Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Nonuniform Synergistic Effect of Sn and Ru in Site-Specific Catalytic Activity of Pt at Bimetallic Surfaces toward CO Electro-oxidation

This work investigates the mechanisms by which Sn and Ru can improve or inhibit the site-specific catalytic activity of Pt (neighboring or distant from foreign atoms) at bimetallic surfaces. For this purpose, we decorated Pt stepped surfaces (nonequivalent sites) by site-selective electrodeposition of different coverages of either Sn or Ru on (110) Pt steps, forming Snsteps/Pt(hkl) and Rusteps/Pt(hkl) bimetallic surfaces, and we used CO adlayer electro-oxidation as a surface probe reaction, monitored by in situ FTIR and cyclic voltammetry techniques. The results showed that both Sn and Ru selectively accelerated the reaction pathway of CO electro-oxidation only at the (111) Pt terrace sites but importantly played different underlying roles in favoring activity at these active sites. In the case of Snsteps/Pt(hkl) catalysts, the CO adlayer oxidation started at potentials lower than those on Rusteps/Pt(hkl), but Sn only improved the activity at sites on atoms of the first rows of (111) Pt terraces, while th.
The association between white matter changes and development of malignant middle cerebral artery infarction

Abstract Disrupted blood–brain barrier (BBB) in patients with ischemic stroke plays a critical role in malignant middle cerebral artery infarction (MMI) development. Cerebral white matter changes (WMC), particularly in the deep subcortical area or in severe one, may be also underlain by disrupted BBB. It is unclear whether the presence of WMC with potential premorbid disruption of BBB makes patients susceptible to MMI. Therefore, this study aimed to clarify any putative relationship between the MMI and WMC in terms of their severity and locations. In this case–control study, patients with infarction in the middle cerebral artery territory were retrospectively reviewed. Brain magnetic resonance images were analyzed according to Fazekas scale, and identified WMC were divided into periventricular WMC (PV-WMC) and deep subcortical WMC (deep-WMC). Patients were scored as having WMC, PV-WMC, deep-WMC, severe PV-WMC, and severe deep-WMC according to the severity and locations. Patients were defined as having MMI if either a progressive conscious disturbance or signs of uncal herniation was recorded in combination with a midline shift >5 mm identified on the follow-up computed tomography. Among 297 patients admitted between July 2009 and February 2015, 92 patients were eligible for final analysis. Compared to patients without MMI, patients with MMI had a higher score of National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale, a larger infarct volume, and an increasingly greater proportion of severe PV-WMC, deep-WMC, and severe deep-WMC, respectively. After adjustment for sex, age, infarct volume, and history of hypertension, severe deep-WMC (odds ratio [OR] = 6.362, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.444–28.023, P = .0144) and severe PV-WMC (odds ratio = 5.608, 95% confidence interval = 1.107–28.399, P = .0372) were significantly associated with MMI development. MMI and WMC are significantly associated such that MMI development is more likely when PV-WMC or deep-WMC is more severe. We hypothesize that Fazekas scale-defined severe deep-WMC and PV-WMC may be considered as clinically approachable predictors of MMI development. These findings support that the WMC with potential premorbid disrupted BBB may make patients susceptible to MMI, and further prospective study should be conducted to clarify this hypothesis.
The relationship between the expression of soluble programmed cell death-1 and cancer pain

Abstract Background: The immune checkpoint programmed cell death-1 (PD-1) plays a critical role in immune regulation. Recent studies have demonstrated functional PD-1 expression in peripheral sensory neurons, which contributes to neuronal excitability, pain, and opioid analgesia. However, the relationship between the expression of soluble programmed cell death-1(sPD-1) and cancer pain is controversial. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relationship between sPD-1 expression level and cancer pain through meta-analysis. Methods: Studies were selected from Pubmed, Web of science, Embase, Google Scholar, and Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure, and the Chinese Biomedical Literature Database based on inclusion and exclusion criteria. The standard mean difference (SMD) and 95% confidence interval (CI) were calculated using the random-effect model or fixed-effect model to assess the association between sPD-1 expression level and cancer pain. All analyses were performed with the Stata 14 software. Results: This review will be disseminated in print by peer-review. Conclusion: The results of this study will help us to determine whether the expression level of sPD-1 is related to cancer pain. Ethics and dissemination: The private information from individuals will not be published. This systematic review also should not endanger participant rights. Ethical approval is not available. The results may be published in a peer-reviewed journal or disseminated in relevant conferences. OSF REGISTRATION NUMBER: DOI 10.17605/OSF.IO/WDPUY.
Longitudinal analysis of local field potentials recorded from directional deep brain stimulation lead implants in the subthalamic nucleus

Objective. The electrode–tissue interface surrounding a deep brain stimulation (DBS) lead is known to be highly dynamic following implantation, which may have implications on the interpretation of intraoperatively recorded local field potentials (LFPs). We characterized beta-band LFP dynamics following implantation of a directional DBS lead in the sensorimotor subthalamic nucleus (STN), which is a primary target for treating Parkinson’s disease. Approach. Directional STN-DBS leads were implanted in four healthy, non-human primates. LFPs were recorded over two weeks and again 1–4 months after implantation. Impedance was measured for two weeks post-implant without stimulation to compare the reactive tissue response to changes in LFP oscillations. Beta-band (12–30 Hz) peak power was calculated from the LFP power spectra using both common average referencing (CAR) and intra-row bipolar referencing (IRBR). Results. Resting-state LFPs in two of four subjects revealed a steady increase of beta power over the initial two weeks post-implant whereas the other two subjects showed variable changes over time. Beta power variance across days was significantly larger in the first two weeks compared to 1–4 months post-implant in all three long-term subjects. Further, spatial maps of beta power several hours after implantation did not correlate with those measured two weeks or 1–4 months post-implant. CAR and IRBR beta power correlated across short- and long-term time points. However, depending on the time period, subjects showed a significant bias towards larger beta power using one referencing scheme over the other. Lastly, electrode–tissue impedance increased over the two weeks post-implant but showed no significant correlation to beta power. Significance. These results suggest that beta power in the STN may undergo significant changes following DBS lead implantation. DBS lead diameter and electrode recording configurations can affect the post-implant interpretation of oscillatory features. Such insights will be important for extrapolating results from intraoperative and externalized LFP recordings.
The Apoptotic Properties of Leaf Extracts of Simarouba glauca against Human Leukemic Cancer Cells

Background and objective: Simarouba glauca is a plant belonging to the family of Simaroubaceae. It is a potent source of secondary metabolites. The aim of this study was to evaluate the apoptotic properties of leaf extracts of Simarouba glauca against human leukemic cancer cells. Materials and Methods: Cytotoxicity of Simarouba glauca was assessed in the leaf extract of petroleum ether against leukemic cells by MTT assay. To detect the apoptotic features, fluorescence microscopy analysis was done with dual acridine orange/ethidium bromide fluorescent staining and Hoechst staining. To determine the externalization of phosphatidylserine, annexin v staining was done. Mitochondrial or death receptor activation was confirmed by caspase 3 analysis by flow cytometry. Results: This study revealed that Simarouba glauca was able to treat leukemia. Among the four extracts, petroleum ether extract showed a higher order of in vitro anticancer activity. The petroleum ether extract strongly inhibited the proliferation of K562 cell lines with IC50 values of 186 µg/ml. Dual acridine orange/ethidium bromide fluorescent staining and Hoechst staining revealed the characteristic features of apoptosis. Annexin V confirmed early and late stage apoptosis. Caspase-3 analysis revealed that cell death was due to mitochondrial or death receptor activation in mitochondrial pathway. Conclusion: These findings suggested that Simarouba glauca leaf extracts inhibited leukemic cells in a time- and dose-dependent manner either through mitochondrial or death receptor activation. The leaf extracts of Simarouba glauca was found to be nontoxic to lymphocytes. It can be concluded that Simarouba glauca is an important source of phytochemicals posing efficacy against leukemic cancer cells.
Targeting microRNAs by curcumin: implication for cancer therapy

Abstract In spite of all the investigations in the past 20 years that established a great body of knowledge in cancer therapy, utilizing some elderly methods such as plant compound administration might still be useful. Curcumin is a bioactive polyphenol, which has many anticancer properties but its capability in modulating miRNA expression has opened new doors in the field of cancer-targeted therapy. MiRNAs are a class of small noncoding RNAs that are able to regulate gene expression and signaling. In addition, some other effects of these RNAs such as modulating cell differentiation and regulation of cell cycle have made miRNAs great candidates for personalized cancer treatment. In this review, we try to find some answers to the questions on how curcumin exerts its impacts on cancer hallmarks through miRNAs and whether chemotherapy can be replaced by this beneficial plant compound.
Extracellular matrix proteins produced by stromal cells in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and lung adenocarcinoma

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) and lung cancer share common risk factors, epigenetic and genetic alterations, the activation of similar signaling pathways and poor survival. The aim of this study was to examine the gene expression profiles of stromal cells from patients with IPF and lung adenocarcinoma (ADC) as well as from normal lung. The gene expression levels of cultured stromal cells derived from non-smoking patients with ADC from the tumor (n = 4) and the corresponding normal lung (n = 4) as well as from patients with IPF (n = 4) were investigated with Affymetrix microarrays. The expression of collagen type IV alpha 1 chain, periostin as well as matrix metalloproteinase-1 and -3 in stromal cells and lung tissues were examined with quantitative real-time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction and immunohistochemistry, respectively. Twenty genes were similarly up- or down-regulated in IPF and ADC compared to control, while most of the altered genes in IPF and ADC were differently expressed, including several extracellular matrix genes. Collagen type IV alpha 1 chain as well as matrix metalloproteinases-1 and -3 were differentially expressed in IPF compared to ADC. Periostin was up-regulated in both IPF and ADC in comparison to control. All studied factors were localized by immunohistochemistry in stromal cells within fibroblast foci in IPF and stroma of ADC. Despite the similarities found in gene expressions of IPF and ADC, several differences were also detected, suggesting that the molecular changes occurring in these two lung illnesses are somewhat different.
The efficacy of three on-farm euthanasia methods for broiler chickens throughout the production cycle

ABSTRACT 1. There is a need to humanely kill moribund or injured broiler birds on-farm with no reasonable chance of recovery. Two experiments evaluated the efficacy of three commercially applicable killing methods; manual cervical dislocation (CD), mechanical cervical dislocation with the Koechner Euthanising Device (KED) and a non-penetrative captive bolt device (Zephyr-EXL; ZEXL), at 7, 21 or 35 d of age, on their ability to induce insensibility (unconsciousness and loss of brain stem reflexes) and death. 2. Experiment one assessed the damage to the cranial-cervical region resulting from the methods applied to cadavers of cull birds (n = 180) by radiography and gross pathology observation. 3. Experiment two evaluated the latency to insensibility and death when cull broiler birds (n = 240) were killed by CD, KED or ZEXL, using behavioural and reflexive indicators. Insensibility and death were measured by the absence of pupillary light, palpebral blink and nictitating membrane reflexes and cessation of rhythmic breathing, cloacal winking and convulsions. Analysis of variance for the main effect of the method was performed to determine the differences. 4. In experiment one, only the Zephyr resulted in skull fractures. A higher number of vertebral fractures occurred with KED application compared to CD, at 21 and 35 d. 5. In experiment two, indicators of sensibility were absent earliest with the ZEXL (μ < 2 s); then,CD (μ = 28 s) and were longest with KED (μ = 47 s), at 21 and 35 d. Cloacal winking and convulsions ceased earlier after CD (88 s), compared to either KED (124 s) or Zephyr (118 s). Death after a single application occurred 100%, 100% and 98% of time for CD, KED and ZEXL, respectively. 6. Overall, all methods were efficacious at inducing insensibility and death. Insensibility occurred earliest with ZEXL, whilst death occurred earliest with CD. KED resulted in the longest time to insensibility and death.
BAX -248 G>A and BCL2 -938 C>A Variant Lowers the Survival in Patients with Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma and Could be Associated with Tissue-Specific Malignancies: A Multi-Method Approach

Background: The association of BAX -248 G>A and BCL2 -938 C>A with different cancers created conflicts. We studied the correlation and the effect of these polymorphisms in patients with Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma (NPC). Methods: PCR-RFLP and Sanger sequencing were used to detect polymorphisms. Statistical analysis including forest plot and Kaplan-Meier Log-rank test was conducted to investigate the association and effect of these SNPs on the NPC patients’ survival. The computational study was performed to investigate the possible regulatory role between these polymorphisms and the poor survival of NPC patients. Meta-analysis was executed to check the tissue-specific association of these polymorphisms in the context of global cancer prognosis. Results: We observed an increased and significant association of BAX -248 G>A [GA:OR=5.29, 95%CI=1.67,16.67, P=0.004; GA+AA:OR=5.71, 95%CI=1.82,17.90, P =0.002; A:OR=5.33, 95%CI=1.76,16.13, P=0.003], and BCL2 -938 C>A [CA:OR=2.26, 95%CI=1.03,4.96, P=0.04; AA:OR=3.56, 95%CI=0.97,13.05, P=0.05; CA+AA:OR=3.10, 95%CI=1.51,6.35, P=0.002; A:OR=2.90, 95% CI=1.59,5.29, P=0.0005] with the risk of NPC. Also, these SNPs were strongly correlated with poor survival in NPC patients (lower estimated survival mean, lower estimated proportion surviving at 5 years with p<0.05). The computational study showed that these SNPs altered the binding affinity of transcription factors HIF1, SP1, PAX3, PAX9 and CREB towards promoter (Lower p indicates strong affinity). The meta-analysis revealed the tissue-specific association of these polymorphisms. BAX -248 G>A showed a significant correlation with carcinomas [A vs G:OR=1.60, 95%CI=1.09,2.34, P=0.01; AA vs GG:OR=2.61, 95%CI=1.68,4.06, P<0.001; AA+GA vs GG:OR=1.53,95%CI=1.04,2.25, P=0.02); AA vs GG+GA:OR=2.53, 95%CI=1.65,3.87, P<0.001], and BCL2 -938 C>A with other malignancies [A vs C:OR=1.45, 95%CI=1.26,1.66, P<0.001; AA vs CC:OR=2.07, 95%CI: 1.15,3.72, P=0.01; AA+CA vs CC:OR=1.42, 95%CI=1.18,1.72, P<0.001; AA vs CC+CA:OR=1.89, 95%CI=1.02,3.50, P=0.04]. Conclusions: BAX -248 G>A and BCL2 -938 C>A was associated with poor survival in NPC patients. It may increase cancer susceptibility through transcriptional regulation. Moreover, these SNPs’ effects could be tissue-specific.
What makes a type IIA topoisomerase a gyrase or a Topo IV?

Abstract Type IIA topoisomerases catalyze a variety of different reactions: eukaryotic topoisomerase II relaxes DNA in an ATP-dependent reaction, whereas the bacterial representatives gyrase and topoisomerase IV (Topo IV) preferentially introduce negative supercoils into DNA (gyrase) or decatenate DNA (Topo IV). Gyrase and Topo IV perform separate, dedicated tasks during replication: gyrase removes positive supercoils in front, Topo IV removes pre-catenanes behind the replication fork. Despite their well-separated cellular functions, gyrase and Topo IV have an overlapping activity spectrum: gyrase is also able to catalyze DNA decatenation, although less efficiently than Topo IV. The balance between supercoiling and decatenation activities is different for gyrases from different organisms. Both enzymes consist of a conserved topoisomerase core and structurally divergent C-terminal domains (CTDs). Deletion of the entire CTD, mutation of a conserved motif and even by just a single point mutation within the CTD converts gyrase into a Topo IV-like enzyme, implicating the CTDs as the major determinant for function. Here, we summarize the structural and mechanistic features that make a type IIA topoisomerase a gyrase or a Topo IV, and discuss the implications for type IIA topoisomerase evolution.
A renewable bio-based epoxy resin with improved mechanical performance that can compete with DGEBA

The aim of this study is to find a suitable substitution for diglycidyl ether bisphenol A (DGEBA) to avoid the devastating side effects of bisphenol A. Vanillin, an aromatic compound, was used as a renewable material to synthesize a bio-based epoxy resin. The structure of the vanillin-based epoxy resin was confirmed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) analysis. The major drawback of bio-based epoxy resins is their poor mechanical properties preventing them from competing with petroleum based epoxy resins such as DGEBA. Herein, a prepared calcium nitrate solution as an inorganic accelerator was used to accelerate the curing reaction of bio-based epoxy resin which reduced curing times as well as improving significantly the mechanical properties e.g., tensile strength, pull-off strength, and Izod impact strength. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) analysis was used to investigate the curing process and thermal properties of the vanillin-based epoxy resin with and without inorganic accelerators and also DGEBA without accelerators. The results showed that in the presence of 2 wt% inorganic accelerator, the initial onset curing temperature of vanillin-based epoxy resin was reduced from 60.1 °C to 8.5 °C, while the initial onset curing temperature of DGEBA was 55.8 °C. In addition, tensile strength and Izod impact strength of the vanillin-based epoxy system in the presence of inorganic accelerators increased in comparison to the DGEBA system. Moreover, in order to study the effect of inorganic accelerators on the toughness of the synthesized vanillin-based epoxy resin, fracture surfaces from Izod impact strength tests were observed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) which confirmed improving mechanical properties.
M6ADD: a comprehensive database of m6A modifications in diseases

ABSTRACT N6-methyladenosine (m6A) modification is an important regulatory factor affecting diseases, including multiple cancers and it is a developing direction for targeted disease therapy. Here, we present the M6ADD (m6A-diseases database) database, a public data resource containing manually curated data on potential m6A-disease associations for which some experimental evidence is available; the related high-throughput sequencing data are also provided and analysed by using different computational methods. To give researchers a tool to query the m6A modification data, the M6ADD was designed as a web-based comprehensive resource focusing on the collection, storage and online analysis of m6A modifications, aimed at exploring the associations between m6A modification and gene disorders and diseases. The M6ADD includes 222 experimentally confirmed m6A-disease associations, involving 59 diseases from a review of more than 2000 published papers. The M6ADD also includes 409,229 m6A-disease associations obtained by computational and statistical methods from 30 high-throughput sequencing datasets. In addition, we provide data on 5239 potential m6A regulatory proteins related to 24 cancers based on network analysis prediction methods. In addition, we have developed a tool to explore the function of m6A-modified genes through the protein–protein interaction networks. The M6ADD can be accessed at http://m6add.edbc. org/.
Predicting Recurrent Care Seeking of Physical Therapy for Musculoskeletal Pain Conditions.

OBJECTIVE Musculoskeletal (MSK) pain conditions are a leading cause of pain and disability internationally and a common reason to seek health care. Accurate prediction of recurrence for health care seeking due to MSK conditions could allow for better tailoring of treatment. The aim of this project was to characterize patterns of recurrent physical therapy seeking for MSK pain conditions and to develop a preliminary prediction model to identify those at increased risk for recurrent care seeking. DESIGN Retrospective cohort. SETTING Ambulatory care. SUBJECTS Patients (n = 578,461) seeking outpatient physical therapy (United States). METHODS Potential predictor variables were extracted from the electronic medical record and patients were placed into three different recurrent care categories. Logistic regression models identified individual predictors of recurrent care seeking and Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator (LASSO) developed multivariate prediction models. RESULTS Accuracy of models for different definitions of recurrent care ranged from 0.59 - 0.64 (c-statistic) and individual predictors were identified from multivariate models. Predictors of increased risk for recurrent care included: worker's compensation and Medicare insurance, comorbid arthritis, post-operative at time of first episode, age range from 44 -64 years, and reporting night sweats/night pain. Predictors of decreased risk for recurrent care included: lumbar pain, chronic injury, neck pain, pregnancy, age range from 25-44 years, and smoking. CONCLUSION This analysis identified a preliminary predictive model for recurrence of care seeking of physical therapy, but model accuracy needs to improve to better guide clinical decision making.