Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Impaired Barrier Function and Immunity in the Colon of Aldo-Keto Reductase 1B8 Deficient Mice

Aldo-keto reductase 1B10 (AKR1B10) is downregulated in human ulcerative colitis (UC) and colorectal cancer, being a potential pathogenic factor of these diseases. Aldo-keto reductase 1B8 (AKR1B8) is the ortholog in mice of human AKR1B10. Targeted AKR1B8 deficiency disrupts homeostasis of epithelial self-renewal and leads to susceptibility to colitis and carcinogenesis. In this study, we found that in AKR1B8 deficient mice, Muc2 expression in colon was diminished, and permeability of colonic epithelium increased. Within 24 h, orally administered FITC-dextran penetrated into mesenteric lymph nodes (MLN) and liver in AKR1B8 deficient mice, but not in wild type controls. In the colon of AKR1B8 deficient mice, neutrophils and mast cells were markedly infiltrated, γδT cells were numerically and functionally impaired, and dendritic cell development was altered. Furthermore, Th1, Th2, and Th17 cells decreased, but Treg and CD8T cells increased in the colon and MLN of AKR1B8 deficient mice. In colonic epithelial cells of AKR1B8 deficient mice, p-AKT (T308 and S473), p-ERK1/2, p-IKBα, p-p65 (S536), and IKKα expression decreased, accompanied with downregulation of IL18 and CCL20 and upregulation of IL1β and CCL8. These data suggest AKR1B8 deficiency leads to abnormalities of intestinal epithelial barrier and immunity in colon.
Trained Immunity-Based Vaccine in B Cell Hematological Malignancies With Recurrent Infections: A New Therapeutic Approach

Infectious complications are a major cause of morbidity and mortality in B-cell hematological malignancies (HM). Prophylaxis for recurrent infections in HM patients with antibody deficiency consists of first-line antibiotics and when unsuccessful, gammaglobulin replacement therapy (IgRT). Recent knowledge of trained immunity-based vaccines (TIbV), such as the sublingual polybacterial formulation MV130, has shown a promising strategy in the management of patients with recurrent infections. We sought to determine the clinical benefit of MV130 in a cohort of HM patients with recurrent respiratory tract infections (RRTIs) who underwent immunization with MV130 for 3 months. Clinical information included the frequency of infections, antibiotic use, number of visits to the GP and hospitalizations previous and after MV130 immunotherapy. Improvement on infection rate was classified as: clear (>60% reduction of infection), partial (26%–60%) and low (≤25%) improvement. Fifteen HM patients (aged 42 to 80 years; nine females) were included in the study. All patients reduced their infection rate. Analysis of paired data revealed that the median (range, min - max) of respiratory infectious rate significantly decreased from 4.0 (8.0–3.0) to 2.0 (4.0–0.0) (p<0.001) at 12 months of MV130. A clear clinical improvement was observed in 53% (n = 8) of patients, partial improvement in 40% (n = 6) and low improvement in 7% (n = 1). These data correlated with a decrease on antibiotic consumption from 3.0 (8.0–1.0) to 1.0 (2.0–0.0) (p = 0.002) during 12 months after initiation of treatment with MV130. The number of infectious-related GP or emergency room visits declined from 4.0 (8.0–2.0) to 2.0 (3.0–0.0) (p<0.001), in parallel with a reduction in hospital admissions due to infections (p = 0.032). Regarding safety, no adverse events were observed. On the other hand, immunological assessment of serum IgA and IgG levels demonstrated an increase in specific antibodies to MV130-contained bacteria following MV130 immunotherapy. In conclusion, MV130 may add clinical benefit reducing the rate of infections and enhancing humoral immune responses in these vulnerable patients.
Beyond Justice Perceptions: The Role of Interpersonal Justice Trajectories and Social Class in Perceived Legitimacy of Authority Figures

There is considerable evidence that the experience of justice is associated with perceived legitimacy of authority, but there has been no research about this association when considering past rather than current fairness. Based on the fairness heuristic theory, we tested the hypothesis that interpersonal justice trajectories positively affect perceived legitimacy of the authority; we also tested whether social class moderated this effect. Community residents (N = 111; 54 women) rated the authority's fairness on 16 consecutive weeks and rated perceived legitimacy on the 16th week. The results of latent growth modeling showed that the trajectory of interpersonal justice scores leading up to the final week significantly predicted perceived legitimacy, regardless of the current experience of interpersonal fairness. Tests of moderation showed that the legitimacy perceptions of individuals of lower subjective social class were significantly affected by interpersonal justice trajectories, whereas this was not the case among individuals of higher subjective social class. The results are discussed in terms of their implications for research on perceived legitimacy and justice, as well as their implications for understanding social class.
An Ontological Approach of the Cognitive and Affective Product Experience

The cognitive and affective design aims to attract consumers with products and new products that provide innovative experiences with the intense functional and “cognitive” impact such as ease of use, in addition to “affective” impact as the pleasure of consuming. However, it is difficult to anticipate the consumer's preferences and intentionality, because what happens inside his mind, brain, or subjective experience (wishes, needs, and preferences) is not accessible. This study's objective was to propose an ontological and multidisciplinary approach to the cognitive and affective product experience through an explanation framework and a conceptual model. The model was tested, and the preliminary results indicate that the proposal contributes positively to the advance of the explanation, evaluation and translation of the product experience.
Curled Flag Leaf 2, Encoding a Cytochrome P450 Protein, Regulated by the Transcription Factor Roc5, Influences Flag Leaf Development in Rice

Moderate curling generally causes upright leaf blades, which favors the establishment of ideal plant architecture and increases the photosynthetic efficiency of the population, both of which are desirable traits for super hybrid rice (Oryza sativa L.). In this study, we identified a novel curled-leaf mutant, curled flag leaf 2 (cfl2), which shows specific curling at the base of the flag leaf owing to abnormal epidermal development, caused by enlarged bulliform cells and increased number of papillae with the disordered distribution. Map-based cloning reveals that CFL2 encodes a cytochrome P450 protein and corresponds to the previously reported OsCYP96B4. CFL2 was expressed in all analyzed tissues with differential abundance and was downregulated in the clf1 mutant [a mutant harbors a mutation in the homeodomain leucine zipper IV (HD-ZIP IV) transcription factor Roc5]. Yeast one-hybrid and transient expression assays confirm that Roc5 could directly bind to the cis-element L1 box in the promoter of CFL2 before activating CFL2 expression. RNA sequencing reveals that genes associated with cellulose biosynthesis and cell wall-related processes were significantly upregulated in the cfl2 mutant. The components of cell wall, such as lignin, cellulose, and some kinds of monosaccharide, were altered dramatically in the cfl2 mutant when compared with wild-type “Jinhui10” (WT). Taken together, CFL2, as a target gene of Roc5, plays an important role in the regulation of flag leaf shape by influencing epidermis and cell wall development.
Trp-Containing Antibacterial Peptides Impair Quorum Sensing and Biofilm Development in Multidrug-Resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Exhibit Synergistic Effects With Antibiotics

Pseudomonas aeruginosa uses quorum sensing (QS) to control virulence, biofilm formation and antibiotic efflux pump expression. The development of effective small molecules targeting the QS system and biofilm formation represents a novel attractive strategy. In this present study, the effects of a series of Trp-containing peptides on the QS-regulated virulence and biofilm development of multidrug-resistant P. aeruginosa, as well as their synergistic antibacterial activity with three classes of traditional chemical antibiotics were investigated. The results showed that Trp-containing peptides at low concentrations reduced the production of QS-regulated virulence factors by downregulating the gene expression of both the las and rhl systems in the strain MRPA0108. Biofilm formation was inhibited in a concentration-dependent manner, which was associated with extracellular polysaccharide production inhibition by downregulating pelA, algD, and pslA transcription. These changes correlated with alterations in the extracellular production of pseudomonal virulence factors and swarming motility. In addition, the combination of Trp-containing peptides at low concentration with the antibiotics ceftazidime and piperacillin provided synergistic effects. Notably, L11W and L12W showed the highest synergy with ceftazidime and piperacillin. A mechanistic study demonstrated that the Trp-containing peptides, especially L12W, significantly decreased β-lactamase activity and expression of efflux pump genes OprM, MexX, and MexA, resulting in a reduction in antibiotic efflux from MRPA0108 cells and thus increasing the antibacterial activity of these antibiotics against MRPA0108.
An Exploratory Pilot Study on Choking Episodes in Archery

The aim of our study is to test the fit of an explanatory model of the frequency of the phenomenon of choking under pressure in archers, focusing on both the individual components (anxiety, coping styles, and decentralization) and environmental components (perception of coach assistance). 115 competitive athletes including 72 males (62.6%) and 43 females (37.4%) participated in the study, with average age of 39 years (±15.47). Participants reported personal data and completed measures of self-consciousness, anxiety, coping styles, and decentering. The ruminative component of concern was found to be the factor directly influencing the frequency of choking episodes in performance. Two significant mediations of personal coping style were also identified on the effects of anxiety on brooding thinking and on the athlete's ability to decentralize. The latter personal self-regulative component has been shown to be able to strongly limit the frequency of choking under pressure. Finally, among the environmental components, a further facilitating influence for the athlete resulted in the perception of being supported by the coach. The results therefore suggest that the athlete in choking should not face alone the hard upcoming period, but should preferably be supported with an articulated program focused on the cognitive remodeling of disturbing thoughts, on the strengthening of the capacity of decentralization, on the enhancement of the relationship of support and trust with the coach.
The Lack of SNARE Protein Homolog Syn8 Influences Biofilm Formation of Candida glabrata

Biofilm formation of Candida species is considered to be a pathogenic factor of host infection. Since biofilm formation of Candida glabrata has not been as well studied as that of Candida albicans, we performed genetic screening of C. glabrata, and three candidate genes associated with biofilm formation were identified. Candida glabrata SYN8 (CAGL0H06325g) was selected as the most induced gene in biofilm cells for further research. Our results indicated that the syn8Δ mutant was defective not only in biofilm metabolic activity but also in biofilm morphological structure and biomass. Deletion of SYN8 seemed to have no effect on extracellular matrix production, but it led to a notable decrease in adhesion ability during biofilm formation, which may be linked to the repression of two adhesin genes, EPA10 and EPA22. Furthermore, hypersensitivity to hygromycin B and various ions in addition to the abnormal vacuolar morphology in the syn8Δ mutant suggested that active vacuolar function is required for biofilm formation of C. glabrata. These findings enhance our understanding of biofilm formation in this fungus and provide information for the development of future clinical treatments.
Cyclosporine-A-Induced Intracranial Thrombotic Complications: Systematic Review and Cases Report

This study reported two cases of intracranial thrombotic events of aplastic anemia (AA) under therapy with cyclosporine-A (CsA) and reviewed both drug-induced cerebral venous thrombosis (CVT) and CsA-related thrombotic events systematically. We searched PubMed Central (PMC) and EMBASE up to Sep 2019 for publications on drug-induced CVT and Cs-A-induced thrombotic events. Medical subject headings and Emtree headings were used with the following keywords: “cyclosporine-A” and “cerebral venous thrombosis OR cerebral vein thrombosis” and “stroke OR Brain Ischemia OR Brain Infarction OR cerebral infarction OR intracerebral hemorrhage OR intracranial hemorrhage. ” We found that CsA might be a significant risk factor in inducing not only CVT but also cerebral arterial thrombosis in patients with AA.
Continuity and Discontinuity of Sport and Exercise Type During the COVID-19 Pandemic. An Exploratory Study of Effects on Mood

Involvement in sport and exercise not only provides participants with health benefits but can be an important aspect of living a meaningful life. The COVID-19 pandemic and the temporary cessation of public life in March/April/May 2020 came with restrictions, which probably also made it difficult, if not impossible, to participate in certain types of sport or exercise. Following the philosophical position that different types of sport and exercise offer different ways of “relating to the world,” this study explored (dis)continuity in the type of sport and exercise people practiced during the pandemic-related lockdown, and possible effects on mood. Data from a survey of 601 adult exercisers, collected shortly after the COVID-19 outbreak in Finland, were analyzed. Approximately one third (35%) of the participants changed their “worldmaking” and shifted to “I–Nature”-type activities. We observed worse mood during the pandemic in those who shifted from “I–Me,” compared to those who had preferred the “I–Nature” relation already before the pandemic and thus experienced continuity. The clouded mood of those experiencing discontinuity may be the result of a temporary loss of “feeling at home” in their new exercise life-world. However, further empirical investigation must follow, because the observed effect sizes were small.
Facilitating Understanding, Modeling and Simulation of Infectious Disease Epidemics in the Age of COVID-19

Interest in the mathematical modeling of infectious diseases has increased due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, many medical students do not have the required background in coding or mathematics to engage optimally in this approach. System dynamics is a methodology for implementing mathematical models as easy-to-understand stock-flow diagrams. Remarkably, creating stock-flow diagrams is the same process as creating the equivalent differential equations. Yet, its visual nature makes the process simple and intuitive. We demonstrate the simplicity of system dynamics by applying it to epidemic models including a model of COVID-19 mutation. We then discuss the ease with which far more complex models can be produced by implementing a model comprising eight differential equations of a Chikungunya epidemic from the literature. Finally, we discuss the learning environment in which the teaching of the epidemic modeling occurs. We advocate the widespread use of system dynamics to empower those who are engaged in infectious disease epidemiology, regardless of their mathematical background.
TPR-DTVN: A Routing Algorithm in Delay Tolerant Vessel Network Based on Long-Term Trajectory Prediction

An efficient and low-cost communication system has great significance in maritime communication, but it faces enormous challenges because of high communication costs, incomplete communication infrastructure, and inefficient routing algorithms. Delay Tolerant Vessel Networks (DTVNs), which can create low-cost communication opportunities among vessels, have recently attracted considerable attention in the academic community. Most existing maritime ad hoc routing algorithms focus on predicting vessels’ future contacts by mining coarse-grained social relations or spatial distribution, which has led to poor performance. In this paper, we analyze 3-year trajectory data of 5123 fishery vessels in the China East Sea. Using entropy theory, we observe that the trajectory of the vessel has strongly spatial-temporal distribution regularity, especially when previous states were given. To predict accurate future trajectories, we develop a long-term accurate trajectory prediction model by improving the Bidirectional Long-Short Term Memory (Bi-LSTM) model. Based on predicted trajectories and the confident degree of each prediction step, we propose a series of routing algorithms called TPR-DTVN to achieve efficient communication performance. Finally, we carry out simulation experiments with extensive real data. Compared with existing algorithms, the simulation results show that TPR-DTVN can achieve a higher delivery ratio with lower cost and transmission delay.
Adversarial Robustness for Face Recognition: How to Introduce Ensemble Diversity among Feature Extractors?

An adversarial example (AX) is a maliciously crafted input that humans can recognize correctly, while machine learning models cannot. This paper considers how to turn deep learning-based face recognition systems to be robust against AXs. A large number of studies have proposed methods for protecting machine learning-classiﬁers from AXs. One of the most successful methods among them is to prepare an ensemble of classiﬁers and promote diversity among them. Face recognition typically relies on feature extractors instead of classiﬁers. We found that directly applying this successful method to feature extractors leads to failure. We show that this failure is due to a lack of true diversity among the feature extractors and ﬁx it by synchronizing the direction of features among models. Our method signiﬁcantly enhances the robustness against AXs under the white box and black box settings while slightly increasing the accuracy. We also compared our method with adversarial training.
COVID-19 pandemic: health inequities in children and youth

INTRODUCTION The COVID19 pandemic is a child rights crisis challenging longterm survival and development of children and youth worldwide. The pandemic and indirect consequences of associated public health measures are compounding preexisting stressors to survival that marginalised families confront every day, with detrimental and disproportionate consequences. Service shutdowns, reduced healthcare access, disrupted early childhood education and schooling and longterm economic decline will be more harmful to children than the virus itself. The International Society for Social Pediatrics and Child Health (ISSOP) is a global organisation of health professionals that aims to improve the health and wellbeing of children and young people with a focus on the child, in illness and in health, within the context of their society, environment, school and family. This ISSOP Position Statement outlines the impact of COVID19 to child and youth health inequities and calls for action by governments, health professionals, researchers and advocacy organisations.
Tuning of Multivariable Model Predictive Control for Industrial Tasks

This work is concerned with the tuning of the parameters of Model Predictive Control (MPC) algorithms when used for industrial tasks, i.e., compensation of disturbances that affect the process (process uncontrolled inputs and measurement noises). The discussed simulation optimisation tuning procedure is quite computationally simple since the consecutive parameters are optimised separately, and it requires only a very limited number of simulations. It makes it possible to perform a multicriteria control assessment as a few control quality measures may be taken into account. The effectiveness of the tuning method is demonstrated for a multivariable distillation column. Two cases are considered: a perfect model case and a more practical case in which the model is characterised by some error. It is shown that the discussed tuning approach makes it possible to obtain very good control quality, much better than in the most common case in which all tuning parameters are constant.
Advanced Construction of the Dynamic Matrix in Numerically Efficient Fuzzy MPC Algorithms

A method for the advanced construction of the dynamic matrix for Model Predictive Control (MPC) algorithms with linearization is proposed in the paper. It extends numerically efficient fuzzy algorithms utilizing skillful linearization. The algorithms combine the control performance offered by the MPC algorithms with nonlinear optimization (NMPC algorithms) with the numerical efficiency of the MPC algorithms based on linear models in which the optimization problem is a standard, easy-to-solve, quadratic programming problem with linear constraints. In the researched algorithms, the free response obtained using a nonlinear process model and the future trajectory of the control signals is used to construct an advanced dynamic matrix utilizing the easy-to-obtain fuzzy model. This leads to obtaining very good prediction and control quality very close to those offered by NMPC algorithms. The proposed approach is tested in the control system of a nonlinear chemical control plant—a CSTR reactor with the van de Vusse reaction.
Sampling Effects on Algorithm Selection for Continuous Black-Box Optimization

In this paper, we investigate how systemic errors due to random sampling impact on automated algorithm selection for bound-constrained, single-objective, continuous black-box optimization. We construct a machine learning-based algorithm selector, which uses exploratory landscape analysis features as inputs. We test the accuracy of the recommendations experimentally using resampling techniques and the hold-one-instance-out and hold-one-problem-out validation methods. The results demonstrate that the selector remains accurate even with sampling noise, although not without trade-offs.