Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Present and Future of Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering

The discovery of the enhancement of Raman scattering by molecules adsorbed on nanostructured metal surfaces is a landmark in the history of spectroscopic and analytical techniques. Significant experimental and theoretical effort has been directed toward understanding the surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) effect and demonstrating its potential in various types of ultrasensitive sensing applications in a wide variety of fields. In the 45 years since its discovery, SERS has blossomed into a rich area of research and technology, but additional efforts are still needed before it can be routinely used analytically and in commercial products. In this Review, prominent authors from around the world joined together to summarize the state of the art in understanding and using SERS and to predict what can be expected in the near future in terms of research, applications, and technological development. This Review is dedicated to SERS pioneer and our coauthor, the late Prof. Richard Van Duyne, whom we lost during the preparation of this article.
Myotubularin related protein 7 is essential for the spermatogonial stem cell homeostasis via PI3K/AKT signaling

ABSTRACT Myotubularin related protein 7 (MTMR7), a key member of the MTMR family, depicts phosphatase activity and is involved in myogenesis and tumor growth. We have previously identified MTMR7 in the proteomic profile of mouse spermatogonial stem cell (SSC) maturation and differentiation, implying that MTMR7 is associated with neonatal testicular development. In this study, to further explore the distribution and function of MTMR7 in mouse testis, we studied the effect of Mtmr7 knockdown on neonatal testicular development by testicular and SSC culture methods. Our results revealed that MTMR7 is exclusively located in early germ cells. Deficiency of MTMR7 by morpholino in neonatal testis caused excessive SSC proliferation, which was attributable to the aberrant PI3K/AKT signaling activation. Altogether, our study demonstrates that MTMR7 maintains SSC homeostasis by inhibiting PI3K/AKT signaling activation.
Children Who Are Overweight Display Altered Vertical Jump Kinematics and Kinetics From Children Who Are Not Overweight.

PURPOSE Children who are overweight typically do not perform motor skills as well as normal-weight peers. This study examined whether vertical jump kinetics and kinematics of children who are overweight differ from nonoverweight peers. METHODS Thirty-nine children completed maximum-effort countermovement vertical jumps. Motion capture was used to complete lower extremity kinematic and kinetic analyses. RESULTS The overweight group (body mass index ≥ 85th percentile; N = 11; age = 6.5 [1.6] y) jumped lower relative to their mass (0.381 cm/kg lower; P < .001) than normal-weight peers (N = 28; age = 6.4 [1.7] y). Compared with children who are normal weight, children who were overweight exhibited a shallower countermovement (knee: 12° less flexion, P = .02; hip: 10° less flexion, P = .045), lower hip torque (0.06 N·m/kg lower, P = .01) and hip work (40% less work, P = .01), and earlier peak joint angular velocities (knee: 9 ms earlier, P = .001; hip: 14 ms earlier, P = .004). CONCLUSION Children who are overweight do not achieve optimal jumping mechanics and exhibit jumping characteristics of an earlier developmental stage compared with their peers. Interventions should help children who are overweight learn to execute a proper countermovement.
Single-amino acid variants reveal evolutionary processes that shape the biogeography of a global SAR11 subclade

Members of the SAR11 order Pelagibacterales dominate the surface oceans. Their extensive diversity challenges emerging operational boundaries defined for microbial 'species' and complicates efforts of population genetics to study their evolution. Here, we employed single-amino acid variants (SAAVs) to investigate ecological and evolutionary forces that maintain the genomic heterogeneity within ubiquitous SAR11 populations we accessed through metagenomic read recruitment using a single isolate genome. Integrating amino acid and protein biochemistry with metagenomics revealed that systematic purifying selection against deleterious variants governs non-synonymous variation among very closely related populations of SAR11. SAAVs partitioned metagenomes into two main groups matching large-scale oceanic current temperatures, and six finer proteotypes that connect distant oceanic regions. These findings suggest that environmentally-mediated selection plays a critical role in the journey of cosmopolitan surface ocean microbial populations, and the idea ‘everything is everywhere but the environment selects’ has credence even at the finest resolutions.
Comparison of performance and fitness traits in German Angler, Swedish Red and Swedish Polled with Holstein dairy cattle breeds under organic production.

Although the use of local breeds is recommended by organic regulations, breed comparisons performed under organic production conditions with similar production intensities are scarce. Therefore, we compared data of local and widely used Holstein dairy cattle breeds from 2011 to 2015 regarding production, fertility and health from German and Swedish organic farms with similar management intensities within country. In Germany, the energy-corrected total milk yield tended to be lower in the local breed Original Angler Cattle (AAZ, 5193 kg) compared to the modern German Holstein Friesian breed (HO, 5620 kg), but AAZ showed higher milk fat and protein contents (AAZ v. HO: 5.09% v. 4.18% and 3.61% v. 3.31%, respectively). In Sweden, the widely used modern Swedish Holstein (SH) breed had the highest milk yield (9209 kg, fat: 4.10%, protein: 3.31%), while the local Swedish Polled (SKB) showed highest milk yield, fat and protein contents (6169 kg, 4.47%, 3.50%, respectively), followed by the local breed Swedish Red (SRB, 8283 kg, 4.33%, 3.46%, respectively). With regard to fertility characteristics, the German breeds showed no differences, but AAZ tended to have less days open compared to HO (-17 days). In Sweden, breeds did not differ with regard to calving interval, but both local breeds showed a lower number of days open (-10.4 in SRB and -24.1 in SKB compared to SH), and SKB needed fewer inseminations until conception (-0.5 inseminations) compared to SH. Proportion of test day records with a somatic cell count content of ≥100 000 cells per ml milk did not reveal breed differences in any of the two countries. German breeds did not differ regarding the proportion of cows with veterinary treatments. In Sweden, SRB showed the lowest proportion of cows with general veterinary treatment as well as specific treatment due to udder problems (22.8 ± 6.42 and 8.05 ± 2.18, respectively), but the local breed SKB did not differ from SH in either of the two traits. In Sweden, we found no breed differences regarding veterinary treatments due to fertility problems or diagnosis of claw or leg problems during claw trimming. Our results indicate a stronger expression of the antagonism between production and functional traits with increasing production intensity. Future breed comparisons, therefore, need to consider different production intensities within organic farming in order to derive practical recommendations as to how to implement European organic regulations with regard to a suitable choice of breeds.
Association of Chronic Kidney Disease with Preserved Ejection Fraction Heart Failure Is Independent of Baseline Cardiac Function

Background/Aims: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is common among patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) and is associated with worse clinical outcomes. This study aims to identify whether the association of CKD with HFpEF is independent of underlying echocardiographic abnormalities. Materials: We conducted a retrospective cohort study including patients without prevalent heart failure referred for echocardiography. Patients with serial echocardiograms, baseline left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) ≥50% and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) ≥90 mL/min/1.73 m2 were matched 1:1 with patients with eGFR <60 mL/min/1.73 m2 for age (±5 years), sex, history of hypertension or diabetes, use of renin-angiotensin inhibitors, and LVEF (±5%). A secondary analysis included patients with preserved LVEF and normal left ventricular mass index matched for the same parameters except use of renin-angiotensin inhibitors. Results: Patients with CKD were at increased risk for HFpEF admission: crude hazard ratio (HR) 1.79 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.38–2.32, p < 0.001) and adjusted HR (for coronary disease, loop diuretics, left atrial diameter) 1.64 (95% CI 1.22–2.21, p = 0.001). LVEF and left ventricular diameter decreased over time in both groups but no difference was observed in rate of dropping. Results were similar in the secondary analysis (crude HR 1.99, 95% CI 1.07–3.71, p = 0.03 and HR adjusted for left atrial diameter 1.98, 95% CI 1.05–3.75, p = 0.04). Rate of change was similar for LVEF, pulmonary artery pressure, and left ventricular mass index in both groups. Conclusion: CKD is independently associated with incident HFpEF despite a similar change in relevant echocardiographic parameters in patients with or without CKD.
Reversal of Severe Multiorgan Failure Associated With Sickle Cell Crisis Using Plasma Exchange: A Case Series

Objective: Red blood cell exchange (RBCE) is the standard of care for patients with sickle cell disease (SCD) who present with severe vaso-occlusive crisis (VOC). However, subsets of these critically ill patients have progressive multiorgan failure (MOF) despite RBCE therapy. The purpose of this case series is to describe the use of plasma exchange (PLEX) for the treatment of SCD-related MOF that is refractory to RBCE. Methods: A retrospective case review of patients with severe MOF from sickle cell crisis unresponsive to RBCE who underwent PLEX in a 14-bed adult medical intensive care unit (ICU) at a tertiary care university hospital over a 4-year time period. Key laboratory data including complete blood count, indices of hemolysis, and markers of organ failure were recorded before and after both RBCE and PLEX. Results: Our primary objective is to evaluate the effectiveness of PLEX, in addition to RBCE, on organ dysfunction, laboratory indices, and mortality. Of the 7 patients, 6 survived. Of the patients who survived, all remained hemodynamically stable during PLEX sessions and showed both clinical and laboratory evidences of improvement in hemolysis and organ function. Average time from completion of first PLEX treatment to initial laboratory signs of organ failure reversal for patients who survived was 15.6 hours, the average length of stay in the ICU was 5.6 days, and the average total length of stay in the hospital was 14 days. Conclusions: Plasma exchange, in addition to RBCE, may be a novel synergistic treatment option to decrease risk of mortality in patients with refractory VOC and MOF.
The fertilization effect of global dimming on crop yields is not attributed to an improved light interception

Global dimming, a decadal decrease in incident global radiation, is often accompanied with an increase in the diffuse radiation fraction, and, therefore, the impact of global dimming on crop production is hard to predict. A popular approach to quantify this impact is the statistical analysis of historical climate and crop data, or use of dynamic crop simulation modelling approach. Here, we show that statistical analysis of historical data did not provide plausible values for the effect of diffuse radiation versus direct radiation on rice or wheat yield. In contrast, our field experimental study of 3 years demonstrated a fertilization effect of increased diffuse radiation fraction, which partly offset yield losses caused by decreased global radiation, in both crops. The fertilization effect was not attributed to any improved canopy light interception but mainly to the increased radiation use efficiency (RUE). The increased RUE was explained not only by the saturating shape of photosynthetic light response curves but also by plant acclimation to dimming that gradually increased leaf nitrogen concentration. Crop harvest index slightly decreased under dimming, thereby discounting the fertilization effect on crop yields. These results challenge existing modelling paradigms, which assume that the fertilization effect on crop yields is mainly attributed to an improved light interception. Further studies on the physiological mechanism of plant acclimation are required to better quantify the global dimming impact on agroecosystem productivity under future climate change.
3D Point Cloud Attribute Compression Using Geometry-Guided Sparse Representation

3D point clouds associated with attributes are considered as a promising paradigm for immersive communication. However, the corresponding compression schemes for this media are still in the infant stage. Moreover, in contrast to conventional image/video compression, it is a more challenging task to compress 3D point cloud data, arising from the irregular structure. In this paper, we propose a novel and effective compression scheme for the attributes of voxelized 3D point clouds. In the first stage, an input voxelized 3D point cloud is divided into blocks of equal size. Then, to deal with the irregular structure of 3D point clouds, a geometry-guided sparse representation (GSR) is proposed to eliminate the redundancy within each block, which is formulated as an $\ell _{0}$ -norm regularized optimization problem. Also, an inter-block prediction scheme is applied to remove the redundancy between blocks. Finally, by quantitatively analyzing the characteristics of the resulting transform coefficients by GSR, an effective entropy coding strategy that is tailored to our GSR is developed to generate the bitstream. Experimental results over various benchmark datasets show that the proposed compression scheme is able to achieve better rate-distortion performance and visual quality, compared with state-of-the-art methods.
Rapid Forecasting of Cholera Risk in Mozambique: Translational Challenges and Opportunities

Abstract Disasters, such as cyclones, create conditions that increase the risk of infectious disease outbreaks. Epidemic forecasts can be valuable for targeting highest risk populations before an outbreak. The two main barriers to routine use of real-time forecasts include scientific and operational challenges. First, accuracy may be limited by availability of data and the uncertainty associated with the inherently stochastic processes that determine when and where outbreaks happen and spread. Second, even if data are available, the appropriate channels of communication may prevent their use for decision making. In April 2019, only six weeks after Cyclone Idai devastated Mozambique’s central region and sparked a cholera outbreak, Cyclone Kenneth severely damaged northern areas of the country. By June 10, a total of 267 cases of cholera were confirmed, sparking a vaccination campaign. Prior to Kenneth’s landfall, a team of academic researchers, humanitarian responders, and health agencies developed a simple model to forecast areas at highest risk of a cholera outbreak. The model created risk indices for each district using combinations of four metrics: (1) flooding data; (2) previous annual cholera incidence; (3) sensitivity of previous outbreaks to the El Niño-Southern Oscillation cycle; and (4) a diffusion (gravity) model to simulate movement of infected travelers. As information on cases became available, the risk model was continuously updated. A web-based tool was produced, which identified highest risk populations prior to the cyclone and the districts at-risk following the start of the outbreak. The model prior to Kenneth’s arrival using the metrics of previous incidence, projected flood, and El Niño sensitivity accurately predicted areas at highest risk for cholera. Despite this success, not all data were available at the scale at which the vaccination campaign took place, limiting the model’s utility, and the extent to which the forecasts were used remains unclear. Here, the science behind these forecasts and the organizational structure of this collaborative effort are discussed. The barriers to the routine use of forecasts in crisis settings are highlighted, as well as the potential for flexible teams to rapidly produce actionable insights for decision making using simple modeling tools, both before and during an outbreak.
Spz/Toll-6 signal guides organotropic metastasis in Drosophila

ABSTRACT Targeted cell migration plays important roles in developmental biology and disease processes, including in metastasis. Drosophila tumors exhibit traits characteristic of human cancers, providing a powerful model to study developmental and cancer biology. We now find that cells derived from Drosophila eye-disc tumors also display organ-specific metastasis, invading receptive organs but not wing disc. Toll receptors are known to affect innate immunity and the tumor inflammatory microenvironment by modulating the NF-κB pathway. Our RNA interference (RNAi) screen and genetic analyses show that Toll-6 is required for migration and invasion of the tumor cells. Further, receptive organs express Toll ligands [Spätzle (Spz) family molecules], and ectopic Spz expression renders the wing disc receptive to metastasis. Finally, Toll-6 promotes metastasis by activating JNK signaling, a key regulator of cell migration. Hence, we report Toll-6 and Spz as a new pair of guidance molecules mediating organ-specific metastatic behavior and highlight a novel signaling mechanism for Toll-family receptors. Summary: The authors report Toll-6 and Spätzle as a new pair of guidance molecules mediating organ-specific metastasis behavior by activating JNK signaling, highlighting a novel role for Toll-family receptors.
A Multi-Branch 3D Convolutional Neural Network for EEG-Based Motor Imagery Classification

One of the challenges in motor imagery (MI) classification tasks is finding an easy-handled electroencephalogram (EEG) representation method which can preserve not only temporal features but also spatial ones. To fully utilize the features on various dimensions of EEG, a novel MI classification framework is first introduced in this paper, including a new 3D representation of EEG, a multi-branch 3D convolutional neural network (3D CNN) and the corresponding classification strategy. The 3D representation is generated by transforming EEG signals into a sequence of 2D array which preserves spatial distribution of sampling electrodes. The multi-branch 3D CNN and classification strategy are designed accordingly for the 3D representation. Experimental evaluation reveals that the proposed framework reaches state-of-the-art classification kappa value level and significantly outperforms other algorithms by 50% decrease in standard deviation of different subjects, which shows good performance and excellent robustness on different subjects. The framework also shows great performance with only nine sampling electrodes, which can significantly enhance its practicality. Moreover, the multi-branch structure exhibits its low latency and a strong ability in mitigating overfitting issues which often occur in MI classification because of the small training dataset.
How the mechanobiome drives cell behavior, viewed through the lens of control theory

ABSTRACT Cells have evolved sophisticated systems that integrate internal and external inputs to coordinate cell shape changes during processes, such as development, cell identity determination, and cell and tissue homeostasis. Cellular shape-change events are driven by the mechanobiome, the network of macromolecules that allows cells to generate, sense and respond to externally imposed and internally generated forces. Together, these components build the cellular contractility network, which is governed by a control system. Proteins, such as non-muscle myosin II, function as both sensors and actuators, which then link to scaffolding proteins, transcription factors and metabolic proteins to create feedback loops that generate the foundational mechanical properties of the cell and modulate cellular behaviors. In this Review, we highlight proteins that establish and maintain the setpoint, or baseline, for the control system and explore the feedback loops that integrate different cellular processes with cell mechanics. Uncovering the genetic, biophysical and biochemical interactions between these molecular components allows us to apply concepts from control theory to provide a systems-level understanding of cellular processes. Importantly, the actomyosin network has emerged as more than simply a ‘downstream’ effector of linear signaling pathways. Instead, it is also a significant driver of cellular processes traditionally considered to be ‘upstream’. Summary: Cells use sophisticated control systems to drive cell behaviors. The mechanobiome senses inputs, establishes and maintains system setpoint and integrates different cellular processes with mechanics to ensure robustness against disturbances.
Medication Use to Reduce Risk of Breast Cancer: US Preventive Services Task Force Recommendation Statement.

Importance Breast cancer is the most common nonskin cancer among women in the United States and the second leading cause of cancer death. The median age at diagnosis is 62 years, and an estimated 1 in 8 women will develop breast cancer at some point in their lifetime. African American women are more likely to die of breast cancer compared with women of other races. Objective To update the 2013 US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommendation on medications for risk reduction of primary breast cancer. Evidence Review The USPSTF reviewed evidence on the accuracy of risk assessment methods to identify women who could benefit from risk-reducing medications for breast cancer, as well as evidence on the effectiveness, adverse effects, and subgroup variations of these medications. The USPSTF reviewed evidence from randomized trials, observational studies, and diagnostic accuracy studies of risk stratification models in women without preexisting breast cancer or ductal carcinoma in situ. Findings The USPSTF found convincing evidence that risk assessment tools can predict the number of cases of breast cancer expected to develop in a population. However, these risk assessment tools perform modestly at best in discriminating between individual women who will or will not develop breast cancer. The USPSTF found convincing evidence that risk-reducing medications (tamoxifen, raloxifene, or aromatase inhibitors) provide at least a moderate benefit in reducing risk for invasive estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer in postmenopausal women at increased risk for breast cancer. The USPSTF found that the benefits of taking tamoxifen, raloxifene, and aromatase inhibitors to reduce risk for breast cancer are no greater than small in women not at increased risk for the disease. The USPSTF found convincing evidence that tamoxifen and raloxifene and adequate evidence that aromatase inhibitors are associated with small to moderate harms. Overall, the USPSTF determined that the net benefit of taking medications to reduce risk of breast cancer is larger in women who have a greater risk for developing breast cancer. Conclusions and Recommendation The USPSTF recommends that clinicians offer to prescribe risk-reducing medications, such as tamoxifen, raloxifene, or aromatase inhibitors, to women who are at increased risk for breast cancer and at low risk for adverse medication effects. (B recommendation) The USPSTF recommends against the routine use of risk-reducing medications, such as tamoxifen, raloxifene, or aromatase inhibitors, in women who are not at increased risk for breast cancer. (D recommendation) This recommendation applies to asymptomatic women 35 years and older, including women with previous benign breast lesions on biopsy (such as atypical ductal or lobular hyperplasia and lobular carcinoma in situ). This recommendation does not apply to women who have a current or previous diagnosis of breast cancer or ductal carcinoma in situ.