Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Survey of content of cadmium, calcium, chromium, copper, iron, lead, magnesium, manganese, mercury, sodium and zinc in chamomile and green tea leaves by electrothermal or flame atomizer atomic absorption spectrometry

Abstract Due to the simplicity of tea preparation (pouring hot water onto different dried herbs) and its high popularity as a beverage, monitoring and developing a screening methodology for detecting the metal content is very important. The concentrations of Cd, Ca, Cr, Cu, Fe, Pb, Mg, Mn, Hg, Na and Zn in 8 samples of green tea (Camellia sinesis) and in 11 samples chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla L.) purchased both at local herbal pharmacies and supermarkets were determined using electrothermal atomizer atomic absorption spectrometry (ETAAS) and flame atomizer atomic absorption spectrometry (FAAS). The found concentrations in chamomile were: Cd (0.008 – 284 mg kg−1), Ca (2.42 – 6.29%), Cr (0.91 – 6.92 mg kg−1), Cu (6.27 – 11.39 mg kg−1), Fe (133.5 – 534 mg kg−1), Pb (0.561 – 1.277 mg kg−1), Mg (2.27 – 3.73%), Mn (62.2 – 165.6 mg kg−1), Hg (0.660 – 1.346 μg kg−1), Na (0.91 – 1.28%) and Zn (63.37 – 108.5 mg kg−1), in green tea Cd (36.29 – 202.1 mg kg−1), Ca (2.77 – 6.40%), Cr (1.520 – 5.278 mg kg−1), Cu (9.354 – 22.56 mg kg−1), Fe (162.6 – 513.3 mg kg−1), Pb (1.808 – 4.770 mg kg−1), Mg (1.41 – 2.62 %), Mn (1.147 – 1.729 g kg−1), Hg (1.045 – 2.802 μg kg−1), Na (0.44 – 0.98%) and Zn (30.65 – 115.6 mg kg−1), respectively. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) was applied to identify factors (soil, climate and country of origin) influencing the content of the measured elements in herbal samples. The proposed methodology developed in this work was successfully applied to the detection of metals in herbal samples. The analysis showed that the content of toxic metals in green tea samples was significantly higher and very close to the maximum dose recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO).
GANODERMA LUCIDUM-ORIENTAL MUSHROOM MEDIATED SYNTHESIS OF GOLD NANOPARTICLES CONJUGATED WITH DOXORUBICIN AND EVALUATION OF ITS ANTICANCER POTENTIAL ON HUMAN BREAST CANCER MCF-7/DOX CELLS

Objective: The present investigations are to mycosynthesis and characterization of gold nanoparticles conjugated with doxorubicin and evaluated anticancer activity. Methods: The characterization of the gold nanoparticles using ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy. FTIR investigations were carried out to find and read the functional group responsible designed at the bioconversion of gold ions and crystalline arrangement of gold nanoparticles was detected in the XRD study. The gold nanoparticles conjugated with doxorubicin were treated against MCF-7-dox resisted breast cancer cells and observed the in vitro cytotoxicity by MTT assay, SCGE (Comet), Apoptosis and Mito-potential assay. Further more we determinate the mRNA expression of ABCB1 gene and cDNA was synthesized from the mRNA for amplification of the ABCB1 gene corresponding to the specific primer. Results: Surface Plasmon resonance showed the development of gold nanoparticles in UV–Visible spectra at 537 nm. The synthesized gold nanoparticles were polydisperse spherical and it was determined by EDAX and stabilized in the solution to the spherical shapes further confirmed by High-resolution transmission electron microscope analysis designate in the reading of 2–100 nm. The anticancer assays were given significant results and the mRNA expression of ABCB1 gene and cDNA was amplified as directly proportional to the expression of ABCB1 gene. Conclusion: We propose that gold nanoparticles synthesized and conjugated with doxorubicin from G. lucidum might be a significant resource of drug delivery for anti-cancer preparation that may advantage breast cancer treatment.
Metacognitive Beliefs Uniquely Contribute to Interpersonal Problems: A Test Controlling for Adult Attachment, Big-5 Personality Traits, Anxiety, and Depression

Interpersonal difficulties are common across psychological disorders and are a legitimate target of treatment. Psychotherapeutic models differ in their understanding of interpersonal problems and how these problems are formulated and treated. It has been suggested that they are both the cause and effect of emotional distress symptoms, that they result from early attachment experiences, and that they are related to personality dimensions. However, the metacognitive model of psychopathology predicts that emotion disorder symptoms and interpersonal problems are linked to a common set of factors involving dysfunctional metacognition. In support of this view, metacognitive therapy has substantially reduced interpersonal problems in patients with anxiety and depression even though interpersonal problems are not directly targeted, indicating a role for metacognitive change. Nevertheless, the relationship between interpersonal problems and metacognitive beliefs remains underexplored, and the statistical control of emotion symptoms, personality, and attachment is important in substantiating any metacognition effects. The aim of the present study was therefore to test metacognitive beliefs as statistical predictors of interpersonal problems while controlling for anxiety/depression, adult attachment, and the Big-5 personality dimensions. In a cross-sectional study, 296 participants completed a battery of self-report questionnaires. We found that positive- and negative-metacognitive beliefs, cognitive confidence, and cognitive self-consciousness accounted for significant and unique variance in interpersonal problems together with avoidant attachment and conscientiousness when the overlap between all predictors was controlled. These findings support the notion that metacognitive beliefs are relevant to interpersonal problems with the potential implication that metacognitive therapy could have particularly broad effects on both emotion disorder symptoms and interpersonal problems.
Intake of Products Containing Anthocyanins, Flavanols, and Flavanones, and Cognitive Function: A Narrative Review

The purpose of this review is to examine human research studies published within the past 6 years which evaluate the role of anthocyanin, flavanol, and flavanone consumption in cognitive function, and to discuss potential mechanisms of action underlying any observed benefits. Evidence to date suggests the consumption of flavonoid-rich foods, such as berries and cocoa, may have the potential to limit, or even reverse, age-related declines in cognition. Over the last 6 years, the flavonoid subgroups of anthocyanins, flavanols, and flavanones have been shown to be beneficial in terms of conferring neuroprotection. The mechanisms by which flavonoids positively modulate cognitive function are yet to be fully elucidated. Postulated mechanisms include both direct actions such as receptor activation, neurotrophin release and intracellular signaling pathway modulation, and indirect actions such as enhancement of cerebral blood flow. Further intervention studies conducted in diverse populations with sufficient sample sizes and long durations are required to examine the effect of consumption of flavonoid groups on clinically relevant cognitive outcomes. As populations continue to focus on adopting healthy aging strategies, dietary interventions with flavonoids remains a promising avenue for future research. However, many questions are still to be answered, including identifying appropriate dosage, timeframes for intake, as well as the best form of flavonoids, before definitive conclusions can be drawn about the extent to which their consumption can protect the aging brain.
Predicting Coping With Self-Regulated Distance Learning in Times of COVID-19: Evidence From a Longitudinal Study

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, students worldwide have experienced fundamental changes to their learning. Schools had to shift to distance education as part of the effort to stop the spread of the virus. Although distance learning undoubtedly resulted in challenges for all students, there is much concern that it exacerbated existing educational inequalities and led to disadvantages – particularly for students who were already struggling academically and lacking support from family and school. The aim of this paper was to investigate the possible impact of family and child characteristics, school performance prior to lockdown, and support at home and from school during lockdown in coping with self-regulated distance learning during times of COVID-19. The paper draws on data from a two-wave longitudinal study surveying 155 lower secondary school students aged 13–14years from a rural-alpine region in Austria. Data were collected 1year before the start of the pandemic and directly after schools had returned to in-class teaching after the first lockdown. Our findings support the notion that distance learning poses a substantial risk for exacerbating existing educational disadvantages. They show that coping with out-of-school learning was especially challenging for students with low academic achievement and learning motivation prior to the pandemic. Furthermore, findings demonstrate that the support from parents and teachers foster students’ capabilities to cope with the self-regulatory demands connected with distance learning. Although the importance of competencies for self-regulated learning became particularly evident in the context of the pandemic, from our findings, it can be concluded that in the future, schools should strengthen their investment in promoting competencies for self-regulated learning. Self-regulation must be recognized as an essential educational skill for academic achievement and life-long learning.
Emergence of mcr-1-Harboring Salmonella enterica Serovar Sinstorf Type ST155 Isolated From Patients With Diarrhea in Jiangsu, China

Background: This study analyzed the antimicrobial resistance phenotypes and mechanisms of quinolone, cephalosporins, and colistin resistance in nontyphoidal Salmonella from patients with diarrhea in Jiangsu, China. Methods: A total of 741 nontyphoidal Salmonella isolates were collected from hospitals in major cities of Jiangsu Province, China between 2016 and 2017. Their susceptibility to commonly used antibiotics was evaluated by broth micro-dilution and sequencing analysis of resistance genes screened by a PCR method. For mcr-1 positive isolates, genetic relationship study was carried out by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis and multiloci sequence typing analysis. The transferability of these plasmids was measured with conjugation experiments and the genetic locations of mcr-1 were analyzed by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis profiles of S1-digested genomic DNA and subsequent Southern blot hybridization. Results: Among 741 nontyphoidal Salmonella isolates, the most common serotypes identified were S. Typhimurium (n=257, 34.7%) and S. Enteritidis (n=127, 17.1%), and the isolates showed 21.7, 20.6, and 5.0% resistance to cephalosporins, ciprofloxacin, and colistin, respectively. Among the 335 nalidixic acid-resistant Salmonella, 213 (63.6%) and 45 (13.4%) had at least one mutation in gyrA and parC. Among the plasmid-borne resistance, qnrS1 (85; 41.9%) and aac(6')-Ib-cr4 (75; 36.9%) were the most common quinolone resistance (PMQR) genes, while blaCTX-M-14 (n=35) and blaCTX-M-55 (n=46) were found to be dominant extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL) genes in nontyphoidal Salmonella. In addition, eight mcr-1-harboring strains were detected since 2016 and they were predominate in children under the age of 7years. Conjugation assays showed the donor Salmonella strain has functional and transferable colistin resistance and Southern blot hybridization revealed that mcr-1 was located in a high molecular weight plasmid. Conclusion: In nontyphoidal Salmonella, there is a rapidly increasing trend of colistin resistance and this is the first report of patients harboring mcr-1-positive Salmonella with a new ST type ST155 and new serotype S. Sinstorf. These findings demonstrate the necessity for cautious use and the continuous monitoring of colistin in clinical applications.
Periconception and First Trimester Diet Modifies Appetite, Hypothalamic Gene Expression, and Carcass Traits in Bulls

Nulliparous yearling beef heifers (n=360) were used to evaluate the effects of maternal dietary protein during the periconception and first trimester periods of gestation on postnatal growth, feedlot performance, carcass characteristics, and the expression of genes associated with appetite in the arcuate nucleus of their male progeny. Heifers were individually fed a diet of 1.18g crude protein (CP)/day High protein (HPeri) or 0.62g CP/day Low protein (LPeri) beginning 60days before conception. From 24 to 98days post-conception (dpc), half of each treatment group changed to the alternative post-conception diet and were fed 1.49g CP/day (HPost) or 0.88g CP/day (LPost) yielding four treatment groups in a 2×2 factorial design. From day 98 of gestation, heifers received a common diet until parturition. Calves were weaned at 183days and developed on pasture before feedlot entry. Bulls underwent a 70-day Residual Feed Intake (RFI) feedlot test commencing at 528days of age. Feedlot entry and final body weight (BW), feedlot average daily gain (ADG) and RFI were not different (p>0.05). Progeny of dams that had a change in diet (LPeri/HPost and HPeri/LPost) had 9% higher daily dry matter intake (DMI) during the RFI test (p<0.05) than progeny of dams that received low diet throughout both the peri-conception period and first trimester (LPeri/LPost). Further, mRNA expression of the appetite-stimulating agouti-related protein (AGRP) was increased in the arcuate nucleus of High Peri/LPost bulls (p<0.05). Longissimus dorsi muscle cross sectional area, carcass dressing percentage, and estimated retail beef yield (RBY) were all higher (p<0.05), and rump (P8) fat tended to be lower (p=0.07), for bulls from HPost dams despite no difference in carcass weight (p<0.05). This study is of commercial importance to the livestock industry as specific periods of maternal dietary supplementation may increase feed intake, enhance progeny muscling, and alter fat deposition leading to improvement in efficiency of meat production in beef cattle.
Effects of Thermal Acclimation on the Tolerance of Bactrocera zonata (Diptera: Tephritidae) to Hydric Stress

Insects, similarly to other small terrestrial invertebrates, are particularly susceptible to climatic stress. Physiological adjustments to cope with the environment (i.e., acclimation) together with genetic makeup eventually determine the tolerance of a species to climatic extremes, and constrain its distribution. Temperature and desiccation resistance in insects are both conditioned by acclimation and may be interconnected, particularly for species inhabiting xeric environments. We determined the effect of temperature acclimation on desiccation resistance of the peach fruit fly (Bactrocera zonata, Tephritidae) – an invasive, polyphagous pest, currently spreading through both xeric and mesic environments in Africa and the Eurasian continent. Following acclimation at three constant temperatures (20, 25, and 30°C), the survival of adult flies deprived of food and water was monitored in extreme dry and humid conditions (<10 and >90% relative humidity, respectively). We found that flies acclimated at higher temperatures were significantly heavier, and contained more lipids and protein. Acclimation temperature significantly and similarly affected the survival of males and females at both high and low humidity conditions. In both cases, flies maintained at 30°C survived longer compared to 20 and 25°C – habituated counterparts. Regardless of the effect of acclimation temperature on survival, overall life expectancy was significantly shortened when flies were assayed under desiccating conditions. Additionally, our experiments indicate no significant difference in survival patterns between males and females, and that acclimation temperature had similar effects after both short (5–10 days) and long (11–20 days) acclimation periods. We conclude that acclimation at 30°C prolongs the survival of B. zonata, regardless of ambient humidity levels. Temperature probably affected survival through modulating feeding and metabolism, allowing for accumulation of larger energetic reserves, which in turn, promoted a greater ability to resist starvation, and possibly desiccation as well. Our study set the grounds for understanding the phenotypic plasticity of B. zonata from the hydric perspective, and for further evaluating the invasion potential of this pest.
Transgelin Inhibits the Malignant Progression of Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinomas by Regulating Epithelial–Mesenchymal Transition

Objective This article investigates the role of Transgelin (TAGLN) in the epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) of esophageal squamous cell carcinomas (ESCC) and its possible mechanism of inhibiting the invasion of these cancers. Methods Tissue specimens and clinical information of patients with ESCC were collected to analyze the relationship between Transgelin expression level and prognosis of patients with ESCC. Transgelin siRNA was used to knock down Transgelin expression. The expression of Transgelin in Eca-109 and KYSE-150 cells was overexpressed by Transgelin-overexpressing plasmid. The effects of Transgelin overexpression and knockdown on the proliferation of Eca-109 and KYSE-150 cells were examined by Transwell chamber, scratch assay, and CCK-8 cell activity assay. RT-PCR and Western blot were used to detect the effect of Transgelin overexpression or knockdown on the mRNA and protein expressions of E-cadherin and Vimentin. TCGA data were used to analyze Transgelin co-expressed genes and further study the GO and KEGG enrichment analysis results under the influence of Transgelin. Results The expression of Transgelin was low in ESCC, and its expression level was positively correlated with the prognosis of patients with ESCC. The targeted Transgelin siRNA and Transgelin-overexpressing plasmid can effectively regulate the expression of Transgelin mRNA and protein in Eca-109 and KYSE-150 cells. After overexpression of Transgelin, the invasion and proliferation abilities of Eca-109 and KYSE-150 cells were significantly decreased compared with those of the control group (P < 0.05). However, Transgelin knockdown could promote the proliferation, migration, and invasion of ESCC cells. The overexpression of Transgelin inhibits EMT in ESCC. With the increase of Transgelin expression in Eca-109 and KYSE-150 cells, the expression of E-cadherin increased, while the expression of Vimentin decreased, and the difference was statistically significant (P < 0.05). Conclusion Transgelin can inhibit the malignant progression of ESCC by inhibiting the occurrence of EMT.
Family Socioeconomic Status and Learning Engagement in Chinese Adolescents: The Multiple Mediating Roles of Resilience and Future Orientation

This study explored the mediating effects of resilience and future orientation on the relationship between family socioeconomic status (SES) and learning engagement within the context of Chinese culture based on the cognitive theory of social class. A total of 1,245 junior high school students were recruited to complete anonymous questionnaires regarding the objective and subjective SES of their families, resilience, future orientation, and learning engagement. The mediating effects were tested by stepped multiple linear regression. Results indicated the following: (1) the relationships between objective and subjective SES, resilience, future orientation, and learning engagement was significantly positive; (2) resilience only mediated the relationship between subjective SES and learning engagement, whereas future orientation mediated the relationships between objective/subjective SES and learning engagement; (3) resilience and future orientation sequentially mediated the relationship between subjective SES and learning engagement. The current study contributes to a better understanding of how family SES influences adolescent academic performance from the perspective of adolescent cognitive abilities. In addition, this study provides implications for the prevention and intervention of academic performance of poor adolescents due to low SES.
Use of Radical Oxygen Species Scavenger Nitrones to Treat Oxidative Stress-Mediated Hearing Loss: State of the Art and Challenges

Nitrones are potent antioxidant molecules able to reduce oxidative stress by trapping reactive oxygen and nitrogen species. The antioxidant potential of nitrones has been extensively tested in multiple models of human diseases. Sensorineural hearing loss has a heterogeneous etiology, genetic alterations, aging, toxins or exposure to noise can cause damage to hair cells at the organ of Corti, the hearing receptor. Noxious stimuli share a battery of common mechanisms by which they cause hair cell injury, including oxidative stress, the generation of free radicals and redox imbalance. Therefore, targeting oxidative stress-mediated hearing loss has been the subject of much attention. Here we review the chemistry of nitrones, the existing literature on their use as antioxidants and the general state of the art of antioxidant treatments for hearing loss.
Developmental Histories Facilitating the Emergence of Creative Scientific Expertise: The Role of Developed Cognitive Talents, Education, and Social and Cultural Contexts

Understanding how individual and contextual factors collectively contribute to the developmental histories that facilitate the emergence of creative expertise in science is improved by considering the contribution of the broad structure of developed cognitive abilities to creativity, prospective research on the high achieving or gifted students who may choose careers in and end up as creative scientists later in life, as well as retrospective studies of established creative scientists themselves and what their educational histories reveal. We first review and elaborate on these connections as documented in research which explore the development of talent, including cognitive mechanisms that include math and spatial reasoning and science related educational opportunities. We propose a research thought experiment that utilizes the multi-trait, multi-method matrix, and bifactor modeling to help understand the true overlap between measurement structures of cognitive and creative aptitudes. Then we explore the social and cultural contexts that may facilitate and/or hinder creative solutions in science through the lens of how these ecosystems influence talent development for gifted students and also the production of elite scientists. Based on this review, some policies will be suggested that may enhance the development of scientific creativity and broader societal innovation and expand the pipeline to include and fully develop the talents of disadvantaged students and provide nurturing environments to improve the likelihood of the emergence of scientific creative expertise.
TREM2: Keeping Pace With Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors in Cancer Immunotherapy

To date, immune checkpoint inhibitors have been successively approved and widely used in clinical cancer treatments, however, the overall response rates are very low and almost all cancer patients eventually progressed to drug resistance, this is mainly due to the intricate tumor microenvironment and immune escape mechanisms of cancer cells. One of the main key mechanisms leading to the evasion of immune attack is the presence of the immunosuppressive microenvironment within tumors. Recently, several studies illustrated that triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells-2 (TREM2), a transmembrane receptor of the immunoglobulin superfamily, was a crucial pathology-induced immune signaling hub, and it played a vital negative role in antitumor immunity, such as inhibiting the proliferation of T cells. Here, we reviewed the recent advances in the study of TREM2, especially focused on its regulation of tumor-related immune signaling pathways and its role as a novel target in cancer immunotherapy.