Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Fluorescence Enhancement of Levosulpiride Upon Coordination with Transition Metal Ions and Spectrophotometric Determination of Complex Formation

Abstract Absorbance and fluorescence spectral pattern of levosulpiride in absence and presence of first row transition metal ions (Mn-Zn) has been studied at room temperature under physiological condition. The fluorescence spectra of the drug in presence of different concentrations of transition metal ions showed enhancement in fluorescence intensity of levosulpiride. The photophysical changes owing to the direct interaction between metal ion and the amide nitrogen of levosulpiride has been described in terms of CHEF (chelating enhancement fluorescence) effect. The absorption spectra of the drug at different pH exhibited two isosbestic points at 255 and 275 nm respectively, indicating the presence of three chemical species in solution. The ratio of the drug to metal ions is found to be 2:1 and the log K of the resulting complex was determined spectrophotometrically and potentiometrically. The apparent ionization constant of levosulpiride is found to be 8.98. The low value of stability constant suggests that complexes may dissolve and the drug can be absorbed.
Understanding Host Immunity and the Gut Microbiota Inspires the New Development of Vaccines and Adjuvants

Vaccinations improve the mortality and morbidity rates associated with several infections through the generation of antigen-specific immune responses. Adjuvants are often used together with vaccines to improve immunogenicity. However, the immune responses induced by most on-going vaccines and adjuvants approved for human use vary in individuals; this is a limitation that must be overcome to improve vaccine efficacy. Several reports have indicated that the symbiotic bacteria, particularly the gut microbiota, impact vaccine-mediated antigen-specific immune responses and promote the induction of nonspecific responses via the “training” of innate immune cells. Therefore, the interaction between gut microbiota and innate immune cells should be considered to ensure the optimal immunogenicity of vaccines and adjuvants. In this review, we first introduce the current knowledge on the immunological mechanisms of vaccines and adjuvants. Subsequently, we discuss how the gut microbiota influences immunity and highlight the relationship between gut microbes and trained innate immunity, vaccines, and adjuvants. Understanding these complex interactions will provide insights into novel vaccine approaches centered on the gut microbiota.
Regulation of CREB Phosphorylation in Nucleus Accumbens after Relief Conditioning

Relief learning is the association of environmental cues with the cessation of aversive events. While there is increasing knowledge about the neural circuitry mediating relief learning, the respective molecular pathways are not known. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to examine different putative molecular pathways underlying relief learning. To this purpose, male rats were subjected either to relief conditioning or to a pseudo conditioning procedure. Forty-five minutes or 6 h after conditioning, samples of five different brain regions, namely the prefrontal cortex, nucleus accumbens (NAC), dorsal striatum, dorsal hippocampus, and amygdala, were collected. Using quantitative Western blots, the expression level of CREB, pCREB, ERK1/2, pERK1/2, CaMKIIα, MAP2K, PKA, pPKA, Akt, pAkt, DARPP-32, pDARPP-32, 14-3-3, and neuroligin2 were studied. Our analyses revealed that relief conditioned rats had higher CREB phosphorylation in NAC 6 h after conditioning than pseudo conditioned rats. The data further revealed that this CREB phosphorylation was mainly induced by dopamine D1 receptor-mediated activation of PKA, however, other kinases, downstream of the NMDA receptor, may also contribute. Taken together, the present study suggests that CREB phosphorylation, induced by a combination of different molecular pathways downstream of dopamine D1 and NMDA receptors, is essential for the acquisition and consolidation of relief learning.
Sweet Syndrome precipitated by Mycobacterium abscessus in a Laotian Man with Autoantibodies to Interferon Gamma

Autoantibodies to interferon γ, part of the first line of defense in the human immune response, constitutes a rare form of an acquired immunodeficiency in HIV-uninfected adults that can predispose to disseminated atypical mycobacterial infection. Particularly, this has been described in people of Southeast Asian origin. In this case report, we describe a previously healthy, Laotian man who presented with skin lesions consistent with Sweet syndrome that were later found to be precipitated by disseminated atypical mycobacterial disease. Extensive immunological workup revealed the patient to have autoantibodies to interferon γ, rendering him susceptible to this infection. Our report demonstrates a complex case with a multilayered diagnosis, while inviting perspective from multiple specialties. This enigmatic case emphasizes the importance of a broad differential with special attention to demographics while demonstrating the difficulty in treating certain atypical infections that are inherently multidrug resistant.
A V3C2 MXene/graphene heterostructure as a sustainable electrode material for metal ion batteries

Individually, MXene and graphene based frameworks have been recognized as promising 2D electrode materials for metal ion batteries. Herein, we have engineered a heterostructure of V3C2 MXene and graphene using computational design. A comprehensive investigation of designed heterostructure has been reported in this work. Simulated heterostructure has been evaluated for various functionalities such as high performance of thermal stability, metal ion intercalation, diffusion energy using density functional theory method. Interestingly, simulation examinations and obtained calculations demonstrate the high storage capacity of Li and Ca (598.63 mAh g−1), and Na (555.87 mAh g−1) with the designed V3C2/graphene model. Promising diffusion energy barriers for Li (0.11 eV), Na (0.17 eV) and Ca (0.15 eV) ions are also investigated and have explained systematically in the present work. Moreover, we have achieved high capacity and fast charge/discharge rates of V3C2/graphene heterostructure indicating its promising electrode potential efficiency for ion batteries especially for Na ion battery. Thus, our investigation demonstrate the advantages of newly designed V3C2 MXene and graphene heterostructure for advance metal ion batteries.
Minimal Clinically Important Difference for Quadriceps Muscle Strength in People with COPD following Pulmonary Rehabilitation

Abstract Quadriceps strength training is a key component of pulmonary rehabilitation (PR). Clinical interpretability of changes in muscle strength following PR is however limited due to the lack of cut-off values to define clinical improvement. This study estimated the minimal clinically important difference (MCID) for the isotonic and isometric quadriceps muscle strength assessed with the one-repetition maximum (1RM) and hand-held dynamometry (HHD) in people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) following PR. A secondary analysis of a real life non-randomised controlled study was conducted in people with COPD enrolled in a 12-week community-based PR programme. Anchor and distribution-based methods were used to compute the MCIDs. The anchors explored were the St. George’s respiratory questionnaire (SGRQ) and the six-minute walk test (6MWT) using Pearson’s correlations. Pooled MCIDs were computed using the arithmetic weighted mean (2/3 anchor, 1/3 distribution-based methods) and reported as absolute and/or percentage of change values. Eighty-nine people with COPD (84% male, 69.9 ± 7.9 years, FEV1 49.9 ± 18.9% predicted) were included. No correlations were found between changes in 1RM and the SGRQ neither between changes in HHD and the SGRQ and 6MWT (p > 0.05). Thus, anchor-based methods were used only in the MCID of the 1RM with the 6MWT as the anchor. The pooled MCIDs were 5.7Kg and 26.9% of change for the isotonic quadriceps muscle strength with 1RM and 5.2KgF for isometric quadriceps muscle strength assessed with HHD. The MCIDs found are estimates to improve interpretability of community-based PR effects on quadriceps muscle strength and may contribute to guide interventions.
Effect of brain normalization methods on the construction of functional connectomes from resting‐state functional MRI in patients with gliomas

Spatial normalization is an essential step in resting‐state functional MRI connectomic analysis with atlas‐based parcellation, but brain lesions can confound it. Cost‐function masking (CFM) is a popular compensation approach, but may not benefit modern normalization methods. This study compared three normalization methods with and without CFM and determined their impact on connectomic measures in patients with glioma.
The Glyoxysomal Protease LON2 Is Involved in Fruiting-Body Development, Ascosporogenesis and Stress Resistance in Sordaria macrospora

Microbodies, including peroxisomes, glyoxysomes and Woronin bodies, are ubiquitous dynamic organelles that play important roles in fungal development. The ATP-dependent chaperone and protease family Lon that maintain protein quality control within the organelle significantly regulate the functionality of microbodies. The filamentous ascomycete Sordaria macrospora is a model organism for studying fruiting-body development. The genome of S. macrospora encodes one Lon protease with the C-terminal peroxisomal targeting signal (PTS1) serine-arginine-leucine (SRL) for import into microbodies. Here, we investigated the function of the protease SmLON2 in sexual development and during growth under stress conditions. Localization studies revealed a predominant localization of SmLON2 in glyoxysomes. This localization depends on PTS1, since a variant without the C-terminal SRL motif was localized in the cytoplasm. A ΔSmlon2 mutant displayed a massive production of aerial hyphae, and produced a reduced number of fruiting bodies and ascospores. In addition, the growth of the ΔSmlon2 mutant was completely blocked under mild oxidative stress conditions. Most of the defects could be complemented with both variants of SmLON2, with and without PTS1, suggesting a dual function of SmLON2, not only in microbody, but also in cytosolic protein quality control.
Host–virus interaction and viral evasion

With each infectious pandemic or outbreak, the medical community feels the need to revisit basic concepts of immunology to understand and overcome the difficult times brought about by these infections. Regarding viruses, they have historically been responsible for many deaths, and such a peculiarity occurs because they are known to be obligate intracellular parasites that depend upon the host's cell machinery for their replication. Successful infection with the production of essential viral components requires constant viral evolution as a strategy to manipulate the cellular environment, including host internal factors, the host's nonspecific and adaptive immune responses to viruses, the metabolic and energetic state of the infected cell, and changes in the intracellular redox environment during the viral infection cycle. Based on this knowledge, it is fundamental to develop new therapeutic strategies for controlling viral dissemination, by means of antiviral therapies, vaccines, or antioxidants, or by targeting the inhibition or activation of cell signaling pathways or metabolic pathways that are altered during infection. The rapid recovery of altered cellular homeostasis during viral infection is still a major challenge. Here, we review the strategies by which viruses evade the host's immune response and potential tools used to develop more specific antiviral therapies to cure, control, or prevent viral diseases.
Dietary magnesium intake in relation to body mass index and glycemic indices in middle school students from the HEALTHY Study

Background: Data on dietary magnesium intake on the risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) among children and adolescents is limited. Aim: We examined whether dietary magnesium intake was related to body mass index (BMI) percentile, and glycemic indices at baseline and at end of the HEALTHY Study for both intervention and control schools. The HEALTHY Study was a multi-component, school-based intervention, to prevent T2DM in children and adolescents from 6th to 8th grades. Methods: A secondary data analyses of 2181 ethnically diverse students with completed dietary records, BMI percentile, and plasma insulin and glucose concentrations at baseline (6th grade) and end of study (8th grade) were included from the HEALTHY Study. Dietary magnesium intake was self-reported using the Block Kids Food Frequency Questionnaire. A hierarchical multiple regression model was used to determine the relationships between dietary magnesium intake, BMI percentile, and glycemic indices at baseline and end of the HEALTHY Study, adjusting for magnesium intake from supplements, total energy intake, and fitness level. Results: Dietary magnesium intake was related to BMI percentile at baseline and at end of the HEATHY Study (β = −0.05, 95% CI = −0.02 to 0, p = 0.04; β = −0.06, 95% CI = −0.02 to −0.003, p = 0.004); R 2 [regression coefficient effect size] = 0.03; R 2 = 0.06). Dietary magnesium intake was not related to plasma insulin and glucose concentrations at baseline and end of the HEALTHY Study. Conclusion: Dietary magnesium intake was inversely related to BMI percentile among middle school students from the HEALTHY Study. Research is required to evaluate the dose-response relationship between fruit and vegetable consumption (good sources of magnesium) and risk of T2DM in children and adolescents. This relationship also needs to be explored among different BMI categories.
Suicidal Ideation Risk and Socio-Cultural Factors in China: A Longitudinal Study on Social Media from 2010 to 2018

Many studies cited the importance of social factors as protective and risk factors for suicide. However, there is a lack of evidence on the influences of cultural and moral values. This study aims to examine the association between cultural values and suicidal ideation risks detected on an online social media platform. We collected a total of 5.1 billion pieces of Weibo posts from 2010 to 2018 to calculate their suicidal ideation risks as measured by psychache in the Chinese Suicide Dictionary. We calculated the word frequencies of cultural and moral values based on Cultural Value Dictionary and Moral Foundation Dictionary. We collected economic and population data from the China National Bureau of Statistics. Two-way fixed-effect models were performed to analyze the association between culture, economy, and population factors and suicidal ideation risks. The results confirm the relations between high suicidal ideation risk and public concerns of vice under the Chinese context such as harm (β = 0.193, p < 0.01), betrayal (β = 0.096, p < 0.01), and dirty (β = 0.624, p < 0.001). In addition, extremely individualistic or collectivistic values of the public were associated with high suicidal ideation risks. The finding indicated the significant impact of social culture on suicide risk apart from the influence of the social economy and population characteristics. Our evidence informs population-based suicide prevention policymakers that incorporating cultural and moral values can help prevent suicidal ideation in China.
An Ethical Assessment Tool (ETHAS) to Evaluate the Application of Assisted Reproductive Technologies in Mammals’ Conservation: The Case of the Northern White Rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum cottoni)

Simple Summary Applying assisted reproductive technologies (ARTs) to the conservation of endangered species may be the only way to save them from extinction. However, ART application can raise relevant ethical issues and could benefit from a comprehensive ethical assessment. Unfortunately, there is a lack of attention to the topic in the scientific literature and, to our knowledge, there is no tool for the ethical assessment of ARTs in the context of conservation that has been described. In the present paper, we show the effects of applying a dedicated ethical self-assessment tool, the Ethical Assessment Tool (ETHAS), to ovum pick-up and in vitro fertilization procedures performed within the BioRescue project. The BioRescue project is an international enterprise using ARTs to save the northern white rhinoceros from extinction. The situation of the northern white rhinoceros is particularly critical as there are only two individuals of this subspecies still alive and they are both infertile females. The application of the ETHAS to the procedures contributed to the overall acceptability of the project and improved communication among the project’s partners. In turn, the tool itself was also refined through an iterative consultation process between experts (both ethicists and scientists) and stakeholders. Abstract Assisted reproductive technologies (ARTs) can make a difference in biodiversity conservation. Their application, however, can create risks and raise ethical issues that need addressing. Unfortunately, there is a lack of attention to the topic in the scientific literature and, to our knowledge, there is no tool for the ethical assessment of ARTs in the context of conservation that has been described. This paper reports the first applications of the Ethical Assessment Tool (ETHAS) to trans-rectal ovum pick-up (OPU) and in vitro fertilization (IVF) procedures used in a northern white rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum cottoni) conservation project. The ETHAS consists of two checklists, the Ethical Evaluation Sheet and the Ethical Risk Assessment, and is specifically customized for each ART procedure. It provides an integrated, multilevel and standardized self-assessment of the procedure under scrutiny, generating an ethical acceptability ranking (totally, partially, not acceptable) and a risk rank (low, medium, high), and, hence, allows for implementing measures to address or manage issues beforehand. The application of the ETHAS to the procedures performed on the northern white rhinoceros was effective in ensuring a high standard of procedures, contributing to the acceptability and improved communication among the project’s partners. In turn, the tool itself was also refined through an iterative consultation process between experts and stakeholders.
Corneal Biomechanics Computational Analysis for Keratoconus Diagnosis

Abstract Differentiation of endometrial stromal cells (ESCs) into secretory decidualized cells (dESCs) is essential for embryo implantation. Adenomyosis is a common benign gynecological disease that causes infertility. However, whether adenomyosis affects decidualization of human ESCs is elusive. Primary eutopic ESCs were obtained from patients with adenomyosis (n = 9) and women with nonendometrial diseases (n = 12). We determined the capacity of decidualization of human ESCs by qRT-PCR, Edu proliferation assay, cytokine array, and ELISA assay. We found that the expression of decidualization markers (IGFBP1 and PRL) in ESCs of adenomyosis was reduced, concomitant with increased cell proliferation. Differential secretion of cytokines in dESCs, including CXCL1/2/3, IL-6, IL-8, MCP-1, VEGF-A, MIP-3α, OPN, SDF-1α, HGF, and MMP-9, was observed between adenomyosis and nonadenomyosis. Moreover, the expression of decidualization regulators (HOXA10 at both mRNA and protein levels, FOXO1, KLF5, CEBPB, and HAND2 at mRNA levels) in the eutopic endometrium of adenomyosis was lower than that of nonadenomyosis. We propose that ESCs from adenomyosis have defected ability to full decidualization, which may lead to a nonreceptive endometrium. Summary Sentence. The endometrial stromal cells of adenomyosis exhibit an aberrant decidualization response, accompanied by changes in the secretion of cytokines and matrix metalloproteinases, which may cause an unreceptive endometrium. Graphical Abstract
Description of an integrated e-health monitoring system in a Portuguese higher education institution: the e.cuidHaMUstm program

Background: The World Health Organization and the International Labour Organization recognize that workplace health is not only affected by occupational hazards, but is mainly affected by social determinants and individual factors. An accelerated rise in noncommunicable diseases has fostered the importance of creating supportive environments and encouraging healthy behaviours. Therefore, an operational approach to making workplaces healthy and sustainable is needed. This paper describes the development of an e-Health monitoring program entitled ‘Integrated eHealth Monitoring System for Health Management in Universities’ (e.cuidHaMUsTM) as a possible solution to that operational approach. Methods: We developed the program e.cuidHaMUsTM that proposes to detect risk behaviours related to noncommunicable diseases and to implement problem-solving measures by establishing a health-promoting workspace in a Portuguese higher education institution. Based on the ‘I-Change’ conceptual model, our program provides personalized feedback; improves health-related knowledge, attitude and good practices; and encourages actions to promote healthy lifestyles through individual health capacitation. Focusing on evaluation as an activity that generates knowledge, the e.cuidHaMUsTM program aggregates all the relevant health information, shares the results with decision-makers and evaluates health-related policy changes in the workplace. Discussion: This paper presents the design of the e.cuidHaMUsTM program, the development of an eHealth web platform to share information between the different stakeholders, and a questionnaire to evaluate the health status of higher education institution workers (e.cuidHaMUs.QueST®). Also, the procedures for data collection and analysis are outlined. The e.cuidHaMUsTM program can enhance health surveillance through cross-sectional and longitudinal studies and provide scientific evidence to support the envisioned interventions and promotions of healthy lifestyles. This program is an effort to incorporate a holistic culture of health-promoting workspace in higher education institution policies.
Phenotypic and genotypic virulence features of staphylococcal strains isolated from difficult-to-treat skin and soft tissue infections

Chronic infections represent an important burden on the healthcare system and have a significant impact on the patients’ quality of life. While Staphylococcus spp. are commensal bacteria, they can become pathogenic, leading to various types of infections. In this study we aimed to characterize the virulence profiles of staphylococcal strains involved in difficult-to-treat skin and soft tissue infections, from both phenotypic and genotypic points of view. Phenotypic ability of the strains to secrete soluble virulence factors was assessed by a culturing dependent assay and their capacity to develop biofilms on inert substrate was screened by an adapted crystal violet microtiter method. We also tested the presence of several virulence genes by PCR. Most of the studied strains were isolated from purulent secretions of acne lesions and frequently secreted two or three soluble virulence factors. Most frequently secreted soluble virulence factors were caseinase (89%), lipase (71%) and lecithinase (67%). Almost half of the strains produced a well-represented biofilm. The molecular characterization showed the presence of the genes cna, hlg, clfA, and clfB. Staphylococcal strains that produce difficult-to-treat skin and soft tissue infections seem to be characterized by an enhanced ability to produce different soluble virulence factors and to develop biofilms in vitro. Further studies need to be developed in other Staphylococcus spp. infections in order to confirm this hypothesis.