Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
INCAP Longitudinal Study: 50 Years of History and Legacy

This special supplement of the Food and Nutrition Bulletin summarizes the most outstanding results of the INCAP Longitudinal Study. The unique cohort of this study is the longest followed since birth in a developing country. It is made up of people who, from conception or before they turned 7 years of age, participated as beneficiaries of a nutritional supplementation intervention during the period from 1969 to 1977 and who in the last follow-up (2015-2017) were men and women aged between 42 and 57 years. This is an intervention in that participants or their mothers when they were younger than 6 months of age, of 2 pairs of villages of the Department of El Progreso in Guatemala, were provided on demand 1 of 2 types of supplement: (1) an energy and proteinrich gruel called “atole” or (2) a low-calorie and nonprotein drink called “fresco. ” Both supplements contained the same amount of micronutrients. In addition to the nutritional intervention, a health education program and primary healthcare assistance were provided, particularly aimed to mothers and young children. To date, this study has had 7 important followups over 50 years. The rigor with which the INCAP Longitudinal Study was implemented has generated strong and consistent evidence to support the need to invest in nutrition, health, and child care during the first 1000 days of life (from conception to 2 years) to achieve better childhood development, well-being, and human capital later in life. In addition, we are sure that there will be more follow-ups in the future, which will continue to provide invaluable knowledge to understand, prevent, and treat the most prevalent nutritional problems globally and their consequences on health, and even for the resolution of emerging nutritional problems. We have brought together a group of 12 worldwide prestigious researchers, who have contributed to the INCAP Longitudinal Study over several years, to prepare this commemorative supplement. In addition, 5 researchers in training who participated in the latest study follow-up (articles 4 and 7 in this supplement) and 2 researchers from the World Bank (last article in this supplement) were appointed, the later 2 to have an external perspective on the contribution of this longitudinal study to public health and nutrition globally. The authors of each article of this supplement have pointed out the main evidence with which the INCAP Longitudinal Study has
Metagenomics for taxonomy profiling: tools and approaches

Statement of Retraction We have retracted the following article: Mukesh Kumar Awasthi, B. Ravindran, Surendra Sarsaiya, Hongyu Chen, Steven Wainaina, Ekta Singh, Tao Liu, Sunil Kumar, Ashok Pandey, Lal Singh & Zengqiang Zhang, “Metagenomics for taxonomy profiling: tools and approaches,” Bioengineered, 10.1080/21655979.2020. 1736238. After publication, concerns were raised about similarities between this article and the following papers: DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech. 2019.01. 117 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcf. 2012.07. 009 DOI: 10.3168/jds.2017-13356 DOI: 10.1016/j.mimet. 2016.05. 022 These concerns were upheld and the article is retracted. We have been informed in our decision-making by our policy on publishing ethics and integrityandthe COPE guidelines on retractions.The retracted article will remain online to maintain the scholarly record, but it will be digitally watermarked on each page as “Retracted”.
PilVax, a novel Lactococcus lactis‐based mucosal vaccine platform, stimulates systemic and mucosal immune responses to Staphylococcus aureus

Most pathogens initiate infection via the mucosa, therefore delivery of vaccines directly to the mucosa is likely to be advantageous for stimulating protective immunity at the site of entry. PilVax is a novel mucosal vaccine platform that harnesses Lactococcus lactis bacteria engineered to stably express multiple copies of vaccine peptide antigens within pili, hair‐like structures which extend from the cell wall. This strategy elicited systemic and mucosal antibody responses to a model antigen after intranasal immunization, but has not been tested for its capacity to stimulate protective mucosal immunity. A well‐characterized linear B‐cell epitope, D3(22–33), from the fibronectin‐binding protein A of Staphylococcus aureus was successfully introduced into PilVax and delivered intranasally to mice. Specific antipeptide immunoglobulin (Ig) G and IgA antibodies were detected in the serum and respiratory mucosa of vaccinated mice. Responses to the major pilus backbone protein Spy0128 were also assessed; robust antibody responses to this antigen were generated both systemically and in the respiratory and intestinal mucosa. Mice were challenged intranasally with the mouse‐adapted S. aureus JSNZ strain and the S. aureus load quantified 7 days after challenge. Unexpectedly, exposure to PilVax, irrespective of the presence of the peptide, resulted in a significant reduction in S. aureus load in both the intestine and nasal mucosa (both P < 0.05) when compared with unvaccinated control mice. The mechanism(s) of protection are unclear, but merit further investigation to determine whether PilVax is a suitable platform for delivery of vaccine candidate antigens to the mucosa.
HNK-1 Sulfotransferase modulates α-dystroglycan glycosylation by 3-O-sulfation of glucuronic acid on matriglycan.

Mutations in multiple genes required for proper O-mannosylation of α-dystroglycan are causal for congenital/limb-girdle muscular dystrophies and abnormal brain development in mammals. Previously, we and others further elucidated the functional O-mannose glycan structure that is terminated by matriglycan, [(-GlcA-β3-Xyl-α3-)n]. This repeating disaccharide serves as a receptor for proteins in the extracellular matrix. Here, we demonstrate in vitro that HNK-1 Sulfotransferase (HNK-1ST/CHST10) sulfates terminal glucuronyl residues of matriglycan at the 3-hydroxyl and prevents further matriglycan polymerization by the LARGE1 glycosyltransferase. While α-dystroglycan isolated from mouse heart and kidney is susceptible to exoglycosidase digestion of matriglycan, the functional, lower molecular weight α-dystroglycan detected in brain, where HNK-1ST expression is elevated, is resistant. Removal of the sulfate cap by a sulfatase facilitated dual-glycosidase digestion. Our data strongly support a tissue specific mechanism in which HNK-1ST regulates polymer length by competing with LARGE for the 3-position on the non-reducing GlcA of matriglycan.
Quantitative Assessment of Upper-Limb Motor Function for Post-Stroke Rehabilitation Based on Motor Synergy Analysis and Multi-Modality Fusion

Functional assessment is an essential part of rehabilitation protocols after stroke. Conventionally, the assessment process relies heavily on clinical experience and lacks quantitative analysis. In order to objectively quantify the upper-limb motor impairments in patients with post-stroke hemiparesis, this study proposes a novel assessment approach based on motor synergy quantification and multi-modality fusion. Fifteen post-stroke hemiparetic patients and fifteen age-matched healthy persons participated in this study. During different goal-directed tasks, kinematic data and surface electromyography(sEMG) signals were synchronously collected from these participants, and then motor features extracted from each modal data could be fed into the respective local classifiers. In addition, kinematic synergies and muscle synergies were quantified by principal component analysis (PCA) and ${k}$ weighted angular similarity ( ${k}$ WAS) algorithm to provide in-depth analysis of the coactivated features responsible for observable movement impairments. By integrating the outputs of local classifiers and the quantification results of motor synergies, ensemble classifiers can be created to generate quantitative assessment for different modalities separately. In order to further exploit the complementarity between the evaluation results at kinematic and muscular levels, a multi-modal fusion scheme was developed to comprehensively analyze the upper-limb motor function and generate a probability-based function score. Under the proposed assessment framework, three types of machine learning methods were employed to search the optimal performance of each classifier. Experimental results demonstrated that the classification accuracy was respectively improved by 4.86% and 2.78% when the analysis of kinematic and muscle synergies was embedded in the assessment system, and could be further enhanced to 96.06% by fusing the characteristics derived from different modalities. Furthermore, the assessment result of multi-modality fusion framework exhibited a significant correlation with the score of standard clinical tests ( ${R = - {0.87},\;{P} = {1.98}{e} - {5}}$ ). These promising results show the feasibility of applying the proposed method to clinical assessments for post-stroke hemiparetic patients.
Safety and Health Innovation in Preschools: A Total Worker Health Pilot Project.

OBJECTIVE The primary objective of this study was to evaluate quality of worklife in early childhood education (ECE) centers and implement a total worker health (TWH) pilot project with a small sample of ECE teachers. METHODS An evidence-based strategic planning process to make policy, system, and environmental (PSE) changes related to TWH was implemented with six ECE centers. A pre-post design with mixed-methods was used to evaluate the impact. RESULTS Baseline findings suggest that there are significant disparities related to quality of worklife among ECE teachers compared to the national population. After implementation of the pilot project, ECE centers averaged 4.7 PSE changes. Qualitative data informed facilitators and barriers to implementation of TWH-related changes. CONCLUSIONS This pilot project reflects an evidence-based participatory approach to assessing and improving the well-being of ECE teachers.
Real time digital power system simulator design considerations and relay performance evaluation

Environmental pressures, right of way problems for new transmission lines, large scale system interconnection and increasing power demand especially in developing countries call for new transmission technologies. Use of FACTS and HVDC is gaining momentum. Relaying problems in such systems require a sophisticated approach and numerical technology using high grade processors offers a promising solution. To establish the performance of such relays which are designed more as powerful schemes rather than as a conglomeration of individual relays, detailed testing is required using an elaborate real-time simulator model. These tests are not only necessary during design and development but also are required by the utilities as a part of their acceptance. Highlighting the requirements of a hybrid real-time simulator including the complete spectrum of power system dynamics, this report describes an analog cum digital model used for real-time assessment of system performance. SVCs, HVDC, ASC and CSC can be modelled fully digitally by computer simulation and transient real-time data injection as well as by an analog method using physical simulation with original converter controllers for performance evaluation of numerical relays under real system conditions. As an example of the use of this simulator, tests on a numerical EHV-line relay are described and the relay performance is analyzed.
Developmental outcomes after early surgery for complex congenital heart disease: a systematic review and meta‐analysis

(1) To systematically review the literature on developmental outcomes from infancy to adolescence of children with complex congenital heart disease (CHD) who underwent early surgery; (2) to run a meta‐regression analysis on the Bayley Scales of Infant Development, Second Edition Mental Developmental Index and Psychomotor Developmental Index (PDI) of infants up to 24 months and IQs of preschool‐aged children to adolescents; (3) to assess associations between perioperative risk factors and outcomes.
Older and wiser: age differences in susceptibility to investment fraud: the protective role of emotional intelligence

ABSTRACT There have been inconsistent results regarding whether older adults are more vulnerable to fraud than younger adults. The two main goals of this study were to investigate the claim that there is an age-related vulnerability to fraud and to examine whether emotional intelligence (EI) may be associated with fraud susceptibility. Participants (N = 281; 18–82 years; M = 53.4) were recruited via Amazon’s Mechanical Turk and completed measures of EI, decision-making, and scam susceptibility. Participants who scored higher on “ability” EI were less susceptible to scams. The “younger” group (M = 2.50, SD = 1.06) was more susceptible to scams than the “older” group, p <. 001, d = 0.56, while the “older” group (M = 4.64, SD = 1.52) reported the scams as being more risky than the “younger” group, p =. 002, d = 0.37. “Older” participants were more sensitive to risk, less susceptible to persuasion, and had higher than average emotional understanding. Emotional understanding was found to be a partial mediator for age-related differences in scam susceptibility and susceptibility to persuasion.
“If somebody could just understand what I am going through, it would make all the difference”: Conceptualizations of trauma in homeless populations experiencing severe mental illness

Exposure to violence, vulnerability due to lack of shelter, alienation due to stigma, the experiences of severe mental illness (SMI) and subsequent institutionalization, make homeless persons with SMI uniquely susceptible to trauma exposure and subsequent mental health consequences. This study aims to contribute to the development of culturally sensitive interventions for identifying and treating trauma in a population of homeless persons with SMI in Tamil Nadu, India by understanding the manifestations of trauma and its associated consequences in this population. Free-listing exercises followed by in-depth interviews were conducted with a convenience sample of 26 user-survivors who have experienced homelessness or were at risk of homelessness, and suffered from SMI. Topics explored included events considered to be traumatic, pathways to trauma, associated emotional, physical and social complaints, and coping strategies. Results indicate discrepancies in classification of traumatic events between user-survivors and the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. Traumatic experiences, particularly relating to social relationships and poverty, mentioned by user-survivors did not match traditional conceptualizations of trauma. Positive coping strategies for trauma included being mentally strong, knowledge and awareness, whereas the main negative coping strategy is avoidance. User-survivors attributed their experiences of homelessness and SMI to past traumas. Differing views of trauma between user-survivors and mental health professionals can lead to misdiagnosis and under-recognition of trauma in this population of homeless persons with SMI.
A Noninvasive Glucose Monitoring SoC Based on Single Wavelength Photoplethysmography

Conventional glucose monitoring methods for the growing numbers of diabetic patients around the world are invasive, painful, costly and, time-consuming. Complications aroused due to the abnormal blood sugar levels in diabetic patients have created the necessity for continuous noninvasive glucose monitoring. This article presents a wearable system for glucose monitoring based on a single wavelength near-infrared (NIR) Photoplethysmography (PPG) combined with machine-learning regression (MLR). The PPG readout circuit consists of a switched capacitor Transimpedance amplifier with 1 MΩ gain and a 10-Hz switched capacitor LPF. It allows a DC bias current rejection up to 20 μA with an input-referred current noise of 7.3 pA/√Hz. The proposed digital processor eliminates motion artifacts, and baseline drifts from PPG signal, extracts six distinct features and finally predicts the blood glucose level using Support Vector Regression with Fine Gaussian kernel (FGSVR) MLR. A novel piece-wise linear (PWL) approach for the exponential function is proposed to realize the FGSVR on-chip. The overall system is implemented using a 180 nm CMOS process with a chip area of 4.0 mm2 while consuming 1.62 mW. The glucose measurements are performed for 200 subjects with R2 of 0.937. The proposed system accurately predicts the sugar level with a mean absolute relative difference (mARD) of 7.62%.
Proximal Policy Optimization with Explicit Intrinsic Motivation

As the field of reinforcement learning still suffers from a lack of sufficient exploration in sparse rewards environments and missing control over the trade-off between exploration and exploitation, we propose a newmethod based on intrinsic motivation and the Proximal Policy Optimization algorithm. With the intrinsic motivation serving as an exploration method, we train an agent to optimize its exploratory behavior as well as the behavior solving the predefined task of the environment. Instead of optimizing a single policy following a combination of the intrinsic motivation and the goal of the environment, we simultaneously train two separate policies, one for each of the mentioned tasks. For the interaction with the environment during the training, we use an entropy-based approach to determine the policy that chooses the next action for each step. Besides the possibility of controlling the level of exploration, the proposed method entails a low-noise policy and an extensive exploration of the state space.
The Lasting Effects of Low-Frequency Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation on Resting State EEG in Healthy Subjects

Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) is a noninvasive brain stimulation technique that can influence cortical excitability. Low-frequency rTMS (stimulation frequency ≤1Hz) can induce inhibitory effects on cortical excitability. In order to investigate dynamic changes in neuronal activity after low-frequency rTMS, 20 healthy subjects received 1-Hz rTMS over the right motor area, and electroencephalography (EEG) in resting condition with eyes open was recorded before rTMS and at 0 min, 20 min, 40 min, and 60 min after rTMS. Power values, functional connectivity based on a weighted phase lag index (wPLI), and network characteristics were assessed and compared to study the aftereffects of rTMS. Our results show that low-frequency rTMS produced a delayed long-lasting increase in alpha-band power values in frontoparietal brain areas and an immediate long-lasting increase in theta-band power values in the ipsilateral frontal and contralateral centroparietal areas. In the alpha band, functional connectivity decreased immediately after rTMS but significantly increased at 20 min after rTMS. Moreover, an analysis of undirected graphs revealed that the number of connections significantly changed in the anterior and posterior regions in the alpha band. In addition, there were significant decreases in clustering coefficients of the channels near the site of stimulation in the alpha and theta bands after rTMS. In conclusion, low-frequency rTMS produces widespread and long-lasting alterations in neural oscillation and functional connectivity. This work implies that low-frequency rTMS can induce inhibitory effects on motor cortical excitability ipsilateral to the stimulation site.
TMF inhibits miR-29a/Wnt/ β -catenin signaling through upregulating Foxo3a activity in osteoarthritis chondrocytes

Background: miR-29a, a downstream factor of Wnt/ β -catenin signaling, promotes the activity of the Wnt/ β -catenin signaling in a positive feedback loop. Our previous work showed that 5,7,3 ʹ ,4 ʹ -tetramethoxy ﬂ avone (TMF), a major constituent from Murraya exotica L. , exhibited chondroprotective activity by inhibiting the activity of Wnt/ β -catenin signaling. Purpose: To investigate whether TMF showed the inhibitory effects on miR-29a/ β -catenin signaling by up regulation of Foxo3a expression. Methods: Rat knee OA models were duplicated by using Hulth ’ s method. TMF (5 μ g/mL and 20 μ g/mL) was used for administration to cultured cells, which were isolated from the rat cartilages. Analysis of chondrocytes apoptosis, gene expression, and protein expression were conducted. In addition, miR-29a mimics and pcDNA3.1(+)-Foxo3a vector were used for transfection, luciferase reporter assay for detecting the activity of Wnt/ β -catenin signaling, and co-immunoprecipitation for determining proteins interaction. Results: TMF down regulated miR-29a/ β -catenin signaling activity and cleaved caspase-3 expression and up regulated Foxo3a expression in OA rat cartilages. In vitro, miR-29a mimics down regulated the expression of Foxo3a and up regulated the activity of Wnt/ β catenin signaling and cleaved caspase-3 expression. TMF ameliorated miR-29a/ β -catenin-induced chondrocytes apoptosis by up regulation of Foxo3a expression. Conclusion: TMF exhibited chondroprotective activity by up regulating Foxo3a expression and subsequently inhibiting miR-29a/Wnt/ β -catenin signaling activity.
Static Sliding Mode Control of Systems With Arbitrary Relative Degree by Using Artificial Delay

Static output-feedback stabilization of systems with relative degree <inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$n$</tex-math></inline-formula> with matched disturbances is considered. Assuming that the system is controllable, a static output-feedback sliding mode controller is designed, where the output derivatives up to the order <inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$(n-1)$</tex-math></inline-formula> are approximated by using the current and the delayed values of the output. Numerical examples illustrate the efficiency of the method.
Exploring the Active Compounds of Traditional Mongolian Medicine Agsirga in Intervention of Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) Based on HPLC-Q-Exactive-MS/MS and Molecular Docking Method

Objective: To screen all compounds of Agsirga based on the HPLC-Q-Exactive high-resolution mass spectrometry and find potential inhibitors that can respond to 2019-nCoV from active compounds of Agsirga by molecular docking technology. Methods: HPLC-Q-Exactive high-resolution mass spectrometry was adopted to identify the complex components of Mongolian medicine Agsirga, and separated by the high-resolution mass spectrometry Q-Exactive detector. Then the Orbitrap detector was used in tandem high-resolution mass spectrometry, and the related molecular and structural formula were found by using the chemsipider database and related literature, combined with precise molecular formulas (errors ≤ 5 × 10−6) , retention time, primary mass spectra, and secondary mass spectra information, The fragmentation regularities of mass spectra of these compounds were deduced. Taking ACE2 as the receptor and deduced compounds as the ligand, all of them were pretreated by discover studio, autodock and Chem3D. The molecular docking between the active ingredients and the target protein was studied by using AutoDock molecular docking software. The interaction between ligand and receptor is applied to provide a choice for screening anti-2019-nCoV drugs. Result: Based on the fragmentation patterns of the reference compounds and consulting literature, a total of 96 major alkaloids and stilbenes were screened and identified in Agsirga by the HPLC-Q-Exactive-MS/MS method. Combining with molecular docking, a conclusion was got that there are potential active substances in Mongolian medicine Agsirga which can block the binding of ACE2 and 2019-nCoV at the molecular level.