Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Baltic Adolescents’ Health Behaviour: An International Comparison

The aim of the study is to assess the time trends in Baltic adolescents’ physical activity, dietary habits and BMI and compare the results with the average of the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) study. The research used HBSC data from 2006 to 2018. The total number of respondents was 17,458 in Estonia, 18,416 in Latvia and 20,466 in Lithuania. A logistic regression analysis was applied to estimate time trends in health behaviour indicators. The results demonstrated that Baltic adolescents’ physical activity has declined over the study years, except for Lithuanian girls. The prevalence of overweight adolescents has significantly increased since 2006. Dietary habits improved in all three Baltic countries, as consumption of vegetables increased, and soft drink consumption decreased during this time period. This research shows that a nationwide, highly representative study with health behaviour indicators enables us to assess regional differences compared to the HBSC average. The prevalence of overweight and obese adolescents in the Baltic countries has increased and moved closer to the HBSC average. Although Baltic adolescents’ daily vegetable consumption has increased over the last decade, it is still lower than the HBSC average.
Effect of temperature on the extraction of various arsenic compounds from dried Hijiki, Sargassum fusiforme by water-soaking as a pre-cooking process

Commercial products of Hijiki, Sargassum fusiforme1), which belongs to the Phaeophyta family, contains rather higher amounts of arsenic2-4) than the members of other families. Substantial amounts of arsenic accumulated in the plant tissues are removed through the drying process of the raw materials ; however the levels of retained arsenic in the dried Hijiki are at times high. These arsenic levels often hampered consumption of Hijiki5)as foodstuffs. Previously, we reported the effect of water-soaking on the diminution of arsenic contents6, 7), retained in the commercial dried Hijiki : more than 70 % of the total arsenic could be removed from the Hijiki through the pre-cooking treatment, examined by varying the water-temperature and time-lapse of water-soaking. In the present paper, we report the behavior of the respective arsenic compounds eluted during the watersoaking pre-cooking process for dried Hijiki.
A Novel Probe-to-Probe Method for Measuring Thermal Conductivity of Individual Electrospun Nanofibers

Polymer nanofibers have the ability to replace expensive materials, such as metals, ceramics and composites, in specific areas, such as heat exchangers, energy storage and biomedical applications. These properties have caused polymer nanofibers to be explored as solutions to a growing list of thermal management problems, driving an even greater need to better measure and understand the thermal properties of these nanofibers. This study intends to further the understanding of the thermal properties of polymer nanofibers through the use of a novel Probe-to-Probe measurement method. Polycaprolactone nanofibers fabricated using the electrospinning method can be easily collected and loaded into a traditional atomic force microscope through a mechanical design for thermal measurement. This Probe-to-Probe method demonstrates the ability to accurately measure the thermal boundary conditions about a polymer nanofiber with a heating prong temperature up to 400 ∘C and assists in characterizing its thermal properties.
Pulsar Observations at low latitudes and low frequencies

The Pulsar Monitoring in Argentina (PuMA) is a collaboration between the Argentine Institute for Radioastronomy (IAR) and the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) that since 2017 has been observing southern sky pulsars with high cadence using the two restored IAR antennas in the L-Band (1400MHz). We briefly review the first set of results of this program to study transient phenomena, such as magnetars and glitching pulsars, as well as to perform precise timing of millisecond pulsars. Access to lower frequency bands, where most of the pulsars are brighter, would allow us to reach additional pulsars, currently buried into the background noise. We identify two dozen additional glitching pulsars that could be observable in the 400MHz band by the IAR's projected Multipurpose Interferometer Array (MIA). We also discuss the relevance and challenges of single-pulse pulsar timing at low frequencies and the search for Fast Radio Burst (FRB) in the collected data since 2017 using machine learning techniques.
Incidence and Risk Factors of Alcohol Relapse after Liver Transplantation: Analysis of Pre-Transplant Abstinence and Psychosocial Features

Alcohol-associated liver disease (ALD) is a common indication for liver transplantation (LT). Alcohol relapse after LT is associated with graft loss and worse prognosis. Over the past 20 years, the number and prevalence of living donor liver transplantations (LDLTs) have increased in Taiwan. The aims of this retrospective study are to analyze the incidence and risk factors of alcohol relapse after LT at a single center in Taiwan. A total of 98 patients with ALD who underwent LT from January 2012 to December 2018 were retrospectively evaluated by chart review. Pre-transplant characteristics as well as psychosocial and alcoholic history were used to test the possible associations among the risk factors studied and post-LT alcohol relapse. The incidence of post-LT alcohol relapse was 16.3%. The median duration of alcohol relapse after liver transplantation was 28.1 months (range: 1–89.4 months). The cumulative incidence was 12% and 19% at 1 year and 3 years after LT, respectively. The most powerful risk factors were a pre-LT abstinence period less than 6 months and younger age of starting alcohol. For predicting alcohol relapse, the accuracy rate of abstinence less than 6 months was up to 83.7%. In summary, pre-abstinence period plays a role in predicting post-LT alcohol relapse. Post-LT interventions should be considered specifically for the patients with short abstinence period. Long-term follow-up, patient-centered counseling, and enhancement of healthy lifestyle are suggested to prevent alcohol relapse.
Development and validation of a prognostic model for kidney renal clear cell carcinoma based on RNA binding protein expression

Dysregulated expression of RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) is strongly associated with the development and progression of multiple tumors. However, little is known about the role of RBPs in kidney renal clear cell carcinoma (KIRC). In this study, we examined RBP expression profiles using The Cancer Genome Atlas database and identified 133 RBPs that were differentially expressed in KIRC and non-tumor tissues. We then systematically analyzed the potential biological functions of these RBPs and established PPIs. Based on Lasso regression and Cox survival analyses, we constructed a risk model that could independently and accurately predict prognosis based on seven RBPs (NOL12, PABPC1L, RNASE2, RPL22L1, RBM47, OASL, and YBX3). Survival times were shorter in patients with high risk scores for cohorts stratified by different characteristics. Gene set enrichment analysis was also performed to further understand functional differences between high- and low-risk groups. Finally, we developed a clinical nomogram with a concordance index of 0.792 for estimating 3- and 5-year survival probabilities. Our results demonstrate that this risk model could potentially improve individualized diagnostic and therapeutic strategies.
Standards of evidence for institutional review board decision-making

ABSTRACT A standard of evidence is a rule or norm pertaining to the type or amount of evidence that is required to prove or support a conclusion. Standards of evidence play an important role in institutional review board (IRB) decision-making, but they are not mentioned in the federal research regulations. In this article, I examine IRB standards of evidence from a normative, epistemological perspective and argue that IRBs should rely on empirical evidence for making decisions, but that other sources of evidence, such as intuition, emotion, and rational reflection, can also play an important role in decision-making, because IRB decisions involve an ethical component which is not reducible to science. I also argue that an IRB should approve a study only if it has clear and convincing evidence that the study meets all the approval criteria and other relevant, ethical considerations; and that for studies which expose healthy volunteers to significant risks, an IRB should require that evidence be more than clear and convincing as a condition for approval. Additional empirical research is needed on how IRBs use evidence to make decisions and how standards of evidence influence IRB decision-making at the individual and group level.
Personalized Predictive Models for Identifying Clinical Deterioration Using LSTM in Emergency Departments

Early detection of deterioration at hospitals could be beneficial in terms of reducing mortality and morbidity rates and costs. In this paper, we present a model based on Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) neural network used in deep learning to predict the illness severity of patients in advance. Hence, by predicting health severity, this model can be used to identify deteriorating patients. Our proposed model utilizes continuous monitored vital signs, including heart rate, respiratory rate, oxygen saturation, and blood pressure automatically collected from patients during hospitalization. In this study, a short-time prediction using a sliding window approach is applied. The performance of the proposed model was compared with the Multi-Layer Perceptron (MLP) neural network, a feedforward class of neural network, based on R 2 score and Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) metrics. The results showed that the LSTM has a better performance and could predict the illness severity of patients more accurately.
A Retrospective Analysis Evaluating the Outcome of Parenteral Nutrition in the Treatment of Anorexia Nervosa in Korea

The objective of this study was to investigate the clinical efficacy of parenteral nutrition (PN) as supplemental feeding for patients with anorexia nervosa (AN). This study was conducted by reviewing the medical records of patients with AN who were hospitalized at a non-specialized ward. A total of 129 patients with AN were recruited, consisting of 67 patients received PN with oral refeeding and 62 patients received oral refeeding alone. We compared the weight gain at discharge and after discharge between the groups. As a result, at admission, the patients given supplementary PN had lower body mass indices and lower caloric intake than the patients without PN. The mean duration of PN was 8.5 days, which amounted to about a third of the average hospital stay with no difference between the groups. Both groups had similar weight gains during hospitalization, but the patients with PN had higher weight gains than the patients without PN at one and three months after discharge. In conclusion, the results suggest that supplementary PN in the early stage of refeeding might initiate weight gain in AN when nasogastric tube feeding is not possible. Randomized controlled trials are needed to be further tested of PN in treatment of AN.
Linking language to sensory experience: onomatopoeia in early language development.

A key question in developmental research concerns how children learn associations between words and meanings in their early language development. Given a vast array of possible referents, how does the child know what a word refers to? We contend that onomatopoeia (e.g., knock, meow), where a word's sound evokes the sound properties associated with its meaning, are particularly useful in children's early vocabulary development, offering a link between word and sensory experience not present in arbitrary forms. We suggest that, because onomatopoeia evoke imagery of the referent, children can draw from sensory experience to easily link onomatopoeic words to meaning, both when the referent is present as well as when it is absent. We use two sources of data: naturalistic observations of English-speaking caregiver-child interactions from 14 up to 54 months, to establish whether these words are present early in caregivers' speech to children, and experimental data to test whether English-speaking children can learn from onomatopoeia when it is present. Our results demonstrate that onomatopoeia: i) are most prevalent in early child-directed language and in children's early productions, ii) are learnt more easily by children compared with non-iconic forms and iii) are used by caregivers in contexts where they can support communication and facilitate word learning.
α-Synuclein Aggregates Increase the Conductance of Substantia Nigra Dopamine Neurons, an Effect Partly Reversed by the KATP Channel Inhibitor Glibenclamide

Visual Abstract Dopaminergic neurons (DNs) in the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNpc) form an important part of the basal ganglia circuitry, playing key roles in movement initiation and coordination. A hallmark of Parkinson’s disease (PD) is the degeneration of these SNpc DNs leading to akinesia, bradykinesia and tremor. There is gathering evidence that oligomeric α-synuclein (α-syn) is one of the major pathologic species in PD, with its deposition in Lewy bodies (LBs) closely correlated with disease progression. However, the precise mechanisms underlying the effects of oligomeric α-syn on DN function have yet to be fully defined. Here, we have combined electrophysiological recording and detailed analysis to characterize the time-dependent effects of α-syn aggregates (consisting of oligomers and possibly small fibrils) on the properties of SNpc DNs. The introduction of α-syn aggregates into single DNs via the patch electrode significantly reduced both the input resistance and the firing rate without changing the membrane potential. These effects occurred after 8–16 min of dialysis but did not occur with the monomeric form of α-syn. The effects of α-syn aggregates could be significantly reduced by preincubation with the ATP-sensitive K+ channel (KATP) inhibitor glibenclamide. These data suggest that accumulation of α-syn aggregates in DNs may chronically activate KATP channels leading to a significant loss of excitability and dopamine release.
Altered bacteria community dominance reduces tolerance to resident fungus and seed to seedling growth performance in maize (Zea mays L. var. DBK 177)

Seeds are reservoirs of beneficial and harmful microorganism that modulates plant growth and health. Here, we access seed to seedling bacteriome assembly modified by seed-disinfection and the underlined effect over maize germination performance and root-seedlings microbial colonization. Seed-disinfection was performed with sodium hypochlorite (1.25%, 30 min), resulting in a reduction of the cultivable-dependent fraction of seed-borne bacteria population, but not significantly detected by real-time PCR, microscopy, and biochemical analysis of the roots on germinated seeds. 16S rRNA sequencing revealed that the seed and root bacteriome exhibited similar diversity and did not differ in the structure concerning seed-disinfection. On the other hand, the abundance reduction of the genera f_Enterobacteriaceae_922761 (unassigned genus), Azospirillum, and Acinetobacter in disinfected-seed prior germination seems to display changes in prominence of several new taxa in the roots of germinated seeds. Interestingly, this reduction in the bacteriome negatively affected the germination speed and growth of maize plantlets. Additionally, bacteriome re-shape increased the maize var DKB 177 susceptible to the seed-borne plant pathogen Penicillium sp. Such changes in the natural seed-borne composition removed the natural barrier, increasing susceptibility to pathogens, impairing disinfected seeds to germinate, and develop. We conclude that bacteria borne in seeds modulate the relative abundance of taxa in the root, promote germination, seedling growth, and protect the maize against fungal pathogens.
Dynamics and precursor signs for phase transitions in neural systems

This thesis investigates neural state transitions associated with sleep, seizure and anaesthesia. The aim is to address the question: How does a brain traverse the critical threshold between distinct cortical states, both healthy and pathological? Specifically we are interested in subthreshold neural behaviour immediately prior to state transition. We use theoretical neural modelling (single spiking neurons, a network of these, and a mean-field continuum limit) and in vitro experiments to address this question. Dynamically realistic equations of motion for thalamic relay neuron, reticular nuclei, cortical pyramidal and cortical interneuron in different vigilance states are developed, based on the Izhikevich spiking neuron model. A network of cortical neurons is assembled to examine the behaviour of the gamma-producing cortical network and its transition to lower frequencies due to effect of anaesthesia. Then a three-neuron model for the thalamocortical loop for sleep spindles is presented. Numerical simulations of these networks confirms spiking consistent with reported in vivo measurement results, and provides supporting evidence for precursor indicators of imminent phase transition due to occurrence of individual spindles. To complement the spiking neuron networks, we study the Wilson–Cowan neural mass equations describing homogeneous cortical columns and a 1D spatial cluster of such columns. The abstract representation of cortical tissue by a pair of coupled integro-differential equations permits thorough linear stability, phase plane and bifurcation analyses. This model shows a rich set of spatial and temporal bifurcations marking the boundary to state transitions: saddle-node, Hopf, Turing, and mixed Hopf–Turing. Close to state transition, white-noise-induced subthreshold fluctuations show clear signs of critical slowing down with prolongation and strengthening of autocorrelations, both in time and space, irrespective of bifurcation type. Attempts at in vitro capture of these predicted leading indicators form the last part of the thesis. We recorded local field potentials (LFPs) from cortical and hippocampal slices of mouse brain. State transition is marked by the emergence and cessation of spontaneous seizure-like events (SLEs) induced by bathing the slices in an artificial cerebral spinal fluid containing no magnesium ions. Phase-plane analysis of the LFP time-series suggests that distinct bifurcation
A noncoding variant near PPP1R3B promotes liver glycogen storage and MetS, but protects against myocardial infarction.

CONTEXT Glycogen storage diseases are rare. Increased glycogen in the liver results in increased attenuation. OBJECTIVE Investigate the association and function of a noncoding region associated with liver attenuation but not histologic nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. DESIGN Genetics of Obesity-associated Liver Disease Consortium. SETTING Population-based Main Outcome: Computed tomography measured liver attenuation. RESULTS Carriers of rs4841132-A (frequency 2-19%) do not show increased hepatic steatosis; they have increased liver attenuation indicative of increased glycogen deposition. rs4841132 falls in a noncoding RNA LOC157273 ~190kb upstream of PPP1R3B. We demonstrate that rs4841132-A increases PPP1R3B through a cis genetic effect. Using CRISPR/Cas9 we engineered a 105bp deletion including rs4841132-A in human hepatocarcinoma cells which increases PPP1R3B, decreases LOC157273 and increases glycogen perfectly mirroring the human disease. Overexpression of PPP1R3B or knockdown of LOC157273 increased glycogen but did not result in decreased LOC157273 or increased PPP1R3B, respectively, suggesting that the effects may not all occur via affecting RNA levels. Based on EHR data, rs4841132-A associates with all components of the metabolic syndrome (MetS). However, rs4841132-A associated with decreased low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol and risk for myocardial infarction (MI). A metabolic signature for rs4841132-A includes increased glycine, lactate, triglycerides and decreased acetoacetate and beta-hydroxybutyrate. CONCLUSIONS These results show that rs4841132-A promotes a hepatic glycogen storage disease by increasing PPP1R3B and decreasing LOC157273. rs4841132-A promotes glycogen accumulation and development of MetS but lowers LDL cholesterol and risk for MI. These results suggest that elevated hepatic glycogen is one cause of MetS that does not invariably promote MI.
Identification and Validation of Carbonic Anhydrase II as the First Target of the Anti-Inflammatory Drug Actarit

Background and purpose: Identifying the macromolecular targets of drug molecules is a fundamental aspect of drug discovery and pharmacology. Several drugs remain without known targets (orphan) despite large-scale in silico and in vitro target prediction efforts. Ligand-centric chemical-similarity-based methods for in silico target prediction have been found to be particularly powerful, but the question remains of whether they are able to discover targets for target-orphan drugs. Experimental Approach: We used one of these in silico methods to carry out a target prediction analysis for two orphan drugs: actarit and malotilate. The top target predicted for each drug was carbonic anhydrase II (CAII). Each drug was therefore quantitatively evaluated for CAII inhibition to validate these two prospective predictions. Key Results: Actarit showed in vitro concentration-dependent inhibition of CAII activity with submicromolar potency (IC50 = 422 nM) whilst no consistent inhibition was observed for malotilate. Among the other 25 targets predicted for actarit, RORγ (RAR-related orphan receptor-gamma) is promising in that it is strongly related to actarit’s indication, rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Conclusion and Implications: This study is a proof-of-concept of the utility of MolTarPred for the fast and cost-effective identification of targets of orphan drugs. Furthermore, the mechanism of action of actarit as an anti-RA agent can now be re-examined from a CAII-inhibitor perspective, given existing relationships between this target and RA. Moreover, the confirmed CAII-actarit association supports investigating the repositioning of actarit on other CAII-linked indications (e.g., hypertension, epilepsy, migraine, anemia and bone, eye and cardiac disorders).
A New Single-Stage PFC AC/DC Converter with Low Link-Capacitor Voltage

A conventional Single-Stage Power-Factor-Correction (PFC) AC/DC converter has a link capacitor voltage problem under high line input and low load conditions. In this paper, this problem is analyzed by using the voltage conversion ratio of the DC/DC conversion cell. By applying this analysis, a new Single-Stage PFC AC/DC converter with a boost PFC cell integrated with a Voltage-Doubler Rectified Asymmetrical Half-Bridge (VDRAHB) is proposed. The proposed converter features good power factor correction, low current harmonic distortions, tight output regulations and low voltage of the link capacitor. An 85W prototype was implemented to show that it meets harmonic requirements and standards satisfactorily with near unity power factor and high efficiency over universal input.