Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Prostate Cancer Therapy Enzalutamide Compared with Abiraterone Acetate/Prednisone Impacts Motivation for Exploration, Spatial Learning and Alters Dopaminergic Transmission in Aged Castrated Mice

Cognitive side effects after cancer treatment, threatening quality of life (QoL) and adherence to treatments, now constitute a major challenge in oncology. Abiraterone acetate plus prednisone (AAP) and enzalutamide (ENZ) are next generation therapy (NGT) administered with androgen deprivation therapy to metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) patients. NGT significantly improved mCRPC overall survival but neurological side effects such as fatigue and cognitive impairment have been recently reported. We developed a behavioral 17 months-aged and castrated mouse model receiving per os AAP or ENZ during 5 days per week for six consecutive weeks. After behavioral tests, brain and plasma were collected for immunohistochemical studies. The objective was to elucidate the impact of NGT on spontaneous activity, cognitive functions and emotional reactivity, as well as neurobiological functions. ENZ exposure reduced spontaneous activity and exploratory behavior associated with a decreased tyrosine hydroxylase (TH)-dopaminergic activity in the substantia nigra pars compacta and the ventral tegmental area. A decrease in TH+-DA afferent fibers and Phospho-DARPP32-related dopaminergic neuronal activities in the striatum and the ventral hippocampus, highlighted ENZ-induced dopaminergic regulation whithin the nigrostriatal and mesolimbocortical pathways. ENZ and AAP treatments did not substantially modify spatial learning and memory or behavioral flexibility performances, but ENZ led to a thygmotaxis behavior impacting the cognitive score, and reduced c-fos-related activity of NeuN+-neurons in the dorsal hippocampus. These results establish the consequences of the mCRPC treatment ENZ in aged castrated mouse motivation to exploration and cognition, of particular importance for future management of patients elderly postrate cancer patients and their QoL.
The Exon Junction Complex Core Represses Cancer-Specific Mature mRNA Re-splicing: A Potential Key Role in Terminating Splicing

Using the TSG101 pre-mRNA, we previously discovered cancer-specific resplicing of mature mRNA that generates aberrant transcripts/proteins. The fact that mRNA is aberrantly re-spliced in various cancer cells implies there must be an important mechanism to prevent deleterious re-splicing on the spliced mRNA in normal cells. We thus postulated that the mRNA re-splicing is controlled by specific repressors, and we searched for repressor candidates by siRNA-based screening for mRNA re-splicing activity. We found that knockdown of EIF4A3, which is a core component of the exon junction complex (EJC), significantly promoted mRNA re-splicing. Remarkably, we could recapitulate cancer-specific mRNA resplicing in normal cells by knock-down of any of the core EJC proteins, EIF4A3, MAGOH or RBM8A (Y14), implicating the EJC core as the repressor of mRNA re-splicing often observed in cancer cells. We propose that the EJC core is a critical mRNA quality control factor to prevent over-splicing of mature mRNA.
ATP allosterically stabilizes integrin-linked kinase for efficient force generation

Focal adhesions link the actomyosin cytoskeleton to the extracellular matrix regulating cell adhesion, shape, and migration. Adhesions are dynamically assembled and disassembled in response to extrinsic and intrinsic forces, but how the essential adhesion component intergrin-linked kinase (ILK) dynamically responds to mechanical force and what role ATP bound to this pseudokinase plays remains elusive. Here, we apply force-probe molecular dynamics simulations of human ILK:α-parvin coupled to traction force microscopy to explore ILK mechanotransducing functions. We identify two key saltbridge-forming arginines within the allosteric, ATP-dependent force-propagation network of ILK. Disrupting this network by mutation impedes parvin binding, focal adhesion stabilization, force generation, and thus migration. Under tension, ATP shifts the balance from rupture of the complex to protein unfolding, indicating that ATP increases the force threshold required for focal adhesion disassembly. Our study proposes a new role of ATP as an obligatory binding partner for structural and mechanical integrity of the pseudokinase ILK, ensuring efficient cellular force generation and migration.
Attitudes Toward Dog Relinquishment as Assessed Through a Survey of University Students

ABSTRACT Significant numbers of dogs are relinquished to shelters each year, impacting dogs, owners, and communities. Attitudes surrounding relinquishment may guide how a dog owner responds to situations such as behavioral problems or financial difficulties and may also influence what owners disclose to shelters at the time of surrender. However, no previous studies have examined attitudes toward relinquishment from those not currently involved in the process. In this study, university students (n = 443) completed an online survey examining their attitudes toward dog relinquishment in various scenarios focused on either dog-related or owner-related reasons for relinquishment. Additionally, participants were told that the dogs were either adopted from a shelter or purchased from a breeder. Dog source had no significant effect on judgments of the decision to surrender; therefore, a bias against shelter dogs was not evident. Participants rated individuals relinquishing dogs negatively, but there was a significant effect of scenario, with more sympathy for those relinquishing for financial difficulties or serious dog behavioral problems. Dog relinquishment was rated as less acceptable by those with current or previous ownership of a dog, previous experience with professional trainers, and those who reported higher pet attachment. These results supplement the existing research on attitudes toward relinquishment. A better understanding of attitudes surrounding relinquishment provides context for owner-stated reasons for surrendering dogs and information that could help guide future interventions for decreasing relinquishments.
Studies on the multiferroic properties and impedance analysis of (La, Cu) BiFeO3 prepared by sol-gel method

Abstract Perovskite BiFeO3 (BFO), and Bi1-xLaxFe0.98Cu0. 02O3 (x ≤ 0.05) multiferroic ceramics were prepared by conventional sol-gel method. The influence of (La, Cu) co-doping on the structure, morphology, magnetic, ferroelectric and dielectric behavior were studied comprehensively. X-ray diffraction confirmed that the BFO samples possess rhombhedral structure. The crystallite size, lattice constant, etc were affected by La doping. Ferromagnetic properties were distrubed due to external doping. Enhanced ferroelectic properties like increased remanant polarization and reduced leakage current were achieved by La-substitution. Significant enhancement of dielectric constant may be attributed to Maxwell-Wagner effect. Impedance spectroscopy analysis suggests the effect of grain and grain boundary on the electrical properties of the BFO ceramics. Cole-Cole plots specifies non-Debye type of behavior. Enhanced dielectric constant, reduced loss and decreased leakage current of (La, Cu) doped BFO suggest these ferrites to be promising room temperature perovskite multiferroic materials for lead-free photovoltaic devices.
Effects of elevated atmospheric CO2 on rhizosphere microbial community of Pinus densiflora (Korean red pine)

Abstract The concentration of atmospheric CO2 is increasing largely owing to human activities. Although it is well established that elevated CO2 (eCO2) stimulates plant growth and primary productivity, the effect of eCO2 on soil microbial communities remains poorly understood. In this study, we aimed to examine the effects of eCO2 on the taxonomical diversity, composition, and structure of rhizosphere microbial communities of Korean red pine (Pinus densiflora) through next-generation sequencing (NGS) of 16S rRNA genes. Three bacterial phyla, Proteobacteria, Acidobacteria, and Actinobacteria, were found to be dominant in all samples. Species richness estimates (Chao1 and ACE) and diversity indices (Shannon and Simpson) for the three sampling chambers were the highest from the eCO2 (approximately 1.4× ambient, ≈ 560 ppm). These findings suggested that elevated atmospheric CO2 affected the bacterial community composition in the rhizosphere of Korean red pine (Pinus densiflora).
Statistical Analysis of Graph-Theoretic Indices to Study EEG-TMS Connectivity in Patients With Depression

Aim The objective of this work was to demonstrate the usefulness of a novel statistical method to study the impact of transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) on brain connectivity in patients with depression using different stimulation protocols, i.e., 1 Hz repetitive TMS over the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) (protocol G1), 10 Hz repetitive TMS over the left DLPFC (G2), and intermittent theta burst stimulation (iTBS) consisting of three 50 Hz burst bundle repeated at 5 Hz frequency (G3). Methods Electroencephalography (EEG) connectivity analysis was performed using Directed Transfer Function (DTF) and a set of 21 indices based on graph theory. The statistical analysis of graph-theoretic indices consisted of a combination of the k-NN rule, the leave-one-out method, and a statistical test using a 2 × 2 contingency table. Results Our new statistical approach allowed for selection of the best set of graph-based indices derived from DTF, and for differentiation between conditions (i.e., before and after TMS) and between TMS protocols. The effects of TMS was found to differ based on frequency band. Conclusion A set of four brain asymmetry measures were particularly useful to study protocol- and frequency-dependent effects of TMS on brain connectivity. Significance The new approach would allow for better evaluation of the therapeutic effects of TMS and choice of the most appropriate stimulation protocol.
MYD88 Is a Potential Prognostic Gene and Immune Signature of Tumor Microenvironment for Gliomas

Purpose To explore the profiles of immune and stromal components of the tumor microenvironment (TME) and their related key genes in gliomas. Methods We applied bioinformatic techniques to identify the core gene that participated in the regulation of the TME of the gliomas. And immunohistochemistry staining was used to calculate the gene expressions in clinical cases. Results The CIBERSORT and ESTIMATE were used to figure out the composition of TME in 698 glioma cases from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. Differential expression analysis identified 2103 genes between the high and the low-score group. Then the Gene Ontology (GO), Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analysis, univariate Cox regression analysis, and protein–protein interaction (PPI) network construction were conducted based on these genes. MYD88 was identified as the key gene by the combination univariate Cox and PPI analysis. Furthermore, MYD88 expression was significantly associated with the overall survival and WHO grade of glioma patients. The genes in the high-expression MYD88 group were mainly in immune-related pathways in the Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA). We found that macrophage M2 accounted for the largest portion with an average of 27.6% in the glioma TIICs and was associated with high expression of MYD88. The results were verified in CGGA database and clinical cases in our hospital. Furthermore, we also found the MYD88 expression was higher in IDH1 wild types. The methylation rate was lower in high grade gliomas. Conclusion MYD88 had predictive prognostic value in glioma patients by influencing TIICs dysregulation especially the M2-type macrophages.
Contemplating or Acting? Which Immersive Modes Should Be Favored in Virtual Reality During Physiotherapy for Breast Cancer Rehabilitation

Background Even though virtual reality (VR) is more and more considered for its power of distraction in different medical contexts, the optimal conditions for its use still have to be determined in order to design interfaces adapted to therapeutic support in oncology. Objective The objective of this study was to examine the benefits of VR using two immersion methods (i.e., one participatory, one contemplative) and comparing them with each other in a population of women with breast cancer who have undergone breast surgery, during scar massage sessions. Methods In a physiotherapy center, each patient participated in four experimental conditions in a random order: two sessions used virtual immersion (i.e., one participatory and one contemplative), one session proposed musical listening and the fourth one was a standard session care. The impact of the level of patient involvement in the virtual world was apprehended through the evaluation of the feeling of presence; the estimation of elapsed time of the physiotherapy sessions and particular attention was paid to the evaluation of patient emotional state. Results Our study showed an increase in positive emotions (i.e., joy and happiness) and a decrease in anxiety regardless which support methods were offered. Participatory VR created a feeling of more intense spatial presence. Conclusion Our results highlight the importance of the context in which VR should be offered. The presence of the practitioner and his interactions with the patient can provide a context just as favorable in reducing anxiety as the emotional regulation tools used (VR, music). The use of technological tools should be favored when the practitioner is unavailable during the treatment phase or, even, in order to reduce the monotonous nature of repetitive therapeutic sessions.
Identification of Prognostic Genes in the Tumor Microenvironment of Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common malignant tumors in the world. The efficacy of immunotherapy usually depends on the interaction of immunomodulation in the tumor microenvironment (TME). This study aimed to explore the potential stromal-immune score-based prognostic genes related to immunotherapy in HCC through bioinformatics analysis. Methods: ESTIMATE algorithm was applied to calculate the immune/stromal/Estimate scores and tumor purity of HCC using the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) transcriptome data. Functional enrichment analysis of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) was analyzed by the Database for Annotation, Visualization, and Integrated Discovery database (DAVID). Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analysis and least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression analysis were performed for prognostic gene screening. The expression and prognostic value of these genes were further verified by KM-plotter database and the Human Protein Atlas (HPA) database. The correlation of the selected genes and the immune cell infiltration were analyzed by single sample gene set enrichment analysis (ssGSEA) algorithm and Tumor Immune Estimation Resource (TIMER). Results: Data analysis revealed that higher immune/stromal/Estimate scores were significantly associated with better survival benefits in HCC within 7 years, while the tumor purity showed a reverse trend. DEGs based on both immune and stromal scores primarily affected the cytokine–cytokine receptor interaction signaling pathway. Among the DEGs, three genes (CASKIN1, EMR3, and GBP5) were found most significantly associated with survival. Moreover, the expression levels of CASKIN1, EMR3, and GBP5 genes were significantly correlated with immune/stromal/Estimate scores or tumor purity and multiple immune cell infiltration. Among them, GBP5 genes were highly related to immune infiltration. Conclusion: This study identified three key genes which were related to the TME and had prognostic significance in HCC, which may be promising markers for predicting immunotherapy outcomes.
Speech Interaction to Control a Hands-Free Delivery Robot for High-Risk Health Care Scenarios

The Covid-19 pandemic has had a widespread effect across the globe. The major effect on health-care workers and the vulnerable populations they serve has been of particular concern. Near-complete lockdown has been a common strategy to reduce the spread of the pandemic in environments such as live-in care facilities. Robotics is a promising area of research that can assist in reducing the spread of covid-19, while also preventing the need for complete physical isolation. The research presented in this paper demonstrates a speech-controlled, self-sanitizing robot that enables the delivery of items from a visitor to a resident of a care facility. The system is automated to reduce the burden on facility staff, and it is controlled entirely through hands-free audio interaction in order to reduce transmission of the virus. We demonstrate an end-to-end delivery test, and an in-depth evaluation of the speech interface. We also recorded a speech dataset with two conditions: the talker wearing a face mask and the talker not wearing a face mask. We then used this dataset to evaluate the speech recognition system. This enabled us to test the effect of face masks on speech recognition interfaces in the context of autonomous systems.
Beyond the School Walls: Keeping Interactive Learning Environments Alive in Confinement for Students in Special Education

The COVID-19 pandemic and the accompanying safety measures, including confinement, has meant an unprecedented challenge for the world population today. However, it has entailed additional difficulties for specific populations, including children and people with disabilities. Being out of school for months has reduced the learning opportunities for many children, such as those with less academic resources at home or with poorer technological connectivity. For students with disabilities, it has entailed losing the quality of the special attention they often need, in addition to a more limited understanding of the situation. In this context, a case study was conducted in a special education classroom of a secondary education school. This class started implementing Dialogic Literary Gatherings with their special education students before the COVID-19 confinement and continued online during the confinement. Qualitative data was collected after a period of implementation of the gatherings showing positive impacts on the participants. The case study shows that interactive learning environments such as the Dialogic Literary Gatherings can provide quality distance learning for students with disabilities, contributing to overcome some of the barriers that the pandemic context creates for the education of these students.
Chemoresponse of de novo Acute Myeloid Leukemia to “7+3” Induction can Be Predicted by c-Myc-facilitated Cytogenetics

Background: Identifying patients with de novo acute myeloid leukemia (AML) who will probably respond to the “7 + 3” induction regimen remains an unsolved clinical challenge. This study aimed to identify whether c-Myc could facilitate cytogenetics to predict a “7 + 3” induction chemoresponse in de novo AML. Methods: We stratified 75 untreated patients (24 and 51 from prospective and retrospective cohorts, respectively) with de novo AML who completed “7 + 3” induction into groups with and without complete remission (CR). We then compared Myc-associated molecular signatures between the groups in the prospective cohort after gene set enrichment analysis. The expression of c-Myc protein was assessed by immunohistochemical staining. We defined high c-Myc-immunopositivity as > 40% of bone marrow myeloblasts being c-Myc (+). Results: Significantly more Myc gene expression was found in patients who did not achieve CR by “7 + 3” induction than those who did (2439.92 ± 1868.94 vs. 951.60 ± 780.68; p = 0.047). Expression of the Myc gene and c-Myc protein were positively correlated (r = 0.495; p = 0.014). Although the non-CR group did not express more c-Myc protein than the CR group (37.81 ± 25.13% vs. 29.04 ± 19.75%; p = 0.151), c-Myc-immunopositivity could be a surrogate to predict the “7 + 3” induction chemoresponse (specificity: 81.63%). More importantly, c-Myc-immunopositivity facilitated cytogenetics to predict a “7 + 3” induction chemoresponse by increasing specificity from 91.30 to 95.92%. Conclusion: The “7 + 3” induction remains the standard of care for de novo AML patients, especially for those without a high c-Myc-immunopositivity and high-risk cytogenetics. However, different regimens might be considered for patients with high c-Myc-immunopositivity or high-risk cytogenetics.
Molecular Dynamics Simulations on Influence of Defect on Thermal Conductivity of Silicon Nanowires

A non-equilibrium molecular dynamics simulation method is conducted to study the thermal conductivity (TC) of silicon nanowires (SiNWs) with different types of defects. The impacts of defect position, porosity, temperature, and length on the TC of SiNWs are analyzed. The numerical results indicate that SiNWs with surface defects have higher TC than SiNWs with inner defects, the TC of SiNWs gradually decreases with the increase of porosity and temperature, and the impact of temperature on the TC of SiNWs with defects is weaker than the impact on the TC of SiNWs with no defects. The TC of SiNWs increases as their length increases. SiNWs with no defects have the highest corresponding frequency of low-frequency peaks of phonon density of states; however, when SiNWs have inner defects, the lowest frequency is observed. Under the same porosity, the average phonon participation of SiNWs with surface defects is higher than that of SiNWs with inner defects.
Dichotomic Hippocampal Transcriptome After Glutamatergic vs. GABAergic Deletion of the Cannabinoid CB1 Receptor

Brain homeostasis is the dynamic equilibrium whereby physiological parameters are kept actively within a specific range. The homeostatic range is not fixed and may change throughout the individual's lifespan, or may be transiently modified in the presence of severe perturbations. The endocannabinoid system has emerged as a safeguard of homeostasis, e.g., it modulates neurotransmission and protects neurons from prolonged or excessively strong activation. We used genetically engineered mouse lines that lack the cannabinoid type-1 receptor (CB1) either in dorsal telencephalic glutamatergic or in forebrain GABAergic neurons to create new allostatic states, resulting from alterations in the excitatory/inhibitory (E/I) balance. Previous studies with these two mouse lines have shown dichotomic results in the context of behavior, neuronal morphology, and electrophysiology. Thus, we aimed at analyzing the transcriptomic profile of the hippocampal CA region from these mice in the basal condition and after a mild behavioral stimulation (open field). Our results provide insights into the gene networks that compensate chronic E/I imbalances. Among these, there are differentially expressed genes involved in neuronal and synaptic functions, synaptic plasticity, and the regulation of behavior. Interestingly, some of these genes, e.g., Rab3b, Crhbp, and Kcnn2, and related pathways showed a dichotomic expression, i.e., they are up-regulated in one mutant line and down-regulated in the other one. Subsequent interrogation on the source of the alterations at transcript level were applied using exon-intron split analysis. However, no strong directions toward transcriptional or post-transcriptional regulation comparing both mouse lines were observed. Altogether, the dichotomic gene expression observed and their involved signaling pathways are of interest because they may act as “switches” to modulate the directionality of neural homeostasis, which then is relevant for pathologies, such as stress-related disorders and epilepsy.