Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Landscape of Infiltrated Immune Cell Characterization in Uveal Melanoma to Improve Immune Checkpoint Blockade Therapy

Background Numerous studies indicated that tumor-infiltrated immune cells (TIC) in the microenvironment are substantially linked to immunotherapy response and cancer prognosis. However, systematic studies of infiltrated immune cell characterization in uveal melanoma (UM) for prognosis and immune checkpoint blockade therapy are lacking. Methods UM datasets were extracted from open access resources (TCGA and GEO databases). The tumor-infiltrated immune cells in the microenvironment were decoded by using the CIBERSORT algorithm, which was further applied to classify UM patients into subgroups using an unsupervised clustering method. The Boruta algorithm and principal component analysis were used to calculate the TIC scores for UM patients. Kaplan–Meier curves were plotted to prove the prognostic value of TIC scores. Besides, the correlations of the TIC score with clinical features, mutated characteristics, and the immune therapeutic response were subsequently investigated. Results As a result, we defined three subtypes among 171 UM patients according to the TIC profiles and then calculated the TIC score to characterize the immune patterns for all patients. We discovered that high-TIC score patients with low BAP1 and high EIF1AX mutations have a better prognosis than low-TIC score patients. Activation of immune inflammatory response and increase in immune checkpoint-related genes in high-TIC score patients may account for good prognosis and immunotherapy response. Three melanoma cohorts received immunotherapy, proving that high-TIC score patients have substantial clinical and immune therapeutic improvements. Besides, several potential therapeutic agents were identified in the low-TIC score group. Conclusion Our study afforded a comprehensive view of infiltrated immune cell characterization to elucidate different immune patterns of UM. We also established a robust TIC-score signature, which may work as a prognostic biomarker and immune therapeutic predictor.
YALIcloneNHEJ: An Efficient Modular Cloning Toolkit for NHEJ Integration of Multigene Pathway and Terpenoid Production in Yarrowia lipolytica

Non-homologous end-joining (NHEJ)-mediated random integration in Yarrowia lipolytica has been demonstrated to be an effective strategy for screening hyperproducer strains. However, there was no multigene assembly method applied for NHEJ integration, which made it challenging to construct and integrate metabolic pathways. In this study, a Golden Gate modular cloning system (YALIcloneNHEJ) was established to develop a robust DNA assembly platform in Y. lipolytica. By optimizing key factors, including the amounts of ligase and the reaction cycles, the assembly efficiency of 4, 7, and 10 fragments reached up to 90, 75, and 50%, respectively. This YALIcloneNHEJ system was subsequently applied for the overproduction of the sesquiterpene (-)-α-bisabolol by constructing a biosynthesis route and enhancing the flux in the mevalonate pathway. The resulting strain produced 4.4 g/L (-)-α-bisabolol, the highest titer reported in yeast to date. Our study expands the toolbox of metabolic engineering and is expected to enable a highly efficient production of various terpenoids.
Simple Preparation of a Waterborne Polyurethane Crosslinked Hydrogel Adhesive With Satisfactory Mechanical Properties and Adhesion Properties

Waterborne polyurethane has been proven to be an ideal additive for the preparation of hydrogels with excellent mechanical properties. This work reports that a satisfactory adhesion of acrylamide hydrogels can be obtained by introducing a large amount of waterborne polyurethane into system. A series of polyurethane hydrogels was prepared by using one-pot method with acrylamide monomer and 2-hydroxymethyl methacrylate end-modified waterborne polyurethane emulsion. The hydrogels exhibit good strength (greater than 30 KPa), wide range of adjustable strain (200%–800%), and excellent compression fatigue resistance. The performance improvement is attributed to the fact that the polyurethane emulsion containing double bonds provides chemical crosslinking and forms polyurethane microregions due to hydrophilic and hydrophobic interactions. The hydrogel shows extensive and repeatable adhesion on diverse substrates. This simple preparation method through polyurethane crosslinked hydrogels is expected to become a low-cost and efficient preparation strategy for hydrogel adhesives.
Preliminary Clinical Application of RGD-Containing Peptides as PET Radiotracers for Imaging Tumors

Angiogenesis is a common feature of many physiological processes and pathological conditions. RGD-containing peptides can strongly bind to integrin αvβ3 expressed on endothelial cells in neovessels and several tumor cells with high specificity, making them promising molecular agents for imaging angiogenesis. Although studies of RGD-containing peptides combined with radionuclides, namely, 18F, 64Cu, and 68Ga for positron emission tomography (PET) imaging have shown high spatial resolution and accurate quantification of tracer uptake, only a few of these radiotracers have been successfully translated into clinical use. This review summarizes the RGD-based tracers in terms of accumulation in tumors and adjacent tissues, and comparison with traditional 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) imaging. The value of RGD-based tracers for diagnosis, differential diagnosis, tumor subvolume delineation, and therapeutic response prediction is mainly discussed. Very low RGD accumulation, in contrast to high FDG metabolism, was found in normal brain tissue, indicating that RGD-based imaging provides an excellent tumor-to-background ratio for improved brain tumor imaging. However, the intensity of the RGD-based tracers is much higher than FDG in normal liver tissue, which could lead to underestimation of primary or metastatic lesions in liver. In multiple studies, RGD-based imaging successfully realized the diagnosis and differential diagnosis of solid tumors and also the prediction of chemoradiotherapy response, providing complementary rather than similar information relative to FDG imaging. Of most interest, baseline RGD uptake values can not only be used to predict the tumor efficacy of antiangiogenic therapy, but also to monitor the occurrence of adverse events in normal organs. This unique dual predictive value in antiangiogenic therapy may be better than that of FDG-based imaging.
Calculation and Analysis on Excavation Cycle Length of Shallow Portal Sections of Tunnels Located in Talus Deposits: Case Study on Zhaojiawu Tunnel on Ma-Zhao Highway in Yunnan,China

At present,there is lack of experience in the construction of tunnels located in talus deposits and it is random to choose the excavation cycle length for tunnels located in talus deposits. The entrance portal section and exit portal section of Zhaojiawu tunnel on Ma-Zhao highway in Yunnan,China are located in talus deposits. In the paper,the calculation formulas for the excavation cycle length of the shallow portal section of Zhaojiawu tunnel are proposed on basis of silo theory,and the appropriate excavation cycle length of the portal section in talus deposits under the condition of different core soil lengths and different mechanical parameters of the talus deposits are analyzed. Conclusions drawn are as follows: 1) Whatever the excavation cycle length is,during the construction of tunnels located in talus deposits,the safety coefficient of the tunnel face is small and the tunnel face may lose its stability if no advance support or reinforcement measures are taken; 2) Core soil kept can improve the stability of the tunnel face significantly; 3) The excavation cycle length is sensitive to the cohesion of the surrounding rock,which is unfavorable for the stability of the tunnels located in talus deposits.
A Comparative Study of Effect of Physiotherapy and Pharmacotherapy in Patients with Trismus

Temporomandibular disorder (TMD) is a generic term used for any problem concerning the jaw joint. Injury to the jaw, temporomandibular joint, or muscles of the head and neck can cause TMD. Other possible causes include grinding or clenching the teeth, which puts a lot of pressure on the TMJ; dislocation of the disc; presence of osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis in the TMJ; stress, which can cause a person to tighten facial and jaw muscles or clench the teeth; aging Signs and symptoms of temporomandibular disorders (TMDs) may include pain, impaired jaw function, malocclusion, deviation or deflection, limited range of motion, joint noise, and locking. Headache, tinnitus, visual changes, and other neurologic complaints may also accompany TMDs. The definition of trismus is an inability to open the mouth due to muscular spasm, but more generally it refers to limited mouth opening of any cause. Another definition of trismus is simply a limitation of movement. Trismus has number of causes, which may be simple and non progressive or may be potentially life threatening. The causes of Trismus includes infection, trauma, dental treatment, temporomandibular joint disorders, tumours and oral care, drugs, radiotherapy and chemotherapy, congenital problems, miscellaneous disorders.
L2Explorer: A Lifelong Reinforcement Learning Assessment Environment

Despite groundbreaking progress in reinforcement learning for robotics, gameplay, and other complex domains, major challenges remain in applying reinforcement learning to the evolving, open-world problems often found in critical application spaces. Reinforcement learning solutions tend to generalize poorly when exposed to new tasks outside of the data distribution they are trained on, prompting an interest in continual learning algorithms. In tandem with research on continual learning algorithms, there is a need for challenge environments, carefully designed experiments, and metrics to assess research progress. We address the latter need by introducing a framework for continual reinforcement-learning development and assessment using Lifelong Learning Explorer (L2Explorer), a new, Unity-based, first-person 3D exploration environment that can be continuously reconfigured to generate a range of tasks and task variants structured into complex and evolving evaluation curricula. In contrast to procedurally generated worlds with randomized components, we have developed a systematic approach to defining curricula in response to controlled changes with accompanying metrics to assess transfer, performance recovery, and data efficiency. Taken together, the L2Explorer environment and evaluation approach provides a framework for developing future evaluation methodologies in open-world settings and rigorously evaluating approaches to lifelong learning.
RESILIENCE IN CHILDREN WITH DD AND THEIR FAMILIES 1 Associations between Resilience and the Well-Being of Mothers of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Other Developmental Disabilities

There is variability in the extent to which mothers are affected by the behavior problems of their children with developmental disabilities (DD). We explore whether maternal resilience functions as a protective or compensatory factor. In Studies 1 and 2, using moderated multiple regression models, we found evidence that maternal resilience functioned as a compensatory factor – having a significant independent main effect relationship with wellbeing outcomes in mothers of children with DD and autism spectrum disorder. However, there was no longitudinal association between resilience and maternal well-being outcomes. There was little evidence of the role of resilience as a protective factor between child behavior problems and maternal well-being in both studies.
Uncertainty in eddy covariance measurements and its application to physiological models

Flux data are noisy, and this uncertainty is largely due to random measurement error. Knowledge of uncertainty is essential for the statistical evaluation of modeled andmeasured fluxes, for comparison of parameters derived by fitting models to measured fluxes and in formal data-assimilation efforts. We used the difference between simultaneous measurements from two towers located less than 1 km apart to quantify the distributional characteristics of the measurement error in fluxes of carbon dioxide (COz) and sensible and latent heat (H and LE, respectively). Flux measurement error more closely follows a double exponential than a nornal distribution. The COz flux uncertainty is negatively correlated with mean wind speed, whereas uncertainty in H and LE is positively correlated with net radiation flux. Measurements from a single tower made 24 h apart under similar environmental conditions can also be used to characterize flux uncertainty. Uncertainty calculated by this method is somewhat higher than that derived from the two-tower approach. We demonstrate the use of flux uncertainty in maximum likelihood parameter estimates for simple physiological models of daytime net carbon exchange. We show that inferred model parsmeters are highly correlated, and that hypothesis testing is therefore possible only when the joint distribution of the model parameters is taken into account.
Blind Source Separation via a Weak Exclusion Principle

In this paper, we propose a generalized Blind Source Separation (BSS) method using a novel assumption which we call “weak exclusion” principle. We first give the mathematical definition of the exclusion criterion and propose an iterative algorithm to minimize it. We then test WEP in simulated and real datasets, compared with other four methods. The experiments on synthetic and real datasets demonstrate that WEP outperforms the other methods, both in terms of accuracy and in terms of speed.
DEVELOPMENT AND VALIDATION OF A PHASE-FIELD METHOD FOR AN ARBITRARY NUMBER OF IMMISCIBLE INCOMPRESSIBLE FLUIDS

We present the most recent work concerning method development, implementation and validation of N (N > 2) immiscible, incompressible and isothermal fluids enhancing further our library for the diffuse interface phase-field interface capturing method in FOAM-extend 4.0/4.1. The phase-field method is an energic variational formulation based on the work of Cahn and Hilliard [1] where the interface is composed of a physical diffuse layer resembling realistic interfaces.
Optimal Power Flow in Multiphase Radial Networks with Delta Connections

This paper focuses on multiphase radial distribution networks with mixed wye and delta connections, and proposes a semidefinite relaxation of the AC optimal power flow (OPF) problem. Two multiphase power flow models are developed to facilitate the integration of delta-connected generation units/loads in the OPF problem. The first model is referred to as the extended branch flow model (EBFM). The second model leverages a linear relationship between phase-to-ground power injections and delta connections that holds under a balanced voltage approximation (BVA). Based on these models, pertinent OPF problems are formulated and relaxed to semidefinite programs (SDPs). Numerical studies on IEEE test feeders show that the proposed SDP relaxations can be solved efficiently by a generic optimization solver. Numerical evidence also indicates that solving the resultant SDP under BVA is faster than under EBFM. Moreover, both SDP solutions are numerically exact with respect to voltages and branch flows. It is further shown that the SDP solution under BVA has a small optimality gap, and the BVA model is accurate in the sense that it reproduces actual system voltages.
Comparison of the Effectiveness of Emotional Self-Regulation Strategies and Pain Coping Strategies on Health Dimensions among Patients with Coronary Heart Disease

Background: Healthy heart is essential to human life, and cardiovascular disease is not specific to any age or gender and can affect anyone at any age and gender. Objectives: This study was conducted to compare the effectiveness of emotional self-regulation strategies and pain coping strategies on health dimensions among patients with coronary heart disease. Methods: This semi-experimental study was conducted based on a pretest-posttest control group design and follow-up. The statistical population consisted of all patients with coronary heart disease referring to Heshmatieh Hospital in Sabzevar, Razavi Khorasan Province, Iran, within July-October, 2019. A total of 45 samples were randomly selected and divided into two experimental and one control group. The research instrument was the General Health Questionnaire. The data were analyzed using repeated measure analysis of variance in SPSS 25. Results: The results showed that emotional self-regulation strategies and pain coping strategies had an effect on health dimensions and reduced physical symptoms, anxiety and insomnia, social dysfunction, and depression in patients with coronary heart disease (P<0.001). The findings also revealed that in the physical symptoms dimension, the difference between emotional self-regulation strategies and pain coping strategies was significant, and pain coping strategies were more effective than emotional self-regulation strategies (P<0.001). Conclusion: Training emotional self-regulation and pain coping skills may enhance health outcomes in people with coronary heart disease.
RESIDUAL PERFORMANCE ANALYSIS OF BRIDGE STRUCTURE CONSIDERING HEAVY LOAD EFFECT

The structural performance of bridges eventually decreases, and risk in bridge operations increase, as well as the equivalent effect of vehicle loads, particularly heavy traffic. To further clarify the relationship between the residual performance of the bridge under heavy traffic and the fatigue damage, a batch of prestressed concrete fatigue test beams was designed. The equivalent fatigue load, considering the heavy load effect, was determined through investigation and statistics of actual traffic load data. The fatigue failure morphology and crack development of the test beam under the equivalent fatigue load were analyzed based on the fatigue damage principle. The constant amplitude fatigue test method was used to analyze the development law of concrete residual strain, non-prestressed tendon residual strain, and prestressed tendon residual strain. Based on the damage model theory, the damage equation between the damage variable D and the cumulative residual plastic strain ? p considering the effects of heavy traffic was found. In addition, through the test data, the fatigue damage evolution curve based on the development of residual strain was obtained. Research results show that the fatigue test failure is a bending failure of the non-prestressed tendon fatigue fracture. The fatigue life of the beam reduced drastically when the heavy load effect is considered. From the perspective of residual performance, the residual strain of concrete is a good indicator for calculating the fatigue damage index of beams. The research results provide an early warning of fatigue failure and performance evaluation.
Preliminary study on the diagnostic value of cardiac magnetic resonance feature tracking for malignant ventricular arrhythmias in non-ischemic dilated cardiomyopathy

Background Patients with nonischemic dilated cardiomyopathy (NIDCM) and malignant ventricular arrhythmia (MVA) often have a poor prognosis and a high risk of sudden cardiac death. Although the diagnosis of MVA is straightforward by electrocardiogram (ECG), the underlying abnormalities of ventricular mechanics in these patients are unknown. This study aims to preliminarily explore the value of cardiac magnetic resonance feature tracking (CMR-FT) for MVA in dilated cardiomyopathy. Methods In this retrospective study, patients with NIDCM who met inclusion criteria were divided into an MVA group and a non-MVA group (included from January 2018 to September 2021). The interobserver agreement of myocardial strain parameters, including global longitudinal strain (GLS), global circumferential strain (GCS) and global radial strain (GRS), were tested. The GLS, GCS, GRS, left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), Tpeak-Tend interval on ECG and brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) were compared between groups. Single-factor and multifactor receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analyses were conducted to calculate the area under the ROC curve (AUC), cut-off point, sensitivity, and specificity of these parameters in predicting MVA in NIDCM. Results A total of 161 NIDCM patients were included (54 in the MVA group). GLS, GCS, and GRS had good interobserver agreement (all intraclass correlation coefficients >0.80). The absolute GLS and GCS, GRS and LVEF were lower in the MVA group than the non-MVA group (P<0.001), Tpeak-Tend and BNP were higher (P<0.001). Single-factor ROC curve analysis showed that GLS, GCS and GRS had certain diagnostic value for MVA (AUC =0.795, 0.802, and 0.754, respectively). Among them, GCS had higher sensitivity and specificity (GCS 0.796/0.776, GLS 0.778/0.757, GRS 0.741/0.692). Multifactor ROC curve analysis showed the combination of GLS and GCS (AUC =0.810), the combination of GCS and GRS (AUC =0.802), the combination of GLS and GRS (AUC =0.787), the combination of GLS, GCS, and GRS (AUC =0.810). Conclusions The three-dimensional myocardial strain parameters (especially GLS and GCS) measured by CMR-FT had certain diagnostic value and could reflect the underlying abnormality of ventricular mechanics of NIDCM with MVA.
Early Stages of Aluminum-Doped Zinc Oxide Growth on Silicon Nanowires

Aluminum-doped zinc oxide (AZO) is an electrically conductive and optically transparent material with many applications in optoelectronics and photovoltaics as well as in the new field of plasmonic metamaterials. Most of its applications contemplate the use of complex and nanosized materials as substrates onto which the AZO forms the coating layer. Its morphological characteristics, especially the conformality and crystallographic structure, are crucial because they affect its opto-electrical response. Nevertheless, it was difficult to find literature data on AZO layers deposited on non-planar structures. We studied the AZO growth on silicon-nanowires (SiNWs) to understand its morphological evolution when it is formed on quasi one-dimensional nanostructures. We deposited by sputtering different AZO thicknesses, leading from nanoclusters until complete incorporation of the SiNWs array was achieved. At the early stages, AZO formed crystalline nano-islands. These small clusters unexpectedly contained detectable Al, even in these preliminary phases, and showed a wurtzite crystallographic structure. At higher thickness, they coalesced by forming a conformal polycrystalline shell over the nanostructured substrate. As the deposition time increased, the AZO conformal deposition led to a polycrystalline matrix growing between the SiNWs, until the complete array incorporation and planarization. After the early stages, an interesting phenomenon took place leading to the formation of hook-curved SiNWs covered by AZO. These nanostructures are potentially very promising for optical, electro-optical and plasmonic applications.