Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Risk factors of post-traumatic hydrocephalus after decompressive craniectomy for patients with craniocerebral trauma

Objective Objective To determine the potential factors for development of post-traumatic hydrocephalus (PTH) after decompressive craniectomy (DC). Methods A retrospective study was performed on 62 patients undergone DC after craniocerebral trauma.Based on the incidence of hydrocephalus after DC,the patients were divided into hydrocephalus group (n =15) and non-hydrocephalus group (n =47). The factors including general data information,pre-operative condition,imagine manifestation,operation methods,and surgical parameters were compared between groups to identify the risk factors contributing to the development of PTH.Results No statistical differences were found between the two groups in aspects of gender,age,injury severity score (ISS),pupillary size,pupillary light reflex,Fisher scale of subarachnoid hemorrhage,volume of intracranial occupation,ambient cistern compression,midline shift,intracranial infection,and distance of superior margin of the craniectomy to midline.But there were significant differences of the two groups in whether underwent bilateral craniectomy (x2 =9.235,P ＜0.05),height of craniectomy (t =3.751,P ＜ 0.01),area of craniectomy (t =3.171,P ＜ 0.01) and whether underwent reoperation (x2 =8.335,P ＜ 0.01). Logistic regression analysis indicated that the development of PTH was significantly affected by bilateral craniectomy,large craniectomy and reoperation.Conclusion Bilateral craniectomy,large craniectomy and reoperation are risk factors for the development of PTH after DC. Key words: Craniocerebral trauma; Hydrocephalus ; Decompression, surgical
Altered miRNAs Expression Correlates With Gastroenteropancreatic Neuroendocrine Tumors Grades

Gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (GEP-NETs) are rare and heterogeneous tumors that present a wide spectrum of different clinical and biological characteristics. Currently, tumor grading, determined by Ki-67 staining and mitotic counts, represents the most reliable predictor of prognosis. This time-consuming approach fails to reach high reproducibility standards thus requiring novel approaches to support histological evaluation and prognosis. In this study, starting from a microarray analysis of paraffin-embedded tissue specimens, we defined the miRNAs signature for poorly differentiated NETs (G3) compared to well-differentiated NETs (G1 and G2) consisting of 56 deregulated miRNAs. We identified 8 miRNAs that were expressed in all GEP-NETs grades but at different level. Among these miRNAs, miR-96-5p expression level was progressively higher from grade 1 to grade 3; inversely, its target FoxO1 expression decreased from grade 1 to grade 3. Our results reveal that the miRNAs expression profile of GEP-NET is correlated with the tumor grade, showing a potential advantage of miRNA quantification that could aid clinicians in the classification of common GEP-NETs subtypes. These findings could reliably support the histological evaluation of GEP-NETs paving the way toward personalized treatment approaches.
Effects of nitrogen fertilizer sources and temperature on soil CO2 efflux in Italian ryegrass crop under Mediterranean conditions

We report the results of a study that aimed to assess the dynamics of total and heterotrophic soil respiration and its relationships with soil temperature or soil moisture of an Italian ryegrass haycrop managed with different nitrogen (N) fertilizer sources. The field experiment was carried out in the Nitrate Vulnerable Zone of the dairy district of Arborea, a reclaimed wetland in central-western Sardinia, Italy. This is an area characterized by sandy soils, shallow water table and intensive dairy cattle farming systems. Italian ryegrass is grown for hay production in the context of a double cropping rotation with silage maize. We analyzed the effects of N fertilizer treatments on soil carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) efflux, soil water content and soil temperature: i) farmyard manure; ii) cattle slurry; iii) mineral fertilizer; iv) 70 kg ha -1 from slurry and 60 kg ha -1 from mineral fertilizer that corresponds to the prescriptions of the vulnerable zone management plan . During the monitoring period, soil water content never fell below 8.6% vol., corresponding to approximately -33 kPa matric potential. Total and heterotrophic soil respiration dynamics were both influenced by soil temperature over winter and early spring, reaching a maximum in the first ten days of April in manure and slurry treatments. In the last 30 days of the Italian ryegrass crop cycle, total soil respiration decreased and seemed not to be affected by temperature. The analysis of covariance with soil temperature as covariate showed that average respiration rates were significantly higher under the manure treatment and lower with mineral fertilizer than the slurry and slurry+mineral treatments, but with similar rates of respiration per unit increase of soil temperature for all treatments. The average soil respiration rates were significantly and positively related to the soil carbon (C) inputs derived from fertilizers and preceding crop residuals. We concluded that: i) the fertilizer source influenced soil CO 2 efflux of the winter haycrop according to the amount of C input; and ii) that the temporal dynamics of soil respiration can be explained by soil temperature regime only in winter and early spring. These findings suggest that further studies are needed to analyze the role of soil biological factors controlling soil respiration dynamics of intensive forage cropping systems under Mediterranean conditions.
Solid-state NMR spectroscopy identifies three classes of lipids in C. neoformans melanized cell walls and whole fungal cells

A primary virulence-associated trait of the opportunistic fungal pathogen Cryptococcus neoformans is the production of melanin pigments that are deposited into the cell wall and interfere with the host immune response. Previously, our solid-state NMR studies of isolated melanized cell walls (melanin ‘ghosts’) revealed that the pigments are strongly associated with lipids, but their identities, origins, and potential roles were undetermined. Herein, we exploited spectral editing techniques to identify and quantify the lipid molecules associated with pigments in melanin ghosts. The lipid profiles were remarkably similar in whole C. neoformans cells, grown under either melanizing or non-melanizing conditions; triglycerides (TGs), sterol esters (SEs) and polyisoprenoids (PPs) were the major constituents. Although no quantitative differences were found between melanized and non-melanized cells, melanin ghosts were relatively enriched in SEs and PPs. In contrast to lipid structures reported during early stages of fungal growth in nutrient-rich media, variants found herein could be linked to nutrient stress, cell aging, and subsequent production of substances that promote chronic fungal infections. The fact that TGs and SEs are the typical cargo of lipid droplets suggests that these organelles could be connected to C. neoformans melanin synthesis. Moreover, the discovery of PPs is intriguing because dolichol is a well-established constituent of human neuromelanin. The presence of these lipid species even in non-melanized cells suggests that they could be produced constitutively under stress conditions in anticipation of melanin synthesis. These findings demonstrate that C. neoformans lipids are more varied compositionally and functionally than previously recognized.
The rates of photosynthesis, chlorophyll content, dark respiration, proline and abscisic acid (ABA) in wheat (Triticum durum) under water deficit conditions

A controlled environment pot experiment was conducetd to evaluate the effects of water stress on wheat crop. A number of parameters were estimated; two physiological functions; photosynthesis and dark respiration, two osmolytes (amino acid & free proline & Abscisic acid ABA) and the chlorophyll contents. Four cultivars of wheat used in this study were Al-gaimi, Sindy-1, Sindy-2 and Hab-ahmar. The plants were subjected to three water regimes (1) well-waterd plants at 80% of the field capacity of soil (FC) and two levels of water stress; (2) moderate stress at 50% FC and (3) severe stress at 30% FC. The water stress reduced the photosynthesis rates in Hab-ahmar and Sindy-2, but not in Al-gaimi and Sindy-1. The dark respiration was increased as a result of water stress in all cultivars, except Hab-ahmar. Chlorophyll content was reduced in all cultivars, except Al-gaimi. Both free proline and ABA showed generally an increase under water stress conditions. The differences between the wheat varieties in tolerance to water stress are discussed. © 2011 Friends Science Publishers
Contrasting (power of) visual and textual discourses in art studies: a critical perspective

This article begins with the assumption that analysing visual discourse is a question of exploring the hermeneutic potentials and epistemological emergence of images as depending on individual perception, ways of seeing and social interaction, strengthening their agency, to ascertain their significance and recognition as aesthetical symbols, as meaning-making processes. The article presents a case study based on two world-renowned Portuguese artists (Helena Almeida and Jorge Molder) in which the authors understand the notion of the agency of image as an original means of interpreting social and cultural experiences, studying how artists transform their visual representations in ambiguous narratives about images. Starting from a critical and phenomenological perspective, the authors developed an image-based analysis, contrasting artists’ visual representations with their textual readings and recognizing the central meanings of self-representation in both cases.
Seed-bank dynamics of the tropical weed Sida rhombifolia (Malvaceae): incidence of seedling emergence, predators and pathogens

Abstract Arrowleaf sida (Sida rhombifolia) is a tropical weed that grows in disturbed areas. Its control by hand pulling and mowing are only partially effective because arrowleaf sida is difficult to pull and quickly sprouts after cutting. We studied the seed-bank dynamics of S. rhombifolia in the region of Campinas, São Paulo State, Brazil for 2 years, following a known number of seeds placed artificially at five burial depths. Predators and pathogens were responsible for the loss of c. 40% of the seeds during the first year of the experiment. The importance of predation declined with depth. Mortality due to fungal attack did not differ among the burial depths, except for seeds placed at the surface (where it was negligible). Seedling emergence only occurred during the first year, after the beginning of the rainy period and when the study area was still free of a dense vegetation cover. Seedlings did not emerge from depths greater than 5 cm. We conclude that seedling emergence and death are significant causes of seed losses from the seed bank of S. rhombifolia but their relative importance is highly dependent on depth of burial.
Direct visualization of four diffusive LexA states controlling SOS response strength during antibiotic treatment

In bacteria, the key mechanism governing mutation, adaptation and survival upon DNA damage is the SOS response. Through autoproteolytic digestion triggered by single-stranded DNA caused by most antibiotics, the transcriptional repressor LexA controls over 50 SOS genes including DNA repair pathways and drivers of mutagenesis. Efforts to inhibit this response and thereby combat antibiotic resistance rely on a broad understanding of its behavior in vivo, which is still limited. Here, we develop a single-molecule localization microscopy assay to directly visualize LexA mobility in Escherichia coli and monitor the SOS response on the level of transcription factor activity. We identify four diffusive populations and monitor their temporal evolution upon ciprofloxacin-induced continuous DNA damage. With LexA mutants, we assign target bound, non-specifically DNA bound, freely diffusing and cleaved repressors. We develop a strategy to count LexA in fixed cells at different time points after antibiotic stress and combine the time-evolution of LexA sub-populations and the repressor’s overall abundance. Through fitting a detailed kinetic model we obtain in vivo synthesis, cleavage and binding rates and determined that the regulatory feedback system reaches a new equilibrium in ∼100 min. LexA concentrations showed non-constant heterogeneity during SOS response and designate LexA expression, and thereby regulation of downstream SOS proteins, as drivers of evolutionary adaptation. Even under low antibiotic stress, we observed a strong SOS response on the LexA level, suggestion that small amounts of antibiotics can trigger adaptation in E. coli.
Ideological disempowerment as an effect of neoliberalism on teachers

In works based on deprofessionalisation/proletarianisation theory, teachers are described by researchers as technically disempowered because of the entry of neoliberalism into the institutional environment of education. Technically disempowered teachers suffer not only from work stress but also from other kinds of negative emotional experiences. This article contributes to deprofessionalisation/proletarianisation theory by introducing the concept of ideological disempowerment to explain why teachers complain that they are overloaded by ‘non-instructional work’ that is instructional in nature. It shows that the inability of teachers to identify the instructional meanings of ‘non-instructional work’ stems from neoliberalism’s tendency to ideologically value the managerial purposes of teachers’ work over its instructional purposes. This leads teachers to break away from ‘non-instructional work’ and devote themselves only to work that appears to be directly related to teaching. Accordingly, ideologically disempowered teachers may have a narrowed concept of teaching, resulting in them being discouraged from performing various tasks that are likely to be conducive to the whole-person growth of students. By explaining neoliberalism in both technical and ideological terms, this article advances deprofessionalisation/proletarianisation theory and contributes to a better understanding of the process of teacher disempowerment that results from neoliberalism.
Differential contributions of static and time-varying functional connectivity to human behavior

Measures of human brain functional connectivity acquired during the resting-state track critical aspects of behavior. Recently, fluctuations in resting-state functional connectivity patterns – typically averaged across in traditional analyses – have been considered for their potential neuroscientific relevance. There exists a lack of research on the differences between traditional “static” measures of functional connectivity and newly-considered “time-varying” measures as they relate to human behavior. Using functional magnetic resonance imagining (fMRI) data collected at rest, and a battery of behavioral measures collected outside the scanner, we determined the degree to which each modality captures aspects of personality and cognitive ability. Measures of time-varying functional connectivity were derived by fitting a Hidden Markov Model. To determine behavioral relationships, static and time-varying connectivity measures were submitted separately to canonical correlation analysis. A single relationship between static functional connectivity and behavior existed, defined by measures of personality and stable behavioral features. However, two relationships were found when using time-varying measures. The first relationship was similar to the static case. The second relationship was unique, defined by measures reflecting trialwise behavioral variability. Our findings suggest that time-varying measures of functional connectivity are capable of capturing unique aspects of behavior to which static measures are insensitive. Author Summary Correlated patterns of brain activity measured in the absence of any prescribed task show meaningful temporal fluctuations. However, the manner by which such fluctuations track aspects of human behavior remains unresolved. The current report takes a data-driven approach to characterize how time-varying patterns of human brain functional connectivity differ from traditional static measures in their ability to track aspects of personality and cognitive ability. We determine that time-varying patterns of functional connectivity not only track similar aspects of behavior as do static measures, but also unique behavioral qualities as well, specifically those that reflect behavioral variability. These results highlight the importance and relevance of examining time-varying measures of functional connectivity.
PFN2 and NAA80 cooperate to efficiently acetylate the N-terminus of actin

The actin cytoskeleton is of profound importance to cell shape, division, and intracellular force generation. Profilins bind to globular (G-)actin and regulate actin filament formation. Although profilins are well-established actin regulators, the distinct roles of the dominant profilin, profilin 1 (PFN1), versus the less abundant profilin 2 (PFN2) remain enigmatic. Here, we define a specific role for PFN2 as a stable interactor and regulator of the actin N-terminal acetyltransferase NAA80. PFN2 binding increases the intrinsic catalytic activity of NAA80. Furthermore, binding of PFN2 to NAA80 via its proline-rich loop promotes binding between the globular domains of actin and NAA80, and thus acetylation of actin. The majority of NAA80 is stably bound to PFN2, and we propose that this complex acetylates G-actin before it is incorporated into filaments. In conclusion, we reveal a functionally specific role of PFN2, and establish the modus operandi for NAA80-mediated actin N-terminal acetylation. Data are available via ProteomeXchange with identifier PXD020188.
A small-molecule inhibitor of the BRCA2-RAD51 interaction modulates RAD51 assembly and potentiates DNA damage-induced cell death

BRCA2 controls RAD51 recombinase during homologous DNA recombination (HDR) through eight evolutionarily-conserved BRC repeats, which individually engage RAD51 via the motif Phe-x-x-Ala. Using structure-guided molecular design, templated on a monomeric thermostable chimera between human RAD51 and archaeal RadA, we identify CAM833, a 529 Da orthosteric inhibitor of RAD51:BRC with a Kd of 366 nM. The quinoline of CAM833 occupies a hotspot, the Phe-binding pocket on RAD51 and the methyl of the substituted α-methylbenzyl group occupies the Ala-binding pocket. In cells, CAM833 diminishes formation of damage-induced RAD51 nuclear foci; inhibits RAD51 molecular clustering, suppressing extended RAD51 filament assembly; potentiates cytotoxicity by ionising radiation, augmenting 4N cell-cycle arrest and apoptotic cell death and works with poly-ADP ribose polymerase (PARP)1 inhibitors to suppress growth in BRCA2-wildtype cells. Thus, chemical inhibition of the protein-protein interaction between BRCA2 and RAD51 disrupts HDR and potentiates DNA damage-induced cell death, with implications for cancer therapy.
Multi-scale predictions distinctively modulate tone perception in schizophrenia patients with auditory verbal hallucinations

Auditory verbal hallucinations (AVHs) are one of the most pronounced symptoms that manifest the underlying mechanisms of deficits in schizophrenia. Cognitive models postulate that malfunctioned source monitoring incorrectly weights the top-down prediction and bottom-up sensory processing and causes hallucinations. Here, we investigate the featural-temporal characteristics of source monitoring in AVHs. Schizophrenia patients with and without AVHs, and healthy controls identified target tones in noise at the end of tone sequences. Predictions of different timescales were manipulated by either an alternating pattern in the preceding tone sequences, or a repetition between the target tone and the tone immediately before. The sensitivity index, d’, was obtained to assess the modulation of predictions on tone identification. We found that patients with AVHs showed higher d’ when the target tones conformed to the long-term regularity of alternating pattern in the preceding tone sequence than that when the targets were inconsistent with the pattern. Whereas, the short-term regularity of repetitions modulated the tone identification in patients without AVHs. Predictions did not influence tone identification in healthy controls. These findings suggest that malfunctioned source monitoring in AVHs heavily weights predictions to form incorrect perception. The weighting function in source monitoring can extend to the process of basic tonal features, and predictions at multiple timescales differentially modulate perception in different clinical populations. These collaboratively reveal the featural and temporal characteristics of weighting function in source monitoring of AVHs and suggest that the malfunctioned interaction between top-down and bottom-up processes might underlie the development of auditory hallucinations. Highlights Malfunctioned source monitoring incorrectly weights the top-down prediction and bottom-up sensory processing underlie pathogenesis of auditory verbal hallucinations in schizophrenia. The weighting function in top-down predictions and bottom-up sensory processing can extend to tonal features. Predictions at multiple timescales differentially modulate perception in different clinical schizophrenia populations.
Cigarette Smoking, Health-Related Behaviors, and Burnout Among Mental Health Professionals in China: A Nationwide Survey

Objectives Mental health professionals (MHPs) play an important role in treating patients with nicotine addiction. However, data on MHPs’ cigarette smoking habits are scarce. This survey aimed to collect such data and to examine the correlates of smoking among MHPs working in China. Methods A cross-sectional survey was conducted in all 41 provincial, tertiary psychiatric hospitals, and MHPs from these hospitals were targeted. An anonymous questionnaire was designed to collect socio-demographic and occupational factors, and the Maslach Burnout Inventory-Human Service Survey was used to assess burnout. Data about smoking and other health behaviors were also collected. Results In total, 13,614 MHPs were included in the analysis. The overall rate of current smoking was 8.6% (31.3% in males, and 1.1% in females). A substantial proportion (28.0%) of life-time smokers had abstained for more than 3 months. Those who were male (OR=37.73), older (OR=1.02), divorced or widowed (OR=1.72), working in West (OR=1.45), and Northeast China (OR=1.65), were nurses (OR=1.44), had a high income (OR=1.31), experienced burnout (OR=1.29), frequent insomnia (OR=1.39), and used alcohol (OR=2.76) were significantly more likely to be smokers, while those who had a higher level of education (OR=0.67, 0.47, and 0.43 for college, master, and doctorate degrees, respectively), and exercised regularly (OR=0.73) were significantly less likely to be smokers. Conclusion Although lower than that of the general population in China, smoking is still relatively high among MPHs. Efforts to lower smoking rates among MHPs in China should continue and should incorporate strategies that target burnout, sleep, alcohol use, exercise and other factors associated with smoking.