Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Developmental Impacts of Epigenetics and Metabolism in COVID-19

Developmental biology is intricately regulated by epigenetics and metabolism but the mechanisms are not completely understood. The situation becomes even more complicated during diseases where all three phenomena are dysregulated. A salient example is COVID-19, where the death toll exceeded 6.96 million in 4 years, while the virus continues to mutate into different variants and infect people. Early evidence during the pandemic showed that the host’s immune and inflammatory responses to COVID-19 (like the cytokine storm) impacted the host’s metabolism, causing damage to the host’s organs and overall physiology. The involvement of angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), the pivotal host receptor for the SARS-CoV-2 virus, was identified and linked to epigenetic abnormalities along with other contributing factors. Recently, studies have revealed stronger connections between epigenetics and metabolism in COVID-19 that impact development and accelerate aging. Patients manifest systemic toxicity, immune dysfunction and multi-organ failure. Single-cell multiomics and other state-of-the-art high-throughput studies are only just beginning to demonstrate the extent of dysregulation and damage. As epigenetics and metabolism directly impact development, there is a crucial need for research implementing cutting-edge technology, next-generation sequencing, bioinformatics analysis, the identification of biomarkers and clinical trials to help with prevention and therapeutic interventions against similar threats in the future.
A study of the near and far interpupillary distances among the Bura ethnic group of North-Eastern Nigeria

Introduction: The aims of this study were to establish standard for the interpupillary distance, document the anthropometric variation of this parameter with advancing age and determine the extent of sexual dimorphism of this parameter among the Bura ethnic group of North Eastern Nigeria. Materials and Methods: 300 subjects comprising of 150 males and 150 females of Bura ethnic group with ages ranging from 7 to 40 were recruited for this study. Data were analyzed in statistical software (SPSS for Windows, Version 17.0, Chicago: Inc.) and comparative tests were conducted using the independent student's -t-test at significant level of 0.05. Results: The mean Near Interpupillary Distance was 63 ± 6.2 mm while the mean Far Interpupillary distance was 69 ± 6.4 mm. The mean values for the Near and Far Interpupillary Distances were 63.2 ± 6.5 mm and 69.6 ± 6.7 mm for males and 62.6 ± 5.9 mm and 68.0 ± 5.9 mm for females respectively. Conclusion: In conclusion, these findings would be of benefit in the diagnosis of craniofacial syndromes associated with hyper/hypotelorism, management of posttraumatic orbitofacial deformities, the manufacture of spectacle frames and lenses and as a guide for dentists in selecting denture teeth.
Bacteria: Potential Make-or-Break Determinants of Celiac Disease

Celiac disease is an autoimmune disease triggered by dietary gluten in genetically susceptible individuals that primarily affects the small intestinal mucosa. The sole treatment is a gluten-free diet that places a social and economic burden on patients and fails, in some, to lead to symptomatic or mucosal healing. Thus, an alternative treatment has long been sought after. Clinical studies on celiac disease have shown an association between the presence of certain microbes and disease outcomes. However, the mechanisms that underlie the effects of microbes in celiac disease remain unclear. Recent studies have employed disease models that have provided insights into disease mechanisms possibly mediated by bacteria in celiac disease. Here, we have reviewed the bacteria and related mechanisms identified so far that might protect from or incite the development of celiac disease. Evidence indicates bacteria play a role in celiac disease and it is worth continuing to explore this, particularly since few studies, to the best of our knowledge, have focused on establishing a mechanistic link between bacteria and celiac disease. Uncovering host–microbe interactions and their influence on host responses to gluten may enable the discovery of pathogenic targets and development of new therapeutic or preventive approaches.
Evaluation of the Blood Neutrophil-to-Lymphocyte Ratio (NLR) as a Diagnostic and Prognostic Biomarker in Dogs with Portosystemic Shunt

Simple Summary Routine blood parameters (e.g., the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio, NLR) are valuable tools for diagnosing inflammatory, infectious, and metabolic conditions. Dogs with congenital liver shunts show evidence of generalized inflammation and clinical signs that may overlap with those of other diseases. Therefore, the potential diagnostic and prognostic value of blood cell ratios, including the NLR, was investigated in 106 dogs with congenital liver shunts and compared to two other disease groups. An association was detected between the blood NLR and systemic inflammation but not with any characteristics of the liver shunt or clinical correlates. The NLR could not distinguish the three disease groups, dogs with liver shunts that were either medically or surgically treated, or dogs either with successful shunt surgery or those with surgical complications. However, lower NLRs (<2.53) were predictive of dogs with liver shunt surgery requiring only one PSS closure session rather than two consecutive surgeries. Thus, evaluating the blood NLR might be clinically useful in dogs with liver shunts. Although this parameter may have little value in distinguishing dogs with a liver shunt from dogs with other diseases, it appears to be predictive for the number of surgical sessions required for shunt closure via ligation. Abstract The neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) can help in assessing inflammatory diseases, sepsis, and chronic hepatic conditions in humans. Dogs with congenital portosystemic shunts (PSSs) have signs of generalized inflammation, and the clinical signs can overlap with other conditions, including hypoadrenocorticism (HOC). Thus, the potential diagnostic and prognostic value of leukocyte ratios as surrogate markers was assessed in a retrospective case–control study including 106 dogs diagnosed with PSSs. The disease control groups were dogs with parenchymal hepatopathy (PH; n = 22) or HOC (n = 31). In the PSS dogs, the blood NLRs were associated with the severity of systemic inflammation but not with the shunt type, hepatoencephalopathy, systemic infection, or hypoglycemia. The baseline NLRs did not differ between the three disease groups, between medically and surgically treated PSS dogs, or between those with successful PSS ligation and dogs experiencing peri-/post-surgical complications. However, dogs requiring two consecutive surgical interventions had significantly higher NLRs, and an NLR of <2.53 distinguished dogs with successful shunt ligation in one surgery from those requiring two consecutive surgeries for PSS closure. The blood NLR might be a useful clinicopathologic variable in PSS, but its value in helping differentiate PSS from HOC cases appears low. Integrating the NLR into a diagnostic algorithm may allow for a prediction of the number of surgical interventions required.
Relationships between Motor Skills and Academic Achievement in School-Aged Children and Adolescents: A Systematic Review

Purpose: This review systematically summarizes the studies of the relationship between primary-to-secondary school students’ motor skills and academic achievement, and analyzes the relationship between gross and fine motor skills and performance in different subjects. Method: Five electronic databases, Web Of Science, PubMed, PsycINFO, SPORTDiscus, and Academic Search Premier, were searched in March 2023. Semi-quantitative assessment methods were used to analyze the results of the included studies. Results: Seventy-eight articles were included in this systematic review. The semi-quantitative assessment results showed that gross (+, 65.0/62.5%) and fine motor skills (+, 83.3/80%) were positively correlated with overall performance and language performance, with ≥60% of the associations in the same direction. For different subjects, fine motor skills were positively correlated with students’ mathematics (+, 75.0%), reading (+, 72.7%), writing (+, 66.7%), and spelling (+, 60.0%) scores. However, the association between gross motor skills and students’ mathematics achievement (? , 52.8%), reading (? , 53.8%), and spelling (? , 50.0%) is uncertain, with <60% of the associations in the same direction. Conclusions: It is wise to direct our gaze toward the evolution of motor skills among students, especially primary school students. Different motor skill intervention modes should be selected in a targeted manner according to different subject achievements.
Normalized rupture potential for small and large earthquakes along the Pacific Plate off Japan

We combine temporal variability in local seismic activity rates and size distributions to estimate the evolution of a Gutenberg‐Richter‐based metric, the normalized rupture potential (NRP), comparing differences between smaller and larger earthquakes. For the Pacific Plate off Japan, we study both complex spatial patterns and how they evolve over the last 18 years, and more detailed temporal characteristics in a simplified spatial selection, i.e., inside and outside the high‐slip zone of the 2011 M9 Tohoku earthquake. We resolve significant changes, in particular an immediate NRP increase for large events prior to the Tohoku event in the subsequent high‐slip patch, a very rapid decrease inside this high‐stress‐release area coupled with a lasting increase of NRP in the immediate surroundings. Even in the center of the Tohoku rupture, the NRP for large magnitudes has not dropped below the 12 year average and is not significantly different from conditions a decade before the M9 event.
Halotolerant and plant growth-promoting endophytic fungus Aspergillus terreus CR7 alleviates salt stress and exhibits genoprotective effect in Vigna radiata

Soil salinity is one of the major environmental stresses that results in reduction of cultivable land and decreased productivity. In the present study, halotolerant and plant growth-promoting endophytic fungi were isolated from Catharanthus roseus, and their effect in mitigating salt stress in Vigna radiata was evaluated. An isolate CR7, identified to be Aspergillus terreus, showing plant growth promotion activities, viz. IAA production (23.43 ± 0.79 μg/ml), phosphate solubilization (133.63 ± 6.40 μg/ml), ACC deaminase activity (86.36 ± 2.70 μmol α-ketobutyrate/h/mg protein) etc. and ability to grow at 15% NaCl was selected for further in vivo studies. Colonization of CR7 was carried out in V. radiata which was subjected to different concentrations of salt (150, 200, and 250 mM NaCl). Under salt stress, A. terreus CR7 inoculated plants showed substantially improved root and shoot length, biomass, chlorophyll content, relative water content, phenolics, protein content, and DPPH scavenging activity. Endogenous IAA level was enhanced by 5.28-fold in treated plants at maximum salt stress. Inoculation of A. terreus CR7 affected oxidative stress parameters, exhibiting an increase in catalase and superoxide dismutase and reduction in proline, electrolyte leakage, and malondialdehyde content. Fluorescent microscopic analysis of roots revealed improved cell viability and decreased levels of glutathione and hydrogen peroxide under salt stress in treated plants. The isolate A. terreus CR7 also protected against DNA damage induced by salt stress which was evaluated using comet assay. A decrease in DNA tail length, tail moment, and olive tail moment to the extent of 19.87%, 19.76%, and 24.81%, respectively, was observed in A. terreus CR7-colonized plants under salt stress. It can be concluded that A. terreus CR7 can be exploited for alleviating the impact of salt stress in crop plants.
Multilingual Framework for Risk Assessment and Symptom Tracking (MRAST)

The importance and value of real-world data in healthcare cannot be overstated because it offers a valuable source of insights into patient experiences. Traditional patient-reported experience and outcomes measures (PREMs/PROMs) often fall short in addressing the complexities of these experiences due to subjectivity and their inability to precisely target the questions asked. In contrast, diary recordings offer a promising solution. They can provide a comprehensive picture of psychological well-being, encompassing both psychological and physiological symptoms. This study explores how using advanced digital technologies, i.e., automatic speech recognition and natural language processing, can efficiently capture patient insights in oncology settings. We introduce the MRAST framework, a simplified way to collect, structure, and understand patient data using questionnaires and diary recordings. The framework was validated in a prospective study with 81 colorectal and 85 breast cancer survivors, of whom 37 were male and 129 were female. Overall, the patients evaluated the solution as well made; they found it easy to use and integrate into their daily routine. The majority (75.3%) of the cancer survivors participating in the study were willing to engage in health monitoring activities using digital wearable devices daily for an extended period. Throughout the study, there was a noticeable increase in the number of participants who perceived the system as having excellent usability. Despite some negative feedback, 44.44% of patients still rated the app’s usability as above satisfactory (i.e., 7.9 on 1–10 scale) and the experience with diary recording as above satisfactory (i.e., 7.0 on 1–10 scale). Overall, these findings also underscore the significance of user testing and continuous improvement in enhancing the usability and user acceptance of solutions like the MRAST framework. Overall, the automated extraction of information from diaries represents a pivotal step toward a more patient-centered approach, where healthcare decisions are based on real-world experiences and tailored to individual needs. The potential usefulness of such data is enormous, as it enables better measurement of everyday experiences and opens new avenues for patient-centered care.
青海湖流域不同海拔高度土壤水分时空变化特征@@@Variation in soil water content along different altitude gradients in the Qinghai Lake Watershed

： Understanding soil water content variation at different altitudes is fundamental to identifying spatial variation in water resources across a watershed ， especially under a changing climate. Here ， we evaluated spatial and temporal variation in soil water content along different altitude gradients in the Qinghai Lake watershed. With the integrative consideration of temperature ， precipitation ， evapotranspiration and the normalized difference vegetation index （ NDVI ） during the growth season ， water deficits of areas at different altitudes were explored. We found that the average soil water content （ ASWC ） during the middle of the growing season was the maximum （ 28.79% ）， higher than the beginning and end of the growing season in 2015 ， 22.81% and 22.91 ， respectively. ASWC increased with altitude during the growing season ， and there was a positive correlation between them ， particularly in the middle of the growing season （ P < 0.01 ） . The analysis of water budget indicated that regions with altitudes of 3200~3300m were water deficit regions in the watershed ， with a decrease of 1.24% in soil water after a growing season. Water budgets in regions with altitudes of 3300~3400m and 3400~3600m were almost balanced ， which increases of 0.54% and -0.57% ， respectively ； an increase of 3.69% was identified in regions with altitudes of 3600~3800m. Regions with altitudes higher than 3800m were considered as water supply regions in the Qinghai Lake watershed. However ， the water supply regions have been highly vulnerable to climate change and will decrease sharply if climate warming continues. This will influence water resources deeply in the watershed and have critical effects on the basin and its society and ecosystems.
Cytokine gene polymorphisms implicated in the pathogenesis of Plasmodium falciparum infection outcome

Cytokines play a critical role in the immune mechanisms involved in fighting infections including malaria. Polymorphisms in cytokine genes may affect immune responses during an infection with Plasmodium parasites and immunization outcomes during routine administration of malaria vaccines. These polymorphisms can increase or reduce susceptibility to this deadly infection, and this may affect the physiologically needed balance between anti-inflammatory and pro-inflammatory cytokines. The purpose of this review is to present an overview of the effect of selected cytokine gene polymorphisms on immune responses against malaria.
Causal association of gut microbiota on spondyloarthritis and its subtypes: a Mendelian randomization analysis

Background Despite establishing an association between gut microbiota and spondyloarthritis (SpA) subtypes, the causal relationship between them remains unclear. Methods Gut microbiota data were obtained from the MiBioGen collaboration, and SpA genome-wide association study (GWAS) summary data were obtained from the FinnGen collaboration. We conducted a two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis using the inverse-variance-weighted method supplemented with four additional MR methods (MR-Egger, weighted median, simple mode, and weighted mode). Pleiotropy and heterogeneity were also assessed. Reverse MR analysis was used to detect reverse causal relationships. Results We identified 23 causal links between specific gut microbiota taxa and SpA levels. Of these, 22 displayed nominal causal associations, and only one demonstrated a robust causal connection. Actinobacteria id.419 increased the risk of ankylosing spondylitis (AS) (odds ratio (OR) = 1.86 (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.29–2.69); p = 8.63E−04). The family Rikenellaceae id.967 was associated with a reduced risk of both AS (OR = 0.66 (95% CI: 0.47–0.93); p = 1.81E−02) and psoriatic arthritis (OR = 0.70 (95% CI: 0.50–0.97); p = 3.00E−02). Bacillales id.1674 increased the risk of AS (OR = 1.23 (95% CI: 1.00–1.51); p = 4.94E−02) and decreased the risk of enteropathic arthritis (OR = 0.56 (95% CI: 0.35–0.88); p = 1.14E−02). Directional pleiotropy, or heterogeneity, was not observed. No reverse causal associations were observed between the diseases and the gut microbiota. Conclusion Our MR analysis suggested a genetic-level causal relationship between specific gut microbiota and SpA, providing insights into the underlying mechanisms behind SpA development mediated by gut microbiota.
Size Distribution of Ultrafine Particles and Trends of Concentration Near a Linear (major Highway) and Point Source (waste Incinerator)

In the last years numerous epidemiological studies were carried out about particulate matter effects on human health. Even if there is no agreement among the epidemiological and toxicological studies about the importance of total particle concentrations in terms of number, area or mass having the major negative effects on human health, it seems that the aerosol number concentrations plays a predominant role. For this reason, international standards move the attention from PM10 to PM2.5 even if the number concentration is still not considered. In industrialized areas, the highest contribution to the fine and ultrafine particles comes from anthropogenic activities, namely from emissions of industrial combustion processes and traffic-related emissions (Cass et al., 2000). For this reason it is important to estimate the total particle number emission for each anthropogenic source and to understand the evolution of the particle size distribution (PSD) near these emission points. Zhu et al. (2004) have characterized the PSD evolution near major highway in Los Angeles showing the PSD seasonal trends and PSD evolution at different distances from the highways. Similar analysis were conducted by Kittelson on Minnesota highways (Kittelson et al., 2004). Fine et al., 2004 have obtained an ultrafine particle source apportionment in Los Angeles’ industrial area. In this study the authors evaluate the PSD spatial and temporal variations in the San Vittore del Lazio industrialized area in Italy in which there are two main sources of emission: an highway and a municipal waste incinerator (MWI) plant. The main aim is to comprehend how these two sources can influence the background aerosol PSD of the area. In particular, an experimental campaign was carried out by means of a TSI 3936 Scanning Mobility Particle Sizer (SMPS) and a TSI 3321 Aerodynamic Particle Sizer (APS) Spectrometers.
40Ar/39Ar geochronology reveals rapid change from plume‐assisted to stress‐dependent volcanism in the Newer Volcanic Province, SE Australia

Here we present 40Ar/39Ar ages of volcanic features in the Cenozoic intraplate Newer Volcanic Province in southeast Australia. The <5 Ma volcanic products in the Newer Volcanic Province can be subdivided into tholeiitic, valley‐filling Newer Plains basalts, and alkaline scoria cones, lava shields, and maars of the Newer Cones series. Plateau ages range from 3.76 ± 0.01 to 4.32 ± 0.03 Ma (2σ; all sources of uncertainties included) for the Newer Plains series, with production rates of volcanism decreasing post 4 Ma. We suggest that magmatism is related to the complex interplay of magma upwelling due to edge‐driven convection and the Cosgrove track mantle plume located in the northeast of the province at 6.5–5 Ma. Plateau ages range from 1290 ± 20 to 41.1 ± 2.2 ka (2σ) for the Newer Cones series, with a diffuse age progression in the onset of volcanism for these features from east to west. Analyses of the distribution and geomorphology of these volcanic features indicates a strong control of basement faults on volcanism, reflected in alignment of volcanic features along Paleozoic north‐south oriented basement faults in the east and Cretaceous northwest‐southeast oriented extensional features in the west. This age progression can be explained by a westerly migration of stress derived from the left‐lateral strike‐slip Tasman Fracture Zone. This suggests that the general mechanism of volcanism changed from upwelling due to plume‐assisted edge‐driven convection prior to ∼4 Ma to stress‐dependent upwelling at around 1.3 Ma.
Interpretative Models of the Dynamics of Public Expenditure and ‘Armey's Curve’: The Italian Case, 1862-2001 (Modelli interpretativi della dinamica della spesa pubblica e ‘curva di Armey’: il caso italiano, 1862-2001)

English Abstract: The paper analyzes the relationship between public expenditure and economic growth in Italy in the period 1862-2001, estimating the eventual presence of the "Armey's curve". Empirical results show that the size of government that maximize the Italian economic growth is given by a public expenditure/PNL ratio of 23.06%. Italian Abstract: Il saggio analizza la relazione tra spesa pubblica e crescita economica in Italia nel periodo 1862-2001, stimando l'eventuale presenza della "curva di Armey". I risultati empirici mostrano che la dimensione dell’operatore pubblico che massimizza la crescita economica italiana e data da un rapporto tra spesa pubblica e P.N. L. pari al 23,06%.