Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Remote rehabilitation training using the combination of an exergame and telerehabilitation application: A case report of an elderly chronic stroke survivor

Access to remote rehabilitation services is now possible thanks to advanced technology solutions such as exergames and telerehabilitation-applications. This pretest/posttest single case study, conducted with one participant with a chronic stroke (3 years) aimed at collecting preliminary evidence regarding feasibility and efficacy of using a telerehabilitation application combined with an exergame on upper limb function, motivation and quality of life after stroke. Forty-two exergame training sessions (including 8 videoconferencing sessions) took place over a two-month period. The results showed significant improvement of upper limb motor function and an increase of the affected upper limb amount of use in activities of daily life. However, no significant change was recorded regarding the impact on quality of life and motivation. These preliminary results allow us to have a first glimpse of the potential of this program and better inform a larger scale study.
Foodscapes, finance, and faith: Multi-sectoral stakeholder perspectives on the local population health and wellbeing in an urbanizing area in Kenya

Introduction Rapid urbanization (growth of cities) can upset the local population's health and wellbeing by creating obesogenic environments which increase the burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs). It is important to understand how stakeholders perceive the impact of urbanizing interventions (such as the construction of a new hypermarket) on the health and wellbeing of local populations. Because low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) lack the reliable infrastructure to mitigate the effects of obesogenic environments, so engaging stakeholders who influence dietary habits is one population-level strategy for reducing the burden of NCDs caused by newly built developments. Methods We conducted key informant interviews with 36 stakeholders (25 regulatory and 11 local community stakeholders) from Kisumu and Homa Bay Counties of Western Kenya in June 2019. We collected stakeholders' perspectives on the impacts of a new Mall and supermarket in Kisumu, and existing supermarkets in Homa Bay on the health and wellbeing of local populations. Results Through thematic discourse analysis, we noted that some stakeholders thought supermarkets enabled access to unhealthy food items despite these outlets being also reliable food sources for discerning shoppers. Others linked the changing physical environment to both an increase in pollution and different types of diseases. Stakeholders were unsure if the pricing and convenience of supermarkets would stop local populations from buying from their usual small-scale food vendors. The key finding of this study was that engaging relevant stakeholders as part of population health impact assessments of new developments in cities are important as it directs focus on health equity and prevention in instances of resource constraints. The findings highlight, also, that community members have a strong awareness of the potential for interventions that would improve the health and wellbeing of local populations.
The effectiveness of health education and lifestyle program in improving the blood pressure in hypertensive patients

Risk factors for hypertension are becoming increasingly prevalent. Currently, there is no standardized community-based program for hypertension widely implemented in the Philippines. Health Education and Lifestyle Program for Hypertension is a ten-week health education program that aims to improve the blood pressure in hypertensive patients. This community-based intervention discusses five key health strategies like hypertension awareness, medication regimen, dietary regimen, healthy lifestyles, and stress management. This quasi-experimental study includes 128 hypertensive patients (64 in control and 64 in intervention groups). It utilized IBM SPSS 5.0 to statistically compute for mean, standard deviation, t-test independent samples and t-test paired sample. The study findings revealed that the post-systolic and diastolic blood pressure of the intervention group were 124.67 and 82.00 mmHg, respectively. Paired t-test yielded a significant difference in pre- and post-systolic (t=5.28, p=<.001) and pre- and post-diastolic (t=3.59, p=0.003) BP of the intervention group before and after the Health Education and Lifestyle Program. Lastly, t-test for independent samples revealed a statistically significant difference (t=2.32, p=0.028) in the post-diastolic blood pressure readings of control and intervention groups after the implementation of the program. The study implied that program for hypertension was effective in improving blood pressure in hypertensive patients. Thus, compliance with the medication regimen, dietary regimen, healthy lifestyles, and stress reduction strategies can help control blood pressure among hypertensive patients. A health education program that provides emphasis on patient’s health and lifestyle behavior teaching is a successful intervention in reducing the blood pressure in hypertensive individuals.
Transcriptome profiling of transcription factors in Ganoderma lucidum in response to methyl jasmonate

Ganoderma lucidum is a traditional Chinese medicine and its major active ingredients are ganoderma triterpenoids (GTs). To screen for transcription factors (TFs) that involved in the biosynthetic pathway of GTs in G. lucidum, the chemical composition in mycelia, primordium and fruiting body were analyzed, and the transcriptomes of mycelia induced by methyl jasmonate (MeJA) were analyzed. In addition, the expression level data of MeJA-responsive TFs in mycelia, primordia and fruiting body were downloaded from the database, and the correlation analysis was carried out between their expression profiles and the content of total triterpenoids. The results showed that a total of 89 components were identified, and the content of total triterpenoids was the highest in primordium, followed by fruiting body and mycelia. There were 103 differentially expressed TFs that response to MeJA-induction including 95 upregulated and 8 downregulated genes. These TFs were classified into 22 families including C2H2 (15), TFII-related (12), HTH (9), fungal (8), bZIP (6), HMG (5), DADS (2), etc. Correlation analysis showed that the expression level of GL23559 (MADS), GL26472 (HTH), and GL31187 (HMG) showed a positive correlation with the GTs content, respectively. While the expression level of GL25628 (fungal) and GL26980 (PHD) showed a negative correlation with the GTs content, respectively. Furthermore, the over expression of the Glmhr1 gene (GL25628) in Pichia pastoris GS115 indicated that it might be a negative regulator of GT biosynthesis through decreasing the production of lanosterol. This study provided useful information for a better understanding of the regulation of TFs involved in GT biosynthesis and fungal growth in G. lucidum.
AUTOMATIC HUMAN HEART SEARCH ON CT-SCANS

Here is proposed a solution for actual problem of heart allocation on tomography data. One of the most popular tomography types used for various heart investigations is CT, thus the technology proposed here is initially developed for CT data. The main part of the algorithm consists of four stages: preliminary source volume limitation, forming hypotheses of lungs location, determination of approximate surrounding heart cube and searching for a point within the cube which is for sure inside the heart. The algorithm also includes a preliminary stage: coordinate system allocation. This stage is essential when position of a scanned patient is unknown relative to a tomograph. During the stage we find, where are left and right, top and bottom, front and back sides of human body. The stage consists also of four parts itself: definition of Ox and Oy axes and determination of Oy, Oz and Ox directions, by analyzing anatomy of a patient, with regard to standard human anatomy. The method is fast and doesn`t require any human guidance and preliminary adjustment. The whole method is convenient as automatic preprocessing for unlimited scope of problems, e.g. segmentation, surface or solid model reconstruction, etc. The proposed method provides flexible way for further local heart positioning refinement and works even for static, not timed, tomography data.
The unique and compensatory effects of home and classroom learning activities on Migrant and Seasonal Head Start children’s Spanish and English emergent literacy skills

Children of migrant and seasonal farmworkers (MSFW) are among the most underprivileged, underserved groups in the United States. The current study examined how home and classroom language and literacy experiences uniquely and interactively contributed to MSFW children’s emergent literacy skills in English and Spanish. Participants were 255 Spanish-English dual language learning children (Mage = 49 mon; 98.3% Latino/Hispanic) and their parents and 47 teachers, drawn from the Migrant and Seasonal Head Start (MSHS) Study. Parents reported how often the target children engaged in language and literacy activities (i.e., teaching letters, words, or numbers, book-reading, singing, and storytelling) with their family members. Teachers reported how often the target children engaged in classroom language and literacy activities (e.g., book-reading, learning letters, retelling stories, etc.). Children’s emergent literacy skills in English and Spanish were assessed by standard tests. After controlling for demographic variables, home and classroom language and literacy activities uniquely predicted children’s emergent literacy skills in Spanish, but not in English. Additionally, home and classroom activities compensated one another in supporting children’s English and Spanish emergent literacy development. That is, language and literacy activities in one context showed a stronger effect for children who experienced less frequent activities in the other context. Together, these findings shed light on ways to support MSFW children’s emergent literacy skills and reveal the importance of integrating and connecting home and school learning experiences.
Taxonomy and biology of Cordyceps qingchengensis sp. nov. and its allies

Cordyceps qingchengensis sp. nov., growing on a cocooned pupa of a silk moth (Lepidoptera: Bombycidae) and collected from southwestern China, is described, illustrated and compared with allied taxa. The species is morphologically similar to C. bifusispora and C. tenuipes, but can be easily separated from the latter two by the unique host and by branched and thicker stroma. Phylogenetic analyses of single ITS and combined SSU, LSU and TEF1-α datasets indicate that it is closely related to C. bifusispora, C. cicadae (Miq.) Massee (Chanhua) and C. tenuipes, but C. qingchengensis has distinct nucleotide differences which support it as new. Taxonomy of C. tenuipes and C. pruinosa is reviewed and C. ninchukispora (≡ Phytocordyceps ninchukispora) is considered as a synonym of C. pruinosa. Ecology and life cycles of C. qingchengensis, C. tenuipes, C. pruinosa and C. ningxiaensis are recorded and inferred. We provide important biological information for C. qingchengensis and its allies.
Plant root suberin: A layer of defence against biotic and abiotic stresses

Plant roots have important functions, such as acquiring nutrients and water from the surrounding soil and transporting them upwards to the shoots. Simultaneously, they must be able to exclude potentially harmful substances and prevent the entry of pathogens into the roots. The endodermis surrounds the vascular tissues and forms hydrophobic diffusion barriers including Casparian strips and suberin lamella. Suberin in cell walls can be induced by a range of environmental factors and contribute to against biotic and abiotic threats. Tremendous progress has been made in biosynthesis of suberin and its function, little is known about the effect of its plasticity and distribution on stress tolerance. In field conditions, biotic and abiotic stress can exist at the same time, and little is known about the change of suberization under that condition. This paper update the progress of research related to suberin biosynthesis and its function, and also discuss the change of suberization in plant roots and its role on biotic and abiotic stresses tolerance.
Portal Cavernoma Cholangiopathy Due To Extrahepatic Portal Vein and Supra-Mesenteric Vein Thromboses Associated with Congenital Protein C Deficiency in a Young Adult

Idiopathic onset of portal vein thrombosis (PVT) and/or superior mesenteric vein thrombosis (SMVT) in young adults could be associated with congenital thrombophilia, resulting from mutations in the genes encoding antithrombin, protein C, or protein S. This report describes a 39-year-old man who developed symptoms of cholangitis and was incidentally found to have PVT and SMVT with cavernous transformation. The patient was found to have protein C deficiency (activity: 42–53%, antigen: 46%). Gene sequencing revealed a heterozygous mutation at exon 8 c.793C>T (p. Leu265Phe). The history of this patient suggested that thrombosis in his splanchnic venous system developed due to alcoholism plus congenital protein C deficiency. The patient has been managed with complete abstinence from alcohol and treatment with oral rivaroxaban.
Bioprinting for bone tissue engineering

The shape transformation characteristics of four-dimensional (4D)-printed bone structures can meet the individual bone regeneration needs, while their structure can be programmed to cross-link or reassemble by stimulating responsive materials. At the same time, it can be used to design vascularized bone structures that help establish a bionic microenvironment, thus influencing cellular behavior and enhancing stem cell differentiation in the postprinting phase. These developments significantly improve conventional three-dimensional (3D)-printed bone structures with enhanced functional adaptability, providing theoretical support to fabricate bone structures to adapt to defective areas dynamically. The printing inks used are stimulus-responsive materials that enable spatiotemporal distribution, maintenance of bioactivity and cellular release for bone, vascular and neural tissue regeneration. This paper discusses the limitations of current bone defect therapies, 4D printing materials used to stimulate bone tissue engineering (e.g., hydrogels), the printing process, the printing classification and their value for clinical applications. We focus on summarizing the technical challenges faced to provide novel therapeutic implications for bone defect repair.
Charge-transfer states in photosynthesis and organic solar cells

Light-induced charge-transfer mechanisms are at the heart of both photosynthesis and photovoltaics. The underlying photophysical mechanisms occurring within photosynthesis and organic photovoltaics in particular show striking similarities. However, they are studied by distinct research communities, often using different terminology. This contribution aims to provide an introductory review and comparison of the light-induced charge-transfer mechanisms occurring in natural photosynthesis and synthetic organic photovoltaics, with a particular focus on the role of so-called charge-transfer complexes characterized by an excited state in which there is charge-transfer from an electron-donating to an electron-accepting molecular entity. From light absorption to fully separated charges, it is important to understand how a charge-transfer complex is excited, forming a charge-transfer state, which can decay to the ground state or provide free charge carries in the case of photovoltaics, or radicals for photochemistry in photosynthetic complexes. Our motivation originates from an ambiguity in the interpretation of charge-transfer states. This review attempts to standardize terminology between both research fields with the general aim of initiating a cross-fertilization between the insights and methodologies of these two worlds regarding the role of charge-transfer complexes, inspiring the cross-disciplinary development of next-generation solar cells. Likewise, we hope to encourage photosynthesis researchers to collaborate with the photovoltaics field, thereby gaining further knowledge of the charge-transfer process in natural light-harvesting systems.
Reproductive system of two Mediterranean Scrophularia species with large, showy flowers

ABSTRACT Reproductive biology studies help us to understand how species’ reproductive characters contribute to reproductive success and thus population survival but cost considerable time and effort to conduct under field conditions. We investigated the reproductive system of natural populations of Scrophularia sambucifolia and S. grandiflora, two western Mediterranean endemics with large, colorful flowers that undergo mixed bird–insect pollination. We evaluated: (1) the importance of pollinators in the sexual reproduction of the two species, determining levels of fruit and seed set; (2) the species’ compatibility systems (self-compatible or self-incompatible); (3) the role of protogyny in their mating systems; and (4) the occurrence of unequal seed set along the inflorescence. A spontaneous self-pollination test demonstrated that floral protogyny minimizes autogamy and that pollinators are needed to ensure sexual reproduction. A hand-geitonogamous pollination test revealed that both species (especially S. grandiflora) are self-compatible and that the potential for geitonogamy extends throughout the flowering period but decreases as inflorescences age. Finally, seed set was similar in all whorls of the inflorescence of both species, possibly reflecting inflorescence architecture.
Identification of diagnostic gene biomarkers related to immune infiltration in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis based on bioinformatics strategies

Objective The study aims to identify potential diagnostic markers of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) and analyze the significance of immune cell infiltration in this pathology. Materials and methods Download two publicly available gene expression profiles (GSE10667 and GSE24206 datasets) from the GEO database including 48 Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) samples and 21 human control samples and select for distinctly expressed genes (DEG) from them. Lasso regression model and support vector machine recursive feature elimination S,V,R,F analysis were used to check candidate biomarkers. The area under the subject’s work characteristic curve (AUC) value is used to evaluate its recognition ability. The GSE53845 dataset (40 IPF patients and 8 controls) continue to validate the expression level and diagnostic value of biomarkers in IPF. Comprehensive analysis of immune infiltrated cells of IPF was performed using R software and immune cell infiltration estimation analysis tool- deconvolution algorithm (CIBERSORT). Results 43 DEGs were identified in total. The identified DEGs mostly involve pneumonia, lung disease, collagen disease, obstructive pulmonary disease and other diseases. The activation of IL-17 signaling pathways, amoebic disease, interaction of viral proteins with cytokines and cytokine receptors, protein digestion and absorption, and flaccid hormone signaling pathways in IPF were different from the control group. The expression degree of CRTAC1, COL10A1, COMP, RPS4Y1, IGFL2, NECAB1, SCG5, SLC6A4, and SPP1 in IPF tissue were prominently higher than the normal group. Immune cell infiltration analysis showed that CRTAC1, COL10A1, COMP, IGFL2, NECAB1, SCG5, SLC6A4, and SPP1 were associated with monocytes, plasma cells, neutrophils, and regulatory (treg) T cells. Conclusion CRTAC1, COL10A1, COMP, IGFL2, NECAB1, SCG5, SLC6A4, and SPP1 can be used as diagnostic markers for IPF, providing new ideas for the future study of IPF occurrence and molecular mechanisms.
Rastreamento de crianças com Doença Falciforme pelo Doppler transcraniano em uma coorte de pacientes triados pelo Programa Estadual de Triagem Neonatal do Estado de Minas Gerais (PETN-MG) e acompanhados no Hemocentro de Belo Horizonte/MG - Brasil.

As complicacoes neurologicas na anemia falciforme (AF) sao frequentes. Aproximadamente 11% dos pacientes ate 20 anos podem ter acidente vascular cerebral (AVC). A realizacao de Doppler transcraniano (DTC) e importante meio para deteccao de risco para AVC isquemico. O objetivo deste estudo e verificar a incidencia de AVC e de DTC alterado em criancas e determinar possiveis fatores de risco. Materiais e Metodos: Foi analisada uma coorte de criancas triadas pelo Programa de Triagem Neonatal de MG, com perfil FS, nascidas de 03/1998 a 12/2005 e acompanhadas no Hemominas de BH ate maio de 2009. Para realizacao do DTC foi feito um corte transversal randomizado de 300 criancas. Os exames foram realizados segundo o protocolo STOP, utilizando-se o DTC pulsado, com sonda de 2 MHz. As criancas com velocidade media maxima (VMM) do fluxo sanguineo cerebral 130 cm/s; entre as 186 com baixo risco, apenas 1 possuia VMM basilar >130 cm/s (p 130 cm/s e mais um fator preditivo de DCV.
Dynamic regulation of phenylpropanoid pathway metabolites in modulating sorghum defense against fall armyworm

Plants undergo dynamic metabolic changes at the cellular level upon insect infestation to better defend themselves. Phenylpropanoids, a hub of secondary plant metabolites, encompass a wide range of compounds that can contribute to insect resistance. Here, the role of sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) phenylpropanoids in providing defense against the chewing herbivore, fall armyworm (FAW), Spodoptera frugiperda, was explored. We screened a panel of nested association mapping (NAM) founder lines against FAW and identified SC1345 and Ajabsido as most resistant and susceptible lines to FAW, respectively, compared to reference parent, RTx430. Gene expression and metabolomic studies suggested that FAW feeding suppressed the expression level of genes involved in monolignol biosynthetic pathway and their associated phenolic intermediates at 10 days post infestation. Further, SC1345 genotype displayed elevated levels of flavonoid compounds after FAW feeding for 10 days, suggesting a diversion of precursors from lignin biosynthesis to the flavonoid pathway. Additionally, bioassays with sorghum lines having altered levels of flavonoids provided genetic evidence that flavonoids are crucial in providing resistance against FAW. Finally, the application of FAW regurgitant elevated the expression of genes associated with the flavonoid pathway in the FAW-resistant SC1345 genotype. Overall, our study indicates that a dynamic regulation of the phenylpropanoid pathway in sorghum plants imparts resistance against FAW.
Shared mechanisms of neural circuit disruption in tuberous sclerosis across lifespan: Bridging neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative pathology

Tuberous Sclerosis (TS) is a rare genetic disorder manifesting with multiple benign tumors impacting the function of vital organs. In TS patients, dominant negative mutations in TSC1 or TSC2 increase mTORC1 activity. Increased mTORC1 activity drives tumor formation, but also severely impacts central nervous system function, resulting in infantile seizures, intractable epilepsy, and TS-associated neuropsychiatric disorders, including autism, attention deficits, intellectual disability, and mood disorders. More recently, TS has also been linked with frontotemporal dementia. In addition to TS, accumulating evidence implicates increased mTORC1 activity in the pathology of other neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative disorders. Thus, TS provides a unique disease model to address whether developmental neural circuit abnormalities promote age-related neurodegeneration, while also providing insight into the therapeutic potential of mTORC1 inhibitors for both developing and degenerating neural circuits. In the following review, we explore the ability of both mouse and human brain organoid models to capture TS pathology, elucidate disease mechanisms, and shed light on how neurodevelopmental alterations may later contribute to age-related neurodegeneration.