Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Different Modulatory Effects of Cognitive Training and Aerobic Exercise on Resting State Functional Connectivity of Entorhinal Cortex in Community-Dwelling Older Adults

The entorhinal cortex (EC) plays an essential role in age-related cognitive decline. However, the effect of functional connectivity (FC) changes between EC and other cerebral cortices on cognitive function remains unclear. The aim of this study was to explore the modulation of two interventions (cognitive training and aerobic exercise) on EC-FC in community-dwelling older adults. In total, 94 healthy older adults aged between 65 and 75 years were assigned to either the cognitive training or aerobic exercise group to receive 24 sessions over 12 weeks, or to a control group. Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging was performed at both baseline and 12-month follow-up. Compared to the cognitive training group, the aerobic exercise group showed greater EC-FC in the bilateral middle temporal gyrus, right supramarginal gyrus, left angular gyrus, and right postcentral gyrus. Compared to the control group, the cognitive training group had a decreased EC-FC in the right hippocampus, right middle temporal gyrus, left angular gyrus, and right postcentral gyrus and an increased EC-FC in the bilateral pallidum, while the aerobic exercise group showed increased EC-FC between the right medial prefrontal cortex(mPFC), bilateral pallidum, and right precuneus. Baseline EC-FC in the mPFC was positively correlated with the visuospatial/constructional index score of the Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status. In the cognitive training group, EC-FC value changes in the right hippocampus were negatively correlated with changes in the RBANS delayed memory index score, while in the aerobic exercise group, EC-FC value changes in the left angular gyrus were positively correlated with changes in the RBANS attention index score. These findings support the hypothesis that both cognitive training and aerobic exercise can modulate EC-FC in aging populations but through different neural pathways.
Retinoic Acid Downregulates HSPB8 Gene Expression in Human Breast Cancer Cells MCF-7

Breast cancer (BC) is a serious and widespread disease for which different treatments have been developed. In addition to the classic therapies, the treatment with retinoic acid (RA) is still being clinically investigated. RA reduces cancer cells proliferation and migration, but its molecular mechanism of action is not clear. In tumor development, autophagy promotes cancer cell survival and prevents apoptosis. Small heat shock protein B8 (HSPB8) acts together with its co-chaperone BCL-2 associated athanogene 3 (BAG3) stimulating BC proliferation and migration. We analyzed whether direct correlations exist between RA and HSPB8 or BAG3 and how this may play a role in BC. We measured HSPB8 and BAG3 gene expression in MCF-7 BC cells and we analyzed the potential correlation between the antiproliferative and antimigratory effect of RA with the expression level of HSPB8. We found that in MCF-7 cells RA reduces both HSPB8 and BAG3 gene expression and it alters the mitotic spindle organization. Notably, the effects of RA on HSPB8 levels are exerted at both transcriptional and translational levels. RA effects are possibly mediated by miR-574-5p that targets the HSPB8 transcript. Our results suggest that therapeutic doses of RA can efficiently counteract the adverse effects of HSPB8 in BC progression.
Cross-Talk Between Inflammation and Fibroblast Growth Factor 10 During Organogenesis and Pathogenesis: Lessons Learnt From the Lung and Other Organs

The adult human lung is constantly exposed to irritants like particulate matter, toxic chemical compounds, and biological agents (bacteria and viruses) present in the external environment. During breathing, these irritants travel through the bronchi and bronchioles to reach the deeper lung containing the alveoli, which constitute the minimal functional respiratory units. The local biological responses in the alveoli that follow introduction of irritants need to be tightly controlled in order to prevent a massive inflammatory response leading to loss of respiratory function. Cells, cytokines, chemokines and growth factors intervene collectively to re-establish tissue homeostasis, fight the aggression and replace the apoptotic/necrotic cells with healthy cells through proliferation and/or differentiation. Among the important growth factors at play during inflammation, members of the fibroblast growth factor (Fgf) family regulate the repair process. Fgf10 is known to be a key factor for organ morphogenesis and disease. Inflammation is influenced by Fgf10 but can also impact Fgf10 expression per se. Unfortunately, the connection between Fgf10 and inflammation in organogenesis and disease remains unclear. The aim of this review is to highlight the reported players between Fgf10 and inflammation with a focus on the lung and to propose new avenues of research.
Fabrication and characterization of nanostructured Ba-doped BiFeO3 porous ceramics

Abstract Nanostructured barium doped bismuth ferrite, Bi₀. ₈Ba₀. ₂FeO₃ porous ceramics with a relatively high magnetic coercivity was fabricated via sacrificial pore former method. X-ray diffraction results showed that 20 wt. % Ba doping induces a structural phase transition from rhombohedral to distorted pseudo-cubic structure in the final porous samples. Moreover, utilizing Bi₀. ₈Ba₀. ₂FeO₃ as the starting powder reduces the destructive interactions between the matrix phase and pore former, leading to an increase in stability of bismuth ferrite phase in the final porous ceramics. Urea-derived Bi₀. ₈Ba₀. ₂FeO₃ porous ceramic exhibits density of 4.74 g/cm³ and porosity of 45 % owing the uniform distribution of interconnected pores with a mean pore size of 7.5 μm. Well defined nanostructured cell walls with a mean grain size of 90 nm were observed in the above sample, which is in a good accordance with the grain size obtained from BET measurements. Saturation magnetization decreased from 2.31 in the Bi₀. ₈Ba₀. ₂FeO₃ compact sample to 1.85 A m²/kg in urea-derived Bi₀. ₈Ba₀. ₂FeO₃ porous sample; moreover, coercivity increased from 284 to 380 kA/m.
Synthesis and fundamental HSQC NMR data of monolignol β-glycosides, dihydromonolignol β-glycosides and p-hydroxybenzaldehyde derivative β-glycosides for the analysis of phenyl glycoside type lignin-carbohydrate complexes (LCCs)

Abstract Twelve monolignol (coniferyl alcohol, sinapyl alcohol and p-coumaryl alcohol) β-glycosides (β-glucosides, β-galactosides, β-xylosides and β-mannosides) were synthesised to obtain fundamental NMR data for the analysis of phenyl glycoside type lignin-carbohydrate complexes (LCCs). That is, the 1,2-trans glycosides (the β-glucosides, β-galactosides and β-xylosides) and the 1,2-cis glycosides (the β-mannosides) were synthesized by means of Koenig-Knorr glycosylation and β-selective Mitsunobu glycosylation strategies, respectively. In addition, dihydromonolignol and p-hydroxybenzaldehyde derivative β-glycosides were also prepared from the corresponding monolignol glycosides and their intermediates, respectively. The correlation observed for the C1β-H1β bonds of the sugar moieties in the HSQC spectra of the all β-glycosides varied and were in the range of δC/δH 96–104/4.7–5.4 ppm. Especially, it was found that the correlations derived from the C1β-H1β bonds of the guaiacyl and p-hydroxyphenyl β-mannosides were close to those derived from the C1α-H1α bonds of the 4-O-methyl-α-D-glucuronic acid moieties described in the literature.
Personality in Autism Spectrum Disorder: Associations With Face Memory Deficit and Theory of Mind

Objective: To examine the personality profiles of adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) using a standard personality assessment and to investigate the association between personality, ASD-related face memory deficit (FMD), and theory of mind (ToM). In a broader context, to examine whether there are distinct clinical phenotypes in the ASD population that have implications for personality development and treatment. Method: Fifty-five adults with ASD and 22 neurotypical (NT) adults underwent a battery of neuropsychological tests, including measures of personality, face memory, and ToM. We compared ASD and NT groups in terms of their Personality Assessment Inventory (PAI) profiles. Additional analyses focused on the association between specific PAI scales and FMD. Performance on the Eyes Test was compared across groups and was examined in relation to FMD. Results: Adults with ASD demonstrated significant elevations on several PAI scales compared with NT adults. The presence of FMD was associated with differing PAI profiles among the ASD adults. The ASD adults with FMD scored significantly higher on scales that are sensitive to positive impression management and treatment rejection and significantly lower on scales that are sensitive to borderline personality, anxiety, depression, schizophrenia, and stress. There was a significant association between performance on the Eyes Test and FMD in the ASD group. Conclusion: Adults with ASD have a unique personality profile. Further, ASD adults with FMD have reduced insight into their difficulties with emotional processing and may not be as sensitive as ASD adults without FMD to the emotions of others.
Determination of efficacy of curcumin and Tulsi extracts as local drugs in periodontal pocket reduction: A clinical and microbiological study

Background: The aim of our study is to assess the effectiveness of Curcumin and Tulsi in the control of periodontal parameters when delivered in the form of local drug delivery (LDD) agents. Methods: Curenext gel® and Tulsi gel were used as the two LDD agent. A split mouth randomized clinical trial was carried out in 15 patients. Three sites in different quadrants were assigned treatment modality of scaling and root planing (SRP) alone, SRP with LDD of curcumin and SRP with LDD of Tulsi extract, respectively. Clinical parameters Probing Pocket Depth, Clinical Attachment Level, Plaque Index, Gingival Index, and modified Sulcus Bleeding Index were recorded and subgingival plaque sample collected for N-benzoyl-L-arginine-p-nitroanilide (BAPNA) assay on baseline followed by LDD with extracts in the assigned group. The parameters were recorded at baseline and on 30th day postoperatively. Unpaired and Paired-'t' test were used for intergroup and intragroup comparison of recorded clinical and microbiological parameters. Results: All the treatment modalities showed statistically significant reduction in clinical and microbiological parameters on intragroup comparison. Intergroup comparison showed statistically significant reduction in Plaque Index in curcumin group and BAPNA assay in Tulsi group when compared to SRP. Conclusion: Both the herbs were effective in improving periodontal parameters and may develop as an alternative to currently used LDD agents in near future.
Experience of Workplace Incivility and Its Impact on Stress and Turnover Intention among the Nurses Working at a Hospital: Cross-Sectional Survey Approach

Background: Incivility in the workplace drowns the mental health of the nurses and hampers the daily routine. The majority of the nurses working at hospitals were experiencing incivility. It affects the physical and psychological health of the nurses. Experience of workplace incivility and its impact on stress and turnover among nurses was discussed in this study. Materials and Methods: Cross-sectional survey approach was used to select 50 nurses by simple random sampling technique. Standard scales for incivility, stress, and pre-tested scale for the turnover intention was used to collect the data. Result: Nurses experience incivility in their workplace almost from all the sources. The majority (64%) of the staff nurses had a moderate level of stress and 30% had average intention to leave the present job. There was a positive relationship found between the experience of incivility and stress (r = 0.43, p < 0.002), stress, and turnover intention (r = 0.40, p < 0.004). Conclusions: Experience of incivility provokes stress among the nurses, and this may influence turnover intention.
Hierarchical control in skid steer mobile robots with nonholonomics constraints

Skid-steered mobile robots are widely used in several applications due to their simple mechanical structure and their high maneuverability. This paper proposes a hierarchical control system for such robots that, at a high level, uses Nonlinear Model Predictive Control (NMPC) with a simplified prediction model, optimizing the longitudinal forces between the wheels and the ground to follow the desired trajectory. Using Pacekja’s formula, the reference slip for each wheel is obtained by interpolation, allowing the computation of the reference angular speeds of the wheels. Then, a proportional control is employed to find the required wheel torques, which are applied to a complete model of the skid-steer robot that takes into account the longitudinal slippage on the wheels. The proposed hierarchical controller is compared with a purely NMPC approach using the full model of the robot and a classical proportional control. Double-lane change and a circular trajectory tracking was performed. The resulting torque variation is compatible with values obtained in physical systems and the wheel skidding remained within the allowed limit.
A Survey on Knowledge Graph-Based Recommender Systems : Extended Abstract

To solve the information explosion problem and enhance user experience in various online applications, recommender systems have been developed to model users’ preferences. Although numerous efforts have been made toward more personalized recommendations, recommender systems still suffer from several challenges, such as data sparsity and cold-start problems. In recent years, generating recommendations with the knowledge graph as side information has attracted considerable interest. Such an approach can not only alleviate the above mentioned issues for a more accurate recommendation, but also provide explanations for recommended items. In this paper, we conduct a systematical survey of knowledge graph-based recommender systems. We collect recently published papers in this field, and group them into three categories, i.e., embedding-based methods, connection-based methods, and propagation-based methods. Also, we further subdivide each category according to the characteristics of these approaches. Moreover, we investigate the proposed algorithms by focusing on how the papers utilize the knowledge graph for accurate and explainable recommendation. Finally, we propose several potential research directions in this field.
Concentration Characteristics and Dynamic Changes of Water Soluble Organic Carbon in Soil Under Different Fertilization Treatments

A field plot experiment was conducted to study the water soil organic carbon(WSOC) dynamics with the growth of wheat under different fertilization treatments including no fertilizer(CK) , chemical fertilizer only(NPK) , chicken manure(M) , organic-inorganic compound fertilizer based on chicken manure(NPKM1) and pig manure(NPKM2) . The results indicated that the cold water soil organic carbon(CW- SOC) and hot water soil organic carbon(HWSOC) concentrations of all treatments increased firstly and decreased subsequently and finally increased with the changes of the growth stage at topsoi(10～20 cm) . Their concentrations under NPKM1 and NPKM2 treatments were significantly higher than CK and NPK treatments(P0.05) , but lower than the M treatment. The CWSOC and HWSOC concentrations in 20～40 cm soil layer presented a single-peak curve with the changes of the growth stage which the peak appeared at heading stage, and the order from high to low was similar to the topsoil. In addition, the correlation of the two kinds of WSOC with wheat yield and soil nutrients was higher than soil total organic carbon at topsoil.
PTC‐Promoted Japp–Klingmann Reaction for the Synthesis of Indole Derivatives

Abstract Indole derivatives have been efficiently synthesized from ethyl 2‐phenylhydrazono‐5‐phthalimido‐pentanoate and its derivatives, which were obtained by Japp–Klingmann reaction under phase‐transfer catalytic (PTC) conditions. Several different phase‐transfer catalysts were investigated and dimethyldioctadecyl ammonium chloride (DMDOA) was found to promote this reaction efficiently. Using DMDOA as the PTC, aryl hydrazones were obtained in yields of 90%. The pure aryl hydrazones were then efficiently cyclized to indole derivatives in yields of more than 80%.
RCHOP-14 therapy versus RCHOP-21 therapy for people with aggressive or advanced-stage indolent B-cell non-Hodgkins lymphoma: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Background With the advent of rituximab combined with cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisolone (RCHOP) treatment has become considered the appropriate chemotherapy treatment for aggressive or advanced-stage indolent B-cell non-Hodgkins lymphoma (NHL). In recent years, RCHOP-14 seems to have achieved better outcomes in patients with aggressive or advanced-stage indolent B-cell NHL than RCHOP-21. Methods To verify the befitting chemotherapy regimens for patients with B-cell NHL, we searched the electronic databases for relevant English-language literature published in January 2020. The primary outcomes were complete response (CR), progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS), and adverse events (AEs). Six eligible Phase II and III randomized controlled clinical trials (RCTs) and two high-quality observational comparative studies (OCSs) were extracted, with 5,565 patients with B-cell NHL involved in the evaluation. Results The analysis demonstrated no significant difference in RCHOP-14 and RCHOP-21 CR rates [odds ratio (OR) =0.98, 95% CI: 0.77–1.24, P=0.85]. Compared with RCHOP-21, the merged hazard ratio (HR) after treatment with RCHOP-14 for PFS and OS was 0.94 (95% CI: 0.84–1.06, P=0.32) and 0.91 (95% CI: 0.83–1.01, P=0.08), respectively. A subgroup analysis based on the international prognostic index (IPI) score showed that both chemotherapy regimens were applicable in B-cell NHL patients with different prognoses. The frequency of toxic side-effects was similar between schemes. Conclusions The data presented suggest that the efficacy and safety of both regimens are comparable and that RCHOP-14 remains a viable plan in patients with B-cell NHL who prefer a shorter therapy course.
EFFECT OF IRRIGATION WITH TREATED WASTEWATER AND FERTILIZATION ON AVAILABILITY OF SOME NUTRIENTS

A pot experiment was conducted using a sandy loam soil cultivated with sorghum plant. This investigation aimed to study the effect of different treated of municipal wastewater and fertilization on availability of some nutrients after harvesting of sorghum. The experiment consisted of 4 sources of irrigation water namely: 1well water, 2primary treated wastewater, 3secondary treated wastewater and 4tertiary treated wastewater. In addition, 6 fertilization treatments were applied namely: 1control, 2100% NPK, 350% NPK, 425% NPK 5100% PK and 6100% NK from the recommended dose of NPK fertilizers for sorghum plant. The obtained results demonstrated that application of primary treated wastewater resulted in a significant increase in available N at the studied soil depths. The data further indicated that application of 100% NPK treatment gave a significant increase in available N at the various soil depths. The results also, indicated that the effect of primary treated wastewater was the most conspicuous on available P content of the soil and resulted in a higher available P content as indicated by soil test data. The fertilizer treatments increased the available P at 0-20 cm depth in comparison with the control and 100% NK treatments. Available K level was increased by applying all water treatments. Application of the secondary wastewater treatment increased significantly available K level at the depth of 0-20 cm, whereas there are no significant differences at the other soil depths. All fertilizer treatments increased slightly available K at various soil depths. The results indicated that applying well water increased significantly available Cu at 0-20 cm depth in compared with the different treated wastewaters. Nevertheless, the data showed that level of available Zn and Mn was higher under primary and tertiary treated wastewater treatments. Level of available Fe was not affected by using water treatments. The fertilizer treatments did not result in any significant difference in available Cu, Zn, Mn and Fe.
Communities of Experts: Uncovering Commonalities in the Behavior of Investment Managers

We analyze a large micro-level dataset on the full daily portfolio holdings and exposures of 22 complex investment funds to shed light on the behavior of professional investment fund managers. We introduce a set of quantitative attributes that capture essential distinctive features of manager allocation strategies and behaviors. These characteristics include turnover, attitude towards hedging, portfolio concentration, and reaction to external events, such as changes in market conditions and flows of funds. We find the existence and stability of three main investment attitude profiles: conservative, reactive, and proactive. The conservative profile shows low turnover and resilience against external shocks; the reactive one is more prone to respond to market condition changes; members of the proactive profile frequently adjust their portfolio allocations, but their behavior is less affected by market conditions. We find that exogenous shocks temporarily alter this configuration, but communities return to their original state once these external shocks have been absorbed and their effects vanish. ∗Politecnico di Milano, Department of Management, Economics and Industrial Engineering̀ı †Politecnico di Milano, Department of Management, Economics and Industrial Engineering ‡Center for Analysis, Decisions, and Society (CADS) Human Technopole, Milano, Italy §Department of Physics, Yeshiva University, New York, New York 10033, United States ¶Department of Economics and Statistics, University of Siena, 53100 Siena, Italy ‖Boston University, Boston, MA 02115, United States