Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
CSS J134052.0 + 151341: A Cataclysmic Binary Star with a Stripped, Evolved Secondary

I report spectroscopy and time-series photometry of the cataclysmic binary CSS J134052.0 + 151341. The optical light is dominated by the secondary star, which I classify as K4 (± 2 subclasses), yet the orbital period derived from the absorption radial velocities is only 2.45 hr, implying a Roche radius much too small to contain a main-sequence K star. The spectrum shows enhanced sodium absorption in several lines, suggesting that the surface material has been processed at high temperatures. CSS J134052.0 + 151341 appears to be a rare example of a cataclysmic binary in which the secondary star is the stripped core of a formerly much more massive star, that began mass transfer after much of the core’s nuclear evolution had taken place.
The potential mechanism of huazhuojiedu decoction in the treatment of ulcerative colitis based on network pharmacology and experimental validation

Huazhuojiedu decoction (HZJDD), a traditional Chinese medicine prescription, has been clinically proven to be an effective treatment for ulcerative colitis (UC). However, the mechanism of HZJDD in the treatment of UC remains unclear. This study combined network pharmacology with experimental validation to explore the potential mechanism of HZJDD on UC. First, the relationship network diagrams between HZJDD and UC were established based on multiple databases. Then, the HZJDD-UC intersection genes target network was constructed and Gene Ontology-Biological processes (GO-BP) analysis was performed to discover the potential pharmacological mechanism. Finally, the results of GO-BP were verified in dextran sulfate sodium salt (DSS) induced UC rats. The network pharmacology results showed that 119 active components and 146 potential targets were screened for HZJDD, and six of the top 15 biological processes belonged to inflammatory response, cellular response to hypoxia, and cellular response to lipopolysaccharide (LPS). The GO-BP results indicated that the mechanism of HZJDD treatment of UC was related to inflammation, oxidative stress, and the regulation of LPS. Animal experiments showed that HZJDD could significantly reduce the disease activity index (DAI) score, improve colon length, and effectively repair the histomorphological and micromorphological changes in DSS-induced UC rats. Moreover, HZJDD reduced the expressions of CRP, TNF-α, IL-6, LPS, IL-1β, and IL-18; downregulated the activity of MDA; and upregulated the activities of CAT, GSH, and SOD in DSS-induced UC rats. Furthermore, HZJDD suppressed the expression of the NLRP3/caspase-1 signaling pathway at the gene and protein levels to inhibit pyroptosis. Network pharmacology and animal experiments showed that HZJDD exerted a therapeutic effect on DSS-induced UC rats by reducing inflammation, oxidative stress, and restraining the NLRP3/caspase-1 signaling pathway to inhibit pyroptosis.
Guominkang formula alleviate inflammation in eosinophilic asthma by regulating immune balance of Th1/2 and Treg/Th17 cells

The number of patients with allergic asthma is rising yearly, and hormonal drugs, such as dexamethasone, have unique advantages and certain limitations. In the treatment of allergic diseases especially allergic asthma, increasing the percentage or the function of immunosuppressive cells, such as Treg cells, may achieve a good effect. On the basis of good clinical results, we found that Guominkang (GMK) especially high-concentration GMK can achieve a similar effect with dexamethasone in controlling the symptoms of allergic asthma and inhibiting inflammation of allergic asthma. In our study, GMK can inhibit the recruitment of inflammatory cells, decrease mucus production, and reduce airway resistance. Besides, GMK can reconstruct the cellular immune balance of Th1/2 and Treg/Th17 cells. Metabolome results show that DL-glutamine, L-pyroglutamic acid, prostaglandin b1, prostaglandin e2, and 3,4-dihydroxyhydrocinnamic acid are the metabolic biomarkers and are associated with Th1/2 and Treg/Th17 cell balance. GMK can also change the gut microbiota in the allergic asthma mouse model. The genus_Muriculum, genus_(Clostridium) GCA900066575, genus_klebsiella, genus_Desulfovibrio, genus_Rikenellaceae RC9 gut group, family_Chitinophagaceae, family_Nocardioidaceae, and genus_Corynebacterium are gut microbiota biomarkers treated by GMK. Among these biomarkers, genus_Muriculum is the gut microbiota biomarker associated with Th1/2 and Treg/Th17 cell balance. Interestingly, we first found that DL-glutamine, L-pyroglutamic acid, prostaglandin b1, prostaglandin e2, and 3,4-dihydroxyhydrocinnamic acid are all associated with genus_Muriculum. GMK will be a new strategy for the treatment of eosinophilic asthma, and biomarkers will also be a new research direction.
Mixed oxides from calcined layered double hydroxides for glycerol carbonate production to contribute to the biodiesel economy

The glycerol generated as a by-product in the production of biodiesel could be used as a renewable raw material to economically promote the production process. The catalytic conversion of glycerol to a product with higher added value, such as glycerol carbonate, has attracted great interest in the chemical, pharmaceutical, and lithium battery industries, among others, due to its low toxicity, hydration capacity, and biodegradability. Layered-double hydroxide (LDH) materials, the precursors of the catalysts, were synthesized by a direct coprecipitation method to incorporate a third metal ion in addition to magnesium and aluminum ions. This method is the easiest regularly applied technique to design these low cost anionic nanoclay. The atomic percentage of Cu, Zn, or Ni incorporated was 15% of the Mg load in the material. The synthesis atomic ratio, (M2++Mg2+)/Al3+ had a constant value of 3, where M represents the transition metal incorporated. LDHs produced the corresponding mixed metal oxides by thermal decomposition. These materials have excellent properties for reactions catalyzed by the basic sites, high surface area, homogeneous cation dispersion, and thermal stability. The physicochemical material properties were characterized by XRD, N2 sorption, MP-AES, TPD-CO2, SEM, and XPS. The mixed oxides were evaluated in the catalytic conversion of glycerol to glycerol carbonate. The addition of Cu, Ni, or Zn to the matrix of Mg and Al produced changes in its physicochemical properties and mostly in the catalytic activity. X-ray diffractograms of LDHs showed the typical characteristic structure of layers even with metallic ions of Cu, Ni, or Zn incorporated, because their ionic radii are similar to that of the Mg ion, 0.69, 0.73, and 0.74 Å, respectively. The obtained mixed oxides showed a high catalytic activity towards the conversion of glycerol to glycerol carbonate under mild reaction conditions, a 1:2 ratio of glycerol:ethylene carbonate and solvent free. Relative yields higher than 80% were obtained, attributable to an adequate distribution of basicity and textural parameters. The catalysts were used in successive reaction cycles without significant loss of activity.
Editorial: Novel therapeutic strategy against obesity by targeting thermogenic fat

COPYRIGHT © 2022 Pan, Yoneshiro, Hasegawa, Ma and Chen. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms. TYPE Editorial PUBLISHED 14 October 2022 DOI 10.3389/fendo.2022. 1052966
Interactions of host miRNAs in the flavivirus 3´UTR genome: From bioinformatics predictions to practical approaches

The genus Flavivirus of the Flaviviridae family includes important viruses, such as Dengue, Zika, West Nile, Japanese encephalitis, Murray Valley encephalitis, tick-borne encephalitis, Yellow fever, Saint Louis encephalitis, and Usutu viruses. They are transmitted by mosquitoes or ticks, and they can infect humans, causing fever, encephalitis, or haemorrhagic fever. The treatment resources for these diseases and the number of vaccines available are limited. It has been discovered that eukaryotic cells synthesize small RNA molecules that can bind specifically to sequences present in messenger RNAs to inhibit the translation process, thus regulating gene expression. These small RNAs have been named microRNAs, and they have an important impact on viral infections. In this review, we compiled the available information on miRNAs that can interact with the 3’ untranslated region (3’UTR) of the flavivirus genome, a conserved region that is important for viral replication and translation.
Large plants enhance aboveground biomass in arid natural forest and plantation along differential abiotic and biotic conditions

Big-sized trees, species diversity, and stand density affect aboveground biomass in natural tropical and temperate forests. However, these relationships are unclear in arid natural forests and plantations. Here, we hypothesized that large plants (a latent variable of tall-stature and big-crown, which indicated the effect of big-sized trees on ecosystem function and structure) enhance aboveground biomass in both arid natural forests and plantations along the gradients of climate water availability and soil fertility. To prove it, we used structural equation modeling (SEM) to test the influences of large plants located in 20% of the sequence formed by individual size (a synthetical value calculated from tree height and crown) on aboveground biomass in natural forests and plantations while considering the direct and indirect influences of species diversity as well as climatic and soil conditions, using data from 73 natural forest and 30 plantation plots in the northwest arid region of China. The results showed that large plants, species diversity, and stand density all increased aboveground biomass. Soil fertility declined aboveground biomass in natural forest, whereas it increased biomass in plantation. Although climatic water availability had no direct impact on aboveground biomass in both forests, it indirectly controlled the change of aboveground biomass via species diversity, stand density, and large plants. Stand density negatively affects large plants in both natural forests and plantations. Species diversity positively affects large plants on plantations but not in natural forests. Large plants increased slightly with increasing climatic water availability in the natural forest but decreased in plantation, whereas soil fertility inhibited large plants in plantation only. This study highlights the extended generality of the big-sized trees hypothesis, scaling theory, and the global importance of big-sized tree in arid natural forests and plantations.
Characterization and evolutionary diversification of the phospholipase D gene family in mosses

Plant phospholipase D (PLD) exerts important roles in various biological processes, such as intracellular signaling and morphological development. Our knowledge about early land plant PLDs is still underdeveloped. In this study, we identified 84 PLD genes in six mosses, i.e., Physcomitrella patens, Ceratodon purpureus, Fontinalis antipyretica, Pleurozium schreberi, Sphagnum magellanicum, and Sphagnum fallax. These PLDs were classified into four clades (I–IV). We showed that PLD underwent rapid expansion in mosses. A total of six conserved domains and two core HKD motifs were detected. Structure analysis uncovered that the moss PLDs from within a clade generally exhibited similar exon-intron organization. Cis-elements prediction and expression analyses indicated that P. patens PLDs had key roles in stress responsiveness and plant development. Particularly, about half of the P. patens PLDs (e.g., PpPLD1, PpPLD2, and PpPLD5) were differentially expressed under biotic and abiotic stresses. We also determined the expression pattern of P. patens PLD genes in various tissues and at different stages of development. Although the moss, clubmoss, liverwort, and fern PLDs evolved largely under functional constraints, we found episodic positive selection in the moss PLDs, e.g., C. purpureus PLD2 and P. patens PLD11. We infer that the evolutionary force acting on the PLDs may have facilitated moss colonization of land. Our work provides valuable insights into the diversification of moss PLD genes, and can be used for future studies of their functions.
Advancement of epigenetics in stroke

A wide plethora of intervention procedures, tissue plasminogen activators, mechanical thrombectomy, and several neuroprotective drugs were reported in stroke research over the last decennium. However, against this vivid background of newly emerging pieces of evidence, there is little to no advancement in the overall functional outcomes. With the advancement of epigenetic tools and technologies associated with intervention medicine, stroke research has entered a new fertile. The stroke involves an overabundance of inflammatory responses arising in part due to the body’s immune response to brain injury. Neuroinflammation contributes to significant neuronal cell death and the development of functional impairment and even death in stroke patients. Recent studies have demonstrated that epigenetics plays a key role in post-stroke conditions, leading to inflammatory responses and alteration of the microenvironment within the injured tissue. In this review, we summarize the progress of epigenetics which provides an overview of recent advancements on the emerging key role of secondary brain injury in stroke. We also discuss potential epigenetic therapies related to clinical practice.
Muscle adaptations in acute SCI following overground exoskeleton + FES training: A pilot study

Objective To evaluate the combined effects of robotic exoskeleton and functional electrical stimulation (FES) training on muscle composition during over-ground gait training in persons with acute spinal cord injury (SCI). Design Randomized crossover pilot study. Setting Inpatient-rehabilitation Hospital. Participants Six individuals with acute SCI. Intervention Participants were randomized to either receive training with the Ekso® Bionics exoskeleton combined with FES in addition to standard-of-care or standard-of-care alone. Outcome measures The main outcome measures for the study were quantified using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), specifically, lower extremity muscle volume and intramuscular adipose tissue (IMAT). Static balance and fall risk were assessed using the Berg Balance Scale. Results Significant improvements were observed in muscle volume in the exoskeleton intervention group when compared to only standard-of-care (p < 0.001). There was no significant difference between the groups in IMAT even though the intervention group saw a reduction in IMAT that trended towards statistical significance (p = 0.07). Static balance improved in both groups, with greater improvements seen in the intervention group. Conclusions Early intervention with robotic exoskeleton may contribute to improved muscle function measured using MRI in individuals with acute SCI.
Progress of phototherapy for osteosarcoma and application prospect of blue light photobiomodulation therapy

Osteosarcoma (OS) is the most common primary malignant bone tumor that mainly affects the pediatric and adolescent population; limb salvage treatment has become one of the most concerned and expected outcomes of OS patients recently. Phototherapy (PT), as a novel, non-invasive, and efficient antitumor therapeutic approach including photodynamic therapy (PDT), photothermal therapy (PTT), and photobiomodulation therapy (PBMT), has been widely applied in superficial skin tumor research and clinical treatment. OS is the typical deep tumor, and its phototherapy research faces great limitations and challenges. Surprisingly, pulse mode LED light can effectively improve tissue penetration and reduce skin damage caused by high light intensity and has great application potential in deep tumor research. In this review, we discussed the research progress and related molecular mechanisms of phototherapy in the treatment of OS, mainly summarized the status quo of blue light PBMT in the scientific research and clinical applications of tumor treatment, and outlooked the application prospect of pulsed blue LED light in the treatment of OS, so as to further improve clinical survival rate and prognosis of OS treatment and explore corresponding cellular mechanisms.
THE RØMER DELAY AND MASS RATIO OF THE sdB+dM BINARY 2M 1938+4603 FROM KEPLER ECLIPSE TIMINGS

The eclipsing binary system 2M 1938+4603 consists of a pulsating hot subdwarf B star and a cool M dwarf companion in an effectively circular three-hour orbit. The light curve shows both primary and secondary eclipses, along with a strong reflection effect from the cool companion. Here, we present constraints on the component masses and eccentricity derived from the Rømer delay of the secondary eclipse. Using six months of publicly available Kepler photometry obtained in short-cadence mode, we fit model profiles to the primary and secondary eclipses to measure their centroid values. We find that the secondary eclipse arrives on average 2.06 ± 0.12 s after the midpoint between primary eclipses. Under the assumption of a circular orbit, we calculate from this time delay a mass ratio of q = 0.2691 ± 0.0018 and individual masses of Msd = 0.372 ± 0.024 M☉ and Mc = 0.1002 ± 0.0065 M☉ for the sdB and M dwarf, respectively. These results differ slightly from those of a previously published light-curve modeling solution; this difference, however, may be reconciled with a very small eccentricity, ecos ω ≈ 0.00004. We also report a decrease in the orbital period of = (−1.23 ± 0.07) × 10−10.
Prevalence and predictors of medication-related emergency department visit in older adults: A multicenter study linking national claim database and hospital medical records

Objectives: Older adults are more likely to experience drug-related problems (DRP), which could lead to medication-related emergency department visits (MRED). To properly evaluate MRED, the entire history of drug use should be evaluated in a structured manner. However, limited studies have identified MRED with complete prescription records. We aimed to evaluate the prevalence and risk factors of MRED among community-dwelling older patients by linking national claims data and electronic medical records using a standardized medication related admission identification method. Methods: We included older patients who visited the emergency departments of four participating hospitals in 2019. Among the 54,034 emergency department (ED) visitors, we randomly selected 6,000 patients and structurally reviewed their medical records using a standardized MRED identification method after linking national claims data and electronic medical records. We defined and categorized MRED as ED visits associated with adverse drug events and those caused by the underuse of medication, including treatment omission and noncompliance and assessed as having probable or higher causality. We assessed preventability using Schumock and Thornton criteria. Results: MRED was observed in 14.3% of ED visits, of which 76% were preventable. In addition, 32.5% of MRED cases were related to underuse or noncompliance, and the rest were related to adverse drug events. Use of antipsychotics, benzodiazepines, anticoagulants, traditional nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs without the use of proton pump inhibitors, P2Y12 inhibitors, insulin, diuretics, and multiple strong anticholinergic drugs were identified as predictors of MRED. Conclusion: One in seven cases of ED visits by older adults were medication related and over three-quarters of them were preventable. These findings suggest that DRPs need to be systemically screened and intervened in older adults who visit ED.
Technology advancement of the CCD201-20 EMCCD for the WFIRST coronagraph instrument: sensor characterization and radiation damage

Abstract. The Wide Field InfraRed Survey Telescope-Astrophysics Focused Telescope Asset (WFIRST-AFTA) mission is a 2.4-m class space telescope that will be used across a swath of astrophysical research domains. JPL will provide a high-contrast imaging coronagraph instrument—one of two major astronomical instruments. In order to achieve the low noise performance required to detect planets under extremely low flux conditions, the electron multiplying charge-coupled device (EMCCD) has been baselined for both of the coronagraph’s sensors—the imaging camera and integral field spectrograph. JPL has established an EMCCD test laboratory in order to advance EMCCD maturity to technology readiness level-6. This plan incorporates full sensor characterization, including read noise, dark current, and clock-induced charge. In addition, by considering the unique challenges of the WFIRST space environment, degradation to the sensor’s charge transfer efficiency will be assessed, as a result of damage from high-energy particles such as protons, electrons, and cosmic rays. Science-grade CCD201-20 EMCCDs have been irradiated to a proton fluence that reflects the projected WFIRST orbit. Performance degradation due to radiation displacement damage is reported, which is the first such study for a CCD201-20 that replicates the WFIRST conditions. In addition, techniques intended to identify and mitigate radiation-induced electron trapping, such as trap pumping, custom clocking, and thermal cycling, are discussed.
Safety and effectiveness of all-oral and injectable-containing, bedaquiline-based long treatment regimen for pre-XDR tuberculosis in Vietnam

Background: The World health organization (WHO) recently recommended standardized all-oral shorter regimens for rifampicin resistant Tuberculosis (RR-TB). For highly resistant Tuberculosis patients such as pre-XDR-TB: RR-TB plus additional resistance to fluoroquinolones (FQ), the 6–9-months bedaquiline (bedaquiline)-based regimens or BDQ-based long regimens are recommended. The role of second-line injectable (SLI) drugs in the treatment of drug resistant TB is restricted because of safety concerns. Nevertheless, it is not well-known how all-oral long regimens (BDQ-long) perform compared to SLI-containing long regimens (BDQ/SLI-long) in terms of safety and effectiveness among patients with highly resistant TB. Method: A prospective observational cohort of patients with RR-TB additionally resistant to fluoroquinolones and/or second-line injectable, treated with either BDQ-long or BDQ/SLI-long regimens according to the guidance of the National Tuberculosis Program of Vietnam, enrolled between December 2015 and June 2017. Results: Of 99 patients enrolled, 42 (42%) patients were treated with BDQ-long and 57 (57%) with BDQ/SLI-long. More than 85% of patients were previously exposed to both FQ and SLI. FQ and SLI resistance were confirmed in 28 (67%) and 41 (98%) in the BDQ-long cohort and 48 (84%) and 17 (30%) in the BDQ/SLI-long cohort, respectively. Treatment success was achieved among 29 (69%) and 46 (81%) patients on the BDQ-long and BDQ/SLI-long regimen, respectively (p = 0.2). For both regimens, median time to first smear/culture sputum conversion was 2 months. All patients experienced at least one adverse event (AE) and 85% of them had at least one severe Adverse events. The median time to a first severe adverse event was 2 months. Among patients treated with BDQ-long a higher proportion of patients had three QT-prolonging drugs in the regimen (26.2% versus 7.0%; p = 0.009). The severe prolonged QTcF was observed in 22 (52.4%) and 22 (38.6%) patients on BDQ-long and BDQ/SLI-long, respectively. Overall, 30 (30%) patients had to either temporary or permanently discontinued or more TB drugs due to AEs. Conclusion: Treatment success was similar for both all-oral and SLI-containing BDQ-based long regimens in highly resistant TB patients. Both regimens had a similar high frequency of AEs. For both BDQ-long and BDQ/SLI-long regimens active AEs monitoring is essential.