Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Atrial Fibrillation Is Associated With a Worse 90-Day Outcome Than Other Cardioembolic Stroke Subtypes

Background and Purpose— Patients with a cardioembolic stroke (CES) have worse outcomes than stroke patients with other causes of stroke. Among patients with CES, atrial fibrillation (AF) is a common comorbidity. Mounting data indicate that AF may be related to stroke pathogenesis beyond acute cerebral thromboembolism. We sought to determine whether AF represents an independent risk factor for stroke severity and outcome among patients with CES. Methods— We retrospectively analyzed patients with acute hemispheric CES included in an academic medical center’s stroke registry. CES was determined using the Causative Classification System of ischemic stroke. Multivariable logistic regression was used to determine whether AF was associated with 90-day outcome functional status. Results— Our cohort included 140 patients. Of these, 52 had prevalent AF and 28 had incident AF diagnosed during their index hospitalization or within 90 days of hospital discharge. After adjustment for potential confounders or mediators, any AF (odds ratio, 2.51; 95% confidence interval, 1.03–6.33; P=0.049), infarct volume (odds ratio, 1.03; 95% confidence interval, 1.01–1.06; P=0.005), preadmission modified Rankin Scale score (odds ratio, 2.58; 95% confidence interval, 1.66–4.01; P<0.001), and admission National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score (odds ratio, 1.17; 95% confidence interval, 1.08–1.28; P<0.001) remained associated with an unfavorable 90-day outcome (modified Rankin Scale score, 2–6). Conclusions— AF is associated with an unfavorable 90-day outcome among patients with a CES independent of established risk factors and initial stroke severity. This suggests that AF-specific mechanisms affect CES severity and functional status after CES. If confirmed in future studies, further investigation into the underlying pathophysiological mechanisms may provide novel avenues to AF detection and treatment.
P2Y2 Receptor and EGFR Cooperate to Promote Prostate Cancer Cell Invasion via ERK1/2 Pathway

As one member of G protein-coupled P2Y receptors, P2Y2 receptor can be equally activated by extracellular ATP and UTP. Our previous studies have proved that activation of P2Y2 receptor by extracellular ATP could promote prostate cancer cell invasion and metastasis in vitro and in vivo via regulating the expressions of some epithelial-mesenchymal transition/invasion-related genes (including IL-8, E-cadherin, Snail and Claudin-1), and the most significant change in expression of IL-8 was observed after P2Y2 receptor activation. However, the signaling pathway downstream of P2Y2 receptor and the role of IL-8 in P2Y2-mediated prostate cancer cell invasion remain unclear. Here, we found that extracellular ATP/UTP induced activation of EGFR and ERK1/2. After knockdown of P2Y2 receptor, the ATP -stimulated phosphorylation of EGFR and ERK1/2 was significantly suppressed. Further experiments showed that inactivation of EGFR and ERK1/2 attenuated ATP-induced invasion and migration, and suppressed ATP-mediated IL-8 production. In addition, knockdown of IL-8 inhibited ATP-mediated invasion and migration of prostate cancer cells. These findings suggest that P2Y2 receptor and EGFR cooperate to upregulate IL-8 production via ERK1/2 pathway, thereby promoting prostate cancer cell invasion and migration. Thus blocking of the P2Y2-EGFR-ERK1/2 pathway may provide effective therapeutic interventions for prostate cancer.
A Time-Domain Thin Dielectric Sheet (TD-TDS) Integral Equation Method for Scattering Characteristics of Tunable Graphene

A time-domain thin dielectric sheet (TD-TDS) integral equation method is presented to analyze the transient scattering of thin graphene films with the electrostatic bias. In this method, the volume integral of the time-domain volume integral equation is transformed to surface integral to reduce the scale of calculation. In this method, the Rao–Wilson–Glisson basis function and the pulse functions are employed as a spatial basis function while the fourth-order Lagrangian basis functions are employed as temporal basis functions. The main advantages of the TD-TDS method are: 1) this method provides a new way for the simulation of graphene device; 2) only the surfaces of the targets need to be meshed when the targets are modeled as surfaces instead of volumes. As a result, the computational resources and time are greatly reduced; 3) broadband electromagnetic response characteristics can be obtained only after one time computation; and 4) this TD-TDS method is suitable for analyzing the dispersive dielectric material whose permittivity is a Drude model with a time convolution operation. Numerical examples are demonstrated to show the accuracy and efficiency of the TD-TDS method.
Collagen peptide supplementation in combination with resistance training improves body composition and increases muscle strength in elderly sarcopenic men: a randomised controlled trial

Abstract Protein supplementation in combination with resistance training may increase muscle mass and muscle strength in elderly subjects. The objective of this study was to assess the influence of post-exercise protein supplementation with collagen peptides v. placebo on muscle mass and muscle function following resistance training in elderly subjects with sarcopenia. A total of fifty-three male subjects (72·2 (sd 4·68) years) with sarcopenia (class I or II) completed this randomised double-blind placebo-controlled study. All the participants underwent a 12-week guided resistance training programme (three sessions per week) and were supplemented with either collagen peptides (treatment group (TG)) (15 g/d) or silica as placebo (placebo group (PG)). Fat-free mass (FFM), fat mass (FM) and bone mass (BM) were measured before and after the intervention using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Isokinetic quadriceps strength (IQS) of the right leg was determined and sensory motor control (SMC) was investigated by a standardised one-leg stabilisation test. Following the training programme, all the subjects showed significantly higher (P<0·01) levels for FFM, BM, IQS and SMC with significantly lower (P<0·01) levels for FM. The effect was significantly more pronounced in subjects receiving collagen peptides: FFM (TG +4·2 (sd 2·31) kg/PG +2·9 (sd 1·84) kg; P<0·05); IQS (TG +16·5 (sd 12·9) Nm/PG +7·3 (sd 13·2) Nm; P<0·05); and FM (TG –5·4 (sd 3·17) kg/PG –3·5 (sd 2·16) kg; P<0·05). Our data demonstrate that compared with placebo, collagen peptide supplementation in combination with resistance training further improved body composition by increasing FFM, muscle strength and the loss in FM.
Importance Sampling with Unequal Support

Importance sampling is often used in machine learning when training and testing data come from different distributions. In this paper we propose a new variant of importance sampling that can reduce the variance of importance samplingbased estimates by orders of magnitude when the supports of the training and testing distributions differ. After motivating and presenting our new importance sampling estimator, we provide a detailed theoretical analysis that characterizes both its bias and variance relative to the ordinary importance sampling estimator (in various settings, which include cases where ordinary importance sampling is biased, while our new estimator is not, and vice versa). We conclude with an example of how our new importance sampling estimator can be used to improve estimates of how well a new treatment policy for diabetes will work for an individual, using only data from when the individual used a previous treatment policy.
Novel impact of the DNMT3A R882H mutation on GSH metabolism in a K562 cell model established by TALENs

DNA methyltransferase 3A (DNMT3A) mutations occurred in 18%~23% of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients, and were considered to be an adverse prognostic factor for adult de novo AML cases. However, the relevant molecular mechanism of the mutation in AML pathogenesis remains obscure. In this study, we established K562 and SKM1 cell model carrying the DNMT3A R882H mutation via transcription activator-like effector nuclease (TALEN) and Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR/Cas9) technology, and discovered that mutated DNMT3A could promote the proliferative capability of malignant cell clones. Further RNA microarray analysis revealed that some genes crucial for glutathione (GSH) synthesis, including CTH, PSPH, PSAT1 and especially SLC7A11 (the cysteine/glutamate transporter) were significantly up-regulated, which resulted in significant elevation of intracellular GSH levels. A subsequent experiment demonstrated that the mutant clones are resistant to chemotherapy as well as SLC7A11-inhibitorsBy shRNA induced SLC7A11 silencing, we discovered profoundly decreased cellular GSH and cell proliferative ability of DNMT3A mutated clones. Our results provided novel insight into the role of the DNMT3A R882H mutation in AML pathogenesis and suggested that targeting the cellular GSH synthetic pathway could enhance the current therapy for AML patients with the DNMT3A R882H mutation.
20-Year Outcomes of Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction With Hamstring Tendon Autograft: The Catastrophic Effect of Age and Posterior Tibial Slope

Background: No well-controlled studies have compared the long-term outcome of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction with hamstring tendon autograft between adolescents and adults. Increased posterior tibial slopes (PTSs) have been reported in the ACL-injured versus controls, but the effect of PTS on the outcome after reconstruction is relatively unexplored. Purpose: To compare the prospective longitudinal outcome of “isolated” ACL ruptures treated with anatomic endoscopic ACL reconstruction using hamstring tendon autograft over 20 years in adolescent and adult cohorts and to examine factors for repeat ACL injury. Study Design: Case-control study; Level of evidence, 3. Methods: A single-surgeon series of 200 consecutive patients undergoing isolated primary ACL reconstruction with hamstring tendon autograft were prospectively studied. Subjects were assessed preoperatively and at 2, 7, 15, and 20 years postoperatively. Outcomes included International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC) Knee Evaluation, IKDC subjective scores, KT-1000 instrumented laxity testing, and radiological evaluation of degenerative change and medial tibial slope. Twenty-year outcomes were compared between those who underwent surgery at the age of 18 years or younger (adolescent group, n = 39) and those who underwent surgery when older than 18 years (adult group, n = 161). Results: At 20 years, 179 of 200 subjects were reviewed (89.5%). ACL graft rupture occurred in 37 subjects and contralateral ACL injury in 22 subjects. Of those with intact ACL grafts at 20 years, outcomes were not statistically different between adolescents and adults for the variables of IKDC subjective score (P = .29), return to preinjury activity level (P = .84), current activity level (P = .69), or degree of radiological degenerative change at 20 years (P = .51). The adolescent group had a higher proportion of grade 1 ligamentous laxity testing compared with the adult group (P = .003). Overall, ACL graft survival at 20 years was 86% for adults and 61% for adolescents (hazard ration, 3.3; P = .001). The hazard for ACL graft rupture was increased by 4.8 in adolescent males and 2.5 in adolescent females compared with adults. At 20 years, the ACL survival for adolescents with a PTS of ≥12° was 22%. The hazard for ACL graft rupture was increased by 11 in adolescents with a PTS of ≥12° (P = .001) compared with adults with a PTS <12°. Conclusion: Repeat ACL injury after isolated ACL reconstruction is common, occurring in 1 in 3 over 20 years. In the absence of further injury, isolated ACL reconstruction using this technique was associated with good long-term outcomes with respect to patient-reported outcomes and return to sports, regardless of age. However, mild ligament laxity and ACL graft rupture after ACL reconstruction are significantly more common in adolescents, especially adolescent males, compared with adults. PTS of 12° or more is the strongest predictor of repeat ACL injury, and its negative effect is most pronounced in adolescents.
Mutual Information Evolution Based Performance Analysis in IDMA System

In this paper we propose a novel algorithm to predict the performance of interleaver division multiple access (IDMA) systems, which is called mutual information evolution algorithm (MIEA). The proposed MIEA is a semi-analytical technique, which is based on but a little different from the traditional extrinsic information transfer (EXIT) chart especially when used for the successive interference cancellation (SIC) structure in IDMA systems. Based on MIEA, not only the convergence behavior of iteration structures in IDMA systems can be analyzed, but also the trade-off between code-rate (CR) and spreading-factor (SF) can be obtained. Moreover, the MIEA can be used to search the optimal codes in IDMA. Simulation results are also presented to confirm our analysis.
The First Record of Ooencyrtus nezarae (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae) on Kudzu Bug (Hemiptera: Plataspidae) in North America

Abstract The kudzu bug, Megacopta cribraria (F.) (Heteroptera: Plataspidae), is an invasive insect pest introduced from Asia in 2009 that poses a threat to soybeans (Glycine max [L.] Merr. [Fabales: Fabaceae]) and other legume crops in the United States. Initially discovered in Georgia, M. cribraria rapidly expanded across the southeast until 2014 when a significant decline in its population was observed across many locations. This notable decline in M. cribraria populations is attributed to the emergence of new parasitoids and pathogens in its new invasive range. So far, only a single egg parasitoid, Paratelenomus saccharalis (Dodd) (Hymenoptera: Platygastridae), is known to parasitize the eggs of M. cribraria in the United States. Here, we report a new egg parasitoid of M. cribraria identified as Ooencyrtus nezarae Ishii, 1928 (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae), recovered from egg masses of M. cribraria collected from soybean in Alabama. O. nezarae is reported to parasitize eggs from a variety of heteropteran families and has been observed parasitizing M. cribraria in China. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of O. nezarae in North America. The potentials of O. nezarae for biological control of M. cribraria in the United States and the direction of future studies are discussed.
Habitat partitioning of denitrifying bacterial communities carrying nirS or nirK genes in the stratified water column of Lake Kinneret, Israel

The community composition of denitrifying bacteria was studied in the stratified water column of Lake Kinneret. The nitrite reductase genes nirS and nirK were amplified by PCR from water samples taken at 1, 14, 19 and 22 m depth, which represent the epi-, meta- and hypolimnion of the lake. The PCR products were analyzed with terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP) and clone libraries. The highest diversity of nirS denitrifying communities was observed at 1 m depth. According to the T-RFLP profiles and clone libraries of nirS products, 2 groups of denitrifiers were common to and dominant in all depths. Deduced protein sequences from one of these groups displayed low identity (77%) with other nirS sequences reported in GenBank. Denitrifying bacterial communities with nirK were most diverse at 22 m and showed highest similarity to those at 19 m depth. Sequences unrelated to nirK dominated the clone libraries from 1 m depth, suggesting that denitrifying bacteria with copper-containing nitrite reductase were less frequent at this depth. The results suggest that microorganisms with nirK and those with nirS respond differently to the environmental conditions in the stratified water column of Lake Kinneret.
IL-6, Antioxidant Capacity and Muscle Damage Markers Following High-Intensity Interval Training Protocols

Abstract The aim of this study was to investigate changes of interleukin-6 (IL-6), total antioxidant capacity (TAC) and muscle damage markers (creatine kinase (CK), myoglobin and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH)) in response to three different high-intensity interval training (HIIT) protocols of identical external work. Twelve moderately-trained males participated in the three HIIT trials which consisted of a warm-up, followed by 12 min of 15 s, 30 s or 60 s HIIT sequences with the work/rest ratio 1. The biochemical markers of inflammation, oxidative stress and muscle damage were analysed POST, 3 h and 24 h after the exercise. All HIIT protocols caused an immediate increase in IL-6, TAC, CK, myoglobin and LDH. The most pronounced between-trials differences were found for the POST-exercise changes in IL-6 (Effect size ± 90% confidence interval: 1.51 ± 0.63, 0.84 ± 0.34 and 1.80 ± 0.60 for the 15s/15s, 30s/30s and 60s/60s protocol, respectively) and myoglobin (1.11 ± 0.29, 0.45 ± 0.48 and 1.09 ± 0.22 for the 15s/15s, 30s/30s and 60s/60s protocol, respectively). There were no substantial between-trial differences in other biochemical variables. In conclusion, the 15s/15s and 60s/60s protocols might be preferred to the 30s/30s protocols in order to maximize the training stimulus.
The SMUL_1544 Gene Product Governs Norcobamide Biosynthesis in the Tetrachloroethene-Respiring Bacterium Sulfurospirillum multivorans

ABSTRACT The tetrachloroethene (PCE)-respiring bacterium Sulfurospirillum multivorans produces a unique cobamide, namely, norpseudo-B12, which, in comparison to other cobamides, e.g., cobalamin and pseudo-B12, lacks the methyl group in the linker moiety of the nucleotide loop. In this study, the protein SMUL_1544 was shown to be responsible for the formation of the unusual linker moiety, which is most probably derived from ethanolamine-phosphate (EA-P) as the precursor. The product of the SMUL_1544 gene successfully complemented a Salmonella enterica ΔcobD mutant. The cobD gene encodes an l-threonine-O-3-phosphate (l-Thr-P) decarboxylase responsible for the synthesis of (R)-1-aminopropan-2-ol O-2-phosphate (AP-P), required specifically for cobamide biosynthesis. When SMUL_1544 was produced in the heterologous host lacking CobD, norpseudo-B12 was formed, which pointed toward the formation of EA-P rather than AP-P. Guided cobamide biosynthesis experiments with minimal medium supplemented with l-Thr-P supported cobamide biosynthesis in S. enterica producing SMUL_1544 or S. multivorans. Under these conditions, both microorganisms synthesized pseudo-B12. This observation indicated a flexibility in the SMUL_1544 substrate spectrum. From the formation of catalytically active PCE reductive dehalogenase (PceA) in S. multivorans cells producing pseudo-B12, a compatibility of the respiratory enzyme with the cofactor was deduced. This result might indicate a structural flexibility of PceA in cobamide binding. Feeding of l-[3-13C]serine to cultures of S. multivorans resulted in isotope labeling of the norpseudo-B12 linker moiety, which strongly supports the hypothesis of EA-P formation from l-serine-O-phosphate (l-Ser-P) in this organism. IMPORTANCE The identification of the gene product SMUL_1544 as a putative l-Ser-P decarboxylase involved in norcobamide biosynthesis in S. multivorans adds a novel module to the assembly line of cobamides (complete corrinoids) in prokaryotes. Selected cobamide-containing enzymes (e.g., reductive dehalogenases) showed specificity for their cobamide cofactors. It has recently been proposed that the structure of the linker moiety of norpseudo-B12 and the mode of binding of the EA-P linker to the PceA enzyme reflect the high specificity of the enzyme for its cofactor. Data reported herein do not support this idea. In fact, norpseudo-B12 was functional in the cobamide-dependent methionine biosynthesis of S. enterica, raising questions about the role of norcobamides in nature.
Characterization of aryl hydrocarbon receptor-interacting protein ( AIP ) mutations in familial isolated pituitary adenoma families

Transcription factors continue to be of major interest in the field of pituitary research. Interestingly, emphasis is not anymore just on the role of transcription factors in pituitary development, but also on their role in tumorigenesis. For example, we have selected a paper suggesting Pit-1 is involved in breast cancer and a paper on the gene NUMB, which is known to be involved in cancer development, and is now shown to play a role in pituitary homeostasis. Aryl hydrocarbon-interacting protein (AIP) is involved in the development of familial isolated pituitary adenomas and a beautiful paper of Chahal et al. tracks an AIP mutation back to a common ancestor that lived in Ireland approximately 66 generations ago, using DNA from a skeleton of an Irish giant exhibited in a museum. Clinically important papers relate to the treatment of prolactinomas, albeit in adults, and to diagnostic outcome in a huge series of patients undergoing pituitary MRIs for sellar/parasellar tumors. We chose the involvement of microRNA in pituitary development as the mechanism of the year. This work shows that deletion of microRNA in the pituitary results in abnormal pituitary development and dwarfism, adding a new dimension to the genetic regulation of growth. Other developments include the presence of PIT-1 antibodies as a cause for combined TSH, GH and prolactin deficiency. The ‘Food for thought’ section includes a paper suggesting an important role for pituitary adenylate cyclaseactivating peptide (PACAP) in post-traumatic stress disorder.
Multiple Kernel Learning for Remote Sensing Image Classification

This paper presents multiple kernel learning (MKL) in the context of remote sensing (RS) image classification problems by illustrating main characteristics of different MKL algorithms and analyzing their properties in RS domain. A categorization of different MKL algorithms is initially introduced, and some promising MKL algorithms for each category are presented. In particular, MKL algorithms presented only in machine learning are introduced in RS. Then, the investigated MKL algorithms are theoretically compared in terms of their: 1) computational complexities; 2) accuracy with different qualities of kernels; and 3) accuracy with different numbers of kernels. After the theoretical comparison, experimental analyses are carried out to compare different MKL algorithms in terms of: 1) model selection and 2) feature fusion problems. On the basis of the theoretical and experimental analyses of MKL algorithms, some guidelines for a proper selection of the MKL algorithms are derived.