Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Stable tRNA halves can be sorted into extracellular vesicles and delivered to recipient cells in a concentration-dependent manner

ABSTRACT Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are cell-derived nanoparticles that act as natural carriers of nucleic acids between cells. They offer advantages as delivery vehicles for therapeutic nucleic acids such as small RNAs. Loading of desired nucleic acids into EVs can be achieved by electroporation or transfection once purified. An attractive alternative is to transfect cells with the desired small RNAs and harness the cellular machinery for RNA sorting into the EVs. This possibility has been less explored because cells are believed to secrete only specific RNAs. However, we hypothesized that, even in the presence of selective secretion, concentration-driven RNA sorting to EVs would still be feasible. To show this, we transfected cells with glycine 5ʹ tRNA halves, which we have previously shown to better resist RNases. We then measured their levels in EVs and in recipient cells and found that, in contrast to unstable RNAs of random sequence, these tRNA halves were present in vesicles and in recipient cells in amounts proportional to the concentration of RNA used for transfection. Similar efficiencies were obtained with other stable oligonucleotides of random sequence. Our results demonstrate that RNA stability is a key factor needed to maintain high intracellular concentrations, a prerequisite for efficient non-selective RNA sorting to EVs and delivery to cells. Given that glycine 5ʹ tRNA halves belong to the group of stress-induced tRNA fragments frequently detected in extracellular space and biofluids, we propose that upregulation of extracellular tRNA fragments is consequential to cellular stress and might be involved in intercellular signalling.
Early Predictors of De Novo and Subthreshold Late-Onset ADHD in a Child and Adolescent Cohort

Objective: The study aimed to identify early childhood risk factors for de novo and subthreshold late-onset ADHD. Method: ADHD symptoms were assessed in 9,875 participants from the Twins Early Development Study (TEDS) using the Conners’ Parent Rating Scale at ages 8, 12, 14, and 16 years, along with other childhood characteristics and adolescent outcomes. Multinomial logistic regressions were implemented to identify early childhood predictors of late-onset ADHD and childhood-onset persistent ADHD, with non-ADHD controls as the reference category. Results: Male sex, increased childhood conduct problems, and low socioeconomic status predicted de novo late-onset ADHD. Additional risk factors predicted subthreshold late-onset ADHD and childhood-onset persistent ADHD. Late-onset ADHD symptoms were also accompanied by increased co-occurring behavioral and emotional problems. Conclusion: Findings of different childhood predictors between subthreshold and de novo late-onset ADHD suggest further investigation into time-varying environmental and biological factors driving psychopathological changes is warranted to fully characterize late-onset ADHD.
Ethics-related guidelines for authors and article retractions: How do Indian biomedical journals measure up?

BACKGROUND There has been an increase in research output from India, which in turn has led to an increase in the number of Indian journals facilitating biomedical research. The instructions to authors in the websites of these journals should clearly display ethics-related guidelines for the ethical publication process. The present study did an objective assessment of instructions to authors on the websites of Indian biomedical journals in PubMed and IndMED and retractions in these journals from January 2012 to October 2017. METHODS A 14-point checklist based on previous studies and review of literature was used. A total of 110 journals were included in the study and their websites assessed. RESULTS A dedicated section on ethics was found in 56 (50.9%) journal websites, 42 (38.2%) did not mention any specific bioethics guidelines, animal ethics was mentioned in 65 (59%) of the journals, and an ethics committee approval was required by 65 (59%) of the journals. Sixty-four (58.2%) journals mentioned mandatory informed consent and 19 (17.3%) required assent. There were 22 (20%) journals that required neither Clinical Trial Registry of India (CTRI) registration nor Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials (CONSORT) guidelines for reporting of clinical trials. There were 38 (34.5%) journals that actively looked for plagiarism. Most common reason for retraction was duplicate publication (23, 38.4%) followed by plagiarism (17,28.3%). CONCLUSION The lacunae found in this survey indicate a need for strengthening of author instructions. The number of retractions in the last five years suggests that there are valid reasons to strengthen ethics in the publication process in India.
Quantitative Assessment of Human Motion Capabilities with Passive Vision Monitoring

i Acknowledgements . ii Table of contents . iii List of Figures . viii List of Tables . xii Acronyms . xiv Chapter 1: Introduction . 1 1.1 Context . 1 1.2 Motivations. 2 1.3 Objectives . 4 1.4 Structure of the thesis . 5 Chapter 2: Literature Review . 7 2.
Deregulated Notch and Wnt signaling activates early-stage myeloid regeneration pathways in leukemia

Kang et al. show that the hijacking of normally transiently induced pathways of myeloid regeneration by low Notch and high Wnt activity in hematopoietic stem cells is a common feature shared by myeloid leukemia that could be therapeutically targeted to control aberrant myeloid cell production.
Mechanisms of increased bioavailability through amorphous solid dispersions: a review

Abstract Amorphous solid dispersions (ASDs) can increase the oral bioavailability of poorly soluble drugs. However, their use in drug development is comparably rare due to a lack of basic understanding of mechanisms governing drug liberation and absorption in vivo. Furthermore, the lack of a unified nomenclature hampers the interpretation and classification of research data. In this review, we therefore summarize and conceptualize mechanisms covering the dissolution of ASDs, formation of supersaturated ASD solutions, factors responsible for solution stabilization, drug uptake from ASD solutions, and drug distribution within these complex systems as well as effects of excipients. Furthermore, we discuss the importance of these findings on the development of ASDs. This improved overall understanding of these mechanisms will facilitate a rational ASD formulation development and will serve as a basis for further mechanistic research on drug delivery by ASDs.
Dorsal striatal functional connectivity changes in Internet gaming disorder: A longitudinal magnetic resonance imaging study

Internet gaming disorder (IGD) is a behavioral addiction involving excessive online game use despite negative psychosocial consequences. Unrestricted online gaming may lead to changes in striatal activity and the relationship between the striatum and other cortical regions. This study investigated structural and functional abnormalities involving the striatum through longitudinal follow‐up magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) assessments. Eighteen young males with IGD (mean age: 23.8 ± 2.0 years) and 18 controls (mean age: 23.9 ± 2.7 years) were evaluated. Subjects were reassessed ≥1 year after the first visit (mean follow‐up duration: 22.8 ± 6.7 months), using voxel‐based morphometry and seed‐based resting‐state functional connectivity (FC) analyses in seed regions of the dorsal and ventral striatum. Subjects with IGD had smaller gray matter volume (GMV) in the anterior/middle cingulate cortex compared with controls during initial and follow‐up assessments. They exhibited decreased FC between the left dorsal putamen and left medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) compared with controls. They exhibited increased FC strength between the right dorsal putamen and right middle occipital gyrus (MOG) during follow‐up. Subjects with IGD showed a significant correlation between changes in the dorsal putamen‐MOG FC and gaming time per day. Young males with IGD showed an altered FC pattern in the dorsal striatum during follow‐up. FC of the dorsal striatum in IGD increased in the mPFC and decreased in the MOG. These findings showed that IGD was accompanied by weakening of prefrontal control and strengthening of the sensorimotor network, suggesting that uncontrolled gaming may be related with functional neural changes in the dorsal striatum.
Laryngeal reflex responses in pediatric anesthesia

Laryngeal and respiratory reflexes are vitally important defense mechanisms against foreign body aspiration, safeguarding airway patency, and ventilation. These highly preserved automatisms easily overrule external influences like willpower or (anesthetic) medication. Prevention and anticipation are, therefore, the essential strategies to avoid adverse events and damage, and treatment is most effective in the early stage of the reflex response. The physiology and pathophysiology of the various defensive reflexes as well as a comprehensive anesthetic approach to prevention and treatment are outlined in this review.
Ecological, behavioral, and phylogenetic influences on the evolution of dorsal color pattern in geckos *

The dorsal surfaces of many taxonomic groups often feature repetitive pattern elements consisting of stripes, spots, or bands. Here, we investigate how distinct categories of camouflage pattern work by relating them to ecological and behavioral traits in 439 species of gecko. We use phylogenetic comparative methods to test outstanding hypotheses based on camouflage theory and research in other taxa. We found that bands are associated with nocturnal activity, suggesting bands provide effective camouflage for motionless geckos resting in refugia during the day. A predicted association between stripes and diurnal activity was not supported, suggesting that stripes do not work via dazzle camouflage mechanisms in geckos. This, along with a lack of support for our prediction that plain patterning should be associated with open habitats, suggests that similar camouflage patterns do not work in consistent ways across taxa. We also found that plain and striped lineages frequently switched between using open or closed habitats, whereas spotted lineages rarely transitioned. This suggests that pattern categories differ in how specialized or generalized their camouflage is. This result has ramifications for theory on how camouflage compromises to background heterogeneity and how camouflage pattern might influence evolutionary trajectories.
A literature review of current technologies on health data integration for patient-centered health management

Health data integration enables a collaborative utilization of data across different systems. It not only provides a comprehensive view of a patient’s health but can also potentially cope with challenges faced by the current healthcare system. In this literature review, we investigated the existing work on heterogeneous health data integration as well as the methods of utilizing the integrated health data. Our search was narrowed down to 32 articles for analysis. The integration approaches in the reviewed articles were classified into three classifications, and the utilization approaches were classified into five classifications. The topic of health data integration is still under debate and problems are far from being resolved. This review suggests the need for a more efficient way to invoke the various services for aggregating health data, as well as a more effective way to integrate the aggregated health data for supporting collaborative utilization. We have found that the combination of Web Application Programming Interface and Semantic Web technologies has the potential to cope with the challenges based on our analysis of the review result.
Anti-angiogenesis potential of phytochemicals for the therapeutic management of tumors.

The necessary role of angiogeneses during the growth and progression of tumors is well documented. Likewise, a balance is generally maintained between the cellular proliferation and the apoptosis, therefore, the tumors can persist for years in a dormant phase. During the past few years, many hypotheses have been proposed concerning the importance of tumor angiogenesis for the development and spread of tumors and preventive or therapeutic capacity of angiogenesis inhibitors as a novel target for controlling the growth of cancerous tissue. The anti-angiogenic based therapeutic approaches are considered as the most promising method for the control of tumors, as this therapeutic approach is are less likely to attain the drug resistance. Further, the tumor vasculature is an important prognostic marker which can independently predict the pathological stages as well as the malignant potential of tumors. Various biologically active phytochemicals have been extracted from the dietary sources and the plants that have engaged the scientist and pharmaceutical industries around the globe. The antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-proliferative and anti-angiogenic potential of these bioactive phytochemicals is evident from the in vitro approaches and studies involving the animal models. The present review is focused on the promising role of anti-angiogenesis-based therapies for the management of tumors and the recent developments relating to the interplay of phytochemicals and angiogenesis for the suppression of tumor cells.
Single and joint oxidative stress of cadmium and phenanthrene on the Bivalve Anadara subcrenata

Abstract Single and joint oxidative stress of cadmium (Cd) and phenanthrene (Phe) on Anadara subcrenata were investigated under laboratory conditions with biomarkers such as reactive oxygen species (ROS), malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and total antioxidant capacity (TAOC). The results indicated that the ROS level in Anadara subcrenata exposed to Cd and Phe significantly (P < 0.05) increased during the early exposure stage, and the TAOC level and SOD activity were induced as the response of the antioxidant defense system, and this followed a damage, recovery or acclimation event. The MDA content was negatively correlated with SOD activity. As the time went on, the ROS level decreased gradually and was close to that in the control after 9 days; the TAOC level decreased accordingly, but the recovery rate of the SOD activity was slower than that of the TAOC level. High concentrations of Cd or Phe had a stronger oxidative stress effect on Anadara subcrenata. Phe had a stronger effect on the SOD activity of Anadara subcrenata. The joint effects of Cd and Phe on the levels of ROS and TAOC, SOD activity and MDA content in Anadara subcrenata are dependent on their concentration combination, which were called the double-dose dependent effects and time-dependent effects, respectively. The binary mixture treatments of 477.33 μg/L Cd and 48.08 μg/L Phe had the highest oxidative stress on Anadara subcrenata.
Differential Expression of Angiotensin II Type 1 Receptor Subtypes Within the Cerebral Microvasculature.

Arteries and arterioles constrict in response to intraluminal pressure to generate myogenic tone, but the molecular nature of the vascular force-sensing mechanism is not fully characterized. Here, we investigated the role of angiotensin II type 1 receptors (AT1Rs) on vascular smooth muscle cells in the development of myogenic tone in cerebral parenchymal arterioles from mice. We found that pre-treatment with the AT1R blocker losartan inhibited the development of myogenic tone in these vessels but did not alter the luminal diameter of arterioles with pre-established tone. Rodents express two AT1R isotypes: AT1Ra and AT1Rb. We previously demonstrated that AT1Rb is expressed at much higher levels compared with AT1Ra in cerebral pial arteries and is required for myogenic contractility in these vessels, whereas AT1Ra is unnecessary for this function. Here, we found that AT1Ra and AT1Rb are expressed at similar levels in parenchymal arterioles, and that genetic knockout of AT1Ra blunted the ability of these vessels to generate myogenic tone. We also found that AT1Rb and total AT1R expression levels are much lower in parenchymal arterioles compared with pial arteries, and that parenchymal arterioles are less sensitive to the vasoconstrictive effects of the endogenous AT1R ligand, angiotensin II (Ang II). We conclude that 1) AT1Rs are critical for the initiation, but not the maintenance, of myogenic tone in parenchymal arterioles, and 2) lower levels of AT1Rb and total AT1R in parenchymal arterioles compared with pial arteries results in differences in myogenic and Ang II-induced vasoconstriction between these vascular segments.
Effects of Dendritic Cell Vaccine Activated with Components of Lieshmania Major on Tumor Specific Response.

BACKGROUND Dendritic cells (DCs) contribute essentially to the outset and course of immune responses. So in patients with malignancy, there have been considerable interests in use of these cells in different interventions. OBJECTIVE To evaluate the impact of Leishmania major's components on DC maturation and their use as a therapeutic agent against tumor cells. METHODS The cancer model was induced by injection of WEHI-164 cells (BALB/c derived fibrosarcoma cell line) subcutaneously in the right flank of animals. Bone-marrow derived DCs (BMDCs) were cultured with granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) and IL-4. After 5 days, tumor lysate, Leishmania major's lysate, and Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) were added to the culture and incubated for 2 days. IL-12 production in DCs was measured by ELISA. For Immunotherapy, Mice received DCs subcutaneously around the tumor site. Two weeks after DCs injection, cytotoxicity assay and infiltration of CD8+ lymphocytes were evaluated. RESULTS Our results showed that immunotherapy with dendritic cells exposed to Leishmania extract led to producing a higher amount of IL-12, compare to the control group. A considerable increment in specific cytotoxic T cells activity, diminished tumor growth rate and improved survival of immunized animals were seen. CONCLUSION This study indicates that the use of Leishmania major extract, as well as LPS, can enhance the efficiency of DC-based vaccines and provides a basis for the use of Leishmania major in DC-targeted clinical therapies.
Vitamin D intake, blood vitamin D levels, and the risk of breast cancer: a dose-response meta-analysis of observational studies

Epidemiological studies have indicated that blood vitamin D levels are linked to cancer. Here we conducted a dose–response meta-analysis based on published observational studies to evaluate the association of vitamin D intake and blood vitamin D levels with breast cancer susceptibility. PubMed, EMBASE, and Web of Science databases were searched up to January 2019. The pooled odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were extracted to estimate the risk. We identified 70 relevant studies on blood vitamin D levels (50 studies) and vitamin D intake (20 studies), respectively. Linear and nonlinear trend analyses were performed and showed that an increase in blood vitamin D levels by 5 nmol/l was associated with a 6% decrease in breast cancer risk (OR = 0.94, 95% CI = 0.93–0.96). Similar results were obtained for premenopausal (OR = 0.96, 95% CI = 0.93–0.99) and postmenopausal women (OR = 0.96, 95% CI = 0.94–0.98). The pooled OR of breast cancer risk for a 400IU/day increase in vitamin D intake was 0.97 (95% CI = 0.92–1.02). In conclusion, we found that breast cancer risk was inversely related to blood vitamin D levels; however, no significant association was observed in vitamin D intake.
The difference in referencing in Web of Science, Scopus, and Google Scholar

How often a medical article is cited is important for many people because it is used to calculate different variables such as the h‐index and the journal impact factor. The aim of this analysis was to assess how the citation count varies between Web of Science (WoS), Scopus, and Google Scholar in the current literature.
MOX–Report No. 31/2013 A mesh simplification strategy for a spatial regression analysis over the cortical surface of the brain Dassi,

We present a new mesh simplification technique developed for a statistical analysis of cortical surface data. The aim of this approach is to produce a simplified mesh which does not distort the original data distribution and such that the statistical estimates computed over the new mesh exhibit good inferential properties. To do this, we propose an iterative technique that, for each iteration, contracts the edge of the mesh with the lowest value of a cost function. This cost function takes into account both the geometry of the surface and the distribution of the data on it. After the data are associated with the simplified mesh, they are analyzed via a spatial regression model for non-planar domains. In particular, we resort to a penalized regression method that first conformally maps the simplified cortical surface mesh into a region in R. Then, existing planar spatial smoothing techniques are extended to non-planar domains by suitably including the flattening phase. The effectiveness of the entire process is numerically demonstrated via a simulation study and an application to cortical surface thickness data.
CARBON STOCKS OF NEEM TREE (Azadirachta indica A. Juss.) IN DIFFERENT URBAN LAND USE AND LAND COVER TYPES IN NIAMEY CITY, NIGER, WEST AFRICA

types using non-destructive method. We measured 853 (DBH ≥ 5 cm) stems within 102 plots over 19.41 ha. The mean and standard error of neem structural characteristics were density 48±9.06 stem/ha, basal area was 5.23±0.93 m 2 /ha, tree cover was 26.84±4.48%. Neem trees structural characteristics varied significantly across land use and land cover types (P = 000.1). Big stems (40 > cm) contributed about 72% to the total aboveground biomass. The mean carbon density was 24.17±3.50 t/ha. While the highest carbon stock was observed in commercial areas (67.05±27.49 t/ha), the second lowest carbon stock was in administrative areas (14.04±2.71 t/ha). Neem trees should be accounted for in urban land use planning and national biomass carbon inventory. These results complement the international tree carbon dataset and reference level from Sahel city for climate change mitigation.
BEYOND TEXT. EMBODIED READING OF DATA

In this paper, we will describe two examples of ABR workshops which we named the Beyond Text –method and where researchers and artists working together read and interpreted research data in embodied way. This means paying attention to the way the reading process affects one’s body as sensations, feelings and emotions. We learnt in our study, that the critical reflection of emotions and embodied feelings involved in the research process may offer a path to understand the underlying discriminatory power relations and structures by making the researcher ́s own prejudice or preconditions visible.
The Bucharest Academy of Economic Studies SHOCKS SPILLOVER WITHIN EMERGING EASTERN EUROPEAN EQUITY MARKETS

We estimate a multivariate GARCH-BEKK model to examine the returns and volatility dynamics between post-communist CEE stock markets and two of the largest international equity markets (namely US and Germany) over the last decade (2004-2014), with an emphasizes on the credit-crunch crisis period (2007-2009). We find that Russia is the only market that does not present significant linkages with other markets in terms of return. An analysis of the crisis window reflects that the smaller CEE equity markets report much smaller GARCH coefficients, indicating that although shocks have the most important impact (highest a coefficients for Romania and Serbia), these shocks are not persistent and disappear quickly. Other findings show that past news in the Czech market persist more than shocks in the other markets, whilst the lowest persistence of shocks is encountered in Russia, thus implying it is the most stable market in terms of propagation, perhaps due to its low level of integration with the other equity markets included in the sample.