Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Topography of the pelvic autonomic nerves – an anatomical study to facilitate nerve-preserving total mesorectal excision

Abstract Introduction Urogenital dysfunction caused by iatrogenic injury to the autonomic nerves persists as a common complication of rectal cancer surgery. This study aims to investigate the relationship between autonomic nerves and the 'holy plane' with the intention of identifying hazardous sites at which urogenital dysfunction may occur. Patients and methods Dissection of the 'holy plane' and preparation of the autonomic nerves were performed on Thiel-embalmed bodies. The morphology of the inferior hypogastric plexus and its distance to nearby reference points was recorded. Results In all 28 bodies (13 females, 15 males), we observed that the autonomic nerves were enveloped in parietal pelvic fascia and thereby absent from the 'holy plane' of total mesorectal excision. The midpoint of the inferior hypogastric plexus resided 85 mm from the sacral promontory, and 47 mm from the coccygeal apex. Both distances were significantly longer in men than in women (p < 0.01, p < 0.01). The ureter coursed 11 mm superiorly to the inferior hypogastric plexus. Distal to the ischial spine, it ran 13 mm laterally to the mesorectal fascia. Differences between females and males were not statistically significant (p = 0.32, p = 0.85). Conclusions Pursuit of the 'holy plane' spares the autonomic nerves. Restricted visibility may complicate the identification and sparing of the autonomic nerves, and, thus, requires the meticulous planning and execution of surgery. Contextual, the ureter may act as another landmark for the localisation of the inferior hypogastric plexus, additionally to the already established lateral ligaments of the rectum.
Efficacy and safety of renal denervation for hypertension in patients with chronic kidney disease: a meta-analysis

Abstract Background Renal denervation (RDN) is a new treatment for hypertension in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD), but its efficacy is still debated. This meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of RDN for hypertension in patients with CKD. Methods PubMed, Web of Science, EMBASE, and Ovid databases were searched for relevant studies published. We performed both fixed- and random-effects meta-analyses of the changes in blood pressure, estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), and urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio (UACR) after RDN. Results The meta-analysis included 238 patients from 11 single-center, non-randomized, uncontrolled studies. Office blood pressure and 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure (24 h-ABP) showed a significant reduction 1 month after RDN (p < 0.05). This decrease of 24 h-ABP persisted for 24 months after RDN showed difference systolic blood pressure (p < 0.001) and diastolic blood pressure (p = 0.001). The 24 h-ABP exhibited a similar trend in the subgroup analysis. eGFR measurements obtained at each time point of analysis after RDN were not significantly different from those obtained before (p > 0.05). UACR levels were significantly reduced at 3 months and 6 months after RDN (p < 0.001). After RDN, the heart rate showed no significant changes (p > 0.05), and few major complications were encountered. Conclusions The meta-analysis showed that RDN may be effective and safe for treating CKD patients with hypertension. Well-designed randomized controlled trials of RDN are urgently needed to confirm the safety and reproducibility of RDN and to assess its impact on clinical outcomes.
A method for using video presentation to increase the vividness and activity of cortical regions during motor imagery tasks

In recent years, mental practice (MP) using laterally inverted video of a subject's non-paralyzed upper limb to improve the vividness of presented motor imagery (MI) has been shown to be effective for improving the function of a paralyzed upper limb. However, no studies have yet assessed the activity of cortical regions engaged during MI task performance using inverse video presentations and neurophysiological indicators. This study sought to investigate changes in MI vividness and hemodynamic changes in the cerebral cortex during MI performance under the following three conditions in near-infrared spectroscopy: MI-only without inverse video presentation (MI-only), MI with action observation (AO) of an inverse video presentation of another person's hand (AO + MI (other hand)), and MI with AO of an inverse video presentation of a participant's own hand (AO + MI (own hand)). Participants included 66 healthy right-handed adults (41 men and 25 women; mean age: 26.3 ± 4.3 years). There were 23 patients in the MI-only group (mean age: 26.4 ± 4.1 years), 20 in the AO + MI (other hand) group (mean age: 25.9 ± 5.0 years), and 23 in the AO + MI (own hand) group (mean age: 26.9 ± 4.1 years). The MI task involved transferring 1 cm × 1 cm blocks from one plate to another, once per second, using chopsticks held in the non-dominant hand. Based on a visual analog scale (VAS), MI vividness was significantly higher in the AO + MI (own hand) group than in the MI-only group and the AO + MI (other hand) group. A main effect of condition was revealed in terms of MI vividness, as well as regions of interest (ROIs) in certain brain areas associated with motor processing. The data suggest that inverse video presentation of a person's own hand enhances the MI vividness and increases the activity of motor-related cortical areas during MI. This study was approved by the Institutional Ethics Committee of Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences (approval No. 18121303) on January 18, 2019.
[Expression of hypoxia inducible factor-1alpha during mouse mandibular first molar eruption and its significance].

PURPOSE To investigate the expression of hypoxia inducible factor-1alpha (HIF-1α) during the eruption of mouse lower first molar, and to explore the correlation between its expression and the activity of osteoclasts. METHODS Mouse mandibles were dissected from mice at day 1.5 to 14.5 after birth. They were then serially sectioned and stained respectively using hemotoxylin, tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP) staining, and immunohistochemical staining. SPSS 25.0 software package was used for data analysis. RESULTS During the eruption of mouse lower first molar, the thickness of the crown alveolar bone gradually decreased, so did the number of osteoclasts and the expression of HIF-1α. CONCLUSIONS During the eruption of mouse lower first molar, the less expression of HIF-1α, the fewer osteoclasts there were. HIF-1α may be involved in the eruption of mouse lower first molar by regulating the activity of osteoclasts.
Evaluation of Neutrophil Dynamics Change by Protective Effect of Tadalafil After Renal Ischemia/Reperfusion Using In Vivo Real-time Imaging

Supplemental Digital Content is available in the text. Background. Neutrophils play a major role in ischemia/reperfusion injury (IRI) in renal transplantation and acute kidney injury. However, it has been difficult to observe changes in neutrophil dynamics over time in living mice kidney. We investigate neutrophil dynamics in IRI in living mice using novel in vivo multiphoton microscope imaging techniques and characterize the renoprotective effects of a selective phosphodiesterase 5 inhibitor, tadalafil. Methods. Wild-type and endothelial nitric oxide synthase knockout mice, a model of endothelial dysfunction, were used to establish in vivo real-time imaging in living mouse kidneys. Neutrophils were labeled green with Ly-6G monoclonal antibody, and plasma flow was labeled red with BSA. Tadalafil was administered orally 1 h before surgery. Both kidney pedicles were reperfused after 37°C warm ischemia for 45 min. Results. Our novel approach revealed that neutrophils were trapped in glomerulus within a few minutes after reperfusion. They gradually increased over time and infiltrated neutrophils were observed in the tubular lumen and peritubular capillary. The neutrophils were clearly visualized rolling on peritubular capillary plexus at 3 μm/min. The administration of tadalafil significantly reduced neutrophil influx into the glomerulus in both wild-type and endothelial nitric oxide synthase knockout mice. Reduced neutrophil infiltration in tadalafil groups, which was confirmed by flow cytometry, resulted in histopathologically decreased tubular injury. The expression of vascular cell adhesion molecule 1 and kidney injury molecule 1 was partially prevented by tadalafil. Conclusions. Use of a novel technique contributed to elucidation of neutrophil dynamics after reperfusion. Tadalafil has a potential for inhibiting neutrophil infiltration in renal IRI.
Risk assessment of SARS‐CoV‐2 infection in free‐ranging wild animals in Belgium

Abstract The aim of this review paper is to evaluate the putative susceptibilities of different free‐ranging wild animal species in Belgium to SARS‐CoV‐2 and provide a risk assessment of SARS‐CoV‐2 infection in those animals. Since the onset of the COVID‐19 pandemic, natural SARS‐CoV‐2 infections have mainly been confirmed in domestic and production animals, and in wild animals kept in captivity, although the numbers remain limited when compared to human cases. Recently, the first SARS‐CoV‐2 infections in presumably escaped minks found in the wild have been detected, further addressing the much‐feared scenario of transmission of the virus to animals living in the wild and its consequences. Considering the most likely origin of the virus being a wild animal and the putative susceptibilities of free‐ranging wild animal species to SARS‐CoV‐2, the risk of infection with possible establishment of the virus in these populations has to be investigated closely. The authors conclude that most attention should be given to surveillance and awareness‐raising activities for SARS‐CoV‐2 infection in wild mustelids, bats, wild canids and felids, particularly these collected in wildlife rescue centres. People involved in frequent and close contact with wild animals should take all necessary precautionary measures to protect wild animals against exposure to the virus. More than one year after the first detection of SARS‐CoV‐2 in humans, the time has come to increase investments in research and surveillance activities in animals, including in free‐ranging wild animals, as part of a One Health control of this pandemic. This study focussing on Belgium could be helpful for other countries with similar animal densities and ecosystems.
Dispersions of Two-Dimensional Titanium Carbide MXene in Organic Solvents

Two-dimensional titanium carbide (Ti3C2Tx) MXene has attracted a great deal of attention in the research community and has already showed promise in numerous applications, but only its dispersions in aqueous solutions have previously been available. Here we show that Ti3C2Tx can be dispersed in many polar organic solvents, but the best dispersions were achieved in N,N-dimethylformamide, N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone, dimethyl sulfoxide, propylene carbonate, and ethanol. The dispersions were examined by measuring the concentration and absorbance spectra of MXene in organic solvents as well as correlating the concentration to solvent physical properties, such as surface tension, boiling point, and polarity index. Hildebrand and Hansen solubility parameters were additionally used to provide an initial understanding of how Ti3C2Tx MXene behaves in organic media and potentially develop quantitative correlations to select solvents and their combinations that can disperse Ti3C2Tx and other MXenes. Using this analysis, .
High prevalence of Cryptococcal antigenemia using a finger-prick lateral flow assay in individuals with advanced HIV disease in Santarém Municipality, Brazilian Amazon Basin.

There is scarce information about HIV-related cryptococcosis in the Brazilian Amazon basin where laboratory infrastructure is limited. The serum cryptococcal antigen (CrAg) lateral flow assay (LFA) has simplified diagnosis of cryptococcosis and is recommended for screening in advanced HIV disease. We evaluated the prevalence of cryptococcal antigenemia using finger-prick CrAg LFA in the Brazilian Amazon basin. We enrolled a prospective cohort of outpatients and hospitalized individuals with advanced HIV disease at two centers in Santarém Municipality, Northern Brazil. All individuals were > 18 years old with advanced HIV disease, regardless of antiretroviral therapy (ART) status and with no prior or current history of confirmed cryptococcal meningitis. We tested CrAg LFA on finger-prick whole blood using an exact volume transfer pipette. From August 2018 to October 2019, 104 individuals were enrolled (outpatients 62 [60%] and hospitalized 42 [40%]). Median age was 38 years (interquartile range [IQR] 30-46), and 84 (81%) were male. Sixty-five (63%) individuals were ART-naïve. Prevalence of finger-prick CrAg LFA-positive was 10.6%; 95% CI, 5.4 to 18.1%. Prevalence of finger-prick CrAg LFA-positive among individuals without neurological symptoms was 6.0%; 95% CI, 1.7-14.6%. The number needed to test to detect one CrAg-positive individual was 9.4 persons (95% CI, 5.5-18.5). Prevalence of cryptococcal antigenemia using finger-prick whole blood CrAg LFA was high. Point-of-care approach was important for the diagnosis and screening of cryptococcosis in resource-limited settings. Screening and preemptive therapy strategy should be urgently implemented in individuals with advanced HIV disease in the Brazilian Amazon basin.
Russian Electronic Warfare, Cyber and Information Operations in Ukraine

NATO is more dependent than ever on electronic systems which are being targeted by increasingly sophisticated electronic warfare (EW), cyber and information operations. Russia has demonstrated considerable proficiency across these domains, in particular during the crisis in Ukraine. Russia is now reported to be mounting a sustained information operations campaign in the Baltic states and there is concern regarding the potential impact of its EW and cyber capabilities on the operational effectiveness and survivability of NATO forces, should there ever be a confrontation. Duncan McCrory highlights some of the challenges facing the Alliance in these domains to raise awareness among the non-technical specialist community and provide options to enhance NATO’s resilience and counter this evolving threat. ◼
Diversity and Antiaflatoxigenic Activities of Culturable Filamentous Fungi from Deep-Sea Sediments of the South Atlantic Ocean

Abstract Despite recent studies, relatively few are known about the diversity of fungal communities in the deep Atlantic Ocean. In this study, we investigated the diversity of fungal communities in 15 different deep-sea sediments from the South Atlantic Ocean with a culture-dependent approach followed by phylogenetic analysis of ITS sequences. A total of 29 fungal strains were isolated from the 15 deep-sea sediments. These strains belong to four fungal genera, including Aspergillus, Cladosporium, Penicillium, and Alternaria. Penicillium, accounting for 44.8% of the total fungal isolates, was a dominant genus. The antiaflatoxigenic activity of these deep-sea fungal isolates was studied. Surprisingly, most of the strains showed moderate to strong antiaflatoxigenic activity. Four isolates, belonging to species of Penicillium polonicum, Penicillium chrysogenum, Aspergillus versicolor, and Cladosporium cladosporioides, could completely inhibit not only the mycelial growth of Aspergillus parasiticus mutant strain NFRI-95, but also the aflatoxin production. To our knowledge, this is the first report to investigate the antiaflatoxigenic activity of culturable deep-sea fungi. Our results provide new insights into the community composition of fungi in the deep South Atlantic Ocean. The high proportion of strains that displayed antiaflatoxigenic activity demonstrates that deep-sea fungi from the Atlantic Ocean are valuable resources for mining bioactive compounds.
Embeddings for the Lexicon: Modelling and Representation

In this paper, we propose an RDF model for representing embeddings for elements in lexical knowledge graphs (e.g. words and concepts), harmonizing two major paradigms in computational semantics on the level of representation, i.e., distributional semantics (us-ing numerical vector representations), and lexical semantics (employing lexical knowledge graphs). Our model is a part of a larger effort to extend a community standard for representing lexical resources, OntoLex-Lemon, with the means to connect it to corpus data. By allowing a conjoint modelling of embeddings and lexical knowledge graphs as its part, we hope to contribute to the further consolidation of the ﬁeld, its methodologies and the accessibility of the respective resources.
Carbon nanomaterials for room temperature gas sensing

The aim of this research is to develop high performance gas sensors with low power consumption and high portability. This was achieved by synthesizing carbon nanomaterials decorated with alkali-metal dopants and metal oxides, and by optimizing ultrathin layer of carbon nanobutes coupled to a new deposition technique. These materials demonstrated excellent sensitivity at room temperature to both nitrogen dioxide and ammonia, down to ppm level, providing a new pathway to realise room temperature gas sensors. Our fabrication methods are highly scalable and do not involve the use of expensive equipment which makes them excellent candidates for mass production.
Enhanced photoresponse of ZnO quantum dot-decorated MoS2 thin films

Transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) have been attracting attention because of their applications in optoelectronics and photo-detection. A widely used TMD semiconductor is molybdenum disulfide (MoS2), which has tremendous applications because of its tunable bandgap and high luminescence quantum efficiency. This paper reports on high photo responsivity (Rλ ∼ 1913 A W−1) of MoS2 photodetector by decorating a thin layer of zinc oxide (ZnO) quantum dots (ZnO-QDs) on MoS2. Results show that Rλ increases dramatically to 2267 A W−1 at Vbg = 30 V. The high response of ZnO-QDs/MoS2 heterostructures is attributed to a number of factors, such as effective charge transfer between ZnO-QDs and MoS2 surface and re-absorption of light photon resulting in production of electron–hole pairs.
Breeder age, group size, and fledgling production in the cooperatively breeding Red-cockaded Woodpecker (Dryobates borealis)

ABSTRACT Field studies of the factors that influence reproductive success are crucial to life history theory. We investigate annual fledgling production by the monogamous, cooperatively breeding Red-cockaded Woodpecker (Dryobates borealis) in relation to breeder age, experience, and group size at Brosnan Forest, South Carolina, and evaluate several associated hypotheses. Productivity in both female and male breeders increased nonlinearly with age, peaked at 6 and 7 years, respectively, and then declined. We tested if the early increase in productivity with age was associated with age, per se (general skills), or breeding experience. We found for both males and females that the productivity of novice breeders increased significantly with age, indicating age effects independent of prior experience, but that experienced breeders were no more productive than novices the same age. We conclude that the basic skills that accrue with age, but not prior breeding experience, explain increasing success among young birds. The probability of a group nesting increased nonlinearly with female and male age, reaching 100% among females ≥ 7 and males ≥ 11 years old. We found support for both the constraint and restraint hypotheses for young males, but only for the constraint hypothesis among young females. Declining productivity with senescence counters the restraint hypothesis's prediction of increased effort late in life, while the maximal propensity to nest among older birds supports it. Differential survival failed to explain increasing productivity with age. Holding breeder ages constant, we found a linear effect of group size on annual fledgling production, with productivity increasing by 12% with each added helper through the largest group sizes. This suggests (1) no evidence of net compensation as group size increased, (2) no evidence of negative feedback from reproductive or resource competition in large groups, and (3) inclusive fitness is a selective force in helping.
Investigation of Circulating miRNA-133, miRNA-26, and miRNA-378 as Candidate Biomarkers for Left Ventricular Hypertrophy

Background/Aim: Left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) involves increased muscular mass of the left ventricle due to increased cardiomyocyte size and is caused by cardiomyopathies. Several microRNAs (miRNAs) have been implicated in processes that contribute to heart disease. This study aimed to examine miRNA-133, miRNA-26 and miRNA-378 as candidate biomarkers to define prognosis in patients with LVH. Patients and Methods: The study group consisted of 70 patients who were diagnosed with LVH and 16 unaffected individuals who served as the control group. Real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was used to analyze serum miRNA-133, miRNA-26, and miRNA-378 expression levels in LVH patients and the control group. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was performed to assess the diagnostic capability of miRNA-378. Results: When crossing threshold (CT) values were compared between patient and control samples, we found that there were no statistically significant differences in miRNA-133 and miRNA-26 CT values, while the miRNA-378 expression was significantly increased in LVH patients. ROC analysis demonstrated that the expression levels of miRNA-378 (AUC=0.484, p=0.0013) were significantly different between groups. Conclusion: We observed a statistically significant relationship between miRNA-378 expression levels and LVH, suggesting that circulating miRNA-378 may be used as a novel biomarker to distinguish patients who have LVH from those who do not.
Microarray in parasitic infections

Modern biology and genomic sciences are rooted in parasitic disease research. Genome sequencing efforts have provided a wealth of new biological information that promises to have a major impact on our understanding of parasites. Microarrays provide one of the major high-throughput platforms by which this information can be exploited in the laboratory. Many excellent reviews and technique articles have recently been published on applying microarrays to organisms for which fully annotated genomes are at hand. However, many parasitologists work on organisms whose genomes have been only partially sequenced. This review is mainly focused on how to use microarray in these situations.
The Purpose of Play

Play presents a popular pastime for all humans, though not all humans play alike. Subsequently, Human–Computer Interaction Games research is increasingly concerned with the development of games that serve neurodivergent1 players. In a critical review of 66 publications informed by Disability Studies and Self-Determination Theory, we analyse which populations, research methods, kinds of play and overall purpose goals existing games address. We find that games are largely developed for children, in a top-down approach. They tend to focus on educational and medical settings and are driven by factors extrinsic to neurodivergent interests. Existing work predominantly follows a medical model of disability, which fails to support self-determination of neurodivergent players and marginalises their opportunities for immersion. Our contribution comprises a large-scale investigation into a budding area of research gaining traction with the intent to capture a status quo and identify opportunities for future work attending to differences without articulating them as deficit.