Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
MYC enhancer invasion promotes prognostic cancer type-specific gene programs through an epigenetic switch

The transcription factor MYC is overexpressed in most cancers, where it drives multiple hallmarks of cancer progression. MYC is known to promote oncogenic transcription by binding to active promoters. In addition, MYC has also been shown to invade distal enhancers when expressed at oncogenic levels, but this enhancer binding has been proposed to have low gene-regulatory potential. Here, we demonstrate that MYC enhancer binding directly promotes cancer type-specific gene programs predictive of poor patient prognosis. MYC induces transcription of enhancer RNA through recruitment of RNAPII, rather than regulating RNAPII pause-release as is the case at promoters. This is mediated by MYC-induced H3K9 demethylation by KDM3A and acetylation by GCN5, leading to enhancer-specific BRD4 recruitment through its bromodomains, which facilitates RNAPII recruitment. Thus, we propose that MYC drives prognostic cancer type-specific gene programs by promoting RNAPII recruitment to enhancers through induction of an epigenetic switch.
The human language system, including its inferior frontal component in "Broca's area," does not support music perception.

Language and music are two human-unique capacities whose relationship remains debated. Some have argued for overlap in processing mechanisms, especially for structure processing. Such claims often concern the inferior frontal component of the language system located within "Broca's area. " However, others have failed to find overlap. Using a robust individual-subject fMRI approach, we examined the responses of language brain regions to music stimuli, and probed the musical abilities of individuals with severe aphasia. Across 4 experiments, we obtained a clear answer: music perception does not engage the language system, and judgments about music structure are possible even in the presence of severe damage to the language network. In particular, the language regions' responses to music are generally low, often below the fixation baseline, and never exceed responses elicited by nonmusic auditory conditions, like animal sounds. Furthermore, the language regions are not sensitive to music structure: they show low responses to both intact and structure-scrambled music, and to melodies with vs. without structural violations. Finally, in line with past patient investigations, individuals with aphasia, who cannot judge sentence grammaticality, perform well on melody well-formedness judgments. Thus, the mechanisms that process structure in language do not appear to process music, including music syntax.
The interaction between random and systematic visual stimulation and infraslow quasi-periodic spatiotemporal patterns of whole-brain activity

One prominent feature of the infraslow BOLD signal during rest or task is quasi-periodic spatiotemporal pattern (QPP) of signal changes that involves an alternation of activity in key functional networks and propagation of activity across brain areas, and that is known to tie to the infraslow neural activity involved in attention and arousal fluctuations. This ongoing whole-brain pattern of activity might potentially modify the response to incoming stimuli or be modified itself by the induced neural activity. To investigate this, we presented checkerboard sequences flashing at 6Hz to subjects. This is a salient visual stimulus that is known to produce a strong response in visual processing regions. Two different visual stimulation sequences were employed, a systematic stimulation sequence in which the visual stimulus appeared every 20.3 secs and a random stimulation sequence in which the visual stimulus occurred randomly every 14~62.3 secs. Three central observations emerged. First, the two different stimulation conditions affect the QPP waveform in different aspects, i.e., systematic stimulation has greater effects on its phase and random stimulation has greater effects on its magnitude. Second, the QPP was more frequent in the systematic condition with significantly shorter intervals between consecutive QPPs compared to the random condition. Third, the BOLD signal response to the visual stimulus across both conditions was swamped by the QPP at the stimulus onset. These results provide novel insights into the relationship between intrinsic patterns and stimulated brain activity.
Neural characterization of the “totonou” state associated with sauna use

Saunas are becoming increasingly popular worldwide, being an activity that promotes relaxation and health. Intense feelings of happiness have been reported shortly after enjoying a hot sauna and cold water, what is known in Japan as the “totonou” state. However, no research has investigated what occurs in the brain during the “totonou” state. In the present study, participants underwent a sauna phase, consisting of three sets of alternating hot sauna, cold water, and rest. We elucidated changes in brain activity and mood in the “totonou” state by measuring and comparing brain activity and emotional scales before and after the sauna phase and during the rest phase in each set. We found significant increases in theta and alpha power during rest and after the sauna phase compared to before the sauna phase. Moreover, in an auditory oddball task, the p300 amplitude decreased significantly and MMN amplitude increased significantly after the sauna phase. The increase in MMN indicates higher activation of the pre-attentional auditory process, leading to a decrease in attention-related brain activity P300. Hence, the brain reaches in a more efficient state. Further, the response time in behavioral tasks decreased significantly. In addition, the participants’ subjective responses to the questionnaire showed significant changes in physical relaxation and other indicators after being in the sauna. Finally, we developed an artificial intelligence classifier, obtaining an average accuracy of brain state classification of 88.34%. The results have potential for future application.
A major 6 Mb superlocus is involved in pyrethroid resistance in the common bed bug Cimex lectularius

In the last few years, the bed bug Cimex lectularius has been an increasing problem world-wide, mainly due to the development of insecticide resistance to pyrethroids. The characterization of resistance alleles is a prerequisite to improve surveillance and resistance management. To identify genomic variants associated with pyrethroid resistance in Cimex lectularius, we compared the genetic composition of two recent and resistant populations with that of two ancientsusceptible strains using a genome-wide pool-seq design. We identified a large 6 Mb “superlocus” showing particularly high genetic differentiation and association with the resistance phenotype. This superlocus contained several clustered resistance genes, and was also characterized by a high density of structural variants (inversions, duplications). The possibility that this superlocus constitutes a resistance “supergene” that evolved after the clustering of alleles adapted to insecticide and after reduction in recombination is discussed.
The Cortical Representation of Language Timescales is Shared between Reading and Listening

Language comprehension involves integrating low-level sensory inputs into a hierarchy of increasingly high-level features. Prior work studied brain representations of different levels of the language hierarchy, but has not determined whether these brain representations are shared between written and spoken language. To address this issue, we analyzed fMRI BOLD data recorded while participants read and listened to the same narratives in each modality. Levels of the language hierarchy were operationalized as timescales, where each timescale refers to a set of spectral components of a language stimulus. Voxelwise encoding models were used to determine where different timescales are represented across the cerebral cortex, for each modality separately. These models reveal that between the two modalities timescale representations are organized similarly across the cortical surface. Our results suggest that, after low-level sensory processing, language integration proceeds similarly regardless of stimulus modality.
Olive leaf spot caused by Venturia oleaginea: An updated review

Olive leaf spot (OLS) caused by Venturia oleaginea is widespread in all olive-growing areas and continents, where can cause severe yield losses. The disease is often underestimated for the difficulty to reveal early leaf symptoms and for the pathogen-induced phylloptosis, which creates the illusion of healthy and restored plants. The present review provide updated information on taxonomy, pathogen life style and cycle, epidemiology, diagnosis, and control. Application of copper-based fungicides is the main method to control OLS. However, the regulation 2009/1107 of the European Commission include these fungicides in the list of substances candidates for substitution. It is therefore urgent to find alternative control strategies especially for organic agriculture. Among new approaches/strategies for controlling OLS, promising results have been obtained using nanotechnology, endophytic microbes, and biostimulants.
A study on the material properties of novel PEGDA/gelatin hybrid hydrogels polymerized by electron beam irradiation

Gelatin-based hydrogels are highly desirable biomaterials for use in wound dressing, drug delivery, and extracellular matrix components due to their biocompatibility and biodegradability. However, insufficient and uncontrollable mechanical properties and degradation are the major obstacles to their application in medical materials. Herein, we present a simple but efficient strategy for a novel hydrogel by incorporating the synthetic hydrogel monomer polyethylene glycol diacrylate (PEGDA, offering high mechanical stability) into a biological hydrogel compound (gelatin) to provide stable mechanical properties and biocompatibility at the resulting hybrid hydrogel. In the present work, PEGDA/gelatin hybrid hydrogels were prepared by electron irradiation as a reagent-free crosslinking technology and without using chemical crosslinkers, which carry the risk of releasing toxic byproducts into the material. The viscoelasticity, swelling behavior, thermal stability, and molecular structure of synthesized hybrid hydrogels of different compound ratios and irradiation doses were investigated. Compared with the pure gelatin hydrogel, 21/9 wt. /wt. % PEGDA/gelatin hydrogels at 6 kGy exhibited approximately up to 1078% higher storage modulus than a pure gelatin hydrogel, and furthermore, it turned out that the mechanical stability increased with increasing irradiation dose. The chemical structure of the hybrid hydrogels was analyzed by Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, and it was confirmed that both compounds, PEGDA and gelatin, were equally present. Scanning electron microscopy images of the samples showed fracture patterns that confirmed the findings of viscoelasticity increasing with gelatin concentration. Infrared microspectroscopy images showed that gelatin and PEGDA polymer fractions were homogeneously mixed and a uniform hybrid material was obtained after electron beam synthesis. In short, this study demonstrates that both the presence of PEGDA improved the material properties of PEGDA/gelatin hybrid hydrogels and the resulting properties are fine-tuned by varying the irradiation dose and PEGDA/gelatin concentration.
How to address the body after breast cancer? A proposal for a psychological intervention focused on body compassion

COPYRIGHT © 2023 Sebri, Durosini and Pravettoni. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms. How to address the body after breast cancer? A proposal for a psychological intervention focused on body compassion
Deciphering regeneration through non-model animals: A century of experiments on cephalopod mollusks and an outlook at the future

The advent of marine stations in the last quarter of the 19th Century has given biologists the possibility of observing and experimenting upon myriad marine organisms. Among them, cephalopod mollusks have attracted great attention from the onset, thanks to their remarkable adaptability to captivity and a great number of biologically unique features including a sophisticate behavioral repertoire, remarkable body patterning capacities under direct neural control and the complexity of nervous system rivalling vertebrates. Surprisingly, the capacity to regenerate tissues and complex structures, such as appendages, albeit been known for centuries, has been understudied over the decades. Here, we will first review the limited in number, but fundamental studies on the subject published between 1920 and 1970 and discuss what they added to our knowledge of regeneration as a biological phenomenon. We will also speculate on how these relate to their epistemic and disciplinary context, setting the base for the study of regeneration in the taxon. We will then frame the peripherality of cephalopods in regeneration studies in relation with their experimental accessibility, and in comparison, with established models, either simpler (such as planarians), or more promising in terms of translation (urodeles). Last, we will explore the potential and growing relevance of cephalopods as prospective models of regeneration today, in the light of the novel opportunities provided by technological and methodological advances, to reconsider old problems and explore new ones. The recent development of cutting-edge technologies made available for cephalopods, like genome editing, is allowing for a number of important findings and opening the way toward new promising avenues. The contribution offered by cephalopods will increase our knowledge on regenerative mechanisms through cross-species comparison and will lead to a better understanding of the complex cellular and molecular machinery involved, shedding a light on the common pathways but also on the novel strategies different taxa evolved to promote regeneration of tissues and organs. Through the dialogue between biological/experimental and historical/contextual perspectives, this article will stimulate a discussion around the changing relations between availability of animal models and their specificity, technical and methodological developments and scientific trends in contemporary biology and medicine.
Angiomyolipoma of the kidney—Clinicopathological analysis of 52 cases

The renal angiomyolipoma (AML) is a benign tumor characteristically composed of fat, smooth muscle tissue, and vessels. We collected AMLs from our nephrectomy database, reclassified them according to their histological appearance, recorded the demographic, clinical, and pathological parameters, and compared them with oncocytoma (RO) and renal cell carcinoma (RCC). Immunohistochemistry was ordered in 41 cases. In 2224 nephrectomies, we found 52 AMLs with a 53 mm median size. The mean age was 52.76. Forty-eight tumors were sporadic, while four were hereditary. The revision resulted in 31 classic, 13 leiomyoma-like, five lipoma-like, two epithelioid, and one AML with epithelial cysts. SMA was diffusely positive, except for the epithelioid type, while MelanA harbored stronger expression than HMB45. AML was more frequent in females and appeared ten and 7 years earlier than RO and RCC, respectively. The follow-up time was 7.42 years, and neither tumor-related death nor relapse occurred. AML is rare in nephrectomies and develops primarily in females in their 50s with an average size of 50–60 mm at the surgery. The histological appearance in order of frequency is classic, leiomyoma-like, lipoma-like, epithelioid, and cystic. The MelanA, HMB45, and SMA immunohistochemistry can support the light-microscopic findings.
Psychosomatic response to acute emotional stress in healthy students

The multidimensionality of the stress response has shown the complexity of this phenomenon and therefore the impossibility of finding a unique biomarker among the physiological variables related to stress. An experimental study was designed and performed to guarantee the correct synchronous and concurrent measure of psychometric tests, biochemical variables and physiological features related to acute emotional stress. The population studied corresponds to a group of 120 university students between 20 and 30 years of age, with healthy habits and without a diagnosis of chronic or psychiatric illnesses. Following the protocol of the experimental pilot, each participant reached a relaxing state and a stress state in two sessions of measurement for equivalent periods. Both states are correctly achieved evidenced by the psychometric test results and the biochemical variables. A Stress Reference Scale is proposed based on these two sets of variables. Then, aiming for a non-invasive and continuous approach, the Acute Stress Model correlated to the previous scale is also proposed, supported only by physiological signals. Preliminary results support the feasibility of measuring/quantifying the stress level. Although the results are limited to the population and stimulus type, the procedure and methodological analysis used for the assessment of acute stress in young people can be extrapolated to other populations and types of stress.
Electrophysiologically distinct bed nucleus of the stria terminalis projections to the ventral tegmental area in mice

The bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST) is a highly heterogeneous limbic forebrain structure that serves as a relay connecting autonomic, neuroendocrine and behavioral function. It can be divided into over 16 individual subregions with distinct neuronal subpopulations based on receptors, transmitters, and neuropeptides. Specifically, the BNST projection to the ventral tegmental area (VTA), the dopamine hub of the brain, has been shown to have a crucial role in the stress response. However, in mice there is a lack of unbiased data on the functional diversity of this sub-population which serves as an upstream input to the VTA. The dopaminergic neurons in the VTA modify their ion channel activity and intrinsic membrane properties to adapt to stress in part from inputs from BNST projections. Therefore, we aimed to perform a multi-component characterization of the functional diversity of the BNST-VTA pathway. We studied the passive and active electrophysiological properties of virally identified population of BNST neurons that project to the VTA. We used a comprehensive series of in vitro recordings of electrophysiological variables and performed hierarchical clustering to determine the functional diversity of the projection neurons in the BNST-VTA pathway. Our study revealed four subpopulations in the BNST-VTA pathway, all of which differ in their activation profiles and likely have distinct inputs and function in the VTA. Our results will help resolve the discord in interpretation of the various roles of this electrophysiologically diverse projection and builds a foundation for understanding how the different neuronal types integrate signals.
The perspective of staff members of two forensic psychiatric clinics in German-speaking Switzerland on the introduction of recovery orientation: An explorative study

Recovery orientation (RO) is directed at living a worthwhile life despite being impaired by the constraints of mental illness. Although being quite common in general psychiatry in Switzerland, the dual mission of forensic psychiatry—safeguarding and therapy—challenges the idea of establishing RO as a work philosophy in this context. This explorative study qualitatively investigates baseline expectations and professional perspectives of forensic staff members concerning the idea of establishing RO in Swiss forensic psychiatric wards. Thereby, three central themes were worked out, namely “challenges associated with recovery,” “expected barriers,” and “possible recovery-oriented interventions. ” From a general point of view, the staff members were uncertain whether RO interventions could be introduced at all, and if so, to what extent. This, on the one hand, had to do with structural obstacles such as security requirements; however, personal obstacles in the form of different, sometimes contradictory attitudesand ideals and fearful anticipations—such as the loss of authority and power—also played a central role. As forensic psychiatric wards are non-existent in Latin-speaking Switzerland, the study does only refer to the German-speaking language region.
Ecological influence by colonization of fluoride-resistant Streptococcus mutans in oral biofilm

Background Dental caries is one of the oldest and most common infections in humans. Improved oral hygiene practices and the presence of fluoride in dentifrices and mouth rinses have greatly reduced the prevalence of dental caries. However, increased fluoride resistance in microbial communities is concerning. Here, we studied the effect of fluoride-resistant Streptococcus mutans (S. mutans) on oral microbial ecology and compare it with wild-type S. mutans in vitro. Methods Biofilm was evaluated for its polysaccharide content, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) imaging, acid-producing ability, and related lactic dehydrogenase (LDH), arginine deiminase (ADS), and urease enzymatic activity determination. Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) were used to evaluate the S. mutans ratio within the biofilm. It was followed by 16S rRNA sequencing to define the oral microbial community. Results Fluoride-resistant S. mutans produced increased polysaccharides in presence of NaF (P < 0.05). The enzymatic activities related to both acid and base generation were less affected by the fluoride. In presence of 275 ppm NaF, the pH in the fluoride-resistant strain sample was lower than the wild type. We observed that with the biofilm development and accumulative fluoride concentration, the fluoride-resistant strain had positive relationships with other bacteria within the oral microbial community, which enhanced its colonization and survival. Compared to the wild type, fluoride-resistant strain significantly increased the diversity and difference of oral microbial community at the initial stage of biofilm formation (4 and 24 h) and at a low fluoride environment (0 and 275 ppm NaF) (P < 0.05). Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analysis revealed that fluoride-resistant strain enhanced the metabolic pathways and glucose transfer. Conclusions Fluoride-resistant S. mutans affected the microecological balance of oral biofilm and its cariogenic properties in vitro, indicating its negative impact on fluoride's caries prevention effect.