Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Circulating Long Noncoding RNAs as Biomarkers for Predicting Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Background/Aims: The anatomical complexity of the head and neck region and the lack of sufficiently specific and sensitive biomarkers often lead to the diagnosis of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) at advanced stages. To identify novel biomarkers for early diagnosis of primary HNSCC through a minimally invasive method, we investigated circulating long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) levels in plasma of HNSCC patients. Methods: The global lncRNA expression profiles of HNSCC patients were measured using microarray and next-generation RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq) data from both circulating and tissue samples. The diagnosis prediction model based on the lncRNA signatures and clinical features was evaluated by multi-stage validation and risk score analysis. Results: The data showed that 432 lncRNA transcripts were differentially expressed by fold changes of > 4 in circulating samples and 333 in tissues samples, respectively. Only 12 lncRNAs consistently emerged in these two kinds of samples. After the risk score analysis including a multistage validation, we identified three lncRNAs, namely, HOXA11-AS, LINC00964 and MALAT1, which were up-regulated in the plasma of HNSCC patients compared with those in healthy controls with merged areas under the curve (AUCs) in training and validation sets of 0.925 and 0.839, respectively. Conclusion: HOXA11-AS, LINC00964 and MALAT1 might be potential circulating biomarkers for the early detection of HNSCC in the future.
Partial Meniscus Replacement with a Collagen-Hyaluronan Infused Three-Dimensional Printed Polymeric Scaffold.

IMPACT STATEMENT The only FDA-approved partial meniscus scaffold, the Collagen Meniscus Implant (CMI), is not approved for reimbursement by government and only reimbursable by certain private insurers. Scaffolds with improved mechanical properties and greater efficacy are needed. A previous study (Ghodbane, et al. DOI: 10.1002/jbm.b.34331) demonstrated the ability of our novel acellular, off-the shelf scaffold to restore knee biomechanics following partial meniscectomy, which could potentially decrease the risk of osteoarthritis following partial meniscectomy, providing the motivation for this study. This article presents a first-in-animal feasibility study.
Immunomodulatory Properties of Adipose-Derived Stem Cells Treated with 5-Azacytydine and Resveratrol on Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells and Macrophages in Metabolic Syndrome Animals

Endocrine disorders, including equine metabolic syndrome (EMS), are a serious issue in veterinary medicine and horse breeding. Furthermore, EMS was shown to affect the cytophysiological properties of adipose-derived stem cells, reducing their therapeutic potential. However, it was shown that those cells can be rejuvenated while using a combination of two chemicals: 5-azacytydine (AZA) and resveratrol (RES). In the present study, we decided to evaluate the immunomodulatory properties of AZA/RES-treated adipose-derived stem cells (ASC) isolated from EMS horses (ASCEMS). Thus, we co-cultured ASC with peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) and RAW264.7 macrophages. Most attention was placed on regulatory T lymphocytes (TREG), as well as the messenger RNA (mRNA) and protein levels of several cytokines (tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α), interleukin (IL)-6, IL-10, and IL-1β). Moreover, we also investigated the expression of genes related to auto- and mitophagy in both PBMCs and ASCs. PBMCs were obtained from healthy and EMS-suffering individuals and were co-cultured with ASCs that were isolated from healthy and EMS horses cultured in control conditions and with AZA/RES. We discovered that cells treated with AZA/RES increase the TREG number while co-cultured with PBMCs. Moreover, the co-culture of PBMCs with AZA/RES-treated ASCEMS induced mitophagy in PBMCs. Furthermore, ASCEMS pre-treated with AZA/RES displayed anti-inflammatory properties, as decreased levels of TNF-α, nitric oxide (NO), and IL-6 were observed in those cells in comparison with their untreated counterparts in the co-culture with RAW264.7 macrophages. In summary, we demonstrated that ASCEMS treated with AZA/RES displayed increased anti-inflammatory properties, and was able to regulate and activate the TREG-related anti-inflammatory response.
Local adaptation of phenology revealed in outcrosses between spawning segments of a salmonid population

Local adaptation has been demonstrated in spatially or temporally distant animal populations but seldom in proximate populations. To address the scale of local adaptation in Pacific salmon (Oncorhynchus spp.), two generations of hybrids between temporally separated spawning segments were made in a population of pink salmon (O. gorbuscha) and compared with controls to evaluate the genetic architecture underlying adult migration time and to test for declines in marine survival that resulted from outbreeding depression. Bayesian mixed‐effects models revealed that adult migration times in hybrid lines were intermediate to those of controls and that additive sources of genetic variation were significant, thereby indicating that local adaptation has acted on additive genetic variation in shaping this trait. Similarly, a line cross analysis revealed that an additive model best described the genetic architecture of adult migration time. In contrast, marine survival was generally similar between control and hybrid lines, which suggested that the effect of outbreeding upon marine survival was minimal at such a fine scale of genetic divergence. The implications of these results are that (a) local adaptation can facilitate genetic divergence of life history traits between proximate subpopulations; (b) artificial relaxation of natural barriers to gene flow can cause maladaptive shifts in life history traits; and (c) wild populations may harbour fine‐scale adaptive variation that supports productivity and sustainability.
A survey of inconsistency indices for pairwise comparisons

ABSTRACT Pairwise comparisons are a well-established tool to compare weights of criteria and alternatives or, more in general, any entities. Their ultimate goal is to facilitate the search for a suitable weight vector. In this context, the concepts of inconsistency and inconsistency index have emerged. This manuscript has two goals. Firstly, it surveys the most relevant inconsistency indices by means of a self-contained exposition. Secondly, by analyzing recent trends and milestones it presents some conclusions and a discussion on possible directions of future research.
Synergistic Effect of Hybridized Cellulose Nanocrystals and Organically Modified Montmorillonite on κ-Carrageenan Bionanocomposites

The synergistic effect of using κ-carrageenan bionanocomposites with the hybridization of cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) and organically modified montmorillonite (OMMT) reinforcements was studied. The effects of different reinforcements and filler contents were evaluated through mechanical testing, and morphological and water uptake properties. The tensile strength and Young’s modulus of both bionanocomposites increased with filler loading and optimized at 4%. OMMT incorporation into the κ-carrageenan/CNCs bionanocomposites resulted in further mechanical property improvement with an optimum ratio of 1:1 (CNCs:OMMT) while maintaining high film transparency. X-ray diffraction and morphological analyses revealed that intercalation occurred between the κ-carrageenan bionanocomposite matrix and OMMT. The water uptake of the κ-carrageenan bionanocomposites was significantly reduced by the addition of both CNCs and OMMT. The enhancements in the mechanical properties and performance of the hybrid bionanocomposite indicate compatibility among the reinforcement, biopolymer, and well-dispersed nanoparticles. This renders the hybrid CNC/OMMT/κ-carrageenan nanocomposites extremely promising for food packaging applications.
A comparison of pseudo-continuous arterial spin labelling and dynamic susceptibility contrast MRI with and without contrast agent leakage correction in paediatric brain tumours.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate correlations between MRI perfusion metrics measured by dynamic susceptibility contrast and arterial spin labelling in paediatric brain tumours. METHODS: 15 paediatric patients with brain tumours were scanned prospectively using pseudo-continuous arterial spin labelling (ASL) and dynamic susceptibility contrast (DSC-) MRI with a pre-bolus to minimise contrast agent leakage. Cerebral blood flow (CBF) maps were produced using ASL. Cerebral blood volume (CBV) maps with and without contrast agent leakage correction using the Boxerman technique and the leakage parameter, K2, were produced from the DSC data. Correlations between the metrics produced were investigated. RESULTS: Histology resulted in the following diagnoses: pilocytic astrocytoma (n = 7), glioblastoma (n = 1), medulloblastoma (n = 1), rosette-forming glioneuronal tumour of fourth ventricle (n = 1), atypical choroid plexus papilloma (n = 1) and pilomyxoid astrocytoma (n = 1). Three patients had a non-invasive diagnosis of low-grade glioma. DSC CBV maps of T1-enhancing tumours were difficult to interpret without the leakage correction. CBV values obtained with and without leakage correction were significantly different (p < 0.01). A significant positive correlation was observed between ASL CBF and DSC CBV (r = 0.516, p = 0.049) which became stronger when leakage correction was applied (r = 0.728, p = 0.002). K2 values were variable across the group (mean = 0.35, range = -0.49 to 0.64). CONCLUSION: CBV values from DSC obtained with and without leakage correction were significantly different. Large increases in CBV were observed following leakage correction in highly T1-enhancing tumours. DSC and ASL perfusion metrics were found to correlate significantly in a range of paediatric brain tumours. A stronger relationship between DSC and ASL was seen when leakage correction was applied to the DSC data. Leakage correction should be applied when analysing DSC data in enhancing paediatric brain tumours. ADVANCES IN KNOWLEDGE: We have shown that leakage correction should be applied when investigating enhancing paediatric brain tumours using DSC-MRI. A stronger correlation was found between CBF derived from ASL and CBV derived from DSC when a leakage correction was employed.
Prevalence of Adjustment Problem and Its Predictors among First-Year Undergraduate Students in Ethiopian University: A Cross-Sectional Institution Based Study

Background Being in a university for the first time is an unpleasant event and time of heavy pressure relating to social things and dissatisfaction for several new faculty students. Adjustment difficulties are the foremost common issues among freshman students; World Health Organization area unit researched a full-of-life adjustment innovation in universities. Despite this reality, there is a few literature that identifies prevalence and factors related to the adjustment downside among university/college students. Methods Institutional based quantitative cross-sectional study style was conducted from May to June 2016. A total of 537 haphazardly elite students concerned within the study. The result adjustment downside was explained with Student Adjustment to College Questionnaire (SACQ). Data was described using descriptive analysis; logistic regression was used to assess the relation between adjustment downside and associated factors. An odds quantitative relation 95% confidence interval was used to point out the strength of association. Applied mathematics significance was declared as a p value less than 0.05. Result A total of 537 respondents participate with a response rate of eighty-five percent. the prevalence of adjustment downside among the respondents was 228 ( 42.5%). Of the respondents, 327 (60.9%) were male and therefore the mean (sd) age was 19 (+- 1) years. Being away from home and homesickness (AOR=4.15,95% CI: 2.46,2,99 and AOR=5. 9,95% CI: 2.35,14.76) and difficulties in socializing or making friends (AOR=3.99,95% CI:2.29,6.98) and difficulties in managing time and study skill (AOR=3.02,95% CI: 1.3,7.02) were abundant associated factors with adjustment downside. Conclusion The study confirms that freshman students joining university do face problems in adjusting themselves at the university. Homesickness, difficulties in socializing or making friends, and difficulties in managing time and study skill were found to be significant factors in adjustment downside.
Social Status-Related Differences in Motor Activity Between Wild-Type and Mutant Zebrafish

Use of zebrafish as a model organism in biomedical research has led to the generation of many genetically modified mutant lines to investigate various aspects of developmental and cellular processes. However, the broader effects of the underlying mutations on social and motor behavior remain poorly examined. Here, we compared the dynamics of social interactions in the Tüpfel long-fin nacre mutant line, which lacks skin pigmentation, to wild-type zebrafish; and we determined whether status-dependent differences in escape and swimming behavior existed within each strain. We show that despite similarities in aggressive activity, Tüpfel long-fin nacre pairs exhibit unstable social relationships characterized by frequent reversals in social dominance compared to wild-type pairs. The lack of strong dominance relationships in Tüpfel long-fin nacre pairs correlates with weak territoriality and overlapping spatial distribution of dominants and subordinates. Conversely, wild-type dominants displayed strong territoriality that severely limited the movement of subordinates. Additionally, the sensitivity of the startle escape response was significantly higher in wild-type subordinates compared to dominants. However, status-related differences in sensitivity of escape response in Tüpfel long-fin nacre pairs were absent. Finally, we present evidence suggesting that these differences could be a consequence of a disruption of proper visual social signals. We show that in wild-type pairs dominants are more conspicuous, and that in wild-type and Tüpfel long-fin nacre pairings wild-type fish are more likely to dominate Tüpfel long-fin nacres. Our results serve as a cautionary note in research design when morphologically engineered zebrafish for color differences are utilized in the study of social behavior and central nervous system function.
When Do Older Adults Show a Positivity Effect in Emotional Memory?

ABSTRACT Background: Typically, positive and negative emotional items are easier to remember than neutral ones. Charles, Mather, and Carstensen (2003) reported that older adults preferentially remember positive items, but this age-related “positivity effect” has not been replicated consistently. Methods: We conducted a close replication of Charles et al.’s study to verify that their method yields a clear positivity effect in older adults relative to the young. We also examined the role of attention, which has been argued to influence the presence of the positivity effect in older adults. We used a method similar to Charles et al. (2003). Young and older adults recalled pictures that had been encoded under full or divided attention. Results and Conclusions: Older adults showed a positivity effect, but only under full attention. Young adults did not show any hint of a positivity effect, under either of the encoding conditions. The finding of a positivity effect in older but not young adults replicates the original report from Charles et al. (2003). The attention manipulation results suggest that when the positivity effect occurs in older adults’ memory, it is attributable at least in part to cognitive control during encoding. Key terms: Emotional Enhancement of Memory–Divided attention–Aging
The development of multimorbidity during 16 years after diagnosis of type 2 diabetes

Objective: The aims of this study were to (1) quantify the development and composition of multimorbidity (MM) during 16 years following the diagnosis of type 2 diabetes and (2) evaluate whether the effectiveness of structured personal diabetes care differed between patients with and without MM. Research design and methods: One thousand three hundred eighty-one patients with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes were randomized to receive either structured personal diabetes care or routine diabetes care. Patients were followed up for 19 years in Danish nationwide registries for the occurrence of outcomes. We analyzed the prevalence and degree of MM based on 10 well-defined disease groups. The effect of structured personal care in diabetes patients with and without MM was analyzed with Cox regression models. Results: The proportion of patients with MM increased from 31.6% at diabetes diagnosis to 80.4% after 16 years. The proportion of cardiovascular and gastrointestinal diseases in surviving patients decreased, while, for example, musculoskeletal, eye, and neurological diseases increased. The effect of the intervention was not different between type 2 diabetes patients with or without coexisting chronic disease. Conclusions: In general, the proportion of patients with MM increased after diabetes diagnosis, but the composition of chronic disease changed during the 16 years. We found cardiovascular and musculoskeletal disease to be the most prevalent disease groups during all 16 years of follow-up. The post hoc analysis of the intervention showed that its effectiveness was not different among patients who developed MM compared to those who continued to have diabetes alone.
Healthy adjustment for new residents with dementia using SettleIN: A feasibility study in UK care homes

Objectives This study aimed to develop and explore feasibility of SettleIN, a staff-led programme about healthy adjustment for people with dementia following care home placement. The main foci were intervention feasibility and the impact of the programme on resident quality of life and mood. Method A manualised intervention developed through consultation with 47 experts was trialled using a mixed-method design. Thirteen new residents with dementia and 24 staff were recruited from six UK care homes. Outcomes were measured at baseline, intervention completion and four-week follow-up. Analysis of staff interviews and field notes is reported. Results Most experts deemed SettleIN to be well structured, comprehensive and appropriate. However, uptake of SettleIN was low. When implemented, staff emphasised integration ease and staff benefits, but that SettleIN may not be universally suitable. High attrition, most commonly due to death and hospitalisation, and partial results from only four participants meant that there was a lack of support for the positive outcomes. Feasibility problems included a lack of staff time and dependency on families for some components. Conclusion SettleIN is acceptable to a wide range of stakeholders though does not appear to be feasible in its current form and improvements are recommended. A second pilot phase is required, which will address the reasons for the high attrition rate in this study and amend the methodology accordingly. This is an important work, as a manualised and standardised approach to healthy adjustment in care is unique and could have huge clinical significance if effective.
Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Clinical Factors Associated With Ischemic Stroke in Patients Suspected of Cervical Artery Dissection

Background and Purpose— Cervical artery dissection is a major cause of ischemic stroke in the young and presents with various imaging findings, including stenosis and intramural hematoma (IMH). Our goal was to determine the relative contribution of lumen findings and IMH to acute ischemic stroke and whether a heavily T1-weighted sequence could more reliably detect IMH. Methods— Institutional review board approval was obtained for this retrospective study of 254 patients undergoing magnetic resonance imaging/magnetic resonance angiography for suspected dissection. Imaging included standard turbo spin–echo (TSE) T1-fat saturation and heavily T1-weighted flow-suppressed magnetization-prepared rapid acquisition gradient–recalled echo sequences. Subjects with stents (1) or atherosclerotic disease (26) were excluded, leaving 227 subjects. Kappa analysis was used to determine IMH interrater reliability on magnetization-prepared rapid acquisition gradient–recalled echo and T1-fat saturation in 4 vessels per subject. Lumen findings, cardiovascular risk factors, medications, and nondissection stroke sources were recorded. Mixed-effects multivariate Poisson regression was used to determine the prevalence ratio of each factor with acute ischemic stroke, accounting for 4 vessels per patient with backward elimination to a threshold P value of 0.10. Results— Patients were 41.9% men, mean age of 47.3±16.6 years, with 114 dissections and 107 strokes. IMH interrater reliability was significantly higher for magnetization-prepared rapid acquisition gradient–recalled echo (&kgr;=0.83; 95% CI, 0.78–0.86) versus T1-fat saturation (0.58; 95% CI, 0.57–0.68). The final acute stroke prediction model included magnetization-prepared rapid acquisition gradient–recalled echo-detected IMH (prevalence ratio, 2.0; 95% CI, 1.1–3.9; P=0.034), stenosis, pseudoaneurysm, male sex, current smoking, and nondissection stroke sources. The final model had high discrimination for acute stroke (area under the curve, 0.902; 95% CI, 0.872–0.932), compared with models without stenosis (0.861; 95% CI, 0.821–0.902), and without stenosis and IMH (0.831; 95% CI, 0.783–0.879). All 3 models were significantly different at P<0.05. Conclusions— Along with stenosis, IMH detection significantly contributed to acute ischemic stroke pathogenesis in patients with suspected cervical artery dissection. In addition, IMH detection can be made more reliable with heavily T1-weighted sequences.
Multiplex Droplet Digital PCR Method Applicable to Newborn Screening, Carrier Status, and Assessment of Spinal Muscular Atrophy.

BACKGROUND Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is a progressive neuromuscular disorder with neuronal degeneration leading to muscular atrophy and respiratory failure. SMA is frequently caused by homozygous deletions that include exon 7 of the survival motor neuron gene SMN1, and its clinical course is influenced by the copy number of a nearby 5q SMN1 paralog, SMN2. Multiple ligation probe amplification (MLPA) and real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR) can detect SMN1 deletions. Yet, qPCR needs normalization or standard curves, and MLPA demands DNA concentrations above those obtainable from dried blood spots (DBSs). We developed a multiplex, droplet digital PCR (ddPCR) method for the simultaneous detection of SMN1 deletions and SMN2 copy number variation in DBS and other tissues. An SMN1 Sanger sequencing process for DBS was also developed. METHODS SMN1, SMN2, and RPP30 concentrations were simultaneously measured with a Bio-Rad AutoDG and QX200 ddPCR system. A total of 1530 DBSs and 12 SMA patients were tested. RESULTS Population studies confirmed 1 to 5 SMN1 exon 7 copies detected in unaffected specimens, whereas patients with SMA revealed 0 SMN1 copies. Intraassay and interassay imprecisions were <7.1% CV for individuals with ≥1 SMN1 copies. Testing 12 SMA-positive samples resulted in 100% sensitivity and specificity. CONCLUSIONS This ddPCR method is sensitive, specific, and applicable to newborn screening and carrier status determination for SMA. It can also be incorporated with a parallel ddPCR T-cell excision circles assay for severe combined immunodeficiencies.