Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Polymorphisms within Autophagy-Related Genes as Susceptibility Biomarkers for Multiple Myeloma: A Meta-Analysis of Three Large Cohorts and Functional Characterization

Simple Summary We investigated the influence of autophagy-related variants in modulating Multiple Myeloma (MM) risk through a meta-analysis of germline genetic data on 234 autophagy-related genes from three independent study populations including 13,387 subjects of European ancestry (6863 MM patients and 6524 controls) and examined the functional mechanisms behind the observed associations. We identified SNPs within the six CD46, IKBKE, PARK2, ULK4, ATG5, and CDKN2A loci associated with MM risk and observed that their effect on disease risk was mediated by specific subsets of immune cells, as well as vitamin D3-, MCP-2-, and IL20-dependent mechanisms. Abstract Multiple myeloma (MM) arises following malignant proliferation of plasma cells in the bone marrow, that secrete high amounts of specific monoclonal immunoglobulins or light chains, resulting in the massive production of unfolded or misfolded proteins. Autophagy can have a dual role in tumorigenesis, by eliminating these abnormal proteins to avoid cancer development, but also ensuring MM cell survival and promoting resistance to treatments. To date no studies have determined the impact of genetic variation in autophagy-related genes on MM risk. We performed meta-analysis of germline genetic data on 234 autophagy-related genes from three independent study populations including 13,387 subjects of European ancestry (6863 MM patients and 6524 controls) and examined correlations of statistically significant single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs; p < 1 × 10−9) with immune responses in whole blood, peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), and monocyte-derived macrophages (MDM) from a large population of healthy donors from the Human Functional Genomic Project (HFGP). We identified SNPs in six loci, CD46, IKBKE, PARK2, ULK4, ATG5, and CDKN2A associated with MM risk (p = 4.47 × 10−4−5.79 × 10−14). Mechanistically, we found that the ULK4rs6599175 SNP correlated with circulating concentrations of vitamin D3 (p = 4.0 × 10−4), whereas the IKBKErs17433804 SNP correlated with the number of transitional CD24+CD38+ B cells (p = 4.8 × 10−4) and circulating serum concentrations of Monocyte Chemoattractant Protein (MCP)-2 (p = 3.6 × 10−4). We also found that the CD46rs1142469 SNP correlated with numbers of CD19+ B cells, CD19+CD3− B cells, CD5+IgD− cells, IgM− cells, IgD−IgM− cells, and CD4−CD8− PBMCs (p = 4.9 × 10−4−8.6 × 10−4) and circulating concentrations of interleukin (IL)-20 (p = 0.00082). Finally, we observed that the CDKN2Ars2811710 SNP correlated with levels of CD4+EMCD45RO+CD27− cells (p = 9.3 × 10−4). These results suggest that genetic variants within these six loci influence MM risk through the modulation of specific subsets of immune cells, as well as vitamin D3−, MCP-2−, and IL20-dependent pathways.
Chronological and geochemical characteristics of metavolcanic rocks in the Nanping‐Ninghua tectonic belt: Constraints on the formation of the Cathaysia block

The tectonic properties of the Nanping‐Ninghua tectonic belt (NNTB) play a crucial role in understanding the tectonic evolution of the Wuyi orogenic belt, which is related to the Neoproterozoic‐Paleozoic tectonic evolution of the Cathaysian Block. In this study, We present comprehensive petrological, geochronological, and geochemical data on the metavolcanic rocks from the Louqian Formation in Changting, Fujian Province. Our results show that volcanism in Changting occurred between 740.4 and 723.5 Ma, based on zircon U–Pb data for the metavolcanic rocks. The metavolcanic rocks have SiO2 contents ranging from 68.22 to 71.56 wt %, high Al2O3 and Na2O + K2O contents (13.30–15.19 wt % and 7.56–8.25 wt %, respectively), and low CaO, MgO, and FeOT contents (0.09–1.25 wt %, 0.72–0.96 wt %, and 1.57–3.16 wt %, respectively). These samples are enriched in large‐ion lithophile elements (LILEs) such as Ba and Rb, and depleted in high‐field‐strength elements (HFSEs) including Nb, Ta, and Ti, with significant negative Eu anomalies, indicating an affinity for arc igneous rocks. Based on previous geological studies, we suggest that the NNTB formed in an active continental margin environment during the Nanhua Period. The subduction of oceanic crust led to the formation of the volcanic belt along the Nanping‐Ninghua continental margin, which was active until 696 Ma. During the Neoproterozoic, the North and South Wuyi terranes did not merge to form a single Wuyi terrane, and the Cathaysia Block was composed of several terranes.
A Refined Small Strain and Moderate Rotation Theory of Elastic Anisotropic Shells

A general refined shell theory that accounts for the transverse deformation, small strains, and moderate rotations is presented. The theory can be reduced to various existing shell theories including: the classical (i.e., linear Kirchhoff-Love) shell theory, the Donnell-Mushtari-Vlasov shell theory, the Leonard-Koiter-Sanders moderate rotations shell theory, the von Karman type shear-deformation shell theory and the moderate-rotation shear-deformation plate theory developed by Reddy. The present theory is developed from an assumed displacement field, nonlinear strain-displacement equations that contain small strain and moderate rotation terms, and the principle of virtual displacements. The governing equations exhibit strong coupling between the membrane and bending deformations, which should alter the bending, stability, and post-buckling behavior of certain shell structures predicted using the presently available theories.
Scientific Evidence Production and Specialty Drug Diffusion

Specialty drugs treat complex, severe diseases and offer significant therapeutic advances. Despite their potential to transform patient care, little is known about the drivers of their diffusion. In this study, the authors develop a framework for the diffusion of specialty drugs that is motivated by the drugs’ novelty, complexity, and importance, with a focus on the role of scientific evidence production. They propose that the effects of scientific evidence on specialty drug diffusion are multifaceted and generated through the three stages of the scientific evidence production process: unpublished clinical studies, publications in medical journals not cited in clinical guidelines, and clinical guidelines. The findings from the empirical analysis of two specialty drugs validate the framework, supporting the idea of multistage scientific evidence effects. In contrast, marketing activities do not have a significant effect. Although this could be attributed to specialty drug prescribers discounting information from commercial sources, it may also be due to limited marketing support. An additional analysis on a nonspecialty drug further validates the proposed framework. Calculations of scientific evidence contributions to trial prescriptions indicate that scientific evidence production can generate returns beyond the publication stage, which should provide specialty drug manufacturers with strong incentives to commit to quality and innovation.
Analysis of Non-Financial Factors on Timeliness of Financial Statement Submission (Study of Consumer Cyclical Companies Listed on Indonesia Stock Exchange 2016-2020)

Financial statements contain company information from a financial perspective that can be used as a basis for decision-making. One of the characteristics is that quality financial reports must have been timely so that the information contained can be useful. Timely submission of financial reports is one of the company's responsibilities to the public, investors, and other related parties. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of the audit committee, public ownership, independent commissioners, the operational complexity, and the age of the company on the timeliness of submitting financial statements, both simultaneously and partially. The population of this study is the consumer cyclical sector companies listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange for the 2016-2020 period. Purposive sampling was utilized as the sampling method in this study. 55 companies composed the study's sample. Using SPSS version 25, descriptive analysis, and logistic regression analysis are the data analysis techniques used. According to the study's findings, the audit committee, public ownership, independent commissioners, the operational complexity, and the company age all have an impact on the timeliness of submitting financial statements. Partially, he the audit committee, public ownership, and independent commissioners all have a significant negative effect on the timeliness of submitting financial statements. Then, the operational complexity and the company age have no significant effect on the timeliness of financial statement submission.
Biaxial Piezoelectric MEMS Mirrors with Low Absorption Coating for 1550 nm Long-Range LIDAR

This paper presents the fabrication and characterization of a biaxial MEMS (MicroElectroMechanical System) scanner based on PZT (Lead Zirconate Titanate) which incorporates a low-absorption dielectric multilayer coating, i.e., a Bragg reflector. These 2 mm square MEMS mirrors, developed on 8-inch silicon wafers using VLSI (Very Large Scale Integration) technology are intended for long-range (>100 m) LIDAR (LIght Detection And Ranging) applications using a 2 W (average power) pulsed laser at 1550 nm. For this laser power, the use of a standard metal reflector leads to damaging overheating. To solve this problem, we have developed and optimised a physical sputtering (PVD) Bragg reflector deposition process compatible with our sol-gel piezoelectric motor. Experimental absorption measurements, performed at 1550 nm and show up to 24 times lower incident power absorption than the best metallic reflective coating (Au). Furthermore, we validated that the characteristics of the PZT, as well as the performance of the Bragg mirrors in terms of optical scanning angles, were identical to those of the Au reflector. These results open up the possibility of increasing the laser power beyond 2W for LIDAR applications or other applications requiring high optical power. Finally, a packaged 2D scanner was integrated into a LIDAR system and three-dimensional point cloud images were obtained, demonstrating the scanning stability and operability of these 2D MEMS mirrors.
Perceptions of undergraduates towards cybercrimes at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka

Cybercrimes are violations committed against a person or a group of persons to hurt innocent people and gain financial advantage. Several people, especially young ones, are seduced by cybercrimes for a variety of reasons. The undergraduate students of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka attitudes regarding cybercrime are the subject of this study. During focus group discussions, data from 54 UNN undergraduates were gathered using an explorative research design. They were chosen at random from the institution's six departments. Themes were used to analyze the data. Study findings showed that every participant was aware of cybercrimes. The main effects of cybercrime on undergraduates were disruptions to students' academic activity, which in turn caused trauma and depression. In line with the study, the government should make sure that the existing cybercrime laws are fully implemented. Moreover, experts like social workers could be able to rehabilitate repented cybercrime perpetrators through education and counseling.
CSC-Net: Cross-Color Spatial Co-Occurrence Matrix Network for Detecting Synthesized Fake Images

Recently, the generative adversarial networks (GANs) generated images have been spread over the social networks, which brings the new challenge in the community of media forensics. Although some reliable forensic tools have advanced the study of detecting GAN generated images, while the detection accuracy cannot be guaranteed when facing the malicious post-processing attacks, especially in the practical social network scenario. Thus, in this context, we propose a novel well-designed deep neural network equipped with handcrafted features for dealing with this problem. In particular, relying on the cross-color spatial co-occurrence matrix (CSCM), the discriminative features are extracted after carefully analyzing and selecting the most effective color channels. Next, the fused features are fed into the deep neutral network for training a high-efficient forensic detector. Extensive experimental results empirically verify that in most detection scenarios, our proposed detector performs superiorly to the prior arts, especially in the case of post-processing attacks. Moreover, we also highlight the relevance of the proposed detector over the realistic social network platforms, and its generalization capability in three different scenarios.
Fuzzy Multiple Objectives Decision Making Based on Vague Sets

A novel approach to fuzzy multiple objectives decision making based on vague sets is presented in this paper. Firstly, decision matrix is translated into objective-grade-membership matrix, then the vague evaluation of each alternative is obtained by computing the sets of objectives being in favor, against and neutral. Finally, all alternatives are ranked using a score function and the best one is selected. An example shows that the proposed method is effective.
Fear-Avoidance Beliefs Are Associated with Pain Intensity and Shoulder Disability in Adults with Chronic Shoulder Pain: A Cross-Sectional Study

Shoulder pain is one of the most common musculoskeletal conditions, and for people over 40 years old, it represents the musculoskeletal pain with the greatest impact on quality of life. Psychological factors, such as fear-avoidance beliefs, are associated with musculoskeletal pain, and several studies suggest that they can influence various treatment outcomes. Our objective was to explore the cross-sectional association between fear-avoidance beliefs and shoulder pain intensity and disability in subjects with chronic shoulder pain. A cross-sectional study was conducted, and 208 participants with chronic unilateral subacromial shoulder pain were recruited. The shoulder pain and disability index assessed pain intensity and disability. The Spanish fear-avoidance components scale assessed the presence of fear-avoidance beliefs. The association between fear-avoidance beliefs and pain intensity and disability was analyzed by means of multiple linear regression models and proportional odds models, reporting odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals. Shoulder and pain disability scores were significantly associated with fear-avoidance beliefs (p < 0.0001, adjusted R-square 0.93, multiple linear regression). There was no evidence of an association between sex and age in this study. The regression coefficient for shoulder pain intensity and disability score was 0.67446. The proportional odds model showed an odds ratio of 1.39 (1.29–1.50) for shoulder pain intensity and disability total score. This study suggests that greater levels of fear-avoidance beliefs are associated with greater levels of shoulder pain and disability in adults with chronic shoulder pain.
Phytochemicals and Cancer Treatment: Cell-Derived and Biomimetic Vesicles as Promising Carriers

The majority of anticancer agents currently used derive from natural sources: plants, frequently the ones employed in traditional medicines, are an abundant source of mono- and diterpenes, polyphenols, and alkaloids that exert antitumor activity through diverse mechanisms. Unfortunately, many of these molecules are affected by poor pharmacokinetics and limited specificity, shortcomings that may be overcome by incorporating them into nanovehicles. Cell-derived nanovesicles have recently risen to prominence, due to their biocompatibility, low immunogenicity and, above all, targeting properties. However, due to difficult scalability, the industrial production of biologically-derived vesicles and consequent application in clinics is difficult. As an efficient alternative, bioinspired vesicles deriving from the hybridization of cell-derived and artificial membranes have been conceived, revealing high flexibility and appropriate drug delivery ability. In this review, the most recent advances in the application of these vesicles to the targeted delivery of anticancer actives obtained from plants are presented, with specific focus on vehicle manufacture and characterization, and effectiveness evaluation performed through in vitro and in vivo assays. The emerging overall outlook appears promising in terms of efficient drug loading and selective targeting of tumor cells, suggesting further engrossing developments in the future.
Narrowband Thermal Terahertz Emission from Homoepitaxial GaAs Structures Coupled with Ti/Au Metasurface

We report on the experimental evidence of thermal terahertz (THz) emission tailored by magnetic polariton (MP) excitations in entirely GaAs-based structures equipped with metasurfaces. The n-GaAs/GaAs/TiAu structure was optimized using finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) simulations for the resonant MP excitations in the frequency range below 2 THz. Molecular beam epitaxy was used to grow the GaAs layer on the n-GaAs substrate, and a metasurface, comprising periodic TiAu squares, was formed on the top surface using UV laser lithography. The structures exhibited resonant reflectivity dips at room temperature and emissivity peaks at T=390 °C in the range from 0.7 THz to 1.3 THz, depending on the size of the square metacells. In addition, the excitations of the third harmonic were observed. The bandwidth was measured as narrow as 0.19 THz of the resonant emission line at 0.71 THz for a 42 μm metacell side length. An equivalent LC circuit model was used to describe the spectral positions of MP resonances analytically. Good agreement was achieved among the results of simulations, room temperature reflection measurements, thermal emission experiments, and equivalent LC circuit model calculations. Thermal emitters are mostly produced using a metal-insulator-metal (MIM) stack, whereas our proposed employment of n-GaAs substrate instead of metal film allows us to integrate the emitter with other GaAs optoelectronic devices. The MP resonance quality factors obtained at elevated temperatures (Q≈3.3to5.2) are very similar to those of MIM structures as well as to 2D plasmon resonance quality at cryogenic temperatures.
Early Intervention with a Compression Sleeve in Mild Breast Cancer-Related Arm Lymphedema: A 12-Month Prospective Observational Study

Simple Summary Chronic lymphedema in the arm is a rather common side-effect of breast cancer treatment and its prevention is desired. The most important and evidence-based treatment of arm lymphedema is daily use of a compression sleeve. In our previous randomized controlled trial, it was shown that early treatment with a compression sleeve in compression class 1 in mild arm lymphedema can prevent progression for 6 months. The aim of the present study was to follow the progression/no progression for 12 months. It was revealed that the results from the 6-month intervention were persistent at 9- and 12-months follow-up. Therefore, it can be concluded that a compression sleeve (compression class 1) may be applied immediately after early diagnosis of lymphedema to prevent progression and to avoid mild arm lymphedema becoming chronic. Abstract Background: In our previous randomized controlled trial (RCT), the progression/no progression of mild breast cancer-related arm lymphedema (BCRL) was examined among women randomized to a compression group (CG) with a compression sleeve (compression class (ccl) 1) or not (NCG) for 6 months. In the present prospective study, BCRL in the CG and NCG was followed for 12 months. Methods: At the end of the RCT, 33 women with mild BCRL were eligible in the CG and 37 in the NCG. The proportional differences in no progression/progression of BCRL were defined as a >2% increase from start of RCT or exceeding 10% in the lymphedema relative volume as measured by the water displacement method. In addition, changes in the lymphedema relative volume and tissue dielectric constant ratio, which measures local tissue water, were examined. At the end of the RCT (i.e., after 6 months), a one-month break of the compression treatment was made in the CG. If the lymphedema relative volume progressed by definition, the compression treatment was resumed and continued, with follow-up of all women at 9 and 12 months. Results: A larger proportion of women in the NCG showed progression (57%, 61%, 67%) compared to the CG (16%, 22%, 31%) at 6, 9, and 12 months (p < 0.001, 0.005, 0.012), respectively. Twelve (33%) women in the NCG did not progress at all. No changes of the lymphedema relative volume and local tissue water were found over time at any follow-ups, but were stable on a low level. Conclusions: To avoid the progression of mild BCRL into a chronic issue in the long-term, compression sleeve ccl 1 may be applied immediately after early diagnosis of mild BCRL.
PREVALENCE OF GLAUCOMA IN CATARACT PATIENTS - A COMPARISON BETWEEN PRE-COVID AND POST-COVID PERIODS

Objectives: Globally, cataract and glaucoma are the predominant causes of blindness. Screening glaucoma in patients referred for cataract surgery is a convenient tool for detecting glaucoma cases in rural population. The COVID period has adversely affected eye care as the routine screening and follow-ups at hospital were substantially reduced owing to pandemic restrictions. We aim to study the impact of COVID on detection of glaucoma in patients with cataract. Methods: It was a retrospective study conducted to compare the prevalence of glaucoma in rural patients presenting with cataract pre- and post- COVID. Details of 975 consecutive patients each were taken prior to March 2020 (pre-COVID) and after October 2021 (post-COVID) from hospital database and patient case files. Results: The prevalence of glaucoma was higher during the pre-COVID time (3.8%) as compared to pre-COVID (3.8%), but the result was not statistically significant. In both the groups, primary open-angle glaucoma was the pre-dominant form of glaucoma, with prevalence being 1.5% and 2.2% in the pre-COVID and post-COVID groups, respectively. The mean intraocular pressure and mean VCDR values were higher in the post-COVID group as compared to the pre-COVID group, and the result was statistically significant. Conclusion: This was the first study to compare the prevalence of glaucoma in patients with cataract in rural population in the pre-COVID and post- COVID periods. In the aftermath of the pandemic, the present study emphasizes the role of screening and follow-ups in glaucoma management to prevent irreversible loss of vision.