Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Designing an Open Framework for Query Optimization and Compilation

Since its invention, data-centric code generation has been adopted for query compilation by various database systems in academia and industry. These database systems are fast but maximize performance at the expense of developer friendliness, flexibility, and extensibility. Recent advances in the field of compiler construction identified similar issues for domain-specific compilers and introduced a solution with MLIR, a generic infrastructure for domain-specific dialects. We propose a layered query compilation stack based on MLIR with open intermediate representations that can be combined at each layer. We further propose moving query optimization into the query compiler to benefit from the existing optimization infrastructure and make cross-domain optimization viable. With LingoDB, we demonstrate that the used approach significantly decreases the implementation effort and is highly flexible and extensible. At the same time, LingoDB achieves high performance and low compilation latencies.
THE APPLICATION OF MACHINE LEARNING IN LITERATURE REVIEWS: A FRAMEWORK

Literature reviews are essential for any scientific work, both as part of a dissertation or as a stand-alone work. Scientists benefit from the fact that more and more literature is available in electronic form, and finding and accessing relevant literature has become more accessible through scientific databases. However, a traditional literature review method is characterized by a highly manual process, while technologies and methods in big data, machine learning, and text mining have advanced. Especially in areas where research streams are rapidly evolving, and topics are becoming more comprehensive, complex, and heterogeneous, it is challenging to provide a holistic overview and identify research gaps manually. Therefore, we have developed a framework that supports the traditional approach of conducting a literature review using machine learning and text mining methods. The framework is particularly suitable in cases where a large amount of literature is available, and a holistic understanding of the research area is needed. The framework consists of several steps in which the critical mind of the scientist is supported by machine learning. The unstructured text data is transformed into a structured form through data preparation realized with text mining, making it applicable for various machine learning techniques. A concrete example in the field of smart cities makes the framework tangible.
Type III secretion system genes hrcJ and hrpE affect virulence, hypersensitive response and biofilm formation of group II strains of Acidovorax citrulli

Bacterial fruit blotch (BFB) caused by Acidovorax citrulli is a worldwide threat to watermelon and melon production. The type III secretion system (T3SS) plays an important role in the virulence of A. citrulli in its host plants and to induce hypersensitive response (HR) in its non-host plants. Little is known, however, about the contribution of the T3SS to biofilm formation in A. citrulli. We mutated two T3SS-related genes hrcJ and hrpE, respectively, and compared the mutants with their wild-type strain Aac-5 of A. citrulli, and their complementation strains on virulence, HR, and biofilm formation. Both mutants significantly reduced virulence in watermelon and melon seedlings and their ability to induce HR in tobacco leaves. Such reduction phenotypes were significantly recovered to the wild-type level, when the mutant strains were complemented with the wild-type hrcJ and hrpE genes. Interestingly, the two T3SS-related gene mutants also displayed enhanced ability to form biofilm, suggesting a different role of biofilm in the virulence of the group II stains of A. citrulli.
Comparison between talazoparib and conventional chemotherapy in the treatment of HER2-positive breast cancer patients: A retrospective study

Background The benefits of talazoparib compared with conventional chemotherapy in HER2-negative advanced breast cancer (ABC) remain unclear. Methods Patients older than 18 years, with a deleterious germline BRCA1/2 (gBRCA1/2) mutated, metastatic, or locally advanced and HER2-positive breast cancer were enrolled. Patient data including age, menostatus, tumor grade, pathologic tumor size, lymph node status, and whether they had received adjuvant radiation or chemotherapy was collected. The primary outcomes of the study were disease-free survival (DFS), which was defined as the time from randomization to death or recurrence due to any reason, and overall survival (OS), which was defined as the time from randomization to death due to any reason. P<0.05 was considered to be statistically significant. Results A total of 136 patients were finally enrolled in the present retrospective study, including 62 patients in the talazoparib group (group A) and 74 in the conventional chemotherapy group (group B). After a median follow-up of 70.9 months [95% confidence interval (CI): 68.3–78.5], both DFS and OS did not differ significantly between the two groups (P=0.658 and P=0.690, respectively). The exploratory subgroup analyses further validated the robustness of the primary results across the subgroups. Conclusions Talazoparib was not better than conventional chemotherapy in terms of DFS and OS for the treatment of gBRCA1/2 mutated HER2-positive breast cancer patients.
Design of cylindrical metashells with piezoelectric materials and digital circuits for multi-modal vibration control

Thin-walled cylindrical shells are widely used in industries, such as the main parts of aircrafts, rockets, and submarines. Except for meeting the load-bearing capacities, such structures must also have good vibration and acoustic performances. However, it is still a challenge to control the multi-modal vibration of cylindrical shells at low frequencies. This study explores the cutting-edge local resonant piezoelectric metamaterials to control the low-frequency vibration of cylindrical shells. A novel cylindrical meta-shell with piezoelectric materials and digital circuits was proposed, and a multi-resonance transfer function is implemented in each digital circuit. A method to optimizing the parameters in the transfer function for the purpose of vibration reduction is developed. The vibrational characteristics of the meta-shell are numerically analyzed using the finite element method. Numerical results clearly demonstrate that by delicately designing the parameters in the transfer function, the meta-shell can reduce the peak amplitudes of the first five modes by 30 dB or more. Therefore, the proposed piezoelectric cylindrical meta-shell may open new opportunities in vibration mitigation of transport vehicles and underwater equipment.
Effects of Bacillus subtilis A-5 and its fermented γ-polyglutamic acid on the rhizosphere bacterial community of Chinese cabbage

Chemical fertilizer reduction combined with novel and green agricultural inputs has become an important practice to improve microecological health in agricultural production. Given the close linkages between rhizosphere processes and plant nutrition and productivity, understanding how fertilization impacts this critical zone is highly important for optimizing plant–soil interactions and crop fitness for agricultural sustainability. Here, by using a pot experimental system, we demonstrated that nitrogen fertilizer reduction and microbial agent application promoted plant fitness and altered the microbial community structure in the rhizosphere soil with the following treatments: no fertilization, CK; conventional chemical fertilizer, CF; 30% reduced nitrogen fertilizer, N; 30% reduced nitrogen fertilizer with pure γ-PGA, PGA; 30% reduced nitrogen fertilizer with Bacillus subtilis A-5, A5; 30% reduced nitrogen fertilizer with γ-PGA fermentation broth, FJY. The PGA, A5, and FJY treatments all significantly promoted crop growth, and the FJY treatment showed the strongest positive effect on Chinese cabbage yield (26,385.09 kg/hm2) (P < 0.05). Microbial agents affected the α diversity of the rhizosphere bacterial community; the addition of B. subtilis A-5 (A5 and FJY treatments) significantly affected rhizospheric bacterial community structure. Urease activity and soil pH were the key factors affecting bacterial community structure and composition. The FJY treatment seemed to influence the relative abundances of important bacterial taxa related to metabolite degradation, predation, and nitrogen cycling. This discovery provides insight into the mechanism underlying the effects of microbial agent inputs on rhizosphere microbial community assembly and highlights a promising direction for the manipulation of the rhizosphere microbiome to yield beneficial outcomes.
A preliminary mapping of QTL qsg5.1 controlling seed germination in melon (Cucumis melo L.)

Melon (Cucumis melo L.) seed germination significantly affects its economic value. Cultivation of melon varieties with high germination ability and seedling vigor is beneficial in large-scale melon propagation. In this study, two melon genotypes differing in their germination ability, P5 with low and P10 with high germination ability, were used to identify the optimal seed germination conditions by evaluating different water immersion times and germination temperatures. The germination rate of the P5 and P10 parental genotypes and their segregating population, consisting of 358 F2:3 families, were evaluated for 2 years to identify their genetic basis. QTL analysis was performed on a high-density genetic map constructed using specific-locus amplified fragment sequencing (SLAF-seq). The germination rate of F1 and F2 populations treated with water immersion for 8 h at 28°C and measured at 48 h showed a normal distribution Genetic mapping carried out using the high-density genetic map revealed eight QTLs in chromosomes 2, 4, 5, 6, and 8 that control melon seed germination, of which 2020/2021-qsg5.1 was consistently significant in both years of experimentation. qsg5.1 explained 15.13% of the phenotypic variance with a LOD of 4.1. To fine map the candidate region of qsg5.1, eight cleaved amplified polymorphism sequence (CAPS) markers were used to construct a genetic map with another 421 F2 individual fruits. The major QTL qsg5.1 was located between SNP53 and SNP54 within a 55.96 Kb interval containing four genes. qRT-PCR gene expression analysis of the candidate genes showed that MELO3C031219.2 (Phosphorus transporter PHO-5) exhibited a significant difference in gene expression between the parental lines at 24, 32, and 48 h after germination, potentially being the underlying gene controlling melon seed germination. These results provide a theoretical basis for the molecular mechanisms controlling melon seed germination and can practically contribute to further improving germination to increase the propagation efficiency of commercial melon cultivars.
Systemic effects of BMP2 treatment of fractures on non-injured skeletal sites during spaceflight

Unloading associated with spaceflight results in bone loss and increased fracture risk. Bone morphogenetic protein 2 (BMP2) is known to enhance bone formation, in part, through molecular pathways associated with mechanical loading; however, the effects of BMP2 during spaceflight remain unclear. Here, we investigated the systemic effects of BMP2 on mice sustaining a femoral fracture followed by housing in spaceflight (International Space Station or ISS) or on Earth. We hypothesized that in spaceflight, the systemic effects of BMP2 on weight-bearing bones would be blunted compared to that observed on Earth. Nine-week-old male mice were divided into four groups: 1) Saline+Earth; 2) BMP+Earth; 3) Saline+ISS; and 4) BMP+ISS (n = 10 mice/group, but only n = 5 mice/group were reserved for micro-computed tomography analyses). All mice underwent femoral defect surgery and were followed for approximately 4 weeks. We found a significant reduction in trabecular separation within the lumbar vertebrae after administering BMP2 at the fracture site of mice housed on Earth. In contrast, BMP2 treatment led to a significant increase in trabecular separation concomitant with a reduction in trabecular number within spaceflown tibiae. Although these and other lines of evidence support our hypothesis, the small sample size associated with rodent spaceflight studies limits interpretations. That said, it appears that a locally applied single dose of BMP2 at the femoral fracture site can have a systemic impact on distant bones, affecting bone quantity in several skeletal sites. Moreover, our results suggest that BMP2 treatment works through a pathway involving mechanical loading in which the best outcomes during its treatment on Earth occurred in the weight-bearing bones and in spaceflight occurred in bones subjected to higher muscle contraction.
Discovery of a hidden form of neuropeptide F and its presence throughout the CNS–gut axis in the mud crab, Scylla olivacea

The mud crab Scylla olivacea (Scyol) is an economically crucial crustacean species in Thailand, due to its high market demand and nutritional value. The neuropeptide F (NPF) has been implicated in the coordinated regulation of feeding and metabolism in invertebrates. While various isoforms of neuropeptide F (NPF) have been previously explored in the mud crab, some knowledge gaps in relation to the NPF family, and ambiguities in the nomenclature from previous reports, remain. In this study, NPF was firstly localized in the central nervous system and gastrointestinal tract of the mud crab, S. olivacea, using a polyclonal antibody against Macrobrachium rosenbergii, Macro-NPF. The NPF immunoreactivity (ir) was detected dominantly in the X-organ/sinus gland complex of the eyestalk (ES) and the various neuronal clusters (cluster 6, 9/11, and 14/15) and neuropils (anteromedial and posteromedial protocerebral neuropils, olfactory and accessory olfactory neuropils, and medial antennule neuropil, columnar neuropil) of the brain (BR), commissural ganglia, and suboesophageal ganglion of the ventral nerve cord (VNC). Interestingly, this study also presented the NPF immunoreactivity (NPF-ir) in the acinar gland-like cell and spindle-shaped epithelial cells of S. olivacea intestine. The full-length Scyol-NPFII was characterized by molecular cloning and revealed 414 nucleotides with 375 nucleotides of an open reading frame which encoded 124 deduced amino acids. A 124-amino acid precursor protein of Scyol-NPFII included a 26-residue signal peptide and a 69-amino acid mature peptide. The Scyol-NPFII showed the highest percentage of hit similarity to S. paramamosain-NPFII and clustered in the NPFII family, separated from the other forms of NPFs in this species. The spatial gene expression in various tissues revealed that Scyol-NPFII was found dominantly in the ES and BR, VNC, heart, intestine, and muscle. This study provided a novel form of NPF in the female mud crab, S. olivacea, which could open the possibility of its functioning in the brain-to-gut controlling axis. This study could provide essential information for further application in the cultured system of S. olivacea in the near future.
BOK controls ER proteostasis and physiological ER stress responses in neurons

The Bcl-2 family proteins BAK and BAX control the crucial step of pore formation in the mitochondrial outer membrane during intrinsic apoptosis. Bcl-2-related ovarian killer (BOK) is a Bcl-2 family protein with a high sequence similarity to BAK and BAX. However, intrinsic apoptosis can proceed in the absence of BOK. Unlike BAK and BAX, BOK is primarily located on the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and Golgi membranes, suggesting a role for BOK in regulating ER homeostasis. In this study, we report that BOK is required for a full ER stress response. Employing previously characterized fluorescent protein-based ER stress reporter cell systems, we show that BOK-deficient cells have an attenuated response to ER stress in all three signaling branches of the unfolded protein response. Fluo-4-based confocal Ca2+ imaging revealed that disruption of ER proteostasis in BOK-deficient cells was not linked to altered ER Ca2+ levels. Fluorescence recovery after photobleaching (FRAP) experiments using GRP78/BiP-eGFP demonstrated that GRP78 motility was significantly lower in BOK-deficient cells. This implied that less intraluminal GRP78 was freely available and more of the ER chaperone bound to unfolded proteins. Collectively, these experiments suggest a new role for BOK in the protection of ER proteostasis and cellular responses to ER stress.
Characterization of NAC transcription factor NtNAC028 as a regulator of leaf senescence and stress responses

NAC proteins constitute one of the largest transcription factor families and are involved in regulation of plant development and stress responses. Our previous transcriptome analyses of tobacco revealed a significant increase in the expression of NtNAC028 during leaf yellowing. In this study, we found that NtNAC028 was rapidly upregulated in response to high salinity, dehydration, and abscisic acid (ABA) stresses, suggesting a vital role of this gene in abiotic stress response. NtNAC028 loss-of-function tobacco plants generated via CRISPR-Cas9 showed delayed leaf senescence and increased tolerance to drought and salt stresses. Meanwhile NtNAC028 overexpression led to precocious leaf senescence and hypersensitivity to abiotic stresses in Arabidopsis, indicating that NtNAC028 functions as a positive regulator of natural leaf senescence and a negative regulator of stress tolerance. Furthermore, NtNAC028-overexpressing Arabidopsis plants showed lower antioxidant enzyme activities, higher reactive oxygen species (ROS), and H2O2 accumulation under high salinity, resulted in more severe oxidative damage after salt stress treatments. On the other hand, NtNAC028 mutation in tobacco resulted in upregulated expression of ROS-scavenging and abiotic stress-related genes, higher antioxidant enzyme activities, and enhanced tolerance against abiotic stresses, suggesting that NtNAC028 might act as a vital regulator for plant stress response likely by mediating ROS scavenging ability. Collectively, our results indicated that the NtNAC028 plays a key regulatory role in leaf senescence and response to multiple abiotic stresses.
Minor perturbations of thyroid homeostasis and major cardiovascular endpoints—Physiological mechanisms and clinical evidence

It is well established that thyroid dysfunction is linked to an increased risk of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. The pleiotropic action of thyroid hormones strongly impacts the cardiovascular system and affects both the generation of the normal heart rhythm and arrhythmia. A meta-analysis of published evidence suggests a positive association of FT4 concentration with major adverse cardiovascular end points (MACE), but this association only partially extends to TSH. The risk for cardiovascular death is increased in both subclinical hypothyroidism and subclinical thyrotoxicosis. Several published studies found associations of TSH and FT4 concentrations, respectively, with major cardiovascular endpoints. Both reduced and elevated TSH concentrations predict the cardiovascular risk, and this association extends to TSH gradients within the reference range. Likewise, increased FT4 concentrations, but high-normal FT4 within its reference range as well, herald a poor outcome. These observations translate to a monotonic and sensitive effect of FT4 and a U-shaped relationship between TSH and cardiovascular risk. Up to now, the pathophysiological mechanism of this complex pattern of association is poorly understood. Integrating the available evidence suggests a dual etiology of elevated FT4 concentration, comprising both ensuing primary hypothyroidism and a raised set point of thyroid function, e. g. in the context of psychiatric disease, chronic stress and type 2 allostatic load. Addressing the association between thyroid homeostasis and cardiovascular diseases from a systems perspective could pave the way to new directions of research and a more personalized approach to the treatment of patients with cardiovascular risk.
Exploring the relationship between social exclusion and smartphone addiction: The mediating roles of loneliness and self-control

Previous studies have identified many antecedents of smartphone addiction. However, social exclusion as a risk factor for smartphone addiction has not been widely studied, and little is known concerning the psychological mechanism underlying this association. The present study tested the influence of social exclusion on smartphone addiction as well as the mediating roles of loneliness and self-control in this relationship. An online survey was conducted, and the sample consisted of 573 university students (323 females). The results revealed that (1) social exclusion was a positive predictor of smartphone addiction; (2) loneliness and self-control separately mediated the association between social exclusion and smartphone addiction; and (3) loneliness and self-control sequentially mediated the relation between social exclusion and smartphone addiction. Possible explanations were discussed. The findings of the current study would contribute to understanding the relationships between these study variables as well as the psychological mechanisms underlying these associations.
Pathological online game use of secondary vocational school students: Current situation and its relation to self-esteem and self-identity

Secondary Vocational School Students are particularly susceptible to online game addiction due to adolescent characteristics and superimposed pressures of academic and employment. Based on the theoretical framework of self-identity and self-esteem, the present research conducted a questionnaire survey using samples of secondary vocational school students to investigate the relationship between pathological online game use (POGU), self-esteem and self-identity. The results showed that 15.56% of secondary vocational students' level of POGU met the diagnostic criteria, and POGU and self-esteem appeared significant differences in gender and family types. Moreover, lower self-esteem and self-identity were associated with higher POGU and self-esteem played a partial mediating role in the relationship between self-identity and POGU. We briefly discussed practical implications of our findings and the future research.
Fuzzy edge detection technique using multi-information fusion algorithm

An effective fuzzy edge detection algorithm is proposed in this paper. This novel algorithm is different from other fuzzy edge detection algorithms based purely on image enhancement technology. Several kinds of information are used as the characteristics of edge detection, and fuzzy logic is used to fuse the information together. So, the edge detecting process is more effective and gives much better edge information. It is proved that this algorithm is applicable to detect the edge of highly-noisy images.