Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Early and Severe Polycystic Kidney Disease and Related Ciliopathies: An Emerging Field of Interest

Early and severe forms of polycystic kidney disease (PKD) do already manifest during childhood or adolescence. They are characterized by enlarged kidneys and diminished renal function that prenatally may result in Potter’s oligohydramnios sequence. Genetically, various defects can mimic this phenotype. Most common are PKHD1 mutations that lead to autosomal recessive PKD (ARPKD). About the same number of children do carry mutations in the dominant autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) genes, PKD1 and less frequent PKD2, often arise de novo or may affect both disease alleles in a recessive mode. Mutations in DZIP1L have been recently described to result in an ARPKD-like phenotype. Likewise, mutations in several other cystogenes can phenocopy early and severe PKD. Early and reliable prenatal diagnosis for which there is a strong demand in ARPKD and related diseases is feasible only by genetics. A comprehensive knowledge of disease-causing genes is essential for the correct diagnosis and parental counselling. The increasing number of genes that need to be considered benefits from the advances of next generation sequencing and allows the simultaneous analysis of all genes of interest in a single test, which is now the mainstay for genetic diagnosis. Interpretation of data is challenging and requires expert knowledge in data handling, bioinformatics and clinical genetics.
Tetrandrine, a novel inhibitor of ether‐à‐go‐go‐1 (Eag1), targeted to cervical cancer development

Mortality‐to‐incidence ratios in patients with cancer are extremely high, positioning cancer as a major cause of death worldwide. Ether‐à‐go‐go‐1 (Eag1) is an ion channel that plays important roles in tumour proliferation, malignant transformation, invasion, metastasis, recurrence, and prognosis. Therefore, identifying potent and specific Eag1 channel inhibitors is crucial. In this study, we identified the first natural inhibitor of Eag1, the traditional Chinese medicine agent tetrandrine, and explored the underlying mechanism. Tetrandrine directly interacted with Eag1 and inhibited the currents in a concentration‐dependent manner (IC50 of 69.97 ± 5.2 μM), and the amino acids Ile 550, Thr 552, and Gln 557 in the Eag1 C‐linker domain were critical for tetrandrine’s inhibitory effect. Moreover, tetrandrine reduced the proliferation of HeLa cells and Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells stably expressing Eag1 in a concentration‐dependent manner. Finally, tetrandrine (30 mg/kg/day) inhibited tumor growth in mice, demonstrating a 64.21% inhibitory rate of HeLa cell‐transplanted tumors. These results suggest that tetrandrine is a potent and selective Eag1 channel inhibitor, and could act as a leading compound in the development of therapies for Eag1 ion channel dysfunction‐induced diseases.
Effect of Cistanche Tubulosa Extracts on Male Reproductive Function in Streptozotocin–Nicotinamide-Induced Diabetic Rats

Diabetes is a chronic disorder characterized by hyperglycemia due to decreased levels of insulin or the inefficiency of the tissue to use it effectively. Infertility is known as a major outcome of diabetes and affects the male reproductive system by causing sperm impairment and gonadal dysfunction. Cistanche tubulosa is a parasitic plant which has the capacity to improve memory, immunity, and sexual ability, reduce impotence, and minimize constipation. This study was focused on the investigation of the anti-inflammatory and protective effects of echinacoside (ECH) in Cistanche tubulosa extract (CTE) on the male reproductive system of the diabetic rats. The antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and protective effects of CTE were evaluated by both in vitro and in vivo methods. The in vitro results show that the ECH inhibited reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and improved StAR, CYP11A1, CYP17A1, and HSD17β3 protein expression. The in vivo analysis was carried out with three doses of echinacoside (ECH) (80, 160, and 320 mg/kg) in CTE. In total, 0.571 mg/kg of rosiglitazone (RSG) was administered as a positive control. Diabetes was induced by streptozotocin (STZ) (65 mg/kg) and nicotinamide (230 mg/kg) in combination with a high-fat diet (45%). The in vivo studies confirmed that the ECH improved blood sugar levels, insulin resistance, leptin resistance, and lipid peroxidation. It can restore kisspeptin 1 (KiSS1), G protein-coupled receptor GPR 54, suppressor of cytokine signaling 3 (SOCS-3), and sirtuin 1 (SIRT1) messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) expression in the hypothalamus and recover sex hormone level. Thus, this study confirmed the antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and steroidogenesis effects of CTE.
Zeit- und kosteneffiziente Evidenzgenerierung? Ein Scoping Review zum Methodeneinsatz in der deutschsprachigen, kommunikationswissenschaftlichen Forschung zur Gesundheitskommunikation

Egal ob Policy-Entscheidungen zu Themen wie Klimawandel, Bildungsoder Gesundheitspolitik oder ärztliche Entscheidungen über medizinische Behandlungen: qualitativ hochwertige und gesicherte wissenschaftliche Evidenz ist insbesondere für Entscheidungen über unsichere oder konflikthafte Sachverhalte unabdingbar. Ursprünglich in der Medizin definiert als „the conscientious, explicit, and judicious use of current best evidence in making decisions“ (Sackett, Rosenberg, Gray, Haynes, & Richardson, 1996), wird Evidenzbasierung vermehrt auch in der Gesundheitskommunikationsforschung – insbesondere im Hinblick auf die Gestaltung von Gesundheitskampagnen sowie -informationen – diskutiert (Lühnen, Albrecht, Mühlhauser, & Steckelberg, 2017; Reifegerste & Hastall, 2014; Rossmann, 2015).
Multijunction Solar Cells With Graded Buffer Bragg Reflectors

Metamorphic solar cells can have optimal bandgap combinations through the use of compositionally graded buffers, where the lattice constant is slowly varied over several microns of growth. Bragg reflectors consist of several microns of alternating layers with refractive index contrast and provide a useful internal reflection to multijunction solar cells with optically thin subcells. In this work, we implement distributed Bragg reflectors within the compositionally graded buffers of inverted metamorphic solar cells to add functionality to the buffer. The reflectance of this AlGaInAs “graded buffer Bragg reflector” is very similar to the reflectance of a similar AlGaAs Bragg reflector external to a buffer as well as the reflectance predicted by the transfer matrix model, indicating that the roughness of the buffer does not drastically reduce the reflection. Reflectance of 72%, 91%, and 98% is achieved in 2, 4, and 8 μm buffers using AlGaInAs layers that alternate between 30% and 70% aluminum content. Using a 2 μm graded buffer Bragg reflector, the 1.0-eV mismatched subcell of a GaAs/GaInAs tandem has a minor increase in threading dislocation density compared to a standard graded buffer and a small, 20 mV, loss in voltage. As the buffer is thickened, the voltage loss is recuperated and excellent subcell voltages are achieved, indicating that the Bragg reflector is not severely hindering dislocation glide. We demonstrate that the benefits of the graded buffer Bragg reflector for optically thin subcells and subcells containing quantum wells, and conclude that Bragg reflectors can effectively be implemented within graded buffers, adding functionality without adding cost.
Thin-Disk Laser Oscillator Driving THz Generation Up To 6 THz

We present a proof-of-principle demonstration of THz generation driven by a short-pulse thin-disk laser (TDL) oscillator. The laser source is based on a directly diode-pumped Yb:Lu2O3 gain crystal delivering 4 W average power in 50-fs pulses at 61 MHz repetition rate. Broadband THz radiation up to 6 THz is generated by optical rectification and detected via electrooptic sampling in GaP crystals. Our experiment shows the high potential of this power-scalable technology for driving MHz-repetition-rate broadband THz systems.
High-fat-diet-induced inflammation depresses the appetite of blunt snout bream (Megalobrama amblycephala) through the transcriptional regulation of leptin/mammalian target of rapamycin

Abstract The aim of this article was to investigate the mechanism of appetite suppression induced by high-fat diets (HFD) in blunt snout bream (Megalobrama amblycephala). Fish (average initial weight 40·0 (sem 0·35) g) were fed diets with two fat levels (6 and 11 %) with four replicates. HFD feeding for 30 d could significantly increase the weight gain rate, but feeding for 60 d cannot. Food intake of M. amblycephala began to decline significantly in fish fed the HFD for 48 d. HFD feeding for 60 d significantly reduced the expression of neuropeptide Y and elevated the expression of cocaine- and amphetamine-regulated transcript (CART), actions both in favour of suppression of appetite. The activation of fatty acid sensing was partly responsible for the weakened appetite. In addition, inflammatory factors induced by the HFD may be involved in the regulation of appetite by increasing the secretion of leptin and then activating the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR). Lipopolysaccharide (LPS, 2·0 mg/kg of fish weight) was administered to induce inflammation, and sampling was performed after 3, 6, 9, 12, 18, 24 and 48 h of LPS injection. Within 6–24 h of LPS injection, the food intake and appetite of M. amblycephala decreased significantly, whereas the mRNA expression of leptin and mTOR increased significantly. Our results indicate that inflammatory cytokines may be the cause of appetite suppression in M. amblycephala fed a HFD.
Nano-Dispersed Ziegler-Natta Catalysts for 1 μm-Sized Ultra-High Molecular Weight Polyethylene Particles

A catalytic approach to synthesize microfine ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) particles was proposed based on the exploitation of nano-sized catalysts. By utilizing MgO nanoparticles as a core material, a Ziegler-Natta-type MgO/MgCl2/TiCl4 core-shell catalyst with the particle size in a nano-range scale was prepared in a simple preparation step. The organic modification of MgO surfaces prior to catalyzation prevented agglomeration and facilitated the full dispersion of catalyst particles at a primary particle level for the first time. The nano-dispersed catalysts successfully afforded a direct access to UHMWPE having the particle size in the range of 1–2 μm at a reasonable activity. Extremely fine polymer particles yielded several advantages, especially at a significantly lower fusion temperature in compression molding.
ENS-Unet: End-to-End Noise Suppression U-Net for Brain Tumor Segmentation

Thanks to deep convolutional neural networks (CNNs), Brain Tumor Segmentation (BTS) has made great progresses, while most existing methods are parsed into several stages and cannot be trained end-to-end. In this paper, we propose a novel and light noise suppression network (ENS-Unet) to achieve end-to-end learning without elaborate pre-processing and post-processing. Specifically, Slice-based Normalization is first proposed to enhance the model adaptability, where the impacts of different data distributions between training and test samples are restrained. Additionally, aiming at suppressing noises, Noise Suppression U-net (NS-Unet) is designed to obtain better image representation. Finally, to cope with the unbalanced problem of training data, Batch-based Loss, deriving from the statistical distribution within mini-batch, is adopted to adjust the weights of classes. Extensive experiments on BraTS 2013 and 2015 datasets demonstrate that the proposed method achieves very competitive results with the state-of-the-art approaches.
A Fuzzy IBE Scheme with Attribute Timeliness

An identity-based encryption scheme with timeliness and weighted values is presented in this paper. For a user, he always has several attributes of his identity. Data provider sets the timeliness of every attribute and different weight according to the importance of attributes of each identity. Even if some data consumers possess the attributes satisfying the ciphertext policy, only those consumers who have attributes in valid time range and have more attributes of greater weighted value can actually get access to the data. The proposed scheme is versatile to be used for obtaining quality customer various in the social networks service environments of voting, friends making and subscribe service.
The Effect of Educational Intervention Based on Health Belief Model and Social Support on the Rate of Participation of Individuals in Performing Fecal Occult Blood Test for Colorectal Cancer Screening

Background and Aim: Among the screening tests for colorectal cancer, fecal occult blood test (FOBT) is important in comparison other methods due to its ease of use and low cost.The aim of this study is to survey the effect of educational intervention based on health belief model and social support on the rate of participation of individuals in performing fecal occult blood test for colorectal cancer screening among men who referred to the health centers in FasaCity, Fars province, Iran. Materials and Methods: In this quasi-experimental study, 200 men (100 in experimental group and 100 in control group) in FasaCity, Fars province, Iranwere selected in 2017. A questionnaire consisting of demographic information, knowledge, HBM constructs (perceived susceptibility, severity, benefits, barriers, self- efficacy and cues to action) and social support was used to measure the rate of participation of individuals in performing Fecal Occult Blood Test for colorectal cancer screening before and three months after the intervention. Data were analyzed using SPSS22 viadescriptive and inferential statistics, paired t-test, Mann-Whitney, Chi-square, and independent t-test at a significance level of 0.5. Results: The mean age of the men was 63.18 ± 8.25 years in the experimental group and 65.11 ± 7.66 years in the control group. Three months after the intervention, the experimental group showed a significant increase in the knowledge, perceived susceptibility, perceived severity, perceived benefits, Self-efficacy, cues to action, social support and the level of referrals (participation) of subjects for FOBTcompared to the control group. Conclusion: This study showed the effectiveness of HBM constructs and social support in adoption of the level of participation of subjects for FOBTin men. Hence, these models can act as a framework for designing and implementing educational interventions for undergoing FOBT.
Validation of a wireless patch sensor to monitor mobility tested in both an experimental and a hospital setup: A cross-sectional study

Purpose To assess the concurrent validity of a wireless patch sensor to monitor time lying, sitting/standing, and walking in an experimental and a hospital setup. Methods Healthy adults participated in two testing sessions: an experimental and real-world hospital setup. Data on time lying, sitting/standing, and walking was collected with the HealthPatch and concurrent video recordings. Validity was assessed in three ways: 1. test for mean differences between HealthPatch data and reference values; 2. Intraclass Correlation Coefficient analysis (ICC 3.1 agreement); and 3. test for mean differences between posture detection accuracies. Results Thirty-one males were included. Significant mean differences were found between HealthPatch data and reference values for sitting/standing (mean 14.4 minutes, reference: 12.0 minutes, p<0.01) and walking (mean 6.4 minutes, reference: 9.0 minutes, p<0.01) in the experimental setup. Good correlations were found between the HealthPatch data and video data for lying (ICC: 0.824) and sitting/standing (ICC: 0.715) in the hospital setup. Posture detection accuracies of the HealthPatch were significantly higher for lying and sitting/standing in the experimental setup. Conclusions Overall, the results show a good validity of the HealthPatch to monitor lying and poor validity to monitor sitting/standing or walking. In addition, the validity outcomes were less favourable in the hospital setup.
Towards the Ambulatory Assessment of Movement Quality in Stroke Survivors using a Wrist-worn Inertial Sensor

Stroke is a leading cause of long-term disability that may lead to significant functional motor impairments in the upper limb (UL). Wrist-worn inertial sensors have emerged as an objective, minimally-obtrusive tool to monitor UL motor function in the real-world setting, such that rehabilitation interventions can be individually tailored to maximize functional performance. However, current wearable solutions focus on capturing the quantity of movement without considering the quality of movement. This paper introduces a novel approach to unobtrusively estimate the quality of UL movements in stroke survivors using a single wrist-worn inertial sensor during any type of voluntary UL movements. The proposed method exploits kinematic characteristics of voluntary limb movements that are optimized by the central nervous system during motor control. This work demonstrates that the proposed method could extract clinically important information during random UL movements in 16 stroke survivors, showing a statistically significant correlation to the Functional Ability Scale - a clinically validated score for movement quality.
Smartphone apps for total hip replacement and total knee replacement surgery patients: a systematic review

Abstract Purpose: The aim of this study was to critically examine the content of smartphone apps produced for patients undergoing total hip replacement and total knee replacement surgery. Materials and methods: A systematic search was conducted across the five most popular smartphone app stores: iTunes; Google Play; Windows Mobile; Blackberry App World; and Nokia Ovi. Apps were identified for screening if they: targeted total hip replacement or total knee replacement patients; were free of charge; and were in English. App quality assessment was conducted independently by three reviewers using the Mobile App Rating Scale. Results: 15 apps met the inclusion criteria. On the 5-point Mobile App Rating Scale, the mean overall app quality score was 3.1. Within the Mobile App Rating Scale, the “Aesthetics” subscale had the most inconsistency across all apps, generating the highest and lowest mean scores (4.7 and 1, respectively). The “functionality” subscale had the highest mean score (3.8) among the four subscales, and the “information” subscale had the lowest mean score (2.7). Conclusion: This study highlights that despite a wide range of apps currently available to total hip replacement and total knee replacement patients, there is significant variability in their quality. Future efforts should be made to develop apps in partnership with patients, to improve the content, interactivity and relevance of apps. Implications for Rehabilitation Clinicians and rehabilitation professionals should consider that patients are using Smartphone apps to supplement their rehabilitation and be aware of currently available apps. Although some apps show promise, at present there is no one openly available app which is clinically recommended for rehabilitation use following total hip replacement and total knee replacement. Rehabilitation professionals tailor recovery programmes to individual patient needs following total hip replacement and total knee replacement, and future apps should also consider personal needs. We recommend that patients are involved in all stages of designing and testing future total hip replacement and total knee replacement rehabilitation apps.
Convolutional Feature Vectors and Support Vector Machine for Animal Sound Classification

Pattern classification based on deep network outperforms conventional methods in many tasks. However, if the database for training exhibits internal representation that lacks substantial discernibility for different classes, the network is considered that learning is essentially failed. Such failure is evident when the accuracy drops sharply in the experiments performing classification task where the animal sounds are observed similar. To address and remedy the learning problem, this paper proposes a novel approach composed of a combination of multiple CNNs each separately pre-trained for generating midlevel features according to each class and then merged into a combined CNN unit with SVM for overall classification. For experiment, animal sound database that include 3 classes with 102 species is firstly established. From the experimental results using the database, the proposed method is shown to outperform over prominent conventional methods.
An Optimal Construction for the Barthelmann-Schwentick Normal Form on Classes of Structures of Bounded Degree

Building on the locality conditions for first-order logic by Hanf and Gaifman, Barthelmann and Schwentick showed in 1999 that every first-order formula is equivalent to a formula of the shape $\exists x_1 \dotsc \exists x_k \forall y\,\phi$ where quantification in $\phi$ is relativised to elements of distance $\leq r$ from $y$. Such a formula will be called Barthelmann-Schwentick normal form (BSNF) in the following. However, although the proof is effective, it leads to a non-elementary blow-up of the BSNF in terms of the size of the original formula. We show that, if equivalence on the class of all structures, or even only finite forests, is required, this non-elementary blow-up is indeed unavoidable. We then examine restricted classes of structures where more efficient algorithms are possible. In this direction, we show that on any class of structures of degree $\leq 2$, BSNF can be computed in 2-fold exponential time with respect to the size of the input formula. And for any class of structures of degree $\leq d$ for some $d\geq 3$, this is possible in 3-fold exponential time. For both cases, we provide matching lower bounds.
Indocyanine green can stand alone in detecting sentinel lymph nodes in cervical cancer

Objectives The effectiveness of indocyanine green (ICG) dye for detecting sentinel lymph nodes (SLNs) in cervical cancer compared with other tracers is unknown. This study aimed to assess the validity of ICG dye in detecting SLNs in cervical cancer preoperatively. Methods We performed a literature search for identifying eligible articles from PubMed database using the search terms “cervical cancer”, “sentinel lymph node”, “indocyanine green”, “blue dyes”, “human serum albumin”, and “technetium-99 radiocolloid”. We performed a meta-analysis. Comparison of the overall, bilateral, and unilateral detection rates of the different tracers was the primary goal. Comparison of the false-negative rate among the tracers was the secondary goal. Results Only eight retrospective studies including 661 patients were included. ICG versus combinations of three other tracers showed significantly higher bilateral and unilateral detection rates, but no difference in the overall rate of detecting SLNs. ICG had a higher bilateral detection rate than blue dye and technetium-99. Absorbing human serum albumin into ICG as a lymphatic tracer did not show a difference in detection rate compared with ICG alone. Conclusions ICG is superior and better than other tracers, and absorbing human serum albumin as a lymphatic tracer is not required in patients with cervical cancer.