Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Use of Lacrimal Symptoms Questionnaire After Punctoplasty Surgery: Retrospective Data of Technical Strategy

Supplemental Digital Content is available in the text Abstract The goal of this study is to evaluate postpunctoplasty symptoms with lacrimal symptoms questionnaire (Lac-Q). A retrospective study was conducted on 31 patients (14 men and 17 woman) with a diagnosis of canalicular stenosis: 26 patients with unilateral occlusion and 5 patients with bilateral occlusion. The Lac-Q was administered preoperative and at 1, at 3, and at 6 months following the surgery. Moreover, the Lac-Q questionnaire was administered by an independent observer (SI). The mono-lateral and bilateral postoperative Lac-Q score showed a significant improvement of symptoms at 1, 3, and 6 months than the preoperative results. The Lac-Q questionnaire is a way to evaluate the quality of outcomes after punctoplasty surgery. In this study, all patients showed a significant improvement of symptoms after surgery.
Comparative analysis of SARS-CoV-2 envelope viroporin mutations from COVID-19 deceased and surviving patients revealed implications on its ion-channel activities and correlation with patient mortality

Abstract One major obstacle in designing a successful therapeutic regimen to combat COVID-19 pandemic is the frequent occurrence of mutations in the SARS-CoV-2 resulting in patient to patient variations. Out of the four structural proteins of SARS-CoV-2 namely, spike, envelope, nucleocapsid and membrane, envelope protein governs the virus pathogenicity and induction of acute-respiratory-distress-syndrome which is the major cause of death in COVID-19 patients. These effects are facilitated by the viroporin (ion-channel) like activities of the envelope protein. Our current work reports metagenomic analysis of envelope protein at the amino acid sequence level through mining all the available SARS-CoV-2 genomes from the GISAID and coronapp servers. We found majority of mutations in envelope protein were localized at or near PDZ binding motif. Our analysis also demonstrates that the acquired mutations might have important implications on its structure and ion-channel activity. A statistical correlation between specific mutations (e.g. F4F, R69I, P71L, L73F) with patient mortalities were also observed, based on the patient data available for 18,691 SARS-CoV-2-genomes in the GISAID database till 30 April 2021. Albeit, whether these mutations exist as the cause or the effect of co-infections and/or co-morbid disorders within COVID-19 patients is still unclear. Moreover, most of the current vaccine and therapeutic interventions are revolving around spike protein. However, emphasizing on envelope protein’s (1) conserved epitopes, (2) pathogenicity attenuating mutations, and (3) mutations present in the deceased patients, as reported in our present study, new directions to the ongoing efforts of therapeutic developments against COVID-19 can be achieved by targeting envelope viroporin. Graphical Abstract Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma
Large-Scale Proteomic Assessment of Urinary Extracellular Vesicles Highlights Their Reliability in Reflecting Protein Changes in the Kidney

Visual Abstract Significance Statement Measurement of urinary extracellular vesicle (uEV) protein abundances is frequently used to reflect ongoing (patho)physiologic processes in the kidney. However, whether protein abundances in uEVs and the kidney directly correlate, or whether (patho)physiologic alterations in protein levels in the kidney can be determined by assessing protein changes in uEVs, has never been comprehensively determined. Here, quantitative proteomic data indicate protein abundances in uEVs and kidney in rats are correlated, with a monotonic relationship between altered transporter protein abundance in uEVs and the kidney after a physiologic stimulation. Therefore, it is valid to draw conclusions from altered protein levels in uEVs for particular protein classes and relate them to changes in the kidney. Background Urinary extracellular vesicles (uEVs) are secreted into urine by cells from the kidneys and urinary tract. Although changes in uEV proteins are used for quantitative assessment of protein levels in the kidney or biomarker discovery, whether they faithfully reflect (patho)physiologic changes in the kidney is a matter of debate. Methods Mass spectrometry was used to compare in an unbiased manner the correlations between protein levels in uEVs and kidney tissue from the same animal. Studies were performed on rats fed a normal or high K+ diet. Results Absolute quantification determined a positive correlation (Pearson R=0.46 or 0.45, control or high K+ respectively, P<0.0001) between the approximately 1000 proteins identified in uEVs and corresponding kidney tissue. Transmembrane proteins had greater positive correlations relative to cytoplasmic proteins. Proteins with high correlations (R>0.9), included exosome markers Tsg101 and Alix. Relative quantification highlighted a monotonic relationship between altered transporter/channel abundances in uEVs and the kidney after dietary K+ manipulation. Analysis of genetic mouse models also revealed correlations between uEVs and kidney. Conclusion This large-scale unbiased analysis identifies uEV proteins that track the abundance of the parent proteins in the kidney. The data form a novel resource for the kidney community and support the reliability of using uEV protein changes to monitor specific physiologic responses and disease mechanisms.
Epidemiological Characteristics of Paediatric Eye Injuries in a Large Metropolitan City in South Korea: A Multicentre, Prospective Study

ABSTRACT Purpose The aim of this study was to identify the epidemiological characteristics of paediatric eye injury in a large metropolitan city based on age group and sex. Methods This prospective, multicentre, observational study used data extracted from the eye injury registry for tertiary teaching hospitals in Daegu, South Korea, between August 2016 and July 2018. Children aged < 16 years were classified as infants, pre-schoolers, school children, and adolescents based on their age group. Results This study included 502 patients; most eye injuries occurred among boys (n = 349, 69.5%) and school children (n = 168, 33.5%). Unstructured play (n = 268, 53.4%) was the most common cause of eye injury, followed by sports (n = 69, 13.7%) and home activities (n = 52, 10.4%). Among adolescent boys, eye injuries were mostly caused by sports activities (n = 49, 37.7%), including soccer and basketball. Only 1 out of 69 children wore protective eyewear during sports activities. Eye injuries occurred most often in school (n = 63, 41.2%) during adolescence and at home (n = 270, 53.8%) in most other age groups. Conclusion Eye injuries were more common in boys. Boys and girls had relatively higher proportion of eye injuries during sports and home activities, respectively. In infants to school children, eye injuries mainly occurred at home and by unstructured play, whereas in adolescents, they mostly occurred at school and during sports activities. To prevent eye injuries sustained during sports in adolescents, wearing personal protective equipment during high-risk exercise in schools or sports facilities is recommended.
‘Game which the pampered pleasure seekers seek’: hunting tourism, conservation, and colonialism in the Yukon Territory, Canada, 1910–1940

ABSTRACT This article examines the rise in popularity of hunting tourism in the Yukon Territory, Canada from 1910 to 1940 with particular attention to the ways in which hunting tourism intersected with wildlife regulation and colonisation. As sport hunting became more profitable, proponents both within and outside of the Yukon argued for increased wildlife regulation and the adoption of a North American conservation ethic. In 1920 the Yukon Territorial Government significantly amended the Yukon Game Ordinance in ways that created significant impacts on Indigenous ways of life. Changes to Game Ordinance regulations, influenced by colonial ideologies about wildlife, economically disadvantaged Yukon First Nations and threatened to undermine their subsistence lifestyles. Throughout this period, sport hunters, big game guides and outfitters, government officials, First Nations, and colonial agents all debated the purpose of conservation and the lived realities of wildlife regulation. This Yukon history of hunting tourism fits within broader histories at the intersection of tourism, conservation, and colonisation and demonstrates the ways that colonial ideologies about wildlife and conservation have favoured recreational uses of the natural world while undercutting Indigenous subsistence and market hunting and, in the Yukon, pushed First Nations to the margins of this new tourism economy.
A Decomposition of Socially Constructed Image of Omani Female Professionals: Multidimensional Tension Embedded

Abstract This paper strives to present voices of Omani female professionals with the purpose of gaining deeper understanding of their aspirations, fears, and drives through a decomposition and further exploration of the construct of working females. The content obtained from one WhatsApp group discussion (9 participants) and two focus group discussions (13 participants) has been analyzed and categorized into three types of images - self-image of female professionals; image of female professionals through the eyes of males as inferred and interpreted by females themselves; image of female professionals through the eyes of another female. The emerged themes accompanied by communicative strategies confirm an on-going gender struggle in the country’s professional context. It also captures the inconsistencies and conflicting narratives embedded in the construct of Omani female professionals. The findings challenge traditional gender hierarchies and add to the discussion on the engagement of traditionally disadvantaged groups.
Navigating without vision: spontaneous use of terrain slant in outdoor place learning

ABSTRACT The topography of the land provides a suite of spatial information for navigation. In an outdoor field experiment, we examined terrain slant as a nonvisual cue. Without being told which cue to use, blindfolded, sighted participants completed a place-learning task in a flat and a slanted site. Errors were significantly smaller in the slanted site. Furthermore, performance in the slanted – but not flat – site was significantly better than expected if guessing the target’s direction. This suggests that proprioceptive/kinesthetic and vestibular cues from the slant were spontaneously used for place-learning, albeit with lower accuracy compared to visual cues. Terrain slope might be an environmental cue that is salient and realistically used by blind and sighted persons.
Extended intergroup contact in frozen conflicts: Experimental evidence from Cyprus

How can ethnic reconciliation be achieved in conflict settings where populations are physically separated? We address this question by examining the role of “extended contact”—a form of indirect contact which entails learning about the contact experiences of others—in the context of Cyprus’s frozen conflict. We field a survey experiment in order to test two pathways through which extended contact works: (1) by helping build a common identity; and (2) by activating empathy. We find that our treatments are associated with greater trust in the outgroup and greater support for cross-ethnic interaction, but only among segments of the population that are initially less favorable toward reconciliation.
Household cooking oil use and its bearing on fire safety

Cooking oil fires present a reasonable worst-case hazard when considering thermal radiation to occupants close to a kitchen hob/cooktop. Shallow or deep frying, the activity frequency and the oil volume may contribute to the risk. A review of cooking oil use is presented via consumer purchasing habits, studies on the health effects of cooking with oil and statistics related to the disposal of cooking oil waste. An online survey provides further data on current cooking practices. Olive oil, vegetable oil or pure sunflower appear to be the most common types. Results suggest that cooking on a hob occurs 4 times per month for deep frying and 17 times per month for shallow frying. A design value of 250 mL is advocated for all frying activities with a frequency of 11 times per month. Design volumes of 2.5 L and 150 mL are proposed for deep and shallow frying, respectively.
Kinematics and dynamics of pitching flexible panels in a quiescent fluid

Abstract An experimental investigation was carried out to understand the kinematics and dynamics of flexible panels having pure pitching motion in a quiescent fluid. Simultaneous measurements of force and angular position of a panel were performed for various panel configurations. A high-speed camera imaging technique was used to find the instantaneous position of the trailing edge. The wake vortex flow was also quantified using the particle image velocimetry technique (PIV). We established a generic correlation between a time-averaged thrust coefficient $C_T$ and an effective flexural stiffness $\varPi$ of the panel. The results in terms of both time and phase-evolution of hydrodynamic forces and torque are exhibited through the complete kinematics and dynamics of the pitching panels, perhaps for the first time. The elastic deformation of the flexible panel at stroke reversals is found to affect the longitudinal force generation significantly when compared with the rigid panel. We have described many interesting features related to the elastic deformation of the panel. During stroke reversal, the motion of the pitching for the flexible panels reduces when compared to the pitching motion imposed by the forcing function. Reduced panel motion is found to aid thrust generation for a longer time in a cycle for which magnitude is indirectly governed by the flexural stiffness of the panel. The onset of instantaneous thrust and trailing-edge vortex generation is found to match precisely with the spatio-temporal location of the panel inflection. We noted that both the maximum phase lag $\phi$ and corresponding hydrodynamic torque $T_{hyd}$ are strongly correlated to the panel's effective flexural stiffness $\varPi$.
Regular Strength and Sprint Training Counteracts Bone Aging: A 10‐Year Follow‐Up in Male Masters Athletes

Cross‐sectional and interventional studies suggest that high‐intensity strength and impact‐type training provide a powerful osteogenic stimulus even in old age. However, longitudinal evidence on the ability of high‐intensity training to attenuate age‐related bone deterioration is currently lacking. This follow‐up study assessed the role of continued strength and sprint training on bone aging in 40‐ to 85‐year‐old male sprinters (n = 69) with a long‐term training background. Peripheral quantitative computed tomography (pQCT)‐derived bone structural, strength, and densitometric parameters of the distal tibia and tibia midshaft were assessed at baseline and 10 years later. The groups of well‐trained (actively competing, sprint training including strength training ≥2 times/week; n = 36) and less‐trained (<2 times/week, no strength training, switched to endurance training; n = 33) athletes were formed according to self‐reports at follow‐up. Longitudinal changes in bone traits in the two groups were examined using linear mixed models. Over the 10‐year period, group‐by‐time interactions were found for distal tibia total bone mineral content (BMC), trabecular volumetric bone mineral density (vBMD), and compressive strength index, and for mid‐tibia cortical cross‐sectional area, medullary area, total BMC, and BMC at the anterior and posterior sites (polar mass distribution analysis) (p < 0.05). These interactions reflected maintained (distal tibia) or improved (mid‐tibia) bone properties in the well‐trained and decreased bone properties in the less‐trained athletes over the 10‐year period. Depending on the bone variable, the difference in change in favor of the well‐trained group ranged from 2% to 5%. The greatest differences were found in distal tibia trabecular vBMD and mid‐tibia posterior BMC, which remained significant (p < 0.05) after adjustment for multiple testing. In conclusion, our longitudinal findings indicate that continued strength and sprint training is associated with maintained or even improved tibial properties in middle‐aged and older male sprint athletes, suggesting that regular, intensive exercise counteracts bone aging. © 2021 The Authors. JBMR Plus published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.
CALR frameshift mutations in MPN patient-derived iPS cells accelerate maturation of megakaryocytes

Calreticulin (CALR) mutations are driver mutations in myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs), leading to activation of the thrombopoietin receptor, and causing abnormal megakaryopoiesis. Here, we generated patient-derived CALRins5- or CALRdel52-positive induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells to establish a MPN disease model for molecular and mechanistic studies. We demonstrated myeloperoxidase deficiency in CD15+ granulocytic cells derived from homozygous CALR-mutant iPS cells, rescued by repairing the mutation using CRISPR/Cas9. iPS cell-derived megakaryocytes showed characteristics of primary megakaryocytes such as formation of demarcation membrane system and cytoplasmic pro-platelets protrusions. Importantly, CALR mutations led to enhanced megakaryopoiesis and accelerated megakaryocytic development in a thrombopoietin-independent manner. Mechanistically, our study identified differentially regulated pathways in mutated vs. unmutated megakaryocytes, such as hypoxia signaling, which represents a potential target for therapeutic intervention. Altogether, we demonstrate key aspects of mutated CALR-driven pathogenesis, dependent on its zygosity and found known and novel therapeutic targets, making our model a valuable tool for clinical drug screening in MPNs.
Properties of washed mince (surimi) from fresh and chill stored black tilapia oreochromis mossambicus (peters 1852)

Surimi was prepared from black tilapia ( Oreochromis mossambicus ) after storing the fish in ice for different periods. Two washing cycles were given under two different mince / water wash ratios, viz., 1:2 and 1:3. The yield of surimi was lowest in 0 day-iced samples. Zero and 1 day iced fish were found to be ideal for the preparation of surimi, while an overall decline in the quality of the surimi prepared from 2 day iced specimens was noticed. The gel strength and compressibility of tilapia surimi were higher than that from Indian major carps and were comparable to that of surimi from marine species. Two successive washings at a mince: water ratio of 1:2 (w/v) for a period of 5 min. each was found to be ideal for optimum yield and quality of the surimi.
Novel measures of Morris water maze performance that use vector field maps to assess accuracy, uncertainty, and intention of navigational searches

Most commonly used behavioural measures for testing learning and memory in the Morris water maze (MWM) involve comparisons of an animal’s residence time in different quadrants of the pool. Such measures are limited in their ability to test different aspects of the animal’s performance. Here, we describe novel measures of performance in the MWM that use vector fields to capture the motion of mice as well as their search pattern in the maze. Using these vector fields, we develop quantitative measures of performance that are intuitive and more sensitive than classical measures. First, we describe search patterns in terms of vector field properties and use these properties to define three metrics of spatial memory namely Spatial Accuracy, Uncertainty and, Intensity of Search. We demonstrate the usefulness of these measures using four different data sets including comparisons between different strains of mice, an analysis of two mouse models of Noonan syndrome (Ptpn11 D61G and Ptpn11 N308D/+), and a study of goal reversal training. Importantly, besides highlighting novel aspects of performance in this widely used spatial task, our measures were able to uncover previously undetected differences, including in an animal model of Noonan syndrome, which we rescued with the mitogen activated protein kinase kinase (MEK) inhibitor SL327. Thus, our results show that our approach breaks down performance in the Morris water maze into sensitive measurable independent components that highlight differences in spatial learning and memory in the MWM that were undetected by conventional measures.
The 3 µm ice band in Taurus: implications for interstellar chemistry

On montre que la bande de la glace dans le nuage moleculaire de Taurus implique la formation de glace par des reactions de surface entre des atomes d'oxygene et l'hydrogene. Des reactions avec une variete d'especes conduisent a un manteau de composition H 2 O:NH 3
Pro-inflammatory Cytokine GM-CSF Improves Learning/Memory and Brain Pathology in Dp16 Down Syndrome Mice and Improves Learning/Memory in Wild-Type Mice

Down syndrome (DS) is characterized by chronic neuroinflammation, peripheral inflammation, astrogliosis, imbalanced excitatory/inhibitory neuronal function, and cognitive deficits in both humans and mouse models. Suppression of inflammation has been proposed as a therapeutic approach to treating DS co-morbidities, including intellectual disability (DS/ID). Conversely, we discovered previously that treatment with the pro-inflammatory cytokine granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) improved cognition and reduced biomarkers of brain pathology in humans with Alzheimer’s disease (AD), another inflammatory disorder, and in a mouse model of AD. To investigate the effects of GM-CSF treatment on DS/ID, we assessed behavior and brain pathology in 12-14 month-old DS mice (Dp[16]1Yey) and their wild-type (WT) littermates, neither of which develop amyloid, and found that GM-CSF treatment improved performance in the radial arm water maze in both Dp16 and WT mice compared to placebo. Dp16 mice also showed abnormal astrocyte morphology and aggregation and fewer calretinin-positive interneurons, both of which were improved by GM-CSF treatment. These findings suggest that stimulating and/or modulating inflammation and the innate immune system with GM-CSF treatment may enhance cognition in both people with DS/ID and in the typical aging population.
Polygenic routes lead to parallel altitudinal adaptation in Heliosperma pusillum (Caryophyllaceae)

Understanding how organisms adapt to the environment is a major goal of modern biology. Parallel evolution - the independent evolution of similar phenotypes in different populations - provides a powerful framework to explore this question. Here, we quantified the degree of gene expression and functional parallelism across replicated ecotype formation in Heliosperma pusillum (Caryophyllaceae) and gained insights into the architecture of adaptive traits. Population structure analyses and demographic modelling confirm the previously formulated hypothesis of parallel polytopic divergence of montane and alpine ecotypes. We detect a large proportion of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) underlying adaptation of each replicate ecotype pair, with a strikingly low amount of shared DEGs across pairs. Functional enrichment of DEGs reveals that the traits affected by divergent gene expression are the same across ecotype pairs, in strong contrast to the non-shared genetic basis. The remarkable redundancy of differential gene expression indicates that diverged adaptive traits are highly polygenic. We conclude that polygenic traits appear key to opening multiple routes for adaptation, widening the adaptive potential of organisms.