Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The role of ABCB1 gene polymorphisms in steroid‐resistant nephrotic syndrome: Evidence from a meta‐analysis of steroid‐receiving patients

Previous studies in nephrotic syndrome have shown that three common variants in the ABCB1 gene, including rs1128503, rs2032582, and rs1045642, change the expression and activity of ABCB1, which may be responsible for the drug resistance. However, as a result of the inconclusive outcomes of these studies, we performed a meta‐analysis to validate the association between ABCB1 polymorphisms and the susceptibility of steroid‐resistant nephrotic syndrome (SRNS). The association was evaluated by calculating the odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval. A total of 12 studies containing 1,463 subjects (514 steroid‐resistant and 949 steroid‐sensitive) were included. Single nucleotide polymorphism rs1128503 showed a significant association with SRNS (p < 0.05) only in the allele model (OR = 1.40) in Africans. A statistically significant association was found for rs2032582 in codominant 2, dominant, recessive, and allele models (OR = 1.85, 1.52, 1.38, and 1.34, respectively). Subgroup analysis revealed that rs2032582 showed a significant correlation with SRNS in codominant 1, 2, dominant, over‐dominant, and allele models in Africans (OR = 3.22, 3.52, 3.29, 1.74, and 1.83, respectively). In the case of rs1045642, codominant 1 (OR = 0.72) and recessive models (OR = 1.34) revealed a significant correlation with SRNS. Again, codominant 1 (OR = 0.58), dominant (OR = 0.69), and over‐dominant models (OR = 0.62) showed a protective effect in Asians. Haplotype analysis showed that the TGC haplotype is associated with a 1.83, 1.77, and 2.17 times significant correlation in overall, Asian, and African populations, respectively. By contrast, the CGC haplotype showed a 0.69 and 0.57 times lower association in the overall and African populations, respectively. The CTC haplotype also showed a 1.79 times enhanced susceptibility for SRNS in the overall population. Our study suggests that ABCB1 polymorphisms are associated with SRNS development, especially in Africans and Asians.
Uptake Mechanisms of a Novel, Activated Carbon‐Based Equilibrium Passive Sampler for Estimating Porewater Methylmercury

We describe the validation of a novel polymeric equilibrium passive sampler comprised of agarose gel with embedded activated carbon particles (ag+AC), to estimate aqueous monomethylmercury (MeHg) concentrations. Sampler behavior was tested using a combination of idealized media and realistic sediment microcosms. Isotherm bottle experiments with ag+AC polymers were conducted to constrain partitioning to these materials by various environmentally relevant species of MeHg bound to dissolved organic matter (MeHgDOM) across a range of sizes and character. Log of partitioning coefficients for passive samplers (Kps) ranged from 1.98 ± 0.09 for MeHg bound to Suwannee River humic acid to 3.15 ± 0.05 for MeHg complexed with Upper Mississippi River natural organic matter. Reversible equilibrium exchange of environmentally relevant MeHg species was demonstrated through a series of dual isotope–labeled exchange experiments. Isotopically labeled MeHgDOM species approached equilibrium in the samplers over 14 days, while mass balance was maintained, providing strong evidence that the ag+AC polymer material is capable of equilibrium measurements of environmentally relevant MeHg species within a reasonable deployment time frame. Samplers deployed across the sediment–water interface of sediment microcosms estimated both overlying water and porewater MeHg concentrations within a factor of 2 to 4 of measured values, based on the average measured Kps values for species of MeHg bound to natural organic matter in the isotherm experiments. Taken together, our results indicate that ag+AC polymers, used as equilibrium samplers, can provide accurate MeHg estimations across many site chemistries, with a simple back‐calculation based on a standardized Kps. Environ Toxicol Chem 2022;41:2052–2064. © 2022 SETAC
Defining and managing flares in axial spondyloarthritis

Purpose of review Flares correspond to fluctuations in disease activity or symptoms. They should be avoided in chronic inflammatory diseases. In axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA), work is ongoing to better conceptualise and treat flares. This review highlights recent data on the definition and management of flares in axSpA. Recent findings Many definitions of flares have been used in clinical trials, limiting the interpretation and comparison of studies. The expert group Assessment of SpondyloArthritis International Society (ASAS) developed a data-driven definition of flares/disease worsening: an increase in Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Score-C-reactive protein (ASDAS-CRP) of at least 0.9 points, for use in axSpA clinical trials. Flares are more challenging to define in clinical practice because of their multifaceted nature. Qualitative studies have shown that flares from the patient's perspective are related not only to disease activity, but also to fatigue, mood, sleep and general well-being. The management of axSpA relies on a treat-to-target (T2T) strategy and aims at reaching clinical remission while monitoring closely disease activity to prevent and shorten flares. Summary The concept of flares has been clarified, and definitions have been developed for use in trials. The T2T approach aims at minimising flares in axSpA. The early recognition of flares and their severity may lead to better management.
A monoallelic variant in EYA1 is associated with Branchio‐Otic syndrome in a Malian family

Branchio‐otic syndrome (BO) is one of the most common types of syndromic hearing impairment (HI) with an incidence of 1/40,000 globally. It is an autosomal dominant disorder typically characterized by the coexistence of branchial cysts or fistulae, malformations of the external, middle, and inner ears with preauricular pits or tags and a variable degree of HI. Most cases of BO have been reported in populations of European ancestry. To date, only few cases have been reported in people from African descent.
Interactive effects of high temperature and pesticide exposure on oxidative status, apoptosis, and renin expression in kidney of goldfish: Molecular and cellular mechanisms of widespread kidney damage and renin attenuation

One of many noteworthy consequences of increasing societal reliance on pesticides is their predominance in aquatic environments. These pernicious chemicals interact with high temperatures from global climate change, heat waves, and natural variations to create unstable environments that negatively impact organisms' health. To understand these conditions, we examined the dose‐dependent effects of environmentally relevant pesticide mixtures (metolachlor, linuron, isoproturon, tebuconazole, aclonifen, atrazine, pendimethalin, and azinphos‐methyl) combined with elevated temperatures (22 control vs. 32°C for 4‐week exposure) on renin, dinitrophenyl protein (DNP, an indicator of reactive oxygen species, ROS), 3‐nitrotyrosine protein (NTP, an indicator of reactive nitrogen species, RNS), superoxidase dismutase (SOD, an antioxidant), and catalase (CAT, an antioxidant) expressions in the kidneys of goldfish (Carassius auratus). Histopathological analysis showed widespread damage to kidney tissues in high temperature and pesticide co‐exposure groups, including rupture of the epithelial layer, hemorrhaging, and degeneration of tubular epithelium. Quantitative real‐time polymerase chain reaction (qRT‐PCR) and immunohistochemical analyses demonstrated significant declines in renin receptor‐like mRNA and protein expressions in kidney tissues under combined exposure to high temperature and pesticides compared with controls; conversely, expression of DNP, NTP, SOD, and CAT increased in kidney tissues under the same conditions. Apoptotic cells were also increased in co‐exposure groups as assessed by in situ terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick labeling (TUNEL) assay. The enhanced apoptosis in kidneys of heat and pesticides co‐exposed fish was associated with increased caspase‐3 (a protease enzyme) mRNA levels. Our results demonstrated that high temperature and pesticides induced oxidative/nitrative stress (i.e., ROS/RNS), damaged tissues, increased cellular apoptosis, and suppressed renin expression in kidneys of goldfish.
Rhythms in cognition: The evidence revisited

Do humans perceive the world through discrete sampling of the sensory environment? Although it contrasts starkly with the intuition of a continuous perceptual flow, this idea dates back decades when brain rhythms were first suggested to work as periodic shutters. These would gate bouts of information into conscious perception and affect behavioural responses to sensory events. Seminal experimental findings have since largely confirmed brain rhythms as the neural implementation of periodic sampling. However, novel methods, improved experimental designs, and innovative analytical approaches show that the exact roles and functional significance of rhythmic brain activity for cognition remain to be determined. In re-visiting the evidence for rhythmic sampling, the contributions to this Special Issue gave a mixed picture: Studies testing for rhythmic patterns in behavioural performance largely supported the notion. However, at odds with previous results, most attempts to link behavioural outcomes with the phase of neural rhythms did not find supporting evidence. Also, contrasting earlier results, studies that used external sensory or electrical stimulation to control neural phase ('entrainment') failed to find support for rhythmic sampling in behavioural performance despite other research, included here, that reported neural indicators of entrainment. This Special Issue therefore points out interesting divides in the study of rhythmic sampling across different domains and highlights the importance of publishing negative findings and replications to improve our understanding of the role of rhythms in cognition.
A Network Analysis of Children’s Emerging Place-Value Concepts

Examining how informal knowledge systems change after formal instruction is imperative to understanding learning processes and conceptual development and to implementing effective educational practices. We used network analyses to determine how the organization of informal knowledge about multidigit numbers in kindergartners (N = 279; mean age = 5.76 years, SD = 0.55; 135 females) supports and is transformed by a year of in-school formal instruction. The results show that in kindergarten, piecemeal knowledge about the surface properties of reading and writing multidigit numbers and the use of base-10 units to determine large quantities are strongly associated with each other and connected in a stringlike manner to other emerging skills. After a year of instruction, each skill becomes connected to the “hub” abilities of reading and writing multidigit numbers, which also become strongly connected to more advanced knowledge of base-10 principles. These findings provide new insights into how partial knowledge provides the backbone on which explicit principles are learned.
Estrogen receptor α activation modulates the gut microbiome and type 2 diabetes risk factors

Estradiol and exercise can decrease risk factors associated with type 2 diabetes (T2D) including total body weight gain and abdominal fat gain. Estradiol functions through estrogen receptor (ER) α and ERβ. Some studies suggest that activation of ERα may provide protection against T2D. Female Wistar rats were ovariectomized and fed a high‐fat diet for 10 weeks and divided into the following 5 experimental groups: (1) no treatment (control), (2) exercise, (3) estradiol, (4) propylpyrazoletriyl (a selective ERα agonist), and (5) diarylpropionitrile (a selective ERβ agonist). ERα activation decreased the abundance of Firmicutes, and ERα and ERβ activation increased the abundance of Bacteroidetes. ERα activation decreased food consumption, and ERα and ERβ activation increased voluntary activity. Exercise was the only treatment to decrease the blood glucose and serum insulin levels. ERα activation, but not ERβ, increased hepatic protein expression of ACC and FAS and decreased hepatic protein expression of LPL. ERα activation also decreased hepatic mRNA expression of PPARα and PPARγ. This study elucidates the functions of estradiol by assessing specific activation of ERα and ERβ. As obesity increases the abundance of Firmicutes and decreases the abundance of Bacteroidetes, our study shows that ERα activation can restore the gut microbiome to non‐obese abundances. This study further provides novel insights into ERα’s role in hepatic fat metabolism via regulation of ACC, FAS, LPL, PPARα, and PPARγ.
Students’ Inattention Symptoms and Psychological Need Satisfaction During the Secondary School Transition: The Protective Role of Teachers’ Involvement

Objective: This study examined the prospective relationship from student inattention symptoms to changes in their psychological need satisfaction (PNS) during their transition to secondary school. In doing so, it has explored whether this temporal association was moderated by teachers’ involvement (TI). Method: A sample of 688 students (46% male; Mage = 11.82) followed in Grade 6 and Secondary 1 was selected from a stratified random list. Results: Inattention symptoms predicted a decrease in autonomy and competence need satisfaction, after adjusting for gender, anxiety, aggression, and PNS at baseline. In addition, TI in Secondary 1 attenuated the association between inattention and autonomy need satisfaction decline. TI also predicted a smaller decrease in competence need satisfaction, over and above the contribution of inattention. Conclusions: Results support the importance of TI in PNS of students who are struggling with inattention throughout a critical transition. Implications for educational practices and research are discussed.
Evaluation of Web-Based Health Information From the Perspective of Women With Eating Disorders: Thematic Analysis

Background Users with experience of eating disorders use the internet as a source of information, whether for prorecovery activities (such as web-based treatment, looking for information, support, and sharing) or activities that promote eating disorder behavior as a desirable lifestyle choice (such as pro–eating disorder communities and reading and creating pro–eating disorder posts). Their assessment of web-based eating disorder–related information is crucial for understanding the context of the illness and for health professionals and their web-based interventions. Objective This study aimed to understand the criteria young women with the experience of eating disorders use in evaluating eating disorder–related web-based information and what eating disorder–related characteristics of these women are involved in their evaluation. Methods We analyzed 30 semistructured individual interviews with Czech women aged 16 to 28 years with past or present eating disorder experience using a qualitative approach. Thematic analysis was adopted as an analytical tool. Results The specifics of eating disorder phases (the disorder stage and the treatment process) emerged as important aspects in the process of information assessment. Other specific characteristics of respondents (eg, motivation, abilities, and resources) addressed how the respondents arrived at certain web-based information and how they evaluated it. In addition, the respondents described some content cues as features of information (eg, novelty and social information pooling). Another finding is that other users’ attitudes, experiences, activities, and personal features are involved in the information evaluation of these users and the information presented by them. Finally, the respondents evaluated the websites’ visual look and graphic components. Conclusions This study shows that web-based information evaluation reported by women with experience of eating disorders is a complex process. The assessment is influenced by current personal characteristics related to the illness (mainly the motivation for maintaining or curing the eating disorder) using cues associated with information content, other users, and website look. The study findings have important implications for health professionals, who should ask their clients questions about web-based communities and their needs to understand what information and sources they choose.
Solving coagulation conundrums: comparing prophylaxis strategies in adult patients receiving PEG-asparaginase

Abstract PEG-asparaginase is a key component in treatment regimens for acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Major side effects include thrombosis and bleeding; however, there is currently no consensus on methods to prevent these complications. In this multi-center retrospective cohort study of 101 adults, we compared two prophylaxis strategies: cryoprecipitate and fresh frozen plasma (Cryo/FFP) versus cryoprecipitate and antithrombin (ATIII). The overall incidence of venous thromboembolism (VTE) was not significantly different between the two groups (19.7% for Cryo/FFP and 8.6% in Cryo/ATIII, p = 0.17), and neither was grade ≥3 bleeding (3% for Cryo/FFP and 11.4% for Cryo/ATIII, p = 0.18). Given the significant cost associated with ATIII without a clear benefit, a careful benefit and risk analysis should be considered before utilizing ATIII as a prophylaxis strategy to prevent thrombosis or bleeding following asparaginase administration.
Why Is Non-suicidal Self-injury More Common in Women? Mediation and Moderation Analyses of Psychological Distress, Emotion Dysregulation, and Impulsivity

Abstract Objective Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) appears to be more common among women than men, though the underlying reasons for this remain unclear. In a community sample of young adults (N = 996, aged 18–33) assessed during the COVID-19 pandemic, we investigated alternative explanation for the NSSI prevalence gap: are women more likely to experience the feelings which lead to NSSI as a coping strategy, or does this prevalence gap result from differences in how men and women respond to distress? Methods Cross-sectional mediation and moderation analyses tested how self-reported psychological distress (K10), emotion dysregulation (DERS), and impulsivity (UPPS-P) may contribute to a higher prevalence of NSSI among women. Results Women were twice as likely as men to report past-year NSSI (14.47% versus 7.78%, OR = 2.00, 95% CI [1.29, 3.13]). Women reported significantly higher psychological distress and significantly lower sensation seeking and positive urgency than men. Psychological distress partially statistically mediated the relationship between gender and past-year NSSI. Gender did not significantly moderate associations between psychological distress, emotion dysregulation, or impulsivity and past-year NSSI. Past-year NSSI prevalence did not significantly decrease with age and we found no significant age by gender interaction. Conclusions Greater levels of NSSI in young women are partly explained by their greater levels of psychological distress, but not by differences in how men and women respond to this distress. Given similar levels of psychological distress, emotion dysregulation, and impulsivity, women and men are similarly likely to experience NSSI. Highlights Women aged 18–33 were significantly more likely to report past-year NSSI than men Women’s greater psychological distress contributed to their higher NSSI prevalence Variables investigated here were similarly associated with NSSI in men and women
Climate change is associated with increased allocation to potential outcrossing in a common mixed mating species

Abstract Premise Although the balance between cross‐ and self‐fertilization is driven by the environment, no long‐term study has documented whether anthropogenic climate change is affecting reproductive strategy allocation in species with mixed mating systems. Here, we test whether the common blue violet (Viola sororia; Violaceae) has altered relative allocation to the production of potentially outcrossing flowers as the climate has changed throughout the 20th century. Methods Using herbarium records spanning from 1875 to 2015 from the central United States, we quantified production of obligately selfing cleistogamous (CL) flowers and potentially outcrossing chasmogamous (CH) flowers by V. sororia, coupled these records with historic temperature and precipitation data, and tested whether changes to the proportion of CL flowers correlate with temporal climate trends. Results We find that V. sororia progressively produced lower proportions of CL flowers across the past century and in environments with lower mean annual temperature and higher total annual precipitation. We also find that both CL and CH flower phenology has advanced across this time period. Conclusions Our results suggest that V. sororia has responded to lower temperatures and greater water availability by shifting reproductive strategy allocation away from selfing and toward potential outcrossing. This provides the first long‐term study of how climate change may affect relative allocation to potential outcrossing in species with mixed mating systems. By revealing that CL flowering is associated with low water availability and high temperature, our results suggest the production of obligately selfing flowers is favored in water limited environments.
Assessment of General Aviation Cognitive Weather Tasks: Recommendations for Autonomous Learning and Training in Aviation Weather

General aviation (GA) operations incur the majority of fatal weather-related accidents. Previous research highlights the lack of aviation weather knowledge and skills as a possible contributing factor to the stagnant GA weather-related accident rate. This is congruent with accident data indicating weather-related accidents mostly involved non-instrument rated pilots and/or pilots with low flight hour experience flying into inadvertent meteorological conditions, such as low ceiling/visibility. However, though weather has serious and potentially fatal implications toward flight safety, weather training is an underrepresented area of pilots’ education, training, and testing. As such, autonomous (i.e. self-study) learning and training may be a viable training tool to expose pilots to various weather scenarios and to develop the knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) related to aviation weather. This paper will focus on evaluating complex cognitive weather tasks and providing recommendations for developing an effective autonomous learning and training module.
Circadian rhythm and disease: Relationship, new insights, and future perspectives

The circadian system is responsible for internal functions and regulation of the organism according to environmental cues (zeitgebers). Circadian rhythm dysregulation or chronodisruption has been associated with several diseases, from mental to autoimmune diseases, and with life quality change. Following this, some therapies have been developed to correct circadian misalignments, such as light therapy and chronobiotics. In this manuscript, we describe the circadian‐related diseases so far investigated, and studies reporting relevant data on this topic, evidencing this relationship, are included. Despite the actual limitations in published work, there is clear evidence of the correlation between circadian rhythm dysregulation and disease origin/development, and, in this way, clock‐related therapies emerge as great progress in the clinical field. Future improvements in such interventions can lead to the development of successful chronotherapy strategies, deeply contributing to enhanced therapeutic outcomes.