Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Affective Neuroscience of Loneliness: Potential Mechanisms underlying the Association between Perceived Social Isolation, Health, and Well-Being

Loneliness, or the subjective feeling of social isolation, is an important social determinant of health. Loneliness is associated with poor physical health, including higher rates of cardiovascular disease and dementia, faster cognitive decline, and increased risk of mortality, as well as disruptions in mental health, including higher levels of depression, anxiety, and negative affect. Theoretical accounts suggest loneliness is a complex cognitive and emotional state characterized by increased levels of inflammation and affective disruptions. This review examines affective neuroscience research on social isolation in animals and loneliness in humans to better understand the relationship between perceptions of social isolation and the brain. Loneliness associated increases in inflammation and neural changes consistent with increased sensitivity to social threat and disrupted emotion regulation suggest interventions targeting maladaptive social cognitions may be especially effective. Work in animal models suggests the neural changes associated with social isolation may be reversible. Therefore, ameliorating loneliness may be an actionable social determinant of health target. However, more research is needed to understand how loneliness impacts healthy aging, explore the role of inflammation as a potential mechanism in humans, and determine the best time to deliver interventions to improve physical health, mental health, and well-being across a diverse array of populations.
TCR signaling strength dependent regulation of T cell proliferation, survival and Th differentiation by TGF-βR3 (betaglycn)

TGF-β receptor 3 (TGFβ-R3) or betaglycan, promotes high-affinity binding of TGF-β (1, 2 and 3) to TGFβ-R1 and TGFβ-R2. Additionally, it is also a receptor for bone morphogenic proteins (BMPs) and inhibins. Although TGFβ-R3 is widely expressed on cells of both the innate and adaptive immune system, embryonic lethality of Tgfbr3 knock-outs has been a limitation to obtain a mechanistic understanding of its function in immune response. We therefore developed a Tgfbr3f/fmouse and bred with the CD4Cre mouse. Remarkably, thymic inactivation of TGFβ-R3 had no significant effect on T cell development nor did the mice develop spontaneous autoimmunity. This led us infer that TGFβ-R3 is unlikely to have a necessary function in enhancing TGF-β signaling from TGFβ-R1/R2. To interrogate the function of TGFβ-R3 in mature T cells, we generated OT2.Tgfbr3f/f.dLckCre mice and control littermates. We observed that TGFβR-R3 deficient T cells exhibited greater early proliferation than controls, however, their ability to persist was compromised. This effect of TGFβ-R3 was more pronounced with increasing concentrations of OVA323–339 peptide. The differentiation of TGFβ-R3 deficient to Th1 cells under polarizing conditions was significantly reduced in proportion and absolute numbers compared to Tgfbr3f/f T cells and this correlated with lower Tbet expression. Encephalitogenic Th1 cells generated from Tgfbr3f/f.dLckCre mice induced significantly less severe EAE in naïve mice than that from Tgfbr3f/f littermates. Overall or data reveal a novel role for TGFβR3 in promoting of Th1 differentiation and regulation of regulation T-cell activation and survival.
Identification of the Best Cut-Off Value of PIVKA-II for the Surveillance of Patients at Risk of Hepatocellular Carcinoma Development

Simple Summary The use of tumor biomarkers, although debated, for the surveillance of patients at risk of HCC, is common practice in many clinical centers. Here, we investigated the best cut-off value for one of such biomarkers, protein induced by vitamin K absence, or antagonist-II in a large cohort of patients with liver cirrhosis under surveillance. We observed that a cut-off value of 50 mAU/mL was appropriate for the discrimination between patients with hepatocellular carcinoma and those without tumor, and among the latter, allowed the identification of patients with an increased risk of developing hepatocellular carcinoma during the follow-up. Abstract Patients with cirrhosis are at risk of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) development and, according to current guidelines, should undergo surveillance by ultrasound at six month intervals. Due to the known limitations of surveillance strategies based on ultrasonography, the use of tumor biomarkers, although debated, is common practice in many centers. The aim of the study was to identify the best cut-off value for one of such biomarkers, protein induced by vitamin K absence, or antagonist-II (PIVKA-II). We retrospectively enrolled 1187 patients with liver cirrhosis: 205 with a diagnosis of HCC (median age 67 years, 81.0% males) and 982 without tumor (median age 64 years, 56.2% males). During a median follow-up (FU) of 34.6 (11.4–43.7) months, 118 out of 982 (12.0%) patients developed HCC. Serum PIVKA-II was assessed by chemiluminescence immunoassay on the Lumipulse® G600 II platform (Fujirebio, Tokyo, Japan). In the overall cohort (n = 1187), PIVKA-II showed an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.802 for HCC detection. The best cut-off value that maximized sensitivity was 50 mAU/mL (sensitivity = 80%, specificity = 64%). In the 982 patients without HCC at baseline, PIVKA-II > 50 mAU/mL was associated with an increased risk of HCC development during the FU (HR = 1.74, 95% CI 1.21–2.51; p = 0.003)). In conclusion, the evaluation of serum PIVKA-II showed a good performance for HCC detection; a cut-off value > 50 mAU/mL could be suitable for the surveillance of patients who are at risk of developing HCC.
Does Surgical Resection Significantly Prolong the Long-Term Survival of Patients with Oligometastatic Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma? A Cross-Sectional Study Based on 18 Registries

Background: Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a type of lethal gastrointestinal malignancy. It is mainly discovered at, and diagnosed with, an advanced stage of metastasis. As the only potentially curative treatment for PDAC, surgical resection has an uncertain impact on the survival of these patients. As such, we aimed to investigate if patients with metastatic PDAC (mPDAC) benefit from surgery. Methods: Patients with pancreatic cancer in 18 registries of the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database between 2000 and 2018 were reviewed retrospectively. According to the American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC), the eighth edition staging system was utilized. Propensity score matching was applied to strengthen the comparability of the study. The impact of surgery on survival was evaluated by restricted mean survival time (RMST) and Kaplan–Meier analysis. Results: A total of 210 well-matched mPDAC patients were included in the study. The 1 year, 3 year, and 5 year overall survival (OS) of patients undergoing surgery was 34.3%, 15.2%, and 11.0%, respectively. The 1 year, 3 year, and 5 year cancer-specific survival (CSS) of these patients was 36.1%, 19.7%, and 14.2%, respectively. RMST analysis revealed that mPDAC patients with surgery had better OS and CSS than those without (OS: 9.49 months vs. 6.45 months, p < 0.01; CSS: 9.76 months vs. 6.54 months, p < 0.01). Nevertheless, subgroup analysis demonstrated that such statistical significance especially existed in oligometastatic PDAC patients, which refers to those metastases that were limited in number and concentrated to a single organ in this study. Additionally, surgery was identified as a significant predictor for the long-term prognosis of patients (OS: [HR, hazard ratio] = 0.48, 95% CI: 0.36–0.65, p < 0.001; CSS: HR = 0.45, 95% CI: 0.33–0.63, p < 0.001). Lastly, a nomogram was established to predict whether an individual was suitable for surgical treatment in this study. Conclusions: Surgical resection significantly prolonged the long-term prognosis of oligometastatic PDAC patients. Such insights might broaden the management of patients with mPDAC to a large extent. However, a prospective clinical trial should be conducted before a recommendation of surgery in these patients.
Star cluster kinematics in the GAIA era

The GAIA astrometric satellite will measure positions, proper motions and parallaxes of millions of stars with micro-arcsecond accuracy. This will greatly increase our understanding of the stellar populations of the Milky Way and their dynamics. In particular, it will be possible to determine internal and space motions of a large number of open or globular clusters with an accuracy of a few km/s or better, which will bring new insights into the way star clusters evolve and how they and the Milky Way as a whole have formed. It will also be possible to look for clusters which have a common space motion and follow tidal streams from dissolving globular clusters over many orbits by kinematically selecting their members, which will constrain the form of the galactic potential. I illustrate how GAIA will improve our knowledge on the kinematics and dynamics of star clusters and what can be learned by comparing the GAIA data with realistic N-body simulations of star clusters, possible with e.g. future GPU or GRAPE computers. (C) 2008 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim
Arsenic poisoning results from the postharvest use of calcium carbide to ripen Citrus sinensis (L.) Osbeck. fruits

The use of calcium carbide (CaC2) to ripen Citrus sinensis (L.) Osbeck and other non-climacteric fruit is prevalent in parts of the Global South. However, little to no information exists about the potential effects and risks associated with such practices. Hence, it is necessary to determine if contaminants like arsenic that are associated with CaC2 accumulate significantly in orange juices after they are ripened with the chemical. Fresh mature but unripe C. sinensis were harvested from an orchard in Benin City, Nigeria, and exposed to the different concentrations (1.0, 2.5, and 5.0 g) of dry and wet CaC2 in small lidded cylindrical containers with a surface area of 1507.96 cm2. In each container, three oranges were placed while the control setup was allowed to naturally ripen. The control oranges began to ripen on the 7th day, with severe colour loss, whereas the oranges treated with 5.0 g CaC2 (dry) began to ripen on the second day. However, there were already signs of rotting by the sixth day. Even though the orange exposed to 5.0 g CaC2 (wet) began to ripen after 24 h, there were no symptoms of fruit degradation after one week. Moreover, in oranges ripened with CaC2, there was a large deposition of arsenic. The dried and wet-CaC2-exposed oranges showed no significant variations in arsenic accumulation. It was found that the oranges contain 2.15 mg/L juice and 2.06 mg/L peel material. The use of CaC2 for fruit ripening is discouraged and could contribute to reducing the incidence of cancer, skin lesions, poor cognitive development, and non-communicable diseases like diabetes caused by arsenic exposure.
A Review on Small-Cell Lung Cancer: Epidemiology, Pathophysiology, Risk Factors, Diagnosis, Clinical Management and Treatment Modalities

Small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) accounts for roughly 15% of all lung malignancies and is distinguished by a high proliferative rate, a proclivity for early metastasis, and a poor prognosis. Exposure to cigarette carcinogens is highly linked to SCLC. Only one-third of individuals have earlier-stage illness that is responsive to possibly curative multimodality treatment at the time of diagnosis. SCLC genomic analysis revealed a high mutation load and widespread chromosomal rearrangements, nearly usually with functional inactivation of the tumour suppressor genes TP53 and RB1. The relative expression of prominent transcriptional regulators has been used to identify subtypes of illness in both human SCLC and murine models, revealing significant intra-tumoural variation. Tumor development, metastasis, and acquired treatment resistance have been linked to aspects of this heterogeneity. Despite the fact that clinical progress in the treatment of SCLC has been notoriously poor, a greater knowledge of the biology of the disease has revealed new vulnerabilities that might be targeted therapeutically. Immune checkpoint blockade, which was recently introduced into the treatment of SCLC patients, has given benefit to patients, with a small fraction of patients experiencing long-term benefits. Strategies to focus tailored therapy to the patients most likely to react and to extend the long-term benefits of successful anti-tumor immunity to a larger number of patients are urgently needed and are now being researched.
Detection of Temperature-Dependent Spectral Variation on the Asteroid Eros and New Evidence for the Presence of an Olivine-Rich Silicate Assemblage

Data obtained by the near-infrared spectrometer carried by the NEAR-Shoemaker spacecraft show that the spectral properties of the asteroid Eros vary with temperature. The manner in which they vary demonstrates that the mineral olivine is a major constituent of the surface. The near-IR temperature-dependent spectral properties of Eros in the northern hemisphere, and for two individual regions on the surface, show clear evidence of the presence of the mineral olivine and are a close match to the temperature-spectral behavior of LL-type ordinary chondrite meteorites. While the presence of other olivine-rich meteorites cannot be excluded, H-type ordinary chondrites are clearly too pyroxene-rich to be permitted as a major surface component of Eros. The results of the thermal-spectral analysis are consistent with results from analysis of conventional reflectance spectra of the asteroid and contribute unambiguous detection of olivine to the understanding of the surface composition of Eros.
Investigating the Determinants of the Shadow Economy: The Baltic Region

ABSTRACT This study investigates the drivers of the shadow economy within the Baltic region, emphasizing the role of financial development, a missing feature from the extant literature. To this end, we analyzed an annual dataset covering the 2009–2019 period for Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania using panel ARDL and obtained Pooled Mean Group (PMG) estimates. Empirical findings indicate that a rise in the tax burden, further financial development, and institutional development results in the expansion of the shadow economy. However, the establishment of the rule of law and political stability contribute to the contraction of the shadow economy.
Lattice differential operators for computational physics

We present a general scheme to derive lattice differential operators from the discrete velocities and associated Maxwell-Boltzmann distributions used in lattice hydrodynamics. Such discretizations offer built-in isotropy and lend themselves to recursive techniques to enhance the convergence order. The result is a simple and elegant procedure to derive isotropic and accurate discretizations of differential operators of general applicability across a broad range of problems in computational physics. We show the usefulness of this approach by providing examples from hydrodynamics and electrodynamics.
The articulation of consonants in Kinyarwanda’s sibilant harmony

Kinyarwanda’s sibilant harmony causes alveolar /s, z/ to become retroflex when preceding a retroflex fricative within a stem. Intervening coronal stops block sibilant harmony, but bilabial and velar consonants are transparent. This study investigates the production of Kinyarwanda’s sibilant fricatives and also examines transparent and opaque consonants in the system. Articulatory kinematic data were collected for a native speaker of Kinyarwanda using electromagnetic articulography. This allowed calculation of the mean angle for receivers affixed to the tongue tip and blade over the target consonant intervals. Average mean angle reliably and robustly distinguished alveolar and retroflex fricatives, with alveolars showing a lower tip relative to blade. No significant difference in mean angle was found for /t/ in contexts where it blocked retroflex sibilant harmony versus ones where it preceded an alveolar fricative, confirming that /t/ does not participate in the harmony. However, in contexts where /m/ and .
Molecular Oxygen Activation by Citric Acid Boosted Pyrite–Photo–Fenton Process for Degradation of PPCPs in Water

Pyrite has been used in photo-Fenton reactions for the degradation of pollutants, but the application of photo-Fenton processes with extra H2O2 in real water/wastewater treatment has still been limited by the economic cost of H2O2 and artificial light sources. Herein, citric acid (CA) and simulated/natural sunlight are used to develop a pyrite-based photo-Fenton system (pyrite–CA–light) in situ generating H2O2 through the enhanced activation of molecular oxygen. The degradation of pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs), especially acetaminophen (APAP) as the main target pollutant, in the pyrite–CA–light system was investigated. The effects of influencing factors such as various organic acids, APAP concentration, pH, pyrite dosage, CA concentration and co-existing anions (HCO3−, Cl−, NO3−, SO42− and H2PO4−) were examined. At a pyrite dosage of 0.1 g L−1, CA concentration of 0.6 mM and an initial pH of 6.0, the degradation efficiency of APAP (30 μM) was 99.1% within 30 min under the irradiation of xenon lamp (70 W, λ ≥ 350 nm). Almost the same high efficiency of APAP degradation (93.9%) in the system was achieved under natural sunlight irradiation (ca. 650 W m−2). The scavenging experiments revealed that the dominant active species for degrading APAP was hydroxyl radical (HO•). Moreover, a quantitative structural–activity relationship (QSAR) model for pseudo-first-order rate constants (kobs) was established with a high significance (R2 = 0.932, p = 0.001) by using three descriptors: octanol–water partition coefficient (logKow), dissociation constant (pKa) and highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO). This work provides an innovative strategy of the photo-Fenton process for the degradation of PPCPs using natural minerals and ordinary carboxylic acid under sunlight.
DFT Calculation of interaction energies in model Alanine and Valine using different Basis sets

Hartree energy of Alanine and Valine aminoacids using BVWN DFT method and different basis sets are calculated. Alanine (-248.3843246 Hartree) as well as Valine (-327.4475422) energies are found minimum for tzv(2p,d) basis set. Muliken population, Muliken charge, total valance, bond valance, dipole moment, and molecular energy levels of LAlanine and Lvaline aminoacids are calculated using BVWN DFT method and tzv(2p,d) basis set. For Alanine 19 energy levels (E19 = -0.2088a.u.) are occupied, while that for Valine 27 (E27 = -0.2031 a.u.) energy levels are filled and vacant above that.
Preparation and In Vitro Characterization of Magnetic CS/PVA/HA/pSPIONs Scaffolds for Magnetic Hyperthermia and Bone Regeneration

Conventional bone cancer treatment often results in unwanted side effects, critical-sized bone defects, and inefficient cancer-cell targeting. Therefore, new approaches are necessary to better address bone cancer treatment and patient’s recovery. One solution may reside in the combination of bone regeneration scaffolds with magnetic hyperthermia. By incorporating pristine superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (pSPIONs) into additively manufactured scaffolds we created magnetic structures for magnetic hyperthermia and bone regeneration. For this, hydroxyapatite (HA) particles were integrated in a polymeric matrix composed of chitosan (CS) and poly (vinyl alcohol) (PVA). Once optimized, pSPIONs were added to the CS/PVA/HA paste at three different concentrations (1.92, 3.77, and 5.54 wt.%), and subsequently additively manufactured to form a scaffold. Results indicate that scaffolds containing 3.77 and 5.54 wt. % of pSPIONs, attained temperature increases of 6.6 and 7.5 °C in magnetic hyperthermia testing, respectively. In vitro studies using human osteosarcoma Saos-2 cells indicated that pSPIONs incorporation significantly stimulated cell adhesion, proliferation and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) expression when compared to CS/PVA/HA scaffolds. Thus, these results support that CS/PVA/HA/pSPIONs scaffolds with pSPIONs concentrations above or equal to 3.77 wt. % have the potential to be used for magnetic hyperthermia and bone regeneration.
Clinical Characteristics of Adult Functional Constipation Patients with Rectoanal Areflexia and Their Response to Biofeedback Therapy

Background: The London Classification for anorectal physiological dysfunction specifically proposes rectoanal areflexia (RA), which means the absence of a rectoanal inhibitory reflex (RAIR) based on a manometric diagnosis. Although RA is not observed in healthy people, it can be found in adult patients with functional constipation (FC). This study describes the clinical manifestations of adult patients with FC and RA and their response to biofeedback therapy (BFT). Methods: This retrospective study reviewed the reports of high-resolution anorectal manometry (HR-ARM) and the efficacy of BFT in adult patients with FC. In addition, the Constipation Scoring System (CSS) scale, Patient Assessment of Constipation Symptoms (PAC-SYM) scale, Patient Assessment of Constipation Quality of Life (PAC-QOL) scale, Zung’s Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS), Zung’s Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS), balloon expulsion test (BET), and the use of laxatives were assessed. Results: A total of 257 adult patients diagnosed with FC were divided into the RA group (n = 89) and the RAIR group (n = 168). In the RA and RAIR groups, 60 (67.4%) and 117 (69.6%) patients, respectively, had dyssynergic defecation (DD) during simulated defecation. Type II pattern of dyssynergia was most frequently observed in both groups. Compared with the RA group, the RAIR group showed a higher CSS score, physical discomfort score, and prevalence of inadequate relaxation of the anal sphincter (p < 0.001, p = 0.036, and p = 0.017, respectively). The anxiety and depression scores were not different between the two groups. The proportion of patients using volumetric and stimulant laxatives and their combination was significantly higher in FC patients with RA, whereas the efficacy of BFT was significantly lower (p = 0.005, p < 0.001, p = 0.045, and p = 0.010, respectively). Conclusion: Adult FC patients with RA may suffer more severe constipation and have a lower efficacy of BFT compared with those with RAIR.
Performance Analysis of Fault-Tolerant Multiagent Coordination Mechanisms

Performance evaluation of multiagent systems (MAS) embraces several challenges due to uncertain operational environments, such as software/hardware failures and unfaithful communications that facilitate the spread of deceptive messages. One way to smooth the impact of reliability and security potential issues in MAS is to enforce different coordination mechanisms among agents (i.e., coordinating multiple agents that need to perform a sequence of actions to maximize a system-level reward), and evaluate their efficiency. In this article, we propose a tool-based approach, namely COORDINATE, that simulates and compares the performance characteristics of different coordination mechanisms for MAS while considering fault-tolerant and corrupted agents. A smart hospital is adopted as an illustrative example to show the need of performance-based analysis results pointing out which coordination mechanism is more efficient. Experimental results indicate that the interarrival time of tasks to be accomplished, the failure probability of agents, and the ratio of faithful to malicious agents contribute to determining the efficiency of different coordination mechanisms. When varying these parameters in the considered scenarios, the system latency can be reduced up to 4.2× by selecting the optimal coordination mechanism. This way, software developers are informed on the system peculiarities that trigger the switching among such coordination mechanisms for a performance-based optimal solution.