Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Transcript Expression Profiles and MicroRNA Regulation Indicate an Upregulation of Processes Linked to Oxidative Stress, DNA Repair, Cell Death, and Inflammation in Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus Patients

Type 1 diabetes (T1D) arises from autoimmune-mediated destruction of insulin-producing β-cells leading to impaired insulin secretion and hyperglycemia. T1D is accompanied by DNA damage, oxidative stress, and inflammation, although there is still scarce information about the oxidative stress response and DNA repair in T1D pathogenesis. We used the microarray method to assess mRNA expression profiles in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of 19 T1D patients compared to 11 controls and identify mRNA targets of microRNAs that were previously reported for T1D patients. We found 277 differentially expressed genes (220 upregulated and 57 downregulated) in T1D patients compared to controls. Analysis by gene sets (GSA and GSEA) showed an upregulation of processes linked to ROS generation, oxidative stress, inflammation, cell death, ER stress, and DNA repair in T1D patients. Besides, genes related to oxidative stress responses and DNA repair (PTGS2, ATF3, FOSB, DUSP1, and TNFAIP3) were found to be targets of four microRNAs (hsa-miR-101, hsa-miR148a, hsa-miR-27b, and hsa-miR-424). The expression levels of these mRNAs and microRNAs were confirmed by qRT-PCR. Therefore, the present study on differential expression profiles indicates relevant biological functions related to oxidative stress response, DNA repair, inflammation, and apoptosis in PBMCs of T1D patients relative to controls. We also report new insights regarding microRNA-mRNA interactions, which may play important roles in the T1D pathogenesis.
Resolution enhanced statistically optimal cylindrical near-field acoustic holography based on equivalent source method

For the sound field reconstruction of large cylindrical surfaces, statistically optimal cylindrical near-field acoustic holography (SOCNAH) has high reconstruction accuracy but low resolution. To solve this problem, resolution enhanced SOCNAH (RE-SOCNAH) based on equivalent source method (ESM) is proposed. Firstly, near-field measurements are used to acquire the complex sound pressures on the holographic surface. Secondly, with the sound field on all measurement points as boundary conditions, single-layer potential ESM is used to reconstruct the sound pressure on corresponding interpolation points. Finally, with the sound pressure on all holographic points after interpolation, SOCNAH is used to reconstruct the sound pressure on the large cylindrical surface. Furthermore, arrangement of equivalent sources and performance of RE-SOCNAH are studied according to typical numerical and experimental studies on a cylindrical test bed. Generally, this paper provides an accurate and RE-NAH method for large cylindrical surfaces, which can provide significant evidences for noise monitoring and control.
Tuber Yield and Economics of Potato as Affected by Application of Vermicompost, Mineral Nitrogen and Phosphorus in Southwestern Ethiopia

Multi-nutrients deficiency of soil in southwest Ethiopia is among the primary constraints for the very low productivity of potatoes (Solanum tuberosum L.). The combined use of organic and inorganic fertilizers is vital for resolving the common productivity issue. Thus, experiments were performed on potato variety “Belte” in Masha district, southwestern Ethiopia, in both Belg (February to May) as well as Meher (June to October) seasons of 2019 to evaluate the potato response to the vermicompost, mineral phosphorus, and nitrogen’s integrated applications. The experiment had three vermicompost rates with the factorial combination (2.5, 5, 7.5 t/ha) and three recommended rates inorganic NP’s 25%, 50% and 75% (124 kg N/ha and 103 kg P2O5/ha) fertilizer. Results have discovered that 75% inorganic NP and 7.5 t/ha vermicompost’s combined application significantly increase total tuber yield, marketable tuber yield, and individual tuber weight, giving the maximum net benefits and marginal return rate. Thus, it has been discovered from this work that for potato production at Masha area, 7.5 t/ha vermicompost with inorganic NP’s 75% recommended dose’s combined applications are best-integrated nutrient management options.
Effect of Gamma Irradiation on the Osteoinductivity of Demineralized Dentin Matrix for Allografts: A Preliminary Study

Demineralized dentin matrix (DDM) treated with gamma irradiation (GR) has shown promising results as an allograft without any adverse effects in in vivo and clinical studies. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of 15 and 25 kGy GR on the osteoinductive properties of DDM at extra-skeletal sites. As a control group, non-irradiated DDM powder was implanted into the right subcutaneous tissues of the dorsal thigh muscles of 20 nude mice. DDM powder irradiated with 15 and 25 kGy was implanted into the left side. After two and four weeks, the bone mineral density (BMD) was measured with dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. After confirming osteoblast- and osteoclast-specific activities by alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP) staining, a histological analysis was performed to measure the new bone formation and the number of osteoblasts and osteoclast-like cells on the surface of the DDMs. Histomorphometry was used to calculate the new bone formation area on the surface of the DDM particles (DDMs). The BMD in all the groups increased from two and four weeks without statistically significant differences. The osteoblasts were dominantly activated on DDM without GR, and DDM treated with 25 kGy compared to DDM treated with 15 kGy. Among the groups, new bone formation was identified in all the groups at each time point. In conclusion, GR at doses of 15 and 25 kGy does not affect the osteoinductive properties of DDM powder.
New Game-Theoretic Approach to Decentralized Path Selection and Sleep Scheduling for Mobile Edge Computing

Network function virtualization (NFV) implements mobile edge computing (MEC) services as software appliances, and allows resources to be adaptively allocated to accommodate demand variations. Scalability and network cost (including operational cost and response latency) are key challenges. This paper presents a new game-theoretic approach to minimizing the network cost, where access points (APs) select MEC servers and routes in a decentralized manner, and unloaded routers and links are deactivated for cost saving. The key idea is that we interpret the minimization of network cost as a mixed game with a non-monotonic cost function capturing both the operational cost and response latency. We prove that the game is conditionally an ordinary potential game and converges to $\alpha $ -approximate equilibriums. A closed-form expression is derived for the convergence delay. Another important aspect is that we integrate Stackelberg routing into the proposed mixed game to avoid inefficient equilibriums (with high cost or latency). We prove that the mixed game can converge faster to better equilibriums under linear response latency models. Extensive simulations corroborate the new game-theoretic approach can significantly outperform existing techniques in terms of efficiency, convergence, and scalability.
The Emerging Role of CAR T Cell Therapy in Relapsed/Refractory Hodgkin Lymphoma

Treatment for Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) has evolved considerably from the time it was originally described in the 19th century with many patients now being cured with frontline therapy. Despite these advances, upwards of 10% of patients experience progressive disease after initial therapy with an even higher percentage relapsing. Until recently there had been limited therapeutic options for relapsed and/or refractory HL outside of highly intensive chemotherapy with stem cell rescue. Improved understanding of the pathophysiology of HL, coupled with the emergence of more targeted therapeutics, has reshaped how we view the treatment of relapsed/refractory HL and its prognosis. With this, there has been an increased focus on immunotherapies that can reprogram the immune system to better overcome the immunosuppressive milieu found in HL for improved cancer cell killing. In particular, chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells are emerging as a valuable therapeutic tool in this area. Building on the success of antibody-drug conjugates directed against CD30, CAR T cells engineered to recognize the same antigen are now reaching patients. Though still in its infancy, CAR T therapy for relapsed/refractory HL has shown exceptional promise in early-stage clinical trials with the potential for durable responses even in patients who had progressed through multiple lines of prior therapy. Here we will review currently available data on the use of CAR T cells in HL, strategies to optimize their effectiveness, and how this therapy may fit into the treatment paradigm of HL going forward.
Antibiotic Use and Resistance Knowledge Assessment of Personnel on Chicken Farms with High Levels of Antimicrobial Resistance: A Cross-Sectional Survey in Ica, Peru

Poultry farming represents Peru’s primary food animal production industry, where antimicrobial growth promoters are still commonly used, exerting selective pressure on intestinal microbial populations. Consumption and direct animal-to-human transmission have been reported, and farmworkers are at high risk of colonization with resistant bacteria. We conducted a cross-sectional survey among 54 farmworkers to understand their current antimicrobial resistance (AMR) awareness in Ica, Peru. To gain insight into the potential work-related risk of exposure to bacteria, we also measured the AMR rates in Escherichia coli isolated among 50 broiler chickens. Farmworkers were unaware of antimicrobial resistance (31.5%) or antibiotic resistance (16.7%) terms. Almost two-thirds (61%) consumed antibiotics during the previous month, and only 42.6% received a prescription from a healthcare professional. A total of 107 E. coli chicken isolates were obtained, showing a high frequency of multidrug-resistant (89.7%) and extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL) production (71.9%). Among ESBL-producer isolates, 84.4% carried the blaCTX-M gene. Results identified gaps in knowledge that reflect the need for interventions to increase antimicrobial awareness among poultry farmworkers. The high AMR rates among E. coli isolates highlight the need to reduce antimicrobial use in poultry farms. Our findings reveal a critical need for effective policy development and antimicrobial stewardship interventions in poultry production in Ica, Peru.
Linking Service Innovation to Organisational Performance: Mediating Role of Employee Productivity and Job Satisfaction

Banks are leveraging on innovation to address the major concerns of their employees including improvements in service delivery, operational efficiency, and enhancing the speed of transactions. The purpose for this study was to explore the mediating role of job performance and job satisfaction in the relationship between service innovation and organisational performance. Data for the study was obtained from 250 bank employees in Ghana through structured questionnaire. The PLS-SEM was the main analytical tool used to analyse the research findings. Findings from this study revealed a positive and significant relationship between service innovation and organizational performance. Additionally, the study revealed that employee job satisfaction and productivity positively influence organisational performance. The study further revealed a mediation possibility for job satisfaction and employee productivity in the relationship between service innovation and organisational performance. The implications as well as the theoretical contributions of this study are discussed.
Operation provide: a multi-agency response to increasing police engagement in cases of intimate partner violence during the COVID-19 pandemic

ABSTRACT Because of the lockdown conditions imposed in the United Kingdom to control the spread of the COVID-19 virus, police services responded to the risk of increased domestic abuse and intimate partner violence in a variety of ways. This study evaluates the effectiveness of a multi-agency pilot program put in place to increase the engagement in both the criminal investigation and safeguarding actions of the police and other agencies for victims of intimate partner violence. In this program, independent domestic violence advocates and independent sexual violence advocates work side by side in a police patrol capacity, conducting joint incident response to reports of domestic abuse in an effort to provide enhanced, immediate victim support. The early findings indicate significant overall increases in engagement with criminal prosecutions. The level of engagement of repeat victims in respect of safeguarding and criminal investigations also greatly increased. In addition, individual offences of controlling and coercive behaviour, harassment, threats to kill, affray and malicious communications showed significant rises in engagement. The findings indicate that improved victim support at an earlier stage improves the likelihood of agencies protecting, preventing and reducing cases affecting victims of intimate partner violence. Areas of further research include victim and practitioner perspectives and a more comprehensive data analysis to evaluate if these early findings remain at greater volumes and over time.
Modulating Behavioural and Self-Reported Aggression with Non-Invasive Brain Stimulation: A Literature Review

Aggressive behaviour is at the basis of many harms in society, such as violent crime. The efforts to explain, study, and possibly reduce aggression span various disciplines, including neuroscience. The specific brain networks which are involved in the modulation of aggressive behaviour include cortical asymmetry and brain areas such as the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), the ventrolateral prefrontal cortex (VLPFC), and the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (VMPFC). Recent non-invasive brain stimulation (NIBS) research suggests that both transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) and continuous theta burst stimulation (cTBS) can play a role in the modulation of aggressive behaviour by directly changing brain activity. In this review, we systematically explore and discuss 11 experimental studies that aimed to modulate aggressive behaviour or self-reported aggression using NIBS. Out of these 11 studies, nine significantly up- or downregulated aggression by using tDCS or cTBS targeting the DLPFC, VLPFC or VMPFC. The potential applications of these findings span both the clinical and the forensic psychological domains. However, the results are limited by the methodological heterogeneity in the aggression measures used across the studies, and by their generally small sample sizes. Future research should consider improving the localization and specificity of NIBS by employing neuro-navigational instruments and standardized scoring methods.
Hydrolyzed Yeast Supplementation to Newly Weaned Piglets: Growth Performance, Gut Health, and Microbial Fermentation

Simple Summary Early-weaning in piglets has negative effects on growth performance and gut health, which may cause economic losses in the swine production worldwide. Therefore, this study aimed to examine the effects of a highly digestible protein ingredient from hydrolyzed yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, gut health, and microbial fermentation in early-weaned piglets. Our study found that supplementing hydrolyzed yeast increased growth performance, crude protein digestibility, villus height, villus height-to-crypt ratio, and immunity and decreased inflammation and fecal pathogen count compared with those fed a diet with no addition of hydrolyzed yeast. These research outcomes indicate that supplementation of hydrolyzed yeast has the potential to enhance the growth performance and gut health of early-weaned piglets. Abstract Hydrolyzed yeast (HY)-derived protein from Saccharomyces cerevisiae has a high digestible protein content and nucleotides and is a sweetener immunostimulatory substance. This could be used in nursery diets to minimize diarrhea and improve the growth rate and gut health of early-weaned piglets. This research was conducted with the objective of examining the effect of the inclusion level of HY as a potential protein ingredient for early-weaned piglets. A total of 72 crossbred weaned piglets [(Landrace × Large White) × Duroc] were assigned to three dietary treatments in six replicates with four pigs per pen. Dietary treatments were: (i) control (CON), piglets weaned at 18 days; (ii) CON diet with 5% HY inclusion (HY5); and (iii) CON diet with 10% HY inclusion (HY10) in a corn–soybean meal-based basal diet. Increasing HY levels positively improved body weight, average daily gain, and average daily feed intake (linear effect, p < 0.05). Furthermore, there was a linear increase in N-retention, albumin, jejunal villus height, villus height-to-crypt depth ratio, immunoglobulin A, acetate and propionate production, and Lactobacillus spp. count proportional to the dose of the HY-supplemented diet (p < 0.05). It also observed a decrease in diarrheal rate, jejunal crypt depth, blood urea nitrogen, pro-inflammatory cytokines, branched amino acids, and E. coli corresponding to the HY-supplemented levels (p < 0.05). However, the changes in the apparent total tract digestibility (dry matter, crude ash, and crude fat), blood glucose, butyrate, and Salmonella spp. were unaffected by the dietary HY level. Therefore, the supplementation of HY in the diet for early-weaned pigs not only supported the growth rate and immune function but also activated the beneficial bacterial growth of the early-weaned piglets.
Immunosuppressed Patients with Clinically Diagnosed Invasive Fungal Infections: The Fungal Species Distribution, Antifungal Sensitivity and Associated Risk Factors in a Tertiary Hospital of Anhui Province

Objective Since the nosocomial fungal infections increasingly emerge, we extensively investigated the fungal species stratification and antifungal sensitivity profiles, clinical characteristics and associated risk factors of immunosuppressed patients with clinically diagnosed invasive fungal infections (IFIs) in a tertiary hospital of Anhui province. Methods In total, 112 subjects with immunosuppressive state were enrolled from a comprehensive tertiary hospital in Central China between July 2019 and December 2021. Eight-one fungal isolates were clinically recovered by fungus-culturing approaches. The identifications were conducted through a mass spectrometry detecting platform. The susceptibilities to antifungals were tested using the broth micro-dilution method, and the possible antifungal azole-resistance mechanism in specific Candida species was availably explored by sequencing. Patient medical profiles were accessed via the digitized retrieval system of hospital, from which clinical outcomes and multiple risk factors for immunosuppressed patients with clinically diagnosed IFIs were explicitly documented for evaluation. Results Candida species predominated in clinically diagnosed IFIs of immunosuppressed patients (accounting for 88.88%), followed by Trichosporon and Aspergillus species (6.17% and 4.94%, respectively). The source types of specimen were primarily comprised of urine (41.98%), respiratory samples (33.33%) and peripheral blood (9.88%). Frequently isolated Candida and Trichosporon species exhibited a high level of in vitro sensitivity for amphotericin B and 5-fluorocytosine, whereas a substantial portion of Candida species including C. glabrata, C. parapsilosis complex and C. tropicalis, and Trichosporon species showed lowered sensitivity patterns toward itraconazole, fluconazole and voriconazole at different levels. Specifically, gene mutations of ERG11 were identified in azole-resistant C. tropicalis. Distinct risk factors were analyzed to be highly associated with the clinically diagnosed IFI incidence, mainly including hospitalization duration, surgical procedures, immunosuppressive treatments, underlying diseases and other conditions. Conclusion Candida, Trichosporon and Aspergillus species were the top three pathogenic fungal agents causing clinically diagnosed IFIs in immunosuppressed patients. The attenuated sensitivity to azoles in Candida and Trichosporon species needs close surveillance, and ERG11 polymorphism might contribute to azole resistance in specific Candida species. Multiple featured risk factors for immunosuppressed patients developing clinically diagnosed IFIs require further consideration during clinical practice.
Flowering segregation and pollinator distinctiveness contribute to coexistence in an extremely generalist plant group

ABSTRACT Background Flowering time determines potential plant mates, and it is related to gene flow within and among plant populations arising from different selective forces and interspecific interactions between plants with similar pollination niches. However, these effects on the flowering phenology of plants with generalist pollination systems have received little attention and hence our knowledge of the contribution of generalised pollination systems on the evolution of adaptative traits, such as the flowering time containing lacunae. Aims To verify the effective contribution of interspecific plant interactions in a generalised pollination system to the structuring of flowering phenology. Methods We recorded the reproductive phenophases of four Baccharis species in a subtropical grassland. We evaluated their flowering patterns by a niche overlap index and compared it with a null model. We used ecological network metrics from insect visitors recorded to determine the pollinator network structure. Results A staggered flowering pattern and distinctiveness of insect pollinators with non-signalling modularity and a variation in the Baccharis-pollinators network structure throughout the year were observed. The distinctiveness on pollinators with a strong bee-dependence added to temporal divergence on flowering among the species leads to no negative effects on fruit set. Conclusion The temporal segregation on flowering peaks and low pollinator similarity appear to underlie to coexistence of Baccharis species studied in southern Brazil.
Is Sedentary Behavior Associated With Executive Function in Children and Adolescents? A Systematic Review

Background Prolonged time on sedentary behavior, especially screen-based sitting time, is associated with unfavorable health indicators in children and adolescents. However, the effects of sedentary behavior on cognitive function remain to be elucidated. Objective The purpose of this systematic review was to synthesize the evidence on the associations of sedentary behavior with executive function in children and adolescents. Methods Four electronic databases (i.e., PubMed, Web of Science, PsycINFO, and SPORTDiscus) were searched for studies examining the associations between sedentary behavior and executive function in children and adolescents. Study quality was assessed by the NIH Quality Assessment Tool for Observational Cohort and Cross-Sectional Studies. Results A total of 1,151 records were initially identified through database searches and other searches. Twelve cross-sectional and four longitudinal studies met the inclusion criteria. Of the 16 studies, seven studies found significant negative associations between sedentary behavior and executive function, and two studies presented positive associations. Eight studies measured sedentary time using accelerometers and showed varied associations between objectively measured sedentary time and executive function. Nine studies measured screen-based sedentary behavior, of which five studies found negative associations of sedentary time with executive function. Conclusion The available evidence on the associations between sedentary behavior and executive function is not conclusive in children and adolescents. However, screen-based sedentary behavior may be negatively associated with executive function.