Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Plasticity in Cervical Motor Circuits following Spinal Cord Injury and Rehabilitation

Simple Summary Spinal cord injury results in a decreased quality of life and impacts hundreds of thousands of people in the US alone. This review discusses the underlying cellular mechanisms of injury and the concurrent therapeutic hurdles that impede recovery. It then describes the phenomena of neural plasticity—the nervous system’s ability to change. The primary focus of the review is on the impact of cervical spinal cord injury on control of the upper limbs. The neural plasticity that occurs without intervention is discussed, which shows new connections growing around the injury site and the involvement of compensatory movements. Rehabilitation-driven neural plasticity is shown to have the ability to guide connections to create more normal functions. Various novel stimulation and recording technologies are outlined for their role in further improving rehabilitative outcomes and gains in independence. Finally, the importance of sensory input, an often-overlooked aspect of motor control, is shown in driving neural plasticity. Overall, this review seeks to delineate the historical and contemporary research into neural plasticity following injury and rehabilitation to guide future studies. Abstract Neuroplasticity is a robust mechanism by which the central nervous system attempts to adapt to a structural or chemical disruption of functional connections between neurons. Mechanical damage from spinal cord injury potentiates via neuroinflammation and can cause aberrant changes in neural circuitry known as maladaptive plasticity. Together, these alterations greatly diminish function and quality of life. This review discusses contemporary efforts to harness neuroplasticity through rehabilitation and neuromodulation to restore function with a focus on motor recovery following cervical spinal cord injury. Background information on the general mechanisms of plasticity and long-term potentiation of the nervous system, most well studied in the learning and memory fields, will be reviewed. Spontaneous plasticity of the nervous system, both maladaptive and during natural recovery following spinal cord injury is outlined to provide a baseline from which rehabilitation builds. Previous research has focused on the impact of descending motor commands in driving spinal plasticity. However, this review focuses on the influence of physical therapy and primary afferent input and interneuron modulation in driving plasticity within the spinal cord. Finally, future directions into previously untargeted primary afferent populations are presented.
Combining Hypermethylated RASSF1A Detection Using ddPCR with miR-371a-3p Testing: An Improved Panel of Liquid Biopsy Biomarkers for Testicular Germ Cell Tumor Patients

Simple Summary Testicular germ cell tumors are the most common solid cancers in men aged between 15–39 years. There is a need of non-invasive biomarkers for diagnosis and follow-up of these patients. miR-371a-3p has emerged as the most reliable biomarker of this disease, but fails to detect the teratoma subtype, which has clinical implications. In this work we describe a new method that combines miR-371a-3p quantification using RT-qPCR and hypermethylated RASSF1A quantification by droplet digital PCR in serum samples of these patients. The combination of both biomarkers detected disease (including teratoma) with a sensitivity of 100%, using cutoffs that made all healthy participants negative, being of interest for implementation in the clinical setting. Abstract The classical serum tumor markers used routinely in the management of testicular germ cell tumor (TGCT) patients—alpha fetoprotein (AFP) and human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG)—show important limitations. miR-371a-3p is the most recent promising biomarker for TGCTs, but it is not sufficiently informative for detection of teratoma, which is therapeutically relevant. We aimed to test the feasibility of hypermethylated RASSF1A (RASSF1AM) detected in circulating cell-free DNA as a non-invasive diagnostic marker of testicular germ cell tumors, combined with miR-371a-3p. A total of 109 serum samples of patients and 29 sera of healthy young adult males were included, along with representative cell lines and tumor tissue samples. We describe a novel droplet digital polymerase chain reaction (ddPCR) method for quantitatively assessing RASSF1AM in liquid biopsies. Both miR-371a-3p (sensitivity = 85.7%) and RASSF1AM (sensitivity = 86.7%) outperformed the combination of AFP and HCG (sensitivity = 65.5%) for TGCT diagnosis. RASSF1AM detected 88% of teratomas. In this representative cohort, 14 cases were negative for miR-371a-3p, all of which were detected by RASSF1AM, resulting in a combined sensitivity of 100%. We have described a highly sensitive and specific panel of biomarkers for TGCT patients, to be validated in the context of patient follow-up and detection of minimal residual disease.
Time-Dependent Reduction of Calcium Oscillations in Adipose-Derived Stem Cells Differentiating towards Adipogenic and Osteogenic Lineage

Adipose-derived mesenchymal stromal cells (ASCs) are multipotent stem cells which can differentiate into various cell types, including osteocytes and adipocytes. Due to their ease of harvesting, multipotency, and low tumorigenicity, they are a prime candidate for the development of novel interventional approaches in regenerative medicine. ASCs exhibit slow, spontaneous Ca2+ oscillations and the manipulation of Ca2+ signalling via electrical stimulation was proposed as a potential route for promoting their differentiation in vivo. However, the effects of differentiation-inducing treatments on spontaneous Ca2+ oscillations in ASCs are not yet fully characterised. In this study, we used 2-photon live Ca2+ imaging to assess the fraction of cells showing spontaneous oscillations and the frequency of the oscillation (measured as interpeak interval—IPI) in ASCs undergoing osteogenic or adipogenic differentiation, using undifferentiated ASCs as controls. The measurements were carried out at 7, 14, and 21 days in vitro (DIV) to assess the effect of time in culture on Ca2+ dynamics. We observed that both time and differentiation treatment are important factors associated with a reduced fraction of cells showing Ca2+ oscillations, paralleled by increased IPI times, in comparison with untreated ASCs. Both adipogenic and osteogenic differentiation resulted in a reduction in Ca2+ dynamics, such as the fraction of cells showing intracellular Ca2+ oscillations and their frequency. Adipogenic differentiation was associated with a more pronounced reduction of Ca2+ dynamics compared to cells differentiating towards the osteogenic fate. Changes in Ca2+ associated oscillations with a specific treatment had already occurred at 7 DIV. Finally, we observed a reduction in Ca2+ dynamics over time in untreated ASCs. These data suggest that adipogenic and osteogenic differentiation cell fates are associated with specific changes in spontaneous Ca2+ dynamics over time. While this observation is interesting and provides useful information to understand the functional correlates of stem cell differentiation, further studies are required to clarify the molecular and mechanistic correlates of these changes. This will allow us to better understand the causal relationship between Ca2+ dynamics and differentiation, potentially leading to the development of novel, more effective interventions for both bone regeneration and control of adipose growth.
Apoptotic Cells Trigger Calcium Entry in Phagocytes by Inducing the Orai1-STIM1 Association

Swift and continuous phagocytosis of apoptotic cells can be achieved by modulation of calcium flux in phagocytes. However, the molecular mechanism by which apoptotic cells modulate calcium flux in phagocytes is incompletely understood. Here, using biophysical, biochemical, pharmaceutical, and genetic approaches, we show that apoptotic cells induced the Orai1-STIM1 interaction, leading to store-operated calcium entry (SOCE) in phagocytes through the Mertk-phospholipase C (PLC) γ1-inositol 1,4,5-triphosphate receptor (IP3R) axis. Apoptotic cells induced calcium release from the endoplasmic reticulum, which led to the Orai1-STIM1 association and, consequently, SOCE in phagocytes. This association was attenuated by masking phosphatidylserine. In addition, the depletion of Mertk, which indirectly senses phosphatidylserine on apoptotic cells, reduced the phosphorylation levels of PLCγ1 and IP3R, resulting in attenuation of the Orai1-STIM1 interaction and inefficient SOCE upon apoptotic cell stimulation. Taken together, our observations uncover the mechanism of how phagocytes engulfing apoptotic cells elevate the calcium level.
Transcriptome Analysis Provides Insights into Hepatic Responses to Trichloroisocyanuric Acid Exposure in Goldfish (Carassius auratus)

Simple Summary Trichloroisocyanuric acid (TCCA) has been widely used in public health and aquaculture for the prevention and treatment of diseases. As a strong oxidative disinfectant, TCCA may cause adverse influences on aquatic organisms and further poses a threat to the aquatic ecosystems. Nonetheless, the toxicological influences of TCCA on aquatic animals are still scarce and the mechanisms of the toxicity at the molecular levels in goldfish (Carassius auratus) have not been illustrated. The current study investigated the influences of sublethal concentration of TCCA on transcriptomic responses, the molecular indices of oxidative stress, and histopathological alterations in the hepatic and gill tissues of goldfish. The results indicated that TCCA exposure induced the disturbance of energy metabolism and the detoxification process. Furthermore, TCCA exposure also induced oxidative stress in the liver and caused pathological damage in gills. These findings could be useful to help understand the toxicological influences of TCCA on goldfish. Abstract In this study, goldfish (Carassius auratus) were exposed to 0 (control group) and 0.81 mg/L TCCA for four consecutive days. The liver transcriptome, the molecular indices of oxidative stress, and gills histopathology were investigated. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analysis indicated that energy metabolism-related pathways such as glycolysis/gluconeogenesis were significantly enriched, suggesting their perturbation in the liver of goldfish. Additionally, TCCA exposure also caused pathological damage in gills, which compromised physiological function and decreased oxygen intake capacity of gills, thus leading to the enhancement of anaerobic metabolism. This finding was confirmed by the significant upregulation of lactate dehydrogenase in the liver of goldfish. Moreover, many phase I and phase II metabolic enzymes might be activated to alleviate TCCA-induced toxicity in goldfish, and glutathione S-transferases (GSTs) and cytochrome P450s (CYPs) play a crucial role in the metabolism of TCCA in the liver of goldfish. Furthermore, the antioxidant enzyme analysis showed that TCCA exposure induced oxidative damage in the liver and partially impaired the antioxidant defense system of goldfish, evidenced by decreased superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT), and increased malondialdehyde (MDA) level. In summary, this study will improve our understanding of the molecular mechanisms of the TCCA-induced toxicity in goldfish.
Prevalence of Second Victims, Risk Factors, and Support Strategies among German Nurses (SeViD-II Survey)

Background: Second victim phenomena (SVP) are critical to workplace and patient safety, and epidemiological data are limited to investigate the causes and impact on German health care. We investigated SVP in German nurses regarding prevalence, causes, and predisposition compared to a preceding study on German physicians (Second Victims in Deutschland/SeViD-I). Methods: We conducted a nationwide anonymous cross-sectional online study in 2020 using a modified SeViD questionnaire including the BFI-10 (personality traits). Statistical analysis was conducted using chi² tests and binary logistic regression models. Results: Of 332 nurses, 60% reported to experience SVP at least once a working lifetime, with a 12-month prevalence among SVP of 49%. Of the nurses, 24% reported recovery times of more than 1 year. In contrast to physicians from SeViD-I, a main cause for becoming a second victim was aggressive behavior by patients. High neuroticism values, higher age, and medium work life experience, but neither gender nor workplace position, were predisposing for SVP. Like SeViD-I, nurses reported demand for an institutional response in cases of SVP. Conclusions: SVP is common among German nurses and comprises other causes and a different course than in physicians. Further research should concentrate on specific prevention strategies, e.g., profession- and workplace-based educational programs.
Predictors of Caregiver Burden of Patients with Alzheimer Disease Attending Day-Care Centres

Nowadays, there are plenty of programs and resources to prevent caregiver burden of patients with Alzheimer’s disease. In spite of that, many caregivers suffer high levels of burden and stress, which leads to an earlier institutionalization of patients. This study aimed to explore the predictors of burden in relative caregivers of patients attending day-care centers and the moderating role of caregiver kinship in these associations. A sample of a hundred and two patient–caregiver dyads was recruited. Burden was measured with a Zarit Burden Interview. Measures of patients’ cognition, insight, depression, behavioral disturbances, functional ability and overall physical health were considered as predictors. We found that apathy, irritability and delusions and, patients’ mobility are the main determinants of caregivers’ burden. The strength of relationship between delusions and irritability was higher in spouse caregivers. Interventions to reduce burden should be adapted to the specific needs of a particular type caregiver.
The Țigani Community Adaptability to Changes in Rural Romania and the COVID-19 Impact

Romanian rural villages are struggling to survive present times when youngsters leave for a better life in the city while elders work the land like a hundred years ago. Our paper integrates human environments research with public health preparedness, presenting the Țigani (Gypsy/Roma) ethnic group from rural Romania as an example to the world. The future security of mankind will require a new understanding of the human place in its environment. That will lead to a new society, not the most powerful or intelligent, but the one that is more adaptable to changes, with sensitive and interconnected community members. Therefore, the Țigani ethnic group that fought for its rights and flourished despite unfavorable odds, including the recent COVID-19 pandemic, represents the best example for a new world that prioritizes humans, promotes health and wellbeing, facilitating innovation and transformative networks environmental integration. This research attempts to quantify the Țigani′s unique attributes that helped their communities survive and made them more adaptive to change. Always marginalized, they identified the other ethnic groups’ weaknesses to penetrate the villages and learned to use the smartphone apps to communicate, for their trades, coppersmith, metal roof tiles and drainage systems. Our research was based on Geographical Information System, Microsoft Power Bi analytics data visualization tools and statistical analysis with SPSS V20 to demonstrate what enables their flourishing and what resistance they face locally. We argue that the Țigani′s intense social cooperation, strong sense of family, community and mutual assistance helped them to fight COVID-19, generating their significant adaptability to the societal changes and their power to keep intact their cultural identity. The results show how the constant growing Țigani population changed and may change Romania′s rural environments in the future.
Characterization, Stress Response and Functional Analyses of Giant River Prawn (Macrobrachium rosenbergii) Glucose-Regulated Protein 78 (Mr-grp78) under Temperature Stress and during Aeromonas hydrophila Infection

Simple Summary Glucose-regulated protein 78 (grp78) is classified as a member of the Hsp70 subfamily. This protein functions as a key factor in signal transduction associated with the unfolded protein response (UPR) in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) during cellular stress and protects against cell damage caused by toxic chemicals, oxidative stress, Ca2+ depletion, programmed cell death and various infectious conditions. To investigate this crucial mechanism in giant river prawn (Macrobrachium rosenbergii), we analyzed the biological function of prawn grp78 at the molecular level in this study. The regulation of this gene was intensively analyzed under normal bacterial infection and heat/cold-shock inductions. A functional analysis of this gene under heat and infectious stress conditions was performed by gene knockdown. The information obtained in the current study clearly indicates the crucially significant roles of grp78 in the cellular stress responses of the target experimental animal under various stress conditions. Abstract The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) is an organelle important for several functions of cellular physiology. This study identified the giant river prawn’s glucose-regulated protein 78 (Mr-grp78), which is important for ER stress mechanisms. Nucleotide and amino acid analyses of Mr-grp78, as compared with other species, revealed the highest similarity scores with the grp78 genes of crustaceans. An expression analysis by quantitative RT-PCR indicated that Mr-grp78 was expressed in all tissues and presented its highest expression in the ovary (57.64 ± 2.39-fold), followed by the gills (42.25 ± 1.12), hindgut (37.15 ± 2.47), thoracic ganglia (28.55 ± 2.45) and hemocytes (28.45 ± 2.26). Expression analysis of Mr-grp78 mRNA levels under Aeromonas hydrophila induction and heat/cold-shock exposure was conducted in the gills, hepatopancreas and hemocytes. The expression levels of Mr-grp78 in these tissues were highly upregulated 12 h after bacterial infection. In contrast, under heat- and cold-shock conditions, the expression of Mr-grp78 was significantly suppressed in the gills at 24–96 h and in the hepatopancreas at 12 h (p < 0.05). A functional analysis via Mr-grp78 gene knockdown showed that Mr-grp78 transcription in the gills, hepatopancreas and muscle strongly decreased from 6 to 96 h. Furthermore, the silencing of this gene effectively increased the sensitivity of the tested prawns to heat- and pathogenic-bacterium-induced stress. The results of this study clearly demonstrate the significant functional roles of Mr-grp78 in response to both temperature and pathogen treatments.
Integrated Proteomic and Transcriptomic Analysis of Gonads Reveal Disruption of Germ Cell Proliferation and Division, and Energy Storage in Glycogen in Sterile Triploid Pacific Oysters (Crassostrea gigas)

Triploid oysters have poor gonadal development, which can not only bring higher economic benefits but also have a potential application in the genetic containment of aquaculture. However, the key factors that influence germ cell development in triploid oysters remain unclear. In this study, data-independent acquisition coupled to transcriptomics was applied to identify genes/proteins related to sterility in triploid Crassostrea gigas. Eighty-four genes were differentially expressed at both the protein and mRNA levels between fertile and sterile females. For male oysters, 207 genes were differentially expressed in the transcriptomic and proteomic analysis. A large proportion of downregulated genes were related to cell division, which may hinder germ cell proliferation and cause apoptosis. In sterile triploid females, a primary cause of sterility may be downregulation in the expression levels of certain mitotic cell cycle-related genes. In sterile triploid males, downregulation of genes related to cell cycle and sperm motility indicated that the disruption of mitosis or meiosis and flagella defects may be linked with the blocking of spermatogenesis. Additionally, the genes upregulated in sterile oysters were mainly associated with the biosynthesis of glycogen and fat, suggesting that sterility in triploids stimulates the synthesis of glycogen and energy conservation in gonad tissue.
Loneliness and Depression among Women in Poland during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has forced many changes in the functioning of people all over the world in a short period of time. According to a WHO report (2020), it is women who are at a particular risk of the negative effects of the pandemic, especially in terms of mental health. Aim of study: The aim of the study was to assess the prevalence of anxiety, depression, irritability, and loneliness among adult women during the COVID-19 pandemic. Materials and methods: The study was conducted on a representative sample of women in Poland (n = 452). The data were collected using the HADS-M scale and the R-UCLA scale. Results: A low level of loneliness was found in 37.3% of the women, moderate in 38.9%, moderately high in 22.3% and very high in 1.3% of women. Self-rating of physical and mental health was significantly positively correlated with anxiety, depression, and irritability in HADS-M, and loneliness in R-UCLA. As the severity of loneliness increased, so did Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale scores on all subscales (p < 0.001). Conclusions: The study group presented with mental well-being disorders in the form of anxiety and depression. Two in three women experienced loneliness.
Effect of Light Regiment on Farrowing Performance and Behavior in Sows

Simple Summary When sows approach birthing in most commercial farms, they are often exposed to continuous light to help farm workers monitor pig health and progress. Being in constant lighting may have a negative effect on sows as mammals often prefer a quiet environment with low stimulation during birthing. In our study, we placed 15 sows in a 12 h light/12 h dark environment, and 15 sows in 24 h light. Sows were watched for ease of farrowing (measured in total time farrowing, birthing interval, and behavior during farrowing). We also measured total piglets born alive and stillborn piglets. Overall, we observed that sows who received darkness gave birth earlier in gestation. Light availability had no effect on total piglets born alive, farrowing behavior, or total length of time giving birth. It was observed that there were more stillborn animals for the sows who received darkness. Overall, it is possible that light availability could have an impact on farrowing behavior and health; however, more factors should be considered in the environment. Abstract The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of light exposure on farrowing performance in sows. Thirty sows were moved to the farrowing unit at d 110 of gestation and assigned a treatment: 12 h light/12 h dark cycle (Dark) or 24 h light (Light). Treatments began upon entry into the farrowing unit. Video was recorded continuously from initiation of the treatments until completion of farrowing. Data collected included duration of farrowing, birthing interval, and behavior during farrowing. Additionally, the number of total born, liveborn, and stillborn piglets was recorded. Gestation length was different between treatments, with a shorter gestation in Dark treatment sows than Light treatment sows (116.4 vs. 117.1 ± 0.2 d, respectively; p = 0.027). The total duration of parturition and number of liveborn did not differ (p = 0.393). Number of stillborn piglets between treatments did differ (p = 0.018). Dark had more stillborns compared to Light treatment sows (1.5 vs. 0.7 ± 0.2 piglets, respectively). Neither the interval between piglets nor farrowing behavior differed between treatments (p > 0.100). The results from this experiment indicate that a sudden change in photoperiod has the potential to impact the gestation length of sows and number of stillborn pigs.