Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Brown adipose tissue activity after a high-calorie meal in humans.

BACKGROUND Studies in rodents have shown that brown adipose tissue (BAT) is activated on food intake, thereby reducing metabolic efficiency. OBJECTIVE The current study investigated whether a single high-calorie, carbohydrate-rich meal activates BAT in lean human adults. DESIGN BAT activity was studied in 11 lean adult men [age: 23.6 ± 2.1 y; body mass index (BMI; in kg/m(2)): 22.4 ± 2.1] after consumption of a high-calorie, carbohydrate-rich meal (1622 ± 222 kcal; 78% carbohydrate, 12% protein, 10% fat). BAT activity during 2 h of mild cold exposure served as a positive control experiment. BAT activity was assessed by [(18)F]fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG)-positron emission tomography-computed tomography. Energy expenditure was measured by indirect calorimetry. RESULTS Postprandial [(18)F]FDG uptake was significantly higher in BAT [1.65 ± 0.99 mean standard uptake value (SUVmean)] than in subcutaneous (0.35 ± 0.15 SUVmean; P < 0.05) and visceral (0.49 ± 0.24 SUVmean; P < 0.05) white adipose tissue and liver (0.95 ± 0.28 SUVmean; P < 0.05). Postprandial BAT activity was lower than cold-induced BAT activity (7.19 ± 2.09 SUVmean). However, postprandial BAT activity may have been underestimated because of high postprandial [(18)F]FDG uptake in skeletal muscle compared with cold (1.36 ± 0.31 compared with 0.59 ± 0.07 SUVmean, P < 0.05), which reduces [(18)F]FDG bioavailability for BAT and other tissues. No direct relation was found between BAT and diet-induced thermogenesis (DIT). CONCLUSIONS Glucose uptake in BAT increases after a meal in humans, which indicates a role for BAT in reducing metabolic efficiency. However, the quantitative contribution of BAT to DIT relative to other tissues, such as skeletal muscle, remains to be investigated. This trial was registered at www.controlled-trials.com as ISRCTN21413505.
Effect of Supplemental Lighting from Different Light Sources on Growth and Yield of Strawberry

Commercial strawberry production in Japan is seriously plagued by many problems, including lack of farm operation successors, sluggish commodity prices, and rising crude oil expenses. As a consequence, production areas and levels are continuously declining. For a solution of these problems, the spread of large-scale industrial facilities and the development of consistently high-yield strawberry production technique for large-scale greenhouse are required, and further this developed technique is also expected to be applicable to the small-scale family-managed greenhouse. For high yield production, the control of environmental factors (e.g., light, air temperature, CO2 concentration, humidity, and wind velocity) is essential to allow plants to realize their full photosynthetic potential. Light is one of the most important environmental factors affecting plant growth, and directly influences leaf photosynthesis and fruit yield in strawberry (Hidaka et al., 2012). Because of variable light environments dependent on factors such as cropping season and cultivation location, inadequate light levels frequently lead to declining productivity during greenhouse vegetable production in Japan. Consequently, the development of a supplementary lighting technique, not dependent on cropping season or cultivation location, is needed for consistently high strawberry production. Although supplemental lighting has been used to achieve high yields of some greenhouse vegetables, such as tomatoes and cucumbers (Demers et al., 1998; Hovi et al., 2004; Gunnlaugsson and Adalsteinsson, 2006; Trouwborst et al., 2010), there are currently few examples of supplemental lighting applied to strawberry production (Ceulemans et al., 1986). On the other hand, there have been many recent advances in LED light source technology, and the agricultural use of commercial LED lighting is expected to become more widespread (Goto, 2009; 2011). To aid in the development of supplemental lighting techniques in forced strawberry cultivation, we examined the effects of supplemental lighting on plant growth and yield using two different types of commercially-available light sources: LEDs and fluorescent lamps.
Monitoring of Epstein‐Barr virus load after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation for early intervention in post‐transplant lymphoproliferative disease

Epstein‐Barr virus (EBV)‐associated post‐transplant lymphoproliferative disease is a life‐threatening complication following hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. A quantitative polymerase chain reaction to evaluate EBV‐genome copy numbers based on a nested polymerase chain reaction and an end‐point dilution was used. Applying this assay EBV load was prospectively screened weekly in 123 patients after transplantation. The results demonstrate that EBV reactivations with more than 1,000 EBV‐genome copies measured in 105 peripheral blood mononuclear cells were observed in 31 patients (25.2%). Three patients developed lymphoproliferative disease with extremely high EBV‐genome copies in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (>100,000 copies/105 cells) and plasma. After combined antiviral and immune therapy two of three patients showed a dramatic decrease of EBV load and survived, while the third patient died of lymphoma. A subclinical EBV reactivation was observed in 24 cases (19.5%) with EBV‐genome copies in 105 peripheral blood mononuclear cells ranging between 2,500 and mostly 10,000. After reduction of immunosuppression the EBV levels normalized. In four patients, the high copy number of ≥80,000 copies/105 peripheral blood mononuclear cells and plasma positivity prompted us to start pre‐emptive therapy with rituximab and cidofovir for prevention of lymphoproliferative disease. After drug administration the high EBV load was reduced remarkably. Ninety‐two patients (74.8%) who had ≤1,000 copies/105 peripheral blood mononuclear cells did not develop EBV‐associated lymphoproliferative disease. In conclusion, monitoring of EBV load is a sensitive and useful parameter in the surveillance of EBV reactivation for early intervention in EBV‐associated lymphoproliferative disease as well as for follow‐up of the efficacy of therapy. J. Med. Virol. 80:441–454, 2008. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
The Nitrogen Contribution of Different Plant Parts to Wheat Grains: Exploring Genotype, Water, and Nitrogen Effects

The flag leaf has been traditionally considered as the main contributor to grain nitrogen. However, during the reproductive stage, other organs besides the flag leaf may supply nitrogen to developing grains. Therefore, the contribution of the ear and other organs to the nitrogen supplied to the growing grains remains unclear. It is important to develop phenotypic tools to assess the relative contribution of different plant parts to the N accumulated in the grains of wheat which may helps to develop genotypes that use N more efficiently. We studied the effect of growing conditions (different levels of water and nitrogen in the field) on the nitrogen contribution of the spike and different vegetative organs of the plant to the grains. The natural abundance of δ15N and total N content in the flag blade, peduncle, whole spike, glumes and awns were compared to the δ15N and total N in mature grains to trace the origin of nitrogen redistribution to the grains. The δ15N and total N content of the different plant parts correlated positively with the δ15N and total N content of mature grains suggesting that all organs may contribute a portion of their N content to the grains. The potential contribution of the flag blade to grain N increased (by 46%) as the growing conditions improved, whereas the potential contribution of the glumes plus awns and the peduncle increased (46 and 31%, respectively) as water and nitrogen stress increased. In general, potential contribution of the ear providing N to growing grains was similar (42%) than that of the vegetative parts of the plants (30–40%), regardless of the growing conditions. Thus, the potential ear N content could be a positive trait for plant phenotyping, especially under water and nitrogen limiting conditions. In that sense, genotypic variability existed at least between old (tall) and modern (semidwarf) cultivars, with the ear from modern genotypes exhibiting less relative contribution to the total grain N. The combined use of δ15N and N content may be used as an affordable tool to assess the relative contribution of different plant parts to the grain N in wheat.
Computational Drug Repositioning by Target Hopping: A Use Case in Chagas Disease.

BACKGROUND Drug repositioning aims to identify novel indications for existing drugs. One approach to repositioning exploits shared binding sites between the drug targets and other proteins. Here, we review the principle and algorithms of such target hopping and illustrate them in Chagas disease, an in Latin America widely spread, but neglected disease. CONCLUSION We demonstrate how target hopping recovers known treatments for Chagas disease and predicts novel drugs, such as the antiviral foscarnet, which we predict to target Farnesyl Pyrophosphate Synthase in Trypanosoma cruzi, the causative agent of Chagas disease.
Quasi-systematic doped LT codes

We propose a family of binary erasure codes, namely, quasi-systematic doped Luby-Transform (QS-DLT) codes, that are rate-less, almost systematic, and universally capacity-achieving without the prior knowledge of channel erasure rate. The encoding and decoding complexities of QS-DLT codes are O(Klog(1/epsiv)), where K is the information length, and epsiv is the overhead. Stopping-set analysis is carried out to study the error-floor behavior of QS-DLT codes. Analysis and numerical results demonstrate that QS-DLT codes provide a low-complexity alternative to systematic Raptor codes with comparable performance.
Heart and brain interaction in patients with heart failure: overview and proposal for a taxonomy. A position paper from the Study Group on Heart and Brain Interaction of the Heart Failure Association

Heart failure (HF) is a complex clinical syndrome with multiple interactions between the failing myocardium and cerebral (dys‐)functions. Bi‐directional feedback interactions between the heart and the brain are inherent in the pathophysiology of HF: (i) the impaired cardiac function affects cerebral structure and functional capacity, and (ii) neuronal signals impact on the cardiovascular continuum. These interactions contribute to the symptomatic presentation of HF patients and affect many co‐morbidities of HF. Moreover, neuro‐cardiac feedback signals significantly promote aggravation and further progression of HF and are causal in the poor prognosis of HF. The diversity and complexity of heart and brain interactions make it difficult to develop a comprehensive overview. In this paper a systematic approach is proposed to develop a comprehensive atlas of related conditions, signals and disease mechanisms of the interactions between the heart and the brain in HF. The proposed taxonomy is based on pathophysiological principles. Impaired perfusion of the brain may represent one major category, with acute (cardio‐embolic) or chronic (haemodynamic failure) low perfusion being sub‐categories with mostly different consequences (i.e. ischaemic stroke or cognitive impairment, respectively). Further categories include impairment of higher cortical function (mood, cognition), of brain stem function (sympathetic over‐activation, neuro‐cardiac reflexes). Treatment‐related interactions could be categorized as medical, interventional and device‐related interactions. Also interactions due to specific diseases are categorized. A methodical approach to categorize the interdependency of heart and brain may help to integrate individual research areas into an overall picture.
Legged Robot State-Estimation Through Combined Forward Kinematic and Preintegrated Contact Factors

State-of-the-art robotic perception systems have achieved sufficiently good performance using Inertial Measurement Units (IMUs), cameras, and nonlinear optimization techniques, that they are now being deployed as technologies. However, many of these methods rely significantly on vision and often fail when visual tracking is lost due to lighting or scarcity of features. This paper presents a state-estimation technique for legged robots that takes into account the robot's kinematic model as well as its contact with the environment. We introduce forward kinematic factors and preintegrated contact factors into a factor graph framework that can be incrementally solved in real-time. The forward kinematic factor relates the robot's base pose to a contact frame through noisy encoder measurements. The preintegrated contact factor provides odometry measurements of this contact frame while accounting for possible foot slippage. Together, the two developed factors constrain the graph optimization problem allowing the robot's trajectory to be estimated. The paper evaluates the method using simulated and real sensory IMU and kinematic data from experiments with a Cassie-series robot designed by Agility Robotics. These preliminary experiments show that using the proposed method in addition to IMU decreases drift and improves localization accuracy, suggesting that its use can enable successful recovery from a loss of visual tracking.
Optimized training design for multi-antenna wireless energy transfer in frequency-selective channel

This paper studies the optimized training design for multiple-input single-output (MISO) wireless energy transfer (WET) systems in frequency-selective channels, where the frequency-diversity and energy-beamforming gains can be both reaped by properly learning the channel state information (CSI) at the energy transmitter (ET). By exploiting channel reciprocity, a two-phase channel training scheme is proposed to achieve the diversity and beamforming gains, respectively. In the first phase, pilot signals are sent from the energy receiver (ER) over a selected subset of the available frequency sub-bands, through which the sub-band that exhibits the largest sum-power over all the antennas at the ET is determined and its index is sent back to the ER. In the second phase, the selected sub-band is further trained by the ER, so that the ET obtains an estimation for the MISO channel and implement energy beamforming. We propose to maximize the net energy harvested at the ER, which is the total harvested energy offset by that used for the two-phase channel training. The optimal training design, including the number of sub-bands trained and the energy allocated for each of the two training phases, is derived.
The rapid enrollment design for Phase I clinical trials

We propose a dose‐finding design for Phase I oncology trials where each new patient is assigned to the dose most likely to be the target dose given observed data. The main model assumption is that the dose–toxicity curve is non‐decreasing. This method is beneficial when it is desirable to assign a patient to a dose as soon as the patient is enrolled into a study. To prevent assignments to doses with limited toxicity information in fast accruing trials we propose a conservative rule that assigns temporary fractional toxicities to patients still in follow‐up. We also recommend always using a safety rule in any fast accruing dose‐finding trial. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Design of choke inductor in Class-E ZVS power amplifier

This paper presents the following for a Class-E zero-voltage switching (ZVS) power amplifier: (a) design of the choke inductor and (b) theoretical estimation of power losses in the core and a solid round winding. The expressions required to design the core using the Area-Product (Ap) method are provided. The equations for the dc resistance, ac resistance at high frequencies, and dc and ac power losses are provided for the solid round winding. A Class-E ZVS power amplifier with practical specifications is considered. A core with air gap is selected since the choke inductor carries a dc current in addition to the ac component. The gapped core power loss density and power loss are estimated using Steinmetz empirical equation. Simulation results showing the transient analysis and Fourier analysis are given. It is shown that, for the given design, the winding power loss due to the fundamental component is dominant and that due to higher order harmonics can be neglected. In addition, it is also proven that the power loss caused by the dc current component is higher than that by the ac current component, which can be neglected.
Network Structure and the Speed of Learning: Measuring Homophily Based on its Consequences

Homophily is the tendency of people to associate relatively more with those who are similar to them than with those who are not. In Golub and Jackson (2010a), we introduced degree-weighted homophily (DWH), a new measure of this phenomenon, and showed that it gives a lower bound on the time it takes for a certain natural best-reply or learning process operating in a social network to converge. Here we show that, in important settings, the DWH convergence bound does substantially better than previous bounds based on the Cheeger inequality. We also develop a new complementary upper bound on convergence time, tightening the relationship between DWH and updating processes on networks. In doing so, we suggest that DWH is a natural homophily measure because it tightly tracks a key consequence of homophily - namely, slowdowns in updating processes.
Wireless powered communication networks: an overview

Wireless powered communication networking (WPCN) is a new networking paradigm where the battery of wireless communication devices can be remotely replenished by means of microwave wireless power transfer (WPT) technology. WPCN eliminates the need for frequent manual battery replacement/recharging, and thus significantly improves the performance over conventional battery-powered communication networks in many aspects, such as higher throughput, longer device lifetime, and lower network operating cost. However, the design and future application of WPCN is essentially challenged by the low WPT efficiency over long distance, and the complex nature of joint wireless information and power transfer within the same network. In this article, we provide an overview of the key networking structures and performance enhancing techniques to build an efficient WPCN. In addition, we point out new and challenging future research directions for WPCN.
Does the Novel Potassium-Competitive Acid Blocker Vonoprazan Cause More Hypergastrinemia than Conventional Proton Pump Inhibitors? A Multicenter Prospective Cross-Sectional Study

Background/Aim: The long-term administration of proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) is useful for preventing recurrent reflux esophagitis. On the other hand, several adverse reactions, such as an increase in the blood gastrin level, have been reported. The aim of the present study was to examine the increase in the blood gastrin level due to the long-term administration of conventional PPIs compared with vonoprazan. Methods: A prospective cross-sectional study was conducted. We examined the blood gastrin levels of patients taking vonoprazan or conventional PPIs in whom the grade of atrophic gastritis had been endoscopically evaluated in the last year. Results: The blood gastrin level was significantly higher in the vonoprazan group than that in the PPI group in patients with milder or no atrophic gastritis, irrespective of the administration periods. However, no significant difference was observed between the groups in patients with severe atrophic gastritis. Conclusion: Vonoprazan more markedly increased the blood gastrin level compared with conventional PPIs in patients with milder or no atrophic gastritis. This indicates that vonoprazan may have stronger acid-suppressing effects in such patients than conventional PPIs. Key Message: We should be aware of the potential development of hypergastrinemia during the long-term administration of vonoprazan, especially in patients with mild or no atrophic gastritis.
ABCB1 as predominant resistance mechanism in cells with acquired SNS-032 resistance

The CDK inhibitor SNS-032 had previously exerted promising anti-neuroblastoma activity via CDK7 and 9 inhibition. ABCB1 expression was identified as major determinant of SNS-032 resistance. Here, we investigated the role of ABCB1 in acquired SNS-032 resistance. In contrast to ABCB1-expressing UKF-NB-3 sub-lines resistant to other ABCB1 substrates, SNS-032-adapted UKF-NB-3 (UKF-NB-3rSNS- 032300nM) cells remained sensitive to the non-ABCB1 substrate cisplatin and were completely re-sensitized to cytotoxic ABCB1 substrates by ABCB1 inhibition. Moreover, UKF-NB-3rSNS-032300nM cells remained similarly sensitive to CDK7 and 9 inhibition as UKF-NB-3 cells. In contrast, SHEPrSNS-0322000nM, the SNS-032-resistant sub-line of the neuroblastoma cell line SHEP, displayed low level SNS-032 resistance also when ABCB1 was inhibited. This discrepancy may be explained by the higher SNS-032 concentrations that were used to establish SHEPrSNS-0322000nM cells, since SHEP cells intrinsically express ABCB1 and are less sensitive to SNS-032 (IC50 912 nM) than UKF-NB-3 cells (IC50 153 nM). In conclusion, we show that ABCB1 expression represents the primary (sometimes exclusive) resistance mechanism in neuroblastoma cells with acquired resistance to SNS-032. Thus, ABCB1 inhibitors may increase the SNS-032 efficacy in ABCB1-expressing cells and prolong or avoid resistance formation.
Experimentally based sea urchin gene regulatory network and the causal explanation of developmental phenomenology

Gene regulatory networks (GRNs) for development underlie cell fate specification and differentiation. Network topology, logic, and dynamics can be obtained by thorough experimental analysis. Our understanding of the GRN controlling endomesoderm specification in the sea urchin embryo has attained an advanced level such that it explains developmental phenomenology. Here we review how the network explains the mechanisms utilized in development to control the formation of dynamic expression patterns of transcription factors and signaling molecules. The network represents the genomic program controlling timely activation of specification and differentiation genes in the correct embryonic lineages. It can also be used to study evolution of body plans. We demonstrate how comparing the sea urchin GRN to that of the sea star and to that of later developmental stages in the sea urchin, reveals mechanisms underlying the origin of evolutionary novelty. The experimentally based GRN for endomesoderm specification in the sea urchin embryo provides unique insights into the system level properties of cell fate specification and its evolution. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.