Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Trade and profit efficiency of manufacturing industries in South Africa

The relationship between trade and industrial performance has received a great deal of empirical attention over the past three decades. Much of this empirical attention has however focused on productivity, employment, and output growth oblivious of profit effects – the primary motive for manufacturers. Different from this literature, this paper contributes to the existing body of knowledge by testing the hypothesis that trade affects profit efficiency of manufacturing industries through its effect on technical and allocative efficiency. Using a panel stochastic frontier model based on 28 South African manufacturing industries observed between 1970 and 2016, evidence confirms a strong positive effect of export intensity on profit efficiency that operates mainly through technical efficiency. Import penetration appears to have improved allocative efficiency without having a discernible effect on profit efficiency. The former result lends empirical support to the long-standing view that outward-oriented policies have the potential to enhance industrial profit maximization while the latter result suggests that inward-oriented polices at worst promote suboptimal input allocation.
A Study on Trade between China and Central and Eastern European Countries: Does the 16+1 Cooperation Lead to Significant Trade Creation?

ABSTRACT This study aims to examine whether the establishment of the 16 + 1 Cooperation between China and Central and Eastern European countries in 2012 resulted in significant trade creation. For that purpose, we used a theoretically consistent gravity model and a panel dataset consisting of 167 countries and covering the period 2001–2019. The results show a slowdown in Sino-CEEC trade after 2012, indicating that the cooperation has so far not led to significant trade growth. The estimates also indicate that the cooperation could have greater positive effects on China’s trade with non-EU CEEC, however, we do not find sufficient evidence for this.
FDG-PET/CT in the Radiotherapy Treatment Planning of Locally Advanced Anal Cancer: A Monoinstitutional Experience

Aims Radiotherapy with concurrent 5-fluorouracil/mitomycin-C based chemotherapy has been established as definitive standard therapy approach for anal cancer. Intensity Modulated Radiotherapy (IMRT) leads to a precise treatment of the tumor, allowing dose escalation on Gross Tumor Volume (GTV), with a surrounding healthy tissues sparing. Our study assessed the impact of 18-Fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (18FDG-PET/CT) on the radiotherapy contouring process and its contribution to lymphatic spread detection, resulting to a personalization of Clinical Target Volume (CTV) and dose prescription. Methods Thirty-seven patients, with histologically proven squamous cell carcinoma of the anal canal (SCCAC) were analyzed. All patients were evaluated with history and physical examination, trans-anal endoscopic ultrasound, pelvis magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), computed tomography (CT) scans of the chest, abdomen and pelvis and planning 18FDG-PET/CT. The GTV and CTV were drawn on CT, MRI and 18FDG-PET/CT fused images. Results Thirty-four (91%) out of 37 patients presented lymph nodes involvement, in one or more areas, detected on 18FDG-PET/CT and/or MRI. The 18FDG-PET/CT showed positive lymph nodes not detected on MRI imaging (PET+, MRI−) in 14/37 patients (38%). In 14 cases, 18FDG-PET/CT allowed to a dose escalation in the involved nodes. The 18FDG-PET/CT fused images led to change the stage in 5/37(14%) cases: four cases from N0 to N1 (inguinal lymph nodes) and in one case from M0 to M1 (common iliac lymph nodes). Conclusions The 18FDG-PET/CT has a potentially relevant impact in staging and target volume delineation/definition in patients affected by anal cancer. In our experience, clinical stage variation occurred in 14% of cases. More investigations are needed to define the role of 18FDG-PET/CT in the target volume delineation of anal cancer.
m6A Regulator-Associated Modification Patterns and Immune Infiltration of the Tumor Microenvironment in Hepatocarcinoma

Background: Immunotherapy elicits durable responses in many tumors. Nevertheless, the positive response to immunotherapy always depends on the dynamic interactions between the tumor cells and infiltrating lymphocytes in the tumor microenvironment (TME). Currently, the application of immunotherapy in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has achieved limited success. The ectopic modification of N6-methyladenosine (m6A) is a common feature in multiple tumors. However, the relationship between m6A modification with HCC clinical features, prognosis, immune cell infiltration, and immunotherapy efficacy remains unclear. Materials and Methods: Here, we comprehensively evaluated m6A modification clusters based on 22 m6A regulators and systematically explored the relationship between m6A modification with tumor progression, prognosis, and immune cell infiltration characteristics. The m6Ascore was calculated by principal component analysis to quantify the m6A modifications of individual patients. Key regulators involved in immunoregulation in HCC were identified using immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence. Results: Three distinct m6A modification clusters were identified. The m6A clusters were significantly associated with clinical features, prognosis, and immune cell infiltration. The three clusters were highly consistent with the three tumor immune phenotypes, i.e., immune-excluded, immune-inflamed, and immune-desert. Comprehensive bioinformatics analysis revealed that high m6Ascore was closely associated with tumor progression, poor prognosis, and immunotherapy non-response. m6A regulators were dysregulated in HCC tissues. Hence, they play a role as predictors of poor prognosis. Tissue microarray demonstrated that overexpressed YTHDF1 was associated with low CD3+ and CD8+ T cell infiltration in HCC. Conclusion: Our findings demonstrate that m6A modification patterns play a crucial role in the tumor immune microenvironment and the prognosis of HCC. High YTHDF1 expression is closely associated with low CD3+ and CD8+ T cell infiltration in HCC.
Transcriptomics and Metabolomics Reveal Purine and Phenylpropanoid Metabolism Response to Drought Stress in Dendrobium sinense, an Endemic Orchid Species in Hainan Island

Drought stress is a bottleneck factor for plant growth and development, especially in epiphytic orchids that absorb moisture mainly from the air. Recent studies have suggested that there are complex transcriptional regulatory networks related to drought stress in Dendrobium sinense. In this study, the transcription and metabolite alterations involved in drought stress response in D. sinense were investigated through RNA-seq and metabolomics. A total of 856 metabolites were identified from stressed and control samples, with 391 metabolites showing significant differences. With PacBio and Illumina RNA sequencing, 72,969 genes were obtained with a mean length of 2,486 bp, and 622 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified. Correlation analysis showed 7 differential genes, and 39 differential metabolites were involved in interaction networks. The network analysis of differential genes and metabolites suggested that the pathways of purine metabolism and phenylpropanoid biosynthesis may play an important role in drought response in D. sinense. These results provide new insights and reference data for culturally important medicinal plants and the protection of endangered orchids.
The Role of Personal Experience and Prior Beliefs in Shaping Climate Change Perceptions: A Narrative Review

Global climate change is increasing the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events such as heatwaves, droughts, and flooding. This is the primary way many individuals experience climate change, which has led researchers to investigate the influence of personal experience on climate change concern and action. However, existing evidence is still limited and in some cases contradictory. At the same time, behavioral decision research has highlighted the importance of pre-existing values and beliefs in shaping how individuals experience changes in environmental conditions. This is in line with theories of motivated reasoning, which suggest that people interpret and process information in a biased manner to maintain their prior beliefs. Yet, the evidence for directional motivated reasoning in the context of climate change beliefs has recently been questioned. In the current paper, we critically review the literature on the interrelationships between personal experience of local weather anomalies, extreme weather events and climate change beliefs. Overall, our review shows that there is some evidence that local warming can generate climate change concern, but the capacity for personal experience to promote action may rely upon the experience first being attributed to climate change. Rare extreme weather events will likely have limited impact on judgments and decisions unless they have occurred recently. However, even recent events may have limited impact among individuals who hold strong pre-existing beliefs rejecting the reality of climate change. We identify limitations of existing research and suggest directions for future work.
Digital Acculturation or Displacement?: Examining the Link Between Social Media and Well-Being

The current study applies digital media and acculturation models to assess the links between offline social connection, online social media use, and well-being. Acculturation research suggests that intercultural contact can create conflict that individuals must resolve using four acculturations strategies: marginalization, separation, assimilation, or integration. It suggests that those who fare best adopt strategies in which they maintain heritage connection, identity and values [e.g., offline, face-to-face (F2F) social connection] while also connecting with people and norms in the new context (i.e., online). The social interaction displacement hypothesis suggests that high media use that displaces in-person social interaction (i.e., assimilation strategy) can lead to poor outcomes. The results from a survey of 60 college students (M age = 22.02, SD = 3.54; 73.3% female) suggest that individuals who maintain high offline, F2F social interaction (i.e., separation strategy) fared better than those who adopted assimilation or even integrations strategies. The findings have implications for people who spend more time online, perhaps at the expense of in-person socialization, and introduce novel opportunities for the understanding of the link between social media and poor mental health outcomes.
Effects of Voluntary Running Wheel Exercise-Induced Extracellular Vesicles on Anxiety

Anxiety disorders are the most frequently diagnosed psychological condition, associated with serious comorbidities including excessive fear and interference with daily life. Drugs for anxiety disorders are typically prescribed but the side effects include weight gain, nausea, and sleepiness. Exercise is an effective treatment for anxiety. Exercise induces the release of extracellular vesicles (EVs) into the circulation, which transmit signals between organs. However, the effects of exercise-induced EVs on anxiety remain poorly understood. Here, we isolated EVs from the sera of mice that were sedentary or that voluntarily exercised. We characterized the changes in the miRNA profile of serum EVs after 4 weeks of voluntary exercise. miRNA sequencing showed that 82 miRNAs (46 of which were positive and 36 negative regulators) changed after exercise. We selected genes affected by at least two miRNAs. Of these, 27.27% were associated with neurotrophin signaling (9.09% with each of central nervous system neuronal development, cerebral cortical cell migration, and peripheral neuronal development). We also analyzed behavioral changes in mice with 3 weeks of restraint stress-induced anxiety after injection of 20 μg amounts of EVs from exercised or sedentary mice into the left cerebral ventricle. We found that exercise-derived EVs reduced anxiety (compared to a control group) in a nest-building test but found no between-group differences in the rotarod or open field tests. Exercise-derived EVs enhanced the expression of neuroactive ligand-receptor interaction genes. Thus, exercise-derived EVs may exhibit anti-anxiety effects and may be of therapeutic utility.
Consensus of Minimally Invasive and Multidisciplinary Comprehensive Treatment for Hepatocellular Carcinoma – 2020 Guangzhou Recommendations

In China, the majority of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) result from long-term infection of hepatitis B. Pathologically, HCC is characterized by rich blood supply, multicentric origins, early vascular invasion and intrahepatic metastasis. Therefore, HCC is not a local disease but a systemic disease at the beginning of its occurrence. For this reason, a comprehensive treatment strategy should be adopted in the management of HCC, including local treatments (such as surgical resection, radiofrequency ablation, microwave ablation, chemical ablation and cryoablation, etc.), organ-level treatments [such as transcatheter arterial infusion of chemotherapy and transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE)], and systemic treatments (such as immunotherapy, antiviral therapy and molecular targeted therapy, etc.). This consensus sets forth the minimally-invasive and multidisciplinary comprehensive guideline of HCC, focusing on the following eight aspects (1) using hepaticarteriography, CT hepatic arteriography (CTHA), CT arterial portography (CTAP), lipiodol CT (Lp-CT), TACE-CT to find the intrahepatic lesion and make precise staging (2) TACE combined with ablation or ablation as the first choice of treatment for early stage or small HCC, while other therapies are considered only when ablation is not applicable (3) infiltrating HCC should be regarded as an independent subtype of HCC (4) minimally-invasive comprehensive treatment could be adopted in treating metastatic lymph nodes (5) multi-level subdivision of M-staging should be used for individualized treatment and predicting prognosis (6) HCC with severe hepatic decompensation is the only candidate criterion for liver transplantation (7) bio-immunotherapy, traditional Chinese medicine therapy, antiviral therapy, and psychosocial and psychopharmacological interventions should be advocated through the whole course of HCC treatment (8) implementation of multicenter randomized controlled trials of minimally-invasive therapy versus surgery for early and intermediate stage HCC is recommended.
Identification of Prognostic miRNAs Associated With Immune Cell Tumor Infiltration Predictive of Clinical Outcomes in Patients With Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

Background A detailed means of prognostic stratification in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is urgently needed to support individualized treatment plans. Recently, microRNAs (miRNAs) have been used as biomarkers due to their previously reported prognostic roles in cancer. This study aimed to construct an immune-related miRNA signature that effectively predicts NSCLC patient prognosis. Methods The miRNAs and mRNA expression and mutation data of NSCLC was obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). Immune-associated miRNAs were identified using immune scores calculated by the ESTIMATE algorithm. LASSO-penalized multivariate survival models were using for development of a tumor immune-related miRNA signature (TIM-Sig), which was evaluated in several public cohorts from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) and the CellMiner database. The miRTarBase was used for constructing the miRNA-target interactions. Results The TIM-Sig, including 10 immune-related miRNAs, was constructed and successfully predicted overall survival (OS) in the validation cohorts. TIM-Sig score negatively correlated with CD8+ T cell infiltration, IFN-γ expression, CYT activity, and tumor mutation burden. The correlation between TIM-Sig score and genomic mutation and cancer chemotherapeutics was also evaluated. A miRNA-target network of 10 miRNAs in TIM-Sig was constructed. Further analysis revealed that these target genes showed prognostic value in both lung squamous cell carcinoma and adenocarcinoma. Conclusions We concluded that the immune-related miRNAs demonstrated a potential value in clinical prognosis.
“This Graft-vs.-Host Disease Determines My Life. That's It.”—A Qualitative Analysis of the Experiences and Needs of Allogenic Hematopoietic Stem Cells Transplantation Survivors in Germany

Background: Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (alloHSCT) is the only curative treatment modality for many patients affected by hematologic malignancies. However, it can cause debilitating long-term effects. Understanding the impact of alloHSCT on all aspects of the patients' life is required for optimal survivorship management. Aim: To explore in-depth HSCT-survivors' experiences and needs post-transplant. Partners were included to provide further information on survivors' needs and how care could be improved in this area. Methods: We conducted semi-structured face-to-face and phone interviews with alloHSCT-survivors and their partners referred to a survivorship clinic in Germany. Theoretical sampling was used to recruit participants. Data were analyzed using framework analysis. Results: Thirty-two survivors (consent rate: 100%, response rate: 100%) and eighteen partners (consent rate: 84%, response rate: 72%) participated. Survivors were aged between 25 and 68 years (Median: 48, IQR: 25.3) and partners were aged between 26 and 64 years (Median: 54, IQR: 16, SD: 12.8). The themes emerging from the data involved survivors' needs included (i) the diversity of long-term treatment side-effects; and (ii) time post discharge as a dynamic process with individual peaks of burden. Survivors and their partners also suggested strategies for mitigating these unmet needs, i.e., (iii) transparent communication and patient empowerment; and (iv) improvement in continuity of care system and help with claiming social benefits as cornerstones of optimal survivorship care. Conclusion: To our knowledge, this is one of the first qualitative studies focused on the views of German alloHSCT-survivors on the long-term effects of alloHSCT and the first study integrating the view of their partners. Healthcare providers could better support survivors with managing their symptoms and adhering to their prescribed care by ensuring comprehensive, transparent communication that helps increase survivors' understanding and involvement in their care. Further efforts should be made to provide patient-centered, continuous survivorship care that involves additional support with navigating the healthcare and social service system. Intervention studies are required to test the effectiveness of the suggested strategies.
Functional Relationship of Arabidopsis AOXs and PTOX Revealed via Transgenic Analysis

Alternative oxidase (AOX) and plastid terminal oxidase (PTOX) are terminal oxidases of electron transfer in mitochondria and chloroplasts, respectively. Here, taking advantage of the variegation phenotype of the Arabidopsis PTOX deficient mutant (im), we examined the functional relationship between PTOX and its five distantly related homologs (AOX1a, 1b, 1c, 1d, and AOX2). When engineered into chloroplasts, AOX1b, 1c, 1d, and AOX2 rescued the im defect, while AOX1a partially suppressed the mutant phenotype, indicating that AOXs could function as PQH2 oxidases. When the full length AOXs were overexpressed in im, only AOX1b and AOX2 rescued its variegation phenotype. In vivo fluorescence analysis of GFP-tagged AOXs and subcellular fractionation assays showed that AOX1b and AOX2 could partially enter chloroplasts while AOX1c and AOX1d were exclusively present in mitochondria. Surprisingly, the subcellular fractionation, but not the fluorescence analysis of GFP-tagged AOX1a, revealed that a small portion of AOX1a could sort into chloroplasts. We further fused and expressed the targeting peptides of AOXs with the mature form of PTOX in im individually; and found that targeting peptides of AOX1a, AOX1b, and AOX2, but not that of AOX1c or AOX1d, could direct PTOX into chloroplasts. It demonstrated that chloroplast-localized AOXs, but not mitochondria-localized AOXs, can functionally compensate for the PTOX deficiency in chloroplasts, providing a direct evidence for the functional relevance of AOX and PTOX, shedding light on the interaction between mitochondria and chloroplasts and the complex mechanisms of protein dual targeting in plant cells.
Living on the Edge of the CNS: Meninges Cell Diversity in Health and Disease

The meninges are the fibrous covering of the central nervous system (CNS) which contain vastly heterogeneous cell types within its three layers (dura, arachnoid, and pia). The dural compartment of the meninges, closest to the skull, is predominantly composed of fibroblasts, but also includes fenestrated blood vasculature, an elaborate lymphatic system, as well as immune cells which are distinct from the CNS. Segregating the outer and inner meningeal compartments is the epithelial-like arachnoid barrier cells, connected by tight and adherens junctions, which regulate the movement of pathogens, molecules, and cells into and out of the cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) and brain parenchyma. Most proximate to the brain is the collagen and basement membrane-rich pia matter that abuts the glial limitans and has recently be shown to have regional heterogeneity within the developing mouse brain. While the meninges were historically seen as a purely structural support for the CNS and protection from trauma, the emerging view of the meninges is as an essential interface between the CNS and the periphery, critical to brain development, required for brain homeostasis, and involved in a variety of diseases. In this review, we will summarize what is known regarding the development, specification, and maturation of the meninges during homeostatic conditions and discuss the rapidly emerging evidence that specific meningeal cell compartments play differential and important roles in the pathophysiology of a myriad of diseases including: multiple sclerosis, dementia, stroke, viral/bacterial meningitis, traumatic brain injury, and cancer. We will conclude with a list of major questions and mechanisms that remain unknown, the study of which represent new, future directions for the field of meninges biology.
Patterns of Teachers’ Occupational Well-Being During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Relations to Experiences of Exhaustion, Recovery, and Interactional Styles of Teaching

This study examined profiles of teachers’ occupational well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic. The data were collected from 279 Finnish primary school teachers during the spring of 2020. Four groups of teachers were identified by using Latent Profile Analysis: 1) teachers with mediocre stress and work engagement (34.4%); 2) teachers with mediocre stress and lowest work engagement (11.5%); 3) teachers with highest stress and work engagement (26.5%); and 4) teachers with lowest stress and highest work engagement (27.6%). The findings indicated that teachers’ occupational well-being was individually constructed, and there was a diversity with ways how negative and positive aspects of occupational well-being were drawn into patterns. The profile groups were further analyzed with respect to teachers’ experiences of emotional exhaustion, recovery from work, and interactional styles of teaching. The results revealed that during the first few months of the COVID-19 pandemic many teachers experienced occupational stress as well as some increase in stress due to the pandemic. In addition, the findings provided new insights concerning how teachers’ work engagement was perhaps not severely affected during the first few months of the pandemic, and on how different teaching styles were associated specifically with different aspects of occupational well-being.