Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Modelling Cell Origami via a Tensegrity Model of the Cytoskeleton in Adherent Cells

Cell origami has been widely used in the field of three-dimensional (3D) cell-populated microstructures due to their multiple advantages, including high biocompatibility, the lack of special requirements for substrate materials, and the lack of damage to cells. A 3D finite element method (FEM) model of an adherent cell based on the tensegrity structure is constructed to describe cell origami by using the principle of the origami folding technique and cell traction forces. Adherent cell models contain a cytoskeleton (CSK), which is primarily composed of microtubules (MTs), microfilaments (MFs), intermediate filaments (IFs), and a nucleoskeleton (NSK), which is mainly made up of the nuclear lamina and chromatin. The microplate is assumed to be an isotropic linear-elastic solid material with a flexible joint that is connected to the cell tensegrity structure model by spring elements representing focal adhesion complexes (FACs). To investigate the effects of the degree of complexity of the tensegrity structure and NSK on the folding angle of the microplate, four models are established in the study. The results demonstrate that the inclusion of the NSK can increase the folding angle of the microplate, indicating that the cell is closer to its physiological environment, while increased complexity can reduce the folding angle of the microplate since the folding angle is depended on the cell types. The proposed adherent cell FEM models are validated by comparisons with reported results. These findings can provide theoretical guidance for the application of biotechnology and the analysis of 3D structures of cells and have profound implications for the self-assembly of cell-based microscale medical devices.
Psychosomatic and vasomotor symptom changes during transition to menopause

Menopause is the condition in which the gradual decline in ovarian function finally leads to the permanent cessation of menstruation. Oestrogen deficiency may cause early symptoms during the menopausal transition and late symptoms after menopause. Menopause is a normal period of life. During this period, women need adaptation to new biological, social, and psychological parameters. Vasomotor symptoms are among the most common menopausal symptoms. Menopause per se is not correlated with specific psychiatric disorders, but data suggest that perimenopausal women are more likely to develop depressive disorders even without a previous history. Vasomotor symptoms are correlated with mood and sleep disturbances, neuroticism, anxiety, decreased cognitive function, and stress. Personality traits, social, and other factors are also important mediators of vasomotor symptoms during the menopausal transition phase. This is a review based on the existing evidence concerning the correlation between psychosomatic and vasomotor symptoms of menopause during the menopausal transition period. Healthcare providers should take these correlations into consideration when planning the treatment of vasomotor symptoms. Vasomotor symptoms during menopause are associated with significant social costs. There are numerous traditional hormone therapy, and complementary and alternative therapy including over-the-counter treatments and dietary supplements for managing menopause-related vasomotor symptoms. Additional costs include follow-up physician visits, laboratory testing, management of adverse events, and loss of productivity at work. Social support and planning may help women to deal with menopausal symptoms and may reduce overall social costs during this transitional phase.
Effect of Hemodialysis on Anterior Chamber Angle Measured by Anterior Segment Optical Coherence Tomography

Purpose To investigate the effect of hemodialysis (HD) on the anterior chamber angle by anterior segment optical coherence tomography (ASOCT) and other ophthalmologic parameters in patients with end-stage kidney disease (ESKD). Methods A prospective observational study was performed on 20 patients who underwent HD for ESKD. Anterior chamber angle images were obtained by 16 mm line scan of ASOCT. The angle opening distance (AOD) and the trabecular-iris space area (TISA) were determined using the ImageJ program. Additional 12 mm horizontal and 9 mm vertical wide-field scans centered on the posterior pole were performed for the measurement of peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer (pRNFL) thickness and macular ganglion cell-inner plexiform layer (mGCIPL) thickness. Changes in intraocular pressure (IOP), AOD, TISA, pRNFL thickness, and mGCIPL thickness before and after HD were statistically analyzed. Results The IOP decreased significantly from 17.5 ± 3.4 before HD to 16.2 ± 2.3 after HD (P=0.017). There was a statistically significant decrease in AOD 750 and TISA 750 (P=0.005 and P=0.007, respectively). AOD 500 and TISA 500 also decreased, which was almost statistically significant (P=0.061 and P=0.081, respectively). Mean pRNFL thickness and mGCIPL thickness did not show significant change after HD. Conclusion We observed a significant decrease in IOP and anterior chamber angle measurements after HD. Our study suggests that HD can influence the anterior segment structure of eyes.
Identification of Psychological Factors Associated with Adherence to Self-Care Behaviors amongst Patients with Type 1 Diabetes

Purpose To explore the factors involved in adherence to self-care behaviors in patients with type 1 diabetes. Materials and Methods Patients with type 1 diabetes (age range: 14-71 years) were invited to participate at seven Spanish hospitals. They completed a dossier which recorded sociodemographic and clinical variables and also measured personality variables, emotional state, beliefs, and concerns regarding the illness, by means of questionnaires. Results A total of 428 patients with type 1 diabetes were included (58% women, age 36 (11.8) years, diabetes duration 18.3 (10.2) years, HbA1c 7.9 +/-1.3%). A total of 60.1% of patients found it difficult to follow the treatment recommendations for the care of their disease. The reasons given were mood (25.2%), lack of motivation (13.4%), work (12%), and economic difficulties (3.8%). Other personal reasons were reported by 5.7%. Motivation, training in diabetes management, importance the patient attributed to the disease, and self-efficacy were the variables that predicted adherence to self-care behaviors, together accounting for 32% of its variance. Anxiety and depression were highly prevalent in this study population (57.1% and 23.1%, respectively) and were associated with lower adherence. Conclusion In the present study assessing patients with type 1 diabetes, motivation, training in diabetes management, beliefs regarding the disease, and self-efficacy were the main contributors to adherence to self-care behaviors. On the other hand, anxiety and depression were highly prevalent and associated with lower adherence. Thus, supplementing therapeutic education with strategies designed to raise levels of motivation, discussion of beliefs about the disease, and encouragement of self-efficacy might be a useful way to increase patient involvement in self-care.
Factors Affecting the Utilization of a Minimum of Four Antenatal Care Services in Ethiopia

Background Antenatal care is defined as the routine care of pregnant women provided between conception and the onset of labor. This study is aimed to identify factors affecting the utilization of antenatal care (ANC) services in Ethiopia. Methods The study used data from the nationally representative 2016 Ethiopia Demographic and Health Survey (EDHS). A total of 7,167 mothers who gave birth within five years preceding the 2016 EDHS whose complete information was available in the survey were included in this study. Logistic regression statistical analyses were used to identify factors associated with the utilization of a minimum of 4 ANC services in Ethiopia. Results Among the 7,167 women included in this study, 2,598 (36.6%) had utilized a minimum of 4 ANC services in Ethiopia. This study showed that factors such as place of residence, region, mothers' education level, household wealth index, desire for pregnancy, frequency of reading newspaper, frequency of listening to radio, and frequency of watching TV were associated with the utilization of a minimum of four ANC services at 5% level of significance in Ethiopia. Conclusion Strategies to increase the accessibility and availability of healthcare services are important particularly for communities in rural areas. Financial support that enables mothers from poor households to use health services will be beneficial. Health promotion programs targeting mothers with no education are vital to increase their awareness about the importance of antenatal services.
RIPK2-Mediated Autophagy and Negatively Regulated ROS-NLRP3 Inflammasome Signaling in GMCs Stimulated with High Glucose

Background Hyperglycemia plays a vital role in diabetic nephropathy (DN); autophagy and its potential upregulator receptor-interacting protein kinase 2 (RIPK2) are associated with ROS, which play a potential role in regulating NLRP3, and may be involved in inflammation in DN. Aim In this study, we aimed to explore the mechanisms mediated by RIPK2 in autophagy and the relationship with ROS-NLRP3 of DN, by investigating the levels of RIPK2 and autophagy in glomerular mesangial cells (GMCs) stimulated with high glucose. Material and Methods GMCs were divided into the following groups: normal group (NC), high glucose group (HG), and RIPK2 siRNA group. RIPK2, LC3, caspase1, and IL-1β levels were measured by western blotting and RT-PCR. Autophagosomes were measured by GFP-RFP-LC3; ROS were detected by DCFH-DA. Results High glucose upregulated RIPK2 and LC3 in GMCs during short periods (0-12 h) (p < 0.01), while RIPK2 and LC3 were significantly downregulated in the long term (12-72 h) (p < 0.01); these changes were positively correlated with glucose concentration (p < 0.01). In addition, levels of ROS, caspase1, and IL-1β increased in a time- and dose-dependent manner in the high glucose group, even with an increased expression of LC3 (p < 0.01). However, LC3 expression decreased in the siRIPK2 group, while levels of ROS, caspase1, and IL-1β increased (p < 0.01). Conclusions Autophagy was activated by high glucose at short time periods but was inhibited in the long term, demonstrating a dual role for high glucose in autophagy of GMCs. RIPK2 regulates ROS-NLRP3 inflammasome signaling through autophagy and may be involved in the pathogenesis of DN.
Charles A . Dice Center for Research in Financial Economics The Effect of Bank Mergers on Loan Prices : Evidence from the

Bank mergers can increase or decrease loan spreads, depending on whether the increased market power outweighs efficiency gains. Using proprietary loan-level data for U.S. commercial banks, I find that, on average, mergers reduce loan spreads, with the magnitude of the reduction being larger when post-merger cost savings increase. My results suggest that the relation between spreads and the extent of market overlap between merging banks is non-monotonic. Market overlap increases cost savings and consequently lowers spreads, but when the overlap is sufficiently large, spreads increase, potentially due to the market-power effect dominating the cost savings. Furthermore, the average reduction in spreads is significant for small businesses. I am indebted to my advisors Stewart Myers, Steve Ross, and Antoinette Schoar for their encouragement, guidance, and very helpful discussions. Many thanks are due to Allen Berger for valuable conversations and to Diana Hancock and Tom Brady for their help in getting access to the data set. I would also like to acknowledge helpful comments and suggestions from my discussants, Astrid Dick, Steve Drucker, Rich Rosen, and Tony Saunders, two anonymous referees, and also from Bob Avery, Bill Bassett, Nittai Bergman, Ron Borzekowski, Serdar Dinc, Alex Edmans, Mark Flannery, Paolo Fulghieri, Tim Hannan, Eric Heitfield, Dirk Jenter, Fadi Kanaan, Jon Karpoff, Jiro Kondo, Kai Li, Harold Mulherin, Volkan Muslu, Oguzhan Ozbas, Dimitris Papanikolaou, Daniel Paravisini, Mitchell Petersen, Steve Pilloff, Robin Prager, Paola Sapienza, Rene Stulz, Amir Sufi, Haluk Unal, Mike Weisbach, Egon Zakrajsek, seminar participants at the 2005 Bank Structure Conference of the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, the 5 Annual Banking Research Conference of the FDIC Center for Financial Research, 2005 FMA Annual Meetings, 2006 Conference on Corporate Finance of Financial Intermediaries at Wharton, UCLA (Andersen), UNC (KenanFlagler), UTD, Bilkent University, Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, Indiana University (Kelley), Koc University, MIT (Sloan), Ohio State University (Fisher), Sabanci University, the Universities of Georgia (Terry), Michigan (Ross), Oregon (Lundquist), Rochester (Simon), and Washington at Seattle. Laura Kawano provided excellent research assistance in obtaining the data. Part of this research was conducted when I was a dissertation intern at the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System. All errors are mine. Address correspondence to Isil Erel, Fisher College of Business, Ohio State University, 832 Fisher Hall, 2100 Neil Avenue, Columbus, Ohio, 43210; or email: erel_1@fisher.osu. edu; phone: (614) 292 5174; fax: (614) 292 2418.
A Review of Cardiovascular Toxicity of Microcystins

The mortality rate of cardiovascular diseases (CVD) in China is on the rise. The increasing burden of CVD in China has become a major public health problem. Cyanobacterial blooms have been recently considered a global environmental concern. Microcystins (MCs) are the secondary products of cyanobacteria metabolism and the most harmful cyanotoxin found in water bodies. Recent studies provide strong evidence of positive associations between MC exposure and cardiotoxicity, representing a threat to human cardiovascular health. This review focuses on the effects of MCs on the cardiovascular system and provides some evidence that CVD could be induced by MCs. We summarized the current knowledge of the cardiovascular toxicity of MCs, with regard to direct cardiovascular toxicity and indirect cardiovascular toxicity. Toxicity of MCs is mainly governed by the increasing level of reactive oxygen species (ROS), oxidative stress in mitochondria and endoplasmic reticulum, the inhibition activities of serine/threonine protein phosphatase 1 (PP1) and 2A (PP2A) and the destruction of cytoskeletons, which finally induce the occurrence of CVD. To protect human health from the threat of MCs, this paper also puts forward some directions for further research.
The Evaluation of Response to Immunotherapy in Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma: Open Challenges in the Clinical Practice

Immunotherapy has changed the therapeutic scenario of metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC), however the evaluation of disease response to immune-checkpoint inhibitors is still an open challenge. Response evaluation criteria in solid tumors (RECIST) 1.1 criteria are the cornerstone of response assessment to anti-neoplastic treatments, but the use of anti-programmed death receptor 1 (PD1) and other immunotherapeutic agents has shown atypical patterns of response such as pseudoprogression. Therefore, immune-modified criteria have been developed in order to more accurately categorize the disease response, even though their use in the everyday clinical practice is still limited. In this review we summarize the available evidence on this topic, with particular focus on the application of immune-modified criteria in the setting of mRCC.
A 32‐channel multi‐coil setup optimized for human brain shimming at 9.4T

A multi‐coil shim setup is designed and optimized for human brain shimming. Here, the size and position of a set of square coils are optimized to improve the shim performance without increasing the number of local coils. Utilizing such a setup is especially beneficial at ultrahigh fields where B0 inhomogeneity in the human brain is more severe.
Bioactive Constituents from the Roots of Eurycoma longifolia

Four new phenolic components, eurylophenolosides A (1) and B (2), eurylolignanosides A (3) and B (4), along with twelve known compounds were isolated from the roots of Eurycoma longifolia Jack. The structure of these components was elucidated by using various spectral techniques and chemical reactions. Among the known isolates, syringaldehyde (12), 3-chloro-4-hydroxybenzoic acid (13), 3-chloro-4-hydroxyl benzoic acid-4-O-β-d-glucopyranoside (14), and isotachioside (15) were isolated from the Eurycoma genus for the first time. Further, the NMR data of 14 was reported here firstly. Meanwhile, the nitric oxide (NO) inhibitory activities of all compounds were examined in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RAW264.7 cells at 40 μM. As results, piscidinol A (6), 24-epi-piscidinol A (7), bourjotinolone A (10), and scopoletin (16) were found to play important role in suppressing NO levels without cytotoxicity. Furthermore, the Western blot method was used to investigate the mechanism of compounds 6, 7, 10, and 16 by analysing the level of inflammation related proteins, such as inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells (NF-κB) in LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 cells. Consequently, compounds 6, 7, 10, and 16 were found to significantly inhibit LPS-induced protein expression of IL-6, NF-κB and iNOS in NF-κB signaling pathway. Moreover, it was found that the protein expression inhibitory effects of 6, 7, and 16 exhibited in a dose-dependent manner. The mechanism may be related to the inhibition of the iNOS expressions through suppressing the IL-6-induced NF-κB pathway.
Curcumin Nanoparticles Enhance Mycobacterium bovis BCG Vaccine Efficacy by Modulating Host Immune Responses

Tuberculosis (TB) is one of the deadliest diseases, causing ∼2 million deaths annually worldwide. Mycobacterium bovis bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG), the only TB vaccine in common use, is effective against disseminated and meningeal TB in young children but is not effective against adult pulmonary TB. ABSTRACT Tuberculosis (TB) is one of the deadliest diseases, causing ∼2 million deaths annually worldwide. Mycobacterium bovis bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG), the only TB vaccine in common use, is effective against disseminated and meningeal TB in young children but is not effective against adult pulmonary TB. T helper 1 (Th1) cells producing interferon gamma (IFN-γ) and Th17 cells producing interleukin-17 (IL-17) play key roles in host protection against TB, whereas Th2 cells producing IL-4 and regulatory T cells (Tregs) facilitate TB disease progression by inhibiting protective Th1 and Th17 responses. Furthermore, the longevity of vaccine efficacy critically depends on the magnitude of long-lasting central memory T (TCM) cell responses. Hence, immunomodulators that promote TCM responses of the Th1 and Th17 cell lineages may improve BCG vaccine efficacy. Here, we show that curcumin nanoparticles enhance various antigen-presenting cell (APC) functions, including autophagy, costimulatory activity, and the production of inflammatory cytokines and other mediators. We further show that curcumin nanoparticles enhance the capacity of BCG to induce TCM cells of the Th1 and Th17 lineages, which augments host protection against TB infection. Thus, curcumin nanoparticles hold promise for enhancing the efficacy of TB vaccines.
Breaking Therapy Resistance: An Update on Oncolytic Newcastle Disease Virus for Improvements of Cancer Therapy

Resistance to therapy is a major obstacle to cancer treatment. It may exist from the beginning, or it may develop during therapy. The review focusses on oncolytic Newcastle disease virus (NDV) as a biological agent with potential to break therapy resistance. This avian virus combines, upon inoculation into non-permissive hosts such as human, 12 described anti-neoplastic effects with 11 described immune stimulatory properties. Fifty years of clinical application of NDV give witness to the high safety profile of this biological agent. In 2015, an important milestone was achieved, namely the successful production of NDV according to Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP). Based on this, IOZK in Cologne, Germany, obtained a GMP certificate for the production of a dendritic cell vaccine loaded with tumor antigens from a lysate of patient-derived tumor cells together with immunological danger signals from NDV for intracutaneous application. This update includes single case reports and retrospective analyses from patients treated at IOZK. The review also presents future perspectives, including the concept of in situ vaccination and the combination of NDV or other oncolytic viruses with checkpoint inhibitors.
Evaluation of fixed‐jaw IMRT and tangential partial‐VMAT radiotherapy plans for synchronous bilateral breast cancer irradiation based on a dosimetric study

Abstract Purpose To investigate the fixed‐jaw intensity‐modulated radiotherapy (F‐IMRT) and tangential partial volumetric modulated arc therapy (tP‐VMAT) treatment plans for synchronous bilateral breast cancer (SBBC). Materials and method Twelve SBBC patients with pTis‐2N0M0 stages who underwent whole‐breast irradiation after breast‐conserving surgery were planned with F‐IMRT and tP‐VMAT techniques prescribing 42.56 Gy (2.66 Gy*16f) to the breast. The F‐IMRT used 8‐12 jaw‐fixed tangential fields with single (sF‐IMRT) or two (F‐IMRT) isocenters located under the sternum or in the center of the left and right planning target volumes (PTVs), and tP‐VMAT used 4 tangential partial arcs with two isocenters located in the center of the left and right PTVs. Plan evaluation was based on dose‐volume histogram (DVH) analysis. Dosimetric parameters were calculated to evaluate plan quality; total monitor units (MUs), and the gamma analysis for patient‐specific quality assurance (QA) were also evaluated. Results For PTVs, the three plans had similar Dmean and conformity index (CI) values. F‐IMRT showed a slightly better target coverage according to the V100% values and demonstrated an obvious reduction in V105% and Dmax compared with the values observed for sF‐IMRT and tP‐VMAT. Compared with tP‐VMAT, sF‐IMRT was slightly better in terms of V100%, V105% and Dmax. In addition, F‐IMRT achieved the best homogeneity index (HI) values for PTVs. Concerning healthy tissue, tP‐VMAT had an advantage in minimizing the high dose volume. The MUs of the tP‐VMAT plan were decreased approximately 1.45 and 1 times compared with the sF‐IMRT and F‐IMRT plans, respectively, and all plans passed QA. For the lungs, heart and liver, F‐IMRT achieved the smallest values in terms of Dmean and showed a significant difference compared with tP‐VMAT. Simultaneously, sF‐IMRT was also superior to tP‐VMAT. For the coronary artery, tP‐VMAT achieved the lowest Dmean, while the value for F‐IMRT was 2.24% lower compared with sF‐IMRT. For all organs at risk (OARs), tP‐VMAT was superior at the high dose level. In contrast, sF‐IMRT and F‐IMRT were obviously superior at the low dose level. The sF‐IMRT and F‐IMRT plans showed consistent trends. Conclusion All treatment plans for the provided techniques were of high quality and feasible for SBBC patients. However, we recommend F‐IMRT with a single isocenter as a priority technique because of the tremendous advantage of local hot spot control in PTVs and the reduced dose to OARs at low dose levels. When the irradiated dose to the lungs and heart exceed the clinical restriction, two isocenter F‐IMRT can be used to maximize OAR sparing. Additionally, tP‐VMAT can be adopted for improving cold spots in PTVs or high‐dose exposure to normal tissue when the interval between PTVs is narrow.