Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Use of Gene Therapy in Retinal Ganglion Cell Neuroprotection: Current Concepts and Future Directions

We systematically reviewed published translational research on gene-based therapy for retinal ganglion cell (RGC) neuroprotection. A search was conducted on Entrez PubMed on 23 December 2020 using the keywords “gene therapy”, “retinal ganglion cell” and “neuroprotection”. The initial search yielded 82 relevant articles. After restricting publications to those with full text available and in the English language, and then curating for only original articles on gene-based therapy, the final yield was 18 relevant articles. From the 18 papers, 17 of the papers utilized an adeno-associated viral (AAV) vector for gene therapy encoding specific genes of interest. Specifically, six of the studies utilized an AAV vector encoding brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), two of the studies utilized an AAV vector encoding erythropoietin (EPO), the remaining 10 papers utilized AAV vectors encoding different genes and one microRNA study. Although the literature shows promising results in both in vivo and in vitro models, there is still a significant way to go before gene-based therapy for RGC neuroprotection can proceed to clinical trials. Namely, the models of injury in many of the studies were more acute in nature, unlike the more progressive and neurodegenerative pathophysiology of diseases, such as glaucoma. The regulation of gene expression is also highly unexplored despite the use of AAV vectors in the majority of the studies reviewed. It is also expected that with the successful launch of messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA)-based vaccinations in 2020, we will see a shift towards this technology for gene-based therapy in glaucoma neuroprotection.
Cardiac Computed Tomography Radiomics for the Non-Invasive Assessment of Coronary Inflammation

Radiomics, via the extraction of quantitative information from conventional radiologic images, can identify imperceptible imaging biomarkers that can advance the characterization of coronary plaques and the surrounding adipose tissue. Such an approach can unravel the underlying pathophysiology of atherosclerosis which has the potential to aid diagnostic, prognostic and, therapeutic decision making. Several studies have demonstrated that radiomic analysis can characterize coronary atherosclerotic plaques with a level of accuracy comparable, if not superior, to current conventional qualitative and quantitative image analysis. While there are many milestones still to be reached before radiomics can be integrated into current clinical practice, such techniques hold great promise for improving the imaging phenotyping of coronary artery disease.
Extraction of Tropical Fruit Peels and Development of HPMC Film Containing the Extracts as an Active Antibacterial Packaging Material

In recent years, instead of the use of chemical substances, alternative substances, especially plant extracts, have been characterized for an active packaging of antibacterial elements. In this study, the peels of mangosteen (Garcinia mangostana), rambutan (Nephelium lappaceum), and mango (Mangifera indica) were extracted to obtain bioactive compound by microwave-assisted extraction (MAE) and maceration with water, ethanol 95% and water–ethanol (40:60%). All extracts contained phenolics and flavonoids. However, mangosteen peel extracted by MAE and maceration with water/ethanol (MT-MAE-W/E and MT-Ma-W/E, respectively) contained higher phenolic and flavonoid contents, and exhibited greater antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli. Thus, both extracts were analyzed by liquid chromatograph-mass spectrometer (LC-MS) analysis, α-mangostin conferring antibacterial property was found in both extracts. The MT-MAE-W/E and MT-Ma-W/E films exhibited 30.22 ± 2.14 and 30.60 ± 2.83 mm of growth inhibition zones against S. aureus and 26.50 ± 1.60 and 26.93 ± 3.92 mm of growth inhibition zones against E. coli. These clear zones were wider than its crude extract approximately 3 times, possibly because the film formulation enhanced antibacterial activity with sustained release of active compound. Thus, the mangosteen extracts have potential to be used as an antibacterial compound in active packaging.
Cytokinin-Controlled Gradient Distribution of Auxin in Arabidopsis Root Tip

The plant root is a dynamic system, which is able to respond promptly to external environmental stimuli by constantly adjusting its growth and development. A key component regulating this growth and development is the finely tuned cross-talk between the auxin and cytokinin phytohormones. The gradient distribution of auxin is not only important for the growth and development of roots, but also for root growth in various response. Recent studies have shed light on the molecular mechanisms of cytokinin-mediated regulation of local auxin biosynthesis/metabolism and redistribution in establishing active auxin gradients, resulting in cell division and differentiation in primary root tips. In this review, we focus our attention on the molecular mechanisms underlying the cytokinin-controlled auxin gradient in root tips.
Medical Treatment Behaviour of the Elderly Population in Shanghai: Group Features and Influencing Factor Analysis

Background: While Chinese cities are pursuing economic development, meeting citizen demand for medical treatment has only gradually been put on the agenda. Theoretically, in the second half of a person’s life, demand for medical treatment will rise sharply. Given limited medical resources, the match between demand and supply becomes more difficult. We conducted questionnaires in Shanghai to describe whether there are obvious group differences in the elderly population’s medical treatment options and provide empirical evidence on the determinants. Method: We collected 439 Shanghai Elderly Medical Demand Characteristics Questionnaires, which included five parts: personal information, health status, elderly person’s medical preference and expectation, satisfaction level for hospitals services, and medical insurance. We set up virtual explanatory variables according to the different medical behaviours of the elderly, and control variables composed of individual characteristics, socioeconomic characteristics, medical needs, medical resource availability, and medical expenditure. We used the MLR model to investigate medical treatment behaviour choice. Results: The medical treatment behaviour of the elderly population in Shanghai is affected by multiple factors. When experiencing physical discomfort, most of them choose to go to the hospital (64.69%). Age, income, household registration, and medical insurance reimbursement policy play a role in their decision-making. For general diseases, the proportion choosing specialist hospitals or community clinics is the highest (40.78%). Age, marital status, residential status, physical state, objective distance, medical expenses, and other factors have a significant impact. For severe diseases, they are more inclined (71.07%) to visit general hospitals, with the individual’s physical condition, living status, and accessibility to hospital resources more likely to affect their behaviour. Conclusion: Firstly, the importance of each factor varies depending on the conditions. Secondly, it may be more appropriate for China’s elderly health insurance system to set reimbursement rates based on the patient’s condition and disease type. Thirdly, medical behaviour has a distance friction effect, but the allocation of public service resources shows a strong centripetal concentration. It is necessary for the government to show due care about the regional distribution of the elderly population and to promote the rational distribution of medical resources in Shanghai.
Soil Metabarcoding Offers a New Tool for the Investigation and Hunting of Truffles in Northern Thailand

Truffles (Tuber spp.) are well-known as edible ectomycorrhizal mushrooms, and some species are one of the most expensive foods in the world. During the fruiting process, truffles produce hypogeous ascocarps; a trained pig or dog is needed to locate the ascocarps under the ground. Truffles in northern Thailand have been recorded in association with Betula alnoides and Carpinus poilanei. In this study, we investigated the soil mycobiota diversity of soil samples from both of these truffle host plants in native forests using environmental DNA metabarcoding to target the internal transcribed spacer 1 (ITS1) region of the rDNA gene for the purposes of investigation of truffle diversity and locating truffles during the non-fruiting phase. In this study, a total of 38 soil samples were collected from different locations. Of these, truffles had been found at three of these locations. Subsequently, a total of 1341 putative taxonomic units (OTUs) were obtained. The overall fungal community was dominated by phylum-level sequences assigned to Ascomycota (57.63%), Basidiomycota (37.26%), Blastocladiomycota (0.007%), Chytridiomycota (0.21%), Glomeromycota (0.01%), Kickxellomycota (0.01%), Mortierellomycota (2.08%), Mucoromycota (0.24%), Rozellomycota (0.01%), Zoopagomycota (0.003%), and unidentified (2.54%). The results revealed that six OTUs were determined to be representative and belonged to the genus Tuber. OTU162, OTU187, OTU447, and OTU530 belonged to T. thailandicum, T. lannaense, T. bomiense, and T. magnatum, whereas OTU105 and OTU720 were acknowledged as unrecognized Tuber species. From 38 locations, OTUs of truffles were found in 33 locations (including three previously known truffle locations). Thus, 30 collection sites were considered new locations for T. thailandicum, T. bomiense, and other unrecognized Tuber species. Interestingly, at 16 new locations, mature ascocarps of truffles that were undergoing the fruiting phase were located underground. All 16 truffle samples were identified as T. thailandicum based on morphological characteristics and molecular phylogenetic analysis. However, ascocarps of other truffle species were not found at the new OTUs representative locations. The knowledge gained from this study can be used to lead researchers to a better understanding of the occurrence of truffles using soil mycobiota diversity investigation. The outcomes of this study will be particularly beneficial with respect to the search and hunt for truffles without the need for trained animals. In addition, the findings of this study will be useful for the management and conservation of truffle habitats in northern Thailand.
Are the Assioma Favero Power Meter Pedals a Reliable Tool for Monitoring Cycling Power Output?

This study aimed to examine the validity and reliability of the recently developed Assioma Favero pedals under laboratory cycling conditions. In total, 12 well-trained male cyclists and triathletes (VO2max = 65.7 ± 8.7 mL·kg−1·min−1) completed five cycling tests including graded exercises tests (GXT) at different cadences (70–100 revolutions per minute, rpm), workloads (100–650 Watts, W), pedaling positions (seated and standing), vibration stress (20–40 Hz), and an 8-s maximal sprint. Tests were completed using a calibrated direct drive indoor trainer for the standing, seated, and vibration GXTs, and a friction belt cycle ergometer for the high-workload step protocol. Power output (PO) and cadence were collected from three different brand, new pedal units against the gold-standard SRM crankset. The three units of the Assioma Favero exhibited very high within-test reliability and an extremely high agreement between 100 and 250 W, compared to the gold standard (Standard Error of Measurement, SEM from 2.3–6.4 W). Greater PO produced a significant underestimating trend (p < 0.05, Effect size, ES ≥ 0.22), with pedals showing systematically lower PO than SRM (1–3%) but producing low bias for all GXT tests and conditions (1.5–7.4 W). Furthermore, vibrations ≥ 30 Hz significantly increased the differences up to 4% (p < 0.05, ES ≥ 0.24), whereas peak and mean PO differed importantly between devices during the sprints (p < 0.03, ES ≥ 0.39). These results demonstrate that the Assioma Favero power meter pedals provide trustworthy PO readings from 100 to 650 W, in either seated or standing positions, with vibrations between 20 and 40 Hz at cadences of 70, 85, and 100 rpm, or even at a free chosen cadence.
COVID-19 and Nanoscience in the Developing World: Rapid Detection and Remediation in Wastewater

Given the known presence of SARS-Cov-2 in wastewater, stemming disease spread in global regions where untreated effluent in the environment is common will experience additional pressure. Though development and preliminary trials of a vaccine against SARS-CoV-2 have been launched in several countries, rapid and effective alternative tools for the timely detection and remediation of SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater, especially in the developing countries, is of paramount importance. Here, we propose a promising, non-invasive technique for early prediction and targeted detection of SARS-CoV-2 to prevent current and future outbreaks. Thus, a combination of nanotechnology with wastewater-based epidemiology and artificial intelligence could be deployed for community-level wastewater virus detection and remediation.
Evaluation of Eating Habits and Their Impact on Health among Adolescents and Young Adults: A Cross-Sectional Study

According to the health field concept, the most important factor affecting health is a lifestyle. The current upward trend in overweight and obesity among younger populations is a consequence of inadequate lifestyle habits. The study aimed to characterise youth nutrition behaviour and knowledge in the context of the risk of developing overweight or obesity. The study group consisted of 307 high school students, 59% females and 41% males, aged between 15 and 19. Nutrition behaviours were studied using the standardised Questionnaire of Eating Behaviour. Body weight and body height were measured with a body composition analyser and a body height meter, respectively. It was observed that the average body mass index was 21.7 ± 3.4 kg/m2 for the females and 22.3 ± 3.1 kg/m2 for the males (p = 0.036). Disturbed weight-to-height ratios (i.e., overweight and obesity) were found in 15.6% of the females and 16.5% of the males. The diets of approximately 90% of these youth were characterised by excessively low pro-health product content. The males showed a significantly higher intensity of adverse health traits compared to the females (8.1% vs. 0.7%, p = 0.002). More than half of the males presented insufficient knowledge about food and nutrition (53.5% vs. 30.8%, p < 0.001). Regardless of gender, the study showed a positive correlation between adolescents’ level of knowledge and the pro-health diet index (gamma coefficient: 0.42, p < 0.001) and a negative correlation between their level of knowledge and the unhealthy diet index (gamma coefficient: −0.66, p < 0.001). The level of knowledge was closely related to the indicators of the intensities and adverse health characteristics of their diets. These results indicate the need for educational programs to raise awareness among youth in civilisation backgrounds.
Ewing Sarcoma—Diagnosis, Treatment, Clinical Challenges and Future Perspectives

Ewing sarcoma, a highly aggressive bone and soft-tissue cancer, is considered a prime example of the paradigms of a translocation-positive sarcoma: a genetically rather simple disease with a specific and neomorphic-potential therapeutic target, whose oncogenic role was irrefutably defined decades ago. This is a disease that by definition has micrometastatic disease at diagnosis and a dismal prognosis for patients with macrometastatic or recurrent disease. International collaborations have defined the current standard of care in prospective studies, delivering multiple cycles of systemic therapy combined with local treatment; both are associated with significant morbidity that may result in strong psychological and physical burden for survivors. Nevertheless, the combination of non-directed chemotherapeutics and ever-evolving local modalities nowadays achieve a realistic chance of cure for the majority of patients with Ewing sarcoma. In this review, we focus on the current standard of diagnosis and treatment while attempting to answer some of the most pressing questions in clinical practice. In addition, this review provides scientific answers to clinical phenomena and occasionally defines the resulting translational studies needed to overcome the hurdle of treatment-associated morbidities and, most importantly, non-survival.
What Are the Best Parents for Hybrid Progeny? An Investigation into the Human Pathogenic Fungus Cryptococcus

Hybridization between more divergent organisms is likely to generate progeny with more novel genetic interactions and genetic variations. However, the relationship between parental genetic divergence and progeny phenotypic variation remains largely unknown. Here, using strains of the human pathogenic Cryptococcus, we investigated the patterns of such a relationship. Twenty-two strains with up to 15% sequence divergence were mated. Progeny were genotyped at 16 loci. Parental strains and their progeny were phenotyped for growth ability at two temperatures, melanin production at seven conditions, and susceptibility to the antifungal drug fluconazole. We observed three patterns of relationships between parents and progeny for each phenotypic trait, including (i) similar to one of the parents, (ii) intermediate between the parents, and (iii) outside the parental phenotypic range. We found that as genetic distance increases between parental strains, progeny showed increased fluconazole resistance and growth at 37 °C but decreased melanin production under various oxidative and nitrosative stresses. Our findings demonstrate that, depending on the traits, both evolutionarily more similar strains and more divergent strains may be better parents to generate progeny with hybrid vigor. Together, the results indicate the enormous potential of Cryptococcus hybrids in their evolution and adaptation to diverse conditions.
Stable Coloured Micrometric Films from Highly Concentrated Nano-Silver Sols: The Role of the Stabilizing Agents

The synthesis of highly concentrated aqueous silver nanoparticles (NPs), exploiting different types of polymeric stabilizing agents, has been extensively investigated, especially for the stabilization of spherical yellow nanoparticles. In this context, here, a successful and easy wet chemical method was adopted to synthesize concentrated primary colored (yellow, red, blue and green) sols. The influence of polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) in affecting the final stability was finely investigating via UV/Vis spectroscopy, dynamic light scattering, TEM and colorimetric analysis. The next step consisted on the deposition of obtained sols onto a crown-treated polyethylene terephthalate (PET) support to obtain transparent colored micrometric homogeneous films. The fabricated PVP-based Ag films were revealed to be outstandingly UV-stable, contrarily to PVA-based films, probably due to the degradation of the polymer itself. Indeed, after UV aging tests, the PVA macromolecules could be broken and chemically modified (demonstrated by FT-IR analyses). This resulted in there being insufficient macromolecules to efficiently cover the surface of the nanoparticles, meaning that the nanoparticles tended to aggregate with each other, destabilizing the system itself. Hence, the obtained colored films described herein could represent a promising tool for different applications, from color shifting to optoelectronic devices.
Natural Killer Cells in Post-Transplant Lymphoproliferative Disorders

Simple Summary Post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorders (PTLDs) are life-threatening complications. The clinical and pathological spectrum of PTLD is broad; however, most cases of PTLD are associated with Epstein–Barr virus (EBV) infection and the use of immunosuppression treatment required to prevent graft rejection. While T-cell impairment is known to play a critical role in the immunopathogenesis of EBV complications post-transplantation, the role of natural killer (NK) cells remains more elusive. NK cells are key elements of the innate immune system that use a sophisticated array of activating, costimulatory, and inhibitory receptors to kill virally infected and/or cancerous cells. In this review we highlight the role of NK cells in the pathogenesis of PTLD, and also identify future avenues for NK cell therapy research. Abstract Post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorders (PTLDs) are life-threatening complications arising after solid organ or hematopoietic stem cell transplantations. Although the majority of these lymphoproliferations are of B cell origin, and are frequently associated with primary Epstein–Barr virus (EBV) infection or reactivation in the post-transplant period, rare cases of T cell and natural killer (NK) cell-originated PTLDs have also been described. A general assumption is that PTLDs result from the impairment of anti-viral and anti-tumoral immunosurveillance due to the long-term use of immunosuppressants in transplant recipients. T cell impairment is known to play a critical role in the immune-pathogenesis of post-transplant EBV-linked complications, while the role of NK cells has been less investigated, and is probably different between EBV-positive and EBV-negative PTLDs. As a part of the innate immune response, NK cells are critical for protecting hosts during the early response to virus-induced tumors. The complexity of their function is modulated by a myriad of activating and inhibitory receptors expressed on cell surfaces. This review outlines our current understanding of NK cells in the pathogenesis of PTLD, and discusses their potential implications for current PTLD therapies and novel NK cell-based therapies for the containment of these disorders.
Application of Botulinum Neurotoxin Injections in TRAM Flap for Breast Reconstruction: Intramuscular Neural Arborization of the Rectus Abdominis Muscle

Breast reconstruction after mastectomy is commonly performed using transverse rectus abdominis myocutaneous (TRAM) flap. Previous studies have demonstrated that botulinum neurotoxin injections in TRAM flap surgeries lower the risk of necrosis and allow further expansion of arterial cross-sectional diameters. The study was designed to determine the ideal injection points for botulinum neurotoxin injection by exploring the arborization patterns of the intramuscular nerves of the rectus abdominis muscle. A modified Sihler’s method was performed on 16 rectus abdominis muscle specimens. Arborization of the intramuscular nerves was determined based on the most prominent point of the xyphoid process to the pubic crest. All 16 rectus abdominis muscle specimens were divided into four muscle bellies by the tendinous portion. The arborized portions of the muscles were located on the 5–15%, 25–35%, 45–55%, and 70–80% sections of the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th muscle bellies, respectively. The tendinous portion was located at the 15–20%, 35–40%, 55–60%, and 90–100% sections. These results suggest that botulinum neurotoxin injections into the rectus abdominis muscles should be performed in specific sections.