Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Botanical origin and antioxidant capacity of bee pollen from eastern Croatia

Bee products are considered to be a good resource of bioactive substances such as flavonoids, phenolic acids or terpenoids. Bee pollen is collected and transported by the bees as granules or pollen-loads and reserved as nutrient resource for honeycomb. Because of its nutritional value and healthful properties, bee pollen is valuable product that can increase the beekeepers’ income. In this work botanical origin and antioxidant capacity of bee pollen collected in eastern Croatia in April and May 2018 were examined. Botanical origin determined by palynological analysis showed that eight out of twelve analysed samples had > 45% of the pollen grains coming from one family while in one sample Amorpha fruticosa pollen grains dominated by 99%. Total phenolic content, total flavonoids and antioxidant capacity determined by the ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) were determined spectrophotometrically. Total phenolic content varied between 7.08 – 15.27 mg GAE/g, total flavonoids were from 1.34 to 4.25 mg QE/g while FRAP value ranged from 51.97 to 83.56 μmol Fe/g. The highest antioxidant capacity was determined in Amorpha fructicosa and Salix spp. unifloral bee pollen samples.
Anantanasakul, Roth: Undrained Behavior of Silt-Clay Transition Soils with Varying Degrees of Overconsolidation

The influence of silt content on the stress-strain, pore pressure change and strength characteristics of silt-clay transition soils is presented. One-dimensional consolidation tests and consolidated-undrained triaxial compression tests on three soils of similar base clay but with different silt contents were performed. The undrained triaxial tests were carried out on specimens of the siltclay soils with different overconsolidation ratios. It was observed that the tested silt-clay soils were less compressible when consolidated in the vertical direction as the silt content increased. During triaxial shear, the silt-clay soils exhibited stiffer stressstrain response with increasing silt content. The pore pressure changes increased with the amount of non-plastic silt in the soils, particularly at low overconsolidation ratio (OCR). The undrained shear strengths and effective friction angles significantly increased with the amount of silt. It was observed that the degree of overconsolidation significantly influenced the undrained shear strengths of the silt-clay soils but less so for the effective friction angles.
Long-Term Efficacy of Prophylactic Cavotricuspid Isthmus Ablation during Atrial Fibrillation Ablation in Patients Without Typical Atrial Flutter: a Prospective, Multicentre, Randomized Trial

Background and Objectives Cavotricuspid isthmus (CTI) block is easily achieved, and prophylactic ablation can be performed during atrial fibrillation (AF) ablation. However, the previous study was too small and short-term to clarify the efficacy of this block. Methods Patients who underwent catheter ablation for paroxysmal AF were enrolled, and patients who had previous or induced atrial flutter (AFL) were excluded. We randomly assigned 366 patients to pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) only and prophylactic CTI ablation (PVI vs. PVI+CTI). Results There was no significant difference in procedure time between the two groups because most CTI blocks were performed during the waiting time after the PVI (176.8±72.6 minutes in PVI vs. 174.2±76.5 minutes in PVI+CTI, p=0.75). All patients were followed up for at least 18 months, and the median follow-up was 3.4 years. The recurrence rate of AF or AFL was not different in the 2 groups (25.7% in PVI vs. 25.7% in PVI+CTI, p=0.92). The recurrence rate of any AFL was not significantly different in the 2 groups (3.3% in PVI vs. 1.6% in PVI+CTI, p=0.31). The recurrence rate of typical AFL also was not different (0.5% in PVI vs. 0.5% in PVI+CTI, p=0.99). Conclusions In this large and long-term follow-up study, prophylactic CTI ablation had no benefit in patients with paroxysmal AF without typical AFL. Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02031705
A prospective, multicenter, post-marketing observational study to measure the quality of life of HCV genotype 1 infected, treatment naïve patients suffering from fatigue and receiving 3D regimen: The HEMATITE study

Aim Fatigue is the most commonly reported symptom of Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) infected patients and severely impacts their quality of life. The aim of this study was to measure the impact of 3D regimen treatment on the fatigue, daytime physical activity and sleep efficiency of HCV infected patients with fatigue. Methods HEMATITE was an observational, prospective, open-label, single-arm, Swiss multi-centric study in mono-infected HCV genotype 1 patients. The 28 week observation period comprised of 4 weeks preparation, 12 weeks treatment and 12 weeks follow-up. Fatigue was assessed using the fatigue severity scale (FSS) questionnaire. Patients with FSS ≥ 4 (clinically significant fatigue) were included. The activity tracker, ActiGraph GT9X Link®, was used to measure daytime physical activity and sleep efficiency. Outcome analysis was performed on a scaled down intention to treat (sdITT) population, which excluded patients with insufficient tracker data at all study visits and a modified ITT (mITT) population, which consisted of patients with complete tracker data at all study visits. Results Forty of 41 patients in the ITT population had a sustained virologic response 12 weeks post-treatment (SVR12). Mean baseline FSS score was 6.0 for the sdITT population and 5.9 for the mITT population and decreased from baseline to 12 weeks post-treatment by 2.6 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.1, 3.1) for the sdITT (n = 37) population and 2.8 (95% CI: 2.2, 3.4) for the mITT (n = 24) population. Mean daytime physical activity or sleep efficiency did not change considerably over the course of the study. Conclusion Measurement by the activity tracker of mean day time physical activity did not show a considerable change from baseline to SVR12 upon treatment with 3D regimen. Nevertheless, a reduction of fatigue as assessed with the validated fatigue severity scale (FSS) was observed, suggesting a causative role of HCV in this extrahepatic manifestation. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT03002818.
Emotion processing and regulation in major depressive disorder: A 7T resting‐state fMRI study

Dysfunctions in bottom‐up emotion processing (EP), as well as top‐down emotion regulation (ER) are prominent features in pathophysiology of major depressive disorder (MDD). Nonetheless, it is not clear whether EP‐ and ER‐related areas are regionally and/or connectively disturbed in MDD. In addition, it is yet to be known how EP‐ and ER‐related areas are interactively linked to regulatory behavior, and whether this interaction is disrupted in MDD. In our study, regional amplitude of low frequency fluctuations (ALFF) and whole‐brain functional connectivity (FC) of meta‐analytic‐driven EP‐ and ER‐related areas were compared between 32 healthy controls (HC) and 20 MDD patients. Then, we aimed to investigate whether the EP‐related areas can predict the ER‐related areas and regulatory behavior in both groups. Finally, the brain–behavior correlations between the EP‐ and ER‐related areas and depression severity were assessed. We found that: (a) affective areas are regionally and/or connectively disturbed in MDD; (b) EP‐ER interaction seems to be disrupted in MDD; overburden of emotional reactivity in amygdala may inversely affect cognitive control processes in prefrontal cortices, which leads to diminished regulatory actions. (c) Depression severity is correlated with FC of affective areas. Our findings shed new lights on the neural underpinning of affective dysfunctions in depression.
Development of Diphenethylamines as Selective Kappa Opioid Receptor Ligands and Their Pharmacological Activities

Among the opioid receptors, the kappa opioid receptor (KOR) has been gaining substantial attention as a promising molecular target for the treatment of numerous human disorders, including pain, pruritus, affective disorders (i.e., depression and anxiety), drug addiction, and neurological diseases (i.e., epilepsy). Particularly, the knowledge that activation of the KOR, opposite to the mu opioid receptor (MOR), does not produce euphoria or leads to respiratory depression or overdose, has stimulated the interest in discovering ligands targeting the KOR as novel pharmacotherapeutics. However, the KOR mediates the negative side effects of dysphoria/aversion, sedation, and psychotomimesis, with the therapeutic promise of biased agonism (i.e., selective activation of beneficial over deleterious signaling pathways) for designing safer KOR therapeutics without the liabilities of conventional KOR agonists. In this review, the development of new KOR ligands from the class of diphenethylamines is presented. Specifically, we describe the design strategies, synthesis, and pharmacological activities of differently substituted diphenethylamines, where structure–activity relationships have been extensively studied. Ligands with distinct profiles as potent and selective agonists, G protein-biased agonists, and selective antagonists, and their potential use as therapeutic agents (i.e., pain treatment) and research tools are described.
The modelling of electronic effects in molecular dynamics simulations

This thesis describes the development and applications of the continuum-atomistic molecular dynamics (MD) model in the context of radiation damage. By extending the classical MD method to incorporate the electronic excitations represented as an electron fluid and coupled to the ions in the two-temperature (2T) formalism, we have been able to correctly capture the physics governing the atomistic dynamics under huge electronic excitations. The integrated 2T-MD model has been specifically adapted to study three types of non-equilibrium scenarios: laser excitations, swift heavy ion impacts and large-scale high energy collision cascades. Using the 2T-MD model we have estimated the impact of the electron-phonon coupling and the electronic stopping power on the primary radiation damage yield in bcc iron. We have found that the cascade dynamics and the resultant damage from 50-100 keV primary knock-on atom impacts is highly sensitive to the electronic stopping treatment at low projectile velocities, which represents the first rigorous study of this type. By examining the temporal evolution of the structure factor of laser-irradiated gold thin films, we have been able to directly compare the 2T-MD results with Bragg peaks measured by ultrafast electron diffraction and have achieved an excellent agreement between theory and experiment with no fitting parameters. This has enabled us to elucidate the melting dynamics following laser irradiation at a picosecond resolution for the first time and also to validate the two-temperature approach. To simulate semiconductors under electronic excitations, the continuum part of the 2T-MD model, which represents electrons, has been replaced by two continuum equations: one for carrier density and one for their energy, to account for the finite band-gap effects. We have applied such extended method to simulate ion tracks, which result from swift heavy ion impacts. We have achieved a very good agreement with the experimental results on the ion track radii, provided that we are free to adjust the strength of the electron-phonon coupling. We propose future studies in the field of non-equilibrium atomistic modelling. In particular, we discuss ab initio methods and further improvements to hybrid MD to study the effects of the interatomic potential changes in response to high electronic excitations.
The Confluence Diagram: Embedding Knowledge in Interaction Constraints

In this paper we propose an interactive knowledge visualization application that enables team members to integrate their knowledge about a project ’ s parameters (such as budget, scope, staffing etc.) through a visual, interactive configurator that also captures dependencies among these factors visually. The novelty of our approach can be seen in the fact that the diagram encodes knowledge from the participants in the interaction constraints encoded by and later on imposed on the user by the diagram. The dependencies among key factors of the team are encoded as sliders that move together. These dependencies help the team members understand and align their action constraints and allow them to record their experiences for subsequent teams in the diagram, as well as track their on-going project constellation. First focus groups with typical users of the confluence diagram (project managers) show that this is a highly useful and useable property that other diagrams cannot offer as of today.
The association between tactile, motor and cognitive capacities and braille reading performance: a scoping review of primary evidence to advance research on braille and aging

Abstract Purpose As the prevalence of age-related visual impairment increases, a greater understanding of the physiological and cognitive capacities that are recruited during braille reading and the potential implications of age-related declines is required. Methods This scoping review aimed to identify and describe primary studies exploring the relationship between tactile, motor and cognitive capacities and braille reading performance, the instruments used to measure these capacities, and the extent to which age is considered within these investigations. English peer-reviewed articles exploring the relationship between these capacities and braille reading performance were included. Articles were screened by two researchers, and 91% agreement was achieved (kappa = 0.84 [0.81, 0.87], p < 0.01). Results 2405 articles were considered of which 36 met the inclusion criteria. Fifteen investigated the relationship between tactile capacities and braille reading performance, 25 explored motor capacities, and 5 considered cognitive capacities. Nineteen instruments were used to measure tactile capacity, 4 for motor dexterity, and 7 for cognitive capacity. These studies focus on younger participants and on those who learned braille early in life. Conclusions Although this overview underscores the importance of tactile perception and bimanual reading, future research is needed to explore the unique needs of older adults who learn braille later in life. IMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATION The studies in this review underscore the importance of developing both haptic tactile perception and efficient hand reading patterns early in the braille learning process. Practitioners should consider whether specific pre-braille readiness activities can be used to address the unique needs of older adults who may experience tactile, motor or cognitive declines. Most of the studies in this review require replication before they should serve as reliable clinical guidelines; however, braille reading (like print) is a complex process that draws on multiple capacities that should be developed in unison. The studies in this review focus heavily on younger participants and on those who learned braille early in life, and highlight the need for future research on braille and aging.
Comparative genomics of wild-type and laboratory-evolved biofilm-overproducing Deinococcus metallilatus strains

Deinococcus metallilatus MA1002 was exposed to ultraviolet radiation to generate mutants with enhanced biofilm production. Two strains (nos 5 and 6) were then selected based on their high biofilm formation, as well as their possession of higher concentrations of extracellular matrix components (eDNA, protein and saccharides) than the wild-type (WT). Genomic sequencing revealed the presence of large genome deletions in a secondary chromosome in the mutants. Expression analyses of the WT and mutant strains indicated the upregulation of genes associated with exopolysaccharide synthesis and stress response. The mutant strains showed high mortality in glucose-supplemented (TYG) medium; however, cell death and biofilm formation were not increased in mutant cells grown under acetate- or glyoxylate-added media, suggesting that metabolic toxicity during glucose metabolism induced a high rate of cell death but improved biofilm formation in mutant strains. In damaged cells, eDNAs contributed to the enhanced biofilm formation of D. metallilatus .
Integrative Analysis of miRNAs Identifies Clinically Relevant Epithelial and Stromal Subtypes of Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Purpose: The objective of this study is to characterize the role of miRNAs in the classification of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). Experimental Design: Here, we analyzed 562 HNSCC samples, 88 from a novel cohort and 474 from The Cancer Genome Atlas, using miRNA microarray and miRNA sequencing, respectively. Using an integrative correlations method followed by miRNA expression–based hierarchical clustering, we validated miRNA clusters across cohorts. Evaluation of clusters by logistic regression and gene ontology approaches revealed subtype-based clinical and biological characteristics. Results: We identified two independently validated and statistically significant (P < 0.01) tumor subtypes and named them “epithelial” and “stromal” based on associations with functional target gene ontology relating to differing stages of epithelial cell differentiation. miRNA-based subtypes were correlated with individual gene expression targets based on miRNA seed sequences, as well as with miRNA families and clusters including the miR-17 and miR-200 families. These correlated genes defined pathways relevant to normal squamous cell function and pathophysiology. miRNA clusters statistically associated with differential mutation patterns including higher proportions of TP53 mutations in the stromal class and higher NSD1 and HRAS mutation frequencies in the epithelial class. miRNA classes correlated with previously reported gene expression subtypes, clinical characteristics, and clinical outcomes in a multivariate Cox proportional hazards model with stromal patients demonstrating worse prognoses (HR, 1.5646; P = 0.006). Conclusions: We report a reproducible classification of HNSCC based on miRNA that associates with known pathologically altered pathways and mutations of squamous tumors and is clinically relevant.
“So Why Should I Call Them?”: Survivor Support Service Characteristics as Drivers of Help-Seeking in India

Women in South Asia face the highest lifetime prevalence of intimate partner violence in the world, which is just one form of violence against women (VAW). In India, few women seek help after experiencing violence, particularly from formal resources, such as physicians or the police. While many studies have investigated the impact of survivor characteristics and patterns of violence on help-seeking behaviors, there is scant research on support service characteristics and their impact on help-seeking. The introduction of a novel crisis helpline in Gujarat, India provided an opportunity to better understand how successful help-seeking can be driven by the perceived and experienced characteristics of the helpline. We conducted in-depth interviews with helpline users to identify factors and pathways that promoted or discouraged help-seeking in general, help-seeking from a formal source, and help-seeking from this particular helpline. We analyzed 32 interviews of women who used the helpline. Participants were from eight districts across the state, representing a diverse range of sociodemographic backgrounds. After conducting a thematic analysis, we found that action-oriented service, timeliness, and women-focused staff influenced (positively and negatively) participants’ feelings of safety, empowerment, and trust in the helpline, which ultimately impacted their decision to seek help from the helpline or even to seek help at all. This study illuminates how service characteristics, in and of themselves, can influence the likelihood that survivors will seek help, emphasizing the need for survivors to have a voice in the growth and refinement of VAW support services. Consequently, these areas must be a focus of future research and initiatives to improve help-seeking by VAW survivors.
PTP-3 phosphatase promotes intramolecular folding of SYD-2 to inactivate kinesin-3 UNC-104 in neurons.

UNC-104 is the C. elegans homolog of kinesin-3 KIF1A known for its fast shuffling of STVs (synaptic vesicle protein transport vesicles) in axons. SYD-2 is the homolog of liprin-α in C. elegans known to activate UNC-104, however, signals that trigger SYD-2 binding to the motor remain unknown. Because SYD-2 is a substrate of PTP-3/LAR PTPR, we speculate a role of this phosphatase in SYD-2-mediated motor activation. Indeed, co-immunoprecipitation assays revealed increased interaction between UNC-104 and SYD-2 in ptp-3 knockout worms. Intramolecular FRET analysis in living nematodes demonstrates that SYD-2 largely exists in an open conformation state in ptp-3 mutants. These assays also revealed that non-phosphorylatable SYD-2 (Y741F) exists predominately in folded conformations while phosphomimicking SYD-2 (Y741E) primarily exists in open conformations. Increased UNC-104 motor clustering was observed along axons likely as a result of elevated SYD-2 scaffolding function in ptp-3 mutants. Also, both motor velocities as well as cargo transport speeds were visibly increased in neurons of ptp-3 mutants. Lastly, epistatic analysis revealed that PTP-3 is upstream of SYD-2 to regulate its intramolecular folding.
Goodness of fit tests for parameters of forecasting models

Forecasting is an important field of statistics that spans in to many fields including business and industry, government, economics, environmental sciences, medicine, social science, politics, and finance. Forecasting problems are generally classified as short-term, medium-term, and long-term models. The short-term forecasting problems involve predicting events only a few time periods (days, weeks, months) into the future. Medium-term forecasts extend from one to two years into the future, and long-term forecasting problems can extend beyond that by many years. Short- and medium-term forecasts are required for activities that range from operations management to budgeting and selecting new research and development projects. Long-term forecasts impact issues such as strategic planning. Short- and medium-term forecasting is typically based on identifying, modeling, and extrapolating the patterns found in historical data. Because these historical data usually exhibit inertia and do not change dramatically very quickly, statistical methods are very useful for short- and medium-term forecasting.