Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Employment status and the association of sociocultural stress with sleep in the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos (HCHS/SOL)

STUDY OBJECTIVES We examined the association of sociocultural stress severity (i.e. acculturation stress, ethnic discrimination) and chronic stress burden with multiple dimensions of sleep in a population-based sample of US Hispanics/Latinos. We also explored whether employment status modified stress-sleep associations. METHODS We conducted survey linear regressions to test the cross-sectional association of sociocultural stress severity and stress burden with sleep dimensions using data collected between 2010 and 2013 from individuals who participated in both the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos Sueño and Sociocultural Ancillary studies (N = 1192). RESULTS Greater acculturation stress (B = 0.75, standard error [SE] = 0.26, p < .01) and chronic psychosocial stress burden (B = 1.04, SE = 0.18, p < .001) were associated with greater insomnia symptoms but were not associated with actigraphic measures of sleep. Ethnic discrimination was not associated with any of the sleep dimensions. The association of acculturation stress with insomnia severity was greater in unemployed (B = 2.06, SE = 0.34) compared to employed (B = 1.01, SE = 0.31) participants (p-interaction = .08). CONCLUSIONS Acculturation stress severity and chronic stress burden are important and consistent correlates of insomnia, but not actigraphically measured sleep dimensions. If replicated, future research should test whether interventions targeting the resolution of sociocultural stress improve sleep quality in Hispanics/Latinos.
Clustering of Tau fibrils impairs the synaptic composition of α3‐Na+/K+‐ATPase and AMPA receptors

Tau assemblies have prion‐like properties: they propagate from one neuron to another and amplify by seeding the aggregation of endogenous Tau. Although key in prion‐like propagation, the binding of exogenous Tau assemblies to the plasma membrane of naïve neurons is not understood. We report that fibrillar Tau forms clusters at the plasma membrane following lateral diffusion. We found that the fibrils interact with the Na+/K+‐ATPase (NKA) and AMPA receptors. The consequence of the clustering is a reduction in the amount of α3‐NKA and an increase in the amount of GluA2‐AMPA receptor at synapses. Furthermore, fibrillar Tau destabilizes functional NKA complexes. Tau and α‐synuclein aggregates often co‐exist in patients’ brains. We now show evidences for cross‐talk between these pathogenic aggregates with α‐synuclein fibrils dramatically enhancing fibrillar Tau clustering and synaptic localization. Our results suggest that fibrillar α‐synuclein and Tau cross‐talk at the plasma membrane imbalance neuronal homeostasis.
Enhancing Capacity of Community–Academic Partnerships to Achieve Health Equity: Results From the CBPR Partnership Academy

Community-based participatory research (CBPR) is an equitable partnership approach that links academic researchers, community organizations, and public health practitioners to work together to understand and address health inequities. Although numerous educational materials on CBPR exist, few training programs develop the skills and knowledge needed to establish effective, equitable partnerships. Furthermore, there are few professional development opportunities for academic researchers, practitioners, and community members to obtain these competencies in an experiential co-learning process. In response, the Detroit Community–Academic Urban Research Center developed the CBPR Partnership Academy, an innovative, yearlong capacity-building program facilitated by experienced community and academic partners, involving an intensive short course, partnership development, grant proposal preparation and funding, mentoring, online learning forums, and networking. Three diverse cohorts (36 teams) from 18 states and 2 tribal nations have participated. We describe the rationale and components of the training program and present results from the first two cohorts. Evaluation results suggest enhanced competence and efficacy in conducting CBPR. Outcomes include partnerships established, grant proposals submitted and funded, workshops and research conducted, and findings disseminated. A community–academic partner-based, integrated, applied program can be effective for professional development and establishing innovative linkages between academics and practitioners aimed at achieving health equity.
Re-Assembling “Risky” Subjects: African Migrant Youth in Winnipeg, Canada

ABSTRACT Drawing upon ethnographic research in Winnipeg, Manitoba, we complicate simplistic epidemiological and sexual health discourses that position African newcomer teen girls and young women as “at-risk” for HIV/AIDS and other consequences of being sexually active. By tracing the trajectories of sexual health messages and utilizing the concept of assemblage, we seek to account for the ways in which risk is actively made and negotiated in practice by African newcomer youth. By highlighting the perspectives and experiences of participants in relationship to Canadian literature on the subject of sexual risk, culture, and education, we work to counter essentializing, racializing, and pathologizing discourses. Video abstract Read the transcript Watch the video on Vimeo
Nicotinamide metabolism alterations in bladder cancer: Preliminary studies

Abstract Objectives: Cancer is one of the main cause of death in Western countries. Inflammation plays an important role in the pathogenesis of cancer. Nicotinamide (NA) – known for its anti-inflammatory properties – participates in the processes related to the cell cycle regulation and DNA repair, which are relevant in cancer development. This study aimed to investigate the nicotinamide metabolism alterations in bladder cancer. Methods: Blood and plasma samples of patients with bladder cancer were collected. Blood pyridine and adenine nucleotides concentration were measured using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Plasma nicotinamide metabolites concentration were determined using high performance liquid chromatography – mass spectrometry (LC/MS). Results: Our results indicated that the development of bladder cancer caused significant decrease in the concentration of N-methylnicotinamide (MetNA) (0.07 ± 0.02 vs 0.1 ± 0.03 µmol/l) and an increase in the concentration of N-methyl-2-pyridone-5-carboxamide (Met2PY) – one of the final nicotinamide metabolites: (1.1 ± 0.15 vs 0.7 ± 0.07 µmol/l) in comparison to the control. The association between the stage of cancer and the increase in both, Met2PY and Met4PY levels was observed. Blood ATP and NAD levels were significantly decreased in bladder cancer patients as compared to the control (970.8 ± 77.84 vs 1165.00 ± 57.76 µmol/l; 45.86 ± 2.98 vs 53.06 ± 2.28 µmol/l respectively). Conclusions: Bladder cancer development caused substantial changes in nicotinamide metabolism, such as decreased plasma MetNA and increased Met2PY concentration. Analysis of the nicotinamide and its metabolites concentrations – as new biomarkers – may allow to track the course of pathological processes in cancer.
Analysis of Ventricular Late Potentials using wavelets and FFT spectrum

Ventricular Late Potentials (VLPs) are low amplitude, wideband frequency signals that occur in the ventricles. In the classical method of detecting VLPs, the ECG of the patient has to be recorded for about an hour or more. Real-time signal processing is not possible and the doctor has to wait until the whole record (one hour or more) of the patient is obtained. At least 400 beats are required to confirm the presence of VLP. The method proposed in this paper is to analyse the ECG waveform in the frequency domain to detect VLP. Using the proposed method Real time processing is possible for this method, the reason being a single beat can be analysed with simultaneous recording of the next beat. As the processing and recording stages are parallel, the method is very fast in analysing VLPs.
Essential Role of Endothelial MCPIP in Vascular Integrity and Post-Ischemic Remodeling

MCP-1-induced protein (MCPIP, also known as Zc3h12a or Regnase-1), a newly identified suppressor of cytokine signaling, is expressed in endothelial cells (ECs). To investigate the role of endothelial MCPIP in vascular homeostasis and function, we deleted the MCPIP gene specifically in ECs using the Cre-LoxP system. EC-specific MCPIP deletion resulted in systemic inflammation, increased vessel permeability, edema, thrombus formation, and premature death in mice. Serum levels of cytokines, chemokines, and biomarkers of EC dysfunction were significantly elevated in these mice. Upon lipopolysaccharide (LPS) challenge, mice with EC-specific MCPIP depletion were highly susceptible to LPS-induced death. When subjected to ischemia, these mice showed defective post-ischemic angiogenesis and impaired blood flow recovery in hind limb ischemia. In aortic ring cultures, the MCPIP-deficient ECs displayed significantly impaired vessel sprouting and tube elongation. Mechanistically, silencing of MCPIP by small interfering RNAs in cultured ECs enhanced NF-κΒ activity and dysregulated synthesis of microRNAs linked with elevated cytokines and biomarkers of EC dysfunction. Collectively, these results establish that constitutive expression of MCPIP in ECs is essential to maintaining endothelial homeostasis and function by serving as a key negative feedback regulator that keeps the inflammatory signaling suppressed.
Brain Photobiomodulation—Preliminary Results from Regional Cerebral Oximetry and Thermal Imaging

A new piece of equipment for LED (light emitting diode) brain photobiomodulation is introduced. Preliminary results from regional cerebral oxygen saturation and from thermography are shown before, during and after stimulation. The procedure offers a new way to quantify the biological effects of a possible innovative therapeutic method. However further measurements are absolutely necessary.
Crystal structure of Mycobacterium tuberculosis FadB2 implicated in mycobacterial β-oxidation

The catabolism of fatty acids in mycobacteria involves an extensively redundant set of enzymes. Here, the structure of the l-3-hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase FadB2 is described and structural cues as to how it may work with other components of β-oxidation are explored.
Exogenous spermidine elevating cadmium tolerance in Salix matsudana involves cadmium detoxification and antioxidant defense

Abstract In this study, exogenous spermidine role on Salix matsudana tolerance to cadmium was evaluated. Spermidine and cadmium presented antagonistic effects on the biomass, copper and zinc concentrations in S. matsudana. cadmium mainly distributed in the cell wall of subcellular fraction; 46.97%–60.43% of cadmium existed in a sodium chloride-extracted form. Cadmium contents in roots, leaves, and twigs ranged from 2002.67 to 3961.00, 111.59 to 229.72, and 102.56 to 221.27 mg/kg, respectively. Spermidine application elevated cadmium concentrations in the roots, cuttings, and cell wall and the ratio of deionized water-extracted cadmium, but decreased cadmium levels in the twigs and leaves and the fractions of cadmium extracted by ethanol and sodium chloride, respectively. Putrescine and malondialdehyde were important indicators of cadmium-induced oxidative damage. Exogenous spermidine alleviated the accumulation of superoxide anion, hydrogen peroxide, malondialdehyde via promoting the levels of spermidine, soluble protein, superoxide dismutase, reductive ascorbate, glutathione reductase, and glutathione peroxidase in S. matsudana leaves under the corresponding cadmium stress. The results indicated that S. matsudana was a candidate for cadmium rhizoremediation and extraction in leaves; the spermidine application enhanced the cadmium tolerance of S. matsudana through promoting cadmium accumulation in roots, cell wall, and less bioactive chemical forms and the antioxidative ability.
Towards a pedagogical model for science education: bridging educational contexts through a blended learning approach

Abstract This paper proposes a design framework to support science education through blended learning, based on a participatory and interactive approach supported by ICT-based tools, called Science Learning Activities Model (SLAM). The development of this design framework started as a response to complex changes in society and education (e.g. high turnover rate of knowledge, changing labour market), which require a more creative response of learners to the world problems that surround them. Many of these challenges are related to science and it would be expected that students are attracted to science, however the contrary is the case. One of the origins of this disinterest can be found in the way science is taught. Therefore, after reviewing the relevant literature we propose the SLAM framework as a tool to aid the design of science courses with high motivational impact on students. The framework is concerned with the assumption that science learning activities should be applicable and relevant to contemporary life and transferable to ‘real-world’ situations. The design framework proposes three design dimensions: context, technology and pedagogy, and aims at integrating learning in formal and informal contexts through blended learning scenarios by using today’s flexible, interactive and immersive technologies (e.g. mobile, augmented reality, virtual reality).
VEHICLE RIDE CONTROL USING HUMAN BODY DYNAMIC SIMULATION

The aim of this study was Vehicle ride control using human body dynamic simulation. When designing suspension system in ordinary sedans, we cannot only consider comfort and stability criteria. In these occasions, according to the working class of the vehicle, criteria of comfort and stability together and with a certain proportion will intervene in the designing suspension system. Principally, in such occasions, we lose the benefits of mentioned criteria due to relative consideration of the other criterion. What has been investigated in this research is the design of a controller that decreases acceleration caused by vibrations transmitted to the human body and also lowers the displacement of the tire with respect to the road. The proposed model for the body is a model with four degrees of freedom and the proposed model for the vehicle is a model with seven degrees of freedom. The proposed controller is an optimal-fuzzy controller that optimal controller and fuzzy one have been used for the design of state feedback and the change in the weighting functions of optimal controller, respectively. To confirm the strength of the designed controller, the various inputs of the actual road with varying vehicle speed have been applied to the model. The obtained results show that this controller has a major influence on deceleration transferred to the body and also in critical situations results in reduction in the displacement of the tire with respective to the road input.
Distributed lag interaction models with two pollutants

Distributed lag models (DLMs) have been widely used in environmental epidemiology to quantify the lagged effects of air pollution on a health outcome of interest such as mortality and morbidity. Most previous DLM approaches consider only one pollutant at a time. We propose a distributed lag interaction model to characterize the joint lagged effect of two pollutants. One natural way to model the interaction surface is by assuming that the underlying basis functions are tensor products of the basis functions that generate the main effect distributed lag functions. We extend Tukey's 1 degree‐of‐freedom interaction structure to the two‐dimensional DLM context. We also consider shrinkage versions of the two to allow departure from the specified Tukey interaction structure and achieve bias—variance trade‐off. We derive the marginal lag effects of one pollutant when the other pollutant is fixed at certain quantiles. In a simulation study, we show that the shrinkage methods have better average performance in terms of mean‐squared error across various scenarios. We illustrate the methods proposed by using the ‘National morbidity, mortality, and air pollution study’ data to model the joint effects of particulate matter and ozone on mortality count in Chicago, Illinois, from 1987 to 2000.
Urocortin 2 Gene Transfer Reduces the Adverse Effects of a Western Diet on Cardiac Function in Mice.

Diabetes mellitus is associated with increased risk of heart failure. It has been previously demonstrated in mice that a single injection of adeno-associated virus 8 encoding urocortin 2 (AAV8.UCn2) increases glucose disposal in models of insulin resistance and improves the function of the failing heart. The present study tested the hypothesis that UCn2 gene transfer would reduce diabetes-related left ventricular (LV) dysfunction. Eight-week-old C57BL6 male mice were fed a Western diet (WD; 45% fat, 35% carbohydrate) for 40 weeks. At week 30, they received saline or AAV8.UCn2 (2 × 1013 genome copies/kg) via intravenous injection. Ten weeks after gene transfer, fasting blood glucose, glucose tolerance, and cardiac function were measured via echocardiography and in vivo measurement of LV contractile function, and the results were compared to those of mice fed normal chow (NC; 10% fat; 70% carbohydrate). The contents of key LV signaling proteins were also measured to probe mechanisms. WD increased 12 h fasting glucose (WD: 190 ± 11 mg/dL, n = 8; NC: 105 ± 12 mg/dL, n = 7; p = 0.0004). WD tended to reduce LV peak +dP/dt (p = 0.08) and LV peak -dP/dt (p = 0.05). LV ejection fraction was unchanged. Among WD-fed mice, UCn2 gene transfer reduced 12 h fasting glucose (WD-UCn2: 149 ± 6 mg/dL, n = 8; WD-Saline: 190 ± 11 mg/dL, n = 8; p = 0.012), increased LV peak +dP/dt (p < 0.001) and LV peak -dP/dt (p = 0.013), and reduced Tau (p < 0.02), indicating beneficial effects on systolic and diastolic LV function. In addition, among WD-fed mice, UCn2 gene transfer increased LV ejection fraction (p < 0.005) and the velocity of circumferential fiber shortening (p = 0.0005). Finally, a reduction was seen in fatty infiltration of the liver in WD-fed mice that had received UCn2 gene transfer. LV samples from WD-UCn2 mice showed increased phosphorylation of the protein kinase A catalytic domain (p = 0.03). In conclusion, UCn2 gene transfer increased LV systolic and diastolic function and reduced blood glucose in mice with diabetes-related LV dysfunction, indicating that UCn2 gene transfer may be of potential therapeutic benefit.
A Novel PAN-GO-SiO2 Hybrid Membrane for Separating Oil and Water from Emulsified Mixture

In this article, we report the development of a polyacrylonitrile-graphene oxide-silicon dioxide (PAN-GO-SiO2) hybrid membrane for separation of oil and water from their emulsified mixture. The membrane was successfully fabricated using a one-step electrospinning process. GO and SiO2 nanofillers were added in PAN in different concentrations to determine the optimized composition for the PAN-GO-SiO2 hybrid membrane. A scanning electron microscopy (SEM) examination showed that the nanofillers were uniformly embedded in the nanofibrous structure of the electrospun hybrid membrane. The GO was mainly embedded inside the PAN nanofibers, causing knots while SiO2 nanoparticles were found embedded on the nanofiber surface, resulting in the formation of micro-nano protrusions on the fiber surface. The formation of these hierarchical structures, together with enhanced hydrophilicity due to oxygen containing groups on both SiO2 and GO, resulted in a high rejection (>99%) of oil from oil-water emulsion. Membrane performance evaluation under gravity separation tests showed that the separation flux and phase rejection was enhanced with the incorporation of nanofillers. The inclusion of nanofillers also enhanced the mechanical properties of the membrane. The best flux and phase separation performance was obtained for an optimized concentration of 7.5 wt % SiO2 and 1.5 wt % GO in PAN. The flux of separated water was enhanced from 2600 L m−2 h−1 for pristine PAN to 3151 L m−2 h−1 for PAN-GO-SiO2. The hybrid membrane also showed good mechanical and chemical stability, and antifouling propensity.
Comparison of Plantar Pressure Distribution Between Postoperative Hallux Valgus Feet and Healthy Feet

Background: Proximal crescentic osteotomy (PCO) in patients with moderate-to-severe hallux valgus (HV) is a well-established and effective procedure for correcting the deformity. However, there are no published studies comparing plantar pressure in postoperative HV feet with healthy feet. This study aimed to compare the plantar pressure distribution in postoperative HV feet with healthy feet. Methods: Twenty-six patients were included in the HV group, and 24 healthy participants were included in the control (C) group. All patients in the HV group underwent unilateral PCO. After undergoing PCO, this group was defined as the OP group. All subjects were women with no significant differences in age, height, weight, and body mass index. There were no significant differences in demographic characteristics between patients in each group. We divided the subjects’ feet into 8 regions and measured the peak pressure (Peak-P), maximum force (Max-F), contact time, contact area, and the force-time integral in each region. Results: All parameters of the great toe were significantly higher in the OP group than in the HV group. All forefoot parameters were not significantly different between the 2 groups. No parameter of the great toe was significantly different between the OP and C groups. However, mean Peak-P and Max-F of the central forefoot were significantly higher in the OP group than in the C group. Conclusion: PCO can improve the plantar pressure of the great toe in patients with moderate-to-severe HV to a level similar to that in healthy subjects. Level of Evidence: Level III, comparative study.
Stratification, nitrogen fixation, and cyanobacterial bloom stage regulate the planktonic food web structure

Changes in the complexity of planktonic food webs may be expected in future aquatic systems due to increases in sea surface temperature and an enhanced stratification of the water column. Under these conditions, the growth of unpalatable, filamentous, N2‐fixing cyanobacterial blooms, and their effect on planktonic food webs will become increasingly important. The planktonic food web structure in aquatic ecosystems at times of filamentous cyanobacterial blooms is currently unresolved, with discordant lines of evidence suggesting that herbivores dominate the mesozooplankton or that mesozooplankton organisms are mainly carnivorous. Here, we use a set of proxies derived from amino acid nitrogen stable isotopes from two mesozooplankton size fractions to identify changes in the nitrogen source and the planktonic food web structure across different microplankton communities. A transition from herbivory to carnivory in mesozooplankton between more eutrophic, near‐coastal sites and more oligotrophic, offshore sites was accompanied by an increasing diversity of microplankton communities with aging filamentous cyanobacterial blooms. Our analyses of 124 biotic and abiotic variables using multivariate statistics confirmed salinity as a major driver for the biomass distribution of non‐N2‐fixing microplankton species such as dinoflagellates. However, we provide strong evidence that stratification, N2 fixation, and the stage of the cyanobacterial blooms regulated much of the microplankton diversity and the mean trophic position and size of the metabolic nitrogen pool in mesozooplankton. Our empirical, macroscale data set consistently unifies contrasting results of the dominant feeding mode in mesozooplankton during blooms of unpalatable, filamentous, N2‐fixing cyanobacteria by identifying the at times important role of heterotrophic microbial food webs. Thus, carnivory, rather than herbivory, dominates in mesozooplankton during aging and decaying cyanobacterial blooms with hitherto uncharacterized consequences for the biogeochemical functions of mesozooplankton.