Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Imagined paralysis alters somatosensory evoked-potentials

ABSTRACT Recent studies employing body illusions have shown that multisensory conflict can alter body representations and modulate low-level sensory processing. One defining feature of these body illusions is that they are sensory driven and thus passive on behalf of the participant. Thus, it remained to establish whether explicit alteration of own-body representations modulates low-level sensory processing. We investigated whether tibial nerve somatosensory-evoked potentials were modulated when participants imagined paralysis of their legs and arms. Imagined paralysis of the legs decreased P40 amplitude, but not imagined paralysis of the arms. These results show modulation of early somatosensory processing via explicit, top-down alteration to the internal representation of the body. Interestingly, P40 suppression positively correlated with bodily awareness scores whereas it negatively correlated with body dissociation scores. This suggests that the ability to actively alter own-body representation and its corresponding sensory processing depends upon dispositions to attend to and focus on bodily sensations.
Nurse managers’ perspectives on working with everyday ethics in long-term care

Background: Nurse managers are expected to continuously ensure that ethical standards are met and to support healthcare workers’ ethical competence. Several studies have concluded that nurses across various healthcare settings lack the support needed to provide safe, compassionate and competent ethical care. Objective: The aim of this study was to explore and understand how nurse managers perceive their role in supporting their staff in conducting ethically sound care in nursing homes and home nursing care. Design and participants: Qualitative individual interviews were performed with 10 nurse managers with human resources responsibilities for healthcare workers in four nursing home wards and six home nursing care districts. Content analysis was used to analyse the data. Ethical considerations: The Norwegian Centre for Research Data granted permission for this study. Findings: The analysis resulted in seven subcategories that were grouped into three main categories: managers’ perception of the importance of the role, managers’ experiences of exercising the role and managers’ opportunities to fulfil the role. Challenges with conceptualizing ethics were highlighted, as well as lack of applicable tools or time and varying motivation among employees. Discussion: The leaders tended to perceive ethics as a ‘personal matter’ and that the need for and benefit of ethical support (e.g., ethics reflection) depended on individuals’ vulnerability, attitudes, commitment and previous experiences. The managers did not seem to distinguish between their own responsibility to support ethical competence and the responsibility of the individual employee to provide ethical care. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that nurse managers need support themselves, both to understand and to carry out their responsibilities to foster their staffs’ ethical conduct. Supporting staff in conducting ethically sound care requires more than organizing meeting places for ethical reflection; it also requires greater awareness and understanding of what ethical leadership means.
Application of a Glucose Dehydrogenase-Fused with Zinc Finger Protein to Label DNA Aptamers for the Electrochemical Detection of VEGF

Aptamer-based electrochemical sensors have gained attention in the context of developing a diagnostic biomarker detection method because of their rapid response, miniaturization ability, stability, and design flexibility. In such detection systems, enzymes are often used as labels to amplify the electrochemical signal. We have focused on glucose dehydrogenase (GDH) as a labeling enzyme for electrochemical detection owing to its high enzymatic activity, availability, and well-established electrochemical principle and platform. However, it is difficult and laborious to obtain one to one labeling of a GDH-aptamer complex with conventional chemical conjugation methods. In this study, we used GDH that was genetically fused to a DNA binding protein, i.e., zinc finger protein (ZF). Fused GDH can be attached to an aptamer spontaneously and site specifically in a buffer by exploiting the sequence-specific binding ability of ZF. Using such a fusion protein, we labeled a vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-binding aptamer with GDH and detected the target electrochemically. As a result, upon the addition of glucose, the GDH labeled on the aptamer generated an amperometric signal, and the current response increased dependent on the VEGF concentration. Eventually, the developed electrochemical sensor proved to detect VEGF levels as low as 105 pM, thereby successfully demonstrating the concept of using ZF-fused GDH to enzymatically label aptamers.
Insights into Characterization Methods and Biomedical Applications of Nanoparticle–Protein Corona

Nanoparticles (NPs) exposed to a biological milieu will strongly interact with proteins, forming “coronas” on the surfaces of the NPs. The protein coronas (PCs) affect the properties of the NPs and provide a new biological identity to the particles in the biological environment. The characterization of NP-PC complexes has attracted enormous research attention, owing to the crucial effects of the properties of an NP-PC on its interactions with living systems, as well as the diverse applications of NP-PC complexes. The analysis of NP-PC complexes without a well-considered approach will inevitably lead to misunderstandings and inappropriate applications of NPs. This review introduces methods for the characterization of NP-PC complexes and investigates their recent applications in biomedicine. Furthermore, the review evaluates these characterization methods based on comprehensive critical views and provides future perspectives regarding the applications of NP-PC complexes.
On the identification of Palaearctic species in the genus Cordyla Meigen (Diptera, Mycetophilidae); preliminary results

The morphology of male specimens of 14 Palaearctic Cordyla species is studied. The species can be arranged according to the colour of the swollen segment of palpus, the number of flagellar segments and the structure of male genitalia. On the basis of the colour of the swollen segment of palpi the species can be divided into two groups, the number of flagellar segments into four groups, and the structure of the genitalia into three groups. Morphological differences between the groups are discussed with an emphasise on genital differences.
Analytical TCP Model for Millimeter-Wave 5G NR Systems in Dynamic Human Body Blockage Environment

Dynamic blockage of radio propagation paths between the user equipment (UE) and the 5G New Radio (NR) Base Station (BS) induces abrupt rate fluctuations that may lead to sub-optimal performance of the Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) protocol. In this work, we characterize the effects of dynamic human blockage on TCP throughput at the 5G NR air interface. To this aim, we develop an analytical model that expresses the TCP throughput as a function of the round-trip time (RTT), environmental, and radio system parameters. Our results indicate that the blockage affects TCP throughput only when the RTT is comparable to the blocked and non-blocked state durations when the frequency of state changes is high. However, such conditions are not typical for dynamic body blockage environments allowing TCP to benefit from the high bandwidth of 5G NR systems fully.
Partitioning the variation in a plot-by-species data matrix that is related to n sets of explanatory variables

Abstract Variation partitioning by (partial) constrained ordination is a popular method for exploratory data analysis, but applications are mostly restricted to simple ecological questions only involving two or three sets of explanatory variables, such as climate and soil, this because of the rapid increase in complexity of calculations and results with an increasing number of explanatory variable sets. The existence is demonstrated of a unique algorithm for partitioning the variation in a set of response variables on n sets of explanatory variables; it is shown how the 2n − 1 non-overlapping components of variation can be calculated. Methods for evaluation and presentation of variation partitioning results are reviewed, and a recursive algorithm is proposed for distributing the many small components of variation over simpler components. Several issues related to the use and usefulness of variation partitioning with n sets of explanatory variables are discussed with reference to a worked example. Abbrevia.
10-Gingerol Targets Lipid Rafts Associated PI3K/Akt Signaling in Radio-Resistant Triple Negative Breast Cancer Cells

10-Gingerol is a major phenolic lipid found in the rhizomes of ginger (Zingiber officinale). Being amphiphilic in nature, phenolic lipids have the ability to incorporate into cell membranes and modulate membrane properties. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the effects of 10-gingerol on lipid raft/membrane raft modulation in radio-resistant triple negative breast cancer (MDA-MB-231/IR) cells. The effects of 10-gingerol on MDA-MB-231/IR cells’ proliferation, clonogenic growth, migration, and invasion were assayed using MTT, colony formation, cell migration, and invasion assays, respectively. Sucrose density gradient centrifugation was used to extract lipid rafts. Western blotting and immunofluorescence were employed to assess the effects of 10-gingerol on lipid raft/membrane raft modulation and lipid rafts-associated PI3K/Akt signaling. Cholesterol measurements were carried out using a commercially available kit. 10-gingerol suppressed the proliferation, migration, invasion, and induced apoptosis through targeting the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway in MDA-MB-231/IR cells. Moreover, 10-gingerol was found to modulate the lipid rafts of MDA-MB-231/IR cells and attenuate the key PI3K/Akt signaling components in lipid rafts. The cholesterol content of the lipid rafts and rafts-resident Akt signaling were also affected by exposure to 10-gingerol. The results of the present study highlight rafts-associated PI3K/Akt signaling as a new target of 10-gingerol in MDA-MB-231/IR cells, thus rationalizing a new rafts-mediated treatment approach for radio-resistant triple negative breast cancer cells.
The Pentose Phosphate Pathway Dynamics in Cancer and Its Dependency on Intracellular pH

The Pentose Phosphate Pathway (PPP) is one of the key metabolic pathways occurring in living cells to produce energy and maintain cellular homeostasis. Cancer cells have higher cytoplasmic utilization of glucose (glycolysis), even in the presence of oxygen; this is known as the “Warburg Effect”. However, cytoplasmic glucose utilization can also occur in cancer through the PPP. This pathway contributes to cancer cells by operating in many different ways: (i) as a defense mechanism via the reduced form of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) to prevent apoptosis, (ii) as a provision for the maintenance of energy by intermediate glycolysis, (iii) by increasing genomic material to the cellular pool of nucleic acid bases, (iv) by promoting survival through increasing glycolysis, and so increasing acid production, and (v) by inducing cellular proliferation by the synthesis of nucleic acid, fatty acid, and amino acid. Each step of the PPP can be upregulated in some types of cancer but not in others. An interesting aspect of this metabolic pathway is the shared regulation of the glycolytic and PPP pathways by intracellular pH (pHi). Indeed, as with glycolysis, the optimum activity of the enzymes driving the PPP occurs at an alkaline pHi, which is compatible with the cytoplasmic pH of cancer cells. Here, we outline each step of the PPP and discuss its possible correlation with cancer.
Self‐Emergent Protocells Generated in an Aqueous Solution with Binary Macromolecules through Liquid‐Liquid Phase Separation

Recently, liquid–liquid phase separation (LLPS) has attracted considerable attention among researchers in the life sciences as a plausible mechanism for the generation of microstructures inside cells. LLPS occurs through multiple nonspecific interactions and does not always require a lock‐and‐key interaction with a binary macromolecular solution. The remarkable features of LLPS include the non‐uniform localization and concentration of solutes, resulting in the ability to isolate certain chemical systems and thereby parallelize multiple chemical reactions within the limited space of a living cell. We report that, by using the macromolecules, poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) and dextran, that exhibit LLPS in an aqueous solution, cell‐sized liposomes are spontaneously formed therein in the presence of phospholipids. In this system, LLPS is generated through the depletion effect of macromolecules. The results showed that cell‐like microdroplets entrapping DNA wrapped by a phospholipid layer emerge in a self‐organized manner.
Contributing and Relieving Factors of Suffering in Palliative Care Cancer Patients: A Descriptive Study

To palliate suffering, understanding the circumstances leading to suffering and its amelioration could be helpful. Our study aimed to explore contributing and relieving factors of suffering in palliative care. Adult palliative care stage III or IV cancer in-patients were recruited from University of Malaya Medical Centre. Participants recorded their overall suffering score from 0 to 10 three times daily, followed by descriptions of their contributing and relieving factors. Factors of suffering were thematically analysed with NVIVO. Descriptive data were analysed with SPSS. 108 patients participated. The most common contributing factor of suffering was health factor (96.3%), followed by healthcare factor (78.7%), psychological factor (63.0%) and community factor (20.4%). The most common relieving factor was health factor (88.9%), followed by psychological factor (78.7%), community factor (75.9%) and healthcare factor (70.4%). Self-reported assessment of suffering offers a rapid approach to detect bothering issues that require immediate attention and further in-depth exploration.
Comparative evaluation of community interventions for the immigrant population of Latin American origin at risk for Chagas disease in the city of Barcelona

Introduction Chagas disease presents bio-psycho-social and cultural determinants for infected patients, their family members, close friends, and society. For this reason, diagnosis and treatment require an active approach and an integral focus, so that we can prevent the disease from creating stigma and exclusion, as is actively promoting access to diagnosis, medical attention and social integration Methodology The study was conducted in the Metropolitan Area of Barcelona (Catalonia, Spain) from 2004 to 2017. After an increased detection rates of CHD in our region, the process of construction of community strategies started (2004–2013). Different community interventions with informational, educational, and communication components were designed, developed, implemented, and evaluated. The results of the evaluation helped to determine which intervention should be prioritized: 1) workshop; 2) community event; 3) in situ screening. Afterwards, those strategies were implemented (2014–2017). Results Each of the three strategies resulted in a different level of coverage, or number of people reached. The in situ screening interventions reached the highest coverage (956 persons, 58.98%). Clear differences exist (p-value<0.001) between the three strategies regarding the percentage of screenings and diagnoses carried out. The largest number was in the in situ screening intervention, with a total of 830 persons screened despite the greatest number of diagnoses was among the workshop participants (33 persons, 20.75% of those screened). The prevalence of infection found is similar among the three strategies, ranging from 16.63% to 22.32% of the screened patients (p-value = 0.325). Conclusions The results of the study show that community interventions seem to be necessary to improve access to diagnosis and treatment of CHD in the area of Barcelona. They also show which strategy is the most appropriate based on the detected needs of the community, the proposed objectives of the intervention, and the given socio-temporal context.
Wolbachia Infection in the Chorthippus parallelus Hybrid Zone: Evidence for Its Role as a Reproductive barrier

Abstract Chorthippus parallelus parallelus (Cpp) and Chorthippus parallelus erythropus (Cpe) are two grasshopper subspecies whose distributions overlap in the Pyrenees, where they form a hybrid zone at those points where the topography and their ecological requirements allow. This hybrid zone is a consequence of secondary contact between endemic Iberian (Cpe) and continental European populations (Cpp) that expanded after the most recent glaciations from the refugia in which they had diverged genetically in allopatry. The morphological, physiological, genetic and behavioral differences between these subspecies (and their natural and laboratory-reared hybrids) have been intensively studied in recent years, for which reason this hybrid zone is considered a singular model in evolutionary biology. These studies reveal a complex pattern of factors involved in the origin, structure and maintenance of the hybrid zone. They offer an excellent panorama of evolution “in action”. Wolbachia is a genus of obligate endosymbiont bacteria that induce changes in the reproduction of arthropods and nematodes. In previous studies we have reported the existence of these bacteria in individuals and populations of Chorthippus parallelus. Now we show that they produce a significant reproductive barrier in this hybrid zone, implying, as proposed elsewhere, that Wolbachia may be involved in speciation phenomena.
Quantifying the Economic Effects of Hypoxia on a Fishery for Brown Shrimp Farfantepenaeus aztecus

Abstract Although hypoxia is a threat to coastal ecosystems, policy makers have limited information about its economic impacts on fisheries. Studies using spatially and temporally aggregated data generally fail to detect statistically significant effects of hypoxia on fisheries. Limited recent work using disaggregated fishing data (microdata) has revealed modest effects of hypoxia on the catches of recreationally harvested species. These studies did not account for important spatial and temporal aspects of the system, however. For example, the effects of hypoxia on catch may not materialize instantaneously but involve a lagged process reflecting cumulative past exposure. This paper develops a differenced bioeconomic model to account for the lagged effects of hypoxia on the North Carolina fishery for brown shrimp Farfantepenaeus aztecus. The model integrates high-resolution oxygen monitoring data with fishery-dependent microdata from North Carolina's trip ticket program to investigate the detailed spatial and temporal relationships of hypoxia to commercial fishery harvests. The main finding is that hypoxia may have resulted in a 12.9% annual decrease in the brown shrimp harvest during the period 1999–2005. The paper also develops two alternative models—a nondifferenced model and a polynomial distributed lag model—whose results are consistent with those of the main model.
Rapid Critical Care Training of Nurses in the Surge Response to the Coronavirus Pandemic.

BACKGROUND In response to the coronavirus pandemic, New York State mandated that all hospitals double the capacity of their adult intensive care units In this facility, resources were mobilized to increase from 104 to 283 beds. OBJECTIVE To create and implement a 3-hour curriculum to prepare several hundred non-critical care staff nurses to manage critically ill patients with coronavirus disease 2019. METHODS Critical care nursing leaders and staff developed and implemented a flexible critical care nursing curriculum tailored to the diverse experience, expertise, and learning needs of non-critical care nursing staff who were being redeployed to critical care units during the surge response to the pandemic. Curricular elements included respiratory failure and ventilator management, shock and hemodynamics, pharmacotherapy for critical illnesses, and renal replacement therapy. A skills station allowed hands-on practice with common critical care equipment. RESULTS A total of 413 nurses completed training within 10 days. As of June 2020, 151 patients with coronavirus disease 2019 still required mechanical ventilation at our institution, and 7 of 10 temporary intensive care units remained operational. Thus most of the nurses who received this training continued to practice critical care. A unique feature of this curriculum was the tailored instruction, adapted to learners' needs, which improved the efficiency of content delivery. CONCLUSIONS Program evaluation is ongoing. As recovery and restoration proceed and normal operations resume, detailed feedback from program participants and patient care managers will help the insitution maintain high operational readiness should a second wave of critically ill patients with coronavirus disease 2019 be admitted.
Implicit and Explicit Regularization for Optical Flow Estimation

In this paper, two novel and practical regularizing methods are proposed to improve existing neural network architectures for monocular optical flow estimation. The proposed methods aim to alleviate deficiencies of current methods, such as flow leakage across objects and motion consistency within rigid objects, by exploiting contextual information. More specifically, the first regularization method utilizes semantic information during the training process to explicitly regularize the produced optical flow field. The novelty of this method lies in the use of semantic segmentation masks to teach the network to implicitly identify the semantic edges of an object and better reason on the local motion flow. A novel loss function is introduced that takes into account the objects’ boundaries as derived from the semantic segmentation mask to selectively penalize motion inconsistency within an object. The method is architecture agnostic and can be integrated into any neural network without modifying or adding complexity at inference. The second regularization method adds spatial awareness to the input data of the network in order to improve training stability and efficiency. The coordinates of each pixel are used as an additional feature, breaking the invariance properties of the neural network architecture. The additional features are shown to implicitly regularize the optical flow estimation enforcing a consistent flow, while improving both the performance and the convergence time. Finally, the combination of both regularization methods further improves the performance of existing cutting edge architectures in a complementary way, both quantitatively and qualitatively, on popular flow estimation benchmark datasets.