Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
CD73 Overexpression Promotes Progression and Recurrence of Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma

Simple Summary This study aimed to evaluate the clinicopathologic significance of CD73 expression in patients with papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) and the potential for CD73 to serve as a therapeutic target of PTC. CD73 was highly expressed in PTC, but not in the normal thyroid tissue. Overexpression of CD73 was associated with unfavorable clinicopathologic characteristics and a shorter recurrence-free survival. The expression level of CD73 mRNA was associated with the abundance of Tregs and dendritic cells, depletion of natural killer (NK) cells, and high expression of immune checkpoint genes and epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition-related genes. CD73 inhibitor attenuated PTC cell proliferation, migration, and invasion in vitro, and suppressed PTC xenograft tumor growth in nude mice. These results suggest that CD73 expression is an unfavorable prognostic marker for patients with PTC. CD73 blockade would be an attractive candidate for therapeutic strategies in patients with advanced PTC. Abstract CD73 is involved in tumor immune escape and promotes the growth and progression of cancer cells. The functional role of CD73 expression in papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) has not yet been established. In 511 patients with PTC, immunohistochemistry for CD73 on tissue microarrays showed that the high expression of CD73 was associated with an aggressive histologic variant (p = 0.002), extrathyroidal extension (p < 0.001), lymph node metastasis (p < 0.001), and BRAFV600E mutation (p = 0.015). Survival analysis results showed that patients with high CD73 expression had worse recurrence-free survival (p = 0.023). CD73 inhibitors induced G1 cell cycle arrest and apoptosis, inhibited the migration and invasion of PTC cells, and suppressed tumor growth in PTC xenograft nude mice. High expression of CD73 (NT5E) mRNA was associated with unfavorable clinicopathologic characteristics, the abundance of Tregs and dendritic cells, depletion of natural killer (NK) cells, and high expression of immune checkpoint genes and epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition-related genes in The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) dataset. Taken together, CD73 expression promotes tumor progression and predicts low recurrence-free survival. Targeting the CD73–adenosine axis in the tumor microenvironment offers an attractive pathway for therapeutic strategies aimed at advanced PTC.
Impact of spirituality on resilience and coping during the COVID-19 crisis: A mixed-method approach investigating the impact on women

Abstract Spirituality has been known to have a positive correlation to resilience during disasters. This study investigated the impact of spirituality on resilience during our current pandemic. A mixed-method approach was used to analyze correlations between spirituality and resilience of women. Correlations were noted to be statistically significant with Pearson’s correlation of –. 450 at 0.001, CD-RISC (M = 77.94), and DSES (M = 39.74). Thematic analysis of six open-ended questions provide depth to quantitative findings supporting the positive influence of spirituality on resilience, hope, optimism, peace, and comfort suggesting that spirituality may be an important dimension as this pandemic continues to unfold across the globe.
Antimicrobial Activities of Starch-Based Biopolymers and Biocomposites Incorporated with Plant Essential Oils: A Review

Recently, many scientists and polymer engineers have been working on eco-friendly materials for starch-based food packaging purposes, which are based on biopolymers, due to the health and environmental issues caused by the non-biodegradable food packaging. However, to maintain food freshness and quality, it is necessary to choose the correct materials and packaging technologies. On the other hand, the starch-based film’s biggest flaws are high permeability to water vapor transfer and the ease of spoilage by bacteria and fungi. One of the several possibilities that are being extensively studied is the incorporation of essential oils (EOs) into the packaging material. The EOs used in food packaging films actively prevent inhibition of bacteria and fungi and have a positive effect on food storage. This work intended to present their mechanical and barrier properties, as well as the antimicrobial activity of anti-microbacterial agent reinforced starch composites for extending product shelf life. A better inhibition of zone of antimicrobial activity was observed with higher content of essential oil. Besides that, the mechanical properties of starch-based polymer was slightly decreased for tensile strength as the increasing of essential oil while elongation at break was increased. The increasing of essential oil would cause the reduction of the cohesion forces of polymer chain, creating heterogeneous matrix and subsequently lowering the tensile strength and increasing the elongation (E%) of the films. The present review demonstrated that the use of essential oil represents an interesting alternative for the production of active packaging and for the development of eco-friendly technologies.
Sleep Restriction in Elite Soccer Players: Effects on Explosive Power, Wellbeing, and Cognitive Function

ABSTRACT Purpose: To investigate the cognitive, physical, and perceptual effects of sleep restriction (SR) in soccer players following a night match. Methods: In a crossover design, nine male soccer players from the English Premier League 2 (age, 21 ± 5 years; height, 1.80 ± 0.75 m; body mass, 74.2 ± 6.8 kg) recorded their sleep quality and quantity with sleep logs and a subjective survey after two night matches (19:00); one where sleep duration was not altered (CON) and one where sleep was restricted by a later bed-time (SR). Countermovement jump height (CMJ), subjective wellbeing (1–5 likert scale for mood, stress, fatigue, sleep, and soreness), and cognitive function were measured at baseline and the morning following the match (+12 h; M + 1). Results: Bed-time was later in SR than CON (02:36 ± 0.17 vs. 22:43 ± 29; P = .0001; ηp2 = 0.999) and sleep duration was shorter in SR than CON (5.37 ± 0.16 vs. 8.59 h ± 0.36; P = .0001; ηp2 = 0.926). CMJ decreased by ~8% after the match in both SR and CON (P = .0001; ηp2 = 0.915) but there were no differences between the conditions (P > .05; ηp2 = 0.041–0.139). Wellbeing was rated worse after both matches (P = .0001; ηp2 = 0.949) but there were no differences between the trials (P > .05; ηp2 = 0.172–257). SR did not influence cognitive function (P > .05; interaction effects, ηp2 = 0.172–257). Conclusion: SR following a nighttime soccer match does not impair CMJ performance, subjective wellbeing, or cognitive function the following morning.
Inspiratory Muscle Training Based on Anaerobic Threshold on the Functional Capacity of Patients After Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting: Clinical Trial

Introduction Coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) is associated with reduced ventilatory muscle strength and consequent worsening of functional capacity (FC). Inspiratory Muscle Training (IMT) can be indicated, but there is still a lack of knowledge about the use of the anaerobic threshold (AT) as a basis for prescription. The objective of this study is to evaluate if IMT based on AT modifies FC and inspiratory muscle strength of patients submitted to CABG. Methods This is a clinical trial. On the first postoperative day, the patients were divided into two groups: the conventional group (IMT-C), which performed IMT based on 40% of maximal inspiratory pressure (MIP), and the IMT-AT group, which performed IMT based on AT. All patients underwent preoperative and postoperative assessment of MIP and performed a six-minute walk test (6MWT). Results Forty-two patients were evaluated, 21 in each group. Their mean age was 61.4±10 years and 27 (64%) of them were male. There was a reduction of inspiratory muscle strength with a delta of 23±13 cmH2O in the IMT-C group vs. 11±10 cmH2O in the IMT-AT group (P<0.01) and of the walking distance with a delta of 94±34 meters in the IMT-C group vs. 57±30 meters in the IMT-AT group (P=0.04). Conclusion IMT based on AT minimized the loss of FC and inspiratory muscle strength of patients submitted to CABG.
Identification of responsive genes and analysis of genes with bacterial-inducible cis-regulatory elements in the promoter regions in Oryza sativa L.

Bacterial blight of rice caused by Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae (Xoo) is one of the most critical diseases in rice. In order to study rice responsive genes to bacterial stress, microarray data were retrieved from GEO dataset. To identify the responsive genes to biotic stress (bacteria) bioinformatic tools were employed and the data presented in the forms of heatmap, gene ontology, gene network, and cis-element prediction were used. Almost all responsive genes were down-regulated at around 3 h time point and up-regulated 24 h time point in response to bacterial stress in rice varieties ( Oryza sativa subs. japonica ‘IR64’, ‘IRBB5’, ‘IRBB7’ and ‘Y73’). Gene ontology showed that genes are involved in different biological processes including translation and cellular protein metabolic processes. Network analysis showed that genes expressed in response to pathogen infection ( Xoo ) included protein translation, eukaryotic initiation factors (eIFs), ribosomal proteins, protein ubiquitin, and MAPK genes. The genes expressed in response to bacterial stress can enable plant balance between synthesis and degradation of proteins which in turn allows plants for further growth and development. TATA-box and CAAT box had the highest number of cis elements involved in bacterial stress. These genes can provide novel insights into regulatory mechanisms in biotic stress responses in rice. Identification of bacterial stress response/tolerance genes of rice can assist the molecular breeding of new rice varieties tolerant to bacterial stress.
Establishment of multidisciplinary pain management clinics and training programs in the developing world: experiences from Southeast Asia.

Southeast Asia is a subregion of Asia that comprises 11 countries, including Brunei, Cambodia, East Timor (TimorLeste), Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. The combined population of this region is 650 million people. Among these countries, in addition to considerable differences in economic development, there is much greater diversity in ethnicity, religious and cultural beliefs, the languages spoken, and national health care systems. The provision of a quality public health care system is considered inadequate in many of these countries, and disparities can exist across different geographical regions within the same country. The health care challenges within Southeast Asia are immense. Although this region is currently experiencing rapid economic growth, the population is aging and there is an increased incidence of noncommunicable diseases. Globally, musculoskeletal disorders are the leading group of causes of the nonfatal burden of disease (from http://www.healthdata.org/gbd). In Southeast Asia, these disorders rank either first or second. Together with the aging population, this means that there will be an increasing number of patients with chronic pain, with associated suffering, and disability. Thus, access to pain relief is needed in all these countries. Pain management should be available in the community health care setting, in secondary care, and in tertiary specialized care settings. At all levels, multidisciplinary care that includes all appropriate supporting specialties with a focus on self-management strategies should be provided. According to the Pain Clinic Guidelines Task Force adopted by the International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP) on May 2, 2009, Multidisciplinary pain management (MDPM) is the most effective treatment for patients with chronic pain. An integrated biopsychosocial model approach is used to provide multimodal treatment by a teamof different specialists working together in the same space and communicating with each other about the patient on a frequent and scheduled basis. This report will describe and discuss the history of the establishment of multidisciplinary pain clinics (MDPCs) in Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, and Singapore. These 5 countries were the original members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the regional intergovernmental organization that now comprises 10 members. The establishment of the Association of Southeast Asian Pain Societies (ASEAPS) will also be described including its role in educating young health care professionals about pain management.
Prevention of SARS-CoV-2 cell entry: insight from in silico interaction of drug-like alkaloids with spike glycoprotein, human ACE2, and TMPRSS2

Abstract COVID-19 is a respiratory disease caused by SARS-CoV-2, an enveloped positive sense RNA virus. The SARS-CoV-2 spike glycoprotein, human angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) and human transmembrane protease serine 2 (TMPRSS2) are essential for the host cell-mediated viral entry. Targeting these proteins represent viable options to stop the first stage of infection and transmission. Hence, 97 alkaloids from African medicinal plants with reported antiviral activity were evaluated for this purpose via in silico studies. These alkaloids were docked for their interactions with SARS-CoV-2 spike glycoprotein, ACE2, and TMPRSS2. Top 20 alkaloids with highest binding affinities were further screened for their interactions with spike glycoprotein of SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV, and with ACE2-SARS-CoV-2 receptor-binding domain complex (ACE2-RBD). The energy profiling, molecular dynamics simulation (MDS), binding free energy base on Molecular Mechanics/Generalized Born Surface Area (MMGBSA), clustering of MDS trajectories, and virtual physicochemical and pharmacokinetic screening of the best docked alkaloids were performed. Results revealed that more than 15 alkaloids interacted better than the reference compounds. 10–Hydroxyusambarensine and Cryptospirolepine were docked in a similar binding pattern to the S1-specificy pocket of TMPRSS2 as camostat (reference inhibitor). The strong binding affinities, stability of the alkaloid-protein complexes and amino acid interactions displayed by cryptospirolepine, 10-hydroxyusambarensine, and cryptoquindoline with important binding hotspots of the proteins suggest these alkaloids have the potential of altering the capacity of SARS-CoV-2 membrane mediated host cell entry. Further in vitro and in vivo evaluation of these “drug-like” alkaloids as potential inhibitors of coronavirus cell entry is proposed. Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma
Pyrometric-Based Melt Pool Monitoring Study of CuCr1Zr Processed Using L-PBF

The potential of in situ melt pool monitoring (MPM) for parameter development and furthering the process understanding in Laser Powder Bed Fusion (LPBF) of CuCr1Zr was investigated. Commercial MPM systems are currently being developed as a quality monitoring tool with the aim of detecting faulty parts already in the build process and, thus, reducing costs in LPBF. A detailed analysis of coupon specimens allowed two processing windows to be established for a suitably dense material at layer thicknesses of 30 µm and 50 µm, which were subsequently evaluated with two complex thermomechanical-fatigue (TMF) panels. Variations due to the location on the build platform were taken into account for the parameter development. Importantly, integrally averaged MPM intensities showed no direct correlation with total porosities, while the robustness of the melting process, impacted strongly by balling, affected the scattering of the MPM response and can thus be assessed. However, the MPM results, similar to material properties such as porosity, cannot be directly transferred from coupon specimens to components due to the influence of the local part geometry and heat transport on the build platform. Different MPM intensity ranges are obtained on cuboids and TMF panels despite similar LPBF parameters. Nonetheless, besides identifying LPBF parameter windows with a stable process, MPM allowed the successful detection of individual defects on the surface and in the bulk of the large demonstrators and appears to be a suitable tool for quality monitoring during fabrication and non-destructive evaluation of the LPBF process.
A Novel Manganese Oxidising Bacterium: Characterisation and Genomic Evaluation

The production of manganese oxide minerals is predominantly mediated by microbes, resulting in the formation of highly redox active minerals which influence the geochemical cycling of many elements; including carbon, nitrogen, sulphur and many metals. This thesis describes the characterisation and genomic evaluation of a novel manganese oxidising Burkholderiales isolate, JOSHI_001, with a focus on gaining insight into the manganese depositing behaviour and ecological significance of this bacterium. This bacterium is believed to be responsible for the formation of manganese-enriched ring structures, termed anelli, present within urban stream biofilms. The results of this research are detailed within three chapters (Chapters 3 – 5). Chapter 3 addresses Aim 1: To investigate the occurrence of JOSHI_001, and like organisms, within urban freshwater systems; describing a field study which investigated the distribution of anelli within urban streams across the Auckland region. A correlation was found between the presence of these structures within biofilms and the level of anthropogenic impact to the site’s catchment area. Chapter 4 addresses Aim 2: To characterise JOSHI_001, as a novel manganese depositing organism; describing a polyphasic characterisation of JOSHI_001, including description of phenotypic, genomic and phylogenetic characters. This characterisation indicates that JOSHI_001 represents a novel genus and species, and we propose the name Siderocapsa amnicola. Finally, Chapter 5 addresses Aim 3: To investigate the mechanism and purpose of manganese deposition by JOSHI_001, and identify candidate manganese oxidation genes; describing an evaluation of the manganese depositing behaviour of this bacterium, using growth experiments and genomic analyses. This resulted in the identification of four candidate manganese oxidase genes of the multicopper oxidase class, tentatively designated mnxG123 and mofA on the basis of homology with these genes within the manganese oxidising bacteria Pseudomonas putida GB-1, Leptothrix cholodnii SP-6 and Leptothrix discophora SS-1. Empirical analyses indicated that manganese oxidation results from the action of an exported soluble factor, which appears to require extracellular activation. An association was found between manganese deposition, exopolymer formation and the nutritional environment, although the specific details of this association require further investigation. The purpose of manganese oxidation was also investigated, indicating that the proposed role for manganese oxides in protection of JOSHI_001 from heavy metal contaminants, which are prevalent within the urban stream environment from which this bacterium was isolated, is unlikely. This research will springboard future research to provide empirical validation of the candidate manganese oxidase genes and has provided a basis for targeted experiments to establish the purpose of this behaviour in JOSHI_001 and potentially other manganese oxidising bacteria.
The Human Digestive Tract Is Capable of Degrading Gluten from Birth

The human gastrointestinal system has the capacity to metabolize dietary gluten. The capacity to degrade gliadin-derived peptide is present in humans from birth and increases during the first stages of life (up to 6–12 months of age). Fecal samples from 151 new-born and adult non-celiac disease (NCD) volunteers were collected, and glutenase and glianidase activities were evaluated. The capacity of total fecal proteins to metabolize 33-mer, 19-mer, and 13-mer gliadin peptides was also evaluated by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Feces from new-borns (meconium) showed glutenase and gliadinase activities, and peptidase activity against all three gliadin peptides. Maximal gluten degradative activity was observed in fecal samples from the youngest volunteers (0–12 months old). After the age of nine months, the gluten digestive capacity of gastrointestinal tract decreases and, from ±8 years old, individuals lose the ability to completely degrade toxic peptides. The gastrointestinal proteases involved in gluten digestion: elastase 2A, elastase 3B, and carboxipeptidase A1 are present from earlier stages of life. The human digestive tract contains the proteins capable of metabolizing gluten from birth, even before starting gluten intake. Humans are born with the ability to digest gluten and to completely degrade the potentially toxic gliadin-derived peptides (33-, 19-, and 13-mer).
Influence of Previous Fruit Injury on Susceptibility to Spotted Wing Drosophila (Diptera: Drosophilidae) Infestation in the Midwestern United States

Abstract Spotted wing drosophila, Drosophila suzukii (Matsumura), is a major agricultural pest throughout most of the fruit growing regions of the United States, with high reproductive rates and short generation times resulting in exponential population growth in berry crops across the country. Fruit suitability research has been conducted for some small fruit species such as raspberries, strawberries, cherries, and blackberries; however, there is a paucity of data regarding the role of previous injury on host susceptibility and suitability for D. suzukii. This study examined the role of previous fruit injury on adult D. suzukii survival, adult production, and host susceptibility, with injury referring to physiological splitting, disease, and vertebrate feeding. Results indicate that intact raspberries, blueberries, and table grapes are susceptible to oviposition by D. suzukii and the presence of injury increases survival of both male and female flies. When fruit was injured, berry infestation levels increases, but this did not always translate into increased adult populations. We found that the proportions of D. suzukii–infested fruit were significantly higher for injured versus intact fruit. When comparing adult emergence for intact and injured fruit, only table grape and cherry tomato had significantly higher adult counts for injured berries. Overall, adult emergence per injured fruit for raspberries of 19.77 was significantly higher than all other fruit types tested, with 2.87, 3.57, and 3.43 adults for cherry tomatoes, grapes, and blueberries, respectively. Results suggest reducing previous injury in ripe fruit may facilitate more effective management of D. suzukii populations.