Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Cytotoxicity Studies of the Crude venom and Fractions of Persian Gulf Snail (Conus textile) on Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia and Normal Lymphocytes

Background: Marine animals have been considered by many researchers due to their various pharmacological effects. One group of marine animals that have been studied is cone snails. The conotoxin obtained from these marine animals has various therapeutic effects. Methods: This study was designed to investigate the apoptotic effects of crude venom of Conus textile and its fractions (A and B) on chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) cells. Accordingly, parameters such as cell viability, reactive oxygen species (ROS) level, collapse in mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), lysosomal membrane damage and caspase-3 activation were evaluated. Results: The results showed that the crude venom (50, 100 and 200 µg/ml) from Conus textile and its fraction B (50, 100 and 200 µg/ml) significantly reduced viability in CLL B-lymphocyte. In addition, exposure of CLL B-lymphocyte to fraction B (50, 100 and 200 µg/ml) was associated with an increase in the level of ROS, the collapse of the MMP, damage to the lysosomal membrane, and activation of caspase-3. Conclusion: According to results, it was concluded that fraction B from crude venom of Conus textile causes selective toxicity on CLL B-lymphocyte with almost no effect on a normal lymphocyte. Furthermore, this venom fraction could be a promising candidate for induction of apoptosis in patients with CLL through the mitochondrial pathway.
Effect of Rhodotorula mucilaginosa on patulin degradation and toxicity of degradation products

ABSTRACT Rhodotorula mucilaginosa is an antagonistic yeast for which our research team has recently reported interesting biocontrol activities against blue mould decay of apples and a strong ability to decrease the patulin concentration in vivo. However, the possible mechanisms of patulin degradation by R. mucilaginosa and the toxicity of patulin degradation products remain unclear. In this study, the effect of R. mucilaginosa on patulin degradation and toxicity of degradation products were investigated, the results showed that viable cells of R. mucilaginosa are essential to patulin degradation. Also, R. mucilaginosa eliminated patulin without adsorbing it through its cell wall. The extracellular metabolites of R. mucilaginosa stimulated by patulin showed little degradation activity for patulin. Cycloheximide addition into the medium significantly decreased the patulin degradation capacity of R. mucilaginosa cells. The main patulin degradation product by R. mucilaginosa was ascladiol, which was proved non-toxic to human hepatoma (HepG2) cells at 0.625–10 g/mL. Furthermore, toxicological analysis using a confocal laser scanning microscope revealed that the degradation product induced cellular apoptosis to a lesser extent than patulin itself. This result offers an innovative method to detoxify patulin and limit the risks of patulin in fruits and vegetables using R. mucilaginosa.
Does Match Really Matter? The Moderating Role of Resources in the Relation between Demands, Vigor and Fatigue in Academic Life

Abstract The goal of the present study is to examine the moderating role of resources at work or study in the relation between demands, vigor, and fatigue in academic life. Trying to replicate scarce research on both academic and student stress simultaneously, we tested the so-called triple-match principle in an academic context to study whether or not match between specific resources, demands and well-being/health outcomes does really matter. A cross-sectional survey study using online self-completion questionnaires was carried out among 96 academics and 221 engineering students from a technological university (n = 317 in total). Findings showed a moderating, matching, role of resources in the association between demands, vigor, and particularly fatigue. Specifically, high cognitive resources strengthened the positive relation between cognitive demands and cognitive liveliness. In addition, high emotional resources buffered the positive association between emotional demands and successively emotional, cognitive and physical fatigue. This study reveals that matching resources are important in academic life. Therefore, it seems essential to create an appropriate equilibrium between specific resources and corresponding demands to promote academic well-being and health.
Metagenomic analysis of the conjunctival bacterial and fungal microbiome in vernal keratoconjunctivitis

whose swabs were not sequenced because of absence of amplicons, were under topical medication. In addition, β-diversity didn’t show diﬀerences in microbial communities considering the use and type of medications suggesting that factors other than topical eyedrops may alter the conjunctival microbiota. The main limitation was the higher diﬃculty to obtain amplicon products from HC, which has been already described and attributed to the physiological antimicrobial activity and to the lower microbial load of healthy subjects(6)
Zerumbone, a ginger sesquiterpene, inhibits migration, invasion, and metastatic behavior of human malignant glioblastoma multiforme in vitro

The most widespread and challenging aggressive malignant tumor in the brain is glioblastoma multiforme (GBM). GBM is characterized, in particular, by significant intratumor cell variability, high growth rates, and widespread invasiveness within the surrounding normal brain parenchyma. The present study aimed to examine the impact of the natural product Zerumbone, a promising sesquiterpenoid phytochemical from Zingiber zerumbet, on U‐87 MG GBM cells and its underlying molecular mechanisms. At sub‐lethal doses, Zerumbone exerted a concentration‐ and time‐dependent suppression of cell migration ability utilizing scratch wound closure assay; it also inhibited GBM cells' invasion using Transwell invasion assay in a concentration‐dependent fashion. The enzymatic activity of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)‐2/‐9 and their protein expression has also been reduced by administration of Zerumbone. Furthermore, Zerumbone was revealed to downregulate the mRNA expression level of IL‐1β and MCP‐1, two genes contributing to MMPs expression. We also found that Zerumbone exerted an inhibitory effect on the expression of Akt and total p44/42 MAPK (Erk1/Erk2) against U‐87 MG cells. These findings collectively provide further proof for the possible molecular signaling basis of the antimetastatic effects of Zerumbone as a promising phytochemical, indicating a therapeutic strategy for the treatment of GBM through repression of migration, invasion, and metastasis.
Mortality, morbidity and economic growth

The question of whether and how changes to population health impact on economic growth has been actively studied in the literature, albeit with mixed results. We contribute to this debate by reassessing–and extending–[1], one of the most influential studies. We include a larger set of countries (135) and cover a more recent period (1990–2014). We also account for morbidity in addition to mortality and adopt the strategy of providing bounding sets for the effects of interest rather than point estimates. We find that reducing mortality and disability adjusted life years (DALYs), a measure which combines morbidity and mortality, promotes per capita GDP growth. The magnitude of the effect is moderate, but non negligible, and it is similar for mortality and DALYs.
Multi-Scale Representation Learning on Hypergraph for 3D Shape Retrieval and Recognition

Effective 3D shape retrieval and recognition are challenging but important tasks in computer vision research field, which have attracted much attention in recent decades. Although recent progress has shown significant improvement of deep learning methods on 3D shape retrieval and recognition performance, it is still under investigated of how to jointly learn an optimal representation of 3D shapes considering their relationships. To tackle this issue, we propose a multi-scale representation learning method on hypergraph for 3D shape retrieval and recognition, called multi-scale hypergraph neural network (MHGNN). In this method, the correlation among 3D shapes is formulated in a hypergraph and a hypergraph convolution process is conducted to learn the representations. Here, multiple representations can be obtained through different convolution layers, leading to multi-scale representations of 3D shapes. A fusion module is then introduced to combine these representations for 3D shape retrieval and recognition. The main advantages of our method lie in 1) the high-order correlation among 3D shapes can be investigated in the framework and 2) the joint multi-scale representation can be more robust for comparison. Comparisons with state-of-the-art methods on the public ModelNet40 dataset demonstrate remarkable performance improvement of our proposed method on the 3D shape retrieval task. Meanwhile, experiments on recognition tasks also show better results of our proposed method, which indicate the superiority of our method on learning better representation for retrieval and recognition.
Prolonged suppression of butyrate producing bacteria is associated with acute gastrointestinal graft-versus-host disease and transplant related mortality after allogeneic stem cell transplantation.

BACKGROUND Butyrogenic bacteria play an important role in gut microbiome homeostasis and intestinal epithelial integrity. Previous studies have demonstrated an association between administration of short chain fatty acids like butyrate and protection from acute graft-versus-host disease (aGvHD) after allogeneic stem cell transplantation (ASCT). METHODS Here we examined the abundance and butyrogenic capacity of butyrate producing bacteria in 28 healthy donors and 201 patients after ASCT. We prospectively collected serial stool samples and performed PCR analysis of the butyrate producing bacterial enzyme butyryl-CoA:acetate CoA-transferase (BCoAT) in fecal nucleic acid extracts. RESULTS Our data demonstrate a strong and prolonged suppression of butyrogenic bacteria early in the course of ASCT. In a multivariable analysis, early use of broad-spectrum antibiotics before day 0 (d 0, day of transplantation) was identified as independent factor associated with low BCoAT copies (odds ratio 0.370 (0.175-0.783), p=0.009). Diminished butyrogens correlated with other biomarkers of microbial diversity such as low 3-indoxyl sulfate (3-IS) levels, reduced abundance of Clostridiales and low inverse Simpson and effective Shannon indices (p<0.001, respectively). Low BCoAT copies at GvHD-onset correlated with GI-GvHD severity (p=0.002) and were associated with significantly higher GvHD associated mortality (p=0.040). Furthermore, low BCoAT copies at d 30 were associated with significantly higher transplant related mortality (p=0.017). CONCLUSIONS Our results are consistent with the hypothesis that alterations in the microbiome play an important role in GvHD pathogenesis and that microbial parameters such as BCoAT might serve as biomarkers to identify patients at high risk for developing lethal GI-GvHD.
The RyfA small RNA regulates oxidative and osmotic stress responses and virulence in uropathogenic Escherichia coli

Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are a common bacterial infectious disease in humans, and strains of uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC) are the most frequent cause of UTIs. During infection, UPEC must cope with a variety of stressful conditions in the urinary tract. Here, we demonstrate that the small RNA (sRNA) RyfA of UPEC strains is required for resistance to oxidative and osmotic stresses. Transcriptomic analysis of the ryfA mutant showed changes in expression of genes associated with general stress responses, metabolism, biofilm formation and genes coding for cell surface proteins. Inactivation of ryfA in UPEC strain CFT073 decreased urinary tract colonization in mice and the ryfA mutant also had reduced production of type 1 and P fimbriae (pili), adhesins which are known to be important for UTI. Furthermore, loss of ryfA also reduced UPEC survival in human macrophages. Thus, ryfA plays a key regulatory role in UPEC adaptation to stress, which contributes to UTI and survival in macrophages.
Order from disorder in the sarcomere: FATZ forms a fuzzy but tight complex and phase-separated condensates with α-actinin

Sarcomeric proteins FATZ-1 and α-actinin-2 associate in a tight fuzzy complex, which forms phase-separated condensates. In sarcomeres, α-actinin cross-links actin filaments and anchors them to the Z-disk. FATZ (filamin-, α-actinin-, and telethonin-binding protein of the Z-disk) proteins interact with α-actinin and other core Z-disk proteins, contributing to myofibril assembly and maintenance. Here, we report the first structure and its cellular validation of α-actinin-2 in complex with a Z-disk partner, FATZ-1, which is best described as a conformational ensemble. We show that FATZ-1 forms a tight fuzzy complex with α-actinin-2 and propose an interaction mechanism via main molecular recognition elements and secondary binding sites. The obtained integrative model reveals a polar architecture of the complex which, in combination with FATZ-1 multivalent scaffold function, might organize interaction partners and stabilize α-actinin-2 preferential orientation in Z-disk. Last, we uncover FATZ-1 ability to phase-separate and form biomolecular condensates with α-actinin-2, raising the question whether FATZ proteins can create an interaction hub for Z-disk proteins through membraneless compartmentalization during myofibrillogenesis.
Competition and collaboration: Title IX Coordinators and the barriers to achieving educational equity

How do compliance occupations successfully navigate complex institutional environments characterized by changing policy initiatives, managerial logics, unclear expectations, and competition from other occupational groups? This article examines the work of Title IX Coordinators at U.S. Colleges and Universities, who often hold dual roles, operate at lower levels within the institution, and lack the necessary resources to do their work. Using interviews, surveys, professional association materials, and Title IX job ads, this paper describes how Title IX Coordinators adapt to a complex institutional environment and overcome these obstacles in their efforts to enforce Title IX. Title IX Coordinators develop and create collaborative networks of expertise that develop and build shared institutional influence. Using pre-existing relationships and sharing information and expertise, Title IX Coordinators partner with legal counsel, campus police, human resources, ombuds, student affairs, and other occupations to co-produce Title IX compliance.
Audit Characteristics, Gender Diversity and Firm Performance: Evidence from a Developing Economy

This study aims to explore the impact of audit characteristics and gender diversity on firm performance across family and non-family firms in Bangladesh. Using data of 61 non-family and 48 family firms from 2013 to 2019, this study applies system generalised method of moments approach to carry out regression analysis. Next, the consistency of results is detected by a full sample interaction analysis. In case of non-family firm, this study documents that Big4 audit firms (Big4) and female directors on board (FDR) have significant positive impact on firm performance. Conversely, audit meeting frequency (AMF) contributes negatively to the firm performance. Unfortunately, audit committee size (ACS) and audit committee independence (ACI) have no significant contribution on firm performance. In case of family firms, this study finds that ACS and ACI have significant negative impact on firm performance. Besides, Big4, AMF and FDR have no significant contribution on firm performance. It reflects that corporate governance mechanisms in family firm are not working well and even to some extent detrimental to the firm performance. It, ultimately, demands for reforms in corporate governance framework and incorporating new dimensions for family firms.
Treosulfan-based conditioning for inborn errors of immunity

Inborn errors of immunity (IEI) are inherited disorders that lead to defects in the development and/or function of the immune system. The number of disorders that can be treated by haematopoietic stem-cell transplantation (HSCT) has increased rapidly with the advent of next-generation sequencing. The methods used to transplant children with IEI have improved dramatically over the last 20 years. The introduction of reduced-toxicity conditioning is an important factor in the improved outcome of HSCT. Treosulfan has myeloablative and immunosuppressive properties, enabling engraftment with less toxicity than traditionally used doses of busulfan. It is firmly incorporated into the conditioning guidelines of the Inborn Errors Working Party of the European Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation. Unlike busulfan, pharmacokinetically guided dosing of treosulfan is not part of routine practice, but data are emerging which indicate that further improvements in outcome may be possible, particularly in infants who have a decreased clearance of treosulfan. It is likely that individualized dosing, not just of treosulfan, but of all agents used in conditioning regimens, will be developed and implemented in the future. This will lead to a reduction in unwanted variability in drug exposure, leading to more predictable and adjustable exposure, and improved outcome of HSCT, with fewer late adverse effects and improved quality of life. Such conditioning regimens can be used as the basis to study the need for additional agents in certain disorders which are difficult to engraft or require high levels of donor chimerism, the dosing of individual cellular components within grafts, and effects of adjuvant cellular or immunotherapy post-transplant. This review documents the establishment of treosulfan worldwide, as a safe and effective agent for conditioning children with IEI prior to HSCT.
The Moral Economy of the Kolkhoz Worker, Or Why the Protest Movement in Belarus Does Not Seem to Concern the Collectivized Countryside

The mass protests that have shaken Belarus since August 9, 2020 are occurring not only in the capital but also in provincial towns and even in smaller municipalities in Belarus. The protest does not seem to be affecting the countryside, however. This article, based on an ethnographic survey conducted in rural Belarus between 2006 and 2013, analyzes the roots of the attachment to Lukashenka's regime in these territories. The article describes the moral economy of kolkhozes, that is, the normative bases on which these social worlds are founded: equality, solidarity, and dignity. At the same time, the analysis reveals the figures of the moral offenders that rural inhabitants identify as posing a threat to their worlds: the profiteer, the idler, and the moralist. This defines the expectations toward politics that can be identified in the countryside, which essentially boil down to the conversion or punishment of these “moral offenders. ”
Cation partitioning among crystallographic sites based on bond-length constraints in tourmaline-supergroup minerals

Abstract Theoretical bond-length calculations from ideal bond valences for each ion and coordination allow for the prediction of ion site preference and partitioning in tourmaline structures at low-pressure conditions. A comparison of calculated data with published bond-length values enables the determination of the range of structurally stable bond lengths with a minimal induced distortion—the “Goldilocks zone. ” The calculations provided the following conclusions: the B-site occupancy is strictly limited to B3+; the T site can freely accommodate not only Si4+ but also B3+ and Al3+, although these substituents require shrinkage and expansion of the TO4 tetrahedron, respectively; and the Be2+ substitution results in a significant difference in charge. Satisfactory bond lengths for octahedral sites were calculated for Al3+ (Z-site preference), Ti4+, Mn3+, Ga3+, V3+, Fe3+ (mixed preference), Mg2+, Fe2+, Li+, Mn2+, Ni2+, Zn2+, Cu2+, Sc3+, and Zr4+ (Y-site preference). Another group of cations, which includes U4+, Th4+, Y3+, and lanthanoids from Tb to Lu and Ce4+, have significantly longer bonds than typical Y -O and very short bonds for the X site; therefore, it is likely they would prefer an octahedron. The empirical bond length for the X site is met with Na+, Ca2+, Sr2+, Pb2+, and lanthanoids from La to Gd, while K, Rb, and Cs are too large in the low-pressure conditions. However, the final tourmaline composition results from the interaction of the structure with the genetic environment in terms of P-T-X and geochemical conditions. This results in structural and environmental constraints that limit the incorporation of elements into the structure. Consequently, major elements, such as Si, Al, B, Mg, Fe, Na, and Ca usually occur in abundance, whereas other elements (V, Cr, Mn, Ti, Pb) could form end-member compositions, but rarely do because of their low abundance in the environment. The elements with contents limited to trace amounts have either structural (Be, C, REE, Rb, Cs, U, Th) or geochemical (Zr4+, Sc3+, and Sr2+) limits. However, environmental properties, such as high pressure or specific local structural arrangements, can overcome structural constraints and enable the incorporation of elements (K).
On the formation of arrays of micro-tunnels in pyrope and almandine garnets

Abstract A recent paper devoted to unusual fine-scale tubular tunnels found in pyrope and almandine garnets suggested that the 5 to 100 μm diameter tunnels were produced by an endolithic organism that is able to chemically dissolve and penetrate the mineral, perhaps in search of nutrients. The hypothesized microbial boring of the garnets was based on the finding of endolithic remains in the tunnels, but boring alone does not adequately explain the linear, highly aligned or occasionally branched tunnels that have been imaged. We have prepared this short Letter, in the spirit of Occam’s Razor, to highlight the very probable role that dislocations play in the creation of such tunnels by preferential etching of a dislocation-rich deformation microstructure. The geometrical features of the tunnels possess all the characteristics of classical dislocation substructures that have been observed in natural and synthetic garnets.
Nationwide implementation of a decision aid on vaginal birth after cesarean: a before and after cohort study

Abstract Objectives Woman with a history of a previous cesarean section (CS) can choose between an elective repeat CS (ERCS) and a trial of labor (TOL), which can end in a vaginal birth after cesarean (VBAC) or an unplanned CS. Guidelines describe women’s rights to make an informed decision between an ERCS or a TOL. However, the rates of TOL and vaginal birth after CS varies greatly between and within countries. The objective of this study is to asses nation-wide implementation of counselling with a decision aid (DA) including a prediction model, on intended delivery compared to care as usual. We hypothesize that this may result in a reduction in practice variation without an increase in cesarean rates or complications. Methods In a multicenter controlled before and after cohort study we evaluate the effect of nation-wide implementation of a DA. Practice variation was defined as the standard deviation (SD) of TOL percentages. Results A total of 27 hospitals and 1,364 women were included. A significant decrease was found in practice variation (SD TOL rates: 0.17 control group vs. 0.10 intervention group following decision aid implementation, p=0.011). There was no significant difference in the ERCS rate or overall CS rates. A 21% reduction in the combined maternal and perinatal adverse outcomes was seen. Conclusions Nationwide implementation of the DA showed a significant reduction in practice variation without an increase in the rate of cesarean section or complications, suggesting an improvement in equality of care.