Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effect of β-hydroxy-β-methylbutyrate (HMB) on the Muscle Strength in the Elderly Population: A Meta-Analysis

Objective This meta-analysis aims to evaluate the effect of the emerging nutritional ingredient β-hydroxy-β-methylbutyrate (HMB) on the muscle strength of elderly people. Methods Computer systems-based search and sorting of relevant documents published before December 2020 in the China Journal Full-text Database (CNKI), Wan Fang Database (Wan Fang), VIP Chinese Science and Technology Journal Database (VIP), PubMed, Web of Science, and EMbase Database was done. Two researchers independently screened the literature based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria and performed data extraction and quality evaluation. Rev Man 5.X software was used for systematic review and meta-analysis. Results A total of 9 randomized controlled trials (RCT) studies were included in the study, which comprised 896 subjects. The overall impact on muscle strength-related indicators (SMD = 0.41; 95% CI: 0.28, 0.54); p < 0.00001) was statistically significant. Conclusion: Supplementation of HMB and preparations containing HMB ingredients aid in increasing muscle strength in the elderly population.
Phonetic Realizations of Metrical Structure in Tone Languages: Evidence From Chinese Dialects

In tone languages, some case studies showed that the word-level tonal representation was closely related to the underlying metrical pattern. Based on different tonal patterns in prosodic units, the metrical structures could generally be divided into the left- and right-dominant types in Chinese dialects. Yet the cross-dialectal phonetic realizations (e.g., duration and pitch) between or within these two metrical structures were still unrevealed. The current study investigated the duration and pitch realizations of disyllabic prosodic words in Changsha and Chengdu dialects (the left-dominant structure), and in Fuzhou and Xiamen dialects (the right-dominant structure). Results showed that not all the duration patterns across four Chinese dialects were sensitive to different metrical structures, indicating that the duration might not be the universal cue for metrical prominence in Chinese dialects. In terms of pitch realization across all the four Chinese dialects, level tones (sometimes falling tones) generally appeared in the metrically weak unit, while underlying pitch forms appeared in the metrically strong unit. Compared with duration, pitch might be more robust for prosodic realizations of metrical structures in Chinese dialects. Furthermore, there was an interaction between duration and pitch patterns in Chinese dialects, which could shed new light on the phenomenon of “metrical tone sandhi”. Meanwhile, this study also provides some references for the judgment of the metrical stress and prosodic realizations in other Chinese dialects.
Combined and Modified Gibson and Ilioinguinal Approaches in Type II + III Internal Hemipelvectomy for Periacetabular Tumors

Background The routine iliofemoral approach and its modifications in type II+III resection require extensive skin incision and massive periacetabular muscle detachment, leading to prolonged hospital stay, increased complication incidence, and impaired lower limb function. Under the management of an enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) protocol, a combined and modified Gibson and ilioinguinal (MGMII) approach was used to avoid unnecessary soft tissue trauma during tumor resection and therefore advantageous to patients’ return to normal life. Methods Twenty-five patients with type II + III (including type II) periacetabular tumors who underwent reconstruction with 3D printed customized endoprostheses at our center between January 2017 and March 2019 were included in this study. There were 13 cases using MGMII approach and 12 cases using iliofemoral approach. The operation duration and blood loss were assessed by chart review. The surgical margin was evaluated by the histopathological studies. The reconstruction accuracy, the abductor muscle strength, the 1993 version of the Musculoskeletal Tumor Society (MSTS-93), the Harris Hip scores (HHS), and the limp score were evaluated. Complications were recorded after reviewing the patients’ records. Results The operative duration and blood loss in MGMII group were shorter than those in the iliofemoral group, but the postoperative hemoglobin was slightly higher than that in the iliofemoral group. The MGMII group had stronger postoperative hip abductors, better functional restoration, and relatively fewer patients with higher limp scores. No complication was observed in the MGMII group. In the iliofemoral group, three patients encountered wound healing delay, and one patient suffered deep infection. Conclusions The MGMII approach can better expose the posterior column of the acetabulum, especially the ischial tuberosity, which is beneficial for avoiding tumor rupture during resection. The MGMII approach also helps to preserve residual muscle function, such as the origin of the gluteus medius, while ensuring the extent of resection.
Detecting Asymptomatic Infections of Rice Bacterial Leaf Blight Using Hyperspectral Imaging and 3-Dimensional Convolutional Neural Network With Spectral Dilated Convolution

Rice is one of the most important food crops for human beings. Its total production ranks third in the grain crop output. Bacterial Leaf Blight (BLB), as one of the three major diseases of rice, occurs every year, posing a huge threat to rice production and safety. There is an asymptomatic period between the infection and the onset periods, and BLB will spread rapidly and widely under suitable conditions. Therefore, accurate detection of early asymptomatic BLB is very necessary. The purpose of this study was to test the feasibility of detecting early asymptomatic infection of the rice BLB disease based on hyperspectral imaging and Spectral Dilated Convolution 3-Dimensional Convolutional Neural Network (SDC-3DCNN). First, hyperspectral images were obtained from rice leaves infected with the BLB disease at the tillering stage. The spectrum was smoothed by the Savitzky–Golay (SG) method, and the wavelength between 450 and 950 nm was intercepted for analysis. Then Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and Random Forest (RF) were used to extract the feature information from the original spectra as inputs. The overall performance of the SDC-3DCNN model with different numbers of input features and different spectral dilated ratios was evaluated. Lastly, the saliency map visualization was used to explain the sensitivity of individual wavelengths. The results showed that the performance of the SDC-3DCNN model reached an accuracy of 95.4427% when the number of inputs is 50 characteristic wavelengths (extracted by RF) and the dilated ratio is set at 5. The saliency-sensitive wavelengths were identified in the range from 530 to 570 nm, which overlaps with the important wavelengths extracted by RF. According to our findings, combining hyperspectral imaging and deep learning can be a reliable approach for identifying early asymptomatic infection of the rice BLB disease, providing sufficient support for early warning and rice disease prevention.
Multi-mtDNA Variants May Be a Factor Contributing to Mitochondrial Function Variety in the Skin-Derived Fibroblasts of Leber's Hereditary Optic Neuropathy Patients

Heterogeneity is a major feature of Leber's hereditary optic neuropathy (LHON) and has a significant impact on the manifestation and diagnosis of the disease. This study explored whether multiple variations in mitochondrial genes were associated with the heterogeneity, mainly phenotypic heterogeneity. Ophthalmic examinations were conducted in two probands with LHON with G11778A and multiple mitochondrial DNA gene (mtDNA) variants. Skin fibroblast cell lines were generated from patients and age- and sex-matched controls. ROS levels, mitochondrial membrane potential, cell energy respiration, and metabolic functions were measured. Flow cytometry and cell viability tests were performed to evaluate the cell apoptosis levels and fate. We found that cells with more mtDNA variants had higher ROS levels, lower mitochondrial membrane potential, and weaker respiratory function. Flow cytometry and cell viability testing showed that multiple mtDNA variants are associated with different levels of cell viability and apoptosis. In conclusion, we found that skin-derived fibroblast cells from G11778A LHON patients could be used as models for LHON research. Multi-mtDNA variants contribute to mitochondrial function variety, which may be associated with heterogeneity in patients with LHON.
GLP-1 RAs and SGLT-2 Inhibitors for Insulin Resistance in Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease: Systematic Review and Network Meta-Analysis

Objective Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs) and sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT-2) inhibitors reduce glycaemia and weight and improve insulin resistance (IR) via different mechanisms. We aim to evaluate and compare the ability of GLP-1 RAs and SGLT-2 inhibitors to ameliorate the IR of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) patients. Data Synthesis Three electronic databases (Medline, Embase, PubMed) were searched from inception until March 2021. We selected randomized controlled trials comparing GLP-1 RAs and SGLT-2 inhibitors with control in adult NAFLD patients with or without T2DM. Network meta-analyses were performed using fixed and random effect models, and the mean difference (MD) with corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CI) were determined. The within-study risk of bias was assessed with the Cochrane collaborative risk assessment tool RoB. Results 25 studies with 1595 patients were included in this network meta-analysis. Among them, there were 448 patients, in 6 studies, who were not comorbid with T2DM. Following a mean treatment duration of 28.86 weeks, compared with the control group, GLP-1 RAs decreased the HOMA-IR (MD [95%CI]; -1.573[-2.523 to -0.495]), visceral fat (-0.637[-0.992 to -0.284]), weight (-2.394[-4.625 to -0.164]), fasting blood sugar (-0.662[-1.377 to -0.021]) and triglyceride (- 0.610[-1.056 to -0.188]). On the basis of existing studies, SGLT-2 inhibitors showed no statistically significant improvement in the above indicators. Compared with SGLT-2 inhibitors, GLP-1 RAs decreased visceral fat (-0.560[-0.961 to -0.131]) and triglyceride (-0.607[-1.095 to -0.117]) significantly. Conclusions GLP-1 RAs effectively improve IR in NAFLD, whereas SGLT-2 inhibitors show no apparent effect. Systematic Review Registration PROSPERO https://www.crd. york.ac. uk/PROSPERO/, CRD42021251704
Probiotic Fermented Feed Alleviates Liver Fat Deposition in Shaoxing Ducks via Modulating Gut Microbiota

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of different probiotic fermented feed (PFF) on ameliorating liver fat accumulation by modulating the gut microbiota. A total of 216, 120-day-old Shaoxing ducks were divided into three groups, including the control group (basal diet), or the basal diet supplemented with 25 or 35% PFF. The results of the animal experiment showed that supplementation with PFF markedly alleviated the formation of liver and abdominal lipid droplet and decreased the levels of serum triglyceride (TG) in Shaoxing ducks. 16s rDNA showed that PFF could modulate the composition of gut microbiota, in particular, modulating the ratio of Firmicutes to Bacteroidetes. Moreover, PFF restructures the gut microbiome by reducing the abundance of Ruminococcaceae, Lachnospiraceae, and Prevotellaceae in ducks. Additionally, liver transcriptome analysis indicated that the PFF supplementation significantly downregulated the mRNA expression of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARG), acyl-CoA desaturase (SCD), DBI, fatty acid synthase (FASN), ELOVL fatty acid elongase 2 (ELOVL2), ELOVL6, and hydroxysteroid 17-beta dehydrogenase (HSD17B12) and upregulated the mRNA expression of CPT1B, which was widely associated with lipid metabolism processes, such as fatty acid elongation, PPAR signaling pathway, and ether lipid metabolism. Correlation analysis indicates that the expression changes of liver metabolism-related genes by PFF are highly correlated with the Ruminococcaceae, Lachnospiraceae, and Prevotellaceae levels. These findings demonstrated that PFF supplementation modulates gut microbial composition to activate liver lipid metabolism-related genes, which results in less lipid deposition in ducks. These findings provide novel insights into the molecular mechanisms of dietary PFF underlying liver fat accumulation by regulating gut microbiota.
Impact of Non-cardiac Comorbidities on Long-Term Clinical Outcomes and Health Status After Acute Heart Failure in China

Background Individual non-cardiac comorbidities are prevalent in HF; however, few studies reported how the aggregate burden of non-cardiac comorbidities affects long-term outcomes, and it is unknown whether this burden is associated with changes in health status. Aims To assess the association of the overall burden of non-cardiac comorbidities with clinical outcomes and quality of life (QoL) in patients hospitalized for heart failure (HF). Methods We prospectively enrolled patients hospitalized for HF from 52 hospitals in China. Eight key non-cardiac comorbidities [diabetes, chronic renal disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), anemia, stroke, cancer, peripheral arterial disease (PAD), and liver cirrhosis] were included, and patients were categorized into four groups: none, one, two, and three or more comorbidities. We fitted Cox proportional hazards models to assess the burden of comorbidities on 1-year death and rehospitalization. Results Of the 4,866 patients, 25.3% had no non-cardiac comorbidity, 32.2% had one, 22.9% had two, and 19.6% had three or more in China. Compared with those without non-cardiac comorbidities, patients with three or more comorbidities had higher risks of 1-year all-cause death [heart rate, HR 1.89; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.48–2.39] and all-rehospitalization (HR 1.35; 95%CI 1.15–1.58) after adjustment. Although all patients with HF experienced a longitudinal improvement in QoL in the 180 days after discharge, those with three or more non-cardiac comorbidities had an unadjusted 11.4 (95%CI −13.4 to −9.4) lower Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire (KCCQ) scores than patients without comorbidities. This difference decreased to −6.4 (95%CI −8.6 to −4.2) after adjustment for covariates. Conclusion Among patients hospitalized with HF in this study, a higher burden of non-cardiac comorbidities was significantly associated with worse health-related QoL (HRQoL), increased risks of death, and rehospitalization post-discharge. The findings highlight the need to address the management of comorbidities effectively in standardized HF care.
A Contribution to Knowledge of Craterellus (Hydnaceae, Cantharellales) in China: Three New Taxa and Amended Descriptions of Two Previous Species

Species of Craterellus (Hydnaceae, Cantharellales) in China are investigated on the basis of morphological and molecular phylogenetic analyses of DNA sequences from nuc 28S rDNA D1-D2 domains (28S) and nuc rDNA internal transcribed spacer ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 region. Five species are recognized in China, of which three of them are described as new, viz. C. fulviceps, C. minor, and C. parvopullus, while two of them are previously described taxa, viz. C. aureus, and C. lutescens. A key to the known Chinese taxa of the genus is also provided.
Bacterial Cadmium-Immobilization Activity Measured by Isothermal Microcalorimetry in Cacao-Growing Soils From Colombia

In cacao farms, the presence of cadmium (Cd) is a major issue for commercialization, particularly for countries such as Colombia. Cadmium-tolerant bacteria (CdtB) are an important functional group of microorganisms with a potential for bioremediation strategies. Cd immobilization activity by CdtB can be accurately measured by isothermal microcalorimetry (IMC). In this study, the metabolic capacity of an entire CdtB community in cacao farm soils from three cacao-producing districts of Colombia, with and without the addition of Cd was measured using IMC. The differences between the observed peaks in metabolic activity related to Cd immobilization were analysed to determine whether activation of CdtB populations occurred when Cd content was increased. The thermograms from Santander soil samples have a major metabolic activity of the CdtB community compared to peaks of maximal heat-flow in the samples from Antioquia and Arauca. IMC showed differences in Cd immobilization ratios of the soil samples of 0.11–0.30 mg kg−1 h−1 at 25°C over 12 days of thermal monitoring. Furthermore, the amplicons of cadA and smt genes from the soil samples allow elucidation of possible metabolic mechanisms used by CdtB soil populations. The gene amplification confirmed the existence of CdtB populations related to both bioweathering and biochelating metabolic capacities. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) images supported the existence of otavite biologically induced by CdtB naturally. A Pearson correlation analysis was made between kinetical growth parameters and thermodynamic data. Besides, a PCA was performed between CdtB cadA gene copies, soil pH and SOM indicating the effect of CdtB in Cd translocation. Thus, it is concluded that the combination of Cd immobilization ratios obtained using isothermal microcalorimetry, the molecular basis of metabolic immobilization, and SEM imagery could act as a useful toolkit to identify CdtB populations for bioremediation strategies in contaminated cacao farms. The research importance of this study is the use of combined tools for quantitative IMC measurements to identify and assess Cd metabolic capacities of CdtB populations in soil, in situ, as a new proxy for CdtB assessment in cacao-growing soils.
The Role of Gut Microbiota in Some Liver Diseases: From an Immunological Perspective

Gut microbiota is a microecosystem composed of various microorganisms. It plays an important role in human metabolism, and its metabolites affect different tissues and organs. Intestinal flora maintains the intestinal mucosal barrier and interacts with the immune system. The liver is closely linked to the intestine by the gut-liver axis. As the first organ that comes into contact with blood from the intestine, the liver will be deeply influenced by the gut microbiota and its metabolites, and the intestinal leakage and the imbalance of the flora are the trigger of the pathological reaction of the liver. In this paper, we discuss the role of gut microbiota and its metabolites in the pathogenesis and development of autoimmune liver diseases((including autoimmune hepatitis, primary biliary cirrhosis, primary sclerosing cholangitis), metabolic liver disease such as non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, cirrhosisits and its complications, and liver cancer from the perspective of immune mechanism. And the recent progress in the treatment of these diseases was reviewed from the perspective of gut microbiota.
A Biologically Inspired Neural Network Model to Gain Insight Into the Mechanisms of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing Therapy

Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy is a well-established therapeutic method to treat post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). However, how EMDR exerts its therapeutic action has been studied in many types of research but still needs to be completely understood. This is in part due to limited knowledge of the neurobiological mechanisms underlying EMDR, and in part to our incomplete understanding of PTSD. In order to model PTSD, we used a biologically inspired computational model based on firing rate units, encompassing the cortex, hippocampus, and amygdala. Through the modulation of its parameters, we fitted real data from patients treated with EMDR or classical exposure therapy. This allowed us to gain insights into PTSD mechanisms and to investigate how EMDR achieves trauma remission.
High-speed wheel/rail contact determining method with rotating flexible wheelset and validation under wheel polygon excitation

ABSTRACT A rotating flexible wheelset model is developed and integrated into a vehicle/track dynamic model. Flexible wheelset modes with natural frequencies less than 1000 Hz are considered in the wheelset modelling. An innovation of the paper is that wheel/rail rolling contact calculation considers the effect of the wheelset flexibility and the rotating effect. By introducing two half dummy rigid wheelsets the rolling contact between the flexible wheelset and the two rails can be transformed to that between a rigid wheelset and the rails. As an extension application, the wheel OOR (Out-Of-Round) wears with the 11th, 15th, and 17th orders are used to the vehicle system dynamic model with rigid, flexible and rotating-flexible wheelset model. The results of the three models are compared to study the influence of wheelset flexibility and rotation. The ‘online searching contact method’ developed in this paper is compared with the traditional contact method with considering the rotating flexible wheelset. And then a measured OOR is used to excite the rotating flexible wheelset, the response of which is analysed and verified.
Resilience for lean organisational network

In the literature, when lean is associated with resilience the focus is mainly on developing leaner and more resilient supply chains underrating the importance of organisations as communicating entities. Although people are the heart of a company, their impact on resilience is only marginally considered in the literature. In this study, we address these gaps by developing and testing a model that can calculate the resilience of a lean organisation while considering the organisational topology as well as the learning capacity and attitudes of its workforce. The proposed methodology consists of four macro-steps: identification of a Lean Structural Network (LSN), modelling of nodes, nodes characterisation and analysis of Resilience. A case study is used to explain the proposed model to assess the resilience of the intrinsic structure of a company against two major effects: (a) unexpected shortages in key performance indicators; (b) replacement of a process owner with another having different individual characteristics (different learning curve and attitude). The results show that the proposed methodology allows quantification and prediction of the local and global impacts of unexpected (i.e. failures or other disruptions) and expected events (i.e. cross-training, personnel relocation) in companies under the LSN paradigm.
molecule linked to autoimmune resistance, presents a unique peptide repertoire.

HLA-DQ0603 (DQA1*01:03;DQB1*06:03) is associated with resistance to multiple autoimmune diseases including rheumatoid arthritis, type 1 diabetes, narcolepsy and myasthenia gravis. We aimed to elucidate the peptide-binding repertoire of HLA-DQ0603 by isolating HLA-DQ0603 molecules from B-LCL lines and subsequent characterization of HLA-DQ0603-bound ligands. Characteristics of the identified ligands were comparable to what was previously shown for other HLA-class II molecules (e.g. ligand length and localization of protein-sources). After pepti-de-alignment we obtained the peptide-binding motif of HLA-DQ0603. We found that HLA-DQ0603 presented a unique peptide-binding repertoire that differed from previously identified peptide-binding motifs of closely related HLA-DQ6 molecules. Differences were mainly in pocket 1 and pocket 6 and can be translated to structural differences between different HLA-DQ molecules. This motif allows for more precision in the identification of disease-linked epitopes.