Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Multiple-responsive and amphibious hydrogel actuator based on asymmetric UCST-type volume phase transition.

Thermo-responsive hydrogel actuators have attracted tremendous interest due to their promising applications in artiﬁcial muscles, soft robotics, and flexible electronics. However, most of these materials are based on polymers with lower critical solution temperature (LCST), while those from upper critical solution temperature (UCST) are rare. Herein, we report a multiple-responsive UCST hydrogel actuator based on the complex of poly(acrylic acid) (PAAc) and poly(acrylamide) (PAAm). By applying a heterogeneous photo-polymerization, a bilayer hydrogel was obtained, including a layer of interpenetrating network (IPN) of PAAm/PAAc and a layer of single network of PAAm. When cooled down below the UCST, the PAAm/PAAc layer contracted due to the hydrogen bonding of the two polymers while the PAAm layer stays in swelling state, driving the hydrogel to curl. By adjusting the composition of the two layers, the amplitude of actuation behavior could be regulated. By creating patterned IPN domains with photo-masks, the hydrogel could deform into complex 2D and 3D shapes. Active motion was realized in both water and oil bath, thanks to the internal water exchange between the two layers. Interestingly, the hydrogel actuator is also responsive to urea and salts (Na2SO4, NaCl, NaSCN), due to that the strength of the hydrogen bonds in the IPN changes with the additives. Overall, the current study realized an anisotropic UCST transition through introducing asymmetrically distributed polymer-polymer hydrogen-bonds, which would inspire new inventions of intelligent materials.
Practical help for specifying the target difference in sample size calculations for RCTs: the DELTA2 five-stage study, including a workshop.

BACKGROUND The randomised controlled trial is widely considered to be the gold standard study for comparing the effectiveness of health interventions. Central to its design is a calculation of the number of participants needed (the sample size) for the trial. The sample size is typically calculated by specifying the magnitude of the difference in the primary outcome between the intervention effects for the population of interest. This difference is called the 'target difference' and should be appropriate for the principal estimand of interest and determined by the primary aim of the study. The target difference between treatments should be considered realistic and/or important by one or more key stakeholder groups. OBJECTIVE The objective of the report is to provide practical help on the choice of target difference used in the sample size calculation for a randomised controlled trial for researchers and funder representatives. METHODS The Difference ELicitation in TriAls2 (DELTA2) recommendations and advice were developed through a five-stage process, which included two literature reviews of existing funder guidance and recent methodological literature; a Delphi process to engage with a wider group of stakeholders; a 2-day workshop; and finalising the core document. RESULTS Advice is provided for definitive trials (Phase III/IV studies). Methods for choosing the target difference are reviewed. To aid those new to the topic, and to encourage better practice, 10 recommendations are made regarding choosing the target difference and undertaking a sample size calculation. Recommended reporting items for trial proposal, protocols and results papers under the conventional approach are also provided. Case studies reflecting different trial designs and covering different conditions are provided. Alternative trial designs and methods for choosing the sample size are also briefly considered. CONCLUSIONS Choosing an appropriate sample size is crucial if a study is to inform clinical practice. The number of patients recruited into the trial needs to be sufficient to answer the objectives; however, the number should not be higher than necessary to avoid unnecessary burden on patients and wasting precious resources. The choice of the target difference is a key part of this process under the conventional approach to sample size calculations. This document provides advice and recommendations to improve practice and reporting regarding this aspect of trial design. Future work could extend the work to address other less common approaches to the sample size calculations, particularly in terms of appropriate reporting items. FUNDING Funded by the Medical Research Council (MRC) UK and the National Institute for Health Research as part of the MRC-National Institute for Health Research Methodology Research programme.
Perceptions of Processed Foods Among Low-Income and Immigrant Parents

Background. Parent-aimed guidance on the topic of processed foods may help limit highly processed foods in children’s diets, but little is known about parent understanding and perceptions of these products. Aims. To determine how parent perceptions of processing align with processing classification systems used in research, and to identify opportunities for future research in communicating information about processed foods. Method. Six focus groups with lower income, racial/ethnic minority and immigrant parents of fourth to sixth graders (n = 37) were conducted. Parents were asked to discuss their views on terminology related to food processing, classification of foods according to their processing level, the healthfulness of select foods, and criteria for choosing snacks for their children. Focus groups were guided by a thematic approach. NVivo 12 (QSR International) was used to facilitate analyses. Results. Thirty mothers and seven fathers participated. Two thirds (62%) were foreign-born; 38% identified as Hispanic. The term “processing” lacked consistent meaning among parents, with variation by immigrant status. Participants associated highly processed foods with convenience, packaging, and added ingredients; “less-processed” versions of foods (e.g., fresh; homemade) were perceived as healthier. Children’s preferences were the main criteria for choosing snacks. Foreign-born parents were more likely to associate processed foods with positive characteristics (e.g., properly cooked). Conclusion. The concept of food processing is an area of misconception among parents, providing an opportunity for education that may be extended to larger audiences. A universally accepted definition of food classification by processing level is necessary to effectively communicate the link between processing and healthfulness.
A systematic review of source attribution of human campylobacteriosis using multilocus sequence typing

Background Campylobacter is a leading global cause of bacterial gastroenteritis, motivating research to identify sources of human infection. Population genetic studies have been increasingly applied to this end, mainly using multilocus sequence typing (MLST) data. Objectives This review aimed to summarise approaches and findings of these studies and identify best practice lessons for this form of genomic epidemiology. Methods We systematically reviewed publications using MLST data to attribute human disease isolates to source. Publications were from January 2001, when this type of approach began. Searched databases included Scopus, Web of Science and PubMed. Information on samples and isolate datasets used, as well as MLST schemes and attribution algorithms employed, was obtained. Main findings were extracted, as well as any results’ validation with subsequent correction for identified biases. Meta-analysis is not reported given high levels of heterogeneity. Results Of 2,109 studies retrieved worldwide, 25 were included, and poultry, specifically chickens, were identified as principal source of human infection. Ruminants (cattle or sheep) were consistently implicated in a substantial proportion of cases. Data sampling and analytical approaches varied, with five different attribution algorithms used. Validation such as self-attribution of isolates from known sources was reported in five publications. No publication reported adjustment for biases identified by validation. Conclusions Common gaps in validation and adjustment highlight opportunities to generate improved estimates in future genomic attribution studies. The consistency of chicken as the main source of human infection, across high income countries, and despite methodological variations, highlights the public health importance of this source.
Neurourology and Urodynamics

Correspondence Kilian Fröhlich, Department of Neurology, University Hospital Erlangen, Friedrich‐Alexander University Erlangen‐Nürnberg (FAU), Schwabachanlage 6, 91054 Erlangen, Germany. Email: kilian.froehlich@uk-erlangen.de Abstract Aims: Besides spinal lesions, urinary incontinence may be attributed to particular cerebral lesion sites in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients. We intended to determine the contribution of suprapontine lesions to urinary incontinence in MS using a voxel‐wise lesion analysis. Methods: In this retrospective study, we sought MS patients with documented urinary incontinence in a local database. We established a control group of MS‐ patients without documented urinary incontinence matched for gender, age, and disease severity. Patients with urinary incontinence due to local diseases of the urinary tract were excluded. The MS lesions were analyzed on T2‐weighted magnetic resonance imaging scans (1.5 or 3T). After manual delineation and transformation into stereotaxic space, we determined the lesion overlap and compared the presence or absence of urinary incontinence voxel‐wise between patients with and without lesions in a given voxel performing the Liebermeister test with 4000 permutations. Results: A total of 56 patients with urinary incontinence and MS fulfilled the criteria and were included. The analysis yielded associations between urinary incontinence and MS in the frontal white matter, temporo‐occipital, and parahippocampal regions. Conclusions: Our voxel‐wise analysis indicated associations between self‐ reported urinary incontinence and lesions in the left frontal white matter and right parahippocampal region. Thus, our data suggest that dysfunction of supraspinal bladder control due to cerebral lesions may contribute to the pathophysiology of urinary incontinence in MS.
XCL1/Glypican-3 Fusion Gene Immunization Generates Potent Antitumor Cellular Immunity and Enhances Anti–PD-1 Efficacy

Enhancing tumor-specific T-cell responses with vaccination can promote antitumor efficacy. Immunization with XCL1-GPC3 delays growth of liver cancer and improves anti–PD-1 efficacy by de novo generation of GPC3-specific CD8+ T cells. Cancer vaccines can amplify existing antitumor responses or prime naïve T cells to elicit effector T-cell functions in patients through immunization. Antigen-specific CD8+ T cells are crucial for the rejection of established tumors. We constructed XCL1-GPC3 fusion molecules as a liver cancer vaccine by linking the XCL1 chemokine to glypican-3 (GPC3), which is overexpressed in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Cells expressing XCL1-GPC3 chemoattracted murine XCR1+CD8α+ dendritic cells (DC) and human XCR1+CD141+ DCs in vitro and promoted their IL12 production. After subcutaneous mXcl1-GPC3 plasmid injection, mXCL1-GPC3 was mainly detected in CD8α+ DCs of mouse draining lymph nodes. XCL1-GPC3–targeted DCs enhanced antigen-specific CD8+ T-cell proliferation and induced the de novo generation of GPC3-specific CD8+ T cells, which abolished GPC3-expressing tumor cells in mouse and human systems. We immunized a murine autochthonous liver cancer model, with a hepatitis B background, with the mXcl1-GPC3 plasmid starting at 6 weeks, when malignant hepatocyte clusters formed, or at 14 weeks, when liver tumor nodules developed, after diethylnitrosamine administration. mXcl1-GPC3–immunized mice displayed significantly inhibited tumor formation and growth compared with GPC3-immunized mice. After mXcl1-GPC3 immunization, mouse livers showed elevated production of IFNγ, granzyme B, IL18, CCL5, CXCL19, and Xcl1 and increased infiltration of GPC3-specific CD8+ T cells, activated natural killer (NK) cells, and NKT cells. The antitumor effects of these immune cells were further enhanced by the administration of anti–PD-1. Anti-HCC effects induced by hXCL1-GPC3 were confirmed in an HCC-PDX model from 3 patients. Thus, XCL1-GPC3 might be a promising cancer vaccine to compensate for the deficiency of the checkpoint blockades in HCC immunotherapy.
Hyperchaos in Wilson-Cowan Oscillator Circuits.

The Wilson-Cowan equations were originally shown to produce limit cycle oscillations for a range of parameters. Others subsequently showed that two coupled Wilson-Cowan oscillators could produce chaos, especially if the oscillator coupling was from inhibitory interneurons of one oscillator to excitatory neurons of the other. Here this is extended to show that chains, grids, and sparse networks of Wilson-Cowan oscillators generate hyperchaos with linearly increasing complexity as the number of oscillators increases. As there is now evidence that humans can voluntarily generate hyperchaotic visuo-motor sequences, these results are particularly relevant to the unpredictability of a range of human behaviours. These also include incipient senescence in aging, effects of concussive brain injuries, autism, and perhaps also intelligence and creativity.
Measurement of Ion Flow Fields Generated by Positive DC Corona Discharge based on E-FISH

To accurately measure the ion flow field of atmospheric DC corona discharges is important for optimizing the electromagnetic environment of HVDC overhead transmission lines. Since the distribution of ion flow field may be distorted by the inserting of electric field sensor, existing methods are inadequate for the measurement of electric field generated by corona discharges. In this paper, a non-invasive method based on the electric field induced second harmonic effect (E-FISH) is developed to measure the ion flow field produced by positive dc corona discharges and compare with numerical simulations. Firstly, an electric field measurement system is established according to the principle of E-FISH. Secondly, a calibration procedure for the measurement of non-uniform electric field is proposed by adopting FEM simulation under corona free condition. Finally, the electric field generated by positive DC corona discharge in a rod-plate air gap is measured quantitatively and compared with the results obtained by numerical simulations. The experimental results are in good agreement with the numerical simulation results of corona ion flow field in the rod-plate air gap, which verifies the applicability and accuracy of this method. By comparing experimental results with computational ones, it is demonstrated that the E-FISH method has the potential to be applied in the ion flow field measurement of HVDC transmission lines.
Patient‐rated impulsivity and aggression compared with clinician‐rated risk in a forensic psychiatric sample: Predicting inpatient incidents

Abstract Background Measures of impulsivity and aggression help to indicate risk of future violence or rule‐breaking. Both clinician‐rated risk assessment and self‐report measures have been used but hardly ever compared in their ability to predict inpatient incidents. Aims To compare the self‐report on the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (BIS‐11) and Buss‐Perry Aggression Questionnaire (BPAQ) with the clinician‐rated HKT‐30, a Dutch adaptation of the Historical Clinical Risk Management‐20, for their capacity to predict inpatient incidents. Methods All men newly admitted to a forensic psychiatric hospital were invited to participate in this study unless in intensive care. Tests of correlation were run between the BIS‐11 and BPAQ scale scores and the HKT‐30. Each was then tested separately for capacity to predict the number of aggressive and nonaggressive incidents while resident. Finally, scores of all rating scales were entered together into a negative binomial regression to compare their relative strengths in predicting later incidents. Results Patient and staff baseline impulsivity and aggression ratings correlated moderately well. All measures performed well in univariate analyses of relationship between baseline measures and later incidents. In final models, which included both patient and staff baseline ratings, the HKT‐30 generally outperformed the self‐report measures in the prediction of aggressive and nonaggressive incidents in both the first year and total length of stay. Implications for clinical practice Our findings suggest that some reliance may be placed on patient ratings of their own propensity for impulsive and/or violent acts, but, when used, they should remain combined with clinician‐rated risk assessment for the time being. Future research should explore their utility in dialogue about treatment, and also the relative strength of staff response to each.
Carbohydrate-coated Gold-Silver nanoparticles for efficient elimination of multi drug resistant bacteria and in vivo wound healing.

Multi drug resistant (MDR) bacteria have emerged as a major clinical challenge. The unavailability of effective antibiotics has necessitated the use of emerging nanoparticles as alternatives. In this work, we have developed carbohydrate-coated bimetallic nanoparticles (Au-Ag-NP, 30-40nm diameter) that are non-toxic towards mammalian cells yet highly effective against MDR strains as compared to their monometallic counterparts (Ag-NP, Au-NP). The Au-AgNP is much more effective against gram negative MDR Escherichia coli and Enterobacter cloacae when compared to most of the potent antibiotics. We demonstrate that in vivo, Au-AgNP is at least 11000 times more effective than Gentamicin in eliminating MDR Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infecting mice skin wounds. Au-AgNP is able to heal and regenerate infected wounds faster and in scar-free manner. In vivo results show that this Au-AgNP is very effective anti-bacterial agent against MDR strains and does not produce adverse toxicity. We conclude that this bimetallic nanoparticle can be safe in complete skin regeneration in bacteria infected wounds.
Telomere length and associated factors in older adults with hypertension

Telomeres and telomerase play important roles in the occurrence and development of hypertension. This review was performed to clarify the factors that influence telomere length and telomerase activity in older patients and elucidate the association of these factors with hypertension. A PubMed search and critical review of studies assessing the risk factors underlying the association of hypertension with telomere length and telomerase activity was performed. Telomere length and telomerase activity were found to be associated with hypertension. The factors that influence telomere length and telomerase activity in older patients with hypertension include genetics, demographics, social and environmental factors, chronic disease, psychological factors, and antihypertensive drug treatment. A better understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying the association of hypertension with telomere length and telomerase activity may help to reduce the incidence of hypertension.
The Chronic Adverse Effect of Chloroquine on Kidney in Rats through an Autophagy Dependent and Independent Pathways

Background: Chloroquine (CQ), a classic autophagy inhibitor, is used clinically for malaria prophylaxis and pulmonary hypertension treatment. The adverse effects of CQ on morphological and functional changes in the kidney were investigated in the current study due to CQ accumulation in the kidney. Methods: Twelve male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into 2 groups for 4 weeks: group 1, control (n = 6); and group 2, CQ administration group (50 mg–1·kg per day ip; n = 6). Serum aldosterone and vasopressin were measured by radioimmunoassay. Immunofluorescence was used to colocalize Tunel with aquaporin 1, aquaporin 2 (AQP2), and Tamm-Horsfall protein. Expression of AQP2 and mineralocorticoid (MR) was detected by western blot and immunohistochemistry. Results: In the present study, 4 weeks of CQ administration were shown to induce severe kidney injury, including glomerular sclerosis and tubular cells apoptosis, especially distal tubular cells. Decreased expression of LC3II/I and p-AKT was demonstrated in CQ-treated rats. Glomerular and proximal tubule injury were associated with impaired autophagy flux, and distal tubule injury may be associated with downregulated cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP)/PKA/AKT signaling. Both MR and AQP2, which are mainly located in the distal tubule and collecting duct, were significantly reduced in CQ-treated rats, thus leading to increased exosomal secretion of AQP2 in urine. Additionally, chronic CQ administration increased aldosterone and vasopressin levels in serum, but lowered the blood pressure, glomerular filtration rate, and urine concentration. Conclusions: CQ administration damages glomerular, proximal tubule autophagy, and severe distal tubular cells apoptosis by inhibiting cAMP/PKA/AKT signaling.
An Increase in Kinematic Freedom in the Lokomat Is Related to the Ability to Elicit a Physiological Muscle Activity Pattern: A Secondary Data Analysis Investigating Differences Between Guidance Force, Path Control, and FreeD

Background: Robot-assisted gait therapy is a fast-growing field in pediatric neuro-rehabilitation. Understanding how these constantly developing technologies work is a prerequisite for shaping clinical application. For the Lokomat, two new features are supposed to increase patients' movement variability and should enable a more physiological gait pattern: Path Control and FreeD. This work provides a secondary data analysis of a previously published study, and looks at surface electromyography (sEMG) during Guidance Force walking and six sub-conditions of Path Control and FreeD. Objective: The aim was to evaluate different levels of kinematic freedom on the gait pattern of pediatric patients by modulating settings of Path Control and FreeD. Methods: Fifteen patients (mean age 16 ± 2 years) with neurological gait disorders completed the measurements. We analyzed sEMG amplitudes and the correlation of sEMG patterns with normative data of five leg muscles during walking conditions with increasing kinematic freedom in the Lokomat. The new outcome measure of inter-step similarity is introduced as a proxy for walking task complexity. Results: Within Path Control, sub-conditions showed significantly higher sEMG amplitudes in a majority of muscles with increasing kinematic freedom, and correlations with the norm pattern increased with increasing kinematic freedom. FreeD sub-conditions generally showed low or even negative correlations with the norm pattern and a lower inter-step similarity compared to Guidance Force. Conclusions: In general, this work highlights that the new hard- and software approaches of the Lokomat influence muscle activity differently. An increase of kinematic freedom of the walking condition led to an increase in muscular effort (Path Control) or to a higher step variability (FreeD) which can be interpreted as an increased task complexity of this condition. The inter-step similarity could be a helpful tool for the therapist to estimate the patient's state of strain.