Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Microfabrication of monolithic wafer-level miniaturized millimeter-wave air-filled half-mode waveguide filter based on the inward curving split ring resonator array

In this paper, we propose a miniaturized monolithic bandpass filter utilizing an air-filled half-mode waveguide and an inward curving split ring resonator array in the millimeter-wave band. The waveguide blocks the wave below cutoff frequency and the uniplanar array forms a rejection band above the transmission band. The microfabrication process of the filter adopts photoimageable technology and the combination of films with different thicknesses to build a 3D structure. The measured prototype has a center frequency at 65.5 GHz with a 3 dB fractional bandwidth of 30.7%. The minimum insertion loss is 2.1 dB. The proposed component offers excellent performance including a wide transmission band, a low pass-band insertion loss, an excellent isolation in the stop-band, and a steep roll-off at the upper cutoff frequency. Besides, due to the scalability of the waveguide and periodic array, this filter can be adapted for other frequency ranges.
Automated Video Behavior Recognition of Pigs Using Two-Stream Convolutional Networks

The detection of pig behavior helps detect abnormal conditions such as diseases and dangerous movements in a timely and effective manner, which plays an important role in ensuring the health and well-being of pigs. Monitoring pig behavior by staff is time consuming, subjective, and impractical. Therefore, there is an urgent need to implement methods for identifying pig behavior automatically. In recent years, deep learning has been gradually applied to the study of pig behavior recognition. Existing studies judge the behavior of the pig only based on the posture of the pig in a still image frame, without considering the motion information of the behavior. However, optical flow can well reflect the motion information. Thus, this study took image frames and optical flow from videos as two-stream input objects to fully extract the temporal and spatial behavioral characteristics. Two-stream convolutional network models based on deep learning were proposed, including inflated 3D convnet (I3D) and temporal segment networks (TSN) whose feature extraction network is Residual Network (ResNet) or the Inception architecture (e.g., Inception with Batch Normalization (BN-Inception), InceptionV3, InceptionV4, or InceptionResNetV2) to achieve pig behavior recognition. A standard pig video behavior dataset that included 1000 videos of feeding, lying, walking, scratching and mounting from five kinds of different behavioral actions of pigs under natural conditions was created. The dataset was used to train and test the proposed models, and a series of comparative experiments were conducted. The experimental results showed that the TSN model whose feature extraction network was ResNet101 was able to recognize pig feeding, lying, walking, scratching, and mounting behaviors with a higher average of 98.99%, and the average recognition time of each video was 0.3163 s. The TSN model (ResNet101) is superior to the other models in solving the task of pig behavior recognition.
Bumble bees display cross-modal object recognition between visual and tactile senses

These bees have “seen” that before Humans excel at mental imagery, and we can transfer those images across senses. For example, an object out of view, but for which we have a mental image, can still be recognized by touch. Such cross-modal recognition is highly adaptive and has been recently identified in other mammals, but whether it is widespread has been debated. Solvi et al. tested for this behavior in bumble bees, which are increasingly recognized as having some relatively advanced cognitive skills (see the Perspective by von der Emde and Burt de Perera). They found that the bees could identify objects by shape in the dark if they had seen, but not touched, them in the light, and vice versa, demonstrating a clear ability to transmit recognition across senses. Science, this issue p. 910; see also p. 850 Mental imagery is discerned in bumble bees. Many animals can associate object shapes with incentives. However, such behavior is possible without storing images of shapes in memory that are accessible to more than one sensory modality. One way to explore whether there are modality-independent internal representations of object shapes is to investigate cross-modal recognition—experiencing an object in one sensory modality and later recognizing it in another. We show that bumble bees trained to discriminate two differently shaped objects (cubes and spheres) using only touch (in darkness) or vision (in light, but barred from touching the objects) could subsequently discriminate those same objects using only the other sensory information. Our experiments demonstrate that bumble bees possess the ability to integrate sensory information in a way that requires modality-independent internal representations.
Distinct roles of two eIF4E isoforms in the germline of Caenorhabditis elegans

ABSTRACT Germ cells use both positive and negative mRNA translational control to regulate gene expression that drives their differentiation into gametes. mRNA translational control is mediated by RNA-binding proteins, miRNAs and translation initiation factors. We have uncovered the discrete roles of two translation initiation factor eIF4E isoforms (IFE-1, IFE-3) that bind 7-methylguanosine (m7G) mRNA caps during Caenorhabditis elegans germline development. IFE-3 plays important roles in germline sex determination (GSD), where it promotes oocyte cell fate and is dispensable for spermatogenesis. IFE-3 is expressed throughout the germline and localizes to germ granules, but is distinct from IFE-1 and PGL-1, and facilitates oocyte growth and viability. This contrasts with the robust expression in spermatocytes of IFE-1, the isoform that resides within P granules in spermatocytes and oocytes, and promotes late spermatogenesis. Each eIF4E is localized by its cognate eIF4E-binding protein (IFE-1:PGL-1 and IFE-3:IFET-1). IFE-3 and IFET-1 regulate translation of several GSD mRNAs, but not those under control of IFE-1. Distinct mutant phenotypes, in vivo localization and differential mRNA translation suggest independent dormant and active periods for each eIF4E isoform in the germline. Summary: Two translation factor eIF4E isoforms are co-expressed in Caenorhabditis elegans germ cells but regulate distinct mRNAs, localize differently and promote different fates, oogenesis or spermatogenesis.
A Critical Review of Genome Editing and Synthetic Biology Applications in Metabolic Engineering of Microalgae and Cyanobacteria.

Being the green gold of the future, microalgae and cyanobacteria have recently attracted considerable interest worldwide, for they can be used to produce different kinds of metabolites, such as lipids, protein, pigments and bioactive compounds as well as have immense potential for sustainable energy, and pharmaceutical production capabilities. In the last decades, the efforts attended to enhance the usage of microalgae and cyanobacteria by genetic manipulation, synthetic and metabolic engineering. However, the development of photoautotrophic cell factories have rarely compared to the heterotrophic counterparts due to limited tools, bioinformatics and multi-omics database. Due to the amassing interests in photosynthesis organisms, the model microalgae and cyanobacteria presented as chassis hosts in synthetic biology, recent advances of their genome editing techniques by CRISPR technology, and potential applications of their metabolic engineering and regulation approaches are examined in this review. Moreover, the contemporary achievements of synthetic biology approaches of microalgae and cyanobacteria in carbon fixation and sequestration, lipid and triacylglycerol (TAG), and sustainable production of high value-added chemicals, such as carotenoids and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), have been also discussed. From recent genomic study to trends in metabolic regulation of microalgae and cyanobacteria and a comprehensive assessment of the current challenges and opportunities for microalgae and cyanobacteria was conducted in this review. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Broadly applicable oligonucleotide mass spectrometry for the analysis of RNA writers and erasers in vitro

Abstract RNAs are post-transcriptionally modified by dedicated writer or eraser enzymes that add or remove specific modifications, respectively. Mass spectrometry (MS) of RNA is a useful tool to study the modification state of an oligonucleotide (ON) in a sensitive manner. Here, we developed an ion-pairing reagent free chromatography for positive ion detection of ONs by low- and high-resolution MS, which does not interfere with other types of small compound analyses done on the same instrument. We apply ON-MS to determine the ONs from an RNase T1 digest of in vitro transcribed tRNA, which are purified after ribozyme-fusion transcription by automated size exclusion chromatography. The thus produced tRNAValAAC is substrate of the human tRNA ADAT2/3 enzyme and we confirm the deamination of adenosine to inosine and the formation of tRNAValIACin vitro by ON-MS. Furthermore, low resolution ON-MS is used to monitor the demethylation of ONs containing 1-methyladenosine by bacterial AlkB in vitro. The power of high-resolution ON-MS is demonstrated by the detection and mapping of modified ONs from native total tRNA digested with RNase T1. Overall, we present an oligonucleotide MS method which is broadly applicable to monitor in vitro RNA (de-)modification processes and native RNA.
Non-Invasive Assessment of Complexity of Atrial Fibrillation: Correlation with Contact Mapping and Impact of Ablation.

Background - It is difficult to non-invasively phenotype atrial fibrillation (AF) in a way that reflects clinical endpoints such as response to therapy. We set out to map electrical patterns of disorganization and regions of reentrant activity in AF from the body surface using electrocardiographic imaging (ECGI), calibrated to panoramic intracardiac recordings and referenced to AF termination by ablation. Methods - Bi-atrial intracardiac electrograms of 47 AF patients at ablation (30 persistent, 29 male, 63±9 years) were recorded with 64-pole basket catheters and simultaneous 57-lead body surface ECGs. Atrial epicardial electrical activity was reconstructed and organized sites were invasively and non-invasively tracked in 3D using phase singularity (PS). In a subset of 17 patients, sites of AF organization were targeted for ablation. Results - Body surface mapping showed greater AF organization near intracardially-detected drivers than elsewhere, both in PS density (2.3±2.1 vs 1.9±1.6, p=0.02) and number of drivers (3.2±2.3 vs 2.7±1.7, p=0.02). Complexity, defined as the number of stable AF reentrant sites, was concordant between non-invasive and invasive methods (r2 =0.5, CC=0.71). In the subset receiving targeted ablation, AF complexity showed lower values in those in whom AF terminated than those in whom AF did not terminate (p<0.01). Conclusions - AF complexity tracked non-invasively correlates well with organized and disorganized regions detected by panoramic intracardiac mapping, and correlates with the acute outcome by ablation. This approach may assist in bedside monitoring of therapy or in improving the efficacy of ongoing ablation procedures.
Hearing Preservation in Elderly Cochlear Implant Recipients.

OBJECTIVE Examine hearing preservation rates in cochlear implant recipients 72 years and older. STUDY DESIGN Retrospective case series. SETTING Tertiary otology/neurotology practice. PATIENTS Cochlear implant recipients 72 years and older who are candidates for hearing preservation and were implanted between April 2017 and June 2018 INTERVENTION:: Surgical/rehabilitative. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Hearing was measured preoperatively and 6 months after cochlear implantation. RESULTS Between April 2017 and June 2018, 125 cochlear implant operations were performed by the senior author (A.J.). Of these patients, 62 were over age 72 and comprehensive pre- and postoperative residual hearing data were available on 24 patients. Although several methods for calculating hearing preservation are evaluated, our practice has found that hearing preservation techniques should be used in all patients having even a single frequency ≤85 dB HL between 125 and 2000 Hz before surgery. Using this method, 60% of recipients had at least one postoperative threshold ≤85 dB HL, and more importantly, over 80% of these patients subsequently used an electroacoustic MAP. CONCLUSION Despite concerns about cochlear fragility in elderly patients, preservation of residual hearing is feasible in cochlear implant recipients 72 years and older. This suggests that the vast majority of patients, including an elderly cohort, can benefit from soft surgery techniques.
Randomized Trial of Academic Training and Medication Decision-Making for Adolescents with ADHD in Usual Care

ABSTRACT Objective: This study tested two family-based interventions designed for delivery in usual care: Changing Academic Support in the Home for Adolescents with ADHD (CASH-AA), containing motivational interventions, homework management and schoolwork organization training, and family–school partnership building; and Medication Integration Protocol (MIP), containing ADHD psychoeducation, medication decision-making, and integrated medication management. Method: This study used a cluster randomized design to test CASH-AA + MIP versus CASH-AA Only for adolescents with ADHD in five sites. Therapists (N = 49) were site clinicians randomized to condition. Clients (N = 145) included 72% males; 42% White Non-Hispanic, 37% Hispanic American, 15% African American, and 6% more than one race; average age was 14.8 years. Fidelity data confirmed protocol adherence and between-condition differentiation. Results: One-year improvements were observed across conditions in several outcomes. Overall, CASH-AA + MIP produced greater declines in adolescent-report inattentive symptoms and delinquent acts. Similarly, among non-substance users, CASH-AA + MIP clients attended more treatment sessions. In contrast, among substance users, CASH-AA Only clients showed greater declines in caregiver-report hyperactive symptoms and externalizing. Conclusions: This study provides initial experimental support for family-based ADHD medication decision-making when coupled with academic training in usual care. The treatment protocols, CASH-AA and MIP, showed positive effects in addressing not only ADHD symptoms but also common co-occurring problems, and youth with substance use problems benefitted along with non-using peers.
Fucoxanthinol from the Diatom Nitzschia Laevis Ameliorates Neuroinflammatory Responses in Lipopolysaccharide-Stimulated BV-2 Microglia

In recent years, microalgae have drawn increasing attention as a valuable source of functional food ingredients. Intriguingly, Nitzschia laevis is rich in fucoxanthinol that is seldom found in natural sources. Fucoxanthinol, a marine xanthophyll carotenoid, possesses various beneficial bioactivities. Nevertheless, it’s not clear whether fucoxanthinol could exert anti-neuroinflammatory function. In light of these premises, the aim of the present study was to investigate the anti-inflammatory role of fucoxanthinol purified from Nitzschia laevis in Lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated microglia. The results showed that pre-treatment of fucoxanthinol remarkably attenuated the expression of LPS-induced nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), and the production of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6), prostaglandin E2 (PGE-2), nitric oxide (NO) and reactive oxygen species (ROS) induction. Modulation mechanism studies revealed that fucoxanthinol hampered nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB), Akt, and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathways. Meanwhile, fucoxanthinol led to the enhancement of nuclear translocation of NF-E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), and the upregulation of heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) and NAD(P)H: quinone oxidoreductase 1 (NQO-1). Taken together, the results indicated that fucoxanthinol obtained from Nitzschia laevis had great potential as a neuroprotective agent in neuroinflammation and neurodegenerative disorders.
Debating Eukaryogenesis—Part 1: Does Eukaryogenesis Presuppose Symbiosis Before Uptake?

Eukaryotic origins are heavily debated. The author as well as others have proposed that they are inextricably linked with the arrival of a pre‐mitochondrion of alphaproteobacterial‐like ancestry, in a so‐called symbiogenic scenario. The ensuing mutual adaptation of archaeal host and endosymbiont seems to have been a defining influence during the processes leading to the last eukaryotic common ancestor. An unresolved question in this scenario deals with the means by which the bacterium ends up inside. Older hypotheses revolve around the application of known antagonistic interactions, the bacterium being prey or parasite. Here, in reviewing the field, the author argues that such models share flaws, hence making them less likely, and that a “pre‐symbiotic stage” would have eased ongoing metabolic integration. Based on this the author will speculate about the nature of the (endo) symbiosis that started eukaryotic evolution–in the context of bacterial entry being a relatively “early” event–and stress the differences between this uptake and subsequent ones. He will also briefly discuss how the mutual adaptation following the merger progressed and how many eukaryotic hallmarks can be understood in light of coadaptation. Also see the video abstract here https://youtu.be/ekqtNleVJpU
Modified-BEP Chemotherapy in Patients With Germ-Cell Tumors Treated at a Comprehensive Cancer Center

Objectives: Bleomycin, etoposide, and cisplatin (BEP) is the most common and successful chemotherapy regimen for germ-cell tumor (GCT) patients, accompanied by a bleomycin-induced dose-dependent lung toxicity in certain patients. In an attempt to reduce bleomycin-toxicity, we developed a modified-BEP (mBEP) regimen. Materials and Methods: Between August 2008 and February 2018, 182 unselected mainly testicular GCT patients (39 with adjuvant purpose and 143 with curative purpose) received a tri-weekly 5-day hospitalization schedule with bleomycin 15 U intravenous (IV) push on day 1 and 10 U IV continuous infusion over 12 hours on days 1 to 3, cisplatin 20 mg/m2 IV, and etoposide 100 mg/m2 IV on days 1 to 5. Pulmonary toxicity was assessed through chest computed tomography scan and clinical monitoring. Results: Median number of mBEP cycles was 3 (range: 1 to 4). In the curative setting, according to the International Germ Cell Cancer Collaborative Group (IGCCCG) prognostic system, 112, 21, and 9 patients had good-risk, intermediate-risk, and poor-risk class, respectively; 66 (46%) patients had complete response (CR), 67 (47%) had partial response (52 of whom became CR afterwards), 6 (4%) had stable disease (that in 3 became CR afterwards), 3 (2%) progressed, and 1 (1%) died of brain stroke. At a median follow-up of 2.67 years (interquartile range: 1.23-5.00 y), 1 and 5-year overall survival and progression-free survival were 99% and 95%, and 90% and 88%, respectively. In the entire patient population, there was grade 3/4 neutropenia in 92 patients (51%), febrile neutropenia in 11 patients (6%), grade 1/2 nausea in 74 patients (41%), and no death due to pulmonary toxicity. Conclusion: In GCT patients, our mBEP-schedule would suggest an effective treatment modality without suffering meaningful pulmonary toxicity.
Abundance and Updated Distribution of Aedes aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae) in Cabo Verde Archipelago: A Neglected Threat to Public Health

Background: Mosquito-borne viruses, such as Zika, dengue, yellow fever, and chikungunya, are important causes of human diseases nearly worldwide. The greatest health risk for arboviral disease outbreaks is the presence of the most competent and highly invasive domestic mosquito, Aedes aegypti. In Cabo Verde, two recent arbovirus outbreaks were reported, a dengue outbreak in 2009, followed by a Zika outbreak in 2015. This study is the first entomological survey for Ae. aegypti that includes all islands of Cabo Verde archipelago, in which we aim to evaluate the actual risk of vector-borne arboviruses as a continuous update of the geographical distribution of this species. Methods: In order to assess its current distribution and abundance, we undertook a mosquito larval survey in the nine inhabited islands of Cabo Verde from November 2018 to May 2019. Entomological larval survey indices were calculated, and the abundance analyzed. We collected and identified 4045 Ae. aegypti mosquitoes from 264 positive breeding sites in 22 municipalities and confirmed the presence of Ae. aegypti in every inhabited island. Results: Water drums were found to be the most prevalent containers (n = 3843; 62.9%), but puddles (n = 27; 0.4%) were the most productive habitats found. The overall average of the House, Container, and Breteau larval indices were 8.4%, 4.4%, and 10.9, respectively. However, 15 out of the 22 municipalities showed that the Breteau Index was above the epidemic risk threshold. Conclusion: These results suggest that if no vector control measures are considered to be in place, the risk of new arboviral outbreaks in Cabo Verde is high. The vector control strategy adopted must include measures of public health directed to domestic water storage and management.
Rapid, Scalable Construction of Highly Crystalline Acylhydrazone Two-dimensional Covalent Organic Frameworks via Dipole-Induced Antiparallel Stacking.

Covalent organic frameworks are an emerging class of porous crystalline organic materials that can be designed and synthesized from the bottom up. Despite progress made in synthesizing COFs of diverse topologies, the synthesis methods are often tedious and unscalable, hampering practical applications. Herein, we demonstrate a scalable, robust method to produce highly crystalline acylhydrazone two-dimensional (2D) COFs with diversified structures (6 examples) under open and stirred conditions, with growth typically completed in only 30 mins. Our strategy involves selecting molecular building blocks that haves bond dipole moments with spatial orientations that favour antiparallel stacking, and whose structure allows restriction of intramolecular bond rotation (RIR) via intra- and interlayer hydrogen bonding. This method is widely applicable for hydrazide linkers containing various sidechain functionalities and topicities. By this strategy, the gram-scale synthesis of two highly crystalline COFs (up to 1.4 g yield) were obtained in a one-pot reaction within 30 min.
Organizational Characteristics and the Adoption of Electronic Health Records Among Nursing Homes in One Southern State

Electronic health records (EHRs) can improve quality of care and patient safety, as demonstrated in a variety of health care settings. However, greater use of EHRs in nursing homes (NHs) is needed. To understand which NHs have and have not adopted EHR systems, all federally certified NHs in Arkansas (n = 223) were surveyed, with 27.9% responding. Non-responders were similar to responders on all characteristics except for staffing skill mix, with responders having a higher skill mix than non-responders. Two thirds of responding Arkansas NHs reported having an EHR system in use (69.8%), while only a few reported no plans for an EHR system (4.8%). NHs with greater resources and in competitive markets were more likely to implement EHR systems. Full implementation across all NHs may require intervention, which should be explored in future research. In addition, future investigation should consider the level of interoperability of EHR systems that are in place among NHs.