Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Cross-Generational Effects of Heat Stress on Fitness and Wolbachia Density in Aedes aegypti Mosquitoes

Aedes aegypti mosquitoes infected with Wolbachia symbionts are now being released into the field to control the spread of pathogenic human arboviruses. Wolbachia can spread throughout vector populations by inducing cytoplasmic incompatibility and can reduce disease transmission by interfering with virus replication. The success of this strategy depends on the effects of Wolbachia on mosquito fitness and the stability of Wolbachia infections across generations. Wolbachia infections are vulnerable to heat stress, and sustained periods of hot weather in the field may influence their utility as disease control agents, particularly if temperature effects persist across generations. To investigate the cross-generational effects of heat stress on Wolbachia density and mosquito fitness, we subjected Ae. aegypti with two different Wolbachia infection types (wMel, wAlbB) and uninfected controls to cyclical heat stress during larval development over two generations. We then tested adult starvation tolerance and wing length as measures of fitness and measured the density of wMel in adults. Both heat stress and Wolbachia infection reduced adult starvation tolerance. wMel Wolbachia density in female offspring was lower when mothers experienced heat stress, but male Wolbachia density did not depend on the rearing temperature of the previous generation. We also found cross-generational effects of heat stress on female starvation tolerance, but there was no cross-generational effect on wing length. Fitness costs of Wolbachia infections and cross-generational effects of heat stress on Wolbachia density may reduce the ability of Wolbachia to invade populations and control arbovirus transmission under specific environmental conditions.
Matrix Completion Based on Non-Convex Low-Rank Approximation

Without any prior structure information, nuclear norm minimization (NNM), a convex relaxation for rank minimization (RM), is a widespread tool for matrix completion and relevant low-rank approximation problems. Nevertheless, the result derivated by NNM generally deviates the solution we desired, because NNM ignores the difference between different singular values. In this paper, we present a non-convex regularizer and utilize it to construct two matrix completion models. In order to solve the constructed models efficiently, we develop an efficient optimization method with convergence guarantee, which can achieve faster convergence speed compared to conventional approaches. Particularly, we show that the proposed regularizer as well as the optimization method are suitable for other RM problems, such as subspace clustering based on low-rank representation. Extensive experimental results on real images demonstrate that the constructed models provide significant advantages over several state-of-the-art matrix completion algorithms. In addition, we implement numerous experiments to investigate the convergence speed of the developed optimization method.
Learning Words Via Reading: Contextual Diversity, Spacing, and Retrieval Effects in Adults

We examined whether variations in contextual diversity, spacing, and retrieval practice influenced how well adults learned new words from reading experience. Eye movements were recorded as adults read novel words embedded in sentences. In the learning phase, unfamiliar words were presented either in the same sentence repeated four times (same context) or in four different sentences (diverse context). Spacing was manipulated by presenting the sentences under distributed or non-distributed practice. After learning, half of the participants were asked to retrieve the new words, and half had an extra exposure to the new words. Although words experienced in diverse contexts were acquired more slowly during learning, they enjoyed a greater benefit of learning at immediate posttest. Distributed practice also slowed learning, but no benefit was observed at posttest. Although participants who had an extra exposure showed the greatest learning benefit overall, learning also benefited from retrieval opportunity, when words were experienced in diverse contexts. These findings demonstrate that variation in the content and structure of the learning environment impacts on word learning via reading.
Online decision support for persons having a genetic predisposition to cancer and their partners during reproductive decision‐making

A nationwide pretest–posttest study was conducted in all clinical genetic centres in the Netherlands, to evaluate the effects of an online decision aid to support persons who have a genetic predisposition to cancer and their partners in making an informed decision regarding reproductive options. Main outcomes (decisional conflict, knowledge, realistic expectations, level of deliberation, and decision self‐efficacy) were measured before use (T0), immediately after use (T1), and at 2 weeks (T2) after use of the decision aid. Paired sample t tests were used to compute differences between the first and subsequent measurements. T0–T1 and T0–T2 comparisons indicate a significant reduction in mean decisional conflict scores with stronger effects for participants with high baseline decisional conflict. Furthermore, use of the decision aid resulted in increased knowledge levels and improved realistic expectations. Level of deliberation only increased for participants with lower baseline levels of deliberation. Decision self‐efficacy increased for those with low baseline scores, whereas those with high baseline scores showed a reduction at T2. It can be concluded that use of the decision aid resulted in several positive outcomes indicative of informed decision‐making. The decision aid is an appropriate and highly appreciated tool to be used in addition to reproductive counseling.
The efficacy and safety of azithromycin in asthma: A systematic review

Azithromycin is a potential therapeutic choice for asthma control, which is a heterogeneous airway inflammatory disease. Because of variable findings, we intend to evaluate the therapeutic effect and safety of azithromycin in asthma. Databases, including PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane, and CNKI until 31 December 2017, were searched to identify available randomised controlled trials regarding azithromycin treatment for asthma. We identified seven studies involving 1520 cases that met our criteria. The mean difference for lung function (FEV1, FVC, PEF), symptom assessment (ACQ, AQLQ), airway inflammation, and risk ratios for adverse events were extracted. Chi‐square and I2 tests were applied to evaluate the heterogeneity among the studies towards each index with a random effect model or a fixed effect model. Pooled analysis shows that azithromycin administration results in no significant improvement in FEV1 (MD: 0.09, 95% CI −0.10 to 0.29, P = 0.36), PEF (MD: 11.76; 95% CI, −2.86 to 26.38, P = 0.11), total airway inflammatory cells (MD: −0.29; 95% CI, −1.38 to 0.80, P = 0.60), ACQ (MD: 0.05; 95% CI, −0.08 to 0.19, P = 0.44), and AQLQ (MD: 0.12; 95% CI, −0.02 to 0.26, P = 0.10). Moreover, no significant difference was detected in adverse events (Risk ratio 0.99; 95% CI, 0.82‐1.19, P = 0.90). These findings demonstrate no beneficial clinical outcome of azithromycin in asthma control, and we propose that further prospective cohorts are warranted.
Surge of Corticocardiac Coupling in SHRSP Rats Exposed to Forebrain Cerebral Ischemia

Sudden death is an important but under-recognized consequence of stroke. Acute stroke can disturb central control of autonomic function, and result in cardiac dysfunction and sudden death. Previous study showed that bilateral common carotid artery ligation (BCCAL) in spontaneously hypertensive stroke-prone rats (SHRSP) is a well-established model for forebrain ischemic sudden death. This study aims to investigate the temporal dynamic changes in electrical activities of the brain and heart and functional interactions between the two vital organs following forebrain ischemia. EEG and ECG signals were simultaneously collected from 9 SHRSP and 8 Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) rats. RR interval and cardiac arrhythmias were analyzed to investigate the cardiac response to brain ischemia. EEG power and coherence (CCoh) analysis were conducted to study the cortical response. Corticocardiac coherence (CCCoh) and directional connectivity (CCCon) were analyzed to determine brain-heart connection. Heart rate variability (HRV) was analyzed to evaluate autonomic functionality. BCCAL resulted in 100% mortality in SHRSP within 14 hours, whereas no mortality was observed in WKY. The functionality of both the brain and the heart were significantly altered in SHRSP compared to WKY after BCCAL. SHRSP rats, but not WKY rats, exhibited intermittent surge of CCCoh, which paralleled the elevated CCCon and reduced HRV, following the onset of ischemia until sudden death. Elevated brain-heart coupling invariably associated with the disruption of the autonomic nervous system and the risk of sudden death. This study may improve our understanding of the mechanism of ischemic stroke-induced sudden death.
Outsider Art, In or Outside the World of Art?

Outsider art has been receiving increasing attention and appreciation within the art world, as the successful annual Outsider Art Fairs in Paris and New York and, closer to home, the recent opening the Outsider Art Museum in Heritage Amsterdam show and The Museum of Everything exhibition in Kunsthal Rotterdam indicate. Nevertheless, this art form is usually defined as the art made by artists outside the mainstream art world that could be self-taught, psychiatric patients or other persons who don’t form part of the leading art historical discourse. In this study, I research how curators, museum directors, gallery owners and museum visitors deal with this apparent paradox of the contemporary position of outsider art: needing to be “out”’ to be “in”. Can outsider artists who enter the museum walls and the market place still be called outsider? And how and why would certain of the actors of the art field do this? Departing from the sociological and aesthetic paradoxical position and nature of this art, this thesis uses the data obtained in semi-structured interview sessions with the aforementioned art professionals from Belgium and the Netherlands. By considering the different framing strategies they use, I argue that their framing strategies are manifold and often used in contradictory ways by one and the same person according to the outcomes aimed at. Most of the respondents are reluctant to pin down the borders of outsider art within their practice, as they do with art brut for instance. Two prevailing framings are (1) the focus on the aesthetic and artistic qualities of outsider art, at the expense of its social dimension and (2) the relationship with contemporary art, copying the presentation models for instance. By doing this, respondents give legitimacy to outsider art as a contemporary art form, cutting it loose from its past as a functional or medical past. Nonetheless, I argue that the findings point out that although respondents advocate inclusion and integration of outsider art in the contemporary art world based on the similarities, on other occasions they still bring forward its apparent otherness, in order to assure the position of outsider art in-between both art worlds. The findings of this research add to the ongoing debate on outsider art, but also place it in the broader framework of art forms striving for legitimization and show how elementary questions about the nature of art are very present in the framing of outsider art by field professionals whose institutions, for the greater part, also aim at posing questions instead of giving clear answers.
Intracortical Neural Stimulation With Untethered, Ultrasmall Carbon Fiber Electrodes Mediated by the Photoelectric Effect

Objective: Neural stimulation with tethered, electrically activated probes is damaging to neural tissue and lacks good spatial selectivity and stable chronic performance. The photoelectric effect, which converts incident light into electric potential and heat, provides an opportunity for a tetherless stimulation method. We propose a novel stimulation paradigm that relies on the photoelectric effect to stimulate neurons around a free-floating, ultrasmall (7-8 μm diameter) carbon fiber probe. Methods: A two-photon microscope induced photo-stimulation with a near-infrared laser. Chronoamperometry and chronopotentiometry were used to characterize the electrochemical properties of photo-stimulation, while the fluorescence of Rhodamine-B was used to quantify temperature changes. Results: Photo-stimulation caused a local cathodic potential pulse with minimal leakage current. Stimulation induced voltage deflections of 0.05–0.4 V in vitro, varying linearly with the power of the laser source (5–40 mW). Temperature increases in the immediate vicinity of the electrode were limited to 2.5 °C, suggesting that this stimulation modality can be used without inducing heat damage. Successful stimulation was supported in vivo by increased calcium fluorescence in local neurons at stimulation onset in a transgenic GCaMP-3 mouse model. Furthermore, cells activated by photo-stimulation were closer to the electrode than in electrical stimulation under similar conditions, indicating increased spatial precision. Conclusion: Our results support the hypothesis that the proposed photoelectric method for neural stimulation is effective. Significance: Photoelectric stimulation is precise and avoids the need for a potentially destructive tether, making it a promising alternative to electrical stimulation.
Sardinian Folk Dance for Individuals with Parkinson's Disease: A Randomized Controlled Pilot Trial.

OBJECTIVES Among different exercise models proposed for individuals with Parkinson's disease (IwPD), the popularity of traditional forms of dance is increasing. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of Sardinian folk dance (Ballu Sardu, BS) on functional performance and motor and nonmotor symptoms in IwPD. DESIGN Single-blind, randomized controlled pilot trial. SETTINGS Outpatient health clinic. SUBJECTS AND INTERVENTIONS Twenty IwPD (13M, 7F; 67.4 ± 6.1 years) were randomly assigned to BS (n = 10) or usual care (n = 10). The dance program consisted of two sessions/week, 90-min/class, for 12 weeks. OUTCOME MEASURES Motor and nonmotor symptoms, as well as functional performance, were evaluated using different questionnaires and tests such as the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale Part-III (UPDRS-III), 6-min walking test (6MWT), Berg Balance Scale (BBS), Timed Up-and-Go (TUG) test, Five Times Sit-to-Stand Test (FTSST), Back Scratch Test (BST), Sit-and-Reach Test (SRT), instrumented gait analysis, Parkinson's Disease Fatigue Scale (PFS-16), Beck Depression Inventory, Starkstein Apathy Scale (SAS), and Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MOCA) scale. RESULTS Repeated-measures analysis of variance revealed significant Time × Group interactions for UPDRS-III and functional variables such as the 6MWT, BBS, FTSST, TUG (all, p < 0.001), BST (p = 0.04), and gait analysis parameters (stride length, p = 0.031; gait speed, p = 0.049; and gait fatigue index (GFI), p = 0.005). For nonmotor symptoms, significant Time × Group interactions for depression (p < 0.001), apathy (p = 0.016), and MOCA scores (p = 0.012) were observed. Of note, for GFI and SAS, the BS group only showed a trend toward improvement, while the condition of the controls worsened significantly. No between-group differences were observed for SRT and PFS-16. CONCLUSIONS BS is an enjoyable activity, which has been proved to be superior to usual care alone in inducing changes in different motor and nonmotor symptoms associated with PD. Results show that BS can be considered a safe tool for contrasting impairments observed in IwPD due to the intrinsic nature of the neurodegenerative disease.
MFA-Net: Motion Feature Augmented Network for Dynamic Hand Gesture Recognition from Skeletal Data †

Dynamic hand gesture recognition has attracted increasing attention because of its importance for human–computer interaction. In this paper, we propose a novel motion feature augmented network (MFA-Net) for dynamic hand gesture recognition from skeletal data. MFA-Net exploits motion features of finger and global movements to augment features of deep network for gesture recognition. To describe finger articulated movements, finger motion features are extracted from the hand skeleton sequence via a variational autoencoder. Global motion features are utilized to represent the global movements of hand skeleton. These motion features along with the skeleton sequence are then fed into three branches of a recurrent neural network (RNN), which augment the motion features for RNN and improve the classification performance. The proposed MFA-Net is evaluated on two challenging skeleton-based dynamic hand gesture datasets, including DHG-14/28 dataset and SHREC’17 dataset. Experimental results demonstrate that our proposed method achieves comparable performance on DHG-14/28 dataset and better performance on SHREC’17 dataset when compared with start-of-the-art methods.
Electrospinning of Block and Graft Type Silicone Modified Polyurethane Nanofibers

Silicone modified polyurethane (PUSX) has attracted interest as a useful material by various properties, which are combined with silicone and polyurethane. In this paper, we tried to optimize the electrospinning process of silicone modified polyurethane (PUSX) nanofibers on a lab scale device and a multinozzle pilot scale set-up to investigate the potential and limitations of preparing PUSX nanofibrous sheets using different equipment. The morphology and diameter of the obtained fibers were studied via scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Attenuated total reflectance-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR) was also carried out to analyze the chemical structure of PUSX nanofibers. As a result, we successfully figured out the optimal parameters of PUSX electrospinning process and demonstrated the great potential of the process for mass production of PUSX nanofibrous sheets from solutions.
Deficiency of Mitochondrial Glycerol 3‐Phosphate Dehydrogenase Contributes to Hepatic Steatosis

Mitochondrial glycerol 3‐phosphate dehydrogenase (mGPDH) is an integral component of the respiratory chain, and recent studies have suggested that it plays an important role in hepatic glucose homeostasis. However, its function in hepatic lipid metabolism is unclear. Here, we identified a role for mGPDH in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Specifically, mGPDH expression and activity were lower in fatty livers from patients and mice with NAFLD (ob/ob, high‐fat diet [HFD] and db/db). Liver‐specific depletion of mGPDH in mice or mGPDH knockdown in cultured hepatocytes exacerbated diet‐induced triglyceride accumulation and steatosis through enhanced lipogenesis. RNA‐sequencing revealed that mGPDH regulated endoplasmic reticulum (ER)‐related proteins and processes. mGPDH deletion exacerbated tunicamycin (ER stress inducer)‐induced hepatic steatosis, whereas tauroursodeoxycholic acid (ER stress inhibitor) rescued mGPDH depletion–induced steatosis on an HFD. Moreover, ER stress induced by mGPDH depletion could be abrogated by the intracellular Ca2+ chelator 1,2‐bis (2‐aminophenoxy) ethane N,N,N´,N´‐tetraacetic acid acetoxymethyl ester, mitochondrial permeability transition pore (mPTP) inhibitor cyclosporine A, or cyclophilin‐D (Cyp‐D) knockdown. mGPDH promoting Cyp‐D ubiquitination was also observed. Finally, liver‐specific mGPDH overexpression attenuated hepatic steatosis in ob/ob and HFD mice. Conclusion: mGPDH is a pivotal regulator of hepatic lipid metabolism. Its deficiency induces ER stress by suppressing Cyp‐D ubiquitination, a key regulator of the mitochondrial Ca2+ conductance channel mPTP, and results in hepatic steatosis. mGPDH may be a potential therapeutic target for the treatment of NAFLD.
An afferent white matter pathway from the pulvinar to the amygdala facilitates fear recognition

Our ability to rapidly detect threats is thought to be subserved by a subcortical pathway that quickly conveys visual information to the amygdala. This neural shortcut has been demonstrated in animals but has rarely been shown in the human brain. Importantly, it remains unclear whether such a pathway might influence neural activity and behavior. We conducted a multimodal neuroimaging study of 622 participants from the Human Connectome Project. We applied probabilistic tractography to diffusion-weighted images, reconstructing a subcortical pathway to the amygdala from the superior colliculus via the pulvinar. We then computationally modeled the flow of haemodynamic activity during a face-viewing task and found evidence for a functionally afferent pulvinar-amygdala pathway. Critically, individuals with greater fibre density in this pathway also had stronger dynamic coupling and enhanced fearful face recognition. Our findings provide converging evidence for the recruitment of an afferent subcortical pulvinar connection to the amygdala that facilitates fear recognition. Editorial note: This article has been through an editorial process in which the authors decide how to respond to the issues raised during peer review. The Reviewing Editor's assessment is that minor issues remain unresolved (see decision letter).
Comparative outcomes of myeloablative and reduced‐intensity conditioning allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation for therapy‐related acute myeloid leukemia with prior solid tumor: A report from the acute leukemia working party of the European society for blood and bone marrow transplantation

Therapy‐related acute myeloid leukemia (t‐AML) arises as a late complication following antecedent solid tumors or hematologic diseases and their associated treatments. There are limited data regarding risk factors and outcomes following allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) for t‐AML following a prior solid tumor, and furthermore, the impact of myeloablative (MAC) vs reduced‐intensity conditioning (RIC) on survival is unknown. The acute leukemia working party (ALWP) of the European society for blood and bone marrow transplantation (EBMT) performed a large registry study that included 535 patients with t‐AML and prior solid tumor who underwent first MAC or RIC allogeneic HCT from 2000‐2016. The primary endpoints of the study were OS and LFS. Patients receiving RIC regimens had an increase in relapse incidence (hazard ratio [HR], 1.52; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.02‐2.26; P = 0.04), lower LFS (HR, 1.52; 95% CI 1.12‐2.05, P = 0.007), and OS (HR, 1.51; CI 1.09‐2.09; P = 0.012). There were no differences in NRM and GRFS. Importantly, LFS and OS were superior in patients receiving ablative regimens due to a decrease in relapse. As NRM continues to decline in the current era, it is conceivable that outcomes of HCT for t‐AML with prior solid tumor may be improved by careful patient selection for myeloablative regimens.
Graphene Surface Reinforcement of Iron

Graphene is an ideal material in the reinforcement of metal-matrix composites owing to its outstanding mechanical and physical properties. Herein, we have investigated the surface enhancement of iron via a computational nanoindentation process using molecular dynamics simulations. The findings of our study show that graphene can enhance the critical yield strength, hardness and elastic modulus of the composite to different degrees with the change of the number of graphene layers. In the six tested models, the composite with trilayer graphene on the surface produces the strongest reinforcement, with an increased magnitude of 432.1% and 169.5% in the hardness and elastic modulus, respectively, compared with pure iron. Furthermore, it is revealed that high temperature could weaken the elastic bearing capacity of the graphene, resulting in a decrease on the elastic mechanical properties of the graphene/Fe composite.