Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effect of transfer learning on the performance of VGGNet-16 and ResNet-50 for the classification of organic and residual waste

It is crucial to realize the municipal solid waste (MSW) classification in terms of its treatments and disposals. Deep learning used for the classification of residual waste and wet waste from MSW was considered as a promising method. While few studies reported using the method of deep learning with transfer learning to classify organic waste and residual waste. Thus, this study aims to discuss the effect of the transfer learning on the performance of different deep learning structures, VGGNet-16 and ResNet-50, for the classification of organic waste and residual waste, which were compared in terms of the training time, confusion matric, accuracy, precision, and recall. In addition, the algorithms of PCA and t-SNE were also adopted to compare the representation extracted from the last layer of various deep learning models. Results indicated that transfer learning could shorten the training time and the training time of various deep learning follows this order: VGGNet-16 (402 s) > VGGNet-16 with TL (272 s) > ResNet-50 (238 s) > ResNet-50 with TL (223 s). Compared with the method of PAC, waste representations were better separated from high dimension to low dimension by t-SNE. The values of organic waste in terms of F1 score follows this order: ResNet-50 with transfer learning (97.8%) > VGGNet-16 with transfer learning (97.1%) > VGGNet-16 (95.0%) > ResNet-50 (92.5%). Therefore, the best performance for the classification of organic and residual waste was ResNet-50 with transfer learning, followed by VGGNet-16 with transfer learning and VGGNet-16, and ResNet-50 in terms of accuracy, precision, recall, and F1 score.
Observational Signatures of Planets in Protoplanetary Disks: Planet-induced Line Broadening in Gaps

Protoplanets can produce structures in protoplanetary disks via gravitational disk-planet interactions. Once detected, such structures serve as signposts of planet formation. Here we investigate the kinematic signatures in disks produced by multi-Jupiter mass ($M_{\rm J}$) planets using 3D hydrodynamics and radiative transfer simulations. Such a planet opens a deep gap, and drives transonic vertical motions inside. Such motions include both a bulk motion of the entire half-disk column, and turbulence on scales comparable to and smaller than the scale height. They significantly broaden molecular lines from the gap, producing double-peaked line profiles at certain locations, and a kinematic velocity dispersion comparable to thermal after azimuthal averaging. The same planet does not drive fast vertical motions outside the gap, except at the inner spiral arms and the disk surface. Searching for line broadening induced by multi-$M_{\rm J}$ planets inside gaps requires an angular resolution comparable to the gap width, an assessment of the gap gas temperature to within a factor of 2, and a high sensitivity needed to detect line emission from the gap.
A quantitative spectral analysis of 14 hypervelocity stars from the MMT survey

Context. Hypervelocity stars (HVSs) travel so fast that they may leave the Galaxy. The tidal disruption of a binary system by the supermassive black hole in the Galactic center is widely assumed to be their ejection mechanism. Aims. To test the hypothesis of an origin in the Galactic center using kinematic investigations, the current space velocities of the HVSs need to be determined. With the advent of Gaia’s second data release, accurate radial velocities from spectroscopy are complemented by proper motion measurements of unprecedented quality. Based on a new spectroscopic analysis method, we provide revised distances and stellar ages, both of which are crucial to unravel the nature of the HVSs. Methods. We reanalyzed low-resolution optical spectra of 14 HVSs from the MMT HVS survey using a new grid of synthetic spectra, which account for deviations from local thermodynamic equilibrium, to derive effective temperatures, surface gravities, radial velocities, and projected rotational velocities. Stellar masses, radii, and ages were then determined by comparison with stellar evolutionary models that account for rotation. Finally, these results were combined with photometric measurements to obtain spectroscopic distances. Results. The resulting atmospheric parameters are consistent with those of main sequence stars with masses in the range 2.5–5.0 M⊙. The majority of the stars rotate at fast speeds, providing further evidence for their main sequence nature. Stellar ages range from 90 to 400 Myr and distances (with typical 1σ-uncertainties of about 10–15%) from 30 to 100 kpc. Except for one object (B 711), which we reclassify as A-type star, all stars are of spectral type B. Conclusions. The spectroscopic distances and stellar ages derived here are key ingredients for upcoming kinematic studies of HVSs based on Gaia proper motions.
The relationship between urinary iodine concentration and papillary thyroid cancer: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Background The effect of iodine on papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) has been controversial for many years. Since urinary iodine is an effective indicator of iodine intake, some recent epidemiological studies have described the relationship between urinary iodine concentration (UIC) and PTC. Methods We searched PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science for case-control studies about UIC and PTC published before September 2022. Results are presented as the overall odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI). Results According to the analysis of the included studies, excessive iodine intake (UIC≥300ug/L) was positively associated with the occurrence of PTC patients compared with healthy controls (OR4.05, 95%CI 1.64-10.02, P=0.002). Meanwhile, adequate iodine exposure (100≤UIC<200ug/L) may play a protective role in the occurrence of PTC compared with healthy individuals (OR 0.36, 95%CI 0.14-0.91, P=0.03) while the difference in the prevalence of insufficient iodine intake (UIC<100ug/L) and iodine above requirements (200≤UIC<300ug/L) among the two groups were not significant (deficiency: OR 0.38, 95%CI 0.13-1.16, P=0.09; above requirements: OR 0.92, 95%CI 0.40-2.10, P=0.84). After comparing the UIC levels of PTC patients with those of other thyroid diseases, we found that there was also no significant difference in the incidence of different levels of UIC in the two groups (excessive: OR 1.25, 95%CI 0.87-1.80, P=0.22; above requirements: OR 0.93, 95%CI 0.77-1.14, P=0.49; adequate: OR 0.96, 95%CI 0.78-1.17, P=0.67; deficiency: OR 1.02, 95%CI 0.86-1.22, P=0.80). The result of this meta-analysis also did not support the relationship between UIC and the BRAF mutation and lymph node metastasis (LNM) of PTC patients. Besides, we also found that studies on the relationship between urinary iodine and PTC may be influenced by the way UIC was measured. Conclusion The 10 case-control included studies involved a total of 6,544 participants. The results of this meta-analysis showed excessive iodine intake, that is, UIC≥300ug/L was associated with the occurrence of PTC but not with BRAF mutation and LNM while adequate iodine intake (100≤UIC<200ug/L) may be one of the protective factors for PTC.
Analgesic efficacy of ultrasound-guided transversus abdominis plane block in dogs undergoing ovariectomy

Background In medicine, the transversus abdominis plane (TAP) block has been shown as an effective method of analgesia in several surgical procedures. In this context, this prospective, randomized, blinded study aimed to evaluate the analgesic efficacy of TAP block, guided by ultrasound in female dogs submitted to ovariectomy. Methods Therefore, 32 animals randomly assigned in two groups (n = 16) were used. Groups consisted of TAP block control (TBC) which received water injection (0.2 ml kg−1 point), and TAP block bupivacaine (TBB) which received bupivacaine (0.2 ml kg−1 point at 0.25%); both groups were submitted to four-point approach. Animals were pre-medicated with acepromazine (0.03 mg kg−1) and meperidine (2 mg kg−1) IM, propofol was used as anesthetic induction (3–5 mg kg−1) IV, and isoflurane was used to maintain. To standardize groups, the animals received a continuous infusion of remifentanil (0.2μg kg−1 min) and rocuronium (0.6 mg kg−1) IV in the intraoperative period. Variables measured were the heart and respiratory rates, blood pressure, temperature, peripheral oxyhemoglobin saturation, exhaled carbon dioxide concentration, exhaled isoflurane concentration, serum cortisol, analgesia, and sedation. Before the pre-anesthetic medication (Baseline) and 1, 2, 4, 6, and 8 h after extubation, pain and sedation were assessed using a numeric rating scale (NRS), Glasgow composite measure pain scale (GCMPS-SF), and sedation scale. Moreover, serum cortisol was measured at different moments. Results The results show that in the intraoperative period, there was no significant difference between groups. After surgery, in TBC, 13 out of 16 animals required analgesic rescue, whereas, in TBB, this occurred only in one animal. Regarding the measurement of serum cortisol, the TBC group showed a significant difference when compared to the baseline time in the traction of the first ovary (p < 0.0001), 2 h (p = 0.0441), and 8 h (p = 0.0384) after extubation. In TBB, cortisol showed a significant increase only in the traction of the first ovary and 2 h after extubation (p < 0.0001). Conclusion The technique using ultrasound-guided TAP block in two points approach by hemiabdomen with 0.2 ml kg−1 bupivacaine 0.25% was effective in providing post-operative analgesia in dogs undergoing ovariectomy.
Non-cardiomyocytes in the heart in embryo development, health, and disease, a single-cell perspective

Recent single-cell atlases of the heart gave unprecedented details about the diversity of cell types and states during heart development in health and disease conditions. Beyond a profiling tool, researchers also use single-cell analyses to dissect the mechanism of diseases in animal models. The new knowledge from these studies revealed that beating cardiomyocytes account for less than 50% of the total heart cell population. In contrast, non-cardiomyocytes (NCMs), such as cardiac fibroblasts, endothelial cells, and immune cells, make up the remaining proportion and have indispensable roles in structural support, homeostasis maintenance, and injury repair of the heart. In this review, we categorize the composition and characteristics of NCMs from the latest single-cell studies of the heart in various contexts and compare the findings from both human samples and mouse models. This information will enrich our understanding of the cellular basis of heart development and diseases and provide insights into the potential therapeutic targets in NCMs to repair the heart.
HMGB1 in nervous system diseases: A common biomarker and potential therapeutic target

High-mobility group box-1 (HMGB1) is a nuclear protein associated with early inflammatory changes upon extracellular secretion expressed in various cells, including neurons and microglia. With the progress of research, neuroinflammation is believed to be involved in the pathogenesis of neurological diseases such as Parkinson's, epilepsy, and autism. As a key promoter of neuroinflammation, HMGB1 is thought to be involved in the pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease, stroke, traumatic brain injury, epilepsy, autism, depression, multiple sclerosis, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. However, in the clinic, HMGB1 has not been described as a biomarker for the above-mentioned diseases. However, the current preclinical research results show that HMGB1 antagonists have positive significance in the treatment of Parkinson's disease, stroke, traumatic brain injury, epilepsy, and other diseases. This review discusses the possible mechanisms by which HMGB1 mediates Parkinson's disease, stroke, traumatic brain injury, epilepsy, autism, depression, multiple sclerosis, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and the potential of HMGB1 as a biomarker for these diseases. Future research needs to further explore the underlying molecular mechanisms and clinical translation.
Impact of perioperative blood transfusion on long-term survival in patients with different stages of perihilar cholangiocarcinoma treated with curative resection: A multicentre propensity score matching study

Background & aim The association of perioperative blood transfusion (PBT) with long-term survival in perihilar cholangiocarcinoma (pCCA) patients after surgical resection with curative intent is controversial and may differ among different stages of the disease. This study aimed to investigate the impact of PBT on long-term survival of patients with different stages of pCCA. Methods Consecutive pCCA patients from three hospitals treated with curative resection from 2012 to 2019 were enrolled and divided into the PBT and non-PBT groups. Propensity score matching (PSM) was used to balance differences in baseline characteristics between the PBT and non-PBT groups. Kaplan–Meier curves and log-rank test were used to compare overall survival (OS) and recurrence-free survival (RFS) between patients with all tumor stages, early stage (8th AJCC stage I), and non-early stage (8th AJCC stage II-IV) pCCA in the PBT and non-PBT groups. Cox regression analysis was used to determine the impact of PBT on OS and RFS of these patients. Results 302 pCCA patients treated with curative resection were enrolled into this study. Before PSM, 68 patients (22 patients in the PBT group) were in the early stage and 234 patients (108 patients in the PBT group) were in the non-early stage. Patients with early stage pCCA in the PBT group had significantly lower OS and RFS rates than those in the non-PBT group. However, there were with no significant differences between the 2 groups with all tumor stages and non-early stage pCCA. After PSM, there were 18 matched pairs of patients with early stage and 72 matched pairs of patients with non-early stage. Similar results were obtained in the pre- and post-PSM cohorts: patients with early stage pCCA in the PBT group showed significantly lower OS and RFS rates than those in the non-PBT group, but there were no significant differences between the 2 groups for patients with all tumor stages and non-early stage pCCA. Cox regression analysis demonstrated that PBT was independently associated with worse OS and RFS for patients with early stage pCCA. Conclusions PBT had a negative impact on long-term survival in patients with early stage pCCA after curative resection, but not in patients with non-early stage pCCA.
Perceived psychosocial stressors and coping resources in chronic low back pain patients as classified by the avoidance-endurance model

Objectives The Avoidance-Endurance Model distinguishes between subgroups of low back pain (LBP) patients with three maladaptive styles of coping with pain: fear-avoidance (FAR), distress-endurance (DER), eustress-endurance (EER), and one adaptive coping style (AR). This study aimed to compare the quantity of patients' perceived psychosocial stressors and coping resources across these subgroups. Materials and methods This cross-sectional study was conducted at an outpatient rehabilitation center for patients with chronic musculoskeletal pain. One hundred and thirty-seven patients (69 women/68 men) with chronic LBP were assessed using the following: a demographic checklist, the visual analogue scale, Avoidance-Endurance Questionnaire, Roland-Morris Disability Questionnaire, Pain Disability Index, and 36-Item Short Form. Subsequently, patients participated in semi-structured interviews led by clinical psychologists, which were intended to identify their perception of stressors and coping resources. The quantity of psychosocial stressors and coping resources were analyzed using deductive and inductive content analyses and then compared between subgroups using chi-square-tests. Results FARs experienced significantly higher levels of “mental suffering” (p = <0.001) and “other workplace problems” compared to ARs and EERs (p = <0.001). DERs reported significantly higher levels of “mental suffering” (p = <0.001), “job stress” (p = 0.022), and “familial losses” (p = 0.029) compared to ARs, whereas the AR group demonstrated significantly more “coping resources” (p = 0.001) compared to FARs. Conclusion AEM-subgroups differed in the quantity of perceived psychosocial stressors and coping resources with AR, who demonstrated a lower risk for pain chronicity and reported the highest quantity of resources. The variability across subgroups may imply differences in patientś needs regarding therapeutic interventions and suggests that a resource-centered approach to cope with stress and pain may be beneficial.
Case report: Individualized treatment of advanced breast cancer with the use of the patient-derived tumor-like cell cluster model

Breast cancer is one of the most common tumors in women. Despite various treatments, the survival of patients with advanced breast cancer is still disappointing. Furthermore, finding an effective individualized treatment for different kinds of patients is a thorny problem. Patient-derived tumor-like cell clusters were reported to be used for personalized drug testing in cancer therapy and had a prediction accuracy of 93%. However, there is still a lack of case reports about its application in the individualized treatment of breast cancer patients. Here, we described four cases of individualized treatment for advanced breast cancer using the patient-derived tumor-like cell cluster model (PTC model). In these four cases, the PTC model showed a good predictive effect. The tumor size was reduced significantly or even disappeared completely through clinical, radiological, or pathological evaluation with the help of the PTC model for selecting an individualized therapy regimen. Furthermore, the drug sensitivity test results of the PTC model were consistent with pathological molecular typing and the actual clinical drug resistance of the patients. In summary, our case report first evaluated the application value of the PTC model in advanced breast cancer, and the PTC model might be used as an efficient tool for drug resistance screening and for selecting a better personalized treatment, although further study is needed to prove the validity and stability of the PTC model in drug screening.
First Detection of Near-Infrared Intraday Variations in the Seyfert 1 Nucleus NGC 4395

We carried out a one-night optical V and near-infrared JHK monitoring observation of the least luminous Seyfert 1 galaxy, NGC 4395, on 2004 May 1, and detected for the first time the intraday flux variations in the J and H bands, while such variation was not clearly seen for the K band. The detected J and H variations are synchronized with the flux variation in the V band, which indicates that the intraday-variable component of near-infrared continuum emission of the NGC 4395 nucleus is an extension of power-law continuum emission to the near-infrared and originates in an outer region of the central accretion disk. On the other hand, from our regular program of long-term optical BVI and near-infrared JHK monitoring observation of NGC 4395 from 2004 February 12 until 2005 January 22, we found large flux variations in all the bands on timescales of days to months. The optical BVI variations are almost synchronized with each other but not completely with the near-infrared JHK variations. The color temperature of the near-infrared variable component is estimated to be T = 1320-1710 K, in agreement with thermal emission from hot dust tori in active galactic nuclei (AGNs). We therefore conclude that the near-infrared variation consists of two components having different timescales, so that a small K-flux variation on a timescale of a few hours would possibly be veiled by large variation of thermal dust emission on a timescale of days.
Systematic bibliometric and visualized analysis of research hotspots and trends on the application of artificial intelligence in diabetic retinopathy

Background Artificial intelligence (AI), which has been used to diagnose diabetic retinopathy (DR), may impact future medical and ophthalmic practices. Therefore, this study explored AI’s general applications and research frontiers in the detection and gradation of DR. Methods Citation data were obtained from the Web of Science Core Collection database (WoSCC) to assess the application of AI in diagnosing DR in the literature published from January 1, 2012, to June 30, 2022. These data were processed by CiteSpace 6.1. R3 software. Results Overall, 858 publications from 77 countries and regions were examined, with the United States considered the leading country in this domain. The largest cluster labeled “automated detection” was employed in the generating stage from 2007 to 2014. The burst keywords from 2020 to 2022 were artificial intelligence and transfer learning. Conclusion Initial research focused on the study of intelligent algorithms used to localize or recognize lesions on fundus images to assist in diagnosing DR. Presently, the focus of research has changed from upgrading the accuracy and efficiency of DR lesion detection and classification to research on DR diagnostic systems. However, further studies on DR and computer engineering are required.
Zebrafish as a platform to evaluate the potential of lipidic nanoemulsions for gene therapy in cancer

Gene therapy is a promising therapeutic approach that has experienced significant groth in recent decades, with gene nanomedicines reaching the clinics. However, it is still necessary to continue developing novel vectors able to carry, protect, and release the nucleic acids into the target cells, to respond to the widespread demand for new gene therapies to address current unmet clinical needs. We propose here the use of zebrafish embryos as an in vivo platform to evaluate the potential of newly developed nanosystems for gene therapy applications in cancer treatment. Zebrafish embryos have several advantages such as low maintenance costs, transparency, robustness, and a high homology with the human genome. In this work, a new type of putrescine-sphingomyelin nanosystems (PSN), specifically designed for cancer gene therapy applications, was successfully characterized and demonstrated its potential for delivery of plasmid DNA (pDNA) and miRNA (miR). On one hand, we were able to validate a regulatory effect of the PSN/miR on gene expression after injection in embryos of 0 hpf. Additionally, experiments proved the potential of the model to study the transport of the associated nucleic acids (pDNA and miR) upon incubation in zebrafish water. The biodistribution of PSN/pDNA and PSN/miR in vivo was also assessed after microinjection into the zebrafish vasculature, demonstrating that the nucleic acids remained associated with the PSN in an in vivo environment, and could successfully reach disseminated cancer cells in zebrafish xenografts. Altogether, these results demonstrate the potential of zebrafish as an in vivo model to evaluate nanotechnology-based gene therapies for cancer treatment, as well as the capacity of the developed versatile PSN formulation for gene therapy applications.