Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Influence of Virtual Reality Head-Mounted Displays on Balance Outcomes and Training Paradigms: A Systematic Review

Background: Falls are the leading causes of (non)fatal injuries in older adults. Recent research has developed interventions that aim to improve balance in older adults using virtual reality (VR). Purpose: We aimed to investigate the validity, reliability, safety, feasibility, and efficacy of head mounted display (HMD) systems for assessing and training balance in older adults. Methods: We searched EBSCOhost, Scopus, Web of Science, and PubMed databases until 1 September 2020 to find studies that used HMD systems for assessing or training balance. The methodological quality was assessed using a modified version of Downs and Black. We also appraised the risk of bias using Risk of Bias Assessment tool for Non-randomized Studies (RoBANS). Results: A total of 19 articles (637 participants) were included for review. Despite heterogenous age ranges and clinical conditions across studies, VR HMD systems were valid to assess balance and could be useful for fall prevention and for improving postural control and gait patterns. These systems also have the capacity to differentiate healthy and balance-impaired individuals. During VR versions of traditional balance tests, older adults generally acquire a cautious behavior and take more time to complete the tasks. Conclusion: VR HMD systems can offer ecologically valid scenarios to assess and train functional balance and can be used alone or in addition to other interventions. New norms and protocols should be defined according to participants' age, health status, and severity of their illness when using VR HMD systems for balance assessment and training. For safe and feasible training, attention must be given to display type, VR elements and scenarios, duration of exposure, and system usability. Due to high risk of bias and overall poor quality of the studies, further research is needed on the effectiveness of HMD VR training in older adults.
Clinical Characteristics and CT Findings in 148 Non-COVID-19 Influenza-Like Illness Cases: A Retrospective Control Study

Background: This study was to collect clinical features and computed tomography (CT) findings of Influenza-Like Illness (ILI) cases, and to evaluate the correlation between clinical data and the abnormal chest CT in patients with the Influenza-Like Illness symptoms. Methods: Patients with the Influenza-Like Illness symptoms who attended the emergency department of The Six Medical Center of The PLA General Hospital from February 10 to April 1, 2020 were enrolled. Clinical and imaging data of the enrolled patients were collected and analyzed. The association between clinical characteristics and abnormal chest CT was also analyzed. Results: A total of 148 cases were enrolled in this study. Abnormalities on chest CT were detected in 61/148 (41.2%) patients. The most common abnormal CT features were as follows: patchy consolidation 22/61(36.1%), ground-glass opacities 21/61(34.4%), multifocal consolidations 17/61(27.9%). The advanced age and underlying diseases were significantly associated with abnormal chest CT. Conclusions: Abnormal chest CT is a common condition in Influenza-Like Illness cases. The presence of advanced age and concurrent underlying diseases is significantly associated with abnormal chest CT findings in patients with ILI symptoms. The chest CT characteristic of ILI is different from the manifestation of COVID-19 infection, which is helpful for differential diagnosis.
SARS-CoV-2 Early Screening at the Point of Entry: Travelers From Bangladesh to Italy–July 2020

We report phylogenetic and mutational analysis by NGS of six SARS-CoV-2 strains from patients flying from Bangladesh to Italy (July 2020). Data suggest that no further circulation of such imported strains occurred in Italy, stating the efficacy of early screening at the point of entry and supporting the importance of molecular epidemiology in monitoring the efficacy of control measures.
Neonatal Encephalopathy Is Associated With Altered IL-8 and GM-CSF Which Correlates With Outcomes

Aim: To investigate the relationship between cytokines associated with innate immune cell activation and brain injury and outcome in infants with NE compared to neonatal controls. Methods: Serum and CSF biomarkers associated with activated neutrophils and monocytes [Interleukin-8 (IL-8) and Granulocyte-Macrophage-Colony-Stimulating-Factor (GM-CSF)] were serially measured using duplex immunoassays on days 1, 3 and 7 in term newborns with NE and controls. Results were compared to grade of encephalopathy, seizures, MRI brain imaging, mortality and Bayley Score of Infant and Toddler Development (Bayley-III) at 2 years of age. Results: Ninety-four infants had serum samples collected with 34 CSF samples. NE Grade II/III was significantly associated with elevated on day 2 serum IL-8. Mortality was best predicted by elevated day 1 IL-8. GM-CSF was initially elevated on day 1 and abnormal MRI imaging was associated with decreased day 2 GM-CSF. Elevated GM-CSF at day of life 6–7 correlated negatively with composite cognitive, language and motor Bayley-III scores at 2 years. Conclusion: Moderate or severe NE and mortality was associated with elevated IL-8. Day 2 GM-CSF could predict abnormal MRI results in NE and Bayley-III. Therefore, these cytokines are altered in NE and may predict early outcomes and further implicate inflammatory processes in NE.
The Specific Judo Training Program Combined With the Whole Body Cryostimulation Induced an Increase of Serum Concentrations of Growth Factors and Changes in Amino Acid Profile in Professional Judokas

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of a specific training program, supported by 10 sessions of whole body cryostimulation, on growth factors concentrations, amino acids profile and motor abilities in professional judokas. Ultimately, twelve athletes took part in the study. They were randomly assigned to the cryostimulation group (CRY, n = 6) or the control group (CON, n = 6). During 2 weeks of the judo training program, the CRY group performed 10 cryo-sessions (3-min, at a temperature of −110°C) and the CON group rested passively. Anthropometric measurements, a strength test, the Special Judo Efficiency Test (SJET) were assessed 2 days before and after the judo training program. Blood samples were collected at rest, 1 h after the first and the second SJET and 1 h after the first and the last cryo-session to establish growth factors and amino acid concentrations. Lactate level was measured before, immediately after and 1 h after the first and the second SJET. The applied intervention resulted in a significant increase of resting concentrations of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (from 10.23 ± 1.61 to 15.13 ± 2.93 ng⋅ml–1; p = 0.01) and insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1; from 174.29 ± 49.34 to 300.50 ± 43.80 pg⋅ml–1; p = 0.00) in the CRY group. A different response was registered 1 h directly post SJET in the CRY group (a significant increase of IGF-1, interleukin 15 and irisin: p = 0.01; p = 0.00; p = 0.03). Additionally, the significant drop of proline and leucine concentrations in the CRY group was obtained. Athletes’ performance remained unchanged in both groups. However, subjects perceived positive changes induced by the intervention – not directly after cryostimulation but in response to the specific training workload. The increase of growth factors concentrations and the improvement of amino acid profile (proline and leucine) contributed to maintaining a high level of muscle function.
Evaluation of the Potential Use of a Collagen-Based Protein Hydrolysate as a Plant Multi-Stress Protectant

Protein hydrolysates (PHs) are a class of plant biostimulants used in the agricultural practice to improve crop performance. In this study, we have assessed the capacity of a commercial PH derived from bovine collagen to mitigate drought, hypoxic, and Fe deficiency stress in Zea mays. As for the drought and hypoxic stresses, hydroponically grown plants treated with the PH exhibited an increased growth and absorption area of the roots compared with those treated with inorganic nitrogen. In the case of Fe deficiency, plants supplied with the PH mixed with FeCl3 showed a faster recovery from deficiency compared to plants supplied with FeCl3 alone or with FeEDTA, resulting in higher SPAD values, a greater concentration of Fe in the leaves and modulation in the expression of genes related to Fe. Moreover, through the analysis of circular dichroism spectra, we assessed that the PH interacts with Fe in a dose-dependent manner. Various hypothesis about the mechanisms of action of the collagen-based PH as stress protectant particularly in Fe-deficiency, are discussed.
Specific Oscillatory Power Changes and Their Efficacy for Determining Laterality in Mesial Temporal Lobe Epilepsy: A Magnetoencephalographic Study

Appropriate determination of the epileptic focus and its laterality are important for the diagnosis of mesial temporal lobe epilepsy (MTLE). The aims of this study are to establish a specific oscillatory distribution and laterality of the oscillatory power in unilateral MTLE with frequency analysis of magnetoencephalography (MEG), and to confirm their potential to carry significant information for determining lateralization of the epileptic focus. Thirty-five patients with MTLE [left (LtMTLE), 16; right (RtMTLE), 19] and 102 healthy control volunteers (CTR) were enrolled. Cortical oscillatory powers were compared among the groups by contrasting the source images using a one-way ANOVA model for each frequency band. Further, to compare the lateralization of regional oscillatory powers between LtMTLEs and RtMTLEs, the laterality index (LI) was calculated for four brain regions (frontal, temporal, parietal, and occipital) in each frequency band, which were compared between patient groups (LtMTLE, RtMTLE, and CTR), and used for machine learning prediction of the groups with support vector machine (SVM) with linear kernel function. Significant oscillatory power differences between MTLE and CTR were found in certain areas. In the theta to high-frequency oscillation bands, there were marked increases in the parietal lobe, especially on the left side, in LtMTLE. In the theta, alpha, and high-gamma bands, there were marked increases in the parietal lobe, especially on the right side in RtMTLE. Compared with CTR, LIs were significantly higher in 24/28 regions in LtMTLE, but lower in 4/28 regions and higher in 10/28 regions in RtMTLE. LI at the temporal lobe in the theta band was significantly higher in LtMTLE and significantly lower in RtMTLE. Comparing LtMTLE and RtMTLE, there were significant LI differences in most regions and frequencies (21/28 regions). In all frequency bands, there were significant differences between LtMTLE and RtMTLE in the temporal and parietal lobes. The leave-one-out cross-validation of the linear-SVM showed the classification accuracy to be over 91%, where the model had high specificity over 96% and mild sensitivity ~68–75%. Using MEG frequency analysis, the characteristics of the oscillatory power distribution in the MTLE were demonstrated. Compared with CTR, LIs shifted to the side of the epileptic focus in the temporal lobe in the theta band. The machine learning approach also confirmed that LIs have significant predictive ability in the lateralization of the epileptic focus. These results provide useful additional information for determining the laterality of the focus.
Histopathological Findings Predict Renal Recovery in Severe ANCA-Associated Vasculitis Requiring Intensive Care Treatment

Renal involvement is a common and severe complication of AAV as it can cause ESRD. Histopathological subgrouping and ARRS are helpful to predict long-term ESRD in patients with AAV. Because a subgroup of critically ill patients with severe AAV present with deterioration of kidney function requiring RRT at admission, we here aimed to evaluate histopathological findings and predictive value of Berden's histopathological subgrouping and ARRS for severity of AKI and requirement of RRT during the short-term clinical course in critically ill patients requiring intensive care treatment and predictors for short-term renal recovery in patients requiring RRT. A subgroup of 15/46 (32. 6%) AAV patients with biopsy-proven AAV required RRT during the short-term course of disease, associated with requirement of critical care treatment. While histopathological subgrouping and ARRS were associated with requirement of acute RRT, presence of global glomerular scarring was the strongest predictor of failure to recover from RRT after initiation of remission induction therapy. This new aspect requires further investigation in a prospective controlled setting for therapeutic decision making especially in this subgroup.
The Role of Interleukin-33 in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma Is Determined by Its Cellular Sources in the Tumor Microenvironment

Objectives To investigate the role of interleukin-33 (IL-33) in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). Materials and Methods RNA-seq data of 520 cases of HNSCC were retrieved from The Cancer Genome Atlas. The tumor microenvironment was deconstructed by xCell using bulk RNA-seq data. The cohort was dichotomized by the median IL-33 expression level. Immune cell components and molecular markers were compared between the high and low IL-33 groups. The prognostic value of IL-33 was evaluated by the log-rank test. Differential gene expression analysis and KEGG pathway enrichment analysis were also conducted. The relationship between the IL-33 expression level and the abundance of its potential cellular sources was evaluated by Pearson’s partial correlation test. Subgroup analysis was conducted in laryngeal, oropharyngeal, and oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC, OPSCC, and OCSCC). Results The role of IL-33 in HNSCC was heterogeneous among tumors at different sites. In LSCC, IL-33 may increase the extent of malignancy of tumor cells and act as a pro-tumor factor. In OCSCC, IL-33 may play a role in orchestrating the immune responses against tumor cells and act as an antitumor factor. The role of IL-33 in OPSCC was undetermined. IL-33 in LSCC was mainly derived from endothelial cells, while IL-33 in OCSCC was mainly derived from endothelial and epithelial cells. Conclusion According to the different sources of IL-33 in LSCC and OCSCC, we propose a hypothesis that stroma-derived IL-33 could favor tumor progression, while epithelial-derived IL-33 could favor antitumor immune responses in HNSCC.
Construction and Selection of an Entomopathogenic Fungal Library From Soil Samples for Controlling Spodoptera litura

Chemical pesticides have been used for pest control for many decades, but they cause serious problems, including insecticide resistance, secondary pest resurgence, and negative environmental impacts. Therefore, sustainable alternatives to chemical pesticides are necessary for pest control. Entomopathogenic fungi (EPF) are natural epizootic pathogens of insects, and some of them have been used as microbial biocontrol agents. Herein, we attempted to construct an entomopathogenic fungal library (EFLib) via the “Tenebrio molitor pathogenicity-based fungal collection method (TmPC)” to select EPF for control of the serious agricultural pest Spodoptera litura. A total of 172 soil samples were collected in northern and central Taiwan for the EFLib construction. The isolation efficiency of TmPC was 64.02%. The EFLib consisted of 101 isolates and was designated as the National Chung Hsing University (NCHU) EFLib. Among these isolates, 26 showed high virulence (mortality = 100%) to T. molitor larvae. Based on the results of molecular identification, the highly virulent isolates belonged to seven genera, including Beauveria, Clonostachys, Fusarium, Cordyceps, Penicillium, Purpureocillium, and Metarhizium. To evaluate the potential of these isolates for Spodoptera litura control, 12 isolates were selected for pathogenicity screening against S. litura larvae. A total of six EPF isolates belonging to the genera Beauveria and Metarhizium showed rapid eradication of the S. litura larvae. To rank the potential of these fungal strains for pest management, the six isolates were subjected to thermotolerance and conidial production assays, and a novel effective conidia number (ECN) formula was applied. The results indicated that the ECN index of Beauveria australis (NCHU-113) was much higher than that of Metarhizium isolates. However, among the Metarhizium isolates, NCHU-95 showed the highest ECN index. Altogether, NCHU-69 and NCHU-113 should be further tested in field trials. To our knowledge, this is the first attempt to integrate pathogenicity or virulence and ECN data into EPF screening and ranking, providing a baseline for mass selection of potential EPF strains for further applications.
Silencing of the tRNA Modification Enzyme Cdkal1 Effects Functional Insulin Synthesis in NIT-1 Cells: tRNALys3 Lacking ms2- (ms2t6A37) is Unable to Establish Sufficient Anticodon:Codon Interactions to Decode the Wobble Codon AAG

Human Genome Wide Association Studies found a significant risk of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) in single nucleotide polymorphisms in the cdkal1 gene. The cdkal1 gene is remote from the insulin gene and with the surprising function of a specific tRNA modification. Population studies and case control studies acquired evidences of the connection between Cdkal1 protein and insulin production over the years. To obtain biochemical proofs directly linking potential SNPs to their roles in insulin production and availability is challenging, but the development of Cdkal1 knock out mice and knock out cell lines made it possible to extend our knowledge towards therapeutic field of diabetic research. Supporting the evidences, here we show that knock down of the cdkal1 gene using small interfering and short hairpin RNA in the NIT-1 cell line, a β-cell line inducible for insulin resulted in reduced levels of cdkal1 and mature insulin mRNAs, increased the level of precursor insulin mRNA, decreased Cdkal1 and insulin proteins, and diminished modification of tRNALys3 from t6A37 to ms2t6A37, the specified function of Cdkal1. tRNALys3 lacking ms2- is incapable of establishing sufficient hydrogen bonding energy and hydrophobic stabilization to decode the wobble codon AAG.
The Effects of Multi-Scale Climate Variability on Biodiversity Patterns of Chinese Evergreen Broad-Leaved Woody Plants: Growth Form Matters

Large-scale patterns of species diversity are thought to be linked to contemporary climate variability and Quaternary glacial–interglacial climate change. For plants, growth forms integrate traits related to competition or migration capacity, which determine their abilities to deal with the climate variability they face. Evergreen broad-leaved woody plants (EBWPs) are major components of numerous biomes in the subtropical and tropical regions. Hence, incorporating phylogenetic (temporal) and biogeographic (spatial) approaches, we assessed the relative importance of short- and long-term climate variability for biodiversity patterns of different growth forms (i.e., tree, shrub, liana, and bamboo) in EBWPs. We used a dated phylogeny and the distribution records for 6,265 EBWP species which are naturally occurred in China, and computed the corrected weighted endemism, standardized phylogenetic diversity and net relatedness index for the four growth forms, respectively. Ordinary least squares linear regressions, spatial error simultaneous autoregressive models, partial regression and hierarchical variation partitioning were employed to estimate the explanatory power of contemporary climate variability and climate-change velocity from the Last Glacial Maximum to the present. Our results showed that short- and long-term climate variability play complementary role in the biogeographic patterns of Chinese EBWPs. The former had larger effects, but the legacy effects of past climate changes were also remarkable. There were also differences in the effects of historical and current climate among the four growth forms, which support growth forms as a critical plant trait in predicting vegetation response to climate change. Compared to the glacial-interglacial climate fluctuation, seasonality as a unique feature of mid-latitude monsoon climate played a dominant role in the diversification and distribution of EBWP species at the macroscale. The results indicated that the relative importance of climate variability at different temporal scales may relate to distinct mechanisms. To understand effects of future climate change on species distribution more thoroughly, climate conditions in different time scales should be incorporated.
Isoquercetin Improves Inflammatory Response in Rats Following Ischemic Stroke

Inflammatory response contributes to brain injury after ischemia and reperfusion (I/R). Our previous literature has shown isoquercetin plays an important role in protecting against cerebral I/R injury. The present study was conducted to further investigate the effect of isoquercetin on inflammation-induced neuronal injury in I/R rats with the involvement of cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP)/protein kinase A (PKA) and inhibitor of NF-κB (I-κB)/nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) signaling pathway mediated by Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) and C5a receptor 1 (C5aR1). In vivo middle cerebral artery occlusion and reperfusion (MCAO/R) rat model and in vitro oxygen-glucose deprivation and reperfusion (OGD/R) neuron model were used. MCAO/R induced neurological deficits, cell apoptosis, and release of cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, interleukin (IL)-1β, and IL-6 in ischemic brain in rats. Simultaneously, the expression of TLR4 and C5aR1 was significantly up-regulated in both MCAO/R rats and OGD/R neurons, accompanied with the inhibition of cAMP/PKA signaling and activation of I-κB/NF-κB signaling in the cortex of MCAO/R rats. Over-expression of C5aR1 in neurons induced decrease of cell viability, exerting similar effects with OGD/R injury. Isoquercetin acted as a neuroprotective agent against I/R brain injury to suppress inflammatory response and improve cell recovery by inhibiting TLR4 and C5aR1 expression, promoting cAMP/PKA activation, and inhibiting I-κB/NF-κB activation and Caspase 3 expression. TLR4 and C5aR1 contributed to inflammation and apoptosis via activating cAMP/PKA/I-κB/NF-κB signaling during cerebral I/R, suggesting that this signaling pathway may be a potent therapeutic target in ischemic stroke. Isoquercetin was identified as a neuroprotective agent, which maybe a promising therapeutic agent used for the treatment of ischemic stroke and related diseases.