Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
ETS1, ELK1, and ETV4 Transcription Factors Regulate Angiopoietin-1 Signaling and the Angiogenic Response in Endothelial Cells

Background Angiopoietin-1 (Ang-1) is the main ligand of Tie-2 receptors. It promotes endothelial cell (EC) survival, migration, and differentiation. Little is known about the transcription factors (TFs) in ECs that are downstream from Tie-2 receptors. Objective The main objective of this study is to identify the roles of the ETS family of TFs in Ang-1 signaling and the angiogenic response. Methods In silico enrichment analyses that were designed to predict TF binding sites of the promotors of eighty-six Ang-1-upregulated genes showed significant enrichment of ETS1, ELK1, and ETV4 binding sites in ECs. Human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) were exposed for different time periods to recombinant Ang-1 protein and mRNA levels of ETS1, ELK1, and ETV4 were measured with qPCR and intracellular localization of these transcription factors was assessed with immunofluorescence. Electrophoretic mobility shift assays and reporter assays were used to assess activation of ETS1, ELK1, and ETV4 in response to Ang-1 exposure. The functional roles of these TFs in Ang-1-induced endothelial cell survival, migration, differentiation, and gene regulation were evaluated by using a loss-of-function approach (transfection with siRNA oligos). Results Ang-1 exposure increased ETS1 mRNA levels but had no effect on ELK1 or ETV4 levels. Immunostaining revealed that in control ECs, ETS1 has nuclear localization whereas ELK1 and ETV4 are localized to the nucleus and the cytosol. Ang-1 exposure increased nuclear intensity of ETS1 protein and enhanced nuclear mobilization of ELK1 and ETV4. Selective siRNA knockdown of ETS1, ELK1, and ETV4 showed that these TFs are required for Ang-1-induced EC survival and differentiation of cells, while ETS1 and ETV4 are required for Ang-1-induced EC migration. Moreover, ETS1, ELK1, and ETV4 knockdown inhibited Ang-1-induced upregulation of thirteen, eight, and nine pro-angiogenesis genes, respectively. Conclusion We conclude that ETS1, ELK1, and ETV4 transcription factors play significant angiogenic roles in Ang-1 signaling in ECs.
Effect of different nitrogen nutrition and soil water potential on physiological parameters and yield of hybrid rice

Super hybrid rice "Liangyou Peijiu" was used as experimental material to study the effect of different nitrogen(N) nutrition and soil water potential on physiological characteristics,yield and agronomic efficiency of nitrogen.The results showed that: 1)Dry weight of shoot and total dry weight of plant increased as nitrogen levels increased at the same soil water potential,but root-shoot ratio was the opposite.2) Net photosynthetic rate,chlorophyll a,b and total content,leaf SPAD readings and leaf water potential decreased as soil water stress strengthened at the same nitrogen level,while chlorophyll a/b,MDA content and activities of peroxidase were enhanced.Chlorophyll a,b and total content,leaf SPAD readings increased with nitrogen level at the same soil water potential,but leaf water potential and MDA content decreased.3) Yield decreased with soil water potential at the same nitrogen level.When soil water potential was medium,yield was HN(high N)NN(nomal N)LN(low N),while yield was NNHNLN under the conditions of wellwatered soil or severe soil drought.Nitrogen agronomy efficiency of rice under NN and HN conditions decreased with soil water stress.The result indicated that rice yield increased significantly at 225 kg/ha and 0 kPa soil water potential,and there was negative effect on grain yield and nitrogen agronomy efficiency under excessive nitrogen conditions.
Adverse Childhood Experiences Among 28,047 Norwegian Adults From a General Population

Aim: The purpose of this study was to estimate the prevalence of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) among Norwegian adults from a general population and to identify potential associations with demographic and socioeconomic characteristics. Methods: A randomly drawn sample (N = 61,611) from the public registry of inhabitants was invited to participate in the Norwegian Counties Public Health Survey. The present study was based on online responses from 28,047 adults ≥18 years (mean age: 46.9 years, SD = 16.03). Log-link binomial regression analyses were performed to examine associations between four measures of ACEs (family conflict, lack of adult support, bad memories, and difficult childhood) and demographic (age, gender, civil status, parental divorce) and socioeconomic characteristics (education level, perceived financial situation, and welfare benefits). Results: Single individuals and those with parents that divorced during childhood were at elevated risk of all four ACEs. The risk varied to some degree between the sexes. The prevalence of ACEs declined with increasing age. We found a consistent social gradient that corresponded to the frequency of ACEs for all three socioeconomic characteristics investigated. The risks were highest for those in the lowest socioeconomic levels (RR: 1.53, 95% CI: 1.32–1.78 to RR: 4.95, CI: 4.27–5.74). Conclusions: Public health strategies should direct more attention to the interplay between ACEs and socioeconomic factors. Welfare services should be sensitive to ACEs among their service recipients.
Analysis and Synthesis of Natural Texture Perception From Visual Evoked Potentials

The primate visual system analyzes statistical information in natural images and uses it for the immediate perception of scenes, objects, and surface materials. To investigate the dynamical encoding of image statistics in the human brain, we measured visual evoked potentials (VEPs) for 166 natural textures and their synthetic versions, and performed a reverse-correlation analysis of the VEPs and representative texture statistics of the image. The analysis revealed occipital VEP components strongly correlated with particular texture statistics. VEPs correlated with low-level statistics, such as subband SDs, emerged rapidly from 100 to 250 ms in a spatial frequency dependent manner. VEPs correlated with higher-order statistics, such as subband kurtosis and cross-band correlations, were observed at slightly later times. Moreover, these robust correlations enabled us to inversely estimate texture statistics from VEP signals via linear regression and to reconstruct texture images that appear similar to those synthesized with the original statistics. Additionally, we found significant differences in VEPs at 200–300 ms between some natural textures and their Portilla–Simoncelli (PS) synthesized versions, even though they shared almost identical texture statistics. This differential VEP was related to the perceptual “unnaturalness” of PS-synthesized textures. These results suggest that the visual cortex rapidly encodes image statistics hidden in natural textures specifically enough to predict the visual appearance of a texture, while it also represents high-level information beyond image statistics, and that electroencephalography can be used to decode these cortical signals.
Association Between Urban Greenspace and Mental Wellbeing During the COVID-19 Pandemic in a U.S. Cohort

The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic brought unprecedented socially isolating measures to mitigate the spread of disease, heightening the importance of public outdoor urban greenspace. Here, we investigated the association between tree-rich greenspace and mental health in a large opportunity sample surveyed using a crowdsourcing research website (www.covid19resilience.org) between April 6th and October 12th, 2020 during the pandemic in the United States. Participants living in the U.S. (N = 2,089, 83.1% females, mean age 42 years, age range 18–90 years) were mapped to 1,080 unique ZIP Codes and mean tree canopy density was calculated with a 250 m buffer around each ZIP Code grouped by quartile as a proxy for nearby greenspace. Four mental health parameters were assessed: (1) COVID-19-related worries; (2) anxiety symptoms; (3) depression symptoms; and (4) a standardized and weighted composite mental health score of all three parameters. Multivariate regression analyses with multilevel models were used to study the association between nearby greenspace and the four mental health outcomes, controlling for participant demographics and ZIP Code urbanicity. In the entire cohort, increased nearby greenspace showed a significant protective effect for depression (Coef. = −0.27; p = 0.0499), and composite mental health scores (Coef. = −0.19; p = 0.038) when comparing ZIP Codes with the most greenspace to ZIP Codes with the least, with no observed effects on COVID-19 related worries or anxiety individually. Stratifying by age suggested protective trends of greenspace on mental health in older subsets of the population (top age quartile, over 51 years old) experiencing less depression (Coef. = −0.45; p = 0.048) and lower composite mental health scores (Coef. = −0.34; – = 0.032) as a function of nearby greenspace. Additionally, younger subsets of the population (second youngest age quartile, 31–38 years) experienced lower COVID-19 related worries (Coef. = −1.34; p = 0.022) as a function of greenspace. These findings may indicate that tree-rich greenspace plays a protective role on mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic, specifically in certain age groups, supporting the use of greenspace-related strategies to help mitigate mental health burden during this challenging and isolating time.
Oculomotor Deficits and Symptom Severity Are Associated With Poorer Dynamic Mobility in Chronic Mild Traumatic Brain Injury

Oculomotor deficits, vestibular impairments, and persistent symptoms are common after a mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI); however, the relationship between visual-vestibular deficits, symptom severity, and dynamic mobility tasks is unclear. Twenty-three individuals (mean age 55.7 ± 9.3 years) with persistent symptoms after mTBI, who were between 3 months to 2 years post-injury were compared with 23 age and sex-matched controls. Oculomotor deficits [depth perception, near-point convergence, baseline visual acuity (BLVA), perception time], vestibular deficits (dynamic visual acuity in the pitch and yaw planes), dynamic mobility measured by the Functional Gait Assessment (FGA), and symptoms measured by the Post-Concussion Symptom Scale (PCSS) and Dizziness Handicap Inventory (DHI) were compared between groups. Participants with mTBI had poorer performance on the FGA (p < 0.001), higher symptom severity on the PCSS (p < 0.001), and higher DHI scores (p < 0.001) compared to controls. Significant differences were seen on specific items of the FGA between individuals with mTBI and controls during walking with horizontal head turns (p = 0.002), walking with vertical head tilts (p < 0.001), walking with eyes closed (p = 0.003), and stair climbing (p = 0.001). FGA performance was correlated with weeks since concussion (r = −0.67, p < 0.001), depth perception (r = −0.5348, p < 0.001), near point convergence (r = −0.4717, p = 0.001), baseline visual acuity (r = −0.4435, p = 0.002); as well as with symptoms on the PCSS (r = −0.668, p < 0.001), and DHI (r = −0.811, p < 0.001). Dynamic balance deficits persist in chronic mTBI and may be addressed using multifaceted rehabilitation strategies to address oculomotor dysfunction, post-concussion symptoms, and perception of handicap due to dizziness.
Intra-household Variation in Pathways to Care for Epilepsy and Mental Disorders in Eastern Uganda

Integrating mental, neurological, and substance use (MNS) health care into the public health system has become a global priority, with mental health, and well-being now being part of the Sustainable Development Goals. In the aim to provide good quality care for MNS disorders, understanding patients' pathways to care is key. This qualitative study explores the pathways to care of patients attending an outpatient mental health clinic of a district hospital in eastern rural Uganda, from the perspectives of their caregivers. Twenty seven in-depth interviews were conducted with caregivers of MNS patients visiting the clinic, with a focus on four case-presentations. Data analysis consisted of thematic and emergent content analyses using NVivo 11. Results across all interviews highlight that chosen help-seeking itineraries were largely pluralistic, combining and alternating between traditional healing practices, and biomedical care, regardless of the specific MNS disorder. Intra-household differences in care seeking pathways—e.g., where one patient received traditional help or no care at all, while the other received biomedical care—depended on caregivers' perceived contextual illness narrative for each patient, in combination with a variety of other factors. If interpreted as a form of bewitchment, traditional medicine and healing was often the first form of care sought, while the mental health clinic was seen as a recourse to “free” care. Patients, especially younger children, who showed visible improvements once stabilized on psychotropic medication was a source of motivation for caregivers to continue with biomedical care at the mental health clinic. However, stock-outs of the free psychotropic medication at the clinic led to dissatisfaction with services due to out-of-pocket expenses and precipitated returning to alternative therapy choices. This article showcases the importance of understanding the complex and varied combinations of individual, cultural, socioeconomic and structural factors that may affect caregivers' choices of pathways to care for patients with MNS disorders in eastern rural Uganda. These cumulative complex processes and context-specific help-seeking behaviors, which ultimately impact patient treatment and MNS health outcomes, need to be first acknowledged, understood and taken into account if we are to promote more inclusive, effective and integrated public mental health systems globally.
The Impact of Foundation Medicine Testing on Cancer Patients: A Single Academic Centre Experience

Background The use of Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS) has recently allowed significant improvements in cancer treatment. Foundation Medicine® (FM) provides a genomic profiling test based on NGS for a variety of cancers. However, it is unclear if the Foundation Medicine test would result in a better outcome than the standard on-site molecular testing. In this retrospective chart review, we identified the FM cases from an academic Canadian hospital and determined whether these test results improved treatment options for those patients. Materials and Methods A retrospective analysis was performed on patients with solid tumors who had FM testing between May 1, 2014 and May 1, 2018. Clinical factors and outcomes were measured using descriptive statistics using Microsoft Excel® Software. Results Out of 66 FM tests, eight patients (= 12%) had a direct change in therapy based on the FM tests. Identified were 285 oncogenic mutations (median 1, range 0–31); where TP53 (n = 31, 10.9%), CDKN2A (n = 19, 6.7%), KRAS (n = 16, 5.6%) and APC (n = 9, 3.2%) were the most common FM mutations identified. Conclusion A small proportion of FM reports identified actionable mutations and led to direct treatment change. FM testing is expensive and a few of the identified mutations are now part of routine on-site testing. NGS testing is likely to become more widespread, but this research suggests that its true clinical impact may be restricted to a minority of patients.
Search for Global Minimum Structures of P2n+1+ (n = 1–15) Using xTB-Based Basin-Hopping Algorithm

A new program for searching global minimum structures of atomic clusters using basin-hopping algorithm based on the xTB method was developed here. The program can be performed with a much higher speed than its replacement directly based on DFT methods. Considering the structural varieties and complexities in finding their global minimum structures, phosphorus cluster cations were studied by the program. The global minimum structures of cationic P 2 n + 1 + (n = 1–15) clusters are determined through the unbiased structure searching method. In the last step, further DFT optimization was performed for the selected isomers. For P 2 n + 1 + (n = 1–4, 7), the found global minimum structures are in consistent with the ones previously reported; while for P 2 n + 1 + (n = 5, 6, 8–12), newly found isomers are more energy-favorable than those previously reported. And those for P 2 n + 1 + (n = 13–15) are reported here for the first time. Among them, the most stable isomers of P 2 n + 1 + (n = 4–6, 9) are characterized by their C3v, Cs, C2v and Cs symmetry, in turn. But those of P 2 n + 1 + (n = 7, 8, 10–12), no symmetry has been identified. The most stable isomers of P 29 + and P 31 + are characterized by single P-P bonds bridging units inside the clusters. Further analysis shows that the pnicogen bonds play an important role in the stabilization of these clusters. These results show that the new developed program is effective and robust in searching global minimum structures for atom clusters, and it also provides new insights into the role of pnicogen bonds in phosphorus clusters.
Telehealth for Addressing Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights Needs During the COVID-19 Pandemic and Beyond: A Hybrid Telemedicine-Community Accompaniment Model for Abortion and Contraception Services in Pakistan

The COVID-19 pandemic led overburdened health care systems to deprioritize essential sexual and reproductive healthcare, including abortion and contraception care, while accelerating shifts in healthcare delivery to digital technologies. However, in many countries, including Pakistan, inequalities in access to digital technologies remain, presenting an opportunity for interventions that both increase access to deprioritized sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) services and overcome the digital divide in delivering digital solutions to those in need of SRHR services. In June 2020, Ipas Pakistan partnered with Sehat Kahani (SK), a local health care NGO and telehealth service, and an existing network of Lady Health Workers (LHWs) to launch a novel hybrid telemedicine-community accompaniment pilot. The model linked women via LHWs with mobile devices to online providers for telemedicine consultations for SRH, including abortion services, contraception, and other gynecological consultations. In June 2020, we trained 98 LHWs and 22 telehealth doctors. Between June 2020 and March 2021, a total of 176 women were referred by LHWs for telehealth consultations. Among women who received abortion services, nearly all (90%) reported complete uterine evacuation. No serious adverse events were reported. Overall satisfaction was high; 81% reported being satisfied, and 86% said it is likely they would recommend the telehealth service to others. Data show that the provision of SRHR services via a telehealth-accompaniment model can be successfully implemented in Pakistan. Outcome data show high satisfaction and good clinical outcomes for women accessing care through this model. However, more data are needed to understand the full potential of this model. Barriers to digital health models, such as poor or inconsistent internet access, remain in places like Pakistan, especially in rural settings. This approach has its limitations but should be considered as an option in settings with similarly established community health networks and inequitable access to digital health.
ILC1s and ILC3s Exhibit Inflammatory Phenotype in Periodontal Ligament of Periodontitis Patients

Innate lymphoid cells (ILCs) are emerging as important players in inflammatory diseases. The oral mucosal barrier harbors all ILC subsets, but how these cells regulate the immune responses in periodontal ligament tissue during periodontitis remains undefined. Here, we show that total ILCs are markedly increased in periodontal ligament of periodontitis patients compared with healthy controls. Among them, ILC1s and ILC3s, particularly NKp44+ILC3 subset, are the predominant subsets accumulated in the periodontal ligament. Remarkably, ILC1s and ILC3s from periodontitis patients produce more IL-17A and IFN-γ than that from healthy controls. Collectively, our results highlight the role of ILCs in regulating oral immunity and periodontal ligament inflammation and provide insights into targeting ILCs for the treatment of periodontitis.
Modified Huangqi Chifeng Decoction Attenuates Proteinuria by Reducing Podocyte Injury in a Rat Model of Immunoglobulin a Nephropathy

Modified Huangqi Chifeng decoction (MHCD) has been used to reduce proteinuria in immunoglobulin A nephropathy (IgAN) for many years. Previously, we have demonstrated its protective role in glomerular mesangial cells. Podocyte injury, another key factor associated with proteinuria in IgAN, has also attracted increasing attention. However, whether MHCD can reduce proteinuria by protecting podocytes remains unclear. The present study aimed to investigate the protective effects of MHCD against podocyte injury in a rat model of IgAN. To establish the IgAN model, rats were administered bovine serum albumin, carbon tetrachloride, and lipopolysaccharide. MHCD in three doses or telmisartan was administered once daily for 8 weeks (n = 10 rats/group). Rats with IgAN developed proteinuria at week 6, which worsened over time until drug intervention. After drug intervention, MHCD reduced proteinuria and had no effect on liver and kidney function. Furthermore, MHCD alleviated renal pathological lesions, hyperplasia of mesangial cells, mesangial matrix expansion, and podocyte foot process fusion. Western blot analysis revealed that MHCD increased the expression of the podocyte-associated proteins nephrin and podocalyxin. Additionally, we stained podocyte nuclei with an antibody for Wilms’ tumor protein one and found that MHCD increased the podocyte number in rats with IgAN. In conclusion, these results demonstrate that MHCD attenuates proteinuria by reducing podocyte injury.
The Menstrual Cycle Alters Resting-State Cortical Activity: A Magnetoencephalography Study

Resting-state neural oscillations are used as biomarkers for functional diseases such as dementia, epilepsy, and stroke. However, accurate interpretation of clinical outcomes requires the identification and minimisation of potential confounding factors. While several studies have indicated that the menstrual cycle also alters brain activity, most of these studies were based on visual inspection rather than objective quantitative measures. In the present study, we aimed to clarify the effect of the menstrual cycle on spontaneous neural oscillations based on quantitative magnetoencephalography (MEG) parameters. Resting-state MEG activity was recorded from 25 healthy women with normal menstrual cycles. For each woman, resting-state brain activity was acquired twice using MEG: once during their menstrual period (MP) and once outside of this period (OP). Our results indicated that the median frequency and peak alpha frequency of the power spectrum were low, whereas Shannon spectral entropy was high, during the MP. Theta intensity within the right temporal cortex and right limbic system was significantly lower during the MP than during the OP. High gamma intensity in the left parietal cortex was also significantly lower during the MP than during the OP. Similar differences were also observed in the parietal and occipital regions between the proliferative (the late part of the follicular phase) and secretory phases (luteal phase). Our findings suggest that the menstrual cycle should be considered to ensure accurate interpretation of functional neuroimaging in clinical practice.