Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Edge4TSC: Binary Distribution Tree-Enabled Time Series Classification in Edge Environment

In the past decade, time series data have been generated from various fields at a rapid speed, which offers a huge opportunity for mining valuable knowledge. As a typical task of time series mining, Time Series Classification (TSC) has attracted lots of attention from both researchers and domain experts due to its broad applications ranging from human activity recognition to smart city governance. Specifically, there is an increasing requirement for performing classification tasks on diverse types of time series data in a timely manner without costly hand-crafting feature engineering. Therefore, in this paper, we propose a framework named Edge4TSC that allows time series to be processed in the edge environment, so that the classification results can be instantly returned to the end-users. Meanwhile, to get rid of the costly hand-crafting feature engineering process, deep learning techniques are applied for automatic feature extraction, which shows competitive or even superior performance compared to state-of-the-art TSC solutions. However, because time series presents complex patterns, even deep learning models are not capable of achieving satisfactory classification accuracy, which motivated us to explore new time series representation methods to help classifiers further improve the classification accuracy. In the proposed framework Edge4TSC, by building the binary distribution tree, a new time series representation method was designed for addressing the classification accuracy concern in TSC tasks. By conducting comprehensive experiments on six challenging time series datasets in the edge environment, the potential of the proposed framework for its generalization ability and classification accuracy improvement is firmly validated with a number of helpful insights.
Home for a rest: stem cell niche of the postnatal growth plate.

The resting zone houses a group of slowly proliferating 'reserve' chondrocytes and has long been speculated to serve as the stem cell niche of the postnatal growth plate. But are these resting chondrocytes bona fide stem cells? Recent technological advances in lineage tracing and next-generation sequencing has finally allowed researchers to answer this question. Several recent studies have also shed light into the signaling pathways and molecular mechanisms involved in maintenance of resting chondrocytes, thus provided us with important new insights into the role of the resting zone in the paracrine and endocrine regulation of childhood bone growth.
Pathways From Parental Substance Use to Child Internalizing and Externalizing Behaviors in a Child Protective Services Sample

This study examines the role of mediation in the pathway from parental substance use to children developing child internalizing and externalizing behaviors. Using the National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being II, a random half sample (i.e., split-half approach) of children aged 18 months to 17 years who remained in the home following a child welfare investigation (N = 1,633) was used to examine direct and mediated pathways from parental self-reported alcohol and drug use to, separately, parent report of child internalizing and externalizing behaviors. Four parallel mediators were examined: child-reported exposure to violence, child-reported parental monitoring, parent-reported harsh physical discipline, and parent-reported emotional maltreatment. The strongest models for both parental alcohol and drug use to internalizing and externalizing behaviors were single-mediator models through emotional maltreatment. Results suggest emotional maltreatment is a crucial intervention target for families with substance use disorders. Parenting interventions must also strengthen parent–child relationships in order to be effective at improving child outcomes.
Is power training effective to produce muscle hypertrophy in older adults? A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Power training has been suggested to be effective to improve strength, power, and functional capacity in older adults. However, there is still a lack of systematic investigations reporting its effectiveness for muscle hypertrophy. Thus, this study investigated the effect of power training on muscle hypertrophy and compared its magnitude with traditional moderate-velocity resistance training in older adults. A systematic search was conducted to identify clinical trials investigating the effect of power training on muscle hypertrophy (power training vs. control), and/or comparing the effect of power training vs. moderate-velocity resistance training for a meta-analytical approach. Ten studies comparing power training to control conditions and nine studies comparing power training to moderate-velocity resistance training were selected. Three studies were classified as high quality and two were preregistered. The meta-analysis showed that power training was superior for muscle hypertrophy compared to control condition (n=8 studies; SMD=0.31; 95%CI=0.04, 0.58; p=0.029), and resulted in similar hypertrophy compared to moderate-velocity resistance training (n=7 studies; SMD=0.07; 95%CI=-0.18, 0.32; p=0.50). No significant heterogeneity was observed (p=0.46 and 0.54, and I2=0 and 0%, respectively). Our data suggest that power training is effective for muscle hypertrophy in older adults, with similar effectiveness as moderate-velocity resistance training. Novelty -It is known that power training might be superior to moderate-velocity resistance training for function improvements in older adults, but there was no meta-analysis investigating its effect on muscle hypertrophy. -Power training is effective to induce muscle hypertrophy in older adults to a similar extent to moderate-velocity resistance training.
A widow, a victim, a mother: rethinking resilience and wellbeing within the complexities of women's lives in Kashmir

Using a case study, this paper describes initial results from qualitative research with women widowed as a result of conflict in Kashmir. Recognising resilience as a process that contributes to a sense of wellbeing, this paper highlights how this process also often involves experiencing and exercising overlapping identities of being a ‘victim’, ‘widow, and a ‘mother’ for women within conflict contexts. Further, the paper questions simplistic readings of resilience and wellbeing that classify people as resilient or not resilient, and classify relationships, identities, and feelings in terms of ‘good’ or ‘bad’ by reflecting on questions such as: ‘is belief or portrayal of oneself as a victim unhelpful or negative? Or, is worrying bad? ’ The case study included here is one of the fifty qualitative interviews conducted as part of PhD research on resilience among women widowed due to conflict in Kashmir.
Diagnosis and prognosis are comforted by integrated assessment of next-generation sequencing in chronic myeloid malignancies. A real-life study.

Next generation sequencing (NGS) investigates for somatic mutations. The utility of incorporating routine sequencing to guide diagnosis and therapeutic decisions remains challenging. We report an observational multicentric study that aimed to assess the impact of somatic mutations testing by NGS in a real-life setting of chronic myeloid malignancies (CMM). A total of 177 patients were enrolled, partitioned in two overlapping groups. In group A (N=94), the indication was to search for clonal hematopoiesis (CH), in a context of suspected myelodysplastic syndrome or myeloproliferative neoplasia. In group B (N=95), the theranostic impact of somatic mutations was studied. A panel of 34 genes was applied on DNA extracted from blood or bone marrow samples. Within group A, the detection of CH comforted the diagnosis of CMM for 31 patients while absence of CH ruled out the suspected diagnosis in 47 patients. Within group B, NGS identified prognostic somatic mutations in 32 patients, with a therapeutic impact in 18 cases. The use of NGS in daily practice was found here to be useful for an integrated final diagnosis in 83% of the patients through the presence or absence of somatic mutations. Moreover, exploration for somatic mutations had a prognostic impact that led to treatment modification in 19% of the cases. This study outlines the fact that adequate prescription of these new investigations may have a significant positive medico-economic impact by allowing appropriate management of the patients.
Hepatitis B Virus HBx Protein Mediates the Degradation of Host Restriction Factors through the Cullin 4 DDB1 E3 Ubiquitin Ligase Complex

The hepatitis B virus (HBV) regulatory HBx protein is required for infection, and its binding to cellular damaged DNA binding protein 1 (DDB1) is critical for this function. DDB1 is an adaptor protein for the cullin 4A Really Interesting New Gene (RING) E3 ubiquitin ligase (CRL4) complex and functions by binding cellular DDB1 cullin associated factor (DCAF) receptor proteins that recruit substrates for ubiquitination and degradation. We compared the proteins found in the CRL4 complex immunoprecipitated from uninfected versus HBV-infected hepatocytes from human liver chimeric mice for insight into mechanisms by which HBV and the cell interact within the CRL4 complex. Consistent with its role as a viral DCAF, HBx was found in the HBV CRL4 complexes. In tissue culture transfection experiments, we showed that HBx expression led to decreased levels of known restriction factor structural maintenance of chromosomes protein 6 (SMC6) and putative restriction factors stromal interaction molecule 1 (STIM1, zinc finger E-box binding homeobox 2 (ZEB2), and proteasome activator subunit 4 (PSME4). Moreover, silencing of these proteins led to increased HBV replication in the HepG2-sodium taurocholate cotransporting polypeptide (NTCP) infection model. We also identified cellular DCAF receptors in CRL4 complexes from humanized mice. Increasing amounts of HBx did not reveal competitive DCAF binding to cullin4 (CUL4)-DDB1 in plasmid-transfected cells. Our results suggest a model in which HBx benefits virus replication by directly or indirectly degrading multiple cellular restriction factors.
Chemical Composition of Essential Oils from Rare and Endangered Species—Eryngium maritimum L. and E. alpinum L.

In the present study, the essential oils obtained by hydrodistillation of the organs of Eryngium maritimum and E. alpinum were analyzed by GC-FID-MS. The dominant constituents assessed in the essential oil of E. maritimum were germacrene D (45.2%) in the fruits; hexadecanoic acid (18.5%), menthol (16.8%), and menthone (10.9%) in the roots; 2,3,4-trimethylbenzaldehyde (11.3%) and germacrene D (10.5%) in the leaves; 2,3,4-trimethylbenzaldehyde (11.3%) in the shoot culture. In the case of E. alpinum, the main components of the leaf oil were: β-elemenone (10.3%), germacrone (5.8%), two selinadienes (7.1% and 6.7%), and 1,8-cineole (5.3%), which were not found in the oil from shoot culture, whereas the shoot culture oil was dominated by hexadecanoic acid (15.5%), spathulenol (7.5%), (E)-β-farnesene (4.9%), germacra-4(15),5,10(14)-trien-1α-ol (4.7%), and falcarinol (4.3%). The essential oils obtained from E. maritimum fruits and leaves of the intact plants, measured by the broth microdilution method, were the most active against T. mentagophytes and S. aureus. Moreover, the essential oil of leaves had the moderate activity against C. albicans and E. coli. The results showed that the chemical compositions of the essential oils differed decidedly between the two studied species and between the organs. Furthermore, the essential oil of E. maritimum may play an important role as antimicrobial agent.
Association between loop diuretic dose changes and outcomes in chronic heart failure: observations from the ESC‐EORP Heart Failure Long‐Term Registry

Guidelines recommend down‐titration of loop diuretics (LD) once euvolaemia is achieved. In outpatients with heart failure (HF), we investigated LD dose changes in daily cardiology practice, agreement with guideline recommendations, predictors of successful LD down‐titration and association between dose changes and outcomes.
Genome Sequence of the Human Opportunistic Fungus Arthrocladium fulminans (CBS 136243)

The black yeast-like fungus Arthrocladium fulminans is known from strains that cause severe and eventually fatal disseminated infections in immunocompromised patients. Given the dramatic outcome of this clinical case, it is essential to understand the virulence potential of this species. The fungus is a member of the family Trichomeriaceae, at some phylogenetic distance from the Herpotrichiellaceae where most infectious fungi in the order Chaetothyriales are located. Main ecological preferences among Trichomeriaceae include colonization of exposed inert surfaces. Currently, black yeasts genomes that are available in public databases cover members of the families Herpotrichiellaceae and Cyphellophoraceae. In the present report, we sequenced the genome of the first member and only clinical representative of the family Trichomeriaceae.
A Suppression Method of Concentration Background Noise by Transductive Transfer Learning for a Metal Oxide Semiconductor-Based Electronic Nose

Signal drift caused by sensors or environmental changes, which can be regarded as data distribution changes over time, is related to transductive transfer learning, and the data in the target domain is not labeled. We propose a method that learns a subspace with maximum independence of the concentration features (MICF) according to the Hilbert-Schmidt Independence Criterion (HSIC), which reduces the inter-concentration discrepancy of distributions. Then, we use Iterative Fisher Linear Discriminant (IFLD) to extract the signal features by reducing the divergence within classes and increasing the divergence among classes, which helps to prevent inconsistent ratios of different types of samples among the domains. The effectiveness of MICF and IFLD was verified by three sets of experiments using sensors in real world conditions, along with experiments conducted in the authors’ laboratory. The proposed method achieved an accuracy of 76.17%, which was better than any of the existing methods that publish their data on a publicly available dataset (the Gas Sensor Drift Dataset). It was found that the MICF-IFLD was simple and effective, reduced interferences, and deftly managed tasks of transfer classification.
Nitrogen-obtaining and -conserving strategies in xylotrophic basidiomycetes

ABSTRACT Nitrogen in sufficient quantities is strictly necessary for all living organisms. In this study, the ability of some xylotrophic basidiomycetes to grow extremely long on a solid growth medium full of carbon nutrition but lacking a nitrogen source in its composition was discovered. The nitrogen oligotrophy of wood-decaying fungi is associated with their adaptation to live in a wood substrate, which is also deficient in nitrogen content. This nitrogen-depleted cultural growth is called “pseudo-foraging” and can be used as a simplified model of wood-decaying growth. Four main nitrogen-obtaining and -conserving strategies (nitrogen concentration, using alternative sources of nitrogen, economy of growth, and nutritional recycling), which are attributed to wood-colonizing xylotrophs in the literature, were revised studying the pseudo-foraging model. Based on the results, some aspects of the behavior of xylotrophs deep in undecomposed wood were predicted. For example, one of the results is that for pseudo-foraging xylotrophs, the main way to obtain nitrogen is its concentration in their mycelium from the nutrient medium in which nitrogen is contained in the impurities of the components of the medium. The result suggests that in bulk solid wood, the nitrogen concentration strategy also dominates the strategy of using diazotrophic and other alternative nitrogen. In addition, three individual unprecedented mechanisms, which supposedly help the xylotrophic fungi to colonize wood in nature (generation of fine mycelium, macrovesicular endocytosis, formation and conversion of super-elongated mitochondria), were investigated in the laboratory.
Chitin Triggers Calcium-mediated Immune Response in the Plant Model Physcomitrella patens.

A characteristic feature of a plant immune response is the increase of the cytosolic calcium (Ca2+) concentration following infection, which results in the downstream activation of immune response regulators. The bryophyte Physcomitrella patens has been shown to mount an immune response when exposed to bacteria, fungi, or chitin elicitation, in a manner similar to the one observed in Arabidopsis thaliana. Nevertheless, whether P. patens' response to microorganisms exposure is Ca2+ mediated is currently unknown. Here we show P. patens plants treated with chitin oligosaccharides exhibit Ca2+ oscillations, and that a calcium ionophore can stimulate the expression of defense-related genes. Chitin oligosaccharide treatment also results in an inhibition of growth, which can be explained by the depolymerization of the apical actin cytoskeleton of tip growing cells. These results suggest that chitin triggered calcium oscillations are conserved and were likely present in the common ancestor of bryophytes and vascular plants.
Development of a Competence Profile and Performance Assessment for Care Assistants from a Labor Pool at a Nursing Home

This article presents the development of a competence-based professional profile and thesubsequent performance assessment, which were built on behaviors that represent thecompetences in a sample of care assistants working in a nursing home. Nine employeeswho knew the tasks performed by care assistants were asked to select and rank thecompetences in order of significance, considering their importance for performing the jobefficiently. Based on the weights obtained, the selected competences are transformed intobehaviors and, finally, into a five-point Likert scale used to assess the sample of careassistants (a total de 16 employees) and classify them using overall and specific scores oneach of the competences.
Pennate actuators: force, contraction and stiffness

Hierarchical actuators are comprised of multiple individual actuator elements arranged into a system, resulting in improved and expanded performance. Natural muscle tissue is a complex and multi-level example of hierarchical actuation, with its hierarchy spanning from the micrometer to the centimeter scale. In addition to a hierarchical configuration, muscle tissue exists in varying geometric arrangements. Pennate muscle tissue, denoted by its characteristic fibers extending obliquely away from the muscle tissue line of action, leverages geometric complexity to transform the relationship between fiber inputs and muscle tissue outputs. In this paper, a bioinspired hierarchical pennate actuator is detailed. This work expands on previous pennate actuator studies by deriving constitutive force, contraction, and stiffness models for a general pennate actuator, where the constituent fibers can be constructed from any linear actuator. These models are experimentally validated by studying a pennate actuator with McKibben artificial muscles constituting the actuator fibers. McKibben artificial muscles are used because they have a high force-to-weight ratio and are inexpensive to construct, making them an attractive candidate for hierarchical actuators and mobile robotics. Using the derived constitutive models, general pennate actuator performance is better understood by analyzing the transmission ratio, blocked force, and free contraction. Loaded contractions and stiffness during isotonic and isobaric contractions are also explored. The results allow for informed design decisions and an understanding of the associated tradeoffs when recreating the remarkable properties of pennate musculature. Future work will leverage the results of this paper to create an adaptive pennate actuator that is capable of changing configuration in response to force, contraction and stiffness demands.
Transcriptome analysis reveals gender-specific differences in overall metabolic response of male and female patients in lung adenocarcinoma

Background Evidence from multiple studies suggests metabolic abnormalities play an important role in lung cancer. Lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) is the most common subtype of lung cancer. The present study aimed to explore differences in the global metabolic response between male and female patients in LUAD and to identify the metabolic genes associated with lung cancer susceptibility. Methods Transcriptome and clinical LUAD data were acquired from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. Information on metabolic genes and metabolic subsystems were collected from the Recon3D human metabolic model. Two validation datasets (GSE68465 and GSE72094) were downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. Differential expression analysis, gene set enrichment analysis and protein-protein interaction networks were used to identified key metabolic pathways and genes. Functional experiments were used to verify the effects of genes on proliferation, migration, and invasion in lung cancer cells in vitro. Results Samples of tumors and adjacent non-tumor tissue from both male and female patients exhibited distinct global patterns of gene expression. In addition, we found large differences in methionine and cysteine metabolism, pyruvate metabolism, cholesterol metabolism, nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) metabolism, and nuclear transport between male and female LUAD patients. We identified 34 metabolic genes associated with lung cancer susceptibility in males and 15 in females. Most of the metabolic cancer-susceptibility genes had high prediction accuracy for lung cancer (AUC > 0.9). Furthermore, both bioinformatics analysis and experimental results showed that TAOK2 was down-regulated and ASAH1 was up-regulated in male tumor tissue and female tumor tissue in LUAD. Functional experiments showed that inhibiting ASAH1 suppressed the proliferation, migration, and invasion of lung cancer cells. Conclusions Metabolic cancer-susceptibility genes may be used alone or in combination as diagnostic markers for LUAD. Further studies are required to elucidate the functions of these genes in LUAD.
Advance care plans and hospitalized frail older adults: a systematic review

Introduction Frail older people are known to have low rates of advance care planning (ACP). Many frail patients prefer less aggressive treatment, but these preferences are often not known or respected. Frail patients often have multiple hospital admissions, potentially providing opportunities for ACP. Objective To systematically review the literature concerning ACP with frail older people in the acute hospital, with particular reference to: (1) Does ACP improve outcomes? (2) What are the views of patients, relatives and healthcare professionals regarding ACP? (3) Does ACP currently occur? (4) What are the facilitators and barriers to ACP? Design Systematic literature review and narrative synthesis. Electronic search of MEDLINE, CINAHL, ASSIA, PsycINFO and Embase databases from January 1990 to May 2019 inclusive. Studies in the acute setting of populations with a mean age >75 years, not focused on a disease-specific terminal condition were included. Results 16 133 articles were retrieved, 14 met inclusion criteria. No studies used an objective measure of frailty. One randomised controlled trial (RCT) found that ACP improves outcomes for older patients. Although 74%–84% of capacitous older inpatients are receptive to ACP, rates of ACP are 0%–5%; the reasons for this discrepancy have been little studied. The nature of ACP in clinical practice is unknown thus the extent to which it reflects the RCT intervention cannot be assessed. The outcomes that are important to patients are poorly understood and family and physician experiences have not been explored. Conclusions A better understanding of this area could help to improve end-of-life care for frail older people. PROSPERO registration number CRD42017080246.