Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Neuronal and Astroglial Localization of Glucocorticoid Receptor GRα in Adult Zebrafish Brain (Danio rerio)

Glucocorticoid receptor α (GRα), a ligand-regulated transcription factor, mainly activated by cortisol in humans and fish, mediates neural allostatic and homeostatic functions induced by different types of acute and chronic stress, and systemic inflammation. Zebrafish GRα is suggested to have multiple transcriptional effects essential for normal development and survival, similarly to mammals. While sequence alignments of human, monkey, rat, and mouse GRs have shown many GRα isoforms, we questioned the protein expression profile of GRα in the adult zebrafish (Danio rerio) brain using an alternative model for stress-related neuropsychiatric research, by means of Western blot, immunohistochemistry and double immunofluorescence. Our results identified four main GRα-like immunoreactive bands (95 kDa, 60 kDa, 45 kDa and 35 kDa), with the 95 kDa protein showing highest expression in forebrain compared to midbrain and hindbrain. GRα showed a wide distribution throughout the antero-posterior zebrafish brain axis, with the most prominent labeling within the telencephalon, preoptic, hypothalamus, midbrain, brain stem, central grey, locus coeruleus and cerebellum. Double immunofluorescence revealed that GRα is coexpressed in TH+, β2-AR+ and vGLUT+ neurons, suggesting the potential of GRα influences on adrenergic and glutamatergic transmission. Moreover, GRα was co-localized in midline astroglial cells (GFAP+) within the telencephalon, hypothalamus and hindbrain. Interestingly, GRα expression was evident in the brain regions involved in adaptive stress responses, social behavior, and sensory and motor integration, supporting the evolutionarily conserved features of glucocorticoid receptors in the zebrafish brain.
Aldosterone Biosynthesis Is Potently Stimulated by Perfluoroalkyl Acids: A Link between Common Environmental Pollutants and Arterial Hypertension

The large environmental contamination of drinking water by perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) markedly increased the plasma levels of pentadecafluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) in a Northern Italy population with a high prevalence of arterial hypertension and cardiovascular disease. As the link between PFAS and arterial hypertension is unknown, we investigated if they enhance the biosynthesis of the well-known pressor hormone aldosterone. We found that PFAS increased aldosterone synthase (CYP11B2) gene expression by three-fold and doubled aldosterone secretion and cell and mitochondria reactive oxygen species (ROS) production over controls (p < 0.01 for all) in human adrenocortical carcinoma cells HAC15. They also enhanced the effects of Ang II on CYP11B2 mRNA and aldosterone secretion (p < 0.01 for all). Moreover, when added 1 h before, the ROS scavenger tempol abolished the effect of PFAS on CYP11B2 gene expression. These results indicate that at concentrations mimicking those found in human plasma of exposed individuals, PFAS are potent disruptors of human adrenocortical cell function, and might act as causative factors of human arterial hypertension via increased aldosterone production.
Validity and Reliability of the Korean Version of the Weight Self-Stigma Questionnaire (WSSQ-K)

Weight self-stigma refers to negative self-prejudice due to the internalization of negative social messages about one’s weight. People with high self-stigma may have low self-esteem and decreased social activity. Weight-related self-stigma can create diet-related disorders since it is highly related to the recognition of body types. However, there are no tools available to measure the weight-related stigma of the general public in Korea. This study evaluated the validity and reliability of the Korean version of the Weight Self-Stigma Questionnaire (WSSQ-K). A methodological study was conducted with 150 Korean university students. Construct validity was evaluated using exploratory factor analysis. The WSSQ-K was correlated with body mass index and measures of self-esteem and weight concern to evaluate concurrent validity. Internal consistency reliability was evaluated with Cronbach’s alpha. In the exploratory factor analysis, two factors were proposed: “self-devaluation” (Cronbach’s α = 79) and “fear of enacted stigma” (Cronbach’s α = 82). Factor loadings for the 12 items on two factors ranged from 0.539 to 0.811, which explained 53.3% of the total variance. The WSSQ-K correlated with body mass index, self-esteem, and weight concern. The findings showed that the WSSQ-K was a reliable and valid measure that could be used for evaluating weight self-stigma in normal-weight adults in Korea.
Vents opening susceptibility map of the Colli Albani long dormant volcano

Abstract Despite their protracted periods of inactivity, long-dormant volcanoes may be highly hazardous, as their reactivation can be characterized by violent explosive eruptions. An example of such volcanoes is the Colli Albani caldera, onto which deposits Rome Capital City is built, Italy. Its last volcanic activity was characterized by voluminous maar-forming phreatomagmatic eruptions dated between 36 and 25ka, but the volcano has produced several maar lake overflows during the Holocene till historical times. Presently, Colli Albani is affected by recurrent seismic events, anomalous heat flow, ground uplifts, hydrothermal circulation and gas emissions. For these reasons, the Italian Civil Protection has recently listed Colli Albani among the ten active volcanoes of Italy, but products for the evaluation of its volcanic hazards lacking. This work presents the first study on vent opening susceptibility mapping at Colli Albani. We explore the potential of an available geological dataset for building, through geographic information system analysis, an index that classifies areas at different vents opening susceptibility (low, moderate and high). Such result highlights as a solid geological mapping is a prerequisite for the volcanic hazard assessment, especially in remote or poorly studied long-dormant volcanoes such as caldera systems where the location of new vents could occur in different volcano sectors.
The Nature, Role, and Effects of Structured Input Activities

This paper is the introductory paper of the Special Issue titled: “New Research on the Role and Effects of Structured Input in Assessing the Nature of Language Processing”. It provides a clear analysis of the nature and role of structured input activities in second language research and language pedagogy. It presents the main findings of genuine empirical research investigating the effectiveness of structured input on different forms and structures across different languages and among different populations. The paper provides suggestions for future research within this framework.
Variation of Gene Expression in the Endemic Dinaric Karst Cave-Dwelling Bivalve Mollusk Congeria kusceri during the Summer Season

The cave systems of the Neretva River basin in the Dinaric Karst are home to Congeria kusceri, one of the very few known examples of stygobiotic bivalve mollusks, which displays several unique life history traits and adaptations that allowed its adaptation to the subterranean environment. This endemic species is undergoing rapid decline, most likely linked with habitat degradation, which might seriously threaten its survival in the next few decades. Unfortunately, the urgent need for effective conservation efforts is hampered by the lack of effective regulations aimed at preserving remnant populations as well as by our limited knowledge of the biology of this species. Although the precise factors underlying the disappearance of C. kusceri from its type locations are not entirely clear, the alteration of seasonal changes in water temperatures and alkalinity is most likely involved, as these are the main drivers of shell growth, spawning, and the onset and progression of the new gametogenic cycle. While these aspects have so far only been studied using morphological and physiological observations, future conservation efforts would certainly benefit from an integrated multidisciplinary approach. Here, using RNA-sequencing, we provide an overview of the modulation of gene expression recorded in five key tissues (the mantle, gonads, gills, adductor muscle, and digestive gland) between early June and late September. We highlight the presence of markedly tissue-specific responses, with the most dramatic changes affecting the gonads, mantle, and gills. We further identified a drastic switch in the use of energy budgets between the two periods, with evidence of ongoing shell growth and high metabolic activity in the mantle and gills at the early time point, followed by a massive redirection of all available energy to the gonads for the generation of new gamete primordia in early autumn.
Equidistribution towards the Green current

Soit f : P k → P k une application rationnelle dominante de premier degre algebrique λ ≥ 2. Lorsque S est un courant positif ferme de bidegre (1, 1) sur P k dont les nombres de Lelong sont tous nuls, nous montrons, sous une hypothese dynamique naturelle, que les pull-backs λ -n (f n )*S convergent vers le courant de Green T f . Pour certaines familles d'applications, des resultats de convergence raffines nous permettent de caracteriser tous les courants f*-invariants.
Assessment of Dietary Supplementation of Lactobacillus rhamnosus Probiotic on Growth Performance and Disease Resistance in Oreochromis niloticus

Probiotics play a significant role in aquaculture by improving the growth, health, and survival rate of fish against pathogenic organisms. In the present study, we have evaluated the effects of a Lactobacillus rhamnosus (L. rhamnosus) probiotic on growth performance and disease resistance in Oreochromis niloticus (O. niloticus) fingerlings. Four different concentrations of L. rhamnosus (T1: 0.5 × 1010, T2: 1 × 1010, T3: 1.5 × 1010, and T4: 2 × 1010 CFU/kg feed) were administered to fish over a period of three months. L. rhamnosus treated fish revealed a high growth increment as compared to the control, and the values of macromolecules (amino acids, fatty acids, and carbohydrates) varied significantly among the treated and control groups. Levels of thyroid hormones were noted to be high in the probiotic-treated groups. A challenge assay was performed with Aeromonas hydrophila (A. hydrophila). The optimum calculated concentration of probiotics from the growth assay (1.5 × 1010 CFU/kg feed) was used for the challenge assay. Fish were divided into four groups as follows: control (Con), probiotic-treated (PL), infected (I), and infected + probiotic-treated (I + PL) groups. Significant variations in hematological parameters were observed among control and treated groups. Histopathological changes were recorded in infected fish, while the infected + probiotic-treated group showed less deformations indicating the positive effect of the probiotic supplementation. The survival rate of fish was also better in the probiotic-treated group. Based on these findings, we conclude that probiotic supplementation enhances the growth and improves immunity of O. niloticus. Therefore, we propose that probiotics can be used as promising feed supplements for promoting fish production and disease resistance in aquaculture.
Total or Subtotal Hysterectomy for the Treatment of Endometriosis: A Review

Objective: The purpose of the review was to evaluate and compare outcomes after total or subtotal hysterectomy in women with endometriosis or adenomyosis. Methods: We searched four electronic databases: Medline (PubMed), Scopus, Embase, and Web of Science (WoS). The first aim of the study was to compare outcomes after total and subtotal hysterectomy in women with endometriosis, and the second aim was to compare the two procedures in women with adenomyosis. Publications that reported short- and long-term outcomes after total and subtotal hysterectomy were included in the review. The search was not subject to any limitation in terms of time or method. Results: After screening 4948 records, we included 35 studies published from 1988 to 2021; the studies were based on various methodologies. With regard to the first aim of the review, we found 32 eligible studies and divided these into the following four categories: postoperative short- and long-term outcomes, recurrence of endometriosis, quality of life and sexual function, and patient satisfaction after total or subtotal hysterectomy in women with endometriosis. Five investigations were deemed eligible for the second aim of the review. No differences were seen in terms of postoperative short- and long-term outcomes after subtotal or total hysterectomy in women with endometriosis or adenomyosis. Conclusions: Preservation or removal of the cervix in women with endometriosis or adenomyosis appears to have no effect on short- or long-term outcomes, recurrence of endometriosis, quality of life and sexual function, or patient satisfaction. Nevertheless, we lack randomized blinded controlled trials on these aspects. Such trials will be needed to enhance our comprehension of both surgical approaches.
High Disinfectant Tolerance in Pseudomonas spp. Biofilm Aids the Survival of Listeria monocytogenes

Pseudomonas spp. are the most commonly found bacteria in food-processing environments due to properties such as a high growth rate at low temperatures, a high tolerance of antimicrobial agents, and biofilm formation. In this study, a set of Pseudomonas isolates originating from cleaned and disinfected surfaces in a salmon processing facility were screened for biofilm formation at 12 °C. A high variation in biofilm formation between the isolates was observed. Selected isolates, in both planktonic and biofilm states, were tested for resistance/tolerance to a commonly used disinfectant (peracetic acid-based) and antibiotic florfenicol. Most isolates showed a much higher tolerance in the biofilm state than in the planktonic state. In a multi-species biofilm experiment with five Pseudomonas strains with and without a Listeria monocytogenes strain, the Pseudomonas biofilm appeared to aid the survival of L. monocytogenes cells after disinfection, underscoring the importance of controlling the bacterial load in food-processing environments.
The Phase Center of Horn Antennas

OR CERTAIN applicat.ions, for example, a very precise interferometer, it is necessary to know t.he phase center of a horn ant.enna and t.he dependence of the pha.se cent,er on the shape of the horn. The phase center is defined as the center of curvature of the intersection of a far-field phase surface wit.11 a plane containing the horn axis. Previous work in this a.rea has been done by Baur [I]. He bases his work on t.he Iiirchhoff a,pproximation [a], and he derives an elegant method for determining the phase center of the E plane. Because I<irchhoff's approximation is used as a starting point,, the problem is basically treat.ed as a scalar problem. The solution is therefore primarily applicable to sectoral horns. A slight,ly different, approach to t.he problem was taken by Hu [3], where a plot, of the phase of the far field is used to determine the phase center. This met,hod requires a. suitable choice of coordina.te system and phase constant,s; Hu evaluat.ed the results for sectora.1 horns. Ujiie et al. [4] recognized that. different. phase centers will result for the E and N planes; they proceed to show only results for circular apertures m-it.11 phase distribut,ions which are a function of radius alone. For many applications such as diagona.1 and rectangular horns, the problem must be treated as a vector problem. Consequent,ly, the locat,ion of t.he phase cent,er will be derived here from the general expressions for the far field. To determine the phase center, it is necessary to use a second-order approximat.ion t,o the field at the horn aperture. While t.he far-field equations for horns [a] are generally ca,lculated by neglecting t,he fact, that the horn aperhre does not coincide with a phase front, such simplification cannot be afforded here. For square and diagonal horns discussed in this paper the integrat,ion is carried out over the horn aperture; however, a correction for the phase front is int,roduced. The phase front of the source is
Machine Learning Assisting the Prediction of Clinical Outcomes following Nucleoplasty for Lumbar Degenerative Disc Disease

Background: Lumbar degenerative disc disease (LDDD) is a leading cause of chronic lower back pain; however, a lack of clear diagnostic criteria and solid LDDD interventional therapies have made predicting the benefits of therapeutic strategies challenging. Our goal is to develop machine learning (ML)–based radiomic models based on pre-treatment imaging for predicting the outcomes of lumbar nucleoplasty (LNP), which is one of the interventional therapies for LDDD. Methods: The input data included general patient characteristics, perioperative medical and surgical details, and pre-operative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) results from 181 LDDD patients receiving lumbar nucleoplasty. Post-treatment pain improvements were categorized as clinically significant (defined as a ≥80% decrease in the visual analog scale) or non-significant. To develop the ML models, T2-weighted MRI images were subjected to radiomic feature extraction, which was combined with physiological clinical parameters. After data processing, we developed five ML models: support vector machine, light gradient boosting machine, extreme gradient boosting, extreme gradient boosting random forest, and improved random forest. Model performance was measured by evaluating indicators, such as the confusion matrix, accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, F1 score, and area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC), which were acquired using an 8:2 allocation of training to testing sequences. Results: Among the five ML models, the improved random forest algorithm had the best performance, with an accuracy of 0.76, a sensitivity of 0.69, a specificity of 0.83, an F1 score of 0.73, and an AUC of 0.77. The most influential clinical features included in the ML models were pre-operative VAS and age. In contrast, the most influential radiomic features had the correlation coefficient and gray-scale co-occurrence matrix. Conclusions: We developed an ML-based model for predicting pain improvement after LNP for patients with LDDD. We hope this tool will provide both doctors and patients with better information for therapeutic planning and decision-making.
The Forms and Functions of Switch Reference in A’ingae

This paper examines switch reference (SR) in A’ingae, an understudied isolate language from Amazonian Ecuador. We present a theoretically informed survey of SR, identifying three distinct uses of switch reference: in clause chaining, adverbial clauses, and so-called ‘bridging’ clause linkage. We describe the syntactic and semantic properties of each use in detail, the first such description for A’ingae, showing that the three constructions differ in important ways. While leaving a full syntactic analysis to future work, we argue that these disparate properties preclude a syntactic account that unifies these three constructions to the exclusion of other environments without SR. Conversely, while a full semantic account is also left to future work, we suggest that a unified semantic account in terms of discourse coherence principles appears more promising. In particular, we propose that switch reference in A’ingae occurs in all and only the constructions that are semantically restricted to non-structuring coordinating coherence relations in the sense of Segmented Discourse Representation Theory.
Stochastic Bat Optimization Model for Secured WSN with Energy-Aware Quantized Indexive Clustering

The wireless sensor networks (WSNs) with dynamic topology communication among the sensor nodes is vulnerable to numerous attacks. As they have limited power, there arises a conflict between the complex security scheme and the consumption of energy which are inversely proportional to each other. Hence, a trade-off should be accomplished between the implemented scheme and energy. A novel secure and energy-aware routing technique quantized indexive energy-aware clustering-based combinatorial stochastic sampled bat optimization (QIEAC-CSSBO) is proposed which consists of clustering, optimal route path identification, and route maintenance. The clustering process and selection of cluster head (CH) with high residual energy is done using the quantized Schutz indexive Linde–Buzo–Gray algorithm (QIEAC). Optimal route identification is done using CSSBO (combinatorial stochastic sampled Prevosti’s bat optimization), and fitness of every bat is measured on combinatorial functions, namely, distance, energy, trust, and link stability among nodes. Stochastic universal sampling selection procedure is applied to select the global best optimal path for secure data transmission. Lastly, route maintenance process is performed to identify alternative route while link failure occurs among nodes. Experimental assessment is performed using various performance metrics, namely, energy consumption, packet delivery ratio, packet drop rate, throughput, and delay. The proposed method QIEAC-CSSBO enhances the performance of packet delivery ratio by 4%, throughput by 26%, and packet drop rate by 27% and reduces energy consumption by 11%, as well as delay by 16% as compared to existing techniques.
Analysis of Avian Orthoavulavirus 1 Detected in the Russian Federation between 2017 and 2021

Newcastle disease virus (NDV, Avian orthoavulavirus type 1, AOAV-1) is a contagious high-impact poultry pathogen with infections detected worldwide. In the present study, 19,500 clinical samples from wild bird species and poultry collected from 28 regions of Russia between 2017 and 2021 were screened for the presence of the AOAV-1 genome. NDV RNA was detected in 15 samples from wild birds and 63 samples from poultry. All isolates were screened for a partial sequence of the fusion (F) gene that included the cleavage site. Phylogenetic analysis demonstrated that lentogenic AOAV-1 I.1. 1, I.1. 2.1, and II genotypes were dominant among vaccine-like viruses in the territory of the Russian Federation. A vaccine-like virus with a mutated cleavage site (112-RKQGR^L-117) was detected in turkeys. Among the virulent AOAV-1 strains, viruses of the XXI.1. 1, VII.1. 1, and VII.2 genotypes were identified. The cleavage site of viruses of the XXI.1. 1 genotype had a 112-KRQKR^F-117 amino acid sequence. The cleavage site of viruses with VII.1. 1 and VII.2 genotypes had a 112-RRQKR^F-117 amino acid sequence. The data collected by the present study demonstrate the distribution and dominance of the virulent VII.1. 1 genotype in the Russian Federation between 2017 and 2021.
KIDNEY AFFECTION AMONG WORKERS EXPOSED TO SILICA IN AN IRON AND STEEL FOUNDRY

I ntroduction: Silica is used in many industries such as foundries, glass production, cement, concrete, ceramic, porcelain, pottery, bricks, sandblasting, abrasives and construction activities. Several studies have linked long term silica exposure to renal diseases, especially glomerulonephritis. Aim of Work: To study the effect of silica exposure on the renal functions among iron and steel foundry workers. Materials and Methods: Seventy workers exposed to silica in an iron and steel foundry in Helwan, Egypt, were compared to 40 non-exposed individuals as regards full medical and occupational histories, full clinical examination and laboratory investigations including measurement of serum creatinine, serum cystatin C, serum urea, urinary silica, urinary albumin and urinary α1-microglobulin. Albumin creatinine ratio (ACR) and estimated glomerular filtration rate (e-GFR) were also calculated. Results: A statistically significant higher values of urinary silica, urinary albumin, urinary α1-microglobulin, serum creatinine, serum cystatin C and ACR were detected among the exposed group compared to the control. A statistically significant lower value of e-GFR was found among the exposed group. Statistically significant positive correlations were present between duration of employment and each of urinary