Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Prediction of Circulating Adipokine Levels Based on Body Fat Compartments and Adipose Tissue Gene Expression

Background: Adipokines are hormones secreted from adipose tissue (AT), and a number of them have been established as risk factors for chronic diseases. However, it is not clear whether and to what extent adiposity, gene expression, and other factors determine their circulating levels. Objectives: To assess to what extent adiposity, as measured by the amount of subcutaneous AT (SAT) and visceral AT (VAT) using magnetic resonance imaging, and gene expression levels in SAT determine plasma concentrations of the adipokines adiponectin, leptin, soluble leptin receptor, resistin, interleukin 6, and fatty acid-binding protein 4 (FABP4). Methods: We performed a cross-sectional analysis of 156 participants from the EPIC Potsdam cohort study and analyzed multiple regression models and partial correlation coefficients. Results: For leptin and FABP4 concentrations, 81 and 45% variance were explained by SAT mass, VAT mass, and gene expression in SAT in multivariable regression models. For the remaining adipokines, AT mass and gene expression explained <16% variance of plasma concentrations. Gene expression in SAT was a less important predictor compared to AT mass. SAT mass was a better predictor than VAT mass for leptin (partial correlation r = 0.81, 95% confidence interval 0.75–0.86, vs. r = 0.58, 95% confidence interval 0.46–0.67), while differences between AT compartments were small for the other adipokines. Conclusions: While plasma levels of leptin and FABP4 can be explained in a large and medium part by the amount of AT and SAT gene expression, surprisingly, these predictors explained only little variance for all other investigated adipokines.
Advancing global change biology through experimental manipulations: Where have we been and where might we go?

This commentary summarizes the publication history of Global Change Biology for works on experimental manipulations over the past 25 years and highlights a number of key publications. The retrospective summary is then followed by some thoughts on the future of experimental work as it relates to mechanistic understanding and methodological needs. Experiments for elevated CO2 atmospheres and anticipated warming scenarios which take us beyond historical analogs are suggested as future priorities. Disturbance is also highlighted as a key agent of global change. Because experiments are demanding of both personnel effort and limited fiscal resources, the allocation of experimental investments across Earth's biomes should be done in ecosystems of key importance. Uncertainty analysis and broad community consultation should be used to identify research questions and target biomes that will yield substantial gains in predictive confidence and societal relevance. A full range of methodological approaches covering small to large spatial scales will continue to be justified as a source of mechanistic understanding. Nevertheless, experiments operating at larger spatial scales encompassing organismal, edaphic, and environmental diversity of target ecosystems are favored, as they allow for the assessment of long‐term biogeochemical feedbacks enabling a full range of questions to be addressed. Such studies must also include adequate investment in measurements of key interacting variables (e.g., water and nutrient availability and budgets) to enable mechanistic understanding of responses and to interpret context dependency. Integration of ecosystem‐scale manipulations with focused process‐based manipulations, networks, and large‐scale observations will aid more complete understanding of ecosystem responses, context dependence, and the extrapolation of results. From the outset, these studies must be informed by and integrated with ecosystem models that provide quantitative predictions from their embedded mechanistic hypotheses. A true two‐way interaction between experiments and models will simultaneously increase the rate and robustness of Global Change research.
Titanium Implant Characteristics After Implantoplasty: An In Vitro Study on Two Different Kinds of Instrumentation.

PURPOSE To assess surface characteristics and implant stability after implantoplasty performed by two different instrument sequences regarding material loss, surface roughness, and fracture load resistance. Additionally, operators' subjective experience during instrumentation and the damage to neighboring teeth were evaluated. MATERIALS AND METHODS Titanium implants were placed in the position of both first maxillary molars in models exposing 6 mm of their surface. Implantoplasty was performed in phantom heads: Exposed surfaces were instrumented with diamonds and Arkansas stones or abrasive stones and silicone polishers. Operators reported on abrasion, gloss, effectiveness, and tactility using a visual analog scale (VAS). Residual wall thickness of implants was measured on radiographs, material abrasion using three-dimensional (3D) scans, and surface roughness by contact profilometry. Maximum bending moments were measured. RESULTS Residual thickness and weight loss were comparable after both treatments (0.3 ± 0.1 and 0.25 ± 0.07 mm and 0.22 ± 0.01 g, and 0.03 ± 0.01 mm and 0.02 ± 0.01 g, respectively, P > .05). Mean surface roughness was lower (P = .0001) for the group with the silicone polishers (0.4 ± 0.2 μm) compared with the group employing diamonds (0.8 ± 0.1 μm). Maximum bending moments showed neither intergroup differences nor stability loss compared with untreated implants. The stone-and-silicone polisher group showed less abrasion (4.6 ± 2.2) and higher gloss values (8.1 ± 1.4) than the diamond-and-Arkansas group (3.1 ± 1.3 and 4.1 ± 2.1, respectively). Superficial tooth injuries at proximal neighbor teeth were common (73% and 80%). CONCLUSION Implantoplasty did not weaken implant stability. The use of silicone polishers revealed lower surface roughness. Regarding surface smoothness, the instrumentation sequence employing silicon carbide and Arkansas stones followed by silicone polishers seems to be superior to the combination of diamond and Arkansas stones.
(Re)Design to Mitigate Political Polarization

Social Media platforms are increasingly being used for political activities and communication, and research suggests that social media design and use is contributing to the polarization of the public sphere. This study draws on Habermas' ideals concerning deliberative democracy to explore if novel interface designs that diversify information sources through content recommendation, can decrease polarization. Through a design-probe interview approach and insights generated from 19 political and citizen experts in Finland and the United States, we found that our deliberative design can lead to depolarization, while creating additional complexity through which users question content and information. We discuss the need to move beyond naive content recommendation, and user interface level changes, in order to work towards a depolarized public sphere.
The Li2SO4–Na2SO4 System for Thermal Energy Storage

In this paper, the system Li2SO4–Na2SO4 is proposed as a candidate material for thermal energy storage applications at high temperatures (450–550 °C). Depending on the composition, the thermal energy can be stored by using a eutectoid reaction and solid–solid phase transition. In these types of systems, all the components (reagent and products) are in the solid state. This work includes the theoretical analysis (based on the Calphad method) of the system selected obtaining all the theoretical parameters (for example, enthalpies of reaction, transition temperatures, volume expansion, and the heat capacities) necessary to determine the theoretical performance in terms of thermal energy storage. The theoretical analysis allowed to identify two compositions (Li2SO4/Na2SO4 79/21 and 50/50) in the phase diagram with the most promising theoretical enthalpy of transformation (270 J/g and 318 J/g, respectively) corresponding to a eutectoid reaction and a solid–solid phase transition (stoichiometric compound LiNaSO4). The experimental analysis carried out allowed to confirm the great potential of this system for TES application even if some discrepancies with the theoretical calculation have been observed experimentally (energy densities lower than expected). For the two compositions studied, 79/21 and 50/50, the enthalpies of reaction are 185 J/g and 160 J/g, respectively. The reactivity of the system was tested under different experimental conditions preparing materials with a different degree of nanocrystallization to favor the diffusion in the solid state, testing the reactivity of the materials under controlled atmosphere and under air, and performing preliminary durability analysis (cycling behavior up to 20 cycles) to test the stability and reversibility.
No Magic Bullets: An evaluation of an e-Health System to Support evidence-based practice in primary community care settings

The literature on e-health systems is frequently characterised by reports of success, accompanied by the promise of a bright future, but the future never seems to arrive. The aim of this project was to undertake a case study to evaluate the implementation of the Map of Medicine in primary and community care settings, and to assess the impact it has had on the promotion of evidence-based practice. Although the system was made available to users across the NHS under the umbrella of the NHS National Programme for IT, very little was known about whether health professionals actually use it. Colin has worked in health informatics for over 30 years. He has worked in acute hospitals, lectured at a London Teaching hospital, was the head of a shared informatics service supporting two PCTs for 7 years, and has recently moved to work in the IM&T department at Stockport NHS Foundation Trust. As part of a doctorate programme run by the University of Bath, Colin is undertaking research to evaluate the use of an e-health system to promote evidence based practice in primary and community care settings. He spoke on this subject at the In4matics 2012 Conference, “Supporting and Influencing Care Pathways” stream
Metabolic Remodeling Promotes Cardiac Hypertrophy by Directing Glucose to Aspartate Biosynthesis

Supplemental Digital Content is available in the text. Rationale: Hypertrophied hearts switch from mainly using fatty acids (FAs) to an increased reliance on glucose for energy production. It has been shown that preserving FA oxidation (FAO) prevents the pathological shift of substrate preference, preserves cardiac function and energetics, and reduces cardiomyocyte hypertrophy during cardiac stresses. However, it remains elusive whether substrate metabolism regulates cardiomyocyte hypertrophy directly or via a secondary effect of improving cardiac energetics. Objective: The goal of this study was to determine the mechanisms of how preservation of FAO prevents the hypertrophic growth of cardiomyocytes. Methods and Results: We cultured adult rat cardiomyocytes in a medium containing glucose and mixed-chain FAs and induced pathological hypertrophy by phenylephrine. Phenylephrine-induced hypertrophy was associated with increased glucose consumption and higher intracellular aspartate levels, resulting in increased synthesis of nucleotides, RNA, and proteins. These changes could be prevented by increasing FAO via deletion of ACC2 (acetyl-CoA-carboxylase 2) in phenylephrine-stimulated cardiomyocytes and in pressure overload–induced cardiac hypertrophy in vivo. Furthermore, aspartate supplementation was sufficient to reverse the antihypertrophic effect of ACC2 deletion demonstrating a causal role of elevated aspartate level in cardiomyocyte hypertrophy. 15N and 13C stable isotope tracing revealed that glucose but not glutamine contributed to increased biosynthesis of aspartate, which supplied nitrogen for nucleotide synthesis during cardiomyocyte hypertrophy. Conclusions: Our data show that increased glucose consumption is required to support aspartate synthesis that drives the increase of biomass during cardiac hypertrophy. Preservation of FAO prevents the shift of metabolic flux into the anabolic pathway and maintains catabolic metabolism for energy production, thus preventing cardiac hypertrophy and improving myocardial energetics.
Genome-Wide Association Analyses of Equine Metabolic Syndrome Phenotypes in Welsh Ponies and Morgan Horses

Equine metabolic syndrome (EMS) is a complex trait for which few genetic studies have been published. Our study objectives were to perform within breed genome-wide association analyses (GWA) to identify associated loci in two high-risk breeds, coupled with meta-analysis to identify shared and unique loci between breeds. GWA for 12 EMS traits identified 303 and 142 associated genomic regions in 264 Welsh ponies and 286 Morgan horses, respectively. Meta-analysis demonstrated that 65 GWA regions were shared across breeds. Region boundaries were defined based on a fixed-size or the breakdown of linkage disequilibrium, and prioritized if they were: shared between breeds or across traits (high priority), identified in a single GWA cohort (medium priority), or shared across traits with no SNPs reaching genome-wide significance (low priority), resulting in 56 high, 26 medium, and seven low priority regions including 1853 candidate genes in the Welsh ponies; and 39 high, eight medium, and nine low priority regions including 1167 candidate genes in the Morgans. The prioritized regions contained protein-coding genes which were functionally enriched for pathways associated with inflammation, glucose metabolism, or lipid metabolism. These data demonstrate that EMS is a polygenic trait with breed-specific risk alleles as well as those shared across breeds.
Optimization of Islet Microencapsulation with Thin Polymer Membranes for Long-Term Stability

Microencapsulation of islets can protect against immune reactions from the host immune system after transplantation. However, sufficient numbers of islets cannot be transplanted due to the increase of the size and total volume. Therefore, thin and stable polymer membranes are required for the microencapsulation. Here, we undertook the cell microencapsulation using poly(ethylene glycol)-conjugated phospholipid (PEG-lipid) and layer-by-layer membrane of multiple-arm PEG. In order to examine the membrane stability, we used different molecular weights of 4-arm PEG (10k, 20k and 40k)-Mal to examine the influence on the polymer membrane stability. We found that the polymer membrane made of 4-arm PEG(40k)-Mal showed the highest stability on the cell surface. Also, the polymer membrane did not disturb the insulin secretion from beta cells.
Peptide-based materials for cancer immunotherapy

Peptide-based materials hold great promise as immunotherapeutic agents for the treatment of many malignant cancers. Extensive studies have focused on the development of peptide-based cancer vaccines and delivery systems by mimicking the functional domains of proteins with highly specific immuno-regulatory functions or tumor cells fate controls. However, a systemic understanding of the interactions between the different peptides and immune systems remains unknown. This review describes the role of peptides in regulating the functions of the innate and adaptive immune systems and provides a comprehensive focus on the design, categories, and applications of peptide-based cancer vaccines. By elucidating the impacts of peptide length and formulations on their immunogenicity, peptide-based immunomodulating agents can be better utilized and dramatic breakthroughs may also be realized. Moreover, some critical challenges for translating peptides into large-scale synthesis, safe delivery, and efficient cancer immunotherapy are posed to improve the next-generation peptide-based immunotherapy.
Network Intrusion Detection Using Neural Networks on FPGA SoCs

Network security is increasing in importance as systems become more interconnected. Much research has been conducted on large appliances for network security, but these do not scale well to lightweight systems such as those used in the Internet of Things (IoT). Meanwhile, the low power processors used in IoT devices do not have the required performance for detailed packet analysis. We present an approach for network intrusion detection using neural networks, implemented on FPGA SoC devices that can achieve the required performance on embedded systems. The design is flexible, allowing model updates in order to adapt to emerging attacks.
Transcription factor BnaA9.WRKY47 contributes to the adaptation of Brassica napus to low boron stress by up‐regulating the boric acid channel gene BnaA3.NIP5;1

Summary Boron (B) deficiency is one of the major causes of growth inhibition and yield reduction in Brassica napus (B. napus). However, the molecular mechanisms of low B adaptation in B. napus are largely unknown. Here, fifty‐one BnaWRKY transcription factors were identified as responsive to B deficiency in B. napus, in which BnaAn.WRKY26, BnaA9.WRKY47, BnaA1.WKRY53 and BnaCn.WRKY57 were tested in yeast one‐hybrid assays and showed strong binding activity with conserved sequences containing a W box in the promoters of the B transport‐related genes BnaNIP5;1s and BnaBOR1s. Green fluorescent protein fused to the target protein demonstrated the nuclear localization of BnaA9.WRKY47. CRISPR/Cas9‐mediated knockout lines of BnaA9.WRKY47 in B. napus had increased sensitivity to low B and lower contents of B than wild‐type plants. In contrast, overexpression of BnaA9.WRKY47 enhanced the adaptation to low B with higher B contents in tissues than in wild‐type plants. Consistent with the phenotypic response and B accumulation in these transgenic lines, the transcription activity of BnaA3.NIP5;1, a B efficiency candidate gene, was decreased in the knockout lines but was significantly increased in the overexpressing lines under low B conditions. Electrophoretic mobility shift assays, transient expression experiments in tobacco and in situ hybridizations showed that BnaA9.WRKY47 directly activated BnaA3.NIP5;1 expression through binding to the specific cis‐element. Taken together, our findings support BnaWRKYs as new participants in response to low B, and BnaA9.WRKY47 contributes to the adaptation of B. napus to B deficiency through up‐regulating BnaA3.NIP5;1 expression to facilitate efficient B uptake.
ABO Genotype and Blood Type Are Associated with Otitis Media.

Aim: To determine if there is an association between ABO variants or blood types and otitis media. Methods: DNA samples from 214 probands from Finnish families with recurrent acute (RAOM) and/or chronic otitis media with effusion (COME) were submitted for exome sequencing. Fisher exact tests were performed when (a) comparing frequencies of ABO genotypes in the Finnish probands with otitis media vs. counts in gnomAD Finnish, and (b) within the Finnish family cohort, comparing occurrence of RAOM vs. COME according to ABO genotype/haplotype and predicted blood type. Results: Female sex is protective against having both RAOM and COME. The wildtype genotype for the ABO c.260insG (p.Val87_Thr88fs*) variant resulting in blood type O was protective against RAOM. On the other hand, type A was associated with increased risk for COME. These findings remained significant after adjustment for age and sex. Conclusions: Within the Finnish family cohort, the wildtype genotype for the ABO c.260insG (p.Val87_Thr88fs*) variant and type O are protective against RAOM while type A increases risk for COME. This suggests that the association between the ABO locus and otitis media is specific to blood type, otitis media type and cohort.
Cross-Cultural Adaptation And Pilot Testing Of The Cancer Care Coordination Questionnaire For Patients (CCCQ-P) In Chinese And Arabic Languages

Background The Cancer Care Coordination Questionnaire for Patients (CCCQ-P) has been designed to measure patients’ experience of this crucial aspect of their cancer care. Migrants are at particular risk of receiving poorly coordinated cancer care due to challenges in communication as well as unfamiliarity with the health system and roles of health professionals. The aim of this study was to cross-culturally adapt and pilot test the CCCQ-P in Chinese and Arabic languages. Methods This study followed an established five-stage process for cross-cultural adaptation of self-report measures. The CCCQ-P was forward and back-translated into Arabic, Simplified Chinese, and Traditional Chinese languages by two independent translators. An expert committee review panel appraised the translations, resulting in a pre-final version in the target languages. Face validity, content validity, and consistency of the translated CCCQ-P were then assessed in a sample of bilingual former cancer patients and health professionals. In addition, structured interviews were conducted to explore the meaning of each question and responses to participants. Results Thirteen health professionals (7 Chinese, 6 Arabic) and 19 former cancer patients (11 Chinese, 8 Arabic) participated in the face validation. Across both language groups, participants agreed that the cross-culturally adapted and translated versions had clear instructions and response options that were appropriate and understandable. All items were considered important and significant to the tool and so no item was removed. Complex medical words caused some differences in preferred terminology in Arabic and Chinese; however, participants agreed that the meaning of the questions and response options was not lost. Conclusion The Arabic, Simplified Chinese, and Traditional Chinese cross-culturally adapted and piloted versions of the CCCQ-P are useful tools to measure patients’ experience of cancer care coordination. Further validation and psychometric testing of the instrument are warranted.
Clinical relevance of mutant-allele tumor heterogeneity and lung adenocarcinoma.

Background Intra-tumor heterogeneity (ITH) plays an important role in the progressing of lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD). We used a mutant-allele tumor heterogeneity (MATH) algorithm to measure ITH and the correlation between ITH and clinical parameters and its prognosis. Methods We assessed 230 LUAD patients from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). We calculated the MATH values from whole-exome sequencing data and further investigated their correlation with clinical characteristics. Results The patients were divided into low and high MATH groups. People with high MATH were more likely to be female, smoking and EGFR mutation. And a high MATH may predict a poor prognosis. Conclusions MATH is a new method for describing the internal heterogeneity of tumors in lung cancer. We used TCGA data to demonstrate that groups with higher MATH values are more likely to be female, smoker and EGFR mutations, and may have a poor prognosis.
Beam Design for Beam Training Based Millimeter Wave V2I Communications

In order to achieve high-quality entertainment services and large-capacity sensor sharing, it is imperative to improve the throughput of V2I communication systems. Millimeter wave communication is a promising technology, which is generally combined with beamforming techniques. When it comes to beam design, we need to focus on the tradeoff between system throughput and alignment overhead. However, conventional optimization schemes are limited by uniform beamwidth design. Considering the characteristics of V2I communication on the highway, this paper proposes a non-uniform beamwidth design idea. Firstly, an average throughput model based on beam training is established. Then, a recursive algorithm is used to achieve non-uniform beamwidth optimization. Finally, the simulation results prove that the non-uniform beamwidth scheme can significantly improve the throughput of the V2I system.