Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Drinking to Cope in the COVID-19 Era: An Investigation Among College Students.

OBJECTIVE The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in abrupt, drastic changes to daily life in many nations. Experiences within the United States have varied widely. In the State of Oregon in the early months of the pandemic protective protocols (e.g., social distancing) were comparatively high, resulting in concern for increases in loneliness and COVID-related stress. The present study of college students examined the indirect relationship of loneliness and other stressors to alcohol use, via drinking-to-cope motives. METHOD A sample of traditional- and nontraditional-aged college students (N = 215; 68.1% female; mean age = 24.8 years) completed an online survey assessing COVID-19 experiences during shelter-in-place orders in Oregon over a 5-week period in April and May of 2020. RESULTS Cross-sectional structural equational modeling revealed that loneliness and COVID-19 news consumption were associated with stronger coping motives, whereas rated seriousness of COVID-19 was related to weaker coping motives. Coping motives, in turn, were related to more frequent past-30-day consumption; significant indirect effects were revealed for all three predictors on drinking frequency and heavy drinking frequency, via drinking-to-cope motives. Drinking-to-cope motives were also related to greater past-30-day marijuana use. CONCLUSIONS These findings provide insight into how COVID-related stressors and associated social relationship repercussions relate to alcohol and marijuana use and drinking-to-cope motivations while sheltering in place. These results have implications for how frequent substance use and coping-motivated use can be mitigated during a crisis.
Trends in mental health symptoms, service use, and unmet need for services among U.S. adults through the first 9 months of the COVID-19 pandemic

Lay Summary The myriad stressors imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic have impaired mental health and well-being. Although evidence from early in the pandemic revealed elevated rates of mental health conditions, research has not documented whether psychological disorders have continued to rise as the pandemic has persisted. In this research, we assess data from nearly 1.5 million U.S. adults who participated in cross-sectional surveys each week from April through November 2020 to track trends in mental health disorder symptoms and services. Our results show that reports of anxiety and depression rose significantly from April to November 2020 to rates six times higher than in 2019. We also found evidence of growing unmet need for mental health services. Rising mental health challenges are being borne largely by young, less advantaged people of color and women. Growing disparities in mental health disorders and treatment raise concerns for psychological, social, and economic recovery from COVID-19.
The maize ZmMIEL1 E3 ligase and ZmMYB83 transcription factor proteins interact and regulate the hypersensitive defence response

Abstract The plant hypersensitive response (HR), a rapid cell death at the point of pathogenesis, is mediated by nucleotide‐binding site, leucine‐rich repeat (NLR) resistance proteins (R‐proteins) that recognize the presence of specific pathogen‐derived proteins. Rp1‐D21 is an autoactive maize NLR R‐protein that triggers HR spontaneously. We previously mapped loci associated with variation in the strength of HR induced by Rp1‐D21. Here we identify the E3 ligase ZmMIEL1 as the causal gene at a chromosome 10 modifier locus. Transient ZmMIEL1 expression in Nicotiana benthamiana reduced HR induced by Rp1‐D21, while suppression of ZmMIEL1 expression in maize carrying Rp1‐D21 increased HR. ZmMIEL1 also suppressed HR induced by another autoactive NLR, the Arabidopsis R‐protein RPM1D505V, in N. benthamiana. We demonstrated that ZmMIEL1 is a functional E3 ligase and that the effect of ZmMIEL1 was dependent on the proteasome but also that levels of Rp1‐D21 and RPM1D505V were not reduced when coexpressed with ZmMIEL1 in the N. benthamiana system. By comparison to a similar system in Arabidopsis, we identify ZmMYB83 as a potential target of ZmMIEL1. Suppression of ZmMYB83 expression in maize lines carrying Rp1‐D21 suppressed HR. Suppression of ZmMIEL1 expression caused an increase in ZmMYB83 transcript and protein levels in N. benthamiana and maize. Using coimmunoprecipitation and bimolecular fluorescence complementation assays, we demonstrated that ZmMIEL1 and ZmMYB83 physically interacted. Additionally, ZmMYB83 and ZmMIEL1 regulated the expression of a set of maize very long chain fatty acid (VLCFA) biosynthetic genes that may be involved in regulating HR.
miR-183 promotes radioresistance of lung adenocarcinoma H1299 cells via epithelial-mesenchymal transition

Lung adenocarcinomas are usually sensitive to radiation therapy, but some develop resistance. Radiation resistance can lead to poor patient prognosis. Studies have shown that lung adenocarcinoma cells (H1299 cells) can develop radioresistance through epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), and this process is regulated by miRNAs. However, it is unclear which miRNAs are involved in the process of EMT. In our present study, we found that miR-183 expression was increased in a radioresistant lung adenocarcinoma cell line (H1299R cells). We then explored the regulatory mechanism of miR-183 and found that it may be involved in the regulation of zinc finger E-box-binding homeobox 1 (ZEB1) expression and mediate EMT in lung adenocarcinoma cells. qPCR results showed that miR-183, ZEB1, and vimentin were highly expressed in H1299R cells, whereas no difference was observed in E-cadherin expression. Western blot results showed that ZEB1 and vimentin were highly expressed in H1299R cells, while E-cadherin expression was decreased. When miR-183 expression was inhibited in H1299R cells, radiation resistance, proliferation, and cell migration were decreased. The expression of ZEB1 and vimentin in H1299R cells was decreased, while the expression of E-cadherin was increased. Moreover, miR-183 overexpression in H1299 cells enhanced radiation resistance, proliferative capacity, and cell migration ability. The expression of ZEB1 and vimentin in H1299 cells was increased, while that of E-cadherin was decreased. In conclusion, miR-183 may promote EMT and radioresistance in H1299 cells, and targeting the miR-183-ZEB1 signaling pathway may be a promising approach for lung cancer treatment.
The Ni-YSZ interface: Structure, composition and electrochemical properties at 1000°C

The anode/electrolyte interface in solid oxide fuel cells (SOFC) is known to cause electrical losses. Geometrically simple Ni/yttria-stabilised zirconia (YSZ) interfaces were examined to gain information on the structural and chemical changes occurring during experiments at 1000°C in an atmosphere of 97% H2/3% H2O. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy at open circuit voltage (OCV) and at anodic and cathodic polarisations (100 mV) was performed. A correlation of the electrical data with the structure development and the chemical composition was attempted. Nickel wires with different impurity content (99.8% Ni and 99.995% Ni) were used to examine the impact of impurities on the polarisation resistance and contact area morphology. The electropolished nickel wires were pressed against a polished 8 mol% YSZ surface. Extensive structural changes from a flat interface to a hill and valley structure were found to occur in the contact area with the impure nickel wire, and a ridge of impurities was built along the rim of the contact area. Impurity particles in the interfacial region were also observed. The impurity phase was described as an alkali silicate glassy phase. No differences were found between polarised and non-polarised samples. With pure nickel wires, however, the microstructures depended on the polarisation/non-polarisation conditions. At non-polarised conditions a hill and valley type structure was found. Anodic polarisation produced an up to 1 μm thick interface layer consisting of nano-sized YSZ particles with some Ni present. At cathodic polarisation both a granulated structure and a hill and valley structure resembling the structure of non-polarised samples were found. Small impurity ridges were surrounding the contact areas on non-polarised and cathodically polarised samples. TOF-SIMS and XPS analyses showed the presence of impurities in both the impure and pure contact areas. The impedance spectroscopy revealed that depending on the impurity content of the nickel, different developments of the polarisation resistance with time took place. At open circuit voltage the samples with impure nickel electrodes showed an initial increase toward a high constant polarisation resistance, whereas the samples with pure nickel electrodes showed a considerable decrease to a low constant polarisation resistance with time. For both types of nickel the polarisation resistance dropped upon polarisation. The area specific polarisation resistances for the samples with pure electrodes were approximately 10 times lower than for samples with impure electrodes. This was mainly ascribed to the impurity content and distribution, both in the three phase boundary zone and as a more or less continuous film covering the interfacial region. The drop in the Rp upon polarisation may be ascribed to changes in the distribution of the impurity phase in the interfacial region.
Enzymatic Characterization of Ancestral/Group IV Clade Xyloglucan Endotransglycosylase/Hydrolase Enzymes Reveals Broad Substrate Specificities.

Xyloglucan endotransglycosylase/hydrolase (XTH) enzymes play important roles in cell wall remodelling. Although previous studies have shown a pathway of evolution for XTH genes from bacterial licheninases, through plant endoglucanases (EG16), the order of development within the phylogenetic clades of true XTHs is yet to be elucidated. In addition, recent studies have revealed interesting and potentially useful patterns of transglycosylation beyond the standard xyloglucan-xyloglucan donor/acceptor substrate activities. To study evolutionary relationships and also to search for enzymes with useful broad substrate specificities, genes from the 'Ancestral' XTH clade of two monocots, B.distachyon & T.aestivum, and two eudicots, A.thaliana & P.tremula, were investigated. Specific activities of the heterologously produced enzymes showed remarkably broad substrate specificities. All the enzymes studied had high activity with the cellulose analogue HEC, as well as with mixed-link β-glucan as donor substrates when compared to the standard xyloglucan. Even more surprising was the wide range of acceptor substrates that these enzymes were able to catalyse reactions with, opening a broad range of possible roles for these enzymes both within plants, and in industrial, pharmaceutical, and medical fields. Genome screening and expression analyses unexpectedly revealed that genes from this clade were found only in Angiosperm genomes and were predominantly or solely expressed in reproductive tissues. We therefore posit that this phylogenetic group is significantly different and should be renamed the Group IV clade.
Maternal Adiposity and Energy Balance After Normotensive and Preeclamptic Pregnancies

Abstract Background Preeclampsia is a major pregnancy complication associated with long-term maternal cardiometabolic disease. Research generally is focused on metabolic and pathophysiological changes during pregnancy; however, there is much less focus on the early postpartum period in subjects who suffered preeclampsia. The aim of this study was to (1) characterize energy intake and expenditure 6 months following normotensive and preeclamptic pregnancies and (2) examine associations between energy balance, body composition, insulin resistance measures (HOMA-IR), and clinical characteristics. Design A cross-sectional study 6 months following normotensive (n = 75) and preeclamptic (n = 22) pregnancies was performed. Metabolic measurements included anthropometrics measures, body composition via bioelectrical impedance analysis, 24-h energy expenditure via SenseWear Armbands, energy intake via a 3-day food diary, and serum metabolic parameters. Results Six months following preeclampsia, women had a significantly higher weight (77.3 ± 20.9 kg vs 64.5 ± 11.4 kg, P = 0.01), fat mass percentage (FM%; 40.7 ± 7.4% vs 34.9 ± 8.1%, P = 0.004), and insulin resistance (HOMA-IR 2.2 ± 1.5 vs 1.0 ± 0.7, P = 0.003), as well as reduced HDL levels (1.5 ± 0.4 mmol/L vs 1.8 ± 0.4 mmol/L, P = 0.01) compared to normotensive women. Women post-preeclampsia had lower activity-related energy expenditure (P = 0.02) but a decreased total energy intake (P = 0.02), leading to a more negative energy balance compared to their normotensive counterparts (−1942 kJ/24 h vs −480 kJ/24 h, P = 0.02). Conclusion Increases in insulin resistance and FM%, reduced high-density lipoprotein, and more sedentary lifestyles characterize the postpartum period following preeclamptic compared with normotensive pregnancies. Early post-preeclampsia interventions, such as lifestyle behavior change, should be implemented and assessed to determine whether they reduce long-term cardiometabolic risk in women who experienced preeclampsia during pregnancy.
Quality-by-Design Approach for Chromatographic Analysis of Metformin, Empagliflozin and Linagliptin.

New analytical quality by design-oriented HPLC method with multiple response optimization (Derringer's desirability function) was demonstrated for simultaneous analysis of three antidiabetic drugs (metformin hydrochloride/empagliflozin/linagliptin) in a fixed-dose combination. Central composite design was employed for systematic optimization of critical method parameters, namely, % organic phase (X1), aqueous phase pH (X2) and flow rate (X3) while resolution, capacity factor and theoretical plate number as critical analytical attributes. Effective chromatographic separation of title analytes was accomplished on Std. Discovery C18 column at 30°C with mobile phase comprising acetonitrile: phosphate buffer pH 5 (38:62% v/v), pumped at a flow rate of 1 mL/min by isocratic elution pattern and UV detection at 222 nm. The model is rectilinear in the range of 1.0-200, 0.2-40 and 0.1-20 μg/mL at retention times of 3.04, 3.93 and 5.99 min for metformin, empagliflozin and linagliptin, respectively. The method obeyed all validation parameters of ICH Q2(R1) guidelines. The proposed HPLC method was highly robust for method transfer, regulatory flexibility within design space and can be used for assay of pharmaceutical dosage forms comprising these analytes. The proposed method was applied for stability studies of drugs under various stress conditions.
Effects of dietary chromium picolinate supplementation on broiler growth performance: A meta-analysis

Objective A meta-analysis was conducted to assess the effects of dietary chromium picolinate (CrPic) supplementation on broiler growth performance and to determine whether such effects are regulated by broiler strains, sex, environmental stress, or contextual factors including study area and years. Methods Eligible studies were identified by searching the Web of Science, Springer, Elsevier, ScienceDirect, Taylor & Francis Online databases. Weighted average differences with corresponding 95% confidence intervals were computed with a random-effects model. We performed subgroup analysis stratified by study area, published years, broiler strains and sex, and environmental stress. Publication bias was assessed with Egger’s test method. A total of 15 studies eligible for inclusion. Results The results indicated that CrPic supplementation significantly improved broiler growth performance and subgroup analysis confirmed this conclusion. We also found that Ross 308 or male broilers might be more sensitive to CrPic supplementation and showed better growth performance. A model was used to obtain the amount of chromium addition under the optimal growth performance, which suggested that the maximum value of average daily gain (ADG) was reached when chromium addition was 1810 μg/kg. The results of the sensitivity analysis showed low sensitivity and high stability of the meta-analysis. Conclusions CrPic supplementation had a positive effect on the growth performance of broilers, and this meta-analysis provides a more accurate value of chromium addition, which may be beneficial for the practice of the broiler industry.
Small Incision Lenticule Extraction (SMILE): Myths and Realities

ABSTRACT The emergence of SMILE in the last decade has provided an alternative to LASIK for patients considering cornea laser refractive surgery. SMILE offers a novel approach using the femtosecond laser to create an intrastromal lenticule that can be removed through a small three to four millimeter incision. The purpose of this study is to review the recent literature on popular SMILE claims – reduced iatrogenic dry eye, better recovery of corneal sensation, and a biomechanically stronger cornea – summarize the published outcomes, and determine which claims are myths versus realities. SMILE is still in its infancy as a refractive technique in the US after recent USFDA approval for its treatment of myopia astigmatism in October 2018. Future randomized controlled studies are needed to compare its outcomes to LASIK, which has well-documented good visual outcomes, rapid postoperative recovery, and good safety profile.
OTOLARYNGOLOGY HEAD AND NECK SURGERY Tracheostomy in free-flap reconstruction of the oral cavity: can it be avoided? A cohort study of 187 patients

Background: Head and neck surgeons are moving away from routine tracheostomy in free-flap reconstruction. We reviewed prophylactic tracheostomy use in patients undergoing oral cavity or oropharynx free-flap reconstruction to identify patient groups who avoided tracheostomy. Secondary aims were to describe complications associated with and without tracheostomy. Methods: A retrospective cohort study was undertaken, using a prospectively maintained database. Inclusion criteria was free-flap reconstruction for an oral cavity or oropharyngeal defect, excluding partial or total laryngectomy. Variables collected included demographics, comorbidity, American Society of Anesthesiologists grade, Charlson Comorbidity Index, tumour site and subsite, extent of resection, surgery duration, tracheostomy, complications, return to theatre and re-intubation. Results: A total of 344 head and neck free-flap reconstructions were performed between January 2017 and July 2019. A total of 164 (87.7%) oral cavity and 23 (12.3%) oropharyngeal reconstructions were included totalling 187 free flaps. A total of 107 (57.2%) were males and 80 (42.8%) females, mean age 62.4 years (range 21–89). Of 187 patients, 100 (53.5%) underwent prophylactic tracheostomy at time of reconstruction. Longer operative time (P < 0.001), resection site (P < 0.001), number of subsites resected (P = 0.007), segmental mandibulectomy (P = 0.04), lip-split (P = 0.05), floor of mouth resection (P < 0.001), lingual release (P = 0.007), glossectomy (P < 0.001), extent of tongue resection (P < 0.001), extent of hard palate resection (P = 0.04), soft palate resection (P < 0.001) and double free-flap reconstruction (P = 0.04) were associated with tracheostomy use. Conclusion: A personalized approach to postoperative airway management allowed almost half of our cohort to avoid tracheostomy. In high-volume institutions with the necessary expertise and support, appropriately selected patients may be safely managed without routine tracheostomy.
Fluoride in Drinking Water, Diet, and Urine in Relation to Bone Mineral Density and Fracture Incidence in Postmenopausal Women

Background: Although randomized controlled trials (RCTs) have demonstrated that high fluoride increases bone mineral density (BMD) and skeletal fragility, observational studies of low-dose chronic exposure through drinking water (<1.5mg/L, the maximum recommended by the World Health Organization) have been inconclusive. Objective: We assessed associations of fluoride in urine, and intake via diet and drinking water, with BMD and fracture incidence in postmenopausal women exposed to drinking water fluoride ≤1mg/L. Methods: Data were from participants in the Swedish Mammography Cohort–Clinical, a population-based prospective cohort study. At baseline (2004–2009), fluoride exposure was assessed based on urine concentrations (n=4,306) and estimated dietary intake (including drinking water) (n=4,072), and BMD was measured using dual energy X-ray absorptiometry. Incident fractures were ascertained via register-linkage through 2017. Residential history was collected to identify women with long-term consistent drinking water exposures prior to baseline. Results: At baseline, mean urine fluoride was 1.2mg/g creatinine (±1.9) and mean dietary intake was 2.2mg/d (±0.9), respectively. During follow-up, 850, 529, and 187 cases of any fractures, osteoporotic fractures, and hip fractures, respectively, were ascertained. Baseline BMD was slightly higher among women in the highest vs. lowest tertiles of exposure. Fluoride exposures were positively associated with incident hip fractures, with multivariable-adjusted hazard ratios of 1.50 (95% CI: 1.04, 2.17) and 1.59 (95% CI: 1.10, 2.30), for the highest vs. lowest tertiles of urine fluoride and dietary fluoride, respectively. Associations with other fractures were less pronounced for urine fluoride, and null for dietary fluoride. Restricting the analyses to women with consistent long-term drinking water exposures prior to baseline strengthened associations between fractures and urinary fluoride. Discussion: In this cohort of postmenopausal women, the risk of fractures was increased in association with two separate indicators of fluoride exposure. Our findings are consistent with RCTs and suggest that high consumption of drinking water with a fluoride concentration of ∼1mg/L may increase both BMD and skeletal fragility in older women. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP7404
A Sparse Representation Based Joint Demosaicing Method for Single-Chip Polarized Color Sensor

The emergence of the single-chip polarized color sensor now allows for simultaneously capturing chromatic and polarimetric information of the scene on a monochromatic image plane. However, unlike the usual camera with an embedded demosaicing method, the latest polarized color camera is not delivered with an in-built demosaicing tool. For demosaicing, the users have to down-sample the captured images or to use traditional interpolation techniques. Neither of them can perform well since the polarization and color are interdependent. Therefore, joint chromatic and polarimetric demosaicing is the key to obtaining high-quality polarized color images. In this paper, we propose a joint chromatic and polarimetric demosaicing model to address this challenging problem. Instead of mechanically demosaicing for the multi-channel polarized color image, we further present a sparse representation-based optimization strategy that utilizes chromatic information and polarimetric information to jointly optimize the model. To avoid the interaction between color and polarization during demosaicing, we separately construct the corresponding dictionaries. We also build an optical data acquisition system to collect a dataset, which contains various sources of polarization, such as illumination, reflectance and birefringence. Results of both qualitative and quantitative experiments have shown that our method is capable of faithfully recovering full RGB information of four polarization angles for each pixel from a single mosaic input image. Moreover, the proposed method can perform well not only on the synthetic data but the real captured data.