Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Prognostic implications of machine learning-derived echocardiographic phenotypes in community hypertensive patients

ABSTRACT Background Echocardiogram is commonly used to evaluate cardiac remodeling in hypertension (HTN). However, study on echocardiographic phenotypes and their prognostic implications in HTN is limited. Objective We aimed to evaluate the prognostic implications echocardiographic phenotypes in community hypertensive patients. Method A total of 1881 community hypertensive patients without overt cardiovascular disease and severe renal disease (mean age 62.8 years, women 57.9%) were included. Using Two-Step cluster analysis with four conventional echocardiographic variables, two clusters with distinct echocardiographic phenotypes were identified. Result The Cluster 1 (namely “mild-remodeling” HTN; n = 1492) had low prevalence of enlarged left atrium (LA; 0.9%) and left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH; 16.2%) and better LV diastolic function. They were younger and more likely to be men and had lower comorbid burden. The Cluster 2 (namely “severe-remodeling” HTN; n = 389) had higher prevalence of enlarged LA (26.0%) and LVH (83.0%) and worse LV diastolic function. They were older and more likely to be women and had higher comorbid burden. After a median follow-up of 4.2 years, compared to the Cluster 1, the Cluster 2 had higher incidence of cardiovascular (4.1% vs 1.7%; P = .006) and all-cause (9.8% vs 4.8%; P < .001) death, with adjusted hazard ratio of 2.80 (95% CI 1.39–5.62; P = .004) and 2.04 (95% CI 1.32–3.14; P < .001) respectively. Conclusion These findings indicate that the conventional echocardiographic variables-based algorithm could help identify asymptomatic community hypertensive patients at risk for cardiovascular and all-cause death. Further studies are needed to develop and validate phenotype-specific prevention and intervention strategies in HTN.
DREAM: an R package for druggability evaluation of human complex diseases

Abstract Motivation De novo drug development is a long and expensive process that poses significant challenges from the design to the preclinical testing, making the introduction into the market slow and difficult. This limitation paved the way to the development of drug repurposing, which consists in the re-usage of already approved drugs, developed for other therapeutic indications. Although several efforts have been carried out in the last decade in order to achieve clinically relevant drug repurposing predictions, the amount of repurposed drugs that have been employed in actual pharmacological therapies is still limited. On one hand, mechanistic approaches, including profile-based and network-based methods, exploit the wealth of data about drug sensitivity and perturbational profiles as well as disease transcriptomics profiles. On the other hand, chemocentric approaches, including structure-based methods, take into consideration the intrinsic structural properties of the drugs and their molecular targets. The poor integration between mechanistic and chemocentric approaches is one of the main limiting factors behind the poor translatability of drug repurposing predictions into the clinics. Results In this work, we introduce DREAM, an R package aimed to integrate mechanistic and chemocentric approaches in a unified computational workflow. DREAM is devoted to the druggability evaluation of pathological conditions of interest, leveraging robust drug repurposing predictions. In addition, the user can derive optimized sets of drugs putatively suitable for combination therapy. In order to show the functionalities of the DREAM package, we report a case study on atopic dermatitis. Availability and implementation DREAM is freely available at https://github.com/fhaive/dream. The docker image of DREAM is available at: https://hub.docker. com/r/fhaive/dream.
Twenty years after “The Impact of Chaos”: what have been achieved and what should be answered

: Twenty years has passed since the book of “The Impact of Chaos on Science and Society,” edited by Prof. Celso Grebogi and Prof. James A. Yorke, has been published. This book had inﬂuenced the researches held during the FIRST program and have been inﬂuencing the current researches following them. Thus, I would like to summarize how the questions posed in the book have been answered partly by our current generation and what questions and the other emerging questions should be considered by the next generation.
Increased apoptosis of gingival epithelium is associated with impaired autophagic flux in medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaw

ABSTRACT Macroautophagy/autophagy has both negative and positive aspects in the development of many diseases. Yet, its exact role and specific mechanism in the onset of medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaw (MRONJ) is still not fully understood. Retarded gingiva healing is the primary clinical manifestation in patients with MRONJ. In this study, we aimed to explore the relationship between autophagy and apoptosis in MRONJ gingival epithelium and search for a method to prevent this disease. First, we examined clinical samples from patients diagnosed with MRONJ and healthy controls, finding that autophagy-related markers MAP1LC3/LC3 and SQSTM1/p62 synchronously increased, thus suggesting that autophagic flux was suppressed in MRONJ. Moreover, mRNA sequencing analysis and TUNEL assay showed that the process of apoptosis was upregulated in patients and animals with MRONJ, indicating autophagy and apoptosis participate in the development of MRONJ. Furthermore, the level of autophagy and apoptosis in zoledronic acid (ZA)-treated human keratinocytes cell lines (HaCaT cells) was concentration dependent in vitro. In addition, we also found that RAB7 (RAB7, member RAS oncogene family) activator ML098 could rescue MRONJ gingival lesions in mice by activating the autophagic flux and downregulating apoptosis. To sum up, this study demonstrated that autophagic flux is impaired in the gingival epithelium during MRONJ, and the rescued autophagic flux could prevent the occurrence of MRONJ. Abbreviations: ACTB: actin beta; Baf-A1: bafilomycin A1; CASP3: caspase 3; CASP8: caspase 8; CT: computed tomography; DMSO: dimethyl sulfoxide; GFP: green fluorescent protein; HaCaT cells: human keratinocytes cell lines; H&E: hematoxylin and eosin; MAP1LC3/LC3: microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3; MRONJ: medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaw; PARP: poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase; RAB7: RAB7, member RAS oncogene family; RFP: red fluorescent protein; SQSTM1/p62: sequestosome 1; TEM: transmission electron microscopy; ZA: zoledronic acid.
Natural variation of MS2 confers male fertility and drives hybrid breeding in soybean

Summary A complete and genetically stable male sterile line with high outcrossing rate is a prerequisite for the development of commercial hybrid soybean. It was reported in the last century that the soybean male sterile ms2 mutant has the highest record with seed set. Here we report the cloning and characterization of the MS2 gene in soybean, which encodes a protein that is specifically expressed in the anther. MS2 functions in the tapetum and microspore by directly regulating genes involved in the biosynthesis of secondary metabolites and the lipid metabolism, which is essential for the formation of microspore cell wall. Through comparison of the field performance with the widely used male sterile mutants in the same genetic background, we demonstrated that the ms2 mutant conducts the best in outcrossing rate and makes it an ideal tool in building a cost‐effective hybrid system for soybean.
Mapping of the optical frequency comb to the atom-velocity comb

A mode-locked femtosecond laser is used to physically map the laser frequency comb into the velocity comb of the excited Rb atoms at room temperature. Upon resonant excitation by discrete optical frequencies the velocity distribution of the excited Rb atoms shows comblike structure. Simultaneously, velocity-selective population transfer occurs between ground-state hyperfine levels. Both facts are observed by modified direct frequency comb spectroscopy and verified by a detailed density matrix treatment of the multilevel system in resonant field.
Multimodal Locomotion in a Soft Robot Through Hierarchical Actuation.

Soft and continuum robots present the opportunity for extremely large ranges of motion, which can enable dexterous, adaptive, and multimodal locomotion behaviors. However, as the number of degrees of freedom (DOF) of a robot increases, the number of actuators should also increase to achieve the full actuation potential. This presents a dilemma in mobile soft robot design: physical space and power requirements restrict the number and type of actuators available and may ultimately limit the movement capabilities of soft robots with high-DOF appendages. Restrictions on actuation of continuum appendages ultimately may limit the various movement capabilities of soft robots. In this work, we demonstrate multimodal behaviors in an underwater robot called "Hexapus. " A hierarchical actuation design for multiappendage soft robots is presented in which a single high-power motor actuates all appendages for locomotion, while smaller low-power motors augment the shape of each appendage. The flexible appendages are designed to be capable of hyperextension for thrust, and flexion for grasping with a peak pullout force of 32 N. For propulsion, we incorporate an elastic membrane connected across the base of each tentacle, which is stretched slowly by the high-power motor and released rapidly through a slip-gear mechanism. Through this actuation arrangement, Hexapus is capable of underwater locomotion with low cost of transport (COT = 1.44 at 16.5 mm/s) while swimming and a variety of multimodal locomotion behaviors, including swimming, turning, grasping, and crawling, which we demonstrate in experiment.
Transfer of an optical frequency over an urban fiber link

H. Jiang, F. Kefelian, S. Crane, O. Lopez, M. Lours, J. Millo, D. Holleville, P. Lemonde, Ch. Chardonnet, A. Amy-Klein, G. Santarelli LNE-SYRTE, Observatoire de Paris, CNRS, 61 avenue de l'Observatoire, 75014 Paris, France Laboratoire de Physique des Lasers (LPL), UMR 7538, CNRS and Universite Paris 13, 99 av. J.B. Clement, 93430 Villetaneuse, France Permanent address: United States Naval Observatory, 3450 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20392, USA Corresponding author: giorgio.santarelli@obspm.fr
Recent advances in MXene-based nanocomposites for supercapacitors

MXene materials have become a competitive candidate for electrochemical energy storage due to their unique two-dimensional layered structure, high density, metal-like conductivity, fast ion intercalation, tunable surface terminal groups, and good mechanical flexibilities, showing unique application advantages in the field of supercapacitors. With widely research of MXene in energy storage applications, plenty of studies in synthesis strategies of MXene, including etching, intercalation and exfoliation processes, and its charge storage mechanism in supercapacitors have been conducted. However, the restacking of two-dimensional MXene nanosheets severely affects their electrochemical performance. To prevent the stacking of MXene, MXene-based nanocomposite electrode materials have been developed with remarkable electrochemical performance by incorporating conventional active capacitive materials, including metal oxides/sulfides and conductive polymers, with MXene. This review summarizes the etching strategies of MXenes and selection of intercalants, also discusses the charge storage mechanism of MXenes in aqueous and nonaqueous electrolytes. It mainly expounds the preparation strategies and applications of MXene-based nanocomposites in supercapacitors, including MXene/metal oxide, MXene/metal sulfide, MXene/conducting polymer, and MXene/carbon-based composites. Additionally, the advantages of combining MXene with other active materials in supercapacitor applications, which support its promising prospects, are discussed. Finally, the critical challenges faced by MXene-based nanocomposites in long-term research are mentioned.
Making HLS a Bit Wiser: From Standard High-Level Datatypes to Arbitrary Low-Level Bitwidths

Making HLS A Bit Wiser: From Standard High-Level Datatypes to Arbitrary Low-Level Bitwidths Hsuan Hsiao Master of Applied Science Graduate Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering University of Toronto 2017 High-level synthesis provides an easy-to-use abstraction for designing hardware circuits. However, standard datatypes available in high-level languages are over provisioned for typical applications, incurring unnecessary area overhead since the underlying FPGA hardware can support arbitrary bitwidths. We provide a bitwidth minimization (BWM) framework that analyzes and eliminates unused bits in the circuit’s datapath and allows for the use of arbitrary width datatypes in the high-level source code. We then propose Sensei, an advisor that predicts the post-synthesis area savings brought about by reducing bitwidth and presents users with a ranking of program variables based on area impact. Together, these two contributions aim to bridge the gap between the over-provisioned datapaths of high-level languages and the arbitrary-width datapaths of low-level circuits.
Alterations of gut microbiome and metabolism induced by inulin associated with weight loss in obese female mice

Abstract Our previous work revealed the microbiota-dependent beneficial effects of inulin in obese male mice, but the effects in obese female mice were not determined. High-fat diet (HFD)-induced obese female mice were switched to normal diets and gavaged with normal saline or inulin for 10 weeks. Inulin supplementation significantly accelerated weight loss and reversed HFD-induced gut microbiota dysbiosis in obese female mice, and also reduced the ratio of Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes and enriched the abundance of norank_f_Muribaculaceae and Alistipes. In addition, 52 key serum metabolites were distinctly altered after inulin supplementation. Among them, andrographolide and monoacylglycerols (18:4) increased more than 9-fold and 14-fold, respectively, while phosphatidylcholine (PC) (18:1e/2:0), PC (20:1/20:2) and PC (19:1/19:1) decreased. In conclusion, gut microbiota and metabolites were closely associated with the beneficial effects of inulin in accelerating weight loss in obese female mice.
Long-term regulation of fat sensing in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) fed a vegetable diet from the first feeding: focus on free fatty acid receptors and their signalling

Abstract Taste plays a fundamental role in an animal’s ability to detect nutrients and transmits key dietary information to the brain, which is crucial for its growth and survival. Providing alternative terrestrial ingredients early in feeding influences the growth of rainbow trout (RT, Oncorhynchus mykiss). Thus, the present study aimed to assess the influence, via long-term feeding (from the first feeding to 8 months), of alternative plant ingredients (V diet for vegetable diet v. C diet for a control diet) in RT on the mechanism of fat sensing at the gustatory level. After the feeding trial, we studied the pathways of the fat-sensing mechanism in tongue tissue and the integrated response in the brain. To this end, we analysed the expression pattern of free fatty acid receptors (ffar) 1 and 2, markers of calcium-signalling pathways (phospholipase Cβ, Orai, Stim or Serca), the serotonin level (a key neurotransmitter in taste buds) and the expression pattern of appetite-regulating neuropeptides in the hypothalamus (central area of appetite regulation). The results revealed that the V diet modified the expression pattern of ffar1 and paralogs of ffar2 genes in tongue tissue, along with differential regulation of calcium-signalling pathways and a defect in serotonin level and brain turnover, without influencing neuropeptide expression. This study is the first to support that changes in feeding behaviour of RT fed a V diet could be due to the difference in nutrient sensing and a decrease in hedonic sensation. We revealed that RT have similar fat-detection mechanisms as mammals.
Potential for Maternally Administered Vaccine for Infant Group B Streptococcus.

BACKGROUND Natural history studies have correlated serotype-specific anti-capsular polysaccharide (CPS) IgG in newborns with a reduced risk of group B streptococcal disease. A hexavalent CPS-cross-reactive material 197 glycoconjugate vaccine (GBS6) is being developed as a maternal vaccine to prevent invasive group B streptococcus in young infants. METHODS In an ongoing phase 2, placebo-controlled trial involving pregnant women, we assessed the safety and immunogenicity of a single dose of various GBS6 formulations and analyzed maternally transferred anti-CPS antibodies. In a parallel seroepidemiologic study that was conducted in the same population, we assessed serotype-specific anti-CPS IgG concentrations that were associated with a reduced risk of invasive disease among newborns through 89 days of age to define putative protective thresholds. RESULTS Naturally acquired anti-CPS IgG concentrations were associated with a reduced risk of disease among infants in the seroepidemiologic study. IgG thresholds that were determined to be associated with 75 to 95% reductions in the risk of disease were 0.184 to 0.827 μg per milliliter. No GBS6-associated safety signals were observed among the mothers or infants. The incidence of adverse events and of serious adverse events were similar across the trial groups for both mothers and infants; more local reactions were observed in the groups that received GBS6 containing aluminum phosphate. Among the infants, the most common serious adverse events were minor congenital anomalies (umbilical hernia and congenital dermal melanocytosis). GBS6 induced maternal antibody responses to all serotypes, with maternal-to-infant antibody ratios of approximately 0.4 to 1.3, depending on the dose. The percentage of infants with anti-CPS IgG concentrations above 0.184 μg per milliliter varied according to serotype and formulation, with 57 to 97% of the infants having a seroresponse to the most immunogenic formulation. CONCLUSIONS GBS6 elicited anti-CPS antibodies against group B streptococcus in pregnant women that were transferred to infants at levels associated with a reduced risk of invasive group B streptococcal disease. (Funded by Pfizer and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation; C1091002 ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT03765073.).
Adaptive dynamic surface asymptotic tracking for a class of uncertain nonlinear systems

This paper contributes to dynamic surface asymptotic tracking for a class of uncertain nonlinear systems in strict‐feedback form. By utilizing the nonlinear filters with a positive time‐varying integral function, an adaptive state feedback controller is explicitly designed via a dynamic surface approach, where the compensating term with the estimate of an unknown bound is introduced to eliminate the effect raised by the boundary layer error at each step. Compared with the existing results in the literature, the proposed control scheme not only avoids the issue of “explosion of complexity” inherent in the backstepping procedure but also holds the asymptotic output tracking. Finally, simulation results are presented to verify the effectiveness of the proposed methodology.
Recent research trends in textile-based temperature sensors: a mini review

In this review, the current state of research on textile-based temperature sensors is explored by focusing on their potential use in various applications. The textile-based sensors show various advantages including flexibility, conformability and seamlessness for the wearer. Integration of the textile-based sensors into clothes or fabric-based products enables continuous and sensitive monitoring of change in temperature, which can be used for various medical and fitness applications. However, there are lacks of comprehensive review on the textile-based temperature sensors. This review introduces various types of textile-based temperature sensors, including resistive, thermoelectric and fibre-optical sensors. In addition, the challenges that need to be addressed to fully realise their potential, which include improving sensitivity and accuracy, integrating wireless communication capabilities, and developing low-cost fabrication techniques. The technological advances in textile-based temperature sensors to overcome the limitations will revolutionize wearable devices requiring function of temperature monitoring.
Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation for COVID‐19‐associated acute respiratory distress syndrome: A nationwide analysis

Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) has been used for COVID‐19‐associated acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). We aimed to elucidate the association between ECMO and mortality in patients with COVID‐19‐associated ARDS in the nationwide setting. United States National Inpatient Sample was used to identify mechanically ventilated adults for COVID‐19 with ARDS. We divided them into three groups according to the use of ECMO (i.e., no‐ECMO, venovenous [VV]‐ECMO, and venoarterial [VA]‐ECMO). The primary outcome was in‐hospital mortality, while the secondary outcomes included the length of hospital stay (LOS) and the total costs during hospitalization. We performed a stepwise logistic regression, adjusting for baseline characteristics, comorbidities, and severity. We included 68 795 (mean age [SD]: 63.5 [0.1]), 3280 (mean age [SD]: 48.7 [0.5]), and 340 (mean age [SD]: 43.3 [2.1]) patients who received no‐, VV‐, and VA‐ECMO, respectively. The logistic regression analysis did not show significant associations between the use of VV‐/VA‐ECMO and mortality (adjusted odds ratio with no‐ECMO as reference [95% confidence interval]: 1.03 [0.86−1.24] and 1.18 [0.64−2.15], respectively). While LOS was longest with VV‐ECMO, the total costs were highest with VA‐ECMO. In conclusion, our study found no association between the use of ECMO and mortality of COVID‐19‐associated ARDS in the nationwide setting.
Social Concepts Simplify Complex Reinforcement Learning

Humans often generalize rewarding experiences across abstract social roles. Theories of reward learning suggest that people generalize through model-based learning, but such learning is cognitively costly. Why do people seem to generalize across social roles with ease? Humans are social experts who easily recognize social roles that reflect familiar semantic concepts (e.g., “helper” or “teacher”). People may associate these roles with model-free reward (e.g., learning that helpers are rewarding), allowing them to generalize easily (e.g., interacting with novel individuals identified as helpers). In four online experiments with U.S. adults (N = 577), we found evidence that social concepts ease complex learning (people generalize more and at faster speed) and that people attach reward directly to abstract roles (they generalize even when roles are unrelated to task structure). These results demonstrate how familiar concepts allow complex behavior to emerge from simple strategies, highlighting social interaction as a prototype for studying cognitive ease in the face of environmental complexity.