Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Immunosuppressive therapy after solid organ transplantation and the gut microbiota: Bidirectional interactions with clinical consequences

Our understanding of the involvement of the gut microbiota (GM) in human health has expanded exponentially over the last few decades, particularly in the fields of metabolism, inflammation, and immunology. Immunosuppressive treatment (IST) prescribed to solid organ transplant (SOT) recipients produces GM changes that affect these different processes. This review aims at describing the current knowledge of how IST changes the GM. Overall, SOT followed by IST results in persistent changes in the GM, with a consistent increase in proteobacteria including opportunistic pathobionts. In mice, Tacrolimus induces dysbiosis and metabolic disorders, and alters the intestinal barrier. The transfer of the GM from Tacrolimus‐treated hosts confers immunosuppressive properties, suggesting a contributory role for the GM in this drug's efficacy. Steroids induce dysbiosis and intestinal barrier alterations, and also seem to depend partly on the GM for their immunosuppressive and metabolic effects. Mycophenolate Mofetil, frequently responsible for digestive side effects such as diarrhea and colitis, is associated with pro‐inflammatory dysbiosis and increased endotoxemia. Alemtuzumab, m‐TOR inhibitors, and belatacept have shown more marginal impact on the GM. Most of these observations are descriptive. Future studies should explore the underlying mechanism of IST‐induced dysbiosis in order to better understand their efficacy and safety characteristics.
A note on the identity module in $c=0$ CFTs

It has long been understood that non-trivial Conformal Field Theories (CFTs) with vanishing central charge (c = 0) are logarithmic. So far however, the structure of the identity module – the (left and right) Virasoro descendants of the identity field – had not been elucidated beyond the stress-energy tensor T and its logarithmic partner t (the solution of the “c → 0 catastrophe”). In this paper, we determine this structure together with the associated OPE of primary fields up to level h = h̄ = 2 for polymers and percolation CFTs. This is done by taking the c → 0 limit of O(n) and Potts models and combining recent results from the bootstrap with arguments based on conformal invariance and self-duality. We find that the structure contains a rank-3 Jordan cell involving the field T T̄ , and is identical for polymers and percolation. It is characterized in part by the common value of a non-chiral logarithmic coupling a0 = − 25 48 .
Specific Heat of the Kagome Antiferromagnet Herbertsmithite in High Magnetic Fields

Quentin Barthélemy,1 Albin Demuer,2 Christophe Marcenat,3 Thierry Klein,4 Bernard Bernu,5 Laura Messio,5, 6 Matias Velázquez,7 Edwin Kermarrec,1 Fabrice Bert,1 and Philippe Mendels1, ∗ Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, Laboratoire de Physique des Solides, 91405, Orsay, France LNCMI-EMFL, CNRS UPR3228, Univ. Grenoble Alpes, Univ. Toulouse, Univ. Toulouse 3, INSA-T, Grenoble and Toulouse, France Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CEA, Grenoble INP, IRIG, PHELIQS, 38000, Grenoble, France Université Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, Grenoble INP, Institut Néel, 38000, Grenoble, France Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Laboratoire de Physique Théorique de la Matière Condensée, 75005, Paris, France Institut Universitaire de France, 75005, Paris, France Université Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, Grenoble INP, SIMAP, 38000, Grenoble, France (Dated: September 14, 2021)
Osteopontin regulates proliferation, migration, and survival of astrocytes depending on their activation phenotype

The glycoprotein osteopontin is highly upregulated in central nervous system (CNS) disorders such as ischemic stroke. Osteopontin regulates cell growth, cell adhesion, homeostasis, migration, and survival of various cell types. Accordingly, osteopontin is considered an essential regulator of regeneration and repair in the ischemic milieu. Astrocytes are the most abundant cells in the CNS and play significant roles in health and disease. Astrocytes are involved in homeostasis, promote neuroprotection, and regulate synaptic plasticity. Upon activation, astrocytes may adopt different phenotypes, termed A1 and A2. The direct effects of osteopontin on astrocytes, especially in distinct activation states, are yet unknown. The current study aimed to elucidate the impact of osteopontin on resting and active astrocytes. We established an inflammatory in vitro model of activated (A1) primary astrocytes derived from neonatal wistar rats by exposure to a distinct combination of proinflammatory cytokines. To model ischemic stroke in vitro, astrocytes were subjected to oxygen and glucose deprivation (OGD) in the presence or absence of osteopontin. Osteopontin modulated the activation phenotype by attenuating A1‐ and restoring A2‐marker expression without compromising the active astrocytes’ immunocompetence. Osteopontin promoted the proliferation of active and the migration of resting astrocytes. Following transient OGD, osteopontin mitigated the delayed ongoing death of primary astrocytes, promoting their survival. Data suggest that osteopontin differentially regulates essential functions of resting and active astrocytes and confirm a significant regulatory role of osteopontin in an in vitro ischemia model. Furthermore, the data suggest that osteopontin constitutes a promising target for experimental therapies modulating neuroregeneration and repair.
The Role of Health Information Technology in Pneumococcal Vaccination Uptake Among Adults with Heart Disease.

Background: Health information technology (HIT) may influence pneumococcal vaccination uptake in high-risk populations. This study assessed the association of HIT utilization on pneumococcal vaccine (PCV) uptake among adults ≥40 years with heart disease. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study of 2,134 individuals representing 16,813,593 United States adults ≥40 years with heart disease using the National Health Interview Survey data. The independent variables were use of the Internet to (1) look up health information, (2) fill a prescription, and (3) schedule a medical appointment, and use of an e-mail (4) communicate with a health care provider. The dependent variable was PCV uptake. Chi-square analysis was used to evaluate group differences, and a multiple logistic regression was used to analyze the association between HIT utilization and PCV uptake. Results: Those who use the Internet to fill up a prescription and to communicate with their health care provider were more likely to take up the PCV (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] 1.56; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.03-2.37, p = 0.035) and (AOR 1.95; 95% CI 1.23-3.10, p = 0.005) respectively. Compared with those who did not use HIT in any form, those who used HIT in at least three or four forms had a higher PCV uptake (AORs 1.93; 95% CI 1.19-3.13, p = 0.008) and (AOR 2.33 95% CI 1.22-4.47, p = 0.011) respectively. Conclusion: Our analysis shows a positive association of HIT utilization and PCV uptake. It further stresses the importance of electronic health in preventive medicine. This implies that HIT can be used purposively in other aspects of preventive health. Larger studies should evaluate the relationship between different uses of HIT and the uptake of different vaccines.
Emotion regulation across the lifespan: age differences in intrapersonal and interpersonal strategies for the adjustment to the COVID-19 pandemic in four countries

Abstract Objectives Studies have shown age differences in adapting to the COVID-19 pandemic. The processes explaining these age differences remain unclear. Intrapersonal and interpersonal emotion regulation play an important role in psycho-social adjustment and develop across the lifespan. This study investigated whether differences in COVID-19-related adjustment disorder symptoms can be explained by age-differences in rumination in a multi-national sample. Furthermore, linguistic indicators of ruminative processing were examined with reference to age. Methods N = 1401 participants (from USA, UK, Switzerland, Germany, aged 18–88) completed an online survey and a writing task. Measures included brooding, co-brooding, adjustment disorder symptoms, and language indicators of negative self- and communal-focus . Results Older participants reported less adjustment disorder symptoms which was mediated by less (co-)brooding. Participants reporting more (co-)brooding wrote about COVID-19 more negatively. While in younger adults more self-focus was associated with higher ruminative brooding, in older adults it was associated with less brooding. Conclusion These findings contribute to a better understanding of regulatory mechanisms that help explain age differences in mental health. They warrant further research considering age-related differences, as our results suggest not only more adaptive emotion regulation as resilience factor in older individuals but also different qualities of self-focus while processing stressful events.
Aggravating effect of obstructive sleep apnoea on left ventricular remodelling and function disorder in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: a case-control study by 3D speckle tracking echocardiography

Abstract Objectives The purpose of this study was to evaluate the early alterations of left ventricular (LV) structure and function in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients with or without obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) using 3 D speckle tracking echocardiography (3DSTE). Methods Eighty T2DM patients with preserved LVEF were included, half of whom had OSA as co-morbidity. Forty age- and sex-matched controls were also enrolled. LV structure and function were evaluated by conventional echocardiography and 3DSTE. LV global longitudinal strain (GLS), global circumferential strain (GCS), global area strain (GAS), and global radial strain (GRS) were all measured by 3DSTE. Results Four geometric patterns (normal geometry, concentric remodelling, concentric and eccentric hypertrophy) occupied significantly different proportions within the three groups (p = .014). LV remodelling made up higher shares in two T2DM groups than in the controls, whereas LV hypertrophy appeared most frequently in the patients with T2DM and OSA. The patients with T2DM alone had significantly lower GLS and GCS than the controls (both p < .01). The patients with T2DM and OSA had significantly lower GLS, GCS, GAS, and GRS than the controls and the patients with T2DM alone (all p < .01). Fasting plasma glucose (FPG), OSA and BMI had negative impacts on all and part of the strain values in T2DM patients. The T2DM patients with moderate-to-severe OSA showed significantly lower GLS, GCS, GAS, and GRS than those with mild OSA (all p < .05). Conclusions The 3DSTE plus conventional echocardiography could detect the sub-clinical LV alterations in T2DM patients with or without OSA.
Long non-coding RNA AC012668 suppresses non-alcoholic fatty liver disease by competing for microRNA miR-380-5p with lipoprotein-related protein LRP2

ABSTRACT Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is characterized by high morbidity. Although long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are known to have a role in NAFLD pathogenesis, the identified lncRNA types are limited. In this study, NAFLD models were established in vitro and in vivo using free fatty acid-treated LO2 cells and high-fat diet-fed mice, respectively. Microarray data were downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus database, and AC012668 was selected for further analysis. Cell viability and apoptosis were measured using Cell Counting Kit 8 and flow cytometry assays. RNA expression was detected using reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Triglyceride (TG) content and lipid deposition were detected using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and Oil-Red O staining. Western blotting was used to visualize protein expression. Starbase and TargetScan were used to predict the target miRNA and gene, and the predictions were verified through RNA pull-down and luciferase reporter assays. AC012668 expression levels were significantly suppressed in NAFLD models, whereas AC012668 overexpression inhibited lipogenesis-related gene (SCD1, SREBP1, FAS) expression and TG/lipid accumulation in vitro. Subsequently, miR-380-5p was predicted and verified to target AC012668, and its expression was notably increased in the NAFLD cell model. Moreover, transfection of miR-380-5p antagonized the effects of AC012668 on lipid formation and accumulation. LRP2 was confirmed to be the target gene of miR-380-5p and was downregulated in the NAFLD cell model. Silencing LRP2 reversed the effects of the miR-380-5p inhibitor on lipid formation and accumulation. AC012668 inhibited NAFLD progression via the miR-380-5p/LRP2 axis. These findings may provide a novel strategy against NAFLD.
Protease-activated receptor-2 activation enhances epithelial wound healing via epidermal growth factor receptor

ABSTRACT The intestinal barrier function relies on the presence of a single layer of epithelial cells. Barrier dysfunction is associated with the inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD). Understanding the mechanisms involved in intestinal wound healing in order to sustain the barrier function has a great therapeutic potential. Activation of protease-activated receptor-2 (PAR2) induces COX-2 expression in intestinal epithelial cells via EGFR transactivation. COX-2 is well known for its protective effects in the gastrointestinal tract. Therefore, we hypothesized that PAR-2 activation induces a wound healing response in intestinal epithelial cells through COX-2-derived lipid mediators and EGFR transactivation. Immunofluorescence and calcium assay were used to characterize CMT-93 mouse colonic epithelial cell line for PAR2 expression and its activity, respectively. Treatment with PAR2 activating peptide 2-furoyl-LIGRLO-NH2 (2fLI), but not by its inactive reverse-sequence peptide (2fO) enhanced wound closure in scratch wounded monolayers. The EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor (PD153035), broad-spectrum matrix metalloproteinase inhibitor (GM6001) and Src tyrosine kinase inhibitor (PP2) inhibited PAR2-induced wound healing. However, PAR2 activation did not induce COX-2 expression in CMT-93 cells and inhibition of COX-2 by COX-2 selective inhibitor (NS-398) did not alter PAR2-induced wound healing. In conclusion, PAR2 activation drives wound healing in CMT-93 cells via EGFR transactivation. Matrix metalloproteinases and Src tyrosine kinase activity may involve in EGFR transactivation and PAR2-induced wound healing is independent of COX-2 activity. These findings provide a mechanism whereby PAR2 can participate in the resolution of intestinal wounds in gastrointestinal inflammatory diseases.
Effectiveness of TI-RADS and ATA classifications for predicting malignancy of thyroid nodules.

BACKGROUND Thyroid cancer is one of the most common cancers and is especially common in young patients. Therefore, effective recognition and treatment of thyroid cancer are essential for patient survival. OBJECTIVES To compare the effectiveness of standard guidelines for predicting thyroid malignancy. To do so, thyroid nodules were classified according to the categories of the American Thyroid Association (ATA) and Thyroid Imaging Reporting and Data System (TI-RADS) guidelines, and compared with fine-needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) results. MATERIAL AND METHODS The study included 1741 thyroid nodules with a final diagnosis in 1121 consecutive patients. The FNAB was recommended for all patients according to ATA guidelines and subsequently performed. The nodules were reclassified according to TI-RADS guidelines. RESULTS Comparing nodules classified according to ATA and TI-RADS in terms of ultrasonography (US) features with the Bethesda cytological diagnosis classification System for Reporting Thyroid Cytopathology, 37.6% of the nodules classified in the high-risk category according to the ATA classification were found to be malignant cytology, 10.4% suspicious for malignancy, 4% non-diagnostic, 9.6% indeterminant cytology, and 38.4% benign. According to the TI-RADS risk category, 50% of those with high suspicion were malignant, 13.3% suspicious for malignancy cytology and 36.7% were benign. For the TI-RADS guidelines, the best cutoff value for differentiating benign and malignant nodules was found to be 4.5 (area under the curve (AUC) = 0.962, 95% CI = 0.943-0.981, p < 0.001). For the ATA guidelines, the best cutoff value for separating benign and malignant nodules was 4.5 (AUC = 0.917, 95% CI = 0.875-0.959, p < 0.001). The diagnostic performances of the TI-RADS and ATA score systems were evaluated using highly suspicious nodules. The sensitivity and specificity of highly suspicious nodules, according to both TI-RADS and ATA guidelines, were both high. Sensitivity and specificity of ATA classification were 80% and 96.3%, respectively. Sensitivity and specificity of TI-RADS classification were 76% and 97.5%, respectively, but positive predictive value was low (63.3% compared to 55.5%). CONCLUSIONS Both, the ATA and TI-RADS classifications can effectively predict malignancy risk of thyroid nodules and may thus decrease unnecessary FNAB.
Effectiveness of Family-Centered Oral Health Promotion on Toddler Oral Health in Hong Kong

Early childhood caries is common in Hong Kong, and parental practices on maintaining good oral health of their young children are far from satisfactory. This article reports on the effectiveness of a randomized controlled trial on family-centered oral health promotion to new parents in establishing proper feeding habits and oral hygiene practices and in reducing caries risk among 3-y-old toddlers. At baseline, pregnant mothers and their husbands were recruited and randomly allocated into 2 groups. The test group received individualized oral health education (OHE) via a behavioral and educational counseling approach while the control group received the OHE pamphlets only. Information related to the feeding habits, oral hygiene practices, and oral health of the toddlers was collected by parent-completed questionnaires and oral examination annually via home visits. A total of 580 families were recruited at baseline, and 436 toddlers were followed up when they reached 3 y old (test, n = 228; control, n = 208; follow-up rate, 75.2%). The proportions of toddlers who held food in the mouth, fell asleep when milk feeding, had prolonged use of the nursing bottle, ate before bed, and consumed a sweet snack daily were significantly lower in the test group than in the control group (all P < 0.05). Significantly higher proportions of toddlers brushed their own teeth twice daily, were brushed by their parents twice daily, and used fluoride toothpaste than in the control group (all P < 0.001). Toddlers in the test group had better oral health status with a lower level of visible plaque, Streptococcus mutans, white spot lesion, and cavitated lesion (all P < 0.05). Family-centered oral health promotion and individualized OHE for parents via a behavioral and educational counseling approach are more effective in establishing good feeding habits and parental toothbrushing practices and in decreasing the caries risk of their toddlers than the distribution of OHE pamphlets alone (ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02937194).
Stochastic and sinusoidal electrical stimuli increase the irregularity and gain of Type A and B medial vestibular nucleus neurons, in vitro

Galvanic vestibular stimulation (GVS) has been shown to improve vestibular function potentially via stochastic resonance, however, it remains unknown how central vestibular nuclei process these signals. In vivo work applying electrical stimuli to the vestibular apparatus of animals has shown changes in neuronal discharge at the level of the primary vestibular afferents and hair cells. This study aimed to determine the cellular impacts of stochastic, sinusoidal, and stochastic + sinusoidal stimuli on individual medial vestibular nucleus (MVN) neurons of male and female C57BL/6 mice. All stimuli increased the irregularity of MVN neuronal discharge, while differentially affecting neuronal gain. This suggests that the heterogeneous MVN neuronal population (marked by differential expression of ion channels), may influence the impact of electrical stimuli on neuronal discharge. Neuronal subtypes showed increased variability of neuronal firing, where Type A and B neurons experienced the largest gain changes in response to stochastic and sinusoidal stimuli. Type C neurons were the least affected regarding neuronal firing variability and gain changes. The membrane potential (MP) of neurons was altered by sinusoidal and stochastic + sinusoidal stimuli, with Type B and C neuronal MP significantly affected. These results indicate that GVS‐like electrical stimuli impact MVN neuronal discharge differentially, likely as a result of heterogeneous ion channel expression.
Longitudinal Assessment of Alcohol Consumption throughout the First COVID-19 Lockdown: Contribution of Age and Pre-Pandemic Drinking Patterns

Introduction: The COVID-19 outbreak and the related lockdown measures have raised concerns regarding mental health, including alcohol misuse. Preliminary studies investigated alcohol consumption at the early stages of lockdown, but no longitudinal data regarding its evolution during and after the first lockdown are currently available. Methods: We investigated changes in alcohol consumption among a convenience sample of 1,693 French-speaking Belgian adults using a 3-stage longitudinal online survey. All participants reported their consumption at different stages of lockdown: before lockdown onset (retrospectively, T0), at 2 different times during lockdown (T1 and T2), and after lockdown offset (T3). We also measured socio-demographic variables and the harmfulness of drinking patterns before lockdown. Results: A mixed model with negative binomial distribution indicated that participants decreased their alcohol consumption after lockdown onset and returned to their initial alcohol consumption after lockdown offset. Younger individuals (18–30 years old) were more likely to decrease their consumption during the lockdown period (T1 and T2) than the periods preceding or following lockdown (T0 and T3), especially if they presented hazardous or problematic drinking patterns before lockdown. We only observed a rebound effect after lockdown offset among young moderate drinkers. All participants kept stable their alcohol consumption during lockdown (T1 and T2). Conclusions: Lockdown onset and offset constitute key periods for alcohol consumption changes during the COVID-19 crisis, particularly in youth and in individuals with hazardous or problematic drinking patterns.