Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Functionalization of Magnetic Nanoparticles by Folate as Potential MRI Contrast Agent for Breast Cancer Diagnostics

In recent years, the intrinsic magnetic properties of magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) have made them one of the most promising candidates for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). This study aims to evaluate the effect of different coating agents (with and without targeting agents) on the magnetic property of MNPs. In detail, iron oxide nanoparticles (IONPs) were prepared by the polyol method. The nanoparticles were then divided into two groups, one of which was coated with silica (SiO2) and hyperbranched polyglycerol (HPG) (SPION@SiO2@HPG); the other was covered by HPG alone (SPION@HPG). In the following section, folic acid (FA), as a targeting agent, was attached on the surface of nanoparticles. Physicochemical properties of nanostructures were characterized using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and a vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM). TEM results showed that SPION@HPG was monodispersed with the average size of about 20 nm, while SPION@SiO2@HPG had a size of about 25 nm. Moreover, HPG coated nanoparticles had much lower magnetic saturation than the silica coated ones. The MR signal intensity of the nanostructures showed a relation between increasing the nanoparticle concentrations inside the MCF-7 cells and decreasing the signal related to the T2 relaxation time. The comparison of coating showed that SPION@SiO2@HPG (with/without a targeting agent) had significantly higher r2 value in comparison to Fe3O4@HPG. Based on the results of this study, the Fe3O4@SiO2@HPG-FA nanoparticles have shown the best magnetic properties, and can be considered promising contrast agents for magnetic resonance imaging applications.
Ovarian follicular development in the pregnant rat.

The size distribution of ovarian follicles was examined histologically duringpregnancy in the Wistar rats. The number and size distribution of healthy and atretic follicles larger than 350 μm in diameter were determined for each day of pregnancy. Throughout pregnancy and day of parturition, the mean number of healthy follicles larger than 350 μm per ovary ranged from 17.6 to 32.6 and the number was maximum 32.6 on day 2 (day 1 of pregnancy = day sperm positive). Higher number (6.8-8.1) of healthy follicles larger than 550 μm per ovary were observed on days 7-9 and 22, while the number decreased markedly on days 14-21. There was an inverse relation between the number distribution of healthy follicles of 350-549 μm and that of healthy follicles larger than 550 μm. The mean number of atretic follicles larger than 350 μm per ovary ranged from 5.0 to 13.7. These results indicate that the development of small follicles to large follicles occurs mainly on about days 7-9 and 22 of pregnancy.
Time-Frequency Distribution Map-Based Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) Model for Underwater Pipeline Leakage Detection Using Acoustic Signals

Detection technology of underwater pipeline leakage plays an important role in the subsea production system. In this paper, a new method based on the acoustic leak signal collected by a hydrophone is proposed to detect pipeline leakage in the subsea production system. Through the pipeline leakage test, it is found that the radiation noise is a continuous spectrum of the medium and high-frequency noise. Both the increase in pipe pressure and the diameter of the leak hole will narrow the spectral structure and shift the spectrum center towards the low frequencies. Under the same condition, the pipe pressure has a greater impact on the noise; every 0.05 MPa increase in the pressure, the radiation sound pressure level increases by 6-7 dB. The time-frequency images were obtained by processing the acoustic signals using the Ensemble Empirical Mode Decomposition (EEMD) and Hilbert–Huang transform (HHT), and fed into a two-layer Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) for leakage detection. The results show that CNN can correctly identify the degree of pipeline leakage. Hence, the proposed method provides a new approach for the detection of pipeline leakage in underwater engineering applications.
Assessing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) transmission to healthcare personnel: The global ACT-HCP case-control study

Abstract Objective: To characterize associations between exposures within and outside the medical workplace with healthcare personnel (HCP) SARS-CoV-2 infection, including the effect of various forms of respiratory protection. Design: Case–control study. Setting: We collected data from international participants via an online survey. Participants: In total, 1,130 HCP (244 cases with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19, and 886 controls healthy throughout the pandemic) from 67 countries not meeting prespecified exclusion (ie, healthy but not working, missing workplace exposure data, COVID symptoms without lab confirmation) were included in this study. Methods: Respondents were queried regarding workplace exposures, respiratory protection, and extra-occupational activities. Odds ratios for HCP infection were calculated using multivariable logistic regression and sensitivity analyses controlling for confounders and known biases. Results: HCP infection was associated with non–aerosol-generating contact with COVID-19 patients (adjusted OR, 1.4; 95% CI, 1.04–1.9; P = .03) and extra-occupational exposures including gatherings of ≥10 people, patronizing restaurants or bars, and public transportation (adjusted OR range, 3.1–16.2). Respirator use during aerosol-generating procedures (AGPs) was associated with lower odds of HCP infection (adjusted OR, 0.4; 95% CI, 0.2–0.8, P = .005), as was exposure to intensive care and dedicated COVID units, negative pressure rooms, and personal protective equipment (PPE) observers (adjusted OR range, 0.4–0.7). Conclusions: COVID-19 transmission to HCP was associated with medical exposures currently considered lower-risk and multiple extra-occupational exposures, and exposures associated with proper use of appropriate PPE were protective. Closer scrutiny of infection control measures surrounding healthcare activities and medical settings considered lower risk, and continued awareness of the risks of public congregation, may reduce the incidence of HCP infection.
Agrobacterium-mediated Genetic Transformation of Chrysanthemum (Chrysanthemum morifolium Ramat.) with an Aphidicidal Gene, gcs (Gamma-cadinene Synthase)

Florist’s chrysanthemum (Chrysanthemum morifolium Ramat.) belongs to the Asteraceae family and represents the second most important floricultural crop in the world. Unfortunately most genotypes are sensitive to aphids. Internode explants of 1581 and 4043 genotypes were incubated with A. tumefaciens strain AGL-0 containing pBIN plasmid with the npt gene as a selectable marker for kanamycin resistance and gcs gene as an aphicidal gene with rbcS promoter. Kanamycin resistant shoots were induced from internodes after 3 weeks. Finally, the shoots were rooted on MS medium containing 30 mg L-1 kanamycin. Incorporation and expression of the transgenes were confirmed by PCR and RT-PCR analysis. Genotype 4043 has been transformed in this study for the first time. Transformation frequency for GCS was 6.25 and 5% for genotypes 1581 and 4043, respectively.
Which Visual Modality Is Important When Judging the Naturalness of the Agent (Artificial Versus Human Intelligence) Providing Recommendations in the Symbolic Consumption Context?

This study aimed to explore how the type and visual modality of a recommendation agent’s identity affect male university students’ (1) self-reported responses to agent-recommended symbolic brand in evaluating the naturalness of virtual agents, human, or artificial intelligence (AI) and (2) early event-related potential (ERP) responses between text- and face-specific scalp locations. Twenty-seven participants (M = 25.26, SD = 5.35) whose consumption was more motivated by symbolic needs (vs. functional) were instructed to perform a visual task to evaluate the naturalness of the target stimuli. As hypothesized, the subjective evaluation showed that they had lower attitudes and perceived higher unnaturalness when the symbolic brand was recommended by AI (vs. human). Based on this self-report, two epochs were segmented for the ERP analysis: human-natural and AI-unnatural. As revealed by P100 amplitude modulation on visual modality of two agents, their evaluation relied more on face image rather than text. Furthermore, this tendency was consistently observed in that of N170 amplitude when the agent identity was defined as human. However, when the agent identity was defined as AI, reversed N170 modulation was observed, indicating that participants referred more to textual information than graphical information to assess the naturalness of the agent.
SCH23390 Reduces Methamphetamine Self-Administration and Prevents Methamphetamine-Induced Striatal LTD

Extended-access methamphetamine self-administration results in unregulated intake of the drug; however, the role of dorsal striatal dopamine D1-like receptors (D1Rs) in the reinforcing properties of methamphetamine under extended-access conditions is unclear. Acute (ex vivo) and chronic (in vivo) methamphetamine exposure induces neuroplastic changes in the dorsal striatum, a critical region implicated in instrumental learning. For example, methamphetamine exposure alters high-frequency stimulation (HFS)-induced long-term depression in the dorsal striatum; however, the effect of methamphetamine on HFS-induced long-term potentiation (LTP) in the dorsal striatum is unknown. In the current study, dorsal striatal infusion of SCH23390, a D1R antagonist, prior to extended-access methamphetamine self-administration reduced methamphetamine addiction-like behavior. Reduced behavior was associated with reduced expression of PSD-95 in the dorsal striatum. Electrophysiological findings demonstrate that superfusion of methamphetamine reduced basal synaptic transmission and HFS-induced LTP in dorsal striatal slices, and SCH23390 prevented this effect. These results suggest that alterations in synaptic transmission and synaptic plasticity induced by acute methamphetamine via D1Rs could assist with methamphetamine-induced modification of corticostriatal circuits underlying the learning of goal-directed instrumental actions and formation of habits, mediating escalation of methamphetamine self-administration and methamphetamine addiction-like behavior.
Tuberculosis infection in children visiting friends and relatives in countries with high incidence of tuberculosis

Abstract Introduction: Tuberculosis (TB) is a global infectious disease. In low-incidence countries, paediatric TB affects mostly immigrant children and children of immigrants. We hypothesize that these children are at risk of exposure to Mycobacterium tuberculosis when they travel to the country of origin of their parents to visit friends and relatives (VFR). In this study, we aim to estimate the incidence rate and risk factors associated to latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) and TB in VFR children. Methods and analysis: A prospective study will be carried out in collaboration with 21 primary health care centres (PCC) and 5 hospitals in Catalonia, Spain. The study participants are children under 15 years of age, either immigrant themselves or born to immigrant parents, who travel to countries with high incidence of TB (≥ 40 cases/100,000 inhabitants). A sample size of 492 children was calculated. Participants will be recruited before traveling, either during a visit to a travel clinic or to their PCC, where a questionnaire including sociodemographic, epidemiological and clinical data will be completed, and a tuberculin skin test (TST) will be performed and read after 48 to 72 hours; patients with a positive TST at baseline will be excluded. A visit will be scheduled eight to twelve-weeks after their return to perform a TST and a QuantiFERON-TB Gold Plus test. The incidence rate of LTBI will be estimated per individual/month and person/year per country visited, and also by age-group. Ethics and dissemination: The study protocol was approved by the Clinical Research Ethics Committee of the Hospital Universitari Mútua Terrassa (code 02/16) and the Clinical Research Ethics Committee of the Fundació Institut Universitari per a la Recerca a l’Atenció Primària de Salut Jordi Gol i Gurina (code P16/094). Articles will be published in indexed scientific journals. Trial registration: Clinical-Trials.gov: NCT04236765
Insight into Molecular Mechanism for Activin A-Induced Bone Morphogenetic Protein Signaling

Activins transduce the TGF-β pathway through a heteromeric signaling complex consisting of type I and type II receptors, and activins also inhibit bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) signaling mediated by type I receptor ALK2. Recent studies indicated that activin A cross-activates the BMP pathway through ALK2R206H, a mutation associated with Fibrodysplasia Ossificans Progressiva (FOP). How activin A inhibits ALK2WT-mediated BMP signaling but activates ALK2R206H-mediated BMP signaling is not well understood, and here we offer some insights into its molecular mechanism. We first demonstrated that among four BMP type I receptors, ALK2 is the only subtype able to mediate the activin A-induced BMP signaling upon the dissociation of FKBP12. We further showed that BMP4 does not cross-signal TGF-β pathway upon FKBP12 inhibition. In addition, although the roles of type II receptors in the ligand-independent BMP signaling activated by FOP-associated mutant ALK2 have been reported, their roles in activin A-induced BMP signaling remains unclear. We demonstrated in this study that the known type II BMP receptors contribute to activin A-induced BMP signaling through their kinase activity. Together, the current study provided important mechanistic insights at the molecular level into further understanding physiological and pathophysiological BMP signaling.
Preventing smoking relapse in patients with cancer: A randomized controlled trial

Abstaining from smoking after a cancer diagnosis is critical to mitigating the risk of multiple adverse health outcomes. Although many patients with cancer attempt to quit smoking, the majority relapse. The current randomized controlled trial evaluated the efficacy of adapting an evidence‐based smoking relapse prevention (SRP) intervention for patients with cancer.
Characterization of Tissue Engineered Endothelial Cell Networks in Composite Collagen-Agarose Hydrogels

Scaffolds constitute an important element in vascularized tissues and are therefore investigated for providing the desired mechanical stability and enabling vasculogenesis and angiogenesis. In this study, supplementation of hydrogels containing either MatrigelTM and rat tail collagen I (MatrigelTM/rCOL) or human collagen (hCOL) with SeaPlaqueTM agarose were analyzed with regard to construct thickness and formation and characteristics of endothelial cell (EC) networks compared to constructs without agarose. Additionally, the effect of increased rCOL content in MatrigelTM/rCOL constructs was studied. An increase of rCOL content from 1 mg/mL to 3 mg/mL resulted in an increase of construct thickness by approximately 160%. The high rCOL content, however, impaired the formation of an EC network. The supplementation of MatrigelTM/rCOL with agarose increased the thickness of the hydrogel construct by approximately 100% while supporting the formation of a stable EC network. The use of hCOL/agarose composite hydrogels led to a slight increase in the thickness of the 3D hydrogel construct and supported the formation of a multi-layered EC network compared to control constructs. Our findings suggest that agarose/collagen-based composite hydrogels are promising candidates for tissue engineering of vascularized constructs as cell viability is maintained and the formation of a stable and multi-layered EC network is supported.
How different autonomous vehicle presentation influences its acceptance: Is a communal car better than agentic one?

Public acceptance of autonomous vehicles (AVs) is still questionable. Nevertheless, it can be influenced by proper communication strategy. Therefore, our research focuses on (1) the type of information concerning AVs that consumers seek and (2) how to communicate this technology in order to increase its acceptance. In the first study (N = 711) topic modeling showed that the most sought for information concern the communion and the agency of AVs. In the second, experimental study (N = 303) we measured the participants’ fear and goal-orientation in relation to AVs. Then, after the manipulation of the AV advertisement (imbued with communal vs agentic content), technology acceptance components (perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness and behavioral intention) were verified. The comparative analysis of the structural model estimates showed that the both participants’ fear and goal-orientation in relation to AVs were associated much more with the acceptance components of the communal AV rather than the agentic one. Therefore, people want to know both whether AVs are communal and agentic, but they are more prone to accept a communal AV than agentic one.
Suppression of Oxygen Vacancy Defects in sALD-ZnO Films Annealed in Different Conditions

Zinc oxide (ZnO) has drawn much attention due to its excellent optical and electrical properties. In this study, ZnO film was prepared by a high-deposition-rate spatial atomic layer deposition (ALD) and subjected to a post-annealing process to suppress the intrinsic defects and improve the crystallinity and film properties. The results show that the film thickness increases with annealing temperature owing to the increment of oxide layer caused by the suppression of oxygen vacancy defects as indicated by the X-ray diffraction (XRD) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) spectra. The film transmittance is seldom influenced by annealing. The refractive index increases with annealing temperature at 300–700 °C, possibly due to higher density and crystallinity of the film. The band gap decreases after annealing, which should be ascribed to the decrease in carrier concentration according to Burstein–Moss model. The carrier concentration decreases with increasing annealing temperature at 300–700 °C since the oxygen vacancy defects are suppressed, then it increases at 800 °C possibly due to the out-diffusion of oxygen atoms from the film. Meanwhile, the carrier mobility increases with temperature due to higher crystallinity and larger crystallite size. The film resistivity increases at 300–700 °C then decreases at 800 °C, which should be ascribed primarily to the variation of carrier concentration.
ORP9 knockdown delays the maturation of junction-related endocytic structures in the testis and leads to impaired sperm release†

Abstract The release of late spermatids from the seminiferous epithelium requires the internalization of intercellular junctions by Sertoli cell specific structures called “tubulobulbar complexes” (TBCs). These large, endocytic devices likely evolved from classic clathrin-mediated-endocytosis (CME) machinery, but have several important morphological differences to CME vesicles. Most notable among these differences is that extensive endoplasmic reticulum (ER) membrane contact sites (MCSs) occur with TBCs and not with clathrin-coated pits. One of the well-established functions of ER MCSs is lipid exchange. Previously, we have established that the ORP9 lipid exchange protein is localized to the TBC-ER MCS; however, the function of ORP9 and lipid exchange at the sites is not known. Here we use an in vivo knockdown approach to probe function. The testes of Sprague–Dawley rats were injected with ORP9 targeted siRNA or non-targeted reagents, and the tissues examined by bright field, super-resolution stimulated emission depletion, and electron microscopy. The knockdown of ORP9 was achieved and maintained with daily injections of siRNA for 2-3 day intervals. Compared to controls, sections from ORP9 siRNA-injected testes had longer TBC tubes and fewer fused TBC bulbs. Late spermatids were also abnormally retained in the epithelium of knockdown tissue. These results suggest that ORP9 is necessary for normal TBC bulb vesiculation and fusion, most likely by changing the plasma membrane lipid profile of the TBC. These data also further support the conclusion that TBCs are part of the normal mechanism of sperm release. Summary Sentence The lipid exchange protein ORP9 is necessary for the maturation of TBCs and the normal release of late spermatids.
Statistical Analysis of Safety Performance of Displaced Left-Turn Intersections: Case Studies in San Marcos, Texas

Displaced left-turn (DLT) intersections are designed to increase the mobility of vehicles by relocating the left-turn lane (lanes) to the far-left side of the road upstream of the main signalized intersection. Since DLT is a relatively new design and very limited crash data are available, previous studies have focused mainly on the analysis of its operational performance rather than its safety performance. To fill this gap, in this study, we investigated the safety performance of two DLT intersections located in San Marcos, Texas. Crash data from 2011 to April 2018 were extracted from the TxDOT Crash Record Information System (CRIS). These crash data were analyzed using two different approaches, i.e., statistical analysis and collision diagram-based analysis. The results of this study indicated that DLT did not increase the overall crash frequencies at the studied intersections. Traffic crashes related to left turns and right turns were reduced significantly by DLT. Meanwhile, it also caused safety issues related to traffic signage, traffic signal, geometric design, and access management at DLT intersections. Thus, in the implementation of DLT intersections, traffic engineers need to carefully consider different aspects of the DLT intersection design, including access management, traffic signal coordination, and driver acceptance. As a result of these analyses, recommendations were provided for the safe implementation of the DLT design in the future.