymptotic upper bound for the power that can be delivered to an arbitrary load from a generic source. Our results quantitatively reveal the direct impacts of the unloaded $Q-$factors of the two resonators and the coupling between them on the actual output power. We discuss that, in contrast to the often employed operating power gain, the transducer power gain constitutes a more suitable metric to optimize system efficiency. Once the transferred power reaches its physical bound, the two gains collapse to a unique global optimal solution.
Dehydroxyhispolon Methyl Ether, A Hispolon Derivative, Inhibits WNT/β-Catenin Signaling to Elicit Human Colorectal Carcinoma Cell Apoptosis

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the fourth leading cause of cancer mortality worldwide. Aberrant activation of WNT/β-catenin signaling present in the vast majority of CRC cases is indispensable for CRC initiation and progression, and thus is a promising target for CRC therapeutics. Hispolon is a fungal-derived polyphenol with a pronounced anticancer effect. Several hispolon derivatives, including dehydroxyhispolon methyl ether (DHME), have been chemically synthesized for developing lead molecules with stronger anticancer activity. Herein, a DHME-elicited anti-CRC effect with the underlying mechanism is reported for the first time. Specifically, DHME was found to be more cytotoxic than hispolon against a panel of human CRC cell lines, while exerting limited toxicity to normal human colon cell line CCD 841 CoN. Additionally, the cytotoxic effect of DHME appeared to rely on inducing apoptosis. This notion was evidenced by DHME-elicited upregulation of poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) cleavage and a cell population positively stained by annexin V, alongside the downregulation of antiapoptotic B-cell lymphoma 2 (BCL-2), whereas the blockade of apoptosis by the pan-caspase inhibitor z-VAD-fmk attenuated DHME-induced cytotoxicity. Further mechanistic inquiry revealed the inhibitory action of DHME on β-catenin-mediated, T-cell factor (TCF)-dependent transcription activity, suggesting that DHME thwarted the aberrantly active WNT/β-catenin signaling in CRC cells. Notably, ectopic expression of a dominant–active β-catenin mutant (∆N90-β-catenin) abolished DHME-induced apoptosis while also restoring BCL-2 expression. Collectively, we identified DHME as a selective proapoptotic agent against CRC cells, exerting more potent cytotoxicity than hispolon, and provoking CRC cell apoptosis via suppression of the WNT/β-catenin signaling axis.
Twelve-Week Daily Consumption of ad hoc Fortified Milk with ω-3, D, and Group B Vitamins Has a Positive Impact on Inflammaging Parameters: A Randomized Cross-Over Trial

Background and Aim: A state of chronic, subclinical inflammation known as inflammaging is present in elderly people and represents a risk factor for all age-related diseases. Dietary supplementation with ad hoc fortified foods seems an appealing strategy to counteract inflammaging. The purpose of this study was to test the efficacy of elderly-tailored fortified milk on inflammaging and different health parameters. Methods: A double-blind randomized cross-over study was performed on forty-eight volunteers aged 63–80 years. The fortified milk was enriched with ω-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (eicosapentaenoic acid, EPA; docosahexaenoic acid, DHA), vitamins (25-hydroxyvitamin D, E, C, B6, B9, B12), and trace elements (zinc, selenium). The two intervention periods lasted for 12 weeks, with a 16-week washout intermission. Results: Compared to placebo, the consumption of fortified milk increased the circulating levels of different micronutrients, including vitamins and the ω-3 index of erythrocyte membranes. Conversely, it reduced the amount of arachidonic acid, homocysteine, and ω-6/ω-3 ratio. Conclusion: Twelve-week daily consumption of ad hoc fortified milk has an overall positive impact on different health parameters related to inflammaging in the elderly.
Production Networks and War.

How do severe shocks, such as war, alter the economy? We study how a country's production network is affected by a devastating but localized conflict. We use novel transaction-level data on Ukrainian railway shipments, complemented by administrative data on firms, to document the effect of war on firms and interfirm trade. First, we document substantial propagation effects-trade declines even between firms outside the conflict areas if one of them had traded with the conflict areas before the war. Our estimates suggest that the magnitude of the second-degree effect of conflict is one-third of the first-degree effect. Second, we study firm-level consequences of a change in production network structure. Firms that, for exogenous reasons, become more central in the production network after the start of the conflict receive a lasting boost to their revenues and a temporary one to their profits. A temporary increase in markups suggests a rise in market power as one of the mechanisms. Finally, in a production networks model, we separate the effects of exogenous firm removal and subsequent endogenous network adjustment on firm revenue distribution. At the median of the distribution, network adjustment compensates for 72% of network destruction.
Learning To Find Shortest Collision-Free Paths From Images

Motion planning is a fundamental problem in robotics and machine perception. Sampling-based planners find accurate solutions by exhaustively exploring the space, but are inefficient and tend to produce jerky motions. Optimization and learning-based planners are more efficient and produce smooth trajectories. However, a significant hurdle that these approaches face is constructing a differentiable cost function that simultaneously minimizes path length and avoids collisions. These two objectives are conflicting by nature -- path length is continuous and well-behaved, but collisions are discrete non-differentiable events. Reconciling these terms has been a significant challenge in optimization-based motion planning. The main contribution of this paper is a novel cost function that guarantees collision-free shortest paths are found at its minimum. We show that our approach works seamlessly with RGBD input and predicts high-quality paths in 2D, 3D, and 6 DoF robotic manipulator settings. Our method also reduces training and inference time compared to existing approaches, in some cases by orders of magnitude.
Constraints on Nuclear Saturation Properties from Terrestrial Experiments and Astrophysical Observations of Neutron Stars

Taking into account the terrestrial experiments and the recent astrophysical observations of neutron stars and gravitational-wave signals, we impose restrictions on the equation of state (EoS) for isospin-asymmetric nuclear matter. Using the relativistic mean-field model with SU(3) flavor symmetry, we investigate the impacts of effective nucleon mass, nuclear incompressibility, and slope parameter of nuclear symmetry energy on the nuclear and neutron star properties. It is found that the astrophysical information of massive neutron stars and tidal deformabilities, as well as the nuclear experimental data, plays an important role to restrict the EoS for neutron stars. In particular, the softness of the nuclear EoS due to the existence of hyperons in the core gives stringent constraints on those physical quantities. Furthermore, it is possible to put limits on the curvature parameter of nuclear symmetry energy by means of nuclear and astrophysical calculations.