Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Plasma Neurofilament Light Chain (NF-L) Is a Prognostic Biomarker for Cortical Damage Evolution but Not for Cognitive Impairment or Epileptogenesis Following Experimental TBI

Plasma neurofilament light chain (NF-L) levels were assessed as a diagnostic biomarker for traumatic brain injury (TBI) and as a prognostic biomarker for somatomotor recovery, cognitive decline, and epileptogenesis. Rats with severe TBI induced by lateral fluid-percussion injury (n = 26, 13 with and 13 without epilepsy) or sham-operation (n = 8) were studied. During a 6-month follow-up, rats underwent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) (day (D) 2, D7, and D21), composite neuroscore (D2, D6, and D14), Morris-water maze (D35–D39), and a 1-month-long video-electroencephalogram to detect unprovoked seizures during the 6th month. Plasma NF-L levels were assessed using a single-molecule assay at baseline (i.e., naïve animals) and on D2, D9, and D178 after TBI or a sham operation. Plasma NF-L levels were 483-fold higher on D2 (5072.0 ± 2007.0 pg/mL), 89-fold higher on D9 (930.3 ± 306.4 pg/mL), and 3-fold higher on D176 32.2 ± 8.9 pg/mL after TBI compared with baseline (10.5 ± 2.6 pg/mL; all p < 0.001). Plasma NF-L levels distinguished TBI rats from naïve animals at all time-points examined (area under the curve [AUC] 1.0, p < 0.001), and from sham-operated controls on D2 (AUC 1.0, p < 0.001). Plasma NF-L increases on D2 were associated with somatomotor impairment severity (ρ = −0.480, p < 0.05) and the cortical lesion extent in MRI (ρ = 0.401, p < 0.05). Plasma NF-L increases on D2 or D9 were associated with the cortical lesion extent in histologic sections at 6 months post-injury (ρ = 0.437 for D2; ρ = 0.393 for D9, p < 0.05). Plasma NF-L levels, however, did not predict somatomotor recovery, cognitive decline, or epileptogenesis (p > 0.05). Plasma NF-L levels represent a promising noninvasive translational diagnostic biomarker for acute TBI and a prognostic biomarker for post-injury somatomotor impairment and long-term structural brain damage.
Genome-Wide Characterization and Expression Profiling of HD-Zip Genes in ABA-Mediated Processes in Fragaria vesca

Members of homeodomain-leucine zipper (HD-Zip) transcription factors can play their roles by modulating abscisic acid (ABA) signaling in Arabidopsis. So far, our knowledge of the functions of HD-Zips in woodland strawberries (Fragaria vesca), a model plant for studying ABA-mediated fruit ripening, is limited. Here, we identified a total of 31 HD-Zip genes (FveHDZ1-31) in F. vesca, and classified them into four subfamilies (I to IV). Promoter analyses show that the ABA-responsive element, ABRE, is prevalent in the promoters of subfamily I and II FveHDZs. RT-qPCR results demonstrate that 10 of the 14 investigated FveHDZs were consistently >1.5-fold up-regulated or down-regulated in expression in response to exogenous ABA, dehydration, and ABA-induced senescence in leaves. Five of the six consistently up-regulated genes are from subfamily I and II. Thereinto, FveHDZ4, and 20 also exhibited significantly enhanced expression along with increased ABA content during fruit ripening. In yeast one-hybrid assays, FveHDZ4 proteins could bind the promoter of an ABA signaling gene FvePP2C6. Collectively, our results strongly support that the FveHDZs, particularly those from subfamilies I and II, are involved in the ABA-mediated processes in F. vesca, providing a basis for further functional characterization of the HD-Zips in strawberry and other plants.
Exaggerated Risk Perception of Low-Dose Exposures to Asbestos: Cui Bono?

Asbestos is a known carcinogen. Asbestos-related risks have been estimated on the basis of data from the past, when professional exposures were higher than today. Fibres are present in the environment due to erosion of surface deposits and human activities unrelated to asbestos industry. If searched for, asbestos fibres are often found post mortem. Bias can be encountered in asbestos research e.g. attributing of mesothelioma or lung cancer to asbestos if fibres are found, although cause-effect relationships remain unproven. Some studies rely on work or residence histories of questionable reliability. It can be reasonably assumed that the non-use of asbestos-containing brakes, fireproofing and insulation has increased the damage and numbers of victims of traffic accidents, fires and armed conflicts. Today, when a probability of conflicts seems to be enhanced, the attitude to asbestos should be changed. Asbestos is banned in some countries, while others continue production and exports. Some anti-asbestos activists have apparently served certain governments or companies. The same is partly true for the anti-nuclear activism. Different asbestos types have their technical advantages and preferred application areas. Reliable information about toxicity of fibres can be obtained in lifelong bioassays.
Comparative account on the length-weight and length-length relationships and condition factor of six cyprinid fishes from Dal Lake, Kashmir

Fish landings are routinely measured for length and weight to study fish bioecology, which provide important information about biomass, population dynamics and condition of fish. The current study describes the length-weight relationships (LWRs) and length-length relationships (LLRs) of six fish species (Cyprinus carpio, Carassius carassius, Schizothorax niger, S. curvifrons, Crossocheilus diplochilus and Pethia conchonius) based on seasonal fish sampling from the Dal Lake during September 2019 to August 2020. The estimated LWRs and LLRs were highly significant (p < 0.05) with high coefficient of determination r2 and the estimated b values ranged from 2.50 to 3.55. The estimated b values revealed negative allometric growth of fish species except P. conchonius which possesses positive allometric growth. The mean value of condition factor for C. carpio, C. carassius, S. niger, S. curvifrons, C. diplochilus and P. conchonius were 1.43±0.25, 1.55±0.24, 0.86±0.14, 0.80±0.13, 1.21±0.17 and 1.64±0.34 respectively and it varied significantly among these fish species (ANOVA: p < 0.05). The study shows LWRs, LLRs and current condition of some forage fish species viz., C. carassius, C. diplochilus and P. conchonius as well as invasive C. carpio and local Schizothorax species from the Dal Lake, all possessing economic and conservation significance.
Relationship Between Procrastination and Stress Responses

Procrastination is a maladaptive behavior that leads to failure of tasks, and a decrease in self-esteem and negative emotions; this behavior, however, becomes a habit. If procrastination becomes a habit, it will have a negative impact on your body and mind. Previous studies have divided participants by gender, age, etc., and relationships between procrastination and stress have been examined. However, a general relationship between procrastination and stress has not been clarified. This study examined the relationship between procrastination and stress through a questionnaire survey. This study also examined the effects of passive or active procrastination on stress responses through a survey on active procrastination tendency. In addition, surveys were conducted on Japanese and Chinese people, and their answers were analyzed and compared between them. Hypotheses in this study are as follows: there are relationships between the participants’ general procrastination tendency and stress responses (Hypothesis 1); participants with higher general procrastination tendency show higher stress responses than those with higher active procrastination tendency (Hypothesis 2). There are differences in relationships between procrastination tendencies and stress responses between Japanese and Chinese participants (Hypothesis 3). The results of the analysis have been discussed based on differences in cultural and social backgrounds. These results showed a positive correlation between general procrastination and stress response in both Japanese and Chinese populations. Active procrastination was found to be positively correlated with stress response in Japanese and negatively correlated in Chinese. The results suggest that the relationship between procrastination and stress response is influenced by the subject's cultural background.
Properties of the mean recirculation region in the wakes of two-dimensional bluff bodies

The properties of the time- and span-averaged mean wake recirculation region are investigated in separated flows over several different two-dimensional bluff bodies. Ten different cases are considered and they divide into two groups: cylindrical geometries of circular, elliptic and square cross-sections and the normal plate. A wide Reynolds number range from 250 to 140000 is considered, but in all the cases the attached portion of the boundary layer remains laminar until separation. The lower Reynolds number data are from direct numerical simulations, while the data at the higher Reynolds number are obtained from large-eddy simulation and the experimental work of Cantwell & Coles (1983), Krothapalli (1996, personal communication), Leder (1991) and Lyn et al. (1995). Unlike supersonic and subsonic separations with a splitter plate in the wake, in all the cases considered here there is strong interaction between the shear layers resulting in Kármán vortex shedding. The impact of this fundamental difference on the distribution of Reynolds stress components and pressure in relation to the mean wake recirculation region (wake bubble) is considered. It is observed that in all cases the contribution from Reynolds normal stress to the force balance of the wake bubble is significant. In fact, in the cylinder geometries this contribution can outweigh the net force from the shear stress, so that the net pressure force tends to push the bubble away from the body. In contrast, in the case of normal plate, owing to the longer wake, the net contribution from shear stress outweighs that from the normal stress. At higher Reynolds numbers, separation of the Reynolds stress components into incoherent contributions provides more insight. The behaviour of the coherent contribution, arising from the dominant vortex shedding, is similar to that at lower Reynolds numbers. The incoherent contribution to Reynolds stress, arising from small-scale activity, is compared with that of a canonical free shear layer. Based on these observations a simple extension of the wake model (Sychev 1982; Roshko 1993a, b) is proposed.
Elevated pan traps optimise the sampling of bees, including when the availability of floral resources is high

To sample bee communities, a combination of methods is necessary, the most common being hand netting (HN) and pan traps (PT). However, there has been little exploration into how vertical distribution of PT can improve their sampling efficiency, also taking the temporal variation of floral resources into account. Here, we analysed the properties of bee communities sampled with PT at different heights (1.6 and 4.0 m) compared with PTs close to the ground, HN and large blue bucket trap (BB). In addition, we tested the effect of variation in the availability of floral resources on the performance of each method. Bees were collected in fragments of the Brazilian Caatinga. We captured 60 bee species with PTs, HN and BB, with significant increases in the sample coverage with elevated bowls (BB = 56.7%, HN = 60.0%, PT0.3 m = 23.3%, PT1.6 m = 36.7%, PT4.0 m = 50.0%). Elevating the bowls increased the sampling of bees with larger body size. Considering the three heights, PTs registered similar richness compared to HN and BB, but differed in the composition of species and ecological traits. When floral resource availability was greater, the abundance and richness of bees caught in PTs decreased, however, the elevated PT increased their ecological uniqueness (degree of uniqueness of the samples in terms of community composition). Thus, elevating PTs enables the capture of bees that forage at a specific height when floral resources increase. Our results highlight the importance of the vertical distribution of PT for sampling bees, since it improves their performance and its complementarity with other methods.
Pathogen Detection in Ornithodoros sonrai Ticks and Invasive House Mice Mus musculus domesticus in Senegal

Ornithodoros sonrai (O. sonrai) ticks are the only known vectors of Borrelia crocidurae, an agent of tick-borne relapsing fever (TBRF) borreliosis. Rodents serve as principal natural reservoirs for Borrelia. Our research objective was to detect TBRF Borrelia and other zoonotic bacterial infections in ticks and in house mice Mus musculus domesticus, an invasive species currently expanding in rural northern Senegal. Real-time and conventional PCR were utilized for detecting Borrelia and other bacterial taxa. The analyses were performed on 253 specimens of O. sonrai and 150 samples of brain and spleen tissue from rodents. Borrelia crocidurae was found in one O. sonrai tick and 18 Mus musculus domesticus samples, with prevalences of 0.39 percent and 12 percent, respectively, as well as Ehrlichia sp. in one Mus musculus domesticus. Further, we were able to detect the presence of a potentially infectious novel species belonging to the Anaplasmataceae family for the first time in O. sonrai ticks. More attention should be paid to the house mouse and O. sonrai ticks, as they can be potential hosts for novel species of pathogenic bacteria in humans.
Predicting IDH Mutation Status in Low-Grade Gliomas Based on Optimal Radiomic Features Combined with Multi-Sequence Magnetic Resonance Imaging

The IDH somatic mutation status is an important basis for the diagnosis and classification of gliomas. We proposed a “6-Step” general radiomics model to noninvasively predict the IDH mutation status by simultaneously tuning combined multi-sequence MRI and optimizing the full radiomics processing pipeline. Radiomic features (n = 3776) were extracted from multi-sequence MRI (T1, T2, FLAIR, and T1Gd) in low-grade gliomas (LGGs), and a total of 45,360 radiomics pipeline were investigated according to different settings. The predictive ability of the general radiomics model was evaluated with regards to accuracy, stability, and efficiency. Based on numerous experiments, we finally reached an optimal pipeline for classifying IDH mutation status, namely the T2+FLAIR combined multi-sequence with the wavelet image filter, mean data normalization, PCC dimension reduction, RFE feature selection, and SVM classifier. The mean and standard deviation of AUC, accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity were 0.873 ± 0.05, 0.876 ± 0.09, 0.875 ± 0.11, and 0.877 ± 0.15, respectively. Furthermore, 14 radiomic features that best distinguished the IDH mutation status of the T2+FLAIR multi-sequence were analyzed, and the gray level co-occurrence matrix (GLCM) features were shown to be of high importance. Apart from the promising prediction of the molecular subtypes, this study also provided a general tool for radiomics investigation.
Utilization of Theory of Planned Behavior to Predict Consumer Behavioral Intention toward “Buy-Local” Campaign: Do National Identity Expressions Matter?

Abstract The spread of COVID-19 has caused various problems worldwide. The “buy-local” campaign is one of the strategies carried out by both the government and civilians to deal with these problems by campaigning for the importance of supporting and buying local products. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the mechanisms underlying participation intention in the “buy-local” campaign by applying the theory of planned behavior and national identity expressions. Empirical data were collected through self-administered online questionnaires and managed to collect 414 responses. The results indicated that five of the six hypotheses are supported. Patriotism and ethnocentrism positively influence attitudes toward the “buy-local” campaign. Meanwhile, nationalism was found to have no effect on attitudes toward the “buy-local” campaign. Also, factors such as attitude toward the “buy-local” campaign, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control positively affect participation intentions in the “buy-local” campaign. The findings provide fresh theoretical and practical implications.
Spontaneous Cervical Epidural Hematoma Following COVID-19 Illness Presenting to a Chiropractor: A Case Report

Cervical epidural hematoma (CEH) is a rare and potentially fatal condition in which blood accumulates in the epidural space of the cervical spine. A 64-year-old man presented to a chiropractor with a two-week history of sudden-onset neck pain, shoulder pain, occipital headache, and numbness in the shoulders and upper extremities. He had recovered from a mild course of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) illness one month prior. The patient’s primary care provider had previously prescribed a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug for his neck pain. However, his symptoms worsened, and he visited the emergency department where he had unremarkable cervical spine radiographs and was discharged with a diagnosis of neck strain. The chiropractor ordered cervical spine magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), revealing a ventral CEH extending from C2 to C5. The chiropractor referred the patient to a nearby hospital for urgent management. The patient was admitted and observed, progressively improved, and did not require surgery. After 10 weeks in the hospital the patient was asymptomatic, a follow-up MRI revealed resolution of the CEH, and the patient was discharged. While the current case highlights a temporal relationship between COVID-19 and CEH, further research is needed to determine if COVID-19 is a risk factor for this condition. Clinicians who encounter patients with spinal disorders must be able to recognize the clinical features of CEH and refer these patients for emergency care and/or neurosurgical evaluation.
Spatial Association Between Sociodemographic, Environmental Factors and Prevalence of Stroke Among Diabetes and Hypertension Patients in Thailand

Stroke is one of the top leading causes of death and disability among adults and the elderly worldwide. Hypertension (HT) and Diabetes Mellitus (DM) are the most common contributory risk factors of stroke, accounting for up to 75% of all cases. This study aimed to investigate the spatial association between sociodemographic and environmental factors and the prevalence of stroke among DM and HT patients in Thailand. This spatial study applied global Moran’s I, the local indicators of spatial association (LISA) and spatial regression to examine the localised associations of sociodemographic and environmental factors and the prevalence of stroke among DM and HT patients in Thailand. The univariate Moran’s I scatter plot of the annual prevalence of stroke in Thailand’s provinces observed significant positive spatial autocorrelation with the Moran’s I value of 0.454 (p < 0.05). The High-High clusters of strokes were mostly located in the center. The Bivariate Moran’s I indicated a spatial association between various factors and the prevalence of stroke in which the LISA analysis indicated; 16 Hot-spots or High-High clusters (HH) and 4 Cold-spot or low-low clusters (LL) with alcohol store density, 17 HH and 4 LL clusters with tobacco store density, 9 HH and 9 LL clusters with elderly population density, 5 HH and 3 LL clusters of primary care per population ratio, 16 HH and 3 LL clusters with LST, and 10 HH and 5 LL clusters with NTL. The Spatial Error Model (SEM) of spatial regression analysis has been observed to be the best model that could predict the variation in the prevalence of stroke by 50.80% (R2=0.508). SEM indicated tobacco store density (coefficient=0.065, P<0.05), elderly population density (coefficient=0.013, P<0.001, LST (day) (coefficient=1.417, P<0.05), and NTL (coefficient=0.021, P<0.05) were statistically significant associated with the prevalence of stroke among DM and HT patients in Thailand. Our study observed that the distribution of alcohol stores, density of tobacco stores, concentration of older adults, increasing day temperature and density of NTL were likely to be associated with enhancing the prevalence of stroke in the cluster and neighboring provinces of Thailand. The findings of this study will benefit public sectors or related organizations to develop efficient measures to control stroke.
THE DEPENDENCE OF SPERM PROGRESSIVE MOTILITY AND SEMINAL PLASMA BIOCHEMICAL COMPOSITION ON BACTERIAL LOAD IN DUROC BOAR SEMEN

Interactions between spermatozoa and bacterial species in ejaculates comes along with deleterious effects on the structure and function of male gametes. However, the effect of bacterial load on the seminal plasma remains unexplored. Therefore, this study was focused on the identification of bacterial species present in Duroc boar semen (n=18), quantification of the bacterial load (CFU) and alterations to the biochemical parameters of seminal plasma. The computer-assisted semen analysis (CASA) analysed the progressive motility (PRO; motility≥25µm/s) of spermatozoa, their concentration and kinematic parameters. The MALDI Biotyper was used for the bacterial characterization of fresh ejaculates. Seminal plasma was separated and biochemical analysis was carried out using the Randox RX Monza analyzer. Calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), total proteins (TP), aspartate transaminase (AST), alanine transaminase (ALT), cholesterol (CHOL), bilirubin (BR), albumins (ALB) and uric acid (UA) were subjected to the Pearson correlation with CFU and PRO. The bacterial identification showed the prevalence of Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The correlation analysis showed that the progressive motility of spermatozoa was strongly dependent (-0.799; P<0.01) on the seminal bacterial load. Moreover, a negative significant correlation (-0.810; P<0.001) was detected between CFU and Mg concentration. Also ALT (-0.647; P<0.01) and ALB (-0.484; P<0.05) were negatively affected by the bacterial load. Altogether, the presence of bacterial species may adversely affect the progressive motility as well as the biochemical composition of seminal plasma and thereby create unfavorable conditions for the sperm survival. Further analyses are necessary to reveal interactions between semen and bacteria.
Mechanisms and implications in gene polymorphism mediated diverse reponses to sedatives, analgesics and muscle relaxants

Responses to sedatives, analgesics and muscle relaxants vary among patients under general anesthesia, which could be ascribed to the disparities of clinical characteristics and genetic factors of individuals. Accumulating researches have indicated that gene polymorphisms of the receptors, transporters and metabolizing enzymes associated with anesthetics play a considerable role in their efficacy. However, a systematically summarized study on the mechanisms of gene polymorphisms on pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics of anesthetics is still lacking. In this paper, the recent researches on pharmacogenomics of sedatives, analgesics and muscle relaxants are comprehensively reviewed, and the contributions and mechanisms of polymorphisms to the differences of individual efficacy of these drugs are discussed, so as to provide guidance for the formulation of a rational anesthesia regimen for patients with various genotypes.