Intermediate cell states in epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition

The transition of epithelial cells into a mesenchymal state (epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition or EMT) is a highly dynamic process implicated in various biological processes. During EMT, cells do not necessarily exist in ‘pure’ epithelial or mesenchymal states. There are cells with mixed (or hybrid) features of the two, which are termed as the intermediate cell states (ICSs). While the exact functions of ICS remain elusive, together with EMT it appears to play important roles in embryogenesis, tissue development, and pathological processes such as cancer metastasis. Recent single cell experiments and advanced mathematical modeling have improved our capability in identifying ICS and provided a better understanding of ICS in development and disease. Here, we review the recent findings related to the ICS in/or EMT and highlight the challenges in the identification and functional characterization of ICS

Intermediate cell states in epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition

The transition of epithelial cells into a mesenchymal state (epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition or EMT) is a highly dynamic process implicated in various biological processes. During EMT, cells do not necessarily exist in ‘pure’ epithelial or mesenchymal states. There are cells with mixed (or hybrid) features of the two, which are termed as the intermediate cell states (ICSs). While the exact functions of ICS remain elusive, together with EMT it appears to play important roles in embryogenesis, tissue development, and pathological processes such as cancer metastasis. Recent single cell experiments and advanced mathematical modeling have improved our capability in identifying ICS and provided a better understanding of ICS in development and disease. Here, we review the recent findings related to the ICS in/or EMT and highlight the challenges in the identification and functional characterization of ICS

Learning in Nonzero-Sum Stochastic Games with Potentials

Multi-agent reinforcement learning (MARL) has become effective in tackling discrete cooperative game scenarios. However, MARL has yet to penetrate settings beyond those modelled by team and zero-sum games, confining it to a small subset of multi-agent systems. In this paper, we introduce a new generation of MARL learners that can handle nonzero-sum payoff structures and continuous settings. In particular, we study the MARL problem in a class of games known as stochastic potential games (SPGs) with continuous state-action spaces. Unlike cooperative games, in which all agents share a common reward, SPGs are capable of modelling real-world scenarios where agents seek to fulfil their individual goals. We prove theoretically our learning method, SPot-AC, enables independent agents to learn Nash equilibrium strategies in polynomial time. We demonstrate our framework tackles previously unsolvable tasks such as Coordination Navigation and large selfish routing games and that it outperforms the state of the art MARL baselines such as MADDPG and COMIX in such scenarios.Comment: ICML 202

A 5-year review of invasive fungal infection at an academic medical center

Background: Invasive fungal infection (IFI) is one of the most common nosocomial infections. However, data on the epidemiology of IFI and susceptibility to antifungal agents in China are quite limited, and in particular, no current data exist on the microbiological, and clinical characteristics of IFI patients in Northeast China. Objectives: The purpose of this study was to provide a retrospective review of the clinical characteristics, laboratory test results, and risk factor predictions of inpatients diagnosed with IFI. Multivariate regression analysis was used to assess prognostic factors associated with the mortality of these patients. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the results from 509 patients with IFI extracted from the First Hospital of China Medical University from January 2013 to January 2018. Results: Neutrophil numbers, total bilirubin, length of stay in the ICU, renal failure, use of immunosuppressants within the past 30 days, stomach tube placement and septic shock were risk factors for death from IFI. Recent surgery (within 2 weeks) and drainage tube placement did not increase mortality in these IFI patients. Increased serum levels of PCT (AUC 0.601, 95% CI 0.536–0.665, P = 0.003) and CRP (AUC 0.578, 95% CI 0.512–0.644, P = 0.020) provided effective predictors of 30-day mortality rates. Conclusions: We report for the first time epidemiological data on invasive fungal infections in Northeast China over the past 5 years. Despite the limited available clinical data, these findings will greatly aid clinical health care workers with regard to the identification, prevention, and treatment of IFI in hospitalized patients

Associations of 10 dietary habits with breast cancer: a Mendelian randomization study

IntroductionEpidemiological studies have revealed a link between dietary habits and the breast cancer risk. The causality of the association between food consumption and breast cancer requires further investigation.MethodsUsing Mendelian randomization, we assessed the causal effects of 10 dietary habits on the risks of breast cancer and its subtypes (estrogen receptor [ER]  +  and ER- breast cancer). We obtained dietary pattern data in 2018 (number of single-nucleotide polymorphisms [SNPs]  =  9,851,867) and breast cancer data in 2017 (number of SNPs  =  10,680,257) from IEU OpenGWAS. Rigorous sensitivity analyses were conducted to ensure that the study results were credible and robust.ResultsWe identified that genetic predisposition to higher dried fruit intake was linked to a reduced risk of overall breast cancer (inverse variance-weighted [IVW] odds ratio [OR] = 0.55; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.43–0.70; p = 1.75 × 10−6), ER+ breast cancer (IVW OR = 0.62; 95% CI: 0.47–0.82; p = 8.96 × 10−4) and ER− breast cancer (IVW OR = 0.48; 95% CI: 0.34–0.68; p = 3.18 × 10−5), whereas genetic predisposition to more oily fish intake was linked to a lower risk of ER+ breast cancer (IVW OR = 0.73; 95% CI: 0.53–0.99; p = 0.04).DiscussionOur findings suggest that a genetic predisposition for dried fruit and oily fish consumption may be protective against breast cancer; however, further investigation is required

Study on Anti-inflammatory and Analgesic Effect of FangXiangTongLuo-cervical Plaster

Objective: To study the anti-inflammatoryandanalgesic effects of FangXiangTongLuo-cervical Plaster. Methods: Preparation of FangXiangTongLuo cervical ointment. Using the model of the mouse ear swelling inflammation which is caused by xylene. The analgesic mode of hot-plate method and acetic acid wrinkle method, in order to study the anti - inflammatory and analgesic effects of FangXiangTongLuo-cervical Plaster. Result: The results showed that Fangxiangtongluo cervical plaster can effectively reduce the number of writhing in acetic acid-induced mice and increase the rate of writhing inhibition and analgesic percentage (p<0.01). In the hot plate experiment, Fangxiangtongluo cervical plaster can effectively improve the pain threshold of mice. With the increase in medication time, it can also significantly extend the time of the first mouse licking foot, thereby increasing the pain threshold of the mice. At the same time, Fangxiangtongluo cervical plaster can also significantly inhibit the degree of swelling of the mouse auricle caused by xylene, reducing the exudation of inflammatory substances in the body of mice. Conclusion: Fangxiangtongluo cervical plaster has significant anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects

Robust estimation of bacterial cell count from optical density

Optical density (OD) is widely used to estimate the density of cells in liquid culture, but cannot be compared between instruments without a standardized calibration protocol and is challenging to relate to actual cell count. We address this with an interlaboratory study comparing three simple, low-cost, and highly accessible OD calibration protocols across 244 laboratories, applied to eight strains of constitutive GFP-expressing E. coli. Based on our results, we recommend calibrating OD to estimated cell count using serial dilution of silica microspheres, which produces highly precise calibration (95.5% of residuals <1.2-fold), is easily assessed for quality control, also assesses instrument effective linear range, and can be combined with fluorescence calibration to obtain units of Molecules of Equivalent Fluorescein (MEFL) per cell, allowing direct comparison and data fusion with flow cytometry measurements: in our study, fluorescence per cell measurements showed only a 1.07-fold mean difference between plate reader and flow cytometry data

Power-efficient, Precise Discriminator for a High Time Resolution, Low-Noise Charge Detection ROIC

Pixel charge detectors are responsible for counting the number of collected electrons and converting it into an electrical signal. The proposed charge detector pixel readout integrated circuit (ROIC), implemented in 40nm TSMC technology, should be able to detect an amount of charge as low as 160aC, with a high time resolution of 2.5ns, using limited power consumption and area occupation. The discriminator, as the ROIC's last block, should distinguish the analog information of the previous block called “signal shaper”, from a certain noise level, and convert it into 1-bit binary code. The mode of operation is named as an event counting.In this thesis, two versions of the discriminator are studied and compared: with an active and passive shaper (filter). The goal is to find the optimal solution with respect to performance and power efficiency. The discriminator with an active filter (which provides an output pulse with an amplitude of 225mV and power consumption of 170μW, achieves an offset of 5mV and a noise voltage of 290μVrms referred to the input, and consumes a power of 36μW. Its speed performance and temperature stability have been experimentally verified. The discriminator with a passive shaper (which consumes no power) can detect an input signal with 10mV amplitude, with 240μV input noise, and a power consumption of 88μW. Its performance is partly tested through the post-layout simulation.The achieved SNR with the active filter is 14.6, and the passive filter is 15.1. Both solutions (discriminator for active and passive filter) demonstrate an acceptable SNR. The solution with a passive filter provides a better overall power efficiency but cannot detect incoming events during the calibration period which lasts 10ns and occurs every 90μs.Electrical Engineerin

Prevalence and Risk Factors of Postprocedure Depression in Patients with Atrial Fibrillation after Radiofrequency Ablation

Background. Recent studies have shown a bidirectional relationship between atrial fibrillation (AF) and psychological depression. However, little is known about the prevalence of postprocedure depression (PPD) in patients with AF at the time of radiofrequency (RF) ablation. Objective. To describe the prevalence and identify risk factors for PPD. Methods. This was a prospective cohort study, including 428 AF patients who were willing to undergo the first catheter ablation in our hospital from 1st April to 30th December 2019. The primary outcome was PPD, which was determined by Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale-Depression. Results. The prevalence of PPD was 16.8% (72/428) in our cohort, without difference between men (16.0%, 41/256) and women (18.0%, 31/172) (P = 0.586) but with a great difference among different age groups (P = 0.016). On the univariable binary logistic regression analysis, age, a history of coronary heart disease, Observer’s Assessment of Alertness/Sedation (OAA/S) score when ablating at the specific position, and OAA/S score when pulling out the catheter sheath were associated with PPD. Subsequent multivariable logistic regression analysis indicated only age (OR 0.96, 95% CI: 0.94–0.99, P< 0.01) and OAA/S score when ablating at the specific position (OR 0.58, 95% CI: 0.39–0.88, P = 0.01) were independently associated with PPD. Conclusion. PPD is common in patients with AF after RF ablation. Younger age and lower OAA/S score when ablating at the specific position are its most significant risk factors. Intensive management of sedation may be of great importance for reducing PPD. This trial is registered with the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (ChiCTR2200057810)

Mimir+: An Optimized Framework of MapReduce on Heterogeneous High-Performance Computing System

International audienceIn this paper, we present an optimized data processing framework: Mimir+. Mimir+ is an implementation of MapReduce over MPI. In order to take full advantage of heterogeneous computing system, we propose the concept of Pre-acceleration to reconstruct a heterogeneous workflow and implement the interfaces of GPU so that Mimir+ can facilitate data processing through reasonable tasks and data scheduling between CPU and GPU. We evaluate Mimir+ via two benchmarks (i.e. the WordCount and large-scale matrix multiplication) on the Tianhe-2 supercomputing system. Experimental results demonstrate that Mimir+ achieves excellent acceleration effect compared with original Mimir