Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Tethered Membrane Architectures—Design and Applications

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Carotenoids retention in biofortified yellow cassava processed with traditional African methods

Abstract BACKGROUND Biofortified yellow cassava is being cultivated in countries with high cassava consumption to improve its population's vitamin A status. The carotenoid retention in biofortified cassava when processed as boiled, fufu, and chikwangue was evaluated in this study. Commercial biofortified varieties Kindisa and Vuvu and the experimental genotypes MVZ2011B/360 and MVZ2012/044 were used. Fresh cassava roots were processed as boiled, fufu, and chikwangue. Provitamin A carotenoids (pVACs) content of fresh and processed cassava was measured by high‐performance liquid chromatography, and total carotenoids was measured by spectrophotometer. RESULTS pVACs content of fresh peeled cassava was 1.79–6.65 µg g−1 on a fresh weight basis, whereas in boiled cassava, fufu, and chikwangue the pVACs content was 1.71–6.91 µg g−1, 0.04–0.37 µg g−1, and 0.52–1.75 µg g−1 respectively. True retention of carotenoids after cooking was 93.2–96.8%, 0.8–3.1%, and 4.0–18.1% for boiled cassava, fufu, and chikwangue respectively. Significant total carotenoids loss was observed during storage. CONCLUSION The results indicated that biofortified boiled cassava could be an effective food product to improve pVACs intake in areas where vitamin A deficiency exists, and processing of chikwangue and fufu should be improved before promoting biofortified cassava in vitamin‐A‐deficient areas with high cassava consumption. © 2018 The Authors. Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.
Turning fibroblasts into cardiomyocytes: technological review of cardiac transdifferentiation strategies

To date, no viable therapeutic options exist for the effective and sustained reversal of cardiac failure, other than heart transplantation and mechanical circulatory assist devices. Therefore, divergent strategies aiming at the de novo formation of contractile tissue, as a prerequisite for the restoration of cardiac pump function, are currently being pursued. Clinical trials involving the transplantation of somatic progenitor cells failed. The search for alternative cell‐based strategies to combat the consequences of ischemic injury has sparked widespread interest in the genetic and pharmacologic reprogramming of fibroblasts into cardiomyocytes, harnessing the abundant in vivo pool of cardiac fibroblasts. Here, we provide a comprehensive overview of in vitro and in vivo cardiac reprogramming studies identified in an extensive literature search. We systematically review and evaluate feasibility, efficiency, and reproducibility of the different technologies currently being explored. Finally, we discuss potential safety issues deduced from preclinical studies and identify obstacles that must be overcome before clinical translation. —Klose, K. , Gossen, M. , Stamm, C. Turning fibroblasts into cardiomyocytes: technological review of cardiac transdifferentiation strategies. FASEB J. 33, 49–70 (2019). www.fasebj. org
Numerical Simulation and FRAP Experiments Show That the Plasma Membrane Binding Protein PH-EFA6 Does Not Exhibit Anomalous Subdiffusion in Cells

The fluorescence recovery after photobleaching (FRAP) technique has been used for decades to measure movements of molecules in two-dimension (2D). Data obtained by FRAP experiments in cell plasma membranes are assumed to be described through a means of two parameters, a diffusion coefficient, D (as defined in a pure Brownian model) and a mobile fraction, M. Nevertheless, it has also been shown that recoveries can be nicely fit using anomalous subdiffusion. Fluorescence recovery after photobleaching (FRAP) at variable radii has been developed using the Brownian diffusion model to access geometrical characteristics of the surrounding landscape of the molecule. Here, we performed numerical simulations of continuous time random walk (CTRW) anomalous subdiffusion and interpreted them in the context of variable radii FRAP. These simulations were compared to experimental data obtained at variable radii on living cells using the pleckstrin homology (PH) domain of the membrane binding protein EFA6 (exchange factor for ARF6, a small G protein). This protein domain is an excellent candidate to explore the structure of the interface between cytosol and plasma membrane in cells. By direct comparison of our numerical simulations to the experiments, we show that this protein does not exhibit anomalous diffusion in baby hamster kidney (BHK) cells. The non Brownian PH-EFA6 dynamics observed here are more related to spatial heterogeneities such as cytoskeleton fence effects.
Adversarial Reprogramming of Sequence Classification Neural Networks

Adversarial Reprogramming has demonstrated success in utilizing pre-trained neural network classifiers for alternative classification tasks without modification to the original network. An adversary in such an attack scenario trains an additive contribution to the inputs to repurpose the neural network for the new classification task. While this reprogramming approach works for neural networks with a continuous input space such as that of images, it is not directly applicable to neural networks trained for tasks such as text classification, where the input space is discrete. Repurposing such classification networks would require the attacker to learn an adversarial program that maps inputs from one discrete space to the other. In this work, we introduce a context-based vocabulary remapping model to reprogram neural networks trained on a specific sequence classification task, for a new sequence classification task desired by the adversary. We propose training procedures for this adversarial program in both white-box and black-box settings. We demonstrate the application of our model by adversarially repurposing various text-classification models including LSTM, bi-directional LSTM and CNN for alternate classification tasks.
Feature extraction for classifying students based on their academic performance

Developing tools to support students and learning in a traditional or online setting is a signiﬁcant task in today’s educational environment. The initial steps towards enabling such technologies using machine learning techniques focused on predicting the student’s performance in terms of the achieved grades. The disadvantage of these approaches is that they do not perform as well in predicting poor-performing students. The objective of our work is two-fold. First, in order to overcome this limitation, we explore if poorly performing students can be more accurately predicted by formulating the problem as binary classiﬁcation. Second, in order to gain insights as to which are the factors that can lead to poor performance, we engineered a number of human-interpretable features that quantify these factors. These features were derived from the students’ grades from the University of Minnesota, an undergraduate public institution. Based on these features, we perform a study to identify diﬀerent student groups of interest, while at the same time, identify their importance.
SEVQER: Automatic Semantic Visual Query Builder to Support Intelligent Image Search in Traffic Images

Image search is a challenging process in the field of Content Based Image Retrieval (CBIR). Image search-by-example, search-by-keyword and search-by-sketch methods seldom provide user interface that allows user to accurately formulate their search intent easily. To overcome such issue, a novel image search interface-Semantic Visual Query Builder (SeVQer) is proposed as a non-verbal interface which allows user to drag and drop from the image data provided to formulate user query. The drag and drop mechanism minimizes the difficulty of verbalizing query image into keywords or sketching a correct drawing of the query image. SeVQer was implemented and compared with 3 image search methods (search-by-example, search-by-keyword and search-by-sketch) in terms of task completion time and user satisfaction using traffic images. SeVQer achieved statistically significant lower task completion time with an average of 28 sec, a promising 50% reduction than search-by-sketch (average of 56 sec). The significance of this work is two-fold: the SeVQer user interface allows user to easily formulate intent specific query, while the novel architecture and methodology reduces the semantic gap in general.
Time to tackle rheumatic heart disease: Data needed to drive global policy dialogues

ABSTRACT Rheumatic heart disease (RHD) is an avoidable disease of poverty that persists predominantly in low resource settings and among Indigenous and other high-risk populations in some high-income nations. Following a period of relative global policy inertia on RHD, recent years have seen a resurgence of research, policy and civil society activity to tackle RHD; this has culminated in growing momentum at the highest levels of global health diplomacy to definitively address this disease of disadvantage. RHD is inextricably entangled with the global development agenda, and effective RHD action requires concerted efforts both within and beyond the health policy sphere. This report provides an update on the contemporary global and regional policy landscapes relevant to RHD, and highlights the fundamental importance of good data to inform these policy dialogues, monitor systems responses and ensure that no one is left behind.
A randomized, double-blind clinical trial of canrenone vs hydrochlorothiazide in addition to angiotensin II receptor blockers in hypertensive type 2 diabetic patients

Aim The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of canrenone compared to hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ) added to angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs) on glycemia, lipid profile, potassium, aldosterone and renal function in patients with hypertension and type 2 diabetes mellitus. Patients and methods The study enrolled 182 Caucasian patients with hypertension and type 2 diabetes mellitus. Patients were already taking ARBs and were randomized to canrenone, 50 mg once a day, or HCTZ, 12.5 mg once a day for 1 month. After the first month, patients not reaching an adequate blood pressure (BP) were up-titrated to canrenone 100 mg or HCTZ 25 mg once a day for 12 months. The following parameters were considered at 6 and 12 months: BP, body weight, body mass index (BMI), fasting plasma glucose (FPG), post-prandial glucose (PPG), fasting plasma insulin (FPI), homeostasis model assessment insulin (HOMA-IR), lipid profile, potassium, plasma aldosterone, urine albumin excretion rate and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR). Results We observed a similar decrease in BP with both treatments. Canrenone led to a significant decrease in FPG, PPG and HOMA index compared to baseline, while there was a significant increase in the same parameters with HCTZ. HCTZ also worsened glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), while canrenone did not change it. No variations in lipid profile were recorded with canrenone, while there was a worsening of total cholesterol (TC) and triglycerides (Tg) with HCTZ. Potassium levels were decreased and uric acid levels were increased by HCTZ, but not by canrenone that had a neutral effect on these parameters. We recorded a slight decrease in eGFR with HCTZ and an improvement with canrenone; creatinine and eGFR were improved by canrenone compared to HCTZ. Plasma aldosterone levels were decreased by canrenone and increased by HCTZ. Conclusion Canrenone and HCTZ have a similar effect on BP; however, canrenone seems to improve metabolic parameters, while HCTZ worsens them.
Carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii and Pseudomonas aeruginosa: characterization of carbapenemase genes and E-test evaluation of colistin-based combinations

Background Carbapenamase producing Acinetobacter baumannii and Pseudomonas aeruginosa are emerging worldwide limiting the use of carbapenems as effective and safe drugs. Purpose To characterize different carbapenemase genes carried by carbapenem-resistant (CR) A. baumannii and P. aeruginosa isolates and to evaluate the in vitro effect of some colistin-based combinations by E-test method in Zagazig University Hospitals ICU isolates. Methods CR A. baumannii and P. aeruginosa isolated from the surgical intensive care unit (ICU) were tested for carbapenemase genes by polymerase chain reaction and the effect of colistin/meropenem and colistin/tigecycline combinations was evaluated by E-test. Results Genes coding for OXA-23, NDM and GES were detected in 90, 66.7 and 50% of CR A. baumannii, respectively, while genes coding for VIM, GES, NDM and IMP were detected in 50, 40.9, 27.3 and 18.2% of CR P. aeruginosa, respectively. Colistin/tigecycline combination showed synergistic and additive effect in 20% and 60% of A. baumannii isolates, respectively, while colistin/meropenem combination showed synergistic and additive effect in 63.6% and 36.4% of P. aeruginosa, respectively. Conclusion Carbapenemase genes carriage accounts for high level carbapenem resistance in our isolates. Colistin/tigecycline and colistin/meropenem combinations can be considered for treatment of severe infections by CR A. baumannii and P. aeruginosa, respectively.
Expression of sex steroid receptors and aromatase in adipose tissue in different body regions in men with coronary artery disease with and without ischemic systolic heart failure

Abstract Background: The hormonal metabolism of adipose tissue differs across regions of fat. This issue has never been verified in male patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) with and without systolic heart failure (SHF). Methods: We examined 90 male patients with CAD with and without SHF and 42 healthy controls. Results: In patients with CAD with and without SHF, androgen receptor (AR) expression in adipose tissue of the lower leg was higher than AR expression of the thoracic wall and epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) (both p < .0001 for SHF patients and both p < .001 for patients without SHF). Expression of aromatase in adipose tissue of the lower leg among patients with CAD and SHF was higher than aromatase expression of the thoracic wall and EAT (p < .001 and p < .05, respectively), and in patients without SHF, it was higher only than aromatase expression of the thoracic wall (p < .05). There were no differences in expression of estrogen receptor (ER) between three regions of adipose tissue both in men with CAD with and without SHF. Conclusions: In male patients with CAD, site-related differences of adipose tissue in expression of AR and aromatase are present regardless of coexisting SHF with the highest hormonal activity within peripheral subcutaneous adipose tissue.
Prevalence and predictors of exclusive breastfeeding among immigrant and Canadian‐born Chinese women

Breastfeeding is the optimal method for infant feeding, yet migrant women may be at risk for suboptimal exclusivity rates. In a cohort of immigrant and Canadian-born Chinese women, our objectives were to (a) describe patterns and prevalence of exclusive breastfeeding at 1, 3, and 6 months postpartum; (b) identify risk and protective factors associated with exclusivity; and (c) examine potentially differential importance of these factors across this 6-month period. This was a prospective study of 565 immigrants and Canadian-born Chinese women (Toronto, Canada). Exclusive breastfeeding was measured at 1, 3, and 6 months postpartum. Predictors comprised fixed (demographics, history of depression, immigrant status, prenatal breastfeeding classes, in-hospital formula supplementation, baseline social support, and baseline acculturative stress) and time-dependent (depression, anxiety, fatigue, and breastfeeding problems) variables. Descriptive statistics, logistic regression, and generalized linear mixed models, respectively, were undertaken to address the objectives. Patterns of breastfeeding practices included exclusive breastfeeding in all time points (26.8%) or none (32.9%) and moving from exclusive to nonexclusive (20.3%) or nonexclusive to exclusive breastfeeding (15.2%). Women less likely to breastfeed exclusively at 1, 3, or 6 months were those whose infants received in-hospital formula supplementation. Exclusivity attrition was higher between 3 and 6 months than 1-3 months. Immigrant status and in-hospital formula supplementation had a significant impact on exclusivity earlier in the postpartum period while breastfeeding problems were associated with decreased exclusivity across time. Proactive preventive efforts are need to maintain breastfeeding exclusivity especially between 3 and 6 months if women are to meet international breastfeeding recommendations.
Enhanced plasma miR-26a-5p promotes the progression of bladder cancer via targeting PTEN

The current study aimed to evaluate the expression and specific role of miR-26a-5p in the progression of bladder cancer (BC). Reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction analysis was performed to evaluate the level of miR-26a-5p in BC cancer and healthy controls. The present data showed that plasma miR-26a-5p was significantly increased in BC patients. Furthermore, BC tissues exhibited greater levels of miR-26a-5p compared with adjacent non-neoplastic tissues-26a-5p. Compared with BC patients at Ta-T1 stage, the level of miR-26a-5p was significantly elevated in BC patients ≥T2. BC patients at G3 stage demonstrated a higher plasma miR-26a-5p level compared with those at G1/2 stage. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis indicated that miR-26a-5p could differentiate BC patients from controls. Additionally, Kaplan-Meier analysis demonstrated that plasma miR-26a-5p negatively correlated with survival of BC patients. Dual luciferase reporter assay indicated that miR-26a-5p significantly suppressed the relative luciferase activity of pmirGLO-PTEN-3′UTR compared with the control. In conclusion, the current study indicated novel data that the levels of plasma miR-26a-5p was significantly increased in BC patients. Furthermore, the present study suggested that determination of plasma miR-26a-5p level could help to distinguish BC patients from healthy controls via targeting PTEN.
Low bone mineral density is associated with global coronary atherosclerotic plaque burden in stable angina patients

Background Accelerated atherosclerosis is considered to be the linking factor between low bone mineral density (BMD) and increased cardiovascular events and mortality, while some coronary angiographic studies do not support this point. In this study, we attempt to provide a distinct comprehensive view of the relationship between BMD and the angiographically determined coronary atherosclerotic burden. Methods A total of 459 consecutive patients with stable chest pain suspected of coronary artery disease (CAD) underwent both dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry scan and selective coronary angiography. The association between BMD and global coronary atherosclerotic plaque burden as represented by the multivessel involvement and the modified Gensini score was analyzed. Results Multivariable analysis revealed that the low BMD at femoral neck and total hip was an independent correlate of multivessel CAD. The T-scores measured at femoral neck and total hip were both negatively and independently associated to the modified Gensini score. These inversely correlated relationships between BMD and CAD were not observed at lumbar spine 1–4. Conclusion This cross-sectional study elucidated an inverse relationship between hip BMD and the modified Gensini score, and low hip BMD values (T-scores) were significantly and independently associated with increased risk of multivessel coronary disease in patients hospitalized for stable chest pain.
Medicare Program; Hospital Inpatient Prospective Payment Systems for Acute Care Hospitals and the Long-Term Care Hospital Prospective Payment System and Policy Changes and Fiscal Year 2019 Rates; Quality Reporting Requirements for Specific Providers; Medicare and Medicaid Electronic Health Record (E

We are revising the Medicare hospital inpatient prospective payment systems (IPPS) for operating and capital-related costs of acute care hospitals to implement changes arising from our continuing experience with these systems for FY 2019. Some of these changes implement certain statutory provisions contained in the 21st Century Cures Act and the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018, and other legislation. We also are making changes relating to Medicare graduate medical education (GME) affiliation agreements for new urban teaching hospitals. In addition, we are providing the market basket update that will apply to the rate-of-increase limits for certain hospitals excluded from the IPPS that are paid on a reasonable cost basis, subject to these limits for FY 2019. We are updating the payment policies and the annual payment rates for the Medicare prospective payment system (PPS) for inpatient hospital services provided by long-term care hospitals (LTCHs) for FY 2019. In addition, we are establishing new requirements or revising existing requirements for quality reporting by specific Medicare providers (acute care hospitals, PPS-exempt cancer hospitals, and LTCHs). We also are establishing new requirements or revising existing requirements for eligible professionals (EPs), eligible hospitals, and critical access hospitals (CAHs) participating in the Medicare and Medicaid Electronic Health Record (EHR) Incentive Programs (now referred to as the Promoting Interoperability Programs). In addition, we are finalizing modifications to the requirements that apply to States operating Medicaid Promoting Interoperability Programs. We are updating policies for the Hospital Value-Based Purchasing (VBP) Program, the Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program, and the Hospital-Acquired Condition (HAC) Reduction Program. We also are making changes relating to the required supporting documentation for an acceptable Medicare cost report submission and the supporting information for physician certification and recertification of claims.
Jinfukang induces cellular apoptosis through activation of Fas and DR4 in A549 cells

The traditional Chinese medicine Jinfukang (JFK) has been shown as a valuable drug to treat non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Previously, it was reported that JFK-induced epigenetic alteration is involved in anti-lung cancer activity. In the present study, the effect of JFK on lung cancer cell lines was examined with the aim to further understand the underlying mechanisms of JFK-induced anti-lung cancer activity by transcriptome profiling analysis. JFK was observed to decrease lung cancer cell viability and simultaneously induce cellular morphology alteration. Additionally, this causes cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in A549 cells. The present RNA-seq analysis identified 5,281 genes with differential expression (P<0.05). Gene ontology analysis indicated that genes involved in the cell cycle pathway are downregulated, including cyclin-dependent kinase 2, cyclin-dependent kinase 4, cyclin B1 and cyclin A2, and apoptosis-associated genes are upregulated, including Fas, death receptor 4 (DR4), tumor protein P53 binding protein 2 and BCL2 interacting protein 3 like. Particularly, the present results indicate knockdown of Fas and DR4 attenuates JFK-induced apoptosis in A549 cells. Overall, the present study suggests JFK induces cellular apoptosis through activation of Fas and DR4 in A549 cells and provides an insight for understanding the antitumor mechanisms of this Chinese traditional medicine.