Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Genome-Wide Identification and Characterization of Wheat 14-3-3 Genes Unravels the Role of TaGRF6-A in Salt Stress Tolerance by Binding MYB Transcription Factor

14-3-3 proteins are a large multigenic family of general regulatory factors (GRF) ubiquitously found in eukaryotes and play vital roles in the regulation of plant growth, development, and response to stress stimuli. However, so far, no comprehensive investigation has been performed in the hexaploid wheat. In the present study, A total of 17 potential 14-3-3 gene family members were identified from the Chinese Spring whole-genome sequencing database. The phylogenetic comparison with six 14-3-3 families revealed that the majority of wheat 14-3-3 genes might have evolved as an independent branch and grouped into ε and non-ε group using the phylogenetic comparison. Analysis of gene structure and motif indicated that 14-3-3 protein family members have relatively conserved exon/intron arrangement and motif composition. Physical mapping showed that wheat 14-3-3 genes are mainly distributed on chromosomes 2, 3, 4, and 7. Moreover, most 14-3-3 members in wheat exhibited significantly down-regulated expression in response to alkaline stress. VIGS assay and protein-protein interaction analysis further confirmed that TaGRF6-A positively regulated slat stress tolerance by interacting with a MYB transcription factor, TaMYB64. Taken together, our findings provide fundamental information on the involvement of the wheat 14-3-3 family in salt stress and further investigating their molecular mechanism.
Characterization and clinical significance of the CADM1/HER2/STAT3 axis in serous ovarian tumors

Abstract The subtypes of serous ovarian tumors (SOTs), including benign serous cystadenoma, serous borderline tumor (SBT), low-grade serous ovarian carcinoma (LGSC), and high-grade serous ovarian carcinoma (HGSC), remain poorly understood. Herein, we aimed to characterize the cell adhesion molecule 1 (CADM1)/signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3)/human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) axis and identify its clinical significance in patients with serous cystadenoma, SBT, LGSC, and HGSC. The immunohistochemical expression of CADM1, HER2, and STAT3 was assessed in 180 SOT specimens, and its association with clinical data was determined. High levels of CADM1 expression were detected in 100% of serous cystadenomas and 83.33% of SBTs, while a loss of CADM1 expression was observed in 44% of LGSCs and 72.5% of HGSCs. Relative to the levels in benign cystadenomas and SBTs, higher levels of HER2 and STAT3 expression were observed in LGSCs and aggressive HGSCs. Furthermore, the expression profile of the CADM1/HER2/STAT3 axis was significantly associated with histologic type, International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics stage, and lymph node metastasis in patients with SOT. Our study identified the changes in the CADM1/HER2/STAT3 axis that were closely associated with the clinical behavior of SOTs. These molecular data may provide new insights into SOT carcinogenesis and aid in the diagnosis and treatment of patients with SOT.
Nano-Scale Modifications of Amniotic Membrane Induced by UV and Antibiotic Treatment: Histological, AFM and FTIR Spectroscopy Evidence

The efficiency of amniotic membrane (AM) transplantation in different types of ocular surface disorders is due to its outstanding properties such as antifibrotic, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory and antiangiogenic, working as a versatile scaffold to promote corneal tissue epithelialization. A proper preparation, preservation and clinical application are crucial for the best outcomes in the treatment of different severe ocular disorders, taking into account its fragility. In this context, by combining high-sensitivity tools such as atomic force microscopy (AFM) and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy with histological and immunohistochemical examination, we aimed to investigate the ultrastructural modifications of the amniotic membrane (AM) upon UV exposure and/or antibiotic treatment, with relevance for clinical applications in ocular surface surgery. From the morphological point of view, we noticed a loss of cuboidal cells in the basal membrane, accompanied by the splitting of collagen fibers upon UV and/or gentamicin treatment, while structural alteration of proteins was evidenced by the FTIR quantitative analysis of the secondary structure. A decrease in α-helix and β-sheet content, accompanied by increased content in less ordered structures (turns, random and side chains), was noticed after all the treatments. At the nano-scale, AFM details showed modifications of collagen fibrils in terms of their thickness and network compaction upon gentamicin and/or UV treatment. The enzymatic digestion assay demonstrated that UV exposure significantly reduces the degradation rate of the AM, while gentamicin treatment promotes an accelerated enzymatic digestion upon UV exposure. In order to highlight the clinical impact of the research, a clinical case is presented showing the relevance of amniotic membrane transplantation in pterygium surgery.
Development of Microemulsion Containing Alpinia galanga Oil and Its Major Compounds: Enhancement of Antimicrobial Activities

The aim of the present study was to develop a microemulsion (ME) containing Alpinia galanga oil (AGO), 1,8-cineole (C), or methyl eugenol (M) as an active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) for enhancing their antimicrobial activities. Agar diffusion, broth microdilution, and killing kinetics were used for antimicrobial evaluations. The ME composed of 30% API, 33.4% Tween 80, 16.6% ethanol, and 20% water appeared as translucent systems with droplet size and polydispersity index of 101.1 ± 1.3 nm and 0.3 ± 0.1, 80.9 ± 1.1 nm and 0.4 ± 0.1, and 96.6 ± 2.0 nm and 0.2 ± 0.1 for ME-AGO, ME-C, and ME-M, respectively. These ME formulations showed minimum bacterial concentrations of 3.91–31.25 µg/mL and 50% fungal inhibition concentrations of 1.83 ± 0.27–0.46 ± 0.13 µg/mL, 2–4 times stronger, and faster kinetic killing rate than their respective API alone. Keeping the ME formulations at 4 °C, 25 °C, and 40 °C for 12 weeks did not affect their activities against fungi and Gram-negative bacteria, but the high temperature of 40 °C decreased their activities against Gram-positive bacteria. It is concluded that ME is a promising delivery system for AGO and its major compounds to enhance their water miscibility and antimicrobial activities.
Coping, Resilience, and Perceived Stress in Individuals with Internet Gaming Disorder in Taiwan

Aim: Gaming escapism is an essential factor for developing internet gaming disorder (IGD). We evaluated coping strategies, resilience, stress, and depression in individuals with IGD. Methods: We included 69 participants with IGD and 138 controls (69 regular gamers and other non-gamers) in Taiwan. The self-reported coping strategies, coping stress with gaming, resilience, perceived stress, and depression were assessed. Results: Participants with IGD had higher dysfunctional coping, coping stress by gaming, perceived stress, and depression, as well as lower problem-focused coping and resilience. Regression analysis revealed that coping by gaming was associated with dysfunctional coping mechanisms, particularly venting and self-distraction. Compared with participants with adequate resilience, those with lower resilience had higher perceived stress, depression, and coping by gaming, and lower problem-focused and emotion-focused coping. Dysfunctional coping and coping by gaming were associated with perceived stress and depression in both IGD and control groups. Problem-focused coping was negatively associated with perceived stress and depression in controls. Conclusion: Individuals with IGD had higher perceived stress and depression, as they were more likely to cope with stress by dysfunctional coping and gaming and less likely to try problem-focused coping, particularly those with lower resilience. Interventions for IGD should promote problem-focused coping, such as active coping and planning strategies, particularly among those with lower resilience.
In Vitro Suppression of T Cell Proliferation Is a Conserved Function of Primary and Immortalized Human Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts

T cell immunotherapy is now a mainstay therapy for several blood-borne cancers as well as metastatic melanoma. Unfortunately, many epithelial tumors respond poorly to immunotherapy, and the reasons for this are not well understood. Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are the most frequent non-neoplastic cell type in most solid tumors, and they are emerging as a key player in immunotherapy resistance. A range of immortalized CAF lines will be essential tools that will allow us to understand immune responses against cancer and develop novel strategies for cancer immunotherapy. To study the effect of CAFs on T cell proliferation, we created and characterized a number of novel immortalized human CAFs lines (Im-CAFs) from human breast, colon, and pancreatic carcinomas. Im-CAFs shared similar phenotypes, matrix remodeling and contraction capabilities, and growth and migration rates compared to the primary CAFs. Using primary isolates from breast carcinoma, colorectal carcinoma, and pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, we report that CAFs across major tumor types are able to potently suppress T cell proliferation in vitro. Im-CAFs retained this property. Im-CAFs are a key tool that will provide important insights into the mechanisms of CAF-mediated T cell suppression through techniques such as CRISPR-Cas9 modification, molecular screens, and pipeline drug testing.
Patient-Specific Network for Personalized Breast Cancer Therapy with Multi-Omics Data

The development of new computational approaches that are able to design the correct personalized drugs is the crucial therapeutic issue in cancer research. However, tumor heterogeneity is the main obstacle to developing patient-specific single drugs or combinations of drugs that already exist in clinics. In this study, we developed a computational approach that integrates copy number alteration, gene expression, and a protein interaction network of 73 basal breast cancer samples. 2509 prognostic genes harboring a copy number alteration were identified using survival analysis, and a protein–protein interaction network considering the direct interactions was created. Each patient was described by a specific combination of seven altered hub proteins that fully characterize the 73 basal breast cancer patients. We suggested the optimal combination therapy for each patient considering drug–protein interactions. Our approach is able to confirm well-known cancer related genes and suggest novel potential drug target genes. In conclusion, we presented a new computational approach in breast cancer to deal with the intra-tumor heterogeneity towards personalized cancer therapy.
The Experiences of Grief and Personal Growth in University Students: A Qualitative Study

Background: Experiencing the death of a close person, especially in emerging adults and students, can have profound effects on the bereaved individual’s life. As most research in this field has focused on negative effects of a loss, little is known about potential positive effects experienced by bereaved university students. This study investigated the experience of grief and personal growth in a sample of students from The University of Melbourne, Australia. Methods: Semi-structured interviews via Zoom/telephone with bereaved students (n = 14), who were invited to reflect on their loss and any personal growth potentially experienced. Thematic analysis of the data was based on a deductive and inductive approach. Results: The analysis identified four themes: (i) sharing of grief as a coping mechanism, (ii) balance between grief reactions and moving forward in life, (iii) lessons learned and personal growth, and (iv) adopting values from the deceased person and continuing bonds. Conclusions: Participants emphasized personal growth regarding self-perception and philosophical views on life. Following the loss, they preferred peer support, and used formal services only when they had a specific need. The findings indicate the importance of social support for bereaved students, and the complimentary role of peer and professional support. Hence, academic institutions should offer supportive services tailored to both students and professionals to help bereaved students.
HRDepthNet: Depth Image-Based Marker-Less Tracking of Body Joints

With approaches for the detection of joint positions in color images such as HRNet and OpenPose being available, consideration of corresponding approaches for depth images is limited even though depth images have several advantages over color images like robustness to light variation or color- and texture invariance. Correspondingly, we introduce High- Resolution Depth Net (HRDepthNet)—a machine learning driven approach to detect human joints (body, head, and upper and lower extremities) in purely depth images. HRDepthNet retrains the original HRNet for depth images. Therefore, a dataset is created holding depth (and RGB) images recorded with subjects conducting the timed up and go test—an established geriatric assessment. The images were manually annotated RGB images. The training and evaluation were conducted with this dataset. For accuracy evaluation, detection of body joints was evaluated via COCO’s evaluation metrics and indicated that the resulting depth image-based model achieved better results than the HRNet trained and applied on corresponding RGB images. An additional evaluation of the position errors showed a median deviation of 1.619 cm (x-axis), 2.342 cm (y-axis) and 2.4 cm (z-axis).
Investigating the Intervention Parameters of Endogenous Paired Associative Stimulation (ePAS)

Advances in our understanding of neural plasticity have prompted the emergence of neuromodulatory interventions, which modulate corticomotor excitability (CME) and hold potential for accelerating stroke recovery. Endogenous paired associative stimulation (ePAS) involves the repeated pairing of a single pulse of peripheral electrical stimulation (PES) with endogenous movement-related cortical potentials (MRCPs), which are derived from electroencephalography. However, little is known about the optimal parameters for its delivery. A factorial design with repeated measures delivered four different versions of ePAS, in which PES intensities and movement type were manipulated. Linear mixed models were employed to assess interaction effects between PES intensity (suprathreshold (Hi) and motor threshold (Lo)) and movement type (Voluntary and Imagined) on CME. ePAS interventions significantly increased CME compared to control interventions, except in the case of Lo-Voluntary ePAS. There was an overall main effect for the Hi-Voluntary ePAS intervention immediately post-intervention (p = 0.002), with a sub-additive interaction effect at 30 min’ post-intervention (p = 0.042). Hi-Imagined and Lo-Imagined ePAS significantly increased CME for 30 min post-intervention (p = 0.038 and p = 0.043 respectively). The effects of the two PES intensities were not significantly different. CME was significantly greater after performing imagined movements, compared to voluntary movements, with motor threshold PES (Lo) 15 min post-intervention (p = 0.012). This study supports previous research investigating Lo-Imagined ePAS and extends those findings by illustrating that ePAS interventions that deliver suprathreshold intensities during voluntary or imagined movements (Hi-Voluntary and Hi-Imagined) also increase CME. Importantly, our findings indicate that stimulation intensity and movement type interact in ePAS interventions. Factorial designs are an efficient way to explore the effects of manipulating the parameters of neuromodulatory interventions. Further research is required to ensure that these parameters are appropriately refined to maximise intervention efficacy for people with stroke and to support translation into clinical practice.
Microwave assisted synthesis – a critical technology overview

Since 1986, when Gedye and Giguere published their first articles in Tetrahedron Letters on microwave assisted syntheses in household microwave ovens, there has been a steadily growing interest in this research field. Since the use of microwaves comprises more than the simple application of a goal-oriented, innovative tool, it is crucial to be aware of the fundamentals of chemistry in the microwave field before investigating challenging reaction mechanisms. Therefore, the following overview focuses mostly on reaction engineering in the microwave field. Parallel reactions and scale-up are also discussed. The last section of this review is dedicated to the development of experimentally sound protocols on microwave-assisted syntheses and separations, which are illustrated through experiments.
Bonding and Thermal Cycling Performances of Two (Poly)Aryl–Ether–Ketone (PAEKs) Materials to an Acrylic Denture Base Resin

Poly(aryl–ether–ketone) materials (PAEKs) are gaining interest in everyday dental practices because of their natural properties. This study aims to analyze the bonding performance of PAEKs to a denture acrylic. Testing materials were pretreated by grinding, sandblasting, and priming prior to polymerization with the denture acrylic. The surface morphologies were observed using a scanning electron microscope and the surface roughness was measured using atomic force microscopy. The shear bond strength (SBS) values were determined after 0 and 2500 thermal cycles. The obtained data were analyzed using a paired samples t-test and Tukey’s honestly significant difference (HSD) test (α = 0.05). The surface characteristics of testing materials after different surface pretreatments showed obvious differences. PAEKs showed lower surface roughness values (0.02–0.03 MPa) than Co-Cr (0.16 MPa) and zirconia (0.22 MPa) after priming and sandblasting treatments (p < 0.05). The SBS values of PAEKs (7.60–8.38 MPa) met the clinical requirements suggested by ISO 10477 (5 MPa). Moreover, PAEKs showed significantly lower SBS reductions (p < 0.05) after thermal cycling fatigue testing compared to Co-Cr and zirconia. Bonding performance is essential for denture materials, and our results demonstrated that PAEKs possess good resistance to thermal cycling fatigue, which is an advantage in clinical applications. The results imply that PAEKs are potential alternative materials for the removable of prosthetic frameworks.
Subcutaneous ω-Conotoxins Alleviate Mechanical Pain in Rodent Models of Acute Peripheral Neuropathy

The peripheral effects of ω-conotoxins, selective blockers of N-type voltage-gated calcium channels (CaV2.2), have not been characterised across different clinically relevant pain models. This study examines the effects of locally administered ω-conotoxin MVIIA, GVIA, and CVIF on mechanical and thermal paw withdrawal threshold (PWT) in postsurgical pain (PSP), cisplatin-induced neuropathy (CisIPN), and oxaliplatin-induced neuropathy (OIPN) rodent models. Intraplantar injection of 300, 100 and 30 nM MVIIA significantly (p < 0.0001, p < 0.0001, and p < 0.05, respectively) alleviated mechanical allodynia of mice in PSP model compared to vehicle control group. Similarly, intraplantar injection of 300, 100, and 30 nM MVIIA (p < 0.0001, p < 0.01, and p < 0.05, respectively), and 300 nM and 100 nM GVIA (p < 0.0001 and p < 0.05, respectively) significantly increased mechanical thresholds of mice in OIPN model. The ED50 of GVIA and MVIIA in OIPN was found to be 1.8 pmol/paw and 0.8 pmol/paw, respectively. However, none of the ω-conotoxins were effective in a mouse model of CisIPN. The intraplantar administration of 300 nM GVIA, MVIIA, and CVIF did not cause any locomotor side effects. The intraplantar administration of MVIIA can alleviate incision-induced mechanical allodynia, and GVIA and MVIIA effectively reduce OIPN associated mechanical pain, without locomotor side effects, in rodent models. In contrast, CVIF was inactive in these pain models, suggesting it is unable to block a subset of N-type voltage-gated calcium channels associated with nociceptors in the skin.
Feature Subset Selection for Malware Detection in Smart IoT Platforms

Malicious software (“malware”) has become one of the serious cybersecurity issues in Android ecosystem. Given the fast evolution of Android malware releases, it is practically not feasible to manually detect malware apps in the Android ecosystem. As a result, machine learning has become a fledgling approach for malware detection. Since machine learning performance is largely influenced by the availability of high quality and relevant features, feature selection approaches play key role in machine learning based detection of malware. In this paper, we formulate the feature selection problem as a quadratic programming problem and analyse how commonly used filter-based feature selection methods work with emphases on Android malware detection. We compare and contrast several feature selection methods along several factors including the composition of relevant features selected. We empirically evaluate the predictive accuracy of the feature subset selection algorithms and compare their predictive accuracy and the execution time using several learning algorithms. The results of the experiments confirm that feature selection is necessary for improving accuracy of the learning models as well decreasing the run time. The results also show that the performance of the feature selection algorithms vary from one learning algorithm to another and no one feature selection approach performs better than the other approaches all the time.
Initial adhesion of Bacillus subtilis on soil minerals as related to their surface properties

The initial adhesion of micro‐organisms on solid surfaces strongly affects their transport and fate in soil and aquatic environments. Experiments on Bacillus subtilis with various soil minerals (including kaolinite, montmorillonite, goethite, birnessite, quartz and mica) were conducted to determine the role of surface properties in adhesion and to test the validity of the extended Derjaguin, Landau, Verwey and Overbeek (DLVO) theory for bacterial adhesion. Adhesion of B. subtilis on all six minerals conformed to the Langmuir equation. Adhesion capacity and affinity showed a significant correlation with the specific external surface area (SESA) of the minerals and the calculated electrostatic energy barrier, respectively, but no significant correlation was observed between hydrophobicity and the adhesion parameters. These results demonstrate that adhesion capacity and affinity are primarily controlled by the SESA of the minerals and the surface electrical properties, respectively. The dependence of the adhesion capacity on SESA may be explained by the cell–mineral interaction model. Adhesion could be well predicted by the extended DLVO theory. The initial adhesion of bacteria with soil minerals can be evaluated by using independently measured surface properties of these components based on the extended DLVO theory combined with the Langmuir equation.
Particle and Gel Characterization of Irinotecan-Loaded Double-Reverse Thermosensitive Hydrogel

The irinotecan-loaded double-reverse thermosensitive hydrogel (DRTH) is a dispersed system of irinotecan-loaded solid lipid nanoparticles (SLN) in a thermosensitive hydrogel. To optimise the particle and gel properties of DRTHs for rectal administration of irinotecan, SLNs and DRTHs were prepared with tricaprin, triethanolamine, Tween 80, and Span 20. Among the SLNs tested, an SLN composed of 1 g irinotecan, 0.5 g lipid mixture, and 0.5 g combined surfactant gave the highest entrapment efficiency and smallest particle size. A DRTH composed of (poloxamer 407/poloxamer 188/combined surfactant/SLN dispersion/H2O (10/15/17/4/54%)) showed easy administration, fast gelling, and strong gel-forming in the body.