Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Influenza vaccine is able to prevent neuroinflammation triggered by H7N7 IAV infection

Influenza A virus (IAV) subtypes are a major cause of illness and mortality worldwide and pose a threat to human health. Although IAV infection is considered a self-limiting respiratory syndrome, an expanded spectrum of cerebral manifestations has been reported following IAV infection. Neurotropic IAVs, such as the H7N7 subtype, are capable of invading the central nervous system (CNS) and replicating in brain cells, resulting in microglia-induced neuroinflammation. Microglial cells, the brain’s resident immune cells, are instrumental in the inflammatory response to viral infection. While activation of microglia is important to initially contain the virus, excessive activation of these cells leads to neuronal damage. Previous studies have shown that acute and even long-term IAV-induced neuroinflammation leads to CNS damage. Therefore, the search for possible preventive or therapeutic strategies is of great importance. In this study, we investigated the potential effect of vaccination against acute neuroinflammation induced by H7N7 infection and subsequent neuronal damage in the hippocampus, a particularly vulnerable brain region, comparing young and aged mice. Immunosenescence is one of the striking pathophysiological changes during mammalian aging that leads to “inflammaging” and critically limits the protection by vaccines in the elderly. The results suggest that formalin-inactivated H7N7 vaccine has a preventive effect against the inflammatory responses in the periphery and also in the CNS after H7N7 infection. Cytokine and chemokine levels, increased microglial density, and cell volume after H7N7 infection were all attenuated by vaccination. Further structural analysis of microglial cells also revealed a change in branching complexity after H7N7 infection, most likely reflecting the neuroprotective effect of the vaccination. In addition, synapse loss was prevented in vaccinated mice. Remarkably, engulfment of post-synaptic compartments by microglia can be proposed as the underlying mechanism for spine loss triggered by H7N7 infection, which was partially modulated by vaccination. Although young mice showed better protection against neuroinflammation and the resulting deleterious neuronal effects upon vaccination, a beneficial role of the vaccine was also observed in the brains of older mice. Therefore, vaccination can be proposed as an important strategy to prevent neurological sequelae of H7N7 infection.
Thromboinflammatory response is increased in pancreas transplant alone versus simultaneous pancreas-kidney transplantation and early pancreas graft thrombosis is associated with complement activation

Background Pancreas transplant alone (PTA) recipients are more affected by pancreas graft thrombosis, and graft loss compared to simultaneous pancreas-kidney (SPK) recipients. The pathophysiology is unknown, but an increased immune response has been suggested in the PTA recipients. In this observational study, we compared perioperative thromboinflammation between PTA (n=32) and SPK (n=35) recipients, and between PTA recipients with (n=14) versus without (n=18) early graft thrombosis. Methods We measured C-reactive protein (CRP), plasma markers of activated coagulation and complement, and cytokines preoperatively and daily during the first postoperative week. Results Preoperatively, coagulation and complement activation markers were comparable between PTA and SPK recipients, while cytokine concentrations were higher in SPK recipients (TNF, IL-8, IP-10, MCP-1, MIP-1α; all p<0.05). On the first postoperative day, PTA recipients had higher coagulation activation, measured as thrombin-antithrombin complex (TAT), than SPK recipients (p=0.008). In the first postoperative week, PTA recipients showed higher relative cytokine release (IL-6, IL-8, G-CSF, IP-10, MCP-1, and MIP-1α; all p<0.05) while SPK recipients showed higher absolute cytokine concentrations (TNF, IL-1ra, IL-8, MIP-1α, and IL-4; all p<0.05). PTA and SPK recipients showed similar terminal complement complex (TCC, sC5b-9) activation. On the first postoperative day, TCC (OR 1.2 [95% CI 1.0-1.5] for 0.1 CAU/ml increase, p=0.02) and CRP (OR 1.2 [95% CI 1.0-1.3] for 10 mg/L increase, p=0.04) were associated with an increased risk of early graft thrombosis. TCC was specific for graft thrombosis, while CRP increased with several complications. PTA recipients with compared to those without graft thrombosis had higher TCC pre- (p=0.04) and postoperatively (p=0.03). Conclusion The relative increase in postoperative thromboinflammatory response was more pronounced in PTA recipients. Complement activation was associated with an increased risk of graft thrombosis. This study indicates that innate immune activation rather than elevated levels may affect early postoperative pancreas graft thrombosis. Clinical trial registration https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01957696, identifier NCT01957696
Characterization of the oral and gut microbiome in children with obesity aged 3 to 5 years

The ever-increasing global prevalence of obesity has trended towards a younger age. The ecological characteristics and changes of the oral and gut microbial community during childhood are poorly understood.In this study, we analyzed the salivary and fecal microbiota of 30 children with obesity and 30 normal weight children aged 3-5 years via third-generation long-range DNA sequencing,with the aim of understanding the structure of childhood microbiota and identifying specific oral and gut microbial lineages and genera in children that may be associated with obesity.The results revealed significant variation in alpha diversity indices among the four groups (Chao1: P < 0.001; observed species: P < 0.001; Shannon < 0.001). Principal coordinate analysis (PCoA) and nonmetric multidimensional scaling (NMDS) revealed significant differences in oral and gut microbial community structure between obesity and controls. The Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes (F/B) abundance ratios of oral and intestinal flora among children with obesity were higher than those of controls. The most abundant phyla and genera found in oral and intestinal flora were Firmicutes, Proteobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Neisseria, Bacteroides, Faecalibacterium, Streptococcus, Prevotella and so on. Linear discriminant analysis effect size (LEfSe) revealed higher proportions of Filifactor (LDA= 3.98; P < 0.05) and Butyrivibrio (LDA = 2.54; P < 0.001) in the oral microbiota of children with obesity, while the fecal microbiota of children with obesity were more enriched with Faecalibacterium (LDA = 5.02; P < 0.001), Tyzzerella (LDA=3.25; P < 0.01), Klebsiella (LDA = 4.31; P < 0.05),which could be considered as dominant bacterial biomarkers for obesity groups.A total of 148 functional bacterial pathways were found to significantly differ in the oral and gut microbiota among controls and obesity using PICRUSt 2. Most predicted functional pathways were clustered in biosynthesis. In conclusion, This work suggests there were significant differences in oral and gut microbiota in controls and obesity groups, microbiota dysbiosis in childhood might have significant effect on the development of obesity.
Fatty acid metabolism: A new therapeutic target for cervical cancer

Cervical cancer (CC) is one of the most common malignancies in women. Cancer cells can use metabolic reprogramming to produce macromolecules and ATP needed to sustain cell growth, division and survival. Recent evidence suggests that fatty acid metabolism and its related lipid metabolic pathways are closely related to the malignant progression of CC. In particular, it involves the synthesis, uptake, activation, oxidation, and transport of fatty acids. Similarly, more and more attention has been paid to the effects of intracellular lipolysis, transcriptional regulatory factors, other lipid metabolic pathways and diet on CC. This study reviews the latest evidence of the link between fatty acid metabolism and CC; it not only reveals its core mechanism but also discusses promising targeted drugs for fatty acid metabolism. This study on the complex relationship between carcinogenic signals and fatty acid metabolism suggests that fatty acid metabolism will become a new therapeutic target in CC.
Food allergy risks and dining industry – an assessment and a path forward

Food allergies have increased in prevalence over the last few decades and continue to grow. Consumption of even trace amounts of common foods can cause a rapid allergic reaction (generally within minutes) which can be mild to severe to even life-threatening. Eating at restaurants poses a risk of allergic reactions for those with food allergies due to inadequate, inconsistent labeling of allergens in foods. Here, we review food labeling rules and practices in the restaurant industry and compare and contrast it with food labeling for prepackaged foods. We review global and United States trends, and provide a brief historical overview. The paper describes the key legal and economic motivations behind restaurant food labeling. Next, we describe novel risk-driven policies and new biotechnologies that have the potential to change food labeling practices worldwide. Finally, we outline desirable federal regulations and voluntary information disclosures that would positively impact the public health aspects of restaurant food labeling and improve the quality of life for people with severe food allergies.
Use of tobacco, nicotine and cannabis products among students in Switzerland

Introduction Most people who smoke cigarettes begin in their teens and teens may also be attracted to new tobacco, nicotine, and cannabis products. We describe use prevalence among upper-secondary school students in Switzerland, including daily use, of tobacco, nicotine, and cannabis products. Methods We invited secondary school students (age 15 to 21) in two Swiss cantons to take an online survey between October 2021 and February 2022. The survey collected demographic information and asked how frequently they used tobacco products (cigarettes in commercial packages, self-rolled cigarettes, hookahs, pipes, cigars and cigarillos, tobacco heating systems, snus, snuff), non-tobacco nicotine products (nicotine pouches, e-cigarettes with and without nicotine), and cannabis products (smoking with and without tobacco, cannabis vaping). Answers were scored on a Likert scale (no use in past month, less than weekly, weekly but not daily, daily use, prefer not to say), then tabulated and reported as descriptive statistics. Results Of 32,614 students in the schools we contacted, 9,515 (29.2%) completed the survey; 49.5% identified as female and 48.4% as male; 9.5% were under 16, 47% were 16–17, 27.5% were 18–19, and 16% were over 19. Reported daily use was most frequent for tobacco cigarettes in commercial packages (14.2%), snus (4.1%) and cannabis smoking with tobacco (3.6%). Most participants (54.8%) reported they had used at least one product at least once within the last month. Conclusion Students who used a product were most likely to smoke cigarettes, but many regularly used new tobacco, nicotine and cannabis products, though use frequency varies.
Characteristics and outcomes of peer consultations for assisted dying request assessments: Cross-sectional survey study among attending physicians

Background In most jurisdictions where assisted dying practices are legal, attending physicians must consult another practitioner to assess the patient's eligibility. Consequently, in some jurisdictions, they can rely on the expertise of trained assisted dying consultants (trained consultants). However, these peer consultations remain under-researched. We examined the characteristics and outcomes of peer consultations to assess an assisted dying request with trained consultants, and explored how these characteristics influence the performance of assisted dying. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional survey in 2019–2020 in Belgium among attending physicians who had consulted a trained consultant for an assisted dying request assessment (N = 904). Results The valid response rate was 56% (502/903). The vast majority of attending physicians (92%) who had consulted a trained consultant were general practitioners. In more than half of the consultations (57%), the patient was diagnosed with cancer. In 66%, the patient was aged 70 or older. Reported as the patients' most important reasons to request assisted dying: suffering without prospect of improving in 49% of the consultations, loss of dignity in 11%, pain in 9%, and tiredness of life in 9%. In the vast majority of consultations (85%), the attending physician consulted the trained consultant because of the expertise, and in nearly half of the consultations (46%) because of the independence. In more than nine out of ten consultations (91%), the consultant gave a positive advice: i.e., substantive requirements for assisted dying were met. Eight out of ten consultations were followed by assisted dying. The likelihood of assisted dying was higher in consultations in which loss of dignity, loss of independence in daily living, or general weakness or tiredness were reasons for the request. Conclusion Our findings indicate that the peer consultation practice with trained consultants is most often embedded in a primary care setting. Moreover, our study corroborates previous research in that assisted dying is performed relatively less frequently in patients with cancer and more often in patients with general deterioration. Our findings suggest that attending physicians hold peer consultations with trained consultants to endorse their own decision-making and to request additional support.
Dimethyl fumarate abrogates striatal endoplasmic reticulum stress in experimentally induced late-stage Huntington’s disease: Focus on the IRE1α/JNK and PERK/CHOP trajectories

Introduction: Dimethyl fumarate (DMF) is FDA-approved for use in patients with relapsing multiple sclerosis, and it processes neuroprotection in several experimental settings; however, its impact on combating Huntington’s disease (HD) remains elusive. This study aimed to explore the role of DMF post-treatment on HD mediated endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress response in a selective striatal degeneration HD model. Methods: Rats, exposed to 3-nitropropionic acid, were either left untreated or post-treated with DMF for 14 days. Results and Discussion: DMF reduced locomotion deficits in both the open field and beam walk paradigms, boosted the striatal dopamine (DA) content, improved its architecture at the microscopic level, and hindered astrogliosis. Mechanistically, DMF limited the activation of two of the ER stress arms in the striatum by reducing p-IRE1α, p-JNK, and p-PERK protein expressions besides the CHOP/GADD153 content. Downstream from both ER stress arms’ suppression, DMF inhibited the intrinsic apoptotic pathway, as shown by the decrease in Bax and active caspase-3 while raising Bcl-2. DMF also decreased oxidative stress markers indicated by a decline in both reactive oxygen species and malondialdehyde while boosting glutathione. Meanwhile, it enhanced p-AKT to activate /phosphorylate mTOR and stimulate the CREB/BDNF/TrkB trajectory, which, in a positive feedforward loop, activates AKT again. DMF also downregulated the expression of miRNA-634, which negatively regulates AKT, to foster survival kinase activation. Conclusion: This study features a focal novel point on the DMF therapeutic ability to reduce HD motor manifestations via its ability to enhance DA and suppress the IRE1α/JNK and PERK/CHOP/GADD153 hubs to inhibit the mitochondrial apoptotic pathway through activating the AKT/mTOR and BDNF/TrkB/AKT/CREB signaling pathways and abating miRNA-634 and oxidative stress.
Safety and efficacy of intracoronary artery administration of human bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells in STEMI of Lee-Sung pigs—A preclinical study for supporting the feasibility of the OmniMSC-AMI phase I clinical trial

Background This study tested whether early left intracoronary arterial (LAD) administration of human bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hBMMSCs, called OmniMSCs) in acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) of Lee-Sung pigs induced by 90 min balloon-occluded LAD was safe and effective. Methods and results Young male Lee-Sung pigs were categorized into SC (sham-operated control, n = 3), AMI-B (STEMI + buffer/21 cc/administered at 90 min after STEMI, n = 6), and AMI-M [acute myocardial infarction (AMI) + hBMMSCs/1.5 × 107/administered at 90 min after STEMI, n = 6] groups. By 2 and 5 months after STEMI, the cardiac magnetic resonance imaging demonstrated that the muscle scar score (MSS) and abnormal cardiac muscle exercise score in the infarct region were significantly increased in the AMI-B than in the SC group that were significantly reversed in the AMI-M group, whereas the left ventricular ejection function by each month (from 1 to 5) displayed an opposite pattern of MSS among the groups (all p < 0.001). By 5 months, histopathological findings of infarct and fibrosis areas and isolectin-B4 exhibited an identical pattern, whereas the cellular expressions of troponin-I/troponin-T/von Willebrand factor exhibited an opposite pattern of MSS among the groups (all p < 0.001). The ST-segment resolution (>80%) was significantly earlier (estimated after 6-h AMI) in the AMI-M group than in the AMI-B group (p < 0.001). The protein expressions of inflammation (IL-1β/TNF-α/NF-κB)/oxidative stress (NOX-1/NOX-2/oxidized protein)/apoptosis (cleaved caspase-3/cleaved PARP)/DNA damage (γ-H2AX) displayed an identical pattern to MSS among the groups, whereas the protein expressions of angiogenesis factors (SDF-1α/VEGF) were significantly and progressively increased from SC, AMI-B, to AMI-M groups (all p < 0.001). Conclusion Early intra-LAD transfusion of OmniMSC treatment effectively reduced the infarct size and preserved LV function in porcine STEMI.
Conceptual and methodological issues in the study of the personality-and-culture relationship

Culture-and-personality studies were central to social science in the early 20th century and have recently been revived (as personality-and-culture studies) by trait and cross-cultural psychologists. In this article we comment on conceptual issues, including the nature of traits and the nature of the personality-and-culture relationship, and we describe methodological challenges in understanding associations between features of culture and aspects of personality. We give an overview of research hypothesizing the shaping of personality traits by culture, reviewing studies of indigenous traits, acculturation and sojourner effects, birth cohorts, social role changes, and ideological interventions. We also consider the possibility that aggregate traits affect culture, through psychological means and gene flow. In all these cases we highlight alternative explanations and the need for designs and analyses that strengthen the interpretation of observations. We offer a set of testable hypotheses based on the premises that personality is adequately described by Five-Factor Theory, and that observed differences in aggregate personality traits across cultures are veridical. It is clear that culture has dramatic effects on the thoughts, feelings, and behaviors from which we infer traits, but it is not yet clear whether, how, and in what degree culture shapes traits themselves.
Low content of highly reactive iron in sediments from Prydz Bay and the adjacent Southern Ocean: Controlling factors and implications for sedimentary organic carbon preservation

Examining iron (Fe) speciation in marine sediments is critical to understand Fe and carbon biogeochemical cycling in polar regions. In this study, we investigated the speciation of Fe in sediments from Prydz Bay and the adjacent Southern Ocean, and examined the factors controlling Fe speciation and its relationship with total organic carbon (TOC). Our results reveal that unreactive silicate Fe (FeU) is the dominant pool of total Fe (FeT), followed by poorly reactive sheet silicate Fe (FePRS), reducible crystalline Fe oxides (Feox2), easily reducible amorphous/poorly crystalline Fe oxides (Feox1), and magnetite (Femag), with carbonate-associated ferrous Fe (Fecarb) being the smallest pool. The highly reactive Fe (FeHR)/FeT ratios (0.13 ± 0.06) in our study area are among the lowest end-member globally, primarily due to weak bedrock weathering and slow glacier melting. The Feox1/FeT ratios are similar to those in continental shelf and marginal seas containing highly weathered materials, while the Feox2/FeT ratios are significantly lower. This result implicates that low temperature inhibits the aging of iceberg melting-sourced Feox1 potentially, and accordingly the regulation of weathering on the FeHR/FeT ratio is mainly reflected in Feox2/FeT ratio. There are no significant correlations between TOC and FeHR, Fecarb, Feox1 or Feox2 in the research region. Four distinct patterns of TOC/FeHR ratio can be discerned by summarizing the global data set: (a) high TOC/FeHR ratios (> 2.5) are likely the result of high marine primary productivity and low chemically weathered source materials; (b) low TOC/FeHR ratios (< 0.6) are caused by high rates of FeHR inputs and OC remineralization; (c) mid-range TOC/FeHR ratios (0.6 – 2.5) typical of most river particulates and marginal sea sediments indicate the same FeHR and OC sources and/or interactions between each other; (d) both low TOC and FeHR content is the result of low marine primary productivity and weak chemical weathering. Our findings provide new insights into the relationship between FeHR and TOC in polar sediments.
Geometric statistics and dynamic fragmentation

The present study is focused on the distributions in particle size produced in dynamic fragmentation processes. Previous work on this subject is reviewed. We then examine the one‐dimensional fragmentation problem as a random Poisson process and provide comparisons with expanding ring fragmentation data. Next we explore the two‐dimensional (area) and, less extensively, the three‐dimensional (volume) fragmentation problem. Mott’s theory of random area fragmentation is developed, and we propose an alternative application of Poisson statistics which leads to an exponential distribution in fragment size. Both theoretical distributions are compared with analytic and computer studies of random area geometric fragmentation problems, including those suggested by Mott, the Voronoi construction, a variation of the Johnson–Mehl construction, and several methods of our own. We find that size distributions from random geometric fragmentation are construction dependent, and that a conclusive choice between the two distr.