Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Functional Trajectories during innate spinal cord repair

Adult zebrafish are capable of anatomical and functional recovery following severe spinal cord injury. Axon growth, glial bridging and adult neurogenesis are hallmarks of cellular regeneration during spinal cord repair. However, the correlation between these cellular regenerative processes and functional recovery remains to be elucidated. Whereas the majority of established functional regeneration metrics measure swim capacity, we hypothesize that gait quality is more directly related to neurological health. Here, we performed a longitudinal swim tracking study for sixty individual zebrafish spanning eight weeks of spinal cord regeneration. Multiple swim parameters as well as axonal and glial bridging were integrated. We established rostral compensation as a new gait quality metric that highly correlates with functional recovery. Tensor component analysis of longitudinal data supports a correspondence between functional recovery trajectories and neurological outcomes. Moreover, our studies predicted and validated that a subset of functional regeneration parameters measured 1 to 2 weeks post-injury is sufficient to predict the regenerative outcomes of individual animals at 8 weeks post-injury. Our findings established new functional regeneration parameters and generated a comprehensive correlative database between various functional and cellular regeneration outputs.
Remote monitoring of soil moisture using airborne microwave radiometers

The current status of microwave radiometry is provided. The fundamentals of the microwave radiometer are reviewed with particular reference to airborne operations, and the interpretative procedures normally used for the modeling of the apparent temperature are presented. Airborne microwave radiometer measurements were made over selected flight lines in Chickasha, Oklahoma and Weslaco, Texas. Extensive ground measurements of soil moisture were made in support of the aircraft mission over the two locations. In addition, laboratory determination of the complex permittivities of soil samples taken from the flight lines were made with varying moisture contents. The data were analyzed to determine the degree of correlation between measured apparent temperatures and soil moisture content.
Sepsis-induced Myocardial Dysfunction

Myocardial dysfunction is one of the main predictors of poor outcome in septic patients, with mortality rates next to 70%. During the sepsis-induced myocardial dysfunction, both ventricles can dilate and diminish its ejection fraction, having less response to fluid resuscitation and catecholamines, but typically is assumed to be reversible within 7-10 days. In the last 30 years, It ́s being subject of substantial research; however no explanation of its etiopathogenesis or effective treatment have been proved yet. The aim of this manuscript is to review on the most relevant aspects of the sepsisinduced myocardial dysfunction, discuss its clinical presentation, pathophysiology, etiopathogenesis, diagnostic tools and therapeutic strategies proposed in recent years.
Cell Biology International

Polymerization of filamentous (F)‐actin at the neuronal synapse plays an important role in neuronal function. However, the regulatory mechanisms controlling the levels of synaptic actin remain incompletely understood. Here, I used established pharmacological blockers to acutely disrupt the function of actin polymerization machinery, then quantified their effect on synaptic F‐actin levels. Synaptic F‐actin was modestly decreased by inhibition of Arp2/3‐dependent actin branching. Blockade of formin‐dependent actin elongation resulted in an Arp2/3‐dependent increase in synaptic actin that could be mimicked by limited actin depolymerization. Limited actin depolymerization was also sufficient to reverse a decrease in synaptic F‐actin caused by prolonged blockade of synaptic NMDA‐type glutamate receptors. These results suggest that interplay between different actin polymerization pathways may regulate synaptic actin dynamics.
Impact of Latent M. tuberculosis Infection Treatment on Time to CD4/CD8 Recovery in Acute, Recent, and Chronic HIV Infection

Introduction: In people living with HIV, active and latent tuberculosis (TB) coinfections are associated with immune activation that correlate with HIV progression and mortality. We investigated the effect of initiating antiretroviral therapy (ART) during acute (AHI), recent (RHI), or chronic HIV infection (CHI) on CD4/CD8 ratio normalization and associated factors, the impact of latent TB infection treatment, and prior/concomitant TB diagnosis at the time of ART initiation. Methods: We included sex with men and transgender women individuals initiating ART with AHI, RHI and CHI between 2013 and 2019, from a prospective cohort in Brazil. We compared time from ART initiation to the first normal CD4/CD8 ratio (CD4/CD8 ≥1) using Kaplan–Meier curves and multivariable Cox proportional hazards models. Sociodemographic and clinical variables were explored. Variables with P-values <0.20 in univariable analyses were included in multivariable analyses. Results: Five hundred fifty participants were included, 11.8% classified as AHI and 6.4% as RHI, 46.7% with CHI-CD4 cell counts ≥350 cells/mm3 and 35.1% with CHI-CD4 cell counts <350 cells/mm3. Time to normalization was shortest among AHI patients, followed by RHI and CHI individuals with higher baseline CD4. In the multivariable model, AHI was associated with a six-fold increased likelihood of achieving a CD4/CD8 ratio ≥1 (hazard ratio [HR]: 6.03; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 3.70 to 9.82; P < 0.001), RHI with HR: 4.47 (95% CI: 2.57 to 7.76; P < 0.001), and CHI CD4 ≥350 cells/mm3 with HR: 1.87 (95% CI: 1.24 to 2.84; P = 0.003). Latent TB infection treatment was significantly associated with a higher likelihood of the outcome (HR: 1.79; 95% CI: 1.22 to 2.62; P = 0.003). Previous history or concomitant active TB at ART initiation was associated with a lower likelihood of the outcome (HR: 0.41; 95% CI: 0.16 to 1.02; P = 0.054). Conclusions: Initiating ART early during AHI may offer an opportunity to mitigate immune damage. Efforts to implement HIV diagnosis and ART initiation during AHI are critical to amplify ART benefits.
Regulation of chromatin accessibility and gene expression in the developing hippocampal primordium by LIM-HD transcription factor LHX2

In the mammalian cerebral cortex, the hippocampal primordium (Hcp) occupies a discrete position in the dorsal telencephalic neuroepithelium adjacent to the neocortical primordium (Ncp). We examined transcriptomic and chromatin-level features that distinguish the Hcp from the Ncp in the mouse during the early neurogenic period, embryonic day (E)12.5. ATAC-seq revealed that the Hcp was more accessible than the Ncp at this stage. Motif analysis of the differentially accessible loci in these tissues revealed LHX2 as a candidate transcription factor for modulating gene regulatory networks (GRNs). We analyzed LHX2 occupancy profiles and compared these with transcriptomic data from control and Lhx2 mutant Hcp and Ncp at E12.5. Our results revealed that LHX2 directly regulates distinct genes in the Hcp and Ncp within a set of common pathways that control fundamental aspects of development namely pluripotency, axon pathfinding, Wnt, and Hippo signaling. Loss of Lhx2 caused a decrease in accessibility, specifically in hippocampal chromatin, suggesting that this factor may play a unique role in hippocampal development. We identified 14 genes that were preferentially enriched in the Hcp, for which LHX2 regulates both chromatin accessibility and mRNA expression, which have not thus far been examined in hippocampal development. Together, these results provide mechanistic insight into how LHX2 function in the Hcp may contribute to the process by which the hippocampus acquires features distinct from the neocortex.
Implementation of Brachytherapy for Patients With Cervical Cancer in Ethiopia: A 3-Year Practice Report

PURPOSE Although cervical cancer is the second most commonly diagnosed cancer in Ethiopia, brachytherapy (BT) was not a component in patient treatment until 2015. The purpose of this study was to identify the patterns of utilization as well as to describe the practice of BT in Ethiopia. MATERIALS AND METHODS A retrospective descriptive data analysis of 138 patients with cervical cancer treated with a curative potential using BT from 2015 to 2018 at Tikur Anbassa Specialized Hospital, which housed the only BT facility in Ethiopia during the study period. RESULTS During the first 3-year period of BT service commencement, each year n = 37, n = 36, and n = 65 patients with cervical cancer were treated, respectively, with curative intention treatment. The median age of these 138 patients was 50 years (range, 22-75). All the patients were in International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics stage Ib–IIIb group, and stage IIb (66.4%) was the predominant. Majority (79%) of the patients were treated primarily with radiotherapy (RT), while 21% received RT after surgery. More than half of these patients (62%) received a total RT dose of 82 Gy in equivalent dose in 2 Gy fractions (EQD2), while the rest received a dose ranging from 76 to 86 Gy. Concurrent cisplatin with RT was given only for 36% of the patients for undocumented reasons. The overall treatment time including both external-beam RT and BT was greater than 8 weeks in 21% of the patients. CONCLUSION The utilization of BT service increased gradually and BT enabled the delivery of a higher RT dose to patients with cervical cancer (mostly stage IIB). However, there was protracted treatment duration and low concurrent chemotherapy utilization.
Multiomics analysis reveals the biological effects of live Roseburia intestinalis as a high‐butyrate‐producing bacterium in human intestinal epithelial cells

Butyrate‐producing bacteria play a key role in human health, and recent studies have triggered interest in their development as next‐generation probiotics. However, there remains limited knowledge not only on the identification of high‐butyrate‐producing bacteria in the human gut but also in the metabolic capacities for prebiotic carbohydrates and their interaction with the host. Herein, it was discovered that Roseburia intestinalis produces higher levels of butyrate and digests a wider variety of prebiotic polysaccharide structures compared with other human major butyrate‐producing bacteria (Eubacterium rectale, Faecalibacterium prausnitzii, and Roseburia hominis). Moreover, R. intestinalis extracts upregulated the mRNA expression of tight junction proteins (TJP1, OCLN, and CLDN3) in human intestinal epithelial cells more than other butyrate‐producing bacteria. R. intestinalis was cultured with human intestinal epithelial cells in the mimetic intestinal host–microbe interaction coculture system to explore the health‐promoting effects using multiomics approaches. Consequently, it was discovered that live R. intestinalis only enhances purine metabolism and the oxidative pathway, increasing adenosine triphosphate levels in human intestinal epithelial cells, but that heat‐killed bacteria had no effect. Therefore, this study proposes that R. intestinalis has potentially high value as a next‐generation probiotic to promote host intestinal health.
Age, récurrence et mécanismes de déstabilisation des flancs des volcans océaniques d'après l'exemple de Tenerife (iles Canaries)

La croissance des volcans oceaniques est frequemment ponctuee par des effondrements lateraux geants qui peuvent generer des avalanches de debris volumineuses et engendrer des tsunamis devastateurs. Neanmoins, les causes, les mecanismes et les consequences de telles destabilisations, critiques pour la caracterisation des aleas, demeurent largement incompris.L'ile de Tenerife (Canaries, Espagne) constitue une cible privilegiee pour etudier ces phenomenes. Son evolution recente inclue le developpement d'un volcan central differencie et d'une ride volcanique proeminente le long d'une rift-zone principale NE-SW (NERZ). Durant le dernier Myr, ces systemes ont ete tronques par trois effondrements de flanc geants, dont la semelle est partiellement accessible a la faveur de galeries souterraines a usage hydrogeologique.Cette these developpe une analyse systematique des relations entre construction volcanique et instabilites recurrentes le long de l’axe de la NERZ. L'approche inclut des investigations de terrain en surface et dans les galeries, afin de reconnaitre et d’echantillonner les sequences volcaniques affectees par chaque effondrement et remplissant leurs structures; la datation K/Ar Cassignol-Gillot sur phases separees pour en contraindre l’âge precisement ; des reconstructions morphologiques 3D afin d'estimer le volume des edifices et des structures gravitaires; des analyses chimiques sur roches totales, visant a caracteriser l’evolution de la composition des laves avant et apres chaque destabilisation.Les nouveaux resultats montrent le fonctionnement intermittent des differents troncons la NERZ, avec un schema recurrent comprenant :1) la croissance rapide d'un edifice imposant, dont la charge induit la creation de niveaux de stockage superficiels et l’eruption de termes differencies visqueux, favorisant l'inflation locale de la structure et sa destabilisation2) la rupture proprement dite, datee a environ 840 ka, 525 ka et 175 ka (glissements de Guimar, La Orotava et Icod, respectivement)3) une reponse eruptive immediate, impliquant la vidange rapide (<50kyr) du systeme d’alimentation, et le comblement des loupes de glissement sous des dizaines de km3 de lave.4) Un deplacement consecutif de la construction volcanique vers les secteurs moins matures de la NERZ (moindre epaisseur de l'edifice/moindre pression lithostatique)Nous montrons que les phenomenes de charge/decharge ont une influence primordiale sur le developpement des instabilites gravitaires et l'evolution des systemes d'alimentation des iles oceaniques.
Establishment of a new method to isolate viable x‐ray‐sensitive cells from planarian by fluorescence‐activated cell sorting

Planarians show outstanding regenerative ability due to the proliferation of neoblasts. Hence the method to isolate planarian neoblasts is important to understand the regeneration process. In our previous study, we reported a method to isolate planarian neoblasts of Dugesia japonica using fluorescence‐activated cell sorting (FACS). However, we have not yet succeeded in cultivating these cells even under in vivo conditions after transplantation into x‐ray‐irradiated planarians. This suggests that dissociated cells might enter apoptotic or necrotic states in the process of fluorescent dye staining and sorting. Here, we developed a new method to isolate viable neoblasts, which can proliferate in the x‐ray‐irradiated planarians. First, the toxicity of various fluorescence dyes was investigated. All nuclear fluorescent dyes such as Hoechst 33342, DRAQ5, and DyeCycle, showed, more or less, toxicity to mammalian culture cells. In contrast, cytoplasmic fluorescent dye for live cells, calcein AM, was less toxic on these cells. Next, we stained the dissociated planarian cells with only calcein AM, and then collected the x‐ray‐sensitive fraction. Although the purity of neoblasts was slightly lower than that of the original staining method (ca. 97% → ca. 89%), the sorted cells could actively proliferate when they were injected into x‐ray‐irradiated planarians. This simple staining and sorting method will provide new opportunities to isolate viable neoblasts and understand regenerating processes.
Accounting for Joint Decision-Making Process of Escorting Pattern and Activity Types for Disabled People

The activity and travel pattern of people with disabilities are different than people with no impairments, as their activities are more dependent on others due to their special physical condition. Hence, the way that they are accompanied (i.e. escorting patterns) affects their activity type selection behaviors. Targeting two of most essential travel attributes, this paper discusses the importance of jointly modeling the type of outdoor activity and escort pattern decisions. The data from Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning Household Travel Tracker Survey is used to develop the models. Two multinomial logit models are developed to explore the influential variables on these two jointly made decisions and elaborate the unpleasant repercussions of ignoring their inter-dependency. The modeling results indicate that the chance of making a healthcare trip without any escort decreases around 0.8 percent, as the age of people with disability increases by one percent. Elasticity results also show that 1 percent increase in trip duration will raise non-escorted work and school trips by 0.23 and 0.32 percent, respectively. According to the conventional model, the probability of recreational trips will reduce around 9 percent, if household car ownership increases from one to two. However, the models of this study predict only a 2 percent increase in this situation for people with physical limitations. Adding another worker to a household, which already has an employed member, decreases the probability of shopping trips by 3 percent in the joint model and 44 percent in the model not accounting for the inter-dependency between the two decisions. Therefore, neglecting the importance of the interaction of these decisions for persons with disabilities can manifest model specification error, leading to unrealistic policy assessments.
Observed secular gravity trend at Onsala station with the FG5 gravimeter from Hannover

Abstract Annual absolute gravity measurements with a FG5 instrument were performed in Onsala Space Observatory by the Institute of Geodesy of the Leibniz Universität Hannover from 2003 to 2011 and have been continued with the upgraded meter FG5X in 2014. Lantmäteriet, Gävle, with their FG5 absolute gravimeter have visited Onsala since 2007. Because small systematic errors may be inherent in each absolute gravimeter, their measuring level and a resulting bias (offset) between the instruments must be controlled over time by means of inter-comparison. From 2007 to 2014, 8 direct comparisons took place well distributed over the time span. A complete re-processing of the absolute gravity observations with the Hannover instrument has been conducted to improve the reduction of unwanted gravity effects. A new tidal model is based on continuous time series recorded with the GWR superconducting gravimeter at Onsala since 2009. The loading effect of the Kattegat is described with a varying sea bottom pressure (water and air mass load) and has been validated with the continuous gravity measurements. For the land uplift,which is a result of the still ongoing glacial isostatic adjustment in Fennoscandia, a secular gravity trend of −0.22 μGal/yr was obtained with a standard deviation of 0.17 μGal/yr. That indicates a slight uplift but is still not significantly different from zero.
Demographic and ecological niche dynamics of the Vietnam warty newt, Paramesotriton deloustali: Historical climate influences

Quaternary climatic cycles strongly affected the genetic diversification and ranges of organisms, shaping current genetic structures and distribution patterns. Urodeles provide ideal examples for exploring these dynamics over time and across space. In this study, we integrated a phylogeographic approach and ensemble species distribution modeling (eSDM) to infer the historical demography and distribution patterns of the Vietnam warty newt, Paramesotriton deloustali. Mitochondrial data revealed two groups, West and East, which diverged approximately 1.92 million years ago (Mya). Diversification was likely driven by change in the climate during early stages of the Pleistocene, with increasing monsoon and drought intensities. Biogeographic analysis indicated that the newt’s current distribution formed as a result of vicariance events. In addition, the two groups occupy distinct ecological niches. Demographic reconstruction showed signs of expansion in the effective population sizes of the two major groups beginning around 0.11 and 0.15 Mya, respectively. However, eSDM showed fluctuating predicted distributions during the last interglacial, last glacial maximum, mid-Holocene, and present. Mountain systems in northern Vietnam are likely to have served as climatic refuges and to have played a crucial role in safeguarding species from the effects of climate change.
Attitudes to the use of animals in biomedical research: Effects of stigma and selected research project summaries

Three groups of participants (largely recruited from the UK) completed a survey to examine attitudes to the use of animals in biomedical research, after reading the lay (N = 182) or technical (N = 201) summary of a research project, or no summary (N = 215). They then completed a survey comprising the animal attitude (AAS), animal purpose (APQ), belief in animal mind (BAM) and empathy quotient (EQ) scales. The APQ was adapted to assess attitudes towards the use of animals for research into disorders selected to be perceived as controllable and so ‘blameworthy’ and potentially stigmatised (addiction and obesity) and ‘psychological’ (schizophrenia and addiction) versus ‘physical’ (cardiovascular disease and obesity), across selected species (rats, mice, fish pigs and monkeys). Thus, the APQ was used to examine how the effects of perceived controllability and the nature of the disorder affected attitudes to animal use, in different species and in the three summary groups. As expected, attitudes to animal use as measured by the AAS and the APQ (total) correlated positively with BAM and EQ scores, consistent with the assumption that the scales all measured pro-welfare attitudes. Participants in the two research summary groups did not differentiate the use of rats, mice and fish (or fish and pigs in the technical summary group), whereas all species were differentiated in the no summary group. Participants given the lay summary were as concerned about the use of animals for schizophrenia as for addiction research. APQ ratings otherwise indicated more concern for animals used for addiction research (and for obesity compared to cardiovascular disease in all summary groups). Therefore, the information provided by a research project summary influenced attitudes to use of animals in biomedical research. However, there was no overall increase in agreement with animal use in either of the summary groups.
The initial development and validation of the Social Adaptability Skills Questionnaire: SASQ

Changing clubs over the course of an athletic career may not always be easy, and this has raised questions about how these changes affect career development. However, few studies have focused on the process of adapting to a new club and the factors that lead to success or failure. To address this gap in the literature, we aimed to develop and provide the initial validation of a questionnaire designed to assess athletes’ social adaptability skills (SAS). To do so, we conducted four studies, from the initial development stage to the final validation stage. In the first phase, we generated questionnaire items with clear content and face validity. The second phase explored the factor structure and reliability of the Social Adaptability Skills Questionnaire (SASQ). This was carried out with 543 young athletes in talent development through exploratory factor analysis (EFA), which was validated with confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). The EFA yielded a 17-item, four-factor structure with good internal reliability (⍺ = 0.876). The CFA revealed that the model fit indices were acceptable (RMSEA = 0.06, CFI = 0.809, TLI = 0.844, and GFI = 0.926). In addition, Latent Class Analysis (LCA) was applied to determine the predictive validity of SASQ resulting into identification of three classes (low achievers, average achievers, and high achievers) with four discriminating dimensions (coach, teammates, family, and club). The SASQ appears to be a promising psychometric instrument of potential usefulness for education and program reviews in applied settings and a measurement tool in talent development research.