Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Donors for nerve transplantation in craniofacial soft tissue injuries

Neural tissue is an important soft tissue; for instance, craniofacial nerves govern several aspects of human behavior, including the expression of speech, emotion transmission, sensation, and motor function. Therefore, nerve repair to promote functional recovery after craniofacial soft tissue injuries is indispensable. However, the repair and regeneration of craniofacial nerves are challenging due to their intricate anatomical and physiological characteristics. Currently, nerve transplantation is an irreplaceable treatment for segmental nerve defects. With the development of emerging technologies, transplantation donors have become more diverse. The present article reviews the traditional and emerging alternative materials aimed at advancing cutting-edge research on craniofacial nerve repair and facilitating the transition from the laboratory to the clinic. It also provides a reference for donor selection for nerve repair after clinical craniofacial soft tissue injuries. We found that autografts are still widely accepted as the first options for segmental nerve defects. However, allogeneic composite functional units have a strong advantage for nerve transplantation for nerve defects accompanied by several tissue damages or loss. As an alternative to autografts, decellularized tissue has attracted increasing attention because of its low immunogenicity. Nerve conduits have been developed from traditional autologous tissue to composite conduits based on various synthetic materials, with developments in tissue engineering technology. Nerve conduits have great potential to replace traditional donors because their structures are more consistent with the physiological microenvironment and show self-regulation performance with improvements in 3D technology. New materials, such as hydrogels and nanomaterials, have attracted increasing attention in the biomedical field. Their biocompatibility and stimuli-responsiveness have been gradually explored by researchers in the regeneration and regulation of neural networks.
Uncertainties of gross primary productivity of Chinese grasslands based on multi-source estimation

Gross primary productivity (GPP) is an important parameter in the carbon cycle and climate change studies. The results of GPP fluxes estimated based on multiple models or remote sensing vary widely, but current studies of GPP in Chinese grasslands tend to ignore data uncertainty. In this study, uncertainty analysis of GPP datasets estimated based on terrestrial ecosystem models and remote sensing was conducted using cross-validation, standard error statistics, and ensemble empirical modal decomposition. We found that 1) the fit coefficients R 2 of two-by-two cross-validation of GPP datasets mostly exceeded 0.8 at the global scale. 2) GPP from different sources were consistent in portraying the spatial and temporal patterns of GPP in Chinese grasslands. However, due to many differences in model structure, parameterization and driving data, some uncertainties still exist, especially in the parts of dry-cold areas where the standard deviations are relatively large. 3) Uncertainties were higher for future scenarios than for historical periods, and GPP uncertainties were much higher for future high-emissions scenarios than for low- and medium-emissions scenarios. This study highlighted the need for uncertainty analysis when GPP is applied to spatio-temporal analysis, and suggested that when comparing and assessing carbon balance conditions, multiple source data sets should be combined to avoid misleading conclusion due to uncertainty.
Short birth interval and its associated factors among multiparous women in Mieso agro-pastoralist district, Eastern Ethiopia: A community-based cross-sectional study

Background Recently, the concern with birth interval has acquired importance in public health and family planning because of its implication for fertility, maternal, and child health. A short birth interval is associated with adverse perinatal, maternal, and infant outcomes. Moreover, too short birth interval lead to high fertility, which in turn contributes to accelerated population growth and undermines development efforts. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of short birth interval and its associated factors among multiparous women in the Mieso agro-pastoralist district, Oromia region, Eastern Ethiopia. Methods A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted from 1 to 30 March 2020. The multistage sampling technique was used to select 490 multiparous women. Data were collected by face-to-face interviewer-administered structured questionnaires. Bivariate and multivariable logistic regression analyses were executed. Model fitness and multicollinearity were checked. Statistically significant associations of outcome and independent variables were declared at a P-value of < 0.05. Results The prevalence of short birth interval was 56% (95% CI: 51.4–60.5) in the study area. Being married under 18 years (AOR = 3.78, 95% CI: 1.97–7.25), having formal education (AOR = 0.23, 95% CI: 0.11–0.47), having a husband with formal education (AOR = 0.46, 95% CI: 0.22–0.99), having awareness about optimum birth interval (AOR = 0.47, 95% CI: 0.24–0.91), having female index child (AOR = 1.78, 95% CI: 1.07–3.84), death of the index child (AOR = 0.34, 95% CI: 0.12–0.92), breastfeeding of the index child <24 months (AOR = 2.6, 95% CI: 1.53–4.41), use of modern contraceptive (AOR = 2.09, 95% CI: 1.12–3.89), and decision-making by a husband alone when to have a child (AOR = 3.86, 95% CI: 2.06–7.21) were significantly associated with short birth interval at a P-value <0.05. Conclusion The overall prevalence of short birth interval among the study participants was high, as more than half of the women had practiced short birth interval, indicating that the majority of the mother and children in the study area are still at high risk of mortality and morbidity associated with short birth interval. Thus, the current findings suggest that interventions that involve the provision of contraceptives and information on its benefit at points need to be adopted to reach the national and global target of maternal and child mortality reduction attributed to short birth interval.
Anomalous cerebral morphology of pregnant women with cleft fetuses

Objective Pregnancy leads to long-lasting changes in brain structure for healthy women; however, little is known regarding alterations in the cortical features of pregnant women with malformed fetuses. Isolated clefts of the lip and/or palate (ICL/P) are the most common congenital anomaly in the craniofacial region, which is highly gene-associated. We speculated that pregnant women carrying fetuses with ICL/P may have associated risk genes and specific brain changes during pregnancy. Methods In this study, we investigated T1-weighted brain magnetic resonance imaging data from 48 pregnant women: 24 women carrying fetuses with ICL/P (ICL/P group) and 24 women carrying normal fetuses (normal controls), then explored intergroup differences in gray matter volume (GMV), cortical thickness (CT) and cortical complexity (gyrification). Results Compared with controls, the ICL/P group had decreased total intracranial volume (TIV) than normal controls; besides, they exhibited increased GMV in the left cuneus, decreased GMV in the right superior temporal gyrus; increased CT in the left precuneus and left superior parietal gyrus, decreased CT involving parsopercularis, fusiform, middle temporal in the left hemisphere and supramarginal, precentral gyrus (PreCG) in the right hemisphere; increased gyrification in the left insula and PreCG, the left middle temporal, and the right supratemporal gyrus. Conclusion Pregnant women with ICL/P fetuses had brain morphology changes involving language, auditory, vision, and sensory cortex, which may be their special brain changes compared to normal pregnant women. This study may provide clues for the early detection of fetuses with ICL/P, and be vital for preconception and prenatal counseling with non-invasive methods.
Chinese herbal medicine anticancer cocktail soup activates immune cells to kill colon cancer cells by regulating the gut microbiota-Th17 axis

Chinese herbal medicines are effective for treating colon cancer (CC). CC development is reportedly associated with gut microbiota dysbiosis and immune function dysregulation. Herein we explored the therapeutic effects of a Chinese herbal medicine anticancer cocktail soup (CHMACS) on mice with CC and also explored its regulatory effects on gut microbiota. In vivo experiments indicated that CHMACS significantly inhibited the proliferation and tumorigenicity of CC cells. Further, CHMACS treatment decreased the proportion of CD8+ T, natural killer, and Th17 cells. HPLC/MS analysis showed that CHMACS comprised 227 active components. 16S rRNA sequencing revealed, for example, an increase in the relative abundance of uncultured_bacterium_g_Turicibacter and a decrease in that of uncultured_bacterium_g_Coriobacteriaceae_UCG-002 in gut microbiota of CHMACS-treated mice. Microbial diversity cluster analysis revealed that Verrucomicrobia, Spirochaetes, Fusobacteria, Patescibacteria, and Firmicutes contributed the most to fecal microbial diversity. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes metabolic pathway analysis and clusters of orthologous groups of protein annotation indicated that CHMACS treatment induced amino acid metabolism and suppressed carbohydrate metabolism. Moreover, we found a strong association between changes in metabolites and immune cell maturation and activation. To summarize, our findings suggest that CHMACS kills CC cells by regulating gut microbiota and activating immune cells.
A quantitative meta-analysis of vitamin C in the pathophysiology of Alzheimer’s disease

Purpose Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a multifaceted neurodegenerative disorder with many complex pathways feeding into its pathogenesis and progression. Vitamin C, an essential dietary antioxidant, is vital for proper neurological development and maintenance. This meta-analysis and systematic review attempted to define the relationship between vitamin C plasma levels and AD while highlighting the importance and involvement of vitamin C in the pathogenesis of AD. Materials and methods PRISMA guidelines were used to obtain studies quantifying the plasma levels of vitamin C in AD and control subjects. The literature was searched in the online databases PubMed, Google Scholar, and Web of Science. A total of 12 studies were included (n = 1,100) and analyzed using Comprehensive Meta-Analysis 3.0. Results The results show that there is a significant decrease in the plasma vitamin C levels of AD patients as compared to healthy controls (pooled SMD with random-effect model: −1.164, with 95%CI: −1.720 to −0.608, Z = −4.102, p = 0.00) with significant heterogeneity (I2 = 93.218). The sensitivity analysis showed directionally similar results. Egger’s regression test (p = 0.11) and visual inspection of the funnel plot showed no publication bias. Conclusion Based on these studies, it can be deduced that the deficiency of vitamin C is involved in disease progression and supplementation is a plausible preventive and treatment strategy. However, clinical studies are warranted to elucidate its exact mechanistic role in AD pathophysiology and prevention.
Post-translational dysregulation of glucose uptake during exhaustive cycling exercise in vastus lateralis muscle of healthy homozygous carriers of the ACE deletion allele

Homozygous carriers of the deletion allele in the gene for angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE-DD) demonstrate an elevated risk to develop inactivity-related type II diabetes and show an overshoot of blood glucose concentration with enduring exercise compared to insertion allele carriers. We hypothesized that ACE-DD genotypes exhibit a perturbed activity of signaling processes governing capillary-dependent glucose uptake in vastus lateralis muscle during exhaustive cycling exercise, which is associated with the aerobic fitness state. 27 healthy, male white Caucasian subjects (26.8 ± 1.1 years; BMI 23.6 +/− 0.6 kg m−2) were characterized for their aerobic fitness based on a threshold of 50 ml O2 min−1 kg−1 and the ACE-I/D genotype. Subjects completed a session of exhaustive one-legged exercise in the fasted state under concomitant measurement of cardiorespiratory function. Capillary blood and biopsies were collected before, and ½ and 8 h after exercise to quantify glucose and lipid metabolism-related compounds (lipoproteins, total cholesterol, ketones) in blood, the phosphorylation of 45 signaling proteins, muscle glycogen and capillaries. Effects of aerobic fitness, ACE-I/D genotype, and exercise were assessed with analysis of variance (ANOVA) under the hypothesis of a dominant effect of the insertion allele. Exertion with one-legged exercise manifested in a reduction of glycogen concentration ½ h after exercise (−0.046 mg glycogen mg−1 protein). Blood glucose concentration rose immediately after exercise in association with the ACE-I/D genotype (ACE-DD: +26%, ACE-ID/II: +6%) and independent of the fitness state (p = 0.452). Variability in total cholesterol was associated with exercise and fitness. In fit subjects, the phosphorylation levels of glucose uptake-regulating kinases [AKT-pT308 (+156%), SRC-pY419, p38α-pT180/T182, HCK-pY411], as well as cytokine/angiotensin 1-7 signaling factors [(STAT5A-pY694, STAT5B-pY699, FYN-pY420, EGFR-pY1086] were higher in angiotensin converting enzyme I-allele carriers than ACE-DD genotypes after exercise. Conversely, the AKT-S473 phosphorylation level (+117%) and angiotensin 2’s blood concentration (+191%) were higher in ACE-DD genotypes. AKT-S473 phosphorylation levels post-exercise correlated to anatomical parameters of muscle performance and metabolic parameters (p < 0.05 and │r│>0.70). The observations identify reciprocal alterations of S473 and T308 phosphorylation of AKT as gatekeeper of a post-translational dysregulation of transcapillary glucose uptake in ACE-DD genotypes which may be targeted in personalized approaches to mitigate type II diabetes.
Development and validation of a 90-day mortality prediction model following endobiliary drainage in patients with unresectable malignant biliary obstruction

Background Palliative endobiliary drainage is the mainstay treatment for unresectable malignant biliary obstruction (MBO). Despite optimal drainage, the survival benefit is arguable. This study aimed to identify factors predicting post-endoscopic drainage mortality and develop and validate a mortality prediction model. Methods We retrospectively analyzed data for 451 patients with unresectable pancreatobiliary cancers undergoing first endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP)-guided endobiliary stent placement between 2007 and 2017. We randomly assigned patients in a 3:1 fashion into a derivation cohort (n=339) and validation cohort (n=112). Predictors for 90-day mortality post-stenting were identified from the derivation cohort. A prediction model was subsequently developed and verified with the validation cohort. Results The overall 90-day mortality rate of the derivation cohort was 46.9%, and the mean age was 64.2 years. The 2 most common diagnoses were cholangiocarcinoma (53.4%) and pancreatic cancer (35.4%). In all, 34.2% had liver metastasis. The median total bilirubin (TB) level was 19.2 mg/dL, and the mean serum albumin was 3.2 g/dL. A metallic stent was used for 64.6% of the patients, and the median stent patency time was 63 days. A total of 70.8% had TB improvement of more than 50% within 2 weeks after stenting, and 14.5% were eligible for chemotherapy. Intrahepatic obstruction (OR=5.69; P=0.023), stage IV cancer (OR=3.01; P=0.001), pre-endoscopic serum albumin (OR=0.48; P=0.001), TB improvement within 2 weeks after stenting (OR=0.57; P=0.036), and chemotherapy after ERCP (OR=0.11; P<0.001) were associated with 90-day mortality after stenting. The prediction model was developed to identify the risk of death within 90 days post-stent placement. The AUROC was 0.76 and 0.75 in derivation and validation cohorts. Patients with a score ≥ 1.40 had a high likelihood of death, whereas those scoring < -1.50 had a low likelihood of death. Additionally, a score ≥ 0.58 provided a 75.2% probability of death, which highlights the usability of the model. Conclusions This study proposes a useful validated prediction model to forecast the 90-day mortality of unresectable MBO patients after stenting. The model permits physicians to stratify the death risk and may be helpful to provide a proper palliative strategy.
Becoming female: Ovarian differentiation from an evolutionary perspective

Differentiation of the bipotential gonadal primordium into ovaries and testes is a common process among vertebrate species. While vertebrate ovaries eventually share the same functions of producing oocytes and estrogens, ovarian differentiation relies on different morphogenetic, cellular, and molecular cues depending on species. The aim of this review is to highlight the conserved and divergent features of ovarian differentiation through an evolutionary perspective. From teleosts to mammals, each clade or species has a different story to tell. For this purpose, this review focuses on three specific aspects of ovarian differentiation: ovarian morphogenesis, the evolution of the role of estrogens on ovarian differentiation and the molecular pathways involved in granulosa cell determination and maintenance.
Pregnant outcomes of critically ill pregnant patients with pulmonary hypertension: A multicenter retrospective study

Objective To identify the pregnancy outcomes and risk factors of critically ill pulmonary hypertension (PH) patients with intensive care unit (ICU) admission. Methods The multicenter, retrospective cohort study was performed on 60,306 parturients from January 2013 to December 2018 in China. Diagnosis of PH was based on the estimation of systolic pulmonary arterial pressure (sPAP) via echocardiography. Patients were stratified by sPAP into three groups, mild (30–50 mmHg), moderate (51–70 mmHg), and severe (>70 mmHg). The primary outcome was major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE), defined as a composite of in-hospital death, heart failure, and sustained arrhythmias requiring treatment. The secondary outcome was fetal adverse clinical events (FACE), a composite of fetal/neonatal death, prematurity, small birth weight, and fetal distress. Results A total of 181 pregnant patients were enrolled, including 101 patients with mild PH, 31 with moderate PH, and 49 with severe PH. The maternal median age was 32 (27, 35) years and 37% were nulliparous. The MACE occurred in 59 (59/181, 32.6%) women, including in-hospital death in 13 (13/181, 7.2%), heart failure in 53 (53/181, 29.3%), and sustained arrhythmias in 7 (7/181, 3.9%). The incidence of FACE was as high as 66.3% (120/181). Compared with mild and moderate PH patients, patients with severe PH had a significantly higher mortality rate (22.4 vs. 1.51%, P < 0.001) and MACE incidence (51.0 vs. 25.8%, P = 0.001). Although the incidence of FACE in severe PH was slightly higher than that in mild to moderate PH, there was no significant difference (69.4 vs. 65.1%, P = 0.724). PH complicated with left heart disease (OR = 4.365, CI: 1.306–14.591), elevated N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) level (OR = 1.051, CI:1.015–1.088), and sPAP level estimated by echocardiography (OR = 1.021; CI: 1.003–1.040) were independently associated with MACE in multivariable regression (P < 0.05). Increased risk of FACE was noted for PH patients combined with eclampsia/preeclampsia (OR = 6.713; CI: 1.806–24.959). Conclusion The incidence of MACE and FACE remained high in critically ill pregnant patients with PH, particularly moderate and severe PH in China. Further studies are warranted to identify subsets of women with PH at lower pregnant risks and seek more effective therapy to improve pregnancy outcomes.
Design and implementation of an EEG-based recognition mechanism for the openness trait of the Big Five

The differentiation between the openness and other dimensions of the Big Five personality model indicates that it is necessary to design a specific paradigm as a supplement to the Big Five recognition. The present study examined the relationship between one's openness trait of the Big Five model and the task-related power change of upper alpha band (10–12 Hz). We found that individuals from the high openness group displayed a stronger alpha synchronization over a frontal area in symbolic reasoning task, while the reverse applied in the deductive reasoning task. The results indicated that these two kinds of reasoning tasks could be used as supplement of the Big Five recognition. Besides, we divided one's openness score into three levels and proposed a hybrid-SNN (Spiking Neural Networks)-ANN (Analog Neural Networks) architecture based on EEGNet to recognize one's openness level, named Spike-EEGNet. The recognition accuracy of the two tasks was 90.6 and 92.2%. This result was highly significant for the validation of using a model with hybrid-SNN-ANN architecture for EEG-based openness trait recognition.
Effects of simultaneous use of m-NMES and language training on brain functional connectivity in stroke patients with aphasia: A randomized controlled clinical trial

Introduction The m-NMES had been demonstrated to redistribute brain resources and induce plastic changes in the stroke patients. However, the physiological mechanism and clinical efficacy of m-NMES combination with existing clinical rehabilitation programs remains unclear in patients with aphasia after stroke. This study aimed to investigate the effects of simultaneous use of m-NMES and language training (m-NMES-LT) with on cerebral oscillations and brain connection, as well as the effect on clinical efficacy. Materials and methods Total 21 right–handed adult patients with aphasia were randomly assigned to language training (LT) group and m-NMES-LT group, and tissue concentration of oxyhemoglobin and deoxyhemoglobin oscillations were measured by functional near-infrared spectroscopy in resting and treatment state during three consecutive weeks. Five characteristic frequency signals (I, 0.6–2 Hz; II, 0.145–0.6 Hz; III, 0.052–0.145 Hz; IV, 0.021–0.052 Hz; and V, 0.0095–0.021 Hz) were identified using the wavelet method. The wavelet amplitude (WA) and wavelet phase coherence (WPCO) were calculated to describe the frequency-specific cortical activities. Results The m-NMES-LT induced significantly higher WA values in contralesional PFC in intervals I, II, and V, and ipsilesional MC in intervals I-V than the resting state. The WPCO values between ipsilesional PFC-MC in interval III-IV, and between bilateral MC in interval III-IV were significantly higher than resting state. In addition, there was a significant positive correlation between WPCO and Western Aphasia Battery in m-NMES-LT group. Conclusion The language training combined with neuromuscular electrical stimulation on median nerve could improve and achieve higher clinical efficacy for aphasia. This is attributed to the m-NMES-LT could enhance cortical activation and brain functional connectivity in patients with aphasia, which was derived from myogenic, neurogenic, and endothelial cell metabolic activities.