Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
CD74 Promotes Cyst Growth and Renal Fibrosis in Autosomal Dominant Polycystic Kidney Disease

The progression of autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD), an inherited kidney disease, is associated with renal interstitial inflammation and fibrosis. CD74 has been known not only as a receptor of macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) it can also have MIF independent functions. In this study, we report unknown roles and function of CD74 in ADPKD. We show that knockout of CD74 delays cyst growth in Pkd1 mutant kidneys. Knockout and knockdown of CD74 (1) normalize PKD associated signaling pathways, including ERK, mTOR and Rb to decrease Pkd1 mutant renal epithelial cell proliferation, (2) decrease the activation of NF-κB and the expression of MCP-1 and TNF-alpha (TNF-α) which decreases the recruitment of macrophages in Pkd1 mutant kidneys, and (3) decrease renal fibrosis in Pkd1 mutant kidneys. We show for the first time that CD74 functions as a transcriptional factor to regulate the expression of fibrotic markers, including collagen I (Col I), fibronectin, and α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA), through binding on their promoters. Interestingly, CD74 also regulates the transcription of MIF to form a positive feedback loop in that MIF binds with its receptor CD74 to regulate the activity of intracellular signaling pathways and CD74 increases the expression of MIF in ADPKD kidneys during cyst progression. We further show that knockout of MIF and targeting MIF with its inhibitor ISO-1 not only delay cyst growth but also ameliorate renal fibrosis through blocking the activation of renal fibroblasts and CD74 mediated the activation of TGF-β-Smad3 signaling, supporting the idea that CD74 is a key and novel upstream regulator of cyst growth and interstitial fibrosis. Thus, targeting MIF-CD74 axis is a novel therapeutic strategy for ADPKD treatment.
Chestnut Honey Is Effective against Mixed Biofilms at Different Stages of Maturity

The irresponsible overuse of antibiotics has increased the occurrence of resistant bacterial strains, which represents one of the biggest patient safety risks today. Due to antibiotic resistance and biofilm formation in bacteria, it is becoming increasingly difficult to suppress the bacterial strains responsible for various chronic infections. Honey was proven to inhibit bacterial growth and biofilm development, offering an alternative solution in the treatment of resistant infections and chronic wounds. Our studies included chestnut honey, valued for its high antibacterial activity, and the bacteria Pseudomonas aeruginosa, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, and S. epidermidis, known to form multi-species biofilm communities. Minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) of chestnut honey were determined for each bacterial strain. Afterwards, the mixed bacterial biofilms were treated with chestnut honey at different stages of maturity (incubation times: 2, 4, 6, 12, 24 h). The extent of biofilm inhibition was measured with a crystal violet assay and demonstrated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). As the incubation time increased and the biofilm became more mature, inhibition rates decreased gradually. The most sensitive biofilm was the combination MRSA-S. epidermidis, with a 93.5% inhibition rate after 2 h of incubation. Our results revealed that chestnut honey is suitable for suppressing the initial and moderately mature stages of mixed biofilms.
The totality of soft-states in a neo-classical nematic elastomer

The remarkable ability of nematic elastomers to exist in multiple stable equilibrium configurations in the absence of force and energy cost is known as soft elasticity. Here, we determine all of the soft states that are possible in two particular classes of nematic elastomers: the neo-classical nematic elastomers, which have received considerable recent attention; and a natural theoretical generalization, which we call the Mooney nematic elastomers. For both of these classes, the soft states are minimizers of the free energy. Our starting point is to develop a nonlinear continuum theory for nematic elastomers, the constitutive framework of which includes the special classes noted above. This theory is based on two distinct force balances— one arising from the macroscopic deformation and the other from the nematicallyinduced distortion of the polymer molecules—and allows for coexistent isotropic, uniaxial, and biaxial phases. These balances are supplemented by a principle of dissipation imbalance, a principle that in conjunction with invariance requirements is used to obtain restrictions on constitutive equations.
How will Benthic Foraminifera Respond to Warming and Changes in Productivity?: A Laboratory Culture Study on Cymbaloporetta plana

Anthropogenic activities are likely to cause global warming. Global warming will affect marine productivity and thus food availability for marine organisms. Both the seawater temperature and food availability affect benthic foraminifera, the most abundant marine calcareous microorganisms. Therefore, a laboratory culture experiment was conducted on Cymbaloporetta plana to understand the coupled effect of temperature (25°C, 27°C, 30°C) and food (102±5, 203±9, 305±14, 407±18, 508±23 diatom cells). At all temperatures, growth increased with increase in food. The specimens subjected to 27°C temperature attained the maximum growth and those subjected to 25°C were the smallest. All specimens fed with 508±23 cells reproduced, 0irrespective of temperature. Of all the specimens without food, 40% at 27°C and 20% at 25°C reproduced, whereas specimens subjected to 30°C did not reproduce. The 100% rate of reproduction at 27°C suggests that it is the optimum temperature for growth and reproduction. All the specimens at 30°C and without additional food, died, whereas at 25°C and 27°C, the mortality rate was 80% and 60%, respectively. The limited growth and reproduction with decreasing food clearly indicates that food availability also controls the growth and reproduction of shallow water benthic foraminifer C. plana. Therefore, warming coupled with decreasing productivity is likely to severely affect the growth and abundance of shallow water benthic foraminifera.
The current and future risk of harmful algal blooms in the North Sea

The need to feed the world’s ever growing population has led to significant advances in agricultural practices, including the development and use of fertilizers across the globe. Some of these artificial nutrients end up in rivers and streams, ultimately leading to an imbalanced increase in nutrient levels of coastal areas around the globe. As a result of these additional nutrients, harmful algal blooms have increased in size, frequency and scale in marine ecosystems across the world. Harmful algal blooms are events in which one marine algae (macro- or micro-) grows to such an extent that it causes harm to the environment or the socioeconomic interests that take place in the marine environment. Despite economic impacts, much can still be learned about the conditions that allow HAB development, as well as the effects HABs have on ecosystems and ecosystem engineers. This PhD aims to elucidate a few HAB aspects that create a risk of HAB development in the Belgian part of the North Sea, and study the effects HABs could have on the one of the most abundant bivalves of the North Atlantic: the common mussel Mytilus edulis. Algal growth experiments are combined with field studies, exposure assessments, and data archeology to estimate the current and future risk of HABs in the North sea and provide regional policy advice.
Research on adults with subthreshold depression after aerobic exercise: a resting-state fMRI study based on regional homogeneity (ReHo)

Objective Subthreshold depression (StD)/subsyndromal depression refers to a threatening precursor to depression. Aerobic exercise is a promising self-supportive adjunctive intervention and an effective measure for StD. Our study utilizes regional homogeneity (ReHo) to investigate the impact of aerobic exercise on resting-state brain function. Methods A total of 78 subjects, aged between 18 and 48 years, (StD group, n = 44; healthy control (HC) group, n = 34) engaged in moderate-intensity aerobic exercise 3–4 times per week for 8 weeks. Resting-state brain function and structural images were acquired before and after the exercise intervention. The ReHo method was employed to analyze abnormal changes in regional brain function, and a correlation analysis was performed using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) and Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS) scores. Results The principal observation reveals synchronous abnormalities in the right anterior cingulate gyrus of the brain in StD subjects compared to HCs at baseline, with these differences dissipating after the implementation of aerobic exercise. After completing the aerobic exercise program, the StD group exhibited a difference in the right middle cingulate gyrus, while the left supplementary motor area (SMA) was altered in the HC group. Conclusion Disparities in neural synchronization are evident between HCs and StD subjects, and the implementation of aerobic exercise intervention can effectively mitigate these distinctions, leading to a significant reduction in depressive symptoms among StD subjects. The primary mechanism of StD symptoms may involve the inhibition of the anterior cingulate gyrus, while the effects of aerobic exercise may be related to the modulation of neural synchronization of emotional reflexes. The discovery of these fMRI evidence findings may offer novel strategies for early detection and intervention in cases of StD.
Spring thaw classification based on AMSR-E brightness temperature in the central Tibetan Plateau

ABSTRACT Changes in soil freeze/thaw dynamics in the Tibetan Plateau (TP) had significant influences on regional hydrology and ecosystem processes. We developed an algorithm to detect spring thaw onset in the central TP using microwave brightness temperature (Tb) data. We assumed that the Tb at lower frequencies is more sensitive to changes in soil freeze/thaw status, while the Tb at higher frequencies is subjected more to scattering effects of snow cover and vegetation. Therefore, the standard deviation of brightness temperature at 6-GHz horizontal polarization was used to detect soil F/T status, and a scattering index based on higher frequencies was used to constrain the scattering effects of snow cover. The algorithm was calibrated and validated with surface ground temperature and daily minimum air temperature. Results showed that our algorithm had a mean bias of 3.7 ~ 17.6 days and a RMSE of 7.5 ~ 19.7 days, and this method behaved better than the previous one based on all-frequency standard deviation of microwave Tb, which had a mean bias of 8.3 ~ 41.2 days and a RMSE of 13.4 ~ 27.6 days. Further validation is needed over more extensive area with diverse surface conditions.
Mitigation on Flood Attacks in DTN's

Disruption Tolerant Networks (DTNs) utilize the mobility of nodes and the opportunistic contacts among nodes for data communications. Due to the limitation in network resources such as contact opportunity and buffer space, DTNs are vulnerable to flood attacks in which attackers send as many packets or packet replicas as possible to the network, in order to deplete or overuse the limited network resources. In this paper, we employ rate limiting to defend against flood attacks in DTNs, such that each node has a limit over the number of packets that it can generate in each time interval and a limit over the number of replicas that it can generate for each packet. We propose a distributed scheme to detect if a node has violated its rate limits. Our idea is Spread and Swap model which detects attacker and address the attacker node to its neighbouring node. Which gives analysis on the probability of detection and evaluate the effectiveness and efficiency of our scheme simulations.
Tourists’ Luxury Value and Sustainability Perceptions of South African Exotic Leather Products

Travelling mostly involves expenditure on products beyond daily consumables (i.e. tourism shopping), but sometimes tourists visit a country with the specific intention of acquiring goods unique to that particular context, either for personal or commercial use. This type of “shopping tourism” contributes to the growth of luxury markets such as the exotic leather industry. In stimulating shopping tourism and promoting the local exotic leather industry, it is crucial to understand tourists’ underlying perceptions and sustainable values that influence their luxury shopping behaviour. Using animal skins to create fashion accessories involves several environmental concerns and remains controversial among American and Chinese consumers, who rank among the world’s top luxury goods spenders. This research, therefore, investigated American and Chinese shopping tourists’ luxury value perceptions, sustainability excellence perceptions, and purchase intent for South African exotic leather products. Data was derived from a purposive sample including both American and Chinese tourists, aged 25 years and older, who had either visited South Africa in the past or intended to visit the country soon. A structured online questionnaire consisting of scales adapted from prior empirical research was developed. The English version of the questionnaire was translated into Mandarin and Cantonese for Chinese tourists. Data analysis involved two structural equation models (one based on the American and another on the Chinese tourists’ responses) to test hierarchical relationships among variables. The results confirm that personal luxury value strongly influences sustainability excellence and the purchase intent of exotic leather products for both American and Chinese respondents. These findings highlight the potential of positioning South Africa as a luxury shopping tourism destination for exotic leather products, thus contributing toward economic growth and employment opportunities. However, environmental concerns must be addressed to conform to Eastern and Western tourists' sustainable luxury value perceptions.
Enabling Workplace and Community Responses to Domestic Abuse: A Mixed Method Systematic Review of Training for Informal Supporters

Alongside formal agencies and specialist services, informal and social networks play a pivotal role in responding to domestic abuse in the community. Friends, relatives, and neighbours are uniquely placed to recognise domestic abuse, respond to victim-survivors, and refer to wider services. Yet, informal networks may not know how to respond and feel overwhelmed or ill-equipped to offer support. This mixed method systematic review examined the role of training for equipping and enabling informal supporters to respond to disclosures of abuse. To do so, four bibliographic databases, alongside specialist repositories and websites, were searched for empirical studies of educational programmes tailored towards informal networks. Nine included studies were subject to data extraction and quality appraisal by two members of the review team. A thematic synthesis of qualitative data was undertaken to identify the characteristics of training deemed important by informal supporters. The findings focused on engaging informal supporters in the issue of domestic abuse, training content, materials, and delivery. The themes were translated into ten recommendations and juxtaposed with studies reporting quantitative evidence of effectiveness. The resulting matrix was used to identify five characteristics of successful training for informal supporters. These included training content that covered (a) warning signs and nature of domestic abuse, (b) impacts of abuse, and (c) how to respond/local resources. Tailoring training to the context/audience and the use of nontext formats were also evidenced by included studies. The review highlights the potential of educational programmes for enabling community responses to victim-survivors. Such interventions offer opportunities for formal agencies to collaborate with informal networks and strengthen the societal-wide response to domestic abuse.
Effect of Traps on the UV Sensitivity of Gallium Oxide-Based Structures

Resistive metal/β-Ga2O3/metal structures with different interelectrode distances and electrode topologies were investigated. The oxide films were deposited by radio-frequency magnetron sputtering of a Ga2O3 (99.999%) target onto an unheated sapphire c-plane substrate (0001) in an Ar/O2 gas mixture. The films are sensitive to ultraviolet radiation with wavelength λ = 254. Structures with interdigital electrode topology have pronounced persistent conductivity. It is shown that the magnitude of responsivity, response time τr, and recovery time τd are determined by the concentration of free holes p involved in recombination processes. For the first time, it is proposed to consider hole trapping both by surface states Nts at the metal/Ga2O3 interface and by traps in the bulk of the film.
The Vardar River as a border of semiosphere – Paradox of Skopje regeneration

As suggested by its etymology, regeneration usually carries positive connotations while its negative aspects tend to be belittled. However, any renewal results in major morphological, physiognomic, functional or social changes, which imply changes in the meanings encoded in space. These transformations are not always welcome and they may lead to public discussions and conflicts. Skopje 2014 is a project within which such controversial transformations have been taking place. The area surrounding the Vardar River and its banks plays a major role here. On the river banks monumental buildings were erected, bridges over the river were modernised and new ones, decorated with monuments, were built for pedestrians. Bridges can be considered a valuable component of any urban infrastructure as they link different parts of a settlement unit (in the case of Skopje – left (northern) bank and the right (southern) bank; Albanian and Macedonian), improve transport, facilitate trade and cultural exchange. In this context, referring to Lotman’s semiosphere theory, they may become borders of semiotic space, which acts as a filter that facilitates the penetration of codes and cultural texts. Yet, in multicultural Skopje meanings attached to bridges seem to lead to social inequalities as they glorify what is Macedonian and degrade the Albanian element. To validate this assumption we carried out semiotic analysis of bridges over the Vardar River which were renewed or built within the Skopje 2014 project to identify their role in shaping the semiosphere of the Macedonian capital.
Clay minerals identification by x-ray powder diffraction near a mining site, Malaysia

The soil samples collected from an agricultural region near the Sungai Chalit mine site in Raub, Pahang, Malaysia were subjected to X-ray powder diffraction (XRPD) analysis for the first time. The PanAnalytikX’pert Pro XRD equipment at the XRD laboratory, Material Technology, Nuclear Malaysia, was used to identify the clay minerals present in the samples. After thorough analysis of all samples, it has been determined that microcline is found in every sample, whereas bytownite has been detected in just three unique samples (DS2, DS15, and DS17). Two discrete variants of zeolite were discerned in two specimens, denoted as DS2 and DS17. Sample DS6 contains kaolinite. Sample C13 comprises four clay minerals: microcline, anorthite, birnessite, and tremolite. The occurrence of microcline in soil signifies the erosion of rocks abundant in feldspar, such as granite, resulting in a reduction of essential minerals like potassium and calcium. This depletion has the potential to affect plant nutrition and crop yield. Bangladesh J. Nuclear Agric, 37(2): 121-133, 2023
Musculoskeletal Pain, Physical Activity, Muscle Mass, and Mortality in Older Adults: Results from the Korean Longitudinal Study on Health and Aging (KLoSHA)

Background and objectives: Musculoskeletal (MSK) pain significantly impacts physical activity and quality of life in older adults, potentially influencing mortality. This study explored the relationship between MSK pain, physical activity, muscle mass, and mortality among older adults. Material and Methods: We studied 1000 participants in the Korean Longitudinal Study on Health and Aging (KLoSHA), a prospective, population-based cohort study of people aged 65 years or older. Survival status was tracked over a 5-year period. Correlations between low back pain (LBP), knee pain, regular exercise, appendicular skeletal muscle mass (ASM), and other variables were analyzed. Logistic regression analyses were used to identify independent risk factors for mortality. Results: Of the total participants, 829 (82.9%) survived over a 5-year period. Survivors tended to be younger, had a higher BMI, and were more active in regular exercise. In contrast, non-survivors exhibited a higher prevalence of both LBP and knee pain, along with increased instances of multiple MSK pains. Lower ASM correlated moderately with LBP and knee pain, whereas higher ASM was associated with regular exercise. There was a moderate correlation between LBP and knee pain, both of which were associated with a lack of regular exercise. Age, sex, ASM, and regular exercise were significant predictors, even though MSK pain itself did not directly predict all-cause mortality. Conclusions: This study demonstrated the independent association between ASM, regular exercise, and mortality. Although MSK pain did not directly correlate with all-cause mortality, the non-survivor group had higher levels of both single and multiple MSK pains. Recognizing the interplay of MSK pain, physical activity, and muscle mass for older adults, the research underscores the need for holistic strategies to enhance health outcomes in older individuals with MSK pain.
Combined warmup exerts an ergogenic effect on the speed of sprint swimmers: A systematic review with meta-analysis

This study review and analyze studies that measured the effect of combined strength/power warmup (COMB) versus traditional (TRAD) on the post-activation performance enhancement (PAPE) of swimmers. For this, we performed a systematic review was carried out with meta-analysis based on descriptors related to PAPE in swimming. A total of 138 articles were identified, of which 15 were selected. Comparisons between the COMB condition and the TRAD warm-up were performed for the following set of variables: a) power in 50- and 100-meter events, b) start performance, c) test time of 50- and 100- meters, and d) instantaneous speed in 50-meters events. The data extracted from the studies showed acceptable homogeneity (I²=0.000). When we observed the confidence intervals, it was verified that there were no differences between the COMB condition and the TRAD for power in 50 and 100 m events (Hedges g'=-0.12; 95%CI=-0.376; 0.136; p=0.357); time in 50- and 100-meter races (Hedges g'=-0.139; 95%CI=-0.314; 0.036; p=0.118); start performance (Hedges g'=-0.313; 95%CI =-0.643; 0.018; p=0.064). The COMB condition had an ergogenic effect on instantaneous speed in the 50 m event (Hedges g'=-0.282; 95%CI=-0.402; -0.162; p≤0.001). In conclusion, the present meta-analysis concluded that the COMB intervention does not exert an ergogenic effect on the performance of swimmers for the set of analyzed variables, except for instantaneous speed in 50 m events. Future studies may compare other forms of warmup versus the TRAD. Keywords: Warm-up exercise; Musculoskeletal and Neural Physiological Phenomena; swimming; athletic performance.