Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Serum Protein Concentration and Serum Protein Fractions in Bottlenose Dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) under Human Care Using Agarose Gel Electrophoresis

Simple Summary Serum protein electrophoresis (SPE) is a widely used method to determine the concentration of a serum protein fraction in human and veterinary medicine. Serum protein electrophoresis allows the separation of serum proteins into several categories based on their ability to migrate in an electrical field on different supports. Typical migration patterns could be identified in the course of different disorders such as inflammation or neoplasia. However, to be clinically useful, the interpretation of SPE data had to be performed in light of an appropriate method—and species-specific reference intervals (RIs) and for all species, including marine mammals, attention should also be given to the different living environments. In this work, we established the RIs for serum protein fractions evaluated using agarose gel electrophoresis in bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) under human care. These data are a new tool for health assessment in dolphins, thus, they may be useful for clinicians to better interpret laboratory data. Abstract Serum protein electrophoresis (SPE) is the most used and reliable method to determine the percentage of serum protein subfractions. The interpretation of the kinetics of total proteins and albumin and globulin fractions is receiving increased attention in wild animals, as well as in domestic animals, due to the possibility of identifying typical pathologic patterns. However, the interpretation of these data had to be performed in light of an appropriate method—and species- specific reference intervals (RIs). In marine mammals, as well as other non-domestic species, specific attention should also be given to the different environment (free ranging vs. human managed) and the associated different exposure to environmental stimuli. The aim of this report was to establish RIs for the serum protein fractions evaluated using agarose gel electrophoresis (AGE) in bottlenose dolphins under human care. Peripheral blood samples were collected from 40 bottlenose dolphins during standard veterinary procedures to evaluate their health status. Total protein concentration was determined using the biuret method while AGE was performed using an automated system. A pooled dolphin’s serum sample was used to determine the intra-assay and inter-assay imprecision of AGE. The RIs were calculated using an Excel spreadsheet with the Reference Value Advisor set of macroinstructions. The intra and inter-assay imprecisions were 1.2% and 2.5%, respectively, for albumin; 2.9% and 5.7%, respectively, for α-globulins; 3.8% and 4.0%, respectively, for β-globulins; and 3.4% and 4.8%, respectively, for γ-globulins. The total protein, albumin, α-globulin, β-globulin, and γ-globulin concentrations were 65.5 ± 5.4 g/L, 45.5 ± 4.9 g/L, 8.0 ± 1.0 g/L, 5.0 ± 2.0 g/L, and 7.0 ± 2.0 g/L, respectively. We established the RIs for the total protein and serum protein fractions using AGE in bottlenose dolphins under human care.
Outcomes of Penta-Refractory Multiple Myeloma Patients Treated with or without BCMA-Directed Therapy

Simple Summary Refractoriness to the five main myeloma treatments, including lenalidomide, pomalidomide, bortezomib, carfilzomib, and either daratumumab or isatuximab, define penta-refractory myeloma. Pent-refractory myeloma is a challenging disease that does not respond adequately to standard treatment approaches. However, clinical trials offer hope for innovative approaches. B-cell maturation antigen (BCMA) is a novel target for plasma cells. Initial clinical trials showed promising results in refractory myeloma. Nevertheless, measuring the benefits specifically for pent-refractory myeloma is required. In this retrospective analysis, we demonstrate that the BCMA-targeted approach has changed the outcomes of penta-refractory myeloma. While penta-refractory myeloma patients may benefit from BCMA-targeted therapy, more novel treatment options are needed to overcome its resistance. Abstract Despite advances in treatment, outcomes remain poor for patients with penta-relapsed refractory multiple myeloma (RRMM). In this retrospective analysis, we evaluated the survival outcomes of penta-RRMM patients treated with (BCMA)- directed therapy (BDT). We identified 78 patients with penta-RRMM. Median age was 65 years, 29 (37%) had R-ISS stage III disease, 63 (81%) had high-risk cytogenetics, and 45 (58%) had extra-medullary disease. Median LOT prior to penta-refractory state was 5 (3–12). Amongst penta-RRMM, 43 (55%) were treated with BDT, 35 (45%) were not treated with BDT. Type of BDT received included belantamab mafadotin 15 (35%), Chimeric Antigen Receptor T-cell therapy 9 (21%), BCMA monoclonal antibody 6 (14%), and Bispecific T-cell engager 2 (5%). Eleven (25%) patients received more than one BDT. No significant differences were identified between baseline characteristics for the two groups. Patients treated with a BDT had better median overall survival, 17 vs. 6 months, HR 0.3 p-value < 0.001. Poor performance status, white race, and high-risk cytogenetics were associated with worse outcomes, whereas using a BDT was associated with better outcomes. Patients with penta-refractory MM have poor outcomes. Our retrospective analysis showed a significant survival benefit using BDT when compared to non-BDT for patients with penta-RRMM.
How Efficient and Socially Sensitive Are Fiscal Incentives for Electric Cars in Europe?

The main aim of the study was to analyse the impact of fiscal incentives on the share of electric passenger cars in total sales in 31 European countries in 2021 and 2022. Research methods included an assessment of the active fiscal incentives and passive financial gain on fuel of owning electric over petrol-powered vehicles, calculating the ratio of these variables to the net savings in emissions, and conducting regression analysis of the impact of these two variables, as well as indicators of national wealth and the distribution of population by urbanization, on the share of electric vehicles in total sales. The most important finding of the research is that, in the countries under review, incentives are not well designed. For a saving of 1 ton of CO2 for business-owned plug-in hybrid electric sports utility vehicles, tax incentives stood at EUR 3400, as compared to only EUR 106 for small battery powered electric vehicles, with very high differences between countries. Applied panel data regressions with random effects indicated that active tax incentives had a rather low impact on the share of battery electric vehicles (BEVs) in total passenger car sales in 31 European countries in 2021 and 2022, while the difference in electricity price over petrol price combined with the share of the population living in houses in towns and suburbs may be a rather strong stimulus for buying BEVs (R2 = 0.452 for the total sample and R2 = 0.579 for the reduced sample). However, national wealth between countries, measured by relative final consumption expenditure per capita, had the highest impact on the share of battery electric vehicles in total sales (R2 = 0.634). The study suggests that fiscal incentives for electricity powered vehicles in Europe were too large, and neither well designed nor directed towards less wealthy households.
Human Settlement and Landscape Anthropization of Remote Oceanic Islands: A Comparison between Rapa Nui (Pacific Ocean) and the Azores (Atlantic Ocean)

The flora and vegetation of oceanic islands have been deeply affected by human settlement and further landscape modifications during prehistoric and historical times. The study of these transformations is of interest not only for understanding how current island biotas and ecological communities have been shaped but also for informing biodiversity and ecosystem conservation. This paper compares two oceanic insular entities of disparate geographical, environmental, biological, historical and cultural characteristics—Rapa Nui (Pacific Ocean) and the Azores Islands (Atlantic Ocean)—in terms of human settlement and further landscape anthropization. The similarities and differences between these islands/archipelagos are discussed considering their permanent colonization, the possibility of earlier settlements, the removal of the original forests and the further landscape transformations leading to either full floristic/vegetational degradation (Rapa Nui) or major replacement (Azores). This comparison uses evidence from varied disciplines, notably paleoecology, archaeology, anthropology and history, to obtain a holistic view of the development of the respective socioecological systems from a human ecodynamic perspective. The most relevant issues still to be resolved are identified and some prospects for future research are suggested. The cases of Rapa Nui and Azores Islands may help set a conceptual basis for ocean-wide global comparisons among oceanic islands/archipelagos.
The Impact of School Closures during COVID-19 Lockdown on Visual–Motor Integration and Block Design Performance: A Comparison of Two Cohorts of Preschool Children

The COVID-19 outbreak has led to the closure of educational institutions, which may prevent children from attaining skills essential for learning, such as visual–motor integration (VMI) and visuospatial constructional ability (often reflected with the Block Design Test, BDT). This study compares VMI and BDT performance between a pre-pandemic cohort (children who attended preschool in late 2019) and a post-pandemic cohort (those physically attending preschool for the first time at the end of 2021). Participants were children attending government preschools with similar syllabi catered for low-income families. The pre-pandemic cohort was part of an earlier study (n = 202 for VMI and n = 220 for BDT) before lockdowns commenced in March 2020. The post-pandemic cohort comprised 197 children who completed the Beery-VMI and 93 children who completed the BDT. Compared to the pre-pandemic cohort, the post-pandemic cohort had significantly lower mean Beery-VMI scores (t(397) = 3.054, p = 0.002) and was 3.162-times more likely to have a below average Beery-VMI score (OR = 3.162 (95% CI 1.349, 7.411)). The post-pandemic cohort also had significantly lower BDT scores than the pre-pandemic cohort (t(311) = −5.866, p < 0.001). In conclusion, children with disrupted conventional preschool education due to the COVID-19 lockdowns were more likely to have below-average VMI and lower BDT scores.
New physics in the lepton sector

This thesis addresses some scenarios of new physics as well as their consequences on the lepton sector. The fact that neutrinos are massive is one of the problems left unsolved by the Standard Model. One of the possible solutions is the seesaw mechanism, that involves new heavy states whose decay violates lepton number. Because of this, these states can participate in leptogenesis, one of the scenarios that could explain the origin of the asymmetry between matter and antimatter in our universe. Here, we study leptogenesis with a scalar triplet and consider especially the impact of flavour effects. After that, we turn to supersymmetric models. We consider a model in which the fermionic partner of a pseudo-Goldstone boson, associated to a symmetry broken at high energy, plays the role of a sterile neutrino, that could explain some experimental anomalies. Finally, to be viable, supersymmetry should be broken in a hidden sector, and this breaking should be transmitted to the fields of the low energy theory. One of the most elegant scenarios for this is gauge mediation. Unfortunately, it cannot easily reproduce the mass of the Higgs boson measured at LHC. We study here extensions that could rehabilitate this scenario and relate it to the seesaw mechanism.
Expression of Bone Morphogenetic Protein 14 in Liver Disease and Cancer

The activation of hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) is the key event of hepatic fibrosis. Furthermore, activated HSCs also play an important role in the progression of hepatocellular cancer (HCC). Bone morphogenetic protein 14 (BMP14) is a member of the TGF-β/BMP superfamily. So far, most studies have analyzed BMP14 in the context of bone and cartilage formation and homeostasis. The aim of this study was to assess the expression and function of BMP14 in liver fibrosis and HCC. The BMP14 expression increased during the in vitro activation of primary human HSCs and also in mouse models of liver fibrosis. In human HCC, as well as non-tumorous liver tissues, there was a significant correlation between the expression of BMP14 and alpha-smooth-muscle actin (α-SMA), an established marker for HSC activation. RNAi-mediated BMP14 suppression in activated HSCs resulted in the reduced expression of the transcription factors inhibitor of differentiation 1 (ID1) and ID2, known targets of BMP signaling. Interestingly, α-SMA and collagen expression was also reduced in BMP14-depleted cells, while treatment with recombinant BMP14 induced ID1, ID2, α-SMA and collagen expression. In human HCC cell lines, treatment with recombinant BMP14 induced proliferation, migratory activity and colony formation. In summary, our data indicate activated HSCs as a major cellular source of enhanced BMP14 expression in fibrotic liver disease and HCC, and show that BMP14 exhibits pro-fibrogenic as well as pro-tumorigenic effects. Future analyses will reveal the potential of this soluble growth factor as a therapeutic target or prognostic marker for the progression of fibrosis and HCC in patients with chronic liver disease.
Comparison of Field and Full-Scale Laboratory Peak Pressures at the IBHS Research Center

The Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS) research facility, is capable of subjecting full scale structures to high wind loads. In order to validate the facility, comparisons of the mean velocity, turbulence intensity profiles and turbulent spectra are made to both field measurements from Texas Tech University and theoretical profiles and spectral estimates. The match of the mean velocity profiles and turbulence intensity profiles was good in both the longitudinal and lateral directions. The match of the turbulent spectra from the IBHS facility is good, with a small spectra gap between wave numbers of 0.01 and 0.1 and too much energy at small scales, similar to model scale wind tunnels. The match of point pressures on a building compared to model scale and full scale experiments is good, with the results from the IBHS facility generally falling between the full scale and model scale results in the separated regions on the roof.
Safety and Efficacy of Intravenous and Intrathecal Delivery of AAV9-Mediated ARSA in Minipigs

Metachromatic leukodystrophy (MLD) is a hereditary neurodegenerative disease characterized by demyelination and motor and cognitive impairments due to deficiencies of the lysosomal enzyme arylsulfatase A (ARSA) or the saposin B activator protein (SapB). Current treatments are limited; however, gene therapy using adeno-associated virus (AAV) vectors for ARSA delivery has shown promising results. The main challenges for MLD gene therapy include optimizing the AAV dosage, selecting the most effective serotype, and determining the best route of administration for ARSA delivery into the central nervous system. This study aims to evaluate the safety and efficacy of AAV serotype 9 encoding ARSA (AAV9-ARSA) gene therapy when administered intravenously or intrathecally in minipigs, a large animal model with anatomical and physiological similarities to humans. By comparing these two administration methods, this study contributes to the understanding of how to improve the effectiveness of MLD gene therapy and offers valuable insights for future clinical applications.
Statistics of wave orbital velocities in random directional sea states

The inclusion of at least the second order nonlinear contribution is necessary to achieve an accurate representation of ocean waves. While this is well known for the surface elevation, the importance of second order nonlinearity on the velocity potential, and hence on the wave kinematics and associated wave loads, is still unclear. To explicitly address the effect of nonlinear contribution on wave velocities Monte-Carlo simulations with a second order wave model are carried out with different initial random conditions. Results show that the statistical distribution of the horizontal components of wave orbital velocity departs substantially from Normality due to second order contributions for both unidirectional and directional wave fields. Introduction Offshore structures have to withstand extreme loads due to the wave action. Together with a reliable estimation of the probability of occurrence of freak waves in a stormy sea, the maritime industry also requires enhanced estimation of the wave loads associated to extreme waves. Wave forces on offshore structures are usually estimated as a function of wave-induced velocities by the Morison equation [5] F = ρCmV u+ 1 2 ρCdAu|u|, (1) where Cm and Cd are the inertia and drag coefficient, A and V are the frontal area and the body volume, ρ is the water density and u is the horizontal velocity component of the wave orbital motion with u its derivative. Thus, correct reconstruction of the velocity field below water waves assumes a fundamental role in the evaluation of the intensity of the wave-structure interaction. Due to its practical implications the wave kinematics have been deeply investigated (e.g. [1] and references therein) to fully characterize the velocity field and hence the wave induced loads on structures. Mathematically, the wave motion problem can be fully represented by the boundary value problem described by the laplacian of the velocity potential φ
Treatments of COVID-19-Associated Taste and Saliva Secretory Disorders

Since the worldwide spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection, treating taste and saliva secretory disorders associated with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has become a critical issue. The aim of the present study was to update information on treatments applicable to such oral symptoms and discuss their pathogenic mechanisms. The literature search indicated that different treatments using tetracycline, corticosteroids, zinc, stellate ganglion block, phytochemical curcumin, traditional herbal medicine, nutraceutical vitamin D, photobiomodulation, antiviral drugs, malic acid sialagogue, chewing gum, acupuncture, and/or moxibustion have potential effects on COVID-19-associated ageusia/dysgeusia/hypogeusia and xerostomia/dry mouth/hyposalivation. These treatments have multiple modes of action on viral cellular entry and replication, cell proliferation and differentiation, immunity, and/or SARS-CoV-2 infection-induced pathological conditions such as inflammation, cytokine storm, pyroptosis, neuropathy, zinc dyshomeostasis, and dysautonomia. An understanding of currently available treatment options is required for dental professionals because they may treat patients who were infected with SARS-CoV-2 or who recovered from COVID-19, and become aware of their abnormal taste and salivary secretion. By doing so, dentists and dental hygienists could play a crucial role in managing COVID-19 oral symptoms and contribute to improving the oral health-related quality of life of the relevant patients.
Assessing the Relationship Between Health Information Technology Use and Self-Rated Health Among Adults with Chronic Low Back Pain in the United States

Objective: To assess the use of health information technology (HIT) among adults with chronic low back pain (CLBP) in the United States and to evaluate the relationship between HIT use and self-rated health. Methods: The independent variable was the use of the internet to (1) fill prescriptions, (2) communicate with a healthcare provider, (3) look up health information, and (4) schedule a medical appointment. Respondents rated their health in the last 12 months as worse, about the same, or better. A Chi-square analysis was used to assess the use of HIT among those with CLBP; a logistic regression was used to determine predictors of HIT use; and an ordinal logistic regression was used to assess the relationship between HIT and self-rated health. Results: As compared to those without CLBP, those with CLBP are more likely to use the internet to look up health information (58.9 vs. 53.8%, p-value<.001), refill prescriptions (13.9% vs. 10.5%, p-value<.001), and communicate with a healthcare provider (19.8% vs.15.3%, p-value<.001). Being employed and having a higher level of education were positive predictors of HIT use. As compared to other uses of the internet, using the internet to communicate with a healthcare provider was associated with higher odds of rating health as better compared to worse or about the same within the last 12 months. Conclusion: Among adults with CLBP, a more affluent social status is associated with the use of HIT. Also, HIT is associated with a better health rating as compared to not using it at all. Further studies should assess the longitudinal relationship between HIT use and how adults with CLBP rate their health.
General equilibrium theory in infinite dimensions : an application of Fredholm Index Theory

This thesis deals with generic determinacy of equilibria for infinite dimensional economies. Our work could be seen as an infinite-dimensional analogue of Dierker and Dierker (1972), by characterising equilibria of an economy as a zero of the aggregate excess demand, and studying its transversality. In this case, we can use extensions of the Sard-Smale theorem. Assuming separable utilities, we give a new proof of generic determinacy of equilibria. We define regular price systems in this setting and show that an economy is regular if and only if its associated excess demand function only has regular equilibrium prices. We also define the infinite equilibrium manifold and show that it has the structure of a Banach manifold. We also provide conditions that guarantee global uniqueness of equilibria for smooth infinite economies. We do this by introducing to the economic literature the notion of Z-Rothe vector fields that will allow us to construct an index theorem a la Dierker (1972); this shows that the number of equilibria is odd and in particular gives a new proof of existence. Extending the finite dimensional results of Balasko (1988), we characterise the equilibrium manifold as a covering space of the set of economies and we study global conditions under which the natural projection map is a diffeomorphism. We furthermore study the effects that critical equilibria have on the global invertibility of the projection map.