Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The PSY Peptide Family—Expression, Modification and Physiological Implications

Small post-translationally modified peptides are gaining increasing attention as important signaling molecules in plant development. In the family of plant peptides containing tyrosine sulfation (PSYs), only PSY1 has been characterized at the mature level as an 18-amino-acid peptide, carrying one sulfated tyrosine, and involved in cell elongation. This review presents seven additional homologs in Arabidopsis all sharing high conservation in the active peptide domain, and it shows that PSY peptides are found in all higher plants and mosses. It is proposed that all eight PSY homologs are post-translationally modified to carry a sulfated tyrosine and that subtilisin-like subtilases (SBTs) are involved in the processing of PSY propeptides. The PSY peptides show differential expression patterns indicating that they serve several distinct functions in plant development. PSY peptides seem to be at least partly regulated at the transcriptional level, as their expression is greatly influenced by developmental factors. Finally, a model including a receptor in addition to PSY1R is proposed.
Disposal practices of expired and unused medications among households in Mwanza, Tanzania

Background The community practice towards disposal of expired and unused medications in spite of its adverse impact have been widely neglected in many developing countries. The available guidelines in Tanzania focus on the disposal of expired medications and cosmetics in hospitals and community pharmacies only. Aim The aim of this study was to assess the disposal practice of expired and unused medications at household level in Mwanza city, north-western Tanzania. Methodology The household based cross-sectional study was conducted among 359 randomly selected household members. Semi-structured questionnaires were used for interview during data collection and while STATA® version 13 was used for analysis. Results Out 359 households visited, 252 (70.19%) had medications kept in their houses at the time of data collection. Among them, 10 (4.0%) households had kept medications at their houses because they were still continuing with treatment while 242 (96.0%) kept unused medications which were supposed to be discarded. The main reason for keeping unused or expired medications at home was uncompleted course of treatment (199 (82.20%) after feeling that they had recovered from illness. The main reason for discarding medications were recovering from illness (141(48.7%) and expiry (136 (46.9%). The major discarding practices for medications were disposing into domestic trashes (219 (75.5%) and pit latrines (45 (15.5%). Majority of respondents (273 (76%) were aware that improper disposal of expired medications are detrimental to human health and environment in general. Conclusion Improper disposal of unused and expired medications at household level was a common practice in the study area. Tailor-made interventions by the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) and other national as well as local stake holders are urgently needed to address the situation.
Atomic Force Microscopy Investigation of the Interactions between the MCM Helicase and DNA

The MCM (minichromosome maintenance) protein complex forms an hexameric ring and has a key role in the replication machinery of Eukaryotes and Archaea, where it functions as the replicative helicase opening up the DNA double helix ahead of the polymerases. Here, we present a study of the interaction between DNA and the archaeal MCM complex from Methanothermobacter thermautotrophicus by means of atomic force microscopy (AFM) single molecule imaging. We first optimized the protocol (surface treatment and buffer conditions) to obtain AFM images of surface-equilibrated DNA molecules before and after the interaction with the protein complex. We discriminated between two modes of interaction, one in which the protein induces a sharp bend in the DNA, and one where there is no bending. We found that the presence of the MCM complex also affects the DNA contour length. A possible interpretation of the observed behavior is that in one case the hexameric ring encircles the dsDNA, while in the other the nucleic acid wraps on the outside of the ring, undergoing a change of direction. We confirmed this topographical assignment by testing two mutants, one affecting the N-terminal β-hairpins projecting towards the central channel, and thus preventing DNA loading, the other lacking an external subdomain and thus preventing wrapping. The statistical analysis of the distribution of the protein complexes between the two modes, together with the dissection of the changes of DNA contour length and binding angle upon interaction, for the wild type and the two mutants, is consistent with the hypothesis. We discuss the results in view of the various modes of nucleic acid interactions that have been proposed for both archaeal and eukaryotic MCM complexes.
Theoretical study of interaction of thiazolidine-2-thione as an anti-thyroid agent with iodine

Quantum chemical calculations were used to investigate the interaction of tautomer forms of thiazolidine-2-thione (T2T) with iodine in the gas and solution phases. The calculations show that the planar complexes are more stable than the perpendicular complexes. Also in the perpendicular complexes, the thione form is more stable than the thiol form. The calculated thermodynamic parameters in the solution phase indicate that the stability of the formed complexes increases as the dielectric constant of the solvent is increased. This result is in good agreement with the experimental results. The NBO results predict that the LP(S) → σ*(I─I) and LP(S) → σ*(N─H) charge transfer (CT) interactions are very important in the stabilizing of the planar complexes with respect to the perpendicular complexes. In all complexes, CT takes place from T2T to I2. Therefore, it is predicted that the donor properties of T2T are the origin of its anti-thyroid action. The atoms in molecule (AIM) analysis shows that the interactions in the planar complexes are stronger than the perpendicular complexes. GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT
Quartile histogram assessment of glioma malignancy using high b‐value diffusion MRI with a continuous‐time random‐walk model

The purpose of this study is to investigate the feasibility of using a continuous‐time random‐walk (CTRW) diffusion model, together with a quartile histogram analysis, for assessing glioma malignancy by probing tissue heterogeneity as well as cellularity. In this prospective study, 91 patients (40 females, 51 males) with histopathologically proven gliomas underwent MRI at 3 T. The cohort included 42 grade II (GrII), 19 grade III (GrIII) and 29 grade IV (GrIV) gliomas. Echo‐planar diffusion‐weighted imaging was conducted using 17 b‐values (0–4000 s/mm2). Three CTRW model parameters, including an anomalous diffusion coefficient Dm, and two parameters related to temporal and spatial diffusion heterogeneity α and β, respectively, were obtained. The mean parameter values within the tumor regions of interest (ROIs) were computed by utilizing the first quartile of the histograms as well as the full ROI for comparison. A Bonferroni–Holm‐corrected Mann–Whitney U‐test was used for the group comparisons. Individual and combinations of the CTRW parameters were evaluated for the characterization of gliomas with a receiver operating characteristic analysis. All first‐quartile mean CTRW parameters yielded significant differences (p‐values < 0.05) between pair‐wise comparisons of GrII (Dm: 1.14 ± 0.37 μm2/ms; α: 0.904 ± 0.03, β: 0.913 ± 0.06), GrIII (Dm: 0.88 ± 0.21 μm2/ms; α: 0.888 ± 0.01, β: 0.857 ± 0.06) and GrIV gliomas (Dm: 0.73 ± 0.22 μm2/ms; α: 0.878 ± 0.01; β: 0.791 ± 0.07). The highest sensitivity, specificity, accuracy and area‐under‐the‐curve of using the combinations of the first‐quartile parameters were 84.2%, 78.5%, 75.4% and 0.76 for GrII and GrIII classification; 86.2%, 89.4%, 75% and 0.76 for GrIII and GrIV classification; and 86.2%, 85.7%, 84.5% and 0.90 for GrII and GrIV classification, respectively. Quartile‐based analysis produced higher accuracy and area‐under‐the‐curve than the full ROI‐based analysis in all classifications. The CTRW diffusion model, together with a quartile‐based histogram analysis, offers a new way for probing tumor structural heterogeneity at a subvoxel level, and has potential for in vivo assessment of glioma malignancy to complement histopathology.
Exposure to cadmium and head and neck cancers: a meta-analysis of observational studies

Abstract Cadmium (Cd) is a widespread environmental pollutant. A number of observational studies have reported that Cd might be a cause of nasopharyngeal (NPC), pharyngeal (PC), or laryngeal cancers (LC). In this study evidence about the relation of Cd and NPC, PC, and LC has been summarized. A literature review was conducted until 20 June 2020 in PubMed, Ovid, Scopus, Web of Science and Google scholar databases to investigate the epidemiologic evidence for the relation between cadmium exposure and cancers of the nasopharynx, pharynx, and larynx. Ten articles were selected after careful screening of retrieved studies. All of these studies obtained a Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS) quality score from 6 to 8. Due to high heterogeneity, in all analyses, random effect was used. The pooled results showed that cadmium levels in NPC (standard mean difference (SMD=0.55; 95% CI=0.20, 0.89; p=0.002) and PC (SMD=9.79; 95% CI=0.62, 18.96; p=0.036) patients/tissues were significantly higher than their controls. But cadmium levels were not significantly different between LC cases/tissues and their controls. (SMD=−0.05; 95% CI=−0.99, 0.89; p=0.921). Exposure to cadmium is likely to cause nasopharyngeal and pharyngeal cancer.
CTA Protocols in a Telestroke Network Improve Efficiency for Both Spoke and Hub Hospitals

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Telestroke networks support screening for patients with emergent large-vessel occlusions who are eligible for endovascular thrombectomy. Ideal triage processes within telestroke networks remain uncertain. We characterize the impact of implementing a routine spoke hospital CTA protocol in our integrated telestroke network on transfer and thrombectomy patterns. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A protocol-driven CTA process was introduced at 22 spoke hospitals in November 2017. We retrospectively identified prospectively collected patients who presented to a spoke hospital with National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale scores ≥6 between March 1, 2016 and March 1, 2017 (pre-CTA), and March 1, 2018 and March 1, 2019 (post-CTA). We describe the demographics, CTA utilization, spoke hospital retention rates, emergent large-vessel occlusion identification, and rates of endovascular thrombectomy. RESULTS: There were 167 patients pre-CTA and 207 post-CTA. The rate of CTA at spoke hospitals increased from 15% to 70% (P < .001). Despite increased endovascular thrombectomy screening in the extended window, the overall rates of transfer out of spoke hospitals remained similar (56% versus 54%; P = .83). There was a nonsignificant increase in transfers to our hub hospital for endovascular thrombectomy (26% versus 35%; P = .12), but patients transferred >4.5 hours from last known well increased nearly 5-fold (7% versus 34%; P < .001). The rate of endovascular thrombectomy performed on patients transferred for possible endovascular thrombectomy more than doubled (22% versus 47%; P = .011). CONCLUSIONS: Implementation of CTA at spoke hospitals in our telestroke network was feasible and improved the efficiency of stroke triage. Rates of patients retained at spoke hospitals remained stable despite higher numbers of patients screened. Emergent large-vessel occlusion confirmation at the spoke hospital lead to a more than 2-fold increase in thrombectomy rates among transferred patients at the hub.
Neuroticism and reward-related ventral striatum activity: Probing vulnerability to stress-related depression.

Elevated neuroticism may confer vulnerability to the depressogenic effects of stressful life events (SLEs). However, the mechanisms underlying this susceptibility remain poorly understood. Accumulating evidence suggests that stress-related disruptions in neural reward processing might undergird links between stress and depression. Using data from the Saint Louis Personality and Aging Network (SPAN) study and Duke Neurogenetics Study (DNS), we examined whether neuroticism moderates links between stressful life events (SLE) and depression as well as SLEs and ventral striatum (VS) response to reward. In the longitudinal SPAN sample (n = 971 older adults), SLEs prospectively predicted future depressive symptoms, especially among those reporting elevated neuroticism, even after accounting for prior depressive symptoms and previous SLE exposure (NxSLE interaction: p = .016, ΔR² = 0.003). Cross-sectional analyses of the DNS, a young adult college sample with neuroimaging data, replicated this interaction (n = 1,343: NxSLE interaction: p = .019, ΔR² = 0.003) and provided evidence that neuroticism moderates the association between SLEs and reward-related VS response (n = 1,195, NxSLE: p = .017, ΔR² = 0.0048). Blunted left VS response to reward was associated with a lifetime depression diagnosis, r = -0.07, p = . 02, but not current depressive symptoms, r = -0.003, p = . 93. These data suggest that neuroticism may promote vulnerability to stress-related depression and that sensitivity to stress-related reductions in VS response may be a potential neural mechanism underlying vulnerability to clinically significant depression. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).
Measuring Development of Self-Help Organizations for Patients with Chronic Health Conditions in Hong Kong: Development and Validation of the Self-Help Organization Development Scale (SHODS)

Self-help organizations (SHOs) enable patients with chronic health conditions (PCHCs) to overcome common difficulties through the exchange of knowledge and mutual assistance, which serves as the basis for promoting the self-reliance and well-being of PCHCs. Nevertheless, practical challenges persist because little is known about what and how to evaluate for the developmental outcomes of SHOs. To address this knowledge gap, the present study seeks to develop and validate the Self-Help Organization Development Scale (SHODS). A total of 232 core members from 54 SHOs in Hong Kong participated in our study. The SHODS structure was validated by confirmatory factor analysis. This analysis derived five factors: citizen support, business support, member recovery and mutual aid, organizational health, and functional sustainability. The five-factor structure demonstrated stability across various types of SHOs, as validated by the subgroup analysis based on two criteria: duration of SHO establishment and organization affiliation. Good concurrent validity was supported by significant correlations between the SHODS factors and organizational variables, including staff supervision, staff understanding, networking, advocating, and educating the public and patients. The SHODS also showed excellent internal consistency. In conclusion, the SHODS is a psychometrically sound instrument for measuring the developmental outcomes of SHOs.
BK Virus-Associated Nephropathy after Renal Transplantation

Recent advances in immunosuppressive therapy have reduced the incidence of acute rejection and improved renal transplantation outcomes. Meanwhile, nephropathy caused by BK virus has become an important cause of acute or chronic graft dysfunction. The usual progression of infection begins with BK viruria and progresses to BK viremia, leading to BK virus associated nephropathy. To detect early signs of BK virus proliferation before the development of nephropathy, several screening tests are used including urinary cytology and urinary and plasma PCR. A definitive diagnosis of BK virus associated nephropathy can be achieved only histologically, typically by detecting tubulointerstitial inflammation associated with basophilic intranuclear inclusions in tubular and/or Bowman’s epithelial cells, in addition to immunostaining with anti-Simian virus 40 large T-antigen. Several pathological classifications have been proposed to categorize the severity of the disease to allow treatment strategies to be determined and treatment success to be predicted. Since no specific drugs that directly suppress the proliferation of BKV are available, the main therapeutic approach is the reduction of immunosuppressive drugs. The diagnosis of subsequent acute rejection, the definition of remission, the protocol of resuming immunosuppression, and long-term follow-up remain controversial.
Influence of Noise-Limited Censored Path Loss on Model Fitting and Path Loss-Based Positioning †

Positioning is considered one of the key features in various novel industry verticals in future radio systems. Since path loss (PL) or received signal strength-based measurements are widely available in the majority of wireless standards, PL-based positioning has an important role among positioning technologies. Conventionally, PL-based positioning has two phases—fitting a PL model to training data and positioning based on the link distance estimates. However, in both phases, the maximum measurable PL is limited by measurement noise. Such immeasurable samples are called censored PL data and such noisy data are commonly neglected in both the model fitting and in the positioning phase. In the case of censored PL, the loss is known to be above a known threshold level and that information can be used in model fitting and in the positioning phase. In this paper, we examine and propose how to use censored PL data in PL model-based positioning. Additionally, we demonstrate with several simulations the potential of the proposed approach for considerable improvements in positioning accuracy (23–57%) and improved robustness against PL model fitting errors.
Equity considerations in outcome measures of the HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis care continuum in high-income countries: a systematic review protocol

Introduction HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is an effective intervention to reduce acquisition of HIV. PrEP provision has increased in recent years, however, it is not known whether PrEP implementation has been equitably implemented across all risk groups, particularly groups experiencing high levels of health inequity. A PrEP care continuum (PCC) has been proposed to evaluate the success of PrEP implementation programmes, but the extent to which health equity characteristics are currently taken into account in the PCC has not been described. The objectives of this proposed systematic review are to (i) identify and collate outcome measure definitions for the main stages of the PCC (awareness, acceptability, uptake, adherence and retention), (ii) describe how equity characteristics are considered in outcome definitions of the PCC and (iii) describe data sources for capturing equity characteristics. Methods and analysis Quantitative studies published between 1 January 2012 and 3 March 2020 will be included. Five databases (MEDLINE, PubMed, Embase, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, Applied Social Sciences Index and Abstracts) will be searched to identify English language publications that include an outcome measure definition of at least one of the five main stages of the PCC. Risk of bias will be assessed using the Effective Public Health Practice Project Quality Assessment Tool for Quantitative Studies. Data on outcome measure definitions and equity characteristics will be extracted. Results will be presented in a narrative synthesis and all findings will be reported in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. Ethics and dissemination Ethical approval is not required. The results will be disseminated via submission for publication to a peer-reviewed journal when complete. The review findings will have relevance to healthcare professionals, policymakers and commissioners in informing how to best evaluate PrEP implementation programmes and inform new implementation strategies for vulnerable and less advantaged populations. PROSPERO registration number CRD42020169779.
Rostral cuneiform nucleus and the defence reaction: Direct and indirect midbrain–medullary 5‐HT mechanisms in baroreflex inhibition

Activation of the defence reaction inhibits the baroreflex response via the intermediate rostro‐ventromedial medulla (B3 raphé) and nucleus tractus solitarius (NTS). Our aim was to determine whether and how baroreflex inhibition, induced by the disinhibition of the rostral cuneiform nucleus (part of the defence pathway), involves 5‐HT neurons in B3 and 5‐HT3 receptors in the NTS.
Evaluation of the hepatoprotective effects of curcumin and nanocurcumin against paraquat‐induced liver injury in rats: Modulation of oxidative stress and Nrf2 pathway

Paraquat (PQ) is a widely used herbicide all over the world, which is highly toxic for animals and humans. Its cytotoxicity is based on reactive radical generation. The aim of this study is to evaluate and compare the hepatoprotective effects of curcumin and nanocurcumin against liver damage caused by sub‐acute exposure with PQ via modulation of oxidative stress and genes expression of nuclear factor erythroid 2‐related factor 2 (Nrf2) pathway. Rats were exposed to PQ (5 mg/kg/day, orally) + curcumin or nanocurcumin (100 mg/kg/day, orally) for 7 days. Then rats were anesthetized and serum and liver samples were collected. Next, serum enzymatic activities, liver histopathology, oxidative stress, and expression of genes involved in Nrf2 signaling pathway were assessed by biochemical and enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay methods, hematoxylin and eosin staining, and real‐time polymerase chain reaction analysis. PQ significantly increased malondialdehyde, alanine transaminase, aspartate aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase levels, and Kelch‐like ECH‐associated protein 1 gene expression and also decreased total antioxidant capacity, total thiol group levels, Glutathione S‐transferases, heme oxygenase 1, Nrf2, and NAD(P)H:quinone oxidoreductase 1 genes expression, causing histological damages to liver tissue. These changes were significantly modulated by curcumin and nanocurcumin treatments. Our findings showed that nanocurcumin had better hepatoprotective effect than curcumin in liver damage after PQ exposure most likely through modulation of oxidative stress and genes expression of Nrf2 pathway.