Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Interactions Between Kidney Function and Cerebrovascular Disease: Vessel Pathology That Fires Together Wires Together

The kidney and the brain, as high-flow end organs relying on autoregulatory mechanisms, have unique anatomic and physiological hemodynamic properties. Similarly, the two organs share a common pattern of microvascular dysfunction as a result of aging and exposure to vascular risk factors (e.g., hypertension, diabetes and smoking) and therefore progress in parallel into a systemic condition known as small vessel disease (SVD). Many epidemiological studies have shown that even mild renal dysfunction is robustly associated with acute and chronic forms of cerebrovascular disease. Beyond ischemic SVD, kidney impairment increases the risk of acute cerebrovascular events related to different underlying pathologies, notably large artery stroke and intracerebral hemorrhage. Other chronic cerebral manifestations of SVD are variably associated with kidney disease. Observational data have suggested the hypothesis that kidney function influences cerebrovascular disease independently and adjunctively to the effect of known vascular risk factors, which affect both renal and cerebral microvasculature. In addition to confirming this independent association, recent large-scale human genetic studies have contributed to disentangling potentially causal associations from shared genetic predisposition and resolving the uncertainty around the direction of causality between kidney and cerebrovascular disease. Accelerated atherosclerosis, impaired cerebral autoregulation, remodeling of the cerebral vasculature, chronic inflammation and endothelial dysfunction can be proposed to explain the additive mechanisms through which renal dysfunction leads to cerebral SVD and other cerebrovascular events. Genetic epidemiology also can help identify new pathological pathways which wire kidney dysfunction and cerebral vascular pathology together. The need for identifying additional pathological mechanisms underlying kidney and cerebrovascular disease is attested to by the limited effect of current therapeutic options in preventing cerebrovascular disease in patients with kidney impairment.
Campaigning in Quebec Municipal Elections: When the Party Defines Door to Door Canvassing as “The Right Way” to Campaign

Electoral campaigns are one of the key moments in political life. Yet, there is little Canadian work on this subject when it comes to municipal elections. However, the international literature on campaigning provides an opportunity for useful questions on the transformations of this aspect of local political life by bringing together political sociology and electoral sociology. That being said in this context, we present the results of an exploratory case study of campaigning in a municipal political party in a Canadian city, more specifically situated in the Province of Quebec. Municipal political parties are usually considered as electoral machines. It is therefore important to study in detail the way these organizations conduct election campaigns. More specifically, we are looking to explore how municipal political parties influence the campaign by providing electoral techniques. To achieve this, we closely examine the door to door canvassing strategy, which hints at what the party considers a “good campaigning” standard and helps us observe the behaviours of candidates and the different ways they fulfill the party’s requirements. It is therefore not a question of measuring the effectiveness of partisan electoral devices but of understanding how the party produces campaigning norms and puts them to work. The results presented here offer an original insight into the internal workings of a municipal political party—something that has never before been documented in the Canadian context. First, they help to open the black box that is municipal political parties and to better understand their internal modus operandi. Second, the results illustrate that election campaigning is still fundamentally based on one-on-one encounters.
Psychometric Evaluation of the German Version of the Demoralization Scale-II and the Association Between Demoralization, Sociodemographic, Disease- and Treatment-Related Factors in Patients With Cancer

Objective: To test the psychometric properties, internal consistency, dimensional structure, and convergent validity of the German version of the Demoralization Scale-II (DS-II), and to examine the association between demoralization, sociodemographic, disease- and treatment-related variables in patients with cancer. Methods: We recruited adult patients with cancer at a Psychosocial Counseling Center and at oncological wards. Participants completed the 16-item DS-II, Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), Generalized Anxiety Disorder Screener-2 (GAD-2), Distress Thermometer (DT), and Body Image Scale (BIS). We analyzed internal consistency of the DS-II using Cronbach‘s Alpha (α). We tested the dimensional structure of the DS-II with Confirmatory Factor Analyses (CFA). Convergent validity was expressed through correlation coefficients with established measures of psychological distress. The associations between demoralization, sociodemographic, disease- and treatment-related variables were examined with ANOVAs. Results: Out of 942 eligible patients, 620 participated. The average DS-II total score was M = 5.78, SD = 6.34, the Meaning and Purpose subscale M = 2.20, SD = 3.20, and the Distress and Coping Ability subscale M = 3.58, SD = 3.45. Internal consistency ranged from high to excellent with α = 0.93 for the DS-II total scale, α = 0.90 for the Meaning and Purpose subscale, and α = 0.87 for the Distress and Coping Ability subscale. The one-factor and the two-factor model yielded similar model fits, with CFI and TLI ranging between 0.910 and 0.933, SRMR < 0.05. The DS-II correlated significantly with depression (PHQ-9: r = 0.69), anxiety (GAD-2: r = 0.72), mental distress (DT: r = 0.36), and body image disturbance (BIS: r = 0.58). High levels of demoralization were reported by patients aged between 18 and 49 years (M = 7.77, SD = 6.26), patients who were divorced/separated (M = 7.64, SD = 7.29), lung cancer patients (M = 9.29, SD = 8.20), and those receiving no radiotherapy (M = 7.46, SD = 6.60). Conclusion: The DS-II has very good psychometric properties and can be recommended as a reliable tool for assessing demoralization in patients with cancer. The results support the implementation of a screening for demoralization in specific risk groups due to significantly increased demoralization scores.
Investigation of Blast Effects on Double-Skinned Composite Steel Tubular Columns

In recent years, concrete filled double skin steel tube (CFDST) members have gained interest due to its attractive properties such as ease of construction, light weight, high strength and good seismic resistance, and thus it is expected that these members have the potential of being used in construction of buildings. However, there is lack of understanding about the inelastic behaviors of CFDST members under blast loads. In this paper, based on the ConWep airblast loading model, the blast resistance of typical circular CFDST columns used in engineering field is investigated and the multiple failure modes of CFDST columns under blast loading are analyzed. The influence of explosive charge weights and column axial loading condition on the response of CFDST columns are investigated through parametric study. Finally, the direct shear and flexural failure modes of CFDST columns are analyzed, and uncoupled P-I (pressure-impulse) diagrams are obtained based on an equivalent single degree of freedom (SDOF) system. This study helps to understand the non-linear behaviors of CFDST columns subjected to blast loading.
Data-Limited Stock Assessment for Fish Species Devoid of Catch Statistics: Case Studies for Pampus argenteus and Setipinna taty in the Bohai and Yellow Seas

For many fish stocks, such as Pampus argenteus and Setipinna taty in China, size composition data are more accessible than catch data. Varied results can arise when different length-based stock assessment models are applied to these data, and fishery managers often need to reconcile conflicting estimates of population status. Superensemble modeling, a relatively recent innovation in fish stock assessments commonly used in other fields, may provide an effective solution to resolving uncertainties among the results from multiple length-based models. To verify potential for this approach to improve estimates of population status, we applied ensemble modeling to fit simulated data of P. argenteus and S. taty in the Bohai and Yellow Seas using predictions from a length-based integrated mixed effects (LIME) and length-based spawning potential ratio (LB-SPR) models as covariables in a superensemble model developed in this study. All simulation modeling of P. argenteus and S. taty in the Bohai and Yellow Seas was conducted using the operating model in the R package LIME. Initially, the LIME and LB-SPR performances were tested separately under three scenarios of fishing mortality and recruitment variability (“equilibrium scenario,” “endogenous scenario,” and “one-way base scenario”). Then, estimates of spawning potential ratio (SPR) were combined with the superensemble models (a linear model, a support vector machines, a random forest and a boosted regression tree). We trained our superensemble models with 80% of the simulated data and tested them with the remaining 20%. Our results showed that superensemble modeling substantially improved the estimates of SPR, with support vector machines performing the best at estimating population status: precision improved by 12.7% for S. taty and 8% for P. argenteus on average (namely, median absolute proportional error decreased by 0.127 and 0.08 on average) compared to the individual models. This finding has important implications for fisheries management in the context of species for which catch data are unavailable. Applying the size composition survey data, the results from support vector machines superensemble model suggested that neither S. taty nor P. argenteus in the Bohai Sea in 2019 are overfished, but the stock status of P. argenteus warrants vigilant monitoring.
How to Expand and Fill the Self in Organizations: The Role of Interpersonal Processes in the Employee Organizational Identity Construction

In the era of Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity, and Ambiguity (VUCA), the fluidity of organizations and the variability of individual work gradually replace the traditional stability and continuity. The question of how to connect employees and organizations has long intrigued researchers and practitioners. Employee organizational identity is the stable force that binds employees to organizations. Drawing on social identity theory, we argue the role of interpersonal processes in the employee organizational identity construction. We suggest that an employee’s relationship-building behaviors can promote employee organizational identity through the connected self. The indirect effect is stronger for employees who make more social comparisons because they are more sensitive to social influence. We collected data through questionnaires of 333 employees using a two-wave research design in China. The results indicate that an employee’s relationship-building behaviors enhance employee organizational identity. The connected self fully mediates the positive relationship between relationship-building and employee organizational identity. The outcomes also show that the positive effect of relationship-building toward connected self is intensified, when an employee engages in more social comparisons. The findings imply that interpersonal processes play an important role in the employee organizational identity construction. Then, the theoretical and practical implications are discussed.
Sex-Specific Associations of Testosterone and Genetic Factors With Health Span

Background Previous studies have suggested associations between testosterone, genetic factors, and a series of complex diseases, but the associations with the lifespan phenotype, such as health span, remain unclear. Methods In this prospective cohort study, we analyzed 145,481 men and 147,733 women aged 38–73 years old from UK Biobank (UKB) to investigate the sex-specific associations of total testosterone (TT), free testosterone (FT), or polygenic risk score (PRS) with health span termination (HST) risk. At baseline, serum testosterone levels were measured. HST was defined by eight events strongly associated with longevity. PRS, an efficient tool combining the effect of common genetic variants to discriminate genetic risk of complex phenotypes, was constructed by 12 single-nucleotide polymorphisms related to health span from UKB (P ≤ 5.0 × 10−8). We used multivariable Cox regression models to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Results With a median follow-up time of 7.70 years, 26,748 (18.39%) men and 18,963 (12.84%) women had HST. TT was negatively associated with HST in men [HR per standard deviation (SD) increment of log-TT: 0.92, 95% CI: 0.88–0.97]. Inversely, both TT (HR per SD increment of log-TT: 1.05, 95% CI: 1.02–1.08) and FT (HR per SD increment of log-FT: 1.08, 95% CI: 1.05–1.11) presented an increased risk of HST in women. PRS was positively associated with HST risk (quintile 5 versus quintile 1, men, HR: 1.19, 95% CI: 1.15–1.24; women, HR: 1.21, 95% CI: 1.16–1.27). Moreover, men with high TT and low genetic risk showed the lowest HST risk (HR: 0.80, 95% CI: 0.73–0.88), whereas HST risk for women with both high TT and genetic risk increased obviously (HR: 1.32, 95% CI: 1.19–1.46). Similar joint effects were observed for FT in both genders. Conclusions We observed sex-specific associations that testosterone was negatively associated with HST risk in men and positively associated with HST risk in women. Genetic factors increased the HST risk, suggesting that participants with both high genetic risk and abnormal testosterone levels (high level in women or low level in men) should be the target for early intervention. Although our findings highlight the associations between testosterone and health span, further mechanistic studies and prospective trials are warranted to explore the causation behind.
High BTLA Expression Likely Contributes to Contraction of the Regulatory T Cell Subset in Lupus Disease

B and T lymphocyte attenuator (BTLA) is a co-inhibitory receptor that is expressed by lymphoid cells and regulates the immune response. Consistent with an inhibitory role for BTLA, the disease is exacerbated in BTLA-deficient lupus mice. We recently demonstrated that the BTLA pathway is altered in CD4+ T cells from lupus patients. In the present work, we aimed at delineating the expression pattern of BTLA on CD4+ T cell subsets suspected to play a key role in lupus pathogenesis, such as circulating follicular helper T cells (cTFH) and regulatory T cells (Tregs). We did not detect significant ex vivo variations of BTLA expression on total CD4+ T cells (naive and memory), cTFH or TFH subsets between lupus patients and healthy controls. However, we interestingly observed that BTLA expression is significantly increased on activated Tregs, but not resting Tregs, from lupus patients, especially those displaying an active disease. Moreover, it correlates with the diminution of the Tregs frequency observed in these patients. We also showed that both BTLA mRNA and protein expression remain low after TCR stimulation of activated Tregs sorted from healthy donors and evidenced a similar dynamic of BTLA and HVEM expression profile by human Tregs and effector CD4+ T cells upon T cell activation than the one previously described in mice. Finally, we observed that the HVEM/BTLA ratio is significantly lower in Tregs from lupus patients compared to healthy controls, whereas ex vivo effector CD4+ T cells express higher BTLA levels. Our data suggest that an altered expression of BTLA and HVEM could be involved in an impaired regulation of autoreactive T cells in lupus. These results provide a better understanding of the BTLA involvement in lupus pathogenesis and confirm that BTLA should be considered as an interesting target for the development of new therapeutic strategies.
Clinical Utility of Circulating Tumor DNA in Advanced Rare Cancers

Purpose Patients with advanced/relapsed rare cancers have few treatment options. Analysis of circulating tumor DNA in plasma may identify actionable genomic biomarkers using a non-invasive approach. Patients and Methods Rare cancer patients underwent prospective plasma-based NGS testing. Tissue NGS to test concordance was also conducted. Plasma DNA alterations were assessed for incidence, functional impact, therapeutic implications, correlation to survival, and comparison with tissue NGS. Results Ninety-eight patients were analyzed. Diseases included soft-tissue sarcoma, ovarian carcinoma, and others. Mean turn-around-time for results was 9.5 days. Seventy-six patients had detectable gene alterations in plasma, with a median of 2.8 alterations/patient. Sixty patients had a likely pathogenic alteration. Five received matched-therapy based on plasma NGS results. Two developed known resistance mutations while on targeted therapy. Patients with an alteration having VAF ≥5% had a significantly shorter survival compared to those of lower VAF. Tissue NGS results from eleven of 22 patients showed complete or partial concordance with plasma NGS. Conclusion Plasma NGS testing is less invasive and capable of identifying alterations in advanced rare cancers in a clinically meaningful timeframe. It should be further studied as a prospective enrollment assay in interventional studies for patients with rare advanced stage cancers. Clinical Registration [https://www.umin. ac.jp/ctr/index-j.htm], identifier UMIN000034394.
Can Identifying Discrete Behavioral Groups With Individual-Based Acoustic Telemetry Advance the Understanding of Fish Distribution Patterns?

Identifying patterns of organismal distribution can provide valuable insights for basic and applied marine and coastal ecology because understanding where animals are located is foundational to both research and science-based conservation. Understanding variation in distributional patterns can lead to a better assessment of ecological drivers and an improved ability to predict consequences of natural and altered relationships. Here, our purpose is to explore if quantifying coexisting groups of individual fish predators advances our understanding of field distribution patterns. Toward this end, we quantified locations of 59 acoustically tagged striped bass (Morone saxatilis) within a 26-stationary unit telemetry receiver array in Plum Island Estuary (PIE), MA, United States. We then used cluster analyses on spatial and temporal-spatial metrics from this dataset to (1) assess if distinct groups of individuals coexisted, (2) quantify group characteristics, and (3) test associations between groups and distribution (e.g., physical site type and region). Based on multiple lines of evidence, we identified four groups of striped bass with different space use patterns that persisted across seasons (summer and fall). Similar-sized striped bass clustered at spatial and temporal scales at which individuals within distinct groups could, and did, physically overlap. In addition, distributional groups were linked to components of physical site type and region suggesting that discrete groups of individuals can interact differently with the environment within the same ecological system. The identification of these distinct groups of individuals creates a baseline from which to explore further ecological implications of grouping behavior for research and conservation in geographically large, temporally dynamic, and spatially heterogeneous marine and coastal environments.
Social and Professional Impact of Learning Communities Within the Alliances for Graduate Education and the Professoriate Program at Michigan State University

At Michigan State University (MSU), the AGEP learning community features the participation of over 70% of the African-American, Latinx, and Native-American under-represented minorities (URM), also referred to as Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) doctoral students in fields sponsored by the National Science Foundation (NSF). Monthly learning community (LC) meetings allow AGEP participants to create dialogues across disciplines through informal oral presentations about current research. The learning communities also offer opportunities to share key information regarding graduate school success and experience; thus providing a social network that extends beyond the academic setting. At MSU, AGEP also provides an interdisciplinary and multigenerational environment that includes graduate students, faculty members, post-docs and prospective graduate students. Using monthly surveys over a 4-year period, we evaluated the impact of this AGEP initiative focusing on the utility of the program, perceptions of departmental climate, career plans and institutional support. Findings indicate that AGEP participants consider their experiences in the program as vital elements in the development of their professional identity, psychological safety, and career readiness. Experiences that were identified included networking across departments, focus on career placement, involvement in minority recruitment and professional development opportunities. Additionally, AGEP community participants resonated with the “sense of community” that is at the core of the MSU AGEP program legacy. In this article, we proposed a variation of Tomlinson’s Graduate Student Capital model to describe the AGEP participants’ perceptions and experiences in MSU AGEP. Within this 4-year period, we report over 70% graduation rate (completing with advanced degrees). More than half of Ph.D. students and almost 30% of master’s degree students decided to pursue academia as their careers. In addition, we found a high satisfaction rate of AGEP among the participants. Our analysis on graduate student capital helped us identify motivating capital development by years spent at MSU and as an AGEP member. These findings may provide some insight into which capitals may be deemed important for students relative to their experiences at MSU and in AGEP and how their priorities change as they transition toward graduation.
Human Neutrophils Respond to Complement Activation and Inhibition in Microfluidic Devices

Complement activation is key to anti-microbial defenses by directly acting on microbes and indirectly by triggering cellular immune responses. Complement activation may also contribute to the pathogenesis of numerous inflammatory and immunological diseases. Consequently, intense research focuses on developing therapeutics that block pathology-causing complement activation while preserving anti-microbial complement activities. However, the pace of research is slowed down significantly by the limitations of current tools for evaluating complement-targeting therapeutics. Moreover, the effects of potential therapeutic agents on innate immune cells, like neutrophils, are not fully understood. Here, we employ microfluidic assays and measure chemotaxis, phagocytosis, and swarming changes in human neutrophils ex vivo in response to various complement-targeting agents. We show that whereas complement factor 5 (C5) cleavage inhibitor eculizumab blocks all neutrophil anti-microbial functions, newer compounds like the C5 cleavage inhibitor RA101295 and C5a receptor antagonist avacopan inhibit chemotaxis and swarming while preserving neutrophil phagocytosis. These results highlight the utility of microfluidic neutrophil assays in evaluating potential complement-targeting therapeutics.