Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Application of Fat-Tailed Sheep Tail and Backfat to Develop Novel Warthog Cabanossi with Distinct Sensory Attributes

This study compared the use of pork backfat (PF) and fat-tailed sheep tail and backfat (SF) on the physicochemical, fatty acids and sensory attributes of warthog cabanossi. There were no differences between weight loss during drying, moisture content, pH, water activity, salt content and lipid oxidation between the cabanossi types. However, protein and ash contents were higher in PF cabanossi whilst fat content was higher in SF cabanossi. The PF cabanossi had higher polyunsaturated fatty acids (especially n-6), lower monounsaturated fatty acids whilst the saturated fatty acid content was similar between the two cabanossi products. The n-3:n-6 ratio was more beneficial in the SF cabanossi. The descriptive sensory analysis showed two distinct products where PF cabanossi scored higher for most attributes. Although SF cabanossi scored less for these attributes, this cabanossi had unique and acceptable sensory attributes. This study concluded that fat-tailed sheep tail and backfat could be used to produce a unique cabanossi product of acceptable quality.
Decoding the neural dynamics of free choice in humans

How do we choose a particular action among equally valid alternatives? Nonhuman primate findings have shown that decision-making implicates modulations in unit firing rates and local field potentials (LFPs) across frontal and parietal cortices. Yet the electrophysiological brain mechanisms that underlie free choice in humans remain ill defined. Here, we address this question using rare intracerebral electroencephalography (EEG) recordings in surgical epilepsy patients performing a delayed oculomotor decision task. We find that the temporal dynamics of high-gamma (HG, 60–140 Hz) neural activity in distinct frontal and parietal brain areas robustly discriminate free choice from instructed saccade planning at the level of single trials. Classification analysis was applied to the LFP signals to isolate decision-related activity from sensory and motor planning processes. Compared with instructed saccades, free-choice trials exhibited delayed and longer-lasting HG activity during the delay period. The temporal dynamics of the decision-specific sustained HG activity indexed the unfolding of a deliberation process, rather than memory maintenance. Taken together, these findings provide the first direct electrophysiological evidence in humans for the role of sustained high-frequency neural activation in frontoparietal cortex in mediating the intrinsically driven process of freely choosing among competing behavioral alternatives.
Activatable Polymeric Nanoprobe for Near-Infrared Fluorescence and Photoacoustic Imaging of T Lymphocytes.

Development of real-time non-invasive imaging probes to assess infiltration and activation of cytotoxic T cells (CTLs) is critical to predict the efficacy of cancer immunotherapy, which however remains challenging. We herein report an activatable semiconducting polymer nanoprobe (SPNP) for near-infrared florescence (NIRF) and photoacoustic (PA) imaging of a biomarker (granzyme B) associated with activation of CTLs. SPNP comprises a semiconducting polymer (SP) conjugated with a granzyme B cleavable and dye-labeled peptide as the side chain, both of which emit NIRF and PA signals. After systemic administration, SPNP passively targets the tumor and in-situ reacts with granzyme B to release the dye-labeled peptide, leading to decreased NIRF and PA signals from the dye but unchanged signals from the polymer. Such ratiometric NIRF and PA signals of SPNP correlate well with the expression level of granzyme B and intratumoral population of CTLs. Thus, this study not only presents the first PA probes for in vivo imaging of immune activation but also provides a molecular design strategy that can be generalized for molecular imaging of other immune-related biomarkers.
Comparing the effects of vestibular rehabilitation with and without lavender oil scents as an olfactory stimulus on balance, fear of falling down and activities of daily living of people with multiple sclerosis: a randomized clinical trial

Abstract Purpose To evaluate the effect of using lavender oil as an olfactory stimulus with vestibular rehabilitation (VR) on balance, fear of falling down, and activities of daily living of people with multiple sclerosis. Methods Forty participants were randomly assigned into experimental and control groups. The experimental group did the VR exercises while smelling the lavender oil scents. The control group did the VR exercises without it. Both groups did the exercises in ten 45-min sessions. We assessed the participants with the timed up and go (TUG) test, Berg balance scale (BBS), fall efficacy scale – international (FES-I), and the 29-item multiple sclerosis impact scale (MSIS-29). We did the tests at the baseline and after the last exercise session. Results The experimental group performed significantly better in the BBS (p = 0.007), TUG (p = 0.045), and FES-I (p = 0.016) tests as well as in the MSIS-29’s psychological subscale (p = 0.034) than did the control group. Conclusions Using lavender oil as olfactory stimulus while doing the VR exercises can improve balance and reduce fear of falling down compared to doing the VR exercises without it in people with multiple sclerosis. Implications for rehabilitation It seems that using lavender oil, as an olfactory stimulus, while doing vestibular rehabilitation exercises can improve balance and reduce fear of falling down in people with multiple sclerosis compared to doing the vestibular rehabilitation exercises without it. This treatment significantly alleviates the psychological effects of multiple sclerosis on daily life such as sleeping problems, feeling unwell, anxious, tense, depressed, etc.
EXTRACELLULAR VESICLE ANALYSIS ALLOWS FOR IDENTIFICATION OF INVASIVE IPMN.

BACKGROUND & AIMS Advances in cross-sectional imaging have resulted in increased detection of intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms (IPMNs) and their management remains controversial. At present, there is no reliable non-invasive method to distinguish between indolent and high risk IPMNs. We performed extracellular vesicle (EV) analysis to identify markers of malignancy in an attempt to better stratify these lesions. METHODS Using a novel ultrasensitive digital extracellular vesicle screening technique (DEST) we measured putative biomarkers of malignancy (MUC1, MUC2, MUC4, MUC5AC, MUC6, Das-1, STMN1, TSP1, TSP2, EGFR, EpCAM, GPC1, WNT-2, EphA2, S100A4, PSCA, MUC13, ZEB1, PLEC1, HOOK1, PTPN6, and FBN1) in EV from patient-derived cell lines and then on circulating EV obtained from peripheral blood drawn from patients with IPMNs. We enrolled a total of 133 patients in two separate cohorts: a clinical discovery cohort (n=86) and a validation cohort (n=47). RESULTS From 16 validated EV proteins in plasma samples collected from the discovery cohort, only MUC5AC showed significantly higher levels in high grade lesions. Of the 11 patients with invasive IPMN (inv/HG), 9 had high MUC5AC expression in plasma EV and of the 11 patients with high grade dysplasia alone, only 1 had high MUC5AC expression (specificity of 82%, sensitivity of 100%). These findings were corroborated in a separate validation cohort. The addition of MUC5AC as a biomarker to imaging and high risk stigmata allowed detection of all cases requiring surgery, whereas imaging and high risk stigmata alone would have missed 5/14 cases (36%). CONCLUSIONS MUC5AC in circulating EV can predict the presence of invasive carcinoma within IPMN. This approach has the potential to improve the management and follow-up of patients with IPMN including avoiding unnecessary surgery.
Deep Feature Extraction and Classification of Android Malware Images

The Android operating system has gained popularity and evolved rapidly since the previous decade. Traditional approaches such as static and dynamic malware identification techniques require a lot of human intervention and resources to design the malware classification model. The real challenge lies with the fact that inspecting all files of the application structure leads to high processing time, more storage, and manual effort. To solve these problems, optimization algorithms and deep learning has been recently tested for mitigating malware attacks. This manuscript proposes Summing of neurAl aRchitecture and VisualizatiOn Technology for Android Malware identification (SARVOTAM). The system converts the malware non-intuitive features into fingerprint images to extract the quality information. A fine-tuned Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) is used to automatically extract rich features from visualized malware thus eliminating the feature engineering and domain expert cost. The experiments were done using the DREBIN dataset. A total of fifteen different combinations of the Android malware image sections were used to identify and classify Android malware. The softmax layer of CNN was substituted with machine learning algorithms like K-Nearest Neighbor (KNN), Support Vector Machine (SVM), and Random Forest (RF) to analyze the grayscale malware images. It is observed that CNN-SVM model outperformed original CNN as well as CNN-KNN, and CNN-RF. The classification results showed that our method is able to achieve an accuracy of 92.59% using Android certificates and manifest malware images. This paper reveals the lightweight solution and much precise option for malware identification.
High Prevalence of Advanced Liver Fibrosis Assessed by Transient Elastography Among U.S. Adults With Type 2 Diabetes

OBJECTIVE Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is an important risk factor for the progression of metabolic liver disease to advanced fibrosis. Here, we provide an estimate of the prevalence of steatosis and fibrosis in U.S. adults with T2DM on the basis of transient elastography (TE) and identify factors associated with these conditions. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS This is a cross-sectional study of U.S. adults with T2DM participating in the 2017–2018 cycle of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey who were evaluated by TE. Hepatic steatosis and fibrosis were diagnosed by the median value of controlled attenuation parameter (CAP) and liver stiffness measurement (LSM), respectively. RESULTS Among the 825 patients with reliable TE examination results, 484 (53.7%) were assessed using the M probe and 341 (46.3%) using the XL probe. Liver steatosis (CAP ≥274 dB/m), advanced fibrosis (LSM ≥9.7 kPa), and cirrhosis (LSM ≥13.6 kPa) were present in 73.8% (95% CI 68.5%–78.5%), 15.4% (95% CI 12.2%–19.0%), and 7.7% (95% CI 4.8%–11.9%) of patients, respectively. The mean ± SE age of patients with advanced fibrosis and cirrhosis was 63.7 ± 2.2 years and 57.8 ± 1.6 years, respectively. In the multivariable logistic regression model, BMI, non-Black race, and ALT levels were independent predictors of steatosis; and BMI, non-Black race, and AST and γ-glutamyltranspeptidase levels were independent predictors of advanced fibrosis. CONCLUSIONS Prevalence of both liver steatosis and fibrosis is high in patients with T2DM from the United States and obesity is a major risk factor. Our results support the screening of these conditions among patients with diabetes.
Toxicity and biomarkers of micro-plastic in aquatic environment: a review

Abstract Microplastics (MPs; <5 mm) are found in all aquatic environments. Due to harmful impacts, MPs pose a great threat to the aquatic ecology. Therefore, this review aims to provide an overview of the risk, bioavailability, and toxicity of MPs in aquatic organisms. Various factors affecting MPs bioavailability and level of risks at cellular and molecular level on aquatic organisms are comprehensively discussed. More specifically biomarkers for antioxidant response (superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione peroxidase, reductase, and glutathione S-transferase), neurotoxic impairment (acetylcholinesterase), lysosomal activity alteration, and genotoxicity have been discussed in detail. Biomarkers are powerful tool in the monitoring programme, but the collection of literature on biomarkers for MPs is limited. Thus, here we demonstrate how to evaluate MPs impact, in monitoring programme, on organisms using biomarkers in aquatic environment. This review would broaden the existing knowledge on the toxic effect and biomarkers of MPs and offer research priorities for future studies.
EPA-based assessment: Clinical teachers’ challenges when transitioning to a prospective entrustment-supervision scale

Abstract Background This study explores the challenges clinical teachers face when first using a prospective entrustment-supervision (ES) scale in a curriculum based on Entrustable Professional Activities (EPAs). A prospective ES scale has the purpose to estimate at which level of supervision a student will be ready to perform an activity in subsequent encounters. Methods We studied the transition to prospective assessment of medical students in clerkships via semi-structured interviews with twelve purposefully sampled clinical teachers, shortly after the introduction of a new undergraduate EPA-based curriculum and EPA-based assessment employing a prospective ES scale. Results While some clinical teachers showed a correct interpretation, rating strategies also appeared to be affected by the target supervision level for completion of the clerkship. Instructions to estimate readiness for a supervision level in the future were not always understood. Further, teachers' interpretation of the scale anchors relied heavily on the phrasing. Discussion Prospective assessment asks clinical teachers to make an extra inference step in their judgement process from reporting observed performance to estimating future level of supervision. This requires a change in mindset when coming from a retrospective, performance-oriented assessment method, i.e., reporting what was observed. Our findings suggest optimizing the ES-scale wordings and improving faculty development.
Rational Design of Pillared SnS/Ti3C2Tx MXene for Superior Lithium-Ion Storage.

MXenes have been widely explored in energy storage because of their extraordinary properties; however, the majority of research on their application was staged at multilayered MXenes or assisted by carbon materials. Scientifically speaking, the two most distinctive properties of MXenes are usually neglected, composed of large interlayer spacing and abundant surface chemistry, which distinguish MXenes from other two-dimensional materials. Herein, few-layered MXene (f-MXene) nanosheet powders can be easily prepared according to the modified solution-phase flocculation method, completely avoiding the restacking phenomenon of f-MXene nanosheets in preparation and oxidation issues during the storage process. Via further employing the solvothermal reaction and annealing treatment, we successfully constructed pillared SnS/Ti3C2Tx composites decorated with in situ formed TiO2 nanoparticles. In the composites, MXenes can play the role of a conductive network, a buffer matrix for volume expansion of SnS, while the active SnS nanoplates can fully deliver the advantage of high capacity and further induce interlayer engineering of Ti3C2Tx during cycling. As a result, the pillared SnS/Ti3C2Tx MXene composites exhibit obvious improvement in electrochemical performance. Interestingly, there is an apparent enhancement of capacity at succedent cycling, which can be ascribed to the "pillar effect" of Ti3C2Tx MXenes. The efforts and attempts made in this work can further broaden the development of pillared MXene composites.
Thioredoxin-Interacting Protein (TXNIP) with Focus on Brain and Neurodegenerative Diseases

The development of new therapeutic approaches to diseases relies on the identification of key molecular targets involved in amplifying disease processes. One such molecule is thioredoxin-interacting protein (TXNIP), also designated thioredoxin-binding protein-2 (TBP-2), a member of the α-arrestin family of proteins and a central regulator of glucose and lipid metabolism, involved in diabetes-associated vascular endothelial dysfunction and inflammation. TXNIP sequesters reduced thioredoxin (TRX), inhibiting its function, resulting in increased oxidative stress. Many different cellular stress factors regulate TXNIP expression, including high glucose, endoplasmic reticulum stress, free radicals, hypoxia, nitric oxide, insulin, and adenosine-containing molecules. TXNIP is also directly involved in inflammatory activation through its interaction with the nucleotide-binding domain, leucine-rich-containing family, and pyrin domain-containing-3 (NLRP3) inflammasome complex. Neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease have significant pathologies associated with increased oxidative stress, inflammation, and vascular dysfunctions. In addition, as dysfunctions in glucose and cellular metabolism have been associated with such brain diseases, a role for TXNIP in neurodegeneration has actively been investigated. In this review, we will focus on the current state of the understanding of possible normal and pathological functions of TXNIP in the central nervous system from studies of in vitro neural cells and the brains of humans and experimental animals with reference to other studies. As TXNIP can be expressed by neurons, microglia, astrocytes, and endothelial cells, a complex pattern of regulation and function in the brain is suggested. We will examine data suggesting TXNIP as a therapeutic target for neurodegenerative diseases where further research is needed.
Ligustrazine induces the colorectal cancer cells apoptosis via p53-dependent mitochondrial pathway and cell cycle arrest at the G0/G1 phase.

BACKGROUND Ligustrazine, active ingredients extracted from the natural herb Ligusticum Chuanxiong Hort, has promising anti-tumor properties on tumor cell lines. However, the potential anti-tumor activity of ligustrazine on colorectal cancer (CRC) cells and the molecular mechanisms have not been elucidated. In this study, we explored the critical functions of ligustrazine on SW480 and CT26 cells at cellular levels. METHODS CCK-8 assay was performed to analyze the cell viability. Flow cytometry analysis was applied to study cell apoptosis and cell cycle. The expressions of cell apoptosis and cell cycle-associated proteins were conducted by western blot and qRT-PCR analysis. RESULTS Ligustrazine showed significant inhibitory effects on the proliferation of SW480 and CT26 cells. Ligustrazine induced cell apoptosis was associated with the up-regulation of pro-apoptotic protein and the down-regulation of anti-apoptotic protein in an activated mitochondrial-dependent pathway. And it indicated that ligustrazine induced cell cycle arrest by changing the cell cycle distribution, which leads to cell cycle arrest at the G0/G1 phase. Besides, the ligustrazine-induced cell apoptosis and cell cycle arrest were markedly reversed by pifithrin-α (p53 inhibitor), which suggested that ligustrazine-induced cell apoptosis was achieved by regulating p53-dependent mitochondrial pathway and cell cycle arrest at the G0/G1 phase. CONCLUSIONS These findings demonstrated that ligustrazine could induce SW480 and CT26 cells apoptosis via a p53-dependent mitochondrial pathway and cell cycle arrest at the G0/G1 phase. Ligustrazine may serve as a potential anti-cancer agent for CRC.
Carotid arterial hemodynamics in patients with essential hypertension of different dialectical types of traditional Chinese medicine.

BACKGROUND To probe into the relationship between traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) different dialectical types of essential hypertension and carotid artery hemodynamics. METHODS According to TCM, different dialectical types, 189 patients suffering from essential hypertension were divided into five type groups by two deputy chief physicians of TCM, according to TCM diagnosis and treatment guide for hypertension prepared by the Chinese society of TCM in 2011. A total of 189 patients were examined by transcranial color doppler (TCD) and compared with 47 normal subjects. The measuring target included middle cerebral artery (MCA) and anterior cerebral artery (ACA), recording the average blood flow velocity (Vm) and vascular pulse index (PI). RESULTS In MCAVm and ACAVm, hyperpyrexia of liver syndrome showed unique advantages and positive correlation. In MCAPI and ACAPI, internal block because of phlegm dampness, stasis syndrome, deficiency of qi and blood syndrome, and internal block because of blood stasis syndrome had advantages and positive correlation, and the above three groups were not statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS Our study determined different dialectical types and objective material foundations of TCM in hypertension, correlating with carotid artery hemodynamics. Also, dialectical treatment would reduce the cerebrovascular accident.
Posttransplant Outcomes in Older Patients With Hepatocellular Carcinoma Are Driven by Non–Hepatocellular Carcinoma Factors

The incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is growing in the United States, especially among the elderly. Older patients are increasingly receiving transplants as a result of HCC, but the impact of advancing age on long‐term posttransplant outcomes is not clear. To study this, we used data from the US Multicenter HCC Transplant Consortium of 4980 patients. We divided the patients into 4 groups by age at transplantation: 18 to 64 years (n = 4001), 65 to 69 years (n = 683), 70 to 74 years (n = 252), and ≥75 years (n = 44). There were no differences in HCC tumor stage, type of bridging locoregional therapy, or explant residual tumor between the groups. Older age was confirmed to be an independent and significant predictor of overall survival even after adjusting for demographic, etiologic, and cancer‐related factors on multivariable analysis. A dose‐response effect of age on survival was observed, with every 5‐year increase in age older than 50 years resulting in an absolute increase of 8.3% in the mortality rate. Competing risk analysis revealed that older patients experienced higher rates of non–HCC‐related mortality (P = 0.004), and not HCC‐related death (P = 0.24). To delineate the precise cause of death, we further analyzed a single‐center cohort of patients who received a transplant as a result of HCC (n = 302). Patients older than 65 years had a higher incidence of de novo cancer (18.1% versus 7.6%; P = 0.006) after transplantation and higher overall cancer‐related mortality (14.3% versus 6.6%; P = 0.03). Even carefully selected elderly patients with HCC have significantly worse posttransplant survival rates, which are mostly driven by non–HCC‐related causes. Minimizing immunosuppression and closer surveillance for de novo cancers can potentially improve the outcomes in elderly patients who received a transplant as a result of HCC.
ANATOMICAL RESPONSES OF ROOT TIPS TO BORON DEFICIENCY : III. Effect of Boron Deficiency on Sub-Cellular Structure of Root Tips, Particularly on Morphology of Cell Wall and Its Related Organelles

Abstract Ultrastructural changes induced in young tomato root tip cells by the absence of boron from the nutrient solution were investigated with an electron microscope. Detailed observations of cortical cells revealed lome ultrastructural effects of boron deficiency as follows: 1) Lack of boron disordered the shape and arrangement of cortical cells. The abnormal accumulation of a “lipid-like substance” was observed. 2) In boron-deficient root tips, cell walls suffered an irregular thickening followed by a rugged or serrated structure. Occasionally, the disorganization of middle lamellae occurred and an accumulation of numerous vesicles was observed in the disorganized area. These cell wall alterations appeared most distinctly in the longitudinal walls. 3) Baron deficiency also caused an abnormal development of the Golgi apparatus. The number and size of secretory vesicles particularly increased in boron-deticient root tip cells. This abnormal development of the Golgi apparatus seemed to be related with t.