Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Dietary Intervention Associated With Moderate-Intensity Continuous Training Leads to Changes in the Inflammatory Profile in Visceral Adipose Tissue but Not in Skeletal Muscle in Diet-Induced Obese Rats

This study aimed to determine the concentrations of inflammatory markers in visceral adipose tissue (VAT) and skeletal muscle, and changes in body mass and adipocyte size in diet-induced obese rats after moderate-intensity continuous training (MICT) and/or dietary intervention. After 8 weeks of obesity induction through a high-fat diet (HFD) consumption, twenty diet-induced obese male Wistar rats were divided into four groups as follows: (i) control rats fed with HFD (HFD-SED), (ii) obese rats fed with HFD and submitted to MICT (HFD-MICT), (iii) obese rats that were submitted to a nutritional intervention by switching HFD to chow diet (CD-SED), and (iv) obese rats that were submitted to MICT and nutritional intervention (CD-MICT). All the animals in the training groups were submitted to MICT, with an intensity of 50–85% of Vmax, 60 min/day, 3 days/week for 8 weeks. Gastrocnemius muscle (GAST) and mesenteric adipose tissue (mWAT) were collected to quantify tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), interleukin (IL)-6, and IL-10 using ELISA. The body mass was recorded before and after the experimental protocols, and the adipocyte morphology was assessed using histological analysis. The results showed that HFD-SED had higher body mass, higher concentrations of inflammatory markers in mWAT, and higher increase in adipocyte size. The CD-SED and CD-MICT groups presented with reduced body mass, relative weight of mWAT, and adipocyte size. Moreover, the inflammatory markers in mWAT were reduced after dietary intervention (TNF-α), MICT (IL-10 and TNF-α), or both interventions combined (IL-6 and TNF-α). In contrast, there was no reduction in GAST-relative weight or concentrations of inflammatory markers for any treatment. Finally, we concluded that 8 weeks of dietary intervention alone and combined with MICT were effective in reducing some of the deleterious effects caused by obesity.
Development and External Validation of a Novel Model for Predicting Postsurgical Recurrence and Overall Survival After Cytoreductive R0 Resection of Epithelial Ovarian Cancer

Purpose Treatment of epithelial ovarian cancer is evolving towards personalization and precision, which require patient-specific estimates of overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS). Patients and Methods Medical records of 1173 patients who underwent debulking surgery in our center were comprehensively reviewed and randomly allocated into a derivation cohort of 879 patients and an internal validation cohort of 294 patients. Five hundred and seventy-seven patients from the other three cancer centers served as the external validation cohort. A novel nomogram model for PFS and OS was constructed based on independent predictors identified by multivariable Cox regression analysis. The predictive accuracy and discriminative ability of the model were measured using Harrell’s concordance index (C-index) and calibration curve. Results The C-index values were 0.82 (95% CI: 0.76–0.88) and 0.84 (95% CI: 0.78–0.90) for the PFS and OS models, respectively, substantially higher than those obtained with the FIGO staging system and most nomograms reported for use in epithelial ovarian cancer. The nomogram score could clearly classify the patients into subgroups with different risks of recurrence or postoperative mortality. The online versions of our nomograms are available at https://eocnomogram.shinyapps. io/eocpfs/ and https://eocnomogram.shinyapps. io/eocos/. Conclusion A externally validated nomogram predicting OS and PFS in patients after R0 reduction surgery was established using a propensity score matching model. This nomogram may be useful in estimating individual recurrence risk and guiding personalized surveillance programs for patients after surgery, and it could potentially aid clinical decision-making or stratification for clinical trials.
Impaired Local and Long-Range Brain Connectivity and Visual Response in a Genetic Rat Model of Hyperactivity Revealed by Functional Ultrasound

Attention-Deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a central nervous system (CNS) disorder frequently associated with other psychiatric disorders. Pathophysiology processes at stake in ADHD are still under investigation and interestingly neuroimaging data points to modulated brain connectivity in patients. The genetic spontaneously hypertensive rat (SHR) model has been widely used to study pathophysiological underpinnings of ADHD and resting-state brain connectivity using functional magnetic resonance imaging. Here, functional ultrasound imaging, a new technique enabling fast measurement of cerebral blood volume (CBV), was used to further characterize resting-state functional connectivity – at both local and long-range – and visual response in SHR. We demonstrated that response to visual stimulation was increased in SHR in the visual cortex and the superior colliculus. They displayed altered long-range functional connectivity between spatially distinct regions. SHR also displayed modulated local connectivity, with strong increases of regional homogeneity in parts of the motor and visual cortex, along with decreases in the secondary cingulate cortex, the superior colliculus and the pretectal area. As CBV is intricately coupled to cerebral activity, these results suggest an abnormal neural activity in the SHR animal model, consistent with previous clinical studies and demonstrate the potential of functional ultrasound imaging as a translational tool in ADHD.
Combining Electrodermal Activity With the Peak-Pain Time to Quantify Three Temporal Regions of Pain Experience

Background Self-reported pain levels, while easily measured, are often not reliable for quantifying pain. More objective methods are needed that supplement self-report without adding undue burden or cost to a study. Methods that integrate multiple measures, such as combining self-report with physiology in a structured and specific-to-pain protocol may improve measures. Method We propose and study a novel measure that combines the timing of the peak pain measured by an electronic visual-analog-scale (eVAS) with continuously-measured changes in electrodermal activity (EDA), a physiological measure quantifying sympathetic nervous system activity that is easily recorded with a skin-surface sensor. The new pain measure isolates and specifically quantifies three temporal regions of dynamic pain experience: I. Anticipation preceding the onset of a pain stimulus, II. Response rising to the level of peak pain, and III. Recovery from the peak pain level. We evaluate the measure across two pain models (cold pressor, capsaicin), and four types of treatments (none, A=pregabalin, B=oxycodone, C=placebo). Each of 24 patients made four visits within 8 weeks, for 96 visits total: A training visit (TV), followed by three visits double-blind presenting A, B, or C (randomized order). Within each visit, a participant experienced the cold pressor, followed by an hour of rest during which one of the four treatments was provided, followed by a repeat of the cold pressor, followed by capsaicin. Results The novel method successfully discriminates the pain reduction effects of the four treatments across both pain models, confirming maximal pain for no-treatment, mild pain reduction for placebo, and the most pain reduction with analgesics. The new measure maintains significant discrimination across the test conditions both within a single-day's visit (for relative pain relief within a visit) and across repeated visits spanning weeks, reducing different-day-physiology affects, and providing better discriminability than using self-reported eVAS. Conclusion The new method combines the subjectively-identified time of peak pain with capturing continuous physiological data to quantify the sympathetic nervous system response during a dynamic pain experience. The method accurately discriminates, for both pain models, the reduction of pain with clinically effective analgesics.
A Fully-Immersive Virtual Reality Setup to Study Gait Modulation

Objective: Gait adaptation to environmental challenges is fundamental for independent and safe community ambulation. The possibility of precisely studying gait modulation using standardized protocols of gait analysis closely resembling everyday life scenarios is still an unmet need. Methods: We have developed a fully-immersive virtual reality (VR) environment where subjects have to adjust their walking pattern to avoid collision with a virtual agent (VA) crossing their gait trajectory. We collected kinematic data of 12 healthy young subjects walking in real world (RW) and in the VR environment, both with (VR/A+) and without (VR/A-) the VA perturbation. The VR environment closely resembled the RW scenario of the gait laboratory. To ensure standardization of the obstacle presentation the starting time speed and trajectory of the VA were defined using the kinematics of the participant as detected online during each walking trial. Results: We did not observe kinematic differences between walking in RW and VR/A-, suggesting that our VR environment per se might not induce significant changes in the locomotor pattern. When facing the VA all subjects consistently reduced stride length and velocity while increasing stride duration. Trunk inclination and mediolateral trajectory deviation also facilitated avoidance of the obstacle. Conclusions: This proof-of-concept study shows that our VR/A+ paradigm effectively induced a timely gait modulation in a standardized immersive and realistic scenario. This protocol could be a powerful research tool to study gait modulation and its derangements in relation to aging and clinical conditions.
Emerging Limb Rehabilitation Therapy After Post-stroke Motor Recovery

Stroke, including hemorrhagic and ischemic stroke, refers to the blood supply disorder in the local brain tissue for various reasons (aneurysm, occlusion, etc.). It leads to regional brain circulation imbalance, neurological complications, limb motor dysfunction, aphasia, and depression. As the second-leading cause of death worldwide, stroke poses a significant threat to human life characterized by high mortality, disability, and recurrence. Therefore, the clinician has to care about the symptoms of stroke patients in the acute stage and formulate an effective postoperative rehabilitation plan to facilitate the recovery in patients. We summarize a novel application and update of the rehabilitation therapy in limb motor rehabilitation of stroke patients to provide a potential future stroke rehabilitation strategy.
Multi-Media Occurrence of Antibiotics and Antibiotic Resistance Genes in East Dongting Lake

With the extensive use of antibiotics, antibiotics and their induced resistance genes (ARGs) have become new types of pollutants widely distributed in a variety of environmental media. The contamination of antibiotics and ARGs occurring in important living and agricultural regions has aroused wide concern worldwide, especially in lake basins. The Dongting Lake basin is one of the important aquaculture and livestock areas in China, which is accompanied by a large amount of antibiotic use and discharge. However, the occurrence characteristics of antibiotics and ARGs in a multi-environment medium are still unclear. In this study, surface water and sediment samples in East Dongting Lake were collected by season, antibiotics and ARGs were quantitatively analyzed, and the risk quotient method was used to evaluate the ecological risk of antibiotics in surface water. 1) The concentration of antibiotics in the surface water of East Dongting Lake ranged from ND to 943.49 ng/L, with the maximum average concentration of 20.92 ng/L in spring. The concentration of antibiotics in sediments ranged from ND to 177.43 ng/g, with the maximum average concentration of 16.38 ng/g in fall. Ofloxacin (OFL) and sulfamethoxazole (SMX) were the main antibiotic pollutants in East Dongting Lake Basin. 2) sul1 and sul2 were the dominant ARGs in East Dongting Lake Basin. For spatial change, the total abundance of ARGs upstream was higher than that downstream. For seasonal change, the surface water and sediment were characterized by spring > summer > fall. 3) OFL and sulfamethoxazole might pose a significant high risk to aquatic organisms both in three seasons, and the ecological risk of antibiotics in East Dongting Lake is more significant at low temperatures than high. This study could provide important data information of the occurrence and concentration of antibiotics and ARGs in East Dongting Lake Basin.
Non-Orthogonal Multiple Access: The Case of Improper Gaussian Signaling and Imperfect Successive Interference Cancellation

This paper studies a two-user downlink non-orthogonal multiple access (NOMA) system that adopts an improper Gaussian signaling (IGS) strategy to compensate for the performance loss due to imperfect successive interference cancellation (SIC). Joint optimization problems are formulated to maximize the overall spectral efficiency and energy efficiency of a two-user NOMA system under minimum user-rate requirements and total power constraints. Sub-optimal solutions of IGS circularity coefficients and power allocation are obtained for the formulated problems. Furthermore, improper constellation diagrams are designed using widely linear transformation with predefined optimized IGS coefficients to study the impact of IGS on throughput and error performance. Simulation results show that the performance of IGS-based NOMA systems, where the IGS strategy is adopted by both users, outperforms that of the proper Gaussian signal (PGS)-based NOMA system under imperfect SIC.
Impact of additive manufacturing on business competitiveness: a multiple case study

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to identify the impacts of additive manufacturing (AM) in manufacturing, business strategies and business performance and to determine the contingent factors driving performance. Accordingly, this study also clarifies the relationship between these impacts and company and product characteristics. Design/methodology/approach The authors conducted an exploratory study using multiple case research methodology, sampling 16 heterogeneous companies based on the theoretical replication approach. The potential impacts of AM were identified by reviewing the previous literature. For the driving factors, the paper follows the literature on AM, as well as the theories arisen from technology management literature. The qualitative information was collected by means of semi-structured interviews and documentary analysis to measure the effectiveness of AM in these aspects. Findings The paper derives and provides empirical insights regarding how this technology affects the industry. This study reveals how the implementation of AM in the Rapid Manufacturing (RM) of products made of metal has boosted productivity. These findings also demonstrate an increasing competitiveness of the early adopter SMEs using RM. Research limitations/implications This empirical research has been conducted by means of qualitative data. Therefore, researchers are encouraged to test the propositions by quantitative measures. Practical implications The paper provides insights for the adaption of AM and its impacts on business strategies and performance. Originality/value This paper contributes to expanding the literature by depicting explicit links between the implementation of this revolutionary technology and business strategies and performance.
Early Dinner Time and Caloric Restriction Lapse Contribute to the Longevity of Nonagenarians and Centenarians of the Italian Abruzzo Region: A Cross-Sectional Study

Recent findings showed the role of late-night eating in metabolic disorders, highlighting the importance of meal timing for health. No evidence is available on the role of meal timing for longevity. The aim of this study was to survey, in a cross-sectional study, meal timing and dietary habits of 68 nonagenarians and centenarians of the Abruzzo region, Italy. Results showed an early dinner (7:13 p.m.) and a calorie restriction lapse of 17.5 h between dinner and the following lunch. The frequency of consumption was high for cereals, vegetables, fruits, and legumes; low for meat, processed meat, and eggs; and negligible for sweets. Subjects were physically active throughout life. Our results support the importance of a daily caloric restriction lapse, hampering nocturnal postprandial stress and optimizing metabolic response, associated with high consumption of plant-based foods and physical activity for the longevity of centenarians from Abruzzo.
The Prevalence of Pharmacological Neuroenhancement Among University Students Before and During the COVID-19-Pandemic: Results of Three Consecutive Cross-Sectional Survey Studies in Germany

Background According to the literature, the conditions of studying and living as well as the psychological, social and health behavior-related variables, which were strongly related to pharmacological neuroenhancement (PN) before the pandemic, significantly changed during the pandemic. For this reason, it is expected that the prevalence of PN among university students is higher during the pandemic compared to before the pandemic. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate and compare the prevalence of PN among university students before and during the COVID-19-pandemic. Methods Three online surveys assessing the 12-month prevalence of PN were conducted among university students at the University of Mainz, Germany. The first survey took place in summer term 2019 (before the pandemic), the second in summer term 2020 (during the first German lockdown), and the third in summer term 2021 (after the second German lockdown). Pearson's chi-square test was used to test whether the 12-month prevalence of PN differed significantly between the three surveys. Results The 12-month prevalence of PN was 10.4% in 2019, 11.3% in 2020, and 8.0% in 2021. Chi-square tests revealed no statistical difference in the prevalence of PN between 2019 and 2020. Overall, the use of PN was lower in 2021 compared to 2019 (p < 0.0001) as well as in comparison to 2020 (p = 0.001). Only the use of cannabis slightly increased from 2019 to 2020 (7.1 vs. 8.3%) and decreased in 2021 (5.4%). At all three time points, cannabis was the most commonly used substance for the purpose of PN. Consequently, the results suggest that the prevalence of PN was highly intertwined with the prevalence of cannabis use for PN. Discussion The decrease in the prevalence of PN of around three percentage points in 2021 compared to the previous years was a surprising finding. It may be mainly due to the decrease in the prevalence of cannabis for the purpose of PN. However, the fairly high prevalence of PN of around 8% in 2021 is still an important finding that demonstrates that there is still an urgent need for prevention initiatives among university students to combat the use of PN.
Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease and the Risk of Incident Atrial Fibrillation in Young Adults: A Nationwide Population-Based Cohort Study

Background Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a multisystem disease including cardiovascular. However, the association between NAFLD and the risk of incident atrial fibrillation (AF), especially in young adults, remains unclear. We aimed to evaluate the association between NAFLD as assessed by the fatty liver index (FLI) and the risk of AF in young adults. Methods We identified individuals aged 20–39 years who underwent health examinations conducted by the Korean National Health Insurance Corporation between January 2009 and December 2012. Individuals with significant liver disease, heavy alcohol consumption, or prevalent AF were excluded. We categorized based on FLI: <30, 30 to <60, and ≥60. Incident AF was evaluated as the primary outcome. Results We included 5,333,907 subjects (mean age, 31 ± 5 years; men, 57%). During a mean follow-up of 7.4 ± 1.1 years, 12,096 patients had newly diagnosed AF (incidence rate 0.31 per 1,000 person-years). After adjustment, subjects with FLI 30 to <60 and FLI ≥60 showed a higher risk of AF compared to those with FLI <30 (hazard ratio [HR] 1.21, 95% confidence interval [CI, 1.15–1.27] and HR 1.47, 95% CI [1.39–1.55], p < 0.001, respectively). In women, the increased AF risk was accentuated in the higher FLI group than in the individuals with FLI <30, compared with men (p-for-interaction = 0.023). A higher incident AF risk in the higher FLI groups was consistently observed in various subgroups. Conclusion Among young adults, NAFLD assessed using FLI was positively correlated with the AF risk. These findings support the evidence of AF screening in young adults with high FLI scores.
Peer Victimization and Problematic Online Game Use Among Chinese Adolescents: The Dual Mediating Effect of Deviant Peer Affiliation and School Connectedness

Abundant evidence has proved an association between peer victimization and problematic online game use (POGU). However, the underlying mechanisms of this relation are still under-investigated. Grounded in the ecological system theory, this study examined whether deviant peer affiliation (DPA) and school connectedness mediated the association between peer victimization and adolescent POGU. A sample of 698 Chinese adolescents completed questionnaires regarding peer victimization, problematic online game use, DPA, and school connectedness, of which 51.58% were boys. Path analyses indicated that peer victimization was positively associated with problematic online game use, and this link could be mediated by deviant peer affiliation and school connectedness. The findings identify the potential underlying mechanism by which peer victimization is associated with adolescent problematic online game use, which has important implications for theory and prevention.
Goat Milk Foodomics. Dietary Supplementation of Sunflower Oil and Rapeseed Oil Modify Milk Amino Acid and Organic Acid Profiles in Dairy Goats

The dietary supplementation of vegetable oils is known to improve the dietary energy density as well as milk fatty acid profile; however, the impacts on the milk foodome is largely unknown. This study investigated the effect of two different sources of unsaturated fatty acids, rapeseed oil and sunflower oil, as a feeding supplement on the milk foodome from dairy goats. Nine Danish Landrace goats at 42 ± 5 days in milk were allocated to three treatment groups for 42 days with three animals per group. A control group received a basal diet made of forage and concentrate at an 85:15 ratio. On top of the basal diet, the second and third groups received rapeseed oil or sunflower oil supplements at 4% of dry matter, respectively. Goat milk was sampled on days 14, 21, and 42. The milk foodome was measured using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry and proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. The milk levels of 2-hydroxyisovaleric acid, oxaloacetic acid, and taurine were higher in the milk from goats fed with sunflower oil compared to the control group. More glucose-1-phosphate was found in the milk from goats fed with rapeseed oil compared to the control group. Amino acids, valine and tyrosine, and 2-hydroxyisovaleric acid and oxaloacetic acid were higher in the sunflower group compared to the rapeseed group, while the milk from the rapeseed-fed goats had greater levels of ethanol and 2-oxoglutaric acid compared to the sunflower group. Thus, results show that foodomics is suitable for studying how milk chemistry changes as a function of feeding regime.