Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Physicochemical Characterization, Antioxidant Activity, and Phenolic Compounds of Hawthorn (Crataegus spp.) Fruits Species for Potential Use in Food Applications

Hawthorn belongs to the Crataegus genus of the Rosaceae family and is an important medicinal plant. Due to its beneficial effects on the cardiovascular system and its antioxidant and antimicrobial activity hawthorn has recently become quite a popular herbal medicine in phytotherapy and food applications. In this study, physicochemical characterization (color parameters, pH, titratable acidity, total soluble solids, soluble carbohydrate, total carotenoid, total phenols, and flavonoid contents), antioxidant activity (by ferric-reducing antioxidant power, FRAP assay), and quantification of some individual phenolic compounds of fruits of 15 samples of different hawthorn species (Crataegus spp.) collected from different regions of Iran were investigated. According to findings, the total phenols, total flavonoid content, and antioxidant activity were in the range of 21.19–69.12 mg gallic acid equivalent (GAE)/g dry weight (dw), 2.44–6.08 mg quercetin equivalent (QUE)/g dw and 0.32–1.84 mmol Fe++/g dw, respectively. Hyperoside (0.87–2.94 mg/g dw), chlorogenic acid (0.06–1.16 mg/g dw), and isoquercetin (0.24–1.59 mg/g dw) were found to be the most abundant phenolic compounds in the extracts of hawthorn fruits. The considerable variations in the antioxidant activity and phenolic compounds of hawthorn species were demonstrated by our results. Hence, the evaluation of hawthorn genetic resources could supply precious data for screening genotypes with high bioactive contents for producing natural antioxidants and other phytochemical compounds valuable for food and pharma industries.
Effectiveness of body roundness index in predicting metabolic syndrome: A systematic review and meta‐analysis

Body roundness index (BRI) is a new anthropometric index developed to predict both body fat and the percentage of visceral adipose tissue. Our aim was to investigate whether BRI is superior to traditional anthropometric indices in predicting metabolic syndrome (MetS). This systematic review and meta‐analysis was conducted using Pubmed, Scopus and Web of Sciences databases. The estimated pooled areas under curve (AUCs) for BRI predicting MetS was higher than body mass index (BMI), waist‐to‐hip ratio (WHR), body shape index (ABSI) and body adiposity index (BAI), similar to waist circumference (WC) and lower than waist‐to‐height ratio (WHtR). However, the difference between BRI and BMI, WC and WHtR predicting MetS was statistically non‐significant. Similar results were found with the summary receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC‐SROC). In addition, the non‐Chinese population had pooled AUCs greater than the Chinese population for all indices. Pooled ORs showed that BRI is associated with an increased MetS risk. In conclusion, BRI had good discriminatory power for MetS in adults of both sexes from diverse populations (AUC > 0.7; AUC‐SROC>0.7). However, WC and WHtR offer the best performance when screening for MetS, and non‐significant differences were found with BRI. In contrast, BRI was superior to BMI, WHR, ABSI and BAI in predicting MetS.
Peptidylarginine Deiminase IV Regulates Breast Cancer Stem Cells via a Novel Tumor Cell–Autonomous Suppressor Role

These findings demonstrate a novel activity of the citrullinating enzyme PADI4 in suppressing breast cancer stem cells through epigenetic repression of stemness master transcription factors NANOG and OCT4. Peptidylarginine deiminases (PADI) catalyze posttranslational modification of many target proteins and have been suggested to play a role in carcinogenesis. Citrullination of histones by PADI4 was recently implicated in regulating embryonic stem and hematopoietic progenitor cells. Here, we investigated a possible role for PADI4 in regulating breast cancer stem cells. PADI4 activity limited the number of cancer stem cells (CSC) in multiple breast cancer models in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistically, PADI4 inhibition resulted in a widespread redistribution of histone H3, with increased accumulation around transcriptional start sites. Interestingly, epigenetic effects of PADI4 on the bulk tumor cell population did not explain the CSC phenotype. However, in sorted tumor cell populations, PADI4 downregulated expression of master transcription factors of stemness, NANOG and OCT4, specifically in the cancer stem cell compartment, by reducing the transcriptionally activating H3R17me2a histone mark at those loci; this effect was not seen in the non-stem cells. A gene signature reflecting tumor cell–autonomous PADI4 inhibition was associated with poor outcome in human breast cancer datasets, consistent with a tumor-suppressive role for PADI4 in estrogen receptor–positive tumors. These results contrast with known tumor-promoting effects of PADI4 on the tumor stroma and suggest that the balance between opposing tumor cell–autonomous and stromal effects may determine net outcome. Our findings reveal a novel role for PADI4 as a tumor suppressor in regulating breast cancer stem cells and provide insight into context-specific effects of PADI4 in epigenetic modulation. Significance: These findings demonstrate a novel activity of the citrullinating enzyme PADI4 in suppressing breast cancer stem cells through epigenetic repression of stemness master transcription factors NANOG and OCT4.
Screening of Obstructive Sleep Apnea in Snoring Patients Using a Patch-Type Device With Electrocardiogram and 3-Axis Accelerometer.

STUDY OBJECTIVES People with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) remain undiagnosed owing to lack of easy and comfortable screening tools. Through this study, we aimed to compare the diagnostic accuracy of chest wall motion and cyclic variation of heart rate (CVHR) in detecting OSA by using a single-lead electrocardiogram (ECG) patch with a 3-axis accelerometer. METHODS In total, 119 snoring patients simultaneously underwent polysomnography (PSG) with a single-lead ECG patch. Signals of chest wall motion and CVHR from the single-lead ECG patch were collected. The chest effort index (CEI) was calculated using the chest wall motion recorded by a 3-axis accelerometer in the device. The ability of CEI and CVHR indices in diagnosing moderate-to-severe OSA (apnea hypopnea index ≥ 15) was compared using the area under the curve (AUC) by using the DeLong test. RESULTS CVHR detected moderate-to-severe OSA with 52.9% sensitivity and 94.1% specificity (AUC: 0.76, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.67-0.84, optimal cutoff: 21.2 events/h). By contrast, CEI identified moderate-to-severe OSA with 80% sensitivity and 79.4% specificity (AUC: 0.87, 95% CI: 0.80-0.94, optimal cutoff: 7.1 events/h). CEI significantly outperformed CVHR with regard to the discrimination ability for moderate-to-severe OSA (delta AUC: 0.11, 95% CI: 0.009-0.21, P = 0.032). For determining severe OSA, the performance of discrimination ability was greater (AUC = 0.90, 95% CI: 0.85-0.95) when combining these two signals. CONCLUSIONS Both CEI and CVHR recorded from a patch-type device with ECG and a 3-axis accelerometer can be used to detect moderate-to-severe OSA. Thus, incorporation of CEI is helpful in the detection of sleep apnea by using a single-lead ECG with a 3-axis accelerometer.
Ten Years After: How the Omaha System Helped Save Colorado Springs Community Centers From Closure.

O n the eve of the 2010s, Colorado Springs was in dire economic straits. Faced with nearly $20 M of revenue shortfall, it became apparent to even the most optimistic forecasters that radical change was needed. One such change took place in October 2009 when a majority of members of City Council agreed to provide only first-quarter funding to each of the four city community centers for the coming year. At that moment, the edict was that either a new business model would be developed that was less financially dependent upon the cash-strapped local government experiencing its most profoundly negative financial crisis in its history, to later be known as the Great Recession, or else all facilities would be shuttered and services suspended by May. Serving predominantly low-income families in underserved neighborhoods for more than 30 years each, these centers had been hubs of service and social connection since their inception, be it out-of-school programming for area youth, hot meals for older adults, or holiday celebrations and numerous other special events for both. As part of the city's Parks, Recreation, and Cultural Services Department, the community centers had, up to that point, been largely regarded as places of leisure and respite but not essential services such as public safety and public health, despite its role in preventive health and crime prevention. Now even the short-term future of every one of those services, and that of the children, adults, families and residents who accessed them, was very much in doubt. It became clear to those involved in the effort to keep these facilities open that to survive into even the near future, a call to action was essential. Of paramount importance was to inform city residents of the contributions that community centers made not just in the overall quality of life of the roughly 250 000 annual visitors, but of the health and welfare of four prominent neighborhoods on the city's south and west sides. A rebranding and reeducation effort was needed that clearly defined the role that centers play in a government's quest to establish and maintain an equitable world by ensuring that necessary services were made available, particularly for those most vulnerable and most in need. No longer was it sufficient to simply provide services that seemingly, and without evidence, supported its users in beneficial ways. To that end, a concentrated focus on the centers' impact on community health was incorporated early in 2010.
Efficacy of Chelerythrine Against Mono- and Dual-Species Biofilms of Candida albicans and Staphylococcus aureus and Its Properties of Inducing Hypha-to-Yeast Transition of C. albicans

Candida albicans and Staphylococcus aureus specifically often resulted in biofilm-associated diseases, ranging from superficial mucosal to life-threatening systemic infections. Recent studies reported that chelerythrine displayed antimicrobial activities against a few microorganisms, but its effects on mono- and dual-species biofilms of C. albicans and S. aureus have never been reported. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of chelerythrine against mono- and dual-species biofilms, and explore its effect on the hyphal growth and the hypha-to-yeast transition of C. albicans. The results showed that minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) and minimum biofilm inhibitory concentration (MBIC90S) of chelerythrine against planktonic cells of mono-species were 4 and 2 μg/mL, while the MIC and MBIC90 were 6 and 3 μg/mL for dual-species. Meanwhile, the decrease in three matrix component levels and tolerance to antibiotics of biofilms formed by mono- and dual-species exposed to chelerythrine were confirmed by a confocal laser scanning microscope, in conjugation with five fluorescent dyes and a gatifloxacin diffusion assay. Moreover, C. albicans and S. aureus mono-species showed a 96.4, and 92.3% reduction, respectively, in 24-h preformed biofilm biomass in the presence of 128 µg/mL of chelerythrine. Similarly, preformed (24 h) dual-species biofilm biomass also displayed a significant reduction (90.7%) when treated with 192 μg/mL chelerythrine. Chelerythrine inhibited hyphae formation of C. albicans at 4 μg/mL, and C. albicans in hypha-form can be converted into yeast-form at 8 μg/mL of chelerythrine. Therefore, chelerythrine shows promise as a potential antimicrobial and antibiofilm agent for clinical effective treatments of mono- and mixed-species and/or biofilm-associated infections.
Clonal Structure, Virulence Factor-encoding Genes and Antibiotic Resistance of Escherichia coli, Causing Urinary Tract Infections and Other Extraintestinal Infections in Humans in Spain and France during 2016

Escherichia coli is the main pathogen responsible for extraintestinal infections. A total of 196 clinical E. coli consecutively isolated during 2016 in Spain (100 from Lucus Augusti hospital in Lugo) and France (96 from Beaujon hospital in Clichy) were characterized. Phylogroups, clonotypes, sequence types (STs), O:H serotypes, virulence factor (VF)-encoding genes and antibiotic resistance were determined. Approximately 10% of the infections were caused by ST131 isolates in both hospitals and approximately 60% of these infections were caused by isolates belonging to only 10 STs (ST10, ST12, ST58, ST69, ST73, ST88, ST95, ST127, ST131, ST141). ST88 isolates were frequent, especially in Spain, while ST141 isolates significantly predominated in France. The 23 ST131 isolates displayed four clonotypes: CH40-30, CH40-41, CH40-22 and CH40-298. Only 13 (6.6%) isolates were carriers of extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL) enzymes. However, 37.2% of the isolates were multidrug-resistant (MDR). Approximately 40% of the MDR isolates belonged to only four of the dominant clones (B2-CH40-30-ST131, B2-CH40-41-ST131, C-CH4-39-ST88 and D-CH35-27-ST69). Among the remaining MDR isolates, two isolates belonged to B2-CH14-64-ST1193, i.e., the new global emergent MDR clone. Moreover, a hybrid extraintestinal pathogenic E.coli (ExPEC)/enteroaggregative isolate belonging to the A-CH11-54-ST10 clone was identified.
A new voltammetric sensor and its application in pharmaceutical analysis for rutin

Abstract A new and sensitive electrochemical sensor for rutin determination was developed based on cetyltrimethylammonium chloride (CTAC) functionalized graphene (Gr) and palladium nanoparticles (Pd) (CTAC-Gr-PdNPs) composite. Rutin displayed remarkably increased electrochemical activity on the CTAC-Gr-PdNPs composite modified electrode due to the synergistic effect of the large surface area and electrocatalytic activity of both Gr and Pd nanoparticles, which offers the feasibility for highly sensitive determination of rutin via electrochemistry. Under the optimal experimental conditions, the oxidation peak current of rutin was proportional to its concentration in the range of 2.0 × 10−8–1.0 × 10−6 mol L−1, and the limit of detection (LOD) was 5 nM (S/N = 3). The developed method was successfully applied to determine rutin in pharmaceuticals with satisfactory recoveries, which shows that the fabricated sensor has potential in pharmaceutical analysis.
In search of common developmental and evolutionary origin of the claustrum and subplate

The human claustrum, a major hub of widespread neocortical connections, is a thin, bilateral sheet of gray matter located between the insular cortex and the striatum. The subplate is a largely transient cortical structure that contains some of the earliest generated neurons of the cerebral cortex and has important developmental functions to establish intra‐ and extracortical connections. In human and macaque some subplate cells undergo regulated cell death, but some remain as interstitial white matter cells. In mouse and rat brains a compact layer is formed, Layer 6b, and it remains underneath the cortex, adjacent to the white matter. Whether Layer 6b in rodents is homologous to primate subplate or interstitial white matter cells is still debated. Gene expression patterns, such as those of Nurr1/Nr4a2, have suggested that the rodent subplate and the persistent subplate cells in Layer 6b and the claustrum might have similar origins. Moreover, the birthdates of the claustrum and Layer 6b are similarly precocious in mice. These observations prompted our speculations on the common developmental and evolutionary origin of the claustrum and the subplate. Here we systematically compare the currently available data on cytoarchitecture, evolutionary origin, gene expression, cell types, birthdates, neurogenesis, lineage and migration, circuit connectivity, and cell death of the neurons that contribute to the claustrum and subplate. Based on their similarities and differences we propose a partially common early evolutionary origin of the cells that become claustrum and subplate, a likely scenario that is shared in these cell populations across all amniotes.
A pilot study assessing the impact of rs174537 on circulating PUFAs and the inflammatory response in TBI patients.

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a leading cause of death and disability in people under 45. The hallmark secondary injury profile after TBI involves dynamic interactions between inflammatory and metabolic pathways including fatty acids. Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) such as docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) have been shown to provide neuroprotective benefits by minimizing neuroinflammation in rodents. However, these effects have been less conclusive in humans. We postulate genetic variants influencing PUFA metabolism in humans could contribute to these disparate findings. Therefore, we sought to (1) characterize the circulating PUFA response and (2) evaluate the impact of rs174537 on inflammation following TBI. A prospective, single-center, observational pilot study was conducted to collect blood samples from Level-1 trauma patients (N=130) on admission and 24 hours post-admission. Plasma was used to quantify PUFA levels and inflammatory cytokines. DNA was extracted and genotyped at rs174537. Associations between PUFAs and inflammatory cytokines were analyzed for all trauma cases and stratified by race (Caucasians only), TBI (TBI: N=47; non-TBI=83) and rs174537 genotype (GG: N=33, GT/TT: N=44). TBI patients had higher plasma DHA levels compared to non-TBI at 24hrs post injury (p=0.013). The SNP rs174537 was associated with both PUFA levels and inflammatory cytokines (p<0.05). Specifically, TBI patients with GG genotype exhibited the highest plasma levels of DHA (1.33%) and IL-8 (121.5±43.3 pg/ml), which were in turn associated with poorer outcomes. These data illustrate the impact of rs174537 on the post-TBI response. Further work is needed to ascertain how this genetic variant directly influences inflammation following trauma.
Depth-dependent soil mixing persists across climate zones

Significance Soil mixing occurs when sediment and organic matter are moved by biotic processes (burrowing mammals and invertebrates, root growth, and decay) and abiotic processes (movement of water and granular creep). Soil mixing plays a key role in carbon storage, nutrient and contaminant dispersion, and hillslope sediment transport, yet we lack quantitative information about soil mixing and its variation with depth in a soil profile. Here we present evidence showing that soil mixing systematically varies with depth in the soil. We also find that soils appear to be mixed similarly across climate zones, suggesting that soil mixing operates in a similar way over a range of different environments. Soil mixing over long (>102 y) timescales enhances nutrient fluxes that support soil ecology, contributes to dispersion of sediment and contaminated material, and modulates fluxes of carbon through Earth’s largest terrestrial carbon reservoir. Despite its foundational importance, we lack robust understanding of the rates and patterns of soil mixing, largely due to a lack of long-timescale data. Here we demonstrate that luminescence, a light-sensitive property of minerals used for geologic dating, can be used as a long-timescale sediment tracer in soils to reveal the structure of soil mixing. We develop a probabilistic model of transport and mixing of tracer particles and associated luminescence in soils and compare with a global compilation of luminescence versus depth in various locations. The model–data comparison reveals that soil mixing rate varies over the soil depth, with this depth dependency persisting across climate and ecological zones. The depth dependency is consistent with a model in which mixing intensity decreases linearly or exponentially with depth, although our data do not resolve between these cases. Our findings support the long-suspected idea that depth-dependent mixing is a spatially and temporally persistent feature of soils. Evidence for a climate control on the patterns and intensities of soil mixing with depth remains elusive and requires the further study of soil mixing processes.
Current status of cell-based therapies for respiratory virus infections: applicability to COVID-19

The severe respiratory consequences of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic have prompted urgent need for novel therapies. Cell-based approaches, primarily using mesenchymal stem (stromal) cells (MSCs), have demonstrated safety and possible efficacy in patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), although they are not yet well studied in respiratory virus-induced ARDS. Limited pre-clinical data suggest that systemic MSC administration can significantly reduce respiratory virus (influenza strains H5N1 and H9N2)-induced lung injury; however, there are no available data in models of coronavirus respiratory infection. There is a rapidly increasing number of clinical investigations of cell-based therapy approaches for COVID-19. These utilise a range of different cell sources, doses, dosing strategies and targeted patient populations. To provide a rational strategy to maximise potential therapeutic use, it is critically important to understand the relevant pre-clinical studies and postulated mechanisms of MSC actions in respiratory virus-induced lung injuries. This review presents these, along with consideration of current clinical investigations. It is imperative to better comprehend the rationale and underlying data that both support and refute effectiveness of MSCs in respiratory virus infections, and to define the targeted patient population and potential cell therapy approaches for COVID-19 https://bit.ly/2VbmYXs
Can We Hit Two Birds with One Stone: An Effectiveness Study of Peer-support Groups for Low-income Spousal and Adult Children Caregivers of Hong Kong Older Adults

ABSTRACT This study aims to assess the effectiveness of peer support groups for low-income older adults’ caregivers in the Hong Kong community. It compares the effectiveness of peer support groups on spouse and adult children caregivers. The peer support program was structured into three stages, including six training sessions for peer specialists, eight caregiver support group sessions, and non-structured informal contact. The study adopted a quasi-experiment design supplemented with qualitative data collected from focused group interviews. It involved a user group of 58 participants and a control group of 42 participants. Both quantitative and qualitative data were collected before, after the peer support groups, and at a three-month follow-up. The quantitative results showed that the peer support program was more effective in promoting social support for adult children caregivers but not for spousal caregivers. Three focus group interviews suggested that the community-based peer-support group could be helpful to improve stress management, emotional regulation skills, and social networks of the caregivers. Based on the research findings, we discuss the various needs of spousal and adult children caregivers, provide recommendations for service providers and practitioners to consider homogenous group services to address the diverse needs of spousal and adult children caregivers.