Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Role of CD155/TIGIT in Digestive Cancers: Promising Cancer Target for Immunotherapy

The tumor microenvironment restricts the function and survival of various immune cells by up-regulating inhibitory immune checkpoints, and participates in the immune escape of tumors. The development of immunotherapies targeting immune checkpoints, such as programmed cell death receptor 1 antibody and anti-cytotoxic T lymphocyte-associated antigen 4 antibody, has provided many options for cancer treatment. The efficacy of other immune checkpoint inhibitors is also under development and research. Among them, T cell immunoreceptor with Ig and ITIM domains (TIGIT) has shown excellent clinical application prospects. Correspondingly, poliovirus receptor (PVR, CD155), one of the main ligands of TIGIT, is mainly expressed in various human malignant tumors and myeloid cells. CD155 interacts with TIGIT on natural killer cells and T cells, mediating inhibitory immunomodulatory regulation. This study summarized the mechanism of CD155/TIGIT in regulating immune cells and its role in the occurrence and development of digestive system tumors, aiming to provide a new perspective for immunotherapy of digestive cancers.
Impact of Insulin Resistance on Cardiometabolic Risk Factors and an Anthropometry-Based Predictive Nomogram for Insulin Resistance Among Adolescents in China

Objective We aimed to investigate the impact of insulin resistance (IR), as determined by the homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), on cardiometabolic risk factors (CMRFs), and develop an anthropometry-based predictive nomogram for IR among adolescents in China. Design Data were acquired from a cross-sectional study with a stratified cluster sampling method, conducted among adolescents in Northeast China. Participants A total of 882 adolescents (aged 12–16 years, 468 boys) were included. Measurements All participants underwent anthropometric and biochemical examinations. The thresholds of IR included the 90th percentile of the HOMA-IR for adolescents with a normal body mass index (BMI) and fasting plasma glucose (FPG) level within each sex group (Cutoff A), and the 75th percentile for all participants of the same sex (Cutoff B). Results The HOMA-IR was associated with CMRFs. IR, as defined by both cutoffs A and B, was significantly associated with most CMRFs, except decreased HDL-C levels. Excellent concordance (κ = 0.825) was found between these two criteria in diagnosing IR. However, IR using cutoff A, was more closely associated with cardiometabolic risk. The incidence of IR, as defined by cutoff A, was 18.93% and increased from 10.99% to 43.87% based on the different BMI categories. Further, an anthropometry-based predictive model for IR, incorporating sex, age, waist-to-hip ratio, weight and BMI, was developed and presented as a nomogram. Conclusions IR among adolescents is strongly related to cardiometabolic risk. We developed an anthropometry-based predictive nomogram for IR among adolescents, which may facilitate health counselling and self-risk assessments.
The Effect of Perceived Threat Avoidability of COVID-19 on Coping Strategies and Psychic Anxiety Among Chinese College Students in the Early Stage of COVID-19 Pandemic

Background The novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak has seriously threatened the mental health of college students. This study intended to invest whether perceived threat avoidability of COVID-19 relates to psychic anxiety among college students during the early stage of the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the mediating roles of COVID-19-specific wishful thinking and COVID-19-specific protective behaviors in this relationship. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted in China, using a random sampling method (February 6–25, 2020). Self-reported questionnaires were conducted online included the Perceived Threat Avoidability of COVID-19 Scale, COVID-19-specific Wishful Thinking Scale, COVID-19-specific Protective Behaviors Scale, and the Hamilton Psychogenic Anxiety Scale. The data were analyzed using Structural equation modeling and Bootstrapping procedure. Results A total of 2922 samples were collected in this study. Perceived threat avoidability of COVID-19 is negatively related to psychic anxiety (β = −0.158, p< 0.001), and both COVID-19-specific wishful thinking (β = −0.006, p = 0.029, 95% CI: [−0.012, −0.001]) and protective behaviors (β = −0.029, p< 0.001, 95% CI: [−0.043, −0.018]) mediate this relationship. Also, COVID-19-specific wishful thinking is found to correlate with COVID-19-specific protective behaviors negatively (β = −0.112, p < 0.001). Conclusion Perceived threat avoidability of COVID-19 contributes to psychic anxiety among college students. COVID-19-specific wishful thinking strategy plays a negative mediating role and increases the level of anxiety; COVID-19-specific protective behaviors strategy plays a positive mediating role and reduces the level of anxiety; meanwhile, wishful thinking also suppresses college students from adopting protective behaviors.
Developmental Plasticity in Primate Coordinated Song: Parallels and Divergences With Duetting Songbirds

Homeothermic animals (birds and mammals) are prime model systems for investigating the developmental plasticity and neural mechanisms of vocal duetting, a cooperative acoustic signal that prevails in family-living and pair-bonded species including humans. This review focuses on the nature of this trait and its nurturing during ontogeny and extending into adulthood. I begin by outlining the underpinning concepts of duet codes and pair-specific answering rules as used by birds to develop their learned coordinated song, driven by a complex interaction between self-generated and socially mediated auditory feedback. The more tractable avian model of duetting helps identify research gaps in singing primates that also use duetting as a type of intraspecific vocal interaction. Nevertheless, it has become clear that primate coordinated song—whether overlapping or antiphonal—is subject to some degree of vocal flexibility. This is reflected in the ability of lesser apes, titi monkeys, tarsiers, and lemurs to adjust the structure and timing of their calls through (1) social influence, (2) coordinated duetting both before and after mating, (3) the repair of vocal mistakes, (4) the production of heterosexual song early in life, (5) vocal accommodation in call rhythm, (6) conditioning, and (7) innovation. Furthermore, experimental work on the neural underpinnings of avian and mammalian antiphonal duets point to a hierarchical (cortico-subcortical) control mechanism that regulates, via inhibition, the temporal segregation of rapid vocal exchanges. I discuss some weaknesses in this growing field of research and highlight prospective avenues for future investigation.
Isoliquiritin Ameliorates Cisplatin-Induced Renal Proximal Tubular Cell Injury by Antagonizing Apoptosis, Oxidative Stress and Inflammation

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a clinical syndrome characterized by morbidity, mortality, and cost. Cis-diamminedichloroplatinum (cisplatin) is a chemotherapeutic agent used to treat solid tumors and hematological malignancies, but its side effects, especially nephrotoxicity, limit its clinical application. Isoliquiritin (ISL), one of the major flavonoid glycoside compounds in licorice, has been reported to have anti-apoptotic, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory activities. However, the effect and mechanism of ISL on cisplatin-induced renal proximal tubular cell injury remain unknown. In this study, mouse proximal tubular cells (mPTCs) and human proximal tubule epithelial cells (HK2) were administered increasing concentrations of ISL from 7.8125 to 250 μM. Moreover, mPTC and HK2 cells were pretreated with ISL for 6–8 h, followed by stimulation with cisplatin for 24 h. CCK-8 assay was performed to evaluate the cell viability. Apoptosis and reactive oxygen species (ROS) of cells were measured by using flow cytometer and western blotting. Our results showed that ISL had no obvious effect on cell viability. ISL decreased cisplatin-induced cell injury in a dose-dependent manner. ISL also protected against cisplatin-induced cell apoptosis. Meanwhile, the enhanced protein levels of Bax, cleaved caspase-3/caspase-3 ratio, levels of Pp-65/p-65, levels of IL-6, and the production of ROS induced by cisplatin were significantly attenuated by ISL treatment. Moreover, ISL markedly increased the protein levels of Bcl-2 and SOD2, which were reduced by cisplatin stimulation. These results showed that ISL ameliorated cisplatin-induced renal proximal tubular cell injury by antagonizing apoptosis, oxidative stress and inflammation.
Development and Effectiveness Verification of an Online Career Adaptability Program for Undergraduate Students

This study developed an online career adaptability improvement program as part of the undergraduate curriculum to improve college students’ career adaptability and verify its effectiveness. This 13-week intervention program, developed using the Korea-Career Adaptability Scale (K-CAS), consists of three domains: (1) knowledge and recognition of the self and work environment, (2) self-directed coping related to career behavior, and (3) environmental interaction for career decisions and adaptation. Two sub-studies were conducted to achieve the research objectives: Study 1 included developing and testing a pilot program and Study 2 quantitatively analyzed the final program to test its effectiveness. In Study 1, preliminary program development and validity were verified, and in Study 2, the effectiveness of the final program was verified. As a strategy to achieve the research purpose, in Study 1, literature review and needs analysis, program design reflecting the results of the needs analysis, validity verification through Delphi survey, preliminary program implementation and evaluation, and the operation of the final program were performed. To test the effectiveness of the program in Study 2, a pre-posttest of career adaptability was conducted on experimental (n = 54), comparison (n = 56), and control groups (n = 53) using the non-equivalent group pretest–posttest design, followed by a program satisfaction survey. This study is meaningful in that it developed an online program to help college students improve career adaptability and identified its effectiveness. This study yielded two results. First, it successfully developed a career adaptability improvement program for undergraduate students, wherein the career development tasks, and the sub-factors of career adaptability were organically interlinked. Second, it verified the statistically significant differences in the career adaptability scores among the experimental, comparison, and control groups. The highest mean score was obtained by participants in the experimental group, followed by the comparison and the control group.
A Mendelian Randomization Study of the Effect of Tea Intake on Type 2 Diabetes

Background: The association reported between tea intake and type 2 diabetes (T2D) is inconsistent in previous studies and remains controversial. We aimed to explore the causal relationship between tea intake, T2D, and glycemic traits including hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), fasting plasma glucose (FPG), fasting serum insulin (FSI), and homeostasis model of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) levels. Methods: A 2-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) was performed using summary statistics from large-scale genome-wide association studies of tea intake from the UK Biobank, T2D from the DIAGRAM consortium, and glycemic traits from the Magic consortium. The findings were verified through sensitivity analyses using various MR methods with different model assumptions and by comprehensively evaluating the influence of pleiotropy effects and outliers. Results: With the use of a two-sample MR with inverse variance-weighted method, the odds ratio per unit SD change of tea intake (SD: 2.85 cups/day) for T2D, HbA1c, FPG, FSI, and HOMA-IR levels was 0.949 (95% CI 0.844–1.067, p = 0.383), 0.994 (95% CI 0.975–1.013, p = 0.554), 0.996 (95% CI 0.978–1.015, p = 0.703), 0.968 (95% CI 0.948–0.986, p = 0.001), and 0.953 (95% CI 0.900–1.009, p = 0.102), respectively. The results were consistent with those of the other six methods that we used with different model assumptions, suggesting that the findings were robust and convincing. We also performed various sensitivity analyses for outlier removal, pleiotropy detection, and leave-one-out analysis. Conclusion: Our MR results did not support the causal effect of tea intake on T2D and crucial glycemic traits. These findings suggest that previous observational studies may have been confounded.
Why Do Patients Seek Diagnose Dis-accordance With Hierarchical Medical System Related Policies in Tertiary Hospitals? A Qualitative Study in Shanghai From the Perspective of Physicians

Background Although the Hierarchical Medical System has been utilized in China for many years, it is inadequate for guiding patients in adopting appropriate diagnose-seeking behaviors in accordance with related policies. This study examined how patients' diagnose-seeking behavior in tertiary hospitals that is dis-accordance with Hierarchical Medical System related policy (“DSB-dis-accordance”) arise and ways to guide patients away from such behaviors, both from the perspective of physicians. Methods A qualitative study based on a mixed method including in-depth interviews and grounded theory. Twenty-seven physicians with more than 2 years of experience serving in tertiary hospitals of Shanghai were involved after reviewing the related purposes and requirements. Patients' “DSB-dis-accordance” was studied from the perspective of physicians. Results Patient-related factors (habits, trust, and knowledge), physician-related factors (conservative preference, risk avoidance), and system-related factors (accessibility, operability) affected patients' diagnose-seeking behavior. Conclusions Patient-related, physician-related, and system-related factors affecting patients' diagnose-seeking behaviors in tertiary hospitals should be addressed by investing more health resources in lower-level hospitals, enhancing dissemination of health-related and policy-related knowledge, refining the classification of diseases, incentivizing physicians, and developing appropriate follow-up measures. Physicians could then become more involved in guiding patients' “DSB-dis-accordance,” thereby benefitting development of the Hierarchical Medical System in China.
Defects of Nutrient Signaling and Autophagy in Neurodegeneration

Neurons are post-mitotic cells that allocate huge amounts of energy to the synthesis of new organelles and molecules, neurotransmission and to the maintenance of redox homeostasis. In neurons, autophagy is not only crucial to ensure organelle renewal but it is also essential to balance nutritional needs through the mobilization of internal energy stores. A delicate crosstalk between the pathways that sense nutritional status of the cell and the autophagic processes to recycle organelles and macronutrients is fundamental to guarantee the proper functioning of the neuron in times of energy scarcity. This review provides a detailed overview of the pathways and processes involved in the balance of cellular energy mediated by autophagy, which when defective, precipitate the neurodegenerative cascade of Parkinson’s disease, frontotemporal dementia, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis or Alzheimer’s disease. Graphical Abstract Schematic Representation Highlighting the Mechanisms of Nutrient Sensing and Autophagy Under Physiological Conditions.
Students Starting University: Exploring Factors That Promote Success for First-Year International and Domestic Students

There are many factors that influence the first-year university student experience, and these factors can vary depending on student characteristics. In this research, using survey data, we explore differences between domestic Canadian and international (non-Canadian) first year university students across four categories that have been identified in past research. These categories broadly influence student success: individual factors, psychological needs, social relationships and connections to campus, and learning preferences and behaviors. Two hundred and seventy-two students (domestic: N = 185, international: N = 86) responded to quantitative individual difference items. International students reported greater drive, higher self-esteem, and placed greater importance on strong social networks, social life, and faith. Further, as compared to domestic first-year students, international students reported higher campus engagement, greater preferences for textbooks and online tutorials, being alone with their thoughts, higher confidence with their major choice, and reported studying more. Importantly, international students were less likely to feel they had a safe place to live in comparison to domestic students (all p < 0.05). These data show that international students come to campus with differential needs, styles, and experiences, which can inform approaches taken by institutions in supporting their students’ success.
Influence of the Driver Conditions on the Injury Outcome in Front Impact Collisions

: Changes in the driver’s posture and velocity caused by inertia during an emergency braking are believed to affect the injury outcome in front impact collisions. Moreover, at equivalent impact conditions, the results from real-world data analysis show the increased risk of injury in the cases in which an emergency braking preceded the accident. The objective of this study is to further investigate the relationship between such driver’s pre-crash conditions and the injury outcome by using a computer human model. A finite element human model (JAMA model) and the results of the pre-impact experiments with volunteers were employed for this purpose. By simulating the same two accidents after different pre-impact conditions it was concluded that the presence of a pre-impact emergency braking increased the severity of the loading mechanism sustained by the driver, especially on the thoracic region.
Honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica) and Huangqi (Astragalus membranaceus) Suppress SARS-CoV-2 Entry and COVID-19 Related Cytokine Storm in Vitro

COVID-19 is threatening human health worldwide but no effective treatment currently exists for this disease. Current therapeutic strategies focus on the inhibition of viral replication or using anti-inflammatory/immunomodulatory compounds to improve host immunity, but not both. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) compounds could be promising candidates due to their safety and minimal toxicity. In this study, we have developed a novel in silico bioinformatics workflow that integrates multiple databases to predict the use of honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica) and Huangqi (Astragalus membranaceus) as potential anti-SARS-CoV-2 agents. Using extracts from honeysuckle and Huangqi, these two herbs upregulated a group of microRNAs including let-7a, miR-148b, and miR-146a, which are critical to reduce the pathogenesis of SARS-CoV-2. Moreover, these herbs suppressed pro-inflammatory cytokines including IL-6 or TNF-α, which were both identified in the cytokine storm of acute respiratory distress syndrome, a major cause of COVID-19 death. Furthermore, both herbs partially inhibited the fusion of SARS-CoV-2 spike protein-transfected BHK-21 cells with the human lung cancer cell line Calu-3 that was expressing ACE2 receptors. These herbs inhibited SARS-CoV-2 Mpro activity, thereby alleviating viral entry as well as replication. In conclusion, our findings demonstrate that honeysuckle and Huangqi have the potential to be used as an inhibitor of SARS-CoV-2 virus entry that warrants further in vivo analysis and functional assessment of miRNAs to confirm their clinical importance. This fast-screening platform can also be applied to other drug discovery studies for other infectious diseases.
Cost Utility Analysis of Multidisciplinary Postacute Care for Stroke: A Prospective Six-Hospital Cohort Study

Background Few studies have compared the optimal duration and intensity of organized multidisciplinary neurological/rehabilitative care delivered in a regional/district hospital with the standard rehabilitative care delivered in the general neurology/rehabilitation ward of a medical center. This study measured functional outcomes and conducted cost-utility analysis of an organized multidisciplinary postacute care (PAC) project in secondary care compared with standard rehabilitative care delivered in tertiary care. Methods This prospective cohort study enrolled 1,476 patients who had a stroke between March 2014 and March 2018 and had a modified Rankin scale score of 2–4. After exact matching for age ± 1 year, sex, year of stroke diagnosis, nasogastric tube, and Foley catheter and propensity score matching for the other covariates, we obtained 120 patients receiving PAC (the PAC group) from four regional/district hospitals and 120 patients not receiving PAC (the non-PAC group) from two medical centers. Results At baseline, the non-PAC group showed significantly better functional outcomes than the PAC group, including EuroQol-5 dimensions (EQ-5D), Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and Barthel index (BI). During weeks 7–12 of rehabilitation, improvements in all functional outcomes were significantly larger in the PAC group (P < 0.001) except for Functional Oral Intake Scale (FOIS). Cost-utility analysis revealed that the PAC group had a significantly lower mean (± standard deviation) of direct medical costs (US$3,480 ± $1,758 vs. US$3,785 ± $3,840, P < 0.001) and a significantly higher average gain of quality-adjusted life years (0.1993 vs. 0.1233, P < 0.001). The PAC project was an economically “dominant” strategy. Conclusions The PAC project saved costs and significantly improved the functional outcomes of patients with stroke with slight to moderately severe disabilities. Randomized control trials are required to corroborate these results.
The Potential of ASR for Improving English Pronunciation: A Review

To pronounce well is a complex task, requiring students not only to possess knowledge of the appropriate sounds in a given context, but also to learn to use their vocal apparatus to make those sounds, equipped with extensive practice and feedback. Students in these situations require autonomous monitoring experiences to receive tailored feedback. One of the technological tools learners can use to improve their pronunciation is Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR). This provides learners with individual practice and feedback to assist them s to accomplish their language goals. This study examines the database of research on the use of ASR in pronunciation instruction and learning available on Google Scholar, Springer Link, Education Resources Information Center (ERIC), Taylor & Francis Online and Directory of Open Access Journal (DOAJ). To help the process of identification, some procedures and criteria were employedThe results revealed that ten articles met the eligibility criteria. The procedures of utilizing ASR to improve students' pronunciation competency are then discussed in this study. Keywords: teaching speaking, teaching pronunciation, Automatic Speech Recognition