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Identification of protein quantitative trait loci (pQTL) helps understand the underlying mechanisms of diseases and discover promising targets for pharmacological intervention. For most important class of drug targets, genetic evidence needs to be generalizable to diverse populations. Given that the majority of the previous studies were conducted in European ancestry populations, little is known about the protein-associated genetic variants in East Asians. Based on data-independent acquisition mass spectrometry technique, we conduct genome-wide association analyses for 304 unique proteins in 2,958 Han Chinese participants. We identify 195 genetic variant-protein associations. Colocalization and Mendelian randomization analyses highlight 60 gene-protein-phenotype associations, 45 of which (75%) have not been prioritized in Europeans previously. Further cross-ancestry analyses uncover key proteins that contributed to the differences in the obesity-induced diabetes and coronary artery disease susceptibility. These findings provide novel druggable proteins as well as a unique resource for the trans-ancestry evaluation of protein-targeted drug discovery.

Reduced-order models (ROM) are popular in online motion planning due to their simplicity. A good ROM captures the bulk of the full model's dynamics while remaining low dimension. However, planning within the reduced-order space unavoidably constrains the full model, and hence we sacrifice the full potential of the robot. In the community of legged locomotion, this has lead to a search for better model extensions, but many of these extensions require human intuition, and there has not existed a principled way of evaluating the model performance and discovering new models. In this work, we propose a model optimization algorithm that automatically synthesizes reduced-order models, optimal with respect to any user-specified cost function. To demonstrate our work, we optimized models for a bipedal robot Cassie. We show in hardware experiment that the optimal ROM is simple enough for real time planning application and that the real robot achieves higher performance by using the optimal ROM.

The center of mass (CoM) has been widely used in planning and control for humanoid locomotion, because it carries key information about the position of a robot. In contrast, an ''angular center of mass'' (ACoM), which provides an ''average'' orientation of a robot, is less well-known in the community, although the concept has been in the literature for about a decade. In this paper, we introduce the ACoM from a CoM perspective. We optimize for an ACoM on the humanoid robot Nadia, and demonstrate its application in walking with natural upper body motion on hardware.

Additional file 1: Table S1. [Characteristics of the study participants between baseline and follow-up]. Table S2. [The temporal relationship between adiposity and α-diversity and β-diversity]. Table S3. [The temporal relationship between adiposity and gut microbes]. Table S4. [The correlation of identified microbes between two time points]. Table S5. [The differences in the associations of BMI with identified gut microbes between females and males]. Table S6. [The temporal relationship between WC and α-diversity and β-diversity]. Table S7. [The temporal relationship between WC and gut microbes]. Table S8. [The prospective associations between dietary factors and identified microbes]. Table S9. [Replication of the associations between baseline BMI and follow-up microbes in the HMP cohort]. Table S10. [The association between gut microbes and insulin resistance related phenotypes]. Table S11. [The prospective associations between dietary factors and insulin resistance related phenotypes]. Table S12. [The prospective association between weight group and insulin resistance related phenotypes]. Table S13. [The association between Lachnospiraceae bacterium 3 1 57FAA CT1 and PWY-5022 pathway]. Table S14. [The associations between Lachnospiraceae bacterium 3 1 57FAA CT1 and other pathways apart from PWY-5022]. Figure S1. [The associations between BMI/long-term weight change and gut microbiota]. Figure S2. [The associations between BMI/long-term weight change and α-diversity further adjusting for sequencing depths]. Figure S3. [The correlations among identified BMI-associated microbes]. Figure S4. [The correlation between the regression coefficients for females and those for males]. Figure S5. [Global comparison of 1-SD difference of BMI versus WC associated with difference (in SD unit) of all gut microbial features and ten identified gut microbes].

Additional file 1: Methods. Table S1. Participant characteristics in the GNHS. Table S2. Participant characteristics of the CHNS. Table S3. Associations between α-diversity and cognitive impairment in the GNHS (n = 1430). Table S4. Associations between α-diversity and cognitive decline in the CHNS (n = 1300). Table S5. Weights for genus features contributing to the LASSO models. Table S6. Associations between bacterial taxonomy and cognitive performance in the CHNS (n = 1300). Table S7. Associations between Odoribacter and SCFAs in the GNHS. Table S8. Associations between serum acetic acid and brain structure in the GNHS. Table S9. Distribution of metagenomic features in the GNHS. Table S10. Associations between intra-individual alterations in gut microbial composition and cognitive impairment in the GNHS. Table S11. Metagenomic and metabolomic features associated with cognitive impairment in the GNHS. Table S12. Correlations of metagenomic and metabolic features with MMSE domains in the GNHS. Table S13. Correlations between metagenomic features and metabolites in the GNHS. Fig. S1 Overview of the multi-omics datasets of the GNHS. Fig. S2 Distribution of metagenomic and metabolomic features in the GNHS. Fig. S3 Correlation analyses on cognition-related metagenomic and metabolic traits in the GNHS. Fig. S4 Association of metagenomic pathways and serum metabolomics with cognitive function in the GNHS. Fig. S5 Networks of metagenomic pathways in the GNHS.

Revised Supplemental Materials: Serum TMAO and incident type 2 diabetes

Objective: To investigate the effects of two kinds of surgical resection schemes, a conventional open surgical scheme and a thoracolaparoscopic esophagectomy surgical scheme, on operation-related clinical indexes, inflammatory cytokines and complications in elderly patients with esophageal cancer. Methods: A total of 100 elderly patients with esophageal cancer seen in the Department of Cardiothoracic Vascular Surgery, Renmin Hospital, Hubei University of Medicine, from June 2014 to June 2016 were enrolled and randomly divided into two groups, including a control group (50 patients) with a conventional open surgical scheme and an observation group (50 patients) with a thoracolaparoscopic esophagectomy surgical scheme. The operation time, the amount of bleeding during the operation, the incision length, the number of lymph nodes dissected, the hospitalization time, the HAMA scores and HAMD scores before and after the operation, the PSQI scores, SF-36 scores and levels of PCT, CRP and IL-6 after the operation, the recurrence and metastasis rates and the mortality at follow-up and the incidence of related complications of both groups were compared. Results: The operation time, the amount of bleeding during the operation, the incision length and the hospitalization time in the observation group were significantly less than those in the control group (p0.05). The complication incidence after the operation in the observation group was significantly lower than that in the control group (p

Rationale: Anti-N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (anti-NMDAR) encephalitis is an autoimmune disease that is associated with cell-surface NMDAR-targeting autoantibodies. Typical anti-NMDAR encephalitis symptoms include psychosis, seizure and extrapyramidal side effects. However, early diagnosis of anti-NMDAR encephalitis remains challenging due to the complexity of the motor phenomenon. Patient concerns: Here, we report a new diagnosis of anti-NMDAR encephalitis in a young woman with a history of epilepsy. Diagnoses: Electroencephalography revealed a typical “extreme delta brush” pattern, which indicated anti-NMDAR encephalitis. Interventions: The clinical status of the patient markedly improved after immediate and aggressive immunosuppression therapies. Outcomes: The patient was discharged with mild cognitive impairment. However, this was completely resolved 1 month postdischarge. Lessons: We conclude that subacute onset focal seizure with psychosis as well as compatible electroencephalography findings (i.e., extreme delta brush patterns) should be considered notable early indicators of anti-NMDAR encephalitis. This would ensure early and effective clinical interventions, which are essential for favorable outcomes.

Association of plasma 25(OH)D levels with the risk of hypertension in adults: a dose-response and Mendelian randomization analysis_supplementum

Supplemental material, sj-pdf-1-tae-10.1177_2042018820920555 for Effect of whole soy and isoflavones daidzein on bone turnover and inflammatory markers: a 6-month double-blind, randomized controlled trial in Chinese postmenopausal women who are equol producers by Zhao-min Liu, Bailing Chen, Shuyi Li, Guoyi Li, Di Zhang, Suzanne C. Ho, Yu-ming Chen, Jing Ma, Huang Qi and Wen-hua Ling in Therapeutic Advances in Endocrinology and Metabolism

Additional file 1 : Method S1. Fecal microbial DNA extraction and 16S rRNA gene sequencing in GNHS. Method S2. 16S rRNA gene sequencing bioinformatics in GNHS. Method. S3 Targeted fecal metabolomics profiling in GNHS. Method S4. Fruit/vegetable-microbiota index calculation. Table S1. Characteristics of study participants from the GGMP. Table S2. The detailed items in the fruit and vegetable categories. Table S3. Characteristics of study participants by total fruit and vegetable intake from the GNHS. Table S4. Characteristics of study participants by sex from the GNHS. Table S5. Gut microbiota biomarkers of fruit intake comparing quartile 4 with quartile 1. Table S6. Gut microbial biomarkers of vegetable intake comparing quartile 4 with quartile 1. Table S7. Gut microbial biomarkers of total fruit and vegetable intake comparing quartile 4 with quartile 1. Table S8. Sensitivity analysis for the relationships among the fruit intake, fruit-microbiota index and type 2 diabetes in the GGMP. Figure S1. The prospective associations of vegetable intake and total fruit and vegetable intake with α-diversity. Figure S2. The prospective associations of vegetable intake and total fruit and vegetable intake with β-diversity. Figure S3. The association of fruit-microbiota index with fruit categories in the Guangzhou Nutrition and Health Study. Figure S4. Relationships between the fruit intake-associated gut microbiota alterations and T2D-related traits. Figure S5. Associations of the vegetable/total fruit and vegetable intake-associated gut microbiota alterations with corresponding dietary intake and T2D. Figure S6. Association of the fruit-associated gut microbiota index and fecal metabolites. Figure S7. Fruit intake-related gut microbiota, fecal metabolites and T2D. Figure S8. Pathways enrichment analysis of the identified fecal metabolites associated with the fruit-related gut microbiota.

Additional file 2: Figure S1. Genome-wide analysis results of taxa. Figure S2. Spearman’s correlation of the relative abundance of AF-associated taxa with the relative level of diseases predicted by PICRUSt.

Association of plasma 25(OH)D levels with the risk of hypertension in adults: a dose-response and Mendelian randomization analysis_supplementum

An automatic measurement and matching machine for columned batteries is developed in this study. The automatic machine consists of a battery feeding case, an intermittent separation feeding mechanism, a test region, eight classification transport channels, and battery depositary boxes. Besides the mechanism design, a human-machine interface and control program are written in VB language. The program provides the control and monitoring program for the auto-measurement system. The program cannot only read the measurement data and control the automatic machine, but also store these data and provide the test data histories for each cell supplier to the user. The experimental results show that the automatic machine could examine and classify the columned battery cells efficiently and decrease the demand of manpower. The results also show that the total measured and sorting quantity of one machine for eight hours is about 5760 pieces, which is greater than the 3500 pieces measured by one manpower.

The tetratricopeptide repeat domain protein 39B gene (TTC39B) single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) of rs581080 has been associated with serum high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) levels. However, little is known about such association in the Chinese populations. The present study was performed to assess the association between the TTC39B rs581080 SNP and serum lipid levels and the risk of coronary artery disease (CAD) and ischemic stroke (IS) in the Guangxi Han population. Genotypes of the TTC39B rs581080 SNP in 1741 unrelated subjects (CAD, 578; IS, 537; and healthy controls; 624) were determined by the Snapshot Technology. The genotypic and allelic frequencies of the TTC39B rs581080 SNP were different between the CAD/IS patients and controls (P < 0.01 for all). The CG/GG genotypes and G allele were associated with an increased risk of CAD (P = 0.001 for CG/GG vs. CC, P = 0.003 for G vs. C) and IS (P = 0.002 for CG/GG vs. CC; P = 0.004 for G vs. C). The CG/GG genotypes in the healthy controls, but not in CAD or IS patients, were also associated with a decreased serum HDL-C concentration. These results suggest that the TTC39B rs581080 SNP is associated with the risk of CAD and IS in our study population. It is likely to increase the risk of CAD and IS by reducing serum HDL-C levels.

In this paper, we optimize over the control parameter space of our planar-bipedal robot, RAMone, for stable and energetically economical walking at various speeds. We formulate this task as an episodic reinforcement learning problem and use Covariance Matrix Adaptation. The parameters we are interested in modifying include gains from our Hybrid Zero Dynamics style controller and from RAMone's low-level motor controllers.

Shape Memory Alloy (SMA) optically activated is the key technology of optical SMA activator. According to the shape memory mechanism of SMA, researches are done on the activating response time and light wavelength of activating source etc of SMA optically activated to approach the parameters selection of optical activation. SMA has the optimum efficiency in the range of 13 seconds to 27 seconds when SMA is illuminated continuously by wavelength of 675nm; The power of light wave has a low effect on SMA; The longer the activating wavelength, the quicker the response time of SMA activated. If the proper activating time and activating wavelength are adopted, and the structure deformation of composite material of SMA imbedded may be actively controlled, an ideal effect will be gotten. The research provides an evidence for the design of optical SMA activator and is of great significance to its application. The research on smart structure has a wide application prospect.

We have proved that any 3-dimensional dynamical system of ordinary differential equations (in short, 3D ODE) with time-independent invariants can be rewritten as Hamiltonian systems with respect to generalized Poisson brackets and the Hamiltonians are these invariants. As an example, we discuss the Kermack-Mckendrick model for epidemics in detail. The results we obtained are generalization of those obtained by Y. Nutku.

In this paper, by means of eigenprojections and square tensor-product, the n-dimensional tensor equation ∑r = 1mUm − rXUr − 1 = C is investigated. For the case of positive definiteness of the symmetric tensor U, the existence and uniqueness of the solution is studied and the intrinsic solution which is valid for any multiplicities of U's eigenvalues is given

This paper presents the authors’ experience in implementing a multi-agent system created for communication and coordination purposes among mobile robots. The complete system described here is an industrial application focused and aimed at integrating robots, environment and user agents via an agent platform. The work bridges the gap between robots and a JAVA based agent platform. A scenario based multi-robot firerescue simulation is used as a study example. The scenario can be rewritten to suit different industrial requirements. The multiagent framework and its control hierarchy is discussed, path planning with object-avoidance issue is addressed. The actual simulation demonstrates feasibility of this type of agent based system integration. Future work would focus on integration of environment and user agents.

The stick-slip behavior in friction oscillators is very complicated due to the non-smoothness of the dry friction, which is the basic form of motion of dynamical systems with friction. In this paper, the stick-slip periodic solution in a single-degree-of-freedom oscillator with dry friction is investigated in detail. Under the assumption of kinetic friction being the Coulomb friction, the existence of the stick-slip periodic solution is considered to give out an analytic criterion in a class of friction systems. A two-parameter unfolding diagram is also described. Moreover, the time and states of motion on the boundary of the stick and slip motions are semi-analytically obtained in a single stick-slip period.

The competition between the excited-state absorption induced transient thermal refraction and the excited-state refraction of a novel metallic porphyrin compound Zn-porphyrin was studied by the excited-state absorption induced transient thermal refraction theory combined with the excited-state refraction theory. The transformation between self-focusing and self-defocusing of the sample for different pulse widths was observed. The sample exhibited self-focusing effect attributed mainly to excited-state refraction for 4 ns laser pulse, while in the self-defocusing effect for 8 ns laser pulse the excited-state absorption induced transient thermal refraction dominates the excited-state refraction.

It is well known that the wide-band monitoring method /1//2/ is advantageous to construction of multilayers with optical properties that are specified over an extended wavelength region.

OBJECTIVE To examine the association of erythrocyte n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) biomarkers with incident type 2 diabetes and explore the potential role of gut microbiota in the association. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS We evaluated 2,731 participants without type 2 diabetes recruited between 2008 and 2013 in the Guangzhou Nutrition and Health Study (Guangzhou, China). Case subjects with type 2 diabetes were identified with clinical and biochemical information collected at follow-up visits. Using stool samples collected during the follow-up in the subset (n = 1,591), 16S rRNA profiling was conducted. Using multivariable-adjusted Poisson or linear regression, we examined associations of erythrocyte n-6 PUFA biomarkers with incident type 2 diabetes and diversity and composition of gut microbiota. RESULTS Over 6.2 years of follow-up, 276 case subjects with type 2 diabetes were identified (risk 0.10). Higher levels of erythrocyte γ-linolenic acid (GLA), but not linoleic or arachidonic acid, were associated with higher type 2 diabetes incidence. Comparing the top to the bottom quartile groups of GLA levels, relative risk was 1.72 (95% CI 1.21, 2.44) adjusted for potential confounders. Baseline GLA was inversely associated with gut microbial richness and diversity (α-diversity, both P < 0.05) during follow-up and significantly associated with microbiota β-diversity (P = 0.002). α-Diversity acted as a potential mediator in the association between GLA and type 2 diabetes (P < 0.05). Seven genera (Butyrivibrio, Blautia, Oscillospira, Odoribacter, S24-7 other, Rikenellaceae other, and Clostridiales other) were enriched in quartile 1 of GLA and in participants without type 2 diabetes. CONCLUSIONS Relative concentrations of erythrocyte GLA were positively associated with incident type 2 diabetes in a Chinese population and also with gut microbial profiles. These results highlight that gut microbiota may play an important role linking n-6 PUFA metabolism and type 2 diabetes etiology.