Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Metabolic costs of altered growth trajectories across life transitions in amphibians.

Climate change is causing increases in temperature and in the frequency of extreme weather events. Under this scenario, organisms should maintain or develop strategies to cope with environmental fluctuations, such as the capacity to modify growth trajectories. However, altering growth can have negative consequences for organisms' fitness. Here, we investigated the metabolic alterations induced by compensatory growth during the larval development of the common frog (Rana temporaria), quantifying changes in oxidative stress, corticosterone levels, and telomere length. We induced compensatory growth responses by exposing frog embryos to cold conditions (i.e. a "false spring" scenario), which cause a delay in hatching. Once hatched, we reared larvae at two different photoperiods (24:0, representing the natural photoperiod of larvae, and 18:6) to test also for the interactive effects of light on growth responses. Larvae experiencing delayed-hatching showed fast compensatory responses, and reached larger size at metamorphosis. Larvae shortened their developmental period in response to delayed-hatching. Non-permanent light conditions resulted in relaxed growth compared with larvae reared under permanent light conditions, which grew at their natural photoperiod and closer to their maximal rates. Growth responses altered the redox status and corticosterone levels of larvae. These physiological changes were developmental-stage dependent, and mainly affected by photoperiod conditions. At catch-up, larvae reared at 18:6 light:dark cycles showed higher antioxidant activities and glucocorticoid secretion. On the contrary, larvae reared at 24:0 developed at higher rates without altering their oxidative status, likely an adaptation to grow under very restricting seasonal conditions at early life. At metamorphosis, compensatory responses induced higher cellular antioxidant activities probably caused by enhanced metabolism. Telomeres length remained unaltered by experimental treatments but apparently tended to elongate across larval ontogeny, which would be a first evidence of telomere lengthening across metamorphosis. Under the forecasted increase in extreme climatic events, adjusting growth and developmental rates to the dynamics of environmental fluctuations may be essential for survival, but it can carry metabolic costs and affect later performance. Understanding the implications of such costs will be essential to properly estimate the impact of climate change on wild animals.
Association of CD44 gene rs187115 polymorphism with colorectal cancer risk and prognosis in Chinese Han population: a case-control study

The cell surface adhesion receptor CD44 reportedly affects the development and progression of cancers. Moreover, CD44 gene rs187115 polymorphism appears to be genetic determinant of cancer susceptibility. We investigated whether CD44 rs187115 polymorphism is associated with colorectal cancer (CRC) risk and prognosis. We enrolled 669 CRC cases and 826 controls in this three-center case-control study in a Chinese Han population. All individuals were genotyped by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry. Cross-over analysis, multivariate logistic regression, Kaplan-Meier method, and Cox regression analysis were used for analysis. In this study, CD44 rs187115 polymorphism was associated with increased risk for CRC. Stratified analyses revealed that CD44 rs187115 polymorphism was correlated with increased risk for CRC in females, drinkers, smokers, and those aged ≥ 60 years. In addition, rs187115 polymorphism was significantly associated with TNM III+IV stage, lymph node metastasis and tumor size in CRC patients. Combined effects of CD44 rs187115 polymorphism (GG/AG vs. AA) and environmental factors (smoking and drinking) further increased the risk of CRC. GG genotype carriers showed poorer overall survival than AA genotype carriers. Cox regression analysis showed that drinking, CD44 rs187115 polymorphism, and TNM stage were independent prognostic factors affecting CRC. These findings show that CD44 rs187115 polymorphism may be a potential biomarker predictive of CRC susceptibility and prognosis.
Mesenchymal stem cells as carrier of the therapeutic agent in the gene therapy of blood disorders

Nonhematopoietic stem cells as a delivery platform of therapeutic useful genes have attracted widespread attention in recent years, owing to gained a long lifespan, easy separation, high proliferation, and high transfection capacity. Mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (MSCs) are the choice of the cells for gene and cell therapy due to high self‐renewal capacity, high migration rate to the site of the tumor, and with immune suppressive and anti‐inflammatory properties. Hence, it has a high potential of safety genetic modification of MSCs for antitumor gene expression and has paved the way for the clinical application of these cells to target the therapy of cancers and other diseases. The aim of gene therapy is targeted treatment of cancers and diseases through recovery, change, or enhancement cell performance to the sustained secretion of useful therapeutic proteins and induction expression of the functional gene in intended tissue. Recent developments in the vectors designing leading to the increase and durability of expression and improvement of the safety of the vectors that overcome a lot of problems, such as durability of expression and the host immune response. Nowadays, gene therapy approach is used by MSCs as a delivery vehicle in the preclinical and the clinical trials for the secretion of erythropoietin, recombinant antibodies, coagulation factors, cytokines, as well as angiogenic inhibitors in many blood disorders like anemia, hemophilia, and malignancies. In this study, we critically discuss the status of gene therapy by MSCs as a delivery vehicle for the treatment of blood disorders. Finally, the results of clinical trial studies are assessed, highlighting promising advantages of this emerging technology in the clinical setting.
Expectations, Decision-Making, and Emotional Reaction: Effects of an Unexpected Negative Outcome

This thesis is a theoretical review of the effects of an unexpected negative outcome on a decision-maker that may occur in spite of prior decisions supported by normative rules or probability estimates such as expected value. The main research question focuses on whether the decision-maker becomes risk-averse (similar to a flight response) or risk-taking (similar to a fight response) following an unexpected negative outcome of a prior decision. The hypothesis, influenced by Prospect Theory, is that a person in such a situation would be inclined to take risks rather than avoid risks. The “tilt” reaction due to a “bad beat,” an incident observed in the monetary game of poker, is used as an example of the reviewed phenomena. The literature selected to investigate the hypothesis involves theories of emotions, moods, feelings or affects as well as aspects of cognitive processing. It is assumed that the interaction between emotional experience and logical thinking is the key to understanding the effects on decision-making of an unexpected negative outcome. The thesis suggests that a decision-maker's behavior is influenced by the degree of experience of a similar outcome, the degree of violation of an expected outcome, the significance of the investment, and the personal ability to process information in a rational manner. The thesis concludes that an experienced decision-maker who experiences a possible but not probable negative outcome loses both monetary value and personal utility (reputation as an experienced decision-maker), will feel derived of a probable outcome, and show risk-taking behavior. The thesis further concludes that a novice decision-maker who experiences an unexpected negative outcome, and loses monetary value, will feel disappointed, and show risk-aversive behavior. Violations of an expected outcome create varied degrees of arousal and negative mental states, e.g. anger, surprise and disappointment, basically because the outcome violates (false) expectations of fairness. Such a violation might in some cases result in strong physical reactions such as violent behavior. It is suggested that extreme reactions, or "hot tilts," would be more likely among experienced players because they are expected to experience greater surprise or violation and have higher personal investments at stake. The less experienced player, however, would more probably display a "cold tilt" and risk-averse behavior. The interpretations are discussed in relation to theories available in the literature.
Thermoelectric Powers of Cells With NaF ± AlF 3 ± Al 2 O 3 Melts

A thermodynamic description of the Peltier heat at the aluminum and the oxygen electrode in the system NaF±AlF3±Al2O3 is given. The thermoelectric power in melts with molar ratios nNaF=nAlF3 from 3.0 to 1.0, saturated with alumina are measured. Seebeck coef®cients for molten ̄uoride electrolytes saturated with alumina, electrolytes that are relevant for aluminum electrowinning electrolysis cells, are reported. The results allow determinations of Peltier heats of aluminum, oxygen and carbon electrodes in NaF±AlF3 electrolytes saturated with alumina. For molar ratios of nNaF=nAlF3 between 2.6 and 1.2, there is a Peltier heating of the aluminum cathode. This heating is in the same order of magnitude as the electrolyte Joule heat, when the current density is 0.7 A cmÿ2. For molar ratio nNaF=nAlF3 equal to 1.0 the Peltier effect at the aluminum electrode approaches zero. From theoretical considerations we expect a drop also for molar ratio 3.0. For the anode we report a Peltier cooling that is larger than the heat produced by the anodic overvoltage, in melts with NaF/AlF3 molar ratio between 2.6 and 1.2 saturated with alumina.
The Effects of Facial Lipografting on Skin Quality: A Systematic Review.

BACKGROUND Autologous lipografting for improvement of facial skin quality was first described by Coleman in 2006. The current dogma dictates that adipose tissue-derived stromal cells that reside in the stromal vascular fraction of lipograft contribute to skin rejuvenation (e.g., increased skin elasticity), a more homogenous skin color, and softening of skin texture. Nowadays, many studies have been reported on this "skin rejuvenation" effect of autologous fat grafting. This systematic review was undertaken to assess the efficacy of autologous lipografting on skin quality. METHODS The MEDLINE, Embase, Cochrane Central, Web of Science, and Google Scholar databases were searched for studies evaluating the effect of autologous lipografting on facial skin quality (May 11, 2018). Outcomes of interest were skin texture, color, and elasticity in addition to histologic outcomes and number of complications. RESULTS Nine studies were included, with 301 patients treated in total. No meta-analysis could be performed because of heterogeneity of the metrics and outcomes. Eight studies reported increased skin elasticity; improvement in skin texture; and a more homogeneous skin color after treatment with lipografting, cellular stromal vascular fraction, or nanofat. One study reported no increased skin elasticity after lipografting. Histologic improvement was seen after lipografting and adipose tissue-derived stromal cell injections. However, in general, the level of evidence of the included studies was low. No serious complications were reported. CONCLUSION Autologous facial lipografting and cellular stromal vascular fraction and adipose tissue-derived stromal cell injections hardly seem to improve facial skin quality but can be considered a safe procedure.
Bioinspired Three-Dimensional-Printed Helical Soft Pneumatic Actuators and Their Characterization.

Soft pneumatic actuators (SPAs) are widely studied and applied in the field of soft robotics. To expand their applications, the SPAs should be purpose-built to generate application-specific complex motions with multiple degrees of freedom. This article describes a new SPA consisting of a series of internal chambers with the same helix angle arranged in a row, which could generate bending and twisting motions simultaneously. The trajectory of the helical actuator was analyzed through the finite element method (FEM) by changing the angle of the chambers and the actuator length. We employed a three-dimensional printing method to directly fabricate the thin-walled and airtight helical actuators without applying any postfabrication process. The recorded trajectory of the actuator and the measured blocking force on the tipping point were compared with the corresponding simulation results from the FEM. The actuation behavior of the helical actuator has been compared with that of the actuator with zero chamber angle, but with the same size (i.e., a normal bending actuator generating a two-dimensional trajectory). It is found that the proposed helical actuator (with a maximum 2.10 N blocking force) had a higher mechanical output (or efficiency) than the normal bending actuator (with a maximum 1.19 N blocking force) under the same pressure input. We fabricated a soft helical actuator as the fingers of a four-finger gripper to grasp complex-shaped items. Furthermore, another four-finger gripper made of a hybrid actuator consisting of a half of the angled chambers and a half of the nonangled chambers was constructed to demonstrate that the proposed design and fabrication technique could be employed to establish application- and function-specific soft robotic systems.
OBTURATION TECHNIQUES: AN IN VITRO COMPARAISON OF CARRIER-BASED SYSTEMS WITH WARM VERTICAL COMPACTION

The aim of study was to evaluate the apical adaptation of different obturation techniques by determining the amount of sealer in the apical third of the canal, the presence of obturator at the last one millimeter, the amount of gutta-percha and the presence of plastic carrier at the foramen. One hundred and eight freshly extracted single rooted teeth were divided into four groups: 1) group A: Warm Vertical Compaction “WVC” (VC), 27 teeth; 2) group B: Herofilll® obturators (HF), 27 teeth; 3) group C: Thermafil® obturators (TF), 27 teeth; 4) group D: RealSeal1® obturators (RS1), 27 teeth. The results showed a significant difference between HF and VC when evaluating the amount of obturation material, the VC having a higher mean (p =0.0001) whereas no significant difference was detected between these two groups in terms of sealer mean area (p=0.268). On the other hand, RS1 showed a higher mean of obturation material (p=0.007) and a lower mean area of the plastic carrier (p=0.025) when compared to TF; these differences were at the 3mm section level. Both HF (p=0.030) and TF (p=0.039) groups had significantly less amount of sealer thickness only at 3mm section level compared to VC group. RealSeal1® showed the most amount of obturation material and Herofill® showed the least. Resume L’etude vise a evaluer l’adaptation apicale de differentes techniques d’obturation en determinant la quantite de ciment au niveau du tiers apical (derniers 5mm), la presence de l’obturateur au niveau du dernier millimetre apical, la quantite de gutta percha et la presence du tuteur en plastique au niveau du foramen. 108 dents monoradiculees fraichement extraites ont ete divisees en quatre groupes: 1) groupe A: compactage vertical a chaud «VC» (VC) (27 dents) ; 2) groupe B: obturateurs Herofill® (HF) (27 dents), 3) groupe C: obturateurs Thermafil® (TF) (27 dents), 4) groupe D: obturateurs RealSeal1® (RS1) (27 dents). Les resultats ont montre une difference significative entre HF et VC, le VC presentant une moyenne plus elevee (p<0,0001) de la quantite du materiau d’obturation, alors qu’aucune difference significative n’a ete decelee entre les deux groupes lorsque l’on a compare la superficie moyenne du ciment (p = 0,268). D’autre part, RS1 a montre une moyenne plus elevee (p = 0,007) en termes de quantite du materiau d’obturation et une moyenne inferieure de la surface du tuteur en plastique (p = 0,025) par rapport a TF, ces differences etaient au niveau de la section de 3mm. Pour les deux groupes de HF (p = 0,030) et TF (p = 0,039), l’epaisseur du ciment etait significativement moindre au niveau de la section de 3mm par rapport au groupe VC.
Molecular chaperone HspB2 inhibited pancreatic cancer cell proliferation via activating p53 downstream gene RPRM, BAI1, and TSAP6

Heat shock proteins (HSPs) were known as the molecular chaperones, which play a pivotal role in the protein quality control system, ensuring correct folding of proteins, and facilitating the correct refolding of damaged proteins via the transient interaction with their substrate proteins. They also practice in the regulation of cell cycles and are involved in apoptosis. We found that HspB2 was almost completely silent in pancreatic cancer and few studies investigated the role of HspB2 in cancer cells, particularly in pancreatic cancer. Here, we reported that HspB2 effectively inhibited cell proliferation in Panc‐1 cells. Specifically, we demonstrated that HspB2 could combine mut‐p53 and change the DNA binding site of mutant p53, subsequently upregulated the expression of RPRM, BAI‐1, and TSAP6 which were the downstream genes of wt‐p53, participate in mediating downstream responses to p53, including inhibiting cell proliferation and angiogenesis. The main aim of this study is to investigate the relationship between HspB2 and p53, and provide a novel treatment strategy for pancreatic cancer.
How Well do you Know Me: Culture and the Self 1 (Kultūra ir savimonė: ar gerai mus pažįstate?)

In a series of studies we investigated the validity of PASCI and explored the congruence in five geographical entities. The present study has been conducted with the aim to know the self-esteem of participants who were students. Due to inconsistent and indeterminate findings, business researchers and cross-cultural scholars have failed to take into account possible interaction between culture/gender and social behaviour (self ). Through analyses of variance, we provide evidence, that nationality yielded highly signi - ficant levels of self-esteem. This result was interpreted as adding credence to the view that studying the self is important across cultures. The findings are mirrored in the individualism-collectivism dimensions and reasons for these findings are discussed. In addition, suggestions for future research may lead to Lithuanian data that might be valued as an important mediating factor that can influence other important psychologi - cal and behavioural outcomes such as job satisfaction and employee retention in organizations.
SNF2 histone linker PHD RING helicase related Has_circ_0001649 as a diagnostic and prognostic biomarker in solid cancer

Abstract Background Dysregulated circular RNAs have been implicated in the pathogenesis of cancer. Recent studies indicate that has_circ_0001649 lowly expressed in multiple types of cancer. The purpose of this study is to investigate the roles of has_circ_0001649 as a diagnostic and prognostic marker for Chinese patients with cancer. Methods Adhering to preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses guidelines, systematic literature searches were performed using Pubmed, Embase, and the web of Science to retrieve articles fulfilled all inclusion criteria. The significance of has_circ_0001649 in diagnosis and prognosis of cancer patients were evaluated. Meta-Disc 1. 4 and STATA 12. 0 were used to analyze the data from collected studies. Results Eleven articles with 761 patients were included in present meta-analysis, of which 4 were about diagnosis, 5 were about prognosis, and 6 were about tumor differentiation grade. For the diagnostic value of has_circ_0001649, the pooled results for sensitivity, specificity, positive likelihood ratio, negative likelihood ratio, and diagnostic odds ratio with their 95% confidential intervals were 0. 78 (0. 73–0. 83), 0. 75 (0. 70–0. 80), 3. 17 (2. 56–3. 93), 0. 29 (0. 23–0. 36), and 11. 41 (7. 80–16. 7), respectively. The area under the curve of summary receiver operator characteristic was 0.8408 (Q = 0. 7725). Meanwhile, the result showed no obvious publication bias in this analysis for the P-value of Deeks’ test was . 489. For the prognostic value, the pooled hazard ratio for overall survival was 0.45 (0.324–0.626). Lower expression of has_circ_0001649 was also prone to lower tumor differentiation grade (odds ratio = 2.58, P < .0001). Conclusions Has_circ_0001649 could be used as a potential biomarker for diagnosis and prognosis in solid cancer. Further prospective studies are required to validate its clinical application.
How the New European Union’s (Pictorial) Tobacco Health Warnings Influence Quit Attempts and Smoking Cessation: Findings from the 2016–2017 International Tobacco Control (ITC) Netherlands Surveys

In 2016, the Netherlands was required to introduce new European Union (EU)’s (pictorial) tobacco health warnings. Our objective was to describe the pathways through which the new EU tobacco health warnings may influence quit attempts and smoking cessation among Dutch smokers. Longitudinal data from 2016 and 2017 from the International Tobacco Control (ITC) Netherlands Survey were used. Smokers who participated in both surveys were included (N = 1017). Structural equation modeling was applied to examine the hypothesized pathways. Health warning salience was positively associated with more health worries (β = 0.301, p < 0.001) and a more positive attitude towards quitting (β = 0.180, p < 0.001), which, in turn, were associated with a stronger quit intention (health worries: β = 0.304, p < 0.001; attitude: β = 0.340, p < 0.001). Quit intention was a strong predictor of quit attempts (β = 0.336, p = 0.001). Health warning salience was also associated with stronger perceived social norms towards quitting (β = 0.166, p < 0.001), which directly predicted quit attempts (β = 0.141, p = 0.048). Quit attempts were positively associated with smoking cessation (β = 0.453, p = 0.043). Based on these findings, we posit that the effect of the EU’s tobacco health warnings on quit attempts and smoking cessation is mediated by increased health worries and a more positive attitude and perceived social norms towards quitting. Making tobacco health warnings more salient (e.g., by using plain packaging) may increase their potential to stimulate quitting among smokers.
Does VAT reduce the instability of tax revenues

In this study, we examine whether or not the adoption of value-added tax (VAT) in developing countries is an effective way of stabilising tax revenues. Using a large panel of 103 developing countries observed over 1980-2008 and several alternative estimation methods in order to deal with the self-selection bias and the endogeneity issue inherent in VAT adoption, we found robust evidence that the presence of VAT leads to significantly lower tax revenue instability. On average, countries with VAT experience 40-50% less tax revenue instability than countries which do not have a VAT system. These effects decrease with the level of economic development and the openness of trade.