Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Consecutive Heat Treatment of Pre-lathed Pebble Fuel Elements for HTGR

In current manufacture process of pebble fuel elements for HTGR, the green pebbles were first carbonized, then lathed and purified at high temperature. The whole heat treatment process included two cycles of heating and cooling and corresponding two loading and unloading processes, which took approximately 90 hours in total. In order to reduce the time and energy consumed and improve the efficiency during the heat treatment process, a consecutive heat treatment process of pebble fuel elements for HTGR was established. In the newly established consecutive heat treatment process, the pebble fuel elements were carbonized and high temperature purified continuously in a specific furnace. The consecutive heat treatment process took less than 60 hours, which included only one cycle of heating and cooling and corresponding one loading and unloading process. Moreover, in order to recycle the matrix graphite powder after lathing, the green pebbles were machined to a certain size before suffering the heat treatment. However, in order to make the size of pebble fuel elements after the consecutive heat treatment meet the technical requirements, it is necessary to figure out their dimension changes during the heat treatment. As the pebbles were prepared by cold quasi-isostatic molding method, their dimension changes parallel and perpendicular to the molding direction were different. In order to better control the dimension changes of pebbles in the heat treatment process, the effects of physical properties such as apparent density, and particle size distribution of matrix graphite powder on the prepared pebbles were comparatively studied. Finally, the consecutive heat treatment of pre-lathed pebble fuel elements for HTGR was established. The comprehensive properties of pebbles prepared with the newly established consecutive heat treatment process satisfied all the technical requirements.
Sparse Estimation Strategies in Linear Mixed Effect Models for High-Dimensional Data Application

In a host of business applications, biomedical and epidemiological studies, the problem of multicollinearity among predictor variables is a frequent issue in longitudinal data analysis for linear mixed models (LMM). We consider an efficient estimation strategy for high-dimensional data application, where the dimensions of the parameters are larger than the number of observations. In this paper, we are interested in estimating the fixed effects parameters of the LMM when it is assumed that some prior information is available in the form of linear restrictions on the parameters. We propose the pretest and shrinkage estimation strategies using the ridge full model as the base estimator. We establish the asymptotic distributional bias and risks of the suggested estimators and investigate their relative performance with respect to the ridge full model estimator. Furthermore, we compare the numerical performance of the LASSO-type estimators with the pretest and shrinkage ridge estimators. The methodology is investigated using simulation studies and then demonstrated on an application exploring how effective brain connectivity in the default mode network (DMN) may be related to genetics within the context of Alzheimer’s disease.
Treatment failure to sodium stibogluconate in cutaneous leishmaniasis: A challenge to infection control and disease elimination

The first-line treatment for Leishmania donovani-induced cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) in Sri Lanka is intra-lesional sodium stibogluconate (IL-SSG). Antimony failures in leishmaniasis is a challenge both at regional and global level, threatening the ongoing disease control efforts. There is a dearth of information on treatment failures to routine therapy in Sri Lanka, which hinders policy changes in therapeutics. Laboratory-confirmed CL patients (n = 201) who attended the District General Hospital Hambantota and Base Hospital Tangalle in southern Sri Lanka between 2016 and 2018 were included in a descriptive cohort study and followed up for three months to assess the treatment response of their lesions to IL-SSG. Treatment failure (TF) of total study population was 75.1% and the majority of them were >20 years (127/151,84%). Highest TF was seen in lesions on the trunk (16/18, 89%) while those on head and neck showed the least (31/44, 70%). Nodules were least responsive to therapy (27/31, 87.1%) unlike papules (28/44, 63.6%). Susceptibility to antimony therapy seemed age-dependant with treatment failure associated with factors such as time elapsed since onset to seeking treatment, number and site of the lesions. This is the first detailed study on characteristics of CL treatment failures in Sri Lanka. The findings highlight the need for in depth investigations on pathogenesis of TF and importance of reviewing existing treatment protocols to introduce more effective strategies. Such interventions would enable containment of the rapid spread of L.donovani infections in Sri Lanka that threatens the ongoing regional elimination drive.
The Desmin Mutation DES-c.735G>C Causes Severe Restrictive Cardiomyopathy by Inducing In-Frame Skipping of Exon-3

Currently, little is known about the genetic background of restrictive cardiomyopathy (RCM). Herein, we screened an index patient with RCM in combination with atrial fibrillation using a next generation sequencing (NGS) approach and identified the heterozygous mutation DES-c.735G>C. As DES-c.735G>C affects the last base pair of exon-3, it is unknown whether putative missense or splice site mutations are caused. Therefore, we applied nanopore amplicon sequencing revealing the expression of a transcript without exon-3 in the explanted myocardial tissue of the index patient. Western blot analysis verified this finding at the protein level. In addition, we performed cell culture experiments revealing an abnormal cytoplasmic aggregation of the truncated desmin form (p.D214-E245del) but not of the missense variant (p.E245D). In conclusion, we show that DES-c.735G>C causes a splicing defect leading to exon-3 skipping of the DES gene. DES-c.735G>C can be classified as a pathogenic mutation associated with RCM and atrial fibrillation. In the future, this finding might have relevance for the genetic understanding of similar cases.
The Contribution of Extruded and Fermented Wheat Bran to the Quality Parameters of Wheat Bread, Including the Profile of Volatile Compounds and Their Relationship with Emotions Induced for Consumers

The aim of this study was to evaluate the contribution of extruded and fermented wheat bran (WBex-f) to the quality of wheat bread (BR), including the volatile compounds (VC) profile and VC relationship with emotions induced for consumers. A comparison study of BR (prepared with 5%, 10%, and 15% untreated wheat bran (nWB) and WBex-f) quality parameters was performed. It was established that nWB increases dough hardness and reduces BR specific volume. The addition of 5% and 10% of WBex-f was not significant on BR porosity and led to the formation of a high number of large pores. nWB and WBex-f increases the mass loss of BR after baking (by 13.38%), and the control breads showed the highest crust darkness, yellowness, and redness. nWB and WBex-f reduces BR firmness during storage, and WBex-f increases the overall acceptability (OA) of BR (by 26.2%). A strong positive correlation was found between OA and the emotion ‘happy’ (r = 0.8696). In BR prepared with WBex-f, a higher content of pyrazine, methyl-; pyrazine, 2-ethyl-; pyrazine, 2-ethyl-6-methyl-; furfural; ethanone, 1-(2-furanyl)-; benzaldehyde; and 3-furanmethanol was found. Finally, it can be stated that WBex-f could prolong the shelf life of BR and leads to the formation of a specific VC profile, which is associated with a higher OA of the product.
Effects on the Motor Function, Proprioception, Balance, and Gait Ability of the End-Effector Robot-Assisted Gait Training for Spinal Cord Injury Patients

The primary aim of this study was to reveal the effects of end-effector robot-assisted gait training (RAGT) on motor function, proprioception, balance, and gait ability in patients with incomplete spinal cord injury (SCI). The secondary aim was to determine the correlation between clinical outcomes. This study was a prospective and multi-center study. A total of 13 incomplete SCI patients who met inclusion criteria received 30 min of RAGT with Morning Walk® (Curexo, Seoul, South Korea), and 1 h of conventional physiotherapy 5 times per week for 4 weeks. Clinical outcome measures were 10 m walk test (10MWT), 6 min walk test (6mWT), lower extremity motor score (LEMS), proprioception, Berg Balance Scale (BBS), and Walking Index for Spinal Cord Injury (WISCI)-II. All participants were assessed within 48 h before and after the intervention. All clinical outcomes were statistically improved after RAGT. Subgroup analysis according to the initial proprioception, WISCI-II in the normal group showed a statistically significant improvement compared to the abnormal group. Initial BBS and WISCI-II had a positive correlation with most of the final clinical outcomes. The final BBS had a strong positive correlation with the final 10MWT, 6mWT, and WISCI-II. Initial proprioception had a positive correlation with the final WISCI-II. The final proprioception also had a moderate positive correlation with 6mWT and BBS. This study’s results suggest that the end-effector RAGT could promote proprioception, balance ability and walking ability. Postural control ability and proprioception also had a positive relationship with gait ability.
Retrospective 8-Year Study on the Antibiotic Resistance of Uropathogens in Children Hospitalised for Urinary Tract Infection in the Emilia-Romagna Region, Italy

The development and spread of antibiotic resistance is an increasingly important global public health problem, even in paediatric urinary tract infection (UTI). In light of the variability in the data, it is necessary to conduct surveillance studies to determine the prevalence of antibiotic resistance in specific geographical areas to optimize therapeutic management. In this observational, retrospective, multicentre study, the medical records of 1801 paediatric patients who were hospitalised for UTI between 1 January 2012, and 30 June 2020, in Emilia-Romagna, Italy, were analysed. Escherichia coli was the most frequently detected pathogen (75.6%), followed by Klebsiella pneumoniae (6.9%) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (2.5%). Overall, 840 cases (46.7%) were due to antimicrobial-resistant uropathogens: 83 (4.7%) extended spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL)-producing, 119 (6.7%) multidrug resistant (MDR) and 4 (0.2%) extensively drug resistant (XDR) bacteria. Empirical antibiotic therapy failed in 172 cases (9.6%). Having ESBL or MDR/XDR uropathogens, a history of recurrent UTI, antibiotic therapy in the preceding 30 days, and empirical treatment with amoxicillin or amoxicillin/clavulanate were significantly associated with treatment failure, whereas first-line therapy with third-generation cephalosporins was associated with protection against negative outcomes. In conclusion, the increase in the resistance of uropathogens to commonly used antibiotics requires continuous monitoring, and recommendations for antibiotic choice need updating. In our epidemiological context, amoxicillin/clavulanate no longer seems to be the appropriate first-line therapy for children hospitalised for UTI, whereas third-generation cephalosporins continue to be useful. To further limit the emergence of resistance, every effort to reduce and rationalise antibiotic consumption must be implemented.
The Blood-Pressure-Lowering Effect of Food-Protein-Derived Peptides: A Meta-Analysis of Recent Clinical Trials

Although clinical trials of food-protein-derived peptides in the management of hypertension have been published, the results are controversial, which compelled us to conduct a meta-analysis to evaluate the pooled effect of peptide intervention. In this study, we searched for studies published between 2010 and 2021 and selected 12 eligible studies for a meta-analysis. The pooled effect of peptide intervention for systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) was −3.28 mmHg (95% CI: −4.54, −2.03, p < 0.001) and −1.82 mmHg (95% CI: −3.46, −0.18, p = 0.03), respectively. Sub-group analyses showed that the reduction in BP in participants with higher basal BP (>140/85 mmHg) was greater (p = 0.007 for SBP and p = 0.01 for DBP), and the effect was stronger in Asian participants as compared with non-Asian participants (p = 0.01 for SBP and p = 0.04 for DBP). In addition, the effect of peptide intervention was more pronounced on SBP in participant groups with a lower ratio of male to female (≤0.5) as well as in participants with a mean age ≥50 years old. In conclusion, food-protein-derived antihypertensive peptides can significantly reduce BP in prehypertensive and hypertensive patients. Findings from this study could provide guidance for the design of clinical trials of antihypertensive peptides.
Evolving Therapeutic Approaches for Older Patients with Acute Myeloid Leukemia in 2021

Simple Summary The better understanding of disease biology, the availability of new effective drugs and the increased awareness of patients’ heterogeneity in terms of fitness and personal expectations has made the current treatment paradigm of AML in the elderly very challenging. Here, we discuss the evolving criteria used to define eligibility for induction chemotherapy and transplantation, the introduction of new agents in the treatment of patients with very different clinical conditions, the implications of precision medicine and the importance of quality of life and supportive care, proposing a simplified algorithm that we follow in 2021. Abstract Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) in older patients is characterized by unfavorable prognosis due to adverse disease features and a high rate of treatment-related complications. Classical therapeutic options range from intensive chemotherapy in fit patients, potentially followed by allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (allo-HCT), to hypomethylating agents or palliative care alone for unfit/frail ones. In the era of precision medicine, the treatment paradigm of AML is rapidly changing. On the one hand, a plethora of new targeted drugs with good tolerability profiles are becoming available, offering the possibility to achieve a prolonged remission to many patients not otherwise eligible for more intensive therapies. On the other hand, better tools to assess patients’ fitness and improvements in the selection and management of those undergoing allo-HCT will hopefully reduce treatment-related mortality and complications. Importantly, a detailed genetic characterization of AML has become of paramount importance to choose the best therapeutic option in both intensively treated and unfit patients. Finally, improving supportive care and quality of life is of major importance in this age group, especially for the minority of patients that are still candidates for palliative care because of very poor clinical conditions or unwillingness to receive active treatments. In the present review, we discuss the evolving approaches in the treatment of older AML patients, which is becoming increasingly challenging following the advent of new effective drugs for a very heterogeneous and complex population.
Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease and the Kidney: A Review

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is associated with several extrahepatic manifestations such as cardiovascular disease and sleep apnea. Furthermore, NAFLD is reported to be associated with an increased risk of incident chronic kidney disease (CKD). Inflammation and oxidative stress are suggested to be the key factors involved in the inflammatory mechanisms and pathways linking NAFLD to CKD and are responsible for both the pathogenesis and the progression of CKD in NAFLD patients. This review aims to provide a more comprehensive overview of the association between CKD and NAFLD, also considering the effect of increasing severity of NAFLD. A PubMed search was conducted using the terms “non-alcoholic fatty liver disease AND kidney”. In total, 537 articles were retrieved in the last five years and 12 articles were included in the qualitative analysis. Our results showed that CKD developed more frequently in NAFLD patients compared to those without NAFLD. This association persisted after adjustment for traditional risk factors and according to the severity of NAFLD. Therefore, patients with NAFLD should be considered at high risk of CKD. Intensive multidisciplinary surveillance over time is needed, where hepatologists and nephrologists must act together for better and earlier treatment of NAFLD patients.
Gut Microbiota Cannot Compensate the Impact of (quasi) Aposymbiosis in Blattella germanica

Simple Summary The German cockroach Blattella germanica is a good model to study complex symbiotic relationships because the following two symbiotic systems coexist in a single individual: the endosymbiont Blattabacterium (living inside specialized cells called bacteriocytes) and the gut microbiota. Although the role of the endosymbiont has been fully elucidated, the function of the gut microbiota remains unclear. The study of the gut microbiota will benefit from the availability of insects deprived of Blattabacterium. Our goal is to determine the effect of the removal (or, at least, the reduction) of the endosymbiont population on the cockroach’s fitness, in a normal gut microbiota community. For this purpose, we treated our cockroach population with rifampicin to decrease the amount of endosymbiont in the following generation. As the treatment also affects rifampicin-sensitive gut bacteria, we allowed it to recover for at least 20 days before sampling. We found that after this antibiotic treatment, the endosymbiont population remained extremely reduced and only the microbiota were able to recover, although it could not compensate for the endosymbiont role, and the host’s fitness was drastically affected. This accomplished reduction, however, is not homogenous and requires further study to develop stable quasi-aposymbiotic cockroaches. Abstract Blattella germanica presents a very complex symbiotic system, involving the following two kinds of symbionts: the endosymbiont Blattabacterium and the gut microbiota. Although the role of the endosymbiont has been fully elucidated, the function of the gut microbiota remains unclear. The study of the gut microbiota will benefit from the availability of insects deprived of Blattabacterium. Our goal is to determine the effect of the removal (or, at least, the reduction) of the endosymbiont population on the cockroach’s fitness, in a normal gut microbiota community. For this purpose, we treated our cockroach population, over several generations, with rifampicin, an antibiotic that only affects the endosymbiont during its extracellular phase, and decreases its amount in the following generation. As rifampicin also affects gut bacteria that are sensitive to this antibiotic, the treatment was performed during the first 12 days of the adult stage, which is the period when the endosymbiont infects the oocytes and lacks bacteriocyte protection. We found that after this antibiotic treatment, the endosymbiont population remained extremely reduced and only the microbiota was able to recover, although it could not compensate for the endosymbiont role, and the host’s fitness was drastically affected. This accomplished reduction, however, is not homogenous and requires further study to develop stable quasi-aposymbiotic cockroaches.
Synergism of a Novel 1,2,4-oxadiazole-containing Derivative with Oxacillin against Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus

Staphylococcusaureus is an important opportunistic pathogen that causes many infections in humans and animals. The inappropriate use of antibiotics has favored the diffusion of methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA), nullifying the efforts undertaken in the discovery of antimicrobial agents. Oxadiazole heterocycles represent privileged scaffolds for the development of new drugs because of their unique bioisosteric properties, easy synthesis, and therapeutic potential. A vast number of oxadiazole-containing derivatives have been discovered as potent antibacterial agents against multidrug-resistant MRSA strains. Here, we investigate the ability of a new library of oxadiazoles to contrast the growth of Gram-positive and Gram-negative strains. The strongest antimicrobial activity was obtained with compounds 3 (4 µM) and 12 (2 µM). Compound 12, selected for further evaluation, was found to be noncytotoxic on the HaCaT cell line up to 25 µM, bactericidal, and was able to improve the activity of oxacillin against the MRSA. The highest synergistic interaction was obtained with the combination values of 0.78 μM for compound 12, and 0.06 μg/mL for oxacillin. The FIC index value of 0.396 confirms the synergistic effect of compound 12 and oxacillin. MRSA treatment with compound 12 reduced the expression of genes included in the mec operon. In conclusion, 12 inhibited the growth of the MRSA and restored the activity of oxacillin, thus resulting in a promising compound in the treatment of MRSA infection.
Genome-Wide Identification of LATERAL ORGAN BOUNDARIES DOMAIN (LBD) Transcription Factors and Screening of Salt Stress Candidates of Rosa rugosa Thunb

Simple Summary The transcription factor family LBD were well-known as regulator of plant development. Several recent studies indicated LBD genes response to abiotic stresses and abscisic acid. The salt tolerant rose (Rosa rugosa) distribute wildly in coastal saline sands are ideal materials of exploring the salt -responsive LBD genes. We found 41 RrLBDs from genome of wild rose and classified them into Classes I and II. Interestingly, many plant hormone response sites and abiotic stress response sites were predicted in promoters of some RrLBDs. In them, five RrLBDs (RrLBD12c, RrLBD25, RrLBD39 and RrLBD40) were significantly induced or depressed by salt stress. We predicted the five genes as salt response candidate genes of wild rose and the sites in their promotors maybe pointcut for further study. Abstract LATERAL ORGAN BOUNDARIES DOMAIN (LBD) transcription factors are regulators of lateral organ morphogenesis, boundary establishment, and secondary metabolism in plants. The responsive role of LBD gene family in plant abiotic stress is emerging, whereas its salt stress responsive mechanism in Rosa spp. is still unclear. The wild plant of Rosa rugosa Thunb. , which exhibits strong salt tolerance to stress, is an ideal material to explore the salt-responsive LBD genes. In our study, we identified 41 RrLBD genes based on the R. rugosa genome. According to phylogenetic analysis, all RrLBD genes were categorized into Classes I and II with conserved domains and motifs. The cis-acting element prediction revealed that the promoter regions of most RrLBD genes contain defense and stress responsiveness and plant hormone response elements. Gene expression patterns under salt stress indicated that RrLBD12c, RrLBD25, RrLBD39, and RrLBD40 may be potential regulators of salt stress signaling. Our analysis provides useful information on the evolution and development of RrLBD gene family and indicates that the candidate RrLBD genes are involved in salt stress signaling, laying a foundation for the exploration of the mechanism of LBD genes in regulating abiotic stress.