Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Butyric Acid in Saliva of Chronic Periodontitis Patients Induces Transcription of the EBV Lytic Switch Activator BZLF1: A Pilot Study

Background/Aim: Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) associates with human chronic periodontitis (CP) progression. We previously demonstrated that butyric acid (BA), produced by periodontopathic bacteria, induced EBV lytic switch activator BZLF1 expression. We investigated whether short chain fatty acids (SCFAs) in CP patients' saliva enabled EBV reactivation. Materials and Methods: Saliva was collected from seven CP patients and five periodontally healthy individuals. SCFAs were quantified using HPLC. BZLF1 mRNA and its pertinent protein ZEBRA were determined with Real-time PCR and western blotting. Histone H3 acetylation (AcH3) was further examined. Results: BZLF1 mRNA expression and transcriptional activity in EBV-infected Daudi cells were induced only when treated with the CP saliva. Among SCFAs, BA alone correlated significantly with the BZLF1 transcription (r=0.88; p<0.02). As expected, CP patients' saliva induced AcH3. Conclusion: BA in saliva may play a role in EBV reactivation and hence contribute to EBV-related disease progression in CP patients.
Racial/ethnic disparities in sleep duration and sleep disturbances among pregnant and non‐pregnant women in the United States

Sleep disturbances among pregnant women are increasingly linked to suboptimal maternal/birth outcomes. Few studies in the USA investigating sleep by pregnancy status have included racially/ethnically diverse populations, despite worsening disparities in adverse birth outcomes. Using a nationally representative sample of 71,644 (2,349 pregnant) women from the National Health Interview Survey (2004–2017), we investigated relationships between self‐reported pregnancy and six sleep characteristics stratified by race/ethnicity. We also examined associations between race/ethnicity and sleep stratified by pregnancy status. We used average marginal predictions from fitted logistic regression models to estimate prevalence ratios (PRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for each sleep dimension, adjusting for sociodemographic and health characteristics. Pregnant women were less likely than non‐pregnant women to report short sleep (PROverall = 0.75; 95% CI, 0.68–0.82) and more likely to report long sleep (PROverall = 2.06; 95% CI, 1.74–2.43) and trouble staying asleep (PROverall = 1.34; 95% CI, 1.25–1.44). The association between pregnancy and sleep duration was less pronounced among women aged 35–49 years compared to those <35 years. Among white women, sleep medication use was less prevalent among pregnant compared to non‐pregnant women (PRWhite = 0.45; 95% CI, 0.31–0.64), but this association was not observed among black women (PRBlack = 0.98; 95% CI, 0.46–2.09) and was less pronounced among Hispanic/Latina women (PRHispanic/Latina = 0.82; 95% CI, 0.38–1.77). Compared to pregnant white women, pregnant black women had a higher short sleep prevalence (PRBlack = 1.35; 95% CI, 1.08–1.67). Given disparities in maternal/birth outcomes and sleep, expectant mothers (particularly racial/ethnic minorities) may need screening followed by treatment for sleep disturbances. Our findings should be interpreted in the historical and sociocultural context of the USA.
Detection of temporal motion velocity and acceleration of omnidirectional M-mode echocardiography

Omnidirectional M-mode echocardiography(OME) can detect dynamic information from sequential echocardiography images. Temporal motion velocity and acceleration of a part of the cardiac structure contains the information about the composition offerees related to a heart. In this paper we present methods for detection of temporal motion velocity and acceleration of OME. Gray-time waveforms are rebuilt from sequential images of OME on arbitrary direction lines to track moving structure. Using one-order and two-order differential of the discrete function, temporal velocity and acceleration of one part of the cardiac structure are obtained. The measurement of temporal velocity and acceleration has been applied to 30 clinical cases. Results indicate that along the same direction lines, the velocities measured are not significantly different compared with original Tuscan echocardiography.
Histopathology and immunohistochemical analysis of 5‐fluorouracil and triamcinolone treated keloids in double‐blinded randomized controlled trial

Keloids are a major complication related to surgical wound healing and very challenging condition to treat. Many treatment options are available, but the efficacy of the treatment is poor in most of cases and some keloids do not respond to the treatment at all. We compared the efficacy of intralesional 5‐fluorouracil (5‐FU) and triamcinolone (TAC) injections in a double‐blind randomized controlled trial (RCT). Forty‐three patients with 50 keloid scars were treated with either intralesional TAC or 5‐FU‐injections over 6 months. We wanted to find out whether biological features (cell density, cell proliferation rate, vascular density, myofibroblast numbers, steroid hormone receptor expression) in keloids could be used to predict the response to therapy and define the biological changes that take place in patients receiving a response. As there was no statistically significant difference in the remission rate between TAC and 5‐FU treatments, all patients were combined and analyzed as responders and nonresponders. Although responders have slightly more myofibroblasts than the nonresponders in their keloids in the pretreatment biopsy samples, we could not identify a single predictive factor that could identify those patients that respond to drug injections. The good clinical response to therapy is associated with the simultaneous reduction of myofibroblasts in the keloid. This study demonstrates that myofibroblasts are reduced in number in those keloids that were responsive to therapy, and that both 5‐FU and TAC injections are useful for keloid treatment.
The Influence of Maternal Levels of Vitamin D and Adiponectin on Anthropometrical Measures and Bone Health in Offspring

Abstract Background: From the conception onward, certain parameters associated with maternal health may affect foetal body composition, growth and bone mineral content. The objective of the study was to determine the association between maternal vitamin D and adiponectin status with the anthropometrical measures of newborns, and bone health status measured by Quantitative Ultrasound (QUS) at birth. Methods: Circulating 25OHD and adiponectin concentration were measured in 73 pregnant women. Correlations with the anthropometrical measures and bone health status in their infants were studied. Bone health was evaluated using QUS with the measurements of speed of sound (SOS, in m/s) and Z score on the right tibia. Results: There was no significant association between maternal 25OHD and newborn’s anthropometrical measures at birth (weight p=0.35, length p=0.59 and head circumference p=0.47). There was a significant negative correlation between a maternal serum adiponectin and a) weight of infants at birth (R= -0.37, p=0.002); b) birth length (R= -0.31, p=0.008) and c) head circumference (R= -0.29, p=0.014). There was no significant correlation between maternal 25OHD blood levels during pregnancy and SOS in newborns (p=0.48). Additionally, a correlation between maternal adiponectin concentration during pregnancy and SOS in newborns was not significant (p=0.82). Conclusion: Although a high prevalence of low 25OHD level among pregnant women was found, maternal vitamin D status did not influence growth and bone health of their offspring at birth. Maternal adiponectin levels in plasma showed an inverse relationship with anthropometrical measures of infants at birth, while no correlation with the newborn’s bone health was found.
Conversion from Intravenous Vitamin D Analogs to Oral Calcitriol in Patients Receiving Maintenance Hemodialysis.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES In the United States, intravenous vitamin D analogs are the first-line therapy for management of secondary hyperparathyroidism in hemodialysis patients. Outside the United States, oral calcitriol (1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3) is routinely used. We examined standard laboratory parameters of patients on in-center hemodialysis receiving intravenous vitamin D who switched to oral calcitriol. DESIGN, SETTING, PARTICIPANTS, & MEASUREMENTS We conducted a retrospective cohort study of adult patients treated within Fresenius Kidney Care clinics. During a 6-month period (December 2013 to May 2014), we identified patients on an intravenous vitamin D analog (doxercalciferol or paricalcitol) who switched to oral calcitriol and matched them to patients receiving an intravenous vitamin D analog. Mean serum calcium, phosphate, and intact parathyroid hormone (iPTH) concentrations were examined for up to 12 months of follow-up. We used Poisson and Cox proportional hazards regression models to examine hospitalization and survival rates. The primary analysis was conducted as intention-to-treat; secondary analyses included an as-treated evaluation. RESULTS A total of 2280 patients who switched to oral calcitriol were matched to 2280 patients receiving intravenous vitamin D. Compared with patients on intravenous vitamin D, mean calcium and phosphate levels in the oral calcitriol group were lower after the change to oral calcitriol. In contrast, iPTH levels were higher in the oral calcitriol group. At 12 months, the percentage of patients with composite laboratories in target range (calcium <10 mg/dl, phosphate 3.0-5.5 mg/dl, and iPTH 150-600 pg/ml) were comparable between groups (45% versus 45%; P=0.96). Hospital admissions, length of hospital stay, and survival were comparable between groups. An as-treated analysis and excluding those receiving cinacalcet did not reveal significant between-group differences. CONCLUSIONS Among patients receiving in-center hemodialysis who were switched to oral calcitriol versus those on an intravenous vitamin D analog, the aggregate of all mineral and bone laboratory parameters in range was largely similar between groups.
Comprehensive Genome-Wide Approaches to Activity-Dependent Translational Control in Neurons

Activity-dependent regulation of gene expression is critical in experience-mediated changes in the brain. Although less appreciated than transcriptional control, translational control is a crucial regulatory step of activity-mediated gene expression in physiological and pathological conditions. In the first part of this review, we overview evidence demonstrating the importance of translational controls under the context of synaptic plasticity as well as learning and memory. Then, molecular mechanisms underlying the translational control, including post-translational modifications of translation factors, mTOR signaling pathway, and local translation, are explored. We also summarize how activity-dependent translational regulation is associated with neurodevelopmental and psychiatric disorders, such as autism spectrum disorder and depression. In the second part, we highlight how recent application of high-throughput sequencing techniques has added insight into genome-wide studies on translational regulation of neuronal genes. Sequencing-based strategies to identify molecular signatures of the active neuronal population responding to a specific stimulus are discussed. Overall, this review aims to highlight the implication of translational control for neuronal gene regulation and functions of the brain and to suggest prospects provided by the leading-edge techniques to study yet-unappreciated translational regulation in the nervous system.
Big data in IBD: big progress for clinical practice

IBD is a complex multifactorial inflammatory disease of the gut driven by extrinsic and intrinsic factors, including host genetics, the immune system, environmental factors and the gut microbiome. Technological advancements such as next-generation sequencing, high-throughput omics data generation and molecular networks have catalysed IBD research. The advent of artificial intelligence, in particular, machine learning, and systems biology has opened the avenue for the efficient integration and interpretation of big datasets for discovering clinically translatable knowledge. In this narrative review, we discuss how big data integration and machine learning have been applied to translational IBD research. Approaches such as machine learning may enable patient stratification, prediction of disease progression and therapy responses for fine-tuning treatment options with positive impacts on cost, health and safety. We also outline the challenges and opportunities presented by machine learning and big data in clinical IBD research.
Mutation-Dependent Pathomechanisms Determine the Phenotype in the Bestrophinopathies

Best vitelliform macular dystrophy (BD), autosomal dominant vitreoretinochoroidopathy (ADVIRC), and the autosomal recessive bestrophinopathy (ARB), together known as the bestrophinopathies, are caused by mutations in the bestrophin-1 (BEST1) gene affecting anion transport through the plasma membrane of the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE). To date, while no treatment exists a better understanding of BEST1-related pathogenesis may help to define therapeutic targets. Here, we systematically characterize functional consequences of mutant BEST1 in thirteen RPE patient cell lines differentiated from human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs). Both BD and ARB hiPSC-RPEs display a strong reduction of BEST1-mediated anion transport function compared to control, while ADVIRC mutations trigger an increased anion permeability suggesting a stabilized open state condition of channel gating. Furthermore, BD and ARB hiPSC-RPEs differ by the degree of mutant protein turnover and by the site of subcellular protein quality control with adverse effects on lysosomal pH only in the BD-related cell lines. The latter finding is consistent with an altered processing of catalytic enzymes in the lysosomes. The present study provides a deeper insight into distinct molecular mechanisms of the three bestrophinopathies facilitating functional categorization of the more than 300 known BEST1 mutations that result into the distinct retinal phenotypes.
A kinesin adapter directly mediates dendritic mRNA localization during neural development in mice

Motor protein-based active transport is essential for mRNA localization and local translation in animal cells, yet how mRNA granules interact with motor proteins remains poorly understood. Using an unbiased yeast two–hybrid screen for interactions between murine RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) and motor proteins, here we identified protein interaction with APP tail-1 (PAT1) as a potential direct adapter between zipcode-binding protein 1 (ZBP1, a β-actin RBP) and the kinesin-I motor complex. The amino acid sequence of mouse PAT1 is similar to that of the kinesin light chain (KLC), and we found that PAT1 binds to KLC directly. Studying PAT1 in mouse primary hippocampal neuronal cultures from both sexes and using structured illumination microscopic imaging of these neurons, we observed that brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) enhances co-localization of dendritic ZBP1 and PAT1 within granules that also contain kinesin-I. PAT1 is essential for BDNF-stimulated neuronal growth cone development and dendritic protrusion formation, and we noted that ZBP1 and PAT1 co-locate along with β-actin mRNA in actively transported granules in living neurons. Acute disruption of the PAT1–ZBP1 interaction in neurons with PAT1 siRNA or a dominant-negative ZBP1 construct diminished localization of β-actin mRNA but not of Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase IIα (CaMKIIα) mRNA in dendrites. The aberrant β-actin mRNA localization resulted in abnormal dendritic protrusions and growth cone dynamics. These results suggest a critical role for PAT1 in BDNF-induced β-actin mRNA transport during postnatal development and reveal a new molecular mechanism for mRNA localization in vertebrates.
Candida auris: A Decade of Understanding of an Enigmatic Pathogenic Yeast

Candida auris is an enigmatic yeast that continues to stimulate interest within the mycology community due its rapid and simultaneous emergence of distinct clades. In the last decade, almost 400 manuscripts have contributed to our understanding of this pathogenic yeast. With dynamic epidemiology, elevated resistance levels and an indication of conserved and unique pathogenic traits, it is unsurprising that it continues to cause clinical concern. This mini-review aims to summarise some of the key attributes of this remarkable pathogenic yeast.
Reserves Hoarding in Banking Industry: Explaining the African Paradox

In this paper, we explain why banks in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) are hoarding reserves while firms struggle to access to credit. We hypothesize that the lack of demand for credit, and the instability of deposits are the main drivers of reserves hoarding by banks. First, using the credit market disequilibrium framework, we find that in SSA the total supply of credit is not fully absorbed by the market suggesting a disequilibrium induced by the demand. Second, using this disequilibrium in addition to the volatility of deposits, we explain the reserves hoarding by banks in SSA. The results support our hypotheses, confirming that the weakness of demand combined with the instability of deposits lead banks to hold excess liquidity in SSA. Our results suggest that a better risk management framework, and policies allowing to soften the access to credit market may lead bank to displace the reserves towards the private sector. JEL Classification: G21; G32; N27; 016
Effectiveness of fiscal performance in the EU: Contributions of Propensity Score Matching

The financial crisis of 2008-2009 followed by the sovereign debt crisis has heightened the focus on public expenditures and on fiscal rules. The European Union and even more the Economic and Monetary Union, as a singular economic and political space, raise the issues related to the coordination of economic policies and sovereign debt. We propose to evaluate the effect of the national numerical fiscal rules on fiscal performance in the European Union between 2000 and 2013. The cyclically adjusted primary balance is only one tool to measure fiscal discipline. We therefore propose an unprecedented index to mesure the Global Fiscal Performance to capt others elements describing the situation of public finances. We take into account the presence of member countries of the Eurozone. We use the Propensity Score Matching approach which was recently used in Macroeconomic analysis, in particular by Lin and Ye (2007, 2009), Tapsoba (2012), Minea and Tapsoba (2014) and Guerguil et al. (2017). Our main results show that the national numerical fiscal rules adopted in the European Union make it possible to improve fiscal discipline and more largely fiscal performance. We found that depending on you take care the Global Fiscal Performance or only the structural primary budget balance, it is not the same rules that can have a positive effect. But fiscal performance is therefore more effective in countries that have adopted national numerical fiscal rules. The results also show that the Stability Pact is a sufficient rule and does not encourage countries to adopt duplicate or supplementary rules. It can also improve the effect of national rules on the Global Fiscal Performance. Finally, the effect of national numerical fiscal rules in the European Union depends on many structural factors including the strength of these rules.
Translation of Anthroponyms in Children’s Cartoons: a comparative analysis of English dialogue and Lithuanian subtitles

Despite being an important part of the audiovisual market, cartoon translation still lacks scholarly attention in present-day Lithuania. The article presents a comparative analysis of English dialogue and Lithuanian subtitles with consideration to anthroponym translation in five children’s cartoons. The aims are to discover the most frequently used translation strategies to subtitle anthroponyms, to find out if the translation of anthroponyms with no semantic meaning is governed by the rules proposed by the State Language Commission and whether the translation of semantically meaningful names is governed by the translation tendencies noted by Lithuanian subtitlers and scholars. The study considers Chesterman’s approach to translation as a norm-governed activity; the Lithuanian State Language Commission is seen as the main body to influence expectancy norms while the opinions expressed by Lithuanian subtitlers and scholars are considered to have influence on professional norms. The analysis shows that the dominant strategy for the rendering of the source language anthroponyms which carry semantic meaning is translation, while the majority of anthroponyms with no semantic meaning are transcribed and Lithuanian inflections are added. Thus it can be claimed that the translation of semantically meaningful anthroponyms is governed by the prevailing tendencies in Lithuania, while the translation of anthroponyms with no semantic meaning is governed by the rules proposed by the State Language Commission.
Do people adapt their pro-environmental behavior according to their environment? An experimental investigation

The shortage of energy resources, climate change, the increase in household and industrial waste are today unavoidable constraints to take into account when thinking about the organisation of current societies. For many years, governments in most countries have implemented environmental policies to make our development more sustainable. Until now, these policies have been based on strict regulations, adapted infrastructures or awareness campaigns. In France, for example we remember the advertising campaign aimed at encouraging households to recycle their used light bulbs precisely in devices designed for this purpose in supermarkets. It should be said, however, that these policies alone cannot achieve their goal and only very partially succeed in changing citizens' behaviour. To make policies more effective, internal factors (habits and cognitive processes), external factors (instruments based on market mechanisms) and social factors (social conventions) should be considered simultaneously. One of the current directions is to look at how economic agents take their decisions in reality, not how they should take them.
Physiological response of flax cultivars to the effect of salinity and salicylic acid

In this study, the effect of foliar-applied salicylic acid (SA) on counteracting the adverse effect of salinity stress (3000 and 6000 mg/l) on two flax cultivars (Sakha 2 and Amon) were carried out. Salinity with different concentrations induced deleterious effects as it significantly was reduced chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, total chlorophylls, carotenoids and total pigments, polysaccharides and total carbohydrates content of the shoot of the two tested cultivars Sakha 2 and Amon except, carotenoid content of cultivar Amon it significantly increased. Meanwhile increased TSS, proline and free amino acids of the two cultivars. Salinity at both concentrations (3000 and 6000 mg/l) increased the absorption of Na and Cl and decreased the absorption of other elements (K, Ca, Mg, P and N) of the two cultivars. Yield and yield components (number of fruiting branches/plant, capsules number/plant, capsules weight /plant, seeds number/capsule, seeds weight /plant and 1000 seeds weight and oil % of the yielded seeds) were also reduced significantly. Exogenous application (foliar spray) of SA with different concentrations (200 &400 mg/l), counteracted salinity deleterious effects on flax two cultivars. SA enhanced flax salt tolerance in terms of improving most of yield measured parameters. Fatty acid profile of oil of the yielded seeds of the two cultivars, were varied in response to different salinity levels and different concentrations of SA used. Salicylic acid with 400 mg/l concentration was more effective than 200mg/l in counteracting the effects of salinity stress at both levels.