Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Menstrual cycles during COVID-19 lockdowns: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Coronavirus disease 2019 lockdowns produced psychological and lifestyle consequences for women of reproductive age and changes in their menstrual cycles. To our knowledge, this is the first systematic review to characterize changes in menstrual cycle length associated with lockdowns compared to non-lockdown periods. A search on 5 May 2022 retrieved articles published between 1 December 2019, and 1 May 2022, from Medline, Embase, and Web of Science. The included articles were peer-reviewed observational studies with full texts in English, that reported menstrual cycle lengths during lockdowns and non-lockdowns. Cross-sectional and cohort studies were appraised using the Appraisal tool for Cross-Sectional Studies and the Cochrane Risk of Bias Tool for Cohort Studies, respectively. Review Manager was used to generate a forest plot with odds ratios (OR) at the 95% confidence interval (CI), finding a significant association between lockdown and menstrual cycle length changes for 21,729 women of reproductive age (OR = 9.14, CI: 3.16–26.50) with a significant overall effect of the mean (Z = 4.08, p < 0.0001). High heterogeneity with significant dispersion of values was observed (I2 = 99%, τ = 1.40, χ2 = 583.78, p < 0.0001). This review was limited by the availability of published articles that favored high-income countries. The results have implications for adequately preparing women and assisting them with menstrual concerns during lockdown periods.
Advances in cell death mechanisms involved in viral myocarditis

Viral myocarditis is an acute inflammatory disease of the myocardium. Although many etiopathogenic factors exist, coxsackievirus B3 is a the leading cause of viral myocarditis. Abnormal cardiomyocyte death is the underlying problem for most cardiovascular diseases and fatalities. Various types of cell death occur and are regulated to varying degrees. In this review, we discuss the different cell death mechanisms in viral myocarditis and the potential interactions between them. We also explore the role and mechanism of cardiomyocyte death with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. Exploring the mechanisms may help in the early identification and the development of effective treatments, thus improving the quality of life of patients with viral myocarditis. We believe that the inhibition of cardiomyocyte death has immense therapeutic potential in increasing the longevity and health of the heart.
Investigating mammary glands of lactating goats for the presence of tertiary lymphoid organs

Ectopic tertiary lymphoid organs (TLOs) have been identified in many organs, such as the lungs, nasal cavities, and kidneys of both mice and humans. Although lymphocyte aggregates have been observed in the mammary glands of ruminants, the details remain unclear. In this study, we investigated the mammary glands of lactating goats for the presence of TLOs. The localization of CD20 (B cells), CD3 (T cells), MECA79 (high endothelial venules), CD40 (follicular dendritic cells), BCL6 (germinal center), and IgA was examined by immunohistochemistry. The concentrations of IgG, IgA, lactoferrin, β-defensin-1, cathelicidin-2, cathelicidin-7, S100A7, and S100A8 in milk were measured by ELISA. The localization and amount of tight junction (TJ) proteins (claudin-3 and claudin-4) were examined using immunofluorescence and western blotting. We found that 19 out of 30 udders contained lymphocyte aggregates, which showed positive reactions against CD20, CD3, CD40, and MECA79. In addition, large-sized aggregations showed separate localization of B cells and T cells and a positive reaction against BCL6, although BCL6 was sparsely localized in the aggregations. These results indicate that mammary glands of lactating goats contain TLOs. The IgG and IgA concentrations in the milk of TLO-positive goats and the number of IgA-positive cells were higher than those in negative goats. Furthermore, claudin-4 was localized in the TJ region and the amount was higher in TLO-positive mammary glands than that in the negative group, indicating the presence of leakages at TJs. In conclusion, a majority of lactating goat udders have TLOs, which contribute to local immunity by producing immunoglobulins.
Association Between Vitamin D Supplementation and Fall Prevention

Background Falls occur frequently among older individuals, leading to high morbidity and mortality. This study was to assess the efficacy of vitamin D in preventing older individuals from falling. Methods We searched the PubMed, Cochrane Library, and EMBASE databases systematically using the keywords “vitamin D” and “fall” for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing the effects of vitamin D with or without calcium supplements with those of a placebo or no treatment on fall incidence in adults older than 50 years. A meta-analysis was performed to calculate risk ratios (RRs), absolute risk differences (ARDs) and 95% CIs with random-effects models. Results A total of 38 RCTs involving 61 350 participants fulfilled the inclusion criteria. Compared with placebo, high-dose vitamin D (≥ 700 IU) can prevent falls [RR, 0.87 (95% CI 0.79 to 0.96); ARD, -0.06 (95% CI, -0.10 to -0.02)]. Low-dose vitamin D (<700 IU) was not significantly associated with falls. Subgroup analysis showed that supplemental calcium, 25(OH) D concentration and frequency influenced the effect of vitamin D in preventing falls. Sensitivity analysis showed that vitamin D prevented falls, which was consistent with the primary analysis. In addition, the active form of vitamin D also prevented falls. Conclusion In this meta-analysis of RCTs, doses of 700 IU to 2000 IU of supplemental vitamin D per day were associated with a lower risk of falling among ambulatory and institutionalized older adults. However, this conclusion should be cautiously interpreted, given the small differences in outcomes. Systematic Review Registration https://www.crd. york.ac. uk/prospero/, identifier CRD42020179390.
Revisiting the 4 R’s: Improving post-release outcomes for rescued mammalian wildlife by fostering behavioral competence during rehabilitation

Rescue, rehabilitation, and release (‘rescue-rehab-release’) of wildlife is an increasingly widespread practice across ecosystems, largely driven by habitat loss, wildlife exploitation and a changing climate. Despite this, its conservation value has not been realized, in part due to the scarcity of what has been termed “the 4th R”, research. Similar to conservation breeding and headstarting, rescue and rehabilitation entails close association of humans and the wildlife in their care over impressionable and extended periods. However, unlike these interventions, rescue and rehabilitation require an initial, and sometimes sustained, focus on crisis management and veterinary needs which can impede the development of natural behaviors and promote habituation to humans, both of which can compromise post-release survival and recruitment. In this perspective, we discuss the pathways toward, and implications of, behavioral incompetence and highlight opportunities for testable interventions to curtail negative outcomes post-release, without compromising the health or welfare of rescued individuals. We propose that practitioners ‘switch gears’ from triage to fostering behavioral competence as early in the rehabilitation process as is possible, and that research be implemented in order to develop an evidence-base for best practices that can be shared amongst practitioners. We focus on four mammalian species to illustrate specific contexts and considerations for fostering behavioral competence by building on research in the conservation translocation literature. Finally, we discuss a way forward that calls for greater cross-pollination among translocation scenarios involving extended time under human care during developmentally sensitive periods.
Coagulation and complement: Key innate defense participants in a seamless web

In 1969, Dr. Oscar Ratnoff, a pioneer in delineating the mechanisms by which coagulation is activated and complement is regulated, wrote, “In the study of biological processes, the accumulation of information is often accelerated by a narrow point of view. The fastest way to investigate the body’s defenses against injury is to look individually at such isolated questions as how the blood clots or how complement works. We must constantly remind ourselves that such distinctions are man-made. In life, as in the legal cliché, the devices through which the body protects itself form a seamless web, unwrinkled by our artificialities. ” Our aim in this review, is to highlight the critical molecular and cellular interactions between coagulation and complement, and how these two major component proteolytic pathways contribute to the seamless web of innate mechanisms that the body uses to protect itself from injury, invading pathogens and foreign surfaces.
Cancer and apoptosis: The apoptotic activity of plant and marine natural products and their potential as targeted cancer therapeutics

Cancer is a multifactorial, multi-stage disease, including complex cascades of signaling pathways—the cell growth governed by dysregulated and abrupt cell division. Due to the complexity and multi-regulatory cancer progression, cancer is still a challenging disease to treat and survive. The screening of extracts and fractions from plants and marine species might lead to the discovery of more effective compounds for cancer therapeutics. The isolated compounds and reformed analogs were known as future prospective contenders for anti-cancer chemotherapy. For example, Taxol, a potent mitotic inhibitor discovered from Taxus brevifolia, suppresses cell growth and arrest, induces apoptosis, and inhibits proliferation. Similarly, marine sponges show remarkable tumor chemo preventive and chemotherapeutic potential. However, there is limited research to date. Several plants and marine-derived anti-cancer compounds having the property to induce apoptosis have been approved for clinical trials. The anti-cancer activity kills the cell and slows the growth of cancer cells. Among cell death mechanisms, apoptosis induction is a more profound mechanism of cell death triggered by naturally isolated anti-cancer agents. Evading apoptosis is the major hurdle in killing cancer cells, a mechanism mainly regulated as intrinsic and extrinsic. However, it is possible to modify the apoptosis-resistant phenotype of the cell by altering many of these mechanisms. Various extracts and fractions successfully induce apoptosis, cell-cycle modulation, apoptosis, and anti-proliferative activity. Therefore, there is a pressing need to develop new anti-cancer drugs of natural origins to reduce the effects on normal cells. Here, we’ve emphasized the most critical elements: i) A better understanding of cancer progression and development and its origins, ii) Molecular strategies to inhibit the cell proliferation/Carcino-genesis, iii) Critical regulators of cancer cell proliferation and development, iv) Signaling Pathways in Apoptosis: Potential Targets for targeted therapeutics, v) Why Apoptosis induction is mandatory for effective chemotherapy, vi) Plants extracts/fractions as potential apoptotic inducers, vii) Marine extracts as Apoptotic inducers, viii) Marine isolated Targeted compounds as Apoptotic inducers (FDA Approved/treatment Phase). This study provides a potential therapeutic option for cancer, although more clinical studies are needed to verify its efficacy in cancer chemotherapy.
PD-L1+ neutrophils as novel biomarkers for stage IV melanoma patients treated with nivolumab

Melanoma displays a rising incidence, and the mortality associated with metastatic form remains high. Monoclonal antibodies that block programmed death (PD-1) and PD Ligand 1 (PD-L1) network have revolutionized the history of metastatic disease. PD-L1 is expressed on several immune cells and can be also expressed on human neutrophils (PMNs). The role of peripheral blood PMNs as predictive biomarkers in anti-PD-1 therapy of melanoma is largely unknown. In this study, we aimed to determine activation status and PD-L1 expression on human neutrophils as possible novel biomarkers in stage IV melanoma patients (MPs). We found that PMNs from MPs displayed an activated phenotype and increased PD-L1 levels compared to healthy controls (HCs). Patients with lower PD-L1+ PMN frequencies displayed better progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) compared to patients with high PD-L1+ PMN frequencies. Multivariate analysis showed that PD-L1+ PMNs predicted patient outcome in BRAF wild type MP subgroup but not in BRAF mutated MPs. PD-L1+ PMN frequency emerges as a novel biomarker in stage IV BRAF wild type MPs undergoing anti-PD-1 immunotherapy. Our findings suggest further evaluation of the role of neutrophil subsets and their mediators in melanoma patients undergoing immunotherapy.
NaCaNi2F7: A frustrated high temperature pyrochlore antiferromagnet with S=1 Ni2+

NaCaNi$_2$F$_7$ is an insulating, frustrated A$_2$B$_2$F$_7$ pyrochlore with magnetic S = 1 Ni$^{2+}$ on the pyrochlore B site. Non-magnetic Na and Ca are disordered on the A-site. Magnetic susceptibility measurements made on an oriented single crystal, grown in a floating zone furnace, show isotropic behavior at temperatures between 5 and 300 K, with an effective moment of 3.7 $\mu_B$/Ni. Despite displaying a large Curie-Weiss theta (-129 K), spin-ordering-related features are not seen in the susceptibility or specific heat until a spin glass transition at 3.6 K. This yields an empirical frustration index of f = -${\theta}_{CW}$/T$_f$ $\approx$ 36. The spin glass behavior is substantiated by a shift of the freezing temperature with frequency in the AC susceptibility, bifurcation in the DC susceptibility, and by a broad maximum in the magnetic specific heat. The observations as made on large single crystals suggest that NaCaNi$_2$F$_7$ is likely a realization of a frustrated spin 1 pyrochlore antiferromagnet with weak bond disorder.
Boosting regulatory T cell function for the treatment of autoimmune diseases – That’s only half the battle!

Regulatory T cells (Treg) represent a subset of specialized T cells that are essential for the regulation of immune responses and maintenance of peripheral tolerance. Once activated, Treg exert powerful immunosuppressive properties, for example by inhibiting T cell-mediated immune responses against self-antigens, thereby protecting our body from autoimmunity. Autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis or systemic lupus erythematosus, exhibit an immunological imbalance mainly characterized by a reduced frequency and impaired function of Treg. In addition, there has been increasing evidence that – besides Treg dysfunction – immunoregulatory mechanisms fail to control autoreactive T cells due to a reduced responsiveness of T effector cells (Teff) for the suppressive properties of Treg, a process termed Treg resistance. In order to efficiently treat autoimmune diseases and thus fully induce immunological tolerance, a combined therapy aimed at both enhancing Treg function and restoring Teff responsiveness could most likely be beneficial. This review provides an overview of immunomodulating drugs that are currently used to treat various autoimmune diseases in the clinic and have been shown to increase Treg frequency as well as Teff sensitivity to Treg-mediated suppression. Furthermore, we discuss strategies on how to boost Treg activity and function, and their potential use in the treatment of autoimmunity. Finally, we present a humanized mouse model for the preclinical testing of Treg-activating substances in vivo.
Adverse childhood experiences and behavioral problems in early adolescence: An empirical study of chinese children

The aim of the present study was to examine the relationships between ACEs and behavioral problems of children in their early adolescence in Chinese society. Results from bivariate analyses of 2,910 Chinese children in early adolescence indicated that children begin to exhibit behavioral problems being related to the exposure of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). Compared to those with 0 ACEs, children with 4 or more ACEs were 4.45 times (p < 0.001), 4.44 times (p < 0.001), 7.80 times (p < 0.001), 4.49 times (p < 0.001), and 6.63 times (p < 0.001) more likely to demonstrate hyperactivity, peer communication problems, pro-social problems, emotional problems and conduct problems, respectively. Rural children, children of mothers with low education, and boys were particularly likely to have been exposed to multiple categories of ACE. This study evidenced that there was a strong association between exposure to ACEs and behavioral problems in early adolescence in China.
Self-Localization of an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle in the Transmission Tower Inspection Task

aim of this thesis is to develop a method for self-localization of a UAV inspecting the electrical power distribution grid. The GPS and magnetometer measurements are degraded by the strong electromagnetic interference in such tasks. The following tasks will be solved: Abstract This thesis presents a localization method based on the fusion of GNSS and LiDAR measurements to improve the precision of the position estimate around high-voltage transmission towers. The study of autonomous unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) has become an important subﬁeld of mobile robotics. One of its use cases is inspecting power lines and transmission towers and assisting in their maintenance. UAVs need precise navigation to function properly, especially in this task, as they can easily damage themselves or parts of power lines. Electromagnetic interference in the area further complicates this task by degrading the accuracy of magnetometers and GNSS, which are typically used for self-localization during outdoor missions. To reduce the inﬂuence of these interferences, we propose a system based on measurements from 3D LiDAR. This work describes the proposed system, including all the algorithms used, and evaluates the estimation error using a precise ground truth.
Comparing Annotated Datasets for Named Entity Recognition in English Literature

The growing interest in named entity recognition (NER) in various domains has led to the creation of different benchmark datasets, often with slightly different annotation guidelines. To better understand the different NER benchmark datasets for the domain of English literature and their impact on the evaluation of NER tools, we analyse two existing annotated datasets and create two additional gold standard datasets. Following on from this, we evaluate the performance of two NER tools, one domain-specific and one general-purpose NER tool, using the four gold standards, and analyse the sources for the differences in the measured performance. Our results show that the performance of the two tools varies significantly depending on the gold standard used for the individual evaluations.
Semiconductor Laser Mode Locking Stabilization With Optical Feedback From a Silicon PIC

Semiconductor mode-locked lasers can be used in a variety of applications ranging from multi-carrier sources for wavelength-division-multiplexed communication systems to time-base references for metrology. Their packaging in compact chip- or module-level systems remains, however, burdened by their strong sensitivity to back-reflections, quickly destroying the coherence of the mode-locking. Here, we investigate the stabilization of mode-locked lasers directly edge coupled to a silicon photonic integrated circuit, with the objective of moving isolators downstream to the output of the photonic circuit. A 2.77-kHz 3-dB RF linewidth, substantially improved compared to the 15.01 kHz of the free running laser, is obtained in the best case. Even in the presence of detrimental reflections from the photonic circuit, substantial linewidth reductions from 20 to 8.82 kHz, from 572 to 14.8 kHz, and from 1.5 MHz to 40 kHz are realized.
Quantifying the Stable Boundary Layer Depth in the Arctic Region of Northern Finland

The complex structure of the nighttime Arctic stable boundary layer (SBL) has long impeded the develop- ment of a comprehensive SBL depth parametrization, consequently leading to poor representation in many climate models. This study attempts to quantify the depth of the SBL in the Arctic region of Finland us- ing high-resolution vertical proﬁle data of temperatures, horizontal wind speeds, and directions extrapolated from in-situ rotary-wing unmanned aircraft systems (rwUAS) ﬂown during the 2018 Innovative Strategies for Observations in the Arctic Atmospheric Boundary Layer (ISOBAR) ﬁeld campaign. Two SBL depth parametrizations are investigated – 1) the height of the maximum potential temperature gradient and 2) the height of the maximum horizontal wind speed magnitude, or lowest low-level jet height. Initial attempts at calculating a single consistent maximum temperature gradient proved difﬁcult, and averaging and ﬁltering methods were employed to improve chances of observing reasonable heights. The addition of horizontal wind directions as wind vectors to temperature proﬁles helped offer insights into the behavior of the inversions and conﬁrm or invalidate the maximum gradient heights. Investigating maximum wind speed heights revealed they consistently formed around 80 m-100 m above the maximum temperature gradient heights. Analyses of the three SBL proﬁles altogether - temperature, wind speed, and direction – propounded the possibility of their usage in creating a more explicit SBL depth parametrization. The results also demonstrated the capabilities of rwUAS as a promising tool for improving understandings of the SBL structure.
Comparison of the Effects of Esketamine/Propofol and Sufentanil/Propofol on the Incidence of Intraoperative Hypoxemia during Bronchoscopy: Protocol for a Randomized, Prospective, Parallel-Group Trial

Background: Propofol, ketamine, and sufentanil are the most commonly used anesthetics during bronchoscopy, alone or in combination, for sedation. Esketamine is an s-enantiomer of ketamine racemate and has both sedative and analgesic effects. Esketamine does not inhibit respiration and maintains hemodynamic stability. This study aims to compare the clinical efficacy of esketamine/propofol with sufentanil/propofol for patients during bronchoscopy. Methods: Patients undergoing bronchoscopy will be randomly assigned to receive either sufentanil/propofol (sufentanil group; n = 33; sufentanil: 0.2 μg/kg) or esketamine/propofol (esketamine group; n = 33; esketamine: 0.2 mg/kg) for sedation and analgesia. Intraoperative clinical information, general anesthetic drug dosage, the incidence of intraoperative hypoxemia, total time of hypoxemia, awakening time, delirium, nausea and vomiting, adverse reactions, and patient satisfaction will be collected. Discussion: Hypoxia has detrimental effects on patients with respiratory disease. Ameliorating hypoxemia in patients undergoing bronchoscopy is critical. Our results will provide effective sedation with esketamine in patients undergoing bronchoscopy. Trial registration: Chinese clinical trial registry: ChiCTR2200058990.
Excited random walk with periodic cookies

In this paper we consider an excited random walk on $\mathbb{Z}$ in identically piled periodic environment. This is a discrete time process on $\mathbb{Z}$ defined by parameters $(p_1,\dots p_M) \in [0,1]^M$ for some positive integer $M$, where the walker upon the $i$-th visit to $z \in \mathbb{Z}$ moves to $z+1$ with probability $p_{i\pmod M}$, and moves to $z-1$ with probability $1-p_{i \pmod M}$. We give an explicit formula in terms of the parameters $(p_1,\dots,p_M)$ which determines whether the walk is recurrent, transient to the left, or transient to the right. In particular, in the case that $\frac{1}{M}\sum_{i=1}^{M}p_{i}=\frac {1}{2}$ all behaviors are possible, and may depend on the order of the $p_i$. Our framework allows us to reprove some known results on ERW with no additional effort.