Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Development and Validation of a Prediction Model for the Cure of Peritoneal Dialysis-Associated Peritonitis: A Multicenter Observational Study

Aim Peritoneal dialysis (PD)-associated peritonitis (PDAP) is a severe complication of PD. It is an important issue about whether it can be cured. At present, there is no available prediction model for peritonitis cure. Therefore, this study aimed to develop and validate a prediction model for peritonitis cure in patients with PDAP. Methods Patients with PD who developed PDAP from four dialysis centers in Northeast China were followed up. According to the region of PD, data were divided into training and validation datasets. Initially, a nomogram for peritonitis cure was established based on the training dataset. Later, the nomogram performance was assessed by discrimination (C-statistic), calibration, and decision curves. Results Totally, 1,011 episodes of peritonitis were included in the final analysis containing 765 in the training dataset and 246 in the validation dataset. During the follow-up period, peritonitis cure was reported in 615 cases from the training dataset and 198 from the validation dataset. Predictors incorporated in the final nomogram included PD duration, serum albumin, antibiotics prior to admission, white cell count in peritoneal dialysate on day 5 (/μl) ≥ 100/μl, and type of causative organisms. The C-statistic values were 0.756 (95% CI: 0.713–0.799) in the training dataset and 0.756 (95% CI: 0.681–0.831) in the validation dataset. The nomogram exhibited favorable performance in terms of calibration in both the training and validation datasets. Conclusion This study develops a practical and convenient nomogram for the prediction of peritonitis cure in patients with PDAP, which assists in clinical decision-making.
Climate, competition, and the rise of mosasauroid ecomorphological disparity

Mosasauroidea, prominent marine lizards (Squamata, Toxicofera) of the final 30 million years of the Cretaceous, have been extensively studied for their morphology, ecology and systematics in the past two centuries. However, the relative roles of biological and physical processes as drivers of their morphological diversification remain uncertain. Here we investigate the macroevolution of mosasauroid feeding and locomotory disparity using continuous characters measured from the mandible and forelimb as proxies. Patterns of morphospace occupation demonstrate important roles for innovation and niche partitioning in driving morphological disparity. The early evolution of Mosasauroidea is characterized by large shifts in morphology, especially elongation of the mandibular biting area and hydropedality. The later diversification of derived Mosasaurinae and Plioplatecarpinae is associated with a great expansion of morphospace, attributed to the acquisition of novel feeding and locomotory strategies. Temporally, disparity follows a top‐heavy profile, possibly reflecting opportunism in the wake of the Cenomanian–Turonian anoxic event. The highest levels of disparity are found in the latest Cretaceous, associated with the radiation of derived mosasaurids alongside the persistence of more basal forms. Major morphological innovations are not associated with evolutionary rate shifts, which differentiates them from earlier marine reptiles, and may reflect constant and greater niche occupation in Late Cretaceous oceans. Linear modelling of potential physical drivers indicates a minor role for these processes, suggesting that biological drivers were the primary sculptors of mosasauroid morphological disparity.
No Influence of Emotional Faces or Autistic Traits on Gaze-Cueing in General Population

The present study addressed the controversial issue of whether autistic traits in the general population are associated with the automatic and fundamental aspects of joint attention through eye gaze. Specifically, we examined whether the degree of autistic traits is associated with the magnitude of reflexive attention orienting in the direction of another’s eye gaze embedded in neutral and emotional (angry, fearful, and happy) faces. The cue stimuli changed gaze direction and facial expressions simultaneously. Participants were asked to detect a target that appeared at the left or right of the cue stimuli. The results revealed a robust gaze-cueing effect, such that the reaction time to the target was shorter under the gazed-at-target condition than under the non-gazed-at-target condition. However, emotional expressions did not modulate the gaze-cueing effect. Furthermore, individual differences in autistic traits and emotional characteristics (social anxiety, alexithymia, and emotional disturbances) did not influence the magnitude of the gaze-cueing effect. Although the ability to orient attention in the direction of another’s gaze is a fundamental function of social development, the gaze-cueing effect measured in a controlled experiment might not be an elaborate representation of the current social cognitive function, at least in typically developing adults.
High-Resolution Fluorescence Imaging Combined With Computer Simulations to Quantitate Surface Dynamics and Nanoscale Organization of Neuroligin-1 at Synapses

Neuroligins (NLGNs) form a family of cell adhesion molecules implicated in synapse development, but the mechanisms that retain these proteins at synapses are still incompletely understood. Recent studies indicate that surface-associated NLGN1 is diffusionally trapped at synapses, where it interacts with quasi-static scaffolding elements of the post-synaptic density. Whereas single molecule tracking reveals rapid diffusion and transient immobilization of NLGN1 at synapses within seconds, fluorescence recovery after photobleaching experiments indicate instead a long-term turnover of NLGN1 at synapse, in the hour time range. To gain insight into the mechanisms supporting NLGN1 anchorage at post-synapses and try to reconcile those experimental paradigms, we quantitatively analyzed here live-cell and super-resolution imaging experiments performed on NLGN1 using a newly released simulator of membrane protein dynamics for fluorescence microscopy, FluoSim. Based on a small set of parameters including diffusion coefficients, binding constants, and photophysical rates, the framework describes fairly well the dynamic behavior of extra-synaptic and synaptic NLGN1 over both short and long time ranges, and provides an estimate of NLGN1 copy numbers in post-synaptic densities at steady-state (around 50 dimers). One striking result is that the residence time of NLGN1 at synapses is much longer than what can be expected from extracellular interactions with pre-synaptic neurexins only, suggesting that NLGN1 is stabilized at synapses through multivalent interactions with intracellular post-synaptic scaffolding proteins.
Effects of Time-Restricted Feeding on Energy Balance: A Cross-Over Trial in Healthy Subjects

Time-restricted feeding (TRF) has been recently reported as an effective dietary intervention for losing body weight, implying a negative energy balance, without restricting nutrient intake. However, the detailed energy balance alteration caused by TRF remains unclear. This study was a randomized controlled clinical trial using a within-subject cross-over design. Twelve healthy, normal-weighted volunteers (age: 24 ± 2.3 years; BMI: 21.9 ± 1.71 kg/m2; 7 females) were studied under a rigorous control for calorie intakes, physical activities as well as sleep-wake cycle to evaluate the energy balance systematically. Each participant consumed an isocaloric diet within either a 5.5-hour TRF or 11-hour control schedule. All energy intake and excretion were traced and collected and accessed by bomb calorimetry. Energy expenditure and substrates oxidation were monitored in a metabolic chamber. TRF compared with control schedule is associated with a 22.7% increase in fecal energy loss (Δ = 32.25 ± 9.33 Kcal, p = 0.005) and a trend in increasing 14.5% urine energy loss (Δ = 6.67 ± 3.14 Kcal, p = 0.058) without change energy expenditure. In total, a negative energy balance (Δ = -45.95 ± 19.00 Kcal, p = 0.034), which was equal to -2.6% of total energy intake, has been observed during TRF interventions. In the meantime, glycemic profiles, heart rate, respiration rate as well as metabolic flexibility were also improved during TRF intervention. Taken together, our findings unravel the mystery of how TRF regulates energy balance, supporting the use of TRF as an alternative dietary strategy for weight loss.
Effects of the Zbtb1 Gene on Chromatin Spatial Structure and Lymphatic Development: Combined Analysis of Hi-C, ATAC-Seq and RNA-Seq

Zbtb1 (zinc finger and BTB domain containing 1) is a member of mammalian zbtb gene family. A series of bioinformatics analysis was carried out for the EL4 cell and the Zbtb1-deficient EL4 cell by Hi-C, ATAC-seq and RNA-seq techniques. Finally, Hi-C results showed that the intensity of chromatin interaction in the deletion group decreased with distance, the degree of chromosome interaction decreased significantly, the AB division region changed significantly, and the compactness of TAD structure decreased; The results of ATAC-seq showed that the open area and degree of chromatin in the deletion group decreased; 7778 differentially expressed mRNAs were found by RNA-seq. Our experimental results for the first time expounded the significance of Zbtb1 gene for T cell development, lymphocyte production and apoptosis from the aspects of chromosome spatial structure and chromatin opening degree, and provided relevant theoretical basis and data support for the in-depth study of related Zbtb1 genes in the future.
Effects of Fallow Management Practices on Soil Water, Crop Yield and Water Use Efficiency in Winter Wheat Monoculture System: A Meta-Analysis

Winter wheat monoculture is a predominant cropping system for agricultural production in dry areas. However, fallow management effects on soil water conservation and crop yield and water use have been inconsistent among studies. We selected 137 studies and performed a meta-analysis to test the effects of tillage and mulching during the fallow period on precipitation storage efficiency (PSE), soil water storage at wheat planting (SWSp), crop yield, evapotranspiration (ET), and water use efficiency (WUE). Compared to conventional tillage (CT), conservation tillage during fallow period overall increased PSE, SWSp and wheat yield by 31.0, 6.4, and 7.9%, respectively, but did not affect ET and WUE. No tillage (NT) had a better performance on soil water conservation during fallow period but a similar effect on wheat yield and WUE compared to reduced tillage (RT) and subsoil tillage (ST). Compared to no mulching, fallow mulching practices overall increased PSE by 19.4%, but had a non-significant impact on SWSp, wheat yield, and ET. Compared to straw mulching, film mulching, and stubble mulching during fallow period, cover cropping as a biological mulching decreased SWSp, wheat yield, and WUE significantly. Wheat WUE was improved by straw mulching but not affected by film mulching and stubble mulching. Strong interactions between tillage method and mulching practices were found for most variables. NT with fallow mulching or with no mulching exhibited a greater impact on soil water conservation during fallow period compared to other combinations. The effects of tillage and mulching during fallow period on soil water conservation and wheat yield and water use also varied with soil and climatic conditions. Overall, NT in combination with straw mulching significantly increased SWSp, PSE, wheat yield, and WUE and can be the best fallow management practice for winter wheat production in varying edaphic and climatic conditions.
Integrated Network Pharmacology and Comprehensive Bioinformatics Identifying the Mechanisms and Molecular Targets of Yizhiqingxin Formula for Treatment of Comorbidity With Alzheimer’s Disease and Depression

Background: The Yizhiqinxin formula (YZQX) has been used to treat Alzheimer’s disease (AD) or major depression disorder (MDD). However, its specific underlying mechanisms and therapeutic targets remain unclear. Methods: The ingredients and putative targets of YZQX were screened using the TCMSP and Drugbank databases. Next, the GEO database was used to retrieve relevant differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in AD or MDD and normal tissues. The PPI network was established, merged, and further screened to identify the main ingredients and core targets of YZQX against AD and MDD comorbidities. We performed enrichment analysis of core targets to identify biological processes and pathways. Finally, AutoDock software was used to validate the binding affinity between the crucial targets of direct action and their corresponding ingredients. Results: A total of 43 ingredients were identified from YZQX, of which 43 were screened to yield 504 targets. By establishing the PPI network, 92 targets were regarded as targets of YZQX against AD and MDD comorbidities in the core network. Promising targets (HSP90AA1, ESR1, AKT1, VCAM1, EGFR, CDK1, MAPK1, CDK2, MYC, HSPB1, and HSPA5) and signaling pathways (PI3K-Akt signaling pathway, ubiquitin-mediated proteolysis, MAPK signaling pathway, etc.) were filtered and refined to elucidate the underlying mechanism of YZQX against AD and MDD comorbidities. Molecular docking confirmed the ingredients of YZQX (quercetin and kaempferol) could bind well to multiple crucial targets. Conclusion: The ingredients of YZQX, such as quercetin and kaempferol, might treat AD and MDD comorbidities by acting on multiple targets and pathways.
Timing of Communication

Using an experiment, we demonstrate that a communication regime in which a worker communicates about his intended effort is less effective in: (i) soliciting truthful information; and (ii) motivating effort than one in which he communicates about his past effort. Our experiment uses a real-effort task, which additionally allows us to demonstrate the effects of communication on effort over time. We show that the timing of communication affects the dynamic pattern of work. In both treatments, individuals are most co-operative closest to the time of communication. Our results reveal that the timing of communication is a critical feature that merits attention in the design of mechanisms for information transmission in strategic settings.
Circadian Clock Genes Regulate Temperature-Dependent Diapause Induction in Silkworm Bombyx mori

The bivoltine strain of the domestic silkworm, Bombyx mori, exhibits a facultative diapause phenotype that is determined by maternal environmental conditions during embryonic and larval development. Although a recent study implicated a circadian clock gene period (per) in circadian rhythms and photoperiod-induced diapause, the roles of other core feedback loop genes, including timeless (tim), Clock (Clk), cycle (cyc), and cryptochrome2 (cry2), have to be clarified yet. Therefore, the aim of this study was to elucidate the roles of circadian clock genes in temperature-dependent diapause induction. To achieve this, per, tim, Clk, cyc, and cry2 knockout (KO) mutants were generated, and the percentages of diapause and non-diapause eggs were determined. The results show that per, tim, Clk, cyc, and cry2 regulated temperature-induced diapause by acting upstream of cerebral γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA)ergic and diapause hormone signaling pathways. Moreover, the temporal expression of the clock genes in wild-type (wt) silkworms was significantly different from that of thermosensitive transient receptor potential ankyrin 1 (TRPA1) KO mutants during embryonic development. Overall, the findings of this study provide target genes for regulating temperature-dependent diapause induction in silkworms.
Effect of Methionine Deficiency on the Growth Performance, Serum Amino Acids Concentrations, Gut Microbiota and Subsequent Laying Performance of Layer Chicks

This study was conducted to investigate the effect of methionine (Met) deficiency in the rearing period on the growth performance, amino acids metabolism, intestinal development and gut microbiome of egg-laying chicks and the continuous effects on the performance, egg quality, and serum amino acids metabolism of the subsequent development process. Three hundred sixty one-day-old chicks were randomly divided into two groups and fed on a basal diet (NC group, Met 0.46%) and Met deficiency diet (Met- group, Met 0.27%). Each group included six replicates with 30 chicks per replicate. The trial lasted 6 weeks (0–6 weeks), both groups were fed the same basal diet which met the needs of Met during the observation period (7–24 weeks). Results showed that Met deficiency significantly decreased (P < 0.05) body weight (BW), average daily weight gain (ADG), average daily feed intake (ADFI) and tibia length (TL) compared to the NC group during the trial period (0–6 weeks). Also, Met deficiency dramatically increased (P < 0.05) feed conversion ratio (FCR) during the trial and observation period (7–24 weeks). In addition, during the observation period, the BW and ADG were decreased (P < 0.05) in the Met- group. Moreover, Met- group decreased (P < 0.05) villi height and villi height/crypt depth ratio in jejunum at 6th weeks. In addition, the concentrations of serum main free amino acids (FAA) in the Met- group were significantly increased (P < 0.05) at 6th weeks, while were decreased at 16th weeks. Based on the α-diversity and PCoA analysis in β-diversity, there were no significant differences in the cecal microbial composition between NC and Met- groups. However, the LEfSe analysis revealed that differential genera were enriched in the NC or Met- groups. The Haugh unit, shell thickness and egg production in the Met- group were significantly lower (P < 0.05) than in the NC group. In conclusion, these results revealed that dietary supplementation of appropriate Met could substantially improve the growth performance, host amino acid metabolism and intestinal development and continuously improve the laying performance and thus boost the health of growing hens.
Animal Welfare Assessment in 16 Zoos in South Korea Using the Modified Animal Welfare Assessment Grid

Various assessment tools that have been proposed thus far have disadvantages in that they are complex, time-consuming, non-objective, and not convenient for assessing multiple zoos. This study aimed to develop a simple, objective, and reliable welfare assessment tool, the modified Animal Welfare Assessment Grid (AWAG), that can be applied in South Korea, where there is no licensing system for zoos. The AWAG has four main sections: physical, psychological, environmental, and procedural. These four sections include 23 welfare factors like general conditions, behaviors, housing, and restraints, for which each individual or group of animals is given a score. The modified AWAG system was applied by converting the 10-point rating scale of the original AWAG to a 6-point Likert scale. Sixteen zoos in Korea were selected based on the zoos with the most animals. Three inspectors assessed the scores of each animal and then averaged the results. The total data surveyed included 16,065 items. Zoos were largely classified into four grades based on the size of the zoo, animal species, and operating organization. In a relatively short period of 14 days, all the zoos were successfully assessed. Despite the shortened and modified assessment tool, the inter-rater reliability among inspectors was 0.942 with high objectivity. The modified AWAG could identify welfare differences between grades of Korean zoos. There were large differences between zoos in most environmental sections and some zoos were evaluated as having inadequate welfare levels. The modified AWAG showed high usability and objectivity. In addition, it was possible to determine which environmental or procedural sections could potentially help improve physical and psychological scores. The modified AWAG is an objective method that could set the direction for the improvement of zoo welfare in the future.
Perspectives of Children and Youth With Disabilities and Special Needs Regarding Their Experiences in Inclusive Education: A Meta-Aggregative Review

Inclusive education is important to achieve high-quality education for all; however, there is an important gap in the literature surrounding inclusive education, namely representation of the perspectives of children and youth with disabilities and special needs. In this study, we used a meta-aggregative approach to qualitative evidence synthesis to bring together systematically the perspectives of these children and youth regarding their experiences in inclusive education, and to generate recommendations for action. After selecting and critically appraising the methodological quality of eligible qualitative studies, we extracted the findings from the results sections of 27 studies involving children and youth with various diagnoses and special needs. We aggregated the findings to develop 19 categories, which we further synthesized into six overarching statements pertaining to: (i) teachers’ and education workers’ support and attitudes; (ii) implementation of support and accommodations; (iii) need for safe and accommodating physical environment; (iv) preparation for high school transitions; (v) friendships and peer interactions; and (vi) participants’ own views of themselves. Implications of our findings include: (i) a need for strong leadership at the school level to support implementation of inclusive education; (ii) a need for leadership from government agencies and schools to provide opportunities for teachers to train and collaborate with other professionals; and (iii) a need for flexibility in curriculum and instruction, for which educators require training and experience. Most importantly, our findings show that children and youth with disabilities and special needs, when provided opportunities, demonstrate profound personal understandings of their strengths and needs, their conditions and how these impact their lives, leading to insightful information that can enhance inclusive education practice and policy.
Mediterranean Diet: What Are the Consequences for Menopause?

Menopause is a natural event occurring in a woman’s life that is often accompanied by symptoms that might affect the quality of life. Diet has been shown to influence menopausal-related symptoms. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate whether the adherence to the Mediterranean Diet (MD) might influence menopausal symptoms in women with obesity. This cross-sectional study involved postmenopausal women with obesity. Anthropometric and clinical parameters, and lifestyle habits were evaluated. All participants underwent interview questionnaires to assess: the adherence to the MD (PREDI PREvencion con DIetaMEDiterranea, PREDIMED), sleep quality (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, PSQI), and severity of menopausal symptoms (Menopausal Rating Scale, MRS). One hundred postmenopausal women were enrolled (age 57.1 ± 7.3 years, BMI 35.0 ± 5.5 kg/m2). The mean PREDIMED score was 7.82 ± 1.66 showing moderate adherence to MD. Women in the marked MRS class had a significantly lower PREDIMED score than the none-to-moderate MRS class (p=0.036). The intake of legumes was associated with a lower MRS class (r= -0.201, p=0.045). In addition, the intake of extra-virgin olive oil inversely correlated with psychological symptoms (r= -0.230 p=0.021). Finally, 79% of participants were poor sleepers (mean PSQI score was 8.68 ± 3.6) and women in the severe MRS class had a worse sleep quality compared to other MRS classes. Post-menopausal women with marked menopausal symptoms had low adherence to MD. Legume consumption was associated with lower menopausal symptoms severity while extra virgin olive oil consumption was associated with lower psychological symptoms.