Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Role of m6A Modification and m6A Regulators in Esophageal Cancer

Simple Summary N6-methyladenosine (m6A) modification and m6A regulators play important roles in the occurrence and development of various cancers. Esophageal cancer (ESCA), one of the most common gastrointestinal tumors, seriously affects people’s health. In this review article, we summarized the role and possible mechanism of m6A modification and m6A regulators in the occurrence, progression, remedy and prognosis of ESCA, which might be useful for determining the pathogenesis of ESCA and providing direction for the future research of ESCA. Abstract N6-methyladenosine (m6A) modification, the most prevalent RNA modification, is involved in all aspects of RNA metabolism, including RNA processing, nuclear export, stability, translation and degradation. Therefore, m6A modification can participate in various physiological functions, such as tissue development, heat shock response, DNA damage response, circadian clock control and even in carcinogenesis through regulating the expression or structure of the gene. The deposition, removal and recognition of m6A are carried out by methyltransferases, demethylases and m6A RNA binding proteins, respectively. Aberrant m6A modification and the dysregulation of m6A regulators play critical roles in the occurrence and development of various cancers. The pathogenesis of esophageal cancer (ESCA) remains unclear and the five-year survival rate of advanced ESCA patients is still dismal. Here, we systematically reviewed the recent studies of m6A modification and m6A regulators in ESCA and comprehensively analyzed the role and possible mechanism of m6A modification and m6A regulators in the occurrence, progression, remedy and prognosis of ESCA. Defining the effect of m6A modification and m6A regulators in ESCA might be helpful for determining the pathogenesis of ESCA and providing some ideas for an early diagnosis, individualized treatment and improved prognosis of ESCA patients.
Fertility by parity in China in the context of changing fertility policy

The study aims to investigate the dynamics of fertility by parity of Chinese women over the past seven decades under the context of changing fertility policy. Using data from population censuses, population sample surveys, and fertility surveys in China, the study estimates China’s fertility by parity from 1949 to 2020 by adopting multiple fertility measures, including parity-specific total fertility rate, parity progression ratio, parity-progression-ratio-based total fertility rate, and cumulated cohort fertility rate, as well as the decomposition method. The study further evaluates the unique features of China’s configuration of parity-specific fertility through an international comparative analysis of some Western countries based on data from the Human Fertility Database. It shows that in China, both the rigid fertility policy of restricting the number and timing/spacing of children implemented since the early 1980s and the recent relaxation of fertility policy of gradually easing the number and timing/spacing of children have had a significant impact on fertility patterns and levels, especially for parity two. However, the effect of fertility policy relaxation in a low-fertility context has been less sustainable than the earlier rigid fertility policy that contributed to the rapid decline in fertility for second and higher orders of parity. Under the joint influence of the Confucian fertility culture, rapid socioeconomic growth, and the internalization of long-standing strict fertility policies, China has formed a unique pattern of parity-specific fertility profile compared to those of some developed societies, with a universal progression to the first birth, a very low but policy sensitive progression to the second birth, and an extremely low progression to the third birth.
Cytotoxicity of Particulate Matter PM10 Samples from Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso

Particulate matter (PM) is one of the main air pollutants with 257,000 deaths per year in Africa. Studying their toxic mechanisms of action could provide a better understanding of their effects on the population health. The objective of this study was to describe the PM10 toxic mechanism of action collected in 3 districts of Ouagadougou. Once per month and per site between November 2015 and February 2016, PM10 was sampled for 24 hours using the MiniVol TAS (AirMetrics, Eugene, USA). The collected filters were then stored in Petri dishes at room temperature for in vitro toxicological studies using human pulmonary artery endothelial cells (HPAEC) at the Bordeaux INSERM-U1045 Cardio-thoracic Research Center. The three study districts were classified based on PM10 level (high, intermediate, and low, respectively, for districts 2, 3, and 4). PM10 induced a concentration-dependent decrease in cell viability. A significant decrease in cell viability was observed at 1 µg/cm2, 10 µg/cm2, and 25 µg/cm2 for, respectively, districts 2, 3, and 4. A significant increase in the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) was observed at 10 µg/cm2 for district 2 versus 5 µg/cm2 and 1 µg/cm2 for districts 3 and 4, respectively. Finally, a significant production of IL-6 was recorded from 5 µg/cm2 for district 4 versus 10 µg/cm2 for districts 2 and 3. Consequently, Ouagadougou is subjected to PM10 pollution, which can induce a significant production of ROS and IL-6 to cause adverse effects on the health of the population.
Short GRBs with Extended Emission from Magnetar Birth: Jet Formation and Collimation

Approximately 1/4-1/2 of short duration Gamma-Ray Bursts are followed by variable X-ray emission lasting ~ 100 s with a fluence comparable or exceeding that of the initial burst itself. The long duration and significant energy of this `extended emission'(EE) poses a major challenge to the standard binary neutron star merger model. metzger08 recently proposed that the EE is powered by the spin-down of a strongly magnetized neutron star. However, the effects of surrounding material on the magnetar outflow have not yet been considered. Here we present time-dependent axisymmetric relativistic magnetohydrodynamic simulations of the interaction of the relativistic proto-magnetar wind with a surrounding 10^-1 10^-3 M_\odot envelope, which represents material ejected during the merger; the supernova following AIC; or via outflows from the accretion disk. The collision between the relativistic magnetar wind and the expanding ejecta produces a magnetized nebula inside the ejecta. A strong toroidal magnetic field builds up in the nebula, which drives a bipolar jet out through the ejecta, similar to the magnetar model developed in the case of long duration GRBs. We quantify the `break-out' time and opening angle of the jet theta_j as a function of the wind energy flux dot{E} and ejecta mass M_ej. We show that dot{E} and theta_j are inversely correlated, such that the beaming-corrected (isotropic) luminosity of the jet is primarily a function of M_ej. Both variability arguments, and the lower limit on the power of magnetar outflows capable of producing bright emission, suggest that the true opening angle of the magnetar jet must be relatively large. The model thus predicts a class of events for which the EE is observable with no associated short GRB. These may appear as long-duration GRBs or X-Ray Flashes, which may be detected by future all-sky X-ray survey missions.
Leveraging the strengths of mice, human stem cells, and organoids to model pancreas development and diabetes

Diabetes is an epidemic with increasing incidence across the world. Most individuals who are afflicted by this disease have type 2 diabetes, but there are many who suffer from type 1, an autoimmune disorder. Both types of diabetes have complex genetic underpinnings that are further complicated by epigenetic and environmental factors. A less prevalent and often under diagnosed subset of diabetes cases are characterized by single genetic mutations and include Maturity Onset Diabetes of the Young (MODY) and Neonatal Diabetes Mellitus (NDM). While the mode of action and courses of treatment for all forms of diabetes are distinct, the diseases all eventually result in the dysfunction and/or death of the pancreatic β cell - the body’s source of insulin. With loss of β cell function, blood glucose homeostasis is disrupted, and life-threatening complications arise. In this review, we focus on how model systems provide substantial insights into understanding β cell biology to inform our understanding of all forms of diabetes. The strengths and weaknesses of animal, hPSC derived β-like cell, and organoid models are considered along with discussion of GATA6, a critical transcription factor frequently implicated in pancreatic dysfunction with developmental origins; experimental studies of GATA6 have highlighted the advantages and disadvantages of how each of these model systems can be used to inform our understanding of β cell specification and function in health and disease.
Accurate Symmetry Calculation with Normalized Dynamic Time Warping Gait Symmetry Ratio

In this paper we propose a new method for symmetry calculation in wearable devices. The problem in this domain is that only discrete features such as stride length, stride duration, or duration of gait phases are used for the symmetry calculation. However, this can lead to failures, since the use of features can result in partial loss of information from the time series. From this we present a possibility to calculate the symmetry by using Dynamic Time Warping (DTW). DTW uses the complete time series for the analysis and is therefore independent of certain features.
Segmentation of the prostate and organs at risk in male pelvic CT images using deep learning

Inter-and intra-observer variation in delineating regions of interest (ROIs) occurs because of differences in expertise level and preferences of the radiation oncologists. We evaluated the accuracy of a segmentation model using the U-Net structure to delineate the prostate, bladder, and rectum in male pelvic CT images. The dataset used for training and testing the model consisted of raw CT scan images of 85 prostate cancer patients. We designed a 2D U-Net model to directly learn a mapping function that converts a 2D CT grayscale image to its corresponding 2D OAR segmented image. Our network contains blocks of convolution 2D layers with variable kernel sizes, channel number, and activation functions. On the left side of the U-Net model, we used three 3 × 3 convolutions, each followed by a rectified linear unit (ReLu) (activation function), and one max pooling operation. On the right side of the U-Net model, we used a 2 × 2 transposed convolution and two 3 × 3 convolution networks followed by a ReLu activation function. The automatic segmentation using the U-Net generated an average dice similarity coefficient (DC) and standard deviation (SD) of the following: DC ± SD (0.88 ± 0.12), (0.95 ± 0.04), and (0.92 ± 0.06) for the prostate, bladder, and rectum, respectively. Furthermore, the mean of average surface Hausdorff distance (ASHD) and SD were 1.2 ± 0.9 mm, 1.08 ± 0.8 mm, and 0.8 ± 0.6 mm for the prostate, bladder, and rectum, respectively. Our proposed method, which employs the U-Net structure, is highly accurate and reproducible for automated ROI segmentation. This provides a foundation to improve automatic delineation of the boundaries between the target and surrounding normal soft tissues on a standard radiation therapy planning CT scan.
Clinical performance of metagenomic next-generation sequencing for the rapid diagnosis of talaromycosis in HIV-infected patients

Background Talaromycosis is an invasive endemic mycosis caused by the dimorphic fungus Talaromyces marneffei (T. marneffei, TM). It mainly affects immunodeficient patients, especially HIV-infected individuals, which causes significant morbidity and mortality. Culture-based diagnosis takes a long turnaround time with low sensitivity, leading to treatment delay. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the performance of Metagenomic Next-Generation Sequencing (mNGS) for the rapid diagnosis of talaromycosis in HIV-infected patients. Methods Retrospectively analysis was conducted in HIV-infected cases at Changsha First Hospital (China) from January 2021 to March 2022. Patients who underwent routine microbiological examination and mNGS testing in parallel were enrolled. The clinical final diagnosis was used as a reference standard, and cases were classified into the TM group (60 cases) and the non-TM group (148 cases). The clinical performances of mNGS were compared with culture and serum Galactomannan (GM). The mixed infections detected by mNGS were analyzed. The impact of mNGS detection on treatment was also investigated. Results The sensitivity of mNGS test reached 98.3% (95% CI, 89.8-99.9), which was significantly higher than culture (66.7% [95% CI, 53.2-77.9], P < 0.001) and serum GM (83.3% [95% CI, 71.0-91.2], P < 0.05). The specificity of 98.6% (95% CI, 94.7-99.7) was similar to culture (100.0% [95% CI, 96.8-100.0], P = 0.156), and superior to serum GM (91.9% [95% CI, 85.9-95.5], P < 0.05). In bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) samples, the positive rate of mNGS was 97.6%, which was significantly higher than culture (28.6%, P <0.001). mNGS has excellent performance in the identification of mixed infection in TM group patients. Cytomegalovirus, Epstein-Barr virus and Pneumocystis jirovecii were the most common concurrent pathogens. In summary, 60.0% (36/60) patients were added or adjusted to antimicrobial therapy after mNGS test. Conclusion mNGS is a powerful technique with high specificity and sensitivity for the rapid diagnosis of talaromycosis. mNGS of BALF samples may be a good option for early identification of T. marneffei in HIV-infected individuals with manifestations of infection. Moreover, mNGS shows excellent performance in mixed infection, which benefits timely treatment and potential mortality reduction.
Two-Dimensional Conjugated Mass Transfer of Carbon Dioxide Absorption in a Hollow-Fiber Gas-Liquid Membrane Contactor

The absorption efficiencies of CO2 in hollow-fiber membrane contactors using an ethanolamine (MEA) solvent under both concurrent- and countercurrent-flow operations were investigated theoretically and experimentally. Two-dimensional mathematical modeling was developed by Happel’s free surface model, and the resultant partial differential equations were solved analytically using the separated variables method with the use of an orthogonal expansion technique. A simplified expression of Sherwood number variations was reported by employing the relevant operations conditions and expressed in terms of the computed eigenvalues for predicting concentration distribution and absorption efficiency. It is emphasized that, in comparing various fiber packing configurations, both theoretical predictions and experimental results should be compared to find the absorption flux increment accomplished by the CO2/N2 stream passing through the fiber cells under the same mass flow rate. The value of the present mathematical treatment is evident to propose a simplified expression of the averaged Sherwood number variations, and provides the predictions of the absorption flux, absorption efficiency, average Sherwood number with the absorbent Graetz number, inlet CO2 concentration, and absorbent flow rates as parameters. The availability of such concise expressions, as developed directly from the analytical formulations, is the value of the present study. The experiments of the CO2 absorption using MEA with alumina (Al2O3) hollow fiber membranes are also set up to confirm the accuracy of the theoretical predictions. The accuracy derivations between the experimental results and theoretical predictions for concurrent- and countercurrent-flow operations are 4.10×10−2≤E≤1.50×10−2 and 1.40×10−2≤E≤9.0×10−1, respectively. The operations of the hollow-fiber membrane contactor implementing N = 7 fiber cells and N = 19 fiber cells offer an inexpensive method of improving absorption efficiency by increasing fiber numbers with consideration of device performance.
Phosphorus Abundances in FGK Stars

We measured phosphorus abundances in 22 FGK dwarfs and giants that span −0.55 < [Fe/H] 0.2 using spectra obtained with the Phoenix high-resolution infrared spectrometer on the Kitt Peak National Observatory Mayall 4 m telescope, the Gemini South Telescope, and the Arcturus spectral atlas. We fit synthetic spectra to the P i feature at 10581 Å to determine abundances for our sample. Our results are consistent with previously measured phosphorus abundances; the average [P/Fe] ratio measured in [Fe/H] bins of 0.2 dex for our stars are within ∼1σ compared to averages from other IR phosphorus studies. Our study provides more evidence that models of chemical evolution using the results of theoretical yields are underproducing phosphorus compared to the observed abundances. Our data better fit a chemical evolution model with phosphorus yields increased by a factor of 2.75 compared to models with unadjusted yields. We also found average [P/Si] = 0.02 ± 0.07 and [P/S] = 0.15 ± 0.15 for our sample, showing no significant deviations from the solar ratios for [P/Si] and [P/S] ratios.
Statistical Characteristics of the Local Proton Cyclotron Band Emissions Observed by the CSES

We present observations on the local proton cyclotron band emissions (PCBEs), which is one type of hiss wave in the upper ionosphere, recorded by the China Seismo‐Electromagnetic Satellite (CSES). The PCBEs are characterized by narrow‐band electromagnetic emissions along the local proton cyclotron frequency ( fcp ${f}_{\mathrm{c}\mathrm{p}}$ ), exhibiting a sharp cutoff effect. The lower cutoff frequency ( fcut−low ${f}_{\mathrm{c}\mathrm{u}\mathrm{t}-\mathrm{l}\mathrm{o}\mathrm{w}}$ ) is closely along the local fcp ${f}_{\mathrm{c}\mathrm{p}}$ , decreasing with magnetic latitude, while the upper cutoff frequency ( fcut−up ${f}_{\mathrm{c}\mathrm{u}\mathrm{t}-\mathrm{u}\mathrm{p}}$ ) is diffuse and deviates from the local fcp ${f}_{\mathrm{c}\mathrm{p}}$ . We developed an algorithm to automatically extract PCBEs from CSES's massive electromagnetic data and statistically examined their occurrence and bandwidth's dependence on location and season. The global morphology of PCBEs in 2019 shows that they primarily occur in the mid‐high magnetic latitude (approximately 20°–55°) dayside ionosphere, with the maximum occurrence happening around the South Atlantic Anomaly region. Their bandwidth shows a decreasing tendency with magnetic latitude and strong seasonal dependence, with a wider bandwidth in local winter and a narrower one in local summer. The ratio of fcut−low ${f}_{\mathrm{c}\mathrm{u}\mathrm{t}-\mathrm{l}\mathrm{o}\mathrm{w}}$ and fcp ${f}_{\mathrm{c}\mathrm{p}}$ also shows a seasonal dependence, with greater values in local summer and smaller values in local winter. This characteristic of fcut−low ${f}_{\mathrm{c}\mathrm{u}\mathrm{t}-\mathrm{l}\mathrm{o}\mathrm{w}}$ is similar to that of the H+‐He+ cutoff frequency ( fcut−ion ${f}_{\mathrm{c}\mathrm{u}\mathrm{t}-\mathrm{i}\mathrm{o}\mathrm{n}}$ ). This study provides statistical characteristics of occurrence and the cutoff features of PCBEs based on the CSES operating in the upper ionosphere.
KINEMATICS AND PHYSICAL CONDITIONS OF THE INNERMOST ENVELOPE IN B335

We made C18O (2–1) and CS (7–6) images of the protostellar envelope around B335 with a high spatial dynamic range from ∼10,000 to ∼400 AU by combining the Submillimeter Array and single-dish data. The C18O emission shows an extended (∼10,000 AU) structure as well as a compact (∼1500 AU) component concentrated at the protostellar position. The CS emission shows a compact (∼900 AU) component surrounding the protostar, plus a halo-like (∼3000 AU) structure elongated along the east–west direction. At higher velocities (|ΔV| ≳ 0.3 km s−1), the CS emission is stronger and more extended than the C18O emission. Physical conditions of the envelope were examined through a Large Velocity Gradient model. At |ΔV| ≳ 0.3 km s−1, the gas temperature is higher (>40 K) than that at |ΔV| ≲ 0.3 km s−1, whereas the gas density is lower (<106 cm−3). We consider that the higher temperature and lower density gas at |ΔV| ≳ 0.3 km s−1 is related to the associated outflow, while the lower temperature and higher density gas at |ΔV| ≲ 0.3 km s−1 is the envelope component. From the inspection of the positional offsets in the velocity channel maps, the radial profile of the specific angular momentum of the envelope rotation in B335 was revealed at radii from ∼104 down to ∼102 AU. The specific angular momentum decreases down to a radius of ∼370 AU, and then appears to be conserved within that radius. A possible scenario of the evolution of envelope rotation is discussed.
High Prevalence of HPV 51 in an Unvaccinated Population and Implications for HPV Vaccines

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is detected in 99.7% of cervical cancers. Current vaccines target types 16 and 18. Prior to vaccination implementation, a prospective cohort study was conducted to determine baseline HPV prevalence in unvaccinated women in Wales; after HPV16 and HPV18, HPV 51 was found to be most prevalent. This study aimed to re-assess the unexpected high prevalence of HPV 51 and consider its potential for type-replacement. Two hundred HPV 51 positive samples underwent re-analysis by repeating the original methodology using HPV 51 GP5+/6+ PCR-enzyme immunoassay, and additionally a novel assay of HPV 51 E7 PCR. Data were correlated with age, social deprivation and cytology. Direct repeat of HPV 51 PCR-EIA identified 146/195 (75.0%) samples as HPV 51 positive; E7 PCR identified 166/195 (85.1%) samples as HPV 51 positive. HPV 51 prevalence increased with cytological grade. The prevalence of HPV 51 in the pre-vaccinated population was truly high. E7 DNA assays may offer increased specificity for HPV genotyping. Cross-protection of current vaccines against less-prevalent HPV types warrants further study. This study highlights the need for longitudinal investigation into the prevalence of non-vaccine HPV types, especially those phylogenetically different to vaccine types for potential type-replacement. Ongoing surveillance will inform future vaccines.
A Universal Angular Momentum Profile for Dark Matter Halos

The angular momentum distribution in dark matter halos and galaxies is a key ingredient in understanding their formation. Specifically, the internal distribution of angular momenta is closely related to the formation of disk galaxies. In this article, we use halos identified from a high-resolution simulation, the Bolshoi simulation, to study the spatial distribution of specific angular momenta, . We show that by stacking halos with similar masses to increase the signal-to-noise ratio, the profile can be fitted as a simple function, , with three free parameters, , and . Specifically, js correlates with the halo mass Mvir as , rs has a weak dependence on the halo mass as , and is independent of Mvir. This profile agrees with that from a rigid shell model, though its origin is unclear. Our universal specific angular momentum profile is useful in modeling the angular momenta of halos. Furthermore, by using an empirical stellar mass–halo mass relation, we can infer the average angular momentum distribution of a dark matter halo. The specific angular momentum–stellar mass relation within a halo computed from our profile is shown to share a similar shape as that from the observed disk galaxies.