Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Hooded seals (Cystophora cristata) in the Northwest Atlantic Ocean: Uncovering movement patterns, habitat selection and diving behaviour throughout the annual migration

How animals change their movement patterns in response to their environment is a central topic in ecology. The northwest (NW) Atlantic hooded seals occupy areas on the borderline between the North Atlantic- and high Arctic Ocean. By investigating these large predators’ movement patterns through the marine landscape, we can obtain a better understanding of the seasonal dynamics of habitat selection and use. This will improve the knowledge needed for good ecosystem management of critical habitat. This is especially important for highly vulnerable regions increasingly exposed to the oil and shipping industry, as well as global warming. NW Atlantic hooded seals rely on ice for two months of the year, when they reproduce and moult (March and July). Factors that influence the distribution at other times of the year are unknown. Here, 67 hooded seals (33 females, 18 males and 16 juveniles) were equipped with Satellite Relay Data Loggers (SRDLs) during the breeding or moulting season in the period 2004-2008. The study revealed that seals used areas of high topographic relief during migration. Such areas include the Labrador shelf, Davis Strait and Baffin Bay during the post-moult/pre-breeding period (August-February) and the area off the Grand Banks of Newfoundland, Flemish Cap, the Gulf of St. Lawrence and the southeast Greenland shelf during the post-breeding/pre-moult period (April-June). They exhibit sexual and age related segregation in terms of environmental habitat variables (sea surface temperature, surface chlorophyll concentration, bottom depth, bottom topography and ice concentration) and first passage time (FPT) at the area restricted search (ARS) scale. Furthermore, males and females demonstrated differences in diving strategies and fluctuations in the relative change of buoyancy over time. Females used areas with greater water depths than males and displayed an off-shelf, dynamic habitat use while males spent more time on top of the shelf and in areas of high topographic relief. I suggest that hooded seals exhibit a resource partitioning strategy to avoid competition between sexes, or that the geographic segregation and different patterns of timing and magnitude of lipid energy acquisition reflect a difference in energy requirements in relation to fasting periods.
Associations between intraindividual reaction time variability and prospective memory performance in patients with schizophrenia and healthy controls

ABSTRACT Introduction: Patients with schizophrenia exhibit prospective memory (PM) impairment. Intraindividual reaction time variability (IIRTV) is an index of attentional control that is required for PM. This study examined the differences in IIRTV between patients with schizophrenia and healthy controls and the relationship between IIRTV and PM performance. Method: Thirty-nine patients with schizophrenia and forty-two healthy controls were recruited to complete a PM task and the Sustained Attention to Response Task. IIRTV was calculated as the coefficient of variation (mean/SD) of reaction time over correctly responded trials in these tasks. Results: Patients with schizophrenia showed lower PM accuracy and increased IIRTV, while the associations between PM accuracy and IIRTV were significant in healthy controls but not in patients with schizophrenia. Conclusion: These findings suggest impaired PM and relationship between PM and attentional control in patients with schizophrenia.
Maternal cafeteria diet influences kisspeptin (Kiss1), kisspeptin receptor(Gpr54), and sirtuin (Sirt1) genes, hormonal and metabolic profiles, and reproductive functions in rat offspring in a sex-specific manner

Abstract Kisspeptin (KP, encoded by Kiss1, binding to the Gpr54 receptor) is a neuropeptide conveying information on the metabolic status to the hypothalamic–pituitary–gonadal axis. KP acts together with dynorphin A (encoded by Pdyn) and neurokinin B (encoded by Tac2) to regulate reproduction. KP is crucial for the onset of puberty and is under the control of sirtuin (encoded by Sirt1). We hypothesize that the maternal cafeteria (CAF) diet has adverse effects on the offspring's hormonal, metabolic, and reproductive functions due to sex-specific alterations in the expression of Kiss1, Gpr54, Pdyn, Tac2, and Sirt1 in the hypothalamus, and Kiss1, Gpr54, and Sirt1 in the liver. Rats were fed a CAF diet before pregnancy, during pregnancy, and during lactation. The vaginal opening was monitored. Offspring were sacrificed in three age points: PND 30, PND 35, and PND 60 (females) and PND 40, PND 45, and PND 60 (males). Their metabolic and hormonal status was assessed. mRNA for Kiss1, Gpr54, Pdyn, Tac2, and Sirt1 were measured by real-time PCR in the hypothalamus and/or livers. We found that CAF offspring had lower weight and altered body composition; increased cholesterol and triglyceride levels, sex-specific changes in glucose and insulin levels; sex-dependent changes in Sirt1/Kiss1 mRNA ratio in the hypothalamus; sex-specific alterations in Kiss1 and Sirt1 mRNA in the liver with more diversity in males; and a delayed puberty onset in females. We concluded that the mother's CAF diet leads to sex-specific alterations in metabolic and reproductive outcomes via Kiss1/Gpr54 and Sirt1 systems in offspring. Summary sentence Maternal cafeteria diet influences transcript level of Kiss1 and Sirt1 genes, and hormonal and metabolic profiles in a sex-specific manner in rat offspring. Graphical Abstract
Visualizing neutrophil extracellular traps in septic equine synovial and peritoneal fluid samples using immunofluorescence microscopy

Septic synovitis and peritonitis are routinely diagnosed in horses based on clinical examination findings and laboratory assessment of synoviocentesis and abdominocentesis samples, respectively. Diagnosis is difficult in some cases because of an overlap in laboratory results for septic and non-septic inflammation. Neutrophil extracellular trap (NET) formation is part of the innate immune response against pathogens. Identifying and quantifying NETs, which have not been explored in clinical samples from horses with septic synovitis and peritonitis, to our knowledge, may be helpful in detecting infectious processes. Our main objective was to determine whether NETs could be visualized in septic equine synovial and peritoneal fluid cytology samples using immunofluorescence with antibodies against citrullinated histone H3 (Cit-H3) and myeloperoxidase (MPO). We analyzed 9 synovial and 4 peritoneal fluid samples. NET percentages were quantified using a simple counting technique, which is suitable for high-quality, well-preserved, and stained cytospin smears. NETs were evident in all septic samples and were absent in a non-septic sample; NETs were better visualized with Cit-H3 than with MPO immunolabeling. Overall, we believe that there is the potential for NETs and associated markers to be used to investigate and understand septic inflammation in horses.
Low levels of mouse sperm chromatin fragmentation delay embryo development

Abstract We previously demonstrated that MnCl2 induces double-stranded DNA breaks in sperm in a process that we term as sperm chromatin fragmentation. Here, we tested if the levels of double-stranded DNA breaks were corelated to the concentration of MnCl2, and we compared this to another agent that causes single-stranded DNA breaks, H2O2. We found that both methods have the advantage of inducing DNA breaks in a concentration-dependent manner. Mouse sperm were treated with varying concentrations of either H2O2 or MnCl2, and the DNA damage was assessed by pulse-field gel electrophoresis, and the alkaline and neutral comet assays. Oocytes were injected with either treated sperm and the resulting embryos analyzed with an embryoscope to detect subtle changes in embryonic development. We confirmed that H2O2 treatment induced primarily single-stranded DNA breaks and MnCl2 induced primarily double-stranded DNA breaks, indicating different mechanisms of damage. These sperm were injected into oocytes, and the development of the resulting embryos followed with an embryoscope equipped with time lapse recording. We found that aberrations in early embryonic development by day 2 with even the lowest levels of DNA damage and that the levels of embryonic aberrations correlated to the concentration of either H2O2 or MnCl2. Low levels of H2O2 caused significantly more aberrations in embryonic development than low levels of MnCl2 even though the levels of DNA damage as measured by comet assays were similar. These data demonstrate that even low levels of sperm DNA damage cause delays and arrests in embryonic development. Summary Sentence Treatment of mouse sperm with doses of DNA damaging agents that are too low to cause easily visualized DNA breaks cause significant embryonic development problems when used to fertilize untreated eggs. Graphical Abstract
Refractory cold agglutinin disease successfully treated with daratumumab. A case report and review of literature

ABSTRACT Background: Cold agglutinin disease (CAD) is immune-mediated hemolytic anemia. The disease is caused by cold reactive autoantibodies that induce hemolysis through the activation of the complement pathway. Most patients with CAD are elderly, and half may have refractory CAD that may not respond to the first-line treatment option (i.e. rituximab). Some cases are refractory to multiple lines of therapy, including chemotherapeutic agents, which might be toxic, especially for elderly patients. Daratumumab is a human monoclonal antibody targeting CD 38 glycoprotein, a transmembrane protein highly expressed in lymphoid and plasma cells. Daratumumab is currently approved for treating multiple myeloma and is used mainly as a combination therapy with other agents. Case presentation: Our patient is a 69-year-old female diagnosed with CAD after presenting with severe anemia and significant circulatory symptoms. Rituximab was not effective in controlling her disease, and she refused other available chemotherapeutic agents due to their side effects profile. We used daratumumab combined with erythropoietin, which led to a dramatic response measured by stabilizing her hemoglobin levels and transfusion independence. Conclusion: Our case is the third reported case of refractory CAD successfully treated with daratumumab, which suggests that daratumumab might be a potential agent for the treatment and control of refractory Cold Agglutinin Disease.
Familiarity of Brazilian psychologists with basic concepts in sleep science and chronobiology

ABSTRACT Desynchronization of circadian rhythms and sleep-wake patterns impacts biochemical, physiological, and behavioral functions, including mental processes. The complex relationship between circadian rhythms and mental health makes it challenging to determine causality between circadian desynchronization and mental disorders. Regarding the fact that psychologists act as the front line for initial mental health care, we aimed to assess the knowledge and use of sleep science and basic chronobiology by professional psychologists in Brazil. Data were collected via an online questionnaire completed by 1384 professional psychologists between October 2018 and May 2019. Our findings revealed that ±80% of psychologists reported that at least half of their patients presented some sleep-related complaints; however, only ±27% routinely inquired about sleep quality even in the absence of patient complaints. Additionally, only ±66% initiated treatments to understand these complaints, potentially influenced by the lack of prior academic exposure to biological rhythms as reported by ±76% of Brazilian psychologists interviewed. Importantly, ±15% did not believe in an association between mental health and biological rhythms, and even a significant ±67% were unfamiliar with the term chronobiology and ±63% were not able to describe any other biological rhythm except for the sleep-wake cycle. These results demonstrate that fundamental concepts in chronobiology and sleep science are unknown to a substantial proportion of Brazilian psychologists. In conclusion, we propose that this subject could be more effectively integrated into psychologists’ academic training, potentially promoting benefits through the incorporation of a chronobiological approach in mental health practice.
What are the differences between the three most used classifications for acute colonic diverticulitis? A comparative multicenter study: Acute diverticulitis classifications comparison.

BACKGROUND Acute left-sided colonic diverticulitis is one of the most common clinical conditions encountered by surgeons in the acute setting. Currently, the most popular classifications, based on radiological findings, are the modified Hinchey, AAST, and WSES classifications. We hypothesize that all classifications are equivalent in predicting outcomes. METHODS This is a retrospective study of 597 patients from four medical centers between 2014 and 2021. Based on clinical, radiological, and intraoperative findings, patients were graded according to the three classifications. Regression analysis and receiver operating characteristic curve analysis were used to compare six outcomes: need for intervention, complications, major complications (Clavien-Dindo >2), reintervention, hospital length of stay, and mortality. RESULTS A total of 597 patients were included. Need for intervention, morbidity, and reintervention rates significantly increased with increasing AAST, modified Hinchey, and WSES grades. The area under the curve (AUC) for the need for intervention was 0.84 for AAST and 0.81 for modified Hinchey (p = 0.039). The AUC for major complications was 0.75 for modified Hinchey and 0.70 for WSES (p = 0.009). No differences were found between the three classifications when comparing AUCs for mortality, complications, and reintervention rates. CONCLUSION The AAST, WSES, and modified Hinchey classifications are similar in predicting complications, reintervention, and mortality rates. AAST and modified Hinchey scores result the most adequate for predicting the need for surgery and the occurrence of major complications. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE Prognostic and epidemiological study, level III.
Characterization of sperm and implications for male fertility in the last of the Rhynchocephalians

Abstract Managing a species of conservation concern can be best achieved when there is information on the reproductive physiology of both sexes available; however, many species lack this critical, baseline information. One such species, the tuatara (Sphenodon punctatus), is the last surviving member of one of the four reptile orders (Rhynchocephalia) and is the only reptile known to lack a male intromittent organ. Culturally and evolutionarily significant, the conservation of this species is a global priority for the maintenance of biodiversity. In light of this, we characterized the morphology, viability and swim speed of mature tuatara sperm for the first time. We found that tuatara sperm are filiform and bear the remarkably conserved three-part sperm structure seen across the animal kingdom. Tuatara sperm are long (mean total length 166 μm), with an approximate head:midpiece:tail ratio of 15:1:17. While tuatara sperm are capable of high levels of within-mating viability (94.53%), the mean viability across all samples was 58.80%. Finally, tuatara sperm had a mean curvilinear velocity swim speed (μ × s − 1) of 82.28. At the population level, there were no differences in viability or mean swim speed between sperm collected from a male’s first mating of a season and repeat matings; however, the maximum sperm swim speed increased in observed repeated matings relative to first matings. Interestingly, faster sperm samples had shorter midpieces, but had greater viability and longer head and tail sections. This work expands our understanding of male reproductive characteristics and their variation to a new order, provides wild references for the assessment of captive individuals, lays the groundwork for potential assisted reproductive techniques and highlights variation in male reproductive potential as an important factor for consideration in future conservation programs for this unique species.
Open Genes—a new comprehensive database of human genes associated with aging and longevity

Abstract The Open Genes database was created to enhance and simplify the search for potential aging therapy targets. We collected data on 2402 genes associated with aging and developed convenient tools for searching and comparing gene features. A comprehensive description of genes has been provided, including lifespan-extending interventions, age-related changes, longevity associations, gene evolution, associations with diseases and hallmarks of aging, and functions of gene products. For each experiment, we presented the necessary structured data for evaluating the experiment's quality and interpreting the study's findings. Our goal was to stay objective and precise while connecting a particular gene to human aging. We distinguished six types of studies and 12 criteria for adding genes to our database. Genes were classified according to the confidence level of the link between the gene and aging. All the data collected in a database are provided both by an API and a user interface. The database is publicly available on a website at https://open-genes.org/.
Demonstration of a polar-coded optical wireless integration system at K-band

Millimeter wave (mm-wave) and microwave frequency has become a hot research topic in recent years. Comparing to traditional wireless communication frequency, microwave possesses larger available bandwidth, which is up to tens of gigahertz, so that it can support advanced digital services with ultra-high bit rate. To support the transmission rate over 100Gbit/s in an optical wireless system, forward error correction (FEC) is adopted in real-time communication systems to correct bit errors. Polar code is a kind of FEC which can theoretically achieve channel capacity as the code length tends to infinity. In this paper, we experimentally demonstrate a photonics-aided microwave communication system at K-band. With polar coding, 20-Gbit/s signal is transmitted over 20m wireless link. Our experimental results show that BER performance of such optical wireless system can be improved largely after we employ polar coding.
Postoperative delirium in 47 379 individuals undergoing transcatheter aortic valve replacement: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Objective: The study aims to discuss the assessment methods used for the incidence of in-hospital postoperative delirium (IHPOD) in transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) patients and explore possible strategies for preventing and reducing postoperative complications in the geriatric population. Methodology: An electronic search of PubMed, Embase, BioMedCentral, Google Scholar, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials was conducted up to August 2021, to identify studies on the IHPOD following TAVR in patients above 70 years. The primary objective of the study was to determine the incidence of delirium following TAVR and procedures like transfemoral (TF) and non-TF approaches. The secondary objectives were to determine the incidence of stroke and incidence according to the confusion assessment method (CAM) diagnostic tool. The authors only included studies published in English and excluded patients with comorbidities and studies with inaccessible full-text. Results: Among the selected 42 studies with 47 379 patients, the incidence of IHPOD following TAVR was 10.5% (95% CI: 9.2–11.9%, I2=95.82%, P<0.001). Incidence based on CAM was 15.6% (95% CI: 10.5–20.7%, I2=95.36%, P<0.001). The incidence of IHPOD after TF-TAVR was 9.3% (95% CI: 7.6–11.0%, I2=94.52%, P<0.001), and after non-TF TAVI was 25.3% (95% CI: 15.4–35.1%, I2=92.45%, P<0.001). The incidence of stroke was 3.7% (95% CI: 2.9–4.5%, I2=89.76%, P<0.001). Meta-regression analyses between mean age (P=0.146), logistic EuroSCORE (P=0.099), or percentage of participants treated using the TF approach (P=0.276) were nonsignificant while stroke (P=0.010) was significant. When considering these variables, the residual heterogeneity remained high indicating that other variables influence the heterogeneity. Conclusion: IHPOD following TAVR was observed in 10.5% of individuals and in 15.6% using CAM. Its incidence was found to be three times higher after non-TF TAVR (25.3%) compared to TF TAVR (9.3%). Stroke showed an incidence of 3.7% after TAVR and was found to be significantly associated with the risk of developing delirium following TAVR. Further studies are needed to evaluate possible causes and risk factors responsible for delirium and to assess the role of anesthesia and cerebral embolic protection in preventing delirium after TAVR.
Binding of RAGE and RIPK1 induces cognitive deficits in chronic hyperglycemia‐derived neuroinflammation

Abstract Aims Chronic hyperglycemia‐induced inflammation of the hippocampus is an important cause of cognitive deficits in diabetic patients. The receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE), which is widely expressed in the hippocampus, is a crucial factor in this inflammation and the associated cognitive deficits. We aimed to reveal the underlying mechanism by which RAGE regulates neuroinflammation in the pathogenesis of diabetes‐induced cognitive impairment. Methods We used db/db mice as a model for type 2 diabetes to investigate whether receptor‐interacting serine/threonine protein kinase 1 (RIPK1), which is expressed in microglia in the hippocampal region, is a key protein partner for RAGE. GST pull‐down assays and AutoDock Vina simulations were performed to identify the key structural domain in RAGE that binds to RIPK1. Western blotting, co‐immunoprecipitation (Co‐IP), and immunofluorescence (IF) were used to detect the levels of key proteins or interaction between RAGE and RIPK1. Cognitive deficits in the mice were assessed with the Morris water maze (MWM) and new object recognition (NOR) and fear‐conditioning tests. Results RAGE binds directly to RIPK1 via the amino acid sequence (AAs) 362–367, thereby upregulating phosphorylation of RIPK1, which results in activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome in microglia and ultimately leads to cognitive impairments in db/db mice. We mutated RAGE AAs 362–367 to reverse neuroinflammation in the hippocampus and improve cognitive function, suggesting that RAGE AAs 362–367 is a key structural domain that binds directly to RIPK1. These results also indicate that hyperglycemia‐induced inflammation in the hippocampus is dependent on direct binding of RAGE and RIPK1. Conclusion Direct interaction of RAGE and RIPK1 via AAs 362–367 is an important mechanism for enhanced neuroinflammation in the hyperglycemic environment and is a key node in the development of cognitive deficits in diabetes.