Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effect of prenatal care quality on the risk of low birth weight, preterm birth and vertical transmission of HIV, syphilis, and hepatitis

Background Averse birth-outcomes still affect newborns worldwide. Although high-quality prenatal care is the main strategy to prevent these outcomes, the effect of prenatal care based on Kotelchuck index combined with consultation contents is still unclear. Thus, this article to evaluate the effect of the quality of prenatal care (PC) process on birth indicators in a cohort of puerperaes who attended maternity hospitals in Brazilian western Amazon, city of Rio Branco, in the state of Acre, Brazil, in 2015. Methods This research was a hospital-based cohort study. The sample consisted of 1,030 women who gave birth in maternity hospitals in the city between April 6 and June 30, 2015. This research was a hospital-based cohort study. The sample consisted of 1,030 women who gave birth in maternity hospitals in Rio Branco between April 6th. and June 30th. , 2015. Prenatal care was classified as fully adequate when started ≤4th month; ≥80.0–109% expected consultations for GA according to the Kotelchuck Index; ≥5 records of blood pressure, weight, GA, fundal height, ≥4 records of fetal heart rate, fetal movements or equivalent to 75% of the number of consultations; in addition to recording ABO/RH, hemoglobin, VDRL, urine, glucose, anti-HIV and anti-toxoplamosis during the 1st trimester. The evaluated outcomes were low birth weight (LBW), preterm birth and vertical transmission of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/hepatitis/syphilis. Differences between proportions were assessed using the X² test, and the crude and adjusted odds ratios (OR) (95% CI) were estimated using unconditional logistic regression. Results Overall cohort, the outcomes incidences were 8.8% for LBW, 9.2% for preterm birth, and 1.1% for vertical transmission (syphilis/HIV/hepatitis). Crude and adjusted OR showed that inadequate PC increased the risk statistically significant of LBW (ORcrude: 1.84; 95%CI: 0.99–3.44; ORadjusted: 1.87; 95%CI: 1.00–3.52), and preterm birth (ORcrude: 1.79; 95%CI: 1.00–3.29; ORadjusted: 3.98; 95%CI: 1.40–11.29). Conclusion The results draw attention to the importance of quality PC in reducing the risks of LBW, preterm birth, and vertical transmission of syphilis/HIV/hepatitis. Moreover, using this proposed quality prenatal care indicator based on Kotelchuck index combined with consultations contents adjusted by GA may accurately predict unfavorable outcomes.
Demystifying Cassiopea species identity in the Florida Keys: Cassiopea xamachana and Cassiopea andromeda coexist in shallow waters

The phylogeny of the Upside-Down Jellyfish (Cassiopea spp.) has been revised multiple times in its history. This is especially true in the Florida Keys, where much of the Cassiopea stock for research and aquarium trade in the United States are collected. In August 2021, we collected 55 Cassiopea medusae at eight shallow water sites throughout the Florida Keys and sequenced COI, 16S, and 28S genes. Mitochondrial genes demonstrate that the shallow waters in Florida are inhabited by both Cassiopea xamachana and a non-native Cassiopea andromeda lineage, identified in multispecies assemblages at least thrice. While C. xamachana were present at all sites, the C. andromeda-mitotype individuals were present at only a minority of sites. While we cannot confirm hybridization or lack thereof between the C. xamanchana and C. andromeda lineages, these previously unknown multispecies assemblages are a likely root cause for the confusing and disputed COI-based species identities of Cassiopea in the Florida Keys. This also serves as a cautionary note to all Cassiopea researchers to barcode their individuals regardless of the location in which they were collected.
Establishing a Xenograft Model with CD-1 Nude Mice to Study Human Skin Wound Repair

Background: A significant gap exists in the translatability of small-animal models to human subjects. One important factor is poor laboratory models involving human tissue. Thus, the authors have created a viable postnatal human skin xenograft model using athymic mice. Methods: Discarded human foreskins were collected following circumcision. All subcutaneous tissue was removed from these samples sterilely. Host CD-1 nude mice were then anesthetized, and dorsal skin was sterilized. A 1.2-cm-diameter, full-thickness section of dorsal skin was excised. The foreskin sample was then placed into the full-thickness defect in the host mice and sutured into place. Xenografts underwent dermal wounding using a 4-mm punch biopsy after engraftment. Xenografts were monitored for 14 days after wounding and then harvested. Results: At 14 days postoperatively, all mice survived the procedure. Grossly, the xenograft wounds showed formation of a human scar at postoperative day 14. Hematoxylin and eosin and Masson trichome staining confirmed scar formation in the wounded human skin. Using a novel artificial intelligence algorithm using picrosirius red staining, scar formation was confirmed in human wounded skin compared with the unwounded skin. Histologically, CD31+ immunostaining confirmed vascularization of the xenograft. The xenograft exclusively showed human collagen type I, CD26+, and human nuclear antigen in the human scar without any staining of these human markers in the murine skin. Conclusion: The proposed model demonstrates wound healing to be a local response from tissue resident human fibroblasts and allows for reproducible evaluation of human skin wound repair in a preclinical model. Clinical Relevance Statement: Radiation-induced fibrosis is a widely prevalent clinical phenomenon without a well-defined treatment at this time. This study will help establish a small-animal model to better understand and develop novel therapeutics to treat irradiated human skin.
Loss of regulation of protein synthesis and turnover underpins an attenuated stress response in senescent human mesenchymal stem cells

Significance Cellular senescence and the loss of protein homeostasis are hallmarks of aging, with the former linked to lost efficacy in regenerative medicine and the latter a precursor for age-associated protein folding diseases. Here, using a combination of targeted, -omic, and mathematical approaches, we show how senescent human mesenchymal stem cells are less equipped to resolve the high levels of protein misfolding typical of aged tissue and the post-transplant environment. We report that a lack of translational capacity and a downregulation of protein turnover machinery led to loss of the speed, magnitude, and efficacy of the cellular stress response in senescent cells. Supported by mathematical modeling, these findings challenge a long-standing paradigm of transcriptionally driven regulation of the cellular stress response.
A multi-objective hierarchical calibration procedure for land surface/ecosystem models

Land surface and ecosystem processes affect climate and weather in a range of time scales, from seconds to thousands of years. Land surface/ecosystem models (LSEMs) calculate the fluxes between the biosphere and the atmosphere and other ecosystem dynamics processes. In this study, we develop a calibration procedure, based on the theory of ecosystems hierarchy, to optimize all processes simulated by an LSEM. The procedure was implemented on Optis, a software for hierarchical multi-objective calibration of LSEMs. Optis is based on the multi-objective genetic algorithm, Non-dominated Sorted Genetic Algorithm-II (NSGA-II). The calibration was hierarchically performed from the fastest process (radiative fluxes) to the slowest process (carbon allocation), optimizing nine model outputs. The procedure demonstrated to be efficient, with the nine-objective model optimization reaching about 80% of the performance achieved by the mono-objective optimization. This calibration methodology allows a better global performance of the model, as all simulated variables are optimized.
Understanding how and under what circumstances integrated knowledge translation works for people engaged in collaborative research: metasynthesis of IKTRN casebooks

ABSTRACT Introduction and aims: Interaction and collaboration between researchers, patients/public, clinicians, managers and policy-makers are necessary to enhance the relevance and use of research, improve planning, and optimize healthcare delivery and outcomes. The Integrated Knowledge Translation Research Network (IKTRN) published four casebooks from 2019 to 2021, describing varied approaches to research co-production. Our aim was to examine the case studies to extend existing theoretical and empirical perspectives about how co-production works. Methods: We used metasynthesis, a qualitative research design that includes seven iterative steps (clarify the purpose, delineate the case studies included, extract and code the data, derive themes from the coded data, determine the relationships of the themes to research co-production, synthesize the concepts, and build theory). Results: A total of 35 cases was reviewed. The aggregate findings of this metasynthesis identified multiple contextual and process factors, barriers, and facilitators that influence integrated knowledge translation (IKT), and a range of IKT activities that increased the likelihood of success of co-production during research. In comparing the findings from the metasynthesis with existing literature, we found a number of consistencies, but also new information about barriers, facilitators, IKT activities and outcomes, thereby adding to our understanding about factors that influence co-production. Conclusions: This metasynthesis provided concrete examples to optimize co-produced clinical and health system research. More research is needed to fully understand how to overcome some challenging modifiable barriers, establish relationships, facilitate communication, overcome power differentials and create processes for knowledge-users working across boundaries (clinical practice and research) to stay engaged and participate fully in research endeavours.
The EGFR phosphatase RPTPγ is a redox‐regulated suppressor of promigratory signaling

Spatially organized reaction dynamics between proto‐oncogenic epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and protein tyrosine phosphatases determine EGFR phosphorylation dynamics in response to growth factors and thereby cellular behavior within developing tissues. We show that the reaction dynamics of mutual inhibition between RPTPγ phosphatase and autocatalytic ligandless EGFR phosphorylation enable highly sensitive promigratory EGFR signaling responses to subnanomolar EGF levels, when < 5% receptors are occupied by EGF. EGF thereby triggers an autocatalytic phospho‐EGFR reaction by the initial production of small amounts of phospho‐EGFR through transient, asymmetric EGF‐EGFR2 dimers. Single cell RPTPγ oxidation imaging revealed that phospho‐EGFR induces activation of NADPH oxidase, which in turn inhibits RPTPγ‐mediated dephosphorylation of EGFR, tilting the autocatalytic RPTPγ/EGFR toggle switch reaction towards ligandless phosphorylated EGFR. Reversibility of this reaction to EGF is maintained by the constitutive phosphatase activity of endoplasmic reticulum‐associated TCPTP. This RPTPγ/EGFR reaction at the plasma membrane causes promigratory signaling that is separated from proliferative signaling induced by accumulated, liganded, phosphorylated EGF‐EGFR in endosomes. Accordingly, loss of RPTPγ results in constitutive promigratory signaling from phosphorylated EGFR monomers. RPTPγ is thus a suppressor of promigratory oncogenic but not of proliferative EGFR signaling.
Impact of the bacterial nasopharyngeal microbiota on the severity of genus enterovirus lower respiratory tract infection in children: A case–control study

Rhinoviruses (RV) and enteroviruses (EV) are among the main causative etiologies of lower respiratory tract infection (LRTI) in children. The clinical spectrum of RV/EV infection is wide, which could be explained by diverse environmental, pathogen‐, and host‐related factors. Little is known about the nasopharyngeal microbiota as a risk factor or disease modifier for RV/EV infection in pediatric patients. This study describes distinct nasopharyngeal microbiota profiles according to RV/EV LRTI status in children.
Rapamycin treatment unmasks a sex‐specific pattern of scar expansion of the infarcted rat heart: The relationship between mTOR and KATP channel

Inhibition of the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) with the macrolide rapamycin or pharmacological suppression of KATP channel opening translated to scar expansion of the myocardial infarcted (MI) adult female rodent heart. The present study tested the hypotheses that rapamycin‐mediated scar expansion was sex‐specific and that mTOR signaling directly influenced KATP channel subunit expression/activity. Scar size was significantly larger in post‐MI male rats as compared to the previous data reported in post‐MI female rats. The reported scar expansion of rapamycin‐treated post‐MI female rats was not observed following the administration of the macrolide to post‐MI male rats. Protein levels of the KATP channel subunits Kir6.2 and SUR2A and phosphorylation of the serine2448 residue of mTOR were similar in the normal heart of adult male and female rats. By contrast, greater tuberin inactivation characterized by the increased phosphorylation of the threonine1462 residue and reduced raptor protein levels were identified in the normal heart of adult female rats. Rapamycin pretreatment of phorbol 12,13‐dibutyrate (PDBu)‐treated neonatal rat ventricular cardiomyocytes (NNVMs) suppressed hypertrophy, inhibited p70S6K phosphorylation, and attenuated SUR2A protein upregulation. In the presence of low ATP levels, KATP channel activity detected in untreated NNVMs was significantly attenuated in PDBu‐induced hypertrophied NNVMs via a rapamycin‐independent pathway. Thus, rapamycin administration to post‐MI rats unmasked a sex‐specific pattern of scar expansion and mTOR signaling in PDBu‐induced hypertrophied NNVMs significantly increased SUR2A protein levels. However, the biological advantage associated with SUR2A protein upregulation was partially offset by an mTOR‐independent pathway that attenuated KATP channel activity in PDBu‐induced hypertrophied NNVMs.
Local linear approximation with Laplacian smoothing penalty and application in biology

Highly correlated structures appear in various fields, such as biology, biochemistry, and finance, with challenges of dimensionality and sparse estimation. To solve this problem, we propose an algorithm called local linear approximation with the Laplacian smoothing penalty (LLA-LSP). This method produces an accurate and smooth estimate that incorporates the correlation structure among predictors. We compare and discuss the difference between the Laplacian smoothing penalty and the total variance penalty. We prove that this algorithm converges to the oracle solution in a few iterations with a large probability. Numerical results show that the LLA-LSP has good performance in both variable selection and estimation. We apply the proposed algorithm to two biological datasets, a gene expression dataset and a chemical protein dataset, and provide meaningful insights.
The Protective Role of Dispositional Mindfulness on Cyber Dating Abuse: A 6-Month Longitudinal Study

Dispositional mindfulness has been related to a decreased propensity to aggressive behaviors toward others, including dating partners. Nevertheless, research in the context of romantic relationships is scarce, based on cross-sectional designs and offline (face to face) aggression. Thus, this 6-month longitudinal study seeks to fill a gap in the literature by examining the predictive role of dispositional mindfulness facets (observing, describing, acting with awareness, non-judging, and non-reacting) in the perpetration of cyber dating abuse (CDA) behaviors in adolescents. The moderator role of the dispositional mindfulness facets in the perpetuation over time of cyber aggression toward the partner was also explored. Participants were 501 high school students (54.1% girls; mean age: 14.17 years, SD = 1.39) from different regions of Spain who completed self-report measures about CDA and dispositional mindfulness at two time points with a 6-month interval between them. Path analysis showed that the acting with awareness mindfulness facet predicted a decrease in the perpetration of CDA 6 months later. Moreover, non-reacting showed a moderator role in the perpetuation over time of CDA. In particular, adolescents with higher scores on non-reacting, evidenced a lower perpetuation of CDA. Mindfulness-based interventions can be a valuable tool in preventing cyber aggression that occurs in adolescent dating relationships.
Structures, activity and mechanism of the Type IIS restriction endonuclease PaqCI

Abstract Type IIS restriction endonucleases contain separate DNA recognition and catalytic domains and cleave their substrates at well-defined distances outside their target sequences. They are employed in biotechnology for a variety of purposes, including the creation of gene-targeting zinc finger and TAL effector nucleases and DNA synthesis applications such as Golden Gate assembly. The most thoroughly studied Type IIS enzyme, FokI, has been shown to require multimerization and engagement with multiple DNA targets for optimal cleavage activity; however, details of how it or similar enzymes forms a DNA-bound reaction complex have not been described at atomic resolution. Here we describe biochemical analyses of DNA cleavage by the Type IIS PaqCI restriction endonuclease and a series of molecular structures in the presence and absence of multiple bound DNA targets. The enzyme displays a similar tetrameric organization of target recognition domains in the absence or presence of bound substrate, with a significant repositioning of endonuclease domains in a trapped DNA-bound complex that is poised to deliver the first of a series of double-strand breaks. PaqCI and FokI share similar structural mechanisms of DNA cleavage, but considerable differences in their domain organization and quaternary architecture, facilitating comparisons between distinct Type IIS enzymes.
ACKR3 orchestrates Hedgehog signaling to promote renal cell carcinoma progression

Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is the second commonest urological malignant neoplasm and mortality rate of patients with RCC appears to be increasing each year. Thus, further understanding of the molecular mechanisms responsible for the development and progression of RCC is of particular importance. Here, we report that atypical chemokine receptor 3 (ACKR3) orchestrates the Hedgehog (Hh)‐GLI1 signaling to promote RCC progression. The expression of ACKR3 is elevated in RCC tissues, which is associated with malignant and clinical outcomes of RCC, and ACKR3 expression is positively correlated with GLI1 expression in RCC tissues. Mechanically, Hh promotes RCC progression through GLI1‐mediated ACKR3 transcription by the directly binding of GLI1 to ACKR3 gene, while CXCL12–ACKR3 axis simultaneously enhances Hh activation via the binding of ACKR3 to Smoothened (SMO), a receptor in Hh pathway, resulting in the upregulation of SMO phosphorylation that potentiates downstream signal activity and consequently contributes to RCC progression. Thus, our findings may provide with the evidence of developing a novel treatment method with specific target for RCC.
Toxicity and therapy outcome associations in LIG3, SLCO1B3, ABCB1, OPRM1 and GSTP1 in high‐grade serous ovarian cancer

Adverse effects are the major limiting factors in combinatorial chemotherapies. To identify genetic associations in ovarian cancer chemotherapy‐induced toxicities and therapy outcomes, we examined a cohort of 101 patients receiving carboplatin‐paclitaxel treatment with advanced high‐grade serous ovarian cancers. Based on literature and database searches, we selected 19 candidate polymorphisms, designed a multiplex single nucleotide polymorphism‐genotyping assay and applied Cox regression analysis, case–control association statistics and the log‐rank Mantel−Cox test. In the Cox regression analysis, the SLCO1B3 rs1052536 AA‐genotype was associated with a reduced risk of any severe toxicity (hazard ratio = 0.35, p = 0.023). In chi‐square allelic test, the LIG3 rs1052536 T‐allele was associated with an increased risk of neuropathy (odds ratio [OR] = 2.79, p = 0.031) and GSTP1 rs1695 G allele with a poorer response in the first‐line chemotherapy (OR = 2.65, p = 0.026). In Kaplan–Meier survival analysis, ABCB1 rs2032582 TT‐genotype was associated with shorter overall survival (uncorrected p = 0.025) and OPRM1 rs544093 GG and GT genotypes with shorter platinum‐free interval (uncorrected p = 0.027) and progression‐free survival (uncorrected p = 0.012). Results suggest that SLCO1B3 and LIG3 variants are associated with the risk of adverse effects in patients receiving carboplatin‐paclitaxel treatment, the GSTP1 variant may affect the treatment response and ABCB1 and OPRM1 variants may influence the prognosis.
Work-Related Factors Associated With the Pelvic Floor Dysfunction Among a Sample of Female Nurses in China

Background: Female nurses are a high-risk group for pelvic floor dysfunction (PFD). Predictors of female nurses’ PFD among work-related factors are not well known. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of PFD and its association with workplace conditions among female nurses in China. Methods: An online cross-sectional survey was conducted in May 2021. A sample of 380 registered nurses working in six tertiary hospitals in Nanjing, China participated. Data on individual characteristics, work-related factors, the Pelvic Floor Distress Inventory-20 and Pelvic Floor Impact Questionnaire-7 were used. Findings: The overall prevalence of PFD among nurses was 83.9%, with 43.9% of participants experiencing pelvic organ prolapse, 66.6% experiencing anorectal dysfunction and 60.5% experiencing lower urinary tract symptoms. In terms of work-related factors, PFD was associated with heavy lifting, pushing, and carrying at work, delayed toileting at work and fluid intake. Female nurses with PFD reported lower quality of life (QoL) relative to nurses without PFD. Conclusions/Application to Practice: Our findings provide initial insights into workplace conditions that promote PFD among female nurses. Occupational health nurses should consider providing educational information for female workers who are potentially at risk for PFD and consider integrating screening of PFD into practice.