Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Visualizing Uncertainty in Geo-spatial Data

This paper focuses on how computer graphics and visualization can help users access and understand the increasing volume of geo-spatial data. In particular, this paper highlights some of the visualization challenges in visualizing uncertainty associated with geo-spatial data. Uncertainty comes in a variety of forms and representations, and require different techniques for presentation together with the underlying data. In general, treating the uncertainty values as additional variables of a multivariate data set is not always the best approach. We present some possible approaches and further challenges using two illustrative application domains.
Flexibly Modeling Alcohol Use Disorder Risk: How Many Drinks Should We Count?

Previous research has called the validity of the commonly used 4+/5+ (women/men, respectively) definition for heavy episodic drinking (HED) into question. This definition does not allow researchers to capture the considerable heterogeneity among heavy, “at risk” drinkers. Spline regression methods were used to identify a flattening in the curve in the relationship between number of drinks consumed and prevalence of past-year alcohol use disorder (AUD). This analysis could identify the number of drinks above which no significant additional risk for AUD is conferred. Data were from the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions–III. The analytic sample consisted of young adult past-year drinkers (n = 6,422). Sex-specific drinking thresholds varied as a function of the number of drinks consumed during past-year typical and heaviest drinking occasions. For typical drinking, the risk for AUD continued to increase through approximately 10 (women) and 11 (men) drinks, after which AUD risk remained constant. That is, young adult drinkers experienced incremental risk for AUD through approximately a typical amount of 10 drinks, after which the risk for AUD plateaued. For heaviest drinking occasion, risk for AUD continued to increase for men and tapered for women around 14 drinks. There is incremental information gained at each level of drinking in predicting AUD, well beyond the traditional 4+/5+ HED thresholds. Relying solely on this threshold may limit the understanding of serious harms that many young adults who drink at higher levels can experience.
Time course of spatiotopic updating across saccades

Significance Humans make frequent eye movements—about three to four times per second. Eye movements create changes in sensory input that the visual system should dissociate from changes in the outside world. Still, visual perception is introspectively undisrupted, but appears continuous. It has been hypothesized that the visual system anticipates the sensory changes based on a predictive signal from the oculomotor system. However, psychophysical studies suggested that this anticipation develops slowly: too slow for natural vision. Here, we examined the speed of this anticipation more closely using psychophysics and a motion illusion. We observed fast anticipatory updating, quantifiable in human behavior. The time scale at which the anticipation is reflected in behavior is compatible with typical fixation durations in natural viewing. Humans move their eyes several times per second, yet we perceive the outside world as continuous despite the sudden disruptions created by each eye movement. To date, the mechanism that the brain employs to achieve visual continuity across eye movements remains unclear. While it has been proposed that the oculomotor system quickly updates and informs the visual system about the upcoming eye movement, behavioral studies investigating the time course of this updating suggest the involvement of a slow mechanism, estimated to take more than 500 ms to operate effectively. This is a surprisingly slow estimate, because both the visual system and the oculomotor system process information faster. If spatiotopic updating is indeed this slow, it cannot contribute to perceptual continuity, because it is outside the temporal regime of typical oculomotor behavior. Here, we argue that the behavioral paradigms that have been used previously are suboptimal to measure the speed of spatiotopic updating. In this study, we used a fast gaze-contingent paradigm, using high phi as a continuous stimulus across eye movements. We observed fast spatiotopic updating within 150 ms after stimulus onset. The results suggest the involvement of a fast updating mechanism that predictively influences visual perception after an eye movement. The temporal characteristics of this mechanism are compatible with the rate at which saccadic eye movements are typically observed in natural viewing.
Fibroblast Growth Factor Receptor 4 Targeting in Cancer: New Insights into Mechanisms and Therapeutic Strategies †

Fibroblast growth factor receptor 4 (FGFR4), a tyrosine kinase receptor for FGFs, is involved in diverse cellular processes, including the regulation of cell proliferation, differentiation, migration, metabolism, and bile acid biosynthesis. High activation of FGFR4 is strongly associated with the amplification of its specific ligand FGF19 in many types of solid tumors and hematologic malignancies, where it acts as an oncogene driving the cancer development and progression. Currently, the development and therapeutic evaluation of FGFR4-specific inhibitors, such as BLU9931 and H3B-6527, in animal models and cancer patients, are paving the way to suppress hyperactive FGFR4 signaling in cancer. This comprehensive review not only covers the recent discoveries in understanding FGFR4 regulation and function in cancer, but also reveals the therapeutic implications and applications regarding emerging anti-FGFR4 agents. Our aim is to pinpoint the potential of FGFR4 as a therapeutic target and identify new avenues for advancing future research in the field.
Dynamic Barrier Coverage in a Wireless Sensor Network for Smart Grids

The development of engineering technology such as inspection robots (IR) for transmission lines and wireless sensor networks (WSN) are widely used in the field of smart grid monitoring. However, how to integrate inspection robots into wireless sensor networks is still a great challenge to form an efficient dynamic monitoring network for transmission lines. To address this problem, a dynamic barrier coverage (DBC) method combining inspection robot and wireless sensor network (WSN) is proposed to realize a low-cost, energy-saving and dynamic smart grid-oriented sensing system based on mobile wireless sensor network. To establish an effective smart grid monitoring system, this research focuses on the design of an effective and safe dynamic network coverage and network nodes deployment method. Multiple simulation scenarios are implemented to explore the variation of network performance with different parameters. In addition, the dynamic barrier coverage method for the actual scene of smart grid monitoring considers the balance between network performance and financial costs.
The ADAMTS13–VWF axis is dysregulated in chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension

Chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) is an important consequence of pulmonary embolism that is associated with abnormalities in haemostasis. We investigated the ADAMTS13–von Willebrand factor (VWF) axis in CTEPH, including its relationship with disease severity, inflammation, ABO groups and ADAMTS13 genetic variants. ADAMTS13 and VWF plasma antigen levels were measured in patients with CTEPH (n=208), chronic thromboembolic disease without pulmonary hypertension (CTED) (n=35), resolved pulmonary embolism (n=28), idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension (n=30) and healthy controls (n=68). CTEPH genetic ABO associations and protein quantitative trait loci were investigated. ADAMTS13–VWF axis abnormalities were assessed in CTEPH and healthy control subsets by measuring ADAMTS13 activity, D-dimers and VWF multimeric size. Patients with CTEPH had decreased ADAMTS13 (adjusted β −23.4%, 95% CI −30.9– −15.1%, p<0.001) and increased VWF levels (β +75.5%, 95% CI 44.8–113%, p<0.001) compared to healthy controls. ADAMTS13 levels remained low after reversal of pulmonary hypertension by pulmonary endarterectomy surgery and were equally reduced in CTED. We identified a genetic variant near the ADAMTS13 gene associated with ADAMTS13 protein that accounted for ∼8% of the variation in levels. The ADAMTS13–VWF axis is dysregulated in CTEPH. This is unrelated to pulmonary hypertension, disease severity or markers of systemic inflammation and implicates the ADAMTS13–VWF axis in CTEPH pathobiology. The ADAMTS-13–VWF axis is dysregulated in chronic thromboembolism with and without pulmonary hypertension and is implicated in the pathogenesis http://ow.ly/J9SC30nh5T0
Engineering of Nanofibrous Amorphous and Crystalline Solid Dispersions for Oral Drug Delivery

Poor aqueous solubility (<0.1 mg/mL) affects a significant number of drugs currently on the market or under development. Several formulation strategies including salt formation, particle size reduction, and solid dispersion approaches have been employed with varied success. In this review, we focus primarily on the emerging trends in the generation of amorphous and micro/nano-crystalline solid dispersions using electrospinning to improve the dissolution rate and in turn the bioavailability of poorly water-soluble drugs. Electrospinning is a simple but versatile process that utilizes electrostatic forces to generate polymeric fibers and has been used for over 100 years to generate synthetic fibers. We discuss the various electrospinning studies and spinneret types that have been used to generate amorphous and crystalline solid dispersions.
Patient friendly intensification of basal insulin.

This is an exciting time in diabetology. Though the epidemic of type 2 diabetes epidemic is gradually converting to an endemic (1), there is unprecedented optimism in the diabetes clinic. Newer drug preparations, formulations, delivery devices, assisted by digital platforms and person-friendly approaches, are now available for management of this syndrome.
Targeting mTORC1/2 with OSI‐027 inhibits proliferation and migration of keloid keratinocytes

Keloid is a dermal proliferative disorder characterized by the excessive proliferation and migration of keratinocytes and fibroblasts. Over‐activation of the serine/threonine protein kinase, mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), plays a pivotal role in the process. Here, we show that both mTOR complex 1 (mTORC1) and mTOR complex 2 (mTORC2) were hyper‐activated in keloid‐derived primary keratinocytes. Further, OSI‐027, an mTOR kinase inhibitor, potently inhibited proliferation and migration of keloid keratinocytes. At the molecular level, OSI‐027 disrupted the assembly of mTORC1 (mTOR–Raptor) and mTORC2 (mTOR–Rictor–mLST8). Further, OSI‐027 almost completely blocked the phosphorylation of the mTORC1 substrates, S6K1, S6 and 4EBP1, and the mTORC2 substrate, AKT, at Ser‐473. The OSI‐027 treatment of keloid keratinocytes showed more effectively inhibited cell proliferation and migration compared to the mTORC1 inhibitor, rapamycin. Moreover, restoring mTORC1 activation by the introduction of the constitutively active S6K1 only partly alleviated OSI‐027‐induced inhibition of keloid keratinocytes. Notably, mTOR2 inhibition by Rictor siRNAs also inhibited keloid keratinocyte proliferation and migration, but less efficiently than OSI‐027. Together, our results imply that concurrent targeting of mTORC1/2 by OSI‐027 potently inhibits the proliferation and the migration of keloid keratinocytes. Thus, OSI‐027 may have translational value for the treatment of keloid.
Assessing the Response of Small RNA Populations to Allopolyploidy Using Resynthesized Brassica napus Allotetraploids

Allopolyploidy, combining interspecific hybridization with whole genome duplication, has had significant impact on plant evolution. Its evolutionary success is related to the rapid and profound genome reorganizations that allow neo-allopolyploids to form and adapt. Nevertheless, how neo-allopolyploid genomes adapt to regulate their expression remains poorly understood. The hypothesis of a major role for small non-coding RNAs (sRNAs) in mediating the transcriptional response of neo-allopolyploid genomes has progressively emerged. Generally, 21-nt sRNAs mediate post-transcriptional gene silencing (PTGS) by mRNA cleavage whereas 24-nt sRNAs repress transcription (transcriptional gene silencing, TGS) through epigenetic modifications. Here, we characterize the global response of sRNAs to allopolyploidy in Brassica, using three independently resynthesized B. napus allotetraploids surveyed at two different generations in comparison with their diploid progenitors. Our results suggest an immediate but transient response of specific sRNA populations to allopolyploidy. These sRNA populations mainly target non-coding components of the genome but also target the transcriptional regulation of genes involved in response to stresses and in metabolism; this suggests a broad role in adapting to allopolyploidy. We finally identify the early accumulation of both 21- and 24-nt sRNAs involved in regulating the same targets, supporting a PTGS-to-TGS shift at the first stages of the neo-allopolyploid formation. We propose that reorganization of sRNA production is an early response to allopolyploidy in order to control the transcriptional reactivation of various non-coding elements and stress-related genes, thus ensuring genome stability during the first steps of neo-allopolyploid formation.
Factors Influencing Attitude to Treatment among Patients with Type-2 Diabetes Mellitus in the Niger Delta, Nigeria

Background: Type-2 Diabetes mellitus could be well managed if patients adhere strictly to treatment regimen. Patientâ€™s attitude to treatment recommendations has been shown to influence level of adherence to treatment. This study was therefore designed to investigate factors influencing the attitude to treatment among patients with type-2 diabetes mellitus in the Niger Delta, Nigeria. Methodology: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 350 purposively selected patients with Type-2 diabetes mellitus. A semi-structured questionnaire was interviewer administered to obtain information on respondentsâ€™ socio-demographic characteristics, attitude to medication and dietary treatment, and factors influencing adherence to treatment. Descriptive statistics, Chi-square test and logistic regression were used to analyse the data with level of significance set at 0.05. Results: Mean age of respondents was 57.9 Â± 9.8 years, 60.9% were females and 78.0% were married. Above average of respondents exhibited good attitude to medication (65.10%) and dietary (64.0%) treatment respectively. Analysis of the determinants of poor attitude to medication treatment shows; taking many drugs to get better quickly was the major contributing variable at (OR=2.08 95% CI=1.268-3.406). Major factors influencing adherence to medication and dietary treatment includes difficulty in sticking to recommended diet, Long queues and waiting times in the clinic; Side effects from recommended drugs and the least is doctors too busy to listen to patients complaints. Conclusion: Taking many drugs to get better quickly and many other factors influencing the attitude to treatment recommendations remains a challenge among patients with type-2 diabetes mellitus. Thus, health education on diabetic care with emphasis on improving attitude to medication and dietary treatment regimen, among other strategies, should be organised regularly for diabetic patients.
Improving Electronic Health Record Note Comprehension With NoteAid: Randomized Trial of Electronic Health Record Note Comprehension Interventions With Crowdsourced Workers

Background Patient portals are becoming more common, and with them, the ability of patients to access their personal electronic health records (EHRs). EHRs, in particular the free-text EHR notes, often contain medical jargon and terms that are difficult for laypersons to understand. There are many Web-based resources for learning more about particular diseases or conditions, including systems that directly link to lay definitions or educational materials for medical concepts. Objective Our goal is to determine whether use of one such tool, NoteAid, leads to higher EHR note comprehension ability. We use a new EHR note comprehension assessment tool instead of patient self-reported scores. Methods In this work, we compare a passive, self-service educational resource (MedlinePlus) with an active resource (NoteAid) where definitions are provided to the user for medical concepts that the system identifies. We use Amazon Mechanical Turk (AMT) to recruit individuals to complete ComprehENotes, a new test of EHR note comprehension. Results Mean scores for individuals with access to NoteAid are significantly higher than the mean baseline scores, both for raw scores (P=.008) and estimated ability (P=.02). Conclusions In our experiments, we show that the active intervention leads to significantly higher scores on the comprehension test as compared with a baseline group with no resources provided. In contrast, there is no significant difference between the group that was provided with the passive intervention and the baseline group. Finally, we analyze the demographics of the individuals who participated in our AMT task and show differences between groups that align with the current understanding of health literacy between populations. This is the first work to show improvements in comprehension using tools such as NoteAid as measured by an EHR note comprehension assessment tool as opposed to patient self-reported scores.
Resveratrol potentially increased the tumoricidal effect of doxorubicin on SKOV3 cancer stem cells in vitro

Ovarian cancer is associated with a high percentage of recurrence of tumor and resistance to chemotherapy. Cancer stem cells (CSCs) form a rare population with a significant capacity to begin and expand malignant diseases. Eliminating the drug resistance of CSCs by factors that have fewer side effects to the patient is vital. To investigate the effect of resveratrol (RES) and doxorubicin (DOX) on drug resistance and apoptosis of CSCs; at the first, isolation of CSCs from SKOV3 ovarian carcinoma cells and their dosage adjustment (IC50) with RES and DOX was performed. Then, isolated CSCs were treated with RES and DOX IC 50 of 55 and 250 nM, respectively. Subsequently, their effects on drug resistance and cell death were evaluated using real‐time polymerase chain reaction, rhodamine 123 uptakes. The results of the present study demonstrated that treatment of SKOV3 with 55 μM of RES and 250 nM of DOX simultaneously increased cell viability in CSCs to DOX after 24 and 48 hours by increasing the expression of Bcl‐2‐associated X protein (BAX) and caspase‐3 genes, and decreased the expression and function of multidrug resistance protein 1 (MDR1) and multidrug resistance‐associated protein 1 (MRP1) genes indicated by intracellular the rhodamine 123 content. Treatment of RES could increase the activity of DOX cell viability in CSCs originated from SKOV3 ovarian carcinoma and decrease drug resistance capacity to DOX.
Macrophage Phosphoproteome Analysis Reveals MINCLE-dependent and -independent Mycobacterial Cord Factor Signaling*

First quantitative phosphoproteome analysis of TDM-activated macrophages reveals new insights in biological processes of macrophages stimulated with the mycobacterial cord factor. Surprisingly, the bioinformatic results revealed Mincle-dependent and -independent phosphorylation, which appear to affect different biological processes. Whereas PI3K/AKT signaling, dependent on Mincle, is involved in TDM-induced cytokine regulation, Mincle-independent phosphorylation and transcriptomic changes were linked to cell cycle regulation. Collectively, the observed reprogramming of macrophages by TDM might be relevant in the mycobacteria-macrophage interaction. Graphical Abstract Highlights quantitative phosphoproteome analysis of TDM-activated macrophages. distinct Mincle-dependent and independent phosphorylation and gene regulations. Mincle-dependent activation of PI3K/AKT signaling by TDM. Mincle-independent macrophage response is linked to cell cycle regulation. Immune sensing of Mycobacterium tuberculosis relies on recognition by macrophages. Mycobacterial cord factor, trehalose-6,6′-dimycolate (TDM), is the most abundant cell wall glycolipid and binds to the C-type lectin receptor (CLR) MINCLE. To explore the kinase signaling linking the TDM-MINCLE interaction to gene expression, we employed quantitative phosphoproteome analysis. TDM caused upregulation of 6.7% and suppressed 3.8% of the 14,000 phospho-sites identified on 3727 proteins. MINCLE-dependent phosphorylation was observed for canonical players of CLR signaling (e.g. PLCγ, PKCδ), and was enriched for PKCδ and GSK3 kinase motifs. MINCLE-dependent activation of the PI3K-AKT-GSK3 pathway contributed to inflammatory gene expression and required the PI3K regulatory subunit p85α. Unexpectedly, a substantial fraction of TDM-induced phosphorylation was MINCLE-independent, a finding paralleled by transcriptome data. Bioinformatics analysis of both data sets concurred in the requirement for MINCLE for innate immune response pathways and processes. In contrast, MINCLE-independent phosphorylation and transcriptome responses were linked to cell cycle regulation. Collectively, our global analyses show substantial reprogramming of macrophages by TDM and reveal a dichotomy of MINCLE-dependent and -independent signaling linked to distinct biological responses.