Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A longitudinal study of predictors of serious psychological distress during COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract Background The prevalence of serious psychological distress (SPD) was elevated during the COVID-19 pandemic in the USA, but the relationships of SPD during the pandemic with pre-pandemic SPD, pre-pandemic socioeconomic status, and pandemic-related social stressors remain unexamined. Methods A probability-based sample (N = 1751) of the US population age 20 and over was followed prospectively from February 2019 (T1), with subsequent interviews in May 2020 (T2) and August 2020 (T3). Multinomial logistic regression was used to assess prospective relationships between T1 SPD with experiences of disruption of employment, health care, and childcare at T2. Binary logistic regression was then used to assess relationships of T1 SPD, and socioeconomic status and T2 pandemic-related stressors with T3 SPD. Results At T1, SPD was associated with age, race/ethnicity, and household income. SPD at T1 predicted disruption of employment (OR 4.5, 95% CI 1.4–3.8) and health care (OR 3.2, 95% CI 1.4–7.1) at T2. SPD at T1 (OR 10.2, 95% CI 4.5–23.3), low household income at T1 (OR 2.6, 95% CI 1.1–6.4), disruption of employment at T2 (OR 3.2, 95% CI 1.4–7.6), and disruption of healthcare at T2 (OR 3.3, 95% CI 1.5–7.2) were all significantly associated with elevated risk for SPD at T3. Conclusions Elevated risk for SPD during the COVID-19 pandemic is related to multiple psychological and social pathways that are likely to interact over the life course. Policies and interventions that target individuals with pre-existing mental health conditions as well as those experiencing persistent unemployment should be high priorities in the mental health response to the pandemic.
Knockdown of long noncoding RNA colorectal neoplasia differentially expressed inhibits hepatocellular carcinoma progression by mediating the expression of nuclear autoantigenic sperm protein

Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) play critical roles in the tumorigenesis and progression of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). As the most common malignant cancer type in humans, HCC poses a great threat to human health. However, the function of lncRNA colorectal neoplasia differentially expressed (CRNDE) in HCC has not been extensively studied. The chief aim of the present study was to reveal the potential role of CRNDE in HCC. Expression levels of CRNDE in HCC tissues and cell lines were detected by reverse transcription-quantitative (RT-q) PCR, and Cell Counting kit 8, wound-healing and Transwell assays were used to evaluate the influences of CRNDE on in vitro cellular proliferation, migration and invasiveness, respectively. The interaction between CRNDE and microRNA (miR)-29c-3p was determined by dual-luciferase reporter assay, and rescue experiments were conducted to evaluate the interactive relationships between CRNDE and miR-29c-3p or nuclear autoantigenic sperm protein (NASP). CRNDE was found to be upregulated in HCC tissues and cells, and to be positively associated with the poor prognosis of patients with HCC. Furthermore, CRNDE-knockdown suppressed cell proliferation, migration and invasion abilities. Bioinformatics and RT-qPCR analysis indicated miR-29c-3p as a potential target of CRNDE. In line with previous reports, as a tumor suppressor, downregulated expression of miR-29c-3p was observed in HCC. In addition, the present study revealed that miR-29c-3p directly targeted NASP. NASP expression was markedly elevated following transfection with an miR-29c-3p inhibitor, while knocking down CRNDE inhibited NASP expression. Moreover, the effects of CRNDE and NASP on HCC cells were reversed by miR-29c-3p. Collectively, the results of the present study revealed that CRNDE was upregulated and exerted an oncogenic role in HCC by targeting miR-29c-3p, and that the upregulation of CRNDE also promoted NASP expression. These findings indicate a novel role for CRNDE in the progression of HCC.
Effects of the Syzygium aromaticum L. extract on antioxidation and inhibition of matrix metalloproteinase in human dermal fibroblast

Objective: To investigate cosmetic potential of Syzygium aromaticum L. (S. aromaticum L.) and to determine its antioxidant and anti-wrinkling effects. Methods: Using high-performance liquid chromatography, eugenol component was quantitated. The antioxidant activity of S. aromaticum L. was analyzed by 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical scavenging and superoxide dismutase like activities. To determine cell viability, elastase and matrix metalloproteinase-1 (MMP-1) activity, human dermal fibroblasts (HS68) were treated with S. aromaticum L. The inhibitory effect of S. aromaticum L. on tumor necrosis factor alpha induced MMPs expression in HS68 was analyzed by realtime-PCR. Results: The eugenol content was confirmed in S. aromaticum L. S. aromaticum L. was observed to have high 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical scavenging activity and superoxide dismutase like activity. S. aromaticum L. had no cytotoxicity against the HS68 and dose-dependently increased elastase inhibition. Moreover, S. aromaticum L. significantly decreased MMP-1 content and inhibited gene levels of MMP-1, MMP-2, MMP-3 and MMP-9. Conclusions: The findings suggest that S. aromaticum L. has great potential as a cosmeceutical ingredient with antioxidant and anti-wrinkling effects.
FORMULATION, DEVELOPMENT AND CHARACTERIZATION OF DRUG DELIVERY SYSTEMS BASED TELMISARTAN ENCAPSULATED IN SILK FIBROIN NANOSPHERE’S

Objective: The aim of the present work was to formulate silk fibroin (SF) nanospheres (NS’s) for drug delivery application. The current study was designed to advance the water solubility and bio-availability of telmisartan by nanoprecipitation method.Methods: SF NS’s loaded with TS were prepared by nanoprecipitation method. The drug was dissolved in aqueous solution of SF by using acetone as a non-solvent. The prepared NS’s were then characterized by FTIR, X-ray diffraction and zeta potential, and were evaluated for its, surface morphology, %drug content, encapsulation efficiency and in vitro drug release.Results: The evaluation results of SF NS’s loaded of TS showed 74.22±0.17 % entrapment efficiency, 35.21±0.02 % of drug loading, and-4.9 mV to-13.6 mV of zeta potential due to the proper bounding of TS with the β-sheets of SF, the particle size reported was within the size range of 160-186 nm having smooth surface and were spherical in shape. The SFNS’s pattern switched from random coil to β-sheet formation on treating with acetone. FTIR and DSC studies marked no such inter-molecular interactions between SF and drug molecules. The % cumulative in vitro drug release from SF NS’s exhibited quick burst release. The in vitro cumulative drug release of SF NS’s of TS it was found that about 74% of the drug was released within 8 h and about 96% of drug released at 24 hr. The rate of drug release increased with the increase in SF ratio.Conclusion: It is believed that these SF NS’s will find potential applications in drug delivery release as drug carriers, especially poor water-soluble drugs. All these results proposed that SF NS’s are eventuality handy in various drug delivery systems.
Treatment evaluation of Kami Guibi‐tang on participants with amnestic mild cognitive impairment using magnetic resonance imaging on brain metabolites, gamma‐aminobutyric acid, and cerebral blood flow

Abstract Purpose To evaluate the effectiveness of Kami Guibi‐tang (KGT) in the treatment of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) on brain metabolites, neurotransmitter, and cerebral blood flow (CBF). Methods We randomly allocated a total of 30 MCI patients to a KGT (N = 16) or a placebo (N = 14) group and performed MRI scans before and after 24 weeks of treatment. The participants underwent brain magnetic resonance spectroscopy and MRI scans to obtain brain metabolites using Point‐RESolved Spectroscopy (PRESS) single‐voxel spectroscopy, gamma‐aminobutyric acid (GABA) neurotransmitter using Mescher–Garwood PRESS, and CBF using pseudocontinuous arterial spin labeling sequences using a 3.0 Tesla MRI system. We analyzed metabolite and neurotransmitter levels and CBF using repeated‐measure analysis of variance to evaluate between‐subject group effect, within‐subject treatment condition effect, and interaction of group by condition (group x condition). Results The GABA+/creatine (Cr) ratio values were not significantly different between the before and after treatment conditions. The glutamate complex/Cr ratio difference before and after treatment was lower in the KGT group than in the placebo group, but was not statistically significant (p = 0.077). The result of region of interest–based CBF measurement showed that CBF values were significantly lower after treatment at Cluster 2 for the KGT group (p = 0.003) and the placebo group (p = 0.011), at hippocampus for the KGT group (p = 0.004) and the placebo group (p = 0.008), and at the fusiform gyrus for the KGT group (p = 0.002). Furthermore, the absolute CBF difference before and after treatment in the fusiform gyrus was significantly lower in the KGT group than in the placebo group (p = 0.024). Conclusions Although a KGT treatment of 24 weeks showed some significant impact on the level of CBF, the Korean version of the mini‐mental state examination score was not significantly different between before and after treatment conditions, indicating that there was no memory function improvement after treatment in amnestic MCI patients. Therefore, further studies should be performed with a relatively larger population and extending the duration of the KGT treatment.
Improving Research Dissemination to Black Sexual Minority Men: Development of a Community-Led and Theory-Based Dissemination Plan

Background. Although research dissemination to participants and community stakeholders is a fundamental component of translational research, it rarely occurs. The objective of this study was to create a community-led, theory-based dissemination plan to engage local Black sexual minority men in an active dissemination process throughout a sexual health research study. Method. Seven focus groups (N = 38) were conducted with Black, cisgender sexual minority men aged 18 to 45 years. Findings were analyzed through thematic content analysis guided by McGuire’s persuasive communication theory. Findings were used to draft a dissemination plan, which was then reviewed and edited by the study’s community advisory board (CAB). The plan continues to be updated in response to community needs through CAB discussions. Results. Participants preferred messages concerning syphilis and other health concerns as well as information on local resources. Preferred sources included researchers working with trusted community organizations and leaders. Preferred channels included community events and social media, implemented with consistency. CAB feedback included expanding the target audience of dissemination efforts as well as the development of ideas for channels (i.e., events) and sources (i.e., community organizations and leaders). Additional revisions occurred in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Conclusion. Given the continued lack of research dissemination to participant and community stakeholders, the process of developing a community-led, theory-based dissemination plan may benefit and help guide researchers to adopt this practice. It is critical that participant and community stakeholder dissemination become more highly prioritized as we strive for public health improvements and the elimination of health disparities.
Development and Validation of a Discrete Event Simulation Model to Evaluate the Cardiovascular Impact of Population Policies for Obesity

Introduction Our aim was to describe the development and validation of an obesity model representing the cardiovascular risks associated with different body mass index (BMI) categories, through simulation, designed to evaluate the epidemiological and economic impact of population policies for obesity. Methods A discrete event simulation model was built in R considering the risk of cardiovascular events (heart failure, stroke, coronary heart disease, and diabetes) associated with BMI categories in the Spanish population. The main parameters included in the model were estimated from Spanish hospital discharge records and the Spanish Health Survey and allowed both first-order and second-order (probabilistic sensitivity analysis) uncertainty to be programmed into the model. The simulation yielded the incidence and prevalence of cardiovascular events as validation outputs. To illustrate the capacity of the model, we estimated the reduction in cardiovascular events and cost-utility (incremental cost/incremental quality-adjusted life-years [QALYs]) of a hypothetical intervention that fully eliminated the cardiovascular risks associated with obesity and overweight. Results The Validation Status of Health-Economic decision models (AdViSHE) tool was applied. Internal validation plots showed adequate goodness of fit for the Spanish population. External validation was achieved by comparing the simulated and real incidence by age group for stroke, acute myocardial infarction, and heart failure. The intervention reduced the population hazard ratios of stroke, acute myocardial infarction, and heart failure to 0.81, 0.74, and 0.78, respectively, and added 0.74 QALYs to the whole population. Conclusions This obesity simulation model evidenced good properties for estimating the long-term epidemiological and economic impact of policies to tackle obesity in Spain. The conceptual model could be implemented for other counties using country-specific input data.
The influence of methadone on cerebral gray matter and functional connectivity.

BACKGROUND Methadone maintenance treatment (MMT) is widely used for heroin use disorder. Although its curative effect is remarkable, there are problems associated with its use. While previous studies have found that methadone use may have certain effects on cerebral white matter, its effect on gray matter (GM) and its related neural networks is unclear. This study aimed to observe the effects of long-term methadone use on cerebral GM and the changes in related neural networks. METHODS Patients receiving MMT treatment for heroin use disorder (N=50) were recruited. Longitudinal self-control was adopted, and the voxel-based morphometry (VBM) was used to compare the difference in cerebral GM volume before and after 1 year of methadone use, then we select the brain region where the GM volume changed as the region of interest (ROI), and use the DPARSF software for the whole brain function connection, and the differences in brain function connections before and after 1year MMT treatment were compared. RESULTS Our results demonstrated that, after 1 year of MMT, patients showed smaller GM volume in the bilateral insula, occipital lingual gyrus, right cingulate gyrus, middle temporal gyrus, left inferior parietal lobule, caudate nucleus, temporal, and occipital regions, and the resting neural network of the brain also changed. CONCLUSIONS We speculate that long-term methadone use can lead to damage to GM structure and adaptive changes in the neural network of patients with heroin use disorder, mainly involving emotional perception, spatial localization, working memory, and other related functions.
Brain Mechanisms of Conscious Awareness: Detect, Pulse, Switch, and Wave

Consciousness is a fascinating field of neuroscience research where questions often outnumber the answers. We advocate an open and optimistic approach where converging mechanisms in neuroscience may eventually provide a satisfactory understanding of consciousness. We first review several characteristics of conscious neural activity, including the involvement of dedicated systems for content and levels of consciousness, the distinction and overlap of mechanisms contributing to conscious states and conscious awareness of transient events, nonlinear transitions and involvement of large-scale networks, and finally the temporal nexus where conscious awareness of discrete events occurs when mechanisms of attention and memory meet. These considerations and recent new experimental findings lead us to propose an inclusive hypothesis involving four phases initiated shortly after an external sensory stimulus: (1) Detect—primary and higher cortical and subcortical circuits detect the stimulus and select it for conscious perception. (2) Pulse—a transient and massive neuromodulatory surge in subcortical-cortical arousal and salience networks amplifies signals enabling conscious perception to proceed. (3) Switch—networks that may interfere with conscious processing are switched off. (4) Wave—sequential processing through hierarchical lower to higher cortical regions produces a fully formed percept, encoded in frontoparietal working memory and medial temporal episodic memory systems for subsequent report of experience. The framework hypothesized here is intended to be nonexclusive and encourages the addition of other mechanisms with further progress. Ultimately, just as many mechanisms in biology together distinguish living from nonliving things, many mechanisms in neuroscience synergistically may separate conscious from nonconscious neural activity.
Deregulation of phenylalanine biosynthesis evolved with the emergence of vascular plants

Abstract Phenylalanine (Phe) is the precursor of essential secondary products in plants. Here we show that a key, rate-limiting step in Phe biosynthesis, which is catalyzed by arogenate dehydratase, experienced feedback de-regulation during evolution. Enzymes from microorganisms and type-I ADTs from plants are strongly feedback-inhibited by Phe, while type-II isoforms remain active at high levels of Phe. We have found that type-II ADTs are widespread across seed plants and their overproduction resulted in a dramatic accumulation of Phe in planta, reaching levels up to 40 times higher than those observed following the expression of type-I enzymes. Punctual changes in the allosteric binding site of Phe and adjacent region are responsible for the observed relaxed regulation. The phylogeny of plant ADTs evidences that the emergence of type-II isoforms with relaxed regulation occurred at some point in the transition between nonvascular plants and tracheophytes, enabling the massive production of Phe-derived compounds, primarily lignin, a hallmark of vascular plants.
Meaningful response criteria for myelodysplastic syndromes

Standardizing response criteria for myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS), a clinically and biologically heterogeneous group of disorders, has been historically challenging. The International Working Group (IWG) response criteria, first proposed in 2000 and modified in 2006 and 2018, represent the best effort by a group of international experts to define a set of clinically meaningful end‐points in MDS. These criteria have been adopted in many MDS clinical trials, allowing for comparisons of response across trials. However, clinical experience has also revealed some limitations of these criteria, and most of the end‐points proposed by the IWG require further validation. In this review, we present a critical analysis of the current MDS response criteria from both a practical standpoint and based on currently available clinical trial data. Potential areas for improvement in the criteria are highlighted, which may be considered in future iterations of the response criteria.
COVID-19: On the Disparity in Outcomes Between Military and Civilian Populations

ABSTRACT Introduction The CoronaVirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic remains a formidable threat to populations around the world. The U.S. Military, in particular, represents a unique and distinguishable subset of the population, primarily due to the age and gender of active duty personnel. Current investigations have focused on health outcome forecasts for civilian populations, making them of limited value for military planning. Materials and Methods We have developed and applied an age-structured susceptible, exposed, infectious, recovered, or dead compartmental model for both civilian and military populations, driven by estimates of the time-dependent reproduction number, R(t), which can be both fit to available data and also forecast future cases, intensive care unit (ICU) patients, and deaths. Results We show that the expected health outcomes for active duty military populations are substantially different than for civilian populations of the same size. Specifically, while the number of cases is not expected to differ dramatically, severity, both in terms of ICU burdens and deaths, is substantially lower. Conclusions Our results confirm that the burden placed on military health centers will be substantially lower than that for equivalent-sized civilian populations. More practically, the tool we have developed to investigate this (https://q.predsci.com/covid19/) can be used by military health planners to estimate the resources needed in particular locations based on current estimates of the transmission profiles of COVID-19 within the surrounding civilian population in which the military installation is embedded. As this tool continues to be developed, it can be used to assess the likely impact of different intervention strategies, as well as vaccine policies; both for the current pandemic as well as future ones.
Separation of metals from electroplating wastewater using electrodialysis

ABSTRACT In this study, the separation of metals from electroplating wastewater using an electrodialysis system was investigated. The separation efficiency of the metal ions increased as the applied voltage was increased from 6 to 18 V. However, at 18 V white sediments formed due to the high current density. The limiting current density (LCD) in the tested wastewater was calculated to be 22.5 mA/cm2 and the optimum applied voltage was estimated to be 12 V. The electrical conductivity of the diluate was reduced by 96.8%, and the conductivity of the concentrate increased. The separation efficiency of copper and nickel nearly identical, and after 25 min of operation, the removal efficiency of both metals was ˃99%. The final concentrations of Cu2+ and Ni2+ in the circulating concentrate were 1,000 and 1,200 mg/L with recovery rates of 90.7% and 90.2%, respectively. Thus, it was suggested that electrodialysis could effectively treat electroplating wastewater and recover ˃90% of the metals.
An ultrasonic method for the synthesis, control and optimization of CdS/TiO2 core–shell nanocomposites

In this study, an ultrasonic method was utilized in combination with microemulsion to synthesize CdS/TiO2 core–shell nanoparticles and control their particle size and ultimately optimize the influential parameters. Moreover, response surface methodology (RSM) was used to optimize the thickness of the shell. Herein, four parameters, i.e. temperature (67–79 °C), synthesis retention time (45–105 min), TiO2 : CdS ratio (1.5–7.5) and the power of ultrasound waves (37–53 watt), were optimized to synthesize nanoparticles with an average size of up to 10 nm. A correlation equation was introduced for the size range of 10–90 nm, which was then proven to have excellent predictions. To verify the proposed model, two different sets of combinations were selected to synthesize 10 nm composites, and consequently, nanocomposites with the sizes of 10.4 and 10.9 nm were successfully synthesized. The power of ultrasound waves and retention time had the most influence on the size of the particles. Further experiments proved that the optical absorption spectrum of the composite particles was extended to the visible region. Furthermore, the formation of CdS/TiO2 core–shell nanocomposites was confirmed by different characterization techniques including XRD, TEM, EDAX, UV-vis, FTIR and DLS.