Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Transplant social worker and donor financial assistance to increase living donor kidney transplants among African Americans: The TALKS Study, a randomized comparative effectiveness trial

Lack of donors hinders living donor kidney transplantation (LDKT) for African Americans. We studied the effectiveness of a transplant social worker intervention (TALK SWI) alone or paired with living donor financial assistance to activate African Americans’ potential living kidney donors. African Americans (N = 300) on the transplant waiting list were randomly assigned to usual care; TALK SWI; or TALK SWI plus Living Donor Financial Assistance. We quantified differences in live kidney donor activation (composite rate of live donor inquiries, completed new live donor evaluations, or live kidney donation) after 12 months. Participants’ mean age was 52 years, 56% were male, and 43% had annual household income less than $40,000. Most previously pursued LDKT. Participants were highly satisfied with TALK social workers, but they rarely utilized Financial Assistance. After 12 months, few (n = 39, 13%) participants had a new donor activation event (35 [12%] new donor inquiries; 17 [6%] new donor evaluations; 4 [1%] LDKT). There were no group differences in donor activation events (subdistribution hazard ratio [95% CI]: 1.09 [0.51–2.30] for TALK SWI and 0.92 [0.42–2.02] for TALK SWI plus Financial Assistance compared to Usual Care, p = 91). Alternative interventions to increase LDKT for African Americans on the waiting list may be needed. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT02369354).
Immunophenotypic Characterization of Canine Nodal T-Zone Lymphoma

T-zone lymphoma (TZL) is an indolent nodal T-cell lymphoma most commonly observed in submandibular lymph nodes in dogs. The diagnosis is based on its distinct morphology and expression of CD3. TZL has been reported to have a low Ki67 index and to lack expression of CD45. The latter feature has been used to diagnose this type of lymphoma via fine needle aspirate and flow cytometry without confirmation of the characteristic tissue architecture. The goal of this study was to characterize the immunophenotype of canine nodal TZL in greater detail. Twenty-seven TZLs were selected based on their characteristic morphology. A tissue microarray was generated, and immunohistochemical expression of CD3, CD5, CD20, CD21, CD25, CD45, Bcl-6, and Ki67 was evaluated. Neoplastic T cells in all cases were positive for CD3, CD5, and CD25, and negative for CD20, CD21, and Bcl-6. Positive labelling for CD45 was detected in 2 of the 27 cases with the remaining 25 cases being negative. All cases had a low Ki67 index with an average index of 19.56%. For the CD45-positive TZLs, clonality of the T-cell antigen receptor gamma gene was confirmed in only one of these cases. The observed immunophenotype of canine TZL is similar to previous publications with the exception that 2 cases expressed CD45. Expression of CD45 in TZLs in this study emphasizes the importance of interpreting immunophenotypic findings in conjunction with histopathology to reach an accurate diagnosis and not to use lack of expression of a particular antigen as the sole diagnostic criterion.
An agglutinate magnetic spray transforms inanimate objects into millirobots for biomedical applications

Millirobots with magnetically drivable surfaces display a range of locomotive abilities and programmable behavior. Millirobots that can adapt to unstructured environments, operate in confined spaces, and interact with a diverse range of objects would be desirable for exploration and biomedical applications. The continued development of millirobots, however, requires simple and scalable fabrication techniques. Here, we propose a minimalist approach to construct millirobots by coating inanimate objects with a composited agglutinate magnetic spray. Our approach enables a variety of one-dimensional (1D), 2D, or 3D objects to be covered with a thin magnetically drivable film (~100 to 250 micrometers in thickness). The film is thin enough to preserve the original size, morphology, and structure of the objects while providing actuation of up to hundreds of times its own weight. Under the actuation of a magnetic field, our millirobots are able to demonstrate a range of locomotive abilities: crawling, walking, and rolling. Moreover, we can reprogram and disintegrate the magnetic film on our millirobots on demand. We leverage these abilities to demonstrate biomedical applications, including catheter navigation and drug delivery.
The Transcription Factor HAND1 Is Involved in Cortical Bone Mass through the Regulation of Collagen Expression

Temporal and/or spatial alteration of collagen family gene expression results in bone defects. However, how collagen expression controls bone size remains largely unknown. The basic helix-loop-helix transcription factor HAND1 is expressed in developing long bones and is involved in their morphogenesis. To understand the functional role of HAND1 and collagen in the postnatal development of long bones, we overexpressed Hand1 in the osteochondroprogenitors of model mice and found that the bone volumes of cortical bones decreased in Hand1Tg/+;Twist2-Cre mice. Continuous Hand1 expression downregulated the gene expression of type I, V, and XI collagen in the diaphyses of long bones and was associated with decreased expression of Runx2 and Sp7/Osterix, encoding transcription factors involved in the transactivation of fibril-forming collagen genes. Members of the microRNA-196 family, which target the 3′ untranslated regions of COL1A1 and COL1A2, were significantly upregulated in Hand1Tg/+;Twist2-Cre mice. Mass spectrometry revealed that the expression ratios of alpha 1(XI), alpha 2(XI), and alpha 2(V) in the diaphysis increased during postnatal development in wild-type mice, which was delayed in Hand1Tg/+;Twist2-Cre mice. Our results demonstrate that HAND1 regulates bone size and morphology through osteochondroprogenitors, at least partially by suppressing postnatal expression of collagen fibrils in the cortical bones.
Very early onset inflammatory bowel disease in a South Asian country where inflammatory bowel disease is emerging: a distinct clinical phenotype from later onset disease

Background/Aims Information on pediatric inflammatory bowel disease (PIBD) and very early onset IBD (VEOIBD) are sparse in India, where IBD is emerging. We aimed to evaluate characteristics of VEOIBD and later onset PIBD (LO-PIBD) in India. Methods We performed retrospective analysis of a large, prospectively maintained IBD registry. PIBD was divided in to VEOIBD (< 6 years) and LO-PIBD (6–17 years). Demographic data, disease characteristics and treatment were compared between the PIBD groups and with other Asian/Western studies as well as the adult patients of the registry. Results Of 3,752 IBD patients, 292 (7.8%) had PIBD (0–17 years) (175 Crohn’s disease [CD], 113 ulcerative colitis [UC], 4 IBD-undifferentiated; 22 VEOIBD [7.5%], and 270 LO-PIBD [92.5%]). VEOIBD patients had more severe disease compared to LO-PIBD in both UC (P=0.003) and CD (P<0.001). Familial IBD was more common in VEOIBD (13.6%) compared to LO-PIBD (9.2%). Ileal disease (L1) was an independent risk factor for diagnostic delay in pediatric CD. Diagnostic delay (> 6 months) was significantly lower in VEOIBD (40.9%) than in LO-PIBD (78.8%) (P<0.001). Compared to other Asian and Western studies, extensive UC (72.5%) and complicated CD (stricturing/penetrating: 42.7%) were relatively more common. Perianal CD was relatively less frequent (7.4%). PIBD had a significantly higher number of complicated and ileal CD and extensive UC comparison to adult cohort of the registry. Conclusions VEOIBD has more aggressive phenotype than LO-PIBD. Disease appears distinct from other Asian and Western studies and adult onset disease, with more complicated CD and extensive UC.
Biotic interactions affect fitness across latitudes, but only drive local adaptation in the tropics

Local adaptation to broad-scale environmental heterogeneity can increase species’ distributions and diversification, but which environmental components commonly drive local adaptation— particularly the importance of biotic interactions—is unclear. Biotic interactions should drive local adaptation when they impose consistent divergent selection; if this is common we expect experiments to detect more frequent and stronger local adaptation when biotic interactions are left intact. We tested this hypothesis using a meta-analysis of common-garden experiments from 138 studies (149 taxa). Across studies, local adaptation was common and biotic interactions affected fitness. Nevertheless, local adaptation was neither more common nor stronger when biotic interactions were left intact, either between experimental treatments within studies (control vs. biotic interactions experimentally manipulated) or between studies that used natural vs. biotically-altered transplant environments. However, tropical studies, which comprised only 7% of our data, found strong local adaptation in intact environments but not when negative biotic interactions were ameliorated, suggesting that interactions frequently drive local adaptation in the tropics. Our results suggest that biotic interactions often fail to drive local adaptation even though they affect fitness, perhaps because the temperate-zone biotic environment is less predictable at the spatiotemporal scales required for local adaptation.
Network pharmacology and molecular docking approaches to investigating the mechanism of action of Zanthoxylum bungeanum in the treatment of oxidative stress-induced diseases.

BACKGROUND Zanthoxylum bungeanum Maxim. , a traditional Chinese herbal medicine, has been reported to possess therapeutic effects on diseases induced by oxidative stress (DOS), such as atherosclerosis and diabetes complication. However, the active components and its related mechanisms are still not systematically reported. OBJECTIVE The current study was aimed to explore the main active ingredients and its molecular mechanisms of Z. bungeanum for treating DOS using network pharmacology combined with molecular docking simulation. METHODS The active components of Z. bungeanum pericarps, in addition to the interacting targets, were identified from the Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology (TCMSP) database. These components were filtered using the parameters of oral bioavailability and drug-likeness, and the targets related to DOS were obtained from the Genecards and OMIM database. Furthermore, the overlapping genes were obtained, and a protein-protein interaction was visualized using the STRING database. Next, the Cytoscape software was employed to build a disease/drug/component/target network, and Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analysis were performed using R software. Finally, the potential active compounds and their related targets were validated using molecular docking technology. RESULTS A total of 61 active compounds, 280 intersection genes, and 105 signaling pathways were obtained. Functional enrichment analysis suggested that DOS occurs possibly through the regulation of many biological pathways, such as AGERAGE and HIF-1 signaling pathways. Thirty of the identical target genes showed obvious compact relationships with others in the STRING analysis. Three active compounds, quercetin, diosmetin, and beta-sitosterol, interacting with the four key targets, exhibited strong affinities. CONCLUSION The findings of this study not only indicate the main mechanisms involving in the oxidative stress-induced diseases, but also provide the basis for further research on the active components of Z. bungeanum for treating DOS.
Shapes of the Abdomen Between Sexes in Two Geographically Isolated Populations of Rana Ranina Using Landmark-Based Geometric Morphometrics and Multivariate Statistics

This study was conducted to describe and compare the shapes of the abdomen between sexes in two geographically isolated populations of Rana ranina using landmark-based geometric morphometrics and multivariate statistics. The results showed that asymmetry was common among the sampled crabs; however, PCA-implied deformations revealed higher fluctuating asymmetry levels among female crabs collected from Siargao compared to those from Sacol. Although further studies are still warranted, the results could spell possible differences in the crab’s response to different environmental realities between Siargao and Sacol. A glaring result also from this research was the apparent preponderance of asymmetrical structures in nature and the rarity of the symmetry.
Frequent Episodic Utilizers of Veterans Health Administration Homeless Programs Use: Background Characteristics and Health Services Use

Supplemental Digital Content is Available in the Text. Objective: To assess sociodemographic, diagnostic, and services use factors associated with veterans' repeated, episodic use of Veterans Health Administration (VHA) Homeless Programs. Design: This retrospective cohort study used stepwise multivariate logistic regression to assess the odds of veterans being frequent episodic utilizers of VHA Homeless Programs (ie, ≥4 services use episodes during the observation period). Setting: The study used administrative data from veterans who accessed VHA services across the United States. Participants: The sample comprised 31 098 veterans who completed a VHA Homeless Program intake assessment in 2013 and accessed VHA Homeless Programs during 2013-2016. Main Outcome Measure: Frequent episodic use of VHA Homeless Programs (ie, ≥4 services use episodes during the observation period). Results: Only 2.4% of the study sample had 4 or more episodes of VHA Homeless Program use during the observation period; risk factors included experience of military sexual trauma, history of incarceration, diagnosis of psychosis and substance use disorder, and use of acute care. Conclusions: Addressing veterans' needs related to poverty, income, and postincarceration reintegration may reduce the frequent episodic use of VHA Homeless Programs. Interventions embedded in emergency departments and inpatient units may also be considered.
Chromatin dynamics during DNA damage and repair in plants: new roles for old players.

The genome of plants is organized into chromatin. The chromatin structure regulates the rates of DNA metabolic processes such as replication, transcription, DNA recombination and repair. Different aspects of plant growth and development are regulated by changes in chromatin status by the action of chromatin remodeling activities. Recent data have also showed that many of these chromatin associated proteins participate in different aspects of the DNA damage response, regulating DNA damage and repair, cell cycle progression, programmed cell death and the entry to the endocycle. In this review, we present different examples of proteins and chromatin modifying enzymes with roles during DNA damage responses, demonstrating that proper and fast changes in the chromatin structure are essential to maintain genome stability.
Revisiting the Formation of a Native Disulfide Bond: Consequences for Protein Regeneration and Beyond

Oxidative protein folding involves the formation of disulfide bonds and the regeneration of native structure (N) from the fully reduced and unfolded protein (R). Oxidative protein folding studies have provided a wealth of information on underlying physico-chemical reactions by which disulfide-bond-containing proteins acquire their catalytically active form. Initially, we review key events underlying oxidative protein folding using bovine pancreatic ribonuclease A (RNase A), bovine pancreatic trypsin inhibitor (BPTI) and hen-egg white lysozyme (HEWL) as model disulfide bond-containing folders and discuss consequential outcomes with regard to their folding trajectories. We re-examine the findings from the same studies to underscore the importance of forming native disulfide bonds and generating a “native-like” structure early on in the oxidative folding pathway. The impact of both these features on the regeneration landscape are highlighted by comparing ideal, albeit hypothetical, regeneration scenarios with those wherein a native-like structure is formed relatively “late” in the R→N trajectory. A special case where the desired characteristics of oxidative folding trajectories can, nevertheless, stall folding is also discussed. The importance of these data from oxidative protein folding studies is projected onto outcomes, including their impact on the regeneration rate, yield, misfolding, misfolded-flux trafficking from the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) to the cytoplasm, and the onset of neurodegenerative disorders.
Post-Processing Treatment Impact on Mechanical Properties of SLM Deposited Ti-6Al-4 V Porous Structure for Biomedical Application

Additive manufacturing technologies allow producing a regular three-dimensional mesh of interconnected struts that form an open-cell porous structure. Regular porous structures have been used in the orthopedic industry due to outstanding bone anchoring. The aim of the study was to determine how the postprocessing influences the mechanical properties of porous structures made of titanium alloy CL 41TI ELI. The effect of hot isostatic pressing (HIP) as a method of increasing microstructural integrity was investigated here. The influence of surface etching (SE) technique, which was applied to the porous structure for cleaning unmelted titanium powder particles on the surface of connectors from the inner surfaces of a porous structure, was examined in this study. Mechanical properties were investigated by means of compression tests. The results point out that HIP has a minor effect on the mechanical behavior of considered porous structures. The SE is an effective method to clean the surface of a porous structure, which is very important in the case of biomedical applications when loose powder can cause serious health problems. Another effect of the SE is also the strut thickness reduction. Reducing strut thickness of a porous structure with the surface etching decreases its stiffness to the same extent as predicted by the relative density theoretical model but did not result in structural damage.
PROCESSING ION MOBILITY SPECTROMETRY DATA TO CHARACTERIZE GROUP DIFFERENCES IN A MULTIPLE CLASS COMPARISON

The large amount of data, obtained from measurements with an ion mobility spectrometer (IMS) coupled to a multi-capillary column (MCC), leads to the need of an efficient data reduction to the essential information for the specific problem. A common task is the comparison of several groups of objects to find some characteristic differences between them. In IMS data those variations can only become manifest in different peak structures. Therefore, it seems suitable to merge a raster to the peak positions occurred in the measurements of the existing sample. Afterwards data reduction can be enhanced by computing a centroid value for each detected peak region. So after data processing, the only left is a vector with its length corresponding to the number of different peaks in the sample. This data vector can be the base for a following statistical analysis, which aims at selecting those constructed variables, which show a significant difference between the groups. In conclusion, a linear discriminant analysis including differential expressed variables results in a decision rule, which ideally allows the correct distinction between the different groups.
Dispersão de sementes por caprinos em áreas de caatinga

Os caprinos, especialmente de criacao, sao comumente apontados como fontes de degradacao da vegetacao das regioes aridas do planeta, estando associados a reducao do recrutamento, do crescimento, distribuicao geografica e capacidade de regeneracao da vegetacao. No entanto, o seu possivel papel como dispersor em ambientes defaunados e negligenciado. Diante disso, este trabalho tem por objetivo geral investigar se esses animais tambem podem favorecer a dispersao de sementes na Caatinga. O estudo esta dividido em duas partes - na primeira foi investigada a capacidade de estabelecimento de plântulas a partir de sementes em fezes de caprinos oriundas de areas em diferentes distâncias de rios permanentes ou temporarios; na segunda parte foi observada efeito na germinacao de sementes da especie endemica, Spondias tuberosa (umbu), apos passagem pelo trato gastrointestinal desses animais. Para o primeiro experimento foram obtidos 263 plântulas de 20 especies. Houve um maior numero de plântulas provenientes de fezes da area proxima a rios permanentes; Nao houve diferenca estatistica quanto a riqueza entre as areas, sendo a especie exotica, Prosopis juliflora, a mais representativa. No experimento de oferta de frutos aos caprinos, cerca de 69% das sementes de Spondias tuberosa foram recuperadas. O percentual de germinacao foi significativamente maior nas sementes que foram regurgitadas em relacao as sementes recolhidas das fezes, controle e escarificadas de forma mecânica. Ja o tempo medio, indice de velocidade de germinacao e sincronia foi estatisticamente distinto nas sementes do tratamento mecânico. Os resultados mostram que os caprinos podem potencialmente dispersar sementes das plantas que foram ingeridas, no entanto, e imprescindivel considerar as especies que aparecem em suas fezes, visto que muitas delas sao exoticas. Fezes amostradas em areas com maior disponibilidade hidrica apresentaram uma maior abundância de individuos, enquanto que a riqueza vegetal nao diferiu entre as areas. A regurgitacao das sementes de Spondias tuberosa e responsavel pelo aumento significativo do percentual germinativo da especie, no entanto, por apresentar uma deposicao agregada, acaba por diminuir as chances de estabelecimento das sementes do umbu na natureza, nao sendo, portanto, um dispersor legitimo.
Paraoxonase‐2: A potential biomarker for skin cancer aggressiveness

Cutaneous neoplasms include melanoma and non‐melanoma skin cancers (NMSCs). Among NMSCs, basal cell carcinoma (BCC) represents the most common lesion. On the contrary, although accounting for less than 5% of all skin cancers, melanoma is responsible for most of cutaneous malignancy‐related deaths. Paraoxonase‐2 (PON2) is an intracellular enzyme exerting a protective role against production of reactive oxygen species within mitochondrial respiratory chain. Recently, a growing attention has been focused on exploring the role of PON2 in cancer. The aim of this study was to investigate the diagnostic and prognostic role of PON2 in skin neoplasms.