Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Interactive contribution of hyperinsulinemia, hyperglycemia, and mammalian target of rapamycin signaling to valvular interstitial cell differentiation and matrix remodeling

Diabetes and its major key determinants insulin resistance and hyperglycemia are known risk factors for calcific aortic valve disease (CAVD). The processes leading to molecular and structural alterations of the aortic valve are yet not fully understood. In previous studies, we could show that valvular interstitial cells (VIC) display canonical elements of classical insulin signaling and develop insulin resistance upon hyperinsulinemia and hyperglycemia accompanied by impaired glucose metabolism. Analyses of cultured VIC and aortic valve tissue revealed extracellular matrix remodeling and degenerative processes. Since PI3K signaling through mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) is involved in fibrotic processes of the heart, we aim at further functional investigation of this particular Akt-downstream signaling pathway in the context of diabetes-induced CAVD. Primary cultures of VIC were treated with hyperinsulinemia and hyperglycemia. Phosphorylation of mTOR(Ser2448) was determined by Western blot analysis after acute insulin stimulus. Inhibition of mTOR phosphorylation was performed by rapamycin. Phosphorylation of mTOR complex 1 (MTORC1) downstream substrates 4E-BP1(Thr37/46) and P70S6K(Thr389), and MTORC2 downstream substrate Akt(Ser473) as well as the PDK1-dependent phosphorylation of Akt(Thr308) was investigated. Markers for extracellular matrix remodeling, cell differentiation and degenerative changes were analyzed by Western blot analysis, semi-quantitative real-time PCR and colorimetric assays. Hyperinsulinemia and hyperglycemia lead to alterations of VIC activation, differentiation and matrix remodeling as well as to an abrogation of mTOR phosphorylation. Inhibition of mTOR signaling by rapamycin leads to a general downregulation of matrix molecules, but to an upregulation of α-smooth muscle actin expression and alkaline phosphatase activity. Comparison of expression patterns upon diabetic conditions and rapamycin treatment reveal a possible regulation of particular matrix components and key degeneration markers by MTORC1 downstream signaling. The present findings broaden the understanding of mitogenic signaling pathways in VIC triggered by hyperinsulinemia and hyperglycemia, supporting the quest for developing strategies of prevention and tailored treatment of CAVD in diabetic patients.
Reduced cortical complexity in patients with end-stage kidney disease prior to dialysis initiation

End-stage kidney disease (ESKD) is associated with cognitive impairment (CI) and affects different aspects of cortical morphometry, but where these changes converge remains unclear. Fractal dimension (FD) is used to represent cortical complexity (CC), which describes the structural complexity of the cerebral cortex by integrating different cortical morphological measures. This study aimed to investigate changes in CC in patients with ESKD prior to initiation of dialysis and to evaluate the relationship between changes in CC, cognitive performance, and uremic toxins. Forty-nine patients with ESKD naive to dialysis and 31 healthy controls (HCs) were assessed using structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and cognitive tests, including evaluations of global cognitive function, memory, and executive function. Clinical laboratory blood tests were performed on all patients with ESKD, including measurement of nine uremic toxin-related indices. CC was measured using MRI data to determine regional FD values. We estimated the association between cognitive performance, uremic toxin levels, and CC changes. Compared to HCs, patients with ESKD showed significantly lower CC in the left precuneus (p = 0.006), left middle temporal cortex (p = 0.010), and left isthmus cingulate cortex (p = 0.018). Furthermore, lower CC in the left precuneus was associated with impaired long-term delayed memory (Pearson r = 0.394, p = 0.042) in patients with ESKD. Our study suggests that regional decreases in CC are an additional characteristic of patients with ESKD naive to dialysis, related to impaired long-term memory performance. These findings may help further understand the underlying neurobiological mechanisms between brain structural changes and CI in patients with ESKD.
Semiautomatic land cover mapping according to the 2nd level of the CORINE Land Cover legend

Abstract Actual land cover maps are a very good source of information on present human activities. It increases value of actual spatial databases and it is a key element for decision makers. Therefore, it is important to develop fast and cheap algorithms and procedures of spatial data updating. Every day, satellite remote sensing deliver vast amount of new data, which can be semi-automatically classified. The paper presents a method of land cover classification based on a fuzzy artificial neural network simulator and Landsat TM satellite images. The latest CORINE Land Cover 2012 polygons were used as reference data. Three satellite images acquired 21 April 2011, 5 June 2010, 27 August 2011 over Warsaw and surrounding areas were processed. As an outcome of classification procedure, the maps, error matrices and a set of overall, producer and user accuracies and a kappa coefficient were achieved. The classification accuracy oscillates around 76% and confirms that artificial neural networks can be successfully used for forest, urban fabric, arable land, pastures, inland waters and permanent crops mapping. Low accuracies were obtained in case of heterogenic land cover units.
A Comparative Estimation of Financial Frictions in Japan and Korea 1

We apply the Business Cycle Accounting method a la Chari, Kehoe, and McGrattan (2007) to the Japanese and the Korean economy and quantitatively analyze the effects of financial frictions during the recent recessions. First, we compute exogenous distortions in the financial, government purchases, labor, and production markets. The preliminary results show that the sudden drop in production efficiency (TFP) was the main reason of the Korean recession while the increase in labor market distortions was the main reason of the Japanese slump. Next, we orthogonalize the innovations to the distortions and quantify the maximum spill-over effects of financial frictions on output fluctuations in both countries following Christiano and Davis (2006). Our results imply that financial frictions may have been important in explaining the recessions in both countries through their effects on TFP and labor market distortions.
Northern dimming and southern brightening in eastern China during the first decade of the 21st century

Global solar radiation (GSR) reaching the Earth’s surface can directly alter the energy balance of the climate system. The potential influence of inhomogeneity issues on Chinese GSR records on dimming and brightening in China has been argued for years. In this study, we explored the temporal evolution and spatial distribution of the long-term trend of GSR in eastern China (EC) during 1961–2018 using a homogenized GSR dataset, which removed the artificial signals. Results demonstrate that EC experienced a significant dimming period from 1961 to 1999, a brightening period from 2010 until 2018 and a leveling-off period between them (2000–2010), which resulted from opposite trends of GSR in the northern (dimming) and southern (brightening) regions of EC. The reduction of cloud coverage after the dimming period (2000) induced an early coming brightening in the southern region of China between 2000 and 2010, while the increase in aerosols and the rapidly extending cloud fraction resulted in the continuing dimming in northern China.
Diastolic function in heart transplant: From physiology to echocardiographic assessment and prognosis

Heart transplant (HTx) still represents the most effective therapy for end-stage heart failure, with a median survival time of 10 years. The transplanted heart shows peculiar physiology due to the profound alterations induced by the operation, which inevitably influences several echocardiographic parameters assessed during these patients’ follow-ups. With these premises, the diastolic function is one of the main aspects to take into consideration. The left atrium (LA) plays a key role in this matter, and that same chamber is significantly impaired with the transplant, with different degrees of altered function based on the surgical technique. Therefore, the traditional echocardiographic evaluation of diastolic function applied to the general population might not properly reflect the physiology of the graft. This review attempts to provide current evidence on diastolic function in HTx starting from defining its different physiology and how the standard echocardiographic parameters might be affected to its prognostic role. Furthermore, based on the experience of our center and the available evidence, we proposed an algorithm that might help clinicians distinguish from actual diastolic dysfunction from a normal diastolic pattern in HTx population.
Social networking use, mental health, and quality of life of Hong Kong adolescents during the COVID-19 pandemic

Background During the COVID-19 pandemic, adolescents' use of social networking sites/apps has surged, and their mental health and quality of life have also been significantly affected by the pandemic and its associated social-protection measures. The present study first examined the prevalence of social networking sites/apps use and social networking addiction, the mental health status, and the health-related quality of life among Hong Kong adolescent students. We further investigated the associations of the youths' daily use of social networking sites/apps and their social networking addiction with their mental health and quality of life during the pandemic. Methods A total of 1,147 students (age = 15.20 ± 0.53 years) recruited from 12 randomly selected local secondary schools in Hong Kong participated in a questionnaire survey in classroom settings between January and June, 2020, right after the COVID-19 outbreak. The questionnaire includes demographic characteristics and scales that measure social networking sites/apps use and social networking addiction, mental health, and quality of life. Results Approximately 46.4% of the participants reported using social networking sites/apps often or very often, and 7.8% met the criteria for social networking addiction using Bergen's Social Media Addiction Scale. The prevalence of mild to extremely severe depression, anxiety, and stress among the adolescents stood at 39.6, 37.5, 48.8%, respectively, and the participants' physical, social, and school functioning were lower than the norms of healthy adolescents before the pandemic. Participants who used social networking sites/apps but for <3 h per day (excluding students who never used social networking sites/apps) showed significantly fewer problems of depression, anxiety, and stress than did those who spent more than 3 h per day on social networking sites/apps. Social networking addiction was found to be consistently associated with poor mental health and health-related quality of life. Conclusion This study provides important evidence supporting the potential protective effect of guiding adolescents to use social networking sites/apps appropriately in order to mitigate their negative emotions during contexts such as that of the pandemic; it further points to the need to provide extra support to promote the well-being of young people, especially those in disadvantaged situations (e.g., non-intact family) during and after the pandemic.
Improving access and efficiency of ischemic stroke treatment across four Canadian provinces using a stepped wedge trial: Methodology

Introduction Ischemic stroke is treatable with thrombolysis and/or endovascular treatment. Both treatments are highly time dependent, as faster treatment results in better outcomes. Utilization of both of these treatments is less than optimal, and treatment times continue to exceed the recommended benchmarks. An improvement intervention was launched across Atlantic Canada, which has four provinces: Nova Scotia (NS), New Brunswick (NB), Prince Edward Island (PEI), and Newfoundland and Labrador (NL). The intervention was conducted through the ACTEAST (Atlantic Canada Together Enhancing Acute Stroke Treatment) Project, which aimed to improve access and efficiency of treatment for acute ischemic stroke patients. Intervention and methods The improvement intervention was a 6-month virtual Improvement Collaborative that consisted of each stroke center assembling an interdisciplinary team, 2 full-day Learning Sessions, five to six 1-h webinars, and a site visit for each team. The Improvement Collaborative intervention was implemented using a stepped-wedge trial design, where the intervention was delivered in 3 phases. The Improvement Collaborative was initially conducted with NS, followed by NB and PEI, and the final phase was with NL. The number of participants enrolled across all 34 hospitals were 98, 86, and 72 for NS, NB-PEI, and NL, respectively. The attendance at the Learning Sessions ranged from 43 to 81 across all 3 clusters. The attendance at webinars had a mean of 29.0 (SD 6.8), 26.0 (SD 6.3), and 19.0 (SD 8.5) for the NS, NB-PEI, and NL clusters respectively. (Anticipated) Results We anticipate that an additional 3–5% of ischemic stroke patients will receive thrombolysis, EVT, or both. Additionally, we anticipate a reduction of 10–15 min in door-to-needle times across the region. This will translate to an increase in the proportion of ischemic stroke patients that will be discharged home from acute care. Discussion High level of engagement is possible in an Improvement Collaborative Intervention when implemented using a stepped-wedge trial design. The highest level of engagement was observed in the NS cluster, which maybe because this province has the most established provincial stroke system. Physician engagement, a critical aspect of improvement, was high. COVID-19 restrictions likely led to lower attendance at site visits.
Strong vs. Weak Organizational Culture: Assessing the Impact on EmployeeMotivation

Organizational culture and motivation are crucial variables in every Organization. This is due to the general recognition that these variables do not only influence the individual employee’s performance but the whole Organization’s effectiveness, performance and sustenance. The interest in Organizational culture stems from the belief that culture influences behavior, decision-making, Organizational strategies, individual motivation and Organizational performance. Employees are conscious of Organizational culture, and they learn it in their life at workplace, then align their professional goals with the Organization’s goals. The extent to which they learn and embrace the Organizational culture varies and is determined, partly, by the Organization’s culture being either weak or strong. Non-motivated employees, generally portray a dissatisfied attitude at work, hence are less committed, and are more likely to quit the Organizational. The purpose of this review was to compare the impact of strong and weak Organizational culture on employee motivation.
Early-Phase Clinical Trials of Bio-Artificial Organ Technology: A Systematic Review of Ethical Issues

Regenerative medicine has emerged as a novel alternative solution to organ failure which circumvents the issue of organ shortage. In preclinical research settings bio-artificial organs are being developed. It is anticipated that eventually it will be possible to launch first-in-human transplantation trials to test safety and efficacy in human recipients. In early-phase transplantation trials, however, research participants could be exposed to serious risks, such as toxicity, infections and tumorigenesis. So far, there is no ethical guidance for the safe and responsible design and conduct of early-phase clinical trials of bio-artificial organs. Therefore, research ethics review committees will need to look to related adjacent fields of research, including for example cell-based therapy, for guidance. In this systematic review, we examined the literature on early-phase clinical trials in these adjacent fields and undertook a thematic analysis of relevant ethical points to consider for early-phase clinical trials of transplantable bio-artificial organs. Six themes were identified: cell source, risk-benefit assessment, patient selection, trial design, informed consent, and oversight and accountability. Further empirical research is needed to provide insight in patient perspectives, as this may serve as valuable input in determining the conditions for ethically responsible and acceptable early clinical development of bio-artificial organs. Graphical Abstract
Malaria and Economic Development in Sub-Saharan Africa: Long-lasting Effects on Cognitive Abilities

This dissertation endeavours to examine long-lasting sequels of malaria on economic development in sub-Saharan Africa. Despite the general consensus that countries where malaria is endemic are not only poorer but also grow economically at a slower pace than non-malarial ones, the channels through which malaria incidence translates into lower subsequent development are still under-examined. The aim of this thesis is assessing one of such channels, namely cognitive impairment. According to our hypothesis, malaria sufferers during childhood who survive see their cognition impaired because of the disease, which is reflected into lower human capital as adults and, consequently, affects economic outputs, not only at the individual level but at the aggregate one as well. By using Pearson’s Correlation Coefficients and bivariate and multivariate regressions, this study has found initial support for the hypothesized channel in sub-Saharan Africa. According to our preferred estimates, a one standard deviation increase in malaria ecology is associated to a 1.18 points reduction in IQ and a one-point increase in IQ would be associated on average, to a $268 increment in GDP per capita, when controlling for education. Moreover, results suggest a potential indirect effect of malaria on education via cognition as well. While remaining cautious about our results, we suggest that improvements in human capital need not be in the form of more education but rather in the form of better health outcomes that would allow for better-quality education by improving, for instance, cognition.
Stability of the Pohožaev obstruction in dimension 3

then there are no non-trivial solutions of (0.1). This is a consequence of Pohožaev’s identity (see [11] and equation (4.6) of appendix 4.3) and is referred to as the Pohožaev obstruction. The above equation has been quite intensively studied in the past thirty years. Many existence results have been obtained if  is not assumed to be star-shaped or if h does not satisfy (0.2). It is almost impossible to give an exhaustive list of references on this equation. In this paper, we investigate the question of non-existence of positive solutions of equation (0.1) and more precisely the stability properties of the Pohožaev obstruction.
Role of a riverine plume as a nursery area for chum salmon Oncorhynchus keta

We examined the spatial distribution of juveniles in coastal water to assess how riverine plumes serve as nursery areas for chum salmon in early ocean life. The distribution of juveniles was restncted withln a low-salinity water mass that was formed by nverine discharges. We detected 2 juvenile sizes at which distributions changed. Distributions of small juveniles (550 mm in fork length) and medium-size juveniles (50 to 75 mm) were found in nearshore reglons and were less affected by water temperature and salinity. Distributions of large juveniles (>75 mm) were located in waters whose salinity was 25 to 30 psu, and were less-affected by the distance from the shoreline. Results suggested that the juvenile distribution was affected by tolerance to environmental stress (high temperature or high salinity) and by refuge from fish predators. Juvenile chum salmon can use riverine plume habitats to avoid environmental stress, to search for prey patches, and to expend less energy for migration.
Photocatalytic Properties of Nanotubular-Shaped Powders with Anatase Phase Obtained from Titanate Nanotube Powder through Various Thermal Treatments

Photocatalytic properties of nanotubular-shaped titanate powders, synthesized by hydrothermal treatment of , were studied after calcinations at various temperatures and times under , air, and H2 atmospheres. Their photocatalytic properties were measured with checking decomposition of 4-chlorophenol under UV-A irradiation, together with physical characterizations using SEM, TEM, XRD, BET, and Raman spectroscopy. With increasing calcination temperature and time, nanotubular-shaped titanate particles became short, rod-like, or irregular by oversintering, and their crystalline structure was changed into anatase phase. The photocatalytic ability in decomposition of 4-chlorophenol using the calcined powders showed the highest value due to obtainment of high specific area by maintaining nanotubular shape, together with transformation from titanate to anatase phase having perfect crystallinity in or air atmosphere.
Seasonal variation in current season and dead biomass of Chrysopogon aucheri (Boiss) Stapf. and Cymbopogon jwarancusa (Jones) Schult. in highland Balochistan, Pakistan.

Aboveground current season growth biomass and dead accumulated biomass of Chrysopogon aucheri (Boiss) Stapf. , and Cymbopogon jwarancusa (Jones) Schult. , were evaluated during 2001 and 2002 in a protected site of Hazarganji-Chiltan National Park in highland Balochistan. Cymbopogon jwarancusa current season biomass ranged from 27 kg/ha in April to 51 kg/ha in June whereas Chrysopogon aucheri current season biomass production ranged from 2 kg/ha in April to 54 kg/ha in June. Above ground dead biomass of Cymbopogon jwarancusa ranged from 77 to 310 kg/ha whereas the dead biomass of Chrysopogon aucheri ranged from 50 to 320 kg/ha. In both years the dead biomass remained more than 70% in the growing season. The protected site had a higher accumulation of aboveground dead material and limited new growth. Accumulated dead materials reducing the productivity of these grasses and planned grazing or clipping may improve the productivity and quality of these grasses.
Retarded growth of hexaploid loaches

In the loach Misgurnus anguillicaudatus, hexaploid individuals were produced by chromosome manipulation to inhibit the second polar body release after the fertilization of diploid eggs from natural tetraploid female by sperm from tetraploid male. Eggs of mature hexaploid (6n) female were fertilized by sperm of diploid (2n), tetraploid (4n) and hexaploid (6n) males, respectively, to produce tetraploid (6n female x 2n male), pentaploid (6n x 4n) and hexaploid (6n x 6n) progeny. Each group was reared in a separate tank until the age of 1 year old and then long-term communal rearing experiments from the age of 1 year old to 3 years and 2 months old were carried out to compare performance of tetraploid, pentaploid and hexaploid loaches under a laboratory condition. At the end of experiments, significantly retarded growth was observed in hexaploid loaches and they exhibited about half body weight of counterpart tetraploid and pentaploid loaches. Hexaploid loaches also showed significantly lower body length/head length proportion than other polyploids.