Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Mitochondrial genome of Diploderma micangshanense and its implications for phylogeny of the genus Diploderma

Abstract The lizard Diploderma micangshanense, which belongs to the family Agamidae is endemic to China. Here, we determined the complete mitogenome of D. micangshanense using an Illumina Hiseq X Ten sequencer. This mitogenome’s structure is a typical circular molecule of 16,467 bp in length, consisting of 13 protein-coding genes, 22 transfer RNA genes, 2 ribosomal RNA genes, and a control region. The overall base composition of D. micangshanensis is 34.1% A, 23.64% T, 13.62% C, and 28.64% G with a slight AT bias of 57.74%. Most mitochondrial genes except ND6 and seven tRNAs were encoded on the heavy strand. Notably, the trnP gene was encoded on the heavy strand instead of its typical light strand position, providing an example of gene inversion in vertebrate mitogenomes. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that D. micangshanensis had a close relationship with D. zhaoermii.
Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes

Circ Cardiovasc Qual Outcomes. 2022;15:e008638. DOI: 10.1161/CIRCOUTCOMES.121. 008638 October 2022 Correspondence to: Dion Stub, Heart Centre, Phillip Block, Level 3, The Alfred Hospital & Monash University, 55 Commercial Rd, Melbourne VIC 3004. Email dion. stub@monash.edu Supplemental Material is available at https://www.ahajournals. org/doi/suppl/10.1161/CIRCOUTCOMES.121. 008638. For Sources of Funding and Disclosures, see page 803. © 2022 American Heart Association, Inc. ORIGINAL ARTICLE
Polyoxometalate Delignification of Birch Kraft Pulp and Effect on Residual Lignin

Abstract To advance the understanding of delignification with polyoxometalates (POMs) that have been explored for use in bleaching of chemical pulps, the transformation of lignin during anaerobic treatment of birch kraft pulp with an equilibrated POM mixture composed of Na5(+2)[SiV1(-0.1)MoW10(+0.1)O40] was investigated. The conversion factor between the Klason lignin and the kappa number corrected for the hexenuronic acid (HexA) contribution gradually increased, indicating loss of lignin oxidizability. Comparative analysis of residual lignins isolated from pulps of decreasing kappa number showed that lignin undergoes changes that include a sharp reduction in the content of PhOH groups, a gradual demethylation, and a high increase in carbonyl groups. The results indicated that the POM treatment of kraft pulps leads to the loss of aromaticity, most likely caused by the conversion of aromatic rings to quinone moieties. The 2D NMR studies revealed the disappearance of the correlations assigned to stilbene structures formed during kraft pulping, and the weakening of those assigned to the native lignin bonds. The GPC studies showed a gradual lignin depolymerization.
The Study of Annealing and Coating Method of CoFe2O4 Thin Films Fabricated by Sol-Gel Method

CoFe2O4 (CFO) thin films were prepared on the Si (100) substrates by a sol-gel method. Their microstructure and magnetic properties were analyzed and measured by XRD, AFM and VSM. The experiment results show that the films have a single phase of the spinel structure when the annealing temperature is above 450°C. The crystallization degree and the Ms of the CFO thin films increase slowly with the increase of the annealing temperature. The grain size achieves the single-domain critical size at about 650°C, which cause Hc starts to drop with the rise of annealing temperature. The CFO thin films prepared by crystalline multi-layered coating method have bigger grain size, worse compactness and bigger Ms than those prepared by non-crystalline multi-layered coating method.
Physical Functioning Among Community-Dwelling Elderly in Rural Indonesia

Background As people live longer and the number of elderly individuals increases, caring for the elderly and increasing quality of life become important health care concerns. Objective The aim of this study is to assess physical functioning among elderly people in rural Indonesia and draw conclusions about factors that might impact physical functioning. Methods This study involved 412 elderly individuals aged 60 and over selected by multistage random sampling. A logistic regression was used to determine factors which associated with physical functioning. Results Older age (75+), suffered from chronic illness, and living in low- and middle- income households tend to have limitations on physical function. Also, elderly individuals who had partner and were currently working experienced better physical function than those who did not. Conclusion This study supports other findings that say elderly people should do activities that reduce the risk of developing chronic illnesses. Having regular physical activity and routine preventive health check-ups can improve overall health, protect from having diseases and maintain the physical function of the elderly.
Mechanism of α1-Adrenergic Receptor-Induced Increased Contraction of Rat Mesenteric Artery in Aging Hypertension Rats

Introduction: Vasoconstriction is triggered by an increase in intracellular-free calcium concentration. Growing evidence indicates that contraction is also regulated by calcium-independent mechanisms involving RhoA-Rho kinase (ROCK), protein kinase C (PKC), and so on. In this study, we studied the changes of vascular reactivity as well as the underlying signaling pathways in aging spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs). Methods: The artery tension induced by α1-adrenergic receptor activator (α1-AR) phenylephrine (PE) was measured in the absence or presence of myosin light chain kinase (MLCK), PKC, and ROCK inhibitors. The α1-AR, PKC, ROCK, phosphorylation of myosin light chain (MLC), and PKC-potentiated phosphatase inhibitors of 17 kDa (CPI-17) of rat mesenteric arteries were analyzed at the mRNA level or protein level. Results: The vascular tension measurements showed that there was a significant increase in the mesenteric artery contraction induced by PE in old SHR. MLCK inhibitor ML-7 can similarly inhibit PE-induced vasoconstriction. PKC inhibitor GF109203X has the weakest inhibitory effect on PE-induced contraction in old SHR. At the presence of ROCK inhibitor H1152, PE-induced contraction was significantly reduced in young Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) rats, but this phenomenon disappeared in other rats. Furthermore, in old SHR the protein expression of α1-AR decreased and phosphorylation of MLC and CPI-17 were upregulated and MLC phosphatase (MLCP) activity was significantly lower. The expressions of PKC were upregulated in SHR and old rats. In addition, the expression of ROCK-1 was decreased and ROCK-2 was significantly upregulated with age in SHR. Conclusion: In aging hypertension, the expression/activity of PKC or ROCK-2/CPI-17 excessively increased, MLCP activity decreased and MLC phosphorylation enhanced, leading to increased α1-AR-induced vasoconstriction.
Stabilizing ordered structures with single patch inverse patchy colloids in two dimensions

Oppositely charged bipolar colloids or colloids decorated with complementary deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) on their surfaces are special kinds of patchy particles where only patch and non-patch parts are attractive. These are classified as inverse patchy colloids (IPCs). In this work, equilibrium self-assembly of IPC in two-dimensions is reported using Monte Carlo simulations. Square (SCs) and triangular crystals (TCs) are found to be stable at 0.5 patch coverage. Upon decreasing the patch coverage to 0.33, the regular SC is destabilized; instead rhombic and TCs are found to be stable. At low patch coverages such as 0.22 and 0.12, only TC is stabilized at high density. Particles of all the patch coverages show kinetically stable cluster phases of different shapes and sizes at low densities, and the average cluster size depends on the patch coverage and particle density. State-diagrams showing all the stable phases for each patch coverage are presented. Ordered phases are characterized by bond order parameters ψ 4, ψ 6 and radial distribution function. The effect of polydispersity in patch coverage on the polarization of the stable structures are also studied. The study demonstrates that IPCs can stabilize various ordered two-dimensional structures by tuning the size of the patch, density and interaction strengths.
Association of oral health literacy with oral health behavior and oral health outcomes among adult dental patients

Aims: To evaluate the association of oral health literacy (OHL) with oral health behavior and oral health outcomes among dental patients in Hyderabad City. Settings and Design: Cross-sectional study among dental patients. Materials and Methods: A convenience sample of 605 adults >18 years of age visiting the out-patient Department of Public Health Dentistry of Government Dental College and Hospital, Hyderabad, were recruited. The five-item scale developed by Ishikawa was used to measure communication and critical OHL. Socioeconomic status was assessed using Modified Kuppuswamy's scale and questions for oral health behavior included frequency of toothbrushing, frequency of dental visit, and reason for visit. Dentition status, periodontal status, and loss of attachment were recorded according to World Health Organisation Survey methods. Statistical Analysis Used: Frequency distribution was done and association between the variables and predictors (oral health behavior and oral health status) of OHL was calculated using odds ratio. Results: The mean age of the study population was 31.5 + 11.2 years. None of the individuals' questions of OHL questionnaire had 50% response of strongly agree or agree. The oral health parameters of decayed and filled teeth emerged as a significant predictor for model 1 (adjusted by sex and age) and model 2 (adjusted by sex, age, and social class). Likewise, toothbrushing frequency was significantly associated with low OHL. Conclusions: This study shows a high prevalence of low OHL in the study population, with decayed teeth and filled teeth and oral health behavior like toothbrushing only once as a significant predictor for low OHL.
The combination of chidamide with the CHOEP regimen in previously untreated patients with peripheral T-cell lymphoma: a prospective, multicenter, single arm, phase 1b/2 study

Objective: To assess the efficacy and safety of the novel histone deacetylase inhibitor, chidamide, in combination with cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, etoposide, and prednisone (Chi-CHOEP) for untreated peripheral T-cell lymphoma (PTCL). Methods: A prospective, multicenter, single arm, phase 1b/2 study was conducted. A total of 128 patients with untreated PTCL (18–70 years of age) were enrolled between March 2016 and November 2019, and treated with up to 6 cycles with the Chi-CHOEP regimen. In the phase 1b study, 3 dose levels of chidamide were evaluated and the primary endpoint was determination of the maximum-tolerated dose and recommended phase 2 dose (RP2D). The primary endpoint of the phase 2 study was 2-year progression-free survival (PFS). Results: Fifteen patients were enrolled in the phase 1b study and the RP2D for chidamide was determined to be 20 mg, twice a week. A total of 113 patients were treated at the RP2D in the phase 2 study, and the overall response rate was 60.2%, with a complete response rate of 40.7%. At a median follow-up of 36 months, the median PFS was 10.7 months, with 1-, 2-, and 3-year PFS rates of 49.9%, 38.0%, and 32.8%, respectively. The Chi-CHOEP regimen was well-tolerated, with grade 3/4 neutropenia occurring in approximately two-thirds of the patients. No unexpected adverse events (AEs) were reported and the observed AEs were manageable. Conclusions: This large cohort phase 1b/2 study showed that Chi-CHOEP was well-tolerated with modest efficacy in previously untreated PTCL patients.
Clinical applications for exosomes: Are we there yet?

Exosomes are a subset of extracellular vesicles essential for cell–cell communication in health and disease with the ability to transport nucleic acids, functional proteins and other metabolites. Their clinical use as diagnostic biomarkers and therapeutic carriers has become a major field of research over recent years, generating rapidly expanding scientific interest and financial investment. Their reduced immunogenicity compared to liposomes or viral vectors and their ability to cross major physiological barriers like the blood–brain barrier make them an appealing and innovative option as biomarkers and therapeutic agents. Here, we review the latest clinical developments of exosome biotechnology for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes, including the most recent COVID‐19‐related exosome‐based clinical trials. We present current exosome engineering strategies for optimal clinical safety and efficacy, and assess the technology developed for good manufacturing practice compliant scaling up and storage approaches along with their limitations in pharmaceutical industry.
Tactile Perceptual Thresholds of Electrovibration in VR

Haptic sensation plays an important role in providing physical information to users in both real environments and virtual environments. To produce high-fidelity haptic feedback, various haptic devices and tactile rendering methods have been explored in myriad scenarios, and perception deviation between a virtual environment and a real environment has been investigated. However, the tactile sensitivity for touch perception in a virtual environment has not been fully studied; thus, the necessary guidance to design haptic feedback quantitatively for virtual reality systems is lacking. This paper aims to investigate users' tactile sensitivity and explore the perceptual thresholds when users are immersed in a virtual environment by utilizing electrovibration tactile feedback and by generating tactile stimuli with different waveform, frequency and amplitude characteristics. Hence, two psychophysical experiments were designed, and the experimental results were analyzed. We believe that the significance and potential of our study on tactile perceptual thresholds can promote future research that focuses on creating a favorable haptic experience for VR applications.
Researchers should avoid causally attributing suicide to video game play as a single factor.

PurposeWe highlight a number of concerns regarding a recent publication in Perspectives in Psychiatric Care which involves the apparent presentation of three case studies of video game-related suicide. ConclusionsAlthough presented as a case report, the publication falls short of ethical and best-practice standards in the reporting of suicide, and risks confusing the public debate around video games effects. Practice ImplicationsRecommendations on best practice principles for reporting video game research relating to suicide are presented.
Algal Community Change in Mountain Lakes of the Alps Reveals Effects of Climate Warming and Shifting Treelines1

The biological communities of mountain lakes are suspected to be highly sensitive to global warming and associated catchment changes. To identify the parameters determining algal community responses, subfossil pigments from 21 different mountain lakes in the Bavarian‐Tyrolean Limestone Alps were investigated. Sediment cores were radio‐isotopically dated, and their pigment preservation evaluated. General additive models (GAM) of pigment compositions were calculated with temperature as the explanatory variable and generalized linear models with several lake parameters explaining log‐transformed GAM P‐values. Lake depth and trophic state were identified as major control variables of the algal community and productivity changes. Shifts in a deep oligotrophic alpine lake (lg(P) = −1.04) were half as strong as in a shallow mesotrophic alpine lake (lg(P) = −1.86) with faster warming and higher productivity forcing the development of biomass. Phytoplankton and macrophyte pigments increased clearly with warming, at lower altitudes, and decreased at the treeline, so that periphytic pigments dominated alpine sediments. This pattern is probably the result of interactions of UV radiation and allochthonous inputs of DOM. Our findings suggest that (sub)alpine shallow lakes with higher nutrient levels are most vulnerable to climate change‐driven changes whereas deep, nutrient‐poor lakes appear more resilient.
Astrocyte‐mediated purinergic signaling is upregulated in a mouse model of Fragile X syndrome

Fragile X syndrome (FXS) is the leading monogenic cause of intellectual disability and autism spectrum disorders. With increasing investigation into the molecular mechanisms underlying FXS, there is growing evidence that perturbations in glial signaling are widely associated with neurological pathology. Purinergic signaling, which utilizes nucleoside triphosphates as signaling molecules, provides one of the most ubiquitous signaling systems for glial‐neuronal and glial‐glial crosstalk. Here, we sought to identify whether purinergic signaling is dysregulated within the FXS mouse cortex, and whether this dysregulation contributes to aberrant intercellular communication. In primary astrocyte cultures derived from the Fmr1 knockout (KO) mouse model of FXS, we found that application of exogenous ATP and UTP evoked elevated intracellular calcium responses compared to wildtype levels. Accordingly, purinergic P2Y2 and P2Y6 receptor expression was increased in Fmr1 KO astrocytes both in vitro and in acutely dissociated tissue, while P2Y antagonism via suramin prevented intracellular calcium elevations, suggesting a role for these receptors in aberrant FXS astrocyte activation. To investigate the impact of elevated purinergic signaling on astrocyte‐mediated synaptogenesis, we quantified synaptogenic protein TSP‐1, known to be regulated by P2Y activation. TSP‐1 secretion and expression were both heightened in Fmr1 KO vs wildtype astrocytes following UTP application, while naïve TSP‐1 cortical expression was also transiently elevated in vivo, indicating increased potential for excitatory TSP‐1‐mediated synaptogenesis in the FXS cortex. Together, our results demonstrate novel and significant purinergic signaling elevations in Fmr1 KO astrocytes, which may serve as a potential therapeutic target to mitigate the signaling aberrations observed in FXS.
GAN-Based Multi-Style Photo Cartoonization

Cartoon is a common form of art in our daily life and automatic generation of cartoon images from photos is highly desirable. However, state-of-the-art single-style methods can only generate one style of cartoon images from photos and existing multi-style image style transfer methods still struggle to produce high-quality cartoon images due to their highly simplified and abstract nature. In this article, we propose a novel multi-style generative adversarial network (GAN) architecture, called MS-CartoonGAN, which can transform photos into multiple cartoon styles. MS-CartoonGAN uses only unpaired photos and cartoon images of multiple styles for training. To achieve this, we propose to use (1) a hierarchical semantic loss with sparse regularization to retain semantic content and recover flat shading in different abstract levels, (2) a new edge-promoting adversarial loss for producing fine edges, and (3) a style loss to enhance the difference between output cartoon styles and make training process more stable. We also develop a multi-domain architecture, where the generator consists of a shared encoder and multiple decoders for different cartoon styles, along with multiple discriminators for individual styles. By observing that cartoon images drawn by different artists have their unique styles while sharing some common characteristics, our shared network architecture exploits the common characteristics of cartoon styles, achieving better cartoonization and being more efficient than single-style cartoonization. We show that our multi-domain architecture can theoretically guarantee to output desired multiple cartoon styles. Through extensive experiments including a user study, we demonstrate the superiority of the proposed method, outperforming state-of-the-art single-style and multi-style image style transfer methods.
Amelioration of N,N′-dimethylhydrazine induced colon toxicity by epigallocatechin gallate in Wistar rats

Colon cancer is a life-threatening disease all over the world and is linked to constant oxidative stress and inflammation. Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), is a naturally occurring flavone possessing health benefiting pharmacological properties including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and free radical scavenging properties. Our study investigates the role of EGCG on N,N′-dimethylhydrazine (DMH), a toxic environmental pollutant, induced colon toxicity. To investigate the effect of EGCG, Wistar rats were given EGCG for 7 days at the two doses of 10 and 20 mg/kg body weight and DMH was injected on the seventh day in all the group rats except the control. Our results indicate that DMH administration increased the oxidative stress (MDA) and depleted the glutathione and antioxidant enzyme activities (SOD, CAT, GR, GST and GPx) which was significantly ameliorated by EGCG treatment. Additionally DMH treatment upregulated inflammatory markers expression (NF-κB, COX-2 and IL-6) and enhanced mucosal damage in the colon. EGCG treatment significantly reduced inflammation and restored the normal histoarchitecture of the colon. We can conclude from the present study findings that EGCG protects the colon from DMH toxicity through its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory potential.
Evaluation of Alt-RAMEC With Facemask in Patients With Unilateral Cleft lip and Palate (UCLP) Using Cone Beam Computed Tomography (CBCT) and Finite Element Modeling—A Clinical Prospective Study

Objective: Evaluate the effects of alternate rapid maxillary expansion and constriction (Alt-RAMEC) protocol on patients with unilateral cleft lip and palate (UCLP) along with maxillary protraction using cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) records and a finite element modeling (FEM) model. Materials and Methods: Twenty-five patients (aged 9-13 years) with UCLP having a GOSLON score 3 were selected for this prospective single-arm cohort study after obtaining necessary informed consent. A 9-week Alt-RAMEC protocol using a custom-made fan-shaped expansion screw was initiated, which was followed by 6-month facemask wear. Pre (T1) and posttreatment (T2) records including CBCT were taken and were evaluated for treatment changes in all 3 dimensions using paired t test. Additionally, a FEM model (ANSYS 15.0) using the Alt-RAMEC protocol was also analyzed for the displacement and stress on various craniofacial structures. Results: Significant forward movement of the maxilla along with clockwise rotation of mandible along with statistically significant increase in lower molar height and upper incisor proclination (P < .05) was observed. CBCT evaluation showed a statistical significant decrease in buccal alveolar bone thickness and increase in molar inclination (P < .05). Finite element modeling analysis highlighted that the maximum displacement occurred at the anterior region with stresses radiating till the anterior nasal spine, zygomatic arch, and sphenoid bone. Conclusion: Alt- RAMEC protocol combined with facemask protraction can lead to significant maxillary advancement, with some transient decrease in buccal bone thickness noted thereby warranting long-term studies to further assess its effect on the dentofacial apparatus.
Correlation of transcriptionally active human papillomavirus status with the clinical and molecular profiles of head and neck squamous cell carcinomas

To examine the molecular profiles of human papillomavirus (HPV)‐positive and HPV‐negative head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCCs), expression of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), phospho‐EGFR dimers, hypoxia markers, and cancer stem cell markers were evaluated.