Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Detecting Aged Person's Sliding Feet from Time Series Data of Foot Pressure

This paper focuses on sliding feet which is one of major causes of a fall accident of aged persons and proposes a sliding feet detection system based on ordinary piezoelectric sensors, which are embedded under the carpet. Specifically, the proposed system (1) starts to extract a wave occurred from one step (composed of a time series of voltage data measured by the piezoelectric sensors), (2) transforms it to frequency components by Fast Fourier Transform (FFT), (3) extracts the characterized spectrum which includes the sliding feet feature, and finally (4) detects whether a user on the sensor slides his/her feet by comparing differences between the features of ordinary walking and that of sliding feet. In order to verify our proposal system, we conduct the human subject experiment by collecting the ordinary walking step data of two persons and the sliding feet of one aged person, and the experimental results show that the system successfully detects the users sliding feet.
Mathematics and geometry education with collaborative augmented reality

Construct3D is a three-dimensional geometric construction tool specifically designed for mathematics and geometry education. It is based on the mobile collaborative augmented reality system "Studierstube. " We describe our efforts in developing a system for the improvement of spatial abilities and maximization of transfer of learning. In order to support various teacher-student interaction scenarios we implemented flexible methods for context and user dependent rendering of parts of the construction. Together with hybrid hardware setups they allow the use of Construct3D in today's classrooms and provide a test bed for future evaluations. Means of application and integration in mathematics and geometry education at the high school, as well as the university, level are being discussed. Anecdotal evidence supports our claim that Construct3D is easy to learn, encourages experimentation with geometric constructions, and improves spatial skills.
Inherited anxiety-related parent–infant dyads alter LHPA activity

Abstract The pathogenesis of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is incompletely understood. We hypothesize that disruptions in mother-child relations may be a key contributor to development of PTSD. A normal and healthy separation-individuation process requires adaptations of self- and interactive contingency in both the mother and her child, especially in early childhood development. Anxious mothers are prone to overprotection, which may hinder the individuation process in their children. We examined long-term stress hormones and other stress markers in subjects three generations removed from the Holocaust, to assess the long-term consequences of inherited behavioral and physiological responses to prior stress and trauma. Jewish subjects who recalled overprotective parental behavior had higher hairsteroid-concentrations and dampened limbic-hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (LHPA) axis reactivity compared to German and Russian-German subjects with overprotective parents. We suggest that altered LHPA axis activity in maternally overprotected Jewish subjects may indicate a transmitted pathomechanism of “frustrated individuation” resulting from cross-generational anti-Semitic experiences. Thus measurements of hairsteroid-concentrations and parenting practices may have clinical value for diagnosis of PTSD. We propose that this apparent inherited adaptivity of LHPA axis activity could promote higher individual stress resistance, albeit with risk of an allostatic overload.
Premature small for gestational age infants fed an exclusive human milk-based diet achieve catch-up growth without metabolic consequences at 2 years of age

Objective To compare postdischarge growth, adiposity and metabolic outcomes of appropriate for gestational age (AGA) versus small for gestational age (SGA) premature infants fed an exclusive human milk (HM)-based diet in the neonatal intensive care unit. Design Premature infants (birth weight ≤1250 g) fed an exclusive HM-based diet were examined at 12–15 months corrected gestational age (CGA) (visit 1) for anthropometrics, serum glucose and non-fasting insulin, and at 18–22 months CGA (visit 2) for body composition by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Results Of 51 children, 33 were AGA and 18 were SGA at birth. The SGA group had weight gain (g/day) equal to AGA group during the follow-up period. SGA had a significantly greater body mass index (BMI) z-score gain from visit 1 to visit 2 (0.25±1.10 vs −0.21±0.84, p=0.02) reflecting catch-up growth. There were no significant differences in total fat mass (FM) and trunk FM between groups. SGA had significantly lower insulin level (5.0±3.7 vs 17.3±15.1 µU/mL, p=0.02) and homeostatic model of assessment-insulin resistance (1.1±0.9 vs 4.3±4.1, p=0.02). Although regional trunk FM correlated with insulin levels in SGA (r=0.893, p=0.04), they had lower insulin level compared with AGA and no difference in adiposity. Conclusions SGA premature infants who received an exclusive HM-based diet exhibited greater catch-up growth without increased adiposity or elevated insulin resistance compared with AGA at 2 years of age. An exclusive HM-based diet may improve long-term body composition and metabolic outcomes of premature infants with ≤1250 g birth weight, specifically SGA.
REBASE—a database for DNA restriction and modification: enzymes, genes and genomes

REBASE is a comprehensive and fully curated database of information about the components of restriction-modification (RM) systems. It contains fully referenced information about recognition and cleavage sites for both restriction enzymes and methyltransferases as well as commercial availability, methylation sensitivity, crystal and sequence data. All genomes that are completely sequenced are analyzed for RM system components, and with the advent of PacBio sequencing, the recognition sequences of DNA methyltransferases (MTases) are appearing rapidly. Thus, Type I and Type III systems can now be characterized in terms of recognition specificity merely by DNA sequencing. The contents of REBASE may be browsed from the web http://rebase.neb. com and selected compilations can be downloaded by FTP (ftp.neb.com). Monthly updates are also available via email.
The protective effects of Δ9‐tetrahydrocannabinol against inflammation and oxidative stress in rat liver with fructose‐induced hyperinsulinemia

A large amount of fructose is metabolized in the liver and causes hepatic functional damage. Δ9‐tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is known as a therapeutic agent for clinical and experimental applications. The study aims to investigate the effects of THC treatment on inflammation, lipid profiles and oxidative stress in rat liver with hyperinsulinemia.
Clinical Value of Pharmacogenomic Testing in a Patient Receiving FOLFIRINOX for Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma

Pharmacogenomic testing may have clinical value in the treatment of patients with gastrointestinal malignancies such as colorectal and pancreatic cancer. These types of cancer are often treated with combination chemotherapy regimens. These regimens can lead to severe adverse effects in patients with diminished drug tolerability potentially due to certain genetic variants in the enzymes involved in the metabolism of the chemotherapies. Genetic variants resulting in decreased enzymatic activity of uridine diphosphate glucuronosyltransferase 1A1 (UGT1A1) and dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase (DPD) are known to increase irinotecan and 5-fluorouracil-related toxicity, respectively. We report a case of a patient with pancreatic adenocarcinoma who was found to be not only homozygous for the UGT1A1∗28 allele, but also heterozygous for a DPYD variant through pharmacogenomic testing. Potentially severe adverse effects were prevented in this patient’s case by implementing preemptive dose reductions. On the basis of the significant implications of chemotherapy-related toxicity in this and other similar cases, we report on the clinical value of integrating pharmacogenomic testing into clinical practice to allow for preemptive and/or point-of-care dose reductions in patients potentially at risk for increased toxicity. This is even more important in an era where combinatorial triplet chemotherapies are increasingly being used.
Variation among populations in the immune protein composition of mother’s milk reflects subsistence pattern

Abstract Lay Summary Adaptive immune proteins in mothers’ milk are more variable than innate immune proteins across populations and subsistence strategies. These results suggest that the immune defenses in milk are shaped by a mother’s environment throughout her life. Background and objectives Mother’s milk contains immune proteins that play critical roles in protecting the infant from infection and priming the infant’s developing immune system during early life. The composition of these molecules in milk, particularly the acquired immune proteins, is thought to reflect a mother’s immunological exposures throughout her life. In this study, we examine the composition of innate and acquired immune proteins in milk across seven populations with diverse disease and cultural ecologies. Methodology Milk samples (n = 164) were collected in Argentina, Bolivia, Nepal, Namibia, Philippines, Poland and the USA. Populations were classified as having one of four subsistence patterns: urban-industrialism, rural-shop, horticulturalist-forager or agro-pastoralism. Milk innate (lactalbumin, lactoferrin and lysozyme) and acquired (Secretory IgA, IgG and IgM) protein concentrations were determined using triple-quadrupole mass spectrometry. Results Both innate and acquired immune protein composition in milk varied among populations, though the acquired immune protein composition of milk differed more among populations. Populations living in closer geographic proximity or having similar subsistence strategies (e.g. agro-pastoralists from Nepal and Namibia) had more similar milk immune protein compositions. Agro-pastoralists had different milk innate immune protein composition from horticulturalist-foragers and urban-industrialists. Acquired immune protein composition differed among all subsistence strategies except horticulturist-foragers and rural-shop. Conclusions and implications Our results reveal fundamental variation in milk composition that has not been previously explored in human milk research. Further study is needed to understand what specific aspects of the local environment influence milk composition and the effects this variation may have on infant health outcomes.
Food colorant Sunset Yellow (E110) intervenes developmental profile of zebrafish (Danio rerio)

In this study, we tested the teratogenic/embryotoxic potentials of food colorant, Sunset Yellow (E110) using zebrafish embryos as a model. Laboratory‐raised developing embryos of Danio rerio were exposed to graded concentrations (00, 0.1, 1.0, 2.0, 3.0, 4.0, 5.0, 10, 20, 30, 40, 50 and 100 mm) of E110 from gastrulation stage (~6 hours post‐fertilization [hpf]) up until hatching. The developmental trajectory of each embryo and post‐hatched larva was traced from 24 to 168 hpf. The no observed effect concentration (NOEC), median effective concentration (EC50), median lethal concentration (LC50) and teratogenic index were determined. In the 0.1 mm E110‐exposed embryos, the development proceeded as in controls (NOEC), while, exposure of embryos to 1‐5 mm of E110 led to a decrease in body size, dry body mass of resultant larvae along with appearance of morphological deformities such as, microphthalmia, pericardial edema, yolk sac edema and spinal curvature. Larvae of 10‐50 mm E110‐exposed embryos exhibited increased cellular apoptosis in the cardiac region with significantly declined heartbeats and elevated mortality rates, in addition to the above‐mentioned abnormalities. In the 100 mm exposure group, all embryos succumbed to death within 24 hpf. The NOEC and LC50 recorded were at 0.1 and 42.57 mm respectively. EC50 (96 hpf) recorded for pericardial edema and yolk sac edema was 19.41 and 39.84 mm with teratogenic index quotient 2.1 and 1.06 respectively The study provides direct evidence for the developmental toxicity/teratogenic potential of E110.
Stochastic algorithmic differentiation of (expectations of) discontinuous functions (indicator functions)

In this paper, we present a method for the accurate estimation of the derivative (aka. sensitivity) of expectations of functions involving an indicator function by modifying a (stochastic) algorithmic differentiation, replacing the derivative of the indicator function with a suitable operator. We show that we can split this operator into a conditional expectation operator and the density. This allows using different or improved numerical approximation methods for these operators, e.g. regression. The method is an improvement of the approach presented in C.P. Fries [Automatic backward differentiation for American Monte-Carlo algorithms (conditional expectation). Risk, April, 2018; Stochastic automatic differentiation: Automatic differentiation for Monte-Carlo simulations, Quant. Finance 19(6) (2019), pp. 1043–1059]. The finite difference approximation of a partial derivative of a Monte-Carlo integral of a discontinuous function is known to exhibit a high Monte-Carlo error. The issue is evident since the Monte-Carlo approximation of a discontinuous function is just a finite sum of discontinuous functions and as such, not even differentiable. The algorithmic differentiation of a discontinuous function is problematic. A natural approach is to replace the discontinuity by continuous functions. This is equivalent to replacing a path-wise automatic differentiation by a (local) finite difference approximation. The decoupling of the integration of the Dirac delta and the remaining conditional expectation introduced here results in an improvement in terms of variance reduction and implementation design.
How many individuals share a mitochondrial genome?

Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) is useful to assist with identification of the source of a biological sample, or to confirm matrilineal relatedness. Although the autosomal genome is much larger, mtDNA has an advantage for forensic applications of multiple copy number per cell, allowing better recovery of sequence information from degraded samples. In addition, biological samples such as fingernails, old bones, teeth and hair have mtDNA but little or no autosomal DNA. The relatively low mutation rate of the mitochondrial genome (mitogenome) means that there can be large sets of matrilineal-related individuals sharing a common mitogenome. Here we present the mitolina simulation software that we use to describe the distribution of the number of mitogenomes in a population that match a given mitogenome, and investigate its dependence on population size and growth rate, and on a database count of the mitogenome. Further, we report on the distribution of the number of meioses separating pairs of individuals with matching mitogenome. Our results have important implications for assessing the weight of mtDNA profile evidence in forensic science, but mtDNA analysis has many non-human applications, for example in tracking the source of ivory. Our methods and software can also be used for simulations to validate models of population history in human or non-human populations. Author Summary The maternally-inherited mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) represents only a small fraction of the human genome, but mtDNA profiles are important in forensic science, for example when a biological evidence sample is degraded or when maternal relatedness is questioned. For forensic mtDNA analysis, it is important to know how many individuals share a mtDNA profile. We present a simulation model of mtDNA profile evolution, implemented in open-source software, and use it to describe the distribution of the number of individuals with matching mitogenomes, and their matrilineal relatedness. The latter is measured as the number of mother-child pairs in the lineage linking two matching individuals. We also describe how these distributions change when conditioning on a count of the profile in a frequency database.
Dual-Emission Fluorescent Microspheres for the Detection of Biothiols and Hg2+

Dual-emission nanosensor for Hg2+ detection was prepared by coupling CA-AEAPMS on the surface of RBS-doped modified silica microspheres. The CA-AEAPMS was synthesized by using N-(β-aminoethyl)-γ-aminopropyl methyldimethoxysilane (AEAPMS) and citric acid as the main raw material. The obtained nanosensor showed characteristic fluorescence emissions of Rhodamine B (red) and CA-AEAPMS (blue) under a single excitation wavelength (360 nm). Upon binding to Hg2+, only the fluorescence of CA-AEAPMS was quenched, resulting in the ratiometric fluorescence response of the dual-emission silica microspheres. This ratiometric nanosensor exhibited good selectivity to Hg2+ over other metal ions, because of the amide groups on the surface of CA-AEAPMS serving as the Hg2+ recognition sites. The ratio of F450/F580 linearly decreased with the increasing of Hg2+ concentration in the range of 0 to 3 × 10−6 M, and a detection limit was as low as 97 nM was achieved. Then, the addition of three thiol-containing amino acids (Cys, Hcy, GSH) to the quenched fluorescence solution with Hg2+ can restore the fluorescence, and the detection limits of the three biothiols (Cys, Hcy, GSH) are 0.133 μM, 0.086 μM, and 0.123 μM, respectively.
Unlocking the Potential of 46 New Bacteriophages for Biocontrol of Dickeya Solani

Modern agriculture is expected to face an increasing global demand for food while also needing to comply with higher sustainability standards. Therefore, control of crop pathogens requires new, green alternatives to current methods. Potatoes are susceptible to several bacterial diseases, with infections by soft rot Enterobacteriaceae (SRE) being a significant contributor to the major annual losses. As there are currently no efficient ways of combating SRE, we sought to develop an approach that could easily be incorporated into the potato production pipeline. To this end, 46 phages infecting the emerging potato pathogen Dickeya solani were isolated and thoroughly characterized. The 46 isolated phages were grouped into three different groups based on DNA similarity, representing two distinct clusters and a singleton. One cluster showed similarity to phages previously used to successfully treat soft rot in potatoes, whereas the remaining phages were novel and showed only very limited similarity to previously isolated phages. We selected six diverse phages in order to create the hereto most complex phage cocktail against SRE. The cocktail was applied in a proof-of-principle experiment to treat soft rot in potatoes under simulated storage conditions. We show that the phage cocktail was able to significantly reduce the incidence of soft rot as well as disease severity after 5 days of storage post-infection with Dickeya solani. This confirms results from previous studies that phages represent promising biocontrol agents against SRE infection in potato.
Ethanolic Extract of Folium Sennae Mediates the Glucose Uptake of L6 Cells by GLUT4 and Ca2+

In today’s world, diabetes mellitus (DM) is on the rise, especially type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), which is characterized by insulin resistance. T2DM has high morbidity, and therapies with natural products have attracted much attention in the recent past. In this paper, we aimed to study the hypoglycemic effect and the mechanism of an ethanolic extract of Folium Sennae (FSE) on L6 cells. The glucose uptake of L6 cells was investigated using a glucose assay kit. We studied glucose transporter 4 (GLUT4) expression and AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), protein kinase B (PKB/Akt), and protein kinase C (PKC) phosphorylation levels using western blot analysis. GLUT4 trafficking and intracellular Ca2+ levels were monitored by laser confocal microscopy in L6 cells stably expressing IRAP-mOrange. GLUT4 fusion with plasma membrane (PM) was observed by myc-GLUT4-mOrange. FSE stimulated glucose uptake; GLUT4 expression and translocation; PM fusion; intracellular Ca2+ elevation; and the phosphorylation of AMPK, Akt, and PKC in L6 cells. GLUT4 translocation was weakened by the AMPK inhibitor compound C, PI3K inhibitor Wortmannin, PKC inhibitor Gö6983, G protein inhibitor PTX/Gallein, and PLC inhibitor U73122. Similarly, in addition to PTX/Gallein and U73122, the IP3R inhibitor 2-APB and a 0 mM Ca2+-EGTA solution partially inhibited the elevation of intracellular Ca2+ levels. BAPTA-AM had a significant inhibitory effect on FSE-mediated GLUT4 activities. In summary, FSE regulates GLUT4 expression and translocation by activating the AMPK, PI3K/Akt, and G protein–PLC–PKC pathways. FSE causes increasing Ca2+ concentration to complete the fusion of GLUT4 vesicles with PM, allowing glucose uptake. Therefore, FSE may be a potential drug for improving T2DM.
LL202 ameliorates colitis against oxidative stress of macrophage by activation of the Nrf2/HO‐1 pathway

LL202, a newly synthesized flavonoid derivative, has been confirmed to inhibit the mitogen‐activated protein kinase pathway and activation protein‐1 activation in monocytes; however, the anti‐inflammatory mechanism has not been clearly studied. Uncontrolled overproduction of reactive oxygen species (ROS) has involved in oxidative damage of inflammatory bowel disease. In this study, we investigated that LL202 reduced lipopolysaccharide (LPS)‐induced ROS production and malondialdehyde levels and increased superoxide dismutase, glutathione, and total antioxidant capacity in RAW264.7 cells. Mechanically, LL202 could upregulate heme oxygenase‐1 (HO‐1) via promoting nuclear translocation of nuclear factor erythroid 2 (NF‐E2)‐related factor 2 (Nrf2) to regulate LPS‐induced oxidative stress in macrophages. In vivo, we validated the role of LL202 in dextran sulfate sodium‐ and TNBS‐induced colitis models, respectively. The results showed that LL202 decreased the proinflammatory cytokine expression and regulated colonic oxidative stress by activating the Nrf2/HO‐1 pathway. In conclusion, our study showed that LL202 exerts an anti‐inflammatory effect by enhancing the antioxidant capacity of the Nrf2/HO‐1 pathway to macrophages.