Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effect of folate deficiency on promoter methylation and gene expression of Esr1, Cav1, and Elavl1, and its influence on spermatogenesis

This study aims to investigate the effect of folate deficiency on the male reproductive function and the underlying mechanism. A total of 269 screened participants from 421 recruitments were enrolled in this study. An animal model of folate deficiency was constructed. Folate concentration was measured in the ejaculate, and its association with semen parameters was then determined. The expression and promoter methylation status of ESR1, CAV1, and ELAVL1 were also evaluated. Results showed that seminal plasma folate level was significantly lower among subjects with azoospermia than those with normozoospermia. Low folate level was significantly correlated with low sperm concentration in men with normozoospermia. Folate deficiency significantly reduced the expression of ESR1, CAV1, and ELAVL1, which are critical to spermatogenesis. However, low folate levels did not increase the methylation levels of the promoter regions of ESR1, CAV1, and ELAVL1 in human sperm DNA. Thus, folate deficiency impairs spermatogenesis may partly due to inhibiting the expression of these genes. Thus future research should determine the significance of sufficient folate status in male fertilization and subsequent pregnancy outcomes.
A randomized controlled trial of mindfulness meditation versus relaxation training: Effects on distress, positive states of mind, rumination, and distraction

Background: Although mindfulness meditation interventions have recently shown benefits for reducing stress in various populations, little is known about their relative efficacy compared with relaxation interventions.Purpose: This randomized controlled trial examines the effects of a 1-month mindfulness meditation versus somatic relaxation training as compared to a control group in 83 students (M age=25; 16 men and 67 women) reporting distress.Method: Psychological distress, positive states of mind, distractive and ruminative thoughts and behaviors, and spiritual experience were measured, while controlling for social desirability.Results: Hierarchical linear modeling reveals that both meditation and relaxation groups experienced significant decreases in distress as well as increases in positive mood states over time, compared with the control group (p<.05 in all cases). There were no significant differences between meditation and relaxation on distress and positive mood states over time. Effect sizes for distress were large for both meditation and relaxation (Cohen’s d=1.36 and .91, respectively), whereas the meditation group showed a larger effect size for positive states of mind than relaxation (Cohen’s d=.71 and .25, respectively). The meditation group also demonstrated significant pre-post decreases in both distractive and ruminative thoughts/behaviors compared with the control group (p<.04 in all cases; Cohen’s d=.57 for rumination and .25 for distraction for the meditation group), with mediation models suggesting that mindfulness meditation’s effects on reducing distress were partially mediated by reducing rumination. No significant effects were found for spiritual experience.Conclusions: The data suggest that compared with a no-treatment control, brief training in mindfulness meditation or somatic relaxation reduces distress and improves positive mood states. However, mindfulness meditation may be specific in its ability to reduce distractive and ruminative thoughts and behaviors, and this ability may provide a unique mechanism by which mindfulness meditation reduces distress.
Plant foods in the prevention of type 2 diabetes mellitus with emphasis on dietary fiber and antioxidant vitamins

Incidence of type 2 diabetes is rising rapidly. Obesity and low levels of physical activity are the most potent modifiable risk factors for type 2 diabetes. In addition to these lifestyle factors, several hypotheses relating diet to the prevention of type 2 diabetes have been suggested. However, evidence on dietary factors in the prevention of type 2 diabetes is incomplete. Plant foods were studied for their ability to predict incidence of type 2 diabetes mellitus. First, major dietary patterns were identified and a pattern characterized by consumption of fruit and vegetables was further studied for its predictive value on the incidence of type 2 diabetes. In more profound analyses of individual foods, the components of the identified dietary pattern were studied. Finally, the major biological hypotheses linking nutrients derived from plant foods to prevention of type 2 diabetes were tested. The study population was derived from the population-based data from the Finnish Mobile Clinic Health Examination Survey. Food consumption of 10 054 participants during the previous year was estimated using a dietary history interview. A total of 4 304 men and women, 40–69 years of age and free of diabetes at baseline in 1967–1972 were followed up for diabetes incidence during a 23-year period. During the follow-up, a total of 383 incident cases occurred. Two major dietary patterns were identified which were labeled as ‘prudent’ and ‘conservative’. The prudent pattern was characterized by higher consumption of fruits, berries and vegetables. The prudent dietary pattern was associated with a reduced risk of type 2 diabetes. Of the components of the prudent pattern, higher intakes of green vegetables, fruit and berries, oil and margarine predicted a reduced risk of type 2 diabetes. Results from further analyses also suggested that the relation between the prudent pattern and diabetes risk was completely explained by major components of the dietary pattern, suggesting that the pattern actually summarizes the effects of individual foods or food groups rather than carrying further information on food synergy. Whole grain consumption was associated with a reduced risk of type 2 diabetes during 10 years of follow-up, but not during a 23year follow-up. Of specific nutrients, cereal fiber and dietary antioxidant vitamins, such as vitamin E and carotenoids were associated with a reduced risk of type 2 diabetes, but vitamin C was not. It seems conceivable that prevention of type 2 diabetes can be aided by the consumption of plant foods, which are rich in nutrients with hypothesized benefits in preventing diabetes. Accordingly, intakes of cereal fiber and antioxidant vitamins predicted reduced risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus. However, more studies are needed to clarify whether the inverse association between plant food consumption and type 2 diabetes is mediated by the hypothesized nutrients or other dietary components from plant foods or by lifestyle and sociodemographic factors related to the dietary pattern.
Tumor Lysis Syndrome after the Administration of Ruxolitinib in a Patient with Post-polycythemia Vera Myelofibrosis

The development of tumor lysis syndrome (TLS) in association with treatment for myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs) is relatively rare. We herein present the case of a post-polycythemia vera (PV) myelofibrosis patient with massive splenomegaly who developed laboratory TLS after treatment with ruxolitinib, a potent JAK1/JAK2 inhibitor. She also exhibited a rapid reduction of spleen volume. Our present case suggests the potential risk of TLS development after ruxolitinib treatment, particularly in patients with massive splenomegaly.
Asymmetry of planum temporale constrains interhemispheric language plasticity in children with focal epilepsy

Reorganization of eloquent cortex enables rescue of language functions in patients who sustain brain injury. Individuals with left-sided, early-onset focal epilepsy often show atypical (i.e. bilateral or right-sided) language dominance. Surprisingly, many patients fail to show such interhemispheric shift of language despite having major epileptogenic lesions in close proximity to eloquent cortex. Although a number of epilepsy-related factors may promote interhemispheric plasticity, it has remained unexplored if neuroanatomical asymmetries linked to human language dominance modify the likelihood of atypical lateralization. Here we examined the asymmetry of the planum temporale, one of the most striking asymmetries in the human brain, in relation to language lateralization in children with left-sided focal epilepsy. Language functional magnetic resonance imaging was performed in 51 children with focal epilepsy and left-sided lesions and 36 healthy control subjects. We examined the association of language laterality with a range of potential clinical predictors and the asymmetry of the length of the planum temporale. Using voxel-based methods, we sought to determine the effect of lesion location (in the affected left hemisphere) and grey matter density (in the unaffected right hemisphere) on language laterality. Atypical language lateralization was observed in 19 patients (38%) and in four controls (11%). Language laterality was increasingly right-sided in patients who showed atypical handedness, a left perisylvian ictal electroencephalographic focus, and a lesion in left anterior superior temporal or inferior frontal regions. Most striking was the relationship between rightward asymmetry of the planum temporale and atypical language (R = 0.70, P < 0.0001); patients with a longer planum temporale in the right (unaffected) hemisphere were more likely to have atypical language dominance. Voxel-based regression analysis confirmed that increased grey matter density in the right temporo-parietal junction was correlated with right hemisphere lateralization of language. The length of the planum temporale in the right hemisphere was the main predictor of language lateralization in the epilepsy group, accounting for 48% of variance, with handedness accounting for only a further 5%. There was no correlation between language lateralization and planum temporale asymmetry in the control group. We conclude that asymmetry of the planum temporale may be unrelated to language lateralization in healthy individuals, but the size of the right, contra-lesional planum temporale region may reflect a ‘reserve capacity’ for interhemispheric language reorganization in the presence of a seizure focus and lesions within left perisylvian regions.
A Simple Multi-Source-Point Trefftz Method for Solving Direct/Inverse SHM Problems of Plane Elasticity in Arbitrary Multiply-Connected Domains

In this paper, a generalized Trefftz method in plane elasticity is developed, for solving problems in an arbitrary multiply connected domain. Firstly, the relations between Trefftz basis functions from different source points are discussed, by using the binomial theorem and the logarithmic binomial theorem. Based on these theorems, we clearly explain the relation between the T-Trefftz and the FTrefftz methods, and why the traditional T-Trefftz method, which uses only one source point, cannot successfully solve problems in a multiply connected domain with genus larger than 1. Thereafter, a generalized Trefftz method is proposed, which uses logarithmic and negative power series from multiple source points, and positive power series from only one source point, as complex potentials. In addition, a characteristic length for each source point is used to scale the Trefftz basis functions, in order to resolve the ill-posedness of Trefftz methods. For direct problems, no further regularization techniques are used, because the coefficient matrix of the system of linear equations to be solved is already well-conditioned, by using characteristic lengths to scale the Trefftz basis functions. Inverse problems in plane elasticity, wherein both tractions as well as displacements, or, both strains as well as displacements, are prescribed at a part of the boundary, and the data at the other part of the boundary and in the domain have to be solved for, are also considered. These problems are of importance in Structural Health Monitoring (SHM). For inverse problems where noises are present, a very simple regularization method is used, to mitigate the inherent ill-posed nature of inverse problems. By several numerical examples, we show that this generalized Trefftz method can successfully solve both direct/inverse problems in simply as well as multiply connected domains. Therefore, we consider this multi-source-point multi-characteristic-length-scale Trefftz method to be simple, general as well as very useful. And the essential idea of how to construct basis functions from multiple source points can be used to develop other Trefftz methods, as well as special Trefftz Voronoi Cell Finite Elements, with 1 Center for Aerospace Research & Education, University of California, Irvine 2 Copyright © 2012 Tech Science Press CMES, vol.85, no.1, pp.1-43, 2012 circular, elliptical, or arbitrary shaped voids and rigid/flexible inclusions.
An Efficient Power-Aware Resource Scheduling Strategy in Virtualized Datacenters

In the era of cloud computing, data centers are well-known to be bounded by the power wall issue. This issue lowers the profit of service providers and obstructs the expansions of data center's scale. As virtual machine's behavior was not explored sufficiently in classic data center's power-saving strategies, in this paper we address the power consumption issue in the setting of a virtualized data center. We propose an efficient power-aware resource scheduling strategy that reduces data center's power consumption effectively based on VM live migration which is a key technical feature of cloud computing. Our scheduling algorithm leverages the Xen platform and consolidates VM workloads periodically to reduce the number of running servers. To satisfy each VM's service level agreements, our strategy keeps adjusting VM placements between scheduling rounds. We developed a power-aware data center simulator to test our algorithm. The simulator runs in time domain and includes server's segmented linear power model. We validated our simulator using measured server power trace. Our simulation shows that compared with event-driven schedulers, our strategy improves data center power budget by 35% for random workloads resembling web-requests, and improve data center power budget by 22.7% for workloads exhibiting stable resource requirements like ScaLAPACK.
Bending strategies of convergently evolved, articulated coralline algae

The evolution of uncalcified genicula in upright calcified corallines has occurred at least three times independently, resulting in articulated corallines within Corallinoideae, Lithophylloideae, and Metagoniolithoideae. Genicula confer flexibility to otherwise rigid thalli, and the localization of bending at discrete intervals amplifies bending stress in genicular tissue. Genicular morphology must, therefore, be balanced between maintaining flexibility while mitigating or resisting stress. Genicula in the three articulated lineages differ in both cellular construction and development, which may result in different constraints on morphology. By studying the interaction between flexibility and morphological variation in multiple species, we investigate whether representatives of convergently evolving clades follow similar strategies to generate mechanically successful articulated fronds. By using computational models to explore different bending strategies, we show that there are multiple ways to generate flexibility in upright corallines but not all morphological strategies are mechanically equivalent. Corallinoids have many joints, lithophylloids have pliant joints, and metagoniolithoids have longer joints—while these strategies can lead to comparable thallus flexibility, they also lead to different levels of stress amplification in bending. Moreover, genicula at greatest risk of stress amplification are typically the strongest, universally mitigating the trade‐off between flexibility and stress reduction.
New Drug Candidate Targeting the 4A1 Orphan Nuclear Receptor for Medullary Thyroid Cancer Therapy

Medullary thyroid cancer (MTC) is a relatively rare thyroid cancer responsible for a substantial fraction of thyroid cancer mortality. More effective therapeutic drugs with low toxicity for MTC are urgently needed. Orphan nuclear receptor 4A1 (NR4A1) plays a pivotal role in regulating the proliferation and apoptosis of a variety of tumor cells. Based on the NR4A1 protein structure, 2-imino-6-methoxy-2H-chromene-3-carbothioamide (IMCA) was identified from the Specs compounds database using the protein structure-guided virtual screening approach. Computationally-based molecular modeling studies suggested that IMCA has a high affinity for the ligand binding pocket of NR4A1. MTT [3-(4,5-dimethyl-2-thiazolyl)-2,5-diphenyl-2-H-tetrazolium bromide] and apoptosis assays demonstrated that IMCA resulted in significant thyroid cancer cell death. Immunofluorescence assays showed that IMCA induced NR4A1 translocation from the nucleus to the cytoplasm in thyroid cancer cell lines, which may be involved in the cell apoptotic process. In this study, the quantitative polymerase chain reaction results showed that the IMCA-induced upregulation of sestrin1 and sestrin2 was dose-dependent in thyroid cancer cell lines. Western blot showed that IMCA increased phosphorylation of adenosine 5′-monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK) and decreased phosphorylation of ribosomal protein S6 kinase (p70S6K), which is the key enzyme in the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway. The experimental results suggest that IMCA is a drug candidate for MTC therapy and may work by increasing the nuclear export of NR4A1 to the cytoplasm and the tumor protein 53 (p53)-sestrins-AMPK-mTOR signaling pathway.
The Composition and Structure of Biofilms Developed by Propionibacterium acnes Isolated from Cardiac Pacemaker Devices

The present study aimed to understand the biofilm formation mechanism of Propionibacterium acnes by analyzing the components and structure of the biofilms. P. acnes strains were isolated from the surface of explanted cardiac pacemaker devices that exhibited no clinical signs of infection. Culture tests using a simple stamp culture method (pressing pacemakers against the surface of agar plates) revealed frequent P. acnes colonization on the surface of cardiac pacemaker devices. P. acnes was isolated from 7/31 devices, and the isolates were categorized by multilocus sequence typing into five different sequence types (STs): ST4 (JK18.2), ST53 (JK17.1), ST69 (JK12.2 and JK13.1), ST124 (JK5.3), ST125 (JK6.2), and unknown ST (JK19.3). An in vitro biofilm formation assay using microtiter plates demonstrated that 5/7 isolates formed biofilms. Inhibitory effects of DNase I and proteinase K on biofilm formation varied among isolates. In contrast, dispersin B showed no inhibitory activity against all isolates. Three-dimensional live/dead imaging of P. acnes biofilms with different biochemical properties using confocal laser microscopy demonstrated different distributions and proportions of living and dead cells. Additionally, it was suggested that extracellular DNA (eDNA) plays a role in the formation of biofilms containing living cells. Ultrastructural analysis of P. acnes biofilms using a transmission electron microscope and atmospheric scanning electron microscope revealed leakage of cytoplasmic components along with cell lysis and fibrous structures of eDNA connecting cells. In conclusion, the biochemical properties and structures of the biofilms differed among P. acnes isolates. These findings may provide clues for establishing countermeasures against biofilm-associated infection by P. acnes.
Treatment Strategies in Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis Syndrome: Where Are We At?

Toxic epidermal necrolysis syndrome (TENS) is a rare, life-threatening medical emergency typically associated with recent drug exposure. Although several theories exist, recent insight has implicated the innate immune system as a significant contributor to the initiation and propagation of this devastating reaction. Standard therapies including transfer to specialized burn units, nutritional support, and protection from infection, remain the mainstay in the treatment of TENS. While alternative treatment strategies have been pursued and reported, there remains no published data that convincingly supports these further interventions. Given the rare nature of this syndrome, multi-institutional studies will be necessary and essential in improving the understanding and treatment of TENS.
Assessing prescription stimulant use, misuse, and diversion among youth 10–18 years of age

Purpose of review Assessing the medical and nonmedical use (NMU) of stimulants and diversion is a challenge, especially among youth, with different methods for recruitment and definitions of NMU. The field needs inexpensive, yet effective and reliable, methods of data collection to understand the prescription drug use problem. Most studies of youth are school or web-based, and conducted with teens. Recent findings The National Monitoring of Adolescent Prescription Stimulants Study recruited 11 048 youth 10–18 years of age from urban, rural, and suburban areas in 10 US cities using an entertainment venue intercept study. This review discusses the effectiveness of the method and results from four cross-sections as well as the representativeness of the sample. Lifetime prevalence of any stimulant use was 14.8%, with rates highest among rural 16–18 year olds. The rate of last 30-day use was 7.3%, with over half (3.9%) NMU. Nearly 12% of all youth (whether a user or not) reported lifetime incoming/outgoing diversion of prescription stimulants. Summary Because no study has focused on stimulant use among youth as young as 10 and 11, this study is a landmark for future comparisons and offers a unique strategy for sampling and data collection.
Rice residue- management options and effects on soil properties and crop productivity

Rice residues are important natural resources, and recycling of these residues improves the soil physical, chemical and biological properties. Management of rice straw is a major challenge as it is considered to be a poor feed for the animals due to high silica content. This paper reviews the potential of rice residues and its management options, residue effects on soil properties and crop productivity. On the basis of reported research results by different researchers, an analysis has been made. A rice-wheat sequence that yields 7 t ha -1 of rice and 4 t ha -1 of wheat removes more than N 300, P 30 and K 300 kg ha -1 from the soil; the residues of rice and wheat amount to as much as 7-10 t ha -1 yr -1 of rice residues and overcome the problems for planting wheat. Management options are: burning, incorporation, surface retention and mulching, and baling and removing the straw. Despite some advantages like killing of deleterious pests and clearing the piles before wheat planting, burning results huge losses of N (up to 80%), P (25%), K (21%) and S (4-60%), air pollution (@ CO 2 13 t ha -1 ) depriving soils of organic matter (SOM). This loss of SOM is one of the recognized threats to sustainability. Incorporation leads to build up of SOM, soil N, P and K. The major disadvantage of incorporation is the immobilization of inorganic N. However, N at 15-20 kg ha -1 as starter dose with straw incorporation increases yield of wheat and rice compared to burning. Surface retention of residues increases soil NO 3 - by 46%, N uptake by 29%, and yield by 37% compared to burning. Residue management practices affect soil physical properties viz. soil moisture, temperature, aggregate formation, bulk density and hydraulic conductivity. Soil temperature is influenced through the change in radiant energy balance and insulation. Rice crop residues are highly siliceous, and have the potential of transforming electrochemical properties of acidic soils that reduces P fixation; improving base retention and increasing the soil pH. Rice straw incorporation coupled with organic manure increases grain yield of wheat and improves soil physical condition. Residue incorporation results more microbial activity than residue removal or burning. Thus, if residues are managed properly, then it can warrant the improvements in soil properties and the sustainability in crop productivity.