Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The prevalence, incidence, and admission rate of diagnosed schizophrenia spectrum disorders in Korea, 2008–2017: A nationwide population-based study using claims big data analysis

This study estimated the prevalence and incidence rate of schizophrenia, schizotypal, and delusional disorders (SSDD) in Korea from 2008 to 2017 and analyzed the hospital admission rate, re-admission rate, and hospitalization period. It used the Korean nationwide National Health Insurance Service claims database. SSDD patients who had at least one visit to Korea’s primary, secondary, or tertiary referral hospitals with a diagnosis of SSDD, according to the International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision (ICD-10), were identified as SSDD cases if coded as F20-F29. Data were analyzed using frequency statistics. Results showed that the 12-month prevalence rate of SSDD increased steadily from 0.40% in 2008 to 0.45% in 2017. Analysis of the three-year cumulative prevalence rate of SSDD showed an increase from 0.51% in 2011 to 0.54% in 2017. In 2017, the five-year cumulative prevalence rate was 0.61%, and the 10-year cumulative prevalence rate was 0.75%. The hospital admission rate among SSDD patients decreased from 2008 (30.04%) to 2017 (28.53%). The incidence of SSDD was 0.05% and no yearly change was observed. The proportion of SSDD inpatients whose first hospital visit resulted in immediate hospitalization was 22.4% in 2017. Epidemiological indicators such as prevalence, incidence, and hospitalization rate play an important role in planning social and financial resource allocation. Therefore, efforts to produce more accurate epidemiological indicators are very important and this study’s findings could have a significant social impact.
Changes in the top 25 reasons for primary care visits during the COVID-19 pandemic in a high-COVID region of Canada

Purpose We aimed to determine the degree to which reasons for primary care visits changed during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods We used data from the University of Toronto Practice Based Research Network (UTOPIAN) to compare the most common reasons for primary care visits before and after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, focusing on the number of visits and the number of patients seen for each of the 25 most common diagnostic codes. The proportion of visits involving virtual care was assessed as a secondary outcome. Results UTOPIAN family physicians (N = 379) conducted 702,093 visits, involving 264,942 patients between March 14 and December 31, 2019 (pre-pandemic period), and 667,612 visits, involving 218,335 patients between March 14 and December 31, 2020 (pandemic period). Anxiety was the most common reason for visit, accounting for 9.2% of the total visit volume during the pandemic compared to 6.5% the year before. Diabetes and hypertension remained among the top 5 reasons for visit during the pandemic, but there were 23.7% and 26.2% fewer visits and 19.5% and 28.8% fewer individual patients accessing care for diabetes and hypertension, respectively. Preventive care visits were substantially reduced, with 89.0% fewer periodic health exams and 16.2% fewer well-baby visits. During the pandemic, virtual care became the dominant care format (77.5% virtual visits). Visits for anxiety and depression were the most common reasons for a virtual visit (90.6% virtual visits). Conclusion The decrease in primary care visit volumes during the COVID-19 pandemic varied based on the reason for the visit, with increases in visits for anxiety and decreases for preventive care and visits for chronic diseases. Implications of increased demands for mental health services and gaps in preventive care and chronic disease management may require focused efforts in primary care.
Repression of Smad4 by MicroRNA-1285 moderates TGF-β-induced epithelial–mesenchymal transition in proliferative vitreoretinopathy

The purpose of this study was to assess whether microRNA (miR)-1285 can suppress the epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) in retinal pigment epithelial cells. Expression of miR-1285 was evaluated using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). The features of EMT were assessed using Western blotting, immunocytochemical staining, scratch wound healing tests, modified Boyden chamber assay, and collagen gel contraction assay. A rabbit model of proliferative vitreoretinopathy (PVR) was used for in vivo testing, which involved the induction of PVR by injection of transfected ARPE cells into the vitreous chamber. Luciferase reporter assay was performed to identify the putative target of miR-1285. The expression of miR-1285 was downregulated in ARPE-19 cells treated with transforming growth factor (TGF)-β. Overexpression of miR-1285 led to upregulation of zonula occludens-1, downregulation of α-smooth muscle actin and vimentin, cell migration and cell contractility—all EMT features—in the TGF-β2-treated ARPE-19 cells. The reporter assay indicated that the 3′ untranslated region of Smad4 was the direct target of miR1285. PVR progression was alleviated in the miR-1285 transfected rabbits. In conclusion, overexpression of miR-1285 attenuates TGF-β2-induced EMT in a rabbit model of PVR, and the effect of miR-1285 in PVR is dependent on Smad4. Further research is warranted to develop a feasible therapeutic approach for the prevention and treatment of PVR.
Staying Home, Staying Alive: Campus Food Pantry Student Clients’ Experiences During the COVID-19 Pandemic

In response to students’ food insecurity, a number of colleges and universities have taken action and established campus food pantries as part of their intervention plans. However, many of these pantries ceased operation due to COVID-19 campus shutdowns. The purpose of this study is to illustrate the short-term impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on postsecondary students, who use a university-provided food pantry. Drawing from semi-structured interviews with 12 participants, the thematic analysis explored the initial coping strategies these students used to endure the pandemic. Findings revealed that many students experienced the immediate effects of the pandemic in the form of income loss, self-isolation, anxiety, and appetite change. Although the pandemic interrupted these students’ journeys to continue their studies and become independent in various ways, the affected students implemented various coping strategies, including seeking help from family or friends, using available resources, cooking at home, and even trying to save money. However, considering that the targeted population in this study was already at risk because of their basic needs insecurity, these postsecondary students require extra attention from their higher education institutions in the case of emergencies, such as a global pandemic. In addition to its timely and relevant findings, this study provides important avenues for future research and intervention efforts.
Norcycloartocarpin targets Akt and suppresses Akt-dependent survival and epithelial-mesenchymal transition in lung cancer cells

In searching for novel targeted therapeutic agents for lung cancer treatment, norcycloartocarpin from Artocarpus gomezianus was reported in this study to promisingly interacted with Akt and exerted the apoptosis induction and epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition suppression. Selective cytotoxic profile of norcycloartocarpin was evidenced with approximately 2-fold higher IC50 in normal dermal papilla cells (DPCs) compared with human lung cancer A549, H460, H23, and H292 cells. We found that norcycloartocarpin suppressed anchorage-independent growth, cell migration, invasion, filopodia formation, and decreased EMT in a dose-dependent manner at 24 h, which were correlated with reduced protein levels of N-cadherin, Vimentin, Slug, p-FAK, p-Akt, as well as Cdc42. In addition, norcycloartocarpin activated apoptosis caspase cascade associating with restoration of p53, down-regulated Bcl-2 and augmented Bax in A549 and H460 cells. Interestingly, norcycloartocarpin showed potential inhibitory role on protein kinase B (Akt) the up-stream dominant molecule controlling EMT and apoptosis. Computational molecular docking analysis further confirmed that norcycloartocarpin has the best binding affinity of -12.52 kcal/mol with Akt protein at its critical active site. As Akt has recently recognized as an attractive molecular target for therapeutic approaches, these findings support its use as a plant-derived anticancer agent in cancer therapy.
Design, development, and evaluation of an interactive training simulator for teaching hospital information systems

BACKGROUND: In their apprenticeship program, health information technology (HIT) students are deprived of the ample opportunity to work with the hospital information system (HIS). This study aimed to design an interactive simulator for the HIS training and evaluate its effects on the informatics skills of HIT students. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study was conducted on 16 Bachelor of Science students of HIT at Kashan University of Medical Sciences in 2019. After the functionalities and features of the simulator were determined based on similar existing simulators, expert opinions were received to simulate eight important processes of admission, discharge, and transfer module in HIS. The scores of students’ skills and time taken to perform the processes were recorded and analyzed before and after the educational intervention. After they were trained by the simulator, the students filled out a usability evaluation questionnaire. The data were then analyzed in SPSS version 21. RESULTS: The simulators of health information systems were characterized by interactivity, multimedia applications, practice exercises, tests, and feedback. After the students were trained by the developed simulator, their skills scores improved significantly in 75% (6/8) of the processes, and the timespans of all processes decreased significantly (P < 0.05). The usability evaluation indicated the usability of the simulator was at a “good” level. CONCLUSIONS: According to the study results, using the simulator improves the informatics skills of HIT students in working with HIS. It is recommended that this method also be used in other apprenticeship programs to teach health information systems.
Risk factors and risk profiles for neck pain in young adults: Prospective analyses from adolescence to young adulthood—The North-Trøndelag Health Study

The objective was to investigate risk factors and risk profiles associated with neck pain in young adults using longitudinal data from the North-Trøndelag Health Study (HUNT). Risk factors were collected from adolescents (13–19 years of age), and neck pain was measured 11 years later. The sample was divided into two: Sample I included all participants (n = 1433), and Sample II (n = 832) included only participants who reported no neck/shoulder pain in adolescence. In multiple regression analyses in Sample I, female sex (OR = 1.9, 95% CI [1.3–2.9]), low physical activity level (OR = 1.6, 95% CI [1.0–2.5]), loneliness (OR = 2.0, 95% CI [1.2–3.5]), headache/migraine (OR = 1.7, 95% CI [1.2–2.6]), back pain (OR = 1.5, 95% CI [1.0–2.4]) and neck/shoulder pain (OR = 2.0, 95% [CI 1.3–3.0]) were associated with neck pain at the 11-year follow-up. Those with a risk profile including all these risk factors had the highest probability of neck pain of 67% in girls and 50% in boys. In Sample II, multiple regression analyses revealed that female sex (OR = 2.2, 95% CI [1.3–3.7]) and perceived low family income (OR = 2.4, 95% CI [1.1–5.1]) were associated with neck pain at the 11-year follow-up. Girls and boys with a perceived low family income had a 29% and 17% higher probability of neck pain than adolescents with a perceived high family income. The risk profiles in both samples showed that co-occurrence of risk factors, such as headache/migraine, neck/shoulder pain, back pain, low physical activity level, loneliness, and perceived low family income cumulatively increased the probability of neck pain in young adulthood. These results underline the importance of taking a broad perspective when studying, treating, and preventing neck pain in adolescents.
Peptide barcodes in dogs affected by mitral valve disease with and without pulmonary hypertension using MALDI-TOF MS and LC-MS/MS

Mitral valve disease (MVD) is an important and most frequently acquired heart disease found in dogs. MVD is classified into different stages according to its severity. There is a challenge in differentiation between asymptomatic and symptomatic stages of the MVD. Moreover, pulmonary hypertension (PH) is a common complication in dogs affected by MVD. In clinical practice, there are also some limitations to identify PH. Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) is a technique that can characterize specific patterns of peptide mass called peptide barcodes from various samples. Besides, in combination with liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS), potential peptide sequences associated with specific conditions could be identified. The present study aimed to use MALDI-TOF coupled with LC-MS/MS to characterize specific peptide barcodes and potential peptide candidates in serum samples from healthy dogs, dogs with MVD stage B (MVD B, asymptomatic stage), MVD stage C (MVD C, symptomatic stage), MVD stage B with PH (MVD B PH), and MVD stage C with PH (MVD C PH). Discrete clusters of the 5 sample groups were identified by 3D plot analysis. Peptide barcodes also revealed differences in peptide patterns among the 5 groups. Six amino acid sequences of peptide candidates at 1,225.60, 1,363.85, 1,688.71, 1789.52, 2020.21, and 2156.42 Da were identified as part of the proteins CLCN1, CLUL1, EDNRA, PTEN, SLC39A7, and CLN6, respectively. The network interactions between these discovered proteins and common cardiovascular drugs were also investigated. These results demonstrate that MALDI-TOF MS has promise as an optional technique for diagnosing dogs affected by asymptomatic and symptomatic stages of MVD with and without PH. Further studies are required to identify peptide barcodes in dogs with other diseases to create peptide barcode databases in veterinary medicine before using this method as a novel diagnostic tool in the future.
Silver nanoparticles nucleated in NaOH-treated halloysite: a potential antimicrobial material

Despite all recent advances in medical treatments, infectious diseases remain dangerous. This has led to intensive scientific research on materials with antimicrobial properties. Silver nanoparticles (Ag-NPs) are a well-established solution in this area. The present work studied the nucleation of silver on halloysite substrates modified by chemical treatment with NaOH. The resulting stabilized Ag-NPs were characterized by X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. The nucleation was characterized by thermogravimetric analysis and differential scanning calorimetry. The antimicrobial properties of the Ag-NPs were investigated against E. coli and S. aureus. The potential of the Ag-NPs for industrial application was tested by dispersing them into low-density polyethylene. The importance of the chemical affinity between matrix and additive was tested through coating the Ag-NPs with dodecanethiol, a non-polar surfactant. The resulting composites were characterized by scanning electron microscopy and in terms of surface antimicrobial activity. The results demonstrate that the Ag-NPs synthesized in this work are indeed antimicrobial, and that it is possible to imbue a polymeric matrix with the antimicrobial properties of Ag-NPs.
Integration of chronological omics data reveals mitochondrial regulatory mechanisms during the development of hepatocellular carcinoma

Mitochondria participate in multiple functions in eukaryotic cells. Although disruption of mitochondrial function has been associated with energetic deregulation in cancer, the chronological changes in mitochondria during cancer development remain unclear. With the aim to assess the role of mitochondria throughout cancer development, we analyzed samples chronologically obtained from induced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in rats. In our analyses, we integrated mitochondrial proteomic data, mitochondrial metabolomic data and nuclear genome transcriptomic data. We used pathway over-representation and weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) to integrate expression profiles of genes, miRNAs, proteins and metabolite levels throughout HCC development. Our results show that mitochondria are dynamic organelles presenting specific modifications in different stages of HCC development. We also found that mitochondrial proteomic profiles from tissues adjacent to nodules or tumor are determined more by the stage of HCC development than by tissue type, and we evaluated two models to predict HCC stage of the samples using proteomic profiles. Finally, we propose an omics integration pipeline to massively identify molecular features that could be further evaluated as key regulators, biomarkers or therapeutic targets. As an example, we show a group of miRNAs and transcription factors as candidates, responsible for mitochondrial metabolic modification in HCC.
The evolutionary history of the HUP domain

Abstract Among the enzyme lineages that undoubtedly emerged prior to the last universal common ancestor is the so-called HUP, which includes Class I aminoacyl tRNA synthetases (AARSs) as well as enzymes mediating NAD, FAD, and CoA biosynthesis. Here, we provide a detailed analysis of HUP evolution, from emergence to structural and functional diversification. The HUP is a nucleotide binding domain that uniquely catalyzes adenylation via the release of pyrophosphate. In contrast to other ancient nucleotide binding domains with the αβα sandwich architecture, such as P-loop NTPases, the HUP’s most conserved feature is not phosphate binding, but rather ribose binding by backbone interactions to the tips of β1 and/or β4. Indeed, the HUP exhibits unusual evolutionary plasticity and, while ribose binding is conserved, the location and mode of binding to the base and phosphate moieties of the nucleotide, and to the substrate(s) reacting with it, have diverged with time, foremost along the emergence of the AARSs. The HUP also beautifully demonstrates how a well-packed scaffold combined with evolvable surface elements promotes evolutionary innovation. Finally, we offer a scenario for the emergence of the HUP from a seed βαβ fragment, and suggest that despite an identical architecture, the HUP and the Rossmann represent independent emergences.
Mind-Body Practices and Self-Enhancement: Direct Replications of Gebauer et al.’s (2018) Experiments 1 and 2

Mind-body practices such as yoga and meditation are often believed to instill a “quiet ego,” entailing less self-enhancement. In two experiments, however, Gebauer et al. (2018) demonstrated that mind-body practices may actually increase self-enhancement, particularly because such practices become self-central bases for self-esteem. We conducted preregistered replications of both of Gebauer et al.’s experiments. Experiment 1 was a field study of Canadian yoga students (N = 97), and Experiment 2 was a multiwave meditation intervention among Canadian university students (N = 300). Our results supported Gebauer et al.’s original conclusions that mind-body practices increase self-enhancement. Although the self-centrality effects were not clearly replicated in either experiment, we found evidence that measurement and sampling differences may explain this discrepancy. Moreover, an integrative data analysis of the original and the replication data strongly supported all of Gebauer et al.’s conclusions. In short, we provide new evidence against the ego-quieting perspective and in support of the self-centrality interpretation of mind-body practices.
Simple Wearable Device to Reduce Stress When Delivering a Speech without Pre-training

Objectives There are many occasions in modern life when people must deliver presentations in front of audiences. Most people feel nervous before and while giving a speech. If there were a simple way to ease their stress, speakers would be able to perform better and their quality of life would improve. Consequently, this study aimed to alleviate the stress of speakers giving speeches by regulating breathing using a simple device. Methods To achieve this goal, a popular device, the Apple Watch, was chosen. Twenty-eight participants were divided into two groups: the Breathe app group and the non-Breathe app group. The Breathe app group regulated their breathing using the Breathe app installed on an Apple Watch before speech preparation. The non-Breathe app group listened to an explanation of the experiment so that they could not undertake their own stress-easing strategies. Participants prepared speeches about themselves and delivered them in front of the researcher. Results The Breathe app exercise eased stress during the exercise itself and the preparation phase of the speech task based on participants’ cardiac activity. However, stress was not alleviated during speech delivery. Conclusions Based on the experimental setting and results of this study, together with the findings of previous studies, introducing pre-training sessions and performing stress-easing tasks before and/or during a speech, such as sending vibrations to participants’ wearable devices, might be an effective way to reduce stress when delivering speeches immediately after the breath-regulating task.
Utilization of FAD-Glucose Dehydrogenase from T. emersonii for Amperometric Biosensing and Biofuel Cell Devices

Flavin-dependent glucose dehydrogenases (FAD-GDH) are oxygen-independent enzymes with high potential to be used as biocatalysts in glucose biosensing applications. Here, we present the construction of an amperometric biosensor and a biofuel cell device, which are based on a thermophilic variant of the enzyme originated from Talaromyces emersonii. The enzyme overexpression in Escherichia coli and its isolation and performance in terms of maximal bioelectrocatalytic currents were evaluated. We examined the biosensor’s bioelectrocatalytic activity in 2,6-dichlorophenolindophenol-, thionine-, and dichloro-naphthoquinone-mediated electron transfer configurations or in a direct electron transfer one. We showed a negligible interference effect and good stability for at least 20 h for the dichloro-naphthoquinone configuration. The constructed biosensor was also tested in interstitial fluid-like solutions to show high bioelectrocatalytic current responses. The bioanode was coupled with a bilirubin oxidase-based biocathode to generate 270 μW/cm2 in a biofuel cell device.
Generation of bone grafts using cryopreserved mesenchymal stromal cells and macroporous collagen-nanohydroxyapatite cryogels.

Bone tissue engineering strategy involves the 3D scaffolds and appropriate cell types promoting the replacement of the damaged area. In this work, we aimed to develop a fast and reliable clinically relevant protocol for engineering viable bone grafts, using cryopreserved adipose tissue-derived mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) and composite 3D collagen-nano-hydroxyapatite (nanoHA) scaffolds. Xeno- and DMSO-free cryopreserved MSCs were perfusion-seeded into the biomimetic collagen/nanoHA scaffolds manufactured by cryotropic gelation and their osteoregenerative potential was assessed in vitro and in vivo. Cryopreserved MSCs retained the ability to homogenously repopulate the whole volume of the scaffolds during 7 days of post-thaw culture. Moreover, the scaffold provided a suitable microenvironment for induced osteogenic differentiation of cells, confirmed by alkaline phosphatase activity and mineralization. Implantation of collagen-nanoHA cryogels with cryopreserved MSCs accelerated woven bone tissue formation, maturation of bone trabeculae, and vascularization of femur defects in immunosuppressed rats compared to cell-free collagen-nanoHA scaffolds. The established combination of xeno-free cell culture and cryopreservation techniques together with an appropriate scaffold design and cell repopulation approach accelerated the generation of viable bone grafts.