Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Protein dielectrophoresis: Key dielectric parameters and evolving theory

Globular proteins exhibit dielectrophoresis (DEP) responses in experiments where the applied field gradient factor ∇E2 appears far too small, according to standard DEP theory, to overcome dispersive forces associated with the thermal energy kT of disorder. To address this a DEP force equation is proposed that replaces a previous empirical relationship between the macroscopic and microscopic forms of the Clausius–Mossotti factor. This equation relates the DEP response of a protein directly to the dielectric increment δε+ and decrement δε− that characterize its β‐dispersion at radio frequencies, and also indirectly to its intrinsic dipole moment by way of providing a measure of the protein's effective volume. A parameter Γpw, taken as a measure of cross‐correlated dipole interactions between the protein and its water molecules of hydration, is included in this equation. For 9 of the 12 proteins, for which an evaluation can presently be made, Γpw has a value of ≈4600 ± 120. These conclusions follow an analysis of the failure of macroscopic dielectric mixture (effective medium) theories to predict the dielectric properties of solvated proteins. The implication of a polarizability greatly exceeding the intrinsic value for a protein might reflect the formation of relaxor ferroelectric nanodomains in its hydration shell.
Pilot experiment in chickens challenged with Campylobacter jejuni CCM6191 administered enterocin M-producing probiotic strain Enterococcus faecium CCM8558 to check its protective effect

Laukova A. , Pogany Simonova M. , Kubasova I. , Gancarcikova S. , Placha I. , Scerbova J., Revajova V. , Herich R. , Levkut Sn. M. , Strompfova V. (2017): Pilot experiment in chickens challenged with Campylobacter jejuni CCM6191 administered enterocin M-producing probiotic strain Enterococcus faecium CCM8558 to check its protective effect. Czech J. Anim. Sci., 62, 491–500. Campylobacter jejuni is one of the most common food-borne pathogens and chickens are the main source of these bacteria. Enterococcus faecium AL41, enterocin M-producing strain (deponed to the Czech Culture Collection of Microorganisms, Brno, Czech Republic – CCM8558) is our isolate previously applied e.g. in broiler rabbits with beneficial effect. In this study it was used in a 11-day experiment with chickens (1-day-old, breed Cobb 500, n = 40) challenged with C. jejuni. Birds had free access to feed and water; they were randomly divided into four groups per 10 chicks each: control (CG), E. faecium CCM8558 (EG1), CCM8558 + C. jejuni CCM6191 (EG2), CCM6191 (EG3). E. faecium CCM8558 (109 CFU/ml, 200 μl) in Ringer solution was administered daily per os to EG1 and EG2 for 7 days (from day 0–1). EG3 and EG2 were infected individually per os (day 4, CCM6191, 108 CFU/ml in Ringer solution, 200 μl). For microbiota evaluation, faecal mixtures (n = 5) were sampled on day 0–1 (1st sampling), on day 7 (2nd sampling), and on day 11 (3rd sampling) (day 7 of CCM8558 application, day 4 post-infection; day 4 of CCM8558 cessation, day 7 post-infection). Five birds from each group were sacrificed. CCM8558 sufficiently colonized chickens. In faeces of EG2 a tendency to reduce Campylobacter spp. (day 7 of application, day 4 of infection) was noted compared to EG2 (day 11, day 4 of cessation, day 7 postinfection; difference 1.21 log cycles), while in EG3 CCM6191 strain was not reduced. Phagocytic activity (PA) values were significantly higher in infected groups compared to CG and EG1. A significant increase in PA was also noted in EG2 and EG3 at the end of experiment compared to CG or EG1. The strain additive did not evoke oxidative stress. Biochemical parameters were influenced to the reference levels.
Play with Your Food and Cook It! Tactile Play with Fish as a Way of Promoting Acceptance of Fish in 11- to 13-Year-Old Children in a School Setting—A Qualitative Study

Despite a tradition of consuming fish in Denmark and despite the health benefits of eating fish, Danish children consume only one-third of the officially recommended amount of fish. The objective of this study was to explore an experiential and sensory-based exercise in a school setting with focus on tactile play and cooking as a way of promoting 11- to 13-year-old children’s acceptance of fish. The design was a qualitative exploratory multiple-case design using participant observation in a school setting. Six classes were recruited from the Eastern part of Denmark (n = 132). Based on an exercise with cooking fish and gyotaku (fish print), four meta-themes were identified by applying applied thematic analysis: rejection, acceptance, craftsmanship, and interaction. Rejection and acceptance appeared along a rejection–acceptance continuum related to how the fish was categorised (animal, non-animal, food) in different phases of the experiment. Rejection was promoted by mucus, smell, animalness, and texture, whereas helping each other, tactile play, and craftsmanship promoted acceptance. In conclusion, this study found that tactile play combined with cooking could be a way of promoting acceptance of fish. The findings also support a school setting as a potential gateway in promoting healthy food behaviour.
Distinct Relevance of Nightly Sleep Duration to Metabolic, Anthropometric, and Lifestyle Factors in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes

Objective Although a number of studies have shown that both short and long sleep durations were associated with the risk of metabolic disorders related to obesity, the underlying mechanism is still not fully understood. In this study, we analyzed the association of sleep duration with metabolic, anthropometric, and lifestyle factors in patients with type 2 diabetes. Methods The subjects were 279 patients with type 2 diabetes 63 (52-70) years old (median and interquartile range) with a body mass index of 25.0 (22.2-28.3) kg/m2 and HbA1c levels of 8.7% (7.6-10.3%). Patients with advanced complications were excluded from the study. Diets were evaluated by registered dietitians using a software program. Body composition was assessed by the multifrequency bioelectrical impedance method. Results The mean self-reported nightly sleep duration was 6.4 hours with no marked gender difference. Sleep duration was inversely correlated with the HbA1c levels, total energy intake, and intakes of carbohydrate, protein, and fat. The body fat ratio and skeletal muscle mass were correlated positively and negatively, respectively, with sleep duration. When the subjects were divided into three groups based on sleep duration, the intakes of total energy, carbohydrates, and fat tended to be high in those with <5.5 hours of sleep, and the percentage of patients who had habitual physical activities was lower in those with >7 hours of sleep. Conclusion The observation that sleep duration is distinctly associated with excessive eating and a sedentary lifestyle may provide a basis for effective lifestyle management of patients with type 2 diabetes.
Excitation Properties of Computational Models of Unmyelinated Peripheral Axons.

Biophysically-based computational models of nerve fibers are important tools for designing electrical stimulation therapies, investigating drugs that affect ion channels, and studying diseases that affect neurons. Although peripheral nerves are primarily composed of unmyelinated axons (i.e., C-fibers), most modeling efforts focused on myelinated axons. We implemented the single-compartment model of vagal afferents from Schild et al. 1994 and extended the model into a multi-compartment axon, presenting the first cable model of a C-fiber vagal afferent. We also implemented the updated parameters from Schild and Kunze 1997. We compared the responses of these novel models to three published models of unmyelinated axons (Rattay and Aberham 1993; Sundt et al. 2015; Tigerholm et al. 2014) and to experimental data from single fiber recordings. Comparing Schild et al. 1994 and 1997 revealed that differences in rest potential and action potential shape were driven by changes in maximum conductances rather than changes in sodium channel dynamics. Comparing the five model axons, the conduction speeds and strength-duration responses were largely within expected ranges, but none of the models captured the experimental threshold recovery cycle-including a complete absence of late subnormality in the models-and their action potential shapes varied dramatically. The Tigerholm et al. 2014 model best reproduced the experimental data, but these modeling efforts make clear that additional data are needed to parameterize and validate future models of autonomic C-fibers.
Primary Transverse Closure Compared to Open Wound Treatment for Primary Pilonidal Sinus Disease in Children

We aimed to compare the outcome of two different operative methods to correct pilonidal sinus disease (PSD) in children, i.e., excision and open wound care (OW) versus excision and primary transverse closure (PC) of the wound. In this retrospective, observational study, we extracted data from the medical records of 56 patients who underwent surgery for PSD at our institution between 1 January 2006 and 31 December 2016. To test whether the primary variable, i.e., rate of PSD recurrence, differed between the two surgical groups, a logistic regression model was fitted. Secondary explanatory variables were total length of stay (LOS) at the hospital, complications, sex and age of patients, seniority of the surgeon in charge, and volume of excised specimen. Overall, 32 (57%) children and young adults underwent OW, while 24 (43%) patients were treated by PC. Mean age at operation was 15.5 years in either group. PSD recurred in 12 of 32 (37.5%) children in the OW group and in 3 of 24 (12.5%) children in the PC group (ratio: 0.19, 95% confidence interval [95% CI] 0.03–1.07). Thus, treatment of primary PSD by PC proved superior with respect to PSD recurrence. Moreover, our study did not bring to light any high-grade complications in the PC group, and postoperative pain was minimal. Less invasive treatment approaches for chronic PSD are typically performed in an outpatient setting and offer reduced morbidity, low rates of PSD recurrence, and shortened periods of time to return to work or social activities. More radical operations of PSD should be reserved for recurrent PSD where less invasive approaches have failed several times.
A de novo missense mutation in TUBA1A results in reduced neural progenitor survival and differentiation

Mutations in tubulins have been implicated in numerous human neurobiological disorders collectively known as “tubulinopathies. ” We identified a patient with severe cortical dysgenesis and a novel de novo heterozygous missense mutation in Tubulin Alpha 1a (TUBA1A, c.1225 G>T). Induced pluripotent stem cells derived from this individual were differentiated into two dimensional neural rosette clusters to identify underlying mechanisms for the severe cortical dysgenesis phenotype. Patient-derived clones showed evidence of impaired neural progenitor survival and differentiation with abnormal neural rosette formation, increases in cell death, and fewer post-mitotic neurons. These features correlate with the drastically underdeveloped cortical tissues seen in the proband. This is the first experimental evidence in human tissue suggesting a mechanism underlying the role for TUBA1A in cortical development. SUMMARY STATEMENT Variants in tubulin genes often lead to severe congenital brain malformations. Here we identify a new mutation in TUBA1A and use iPSCS to show this alters proliferation, differentiation and survival of neural progenitors.
Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography with balloon-assisted enteroscopy in patients with Roux-en-Y anastomosis and Whipple operation

Abstract In patients with Roux-en-Y (R-Y) anastomosis (including hepaticojejunostomy and R-Y gastric bypass) and Whipple operation, endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) can be challenging. We retrospective analyses our experience with ERCP using balloon-assisted enteroscopy (BAE) (BAE-ERCP) in patients with R-Y anastomosis and Whipple operation. ERCP was performed in 15 patients (4 pancreaticoduodenectomy and 10cholangiojejunostomy and 1 Subtotal gastrectomy with R-Y reconstruction; age ranging from 4 to 63 years) with BAE. Double- and single-balloon enteroscopy was applied in 5 and 10 patients, respectively. Bile duct cannulation was successful in 13 of 15 cases (86.7%), including simple stenosis of the anastomotic stoma (n = 2), intrahepatic bile duct stones (n = 10), and pancreatic cancer (n = 1). Cannulation failed because the guidewire could not pass through the anastomotic stenosis in 1 patient and because the endoscope could not enter the acute angle of the anastomosis of the afferent limb in the other patient. Adverse events included jaundice (n = 1) and perforation (n = 1), which were successfully treated by conservative therapy. ERCP with BAE in patients with R-Y anastomosis and Whipple operation is safe and useful but has unique complications. The success rate is lower than that of conventional ERCP.
Gas Movement

is especially significant. From an exhaustive study of local floras he has drawn circumpolar biochores, connecting regions with similar proportions of chamaephytes. The biochores of io per cent, 20 per cent, and 30 per cent are chosen to separate four floral zones, which he distinguishes as follows: a cold temperate or hemicryptophyte zone, south of the io per cent biochore; a boreal zone, between the Io per cent and 20 per cent biochores; an arctic zone, between the 20 per cent and 30 per cent biochores; and an arctic-nival zone beyond the 30 per cent line. The same methods are also applied to alpine floras, and the number of chamaephytes is found to increase in the same way with the altitude. RAUNKIAER'S chief object is apparently the recognition of certain types of climate, the results of which are expressed in the vegetation. His methods will probably have a much greater value in characterizing floral regions, irrespective of their climate, and -will have the great advantage of basing the distinctions between regions upon the plants themselves, rather than upon any physical feature of the environment. It remains to be seen whether his chief biochores, chosen at certain round numbers and from one life form only, will eventually prove to be the most important. -H. A. GLEASON. Gas movement. -OHNO'6 has uncovered a most interesting situation in the rapid gaseous output from the leaf of Nelumbo nucifera. It is borne some distance above the water, and in the central region over the petiole there is a considerable depression. If on a warm sunny day one places some water in this depression, he will see a rapid extrusion of gas, which amounts to several times the volume of the leaf in a relatively short period. Analysis shows that the gas contains the percentage of 02 found in air. A like volume is given off by a detached leaf with its petiole in water, even in darkness if the upper surface is warmed. All these facts show that it is not 02 produced by photosynthesis, and indicate that it is air. Any condition that keeps the air over the leaf dry, sets up such an extrusion of gas. The phenomenon is best explained by the behavior of a model made by OHNO, which he states is a modification of forms before used, to show, in other connections, the physical principle which he believes is applicable here. A porous clay cup is filled with moist sphagnum and the open end supplied with a one-holed rubber stopper and glass and rubber tubing. The end of the latter dips just a little under the water. The porous cup is heated gently on a warming stage. The air begins streaming out of the tube and continues until it amounts to several times the volume of the porous cup. It ceases only when the water supply of the sphagnum is exhausted. The air on the outside of the tube is relatively dry and the gas pressure there is mainly air. Inside there is a considerable water vapor pressure which decreases tire air density. For this reason there is an inward diffusion of air, and, according to the Graham law, an even more rapid outward diffusion of water vapor. The lost water vapor is constantly resupplied by the moist sphagnum. There results an
Impact of Non-Tailored One-Way Automated Short Messaging Service (OASMS) on Glycemic Control in Type 2 Diabetes: A Retrospective Feasibility Study

Short message service (SMS) is easily accessible and potentially an ideal platform for delivering patient-targeted messages. However, an effective SMS dosing strategy is not well established. Our purpose was to evaluate the impact of diabetes self-care promoting messages via non-tailored one-way automated SMS (OASMS) on glycemic control in type 2 diabetes (T2DM). The change in hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) was compared between patients who received the service and those who did not. This retrospective quasi-experimental pre–post feasibility study was conducted at an academic medical center endocrinology clinic. English-speaking adults (≥18 years) with uncontrolled T2DM (HbA1c ≥ 8%) were included. A total of 69 patients (intervention n = 34; control n = 35) met the inclusion criteria. The mean (±SD) baseline HbA1c values were 10.2% (±1.9%) and 9.9% (±1.7%) in the intervention and control arms, respectively. Median follow-up was 3.3 months (IQR = 3–4.2). An ANCOVA model adjusted for baseline HbA1c and age showed an estimated HbA1c reduction difference of −0.97% (95% CI, −1.73 to −0.20%, p = 0.014), favoring the intervention arm. Inverse propensity score weighting confirmed the ANCOVA results. Our study suggests that adding diabetes self-care promoting messages via non-tailored OASMS to usual care improves glycemic control in poorly controlled T2DM. Larger and longer studies are needed to evaluate different features of the non-tailored OASMS strategy.
Are Multicentre Bond Indices and Related Quantities Reliable Predictors of Excited-State Aromaticity?

Systematic scrutiny is carried out of the ability of multicentre bond indices and the NOEL-based similarity index dAB to serve as excited-state aromaticity criteria. These indices were calculated using state-optimized complete active-space self-consistent field wavefunctions for several low-lying singlet and triplet states of the paradigmatic molecules of benzene and square cyclobutadiene and the inorganic ring S2N2. The comparison of the excited-state indices with aromaticity trends for individual excited states suggested by the values of magnetic aromaticity criteria show that whereas the indices work well for aromaticity reversals between the ground singlet and first triplet electronic states, addressed by Baird’s rule, there are no straightforward parallels between the two sets of data for singlet excited states. The problems experienced while applying multicentre bond indices and dAB to singlet excited states are explained by the loss of the information inherently present in wavefunctions and/or pair densities when calculating the first-order density matrix.
CDR132L improves systolic and diastolic function in a large animal model of chronic heart failure

Abstract Aims Cardiac miR-132 activation leads to adverse remodelling and pathological hypertrophy. CDR132L is a synthetic lead-optimized oligonucleotide inhibitor with proven preclinical efficacy and safety in heart failure (HF) early after myocardial infarction (MI), and recently completed clinical evaluation in a Phase 1b study (NCT04045405). The aim of the current study was to assess safety and efficacy of CDR132L in a clinically relevant large animal (pig) model of chronic heart failure following MI. Methods and results In a chronic model of post-MI HF, slow-growing pigs underwent 90 min left anterior descending artery occlusion followed by reperfusion. Animals were randomized and treatment started 1-month post-MI. Monthly intravenous (IV) treatments of CDR132L over 3 or 5 months (3× or 5×) were applied in a blinded randomized placebo-controlled fashion. Efficacy was evaluated based on serial magnetic resonance imaging, haemodynamic, and biomarker analyses. The treatment regime provided sufficient tissue exposure and CDR132L was well tolerated. Overall, CDR132L treatment significantly improved cardiac function and reversed cardiac remodelling. In addition to the systolic recovery, diastolic function was also ameliorated in this chronic model of HF. Conclusion Monthly repeated dosing of CDR132L is safe and adequate to provide clinically relevant exposure and therapeutic efficacy in a model of chronic post-MI HF. CDR132L thus should be explored as treatment for the broad area of chronic heart failure.
α-Synuclein facilitates endocytosis by elevating the steady-state levels of phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate

α-Synuclein (α-Syn) is a protein implicated in the pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease (PD). It is an intrinsically disordered protein that binds acidic phospholipids. Growing evidence supports a role for α-Syn in membrane trafficking, including, mechanisms of endocytosis and exocytosis, although the exact role of α-Syn in these mechanisms is currently unclear. Here we investigate the associations of α-Syn with the acidic phosphoinositides (PIPs), phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PI(4,5)P2) and phosphatidylinositol 3,4-bisphosphate (PI(3,4)P2). Our results show that α-Syn colocalizes with PIP2 and the phosphorylated active form of the clathrin adaptor protein 2 (AP2) at clathrin-coated pits. Using endocytosis of transferrin as an indicator for clathrin-mediated endocytosis (CME), we find that α-Syn involvement in endocytosis is specifically mediated through PI(4,5)P2 levels on the plasma membrane. In accord with their effects on PI(4,5)P2 levels, the PD associated A30P, E46K, and A53T mutations in α-Syn further enhance CME in neuronal and nonneuronal cells. However, lysine to glutamic acid substitutions at the KTKEGV repeat domain of α-Syn, which interfere with phospholipid binding, are ineffective in enhancing CME. We further show that the rate of synaptic vesicle (SV) endocytosis is differentially affected by the α-Syn mutations and associates with their effects on PI(4,5)P2 levels, however, with the exception of the A30P mutation. This study provides evidence for a critical involvement of PIPs in α-Syn–mediated membrane trafficking.
Liberalists and data-solutionists: redefining expertise in Twitter debates on coronavirus in Finland

Based on recent accounts of the sociology of expertise, we analyse the public contestation and expansion of expertise in the context of COVID-19 During the epidemic, the expertise of the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL), became increasingly contested By exploring Twitter discussions concerning the actions of THL during the first months of the epidemic from January to mid-June 2020, we analyse the main motivations and arguments in this public contestation as well as the alternative forms of expertise proposed by the critics We focus particularly on two forms of criticism arguing for what we call networked expertise: liberal crowdsourcing supporters and data-solutionists presenting alternative epidemiological models