Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Clinical usefulness of the baby vision test in young children and its correlation with the Snellen chart.

AIM To investigate the efficacy of a new visual acuity (VA) screening method, the baby vision test for young children. METHODS A total 105 eyes of 65 children aged 2-8y were included in the study. Acuity testing was conducted using a standardized recognition acuity chart (Snellen visual chart: at 3 m) and the baby vision model assessment. The baby vision device includes a screen, a near infrared camera and a computer. Children were seated at a measured distance of 33-40 cm from a display for testing. VA was estimated according to the highest resolution the children could follow. Decimal VA data were converted to logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution (logMAR) for statistical analysis. The VA results for each child were recorded and analyzed for consistency. RESULTS The mean VA measured using the Snellen visual chart was 0.62±0.32, and that assessed using the baby vision test was 0.66±0.27. The 95% limit of agreement was -0.609 to 0.695, with 95.2% (100/105) plots within the 95% limits of agreement. VA values of the baby vision test were significantly correlated with those of the Snellen chart (R=0.274, P=0.005). CONCLUSION The baby vision test can be used as a relatively reliable method for estimating VA in young children. This new acuity assessment might be a valid predictor of optotype-measured acuity later in preverbal children.
Drastic: A Standardized System to Evaluate Groundwater Pollution Potential using Hydrogeologic Setting

DRASTIC is a methodology which allows the pollution potential of any area to be systematically evaluated. The system optimizes the use of existing data and has two major portions: the designation of mappable units, termed hydrogeologic settings, and the superposition of a relative ranking system called DRASTIC. Hydrogeologic settings incorporate the major hydrogeologic factors which are used to infer the potential for to enter groundwater. These factors form the acronym DRASTIC and include depth to water, net recharge, aquifer media, soil media, topography, impact of the vadose zone and hydraulic conductivity of the aquifer. The relative ranking scheme uses a combination of weights and ratings to produce a numerical value, called the DRASTIC Index which helps prioritize areas with respect to pollution potential.
Higher Renal Net Acid Excretion, but Not Higher Phosphate Excretion, during Childhood and Adolescence Associates with the Circulating Renal Tubular Injury Marker Interleukin-18 in Adulthood

High dietary phosphorus intake (P-In) and high acid loads may adversely affect kidney function. In animal models, excessive phosphorus intake causes renal injury, which, in humans, is also inducible by chronic metabolic acidosis. We thus examined whether habitually high P-In and endogenous acid production during childhood and adolescence may be early indicators of incipient renal inflammatory processes later in adulthood. P-In and acid–base status were longitudinally and exclusively determined by biomarker-based assessment in 277 healthy children, utilizing phosphate and net acid excretion (NAE) measurements in 24 h urine samples repeatedly collected between the ages of 3 and 17 years. Standard deviation scores (by sex and age) were calculated for anthropometric data and for the urinary biomarkers available within age range 3–17 years. Multivariable linear regression was used to analyze the relations of phosphate excretion and NAE with the adulthood outcome circulating interleukin-18 (IL-18), a marker of inflammation and kidney dysfunction. After adjusting for growth- and adulthood-related covariates and pro-inflammatory biomarkers to rule out confounding by non-renal inflammatory processes, regression models revealed a significant positive relationship of long-term NAE (p = 0.01), but not of long-term phosphate excretion with adult serum IL-18. Similar significant positive regression results were obtained after replacing NAE with 24 h urinary ammonium excretion as the exposition variable. Our results suggest that even moderate elevations in renal ammonia production, as caused by habitually higher acid loading during growth, may affect the intrarenal pro-inflammatory system in the long-term, known to be boosted by acidosis-induced raised ammoniagenesis.
Pan-Cancer Analysis Reveals Disulfidoptosis-Associated Genes as Promising Immunotherapeutic Targets: Insights Gained from Bulk Omics and Single-Cell Sequencing Validation

Disulfidoptosis, a novel form of cell death, is distinct from other well-known cell death mechanisms. Consequently, a profound investigation into disulfidoptosis elucidates the fundamental mechanisms underlying tumorigenesis, presenting promising avenues for therapeutic intervention. Comprehensive analysis of disulfidoptosis-associated gene (DRG) expression in pan cancer utilized TCGA, GEO, and ICGC datasets, including survival and Cox-regression analyses for prognostic evaluation. We analyzed the association between DRG expression and both immune cell infiltration and immune-related gene expression using the ESTIMATE and TISDIB datasets. We obtained our single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) data from the GEO repository. Subsequently, we assessed disulfidoptosis activity in various cell types. Evaluation of immune cell infiltration and biological functions was analyzed via single-sample gene set enrichment (ssGSEA) and gene set variation analysis (GSVA). For in vitro validation experiments, the results from real-time PCR (RT-qPCR) and Western blot were used to explore the expression of SLC7A11 in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) tissues and different cancer cell lines, while siRNA-mediated SLC7A11 knockdown effects on HCC cell proliferation and migration were examined. Expression levels of DRGs, especially SLC7A11, were significantly elevated in tumor samples compared to normal samples, which was associated with poorer outcomes. Except for SLC7A11, DRGs consistently exhibited high CNV and SNV rates, particularly in HCC. In various tumors, DRGs were negatively associated with DNA promoter methylation. TME analyses further illustrated a negative correlation of DRG expression with ImmuneScore and StromalScore and a positive correlation with tumor purity. Our analysis unveiled diverse cellular subgroups within HCC, particularly focusing on Treg cell populations, providing insights into the intricate interplay of immune activation and suppression within the tumor microenvironment (TME). These findings were further validated through RT-qPCR, Western blot analyses, and immunohistochemical analyses. Additionally, the knockdown of SLC7A11 induced a suppression of proliferation and migration in HCC cell lines. In conclusion, our comprehensive pan-cancer analysis research has demonstrated the significant prognostic and immunological role of disulfidoptosis across a spectrum of tumors, notably HCC, and identified SLC7A11 as a promising therapeutic target.
3-D Beam-Steering MIMO Antenna for On-Body IoT Applications

In this article, a compact 3-D beam-steering MIMO antenna operating at 5.75 GHz is proposed for on-body Internet-of-Things (IoT) applications. The planar antenna comprises a central patch and two concentric annular rings. The theory of spherical modes is used to discuss the beam-steering concept, where the free space measured beam-scanning covers the entire <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">${xy}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> plane, while a 44° range is realized in <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">${x{z}}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> and <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">${y{z}}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> planes. The on-body performance is tested using a multilayer phantom, and the measured peak realized gain is 6.41 dBi. The antenna is characterized by compact size (<inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$0.77{\lambda }$ </tex-math></inline-formula>), low profile (<inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$0.03{\lambda }$ </tex-math></inline-formula>), Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) below the established limits, good efficiency, and 3-D beam-steering characteristics while operating in an on-body setup. Therefore, the proposed solution can enable advanced wireless applications like localization and physical layer security in emerging size-constrained on-body IoT devices.
Mitochonic Acid 5 Increases Ram Sperm Quality by Improving Mitochondrial Function during Storage at 4 °C

Simple Summary This study investigated the efficacy of mitochonic acid 5 (MA-5) supplementations in enhancing ram sperm quality during 4 °C storage. Cold shocks, osmotic stresses, and oxidative stresses during storage can lead to irreparable damage. Ram sperm diluted with a tris-citrate-glucose extender containing varied MA-5 concentrations were stored for different durations. Notably, the addition of MA-5, particularly at 10 nM, significantly improved sperm quality by enhancing motility, membrane integrity, and acrosomal integrity. MA-5 also increased mitochondrial membrane potential, reduced reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels, and elevated adenosine triphosphate (ATP) levels in ram sperm. The findings suggest that MA-5 preserves high mitochondrial function during liquid storage, providing a promising avenue for further research in ram sperm preservation and specific proteins. Abstract Semen preservation involves lengthening sperm’s fertile lifespan without any detrimental effects on its biochemical, functional, and ultrastructural properties. Liquid storage at 4 °C is a ram sperm preservation method. However, this method of storage causes irreversible damage due to cold shocks, osmotic stresses, oxidative stresses, and reductions in sperm metabolism. The present study aims to investigate whether the supplementation of mitochonic acid 5 (MA-5) in a sperm extender could improve chilled ram sperm quality and elucidate its mechanism of action. Ram sperm were diluted with a tris-citrate-glucose extender containing different concentrations of MA-5 (0, 0.1, 1, 10, and 100 nM) and stored at 4 °C for up to 48 h. Sperm motility, membrane integrity, acrosome integrity, mitochondrial membrane potential, reactive oxygen species (ROS) level, ATP content, and the expression of NADPH dehydrogenase subunits 1 (MT-ND1) and NADPH dehydrogenase subunits 6 (MT-ND6) were evaluated. It was observed that compared to the control, the 10 nM MA-5 treatment significantly (p < 0.05) increased total motility (82 ± 3.5% vs. 76 ± 5.9%), progressive motility (67.6 ± 8.2% vs. 51 ± 8.3%), and other parameters (straight-line velocity (VSL), average path velocity (VAP), and curvilinear velocity (VCL)). In addition, 10 nM MA-5 supplementation also improved ram sperm membrane integrity and acrosomal integrity as well increased mitochondrial membrane potential (51.1 ± 0.7% vs. 37.7 ± 1.3%), reduced ROS levels, and elevated adenosine triphosphate (ATP) contents. Furthermore, a Western blot analysis demonstrated that the addition of MA-5 significantly (p < 0.05) increased the expression of MT-ND1 and MT-ND6 proteins in ram sperm, with the 10 nM MA-5 treatment resulting in the highest expression level. These results suggest that MA-5 improves ram sperm quality by maintaining high sperm mitochondrial function during liquid storage at 4 °C.
Osteoclasts and Probiotics Mediate Significant Expansion, Functional Activation and Supercharging in NK, γδ T, and CD3+ T Cells: Use in Cancer Immunotherapy

Our previous studies have introduced osteoclasts (OCs) as major activators of NK cells. It was found that OCs exhibit the capabilities of inducing cell expansion as well as increasing the cytotoxic activity of NK cells by granule release and increasing the secretion of TNF-α and TRAIL, leading to increased lysis of tumors in short-term as well as long-term periods, respectively. OC- induced expanded NK cells were named supercharged NK cells (sNK) due to their significantly high functional activity as well as their significantly higher cell expansion rate. It is, however, unclear whether the OC-mediated effect in NK cells is specific or whether other cytotoxic immune cells can also be expanded and activated by OCs. We chose to focus on γδ T cells and pan T cells, which also include CD8+ T cells. In this paper, we report that OCs are capable of expanding and functionally activating both γδ T cells and pan T cells. Expanded γδ T and pan T cells were capable of secreting high levels of INF-γ, albeit with different dynamics to those of NK cells, and, moreover, they are unable to kill NK-specific targets. Since we used humanized-BLT (hu-BLT) mice as a model of human disease, we next determined whether NK and T cell activation through OCs is also evident in cells obtained from hu-BLT mice. Similar to humans, OCs were capable of increasing the cell expansion and secretion of IFN-γ in the culture of either NK or T cells from hu-BLT mice, providing yet further evidence that these mice are appropriate models to study human disease. Therefore, these studies indicated that CD3+ T or γδ T cells can proliferate and be supercharged by OCs similar to the NK cells; thus, they can be used individually or in combination in the cell therapy of cancers.
N-acetylserotonin alleviates retinal ischemia-reperfusion injury via HMGB1/RAGE/NF-κB pathway in rats.

AIM To observe the effects of N-acetylserotonin (NAS) administration on retinal ischemia-reperfusion (RIR) injury in rats and explore the underlying mechanisms involving the high mobility group box 1 (HMGB1)/receptor for advanced glycation end-products (RAGE)/nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) signaling pathway. METHODS A rat model of RIR was developed by increasing the pressure of the anterior chamber of the eye. Eighty male Sprague Dawley were randomly divided into five groups: sham group (n=8), RIR group (n=28), RIR+NAS group (n=28), RIR+FPS-ZM1 group (n=8) and RIR+NAS+ FPS-ZM1 group (n=8). The therapeutic effects of NAS were examined by hematoxylin-eosin (H&E) staining, and retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) counting. The expression of interleukin 1 beta (IL-1β), HMGB1, RAGE, and nod-like receptor 3 (NLRP3) proteins and the phosphorylation of nuclear factor-kappa B (p-NF-κB) were analyzed by immunohistochemistry staining and Western blot analysis. The expression of HMGB1 protein was also detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). RESULTS H&E staining results showed that NAS significantly reduced retinal edema and increased the number of RGCs in RIR rats. With NAS therapy, the HMGB1 and RAGE expression decreased significantly, and the activation of the NF-κB/NLRP3 pathway was antagonized along with the inhibition of p-NF-κB and NLRP3 protein expression. Additionally, NAS exhibited an anti-inflammatory effect by reducing IL-1β expression. The inhibitory of RAGE binding to HMGB1 by RAGE inhibitor FPS-ZM1 led to a significant decrease of p-NF-κB and NLRP3 expression, so as to the IL-1β expression and retinal edema, accompanied by an increase of RGCs in RIR rats. CONCLUSION NAS may exhibit a neuroprotective effect against RIR via the HMGB1/RAGE/NF-κB signaling pathway, which may be a useful therapeutic target for retinal disease.
Characterisation of Putative Outer Membrane Proteins from Leptospira borgpetersenii Serovar Hardjo-Bovis Identifies Novel Adhesins and Diversity in Adhesion across Genomospecies Orthologs

Leptospirosis is a zoonotic bacterial disease affecting mammalian species worldwide. Cattle are a major susceptible host; infection with pathogenic Leptospira spp. represents a public health risk and results in reproductive failure and reduced milk yield, causing economic losses. The characterisation of outer membrane proteins (OMPs) from disease-causing bacteria dissects pathogenesis and underpins vaccine development. As most leptospire pathogenesis research has focused on Leptospira interrogans, this study aimed to characterise novel OMPs from another important genomospecies, Leptospira borgpetersenii, which has global distribution and is relevant to bovine and human diseases. Several putative L. borgpetersenii OMPs were recombinantly expressed, refolded and purified, and evaluated for function and immunogenicity. Two of these unique, putative OMPs (rLBL0972 and rLBL2618) bound to immobilised fibronectin, laminin and fibrinogen, which, together with structural and functional data, supports their classification as leptospiral adhesins. A third putative OMP (rLBL0375), did not exhibit saturable adhesion ability but, together with rLBL0972 and the included control, OmpL1, demonstrated significant cattle milk IgG antibody reactivity from infected cows. To dissect leptospire host–pathogen interactions further, we expressed alleles of OmpL1 and a novel multi-specific adhesin, rLBL2618, from a variety of genomospecies and surveyed their adhesion ability, with both proteins exhibiting divergences in extracellular matrix component binding specificity across synthesised orthologs. We also observed functional redundancy across different L. borgspetersenii OMPs which, together with diversity in function across genomospecies orthologs, delineates multiple levels of plasticity in adhesion that is potentially driven by immune selection and host adaptation. These data identify novel leptospiral proteins which should be further evaluated as vaccine and/or diagnostic candidates. Moreover, functional redundancy across leptospire surface proteins together with identified adhesion divergence across genomospecies further dissect the complex host–pathogen interactions of a genus responsible for substantial global disease burden.
Effect of Dietary Inclusion Levels of Moringa Olerifera Oil on the Growth Performance and Nutrient Retention of Broiler Starter Chicks

An experiment was carried out to examine the effect of dietary inclusion of Moringa oleifera oil (MOO) on the growth performance and nutrient retention of broiler chicks. A total of 180-day- old broiler chicks (Arbor acre) of mixed sex were randomly allotted into six dietary treatments of 30 birds per treatment; each treatment was further divided into 3 replicates consisting of 10 birds each in a completely randomized design. Basal diet was formulated to meet the nutritional requirements of broiler chicks, feed and clean water were given ad libitum throughout the experiment which lasted for 28 days. Birds in treatment 1 (T1) were fed basal diet with Oxytetracycline at 1.5g/kg feed while birds in T2, T3, T4, T5 and T6 were fed basal diet mixed with MOO at 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4 and 0.5 mL/kg feed respectively. Results on gas chromatography- mass spectrometry (GC-MS) revealed the presence of 17 bioactive compounds which accounted for 70.72 %. The major compounds identified in MOO are: β-caryphyllene (19.02 %), β-myrcene (16.08 %), carvenone (10.11 %) and α-cubebene (7.11 %) respectively. Data on average daily weight gain, average daily feed intake and feed conversion ratio were not significantly (P˂0.05) different among the treatments. Highest mortality was recorded among birds in T1 (0.33 %) followed by T2 (0.01 %) none was recorded in the other treatments (P˂0.05). Results on nutrient retention (dry matter, crude protein, crude fiber, ether extracts and nitrogen free extracts) were influenced by the dietary inclusion of MOO. It can be concluded that MOO could be fed to broilers up to 0.5 mL per kg feed without causing any negative effect on the performance of birds.
The association between neuroendocrine/glucose metabolism and clinical outcomes and disease course in different clinical states of bipolar disorders

Objective The treatment of bipolar disorder (BD) remains challenging. The study evaluated the impact of the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis/hypothalamic–pituitary-thyroid (HPT) axis and glucose metabolism on the clinical outcomes in patients with bipolar depression (BD-D) and manic bipolar (BD-M) disorders. Methods The research design involved a longitudinal prospective study. A total of 500 BD patients aged between 18 and 65 years treated in 15 hospitals located in Western China were enrolled in the study. The Young Mania Rating Scale (YMRS) and Montgomery and Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) were used to assess the BD symptoms. An effective treatment response was defined as a reduction in the symptom score of more than 25% after 12 weeks of treatment. The score of symptoms was correlated with the homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) index, the HPA axis hormone levels (adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) and cortisol), and the HPT axis hormone levels (thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), triiodothyronine (T3), thyroxine (T4), free triiodothyronine (fT3), and free thyroxine (fT4)). Results In the BD-M group, the YMRS was positively correlated with baseline T4 (r = 0.349, p = 0.010) and fT4 (r = 0.335, p = 0.013) and negatively correlated with fasting insulin (r = −0.289, p = 0.013). The pre-treatment HOMA-IR was significantly correlated with adverse course (p = 0.045, OR = 0.728). In the BD-D group, the baseline MADRS was significantly positively correlated with baseline fT3 (r = 0.223, p = 0.032) and fT4 (r = 0.315, p = 0.002), while baseline T3 (p = 0.032, OR = 5.071) was significantly positively related to treatment response. Conclusion The HPT axis and glucose metabolism were closely associated with clinical outcomes at 12 weeks in both BD-D and BD-M groups. If confirmed in further longitudinal studies, monitoring T3 in BD-D patients and HOMA-IR for BD-M could be used as potential treatment response biomarkers.
Comparison of energy system contributions in lower body Wingate tests between sexes

The aim of this study was to compare energy system contributions and examine the relationship between mechanical variables and energy system variables in lower body Wingate tests, with a focus on gender differences. A total of thirty martial artists participated in the study. Participants performed 30-second lower body Wingate tests. Mathematical methods were used to estimate the contributions of the oxidative, glycolytic and ATP-PCr pathways based on lactate levels and oxygen consumption kinetics during rest, exercise and recovery. The main results showed that in men the relative contributions of the oxidative, glycolytic and ATP-PCr pathways were 16%, 37% and 47% respectively. In women the relative contributions for the same pathways were 16%, 38% and 46% respectively. In men the total energy expenditure and the absolute contributions of the oxidative, glycolytic and ATP-PCr pathways were 132 kJ, 22 kJ, 49 kJ and 61 kJ, respectively. In women these values were 106 kJ, 17 kJ, 41 kJ and 49 kJ. Although the relative energy contributions were similar, men had higher total energy expenditure and absolute energy contributions than women. In addition, men had higher absolute and relative power outputs than women, while showing similarities in fatigue index, lactate levels, heart rate and perceived exertion ratings. The ATP-PCr pathway was able to explain the variation in mechanical variables in both male and female participants. The results suggest that the contribution of energy systems, physiological responses and performance variables varies according to gender.