Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Intra- and Inter-Rater Reliability of Manual Feature Extraction Methods in Movement Related Cortical Potential Analysis

Event related potentials (ERPs) provide insight into the neural activity generated in response to motor, sensory and cognitive processes. Despite the increasing use of ERP data in clinical research little is known about the reliability of human manual ERP labelling methods. Intra-rater and inter-rater reliability were evaluated in five electroencephalography (EEG) experts who labelled the peak negativity of averaged movement related cortical potentials (MRCPs) derived from thirty datasets. Each dataset contained 50 MRCP epochs from healthy people performing cued voluntary or imagined movement, or people with stroke performing cued voluntary movement. Reliability was assessed using the intraclass correlation coefficient and standard error of measurement. Excellent intra- and inter-rater reliability was demonstrated in the voluntary movement conditions in healthy people and people with stroke. In comparison reliability in the imagined condition was low to moderate. Post-hoc secondary epoch analysis revealed that the morphology of the signal contributed to the consistency of epoch inclusion; potentially explaining the differences in reliability seen across conditions. Findings from this study may inform future research focused on developing automated labelling methods for ERP feature extraction and call to the wider community of researchers interested in utilizing ERPs as a measure of neurophysiological change or in the delivery of EEG-driven interventions.
Modulation of Entrapment Efficiency and In Vitro Release Properties of BSA-Loaded Chitosan Microparticles Cross-Linked with Citric Acid as a Potential Protein–Drug Delivery System

Microparticles, aimed for oral protein and peptide drug delivery, were prepared via emulsion cross-linking using citric acid as cross-linker and polyglycerol polyricinoleate as surfactant. A comparative study of the interaction between chitosan and citric acid and its effect on the resulting microparticle properties was performed using different chitosan-to-cross-linker mass ratios and pH-values during fabrication of the microparticles. Non-cross-linked and cross-linked microparticles were studied in terms of size (4–12 μm), zeta potential (−15.7 to 12.8 mV), erosion (39.7–75.6%), a model protein encapsulation efficiency (bovine serum albumin) (6.8–27.6%), and loading capacity (10.4–40%). Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction confirmed the ionic interaction between the protonated amine groups of chitosan and the carboxylate ions of the cross-linking agent. Scanning electron microscopy revealed that the non-cross-linked microparticles had an uneven shape with wrinkled surfaces, while the cross-linked formulations were spherical in shape with smooth surfaces. On the basis of these data, the role of the surfactant and microparticle structure on the release mechanism was proposed. Control of the microparticle shape and release mechanisms is expected to be crucial in developing carriers for the controlled delivery of proteins and peptides.
Innate immune signalling of the zebrafish embryo

In the last decade the study of the innate immune system has gained renewed scientific momentum as a result of the discovery of essential receptor families, such as the Toll-like receptor (TLR) family, that are required for pathogen recognition. These receptors detect specific molecular structures of microorganisms and in turn are able to trigger host immune responses. The work described in this thesis focuses on the use of the zebrafish embryo as a model to study the vertebrate immune system in order to gain new insights into the mechanisms of innate immune defence against bacterial infections and TLR signalling. Making use of a Salmonella infection model in combination with microarray technology and gene knock-down studies we were able to thoroughly characterize the embryonic host transcriptome response to a bacterial infection. Furthermore, we have demonstrated important functions for key signalling molecules in the innate immune response, including Tlr5, MyD88 and Traf6 and discovered new downstream targets of the TLR signalling pathway. The data presented here will enable in-depth functional follow-up studies that will provide new insights into the mechanisms of innate immune defence systems. This, in combination with future applications of zebrafish embryo infection models in high-throughput compound screens, holds much promise for the discovery of novel anti-microbial and anti-inflammatory drugs.
Identification of QTL for perenniality and floral scent in cowpea (Vigna unguiculata [L.] Walp.)

Perennial habit and floral scent are major traits that distinguish domesticated cowpeas from their wild relatives. However, the genetic basis of these two important traits remains largely unknown in cowpea. Plant longevity, a perenniality-related trait, and floral scent, an outcrossing trait, were investigated using a RIL population derived from a cross between a domesticated and a wild cowpea. QTL analysis revealed three significant loci, one on chromosome 8 associated with plant longevity and two, on chromosomes 1 and 11, for floral scent. Genes within the QTL regions were identified. Genes encoding an F-box protein (Vigun08g215300) and two kinases (Vigun08g217000, Vigun08g217800), and involved in physiological processes including regulation of flowering time and plant longevity, were identified within the perenniality QTL region. A cluster of O-methyltransferase genes (Vigun11g096800, Vigun11g096900, Vigun11g097000, Vigun11g097600, and Vigun11g097800) was identified within the floral scent QTL region. These O-methyltransferase cowpea genes are orthologs of the Arabidopsis N-acetylserotonin O-methyltransferase (ASMT) gene, which is involved in the biosynthesis of melatonin. Melatonin is an indole derivative, which is an essential molecule for plant interactions with pollinators. These findings lay the foundation for further exploration of the genetic mechanisms of perenniality and floral scent in cowpea. Knowledge from this study can help in the development of new extended-growth cycle lines with increased yield or lines with increased outcrossing for population breeding.
OATP1A2 and OATP2B1 are interacting with dopamine receptor agonists and antagonists.

Interaction with the dopaminergic system in the central nervous system is either therapeutically intended or it is a side effect. In both cases, dopamine receptor agonists (DRA) like the ergoline derivative bromocriptine and dopamine receptor antagonists (DRAn) like metoclopramide have to cross the blood brain barrier (BBB). The organic anion transporting polypeptides (OATP) 1A2 and 2B1 are cellular uptake carriers for a variety of endogenous and xenobiotic compounds. As both transporters are expressed in endothelial cells of the BBB, the aim of the present study was to determine, whether the DRA bromocriptine, cabergoline and pergolide and the DRAn metoclopramide and domperidone are interacting with OATP1A2 and 2B1 and could therefore be candidate genes modifying wanted and unwanted effects of these drugs. Localization of both transporters in the brain was confirmed using LC-MS/MS and immunofluorescence stainings. For the functional studies MDCKII cells stably expressing OATP1A2 or 2B1 were used. Initial interaction studies with the well-characterized transporter substrate estrone 3-sulfate revealed that all tested compounds except pergolide inhibit transport function of both proteins with the most potent effect for bromocriptine (IC50=2.2 µM (OATP1A2) and IC50=2.5 µM (OATP2B1)). Further studies using the indirect competitive counterflow method identified bromocriptine, cabergoline and domperidone as substrates of both transporters, whereas metoclopramide was only transported by OATP1A2. These findings were verified for domperidone by direct measurements using its tritium labeled form as tracer. Moreover, the transporter-mediated uptake of this compound was sensitive to the OATP1A2 and OATP2B1 inhibitor naringin. In conclusion, this study suggests that OATP1A2 and 2B1 may play a role in the uptake of active DR agonists and antagonists into the brain.
N‐glycosylation controls inflammatory licensing‐triggered PD‐L1 upregulation in human mesenchymal stromal cells

Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) are characterized by their multipotency, regenerative potential, and immunoregulatory properties. Nowadays, MSCs represent a promising cell‐therapeutic option for hyperinflammatory conditions such as graft‐vs‐host disease following allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. A better understanding of their biology is a prerequisite for improving their treatment efficacy. Emerging evidence suggests that immunosuppressive properties are not constitutively active in MSCs. Instead, microenvironmental inflammatory stimuli such as the cytokines interferon (IFN)‐γ or tumor necrosis factor (TNF)‐α license MSCs to acquire a tolerance‐promoting phenotype. The immunological checkpoint molecule programmed death‐ligand 1 (PD‐L1) is an important regulator of T‐cell responses. Binding of PD‐L1 to the programmed cell death protein 1 (PD‐1) receptor on T‐cells suppresses their activation, proliferation, and induces apoptosis. Previous studies have revealed that cell surface expression and secretion of PD‐L1 are part of the MSCs' immunomodulatory armamentarium. Here, we report that inflammatory licensing leads to an enhanced PD‐L1 cell surface expression and secretion, which are both accompanied by an increased posttranslational protein N‐glycosylation. These post‐translational modifications have been shown to be critical for key biological processes such as cell trafficking, receptor signaling, and immunohomeostasis. In fact, promoting N‐glycosylation in MSCs yielded increased PD‐L1 levels. We report for the first time that PD‐L1 N‐glycosylation plays a decisive role for its transport to the MSCs' cell surface and its subsequent secretion (in response to proinflammatory trigger). Our data offer insights into a novel regulatory mechanism with the potential to be exploited as a means to foster the immunosuppressive potency of human MSCs.
Effect of different plant extracts, fatty acid and oils on conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) production by Butyrivibrio fibrisolvens

Present study evaluated the effect of added free fatty acids, dietary oils and plant extracts on conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) production potential of anaerobic Butyrivibrio fibrisolvens bacteria. Different concentration of plant extracts of Solanum nigrum, Rumex dentatus, Boerhaavia diffusa Linn. , Amaranthus nlitum Linn. , Peristrophe bicalyculata, Phyllanthus sp. Leucas aspera and Cuminum cyminum (0.50, 1.0, 1.5%, 2.0, 4.0, 6.0, 8 and 10 mg/ml of media); pure linoleic and linolenic acid (50, 100, 150, 200, 250 μg/ml of media) and dietary oils (50, 100, 150, 200, 250, 300 μg/ml of media) were used in media. The results revealed that an increase in the concentration of fatty acids suppressed growth of B. fibrisolvens and its cell density reached maximum (1.58 OD; 600 nm) at 18 h of incubation. A gradual rise in CLA production by B. fibrisolvens was observed parallel to increasing concentration of dietary oils from 50 to 250 μg/ml followed with slight decrease at level of 300 μg. Supplementation of sunflower oil resulted in highest increment in CLA production among the treatments. Extracts of different plants at different concentrations showed significant changes in CLA production potential by B. fibrisolvens. Cuminum cyminum with 457% increase in CLA concentration was the most efficient extract. Study established that careful optimization of dietary supplementation results in increased activity of B. fibrisolvens thereby facilitating higher CLA production.
The Prevalence and Impact of Hepatic Steatosis on Response to Direct-Acting Antiviral Therapy in HIV–HCV Coinfection

(1) Background: Direct-acting antiviral therapy for chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is associated with high sustained virologic response (SVR) and overcomes negative predictive factors, including steatosis, in patients without human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) coinfection. The impact of steatosis on SVR in patients with HIV–HCV coinfection is unknown. (2) Methods: A retrospective analysis of patients treated with direct-acting antivirals was performed. Demographic, laboratory and direct-acting antiviral regimen data were prospectively collected. Metabolic syndrome and its components—diabetes mellitus, hypertension, dyslipidemia and obesity—were assessed. Hepatic steatosis (≥5%) was defined by liver biopsy or controlled attenuation parameter (CAP) measurement during vibration-controlled transient elastography (VCTE). (3) Results: A total of 151 HIV–HCV-coinfected patients on combined antiretroviral therapy and direct-acting antiviral therapy were included in this analysis. Prevalence of steatosis by liver biopsy (n = 34) or CAP (≥263 db/m) during VCTE (n = 92) was 27% and was independently associated with obesity (OR 3.11; 95% CI 1.43–6.82; p = 0.004) and the metabolic syndrome (OR 1.08; 95% CI 1.01–0.15; p = 0.01). The overall SVR rate (n = 148) was 95% and was not impacted by the presence of steatosis (p = 0.42). (4) Conclusions: Hepatic steatosis is common in HIV–HCV coinfection, correlates with obesity and the metabolic syndrome and does not impact SVR.
A Highly Efficient Metal‐Free Electrocatalyst of F‐Doped Porous Carbon toward N2 Electroreduction

N2 electroreduction into NH3 represents an attractive prospect for N2 utilization. Nevertheless, this process suffers from low Faraday efficiency (FE) and yield rate for NH3. In this work, a highly efficient metal‐free catalyst is developed by introducing F atoms into a 3D porous carbon framework (F‐doped carbon) toward N2 electroreduction. At −0.2 V versus reversible hydrogen electrode (RHE), the F‐doped carbon achieves the highest FE of 54.8% for NH3, which is 3.0 times as high as that (18.3%) of pristine carbon frameworks. Notably, at −0.3 V versus RHE, the yield rate of F‐doped carbon for NH3 reaches 197.7 µgNH3 mg−1cat. h−1. Such a value is more than one order of magnitude higher than those of other metal‐free electrocatalysts under the near‐ambient conditions for NH3 product to date. Mechanistic studies reveal that the improved performance in N2 electroreduction for F‐doped carbon originates from the enhanced binding strength of N2 and the facilitated dissociation of N2 into *N2H. F bonding to C atom creates a Lewis acid site due to the different electronegativity between the F and C atoms. As such, the repulsive interaction between the Lewis acid site and proton H suppresses the activity of H2 evolution reaction, thus enhancing the selectivity of N2 electroreduction into NH3.
First Trimester Uterine Rupture: A Case Report and Literature Review

The aim is to report a case of spontaneous uterine rupture in the first trimester of pregnancy and to review the literature on the topic. Methods: A literature search was performed using PubMed and Scopus. Relevant English articles were identified without any time or study limitations. The data were aggregated, and a summary statistic was calculated. Results: A 35-year-old gravida 5, para 2 was admitted at our department because of fainting and abdominal pain. The woman had a first-trimester twin pregnancy and a history of two previous cesarean sections (CSs). Suspecting a uterine rupture, an emergency laparotomy was performed. The two sacs were completely removed, and the uterine rupture site was closed with a double-layer suture. The patient was discharged from hospital four days later in good condition. On the basis of this experience, a total of 76 case reports were extracted from PubMed and included in the review. Fifty-three patients out of 76 (69.74%) underwent previous surgery on the uterus. Most women (67.92%) had a CS, and in this group a cesarean scar pregnancy (CSP) or a placenta accreta spectrum (PAS) disorder was found to be the etiology in 77.78% of cases. Furthermore, 35.85% of the women had hysterectomy after uterine rupture. Twenty-three patients out of 76 (30.26%) had an unscarred uterus. Of this group, most women presented a uterine anomaly (43.48%). Moreover, 17.39% of these women had a hysterectomy. Conclusion: According to the literature, the current pandemic use of CS explains most cases of first-trimester uterine rupture.
Duchenne muscular dystrophy hiPSC-derived myoblast drug screen identifies compounds that ameliorate disease in mdx mice.

Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is the most common muscular dystrophy. When human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) were differentiated into myoblasts, the myoblasts derived from DMD patients' hiPSCs (DMD hiPSC-derived myoblasts) exhibited an identifiable DMD relevant phenotype: myogenic fusion deficiency. Based on this model, we developed a DMD hiPSC-derived myoblast screening platform employing a high-content imaging (BD pathway 855) approach to generate parameters describing morphological as well as myogenic marker protein expression. Following treatment of the cells with 1524 compounds from the Johns Hopkins Clinical Compound Library, compounds that enhanced myogenic fusion of DMD hiPSC-derived myoblasts were identified. The final hits were ginsenoside Rd and fenofibrate. Transcriptional profiling revealed that ginsenoside Rd is functionally related to FLT3 signaling, while fenofibrate is linked to TGF-β signaling. Preclinical tests in mdx mice showed that treatment with these two hit compounds can significantly ameliorate some of the skeletal muscle phenotypes caused by dystrophin deficiency, supporting their therapeutic potential. Further study with hiPSC-derived cardiomyocytes revealed that fenofibrate could inhibit mitochondria-induced apoptosis in the DMD hiPSC-derived cardiomyocytes. We have developed a platform based on DMD hiPSC-derived myoblasts for drug screening and identified two promising small molecules with in vivo efficacy.
Wearable Sensor-Based Gait Analysis for Age and Gender Estimation

Wearable sensor-based systems and devices have been expanded in different application domains, especially in the healthcare arena. Automatic age and gender estimation has several important applications. Gait has been demonstrated as a profound motion cue for various applications. A gait-based age and gender estimation challenge was launched in the 12th IAPR International Conference on Biometrics (ICB), 2019. In this competition, 18 teams initially registered from 14 countries. The goal of this challenge was to find some smart approaches to deal with age and gender estimation from sensor-based gait data. For this purpose, we employed a large wearable sensor-based gait dataset, which has 745 subjects (357 females and 388 males), from 2 to 78 years old in the training dataset; and 58 subjects (19 females and 39 males) in the test dataset. It has several walking patterns. The gait data sequences were collected from three IMUZ sensors, which were placed on waist-belt or at the top of a backpack. There were 67 solutions from ten teams—for age and gender estimation. This paper extensively analyzes the methods and achieved-results from various approaches. Based on analysis, we found that deep learning-based solutions lead the competitions compared with conventional handcrafted methods. We found that the best result achieved 24.23% prediction error for gender estimation, and 5.39 mean absolute error for age estimation by employing angle embedded gait dynamic image and temporal convolution network.
Relative Validity of Dietary Total Antioxidant Capacity for Predicting All-Cause Mortality in Comparison to Diet Quality Indexes in US Adults

While traditionally diet quality index scores (DQIS) as noted later in this abstract have been used to predict health outcomes, dietary total antioxidant capacity (TAC), a useful tool for assessing total antioxidant power in the diet, may also be a novel predictor. This study evaluated the associations between dietary TAC and DQIS and all-cause mortality. Based on the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 1988–1994 and 1999–2006, 23,797 US adults were followed-up until 2015. Dietary TAC and DQIS including the Healthy Eating Index-2015 (HEI-2015), Alternative Healthy Eating Index-2010 (AHEI-2010), alternate Mediterranean Diet (aMED), and Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) were calculated using a 1-day 24 h dietary recall. US adults in the highest quintiles of DQIS had lower rates of all-cause mortality compared to those in the lowest quintiles (HEI-2015 hazard ratio (HR): 0.87, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.77–0.98; AHEI-2010 HR: 0.84, 95% CI: 0.74–0.94; aMED HR: 0.79, 95% CI: 0.69–0.90; DASH HR: 0.80, 95% CI: 0.70–0.92). Similarly, those in the highest quintile of dietary TAC also had a lower all-cause mortality than those in the lowest quintile (HR: 0.88, 95% CI: 0.79–0.98). These findings suggest that dietary TAC might be a relatively valid predictor of all-cause mortality in the US population compared to the DQIS.
The Effect of Composol Medium on miR-16 Expression during Platelet Storage up to Day 7 at Room Temperature

Objective MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are short, noncoding RNAs that play vital roles in gene regulation. It has been shown that storage has an effect on platelet miRNAs. MiR-16 is highly expressed in platelets and it appears to target the genes involved in cell death. It has been shown that platelets could be stored in Composol for a longer period of time. The aim of the present study was to assess and compare the expression pattern of miR-16 in platelet concentrates (PCs) in plasma and Composol media. Materials and Methods In an experimental study, ten PC bags were collected and each bag was divided into two separate bags, one with the 70% Composol and the other with only plasma. Both bags were stored for 7 days at 22˚C and tested on days 1, 3, 5, and 7 of storage. For each sample, we performed quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). The water-soluble tetrazolium salt-1 (WST-1) test was used to assess platelet viability in all of the samples. Statistical analysis was done by SPSS and REST software. A P<0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results miR-16 was significantly elevated during the storage days, with fold changes of 3.47 (plasma) and 2.77 (Composol). The Composol group had significantly decreased miR-16 expression compared with the plasma group. Results of the WST-1 test showed less decrease in optical density (OD) in the Composol group (0.93 ± 0.4) during the storage days compared with the plasma group (0.75 ± 0.3). Conclusion Our finding supported results from previous studies that reported an increase in miR-16 expression during platelet storage. In addition, miR-16 down-regulation in Composol medium implied that Composol might be a good solution for long-term platelet storage because it has the potential to elevate the shelf-life of platelets stored at 22˚C.
Expression of peroxisomal proteins provides clear evidence for the presence of peroxisomes in the male germ cell line GC1spg

Peroxisomes are cell organelles that perform multiple functions in the metabolism of lipids and of reactive oxygen species. They are present in most eukaryotic cells. However, they are believed to be absent in spermatozoa and they have never been described in male germ cells. We have used the immortalized germ cell line GC1spg to investigate the expression of peroxisomal proteins in germ cells of mice. The GC1spg cells represent the differentiation state of type B spermatogonia or preleptotene spermatocytes. We could show that peroxisomal membrane proteins like Pmp70 and Pex14p as well as peroxisomal matrix proteins like catalase or acyl CoA oxidase are expressed in GC1spg cells. All these proteins were colocalized in the same structures within the cells. Furthermore, by electron microscopy we have identified subcellular particles with an ultrastructural appearance that is characteristic of peroxisomes. This is the first report demonstrating the peroxisomal compartment in male germ cells of mice.