Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A Putative Lipoprotein Mediates Cell-Cell Contact for Type VI Secretion System-Dependent Killing of Specific Competitors

T6SSs are broadly distributed interbacterial weapons that share an evolutionary history with bacteriophage. Because the T6SS can be used to kill neighboring cells, it can impact the spatial distribution and biological function of both free-living and host-associated microbial communities. ABSTRACT Interbacterial competition is prevalent in host-associated microbiota, where it can shape community structure and function, impacting host health in both positive and negative ways. However, the factors that permit bacteria to discriminate among their various neighbors for targeted elimination of competitors remain elusive. We identified a putative lipoprotein (TasL) in Vibrio species that mediates cell-cell attachment with a subset of target strains, allowing inhibitors to target specific competitors for elimination. Here, we describe this putative lipoprotein, which is associated with the broadly distributed type VI secretion system (T6SS), by studying symbiotic Vibrio fischeri, which uses the T6SS to compete for colonization sites in their squid host. We demonstrate that TasL allows V. fischeri cells to restrict T6SS-dependent killing to certain genotypes by selectively integrating competitor cells into aggregates while excluding other cell types. TasL is also required for T6SS-dependent competition within juvenile squid, indicating that the adhesion factor is active in the host. Because TasL homologs are found in other host-associated bacterial species, this newly described cell-cell attachment mechanism has the potential to impact microbiome structure within diverse hosts. IMPORTANCE T6SSs are broadly distributed interbacterial weapons that share an evolutionary history with bacteriophage. Because the T6SS can be used to kill neighboring cells, it can impact the spatial distribution and biological function of both free-living and host-associated microbial communities. Like their phage relatives, T6SS+ cells must sufficiently bind competitor cells to deliver their toxic effector proteins through the syringe-like apparatus. Although phage use receptor-binding proteins (RBPs) and tail fibers to selectively bind prey cells, the biophysical properties that mediate this cell-cell contact for T6SS-mediated killing remain unknown. Here, we identified a large, predicted lipoprotein that is coordinately expressed with T6SS proteins and facilitates the contact that is necessary for the T6SS-dependent elimination of competitors in a natural host. Similar to phage RBPs and tail fibers, this lipoprotein is required for T6SS+ cells to discriminate between prey and nonprey cell types, revealing new insight into prey selection during T6SS-mediated competition.
[Effect of electroacupuncture at antagonistic muscle and agonistic muscle on motor function in patients with upper-extremity spasticity after stroke].

OBJECTIVE To compare the improvement effect between simultaneous electroacupuncture at antagonistic muscle and agonistic muscle and simple electroacupuncture at antagonistic muscle on spasticity degree, upper-extremity motor function and activity of daily living in patients with upper-extremity spasticity after stroke. METHODS A total of 60 patients with upper-extremity spasticity after stroke were randomized into a comprehensive group (30 cases, 1 case dropped off) and an antagonistic muscle group (30 cases, 2 cases dropped off). In the antagonistic muscle group, acupuncture was applied at Jianyu (LI 15), Binao (LI 14), Zhouliao (LI 12), Shousanli (LI 10), Waiguan (TE 5) and Houxi (SI 3), electric stimulation was attached to Jianyu (LI 15)-Binao (LI 14), Zhouliao (LI 12)-Shousanli (LI 10) and Waiguan (TE 5)-Houxi (SI 3), with discontinuous wave, 15 Hz in frequency. On the basis of the treatment in the antagonistic muscle group, acupuncture was applied at Tianquan (PC 2), Chize (LU 5), Jianshi (PC 5) and Daling (PC 7) in the comprehensive group, electric stimulation was attached to Tianquan (PC 2)-Chize (LU 5) and Jianshi (PC 5)-Daling (PC 7), with continuous wave, 5 Hz in frequency. The treatment was given once a day, 6 days a week for 4 weeks in the two groups. Before and after treatment, the scores of modified Ashworth scale (MAS), Fugl-Meyer assessment upper extremity scale (FMA-UE) and modified Barthel index (MBI) scale were observed in the two groups. RESULTS Compared before treatment, the MAS scores of elbow flexors and wrist flexors after treatment were decreased (P<0.05), the scores of FMA-UE and MBI scale after treatment were increased in the two groups (P<0.05). The scores of FMA-UE and MBI scale after treatment in the comprehensive group were higher than those in the antagonistic muscle group (P<0.05). CONCLUSION Simultaneous electroacupuncture at antagonistic muscle and agonistic muscle and simple electroacupuncture at antagonistic muscle can both improve the spasticity degree in patients with upper-extremity spasticity after stroke, however, the former can better restore motor function and improve activity of daily living.
Supporting Information The Influence of Nanoconfinement on Electrocatalysis

The use of nanoparticles and nanostructured electrodes are abundant in electrocatalysis. These nanometric systems contain elements of nanoconfinement in different degrees depending on the geometry, which can have a much greater effect on activity and selectivity than often considered. In this review, we firstly identify the systems containing different degrees of nanoconfinement and how they can affect the activity and selectivity of electrocatalytic reactions. Then we follow with a fundamental understanding of how electrochemistry and electrocatalysis are affected by nanoconfinement, which thanks to the development of new, atomically precise manufacturing and fabrication techniques, and advances in theoretical modelling, is beginning to be uncovered. The aim of this review is to help us look beyond using nanostructuring as just a way to increase surface area, but also to break the scaling relations imposed on electrocatalysis by thermodynamics.
Interpretation of composite endpoints in urology: an analysis of citation quality

Abstract Objective To investigate how urological studies using composite endpoints as the primary outcome were cited. Materials and methods In this quality analysis of citations, three randomized clinical trials each investigating oncological and non-oncological urology were selected for citation analysis based on pre-defined criteria. In total, 531 papers citing the selected studies were reviewed; citations were evaluated based on whether they correctly referred to the composite endpoint and if singleton endpoints were defined and/or discussed. Results Among the citations, 223/531 (42%) referred to the composite endpoint, of which 217/223 (97.3%) correctly cited the composite endpoint. However, only 91/217 (41.9%) defined and/or discussed the singleton endpoints of the composite endpoint. The lack of a validated instrument for citation analysis was a limitation of this study. Meanwhile, the main strength is the large number of individually analyzed citations. Conclusions The composite endpoints of urological randomized clinical trials are generally cited without referring to the composite endpoint; when cited, the composite endpoints are described correctly. However, in most cases, without defining or discussing the singleton endpoints.
Quantum Conductance in Memristive Devices: Fundamentals, Developments, and Applications

Quantum effects in novel functional materials and new device concepts represent a potential breakthrough for the development of new information processing technologies based on quantum phenomena. Among the emerging technologies, memristive elements that exhibit resistive switching, which relies on the electrochemical formation/rupture of conductive nanofilaments, exhibit quantum conductance effects at room temperature. Despite the underlying resistive switching mechanism having been exploited for the realization of next‐generation memories and neuromorphic computing architectures, the potentialities of quantum effects in memristive devices are still rather unexplored. Here, a comprehensive review on memristive quantum devices, where quantum conductance effects can be observed by coupling ionics with electronics, is presented. Fundamental electrochemical and physicochemical phenomena underlying device functionalities are introduced, together with fundamentals of electronic ballistic conduction transport in nanofilaments. Quantum conductance effects including quantum mode splitting, stability, and random telegraph noise are analyzed, reporting experimental techniques and challenges of nanoscale metrology for the characterization of memristive phenomena. Finally, potential applications and future perspectives are envisioned, discussing how memristive devices with controllable atomic‐sized conductive filaments can represent not only suitable platforms for the investigation of quantum phenomena but also promising building blocks for the realization of integrated quantum systems working in air at room temperature.
Climate impacts from road bridges: effects of introducing concrete carbonation and biogenic carbon storage in wood

Abstract The construction sector faces the challenge of mitigating climate change with urgency. Life cycle assessment (LCA), a widely used tool to assess the climate impacts of buildings, is seldom used for bridges. Material-specific phenomena such as concrete carbonation and biogenic carbon storage are usually unaccounted for when assessing the climate impacts from infrastructure. The purpose of this article is to explore the effects these phenomena could have on climate impact assessment of road bridges and comparisons between bridge designs. For this, a case study is used of two functionally equivalent design alternatives for a small road bridge in Sweden. Dynamic LCA is used to calculate the effects of biogenic carbon storage, while the Lagerblad method and literature values are used to estimate concrete carbonation. The results show that the climate impact of the bridge is influenced by both phenomena, and that the gap between the impacts from both designs increases if the phenomena are accounted for. The outcome is influenced by the time occurrence assumed for the forest carbon uptake and the end-of-life scenario for the concrete. An equilibrium or 50/50 approach for accounting for the forest carbon uptake is proposed as a middle value compromise to handle this issue.
Recent advances in memory consolidation and information processing during sleep

Increasingly studied in a systematic manner since the 1970s, the cognitive processes of the brain taking place during sleeping periods remain an important object of scrutiny in the scientific community. In particular, sleep has been demonstrated to play a significant role for learning and memory consolidation processes, and sleep scientists have started unravelling its underlying neurophysiological mechanisms. However, sleep remains a multidimensional phenomenon, and many questions remain left open for future research. In this selective review article, we address recent advances in particular domains in which sleep research has further progressed in the past decade. We highlight the developmental trajectory of sleep‐dependent learning and memory consolidation processes, from their development in childhood to their potential impairments in ageing, and the nature and extent of our capabilities for information processing, learning, and memory reinforcement during sleep.
Application of Ultrasound on the Extraction of Vitexin from Ficus Deltoidea Leaves

Ficus deltoidea or Mas cotek is one of the most popular plant herbs that have been widely used traditionally as postpartum treatment and health tonic. Preliminary or existing extraction method has been used to extract the plant herbs that have low productivity range. This method however can still produce the desired products, but the work can be laborious and not efficient in large scale processing. Besides, the sample preparation has no evidence in advances because obtaining such extraction products at sufficient concentrations usually involves extraction with large amounts of organic solvents and toxic, followed by evaporation. Production of Vitexin from Ficus deltoidea extraction under various sonication regiments is reported. Batch extractions were carried at low intensity sonication (8.66 W cm-2 sonication intensity at the sonotrode tip) using 10%, 20% and 40% duty cycles. (A duty cycle of 10%, for example, was equivalent to sonication for 1 s followed by a rest period (no sonication) of 10 s. ) The extracts were compared with those obtained by conventional boiling extraction, in terms of bioactive constituents yield and chemical composition. In the aqueous (conventional) extracts, the actual percentage weight of Vitexin varied in the range 0.122 ± 0.013 ~ 0.386 ± 0.018 (%w/w) compared to sonicated extracts with 2-fold increases at a range of 0.127 ± 0.001 ~ 0.738 ± 0.050 (%w/w) after 8 hours of extraction with sample-to-water ratio of 10:1 (g/ml) at 50, 70 and 100°C. Both ultrasonic-assisted and aqueous extracts were characterized and standardized by HPLC-diode array detector using a pharmacologically active marker, Vitexin. The experimental values under optimal conditions were in good consistent with the predicted values, which suggested that ultrasonic-assisted extraction (UAE) is more efficient process as compared to conventional boiling extraction (AE). It recommends that ultrasound extraction of F. deltoidea leaves is substantially feasible to replace the traditional timeconsuming and low efficiency preparation procedure in the future modernized and commercialized manufacture of this highly valuable herbal medicine.
Smoking prevalence following the announcement of tobacco tax increases in England between 2007 and 2019: an interrupted time–series analysis

Abstract Aims This study aimed to evaluate the impact of announcement of tax increases on factory‐made (FM) and roll‐your own (RYO) cigarettes in England. Design, Setting and Participants Autoregressive integrated moving average with exogeneous input (ARIMAX) time–series modelling in England, UK. Data were aggregated monthly on 274 890 participants between 2007 and 2019 taking part in the Smoking Toolkit Study (STS). Measurements The association of sustained step level changes for tax rises for FM cigarettes and temporary pulse effects for tax rises for RYO cigarettes with smoking, quit attempt and quit success prevalence as well as per‐capita self‐reported cigarette consumption and cost per cigarette was assessed. Findings A 10% rise in tax on RYO cigarettes was associated with a temporary 21.1% decline [95% confidence interval (CI) = –30.4 to −10.7] in smoking prevalence, and 20.7% decline (95% CI = –32.4 to −7.0) in per‐capita self‐reported cigarette consumption; while a 3% rise of tax on RYO cigarettes was associated with a temporary 20.7% decline (95% CI = –33.3 to −5.8) in the amount paid per RYO cigarette. For tax increases on FM cigarettes, a 5% above inflation tax rise was associated with a step‐level increase of 33.1% (95% CI = 18.4–49.5) in quit success rates. However, some of the findings were sensitive to model specification and temporally specific. Conclusion The announcements of tax increases for cigarettes in England between 2010 and 2019 were inconsistently associated with temporary reductions in smoking prevalence, per‐capita self‐reported cigarette consumption and improved quit success. Paradoxically, reductions in the cost for roll‐your‐own cigarettes were also found. The results were not robust in all sensitivity analyses.
Epidemiology and clinical manifestations of different enterovirus and rhinovirus types show that EV‐D68 may still have an impact on severity of respiratory infections

Respiratory infections are often caused by enteroviruses (EVs). The aim of this study was to identify whether certain types of EV were more likely to cause severe illness in 2016, when an increasing spread of upper respiratory infections was observed in Gothenburg, Sweden. The EV strain in 137 of 1341 nasopharyngeal samples reactive for EV by polymerase chain reaction could be typed by sequencing the viral 5′‐untranslated region and VP1 regions. Phylogenetic trees were constructed. Patient records were reviewed. Hospital care was needed for 46 of 74 patients with available medical records. The majority of the patients (83) were infected with the rhinovirus (RV). The remaining 54 were infected with EV A, B, C, and D strains of 13 different types, with EV‐D68 and CV‐A10 being the most common (17 vs. 14). Significantly more patients with EV‐D68 presented with dyspnea, both when compared with other EV types (p = 0.003) and compared to all other EV and RV infections (p = 0.04). Phylogenetic analysis of the sequences revealed the spread of both Asian and European CV‐A10 strains and 12 different RV C types. This study showed an abundance of different EV types spreading during a year with increased upper respiratory increased infections. EV‐D68 infections were associated with more severe disease manifestation. Other EV and RV types were more evenly distributed between hospitalized and nonhospitalized patients. The EV type CV‐A10 was also found in infected patients, which warrants further studies and surveillance, as this pathogen could cause more severe disease and outbreaks of hand, foot, and mouth disease.
Socioeconomic Disparity in Birth Rates During the COVID-19 Pandemic in New York City.

Introduction: The differential impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic across race, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status remains poorly understood. While recent explorations into birthrates during the pandemic have revealed significant declines, how birthrates may have differed between racial and socioeconomic subgroups during the pandemic remains to be detailed. Methods: Using electronic health records from a large hospital network in New York serving a racially and socioeconomically diverse population, we explored birthrates associated with conceptions that occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown for demographic and obstetric differences. Results: Two thousand five hundred twenty-three unique patient deliveries corresponded with conceptions that occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown in New York. Compared to the same period the previous year, there was a 22.85% decrease in births. Explorations into differences in birthrates by socioeconomic status revealed that much of the decline could be explained by fewer births among individuals living in higher socioeconomic status as opposed to individuals living in urban economic poverty [χ2(n = 5588) = 18.35, p < 0.01]. Conclusion: On March 22, 2020, New York instituted a prohibition of all nonessential social gatherings and the closure of all nonessential businesses. Although the full impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on reproductive health and outcomes remains largely unknown, the decreased birthrate associated with the initial COVID-19 wave in New York was not entirely unexpected. While the mechanisms that drive health disparities are complex and multifactorial, most of the decrease occurred among those living in higher socioeconomic status. This finding has important implications for understanding health behaviors and disparities among minorities living in low socioeconomic status.
The modulation and mechanism of probiotic-derived polysaccharide capsules on the immune response in allergic diseases

Abstract Allergic diseases, derived from the dysregulation of immune tolerance mechanisms, have been rising in the last two decades. Recently, increasing evidence has shown that probiotic-derived polysaccharide capsules exhibit a protective effect against allergic diseases, involving regulation of Th1/Th2 balance, induction of differentiation of T regulatory cells and activation of dendritic cells (DCs). DCs have a central role in controlling the immune response through their interaction with gut microbiota via their pattern recognition receptors, including Toll-like receptors and C-type-lectin receptors. This review discusses the effects and critical mechanism of probiotic-derived polysaccharide capsules in regulating the immune system to alleviate allergic diseases. We first describe the development of immune response in allergic diseases and recent relevant findings. Particular emphasis is placed on the effects of probiotic-derived polysaccharide capsules on allergic immune response. Then, we discuss the underlying mechanism of the impact of probiotic-derived polysaccharide capsules on DCs-mediated immune tolerance induction.
Effect of Photobiomodulation on Structure and Function of Extracellular Vesicle Secreted from Mesenchymal Stem Cells

The current study intended to evaluate the effect of photobiomodulation on the morphology and function of EVs secreted from mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) derived from periodontal ligament (PDL) and the adipose tissue (ADSCs) (from buccal fat pad) in vitro. These cells were irradiated at 660 nm or kept in dark as control. EVs were then isolated from each group using ultracentrifugation. EVs were defined by flow cytometry and Western blot. Electron microscopy (SEM) was used to study the morphology of EVs. Then, MTT and wound‐healing scratch assays were applied to compare the cell survival and migration of human dermal fibroblast (HDF) cells treated with the EVs obtained from the four groups. According to SEM images, isolated EV were round and cup‐shaped in all groups showing no destructive effects of laser irradiation on EV morphology. MTT test results revealed a statistically significant difference between the HDF cells treated with different EV groups from hPDLSCs‐Dark in comparison with control (0 μg/mL) (P < 0.05) and treated with exosome from hPDLSCs‐Irradiation cells compared with dark group (P < 0.05). However, scratch wound‐healing assay did not show a significant difference between various groups (P ˃ 0.05). Further studies with different irradiation protocols are recommended to find an optimal strategy.