Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Integrated analysis of exosomal lncRNA and mRNA expression profiles reveals the involvement of lnc‐MKRN2‐42:1 in the pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a common movement disorder for which diagnosis mainly depends on the medical history and clinical symptoms. Exosomes are now considered an additional mechanism for intercellular communication, allowing cells to exchange proteins, lipids, and genetic material. Long noncoding (lnc) RNA in exosomes plays a critical role in many diseases, including neurodegenerative disease.
Protective Effect of Ethanol Extract of Roots of Tetracera akara (Burm. f.) Merr., on Carbon Tetrachloride-induced Hepatic Injury in Wistar Rats

The present study was carried out to evaluate the hepatoprotective activity of ethanol extract of roots of Tetracera akara against carbon tetrachloride-induced hepatotoxicity in Wistar rats. Ethanol extract of roots of T. akara (50, 150, and 300 mg/kg) was administered orally once daily during the study. The hepatoprotective effect of the extract was assessed using various biochemical parameters of hepatic injury like alanine transaminase, aspartate transaminase, alkaline phosphatase, γ-glutamyl transferase, serum bilirubin, triglycerides, total cholesterol and total protein along with the estimation of antioxidant status of the liver tissue (superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione and malondialdehyde levels) and histopathological evaluation. The substantially elevated serum enzymatic levels of serum transaminases, alkaline phosphatase and total bilirubin as a result of carbon tetrachloride administration were significantly restored towards normal by the plant extract. The ethanol extract significantly increased the levels of superoxide dismutase, catalase and non-enzymatic antioxidant glutathione in the drug-treated group. The histopathological observations were in correlation with the biochemical findings. Animals treated with higher doses of plant extract showed almost normal hepatic architecture with normal hepatocytes and reduced steatosis, apoptosis, centrilobular necrosis, ballooning degeneration, fatty deposition, which provided further evidence to the hepatoprotective activity and the most effective dose was found to be 300 mg/kg. In conclusion, Tetracera akara extract exerted hepatoprotective effect against acute hepatotoxicity induced by carbon tetrachloride in Wistar rats, which could be due to the bioactive phytoconstituents present in the extract and these findings provide impetus for the development of a novel hepatoprotective herbal drug.
Compassion fatigue, emotional labor, and emotional display among hospice nurses

Abstract The purpose of this study was to investigate relationships between compassion fatigue, emotional labor, and emotional display among hospice nurses (N = 90; 94.4% women). The hospice nurses indicated the emotional labor they utilize is primarily suppressing both positive and negative affect. Compassion fatigue was positively associated with expressing negative emotions, faking negative emotions, negative display rule perceptions, and surface acting, and negatively associated with suppressing negative emotions. Interventions and policies that foster greater authenticity and support emotional regulation may help reduce compassion fatigue among hospice nurses.
The histone methyltransferase KMT2D, mutated in Kabuki syndrome patients, is required for neural crest cell formation and migration

Abstract Kabuki syndrome is an autosomal dominant developmental disorder with high similarities to CHARGE syndrome. It is characterized by a typical facial gestalt in combination with short stature, intellectual disability, skeletal findings and additional features like cardiac and urogenital malformations, cleft palate, hearing loss and ophthalmological anomalies. The major cause of Kabuki syndrome are mutations in KMT2D, a gene encoding a histone H3 lysine 4 (H3K4) methyltransferase belonging to the group of chromatin modifiers. Here we provide evidence that Kabuki syndrome is a neurocrestopathy, by showing that Kmt2d loss-of-function inhibits specific steps of neural crest (NC) development. Using the Xenopus model system, we find that Kmt2d loss-of-function recapitulates major features of Kabuki syndrome including severe craniofacial malformations. A detailed marker analysis revealed defects in NC formation as well as migration. Transplantation experiments confirm that Kmt2d function is required in NC cells. Furthermore, analyzing in vivo and in vitro NC migration behavior demonstrates that Kmt2d is necessary for cell dispersion but not protrusion formation of migrating NC cells. Importantly, Kmt2d knockdown correlates with a decrease in H3K4 monomethylation and H3K27 acetylation supporting a role of Kmt2d in the transcriptional activation of target genes. Consistently, using a candidate approach, we find that Kmt2d loss-of-function inhibits Xenopus Sema3F expression, and overexpression of Sema3F can partially rescue Kmt2d loss-of-function defects. Taken together, our data reveal novel functions of Kmt2d in multiple steps of NC development and support the hypothesis that major features of Kabuki syndrome are caused by defects in NC development.
Associations of Liver Disease with Alcohol Use among People Living with HIV and the Role of Hepatitis C: The New Orleans Alcohol Use in HIV Study.

AIM This cross-sectional analysis of the New Orleans Alcohol Use in HIV (NOAH) study assesses whether current and lifetime alcohol use in people living with HIV (PLWH) are associated with greater liver disease and how hepatitis C-viral (HCV) co-infection (HIV/HCV+) modifies the association. METHODS Alcohol use was measured by Lifetime Drinking History (LDH), a 30-day Timeline Followback calendar, the Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test, and phosphatidylethanol. Liver disease was estimated by alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), AST platelet ratio-index (APRI), fibrosis-4 index (FIB-4) and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease-fibrosis score. Associations between alcohol consumption and liver disease were estimated with multivariable logistic regression. Models were adjusted for age, sex, body-mass index, hepatitis B and HIV viral load. RESULTS Participants (N = 353) were majority male (69%) and black (84%) with a mean age of 48.3 ± 10 years. LDH was significantly associated with advanced liver fibrosis (FIB-4 aOR = 22.22 [1.22-403.72]) only among HIV/HCV+ participants with an LDH of 100-600 kg. HIV/HCV+ participants had a higher prevalence of intermediate and advanced liver disease markers than HIV/HCV- (P < 0.0001). Advanced markers of liver disease were most strongly associated with hazardous drinking (≥40(women)/60(men) grams/day) (APRI aOR = 15.87 (3.22-78.12); FIB-4 aOR = 6.76 (1.81-7.16)) and PEth ≥400 ng/ml (APRI aOR = 17.52 (2.55-120.54); FIB-4 aOR = 17.75 (3.30-95.630). CONCLUSION Results indicate a greater association of current alcohol use with liver disease than lifetime alcohol use, which varied by HCV status. These findings stress the importance of reducing alcohol use in PLWH to decrease risk of liver disease and fibrosis.
Paraboloid Photonic-Crystal Based Polarization Compensation for Reflector Antenna

Kuei-Jen Lee , Hsi-Tseng Chou , Guo-Lun Hong , and Bin Li 3 1 Department of Communication Engineering, Oriental Institute of Technology 58, Sec.2, Sihchuan Rd., Ban-Ciao City,Taipei County 22061, Tawian, fo014@mail.oit. edu.tw 2 Department of Communications Engineering, Yuan Ze University, 135 Yuan-Tung Road, Chung-Li, 32003, Taiwan, hchou@saturn.yzu. edu.tw 3 Laboratory of Optical Communication and Lightwave Technologies, Ministry of Education, Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications, Beijing 100876, direfish1983@gmail.com
Analysis of three-dimensional craniofacial images: applications in forensic science, anthropology and clinical medicine

The principal aims of this thesis were to use digital 3D craniofacial data to measure the difference between individuals in different populations, to provide a detailed holistic description of the population at large, as well as to investigate the feasibility of classifying individuals in different populations based on the morphology of their craniofacial features. In this thesis, three empirical studies were undertaken using a variety of digital 3D craniofacial images. Each study required digital 3D data of either the skull and/or the face to be acquired, represented in different forms and analysed morphometrically. The first study developed a method and recorded the results from soft tissue depth data collected from clinical X-ray computer tomography images of the head. Digital 3D images of the face and skull were acquired from 63 deceased adult males and the results for differing age groups and ponderal states recorded. The perpendicular distance between the skull and its overlying soft tissue surface (i.e. ‘tissue depth’) was measured at 34 anatomical landmarks for every individual. Statistically significant differences were only found between the weight subgroups, normal and overweight, overweight and obese and normal and obese; no statistically significant differences were found between persons of different age. The results of this study have shown that the acquisition of head and neck data using the Aquilion 16 combined with amiraTM and Geomagic Qualify® software was an extremely effective method for measuring the depth of the soft tissue surface overlying the skull. Due to the absence of piercing or indentation of the skin, as used in other methods, the current method described in this thesis provides a suitable method for predicting the soft tissue surface of the face, required as the foundation for forensic facial approximation. The second study described and classified individuals into one of two populations in an anthropological collection. This study captured the 3D facial images of, and then visualised, described, measured and classified two distinct ancestral groups, Asian and Caucasian, which were further divided according to their gender. On each 3D facial image a sparse set of landmarks (18) and a dense set of landmarks (9327) were defined and identified. From the analyses applied to both the sparse and dense landmark sets, principal component analysis of the densely corresponding sets of landmarks on the 3D
A longitudinal study of the stress of poor glucose control and diabetes distress

Poor glucose control can be viewed as a stressor, possibly promulgating diabetes distress. We examined the relationship between perceived blood glucose control and diabetes distress over time using a partially controlled cross-lagged path analysis model. After controlling for demographics, control at 6 months was directly related to change in distress at 12 months. Subsequently, distress at 12 months was directly related to change in control at 18 months. Both 6-month control and distress had significant indirect effects on 18-month control and distress. This demonstrates the nuanced bi-directional relationship between the stress of poor perceived control and diabetes distress.
Fold-LTR-TCP: protein fold recognition based on triadic closure principle

As an important task in protein structure and function studies, protein fold recognition has attracted more and more attention. The existing computational predictors in this field treat this task as a multi-classification problem, ignoring the relationship among proteins in the dataset. However, previous studies showed that their relationship is critical for protein homology analysis. In this study, the protein fold recognition is treated as an information retrieval task. The Learning to Rank model (LTR) was employed to retrieve the query protein against the template proteins to find the template proteins in the same fold with the query protein in a supervised manner. The triadic closure principle (TCP) was performed on the ranking list generated by the LTR to improve its accuracy by considering the relationship among the query protein and the template proteins in the ranking list. Finally, a predictor called Fold-LTR-TCP was proposed. The rigorous test on the LE benchmark dataset showed that the Fold-LTR-TCP predictor achieved an accuracy of 73.2%, outperforming all the other competing methods.
Plasmapheresis Application in High-Dose Amitriptyline Intoxication

Tricyclic antidepressant intoxication is one of the most frequently seen and life-threatening causes of drug poisoning-related emergency service applications. Especially in children, it is a major cause of mortality and morbidity. Intoxication symptoms are seen in the early phase because of the high distribution volume and protein binding rates. To prevent these effects, plasma exchange must be added to the treatment protocol, especially when the central nervous and cardiac systems are affected. In this report, we present the application and results of plasmapheresis in the emergency treatment of a case with high-dose amitriptyline intoxication.
Keys to engagement: A case study exploring the participation of autistic pupils in educational decision-making at school.

BACKGROUND The UNCRC (1989) established the importance of listening to children's views globally. In England, seeking the views of pupils with special educational needs and disability about their education, and involving them in decision-making, has been mandatory since 2015. Autistic children's views and experiences are particularly underrepresented in this context. AIMS To provide a detailed exploratory analysis of practices that enable autistic pupils to participate in educational decision-making, and to generate new knowledge about pupil participation in a school context, using the Framework for Participation (Black-Hawkins, 2010) as an analytical frame. SAMPLE Four male pupils aged 11-15, with autism spectrum diagnoses, and 11 staff members from a specialist, independent school took part in this case study. METHODS Observations were made of pupils in lessons, and pupils completed a photo-voice activity focusing on where they felt 'most listened to' in the school. Staff members participated in semi-structured interviews. RESULTS A range of practices supported pupils' participation in everyday decision-making, underpinned by a respectful and positive culture led by the senior management team. The focus was on what learners can do and how they make decisions to facilitate achievement. Pupils and staff developed mutually respectful relationships, within which boundaries were negotiated and compromises offered. Flexibility through decision-making was provided within the timetabling and content of the curriculum. Pupils' special interests and expertise were valued as 'keys' to supporting their engagement. CONCLUSIONS These insights provide a tool for reflection by educators and educational psychologists for considering how they might promote the participation of autistic pupils in different educational contexts.
The Ventral Striatum is a Key Node for Functional Recovery of Finger Dexterity After Spinal Cord Injury in Monkeys

Abstract In a recent study, we demonstrated that the ventral striatum (VSt) controls finger movements directly during the early recovery stage after spinal cord injury (SCI), implying that the VSt may be a part of neural substrates responsible for the recovery of dexterous finger movements. The VSt is accepted widely as a key node for motivation, but is not thought to be involved in the direct control of limb movements. Therefore, whether a causal relationship exists between the VSt and motor recovery after SCI is unknown, and the role of the VSt in the recovery of dexterous finger movements orfinger movements in general after SCI remains unclear. In the present study, functional brain imaging in a macaque model of SCI revealed a strengthened functional connectivity between motor-related areas and the VSt during the recovery process for precision grip, but not whole finger grip after SCI. Furthermore, permanent lesion of the VSt impeded the recoveryof precision grip, but not coarse grip. Thus, the VSt was needed specifically for functional recovery of dexterous finger movements. These results suggest that the VSt is the key node of the cortical reorganization required for functional recovery of finger dexterity.
Quantitative and Qualitative Costs of Autogeny in Phlebotomus papatasi (Diptera: Psychodidae) Sand Flies

Abstract Most sand flies and mosquitoes require a bloodmeal for egg production, but when blood-sources are scarce, some of them can reproduce without it, so called facultative autogeny. The evolution of autogenous reproduction is thought to involve a trade-off between the benefit of reproducing in the absence of bloodmeal hosts versus the quantitative cost of reduced fecundity and/or or qualitative effect on reduced offspring development and survivorship. We blood-fed (BF) some Phlebotomous papatasi (Scopoli) sand fly females on mice while keeping others (from the same cohort) not BF. We then compared the fecundity of BF and non-blood-fed (NBF) females and also evaluated their egg mass and hatching rate, larval development rate and survivorship, pupa mass and eclosion rates, and progeny fecundity. Among NBF females, only 55% became gravid and produced three times less mature oocytes than BF ones. Autogenous females laid 3.5 and 5.7 times fewer eggs in individual and multi-female bioassays, respectively. Egg mass and hatching rate were not affected by blood-feeding. Individual-larvae bioassays suggested reduced survival during larval stages in the autogenous group. In multi-larvae bioassays, overall and especially pupae survival was significantly reduced in the autogenous group. Development rate was slower and pupal mass was reduced in progeny from autogenous mothers. These effects were particularly apparent at high larval density. Mothers' blood-feeding history did not affect daughter's fecundity. Studies on the costs of autogeny provides insights on the evolution of blood feeding. Moreover, it also provides insights regarding potential implications of autogeny to the emergence of vector-borne diseases.
BRCA and Motherhood: A Matter of Time and Timing

The threat of cancer and the effects of risk-reducing surgery can have a significant impact on family planning and family life. In this qualitative study, we examine intersecting experiences of BRCA carrier status, subsequent risk-reducing surgery, and motherhood by analyzing in-depth interviews with 16 Jewish, Israeli mothers (ages 36–57) who underwent risk-reducing mastectomies and/or oophorectomies. Time emerged as a prism through which the BRCA motherhood experience could be viewed. In the “Findings” section, we present concepts of BRCA time and maternal time through three subthemes: (a) objective and subjective fertility clocks and BRCA: the child who won’t be born; (b) synchronizing the clocks: the “correct” tempo and chronology; and (c) back to the future: intergenerational coalescence of time. We discuss the notions of time and existential health threats and subjective time in the primary mother–infant relational system within the context of the cultural ideal of the “motherhood myth. ”
Analysis of Self-Assembly Pathways with Unsupervised Machine Learning Algorithms.

Colloidal and nanoparticle systems display a rich and exciting phase behavior including the self-assembly of highly complex crystal structures. Nucleation and growth pathways towards crystallization have been studied both computationally and experimentally, but the mechanisms for the formation of the pre-critical nucleus and consequent crystal growth are yet to be fully understood. Recent advances in the application of machine learning algorithms applied to many-particle systems have led to significant breakthroughs in the ability for high-throughput analysis of phase transitions and the identification of crystal structures. We build upon these techniques to identify and analyze pathways for nucleation and growth in supercooled liquids of colloidal systems modeled with isotropic pair potentials. Our study involves the development of unsupervised machine learning models trained on spherical harmonics based descriptors. These models allow us to determine clusters of local environments that are present prior to and during crystallization. We analyze these environments to identify prevalent motifs and local order within the supercooled liquid prior to formation of the critical nucleus.
Environmental enrichment during the chronic phase after experimental stroke promotes functional recovery without synergistic effects of EphA4 targeted therapy

Abstract Worldwide, stroke is the main cause of long-term adult disability. After the initial insult, most patients undergo a subacute period with intense plasticity and rapid functional improvements. This period is followed by a chronic phase where recovery reaches a plateau that is only partially modifiable by rehabilitation. After experimental stroke, various subacute rehabilitation paradigms improve recovery. However, in order to reach the best possible outcome, a combination of plasticity-promoting strategies and rehabilitation might be necessary. EphA4 is a negative axonal guidance regulator during development. After experimental stroke, reduced EphA4 levels improve functional outcome with similar beneficial effects upon the inhibition of EphA4 downstream targets. In this study, we assessed the effectiveness of a basic enriched environment in the chronic phase after photothrombotic stroke in mice as well as the therapeutic potential of EphA4 targeted therapy followed by rehabilitation. Our findings show that environmental enrichment in the chronic phase improves functional outcome up to 2 months post-stroke. Although EphA4 levels increase after experimental stroke, subacute EphA4 inhibition followed by environmental enrichment does not further increase recovery. In conclusion, we show that environmental enrichment during the chronic phase of stroke improves functional outcome in mice with no synergistic effects of the used EphA4 targeted therapy.
Ketamine Restores Thalamic-Prefrontal Cortex Functional Connectivity in a Mouse Model of Neurodevelopmental Disorder-Associated 2p16.3 Deletion

Abstract 2p16.3 deletions, involving heterozygous NEUREXIN1 (NRXN1) deletion, dramatically increase the risk of developing neurodevelopmental disorders, including autism and schizophrenia. We have little understanding of how NRXN1 heterozygosity increases the risk of developing these disorders, particularly in terms of the impact on brain and neurotransmitter system function and brain network connectivity. Thus, here we characterize cerebral metabolism and functional brain network connectivity in Nrxn1α heterozygous mice (Nrxn1α+/− mice), and assess the impact of ketamine and dextro-amphetamine on cerebral metabolism in these animals. We show that heterozygous Nrxn1α deletion alters cerebral metabolism in neural systems implicated in autism and schizophrenia including the thalamus, mesolimbic system, and select cortical regions. Nrxn1α heterozygosity also reduces the efficiency of functional brain networks, through lost thalamic “rich club” and prefrontal cortex (PFC) hub connectivity and through reduced thalamic-PFC and thalamic “rich club” regional interconnectivity. Subanesthetic ketamine administration normalizes the thalamic hypermetabolism and partially normalizes thalamic disconnectivity present in Nrxn1α+/− mice, while cerebral metabolic responses to dextro-amphetamine are unaltered. The data provide new insight into the systems-level impact of heterozygous Nrxn1α deletion and how this increases the risk of developing neurodevelopmental disorders. The data also suggest that the thalamic dysfunction induced by heterozygous Nrxn1α deletion may be NMDA receptor-dependent.