Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
MiR-34a-3p suppresses pulmonary vascular proliferation in acute pulmonary embolism rat by targeting DUSP1

Abstract Background: Acute pulmonary embolism (APE) is a prevalent reason of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Recent studies have underscored the positive effects of microRNAs (miRNAs) on many diseases. The present study aimed to identify the critical miRNA with differential expressions and explore its role in APE. Methods: The critical miRNA with its target gene was screened by bioinformatics analysis. Their binding relationship was analyzed by TargetScan, Dual-luciferase reporter and RNA pull-down assays. A rat model of APE was established by self-blood coagulum. Human pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells (PASMCs) were exposed to platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF-BB) for excessive proliferation, and transfected with miR-34a-3p mimic. Mean pulmonary arterial pressure (mPAP) of rat was measured, and the pulmonary tissues were used for the pathological observation by Hematoxylin–Eosin (H&E) staining. Cell viability and proliferation were detected by Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) and EdU assays. The expressions of miR-34a-3p with its target genes (including dual-specificity phosphatase-1 (DUSP1)), neuron-derived orphan receptor-1 (NOR-1) and proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) were determined by quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) or/and Western blot. Results: MiR-34a-3p expression was down-regulated in APE patients, which attenuated the increment of mPAP and thickening of the pulmonary arterial walls in APE rats, accompanied with regulation of NOR-1 and PCNA levels. MiR-34a-3p suppressed DUSP1 expression by directly binding to its 3′-untranslated region (UTR), and attenuated cell viability, proliferation, and the expressions of NOR-1 and PCNA in PDGF-BB-induced PASMCs by inhibiting DUSP1 expression. Conclusion: Up-regulated miR-34a-3p negatively regulates DUSP1 expression to inhibit PASMC proliferation, which, thus, may act on APE treatment by negatively regulating pulmonary vascular proliferation.
Prevalence, patterns and predictors of dyslipidaemia in Nigeria: a report from the REMAH study.

AIM The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence and predictors of dyslipidaemia in adults in Nigeria. METHODS Using the WHO criteria, we determined dyslipidaemia using serum lipid levels of 3 211 adult Nigerians, aged at least 18 years, obtained between March 2017 and February 2018 from two communities (rural and urban) in a state from each of the six geopolitical zones of Nigeria. RESULTS The overall prevalence of low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (l-HDL), elevated low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (e-LDL), hypertriglyceridaemia (h-TG) and hypercholesterolaemia (h-CHL) were 72.5,13.6, 21.4 and 7.5%, respectively. The adjusted odds of h-CHL [odds ratio (95% confidence interval) 1.47 (1.10-1.95)], h-TG [1.89 (1.48-2.41)] and e-LDL [1.51 (1.03-2.15)] increased with obesity. Being a rural dweller increased the odds of h-TG [1.55 (1.29-1.85)], e-LDL [1.38 (1.10-1.73)] and l-HDL [1.34 (1.14-1.58)]. The odds of h-CHL [2.16 (1.59-2.95)], h-TG [1.21 (1.01-1.47)], e-LDL [1.42 (1.13-1.80)] and l-HDL [0.78 (0.65-0.93)] increased with hypertension. Diabetes mellitus doubled only the odds of h-TG [2.04(1.36-3.03)]. CONCLUSION The prevalence of dyslipidaemia, particularly low HDL-C, is high among adult Nigerians.
EXPERIENCE AND REFLECTION ON THE USE OF RUBRICS FOR SENIOR CAPSTIONE DESIGN COURSE ASSESSMENT

In this paper we report on our experience with the use of rubrics for the assessment of senior capstone design reports and presentations. The motivation for this approach to assessment was to create tools that have clear requirements, are clearly linked to the course objectives, are flexible, and are fair. The paper provides a summary of the main rubrics used for assessment as well as an analysis of their use both in the form of student feedback and the authors’ general impressions.
Conception and development of Self-Management indicators to advance the quality of spinal cord injury rehabilitation: SCI-High Project

Context Although self-management is linked to reduced secondary health complications (SHCs) and enhanced overall quality of life post-spinal cord injury or disease (SCI/D), it is poorly integrated into the current rehabilitation process. Promoting self-management and assuring equity in care delivery is critical. Herein, we describe the selection of Self-Management structure, process and outcome indicators for adults with SCI/D in the first 18 months after rehabilitation admission. Methods Experts in self-management across Canada completed the following tasks: (1) defined the Self-Management construct; (2) conducted a systematic search of available outcomes and their psychometric properties; and (3) created a Driver diagram summarizing available evidence related to Self-Management. Facilitated meetings allowed development and selection following rapid-cycle evaluations of proposed structure, process and outcome indicators. Results The structure indicator is the proportion of staff with appropriate education and training in self-management principles. The process indicator is the proportion of SCI/D inpatients who have received a self-management assessment related to specific patient self-management goal(s) within 30 days of admission. The outcome indicator is the Skill and Technique Acquisition, and Self-Monitoring and Insight subscores of the modified Health Education Impact Questionnaire. Conclusion The structure indicator will heighten awareness among administrators and policy makers regarding the need to provide staff with ongoing training related to promoting self-management skill acquisition. Successful implementation of the Self-Management process and outcome indicators will promote self-management education and skill acquisition as a rehabilitation priority, allow for personalization of skills related to the individual’s self-management goal(s), and empower individuals with SCI/D to manage their health and daily activities while successfully integrating into the community.
LIF, a mitogen for choroidal endothelial cells, protects the choriocapillaris: implications for prevention of geographic atrophy

In the course of our studies aiming to discover vascular bed‐specific endothelial cell (EC) mitogens, we identified leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) as a mitogen for bovine choroidal EC (BCE), although LIF has been mainly characterized as an EC growth inhibitor and an anti‐angiogenic molecule. LIF stimulated growth of BCE while it inhibited, as previously reported, bovine aortic EC (BAE) growth. The JAK‐STAT3 pathway mediated LIF actions in both BCE and BAE cells, but a caspase‐independent proapoptotic signal mediated by cathepsins was triggered in BAE but not in BCE. LIF administration directly promoted activation of STAT3 and increased blood vessel density in mouse eyes. LIF also had protective effects on the choriocapillaris in a model of oxidative retinal injury. Analysis of available single‐cell transcriptomic datasets shows strong expression of the specific LIF receptor in mouse and human choroidal EC. Our data suggest that LIF administration may be an innovative approach to prevent atrophy associated with AMD, through protection of the choriocapillaris.
Cross-cultural adaptation and validation of the Arabic version of the Pain Self-Efficacy Questionnaire in Arab people with chronic low back pain

ABSTRACT Background The Pain Self-Efficacy Questionnaire (PSEQ) is widely used worldwide to measure pain self-efficacy. However, an Arabic translation is not available yet. Objective The study aimed to culturally adapt and validate the Arabic version of the Pain Self-Efficacy Questionnaire (PSEQ-A) in Arab people with Chronic Low Back Pain (LBP). Methods This study was conducted in two phases. The first phase involved translation and cross-cultural adaptation of the PSEQ into Arabic. The second phase aimed to examine the reliability and validity of the PSEQ-A. One hundred Arab people with chronic LBP completed the PSEQ-A and some self-report questionnaires, such as pain intensity, fear of movement, disability, and life quality. Results Cronbach’s alpha for the PSEQ-A was 0.90. The interclass correlation coefficient of the PSEQ-A was 0.79. The standard error of the measurement and the minimal detectable change of the PSEQ-A scores were 5.27 and 14.60, respectively. The PSEQ-A has one factor structure. The PSEQ-A correlated significantly (P < .01) with disability, fear of movement, and quality of life in the expected hypothesized directions. Conclusion The PSEQ-A was well accepted and exhibited validity and acceptable reliability in Arab people with chronic LBP.
[The short-term effectiveness of superior capsular reconstruction using autologous fascia lata graft for irreparable massive rotator cuff tears].

Objective To observe and evaluate the short-term effectiveness of superior capsular reconstruction using autologous fascia lata graft for irreparable massive rotator cuff tears. Methods The clinical data of 9 patients with irreparable massive rotator cuff tears treated with arthroscopic superior capsular reconstruction by using autologous fascia lata graft between September 2019 and April 2020 were retrospectively analysed. There were 4 males and 5 females with a median age of 66 years (range, 55-70 years). The disease duration was 6-60 months with an average of 19.1 months. According to Hamada classification, the patients were classified as grade 1 in 2 cases, grade 2 in 2 cases, grade 3 in 2 cases, and grade 4 in 3 cases. Before and after operation, the visual analogue scale (VAS) score was used to evaluate the improvement of shoulder joint pain, the American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons (ASES) score, Constant score, and the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) shoulder function score were used to evaluate the improvement of shoulder joint function. The active range of motion of shoulder joint was recorded, including forward flexion, abduction, lateral external rotation, and internal rotation. The changes of subacromial space were recorded by anteroposterior X-ray film of shoulder joint. Sugaya classification was used to judge the integrity of rotator cuff immediately after operation and at last follow-up. Results The operation time was 210-380 minutes, with an average of 302.3 minutes. All incisions healed by first intention after operation, and there was no complication such as infection and nonunion of incisions. Two patients had numbness of the upper limbs on the surgical side after operation, and the numbness completely relieved at 6 weeks after operation; 5 cases with preoperative pseudoparalysis symptoms recovered after operation. Nine patients were followed up 12-17 months, with an average of 14.1 months. At last follow-up, the patient's active range of motion of shoulder joint (forward flexion, abduction, lateral external rotation, and internal rotation), subacromial space distance, VAS score, ASES score, Constant score, and UCLA score significantly improved when compared with preoperative ones ( P<0.05). There was no significant difference in the Sugaya classification between at last follow-up and immediately after operation ( Z=-1.633, P=0.102). Conclusion Superior capsular reconstruction using autologous fascia lata graft can restore the superior stability and achieve a good short-term effectiveness for irreparable massive rotator cuff tears.
What does the Dementia Rating Scale-2 measure? The relationship of neuropsychological measures to DRS-2 total and subscale scores in non-demented individuals with Parkinson’s disease

Abstract Objective The Dementia Rating Scale-2 (DRS-2) is recommended for assessing global cognition in Parkinson’s disease (PD) by the Movement Disorder Society. However, empirical evidence is limited regarding the degree to which the DRS-2 corresponds to traditional neurocognitive domains (i.e., construct validity) in PD. Thus, this study aims to determine the construct validity of the DRS-2 in a non-demented sample of PD patients. Method Patients with PD (n = 359; mean age = 64.50 ± 8.53, education = 14.97 ± 2.73, disease duration = 8.48 ± 4.87, UPDRS Part III motor scale scores = 25.23 ± 10.17) completed the DRS-2 as part of a comprehensive neuropsychological assessment consisting of attention/working memory, executive function, language, delayed recall, and visuoperceptual-spatial skills.Bootstrapped bias-corrected Spearman rho’s correlations andhierarchical linear regressions were performed to examine construct validity of DRS-2 total and subscale scores. Results Speeded measures of set-shifting, rapid word generation to letter and semantic cues, and simple visuoperceptual skills largely accounted for variance in DRS-2 total scores. Most DRS-2 subscale scores showed weak relationships with theoretically related neuropsychological measures. Conclusions DRS-2 total scores reflect impairment across a range of cognitive domains (i.e., executive, language, and visuoperception), while DRS-2 subscale scores have limited construct validity. Together, the DRS-2 does not appear to have utility beyond screening for global cognition in PD.
Network Pharmacology-Based and Molecular Docking Analysis of Resveratrol’s Pharmacological Effects on Type I Endometrial Cancer

Background Resveratrol is a natural polyphenol commonly seen in foods. It has demonstrated an inhibitive effect on endometrial cancer, but the molecular action is still not known. Objective We aimed to use network pharmacology to systematically study the possible mechanisms of resveratrol’s pharmacological effects on type I endometrial cancer. Methods Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database and Analysis Platform (TCMSP) were used to predict resveratrol’s possible target genes. They were then converted to UniProt gene symbols. Simultaneously, type I endometrial cancer-related target genes were collected from GeneCards. All data were pooled to identify common target genes. The protein-protein interaction (PPI) network was constructed and further analyzed via STRING Online Database. Gene Ontology (GO) functional annotation and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway were also performed afterward. To visualise resveratrol's overall pharmacological effects on type I endometrial cancer, a network of drug components-target gene-disease (CTD) was constructed. Then, we performed in silico molecular docking study to validate the possible binding conformation between resveratrol and candidate targets. Results There are 150 target genes of resveratrol retrieved after UniProt conversion; 122 of them shared interaction with type I endometrial cancer. Some important oncogenes and signaling pathways are involved in the process of resveratrol’s pharmacological effects on endometrioid cancer. Molecular docking analysis confirmed that hydrogen bonding and hydrophobic interaction are the main interaction between resveratrol and its targets. Conclusion We have explored the possible underlying mechanism of resveratrol in antagonising type I endometrial cancer through a network pharmacology-based approach and in-silico verification. However, further experiments are necessary to add to the evidence identifying resveratrol as a promising anti-type I endometrial cancer agent.
SORLA is required for insulin-induced expansion of the adipocyte precursor pool in visceral fat

Diet induces expansion of visceral but not subcutaneous adipose tissue from a pool of progenitor cells, contributing to the cardiometabolic risk of visceral obesity. Schmidt et al. show that the insulin-sensitizing receptor SORLA defines the unique propensity of visceral progenitors to respond to dietary signals with mitotic expansion and adipogenesis.
80 to 10 Gbit/s clock recovery using phase detection with Mach-Zehnder modulator

A Mach–Zehnder modulator, driven by a harmonic of a local oscillator, is used as an electro-optic phase detector to lock the oscillator to the 10 GHz base rate of an 80 Gbit/s time-division multiplexed data stream with a timing jitter of 341 fs. Clock recovery is robust and may be scaled to higher data rates.
Dynamic contrast‐enhanced CEST MRI using a low molecular weight dextran

Natural and synthetic sugars have great potential for developing highly biocompatible and translatable chemical exchange saturation transfer (CEST) MRI contrast agents. In this study, we aimed to develop the smallest clinically available form of dextran, Dex1 (molecular weight, MW ~ 1 kDa), as a new CEST agent. We first characterized the CEST properties of Dex1 in vitro at 11.7 T and showed that the Dex1 had a detectable CEST signal at ~1.2 ppm, attributed to hydroxyl protons. In vivo CEST MRI studies were then carried out on C57BL6 mice bearing orthotopic GL261 brain tumors (n = 5) using a Bruker BioSpec 11.7 T MRI scanner. Both steady‐state full Z‐spectral images and single offset (1.2 ppm) dynamic dextran‐enhanced (DDE) images were acquired before and after the intravenous injection of Dex1 (2 g/kg). The steady‐state Z‐spectral analysis showed a significantly higher CEST contrast enhancement in the tumor than in contralateral brain (∆MTRasym1.2 ppm = 0.010 ± 0.006 versus 0.002 ± 0.008, P = 0.0069) at 20 min after the injection of Dex1. Pharmacokinetic analyses of DDE were performed using the area under the curve (AUC) in the first 10 min after Dex1 injection, revealing a significantly higher uptake of Dex1 in the tumor than in brain tissue for tumor‐bearing mice (AUC[0‐10 min] = 21.9 ± 4.2 versus 5.3 ± 6.4%·min, P = 0.0294). In contrast, no Dex1 uptake was foundling in the brains of non‐tumor‐bearing mice (AUC[0‐10 min] = −1.59 ± 2.43%·min). Importantly, the CEST MRI findings were consistent with the measurements obtained using DCE MRI and fluorescence microscopy, demonstrating the potential of Dex1 as a highly translatable CEST MRI contrast agent for assessing tumor hemodynamics.
Tracking the movement of discrete gating charges in a voltage-gated potassium channel

Positively charged amino acids respond to membrane potential changes to drive voltage sensor movement in voltage-gated ion channels, but determining the displacements of voltage sensor gating charges has proven difficult. We optically tracked the movement of the two most extracellular charged residues (R1 and R2) in the Shaker potassium channel voltage sensor using a fluorescent positively charged bimane derivative (qBBr) that is strongly quenched by tryptophan. By individually mutating residues to tryptophan within the putative pathway of gating charges, we observed that the charge motion during activation is a rotation and a tilted translation that differs between R1 and R2. Tryptophan-induced quenching of qBBr also indicates that a crucial residue of the hydrophobic plug is linked to the Cole–Moore shift through its interaction with R1. Finally, we show that this approach extends to additional voltage-sensing membrane proteins using the Ciona intestinalis voltage-sensitive phosphatase (CiVSP).
10 GHz space power combiner with parasitic injection locking

An array of three microstrip patch antennas, each connected by a matching network to an impatt diode, has been investigated. Coherent radiation from the array was obtained at 10.2GHz by feeding only the centre element with an injection-locking signal, which then appeared at the input to the other two elements by free-space mutual coupling. The three impatts injection-locked successfully, producing a broadside beam with a width of 38°. An RF efficiency of 86% was measured.
Pseudo-domains in imaging data improve prediction of future disease status in multi-center studies

In multi-center randomized clinical trials imaging data can be diverse due to acquisition technology or scanning protocols. Models predicting future outcome of patients are impaired by this data heterogeneity. Here, we propose a prediction method that can cope with a high number of different scanning sites and a low number of samples per site. We cluster sites into pseudo-domains based on visual appearance of scans, and train pseudo-domain specific models. Results show that they improve the prediction accuracy for steatosis after 48 weeks from imaging data acquired at an initial visit and 12-weeks follow-up in liver disease
A fast electrically controlled large aperture laser beam attenuator

We report a large aperture laser beam attenuator by using electrically switchable gratings. This attenuator separates an incident beam into the transmitted and diffracted beams. The light intensities of both transmitted and diffracted beams can be adjusted through electro-optical effect. By carefully selecting the liquid crystals and polymer materials, we obtained a 25 dB dynamic range of attenuation with a 0.5 dB insertion loss and response time about 200 μs.
A study of Triod-Rot-Twists

We introduce the concept of triod-rot-twists for some maps of triods as an analog of over-twist patterns of interval maps. We study the properties of such patterns and obtain a complete characterization of these patterns. We further show that these patterns can be conjugated to circle rotation. Interestingly it is observed unlike interval maps the conjugacy is not always bounded by the modality of the pattern. It is bounded only when rotation number is less than a third.
Dynamic Network Quantile Regression Model

We propose a dynamic network quantile regression model to investigate the quantile connectedness using a predetermined network information. We extend the existing network quantile autoregression model of Zhu et al. (2019b) by explicitly allowing the contemporaneous network effects and controlling for the common factors across quantiles. To cope with the endogeneity issue due to simultaneous network spillovers, we adopt the instrumental variable quantile regression (IVQR) estimation and derive the consistency and asymptotic normality of the IVQR estimator using the near epoch dependence property of the network process. Via Monte Carlo simulations, we confirm the satisfactory performance of the IVQR estimator across different quantiles under the different network structures. Finally, we demonstrate the usefulness of our proposed approach with an application to the dataset on the stocks traded in NYSE and NASDAQ in 2016. JEL classification: C32, C51, G17
The Choice of Knowledge Base in Automated Claim Checking

Automated claim checking is the task of determining the veracity of a claim given evidence found in a knowledge base of trustworthy facts. While previous work has taken the knowledge base as given and optimized the claim-checking pipeline, we take the opposite approach - taking the pipeline as given, we explore the choice of knowledge base. Our first insight is that a claim-checking pipeline can be transferred to a new domain of claims with access to a knowledge base from the new domain. Second, we do not find a"universally best"knowledge base - higher domain overlap of a task dataset and a knowledge base tends to produce better label accuracy. Third, combining multiple knowledge bases does not tend to improve performance beyond using the closest-domain knowledge base. Finally, we show that the claim-checking pipeline's confidence score for selecting evidence can be used to assess whether a knowledge base will perform well for a new set of claims, even in the absence of ground-truth labels.