Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Established Biomarkers of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Reflect Skeletal Muscle Integrity's Response to Exercise in an Animal Model of Pulmonary Emphysema.

Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)/pulmonary emphysema often develop locomotor skeletal muscle dysfunction that involves muscle atrophy and lower forcegeneration capacity (1, 2). Muscle dysfunction is strongly associated with higher mortality and other poor outcomes in these patients (3–5); these associations persist after adjusting for pulmonary function and other covariables, suggesting that muscle dysfunction could partially contribute to the worse prognosis (1, 2). We have recently established a murine model of pulmonary emphysema– associated muscle dysfunction that recapitulates most of the features demonstrated by patients with this condition (6). A largescale analysis of the mouse muscle proteome revealed that haptoglobin, hemopexin, and ceruloplasmin were the most significantly upregulated proteins (6). To our surprise, these same proteins have previously been described as serum diagnostic biomarkers of COPD (7). Thus, we hypothesized that their elevation in COPD reflects muscle integrity, potentially allowing interrogation of skeletal muscle dysfunction and its regulation under exercise via novel biomarkers.
Salt Intake Impacts Sympathetic Neural Control But Not Morning Blood Pressure Surge in Premenopausal Women with A History of Normal Pregnancy.

Salt intake may alter blood pressure (BP) regulation, but no study has investigated the impact of salt reduction versus salt loading on morning blood pressure surge (MBPS) and sympathetic neural control in premenopausal women with a history of normal pregnancy. Nine healthy women [42±3 (SD) yr] were given a low-salt (LS; 50 mEq sodium/day) and high-salt diet (HS; 250 mEq sodium/day) for 1 week each (~2-month apart with the order randomized), while water intake was ad libitum. Twenty-four-hour ambulatory BP was measured and the percent change in blood volume (BV) was calculated following LS and HS. MBPS was defined as the morning systolic BP (averaged for 2-hour after wake-up) minus the lowest nocturnal systolic BP. Beat-by-beat BP, heart rate, and muscle sympathetic nerve activity (MSNA) were measured during supine rest. Signal-averaging was used to characterize changes in beat-by-beat mean arterial pressure and total vascular conductance following spontaneous MSNA bursts to assess sympathetic vascular transduction. Ambulatory BP and MBPS (32±7 vs. 26±12 mmHg, p=0.208) did not differ between LS and HS. From LS to HS, BV increased by 4.3±3.7% (p=0.008). MSNA (30±20 vs. 18±13 bursts·100 heart beats-1, p=0.005) was higher whereas sympathetic vascular transduction was lower in LS than HS (both, p<0.01). Changes in MSNA from LS to HS were correlated to %changes in BV (r=-0.673, p=0.047). Thus, salt intake affects sympathetic neural control but not MBPS in premenopausal women with a history of normal pregnancy. The underlying mechanisms remain unknown, however, alterations in sympathetic vascular transduction may, in part, contribute.
Rituximab-CHOP With Early Rituximab Intensification for Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma: A Randomized Phase III Trial of the HOVON and the Nordic Lymphoma Group (HOVON-84).

PURPOSE Immunochemotherapy with rituximab plus cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone (R-CHOP) has become standard of care for patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). This randomized trial assessed whether rituximab intensification during the first 4 cycles of R-CHOP could improve the outcome of these patients compared with standard R-CHOP. PATIENTS AND METHODS A total of 574 patients with DLBCL age 18 to 80 years were randomly assigned to induction therapy with 6 or 8 cycles of R-CHOP-14 with (RR-CHOP-14) or without (R-CHOP-14) intensification of rituximab in the first 4 cycles. The primary end point was complete remission (CR) on induction. Analyses were performed by intention to treat. RESULTS CR was achieved in 254 (89%) of 286 patients in the R-CHOP-14 arm and 249 (86%) of 288 patients in the RR-CHOP-14 arm (hazard ratio [HR], 0.82; 95% CI, 0.50 to 1.36; P = .44). After a median follow-up of 92 months (range, 1-131 months), 3-year failure-free survival was 74% (95% CI, 68% to 78%) in the R-CHOP-14 arm versus 69% (95% CI, 63% to 74%) in the RR-CHOP-14 arm (HR, 1.26; 95% CI, 0.98 to 1.61; P = .07). Progression-free survival at 3 years was 74% (95% CI, 69% to 79%) in the R-CHOP-14 arm versus 71% (95% CI, 66% to 76%) in the RR-CHOP-14 arm (HR, 1.20; 95% CI, 0.94 to 1.55; P = .15). Overall survival at 3 years was 81% (95% CI, 76% to 85%) in the R-CHOP-14 arm versus 76% (95% CI, 70% to 80%) in the RR-CHOP-14 arm (HR, 1.27; 95% CI, 0.97 to 1.67; P = .09). Patients between ages 66 and 80 years experienced significantly more toxicity during the first 4 cycles in the RR-CHOP-14 arm, especially neutropenia and infections. CONCLUSION Early rituximab intensification during R-CHOP-14 does not improve outcome in patients with untreated DLBCL.
A 0.6-V Power-Efficient Active-RC Analog Low-Pass Filter With Cutoff Frequency Selection

This article presents a fully differential (FD) low-voltage (LV) fourth-order Butterworth active-<italic>RC</italic> low-pass filter (LPF) with a maximum cutoff frequency <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$(f_{o})$ </tex-math></inline-formula> of 160 MHz, <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$f_{o}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> programmability, and adaptive power. The proposed filter targets communication systems requiring high and reconfigurable <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$f_{o}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> at supply voltages <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$(V_{\mathrm {DD}}s)$ </tex-math></inline-formula> of 0.6 V. The filter is implemented with an active-<italic>RC</italic> topology, a programmable <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$f_{o}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> between four steps, 20/40/80/160 MHz, and a <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$f_{o}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> fine-tuning option after fabrication via capacitor banks. A compact LV FD amplifier with feedforward gain-boosting implementation is used to meet the stringent filter’s performance. The novel amplifier achieves an open loop gain of 66 dB and a maximum unity-gain frequency (UGF) of 759 MHz with <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$V_{\mathrm {DD}} = 0.6$ </tex-math></inline-formula> V and 5.27 mW of power dissipation. Using the proposed amplifier, the filter achieves the highest <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$f_{o}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> reported in the literature for LV active-<italic>RC</italic> implementations and 40% power reduction over similar high-<inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$f_{o}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> LV filters. The filter was fabricated in a CMOS 130-nm technology; it has a THD = 50.7 dB, signal-to-noise and distortion (SNDR) = 45.37 dB, <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$P_{\mathrm {1dB}} = 4.26$ </tex-math></inline-formula> dBm and 520-<inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\mu \text{V}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> RMS integrated noise over the filter’s bandwidth (BW), while consuming 23.8 mA from a 0.6-V supply for <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$f_{o} = 160$ </tex-math></inline-formula> MHz.
Penalty Dual Decomposition Method for Nonsmooth Nonconvex Optimization—Part I: Algorithms and Convergence Analysis

Many contemporary signal processing, machine learning and wireless communication applications can be formulated as nonconvex nonsmooth optimization problems. Often there is a lack of efficient algorithms for these problems, especially when the optimization variables are nonlinearly coupled in some nonconvex constraints. In this work, we propose an algorithm named penalty dual decomposition (PDD) for these difficult problems and discuss its various applications. The PDD is a double-loop iterative algorithm. Its inner iteration is used to inexactly solve a nonconvex nonsmooth augmented Lagrangian problem via block-coordinate-descent-type methods, while its outer iteration updates the dual variables and/or a penalty parameter. In Part I of this work, we describe the PDD algorithm and establish its convergence to KKT solutions. In Part II we evaluate the performance of PDD by customizing it to three applications arising from signal processing and wireless communications.
Encapsulation of probiotic strains in plain or cysteine‐supplemented alginate improves viability at storage below freezing temperatures

Four probiotic bacteria (Lactobacillus paracasei L26, L. casei‐01, L. acidophilus Ki, and Bifidobacterium animalis BB‐12®) were encapsulated in plain alginate or alginate supplemented with L‐cysteine·HCl, and resulting microcapsules were stored at different temperatures, namely 21, 4, −20, or −80°C for a period of up to 6 months. The results showed that the encapsulation in calcium alginate microcapsules was only effective in promoting protection at freezing temperatures, independently of the sensitivity of the strain. Storage of calcium alginate microcapsules at −80°C indicated a protective effect upon viability of all four probiotic strains and the presence of L‐cysteine·HCl in the alginate matrix improved protection upon cell viability of B. animalis BB‐12®. An increase in storage temperature of encapsulated bacteria caused an increase in rate of loss in their viability that was strain dependent. This study suggests that microencapsulation of probiotic cells in calcium alginate can be suitable for sustaining the viability of probiotics in food products that require storage below freezing temperatures, even in the absence of cryoprotectors, contributing to an increased shelf life.
Enabling Massive IoT in Ambient Backscatter Communication Systems

Backscatter communication is a promising solution for enabling information transmission between ultra-low-power devices, but its potential is not fully understood. One major problem is dealing with the interference between the backscatter devices, which is usually not taken into account, or simply treated as noise in the cases where there are a limited number of backscatter devices in the network. In order to better understand this problem in the context of massive IoT (Internet of Things), we consider a network with a base station having one antenna, serving one primary user, and multiple IoT devices, called secondary users. We formulate an optimization problem with the goal of minimizing the needed transmit power for the base station, while the ratio of backscattered signal, called backscatter coefficient, is optimized for each of the IoT devices. Such an optimization problem is non-convex and thus finding an optimal solution in real-time is challenging. In this paper, we prove necessary and sufficient conditions for the existence of an optimal solution, and show that it is unique. Furthermore, we develop an efficient solution algorithm, only requiring solving a linear system of equations with as many unknowns as the number of secondary users. The simulation results show a lower energy outage probability by up to 40–80 percentage points in dense networks with up to 150 secondary users. To our knowledge, this is the first work that studies backscatter communication in the context of massive IoT, also taking into account the interference between devices.
Output and Regulated Output Synchronization of Heterogeneous Multi-agent Systems: A Scale-free Protocol Design using no Information about Communication Network and the Number of Agents

In this paper, we consider scalable output and regulated output synchronization problems for heterogeneous networks of right-invertible linear agents based on localized information exchange where in the case of regulated output synchronization, the reference trajectory is generated by a so-called exosystem. We assume that all the agents are introspective, meaning that they have access to their own local measurements. We propose a scale-free linear protocol for each agent to achieve output and regulated output synchronizations. These protocols are designed solely based on agent models and they need no information about communication graph and the number of agents or other agent models information.
The Monitoring of Donor-Derived Cell-Free DNA (ddcfDNA) in Kidney Transplantation.

Cell-free DNA (cfDNA) exists in plasma and can be measured by several techniques. It is now possible to differentiate donor-derived cfDNA (ddcfDNA) from recipient cfDNA in the plasma or urine of solid organ transplant (SOT) recipients in the absence of donor and recipient genotyping. The assessment of ddcfDNA is being increasingly studied as a non-invasive means of identifying acute rejection (AR) in SOT, including subclinical AR. We herein review the literature on the correlation of ddcfDNA with AR in kidney transplantation. There have been at least 15 observational studies that have assessed ddcfDNA in urine or plasma using various methodologies with various thresholds for abnormality. Overall, elevated ddcfDNA indicates allograft injury as may occur with AR, infection, or acute tubular injury, but may also be found in clinically stable patients with normal histology. Sensitivity is greater for antibody-mediated AR than for cell-mediated AR (CMR), and normal levels do not preclude significant CMR. Measurement of ddcfDNA is not a replacement for biopsy that remains the gold standard for diagnosing AR. Serial monitoring of stable patients may allow earlier detection of subclinical AR, but the efficacy of this approach remains to be established. Normal levels should not preclude planned protocol biopsies. There may be roles for following ddcfDNA levels to assess the adequacy of treatment of AR and to guide the intensity of immunosuppression in the individual patient. Randomized controlled trials are necessary to validate the benefit and cost-effectiveness for these various uses. No firm recommendations can be made at this time.
The Engaged Have Better Qualifications? The Academic Engagement Roll in the Academic Performance

The engagement is an important psychological factor to study, for this reason, the present research aims to identify the relationships between the academic engagement (agential, cognitive, behavioral and emotional engagement) and academic performance in university students. The participants were 102 university students (92 women (90.2%) and 10 men (9.8%)) between 19 and 56 years old ($M_{age} =26.39, SD = 7.75$). One concludes, the agential engagement ($r =.41, (\mathrm{p}\lt). 001$), the behavioral engagement ($r =.25, (\mathrm{p}\lt). 05$), the emotional engagement ($r =.24, (\mathrm{p}\lt). 001$), and the cognitive engagement ($r =.41, (\mathrm{p}\lt). 001$) are related with academic performance variable. Finally, the analysis of multiple lineal regressions shows the agential engagement ($\beta =.27, (\mathrm{p}\lt). 05$) and cognitive engagement ($\beta =.32, (\mathrm{p}\lt). 05$) predict positively the academic performance. But, behavioral engagement ($\beta =-.03, (\mathrm{p}\gt). 05$) and emotional engagement ($\beta =-.09, (\mathrm{p}\gt). 05$) do not predict the academic performance.
F-DNA: Fast Convolution Architecture for Deconvolutional Network Acceleration

Deconvolutional neural network (DeCNN), such as fully convolutional network (FCN) and generative adversarial network (GAN), has shown great potential in various vision tasks. Convolution and deconvolution, the two major operations of DeCNN, both require real-time hardware acceleration. However, some previous designs for deconvolutions require large memory for overlapped results, while others incur computation imbalance and cause resource underutilization. In this article, we propose an efficient method to convert deconvolutions to convolutions, which enables balanced computations to make full use of processing elements. Based on the fast FIR algorithm, a reconfigurable conv–deconv unit (RCU) with low complexity is designed, which can support various types of convolutions and deconvolutions. By exploiting the computing characteristics of RCUs, a computation-balance scheme is developed to eliminate large memory requirements caused by overlapped results. In addition, a fast convolution architecture for deconvolutional network acceleration (F-DNA) is proposed. The dataflow of F-DNA improves the computation efficiency through input data reuse. The architecture is implemented on Xilinx Virtex-UltraScale, for two typical DeCNNs, DCGAN and FSRCNN. Implementation results show that the proposed design outperforms existing works significantly, particularly in terms of computation efficiency and memory requirements.
Chromatin regulators and their impact on DNA repair and G2 checkpoint recovery

ABSTRACT Chromatin plays a pivotal role in regulating the DNA damage response and during DNA double-strand break repair. Upon the generation of DNA breaks, the chromatin structure is altered by post-translational modifications of histones and chromatin remodeling. How the chromatin structure, and the epigenetic information that it carries, is reestablished after the completion of DNA break repair remains unclear though. Also, how these processes influence recovery of the cell cycle remains poorly understood. We recently performed a reverse genetic screen for novel chromatin regulators that control checkpoint recovery after DNA damage. Here we discuss the implications of PHD finger protein 6 (PHF6) and additional candidates from the NuA4 ATPase-dependent chromatin-remodeling complex and the Cohesin complex, required for sister chromatid cohesion, in DNA repair and checkpoint recovery in more detail. In addition, the potential role of this novel function of PHF6 in cancer development and treatment is reviewed.
New Zealand fur seals in the Kaikoura region: colony dynamics, maternal investment and health

Colony dynamics, maternal investment, and indicators of health were investigated for the New Zealand fur seal (Arctocephalus forsteri) over four austral summers, 20012005. Effort was focused at the Ohau Point seal colony, north of Kaikoura. Two colonies at Banks Peninsula were included for comparisons of colony growth and pup condition. A range of other colonies were also included for making comparisons about colony dynamics and health indices. Colony dynamics were investigated through mark-recapture estimates of pup production and daily census of all individuals at the Ohau Point colony. Maternal attendance patterns were observed through behavioural observations of known females (n = 120), the use of VHF radio transmitters (n = 33), and female mass and body condition estimates (n = 51). Maternal investment was also investigated through longitudinal sampling of pup mass and growth rates. Parameters used to indicate colony health were: body condition, growth, presence of parasites, and the levels and common causes of mortality. The influence of parasites on pup growth was tested using treatment of selected pups with Ivermectin anti-helmentic medication, and mortality in the region was investigated through reports of dead individuals, and post mortems of those found fresh. The Ohau Point colony is in an exponential state of growth, and pup mass and condition was higher and responded to changes in environmental variables differently than at the Banks Peninsula colonies. Lactation lengths were consistently longer at Ohau Point than is typically reported for the species (323-355 days vs. 285 days). Maternal investment strategies were indicative of a close, reliable food source, and showed flexibility between years through extension of foraging trip durations and the increased use of overnight foraging trips. Individual strategies did not significantly influence pup growth. However, increased maternal condition and the ability to respond to inter-annual changes in resource availability resulted in accelerated pup growth even during an El Nino event. The incidence of pups with intestinal parasites was low at Ohau Point, and the average mass of treated and non-treated pups did not differ. Pup mortality in the region was low (3% to 50 days old), however, mortality of older pups was greatly influenced by the proximity of humans, with 2/3 of pup 19 mortality observed between the age of 50 days and weaning being caused by car
Observing 3-hydroxyanthranilate-3,4-dioxygenase in action through a crystalline lens

Significance NAD+ plays a critical role in redox-linked biological reactions as a cofactor or substrate. The knowledge of its de novo biosynthesis in mammals and certain bacteria is incomplete due to missing information of a nonheme iron dioxygenase mechanism and the conformation of its product that nonenzymatically produces the universal NAD+ precursor, quinolinic acid. To date, how the enzyme regulates the nonenzymatic product remains unknown. This work fills the gap by combining single-crystal spectroscopic and X-ray crystallographic studies. The results provide a comprehensive view of the dioxygenase mechanism by enabling step-by-step visualization of the catalytic cycle and the protein dynamics during catalysis. Additionally, how the enzyme regulates the pathway product distributions, including the nonenzymatic product of biologically significant compound, is proposed. The synthesis of quinolinic acid from tryptophan is a critical step in the de novo biosynthesis of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) in mammals. Herein, the nonheme iron-based 3-hydroxyanthranilate-3,4-dioxygenase responsible for quinolinic acid production was studied by performing time-resolved in crystallo reactions monitored by UV-vis microspectroscopy, electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy, and X-ray crystallography. Seven catalytic intermediates were kinetically and structurally resolved in the crystalline state, and each accompanies protein conformational changes at the active site. Among them, a monooxygenated, seven-membered lactone intermediate as a monodentate ligand of the iron center at 1.59-Å resolution was captured, which presumably corresponds to a substrate-based radical species observed by EPR using a slurry of small-sized single crystals. Other structural snapshots determined at around 2.0-Å resolution include monodentate and subsequently bidentate coordinated substrate, superoxo, alkylperoxo, and two metal-bound enol tautomers of the unstable dioxygenase product. These results reveal a detailed stepwise O-atom transfer dioxygenase mechanism along with potential isomerization activity that fine-tunes product profiling and affects the production of quinolinic acid at a junction of the metabolic pathway.