Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Factors associated with COVID-19 masking behavior: an application of the Health Belief Model

Abstract Wearing a face mask is effective in minimizing the spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) among unvaccinated individuals and preventing severe illness among the vaccinated. Country, state and local guidelines promote, and at times mandate, mask-wearing despite it being publicly perceived as an individual’s choice. Guided by the Health Belief Model (HBM), structural equation modeling was used to analyze longitudinal data in a sample of US adults aged 18–49 years to identify constructs that contribute to face mask-wearing. Results indicated that perceived COVID-19 severity, perceived masking benefits and self-efficacy were positively associated with masking behavior, and masking barriers were negatively associated with masking behavior. Perceived susceptibility to COVID-19 and cues to action were nonsignificant correlates of masking behavior. These results’ theoretical and practical implications contribute to the literature on the HBM and the COVID-19 pandemic. Future directions and limitations are discussed.
Genome‐wide identification and biological relevance of broccoli aquaporins

Broccoli (Brassica oleracea var. italica) is an important crop worldwide, and its regular consumption is associated with health benefits due to the presence of various bioactive compounds. An optimal water balance and homeostasis are needed for plant growth; in this sense, aquaporins play a crucial role. As a result of a genome‐wide search, a total of 65 aquaporin genes were identified in broccoli. The aquaporins were classified according to their phylogenetic relationships with other Brassicas species and Arabidopsis thaliana, and evolutionary events of gene duplication were also assessed, highlighting the tendency of NIPs (Nodulin‐26‐like Intrinsic Proteins) to duplicate. Also, the chromosomal localization, gene duplication, the study of the conserved motifs, and the tertiary structure were determined in broccoli. Functional predictive analyses were also carried out, which, together with the expression analyses in different broccoli plant tissues, allowed the prediction of the biological role of each aquaporin isoform. BoiPIP1‐2a and BoiPIP1‐2b showed higher expression in all the plant tissues when compared with other aquaporins. BoiTIP1‐2b also showed high expression levels and was associated with nitrogen compounds transport such as urea. However, NIPs, through their differential expression and the tandem duplications of the isoforms, were revealed as the putative main actors in the response of broccoli plants to abiotic stress responses. The results of this work pointed to the physiological significance of each aquaporin isoform of broccoli, opening a new field of knowledge and constituting the first step of further in vivo analyses.
Highly stretchable and self-healable polymer gels from physical entanglements of ultrahigh–molecular weight polymers

Highly stretchable and self-healing polymer gels formed solely by physical entanglements of ultrahigh–molecular weight (UHMW) polymers were fabricated through a facile one-step process. Radical polymerization of vinyl monomers in ionic liquids under very low initiator concentration conditions produced UHMW polymers of more than 106 g/mol with nearly 100% yield, resulting in the formation of physically entangled transparent polymer gels. The UHMW gels showed excellent properties, such as high stretchability, high ionic conductivity, and recyclability. Furthermore, the UHMW gel exhibited room temperature self-healing ability without any external stimuli. The tensile experiments and molecular dynamics simulations indicate that the nonequilibrium state of the fractured surfaces and microscopic interactions between the polymer chains and solvents play a vital role in the self-healing ability. This study provides a physical approach for fabricating stretchable and self-healing polymer gels based on UHMW polymers.
Ultrastructure of the palatine tonsils of the donkey (Equus asinus): New insights by light, scanning, and transmission electron microscopy

The study aimed to explore the ultrastructure of the donkeys' palatine tonsils. Palatine tonsils of five male donkeys (5 years old) were investigated macroscopically and microscopically. The tonsils appeared as a dome shape with slight elevation and a circular opening on the surface of the oropharynx. The central tonsillar crypt appeared on the medial side of the palate‐pharyngeal folds and the floor of the oropharynx. The external surface of the palatine tonsil had different sizes of mucosal folds, some grooves directed to drainage at the tonsillar opening, and the tonsil crypt opening was a crescentic or irregular oval shape. The outer surface was covered by stratified squamous epithelium and modified to be reticular epithelium invaded by lymphocytes in the crypt called lympho‐epithelium. The tonsil crypt had aggregated lymphoid nodules, and the cryptal epithelium has surrounded by diffused lymphocytes and hassles corpuscles‐like structures. The lymphocytes infiltrated into different layers of the cryptal epithelium and transformed into reticular or lympho‐epithelium. The organized lymphoid nodules were primary and secondary, and the secondary ones had a light germinal center. The interfollicular area had many high endothelial venules and blood capillaries. The endothelial venules were lined by simple cuboidal epithelium and had lymphocytes. The blood capillaries had red blood cells and neutrophils. The tonsil was surrounded incompletely by a connective tissue capsule with mucous glands under that capsule. In conclusion, the epithelial lymphocyte infiltration, crypt epithelium, lymphoid nodules, and intra‐follicular area of the donkey's palatine tonsils indicate the humoral and cell‐mediated immunological process.
Superconductivity in CeBeH8 and CeBH8 at moderate pressures

High-pressure structural searches of superhydrides CeBeH8 and CeBH8 were performed under ambient pressure up to 300 GPa. We identify Fm3‾m -CeBeH8 with a superconducting transition temperature T c of 56 K at 10 GPa. Two more phases with spacegroup R3‾m and C2/m , were investigated within the increasing pressures. CeBH8 shows a similar phase transition process as CeBeH8 but with higher transition pressures and higher T c . Fm3‾m -CeBH8 is predicted to be superconducting above 120 GPa with a maximum T c of 118 K at 150 GPa. R3‾m -CeBH8 and C2/m -CeBH8 are dynamically stable above 120 GPa and 100 GPa, respectively. The maximum T c is 123 K at 195 GPa for R3‾m -CeBH8, and 115 K at 350 GPa for C2/m -CeBH8. Our work enriches the family of ternary hydrides and may provide a useful guideline for further search for superconducting hydrides at low and moderate pressures.
Modulation of Achilles tendon force with load carriage and exosuit assistance

Exosuits have the potential to assist locomotion in both healthy and pathological populations, but the effect of exosuit assistance on the underlying muscle-tendon tissue loading is not yet understood. In this study, we used shear wave tensiometers to characterize the modulation of Achilles tendon force with load carriage and exosuit assistance at the ankle. When walking (1.25 m/s) unassisted on a treadmill with load carriage weights of 15 and 30% of body weight, peak Achilles tendon force increased by 11 and 23%, respectively. Ankle exosuit assistance significantly reduced peak Achilles tendon force relative to unassisted, although the magnitude of change was variable across participants. Peak Achilles tendon force was significantly correlated with peak ankle torque for unassisted walking across load carriage conditions. However, when ankle plantarflexor assistance was applied, the relationship between peak tendon force and peak biological ankle torque was no longer significant. An outdoor pilot study was conducted in which a wearable shear wave tensiometer was used to measure Achilles tendon wave speed and compare across an array of assistance loading profiles. Reductions in tendon loading varied depending on the profile, highlighting the importance of in vivo measurements of muscle and tendon forces when studying and optimizing exoskeletons and exosuits. Description Exosuit assistance induces disparate changes in Achilles tendon force and biological ankle torque during load carriage.
Rapamycin and Torin2 inhibit Candida auris TOR: Insights through growth profiling, docking, and MD simulations

Abstract The fungus Candida auris is a pathogen of utmost concern due to its rapid emergence across the globe, acquired antifungal drug tolerance, thermotolerance, and ability to survive in hospital settings and preserved foods. Recent incidences of comorbidity of corona patients with its infection in hospital settings highlighted the importance of understanding the pathobiology and drug tolerance of this fungus on priority. The Target of rapamycin (TOR) is a central regulator of growth across eukaryotes with an illustrated role in fungal pathology. The role of the TOR signalling pathway in the growth of C. auris is yet to be described. In-silico, analysis revealed the presence of highly conserved Tor kinase, components of TORC, and key downstream components in C. auris. Rapamycin and Torin2, the specific inhibitors of Tor reduce the growth of C. auris. An inhibition of Tor leads to cell cycle arrest at the G1 phase with a defect in cytokinesis. Interestingly, with an insignificant difference in growth at 30 and 37 °C, a sharp decline in growth is seen with Torin2 at 37 °C. The heterogeneous response emphasizes the importance of physiology-based differential cellular response at different temperatures. In addition, the inhibition of Tor suppresses the biofilm formation. In silico studies through docking and simulations showed rapamycin and torin2 as specific inhibitors of C. auris Tor kinase (CauTor kinase) and hence can be exploited for a thorough understanding of the TOR signalling pathway in pathobiology and drug tolerance of C. auris. HIGHLIGHTS Conservation of TOR signalling pathway in Candida auris Rapamycin and torin2 are specific inhibitors of Cau Tor Understanding of the role of TOR signalling pathway through the use of inhibitors rapamycin and torin2. Heterogenous response of C. auris to torin2 at different physiological conditions. Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma
Mental health issues in parents of children with autism spectrum disorder: A multi‐time‐point study related to COVID‐19 pandemic

Given the unpredictability and challenges brought about by the 2019 novel coronavirus (COVID‐19) pandemic, this study aimed to investigate the impact trend of the prolonged pandemic on the mental health of parents of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The 8112 participants included parents of children with ASD and parents of typically developing (TD) children at two sites (Heilongjiang and Fujian province, China). The parents completed a set of self‐report questionnaires covering demographic characteristics, influences related to COVID‐19, COVID‐19 concerns and perceived behaviors, as well as the Connor‐Davidson resilience scale (CD‐RISC), self‐rating anxiety scale (SAS), and self‐rating depression scale (SDS) by means of an online survey platform. Data were collected by three cross‐sectional surveys carried out in April 2020 (Time 1), October 2020 (Time 2), and October 2021 (Time 3). The results of quantitative and qualitative comparisons showed that: (i) parents of children with ASD had lower levels of resilience, and more symptoms of anxiety and depression than parents of TD children at each time point (all P < 0.05); and (ii) there were significant time‐cumulative changes in resilience, anxiety, and depression among all participants (all P < 0.05). The logistic regression analyzes after adjusting for demographic characteristics revealed that the following factors were significantly associated with poor resilience and a higher rate of anxiety and depression in parents of children with ASD: time‐point, the effect of COVID‐19 on children's emotions and parents' emotions, changes in relationships, changes in physical exercise, changes in daily diet during the COVID‐19 pandemic, and COVID‐19‐related psychological distress. In conclusions, the parents did not report improvements in resilience, anxiety, or depression symptoms from Time 1 to Time 2 or 3, indicating that cumulative mental health issues increased when, surprisingly, the COVID‐19 restrictions were eased. The psychological harm resulting from the COVID‐19 pandemic is far‐reaching, especially among parents of children with ASD.
Relativistic Radiation Magnetohydrodynamics in Dynamical Spacetimes

Urbana-Champaign — Many systems of current interest in relativistic astrophysics require a knowledge of radiative transfer in a magnetized ﬂuid evolving in a strongly-curved, dynamical spacetime. Such systems include stel-lar core collapse, GRBs, binary NSNS and BHNS mergers, etc. To model these phenomena, all of which involve general relativity, radiation (either photons and/or neutrinos), and magnetohydrodynamics, we have developed a general relativistic code capable of evolving MHD ﬂuids and radiation in dynamical spacetimes. Our code solves the coupled Einstein-Maxwell-MHD-Radiation system of equations both in axisymmetry and in full 3 + 1 dimensions. We evolve the metric by integrating the BSSN equations, and use a conservative, high-resolution shock-capturing scheme to evolve both the MHD and radiation moment equations. For our initial study, we treat optically thick gases and assume grey-body opacities. We perform a suite of tests to verify our code. In this talk, we summarize tests involving radiating shocks and nonlinear waves propagating in Minkowski spacetime with planar symmetry.
Two-dimensional demixing within multilayered nanoemulsion films

Benefiting from the demixing of substances in the two-phase region, a smart polymer laminate film system that exhibits direction-controlled phase separation behavior was developed in this study. Here, nanoemulsion films (NEFs) in which liquid nanodrops were uniformly confined in a polymer laminate film through the layer-by-layer deposition of oppositely charged emulsion nanodrops and polyelectrolytes were fabricated. Upon reaching a critical temperature, the NEFs exhibited a micropore-guided demixing phenomenon. A simulation study based on coarse-grained molecular dynamics revealed that the perpendicular diffusion of oil droplets through the micropores generated in the polyelectrolyte layer is crucial for determining the coarsening kinetics and phase separation level, which is consistent with the experimental results. Considering the substantial advantages of this unique and tunable two-dimensional demixing behavior, the viability of using the as-proposed NEF system for providing an efficient route for the development of smart drug delivery patches was demonstrated.
THE FIRST DISCOVERY OF A VARIABLE MAGNETIC FIELD IN X-RAY BINARY Cyg X-1=V1357 Cyg

The X-ray binary Cyg X-1=V1357 Cyg=HDE 226868 is a microquasar containing thehistorically ﬁrst black-hole candidate. Theoretical models describing processes in objectswith black holes, like microquasars or active galactic nuclei, are dominated with themagnetic-disk-accretion paradigm. Nevertheless, no reliable measurements of magneticﬁelds in these systems were available so far. Shvartsman (1971) was the ﬁrst to predictthe existence of a magnetic ﬁeld for Cyg X-1. He wrote that ﬂickering X-ray emissionfrom Cyg X-1 evidenced for the presence of a black hole and indicated the role of themagnetic ﬁeld in accretion onto a black hole (Pustilnik & Shvartsman, 1974; Kaplan S see also references therein. Using the method describedthere, we obtained the mean longitudinal magnetic ﬁeld hB
GEOS RR Lyr survey: FM Del is indeed a cepheid

Though FM Del has been considered as a RR Lyr star by Preston et al. in 1959 (following discovery by Huth, 1957), Huth (1960) eventually changed his mind by showing that it is in fact a cepheid of W Vir type of period of 3.95452 days. Various authors since then have considered it as a cepheid indeed, with the exception of Wils et al. (2006) who list this star in their RR Lyr catalog with a period of 0.79688 days. On this basis, FM Del was added to Tarot RR Lyr program. We present here these observations which confirm the cepheid type.
Novel and emerging treatment strategies for lupus nephritis

ABSTRACT Introduction Lupus nephritis (LN) is a key predictor for kidney failure and death in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus. While conventional immunosuppressive treatments have improved the outcome of LN, novel therapies continue to emerge. These new agents targetspecific immune-reactive cells, cytokines and signaling pathways in LN pathogenesis. Areas covered New therapeutic approaches that target B cells, T cells, crucial cytokines and their signaling pathways in LN. Expert opinion Although earlier studies of rituximab fail to show benefit, a newer generation anti-CD20 biologic, obinutuzumab, is promising in LN. Inhibition of B-cell activating factor by belimumab confers superior renal response when added to the standard of care (SOC) regimens, leading to its recent approval for LN. Therapies targeting plasma cells (proteasome inhibitors, anti-CD38) in LN are being developed. A newer generation calcineurin inhibitor, voclosporin, when combined with SOC, results in better renal responses in LN. Other innovative strategies include targeting type I interferon, co-stimulatory signals, complement cascade (anti-C5b) and intracellular proliferation signals (e.g. mTOR, JAK1/2, BTK). While these novel agents improve the short-term renal responses without increased toxicities, long-term data on disease progression and safety remain to be established. Patient stratification by clinical phenotypes, biomarkers and molecular profiles helps enhance the efficacy and cost-effectiveness of novel therapies of LN.
Statistical analysis of the mass-to-flux ratio in turbulent cores: effects of magnetic field reversals and dynamo amplification

We study the mass-to-flux ratio M/Φ of clumps and cores in simulations of supersonic, magnetohydrodynamical turbulence for different initial magnetic field strengths. We investigate whether the M/Φ of core and envelope, can be used to distinguish between theories of ambipolar diffusion and turbulence-regulated star formation. We analyse for different lines of sight (LoSs) in various subcubes of our simulation box. We find that (1) the average and median values of for different times and initial magnetic field strengths are typically ≳1; (2) the average and median values of saturate at for smaller magnetic fields; and (3) values of for small magnetic fields in the envelope are caused by field reversals when turbulence twists the field lines such that field components in different directions average out. Finally, we propose two mechanisms for generating values for the weak and strong magnetic field limits in the context of a turbulent model. First, in the weak field limit, the small-scale turbulent dynamo leads to a significantly increased flux in the core and we find . Secondly, in the strong field limit, field reversals in the envelope also lead to values . These reversals are less likely to occur in the core region where the velocity field is more coherent and the internal velocity dispersion is typically subsonic.
Three‐dimensional optical laser lithography beyond the diffraction limit

Direct laser writing has become a versatile and routine tool for the mask‐free fabrication of polymer structures with lateral linewidths down to less than 100 nm. In contrast to its planar counterpart, electron‐beam lithography, direct laser writing also allows for the making of three‐dimensional structures. However, its spatial resolution has been restricted by diffraction. Clearly, linewidths and resolutions on the scale of few tens of nanometers and below are highly desirable for various applications in nanotechnology. In visible‐light far‐field fluorescence microscopy, the concept of stimulated emission depletion (STED) introduced in 1994 has led to spectacular record resolutions down to 5.6 nm in 2009. This review addresses approaches aiming at translating this success in optical microscopy to optical lithography. After explaining basic principles and limitations, possible depletion mechanisms and recent lithography experiments by various groups are summarized. Today, Abbe's diffraction barrier as well as the generalized two‐photon Sparrow criterion have been broken in far‐field optical lithography. For further future progress in resolution, the development of novel tailored photoresists in combination with attractive laser sources is of utmost importance.
Circular RNAs in endometrial carcinoma

As one of the leading causes of death in women in Western developed countries, endometrial carcinoma (EC) is a common gynecological malignant tumor that seriously threatens women's health. In recent years, a trend has emerged of EC being manifested in younger women, and its overall incidence is gradually rising. Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are novel endogenous transcripts that have limited ability to encode proteins due to their covalent closed-loop structure, which differs from that of other types of RNA. A growing body of evidence has demonstrated that circRNAs fulfill an important role in lung cancer, gastric cancer, breast cancer, EC and other malignant tumor types, and they can affect the occurrence and development of these malignancies through a variety of pathways, further demonstrating the potential of circRNAs as molecular biomarkers for the diagnosis, treatment and prognosis of malignant tumors. The purpose of the present review is to summarize the current understanding of the biogenesis and effects of circRNAs, and to discuss the expression, function and underlying mechanism of circRNAs in EC in order to identify potential novel biomarkers.
Speed vs Accuracy: Effect on Ligand Pose Accuracy of Varying Box Size and Exhaustiveness in AutoDock Vina

Structure‐based virtual high‐throughput screening involves docking chemical libraries to targets of interest. A parameter pertinent to the accuracy of the resulting pose is the root mean square deviation (RMSD) from a known crystallographic structure, i. e. , the ‘docking power’. Here, using a popular algorithm, Autodock Vina, as a model program, we evaluate the effects of varying two common docking parameters: the box size (the size of docking search space) and the exhaustiveness of the global search (the number of independent runs starting from random ligand conformations) on the RMSD from the PDBbind v2017 refined dataset of experimental protein‐ligand complexes. Although it is clear that exhaustiveness is an important parameter, there is wide variation in the values used, with variation between 1 and >100. We, therefore, evaluated a combination of cubic boxes of different sizes and five exhaustiveness values (1, 8, 25, 50, 75, 100) within the range of those commonly adopted. The results show that the default exhaustiveness value of 8 performs well overall for most box sizes. In contrast, for all box sizes, but particularly for large boxes, an exhaustiveness value of 1 led to significantly higher median RMSD (mRMSD) values. The docking power was slightly improved with an exhaustiveness of 25, but the mRMSD changes little with values higher than 25. Therefore, although low exhaustiveness is computationally faster, the results are more likely to be far from reality, and, conversely, values >25 led to little improvement at the expense of computational resources. Overall, we recommend users to use at least the default exhaustiveness value of 8 for virtual screening calculations.