Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Chemotherapy in pediatric brain tumor and the challenge of the blood–brain barrier

Pediatric brain tumors (PBT) stand as the leading cause of cancer‐related deaths in children. Chemoradiation protocols have improved survival rates, even for non‐resectable tumors. Nonetheless, radiation therapy carries the risk of numerous adverse effects that can have long‐lasting, detrimental effects on the quality of life for survivors. The pursuit of chemotherapeutics that could obviate the need for radiotherapy remains ongoing. Several anti‐tumor agents, including sunitinib, valproic acid, carboplatin, and panobinostat, have shown effectiveness in various malignancies but have not proven effective in treating PBT. The presence of the blood–brain barrier (BBB) plays a pivotal role in maintaining suboptimal concentrations of anti‐cancer drugs in the central nervous system (CNS). Ongoing research aims to modulate the integrity of the BBB to attain clinically effective drug concentrations in the CNS. However, current findings on the interaction of exogenous chemical agents with the BBB remain limited and do not provide a comprehensive explanation for the ineffectiveness of established anti‐cancer drugs in PBT.
Implications of U-Pb zircon age of the Tirit granitoids on the closure of the Shyok suture zone, northern Ladakh, India

The Tirit granitoids exposed along the Nubra-Shyok river valleys in northern Ladakh, constitute an important tectonic unit of the Shyok suture zone. They are weakly deformed medium- to coarse-grained, subleucocratic to mesocratic, and compositionally range from granodiorite-tonalite to gabbrodiorite. They are syncollisional, calc-alkaline and volcanic-arc related granitoids. In several places, these granitoids have been intruded by post-collisional doleritic and aplitic dykes. In order to constrain the geological history of the Nubra-Shyok valleys, the crystallization age of zircons from one granodioritic sample of the Tirit granitoids was determined. The new U-Pb zircon age data point to a 71.40 ± 0.36 Ma crystallization age for the Tirit granitoids, which is in close agreement with the previous age estimates of 73.6-68 Ma. This suggests that the collision and suturing of the Shyok marginal basin with the Karakoram block (southern Asian margin) have occurred before 72 Ma and subduction-related major plutonism along the Shyok suture persisted till 68 Ma. However, the collision and suturing of the Indian and Asian plates took place along the Indus suture at 60-50 Ma.
State same‐sex marriage policies and pre‐exposure prophylaxis implementation among men who have sex with men in the United States

More than 70% of new HIV diagnoses in the United States were among men who have sex with men (MSM) in 2019. Pre‐exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is a transformative innovation for reducing human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infections. Structural stigma against sexual minorities, including in the form of state‐level policies, may affect PrEP implementation. We evaluated whether lower structural stigma reflected by earlier year of state same‐sex marriage legalization was associated with increased male PrEP prescriptions and male PrEP‐to‐need ratio (PnR), a ratio of PrEP prescriptions to new HIV diagnoses.
Prodromal Parkinson's disease and the catecholaldehyde hypothesis: Insight from olfactory bulb organotypic cultures

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a progressive, neurodegenerative disorder with an increasing incidence, unknown etiology, and is currently incurable. Advances in understanding the pathological mechanisms at a molecular level have been slow, with little attention focused on the early prodromal phase of the disease. Consequently, the development of early‐acting disease‐modifying therapies has been hindered. The olfactory bulb (OB), the brain region responsible for initial processing of olfactory information, is particularly affected early in PD at both functional and molecular levels but there is little information on how the cells in this region are affected by disease. Organotypic and primary OB cultures were developed and characterized. These platforms were then used to assess the effects of 3,4‐dihydroxyphenylacetylaldehyde (DOPAL), a metabolite of dopamine present in increased levels in post‐mortem PD tissue and which is thought to contribute to PD pathogenesis. Our findings showed that DOPAL exposure can recapitulate many aspects of PD pathology. Oxidative stress, depolarization of mitochondrial membranes, and neurodegeneration were all induced by DOPAL addition, as were measured transcriptomic changes consistent with those reported in PD clinical studies. These olfactory models of prodromal disease lend credence to the catecholaldehyde hypothesis of PD and provide insight into the mechanisms by which the OB may be involved in disease progression.
BIOMASS AND NET PRIMARY PRODUCTIVITY IN AN ACACIA MANGIUM PIANTATION IN HESHAN,GUANGDONG,CHINA

Community structure, biomass and net primary productivity of a fifteen years old Acacia mangium plantation ecosystem was determined and investigated in Heshan, South China. The total biomass of the tree layer of the plantation was 197 t·hm -2 , of which the stem accounted for 81 t·hm -2 , branches 55 t·hm -2 , leaf material 20 t·hm -2 , and roots 41 t·hm -2 . The biomass of the plantation increased rapidly between 1 and 7 years, but more slowly thereafter to 11 years. The net primary productivity of plantations 11 years old was stable at 10 7 t·hm -2 ·a -1 . The Acacia mangium is a fast growing species, and a good pioneer species for up to 11 years for plantations in South China. After 11 years, plantations can be improved by interplanting useful mesophyte species of low stature.
Application of synthetic lipid droplets in metabolic diseases

Abstract Background The study and synthesis of membrane organelles are becoming increasingly important, not only as simplified cellular models for corresponding molecular and metabolic studies but also for applications in synthetic biology of artificial cells and drug delivery vehicles. Lipid droplets (LDs) are central organelles in cellular lipid metabolism and are involved in almost all metabolic processes. Multiple studies have also demonstrated a high correlation between LDs and metabolic diseases. During these processes, LDs reveal a highly dynamic character, with their lipid fraction, protein composition and subcellular localisation constantly changing in response to metabolic demands. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying these functions have not been fully understood due to the limitations of cell biology approaches. Fortunately, developments in synthetic biology have provided a huge breakthrough for metabolism research, and methods for in vitro synthesis of LDs have been successfully established, with great advances in protein binding, lipid function, membrane dynamics and enzymatic reactions. Aims and methods In this review, we provide a comprehensive overview of the assembly and function of endogenous LDs, from the generation of lipid molecules to how they are assembled into LDs in the endoplasmic reticulum. In particular, we highlight two major classes of synthetic LD models for fabrication techniques and their recent advances in biology and explore their roles and challenges in achieving real applications of artificial LDs in the future.
Factors associated with continuation of hormonal contraceptives among married women of reproductive age in Gilgit, Pakistan: a community-based case–control study

Objective This study aimed to determine the factors associated with continuation of hormonal contraceptive methods among married women of Gilgit, Pakistan at least 6 months after their initiation. Design Unmatched case–control study. Setting Community settings of Gilgit, Pakistan from 1 April 2021 to 30 July 2021. Participants The cases were married women of reproductive age who, at the time of interview, were using a hormonal method of contraception for at least 6 months continuously, and controls were married women of reproductive age who had used a hormonal method in the past and currently were using a non-hormonal method for at least 6 months. Primary and secondary outcome measures OR for continuation of hormonal contraceptive. Results The factors significantly associated with continuous use of hormonal contraceptive methods for our sample from Gilgit were the family planning centre’s distance from home (adjusted OR (AOR) 6.33, 95% CI 3.74 to 10.71), satisfaction with current method used (AOR 3.64, 95% CI 2.06 to 6.44), visits to the family planning centre to avail services (AOR 1.86, 95% CI 1.07 to 3.45) and relatively older age of women (AOR 1.07, 95% CI 1.02 to 1.12). In addition, women with formal education (AOR 0.27, 95% CI 0.12 to 0.6) were less likely to use a modern contraceptive method. Conclusion Continuation of using a hormonal method was associated with easy access to family planning centres, satisfaction with the current method and frequent visits to the family planning centres. Continuation of using a hormonal method was also seen in women with low education status. The importance of the presence of family planning centres near residential areas cannot be emphasised more. This does not only provide easy access to family planning methods, but also reassure women of continuation of modern methods when they face any unpleasant effects while using these.
Lipid raft interacting galectin 8 regulates primary ciliogenesis

Primary cilium is a specialized sensory organelle that transmits environmental information into cells. Its length is tightly controlled by various mechanisms such as the frequency or the cargo size of the intraflagellar transport trains which deliver the building materials such as tubulin subunits essential for the growing cilia. Here, we show the sialoglycan interacting galectin 8 regulates the process of primary ciliogenesis. As the epithelia become polarized, there are more galectin 8 being apically secreted and these extracellular galectin 8 molecules apparently bind to a lipid raft enriched domain at the base of the primary cilia through interacting with lipid raft components, such as GD3 ganglioside and scaffold protein caveolin 1. Furthermore, the binding of galectin 8 at this critical region triggers rapid growth of primary cilia by perturbing the barrier function of the transition zone (TZ). Our study also demonstrates the functionality of this barrier depends on intact organization of lipid rafts at the cilia as genetically knockout of Cav1 and pharmacologically inhibition of lipid raft both phenocopy the effect of apical addition of recombinant galectin 8; that is, rapid elongation of primary cilia and redistribution of cilia proteins from TZ to the growing axoneme. Indeed, as cilia elongated, endogenous galectin 8, caveolin 1, and TZ component, TMEM231, also transited from the TZ to the growing axoneme. We also noted that the interaction between caveolin 1 and TMEM231 could be perturbed by exogenous galectin 8. Taken together, we proposed that galectin 8 promoted primary cilia elongation through impeding the barrier function of the TZ by interfering with the interaction between caveolin 1 and TMEM231.
Elevating plant immunity by translational regulation of a rice WRKY transcription factor

Summary Plants have intricate mechanisms that tailor their defence responses to pathogens. WRKY transcription factors play a pivotal role in plant immunity by regulating various defence signalling pathways. Many WRKY genes are transcriptionally activated upon pathogen attack, but how their functions are regulated after transcription remains elusive. Here, we show that OsWRKY7 functions as a crucial positive regulator of rice basal immunity against Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae (Xoo). The activity of OsWRKY7 was regulated at both translational and post‐translational levels. Two translational products of OsWRKY7 were generated by alternative initiation. The full‐length OsWRKY7 protein is normally degraded by the ubiquitin–proteasome system but was accumulated following elicitor or pathogen treatment, whereas the alternate product initiated from the downstream in‐frame start codon was stable. Both the full and alternate OsWRKY7 proteins have transcriptional activities in yeast and rice cells, and overexpression of each form enhanced resistance to Xoo infection. Furthermore, disruption of the main AUG in rice increased the endogenous translation of the alternate stabilized form of OsWRKY7 and enhanced bacterial blight resistance. This study provides insights into the coordination of alternative translation and protein stability in the regulation of plant growth and basal defence mediated by the OsWRKY7 transcription factor, and also suggests a promising strategy to breed disease‐resistant rice by translation initiation control.
Ultra-short echo time (UTE) MR imaging: A brief review on technical considerations and clinical applications

Abstract Background With the availability of MRI sequences with ultrashort echo times (UTE sequences), a signal can be gained from tissue, which was formerly only indirectly accessible. While already extensively employed in various research settings, the widespread transition of UTE imaging to clinical practice is just starting. Methods Based on a systematic literature search as well as knowledge gained through annual participation in conferences dedicated to advances in MRI, this review aims to give a brief overview of technical considerations and challenges of UTE imaging and summarizes the major areas of application of UTE imaging. Results UTE is already employed in clinical practice for structural lung imaging as well as the characterization of tissue composition and its alterations in selected musculoskeletal, cardiovascular, or neurodegenerative diseases. In specific contexts it can replace CT examinations with ionizing radiation and is especially attractive for pediatric patients and longitudinal monitoring of disease progression and treatment. Conclusion UTE imaging provides an interesting and very valuable tool for various clinical purposes and promises a multitude of new insights into tissue properties. While some challenges remain, ongoing adoption in the clinical routine can be expected, as UTE approaches provide a new contrast and capture a signal in tissue formerly invisible on MR imaging. Key Points: UTE imaging gains relevance in clinical settings UTE imaging is employed for the characterization of tissue composition and its alterations in selected musculoskeletal, cardiovascular, or neurodegenerative diseases UTE imaging is employed in the clinical routine for structural lung imaging UTE imaging promises a multitude of new insights into tissue properties
Using Bland–Altman Analysis to Identify Appropriate Clonogenic Assay Colony Counting Techniques

Objective Determine the interchangeability of various methods utilized for counting colonies in clonogenic assays. Methods Clonogenic assays of 2 head and neck cancer cell lines were counted through 4 different counting modalities: Manual counting pen, via microscope, 1 publicly available automated algorithm, and a semiautomated algorithm presented by the authors. Each method counted individual wells (N = 24). Pen and microscopic counts were performed by 2 observers. Parameters included both low-growth (<150 colonies/well) and high-growth (>150 colonies/well) cell lines. Correlational and Bland–Altman analyses were performed using SPSS software. Results Interobserver manual pen count correlation R2 value in both growth conditions was 0.902; controlling for only low-growth conditions decreased R2 to 0.660. Correlation of microscopic versus pen counts R2 values for observers 1 and 2 were 0.955 and 0.775, respectively. Comparing techniques, Bland–Altman revealed potential bias with respect to the magnitude of measurement (P < .001) for both observers. Correlation of microscopic counts for both interobserver (R2 = 0.902) and intraobserver (R2 = 0.916) were analyzed. Bland–Altman revealed no bias (P = .489). Automated versus microscopic counts revealed no bias between methodologies (P = .787) and a lower correlation coefficient (R2 = 0.384). Semiautomated versus microscopic counts revealed no bias with respect to magnitude of measurement for either observer (P = .327, .229); Pearson correlation was 0.985 (R2 = 0.970) and 0.965 (R2 = 0.931) for observer 1 and 2. Semiautomated versus manual pen colony counts revealed a significant bias with respect to magnitude of measurement (P < .001). Conclusion Counting with a manual pen demonstrated significant bias when compared to microscopic and semiautomated colony counts; 2 methods were deemed to be interchangeable. Thus, training algorithms based on manual counts may introduce this bias as well. Algorithms trained to select colonies based on size (pixels2) and shape (circularity) should be prioritized. Solely relying on Bland–Altman or correlational analyses when determining method interchangeability should be avoided; they rather should be used in conjunction.
3D‐Printed Lattice Structures for Sound Absorption: Current Progress, Mechanisms and Models, Structural‐Property Relationships, and Future Outlook

Abstract The reduction of noises, achieved through absorption, is of paramount importance to the well‐being of both humans and machines. Lattice structures, defined as architectured porous solids arranged in repeating patterns, are emerging as advanced sound‐absorbing materials. Their immense design freedom allows for customizable pore morphology and interconnectivity, enabling the design of specific absorption properties. Thus far, the sound absorption performance of various types of lattice structures are studied and they demonstrated favorable properties compared to conventional materials. Herein, this review gives a thorough overview on the current research status, and characterizations for lattice structures in terms of acoustics is proposed. Till date, there are four main sound absorption mechanisms associated with lattice structures. Despite their complexity, lattice structures can be accurately modelled using acoustical impedance models that focus on critical acoustical geometries. Four defining features: morphology, relative density, cell size, and number of cells, have significant influences on the acoustical geometries and hence sound wave dissipation within the lattice. Drawing upon their structural‐property relationships, a classification of lattice structures into three distinct types in terms of acoustics is proposed. It is proposed that future attentions can be placed on new design concepts, advanced materials selections, and multifunctionalities.
Angiogenic Potential of Various Oral Cavity–Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells and Cell-Derived Secretome: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Abstract Recent evidence suggests the immense potential of human mesenchymal stem cell (hMSC) secretome conditioned medium-mediated augmentation of angiogenesis. However, angiogenesis potential varies from source and origin. The hMSCs derived from the oral cavity share an exceptional quality due to their origin from a hypoxic environment. Our systematic review aimed to compare the mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) derived from various oral cavity sources and cell-derived secretomes, and evaluate their angiogenic potential. A literature search was conducted using PubMed and Scopus from January 2000 to September 2020. Source-wise outcomes were systematically analyzed using in vitro , in vivo , and in ovo studies, emphasizing endothelial cell migration, tube formation, and blood vessel formation. Ninety-four studies were included in the systematic review, out of which 4 studies were subsequently included in the meta-analysis. Prominent growth factors and other bioactive components implicated in improving angiogenesis were included in the respective studies. The findings suggest that oral tissues are a rich source of hMSCs. The meta-analysis revealed a positive correlation between dental pulp–derived MSCs (DPMSCs) and stem cells derived from apical papilla (SCAP) compared to human umbilical cord–derived endothelial cell lines as a control. It shows a statistically significant positive correlation between the co-culture of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) and DPMSCs with tubule length formation and total branching points. Our meta-analysis revealed that oral-derived MSCs (dental pulp stem cells and SCAP) carry a better angiogenic potential in vitro than endothelial cell lines alone. The reviewed literature illustrates that oral cavity–derived MSCs (OC-MSCs) increased angiogenesis. The present literature reveals a dearth of investigations involving sources other than dental pulp. Even though OC-MSCs have revealed more significant potential than other MSCs, more comprehensive, target-oriented interinstitutional prospective studies are warranted to determine whether oral cavity–derived stem cells are the most excellent sources of significant angiogenic potential.
Interplay of Paleostructure, Sedimentation and Preservation of Middle Jurassic Rocks, Bighorn Basin, Wyoming

'The Middle Jurassic rocks of the Bighorn Basin are an ideal sequence in which to stucly the interaction of uplift and erosion, and their influences on marine deposition and preservation. 'The basin contains thousands of well penetrations and excellent outcrops. An unclerstancling of the interaction of paleOSCI-UC~U~~, secllmentation, and preservation, provicles might to the complex geologic history of this reglon. Rock units of interest to this stucly are the Gypsum Spring, Piper and lower Sundance formations. 'Shree significant uplift episodes are also evident in this sequence, representecl by the J,, J2 and J4 unconformities. The position and timing of these tectonic events resultecl in changes in the preservation potential of the underlying sedimentary package 'The J, unconformity represents uplift and erosion prior to Gypsum Spring deposition. The J2 unconformity reflects uplift and erosion of the Gypsum Spring Formation, which set up a comples bathymetly for the aclvancing Sundance Sea. A large north to northwesterly oriented paleohigh (Black Mount:~in High), cleveloped in the southeastern portion of the Bighorn Basin, influencing seclinienc~tion clurmg lower Sundance deposition. The final uplift and erosion event is expressecl by the J4 unconformity. This unconformity caps the Miclclle Jurassic sequence. Data suggest that the SI~ericlan Arch was uplifted during this time, not post Gypsum Spring time as previously suggested.
The Geography of Volunteer Tourism: Place Matters

Abstract Volunteer tourism is a growing form of alternative travel and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are the primary institutions placing volunteers abroad. This empirical study focuses on the criteria used by volunteer-tourism NGOs for choosing countries and locations for their work. It also assesses how they use tourist activities and place image to market destinations and to pull or draw in potential volunteers. An examination of the postings on volunteerabroad.com showed that the activity by international volunteer NGOs is clustered or geographically concentrated in just a few places. The twelve member organizations of the International Volunteer Programs Association (IVPA) were used as a case study group, and interviews with the directors identified six criteria for choosing project locations. They were safety, need, attractiveness of the place, presence of local partner organizations, previous staff experience and accessibility. A review of the IVPA member websites revealed significant references to tourism, and dramatic imagery and descriptions of places were widely utilized to attract volunteers. This research contributes to the emerging body of literature on volunteer tourism by examining the locational and place-orientated aspects of the industry. In a largely consumer-dependent segment of the NGO aid industry, destination is primary and place matters.