Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Machine Learning Approaches to Identify Environmental Damage on Superalloys

Corrosive environments have a significant detrimental impact on aircraft engine turbine blades resulting in early degradation and a higher risk of failure. Currently, human visual inspection evaluates the condition of blades and identify premature degradation such as cracking or corrosion. While this approach works, it is time-consuming to carry out manual examinations and susceptible to human error. More so, it lacks a robust and objective strategy to identify the conditions of the turbine in terms of thermal cycle and exposure. Instead, machine learning approaches have ample potential to identify and quantify degradation from images and classify damage conditions in a robust and economical manner. Hence, this study explores the use of deep neural networks to determine the environment to which a nickel-base superalloy was exposed in laboratory testing. A machine learning approach was implemented to predict temperature, salt flux, material type and exposure times using a database with 3000 images of sample cross sections. We compared two machine learning environments (MATLAB, and Python) and we enriched the database by cropping images. The results demonstrate that machine learning approaches have impressive predictive power for laboratory samples that can sometimes be superior to that of human experts. We further identify the environmental attributes that are more difficult to predict and which predictions can be achieved confidently.
Two-dimensional characterization of three-dimensional magnetic bubbles in Fe3Sn2 nanostructures

Abstract We report differential phase contrast scanning transmission electron microscopy (TEM) of nanoscale magnetic objects in Kagome ferromagnet Fe3Sn2 nanostructures. This technique can directly detect the deflection angle of a focused electron beam, thus allowing clear identification of the real magnetic structures of two magnetic objects including three-ring and complex arch-shaped vortices in Fe3Sn2 by Lorentz-TEM imaging. Numerical calculations based on real material-specific parameters well reproduced the experimental results, showing that the magnetic objects can be attributed to integral magnetizations of two types of complex three-dimensional (3D) magnetic bubbles with depth-modulated spin twisting. Magnetic configurations obtained using the high-resolution TEM are generally considered as two-dimensional (2D) magnetic objects previously. Our results imply the importance of the integral magnetizations of underestimated 3D magnetic structures in 2D TEM magnetic characterizations.
Convergence in voice fundamental frequency during synchronous speech

Joint speech behaviours where speakers produce speech in unison are found in a variety of everyday settings, and have clinical relevance as a temporary fluency-enhancing technique for people who stutter. It is currently unknown whether such synchronisation of speech timing among two speakers is also accompanied by alignment in their vocal characteristics, for example in acoustic measures such as pitch. The current study investigated this by testing whether convergence in voice fundamental frequency (F0) between speakers could be demonstrated during synchronous speech. Sixty participants across two online experiments were audio recorded whilst reading a series of sentences, first on their own, and then in synchrony with another speaker (the accompanist) in a number of between-subject conditions. Experiment 1 demonstrated significant convergence in participants’ F0 to a pre-recorded accompanist voice, in the form of both upward (high F0 accompanist condition) and downward (low and extra-low F0 accompanist conditions) changes in F0. Experiment 2 demonstrated that such convergence was not seen during a visual synchronous speech condition, in which participants spoke in synchrony with silent video recordings of the accompanist. An audiovisual condition in which participants were able to both see and hear the accompanist in pre-recorded videos did not result in greater convergence in F0 compared to synchronisation with the pre-recorded voice alone. These findings suggest the need for models of speech motor control to incorporate interactions between self- and other-speech feedback during speech production, and suggest a novel hypothesis for the mechanisms underlying the fluency-enhancing effects of synchronous speech in people who stutter.
Genome-wide identification, structural and gene expression analysis of the nitrate transporters (NRTs) family in potato (Solanum tuberosum L.)

Nitrogen (N2) is the most important source of mineral N for plant growth, which was mainly transported by nitrate transporters (NRTs). However, little is known about the NRT gene family in potato. In this study, StNRT gene family members were identified in potato. In addition, we performed StNRT subfamily classification, gene structure and distribution analysis, and conserved domain prediction using various bioinformatics tools. Totally, 39 StNRT gene members were identified in potato genome, including 33, 4 and 2 member belong to NRT1, NRT2, and NRT3, respectively. These 39 StNRT genes were randomly distributed on all chromosomes. The collinearity results show that StNRT members in potato are closely related to Solanum lycopersicum and Solanum melongena. For the expression, different members of StNRT play different roles in leaves and roots. Especially under sufficient nitrogen conditions, different members have a clear distribution in different tissues. These results provide valuable information for identifying the members of the StNRT family in potato and could provide functional characterization of StNRT genes in further research.
Cardiovascular Outcomes of Obesity According to Menopausal Status: A Nationwide Population-Based Study

Background We estimated the effect of obesity on the incidence of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and mortality in women according to menopausal status. Methods Women aged 40 to 69 years under routine health check-ups provided by the National Health Insurance Service in 2009 were followed up till 2018 (n=2,208,559). Results In premenopausal women, a significant increment of mortality rate was found in underweight and obesity class II (hazard ratio [HR], 1.48; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.31 to 1.67; and HR, 1.25; 95% CI, 1.12 to 1.39) compared to normal body mass index (BMI); overweight and obesity class I did not affect mortality rate. In postmenopausal women, obesity as well as overweight status reduced the risk of mortality compared to normal BMI (HR, 0.86; 95% CI, 0.83 to 0.88; and HR, 0.84; 95% CI, 0.82 to 0.86). By contrast, there was a linear association between CVD and BMI above the normal range irrespective of menopausal status, which was attenuated in diabetic women. Conclusion The current study replicated the J-shaped relationship between BMI and mortality, being more prominent in the postmenopausal group. The risk of CVD was linearly increased as BMI was increased above the normal range irrespective of menopausal status.
Lessons unlearned: A conceptual review and meta-analysis of the relationship between the Attention Control Scale and Objective Attention Control

ABSTRACT Attention control is central to many models of emotion. Among the most common measures of attention, control is the Attention Control Scale (ACS), which has exerted considerable influence in terms of the volume and breadth of research findings, with its use in cognitive-experimental research continuing to increase in recent years. However, there are growing concerns about whether the ACS genuinely indexes attention control. The present paper considers the context and development of the ACS, reviews and meta-analyses the available evidence regarding its association with objective measures of attention control. Meta-analytic results from nine studies (total n = 1274) indicated that the full-scale ACS was not significantly associated with behavioural measures of attentional control (r = .067, p = .093, N = 1274, 95% CI: −.011, .145). Findings indicated likely missing studies with lower correlations suggesting the true association may be smaller. Limited evidence of shared variance between subjective and objective measures of attention control contrasts with considerable evidence that the scale is closely correlated with dispositional traits (e.g. anxiety, agreeableness) that could plausibly influence responding. Thus, on the balance of current findings, we conclude that there is little compelling evidence that responding on the ACS reflects genuine attention control abilities.
Dual-Task Accuracy and Response Time Index Effects of Spoken Sentence Predictability and Cognitive Load on Listening Effort

A sequential dual-task design was used to assess the impacts of spoken sentence context and cognitive load on listening effort. Young adults with normal hearing listened to sentences masked by multitalker babble in which sentence-final words were either predictable or unpredictable. Each trial began with visual presentation of a short (low-load) or long (high-load) sequence of to-be-remembered digits. Words were identified more quickly and accurately in predictable than unpredictable sentence contexts. In addition, digits were recalled more quickly and accurately on trials on which the sentence was predictable, indicating reduced listening effort for predictable compared to unpredictable sentences. For word and digit recall response time but not for digit recall accuracy, the effect of predictability remained significant after exclusion of trials with incorrect word responses and was thus independent of speech intelligibility. In addition, under high cognitive load, words were identified more slowly and digits were recalled more slowly and less accurately than under low load. Participants’ working memory and vocabulary were not correlated with the sentence context benefit in either word recognition or digit recall. Results indicate that listening effort is reduced when sentences are predictable and that cognitive load affects the processing of spoken words in sentence contexts.
Clinical Molecular Imaging for Atherosclerotic Plaque

Atherosclerosis is a well-known disease leading to cardiovascular events, including myocardial infarction and ischemic stroke. These conditions lead to a high mortality rate, which explains the interest in their prevention, early detection, and treatment. Molecular imaging is able to shed light on the basic pathophysiological processes, such as inflammation, that cause the progression and instability of plaque. The most common radiotracers used in clinical practice can detect increased energy metabolism (FDG), macrophage number (somatostatin receptor imaging), the intensity of cell proliferation in the area (labeled choline), and microcalcifications (fluoride imaging). These radiopharmaceuticals, especially FDG and labeled sodium fluoride, can predict cardiovascular events. The limitations of molecular imaging in atherosclerosis include low uptake of highly specific tracers, possible overlap with other diseases of the vessel wall, and specific features of certain tracers’ physiological distribution. A common protocol for patient preparation, data acquisition, and quantification is needed in the area of atherosclerosis imaging research.
Cognitive Assessment Tools Recommended in Geriatric Oncology Guidelines: A Rapid Review

Cognitive assessment is a cornerstone of geriatric care. Cognitive impairment has the potential to significantly impact multiple phases of a person’s cancer care experience. Accurately identifying this vulnerability is a challenge for many cancer care clinicians, thus the use of validated cognitive assessment tools are recommended. As international cancer guidelines for older adults recommend Geriatric Assessment (GA) which includes an evaluation of cognition, clinicians need to be familiar with the overall interpretation of the commonly used cognitive assessment tools. This rapid review investigated the cognitive assessment tools that were most frequently recommended by Geriatric Oncology guidelines: Blessed Orientation-Memory-Concentration test (BOMC), Clock Drawing Test (CDT), Mini-Cog, Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), and Short Portable Mental Status Questionnaire (SPMSQ). A detailed appraisal of the strengths and limitations of each tool was conducted, with a focus on practical aspects of implementing cognitive assessment tools into real-world clinical settings. Finally, recommendations on choosing an assessment tool and the additional considerations beyond screening are discussed.
Breast Cancer Surgery: New Issues

Since ancient times, breast cancer treatment has crucially relied on surgeons and clinicians making great efforts to find increasingly conservative approaches to cure the tumor. In the Halstedian era (mid-late 19th century), the predominant practice consisted of the radical and disfiguring removal of the breast, much to the detriment of women’s psycho-physical well-being. Thanks to enlightened scientists such as Professor Umberto Veronesi, breast cancer surgery has since impressively progressed and adopted a much more conservative approach. Over the last three decades, a better understanding of tumor biology and of its significant biomarkers has made the assessment of genetic and molecular profiles increasingly important. At the same time, neo-adjuvant treatments have been introduced, and great improvements in genetics, imaging technologies and in both oncological and reconstructive surgical techniques have been made. The future of breast cancer management must now rest on an ever more precise and targeted type of surgery that, through an increasingly multidisciplinary and personalized approach, can ensure oncological radicality while offering the best possible quality of life.
Differential importance of endothelial and hematopoietic cell GLP-1Rs for cardiometabolic versus hepatic actions of semaglutide

Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs) are used to treat diabetes and obesity and reduce rates of major cardiovascular events, such as stroke and myocardial infarction. Nevertheless, the identity of GLP-1R–expressing cell types mediating the cardiovascular benefits of GLP-1RA remains incompletely characterized. Herein, we investigated the importance of murine Glp1r expression within endothelial and hematopoietic cells. Mice with targeted inactivation of Glp1r in Tie2+ cells exhibited reduced levels of Glp1r mRNA transcripts in aorta, liver, spleen, blood, and gut. Glp1r expression in bone marrow cells was very low and not further reduced in Glp1rTie2–/– mice. The GLP-1RA semaglutide reduced the development of atherosclerosis induced by viral PCSK9 expression in both Glp1rTie2+/+ and Glp1rTie2–/– mice. Hepatic Glp1r mRNA transcripts were reduced in Glp1rTie2–/– mice, and liver Glp1r expression was localized to γδ T cells. Moreover, semaglutide reduced hepatic Tnf, Abcg1, Tgfb1, Cd3g, Ccl2, and Il2 expression; triglyceride content; and collagen accumulation in high-fat, high-cholesterol diet–fed Glp1rTie2+/+ mice but not Glp1rTie2–/– mice. Collectively, these findings demonstrate that Tie2+ endothelial or hematopoietic cell GLP-1Rs are dispensable for the antiatherogenic actions of GLP-1RA, whereas Tie2-targeted GLP-1R+ cells are required for a subset of the antiinflammatory actions of semaglutide in the liver.
Application of Networking Approaches to Assess the Chemical Diversity, Biogeography, and Pharmaceutical Potential of Verongiida Natural Products

This study provides a review of all isolated natural products (NPs) reported for sponges within the order Verongiida (1960 to May 2020) and includes a comprehensive compilation of their geographic and physico-chemical parameters. Physico-chemical parameters were used in this study to infer pharmacokinetic properties as well as the potential pharmaceutical potential of NPs from this order of marine sponge. In addition, a network analysis for the NPs produced by the Verongiida sponges was applied to systematically explore the chemical space relationships between taxonomy, secondary metabolite and drug score variables, allowing for the identification of differences and correlations within a dataset. The use of scaffold networks as well as bipartite relationship networks provided a platform to explore chemical diversity as well as the use of chemical similarity networks to link pharmacokinetic properties with structural similarity. This study paves the way for future applications of network analysis procedures in the field of natural products for any order or family.
Topological magnetic textures and long-range orders in terbium-based quasicrystal and approximant

Significance So far, the lack of microscopic theory for the crystalline electric field (CEF) in the rare earth–based quasicrystal has prevented us from understanding the magnetic property. Our full analysis of the CEF in the Tb-based quasicrystal has made it possible to clarify that magnetic anisotropy arising from the CEF gives rise to unique magnetic textures on the icosahedron, which are characterized by the topological charges. This is a discovery of the topological magnetic textures in the quasicrystal and also, in the approximant crystal. The ferromagnetic long-range order is theoretically found to be realized in the quasicrystal. Our proposed model is effective for understanding the topological as well as magnetic properties in the rare earth–based quasicrystal and approximant crystal. The quasicrystal (QC) possesses a unique lattice structure with rotational symmetry forbidden in periodic crystals. The electric property is far from complete understanding. It has been a long-standing issue whether magnetic long-range order is realized in the QC. Here, we report our theoretical discovery of the ferromagnetic long-range order in the Tb-based QC. The difficulty in past theoretical studies on the QC was lack of the microscopic theory of the crystalline electric field (CEF), which is crucially important in the rare earth systems. By analyzing the CEF in the Tb-based QC, we clarify that magnetic anisotropy plays a key role in realizing unique magnetic textures in the Tb-based QC and approximant crystal (AC). By constructing the minimal model, we show that various magnetic textures on the icosahedron, at whose vertices Tb atoms are located, are realized. We find that the hedgehog state is characterized by the topological charge of one and the whirling-moment state is characterized by an unusually large topological charge of three. The hedgehog and whirling-moment states are shown to be realized as antiferromagnetic orders transcribed as the emergent monopole and antimonopole in the 1/1 AC. We find that these states exhibit the topological Hall effect under applied magnetic field accompanied by the topological as well as metamagnetic transition. Our model and the determined phase diagram are expected to be relevant to the broad range of the rare earth–based QCs and ACs with strong magnetic anisotropy, which are useful not only to understand magnetism but also, to explore topological properties.
A Review of THz Technologies for Rapid Sensing and Detection of Viruses including SARS-CoV-2

Virus epidemics such as Ebola virus, Zika virus, MERS-coronavirus, and others have wreaked havoc on humanity in the last decade. In addition, a coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic and its continuously evolving mutants have become so deadly that they have forced the entire technical advancement of healthcare into peril. Traditional ways of detecting these viruses have been successful to some extent, but they are costly, time-consuming, and require specialized human resources. Terahertz-based biosensors have the potential to lead the way for low-cost, non-invasive, and rapid virus detection. This review explores the latest progresses in terahertz technology-based biosensors for the virus, viral particle, and antigen detection, as well as upcoming research directions in the field.
Changes in Health State Utility Values in Japanese Patients with End-Stage Breast Cancer

We aimed to determine the dynamic trends in health state utility values (HSUVs) in patients with end-stage breast cancer. We selected 181 patients comprising 137 with primary breast cancer (PBC) and 44 with metastatic breast cancer (MBC) (28 survivors and 16 patients with MBC death). HSUVs were 0.90 and 0.89 in patients with PBC and 0.83 and 0.80 in those with MBC (survivors) at 6 and 3 months, respectively, before the end of the observation period; these values were 0.73 and 0.66, respectively, in those with MBC (deceased) during the aforementioned period. The root-mean-squared error (RMSE) for the decrease in HSUVs over 3 months was 0.10, 0.096, and 0.175 for patients with PBC, MBC (survivors), and MBC (deceased), respectively. One-way analysis of variance for differences in absolute error among the groups was significant (p = 0.0102). Multiple comparisons indicated a difference of 0.068 in absolute error between patients with PBC and those with MBC (deceased) (p = 0.0082). Patients with end-stage breast cancer had well-controlled HSUVs 3 months before death, with a sharp decline in HSUVs in the 3 months leading up to death.
The Challenge of Return to Work after Breast Cancer: The Role of Family Situation, CANTO Cohort

Return to work (RTW) after breast cancer is associated with improved quality of life. The link between household characteristics and RTW remains largely unknown. The aim of this study was to examine the effect of the family situation on women’s RTW two years after breast cancer. We used data of a French prospective cohort of women diagnosed with stage I-III, primary breast cancer (CANTO, NCT01993498). Among women employed at diagnosis and under 57 years old, we assessed the association between household characteristics (living with a partner, marital status, number and age of economically dependent children, support by the partner) and RTW. Logistic regression models were adjusted for age, household income, stage, comorbidities, treatments and their side effects. Analyzes stratified by age and household income were performed to assess the association between household characteristics and RTW in specific subgroups. Among the 3004 patients included, women living with a partner returned less to work (OR = 0.63 [0.47–0.86]) and decreased their working time after RTW. Among the 2305 women living with a partner, being married was associated with decreased RTW among women aged over 50 (OR = 0.57 [0.34–0.95]). Having three or more children (vs. none) was associated with lower RTW among women with low household income (OR = 0.28 [0.10–0.80]). Household characteristics should be considered in addition to clinical information to identify vulnerable women, reduce the social consequence of cancer and improve their quality of life.