Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Current status of assisted reproductive technologies in buffaloes

Abstract Buffaloes are raised by small farm holders primarily as source of draft power owing to its resistance to hot climate, disease, and stress conditions. Over the years, transformation of these animals from draft to dairy was deliberately carried out through genetic improvement program leading to the development of buffalo‐based enterprises. Buffalo production is now getting more attention and interest from buffalo raisers due to its socioeconomic impact as well as its contribution to propelling the livestock industry in many developing countries. Reproduction of buffaloes, however, is confronted with huge challenge and concern as being generally less efficient to reproduce compared with cattle due to both intrinsic and extrinsic factors such as poor estrus manifestation, silent heat, marked seasonal infertility, postpartum anestrus, long calving interval, delayed puberty, inherently low number of primordial follicles in their ovaries, high incidence of atresia, and apoptosis. Assisted reproductive technologies (ARTs) are major interventions for the efficient utilization of follicle reserve in buffaloes. The present review focuses on estrus and ovulation synchronization for fixed time artificial insemination, in vitro embryo production, intracytoplasmic sperm injection, cryopreservation of oocytes and embryos, somatic cell nuclear transfer, the factors affecting utilization in various ARTs, and future perspectives in buffaloes.
Interactions of microorganisms within a urinary catheter polymicrobial biofilm model

Biofilms are often polymicrobial in nature, which can impact their behavior and overall structure, often resulting in an increase in biomass and enhanced antimicrobial resistance. Using plate counts and locked nucleic acid/2′‐O‐methyl‐RNA fluorescence in situ hybridization (LNA/2′OMe‐FISH), we studied the interactions of four species commonly associated with catheter‐associated urinary tract infections (CAUTI): Enterococcus faecalis, Escherichia coli, Candida albicans, and Proteus mirabilis. Eleven combinations of biofilms were grown on silicone coupons placed in 24‐well plates for 24 h, 37°C, in artificial urine medium (AUM). Results showed that P. mirabilis was the dominant species and was able to inhibit both E. coli and C. albicans growth. In the absence of P. mirabilis, an antagonistic relationship between E. coli and C. albicans was observed, with the former being dominant. E. faecalis growth was not affected in any combination, showing a more mutualistic relationship with the other species. Imaging results correlated with the plate count data and provided visual verification of species undetected using the viable plate count. Moreover, the three bacterial species showed overall good repeatability SD (Sr) values (0.1–0.54) in all combinations tested, whereas C. albicans had higher repeatability Sr values (0.36–1.18). The study showed the complexity of early‐stage interactions in polymicrobial biofilms. These interactions could serve as a starting point when considering targets for preventing or treating CAUTI biofilms containing these species.
An overview of translational research in bone graft biomaterials

Abstract Natural bone healing is often inadequate to treat fractures with critical size bone defects and massive bone loss. Immediate surgical interventions through bone grafts have been found to be essential on such occasions. Naturally harvested bone grafts, although are the preferred choice of the surgeons; they suffer from serious clinical limitations, including disease transmission, donor site morbidity, limited supply of graft etc. Synthetic bone grafts, on the other hand, offer a more clinically appealing approach to decode the pathways of bone repair through use of tissue engineered biomaterials. This article critically retrospects the translational research on various engineered biomaterials towards bringing transformative changes in orthopaedic healthcare. The first section of the article discusses about composition and ultrastructure of bone along with the global perspectives on statistical escalation of bone fracture surgeries requiring use of bone grafts. The next section reviews the types, benefits and challenges of various natural and synthetic bone grafts. An overview of clinically relevant biomaterials from traditionally used metallic, bioceramic, and biopolymeric biomaterials to new generation composites have been summarised. Finally, this narrative review concludes with the discussion on the emerging trends and future perspectives of the promising bone grafts.
Changes in Grandparental Childcare During the Pandemic and Mental Health: Evidence From England

Abstract Objectives Policies aiming at reducing rates of hospitalization and death from coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) encouraged older people to reduce physical interactions. In England, until July 2021, provision of care for grandchildren was allowed only under very limited circumstances. Evidence also suggests that reduced face-to-face interactions took a toll on mental health during the pandemic. This study aims to investigate associations between changes in grandchild care provision during the first 8/9 months of the pandemic and grandparents’ mental health. Methods Using prepandemic data from Wave 9 (2018/2019) and the second COVID-19 substudy (November/December 2020) of the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing, we first describe changes in grandchild care provision during the pandemic to then investigate, using regression models, associations between changes in grandchild care provision and mental health (depression, quality of life, life satisfaction), while controlling for prepandemic levels of the outcome variables. Results About 10% of grandparents stopped looking after grandchildren altogether during the first 9 months of the pandemic, with 22% reporting an overall decrease in the amount of grandchild care provided. Compared to grandparents who mostly maintained unchanged their grandchild care provision, those who stopped altogether and those who mostly reduced the amount of grandchild care provided were more likely to report poorer mental health, even accounting for prepandemic health. Discussion While measures to limit physical contact and shield older people were necessary to reduce the spread of COVID-19, policymakers should acknowledge potential adverse consequences for mental health among grandparents who experienced changes in their roles as grandchild caregivers.
A Qualitative Review of Barriers and Facilitators Identified While Implementing the Native Students Together Against Negative Decisions Curriculum in a Multisite Dissemination and Implementation Study.

Culturally-adapted evidence-based programs (EBPs) are needed to promote healthy behaviors among Native teens and young adults. Little is known about the facilitators and barriers of implementing and sustaining EBPs in Native communities. This paper aims to identify those factors described by educators who implemented the Native Students Together Against Negative Decisions (STAND) curriculum. METHODS We conducted qualitative, semi-structured interviews with 44 Native STAND educators from 48 sites throughout the United States. We used a modified grounded theory approach to explore barriers, facilitators, and sustainability factors related to implementing Native STAND. RESULTS We learned that disruptions to staffing, coordination, and organizational factors were the most common barriers. Factors that improved implementation success included: tailoring the program to local needs/constraints, having a supportive Project Manager, improved fidelity due to check-in calls, and participation in summer training. Factors that improved sustainability included: access to needed infrastructure, administrative support, community support, and student interest. DISCUSSION The delivery of Native STAND was further improved by person-to-person communication and resource sharing across sites. Sustaining EBPs in AI/AN settings requires culturally-tailored technical assistance, sufficient implementation funds for materials and staffing, and a community of peer educators to inspire forward progress. CONCLUSION EBPs that reflect the needs and experiences of American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) youth are necessary to address systemic inequities in adolescent health outcomes. The Native STAND Dissemination and Implementation study is among the first to assess facilitators and barriers to program delivery in diverse AI/AN settings.
CBP/p300 activation promotes axon growth, sprouting, and synaptic plasticity in chronic experimental spinal cord injury with severe disability

The interruption of spinal circuitry following spinal cord injury (SCI) disrupts neural activity and is followed by a failure to mount an effective regenerative response resulting in permanent neurological disability. Functional recovery requires the enhancement of axonal and synaptic plasticity of spared as well as injured fibres, which need to sprout and/or regenerate to form new connections. Here, we have investigated whether the epigenetic stimulation of the regenerative gene expression program can overcome the current inability to promote neurological recovery in chronic SCI with severe disability. We delivered the CBP/p300 activator CSP-TTK21 or vehicle CSP weekly between week 12 and 22 following a transection model of SCI in mice housed in an enriched environment. Data analysis showed that CSP-TTK21 enhanced classical regenerative signalling in dorsal root ganglia sensory but not cortical motor neurons, stimulated motor and sensory axon growth, sprouting, and synaptic plasticity, but failed to promote neurological sensorimotor recovery. This work provides direct evidence that clinically suitable pharmacological CBP/p300 activation can promote the expression of regeneration-associated genes and axonal growth in a chronic SCI with severe neurological disability.
Stability of motor representations after paralysis

Neural plasticity allows us to learn skills and incorporate new experiences. What happens when our lived experiences fundamentally change, such as after a severe injury? To address this question, we analyzed intracortical population activity in the posterior parietal cortex (PPC) of a tetraplegic adult as she controlled a virtual hand through a brain–computer interface (BCI). By attempting to move her fingers, she could accurately drive the corresponding virtual fingers. Neural activity during finger movements exhibited robust representational structure similar to fMRI recordings of able-bodied individuals’ motor cortex, which is known to reflect able-bodied usage patterns. The finger representational structure was consistent throughout multiple sessions, even though the structure contributed to BCI decoding errors. Within individual BCI movements, the representational structure was dynamic, first resembling muscle activation patterns and then resembling the anticipated sensory consequences. Our results reveal that motor representations in PPC reflect able-bodied motor usage patterns even after paralysis, and BCIs can re-engage these stable representations to restore lost motor functions.
Resonances in nonintegrable open systems

A timber handling machine has a jib mounted on a tractor and is movable vertically and horizontally. The jib has a grasping element for grabbing a felled tree. The machine also has a pruning device provided with timber handling equipment, which is turnable in the vertical and horizontal planes and is mounted on a transporting chassis. The invention is particularly characterized by a timber supporting frame surrounding the pruning device and mounted on the chassis. Thus the jib can deposit the tree it has hauled upon this frame and the pruning device can pick up this tree from the frame.
Single‐cell transcriptome atlas reveals protective characteristics of COVID‐19 mRNA vaccine

Messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines are promising alternatives to conventional vaccines in many aspects. We previously developed a lipopolyplex (LPP)‐based mRNA vaccine (SW0123) that demonstrated robust immunogenicity and strong protective capacity against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus‐2 (SARS‐CoV‐2) infection in mice and rhesus macaques. However, the immune profiles and mechanisms of pulmonary protection induced by SW0123 remain unclear. Through high‐resolution single‐cell analysis, we found that SW0123 vaccination effectively suppressed SARS‐CoV‐2‐induced inflammatory responses by inhibiting the recruitment of proinflammatory macrophages and increasing the frequency of polymorphonuclear myeloid‐derived suppressor cells. In addition, the apoptotic process in both lung epithelial and endothelial cells was significantly inhibited, which was proposed to be one major mechanism contributing to vaccine‐induced lung protection. Cell−cell interaction in the lung compartment was also altered by vaccination. These data collectively unravel the mechanisms by which the SW0123 protects against lung damage caused by SARS‐CoV‐2 infection.
Neuromechanics of the Rate of Force Development

The rate of force development varies greatly across individuals. In the present review, we discuss the neuromechanical factors that explain this variability. The rate at which an individual can develop force during rapid voluntary contractions can be influenced by both the neural drive to a muscle and its intrinsic musculotendinous properties. We hypothesize that the maximal rate of force development across human individuals is mainly attributable to the rate of motor unit recruitment.
Second Language Immersion Experience Could Help the Brain Response to Second Language Reading for Native Chinese Speakers

Abstract Native language background exerts constraints on the individual's brain automatic response while learning a second language. It remains unclear, however, whether second language immersion experience could help the brain overcome such constraints and meet the requirements of a second language. This study compared native Chinese speakers with English-as-a-second-language immersion experience (immersive English learners), native Chinese speakers without English-as-a-second-language immersion experience (nonimmersive English learners), and native English speakers with an ERP cross-modal MMN paradigm. The results found that English-as-a-second-language immersion could benefit speech perception for native Chinese speakers. In addition, both immersive English learners and native English speakers showed enhanced cross-modal MMN, indicating that second language immersion could help native Chinese speakers successfully integrate English letter–sound like native English speakers. The present study further revealed that English listening and speaking exposure in an immersive environment is important in English letter–sound integration for immersive English learners.
Incidence, prevalence and regional distribution of systemic sclerosis and related interstitial lung Disease: A nationwide retrospective cohort study

Objective To investigate incidence and prevalence of Systemic Sclerosis (SSc) and association with interstitial lung disease (SSc-ILD) in a nationwide population-based study. Methods Patients with an incident diagnosis of SSc in 2000–2016 were identified in the Danish National Patient Registry and categorised based on diagnosis of ILD. Incidence- and prevalence proportions were calculated based on the annual population estimates. A cox proportional hazards model was used to evaluate the association between age, sex, region and marital status and presence of ILD. Results In total, 1869 patients with SSc were identified; 275 patients (14.7%) had SSc-ILD. The majority of patients were females (75.5%). The percentage of males was higher in SSc-ILD than in SSc alone (30.9% and 23.4%, p = 0.008). Median time from SSc to ILD diagnosis was 1.4 years (range 0–14.2). ILD was diagnosed from ≤4 years before to ≥7 years after SSc. Development of ILD was associated with male gender (HR 1.75, 95% CI 1.15–2.66), age 41–50 (HR 1.81, 95% CI 1.07–3.05) and residency in the North Denmark Region (HR 1.95, 9 5% CI 1.12–3.40). Mean annual incidence proportion of SSc was 2.9/100,000 and mean annual prevalence proportion was 16.8/100,000. The incidence remained stable, but prevalence proportion increased from 14.1 – 16.5/100,000 in 2000–2008 to 17.9–19.2/100,000 in 2009–2016. Conclusion The prevalence of SSc increased during the study period, while the incidence remained stable. The prevalence of SSc-ILD was 14.7% and thus less frequent than expected. Male sex and age between 41 and 50 years were associated with ILD.
Characterization of Cyberbullying Victimization and Perpetration Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Spain

Cyberbullying is an extremely damaging form of interpersonal violence. Little is yet known about cyberbullying behaviors in the child and youth population during the COVID-19 pandemic and what effect this reduction in face-to-face social interactions has had on an increase in socialization via the Internet and cyberbullying. The present study is a cross-sectional descriptive study conducted in young people between the ages of 12 and 27 years attending two secondary schools in southern Spain (N = 733) to examine differences regarding sociodemographic characteristics, academic performance, and digital device use (independent variables) in the experiences of cybervictimization, cyberperpetration, and adverse psychological effects (dependent variables). Logistic regression models were constructed for each of the dependent variables including the independent variables mentioned above. More than 50 percent of the sample were victims of cyberbullying. Females and the LGBTIQ+ Community were at greater risk of being cybervictims and suffer adverse psychological effects. A total of 22.8 percent of the students reported having been victims and 26.5 percent perpetrators of cyberbullying for the first time during the COVID-19 pandemic, but no other major differences were observed. These findings point out that cyberbullying must be prioritized in public policy as part of an overall strategy for combating violence in childhood and adolescence, as well as gender-based and discriminatory violence.
ACE2 expression in saliva of patients with COVID-19 and its association with Candida albicans and Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans [version 1;peer review: 2 approved] (preprint)

Background: A relationship between oral microbiota and susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 infection has been extensively studied. However, the relationship between oral commensal flora and expression of angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 ( ACE2) remains to be established. In this observational study, we collected saliva from patients with COVID-19 and evaluated the relationship between ACE2 expression and Candida albicans as well as with selected gram-negative bacteria ( Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans, Fusobacterium nucleatum, and Veillonella parvula). We investigated how this may be directly or indirectly involved in oral dysbiosis in patients with COVID-19. Methods: We included 23 hospitalized patients admitted to Universitas Indonesia Hospital with PCR-confirmed COVID-19, with six healthy participants serving as controls. Saliva and tongue surface swabs were collected from patients with diabetes (DG) and without diabetes (NDG) and subject controls. Using quantitative PCR (qPCR) we assessed the mRNA expression of ACE2, the abundance of C. albicans, and the transcription levels of its biofilm-associated genes, agglutinin-like protein 3 ( ALS3), hyphal wall protein 1 ( HWP1), and yeast-form wall protein 1 ( YWP1). We also counted the relative proportion of the three selected gram-negative oral bacteria in saliva. All analyses were performed to determine the relationship between ACE2 expression and C. albicans and gram-negative bacteria. Results:ACE2 mRNA expression was significantly higher in tongue swab samples than in saliva. However, no significant difference was observed between the patient groups. Conversely, DG patients had a significantly higher abundance of C. albicans in saliva compared to NDG patients and control group patients. The correlation and sensitivity/specificity relationship between ACE2 expression and C. albicans or the selected oral bacteria were also observed. Conclusions: The data show that ACE2 expression can be detected in saliva of patients with COVID-19 and its association with C. albicans and gram-negative oral bacteria might contribute toward developing an oral dysbiosis based predictor for prognosis of COVID-19 severity.
The relation between body mass index and primary dysmenorrhea: A systematic review and meta‐analysis

The relation between body mass index (BMI) categories and the occurrence of primary dysmenorrhea has been investigated, but the results of these studies are inconsistent and controversial. The aim of our study was to systematically review the literature and investigate the association between each category of BMI and the occurrence of primary dysmenorrhea.
EXPERT: transfer learning-enabled context-aware microbial community classification

Abstract Microbial community classification enables identification of putative type and source of the microbial community, thus facilitating a better understanding of how the taxonomic and functional structure were developed and maintained. However, previous classification models required a trade-off between speed and accuracy, and faced difficulties to be customized for a variety of contexts, especially less studied contexts. Here, we introduced EXPERT based on transfer learning that enabled the classification model to be adaptable in multiple contexts, with both high efficiency and accuracy. More importantly, we demonstrated that transfer learning can facilitate microbial community classification in diverse contexts, such as classification of microbial communities for multiple diseases with limited number of samples, as well as prediction of the changes in gut microbiome across successive stages of colorectal cancer. Broadly, EXPERT enables accurate and context-aware customized microbial community classification, and potentiates novel microbial knowledge discovery.
Liapunov Functionals, Fixed Points, and Stability by Krasnoselskii's Theorem

This is a paper in a series of investigations into the use of fixed point theorems to prove stability. Here, we use a modification of a fixed point theorem of Krasnoselskii. The work concerns a scalar functional differential equation $x' =-a(t)x^3 + b(t)x^3(t-r(t))$ where $r(t)$ need be neither bounded nor differentiable, while a and b can be unbounded. Such problems have proved very challenging in the theory of Liapunov's direct method. We show that it fits very nicely into the framework of the modified Krasnoselskii theorem so that asymptotic stability is readily concluded.
The immunological role of B7‐H4 in pregnant women with Sars‐Cov2 infection

T‐cells are key players in fighting the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19). The checkpoint molecule B7‐H4, a member of the B7 family, can inhibit T‐cell activation and proliferation by inhibiting NF‐kb expression. We aimed to elucidate the immunological role of soluble B7‐H4 (sB7‐H4) and B7‐H4 in pregnant women suffered from an acute Sars‐Cov2 infection.