Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Disparities in access to primary care, a key site for HIV prevention services, among gay and bisexual men in the United States

ABSTRACT U.S. HIV diagnoses disproportionately affect Non-Hispanic Black (NHB) and Hispanic gay and bisexual men. Using data from the National Health Interview Survey (2013-2018), we examined race and ethnicity and primary care access, an HIV prevention resource, among gay and bisexual men. The explanatory variable was NHB, Hispanic or Non-Hispanic White (NHW). Outcomes were primary care-specific usual place of care (potential access) and saw general doctor <12 months (realized access). We used multivariable logistic regression, adjusting for individual sociodemographic characteristics, health status, and care barriers. In sensitivity analysis, we examined general access (any place/doctor) and subgroups (1) NHB (2) has usual place of care. The sample included 1,858 adult, gay and bisexual men (unweighted). Nearly one-third self-identified as NHB or Hispanic. Compared to NHW men, NHB and Hispanic men were younger, with lower household income, and more care barriers (p < 0.05). NHB and Hispanic men had lower realized access (aOR 0.7058, p = 0.030) than NHW men. Potential access was lower for NHB only (versus NHW) and, among those with any usual place of care, NHB and Hispanic men versus NHW men. Lower primary care access for NHB or Hispanic, rather than NHW, gay and bisexual men, may reduce HIV prevention access.
MicroRNAs in cancer metastasis: biological and therapeutic implications

Abstract Cancer metastasis is the primary cause of cancer-related deaths. The seeding of primary tumours at a secondary site is a highly inefficient process requiring substantial alterations in the genetic architecture of cancer cells. These alterations include significant changes in global gene expression patterns. MicroRNAs are small, non-protein coding RNAs which play a central role in regulating gene expression. Here, we focus on microRNA determinants of cancer metastasis and examine microRNA dysregulation in metastatic cancer cells. We dissect the metastatic process in a step-wise manner and summarise the involvement of microRNAs at each step. We also discuss the advantages and limitations of different microRNA-based strategies that have been used to target metastasis in pre-clinical models. Finally, we highlight current clinical trials that use microRNA-based therapies to target advanced or metastatic tumours.
Functional effects of human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs)

ABSTRACT Human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs) are the third most important solid component in human milk and act in tandem with other bioactive components. Individual HMO levels and distribution vary greatly between mothers by multiple variables, such as secretor status, race, geographic region, environmental conditions, season, maternal diet, and weight, gestational age and mode of delivery. HMOs improve the gastrointestinal barrier and also promote a bifidobacterium-rich gut microbiome, which protects against infection, strengthens the epithelial barrier, and creates immunomodulatory metabolites. HMOs fulfil a variety of physiologic functions including potential support to the immune system, brain development, and cognitive function. Supplementing infant formula with HMOs is safe and promotes a healthy development of the infant revealing benefits for microbiota composition and infection prevention. Because of limited data comparing the effect of non-human oligosaccharides to HMOs, it is not known if HMOs offer an additional clinical benefit over non-human oligosaccharides. Better knowledge of the factors influencing HMO composition and their functions will help to understand their short- and long-term benefits. GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT
A silicon photonic quasi-crystal structure obtained by interference lithography

Photonic quasi-crystal structures have been prepared and investigated. Symmetrical patterns were fabricated by interference lithography in negative tone photoresist and transferred to silicon by reactive ion etching. Theoretical influences of pattern detail (radius of hole) on the photonic band gap have been studied. Three types of 2D photonic quasi-crystals have been prepared: 8-fold, 10-fold and 12-fold pattern. Finally, finite-difference time-domain method was used for theoretically prediction of transmission spectrum for fabricated 12-fold quasi-crystal.
The NLRomes of Zea mays NAM founder lines and Zea luxurians display presence–absence variation, integrated domain diversity, and mobility

Abstract Plant pathogens cause significant crop loss worldwide, and new resistance genes deployed to combat diseases can be overcome quickly. Understanding the existing resistance gene diversity within the germplasm of major crops, such as maize, is crucial for the development of new disease‐resistant varieties. We analysed the nucleotide‐binding leucine‐rich repeat receptors (NLRs) of 26 recently sequenced diverse founder lines from the maize nested association mapping (NAM) population and compared them to the R gene complement present in a wild relative of maize, Zea luxurians. We found that NLRs in both species contain a large diversity of atypical integrated domains, including many domains that have not previously been found in the NLRs of other species. Additionally, the single Z. luxurians genome was found to have greater integrated atypical domain diversity than all 26 NAM founder lines combined, indicating that this species may represent a rich source of novel resistance genes. NLRs were also found to have very high sequence diversity and presence–absence variation among the NAM founder lines, with a large NLR cluster on Chr10 representing a diversity hotspot. Additionally, NLRs were shown to be mobile within maize genomes, with several putative interchromosomal translocations identified.
Monitoring paxillin in astrocytes reveals the significance of the adhesion G protein coupled receptor VLGR1/ADGRV1 for focal adhesion assembly

VLGR1/ADGRV1 (very large G protein‐coupled receptor‐1) is the largest adhesion G protein‐coupled receptor (aGPCR). Mutations in VLGR1/ADGRV1 are associated with human Usher syndrome, the most common form of deaf‐blindness, and also with epilepsy in humans and mice. VLGR1 is expressed almost ubiquitously but is mainly found in the CNS and in the sensory cells of the eye and inner ear. Little is known about the pathogenesis of the diseases related to VLGR1. We previously identified VLGR1 as a vital component of focal adhesions (FAs) serving as a metabotropic mechanoreceptor controls cell spreading and migration. FAs are highly dynamic and turnover in response to internal and external signals. Here, we aimed to elucidate how VLGR1 participates in FA turnover. Nocodazole washouts and live cell imaging of paxillin‐DsRed2 consistently showed that FA disassembly was not altered, but de novo assembly of FA was significantly delayed in Vlgr1‐deficient astrocytes, indicating that VLGR1 is enrolled in FA assembly. In FRAP experiments, recovery rates were significantly reduced in Vlgr1‐deficient FAs, indicating reduced turnover kinetics in VLGR1‐deficient FAs. We showed that VLGR1 regulates cell migration by controlling the FA turnover during their assembly and expect novel insights into pathomechanisms related to pathogenic dysfunctions of VLGR1.
Diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers for progressive fibrosing interstitial lung disease

No biomarkers have been identified in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) for predicting fibrosis progression or prognosis in progressive fibrosing interstitial lung disease (PF-ILD). We investigated BALF biomarkers for PF-ILD diagnosis and prognosis assessment. Overall, 120 patients with interstitial pneumonia who could be diagnosed with PF-ILD or non PF-ILD were enrolled in this retrospective study. PF-ILD was diagnosed according to Cottin’s definition. All patients underwent bronchoscopy and BALF collection. We evaluated blood and BALF parameters, high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) patterns, and spirometry data to identify factors influencing PF-ILD diagnosis and prognosis. On univariate logistic analysis, age, sex, the BALF white blood cell fraction (neutrophil, lymphocyte, eosinophil, and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio), BALF flow cytometric analysis (CD8), and an idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis/usual interstitial pneumonia pattern on HRCT were correlated with PF-ILD diagnosis. Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that sex (male), age (cut-off 62 years, area under the curve [AUC] 0.67; sensitivity 0.80; specificity 0.47), white blood cell fraction in BALF (NLR, neutrophil, and lymphocyte), and CD8 in BALF (cut-off 34.2; AUC 0.66; sensitivity, 0.74; specificity, 0.62) were independent diagnostic predictors for PF-ILD. In BALF, the NLR (cut-off 8.70, AUC 0.62; sensitivity 0.62; specificity 0.70), neutrophil count (cut-off 3.0, AUC 0.59; sensitivity 0.57; specificity 0.63), and lymphocyte count (cut-off 42.0, AUC 0.63; sensitivity 0.77; specificity 0.53) were independent diagnostic predictors. In PF-ILD patients (n = 77), lactate dehydrogenase (cut-off 275, AUC 0.69; sensitivity 0.57; specificity 0.78), Krebs von den Lungen-6 (cut-off 1,140, AUC 0.74; sensitivity 0.71; specificity 0.76), baseline forced vital capacity (FVC) (cut-off 1.75 L, AUC 0.71; sensitivity, 0.93; specificity, 0.46), and BALF neutrophil ratio (cut-off 6.0, AUC 0.72; sensitivity 0.79; specificity 0.80) correlated with death within 3 years. The BALF cellular ratio, particularly the neutrophil ratio, correlated with the diagnosis and prognosis of PF-ILD. These findings may be useful in the management of patients with interstitial pneumonia.
Impact of Modified Richards Equation on Global Soil Moisture Simulation in the Community Land Model (CLM3.5)

A fundamental deficiency has been found in the numerical solution of the soil moisture‐based Richards equation using the mass‐conservative scheme in the Community Land Model (CLM) in the first part of our efforts (Zeng and Decker 2009). This study implements the revised form of the Richards equation from that study (which doesn't change the property of the differential equation but does remove the deficiency of the numerical solution) along with a new bottom boundary condition into the current version of CLM (CLM3.5) for global offline modeling evaluations. CLM3.5 represents a significant improvement over its earlier version (CLM3.0), but it also introduces a new deficiency in the vertical distribution of the soil moisture variability. Mean soil moisture in CLM3.5 is also too wet. It is found that the new treatments (primarily a numerically correct solution of Richards equation with a new bottom boundary condition) with minimal tuning are able to maintain the improvements of the CLM3.5 over CLM3.0 and, at the same time, remove the new deficiencies of CLM3.5 based on in situ and satellite data analysis. Because the deficiency in the numerical solution of the soil moisture‐based Richards equation is also expected in other land models, implementation details are provided to facilitate similar tests using other land models in the future.
atmospheric gamma ray angle and energy distributions from 2 to 25 MeV

Angle and energy distributions are reported for gamma rays near the top of the atmosphere for energies of 2–25 MeV and for zenith angles of 0°–50° (downward moving) and 130°–180° (upward moving). These distributions were obtained with the University of California, Riverside (UCR) double Compton scatter gamma ray telescope flown on a balloon to 3.0 g/cm² residual atmosphere from Palestine, Texas, on May 13, 1975 (geomagnetic cutoff: 4.5 GV). Growth curves from 3.4 to 100 g/cm² of residual atmosphere are used to determine the downward-moving atmospheric fluxes. Results are given for six energy intervals from 2–25 MeV and for five angle intervals from 0°–50°. The downward fluxes are in reasonable agreement with those of Schonfelder and Lichti (1975, 1976) at the lower energies and with those of Kinzer et al. (1974) at the higher energies, where our respective data overlap. The shape of the angular distribution is consistent with that of Lichti et al. (1975) and Thompson (1974) at higher energies. The absolute fluxes of upward moving gamma rays from 130°–170° at 4.2 g/cm² are in agreement with the semiempirical values of Ling (1975) but increase away from the vertical contrary to his predictions. Integrating over zenith angles of 10°–40° and 140°–170°, our ratios of upward moving to downward moving gamma ray fluxes are 12 ± 1 and 9 ± 2 for 3–10 and 10–25 MeV, respectively, in agreement with the theoretical model of Graser and Schonfelder (1977).
Intracutaneous Transplantation of Islets Within a Biodegradable Temporizing Matrix as an Alternative Site for Islet Transplantation

Intrahepatic islet transplantation for type 1 diabetes is limited by the need for multiple infusions and poor islet viability posttransplantation. The development of alternative transplantation sites is necessary to improve islet survival and facilitate monitoring and retrieval. We tested a clinically proven biodegradable temporizing matrix (BTM), a polyurethane-based scaffold, to generate a well-vascularized intracutaneous “neodermis” within the skin for islet transplantation. In murine models, BTM did not impair syngeneic islet renal-subcapsular transplant viability or function, and it facilitated diabetes cure for over 150 days. Furthermore, BTM supported functional neonatal porcine islet transplants into RAG-1−/− mice for 400 days. Hence, BTM is nontoxic for islets. Two-photon intravital imaging used to map vessel growth through time identified dense vascular networks, with significant collagen deposition and increases in vessel mass up to 30 days after BTM implantation. In a preclinical porcine skin model, BTM implants created a highly vascularized intracutaneous site by day 7 postimplantation. When syngeneic neonatal porcine islets were transplanted intracutaneously, the islets remained differentiated as insulin-producing cells, maintained normal islet architecture, secreted c-peptide, and survived for over 100 days. Here, we show that BTM facilitates formation of an islet-supportive intracutaneous neodermis in a porcine preclinical model, as an alternative islet-transplant site. Article Highlights Human and porcine pancreatic islets were transplanted into a fully vascularized biodegradable temporizing matrix (Novosorb) that creates a unique intracutaneous site outside of the liver in a large-animal preclinical model. The intracutaneous prevascularized site supported pancreatic islet survival for 3 months in a syngeneic porcine-transplant model. Pancreatic (human and porcine) islet survival and function were demonstrated in an intracutaneous site outside of the liver for the first time in a large-animal preclinical model.
Airflow and Particle Transport in the Human Respiratory System

Airflows in the nasal cavities and oral airways are rather complex, possibly featuring a transition to turbulent jet-like flow, recirculating flow, Dean's flow, vortical flows, large pressure drops, prevailing secondary flows, and merging streams in the case of exhalation. Such complex flows propagate subsequently into the tracheobronchial airways. The underlying assumptions for particle transport and deposition are that the aerosols are spherical, noninteracting, and monodisperse and deposit upon contact with the airway surface. Such dilute particle suspensions are typically modeled with the Euler-Lagrange approach for micron particles and in the Euler-Euler framework for nanoparticles. Micron particles deposit nonuniformly with very high concentrations at some local sites (e.g., carinal ridges of large bronchial airways). In contrast, nanomaterial almost coats the airway surfaces, which has implications of detrimental health effects in the case of inhaled toxic nanoparticles. Geometric airway features, .
Role of Cytochrome P450 2C8 in Drug–Drug Interaction between Amiodarone and Nirmatrelvir/Ritonavir Via Physiologically‐Based Pharmacokinetic Modeling

Ziteng Wang and Eric Chun Yong Chan* We are intrigued by the recent communications between Sluijters et al. and Marzolini et al. regarding the management of drug– drug interaction (DDI) between amiodarone and nirmatrelvir/ritonavir (Paxlovid). Sluijters et al. proposed that pausing amiodarone for 11 days during nirmatrelvir/ritonavir therapy could mitigate toxicity associated with the accumulation of amiodarone and Ndesethylamiodarone. Both groups underscored the inhibition of cytochrome P450 3A4 (CYP3A4)– mediated metabolism of amiodarone by ritonavir as the main DDI mechanism. However, beyond CYP3A4, ritonavir induces CYP2C8 activity and decreases systemic exposure of its substrates. Moreover, both CYP2C8 and CYP3A4 metabolize amiodarone to Ndesethylamiodarone considerably. Previously, we applied physiologicallybased pharmacokinetic (PBPK) modeling to guide dose management of oral anticoagulants when initiating nirmatrelvir/ ritonavir for COVID19 treatment. Here, we applied PBPK modeling to evaluate the arcane role of CYP2C8 in the DDI between amiodarone and ritonavir during nirmatrelvir/ritonavir therapy. Our DDI simulations were implemented within the Simcyp Simulator (version
Triphenyl phosphate‐induced macrophages dysfunction by activation TLR4‐mediated ERK/NF‐κB pathway

Triphenyl phosphate (TPHP) is one of the most widely used organic phosphorus flame retardants and is ubiquitous in the environment. Studies have been reported that TPHP may lead to obesity, neurotoxicity and reproductive toxicity, but its impact on the immune system is almost blank. The present study was aimed to investigate the potential immunotoxicity of TPHP on macrophages and its underlying mechanism. The results demonstrated for the first time that TPHP (12.5, 25, and 50 μM)‐induced F4/80+CD11c+ phenotype of RAW 264.7 macrophages, accompanied by increased mRNA levels of inflammatory mediators, antigen‐presenting genes (Cd80, Cd86, and H2‐Aa), and significantly enhanced the phagocytosis of macrophage. Meanwhile, TPHP increased the expression of Toll‐like receptor 4 (TLR4), and its co‐receptor CD14, leading to significant activation of the downstream ERK/NF‐κB pathway. However, co‐exposure of cells to TAK‐242, a TLR4 inhibitor, suppressed TPHP‐induced F4/80+CD11c+ phenotype, and down‐regulated inflammatory mediators and antigen‐presentation related genes, via blocked the TLR4/ERK/NF‐κB pathway. Taken together, our results suggested that TPHP could induce macrophage dysfunction through activating TLR4‐mediated ERK/NF‐κB signaling pathway, and it may be the potential reason for health‐threatening consequences.
Robust identification/invalidation in an LPV framework

A robust linear parameter varying (LPV) identification/invalidation method is presented. Starting from a given initial model, the proposed method modifies it and produces an LPV model consistent with the assumed uncertainty/noise bounds and the experimental information. This procedure may complement existing nominal LPV identification algorithms, by adding the uncertainty and noise bounds which produces a set of models consistent with the experimental evidence. Unlike standard invalidation results, the proposed method allows the computation of the necessary changes to the initial model in order to place it within the consistency set. Similar to previous LPV identification procedures, the initial parameter dependency is fixed in advance, but here a methodology to modify this dependency is presented. In addition, all calculations are made on state‐space matrices which simplifies further controller design computations. The application of the proposed method to the identification of nonlinear systems is also discussed. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Common Fixed Point for Weakly Compatible Mappings on Dislocated Metric Spaces.

In this paper we prove a common fixed point theorem for multi-valued and single-valued mappings in a dislocated metric space. The set of generalized y-j weak contractive mappings considered in this paper contains the family of generalized j-weak contractive mappings as a proper subset. The theorem use weakly compatibility and psy-phy-weak contractivity condition. It extends the work of several authors.
The relevance of the circadian timing system role in patients with HIV/AIDS: a quick glance

Circadian rhythm disturbances are linked to various diseases, including cancer and infectious diseases. The circadian clock is the primary support for physiological conditions and homeostasis. The host ’ s innate and adaptive immune systems are also controlled by the circadian clock. It is crucial to understand how viruses employ molecular clocks to spread their infection and how circadian rhythms impact viral infections. An emerging area of viral biology study is chronobiology, which aims to identify novel antiviral targets based on immune and circadian pathways [1] . Physiological functions like sleep and wake cycles, hormone secretion, cell regeneration, changes in body temperature, and metabolism are coordinated by the circadian rhythm, a 24-hour routine cycle with outside environmental stimuli. The suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) of the anterior section of the hypothalamus includes the circadian clock, which is the primary regulator of rhythmic processes. Additionally, it regulates other organs through speci ﬁ c peripheral clock mechanisms [2,3] . The transcription/translation signals in the regulation of the mammalian clock are controlled by the helix-loop-helix transcription factors BMAL1 and CLOCK, as well as the repressors of the period (PER) and cryptochrome (CRY). The heterodimer formed by CLOCK and BMAL1 binds E-box motifs in the target genes ’ promoter region [4] . CLOCK and BMAL1 activity is downregulated by CRY1-3, PER 1-3, and REV-ERB [5] . These 24-hour loops of positive and negative feedback regulate the circadian rhythm ’ s pathways. A central part of the circadian clock is the CLOCK [6,7] . Prior studies [8 – 10] revealed that mice with BMAL1 de ﬁ ciencies displayed physiological abnormalities such as
Toward Parsimony in Bias Research: A Proposed Common Framework of Belief-Consistent Information Processing for a Set of Biases

One of the essential insights from psychological research is that people’s information processing is often biased. By now, a number of different biases have been identified and empirically demonstrated. Unfortunately, however, these biases have often been examined in separate lines of research, thereby precluding the recognition of shared principles. Here we argue that several—so far mostly unrelated—biases (e.g., bias blind spot, hostile media bias, egocentric/ethnocentric bias, outcome bias) can be traced back to the combination of a fundamental prior belief and humans’ tendency toward belief-consistent information processing. What varies between different biases is essentially the specific belief that guides information processing. More importantly, we propose that different biases even share the same underlying belief and differ only in the specific outcome of information processing that is assessed (i.e., the dependent variable), thus tapping into different manifestations of the same latent information processing. In other words, we propose for discussion a model that suffices to explain several different biases. We thereby suggest a more parsimonious approach compared with current theoretical explanations of these biases. We also generate novel hypotheses that follow directly from the integrative nature of our perspective.