Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Could human coronavirus OC43 have co-evolved with early humans?

Abstract This paper reports on an investigation of the role of codon usage evolution on the suggested bovine-to-human spillover of Bovine coronavirus (BCoV), an enteric/respiratory virus of cattle, resulting in the emergence of the exclusively respiratory Human coronavirus OC43 (HCoV-OC43). Analyses based on full genomes of BCoV and HCoV-OC43 and on both human and bovine mRNAs sequences of cholecystokinin (CCK) and surfactant protein 1 A (SFTP1-A), representing the enteric and respiratory tract codon usage, respectively, have shown natural selection leading to optimization or deoptimization of viral codon usage to the human enteric and respiratory tracts depending on the virus genes under consideration. A higher correlation was found for the nucleotide distance at the 3rd nucleotide position of codons and codon usage optimization to the human respiratory tract when BCoV and HCoV-OC43 were compared. An MCC tree based on relative synonymous codon usage (RSCU) data integrating data from both viruses and hosts into a same analysis indicated three putative host/virus contact dates ranging from 1.54E8 to 2.44E5 years ago, suggesting that an ancestor coronavirus might have followed human evolution.
Street-involved youth engaged in sex work at increased risk of syringe sharing

ABSTRACT Syringe sharing places street-involved young people at risk of acquiring HIV and hepatitis C. While markers of economic marginalization, such as homelessness, have been linked with syringe sharing and have led to targeted interventions, the relationship between syringe sharing and other markers of economic vulnerability, such as sex work, are not well documented among young people. This study examines whether those engaged in sex work are at increased risk of syringe borrowing and syringe lending among street-involved youth who use injection drugs in Vancouver, Canada. Between September 2005 and May 2014, data was collected from the At-Risk Youth Study (ARYS), a prospective cohort of street involved youth aged 14–26. Generalized estimating equations with a confounding model building approach was used to examine the relationship between sex work and syringe borrowing and lending. 498 youth reported injecting drugs at some point during the study period and were therefore included in the analysis. In multivariable analysis, youth who engaged in sex work were at an elevated risk of both syringe borrowing (Adjusted Odds Ratio (AOR) = 2.17, 95% Confidence Interval [CI] = 1.40–3.36) and syringe lending (AOR = 1.66, 95% CI = 1.07–2.59). Our study found that youth engaged in street-based sex work were at a significantly higher risk of both syringe borrowing and lending among youth who use injection drugs in Vancouver. Ready access to clean syringes, safer working conditions for sex workers to enable risk reduction measures, and increased access to addiction treatment are identified as promising opportunities for reducing syringe sharing in this setting.
Compound K Inhibits Autophagy-Mediated Apoptosis Through Activation of the PI3K-Akt Signaling Pathway Thus Protecting Against Ischemia/Reperfusion Injury

Background/Aims: A series of reports revealed that autophagy and apoptosis exerted detrimental effects on the pathology of cardiac ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury. Ginsenoside compound K (CK), a major intestinal metabolite underlying the pharmacological actions of orally administered ginseng, has a protective effect against myocardial I/R injury. However, the molecular mechanisms by which CK protects against I/R injury remain unclear. In this study, we hypothesized that the cardioprotective effects of CK against I/R injury are mediated by inhibiting autophagy/apoptosis-related signaling pathways in H9c2 cardiomyocyte cells. Methods: H9c2 cells were incubated with CK and exposed to I/R. Cell viability and damage was analyzed by MTT and lactate dehydrogenase assays. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, mitochondrial damage, and cell apoptosis were analyzed by flow cytometry and TUNEL staining. The expression of autophagy, apoptosis, and related signaling proteins was analyzed by Western blotting and immunofluorescence staining. Results: CK pretreatment promoted cell viability and attenuated ROS accumulation and intracellular mitochondrial damage induced by I/R injury Moreover, CK reduced autophagy by regulating the formation of phagocytic precursors to autophagosomes and also inhibited apoptosis through a mitochondrial-mediated pathway. Additionally the cardioprotective effect of CK against I/R injury was mainly through the activation of the PI3K-Akt signaling pathway. Conclusions: CK pretreatment inhibits autophagy-mediated apoptosis induced by I/R injury through the activation of the PI3K-Akt signaling pathway, which reveals that CK may be one of the key bioactive ingredients of ginseng for the treatment of myocardial I/R injury.
Correlation of triglycerides with myocardial infarction and analysis of risk factors for myocardial infarction in patients with elevated triglyceride.

Background This study aims to investigate the associations of different (low/medium/high) levels of fasting triglyceride (TG) levels with cardiovascular endpoints. Methods This cohort study comprised of in-service and retired employees of the Kailuan Coal Mine Group, who participated in the health examination conducted in 11 hospitals in the Kailuan region from June 2006 to October 2007 (n=100,271). The study population was divided into five groups according to different TG levels. Logistic regression analysis was used to analyze the risk factors for myocardial infarction (MI) in patients with elevated TG, and Cox proportional hazards regression analysis was used to analyze the effects of different TG levels on endpoint events. Results After a median follow-up of 7 years, 961 patients developed MI and 3,142 subjects died. The multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that elevated TG, an age of ≥65 years old, body mass index (BMI) >25 kg/m2, fasting blood glucose (FBG) ≥6.1 mmol/L and high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) <1.5 mmol/L were all risk factors for MI (P<0.05). Furthermore, Cox proportional hazards regression model revealed that after controlling for gender, age and other factors, with the increase in TG level, the relative risk of MI also increased. Compared to the TG1 group, the risk of MI increased to 1.32 folds in the TG4 group (95% CI: 1.05-1.66, P=0.018) and 1.61 folds in the TG5 group (95% CI: 1.21-1.93, P=0.004). Furthermore, the risk of MI combined with all-cause death and all-cause death also increased, but the differences were not all statistically significant. Conclusions In the study population of the Kailuan region, elevated fasting TG increases the risk of MI, particularly in populations with an age of ≥65 years old, BMI >25 kg/m2, FBG ≥6.1 mmol/L and HDL-C <1.5 mmol/L.
Human MLL-AF9 Overexpression Induces Aberrant Hematopoietic Expansion in Zebrafish

The 11q23 of the mixed lineage leukemia 1 (MLL1) gene plays a crucial role in early embryonic development and hematopoiesis. The MLL-AF9 fusion gene, resulting from chromosomal translocation, often leads to acute myeloid leukemia with poor prognosis. Here, we generated a zebrafish model expressing the human MLL-AF9 fusion gene. Microinjection of human MLL-AF9 mRNA into zebrafish embryos resulted in enhanced hematopoiesis and the activation of downstream genes such as meis1 and hox cluster genes. Embryonic MLL-AF9 expression upregulated HSPC and myeloid lineage markers. Doxorubicin and MI-2 (a menin inhibitor) treatments significantly restored normal hematopoiesis in MLL-AF9-expressing animals. This study provides insight into the role of MLL-AF9 in zebrafish hematopoiesis and establishes a robust and efficient in vivo model for high-throughput drug screening.
Privacy Concerns and Self-Disclosure in Private and Public Uses of Social Media

Abstract The study contributes to the ongoing debate about the “privacy paradox” in the context of using social media. The presence of a privacy paradox is often declared if there is no relationship between users' information privacy concerns and their online self-disclosure. However, prior research has produced conflicting results. The novel contribution of this study is that we consider public and private self-disclosure separately. The data came from a cross-national survey of 1,500 Canadians. For the purposes of the study, we only examined the subset of 545 people who had at least one public account and one private account. Going beyond a single view of self-disclosure, we captured five dimensions of self-disclosure: Amount, Depth, Polarity, Accuracy, and Intent; and two aspects of privacy concerns: concerns about organizational and social threats. To examine the collected data, we used Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling. Our research does not support the presence of a privacy paradox as we found a relationship between privacy concerns from organizational and social threats and most of the dimensions of self-disclosure (even if the relationship was weak). There was no difference between patterns of self-disclosure on private versus public accounts. Different privacy concerns may trigger different privacy protection responses and, thus, may interact with self-disclosure differently. Concerns about organizational threats increase awareness and accuracy while reducing amount and depth, while concerns about social threats reduce accuracy and awareness while increasing amount and depth.
Cerebral Haemodynamics following Acute Ischaemic Stroke: Effects of Stroke Severity and Stroke Subtype

Background: Acute ischaemic stroke (AIS) patients often show impaired cerebral autoregulation (CA). We tested the hypothesis that CA impairment and other alterations in cerebral haemodynamics are associated with stroke subtype and severity. Methods: AIS patients (n = 143) were amalgamated from similar studies. Data from baseline (< 48 h stroke onset) physiological recordings (beat-to-beat blood pressure [BP], cerebral blood flow velocity (CBFV) from bilateral insonation of the middle cerebral arteries) were calculated for mean values and autoregulation index (ARI). Differences were assessed between stroke subtype (Oxfordshire Community Stroke Project [OCSP] classification) and severity (National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale [NIHSS] score < 5 and 5–25). Correlation coefficients assessed associations between NIHSS and physiological measurements. Results: Thirty-two percent of AIS patients had impaired CA (ARI < 4) in affected hemisphere (AH) that was similar between stroke subtypes and severity. CBFV in AH was comparable between stroke subtype and severity. In unaffected hemisphere (UH), differences existed in mean CBFV between lacunar and total anterior circulation OCSP subtypes (42 vs. 56 cm•s–1, p < 0.01), and mild and moderate-to-severe stroke severity (45 vs. 51 cm•s–1, p = 0.04). NIHSS was associated with peripheral (diastolic and mean arterial BP) and cerebral haemodynamic parameters (CBFV and ARI) in the UH. Conclusions: AIS patients with different OCSP subtypes and severity have homogeneity in CA capability. Cerebral haemodynamic measurements in the UH were distinguishable between stroke subtype and severity, including the association between deteriorating ARI in UH with stroke severity. More studies are needed to determine their clinical significance and to understand the determinants of CA impairment in AIS patients.
Study on the Interfacial Functionary Mechanism of Rare-Earth-Solution-Modified Bamboo-Fiber-Reinforced Resin Matrix Composites

In this work, a new and effective treatment on bamboo fiber (BF) is presented, and its effect on the interfacial bonding properties of the BF/resin matrix was studied. The interfacial functionary mechanism of rare earth solution (RES) modification to improve the interfacial bonding properties between BF and the resin matrix was analyzed. The hardness and elastic modulus of the interfacial zone between BF and the resin matrix were measured using nanoindentation. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) was used to analyze the change in the surface functional group of BF in the modification process. The surface chemical composition of BF before and after the modification was characterized by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The results show that the RES modification significantly increases the hardness and elastic modulus of BF and its interfacial zone with the resin matrix. The hydroxyl concentration on the surface of RES-treated BF decreases, which reduces the hydrophilicity of BF. Rare earth ions react with oxygen in the hydroxyl group at the C2 position in the glucosylic ring of cellulose. The RES-modified BF bonds with the resin matrix to form a rare earth complex, which significantly enhances the interfacial adhesion between BF and the resin matrix.
Unmet Social Support Needs Among College Students: Relations Between Social Support Discrepancy and Depressive and Anxiety Symptoms

Social support is a widely studied construct due to its associations with physical and emotional well-being outcomes (Uchino, 2006). However, little research examines the context within which receiving support may be helpful (Picard, Lee, & Hunsley, 1997). Whereas examinations of support adequacy are present in the literature (e.g., Song et al., 2012), limited research considers the difference between support needs and support received when the 2 are separated as distinct constructs. The current study consisted of 428 undergraduate college students and examined how the relation between social support needs and received social support relates to depressive and anxiety symptoms via a statistical approach suggested for need-actual discrepancy analysis (polynomial multiple regression, PMR, with response surface analysis; Edwards, 1994; Shanock, Baran, Gentry, Pattison, & Heggestad, 2010). Results indicated that greater discrepancy between needed support and received support was related to greater depressive, but not anxiety, symptoms. Specifically, when emotional support needs exceeded emotional support received, depressive symptoms tended to be highest. Moreover, perceptions of needed support were significantly greater than perceptions of received support, suggesting that college students in general perceive receiving less support than they need, and this discrepancy is related to greater depressive symptoms.
The Relative Importance of Parent–Child Dynamics and Minority Stress on the Psychological Adjustment of LGBs in China

This cross-sectional study examined how minority stress (i.e., internalized homonegativity, self-concealment, and rejection sensitivity) and positive parent–child relationship dynamics (i.e., respect for parents and perceived parental support for sexual orientation) were associated with the psychological adjustment of lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) individuals in China. Based on survey responses from 277 self-identified Chinese LGB young adults, results from structural equation modeling showed that minority stress was not a significant predictor of psychological maladjustment, whereas respect for parents and perceived parental support for sexual orientation were associated with positive psychological adjustment. Tests of gender differences partially confirmed whether Confucian traditions may burden sexual minority men more than women. Gender differences were found in the correlations between minority stress and each measure of positive parent–child relationship dynamics. However, the associations between independent variables and psychological maladjustment were not different between men and women in the sample. Our results suggest that culture-specific variables, such as parent–child factors within the context of China, may be especially important when working with LGB individuals in research and clinical practice.
Role of putative voltage-sensor countercharge D4 in regulating gating properties of CaV1.2 and CaV1.3 calcium channels

ABSTRACT Voltage-dependent calcium channels (CaV) activate over a wide range of membrane potentials, and the voltage-dependence of activation of specific channel isoforms is exquisitely tuned to their diverse functions in excitable cells. Alternative splicing further adds to the stunning diversity of gating properties. For example, developmentally regulated insertion of an alternatively spliced exon 29 in the fourth voltage-sensing domain (VSD IV) of CaV1.1 right-shifts voltage-dependence of activation by 30 mV and decreases the current amplitude several-fold. Previously we demonstrated that this regulation of gating properties depends on interactions between positive gating charges (R1, R2) and a negative countercharge (D4) in VSD IV of CaV1.1. Here we investigated whether this molecular mechanism plays a similar role in the VSD IV of CaV1.3 and in VSDs II and IV of CaV1.2 by introducing charge-neutralizing mutations (D4N or E4Q) in the corresponding positions of CaV1.3 and in two splice variants of CaV1.2. In both channels the D4N (VSD IV) mutation resulted in a ̴5 mV right-shift of the voltage-dependence of activation and in a reduction of current density to about half of that in controls. However in CaV1.2 the effects were independent of alternative splicing, indicating that the two modulatory processes operate by distinct mechanisms. Together with our previous findings these results suggest that molecular interactions engaging D4 in VSD IV contribute to voltage-sensing in all examined CaV1 channels, however its striking role in regulating the gating properties by alternative splicing appears to be a unique property of the skeletal muscle CaV1.1 channel.
A partner‐switching regulatory system controls hormogonium development in the filamentous cyanobacterium Nostoc punctiforme

Filamentous cyanobacteria exhibit developmental complexity, including the transient differentiation of motile hormogonia in many species. Using a forward genetic approach, a trio of genes unique to filamentous cyanobacteria encoding a putative Rsb‐like partner‐switching regulatory system (PSRS) was implicated in regulating hormogonium development in the model filamentous cyanobacterium Nostoc punctiforme. Analysis of in‐frame deletion strains indicated that HmpU (putative serine phosphatase) and HmpV (STAS domain) enhance, while HmpW (putative serine kinase) represses motility and persistence of the hormogonium state. Protein–protein interaction studies demonstrated specificity between HmpW and HmpV. Epistasis analysis between hmpW and hmpV was consistent with HmpV acting as the downstream effector of the system, rather than regulation of a sigma factor by HmpW. Deletion of hmpU or hmpV reduced accumulation of extracellular PilA and hormogonium polysaccharide (HPS), and expression of type IV pilus‐ and HPS‐specific genes was reduced in the ΔhmpV strain. Expression of the Hmp PSRS is induced in hormogonia, and the cytoplasmic localization of HmpV‐GFPuv implies that its downstream target is probably cytoplasmic as well. Collectively, these results support a model where HmpU and HmpW antagonistically regulate the phosphorylation state of HmpV, and subsequently, unphosphorylated HmpV positively regulates an undefined downstream target to affect hormogonium‐specific gene expression.
Consumer Perspectives on Physical Activity Interventions Within Assertive Community Treatment Programs

Objective: The purpose of this study was to identify strategies for encouraging greater levels of physical activity among community-dwelling individuals living with serious mental illness participating in assertive community treatment (ACT). Method: Eighteen individuals living with serious mental illness participated in focus group interviews. Participants were recruited from an ACT provider located in the Midwestern United States. A semistructured interview protocol was developed specifically for this study. Participants responded to a series of questions on ACT physical activity programming, providing (a) information about their personal experiences with physical activity–related interventions and (b) suggestions for intervention strategies that may enhance physical activity participation in this population. Consensual qualitative research conventions, a qualitative methodology used in social sciences, were followed for organizing, coding, quantifying, and interpreting participant responses. Results: Several unique themes emerged from the data. Participants identified a variety of strategies used by their ACT provider to encourage physical activity, such as group physical activities and incentive programs. A number of recommendations related to skills training, intervention characteristics, and motivational strategies were identified by the participants as well. Conclusions and Implications for Practice: Physical activity is an important part of successful treatment for individuals with serious mental illness. In this study, participants identified a variety of strategies that may be useful for incorporating within the ACT treatment paradigm. Participant responses were frequently consistent with the tenets of popular health behavior theory (e.g., self-determination theory). Future research should focus on the efficacy of the recommended intervention strategies and their implementation within ACT treatment settings.
Transepithelial Photorefractive Keratectomy in Moderate to High Astigmatism With a Non-wavefront-Guided Aberration-Neutral Ablation Profile.

PURPOSE To evaluate the outcomes of transepithelial photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) in moderate to high astigmatism with a non-wavefront-guided aberration-neutral ablation profile using SmartPulse allocation. METHODS In this retrospective study, myopic patients with a preoperative cylinder of 2.00 diopters (D) or greater were analyzed at 3 months of follow-up. Transepithelial PRK treatments were performed in each patient with the Amaris 1050RS laser (SCHWIND eye-tech-solutions, Kleinostheim, Germany) creating aspheric ablation profiles by applying a SmartPulse allocation. Standard examinations and wavefront analyses were included for low and high ocular residual astigmatism subgroups. RESULTS Fifty-eight eyes (44 patients) were included in the cohort. The eyes were divided into separate ocular residual astigmatism subgroups: 17 eyes presented with less than 0.50 D (low ocular residual astigmatism) and 24 eyes with greater than 0.75 D (high ocular residual astigmatism). The mean refractive cylinder in the entire cohort was 2.84 ± 0.86 D preoperatively and 0.40 ± 0.39 D postoperatively, with 81% of the eyes within 0.75 D of the target astigmatism. At 3 months of follow-up, significant improvement (P < .05) was seen in terms of sphere, cylinder, spherical equivalent, and uncorrected (UDVA) and corrected (CDVA) distance visual acuity. CDVA improved in 40% of eyes and 3% of eyes lost one line of CDVA. No clinically relevant changes were seen in higher order aberrations. The refractive changes showed an excellent match with the keratometric changes. The difference between the low and high ocular residual astigmatism subgroups was not significant except for the change of Snellen lines of CDVA (P < .05). CONCLUSIONS Transepithelial PRK using a non-wavefront-guided aberration-neutral ablation profile performed by applying SmartPulse allocation yielded excellent visual outcomes. The preoperative astigmatism was reduced to subclinical values. Both subgroups were effective in terms of UDVA, CDVA, spherical and astigmatic correction, and preserving higher order aberrations. However, the low ocular residual astigmatism subgroup was slightly more prone to gain lines of CDVA. [J Refract Surg. 2018;34(7):466-474. ].