Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Association Between General Self-Efficacy and Depressive Symptoms in People with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: The Mediating Role of Coping Styles Preference

Background Depressive symptoms are prevalent in persons with type 2 diabetes mellitus and related with poor disease outcomes. Both general self-efficacy and coping style are associated with depressive symptoms. A model about proactive coping indicates that coping style plays a mediation role between general self-efficacy and depressive symptoms. But, empirical evidence is missing about this potential mediation relationship which may be a barrier of taking precise strategies for relieving depressive symptoms. Objective This study aims to investigate the prevalence of elevated depressive symptoms in persons with type 2 diabetes mellitus and explore whether coping style preference mediates the association between general self-efficacy and depressive symptoms. Methods This was a secondary data analysis of a cross-sectional survey (June–July 2017) among 721 persons with type 2 diabetes mellitus (45.4% male and 54.6% female) aged from 22 to 96 years old. Data on general self-efficacy, coping style preference and depressive symptoms were collected using validated questionnaires in hospital setting. The mediation model was tested using the bootstrapping (K=5000) in the MPlus program version 7.4. The results were reported following the Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) guidelines. Results The prevalence of elevated depressive symptoms was 58% (n = 418) among persons with type 2 diabetes mellitus at hospital setting. A higher level of general self-efficacy was related to less depressive symptoms via positive coping preference (p < 0.01). Discussion About two-thirds of persons with type 2 diabetes mellitus experienced elevated depressive symptoms during hospitalization. The intervention elements, including strengthening general self-efficacy and promoting positive coping, are promising to decrease their depressive symptoms.
Identification of Host Factors Differentially Induced by Clinically Diverse Strains of Tick-Borne Encephalitis Virus

Tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) is an emerging virus of the flavivirus family that is spread by ticks and causes neurological disease of various severity. No specific therapeutic treatments are available for TBE, and control in areas of endemicity is limited to vaccination. ABSTRACT Tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) is an important human arthropod-borne virus that causes tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) in humans. TBEV acutely infects the central nervous system (CNS), leading to neurological symptoms of various severity. No therapeutics are currently available for TBEV-associated disease. Virus strains of various pathogenicity have been described, although the basis of their diverse clinical outcome remains undefined. Work with infectious TBEV requires high-level biocontainment, meaning model systems that can recapitulate the virus life cycle are highly sought. Here, we report the generation of a self-replicating, noninfectious TBEV replicon used to study properties of high (Hypr) and low (Vs) pathogenic TBEV isolates. Using a Spinach2 RNA aptamer and luciferase reporter system, we perform the first direct comparison of Hypr and Vs in cell culture. Infectious wild-type (WT) viruses and chimeras of the nonstructural proteins 3 (NS3) and 5 (NS5) were investigated in parallel to validate the replicon data. We show that Hypr replicates to higher levels than Vs in mammalian cells, but not in arthropod cells, and that the basis of these differences map to the NS5 region, encoding the methyltransferase and RNA polymerase. For both Hypr and Vs strains, NS5 and the viral genome localized to intracellular structures typical of positive-strand RNA viruses. Hypr was associated with significant activation of IRF-3, caspase-3, and caspase-8, while Vs activated Akt, affording protection against caspase-mediated apoptosis. Higher activation of stress-granule proteins TIAR and G3BPI were an additional early feature of Vs but not for Hypr. These findings highlight novel host cell responses driven by NS5 that may dictate the differential clinical characteristics of TBEV strains. This highlights the utility of the TBEV replicons for further virological characterization and antiviral drug screening. IMPORTANCE Tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) is an emerging virus of the flavivirus family that is spread by ticks and causes neurological disease of various severity. No specific therapeutic treatments are available for TBE, and control in areas of endemicity is limited to vaccination. The pathology of TBEV ranges from mild to fatal, depending on the virus genotype. Characterization of TBEV isolates is challenging due to the requirement for high-containment facilities. Here, we described the construction of novel TBEV replicons that permit a molecular comparison of TBEV isolates of high and low pathogenicity.
Foster care leads to sustained cognitive gains following severe early deprivation

Significance There is evidence that the cognitive abilities of children who experience early, severe psychosocial deprivation are superior for those in family- versus group-based placements. However, it is unknown whether these placements have long-lasting effects. Using data from the Bucharest Early Intervention Project, we found that individuals randomized to foster care following early institutionalization had IQ scores in early adulthood that were, on average, 9.00 points above those of individuals assigned to care as usual. The persistence of causal effects of foster care intervention provides compelling evidence that caregiving relationships influence IQ. Providing long-lasting family placements is the most advantageous strategy to enhance cognitive development among children requiring institutional care.
Screening for Prediabetes and Type 2 Diabetes in Children and Adolescents: US Preventive Services Task Force Recommendation Statement.

Importance The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 210 000 children and adolescents younger than 20 years had diabetes as of 2018; of these, approximately 23 000 had type 2 diabetes. Youth with type 2 diabetes have an increased prevalence of associated chronic comorbid conditions, including hypertension, dyslipidemia, and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. Data indicate that the incidence of type 2 diabetes is rising; from 2002-2003 to 2014-2015, incidence increased from 9.0 cases per 100 000 children and adolescents to 13.8 cases per 100 000 children and adolescents. Objective The US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) commissioned a review of the evidence on screening for prediabetes and type 2 diabetes in asymptomatic, nonpregnant persons younger than 18 years. This is a new recommendation. Population Children and adolescents younger than 18 years without known diabetes or prediabetes or symptoms of diabetes or prediabetes. Evidence Assessment The USPSTF concludes that the evidence is insufficient to assess the balance of benefits and harms of screening for type 2 diabetes in children and adolescents. There is a lack of evidence on the effect of screening for, and early detection and treatment of, type 2 diabetes on health outcomes in youth, and the balance of benefits and harms cannot be determined. Recommendation The USPSTF concludes that the current evidence is insufficient to assess the balance of benefits and harms of screening for type 2 diabetes in children and adolescents. (I statement).
On the estimation of the electromagnetic, elastodynamic and piezoelectric properties of homogenized composite materials

The work in this thesis concerns the estimation of the electromagnetic, elastodynamic and piezoelectric properties of homogenized composite materials (HCMs). A composite may be considered homogeneous if wavelengths are sufficiently large in comparison to the size of the particles of each component material. This thesis examines HCMs constructed from two component materials and several methods of estimating the HCMs constitutive properties. Firstly, the Maxwell Garnett estimates and Bergman–Milton bounds on the electromagnetic properties of HCMs are examined. While both are widely used, we re–examine them, for isotropic dielectric HCMs, in light of recent advancements in material manufacture. Secondly, we examine the strong–property–fluctuation theory (SPFT). The SPFT estimate is calculated using iterations upon an initial ansatz, these iterations being dependent on statistical cumulants of the spatial distribution of the particles of the component materials. The zeroth–order SPFT estimate is identical to the first–order and both are taken to be identical to a comparison material. For the second–order estimate a two–point correlation function along with its associated correlation length are used to characterize the component materials’ particle distribution. The general framework for the elastodynamic SPFT was established in 1999 by Zhuck and Lakhtakia. Here we further develop the elastodynamic SPFT for orthotropic HCMs, in order to undertake numerical studies. We simplify certain integrals in order to make them amenable to numerical computation. Also, we establish the piezoelectric SPFT for orthorhombic mm2 materials. The general theory is developed first in a manner analogous to the elastodynamic SPFT. We then implement a two–point covariance function, perform similar integral simplifications to those done in the elastodynamic SPFT and carry out
Electric fields control water-gated proton transfer in cytochrome c oxidase

Significance Cytochrome c oxidase (CcO) powers aerobic life by reducing oxygen to water. This redox reaction creates a proton motive force across a biological membrane that drives the synthesis of adenosine triphosphate (ATP). CcO transfers the protons both across the membrane and to its active site responsible for oxygen reduction, but the gating principles of this reaction remain unsolved. Here we show that internal redox changes in CcO create orientated electric fields that sort the protons along the chemical and pumping pathways, while preventing back leakage reactions. These redox-triggered electric fields show distinct similarities to other energy-converting enzymes and may be a general principle of enzyme catalysis.
BRCA2 BRC missense variants disrupt RAD51-dependent DNA repair

Pathogenic mutations in the BRCA2 tumor suppressor gene predispose to breast, ovarian, pancreatic, prostate, and other cancers. BRCA2 maintains genome stability through homology-directed repair (HDR) of DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) and replication fork protection. Nonsense or frameshift mutations leading to truncation of the BRCA2 protein are typically considered pathogenic, however, missense mutations resulting in single amino acid substitutions can be challenging to functionally interpret. The majority of missense mutations in BRCA2 have been classified as Variants of Uncertain Significance (VUS) with unknown functional consequences. In this study, we identified three BRCA2 VUS located within the BRC repeat region to determine their impact on canonical HDR and fork protection functions. We provide evidence that S1221P and T1980I, which map to conserved residues in the BRC2 and BRC7 repeats, compromise the cellular response to chemotherapeutics and ionizing radiation, and display deficits in fork protection. We further demonstrate biochemically that S1221P and T1980I disrupt RAD51 binding and diminish the ability of BRCA2 to stabilize RAD51-ssDNA complexes. The third variant, T1346I, located within the spacer region between BRC2 and BRC3 repeats, is fully functional. We conclude that T1346I is a benign allele whereas S1221P and T1980I are hypomorphic disrupting the ability of BRCA2 to fully engage and stabilize RAD51 nucleoprotein filaments. Our results underscore the importance of correctly classifying BRCA2 VUS as pathogenic variants can impact both future cancer risk and guide therapy selection during cancer treatment. Graphical Abstract
Neuroprotection of Low‐Frequency Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation after Ischemic Stroke in Rats

Stroke is a leading cause of human death and disability. Effective early treatments with reasonable therapeutic windows remain critically important to improve the outcomes of stroke. Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is an established noninvasive technique that has been applied clinically and in animal research for multiple brain disorders, but few studies have examined acute neuroprotection against ischemic stroke. The present investigation tested the novel approach of low‐frequency repetitive TMS (rTMS) as an acute treatment after ischemic stroke.
Rapid transgenerational adaptation in response to intercropping reduces competition

By capitalising on positive biodiversity–productivity relationships, intercropping provides opportunities to improve agricultural sustainability. Intercropping is generally implemented using commercial seeds that were bred for maximal productivity in monocultures, thereby ignoring the ability of plants to adapt over generations to the surrounding neighbourhood, notably through increased complementarity, that is reduced competition or increased facilitation. This is why using monoculture-adapted seeds for intercropping might limit the benefits of crop diversity on yield. However, the adaptation potential of crops and the corresponding changes in complementarity have not been explored in annual crop systems. Here we show that plant–plant interactions among annual crops shifted towards reduced competition and/or increased facilitation when the plants were growing in the same community type as their parents did in the previous two generations. Total yield did not respond to this common coexistence history, but in fertilized conditions, we observed increased overyielding in mixtures with a common coexistence history. Surprisingly, we observed character convergence between species sharing the same coexistence history for two generations, in monocultures but also in mixtures: the six crop species tested converged towards taller phenotypes with lower leaf dry matter content. This study provides the first empirical evidence for the potential of parental diversity affecting plant–plant interactions, species complementarity and therefore potentially ecosystem functioning of the following generations in annual cropping systems. Although further studies are required to assess the context–dependence of these results, our findings may still have important implications for diversified agriculture as they illustrate the potential of targeted cultivars to increase complementarity of species in intercropping, which could be achieved through specific breeding for mixtures.
Can a structured model of ethical reflection be used to teach ethics to nursing students? An approach to teaching nursing students a tool for systematic ethical reflection

Nurses encounter many ethical dilemmas in their practice. The ability to make good ethical decisions is a necessary competence in healthcare professions. International studies call for development and research on various methods to teach healthcare professionals ethics. This article describes an approach for learning how to be aware of and discover ethical dilemmas. By applying experienced narratives from healthcare practice and using question guidelines from a structured ethical model, nursing students learn to discover and find possible solutions for ethical problem in their practice.
Layer 5 of cortex innervates the thalamic reticular nucleus in mice

Significance The thalamic reticular nucleus provides inhibition to the dorsal thalamus and thus influences the transmission of information from the dorsal thalamus to the cortex. Here, we show this area receives inputs from a cortical lamina that drives feedforward transthalamic pathways through higher-order nuclei. We demonstrate that these inputs are synaptic using electron microscopy and that they target higher-order projecting reticular cells, presenting a means of gating transthalamic pathways.
Genomic Characterization of the Cluster CZ4 Gordonia terrae Phage Oregano

Oregano is a novel cluster CZ4 bacteriophage isolated from the soil using the bacterial host Gordonia terrae. The Oregano genome is 47,575 bp long and encodes two tyrosine integrases and a toxin/antitoxin system. It shares an immunity repressor with both Gordonia and Mycobacterium phages that spans 7 clusters. ABSTRACT Oregano is a novel cluster CZ4 bacteriophage isolated from the soil using the bacterial host Gordonia terrae. The Oregano genome is 47,575 bp long and encodes two tyrosine integrases and a toxin/antitoxin system. It shares an immunity repressor with both Gordonia and Mycobacterium phages that spans 7 clusters.
THEIA: Telescope for Habitable Exoplanets and Interstellar/Intergalactic Astronomy

In this paper, we provide an overview of the scientific potential of the THEIA mission concept. THEIA consists of a 4‐meter telescope diffraction limited to 300 nm, and a 40‐meter external occulter to provide high‐contrast imaging. Operating from 250 to 1000 nm, it will provide a rich family of science projects, including exoplanet characterization, ultraviolet spectroscopy, and very wide‐field imaging. We discuss a number of the key science areas and how the capabilities of THEIA can provide novel and interesting results in these areas.
Quality of life and patient reported symptoms after colorectal cancer in a Swedish population

A proportion of patients treated for colorectal cancer have impaired quality of life (QoL) but it is uncertain if the level of QoL differs from the corresponding background population. This population‐based cohort study aimed to evaluate health‐related QoL in colorectal cancer patients and compare their QoL with that of a Swedish reference population.
Sibling rivalry among the ZBTB transcription factor family: homodimers versus heterodimers

BTB domains potentially can form homo- or heterodimers. The study examines the dimerization choice of several BTB domains and finds only one heterodimer, while all tested pairs can homodimerize. The BTB domain is an oligomerization domain found in over 300 proteins encoded in the human genome. In the family of BTB domain and zinc finger–containing (ZBTB) transcription factors, 49 members share the same protein architecture. The N-terminal BTB domain is structurally conserved among the family members and serves as the dimerization site, whereas the C-terminal zinc finger motifs mediate DNA binding. The available BTB domain structures from this family reveal a natural inclination for homodimerization. In this study, we investigated the potential for heterodimer formation in the cellular environment. We selected five BTB homodimers and four heterodimer structures. We performed cell-based binding assays with fluorescent protein–BTB domain fusions to assess dimer formation. We tested the binding of several BTB pairs, and we were able to confirm the heterodimeric physical interaction between the BTB domains of PATZ1 and PATZ2, previously reported only in an interactome mapping experiment. We also found this pair to be co-expressed in several immune system cell types. Finally, we used the available structures of BTB domain dimers and newly constructed models in extended molecular dynamics simulations (500 ns) to understand the energetic determinants of homo- and heterodimer formation. We conclude that heterodimer formation, although frequently described as less preferred than homodimers, is a possible mechanism to increase the combinatorial specificity of this transcription factor family.
The TOR complex controls ATP levels to regulate actin cytoskeleton dynamics in Arabidopsis

Significance Cells must overcome energy shortage, and the ability to do so determines their fate. The ability of cells to coordinate their cellular activities and energy status is therefore important for all living organisms. One of the major energy drains in eukaryotic cells is the constant turnover of the actin cytoskeleton, which consumes ATP during the cycle of polymerization and depolymerization. We report that the TOR complex, a master regulatory hub that integrates cellular energy information to coordinate cell growth and metabolism, controls cellular ATP levels in plant cells. We further elucidate that low ATP levels cause reduced actin dynamics in plant cells. These findings provide insight into how plant cells handle low energy situations.
BLENDS: Augmentation of Functional Magnetic Resonance Images for Machine Learning Using Anatomically Constrained Warping

INTRODUCTION Data augmentation improves the accuracy of deep learning models when training data is scarce by synthesizing additional samples. This work addresses the lack of validated augmentation methods specific for synthesizing anatomically realistic 4D (3D+time) images for neuroimaging, such as functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), by proposing a new augmentation method. METHODS The proposed method, Brain Library Enrichment through Nonlinear Deformation Synthesis (BLENDS), generates new nonlinear warp fields by combining intersubject coregistration maps, computed using symmetric normalization, through spatial blending. These new warp fields can be applied to existing 4D fMRI to create new augmented images. BLENDS was tested on two neuroimaging problems using de-identified datasets: 1) the prediction of antidepressant response from task-based fMRI (original dataset n = 163), and 2) the prediction of Parkinson's Disease symptom trajectory from baseline resting-state fMRI regional homogeneity (original dataset n = 43). RESULTS BLENDS readily generates hundreds of new fMRI from existing images, with unique anatomical variations from the source images, that significantly improve prediction performance. For antidepressant response prediction, augmenting each original image once (2x the original training data) significantly increased prediction R2 from 0.055 to 0.098 (p<1e-6), while at 10x augmentation R2 increased to 0.103. For the prediction of Parkinson's Disease trajectory, 10x augmentation R2 increased from -0.044 to 0.472 (p<1e-6). CONCLUSIONS Augmentation of fMRI through nonlinear transformations with BLENDS significantly improved the performance of deep learning models on clinically relevant predictive tasks. This method will help neuroimaging researchers overcome dataset size limitations and achieve more accurate predictive models.
Low-Cost and Confidential ECG Acquisition Framework Using Compressed Sensing and Chaotic Systems for Wireless Body Area Network

Recent years have witnessed an increasing popularity of wireless body area network (WBAN), with which continuous collection of physiological signals can be conveniently performed for healthcare monitoring. Energy consumption is a critical issue because it directly affects the duration of the equipped sensors. In this article, we propose a low-cost and confidential electrocardiogram (ECG) acquisition approach for WBAN. The compressed sensing (CS) is employed for low-cost signal acquisition, and its cryptographic features are exploited for promoting the framework's confidentiality. In particular, the RIPless measurement matrix is used to give CS the resistance against plaintext attack, while the first-order $\Sigma \Delta$ quantizer is employed to embed the cryptographic diffusion feature into the whole system. Two chaotic systems are employed for generating the required secret elements for the acquisition and encryption. Experiment results well demonstrate the signal reconstruction and security performance of the proposed framework.