Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Treating ICB-resistant glioma with anti-CD40 and mitotic spindle checkpoint controller BAL101553 (lisavanbulin)

Glioblastoma is a highly malignant brain tumor with no curative treatment options, and immune checkpoint blockade has not yet shown major impact. We hypothesized that drugs targeting mitosis might affect the tumor microenvironment and sensitize cancer cells to immunotherapy. We used 2 glioblastoma mouse models with different immunogenicity profiles, GL261 and SB28, to test the efficacy of antineoplastic and immunotherapy combinations. The spindle assembly checkpoint activator BAL101553 (lisavanbulin), agonistic anti-CD40 antibody, and double immune checkpoint blockade (anti–programmed cell death 1 and anti–cytotoxic T lymphocyte–associated protein 4; anti–PD-1 and anti–CTLA-4) were evaluated individually or in combination for treating orthotopic GL261 and SB28 tumors. Genomic and immunological analyses were used to predict and interpret therapy responsiveness. BAL101553 monotherapy increased survival in immune checkpoint blockade–resistant SB28 glioblastoma tumors and synergized with anti-CD40 antibody, in a T cell–independent manner. In contrast, the more immunogenic and highly mutated GL261 model responded best to anti–PD-1 and anti–CTLA-4 therapy and more modestly to BAL101553 and anti-CD40 combination. Our results show that BAL101553 is a promising therapeutic agent for glioblastoma and could synergize with innate immune stimulation. Overall, these data strongly support immune profiling of glioblastoma patients and preclinical testing of combination therapies with appropriate models for particular patient groups.
Sustainable and feasible reagent-free electro-Fenton via sequential dual-cathode electrocatalysis

Significance Remediation of environmental pollution usually involves use of chemical reagents, making the process costly whilst generating secondary pollution. Catalysis instead of stoichiometric chemicals is one of the 12 principles in green chemistry. The current work demonstrates a process to achieve radical-based advanced oxidation using only air and electricity, offering a more-sustainable route to pollution control. There is an ongoing “appeal to nano” fallacy that is dominating the research area of energy and environmental chemistry. This trend leads researchers to focus only on the fancy materials rather than fulfillment of the goals in a commercially viable way. This study gives an authentic example to achieve the same function as, and outperform, nanomaterials using low-cost commercially available materials. Electro-Fenton processes aim at producing oxidizing radicals with fewer added chemicals and residues but are still unable to completely eliminate both. This study demonstrates that a reagent-free electro-Fenton process that runs solely on oxygen and electricity can be achieved by sequential dual-cathode electrocatalysis. H2O2 is produced on an electrodeposited PEDOT on carbon cloth (PEDOT/CC) cathode and subsequently converted to hydroxyl radicals on a stainless-steel–mesh cathode. The dual-cathode system demonstrates efficient decolorization and total organic carbon (TOC) removal toward organic dyes at optimized cathodic potentials of −0.9 V for PEDOT/CC and −0.8 V for the stainless-steel mesh. The sequential dual-cathode process also displays high reusability, no iron leaching, high removal efficiency using air instead of oxygen, and low installation and operation costs. This work demonstrates a preeminent and commercially viable example of pollution control rendered by the “catalysis instead of chemical reagent” philosophy of green chemistry.
Engineering genetic devices for in vivo control of therapeutic T cell activity triggered by the dietary molecule resveratrol

Significance Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)–engineered T cell therapies have shown tremendous success in the clinic, but excessive cytotoxic activity and poor control over engineered T cells limit the application of CAR-T therapies. Here we have developed resveratrol (RES)–triggered regulation devices (on/off) that could be installed into CAR-T cells, which allow precise control over T cell activity through adjustment of RES dosage. We further demonstrated RES-inducible/repressible CAR expression and reversible control over T cell activation via a RES-titratable mechanism. Our results reveal that RESind-CAR T cells can be dose-dependently activated by RES with strong anticancer cytotoxicity. Our RES-controlled systems establish proof of concept for strategies to control cancer immunotherapies based on the RES-regulated repression/induction of therapeutic immune cells. Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)–engineered T cell therapies have been recognized as powerful strategies in cancer immunotherapy; however, the clinical application of CAR-T is currently constrained by severe adverse effects in patients, caused by excessive cytotoxic activity and poor T cell control. Herein, we harnessed a dietary molecule resveratrol (RES)–responsive transactivator and a transrepressor to develop a repressible transgene expression (RESrep) device and an inducible transgene expression (RESind) device, respectively. After optimization, these tools enabled the control of CAR expression and CAR-mediated antitumor function in engineered human cells. We demonstrated that a resveratrol-repressible CAR expression (RESrep-CAR) device can effectively inhibit T cell activation upon resveratrol administration in primary T cells and a xenograft tumor mouse model. Additionally, we exhibit how a resveratrol-inducible CAR expression (RESind-CAR) device can achieve fine-tuned and reversible control over T cell activation via a resveratrol-titratable mechanism. Furthermore, our results revealed that the presence of RES can activate RESind-CAR T cells with strong anticancer cytotoxicity against cells in vitro and in vivo. Our study demonstrates the utility of RESrep and RESind devices as effective tools for transgene expression and illustrates the potential of RESrep-CAR and RESind-CAR devices to enhance patient safety in precision cancer immunotherapies.
Modulation of Theta Phase Synchrony during Syllable Processing as a Function of Interactive Acoustic Experience in Infancy

Abstract Plasticity, a prominent characteristic of the infant brain, supports formation of cortical representations as infants begin to interact with and adapt to environmental sensory events. Enhanced acoustic processing efficiency along with improved allocation of attentional resources at 7 months and establishment of well-defined phonemic maps at 9 months have been shown to be facilitated by early interactive acoustic experience (IAE). In this study, using an oddball paradigm and measures of theta phase synchrony at source level, we examined short- and long-term effects of nonspeech IAE on syllable processing. Results demonstrated that beyond maturation alone, IAE increased the efficiency of syllabic representation and discrimination, an effect that endured well beyond the immediate training period. As compared with naive controls, the IAE-trained group at 7, 9, and 18 months showed less theta phase synchrony for the standard syllable and at 7 and 18 months for the deviant syllable. The decreased theta phase synchrony exhibited by the trained group suggests more mature, efficient, acoustic processing, and thus, better cortical representation and discrimination of syllabic content. Further, the IAE modulatory effect observed on theta phase synchrony in left auditory cortex at 7 and 9 months was differentially associated with receptive and expressive language scores at 12 and 18 months of age.
Electrocatalytic Performance of Three Dimensional Electrode Cu/Reduced Graphene Oxide/Carbon Fiber for Nitrate Reduction

A sensitive and reliable three dimensional electrodes consisting of Cu particles/reduced graphene oxide (rGO)/carbon fiber (CF) were development to investigate their performance for nitrate electroreduction. For rGO/CF binary composite, FEG-SEM images showed the characteristic aggregates with irregular and flakes-like shape with high particle density on CF substrate. The Cu deposits depicted small grain morphologies distributed throughout the rGO/CF surface. As expected, Cu deposit rate increased with increasing the deposition time. From X-ray diffraction analyses of the Cu particles, a mixture of phases containing cuprous oxide and metallic copper was identified. Under optimal experimental conditions, the Cu/rGO/CF electrode showed good catalytic activity for nitrate electro-reduction. This behavior can be associated to the presence of rGO and CF with high specific surface area in addition to Cu particle with high electron transfer capability. These results showed that Cu/rGO/CF composite has a great potential as new promising electrode for nitrate electroreduction application.
Optimization of corrosion inhibition of essential oils of Alpinia galanga on mild steel using Response Surface Methodology

The use of plant extracts as corrosion inhibitors has gained prominence as replacement for synthetic organic compounds. The plant natural products have been found to be effective, cheap and eco-friendly anticorrosion agents. Corrosion inhibitions of essential oils of Alpinia galanga were investigated on mild steel in hydrochloric acid solution using weight loss method. The interactive effects of inhibitor concentration, temperature and time were optimized for maximum response of inhibition efficiency using Response Surface Methodology with Central Composite Design. The optimum inhibition efficiency of 88.5% at 775 ppm of inhibitor concentration, temperature of 320.4 K and reaction time of 3.75 hours was accomplished. The effectiveness of the inhibitor was also supported using scanning electron microscopy. The mechanism of interaction of both the inhibitor on mild steel surface was found to conform to the Langmuir adsorption isotherm.
Continuous decline in lower stratospheric ozone offsets ozone layer recovery

Ozone forms in the Earth's atmosphere from the photodissociation of molecular oxygen, primarily in the tropical stratosphere. It is then transported to the extratropics by the Brewer-Dobson circulation (BDC), forming a protective ozone layer around the globe. Human emissions of halogen-containing ozone-depleting substances (hODSs) led to a decline in stratospheric ozone until they were banned by the Montreal Protocol (MP), and since 1998 ozone in the upper stratosphere shows a likely recovery. Total column ozone (TCO) measurements of ozone between the Earth's surface and the top of the atmosphere, indicate that the ozone layer has stopped declining across the globe, but no clear increase has been observed at latitudes outside the polar regions (60–90). Here we report evidence from multiple satellite measurements that ozone in the lower stratosphere between 60° S and 60° N has declined continuously since 1985. We find that, even though upper stratospheric ozone is recovering in response to the MP, the lower stratospheric changes more than compensate for this, resulting in the conclusion that, globally (60°tS–60° N), stratospheric column ozone (StCO) continues to deplete. We find that globally, TCO appears to not have decreased because tropospheric column ozone (TrCO) increases, likely the result of human activity and harmful to respiratory health, are compensating for the stratospheric decreases. The reason for the continued reduction of lower stratospheric ozone is not clear, models do not reproduce these trends, and so the causes now urgently need to be established. Reductions in lower stratospheric ozone trends may partly lead to a small reduction in the warming of the climate, but a reduced ozone layer may also permit an increase in harmful ultra-violet (UV) radiation at the surface and would impact human and ecosystem health.
In situ chemical transformation synthesis of Bi4Ti3O12/I–BiOCl 2D/2D heterojunction systems for water pollution treatment and hydrogen production

Enhancing visible light response and inhibiting the recombination of photogenerated charge carriers are vital for Bi4Ti3O12 nanosheets to achieve high activity in the fields of hydrogen generation and water pollutant treatment. Hence, in this work, Bi4Ti3O12/I–BiOCl 2D/2D heterojunction systems have been constructed successfully for the first time, via a modified in situ ion exchange approach at room temperature. The intimate 2D/2D interface can provide sufficient contact surfaces to enhance the charge transfer rate and the doping of I− ions can dramatically improve the visible light absorption of the composites, ensuring the quantity of photogenerated electron–hole pairs. Moreover, the well-matched band structure can lead to the effective separation of photogenerated charges. Optical and electrochemical measurements are used to prove the above-mentioned points. Bi4Ti3O12/I–BiOCl exhibited highly enhanced visible-light catalytic activity towards hydrogen production and organic pollutant degradation, due to the reduced recombination rate of photogenerated carriers and the dramatically enhanced visible light absorption. The possible photocatalytic mechanism was proposed based on the results of active species trapping experiment and ESR analysis. This work may open up new prospects for constructing other 2D/2D bismuth-based semiconductor photocatalysts with distinguished visible light response and efficient charge carrier separation rate.
Probing Kill Mechanisms and Tuning Energetic Biocides

We demonstrate the uniform attachment of bacterial spores electrophoretically onto fine wires in liquids and subsequently quantitatively detached back into suspension. It was found that the use of a pulsed voltage method resulted in a uniform coverage of spores and prevented visible bubble formation resulting from water electrolysis which tended to dislodge the spores from the wires. By monitoring the electrophoretically derived current, this method could also be used to quantitatively measure the surface charges on spores and the deposition rate. The method is generic and should be applicable to the deposition of any charged biological material (e.g., spores, bacteria, viruses) onto metal surfaces.
Bacteriophages and their applications

*Thung, T.Y. , Lee, E. , Premarathne, J.M. K.J.K. , Nurzafirah, M. , Kuan, C.H. , Elexson, N. , Tan, C.W. , Malcolm, T.T. H. , New, C.Y. , Ramzi, O.S. B. , Nuzul, N.J., Noor Azira, A.M., Ungku Fatimah, U.Z. A. and Son, R. Department of Food Science, Faculty of Food Safety and Technology, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia Food Safety and Food Integrity, Institute of Tropical Agriculture and Food Security, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia Department of Livestock and Avian Science, Faculty of Livestock, Fisheries and Nutrition, Wayamba University of Sri Lanka, Makandara, 60170 Gonawila, Sri Lanka Department of Diagnostic and Allied Science, Faculty of Health and Life Science, Management and Science University, 40100 Shah Alam, Selangor, Malaysia Department of Agricultural and Food Science, Faculty of Science, Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman, 31900 Kampar, Perak, Malaysia Department of Biology Molecule, Faculty of Resource Science and Technology, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak, 94300 Kota Samarahan, Sarawak, Malaysia Department of Food Service and Management, Faculty of Food Safety and Technology, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia
Construcao do Estudo Longitudinal de Saude do Adulto (ELSA-Brasil)

Em dezembro de 2010 completou-se a coleta de dados da linha de base do Estudo Longitudinal de Saude do Adulto (ELSA-Brasil) com a inclusao de 15.105 participantes nos seis centros de investigacao. O ELSA-Brasil destaca-se pelo seu grande numero de participantes e pela variedade de informacoes coletadas para investigar determinantes biologicos e sociais das doencas car-diovasculares e do diabetes mellitus em adultos no Brasil. O seguimento da coorte para identiﬁ cacao de eventos incidentes ja completou tres anos. Essa tarefa, motivada por planejamento previo iniciado em 2004 por um grupo de pesquisadores brasileiros com experiencia na investigacao de doencas cronicas nao transmissiveis, foi concretizada em reuniao realizada em Sao Paulo, no Hospital Universitario da Universidade de Sao Paulo (HU-USP) em 20 e 21 de agosto de 2004.
Whale: Scaling Deep Learning Model Training to the Trillions

Scaling up deep neural networks has been proven effective in improving model quality, while it also brings ever-growing training challenges. This paper presents Whale, an automatic and hardware-aware distributed training framework for giant models. Whale generalizes the expression of parallelism with four primitives, which can define various parallel strategies, as well as flexible hybrid strategies including combination and nesting patterns. It allows users to build models at an arbitrary scale by adding a few annotations and automatically transforms the local model to a distributed implementation. Moreover, Whale is hardware-aware and highly efficient even when training on GPUs of mixed types, which meets the growing demand of heterogeneous training in industrial clusters. Whale sets a milestone for training the largest multimodal pretrained model M6. The success of M6 is achieved by Whale’s de-sign to decouple algorithm modeling from system implementations, i.e., algorithm developers can focus on model innovation, since it takes only three lines of code to scale the M6 model to trillions of parameters on a cluster of 480 GPUs.
Rethinking Neural Networks With Benford's Law

Benford's Law (BL) or the Significant Digit Law defines the probability distribution of the first digit of numerical values in a data sample. This Law is observed in many naturally occurring datasets. It can be seen as a measure of naturalness of a given distribution and finds its application in areas like anomaly and fraud detection. In this work, we address the following question: Is the distribution of the Neural Network parameters related to the network's generalization capability? To that end, we first define a metric, MLH (Model Enthalpy), that measures the closeness of a set of numbers to Benford's Law and we show empirically that it is a strong predictor of Validation Accuracy. Second, we use MLH as an alternative to Validation Accuracy for Early Stopping, removing the need for a Validation set. We provide experimental evidence that even if the optimal size of the validation set is known before-hand, the peak test accuracy attained is lower than not using a validation set at all. Finally, we investigate the connection of BL to Free Energy Principle and First Law of Thermodynamics, showing that MLH is a component of the internal energy of the learning system and optimization as an analogy to minimizing the total energy to attain equilibrium.
The Japanese empathy questionnaire (EmQue) for preschool children: Psychometric properties and measurement invariance across gender

Empathy is assumed to be a universal human motivation to act altruistically toward others. Developmental models of empathy explaining when and how children acquire the capacity to empathize have been proposed. However, the existing knowledge is largely built upon studies conducted in the Western context. To fill this gap, a cross-culturally validated measure of empathy for children is needed. The purpose of this study was to assess the Japanese version of the Empathy Questionnaire (EmQue), a parent-reported measure of empathy in preschool children, including its construct validity, measurement invariance across genders, and reliability. A total of 550 children aged 1–6 years participated in this study (M age = 4.17 years, SD = 1.21). Their mothers completed the Japanese EmQue. Confirmatory factor analysis confirmed the hypothesized three-factor structure (emotional contagion, attention to others’ feelings, and prosocial actions) in the 13-item Japanese EmQue. The internal consistencies of the three scales were high. Measurement invariance across gender groups was also supported. Overall, the results demonstrate that the Japanese EmQue is a reliable and valid measure of the empathy of Japanese preschool children. It can serve as a tool in future studies to elucidate the role of culture in shaping empathy in early childhood.
Toward Aligning with International Gender Goals? Analysis of the Gender Equality Landscape in Japan under the Laws on Women’s Economic and Political Participation and Leadership

Abstract Gender equality and women’s empowerment is taken as an important precondition and driving force for the achievement of all the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Despite its highly developed economy and democratic governance system, Japan’s record of gender equality, in particular, women’s political and economic leadership, has stalled for a number of years. Even after the promulgation of laws for promoting economic and political participation and leadership of women, namely, the Act on Promotion of Women’s Participation and Advancement in the Workplace (2015) and the Act on Promotion of Gender Equality in the Political Field (2018), Japan’s global ranking on gender equality was lowered further by a widening of the political gender gap and remaining dearth of female managers. This study analyses the effectiveness of the legal frameworks aimed at improving gender equality, through assessing their regulatory design, compliance, and implementation. It also highlights how gender norms underlining the international human rights law and international development agenda have affected the development and implementation of those legal frameworks. The paper concludes that the laws aimed to promote women’s leadership in the economic and political spheres have not fully performed to achieve intended goals because of their weak enforcement mechanism, the lack of strong political will as well as insufficient awareness raising and advocacy to bring about transformative changes of gendered practices embedded in social context and practice. The partnerships among global and local stakeholders including international organisations, governments, business, media, civil society, and people with diverse backgrounds are essential to provide the necessary momentum to drive the laws to work effectively on the ground, through transnational and local advocacy. Japanese society is standing at a critical juncture to advance equal voice in economic and political decision making, which is a core of democratic governance and sustainable development based on the principle of leaving no one behind.