Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The effect of renal denervation on arterial stiffness, central blood pressure and heart rate variability in treatment resistant essential hypertension: a substudy of a randomized sham-controlled double-blinded trial (the ReSET trial)

Abstract Objectives: To investigate, whether renal denervation (RDN) improves arterial stiffness, central blood pressure (C-BP) and heart rate variability (HRV) in patients with treatment resistant hypertension. Methods: ReSET was a randomized, sham-controlled, double-blinded trial (NCT01459900). RDN was performed by a single experienced operator using the Medtronic unipolar Symplicity FlexTM catheter. C-BP, carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (PWV), and HRV were obtained at baseline and after six months with the SphygmoCor®-device. Results: Fifty-three patients (77% of the ReSET-cohort) were included in this substudy. The groups were similar at baseline (SHAM/RDN): n = 27/n = 26; 78/65% males; age 59 ± 9/54 ± 8 years (mean ± SD); systolic brachial BP 158 ± 18/154 ± 17 mmHg; systolic 24-hour ambulatory BP 153 ± 14/151 ± 13 mmHg. Changes in PWV (0.1 ± 1.9 (SHAM) vs. −0.6 ± 1.3 (RDN) m/s), systolic C-BP (−2 ± 17 (SHAM) vs. −8 ± 16 (RDN) mmHg), diastolic C-BP (−2 ± 9 (SHAM) vs. −5 ± 9 (RDN) mmHg), and augmentation index (0.7 ± 7.0 (SHAM) vs. 1.0 ± 7.4 (RDN) %) were not significantly different after six months. Changes in HRV-parameters were also not significantly different. Baseline HRV or PWV did not predict BP-response after RDN. Conclusions: In a sham-controlled setting, there were no significant effects of RDN on arterial stiffness, C-BP and HRV. Thus, the idea of BP-independent effects of RDN on large arteries and cardiac autonomic activity is not supported.
Nitrogen-doped graphene by ball-milling graphite with melamine for energy conversion and storage

N-doped graphene was prepared by ball milling of graphite with melamine. It was found that ball-milling reduced the size of graphite particles from 30 to 1 μm and facilitated the exfoliation of the resultant small particles into few-layer N-doped graphene nanosheets under ultrasonication. The as-prepared N-doped graphene nanoplatelets (NGnPs) exhibited a nitrogen content as high as 11.4 at. %, making them attractive as efficient electrode materials in supercapacitors for energy storage and as highly-active metal-free catalysts for oxygen reduction in fuel cells for energy conversion.
Analysis of a 4-phase tapped-inductor DC-DC converter for high boost ratio wide input voltage range applications

Detailed analysis of a 4-phase tapped-inductor boost DC-DC converter operating in continuous conduction mode is presented. Expressions needed to evaluate converter performance are derived. These are then used to plot input- and output-side current ripple characteristics. It is shown that input-and output-side ripple vary in proportion and the converter operates with low ripple over certain ranges of duty ratio. The performance of a 1-phase converter is seen to represent the worst-case scenario for 3- and 4-phase converters. For a given per-unit load and type of snubber, 1- and 4-phase converter efficiencies are identical. Converter is suitable for applications with wide input voltage range, requiring low input- and output-side ripple, high efficiency and boost ratios. Theoretically derived characteristics are validated through simulations and there is good agreement between analytical and simulation results.
Cognitive Limitations at Work Among Employed Breast Cancer Survivors in China

Purpose This study aimed to determine whether levels of distress (anxiety and depression) and cognitive symptoms at work are related to work productivity and quality of life (QOL) in Chinese breast cancer survivors (BCS), compared to a group of Chinese women without cancer but with different musculoskeletal pain related to work. Design This study used a cross-sectional study design. Methods Working BCS were recruited in a tumor hospital’s outpatient department, and women with no history of cancer (noncancer comparison [NCC] group) were recruited from a rehabilitation center. Findings A total of 412 participants were included. Multiple regression analyses indicated that higher anxiety was associated with work limitations (B = .005, p = .014) and QOL (B = 2.417, p = .004) in the BCS group only. Cognitive limitations at work were associated with work limitations (B = .002, p = .001) and QOL (B = 1.022, p = .003) in the BCS group only. Depressive symptoms (B = .028, p = .017) were significantly associated with work limitations in the NCC group. Conclusions Breast cancer survivors reported higher levels of cognitive limitations at work and anxiety, lower levels of work productivity, and QOL. Clinical Relevance When remaining at work is a viable option for the cancer survivor with cognitive limitations at work, the rehabilitation nurse should consider approaches to best accommodate the specific cognitive limitations and work tasks, as well as help the patient manage associated anxiety when present.
A small cosmological constant from Abelian symmetry breaking

We investigate some cosmological consequences of a vector–tensor theory where an Abelian symmetry in the vector sector is slightly broken by a mass term and by ghost-free derivative self-interactions. When studying cosmological expansion in the presence of large bare cosmological constant Λcc, we find that the theory admits branches of de Sitter solutions in which the scale of the Hubble parameter is inversely proportional to a power of Λcc. Hence, a large value of Λcc leads to a small size for the Hubble scale. In an appropriate limit, in which the symmetry breaking parameters are small, the theory recovers the Abelian symmetry plus an additional Galileon symmetry acting on the longitudinal vector polarization. The approximate Galileon symmetry can make the structure of this theory stable at the energy scales we are interested in. We also analyze the dynamics of linearized cosmological fluctuations around the de Sitter solutions, showing that no manifest instabilities arise, and that the transverse vector polarizations become massless around these configurations.
Roots of symptom-free leguminous cover crop and living mulch species harbor diverse Fusarium communities that show highly variable aggressiveness on pea (Pisum sativum)

Leguminous cover crop and living mulch species show not only great potential for providing multiple beneficial services to agro-ecosystems, but may also present pathological risks for other crops in rotations through shared pathogens, especially those of the genus Fusarium. Disease severity on roots of subterranean clover, white clover, winter and summer vetch grown as cover crop and living mulch species across five European sites as well as the frequency, distribution and aggressiveness to pea of Fusarium spp. recovered from the roots were assessed in 2013 and 2014. Disease symptoms were very low at all sites. Nevertheless, out of 1480 asymptomatic roots, 670 isolates of 14 Fusarium spp. were recovered. The most frequently isolated species in both years from all hosts were F. oxysporum and F. avenaceum accounting for 69% of total isolation percentage. They were common at the Swiss, Italian and German sites, whereas at the Swedish site F. oxysporum dominated and F. avenaceum occurred only rarely. The agressiveness and effect on pea biomass were tested in greenhouse assays for 72 isolates of six Fusarium species. Isolates of F. avenaceum caused severe root rot symptoms with mean severity index (DI) of 82 and 74% mean biomass reduction compared to the non-inoculated control. Fusarium oxysporum and F. solani isolates were higly variable in agressiveness and their impact on pea biomass. DI varied between 15 and 50 and biomass changes relative to the non-inoculated control -40% to +10%. Isolates of F. tricinctum, F. acuminatum and F. equiseti were non to weakly agressive often enhancing pea biomass. This study shows that some of the major pea pathogens are characterized by high ecological plasticity and have the ability to endophytically colonize the hosts studied that thus may serve as inoculum reservoir for susceptible main legume grain crops such as pea.
SLICE: determining cell differentiation and lineage based on single cell entropy

Abstract A complex organ contains a variety of cell types, each with its own distinct lineage and function. Understanding the lineage and differentiation state of each cell is fundamentally important for the ultimate delineation of organ formation and function. We developed SLICE, a novel algorithm that utilizes single-cell RNA-seq (scRNA-seq) to quantitatively measure cellular differentiation states based on single cell entropy and predict cell differentiation lineages via the construction of entropy directed cell trajectories. We validated our approach using three independent data sets with known lineage and developmental time information from both Homo sapiens and Mus musculus. SLICE successfully measured the differentiation states of single cells and reconstructed cell differentiation trajectories that have been previously experimentally validated. We then applied SLICE to scRNA-seq of embryonic mouse lung at E16.5 to identify lung mesenchymal cell lineage relationships that currently remain poorly defined. A two-branched differentiation pathway of five fibroblastic subtypes was predicted using SLICE. The present study demonstrated the general applicability and high predictive accuracy of SLICE in determining cellular differentiation states and reconstructing cell differentiation lineages in scRNA-seq analysis.
LncRNA‐TCONS_00034812 in cell proliferation and apoptosis of pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells and its mechanism

Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been discovered to be playing important role in various biological processes. However, the contribution of lncRNAs to pulmonary artery hypertension (PAH) remains largely unknown. Pulmonary vascular remodeling is an important pathological feature of PAH, leading to increased vascular resistance and reduced compliance. Here, we investigated the biological role of lncRNAs in PAH. Differences in the lncRNAs and mRNAs between hypoxia PAH rats and normoxia rats were screened using microarray analysis. The results showed that 36 lncRNAs and 519 mRNAs were upregulated in the pulmonary arteries (PAs) of hypoxia PAH rats, whereas 111 lncRNAs and 246 mRNAs were downregulated. Expressions of the screened lncRNAs, including TCONS_00034812, were validated by real‐time PCR. We revealed that the expression of TCONS_00034812 was significantly downregulated in PAs of PAH rats and hypoxia pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells (PASMCs). TCONS_00034812 knockdown promoted proliferation and inhibited apoptosis of PASMCs in vitro. Moreover, TCONS_00034812 regulated PASMCs function in vitro. We found that TCONS_00034812 increased the expression of transcription factors Stox1. TCONS_00034812 and Stox1 knockdown mediated PASMCs function through MAPK signaling. Our findings imply lncRNA as a critical regulator in PAH and demonstrate the potential of gene therapy and drug development for treating PAH. The present study reveals a novel mechano responsive lncRNA‐TCONS_00034812, which modulates PASMCs proliferation and apoptosis, and participates in vascular remodeling during PAH.
WACA: Wearable-Assisted Continuous Authentication

One-time login process in conventional authentication systems does not guarantee that the identified user is the actual user throughout the session. However, it is necessary to re-verify the user identity periodically throughout a login session, which is lacking in existing one-time login systems. In this paper, we introduce a usable and reliable Wearable-Assisted Continuous Authentication (WACA), which relies on the sensor-based keystroke dynamics and the authentication data is acquired through the built-in sensors of a wearable (e.g., smartwatch) while the user is typing. The acquired data is periodically and transparently compared with the registered profile of the initially logged-in user with one-way classifiers. With this, WACA continuously ensures that the current user is the user who logged in initially. We implemented the WACA framework and evaluated its performance on real devices with real users. The empirical evaluation of WACA reveals that WACA is feasible and its error rate is as low as 1% with 30 seconds of processing time and 2 – 3% for 20 seconds. The computational overhead is minimal. Furthermore, WACA is capable of identifying insider threats with very high accuracy (99.2%).
Biotinylated vanadium and chromium sulfide nanoparticles as probes for colocalization of membrane proteins

We report the microemulsion synthesis of vanadium and chromium sulfide nanoparticles (NPs) and their biological application as nanoprobes for colocalization of membrane proteins. Spherical V2S3 and Cr2S3 NPs were prepared in reverse microemulsion droplets, as nanoreactors, obtained by the surfactant sodium bis(2‐ethylhexyl) sulfosuccinate (AOT) in nonpolar organic phase (heptane). Electron microscopic data indicated that the size distribution of the nanoparticles was uniform with an average diameter between 3 ÷ 5 nm. The prepared hydrophobic nanocrystals were transferred in aqueous phase by surface cap exchange of AOT with biotin‐dihydrolipoic ligands. This substitution allows the nanoparticles solubility in aqueous solutions and confer their bioactivity. In addition, we report the conjugation procedure between α‐Lipoic acid (LA) and biotin (abbreviated as biotin‐LA). The biotin‐LA structure was characterized by 1D and 2D NMR spectroscopy. The biotinylated vanadium and chromium sulfide nanoparticles were tested as probes for colocalization of glutamate receptors on sodium‐dodecyl‐sulfate‐digested replica prepared from rat hippocampus. The method suggests their high labeling efficiency for study of membrane biological macromolecules. Microsc. Res. Tech. 79:799–805, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Emergence of Streptococcus pneumoniae Serotype 12F after Sequential Introduction of 7- and 13-Valent Vaccines, Israel

Israel implemented use of 7- and 13-valent pneumococcal vaccine in 2009 and 2010, respectively. We describe results of prospective, population-based, nationwide active surveillance of Streptococcus pneumoniae serotype 12F (Sp12F) invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) dynamics in the 7 years after vaccine introduction. Of 4,573 IPD episodes during July 2009–June 2016, a total of 434 (9.5%) were caused by Sp12F. Sp12F IPD rates (cases/100,000 population) increased in children <5 years of age, from 1.44 in 2009–2010 to >3.9 since 2011–2012, followed by an increase in all ages. During 2011–2016, Sp12F was the most prevalent IPD serotype. Sp12F isolates were mostly penicillin nonsusceptible (MIC >0.06 µg/mL; MIC50 = 0.12) and predominantly of sequence type 3774), a clone exclusively found in Israel (constituting ≈90% of isolates in 2000–2009). The sharp increase, long duration, and predominance of Sp12F IPD after vaccine implementation reflect a single clone expansion and may represent more than a transient outbreak.
The effect of simulated air conditions on N95 filtering facepiece respirators performance

ABSTRACT The objective of this study was to determine the effect of several simulated air environmental conditions on the particle penetration and the breathing resistance of two N95 filtering facepiece respirator (FFR) models. The particle penetration and breathing resistance of the respirators were evaluated in a test system developed to mimic inhalation and exhalation breathing while relative humidity and temperature were modified. Breathing resistance was measured over 120 min using a calibrated pressure transducer under four different temperature and relative humidity conditions without aerosol loading. Particle penetration was evaluated before and after the breathing resistance test at room conditions using a sodium chloride aerosol measured with a scanning mobility particle sizer. Results demonstrated that increasing relative humidity and lowering external temperature caused significant increases in breathing resistance (p < 0.001). However, these same conditions did not influence the penetration or most penetrating particle size of the tested FFRs. The increase in breathing resistance varied by FFR model suggesting that some FFR media are less influenced by high relative humidity.
Tone Biased MMR Text Summarization

Text summarization is an interesting area for researchers to develop new techniques to provide human like summaries for vast amounts of information. Summarization techniques tend to focus on providing accurate representation of content, and often the tone of the content is ignored. Tone of the content sets a baseline for how a reader perceives the content. As such being able to generate summary with tone that is appropriate for the reader is important. In our work we implement Maximal Marginal Relevance [MMR] based multi-document text summarization and propose a na\"ive model to change tone of the summarization by setting a bias to specific set of words and restricting other words in the summarization output. This bias towards a specified set of words produces a summary whose tone is same as tone of specified words.
Three-Dimensional Shape Measurements of Specular Objects Using Phase-Measuring Deflectometry

The fast development in the fields of integrated circuits, photovoltaics, the automobile industry, advanced manufacturing, and astronomy have led to the importance and necessity of quickly and accurately obtaining three-dimensional (3D) shape data of specular surfaces for quality control and function evaluation. Owing to the advantages of a large dynamic range, non-contact operation, full-field and fast acquisition, high accuracy, and automatic data processing, phase-measuring deflectometry (PMD, also called fringe reflection profilometry) has been widely studied and applied in many fields. Phase information coded in the reflected fringe patterns relates to the local slope and height of the measured specular objects. The 3D shape is obtained by integrating the local gradient data or directly calculating the depth data from the phase information. We present a review of the relevant techniques regarding classical PMD. The improved PMD technique is then used to measure specular objects having discontinuous and/or isolated surfaces. Some influential factors on the measured results are presented. The challenges and future research directions are discussed to further advance PMD techniques. Finally, the application fields of PMD are briefly introduced.
Phosphatidylcholine Causes Lipolysis and Apoptosis in Adipocytes through the Tumor Necrosis Factor Alpha-Dependent Pathway

A phosphatidylcholine (PPC) formulation has been used to treat cellulite; however, its underlying mechanism of action remains unclear. In this study, we demonstrated that PPC induces lipolysis and apoptosis in adipocytes, and evaluated a possible tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFα)-dependent pathway, whereby PPC exerts these effects. For in vitro study, fully differentiated 3T3-L1 cells, mouse adipocytes were treated with various concentrations of PPC and cell apoptosis and lipolysis were assayed. For in vivo experiments, mice fed on a high-fat diet for 8 weeks were injected twice to abdominal subcutaneous fat tissues of either vehicle or PPC. We found that PPC induced lipolysis and apoptosis dose-dependently in fully differentiated 3T3-L1 cells. In addition, PPC augmented both expression and release of TNFα in a dose-dependent fashion. Induction of TNFα by PPC was associated with the stimulation of nuclear factor kappa B (NFκB)-mediated transcriptional activity. Small interfering RNA (siRNA)-mediated suppression of NFκB abrogated the effect of PPC on TNFα secretion. Suppression of TNFα with specific siRNA abrogated the effects of PPC on lipolysis and apoptosis. Through in vivo experiments, we demonstrated that PPC injection not only stimulated the local lipolysis and apoptosis, resulting in weight loss, but also induced TNFα mRNA expression and neutrophil infiltration. Furthermore, PPC injection prevented lipogenesis and suppressed the mRNA expression of adipokines (such as adiponectin and leptin), due to the down-sizing of adipocytes. In conclusion, we suggest that PPC induces lipolysis and apoptosis in adipocytes through TNFα-dependent pathways.
Experimental Feasibility Study of Motion Sensor-Aided mm-Wave Beam Tracking

The spectrum-rich millimeter-wave (mm-wave) bands are being considered for next generation mobile networks. However, due to the high path loss at these frequencies, mm-wave systems rely on highly directional antennas, making precise antenna alignment a major issue. To provide seamless connectivity for mobile users, efficient beam tracking is thus crucial. In this paper we propose using motion sensor data to track small-scale rotational user motion and to thus correct mm-wave antenna misalignment at the mobile station (MS). To this end, we study in detail the characteristics of typical MS rotational motion using an Android app and mm-wave urban measurement data. We thereby evaluate the effectiveness of MS-based beam tracking, in terms of link stability and link quality, and derive practical engineering bounds on tracking delay and sensor accuracy. We show that, in order to make motion sensor-aided beam tracking beneficial, the tracking delay and sensor error must not exceed 30 ms and 1.2°, respectively, for our 10° antenna system. Although these requirements are within the capabilities of state-of-the-art MEMS chips, they cannot be guaranteed by the Android sensor API, suggesting that direct low-level access to the sensors should be provided to support mm-wave beam tracking.
Retinoic Acid Engineered Amniotic Membrane Used as Graft or Homogenate: Positive Effects on Corneal Alkali Burns.

Purpose Alkali burns are the most common, severe chemical ocular injuries, their functional prognosis depending on corneal wound healing efficiency. The purpose of our study was to compare the benefits of amniotic membrane (AM) grafts and homogenates for wound healing in the presence or absence of previous all-trans retinoic acid (atRA) treatment. Methods Fifty male CD1 mice with reproducible corneal chemical burn were divided into five groups, as follows: group 1 was treated with saline solution; groups 2 and 3 received untreated AM grafts or grafts treated with atRA, respectively; and groups 4 and 5 received untreated AM homogenates or homogenates treated with atRA, respectively. After 7 days of treatment, ulcer area and depth were measured, and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP-9) were quantified. Results AM induction by atRA was confirmed via quantification of retinoic acid receptor β (RARβ), a well-established retinoic acid-induced gene. Significant improvements of corneal wound healing in terms of ulcer area and depth were obtained with both strategies. No major differences were found between the efficiency of AM homogenates and grafts. This positive action was increased when AM was pretreated with atRA. Furthermore, AM induced a decrease in VEGF and MMP-9 levels during the wound healing process. The atRA treatment led to an even greater decrease in the expression of both proteins. Conclusions Amnion homogenate is as effective as AM grafts in promoting corneal wound healing in a mouse model. A higher positive effect was obtained with atRA treatment.