Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effects of Mimosa caesalpiniifolia pre-formulation on the intestinal barrier during sodium dextran sulfate-induced colitis in Wistar rats

Abstract Introduction. Anti-inflammatories, immunosuppressants, and immunobiological are commonly used in the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease. However, some patients do not present an adequate response or lose effective response during the treatment. A recent study found a potential anti-inflammatory effect of the hydroalcoholic extract of Mimosa caesalpiniifolia on trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid-induced colitis in Wistar rats. Objective. To evaluate the effects of M. caesalpiniifolia pre-formulation on the intestinal barrier using dextran sulfate sodium-induced colitis model. Materials and methods. Leaf extracts were prepared in 70% ethanol and dried with a Buchi B19 Mini-spray dryer using 20% Aerosil® solution. Thirty-two male Wistar rats were randomized into four groups: basal control, untreated colitis, pre-formulation control (125 mg/kg/day), and colitis treated with pre-formulation (125 mg/kg/day). Clinical activity index was recorded daily and all rats were euthanized on the ninth day. Colon fragments were fixed and processed for histological and ultrastructural analyses. Stool samples were collected and processed for analysis of the short-chain fatty acid. Results. Treatment with the pre-formulation decreased the clinical activity (bloody diarrhea), inflammatory infiltrate, and the ulcers. Pre-formulation did not repair the epithelial barrier and there were no significant differences in the goblet cells index. There was a significant difference in butyrate levels in the rats treated with the pre-formulation. Conclusions. The pre-formulation minimized the clinical symptoms of colitis and intestinal inflammation, but did not minimize damage to the intestinal barrier.
Posttraumatic Stress and Alexithymia

Abstract There is a demonstrated association between alexithymia and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). However, work has largely focused on male-dominant, high-risk occupation populations. We aimed to explore the relationship between posttraumatic stress (PTS) and alexithymia among 100 trauma-exposed female university students. Participants completed a Life Events Checklist, the PTSD Checklist for the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (Fifth Edition) (PCL-5), and the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20). Multiple regressions were run to examine whether alexithymia was associated with each of the PCL-5 subscales. The TAS-20 total scores were associated with total PTS scores, β = 0.47, t(99) = 5.22, p < 0.001. On a subscale level, Difficulty in Identifying Feelings (DIF) was positively associated (β = 0.50 to 0.41) with all PCL-5 subscales except for Avoidance. Our results align with research showing that for women, the DIF subscale is most strongly associated with PTS, in contrast with the literature on male samples, showing strongest associations with the Difficulties in Describing Feelings subscale, suggesting sex differences in associations between PTS and alexithymia. Our study supports the universality of the associations between alexithymia and PTS.
Small artery remodeling and stiffening in deoxycorticosterone acetate-salt hypertensive rats involves the interaction between endogenous ouabain/Na+K+-ATPase/cSrc signaling

Objective: Endogenous ouabain (EO) increases in some patients with hypertension and in rats with volume-dependent hypertension. When ouabain binds to Na+K+-ATPase, cSrc is activated, which leads to multieffector signaling activation and high blood pressure (BP). In mesenteric resistance arteries (MRA) from deoxycorticosterone acetate (DOCA)-salt rats, we have demonstrated that the EO antagonist rostafuroxin blocks downstream cSrc activation, enhancing endothelial function and lowering oxidative stress and BP. Here, we examined the possibility that EO is involved in the structural and mechanical alterations that occur in MRA from DOCA-salt rats. Methods: MRA were taken from control, vehicle-treated DOCA-salt or rostafuroxin (1 mg/kg per day, for 3 weeks)-treated DOCA-salt rats. Pressure myography and histology were used to evaluate the mechanics and structure of the MRA, and western blotting to assess protein expression. Results: DOCA-salt MRA exhibited signs of inward hypertrophic remodeling and increased stiffness, with a higher wall:lumen ratio, which were reduced by rostafuroxin treatment. The enhanced type I collagen, TGFβ1, pSmad2/3Ser465/457/Smad2/3 ratio, CTGF, p-SrcTyr418, EGFR, c-Raf, ERK1/2 and p38MAPK protein expression in DOCA-salt MRA were all recovered by rostafuroxin. Conclusion: A process combining Na+K+-ATPase/cSrc/EGFR/Raf/ERK1/2/p38MAPK activation and a Na+K+-ATPase/cSrc/TGF-1/Smad2/3/CTGF-dependent mechanism explains how EO contributes to small artery inward hypertrophic remodeling and stiffening in DOCA-salt rats. This result supports the significance of EO as a key mediator for end-organ damage in volume-dependent hypertension and the efficacy of rostafuroxin in avoiding remodeling and stiffening of small arteries.
Structure of the HIV immature lattice allows for essential lattice remodeling within budded virions

For HIV virions to become infectious, the immature lattice of Gag polyproteins attached to the virion membrane must be cleaved. Cleavage cannot initiate without the protease formed by the homo-dimerization of domains linked to Gag. However, only 5% of the Gag polyproteins, termed Gag-Pol, carry this protease domain, and they are embedded within the structured lattice. The mechanism of Gag-Pol dimerization is unknown. Here, we use spatial stochastic computer simulations of the immature Gag lattice as derived from experimental structures, showing that dynamics of the lattice on the membrane is unavoidable due to the missing 1/3 of the spherical protein coat. These dynamics allow for Gag-Pol molecules carrying the protease domains to detach and reattach at new places within the lattice. Surprisingly, dimerization timescales of minutes or less are achievable for realistic binding energies and rates despite retaining most of the large-scale lattice structure. We derive a formula allowing extrapolation of timescales as a function of interaction free energy and binding rate, thus predicting how additional stabilization of the lattice would impact dimerization times. We further show that during assembly, dimerization of Gag-Pol is highly likely and therefore must be actively suppressed to prevent early activation. By direct comparison to recent biochemical measurements within budded virions, we find that only moderately stable hexamer contacts (–12kBT<∆G<–8kBT) retain both the dynamics and lattice structures that are consistent with experiment. These dynamics are likely essential for proper maturation, and our models quantify and predict lattice dynamics and protease dimerization timescales that define a key step in understanding formation of infectious viruses.
Clinical characteristics, treatment patterns, and survival outcomes of pulmonary mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma in the United States.

BACKGROUND Pulmonary mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphoma is a relatively rare disease. We aimed to perform a large-scale study of clinical characteristics and optimal treatment for pulmonary MALT lymphoma patients. METHOD Our study extracted data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program. The chi-square test was utilized to compare clinical factors. Overall survival (OS) was compared using the Kaplan-Meier (KM) method and Cox regression analysis. Cancer-specific survival (CSS) was compared by the Fine-Gray test. Propensity score matching (PSM) was used to balance confounders. RESULTS Females and elderly individuals are more likely to suffer from pulmonary MALT lymphoma. The incidence rate is increasing, and most patients are diagnosed in the early stage without specific symptoms. Patients usually suffer from a favorable survival period, especially patients in the early stage. Patients in stage I-II can obtain a survival advantage from surgery, especially for patients older than 60 years, with unilateral lesions, with single-lung-lobe lesions, in stage I, and without B symptoms. Chemotherapy decreases the risk of death for advanced-stage patients, and males, caucasians, patients with stage IV disease, or patients with only unilateral lung involvement were especially recommended for chemotherapy. CONCLUSION Pulmonary MALT lymphoma is an indolent tumor. Patients in different stages had different prognoses, and different treatments were recommended. We will conduct prospective research in the future.
Component Processes in Arithmetic Word-Problem Solving and Their Correlates

Arithmetic word-problem solving is an important component of elementary mathematics curricula that links school mathematics to real-life problem solving. The present 3-year longitudinal study examined children’s arithmetic word-problem solving through understanding its 2 component processes: number-sentence construction and computation. Chinese first graders (n = 153) were tested on their arithmetic word-problem solving, in which they wrote down the number sentences before they solved the problems. They were also given a parallel test of arithmetic computation. Various cognitive predictors and mathematical outcomes were assessed. It was found that the children’s difficulty in solving arithmetic word problems lay more with writing number sentences rather than in computation. The results from path analysis showed that word reading and various numerical-magnitude processing and domain-general skills significantly predicted arithmetic computation whereas only domain-general skills significantly predicted number-sentence construction. Both number-sentence construction and computation significantly predicted future arithmetic computation and mathematics achievement even after controlling for previous arithmetic computation. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.
On the evolution of polysensory superior temporal sulcus and middle temporal gyrus: A key component of the semantic system in the human brain

The primary auditory cortex and other early auditory cortical areas lie on Heschl's gyrus within the Sylvian fissure. On the adjacent lateral surface of the superior temporal gyrus, the cortex processes higher order auditory information leading to auditory perception. On the ventral surface of the temporal lobe in the primate brain, there are areas that process higher order visual information leading to visual perception. These sensory‐specific auditory and visual processing regions are separated by areas that integrate multisensory information within the deep superior temporal sulcus in both the macaque monkey and human brains. In the human brain, the multisensory integration cortex expands and forms the adjacent middle temporal gyrus. The expansion of this multisensory region in the language‐dominant hemisphere of the human brain is critical for the emergence of semantic processing, namely, the processing of conceptual information that is not sensory specific but rather relies on multisensory integration.
AN OBSERVER-BASED INTELLIGENT DECENTRALIZED VARIABLE STRUCTURE CONTROLLER FOR NONLINEAR NON-CANONICAL NON-AFFINE LARGE SCALE SYSTEMS

In this paper, an observer based fuzzy adaptive controller (FAC) is designed fora class of large scale systems with non-canonical non-affine nonlinear subsystems. It isassumed that functions of the subsystems and the interactions among subsystems areunknown. By constructing a new class of state observer for each follower, the proposedconsensus control method solves the problem of unmeasured states of nonlinear noncanonicalnon-affine subsystems. The main characteristics of the proposed observer-basedintelligent controller are: 1) on-line adaptation of the controller and the observer parameters,2) ultimate boundedness of both the output and the observer errors, 3) boundedness of allsignals involved, 4) employing experts’ knowledge in the controller design procedure and 5)chattering avoidance. The simulation results are further carried out to demonstrate better theeffectiveness of the proposed fuzzy based consensus controller method.
Genetic landscape of homologous recombination repair genes in early‐onset/familial prostate cancer patients

Prostate cancer (PrCa) is one of the three most frequent and deadliest cancers worldwide. The discovery of PARP inhibitors for the treatment of tumors with deleterious variants in homologous recombination repair (HRR) genes has placed PrCa on the roadmap of precision medicine. However, the overall contribution of HRR genes to the 10%–20% of carcinomas arising in men with early‐onset/familial PrCa has not been fully clarified. We used targeted next‐generation sequencing (T‐NGS) covering eight HRR genes (ATM, BRCA1, BRCA2, BRIP1, CHEK2, NBN, PALB2, and RAD51C) and an analysis pipeline querying both small and large genomic variations to clarify their global and relative contribution to hereditary PrCa predisposition in a series of 462 early‐onset/familial PrCa cases. Deleterious variants were found in 3.9% of the patients, with CHEK2 and ATM being the most frequently mutated genes (38.9% and 22.2% of the carriers, respectively), followed by PALB2 and NBN (11.1% of the carriers, each), and finally by BRCA2, RAD51C, and BRIP1 (5.6% of the carriers, each). Using the same NGS data, exonic rearrangements were found in two patients, one pathogenic in BRCA2 and one of unknown significance in BRCA1. These results contribute to clarify the genetic heterogeneity that underlies PrCa predisposition in the early‐onset and familial disease, respectively.
Bidirectional interplay between SARS-CoV-2 and autophagy

ABSTRACT Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), as the causative agent of the recent COVID-19 pandemic, continues representing one of the main health concerns worldwide. Autophagy, in addition to its role in cellular homeostasis and metabolism, plays an important part for the host antiviral immunity. However, viruses including SARS-CoV-2 have evolved diverse mechanisms to not only overcome autophagy’s antiviral pressure but also manipulate its machinery in order to enhance viral replication and propagation. Here, we discuss our current knowledge on the impact that autophagy exerts on SARS-CoV-2 replication, as well as the different counteracting measures that this virus has developed to manipulate autophagy’s complex machinery. Some of the elements regarding this interplay may become future therapeutic targets in the fight against SARS-CoV-2.
Fractals in radiophysics and radar: Fundamental theory of wave scattering by a fractal surface

Methods for solving problems of wave diffraction by random and regular fractal surfaces are considered. Models of scattering are developed and studied. Fluctuation characteristics of the scattered field are calculated. Scattering cross sections of usual and fractal surfaces are calculated and analyzed for small incidence angles. Novel approaches to solving the above problems of radiophysics and radar are presented. They are based on the integral and fractal geometry methods.
Phase-only LCOS modulator as a correcting element in digital holographic interferometers

This article considers the use of holographic interferometer to overwrite the holograms for distortion correction. Each optical system contains some deviations of the beam path, called aberrations of the optical system. They are considered in the resulting interference figure as a distortion of the bands. While increasing the sensitivity of the interference pattern, new aberrations caused by re-registration of the installation in addition to the aberrations already presented on the interferogram caused by the initial record, also multiplied by N times, are introduced N times. In this experiment we decided to use a modified setup with spatially combined interferograms with use of reflective SLM (spatial light modulator) LETO and digital image handling of the interferograms recorded by CCD or CMOS camera.
Magnetic attachment improves the chewing ability of patients with dental defects after oral restoration.

OBJECTIVE To investigate the effect and clinical value of magnetic attachments in oral restoration. METHODS Seventy-two cases of dental defects treated in Haishu District Stomatological Hospital from April 2018 to October 2019 were selected for retrospective analysis, of which 36 cases were treated with routine oral restoration (control group) and 34 cases with magnetic attachments (research group). The clinical efficacy, adverse reactions, masticatory efficiency and fixation force were compared between the two groups, and the treatment satisfaction was investigated at discharge. Subsequently, a one-year follow-up survey was conducted on the patients. The probing depth (PD) and alveolar bone height were re-examined at 6-month intervals, and the sulcus bleeding index (SBI), tooth loosening and plaque index (PLI) were recorded. RESULTS Compared with the control group, the total effective rate was higher in the research group, and the incidence of adverse reactions was lower (P<0.05). After the restoration treatment, the masticatory efficiency, fixation force, comfort and aesthetic outcome in the research group were higher than those in the control group (all P<0.05). The follow-up results showed that the SBI, PD, PLI and tooth loosening rate of the research group were lower while the alveolar bone height were higher, versus the control group (all P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS Magnetic attachments can significantly improve the effect and safety of dental restoration as well as the masticatory efficiency, fixation, and periodontal rehabilitation of patients, which fully illustrates the clinical application value of magnetic attachments.
Portal Vein Pressure Estimation and Portal Hypertension Discrimination Based on Subharmonic Scattering of Ultrasound Contrast Agent Microbubbles

Objective: The acquisition of real-time portal vein pressure (PVP) is important for portal hypertension (PH) discrimination to monitor disease progress and select treatment options. To date, the PVP evaluation approaches are either invasive or noninvasive but with less stability and sensitivity. Methods: We customized an open ultrasound scanner to explore in vitro and in vivo the ultrasound contrast agent SonoVue microbubbles’ subharmonic characteristics with acoustic pressure and local ambient pressure, and obtained promising results of PVP measurements in canine models with induced PH by ligation or embolization of portal vein. Results: In in vitro experiments, the highest correlations between the subharmonic amplitude of SonoVue microbubbles and ambient pressure were observed at acoustic pressures of 523 kPa and 563 kPa (r = −0.993, −0.993, P<0.05, respectively). The correlation coefficients between absolute subharmonic amplitudes and PVP (10.7–35.4 mmHg) were the highest among existing studies using microbubbles as pressure sensors (r values ranged from −0.819 to −0.918). The PH (>16 mmHg) diagnostic capacity also achieved a high level (563 kPa, sensitivity = 93.3%, specificity = 91.7%, accuracy = 92.6%). Conclusion: This study proposes a promising measurement for PVP with the highest accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity in an in vivo model compared to existing studies. Future investigations are planned to assess the feasibility of this technique in clinical practice. Significance: This is the first study that comprehensively investigates the role of the subharmonic scattering signals from SonoVue microbubbles in evaluating PVP in vivo. It represents a promising alternative to invasive measurements for portal pressure.
A Causality-Aware Graph Convolutional Network Framework for Rigidity Assessment in Parkinsonians

Rigidity is one of the common motor disorders in Parkinson’s disease (PD), which lead to life quality deterioration. The widely-used rating-scale-based approach for rigidity assessment still depends on the availability of experienced neurologists and is limited by rating subjectivity. Given the recent successful applications of quantitative susceptibility mapping (QSM) in auxiliary PD diagnosis, automated assessment of PD rigidity can be essentially achieved through QSM analysis. However, a major challenge is the performance instability due to the confounding factors (e.g., noise and distribution shift) which conceal the truly-causal features. Therefore, we propose a causality-aware graph convolutional network (GCN) framework, where causal feature selection is combined with causal invariance to ensure that causality-informed model decisions are reached. Firstly, a GCN model that integrates causal feature selection is systematically constructed at three graph levels: node, structure, and representation. In this model, a causal diagram is learned to extract a subgraph with truly-causal information. Secondly, a non-causal perturbation strategy is developed along with an invariance constraint to ensure the stability of the assessment results under different distributions, and thus avoid spurious correlations caused by distribution shifts. The superiority of the proposed method is shown by extensive experiments and the clinical value is revealed by the direct relevance of selected brain regions to rigidity in PD. Besides, its extensibility is verified on other two tasks: PD bradykinesia and mental state for Alzheimer’s disease. Overall, we provide a clinically-potential tool for automated and stable assessment of PD rigidity. Our source code will be available at https://github.com/SJTUBME-QianLab/Causality-Aware-Rigidity.
Scoparone inhibits the development of hepatocellular carcinoma by modulating the p38 MAPK/Akt/NF‐κB signaling in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease mice

The mechanisms underlying the progression of non‐alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) into hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains confusing and the therapeutics approaches are also challenging. Here, we aimed to investigate the effects of scoparone on the treatment of HCC stemmed from NAFLD and the underlying mechanisms.
Can cognitive inflexibility reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression? Promoting the structural nested mean model in psychotherapy research

ABSTRACT Objective To estimate the causal effect of executive functioning on the remission of depression and anxiety symptoms in an observational dataset from a vocational rehabilitation program. It is also an aim to promote a method from the causal inference literature and to illustrate its value in this setting. Method With longitudinal (four-time points over 13 months) data from four independent sites, we compiled a dataset with 390 participants. At each time point, participants were tested on executive function and self-reported symptoms of anxiety and depression. We used g-estimation to evaluate whether objectively tested cognitive flexibility affected depressive/anxious symptoms and tested for moderation. Multiple imputations were used to handle missing data. Results The g-estimation showed a strong causal effect of cognitive inflexibility reducing depression and anxiety and modified by education level. In a counterfactual framework, a hypothetical intervention that could lower cognitive flexibility seemed to cause improvement in mental distress at the subsequent time-point (negative sign) for low education. The less flexibility, the larger improvement. For high education, the same but weaker effect was found, with a change in sign, negative during the intervention and positive during follow-up. Discussion An unexpected and strong effect was found from cognitive inflexibility on symptom improvement. This study demonstrates how to estimate causal psychological effects with standard software in an observational dataset with substantial missing and shows the value of such methods.