Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
An Edge-Referenced Surface Fresh Layer in the Beaufort Sea Seasonal Ice Zone

AbstractTo understand the factors causing the interannual variations in the summer retreat of the Beaufort Sea ice edge, Seasonal Ice Zone Reconnaissance Surveys (SIZRS) aboard U.S. Coast Guard Arctic Domain Awareness flights were made monthly from June to October in 2012, 2013, and 2014. The seasonal ice zone (SIZ) is where sea ice melts and reforms annually and encompasses the nominally narrower marginal ice zone (MIZ) where a mix of open-ocean and ice pack processes prevail. Thus, SIZRS provides a regional context for the smaller-scale MIZ processes. Observations with aircraft expendable conductivity–temperature–depth probes reveal a salinity pattern associated with large-scale gyre circulation and the seasonal formation of a shallow (~20 m) fresh layer moving with the ice edge position. Repeat occupations of the SIZRS lines from 72° to 76°N on 140° and 150°W allow a comparison of observed hydrography to atmospheric indices. Using this relationship, the basinwide salinity signals are separated from the.
Mesenchymal Stem/Stromal Cells Induce Myeloid-Derived Suppressor Cells in the Bone Marrow via the Activation of the c-Jun N-Terminal Kinase Signaling Pathway

Our previous study demonstrated that mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (MSCs) induce the differentiation of myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) in the bone marrow (BM) under inflammatory conditions. In this study, we aimed to investigate the signaling pathway involved. RNA-seq revealed that the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway exhibited the highest number of upregulated genes in MSC-induced MDSCs. Western blot analysis confirmed the strong phosphorylation of c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) in BM cells cocultured with MSCs under granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor stimulation, whereas p38 kinase activation remained unchanged in MSC-cocultured BM cells. JNK inhibition by SP600125 abolished the expression of Arg1 and Nos2, hallmark genes of MDSCs, as well as Hif1a, a molecule mediating monocyte functional reprogramming toward a suppressive phenotype, in MSC-cocultured BM cells. JNK inhibition also abrogated the effects of MSCs on the production of TGF-β1, TGF-β2 and IL-10 in BM cells. Furthermore, JNK inhibition increased Tnfa expression, while suppressing IL-10 production, in MSC-cocultured BM cells in response to lipopolysaccharides. Collectively, our results suggest that MSCs induce MDSC differentiation and promote immunoregulatory cytokine production in BM cells during inflammation, at least in part, through the activation of the JNK–MAPK signaling pathway.
Detection of microsatellite instability in Czech HNPCC patients

The detection of microsatellite instability (MSI) is a standard part of mutational analysis in hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancers (HNPCC). A characteristic phenotypic feature of MSI indicates loss of mismatch repair (MMR) in tumour cells.We studied MSI in 205 tumours from 152 patients with HNPCC. Of these, 37 patients fulfilled the Amsterdam criteria, 72 patients were familial and 43 were sporadic cases. We used the method of fragmentation analysis (ABI Prism 310 Genetic Analyzer) with fluorescent labelled primers; three mononucleotide (BAT-RII, BAT-25, BAT-26) and five dinucleotide (D2S123, D3S1029, D5S346, D17S250, D18S58) repeat loci were analysed. We detected 75 tumours with a high degree of MSI (MSI-H), 12 tumours with a low degree of MSI (MSI-L) and 118 tumours with stable microsatellites (MSS). We found a loss of heterozygozity (LOH) in 44 MSS tumours. In 30 patients with MSI-H tumours mutation in one of mismatch repair genes was detected.
Evaluating the efficiency, productivity change, and technology gaps of China’s provincial higher education systems: A comprehensive analytical framework

China’s higher education system is one of the largest and most complex in the world, with a vast number of higher education institutions scattered across different provinces. Evaluating the efficiency, productivity change, and technology gaps of these institutions is significant for understanding their performance and identifying areas for improvement. In this context, this study employs three different approaches, DEA super-SBM, Malmquist Productivity Index, and Meta-Frontier Analysis, to evaluate the efficiency, productivity change, and technology gaps of China’s provincial higher education systems. The study results revealed that the average higher education efficiency in China is 1.0015 for the study period of 2010–2021. A rapid and continuous increase was witnessed in higher education efficiency in China from 2014 to 2020. Meta-frontier and Group-frontier, higher education efficiency scores of low-level literate provinces are greater than middle and high-level literate provinces. However, the TGR of higher and middle-level literate provinces is greater than low-level literate provinces, indicating a superior technological level. The average MI score is 1.0034, indicating growth in productivity change. Efficiency change is the main determinant in higher education productivity growth instead of technological growth. The Middle and Low-level literate provinces witnessed growth in higher education productivity, while high-level literate provinces observed a decline in productivity change. The Kruskal-Wallis test provides evidence that a significant statistical difference exists among the three groups of education levels for the average scores of MI, EC, TC, and TGR.
A patient-centred and multi-stakeholder co-designed observational prospective study protocol: Example of the adolescent experience of treatment for X-linked hypophosphataemia (XLH)

The importance of patient centricity and keeping the patient at the heart of research design is now well recognised within the healthcare community. The involvement of patient, caregiver and clinician representatives in the study design process may help researchers to achieve this goal and to ensure robust and meaningful data generation. Real-world data collection allows for a more flexible and patient-centred research approach for gaining important insights into the experience of disease and treatments, which is acutely relevant for rare diseases where knowledge about the disease is more likely to be limited. Here, we describe a practical example of a patient-centric, multi-stakeholder approach that led to the co-design of a prospective observational study investigating the lived experience of adolescents with the rare disease, X-linked hypophosphataemia. Specifically, we describe how the knowledge and expertise of a diverse research team, which included expert physicians, research and technology specialists, patients and caregivers, were applied in order to identify the relevant research questions and to ensure the robustness of the study design and its appropriateness to the population of interest within the context of the current clinical landscape. We also demonstrate how a structured patient engagement exercise was key to informing the selection of appropriate outcome measures, data sources, timing of data collection, and to assessing the feasibility and acceptability of the proposed data collection approach.
Transcutaneous cervical vagus nerve stimulation improves sensory performance in humans

Accurate senses depend on high-fidelity encoding by sensory receptors and error-free processing in the brain. Progress has been made towards restoring damaged sensory receptors. However, methods for on-demand treatment of impaired central sensory processing are scarce. Prior invasive studies demonstrated that continuous vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) in rodents can activate the locus coeruleus-norepinephrine system to rapidly improve central sensory processing. Here, we investigated whether transcutaneous VNS improves sensory performance in humans. We conducted three sham-controlled experiments, each with 12 neurotypical adults, that measured the effects of transcutaneous VNS on metrics of auditory and visual performance, and heart rate variability (HRV). Continuous stimulation was delivered to cervical (tcVNS) or auricular (taVNS) branches of the vagus nerve while participants performed psychophysics tasks or passively viewed a display. Relative to sham stimulation, tcVNS improved auditory performance by 37% (p=0.00052) and visual performance by 23% (p=0.038). Participants with lower performance during sham conditions experienced larger tcVNS-evoked improvements (p=0.0040). Lastly, tcVNS increased HRV during passive viewing, corroborating vagal engagement. No evidence for an effect of taVNS was observed. These findings validate the effectiveness of tcVNS in humans and position it as a method for on-demand interventions of impairments associated with central sensory processing dysfunction.
Metformin inhibits high glucose‐induced apoptosis of renal podocyte through regulating miR‐34a/SIRT1 axis

Abstract Background Previous studies have reported SIRT1 was inversely modulated by miR‐34a, However, mechanism of metformin (MFN)'s renal podocyte protection under high glucose (HG) conditions and the connection between miR‐34a and SIRT1 expression in diabetic nephropathy (DN) remain unclear. Method We aimed to further elucidate the role of miR‐34a in HG‐treated podocytes in DN. A conditionally immortalized human podocyte cell line was cultivated in d‐glucose (30 mM). Results Microarray and RT‐qPCR revealed that miR‐34a was downregulated in HG‐treated podocytes. Additionally, miR‐34a levels increased in MFN‐treated HG‐induced podocytes. CCK‐8 assay, colony formation assay, flow cytometry, and Western blot detection showed that HG treatment reduced cell viability and promoted via HG treatment, and MFN treatment reversed this phenotypic change. MiR‐34a upregulation caused restored cell viability and suppressed cell apoptosis in HG‐treated podocytes, and miR‐34a downregulation led to damaged cell survival and induced apoptosis in MFN‐administered and HG‐treated podocytes. The dual luciferase reporter assay showed that SIRT1 3′‐UTR was a direct miR‐34a target. Further studies demonstrated an elevation in SIRT1 levels in HG‐exposed podocytes, whereas MFN treatment decreased SIRT1 levels. In addition, miR‐34a upregulation led to reduced SIRT1 expression, whereas miR‐34a inhibition increased SIRT1 levels in cells. MFN‐induced miR‐34a suppresses podocyte apoptosis under HG conditions by acting on SIRT1. Conclusion This study proposes a promising approach to interpret the mechanisms of action of the MFN‐miR‐34a axis involved in DN.
Clinical performance of AMA‐M2, anti‐gp210 and anti‐sp100 antibody levels in primary biliary cholangitis: When detected by multiplex bead‐based flow fluorescent immunoassay

Abstract Background and Aim Primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) is a chronic autoimmune cholangiopathy, characterized by the presence of some autoantibodies in the serum. This study aimed to evaluate the clinical significance of AMA‐M2, anti‐gp210 and anti‐sp100 antibody levels detected by multiplex bead‐based flow fluorescent immunoassay (MBFFI) in PBC. Methods This study cohort included 238 PBC patients, 81 autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) patients, 62 systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients, and 118 healthy controls. Serum AMA‐M2, anti‐gp210 and anti‐sp100 antibody were detected by MBFFI and immunoblotting assay (IBT). The relationship between three antibody levels and cirrhosis, liver function, cholestasis markers and therapeutic effect to ursodesoxycholic acid (UDCA) was evaluated in PBC. Results MBFFI were presented good coincidence rate (87.39%–95.38%) with IBT. The level of AMA‐M2, anti‐gp210 and anti‐sp100 antibodies in PBC patients were higher than other disease group and healthy controls (p ＜ .01). When compared with the healthy controls group, the AUC of AMA‐M2, anti‐gp210 and anti‐sp100 antibodies were 0.9245, 0.7619, and 0.6789, respectively. In addition, gp210 antibody levels have diagnostic value in patients with liver cirrhosis (AUC: 0.7567). We found that when combine detect these three antibodies, the sensitivity was higher than individually detection. High level of serum anti‐gp210 antibody could be related to worse liver function and more severe cholestasis in PBC patients. Moreover, serum antibody levels may decrease or remained flat in patients who responded well to UDCA. Conclusion The detection of AMA‐M2, anti‐gp210 and anti‐sp100 antibody levels by MBFFI showed good performance in the diagnosis of PBC. Serum anti‐gp210 antibody level is related to cirrhosis, poor liver function and severe cholestasis in PBC.
CD169 Expression in Lymph Nodes is Associated with Increased Infiltration of CD8+ T Cells in Tumors: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

The density of CD169+ macrophages has been reported to positively correlate with the number of CD8+ T cells, although this remains controversial. To better understand this topic, we conducted a meta-analysis. We searched the PubMed, Medline, and Web of Science databases for studies that were published before May 2022 and performed a meta-analysis of the incidence of low and high CD169 expression in groups based on CD8 expression using the random-effects model. A total of 10 studies were included in the meta-analysis. The incidence of high CD169 expression in lymph nodes was significantly lower than that of low CD169 expression in the low CD8 expression group (odds ratio (OR): 0.76, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.6, 0.96); however, the incidence of high CD169 expression in lymph nodes was higher than that of low CD169 expression in the high CD8 expression group (OR: 1.50, 95% CI: 1.08, 2.07). We also found that the expression of CD169 in tumors was lower than that in nontumor tissues (standardized mean difference: −5.29, 95% CI: −7.47, −3.11). The overall survival and hazard ratio of patients with high and low CD169 expression was 0.45 (95% CI: 0.37, 0.55). This analysis showed that high CD169 expression was associated with a high CD8 expression, and low CD169 expression was associated with low CD8 expression. The risk of death was 55% lower for patients with high CD169 expression, and high CD169 expression may be associated with favorable survival outcomes in cancer patients. However, the number and heterogeneity of the studies should be taken into consideration when evaluating the analysis. High-quality randomized controlled trials on the association between CD169 and CD8 expression are needed to verify these effects.
Microstructural and chemical features of impact melts on Ryugu particle surfaces: Records of interplanetary dust hit on asteroid Ryugu

The Hayabusa2 spacecraft delivered samples of the carbonaceous asteroid Ryugu to Earth. Some of the sample particles show evidence of micrometeoroid impacts, which occurred on the asteroid surface. Among those, particles A0067 and A0094 have flat surfaces on which a large number of microcraters and impact melt splashes are observed. Two impact melt splashes and one microcrater were analyzed to unveil the nature of the objects that impacted the asteroid surface. The melt splashes consist mainly of Mg-Fe–rich glassy silicates and Fe-Ni sulfides. The microcrater trapped an impact melt consisting mainly of Mg-Fe–rich glassy silicate, Fe-Ni sulfides, and minor silica-rich glass. These impact melts show a single compositional trend indicating mixing of Ryugu surface materials and impactors having chondritic chemical compositions. The relict impactor in one of the melt splashes shows mineralogical similarity with anhydrous chondritic interplanetary dust particles having a probable cometary origin. The chondritic micrometeoroids probably impacted the Ryugu surface during its residence in a near-Earth orbit.
CX3CR1 is a potential biomarker of immune microenvironment and prognosis in epithelial ovarian cancer

Immunotherapy is less efficient for epithelial ovarian cancer and lacks ideal biomarkers to select the best beneficiaries for immunotherapy. CX3CR1 as chemokine receptor mainly expressed on immune cell membranes, and combined with its unique ligand CX3CL1, mediates tissue chemotaxis and adhesion of immune cells. However, the immune functional and prognostic value of CX3CR1 in epithelial ovarian cancer has not been clarified. A comprehensive retrospective analysis was performed by using the online database to identify the underlying immunological mechanisms and prognostic value of CX3CR1. The Human Protein Atlas, gene expression profiling interactive analysis, and TISIDB (an integrated repository portal for tumor-immune system interactions) database showed that CX3CR1 expressed higher in epithelial ovarian cancer than that in normal ovarian tissue. Four hundred twenty-two cases from Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis and 1656 cases from Kaplan–Meier plotter database showed higher expression of CX3CR1 (above median) was associated with unfavorable overall survival. TIMER, UALCAN, and TISIDB database were applied to validate CX3CR1 negative impact on overall survival. In addition, correlation analysis showed that the expression level of CX3CR1 was positive association with infiltrating levels of B cells (R = 0.31, P = 3.10e−12), CD8+ T cells (R = 0.26, P = 7.93e−09), CD4+ T cells (R = 0.11, P = 1.41e−02), macrophages (R = 0.32, P = 4.29e−13), dendritic cells (R = 0.27, P = 2.98e−09), and neutrophil (R = 0.25, P = 3.25e−08) in epithelial ovarian cancer. Therefore, CX3CR1 involved in reshaping the immune microenvironment for epithelial ovarian cancer and maybe a potential immunotherapy target and prognostic marker for ovarian cancer.
The art of valuation: Using visual analysis to price classical paintings by Swedish Masters

This study seeks to address the difficulty of pricing art and the limitations of conventional valuation models by using visual analysis to determine the price of paintings. We examine a large hand-collected sample of classical paintings by Swedish Masters, categorize them based on various dimensions, and reduce measurement error by visually examining and classifying each painting into a theme. We compare this ‘visual’ approach with the conventional ‘terminological’ approach. We find that the technique, theme, and auction house all have a substantial impact on the price. We argue that a visual inspection should take precedence over analysis based on the artwork’s title. This is because the latter leaves many artworks unclassified and results in a systematic bias. The study demonstrates the importance of using art-informed characteristics to reduce measurement error in pricing paintings.
Distinctive genes and signaling pathways associated with type 2 diabetes-related periodontitis: Preliminary study

The biological mechanisms underlying the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes (T2DM)-related periodontitis remain unclear. This cross-sectional study evaluated the distinctive transcriptomic changes between tissues with periodontal health and with periodontitis in patients with T2DM. In this cross-sectional study, whole transcriptome sequencing was performed on gingival biopsies from non-periodontitis and periodontitis tissues from non-diabetic and diabetic patients. A differentially expressed gene (DEG) analysis and Ingenuity Pathway Analysis (IPA) assessed the genes and signaling pathways associated with T2DM-related periodontitis. Immunohistochemistry was performed to validate selected DEGs possibly involved in T2DM-related periodontitis. Four hundred and twenty and one thousand five hundred and sixty-three DEGs (fold change ≥ 2) were uniquely identified in the diseased tissues of non-diabetic and diabetic patients, respectively. The IPA predicted the activation of Phagosome Formation, Cardiac β-adrenergic, tRNA Splicing, and PI3K/AKT pathways. The IPA also predicted the inhibition of Cholesterol Biosynthesis, Adrenomedullin, and Inositol Phosphate Compounds pathways in T2DM-related periodontitis. Validation of DEGs confirmed changes in protein expression of PTPN2, PTPN13, DHCR24, PIK3R2, CALCRL, IL1RN, IL-6R and ITGA4 in diseased tissues in diabetic subjects. Thus, these preliminary findings indicate that there are specific genes and functional pathways that may be involved in the pathogenesis of T2DM-related periodontitis.
An empirical comparison of some missing data treatments in PLS-SEM

PLS-SEM is frequently used in applied studies as an excellent tool for examining causal-predictive associations of models for theory development and testing. Missing data are a common problem in empirical analysis, and PLS-SEM is no exception. A comprehensive review of the PLS-SEM literature reveals a high preference for the listwise deletion and mean imputation methods in dealing with missing values. PLS-SEM researchers often disregard strategies for addressing missing data, such as regression imputation and imputation based on the Expectation Maximization (EM) algorithm. In this study, we investigate the utility of these underutilized techniques for dealing with missing values in PLS-SEM and compare them with mean imputation and listwise deletion. Monte Carlo simulations were conducted based on two prominent social science models: the European Customer Satisfaction Index (ECSI) and the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT). Our simulation experiments reveal the outperformance of the regression imputation against the other alternatives in the recovery of model parameters and precision of parameter estimates. Hence, regression imputation merit more widespread adoption for treating missing values when analyzing PLS-SEM studies.
Tectonic Implications of Small Earthquakes in the Central Transverse Ranges

Fault-plane solutions for 22 small (local magnitude (M_L ≤ 4.6) earthquakes in the central Transverse Ranges were determined using an azimuthally varying crustal model. The dominant type of faulting observed is reverse faulting on east-striking planes, which suggests a regional stress field characterized by north-south compression. Some strike-slip faulting also occurs. There is some indication that strike-slip earthquakes may be more common than reverse-slip earthquakes during episodes of crustal dilatation. The rate of north-south crustal shortening attributable to small-0earthquake deformation during 1974-76 is two orders of magnitude smaller than the north-south contraction of 0.3 parts per million per year measured at the surface. The scatter in earthquake hypocenters and the general inconsistency of focal mechanisms with geologically determined motions on nearby major faults indicate that the small earthquakes in this region are not associated with large-scale block movements along major fault systems. Rather, they appear to represent fracturing along random minor zones of weakness in response to the regional stress field or, alternatively, small-scale block movements that are below the resolution of this study. Earthquakes in the San Gabriel Mountains north of the Santa Susana-Sierra Madre-Cucamonga frontal fault system tend to concentrate near the eastern and western ends of the range, where good evidence for late Quaternary movement along the frontal faults has been found. Seismicity is markedly lower north of the central section of the frontal fault system, where evidence for late Quaternary movement is lacking.