Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effects of Dietary Oat Beta-Glucans on Colon Apoptosis and Autophagy through TLRs and Dectin-1 Signaling Pathways—Crohn’s Disease Model Study

Background: Crohn’s disease (CD) is characterized by chronic inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract with alternating periods of exacerbation and remission. The aim of this study was to determine the time-dependent effects of dietary oat beta-glucans on colon apoptosis and autophagy in the CD rat model. Methods: A total of 150 Sprague–Dawley rats were divided into two main groups: healthy control (H) and a TNBS (2,4,6-trinitrobenzosulfonic acid)-induced colitis (C) group, both including subgroups fed with feed without beta-glucans (βG−) or feed supplemented with low- (βGl) or high-molar-mass oat beta-glucans (βGh) for 3, 7, or 21 days. The expression of autophagy (LC3B) and apoptosis (Caspase-3) markers, as well as Toll-like (TLRs) and Dectin-1 receptors, in the colon epithelial cells, was determined using immunohistochemistry and Western blot. Results: The results showed that in rats with colitis, after 3 days of induction of inflammation, the expression of Caspase-3 and LC3B in intestinal epithelial cells did not change, while that of TLR 4 and Dectin-1 decreased. Beta-glucan supplementation caused an increase in the expression of TLR 5 and Dectin-1 with no changes in the expression of Caspase-3 and LC3B. After 7 days, a high expression of Caspase-3 was observed in the colitis-induced animals without any changes in the expression of LC3B and TLRs, and simultaneously, a decrease in Dectin-1 expression was observed. The consumption of feed with βGl or βGh resulted in a decrease in Caspase-3 expression and an increase in TLR 5 expression in the CβGl group, with no change in the expression of LC3B and TLR 4. After 21 days, the expression of Caspase-3 and TLRs was not changed by colitis, while that of LC3B and Dectin-1 was decreased. Feed supplementation with βGh resulted in an increase in the expression of both Caspase-3 and LC3B, while the consumption of feed with βGh and βGl increased Dectin-1 expression. However, regardless of the type of nutritional intervention, the expression of TLRs did not change after 21 days. Conclusions: Dietary intake of βGl and βGh significantly reduced colitis by time-dependent modification of autophagy and apoptosis, with βGI exhibiting a stronger effect on apoptosis and βGh on autophagy. The mechanism of this action may be based on the activation of TLRs and Dectin-1 receptor and depends on the period of exacerbation or remission of CD.
Exercise Prescription to Foster Health and Well-Being: A Behavioral Approach to Transform Barriers into Opportunities

The current literature contains multiple examples of exercise interventions to foster health and to prevent/treat many chronic non-communicable diseases; stress and functional syndromes. On the other hand, sedentariness is increasing and to transform a sedentary subject into a regular exerciser is not only very difficult but considered by some unrealistic in current clinical practice. Ideally a physical activity intervention may be considered actually efficacious when it outgrows the research setting and becomes embedded in a system, ensuring maintenance and sustainability of its health benefits. Physicians need specific skills to improve patients’ exercise habits. These range from traditional clinical competencies, to technical competencies to correctly prescribe exercise, to competencies in behavioral medicine to motivate the subject. From a behavioral and medical point of view, an exercise prescription may be considered correct only if the subject actually performs the prescribed exercise and this results in an improvement of physiological mechanisms such as endocrine, immunological and autonomic controls. Here we describe a model of intervention intended to nurture exercise prescription in everyday clinical setting. It aims to a tailored prescription, starts from the subject’s assessment, continues defining clinical goals/possible limitations and ends when the subject is performing exercise obtaining results.
On singlet oxygen, photoinhibition, plastoquinone, and their interconnections

In oxygenic photosynthesis light is captured in series by two protein complexes: photosystem II and photosystem I (PSI and PSII). Electron transfer from PSII to PSI is mediated by the plastoquinone (PQ) pool. Despite being the energy source, light also damages the photosynthetic machinery. Singlet oxygen (O2), an excited state of O2, may be generated when a charge recombination reaction in PSII re-excites the reaction center chlorophylls (P680), producing a triplet state. In this thesis, massspectroscopy-based detection methods for O2 were developed further, to understand the role of this reactive oxygen species in photosynthesis. It was shown that even though both O2 and O2 are produced in pumpkin thylakoid membranes, most (if not all) of the O2 derives from the ambient dissolved O2, not from the nascent O2 produced due to the water splitting activity of PSII. The result shows that the O2 evolving ability of PSII as such does not render PSII vulnerable to oxidative damage. Nevertheless, light inactivates PSII, and no consensus about the mechanism(s) of the photoinhibitory damage exists. Therefore, the temperature dependence of the rate constant of PSII photoinhibition was measured under various conditions and compared with temperature dependencies of O2 production and recombinations. The results show that in plants and cyanobacteria the rate constant of photoinhibition and production of O2 increase similarly with temperature as the miss probability of the oxygen evolving complex. Photoinhibition proceeded under anaerobicity, where no O2 is produced, and was unaffected by quenchers of O2. We suggest that when a miss occurs, but a recombination does not re-reduce the PSII reaction center, P680 lives long enough to oxidize a vital component of PSII, causing the photodamage. Plants have also ways to adjust to different light conditions. An initial fluorescence screen and subsequent high-performance liquid chromatography measurements revealed that 470 nm, 560 nm and 660 nm light favors PSII over PSI and reduces 80–90 % of the PQ pool, whereas 440 nm, 520 nm and 690 nm favors PSI and oxidizes 90–100 % of the pool in Arabidopsis thaliana, when moderate light was used. Light state curvilinearly followed the redox state of the PQ pool; state 2 was reached with 50 % reduction. All tested white lights, including light from the Sun, reduced less than 50 % of the PQ pool. This PSI light character of white light enables plants to respond to the intensity of light via the redox state of the PQ pool.
Combining Deroofing with LAight® Therapy for Long-Term Disease Control of Hurley Stage II Hidradenitis Suppurativa: Case Report

There is an increasing consensus that the treatment of Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) significantly varies with the degree of inflammation and that treatment according to guidelines is not always successful. Here, we report the case of a 31-year-old male with widespread, highly inflammatory Hurley Stage II HS in multiple locations who failed to respond to any kind of established medical treatment, including biologics. As an alternative approach, Ustekinumab was maintained, and additionally the patient was treated with LAight therapy, a combination of intense pulsed light and radiofrequency. After 10 sessions, deroofing of multiple lesions was performed in a two-step process. After a few weeks of healing time accompanied by specialized wound experts, the patient continued with LAight therapy to control and prevent recurrence. This case shows that the combination of LAight therapy and deroofing is a promising treatment plan for the long-term symptom control of mild and moderate HS.
Effect of Nurse-Led Goal-Directed Lung Physical Therapy on the Prognosis of Pneumonia in Sepsis Patients in the ICU: A Prospective Cohort Study

Background: Pneumonia poses a significant burden on healthcare systems. However, few studies have focused on nurse-led goal-directed lung physical therapy (GDLPT) for pneumonia in sepsis patients in the intensive care unit (ICU). Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the effects of nurse-led GDLPT on the prognosis of pneumonia in sepsis patients in the ICU. Methods: We performed a prospective 2-phase (before-and-after) study over 3 years. After an observational phase (phase 1, n = 188), we designed, implemented, and evaluated a nurse-led GDLPT protocol (phase 2, n = 359) for pneumonia in sepsis patients in the ICU. The primary outcome was 28-day mortality. Results: We evaluated 742 critically ill patients with sepsis from January 2017 to January 2020. Among the 742 sepsis patients, 609 were diagnosed with pneumonia and 547 who met the inclusion criteria were enrolled in the study. Compared with patients in phase 1, patients in phase 2 had significantly shorter mechanical ventilation duration (5 [4, 6] days vs. 5 [4, 8] days, p = 0.037), shorter ICU stay (9 [4, 16] days vs. 9 [6, 20] days, p = 0.010), lower ICU mortality (15.0% [54/359] vs. 25.5% [48/188], p = 0.003), and lower 28-day mortality (16.7% [60/359] vs. 27.1% ([51/188], p = 0.004). Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that nurse-led GDLPT (odds ratio 0.540, 95% confidence interval 0.345–0.846, p = 0.007), clinical pulmonary infection score (odds ratio 1.111, 95% confidence interval 1.012–1.221, p = 0.028), and ventilation day (OR 1.160, 95% CI, 1.058–1.240, p<0.001)were independent predictors of 28-day mortality for pneumonia in sepsis patients, and that nurse-led GDLPT was a protective factor. Conclusions: Nurse-led GDLPT improved the outcomes of pneumonia in sepsis patients, and was particularly associated with shortened mechanical ventilation duration and ICU stay, and reduced ICU mortality and 28-day mortality.
Reduction of roadway noise in a coastal city underwater soundscape during COVID-19 confinementa)

Confinement due to the COVID-19 pandemic drastically reduced human activities. Underwater soundscape variations are discussed in this study, comparing a typical and confinement day in a coastal lagoon near a popular tourist city in Mexico. Recording devices were located at 2 m in depth and 430 m away from the main promenade—a two-way avenue for light vehicle traffic—where main tourist infrastructure is located. The nearby marine environment is habitat to birds and dolphins as well as fish and invertebrates of commercial importance. Medium and small boats usually transit the area. The main underwater sound level reduction was measured at low frequencies (10–2000 Hz) because of the decrease in roadway noise. Vessel traffic also decreased by almost three quarters, although the level reduction due to this source was less noticeable. As typical day levels in the roadway noise band can potentially mask fish sounds and affect other low frequency noise-sensitive marine taxa, this study suggests that comprehensive noise analysis in coastal marine environments should consider the contribution from nearby land sources.
Spatial Expansion of Urban Activities and Agricultural Lands Encroachment in Makurdi Metropolis

This study assessed spatial expansion of urban activities and agricultural lands in Makurdi metropolis, Benue State-Nigeria between the period of 1999 and 2012. The study employed ILWIS Academic 3.2a image processing software to conduct Land Use Land Cover Change (LULCC) analysis on Remotely Sensed (RS) data and Geographical Information System (GIS). A supervised classification was also adopted to identify land use type, and image differencing to identify the change. The study found out that there is a continuous decline in the total amount of farmland in Makurdi from 1999-2012. Specifically, it was found that in 1999, farmlands covered 43% of the study area while in 2012 it was reduced to 22%, indicating that spatial expansion of urban activities has been on the increase and may result in absolute loss in cropland with other sustainability risks and threats of livelihoods if not appropriately managed. The study therefore recommended that spatial expansion of urban activities should be well managed and controlled as well as to take into cognizance areas needed to be reserved for farming while carrying out urban development of an area.
Removal of Salmonella Typhimurium Biofilm from Food Contact Surfaces Using Quercus infectoria Gall Extract in Combination with a Surfactant

Quercus infectoria (nutgall) has been reported to possess antimicrobial activities against a wide range of pathogens. Nevertheless, the biofilm removal effect of nutgall extract has not been widely investigated. In this study, we therefore evaluated the effect of nutgall extract in combination with cetrimonium bromide (CTAB) against preformed biofilm of Salmonella Typhimurium on polypropylene (PP) and stainless steel (SS) coupons in comparison with other sanitizers. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and the minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) of nutgall extract and surfactants (CTAB and sodium dodecyl sulfate; SDS) were assessed. CTAB showed a more efficient antimicrobial activity than SDS and was selected to use in combination with nutgall extract for removing biofilm. To determine the biofilm removal efficacy, the PP and SS coupons were individually submerged in 2x MBC of nutgall extract (256 mg/ml) + 2x MBC of CTAB (2.5 mg/ml), nutgall extract alone (256 mg/ml), CTAB alone (2.5 mg/ml), distilled water, and 100 ppm sodium hypochlorite for 5, 15, and 30 min. The remaining sessile cells in biofilm were determined. Overall, the greatest biofilm removal efficacy was observed with nutgall extract + CTAB; the biofilm removal efficacy of sanitizers tended to increase with the exposure time. The SEM analysis demonstrated that S. Typhimurium biofilm on PP and SS coupons after exposure to nutgall extract + CTAB for 30 min displayed morphological alterations with wrinkles. This study suggests nutgall extract + CTAB may be an alternative to commonly used sanitizers to remove biofilm from food contact surfaces in the food industry and household.
How to Drive Brand Engagement and eWOM Intention in Social Commerce: A Competitive Strategy for the Emerging Market

Brand engagement and eWOM intention have been found to be critical factors driving competitive advantage for companies, as the evolution of social networking sites has changed the perspective of how companies engage with customers. Based on social exchange theory, the current research proposes an empirical model that emphasizes (1) the unique role of social commerce characteristics, including personalization, socialization, and information availability, in enhancing consumer-brand engagement, (2) the connection between consumer-brand engagement and eWOM intention, and (3) the moderating influence of trust towards such connection. A survey of 248 Facebook users with online shopping experience was employed. By using PLS-graph 3.0, structural equation modelling, the findings demonstrate that personalization and socialization positively influence brand engagement, which in turn leads to eWOM intention. Furthermore, trust moderates the brand engagement-eWOM intention relationship. Unexpectedly, information availability has shown no significant effect on brand engagement. The study encompasses the knowledge of social exchange theory into the social commerce environment by investigating the linkage between the social commerce environment and brand engagement. It contributes value to marketing theories by describing the moderating role of trust from the viewpoint of Gen Y. In addition, the study’s findings may shed light on how firms in emerging markets can increase competitiveness by stimulating brand engagement and eWOM intention, as well as enhancing consumer trust in the comments regarding the products/services within the social commerce environment.
A human induced pluripotent stem cell‐based modular platform to challenge sensorineural hearing loss

The sense of hearing depends on a specialized sensory organ in the inner ear, called the cochlea, which contains the auditory hair cells (HCs). Noise trauma, infections, genetic factors, side effects of ototoxic drugs (ie, some antibiotics and chemotherapeutics), or simply aging lead to the loss of HCs and their associated primary neurons. This results in irreversible sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) as in mammals, including humans; the inner ear lacks the capacity to regenerate HCs and spiral ganglion neurons. SNHL is a major global health problem affecting millions of people worldwide and provides a growing concern in the aging population. To date, treatment options are limited to hearing aids and cochlear implants. A major bottleneck for development of new therapies for SNHL is associated to the lack of human otic cell bioassays. Human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) can be induced in two‐dimensional and three‐dimensional otic cells in vitro models that can generate inner ear progenitors and sensory HCs and could be a promising preclinical platform from which to work toward restoring SNHL. We review the potential applications of hiPSCs in the various biological approaches, including disease modeling, bioengineering, drug testing, and autologous stem cell based‐cell therapy, that offer opportunities to understand the pathogenic mechanisms of SNHL and identify novel therapeutic strategies.
Black Women Are More Likely Than White Women to Schedule a Uterine-Sparing Treatment for Leiomyomas.

Background: To evaluate differences in the proportion of uterine fibroid (UF) treatments that are uterine-sparing between Black women and White women and identify factors that could explain disparities. Methods: Women at age 18-54 years who were enrolled from 10 clinical sites in the United States into the Comparing Options for Management: Patient-Centered Results for UFs (COMPARE-UF) treatment registry completed questionnaires before their UF procedure. UF symptoms and quality of life were assessed by questionnaires. Details on UF imaging and treatment (hysterectomy, myomectomy, or uterine artery embolization [UAE]) were collected from each patient's medical record. Random-effects logistic regression was used to assess the association between race and the odds of having a uterine-sparing procedure versus hysterectomy. Subgroup analyses compared each uterine-sparing procedure with hysterectomy. Results: In this cohort of 1141 White women and 1196 Black women, Black women tended to be younger (median 41.0 vs. 42.0 years) and report worse symptoms, pain, and function on every scale compared with White women. Black women were more likely to have had a prior UF treatment compared with White women (22.8% vs. 14.6%). White women had more hysterectomies (43.6% vs. 32.2%) and myomectomies (50.9% vs. 50.2%) versus Black women. Black women had more UAEs (15.1% vs. 4.7%) than White women. After adjusting for clinical site and other variables, Black women had greater odds than White women of having a myomectomy (odds ratio [OR] = 2.41, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.63-3.56) or a UAE versus hysterectomy (OR = 4.24, 95% CI = 2.41-7.46). Conclusion: In these participants, Black women were more likely to schedule a uterine-sparing UF treatment and a nonsurgical UF treatment than their White counterparts; this may not be true for all women. Longer comparative effectiveness studies are needed to inform women about the durability of UF treatments. Greater understanding of factors influencing treatment selection is needed as are studies that include women without access to tertiary care centers. Clinical Trial Registration: Clinicaltrials.gov, NCT02260752 (enrollment start: November 2015).
Supplementary Material: Dynamic Group Convolution for Accelerating Convolutional Neural Networks

1.1 Detailed derivations and Updating strategy Let x ∈ RC×H×W , x′ ∈ RC×H×W ′ be the input and output of a particular DGC layer and the pruning rate is denoted as ξ. For a dynamic group convolution (DGC) network, the head-wise threshold makes sure each head in the network exactly selects a certain number of channels according to the target pruning rate ξ after training, i.e., (1− ξ)C channels are selected from the input volume x (see Eq. 6 in the paper). While the global threshold T makes DGC structures more flexible allowing an uneven channel selection among heads within any DGC layer, while at the same time keeping the average pruning rate of the whole structure meeting the target ξ with tiny deviation. To obtain T , firstly, all saliency vectors throughout the network are collected and concatenated as a single saliency vector G:
The Interactions of DNA Repair, Telomere Homeostasis, and p53 Mutational Status in Solid Cancers: Risk, Prognosis, and Prediction

Simple Summary p53 is a nuclear transcription factor with a pro-apoptotic function. Somatic mutations in this gene represent one of the most critical events in human carcinogenesis. The disruption of genomic integrity due to the accumulation of various kinds of DNA damage, deficient DNA repair capacity, and alteration of telomere homeostasis constitute the hallmarks of malignant diseases. The main aim of our review was to accentuate a complex comprehension of the interactions between fundamental players in carcinogenesis of solid malignancies such as DNA damage response, telomere homeostasis and TP53. Abstract The disruption of genomic integrity due to the accumulation of various kinds of DNA damage, deficient DNA repair capacity, and telomere shortening constitute the hallmarks of malignant diseases. DNA damage response (DDR) is a signaling network to process DNA damage with importance for both cancer development and chemotherapy outcome. DDR represents the complex events that detect DNA lesions and activate signaling networks (cell cycle checkpoint induction, DNA repair, and induction of cell death). TP53, the guardian of the genome, governs the cell response, resulting in cell cycle arrest, DNA damage repair, apoptosis, and senescence. The mutational status of TP53 has an impact on DDR, and somatic mutations in this gene represent one of the critical events in human carcinogenesis. Telomere dysfunction in cells that lack p53-mediated surveillance of genomic integrity along with the involvement of DNA repair in telomeric DNA regions leads to genomic instability. While the role of individual players (DDR, telomere homeostasis, and TP53) in human cancers has attracted attention for some time, there is insufficient understanding of the interactions between these pathways. Since solid cancer is a complex and multifactorial disease with considerable inter- and intra-tumor heterogeneity, we mainly dedicated this review to the interactions of DNA repair, telomere homeostasis, and TP53 mutational status, in relation to (a) cancer risk, (b) cancer progression, and (c) cancer therapy.
Procyanidins from Acer komarovii Bark

The bark of Acer komarovii was collected, ground, and extracted with 70% aqueous acetone to obtain concentrates. The concentrates were suspended in H2O, and then successively partitioned with n-hexane, dichloromethane and ethylacetate to be freeze dried. A portion of ethylacetate fraction was chromatographed on a Sephadex LH-20 and a RP C-18 column with various aqueous MeOH-H2O (1:0, 1:1, 1:2, 1:5, 1:7, 1:9, 1:10, 3:1, and 4:1, v/v) eluents. Four compounds were isolated; (-)-epicatechin (9.6 g), procyanidin A2 (epicatechin-(4β→8, 2β→O→7)-epicatechin) (1.3 g), procyanidin B2 (epicatechin-(4β→8)-epicatechin) (40.0 mg), and cinnamtannin B1 (epicatechin-(4β→8, 2β→O→7)-epicatechin-(4β→8)-epicatechin) (690 mg). The analysis of the bark procyanidins showed that the basic unit constituting condensed tannins was only (-)-epicatechin. This study, for the first time, report the procyanidins of Acer komarovii bark.