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  • Article
    Zou J, Schiebinger L.
    EBioMedicine. 2021 May;67:103358.
    Artificial Intelligence (AI) can potentially impact many aspects of human health, from basic research discovery to individual health assessment. It is critical that these advances in technology broadly benefit diverse populations from around the world. This can be challenging because AI algorithms are often developed on non-representative samples and evaluated based on narrow metrics. Here we outline key challenges to biomedical AI in outcome design, data collection and technology evaluation, and use examples from precision health to illustrate how bias and health disparity may arise in each stage. We then suggest both short term approaches-more diverse data collection and AI monitoring-and longer term structural changes in funding, publications, and education to address these challenges.
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  • Article
    Pozeg P, Alemán-Goméz Y, Jöhr J, Muresanu D, Pincherle A, Ryvlin P, Hagmann P, Diserens K, Dunet V.
    Neuroimage Clin. 2023;37:103358.
    AIM: Pathological states of recovery after coma as a result of a severe brain injury are marked with changes in structural connectivity of the brain. This study aimed to identify a topological correlation between white matter integrity and the level of functional and cognitive impairment in patients recovering after coma.
    METHODS: Structural connectomes were computed based on fractional anisotropy maps from 40 patients using a probabilistic human connectome atlas. We used a network based statistics approach to identify potential brain networks associated with a more favorable outcome, assessed with clinical neurobehavioral scores at the patient's discharge from the acute neurorehabilitation unit.
    RESULTS: We identified a subnetwork whose strength of connectivity correlated with a more favorable outcome as measured with the Disability Rating Scale (network based statistics: t >3.5, P =.010). The subnetwork predominated in the left hemisphere and included the thalamic nuclei, putamen, precentral and postcentral gyri, and medial parietal regions. Spearman correlation between the mean fractional anisotropy value of the subnetwork and the score was ρ = -0.60 (P <.0001). A less extensive overlapping subnetwork correlated with the Coma Recovery Scale Revised score, consisting mostly of the left hemisphere connectivity between the thalamic nuclei and pre- and post-central gyri (network based statistics: t >3.5, P =.033; Spearman's ρ = 0.58, P <.0001).
    CONCLUSION: The present findings suggest an important role of structural connectivity between the thalamus, putamen and somatomotor cortex in the recovery from coma as evaluated with neurobehavioral scores. These structures are part of the motor circuit involved in the generation and modulation of voluntary movement, as well as the forebrain mesocircuit supposedly underlying the maintenance of consciousness. As behavioural assessment of consciousness depends heavily on the signs of voluntary motor behaviour, further work will elucidate whether the identified subnetwork reflects the structural architecture underlying the recovery of consciousness or rather the ability to communicate its content.
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  • Article
    Vanson S, Li Y, Wood RD, Doublié S.
    DNA Repair (Amst). 2022 08;116:103358.
    DNA Polymerase θ is the key actuator of the recently identified double-strand break repair pathway, theta-mediated end joining (TMEJ). It is the only known polymerase to have a 3-domain architecture containing an independently functional family A DNA polymerase tethered by a long central region to an N-terminal helicase-like domain (HLD). Full-length polymerase θ and the isolated HLD hydrolyze ATP in the presence of DNA, but no processive DNA duplex unwinding has been observed. Based on sequence and structure conservation, the HLD is classified as a member of helicase superfamily II and, more specifically, the Ski2-like family. The specific subdomain composition and organization most closely resemble that of archaeal DNA repair helicases Hel308 and Hjm. The underlying structural basis as to why the HLD is not able to processively unwind duplex DNA, despite its similarity to bona fide helicases, remains elusive. Activities of the HLD include ATP hydrolysis, protein displacement, and annealing of complementary DNA. These observations have led to speculation about the role of the HLD within the context of double-strand break repair via TMEJ, such as removal of single-stranded DNA binding proteins like RPA and RAD51 and microhomology alignment. This review summarizes the structural classification and organization of the polymerase θ HLD and its homologs and explores emerging data on its biochemical activities. We conclude with a simple, speculative model for the HLD's role in TMEJ.
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  • Article
    Messina A, Basilico S, Bottini G, Salvato G.
    Conscious Cogn. 2022 07;102:103358.
    The way we perceive signals coming from the inside of the body (i.e., interoception) may influence the processing of information related to the self. In this study, we investigated whether interoceptive sensibility may play a role in autobiographical memory processes. We evaluated 41 healthy participants with a modified version of the Autobiographical Memory Test, also assessing specificity, vividness, emotional valence, and intensity for autobiographical and public memories. Participants completed a self-report questionnaire measuring interoceptive sensibility. Results showed that autobiographical memories were recalled with higher specificity, vividness, and emotional intensity than public memories. Interestingly, we found that participants with (self-reported) high interoceptive sensibility recalled more positive events in the autobiographical compared to the public condition. Our findings provided new evidence on the selective role of physiological aspects of bodily self-awareness in autobiographical memory, suggesting that interoception is fundamental for supporting adaptive emotion regulation processes when recollecting engrams related to the self.
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  • Article
    Bridges KE, Corballis PM, Spray M, Bagrie J.
    Appl Ergon. 2021 May;93:103358.
    INTRODUCTION: Failure-to-identify hunting incidents occur when a hunter, believing they are shooting at an animal, shoots at another human. Anecdotal evidence from the hunting community suggests that heightened arousal or excitement ("buck fever"), liquid intake, food intake, sleepiness and personality factors may be contributory factors to such incidents. Hunters who have shot other people based on failures-to-identify also report observing their hunted quarry for a considerable time before discharging their firearm. Concerning the complexity of hunting, we sought to ascertain if simulation would prove an effective platform for future safety research into this phenomenon.
    METHOD: We conducted a video-based simulation of a deer hunt during a hunting exhibition show. Participants (N = 60) took part in one of four conditions - two types of scenario (having a good versus bad hunt) and two types of video (clear opportunity to shoot a stag versus clear opportunity to shoot an animal that cannot be identified). We investigated hunting outcomes and physiological arousal during the simulation, as well as personality traits, and self-reports of food, liquid intake and sleepiness. We also measured estimated versus actual time elapsed.
    RESULTS: Pupil dilation, consistent with psychophysiological arousal, occurred when the hunter spotted their first stag, whereas Electrodermal Activity reduced. In the 10 s before shooting, EDA increased substantially. Time also appeared to slow down based on the participants' estimations of duration.
    CONCLUSIONS: The findings corroborate suggestions of physiological arousal in the immediate lead-up to shooting but fall short of direct evidence for "buck fever" contributing to target misidentification. The simulation appeared to provide enough immersion to facilitate future research.
    PRACTICAL APPLICATION: This helps to understand the psychophysiological and temporal considerations of a hunter as they decide to shoot based on the information available to them at the time.
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  • Article
    Knight SJ, Karon O, Goddard MR.
    Food Microbiol. 2020 May;87:103358.
    Microbes influence the quality of agricultural commodities and contribute to their distinctive sensorial attributes. Increasingly studies have demonstrated not only differential geographic patterns in microbial communities and populations, but that these contribute to valuable regionally distinct agricultural product identities, the most well-known example being wine. However, little is understood about microbial geographic patterns at scales of less than 100 km. For wine, single vineyards are the smallest (and most valuable) scale at which wine is asserted to differ; however, it is unknown whether microbes play any role in agricultural produce differentiation at this scale. Here we investigate whether vineyard fungal communities and yeast populations driving the spontaneous fermentation of fruit from these same vineyards are differentiated using metagenomics and population genetics. Significant differentiation of fungal communities was revealed between four Central Otago (New Zealand) Pinot Noir vineyard sites. However, there was no vineyard demarcation between fermenting populations of S. cerevisiae. Overall, this provides evidence that vineyard microbiomes potentially contribute to vineyard specific attributes in wine. Understanding the scale at which microbial communities are differentiated, and how these communities influence food product attributes has direct economic implications for industry and could inform sustainable management practices that maintain and enhance microbial diversity.
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  • Article
    Mbwali I, Mbalinda SN, Kaye DK, Ngabirano TD.
    Midwifery. 2022 Aug;111:103358.
    OBJECTIVE: While childbirth self-efficacy is a very important feature for normal birth, this concept has received limited scholarly attention, particularly in developing countries. This study explored childbirth self-efficacy and the associated factors amongst pregnant women.
    DESIGN: A descriptive cross-sectional study. We used the Childbirth Self-Efficacy Inventory to assess childbirth self-efficacy for normal birth. and determined the associated factors.
    SETTING: Jinja regional referral hospital, Uganda.
    PARTICIPANTS: 425 pregnant women at ≥ 28 weeks of gestation were included.
    MEASUREMENTS: Participants with summated self-efficacy scores ≥ median were considered to have high childbirth self-efficacy, and those with less than the median summated score were considered to have low childbirth self-efficacy. Bivariate and multivariate binary logistic regressions were used to determine the factors associated with low childbirth self-efficacy.
    FINDINGS: The Childbirth Self-Efficacy Inventory items consistently measured childbirth self-efficacy with a Cronbach's α 0.934. Childbirth self-efficacy scores ranged from 84 to 303 with a median score of 233 and a mean score of 228.7 (SD: 40.9). Dissatisfaction with prenatal care (aOR = 2.687; 95% CI: 1.124-6.427; P = 0.026), perception of community social support for women during childbirth as lacking (aOR = 2.274; 95% CI: 1.159-4.458; P = 0.017) and use and/or intention to use herbal medicines in the current pregnancy (aOR = 2.850; 95% CI: 1.553-5.232; P = 0.001) were associated with low childbirth self-efficacy for normal birth.
    CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: Low childbirth self-efficacy for normal birth was associated with dissatisfaction with prenatal care, lack of community social support for women during childbirth and use or intention to use herbal medicines in the current pregnancy. Identifying the associated characteristics and developing interventions for low childbirth self-efficacy is of clinical importance to promote normal birth.
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  • Article
    Lin YS, Tsai YC, Li CJ, Wei TT, Wang JL, Lin BW, Wu YN, Wu SR, Lin SC, Lin SC.
    Redox Biol. 2024 Nov;77:103358.
    Cancer research is continuously exploring new avenues to improve treatments, and ferroptosis induction has emerged as a promising approach. However, the lack of comprehensive analysis of the ferroptosis sensitivity in different cancer types has limited its clinical application. Moreover, identifying the key regulator that influences the ferroptosis sensitivity during cancer progression remains a major challenge. In this study, we shed light on the role of ferroptosis in colorectal cancer and identified a novel ferroptosis repressor, NUDT16L1, that contributes to the ferroptosis insensitivity in this cancer type. Mechanistically, NUDT16L1 promotes ferroptosis insensitivity in colon cancer by enhancing the expression of key ferroptosis repressor and mitochondrial genes through direct binding to NAD-capped RNAs and the indirect action of MALAT1. Our findings also reveal that NUDT16L1 localizes to the mitochondria to maintain its proper function by preventing mitochondrial DNA leakage after treatment of ferroptosis inducer in colon cancer cells. Importantly, our orthotopic injection and Nudt16l1 transgenic mouse models of colon cancer demonstrated the critical role of NUDT16L1 in promoting tumor growth. Moreover, clinical specimens revealed that NUDT16L1 was overexpressed in colorectal cancer, indicating its potential as a therapeutic target. Finally, our study shows the therapeutic potential of a NUDT16L1 inhibitor in vitro, in vivo and ex vivo. Taken together, these findings provide new insights into the crucial role of NUDT16L1 in colorectal cancer and highlight its potential as a promising therapeutic target.
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  • Article
    Olley RC, Mohsen BM, Alhaij S, Appleton PL.
    J Dent. 2020 07;98:103358.
    OBJECTIVES: To investigate the effect of dab-on or brushing of stannous-fluoride SnF2 or sodium-fluoride NaF dentifrice on eroded dentine tubule patency, surface and inter-tubular dentine roughness, using Confocal-Laser-Scanning-Microscopy (CLSM), Atomic-Force-Microscopy (AFM), Energy-Dispersive-X-ray-Spectroscopy (EDX), Scanning-Electron-Microscopy (SEM) and Contact-Profilometry (CP).
    METHODS: 75-polished human dentine samples were prepared and eroded in agitated 6% citric acid to expose patent tubules and 'initiate' DH. Samples were randomly allocated into 5 intervention groups; artificial saliva control (1); electric tooth-brushing with NaF (2) or SnF2 (3), and dab-on application of NaF (4) or SnF2 (5). Samples underwent three cycles of intervention followed by further acid challenge. Patent tubules, likely to cause DH clinically, were measured using validated biocomputational methods with CLSM images of dentine surfaces taken baseline and post-intervention. Randomised samples (n = 15, 20 %) were investigated using AFM, EDX and SEM to study surface and sub-surface tubular occlusion. Dentine surface and inter-tubular roughness were measured using CP and AFM respectively.
    RESULTS: At baseline, mean tubule patency in all samples was 216 (SD 58) with no significant inter-group differences. Post-intervention, the mean patency was 220 (40) and 208 (35) in groups 1 and 2 respectively (p ≥ 0.06), but decreased to 62 (41), 62 (21) and 63 (19) in groups 3, 4 and 5 respectively (p < 0.0001). Patency was confirmed using AFM, SEM and EDX. SnF2 interventions created greater sub-surface occlusion (p < 0.01), and increased CP surface roughness (p = 0.015). Significant negative correlation (-0.6) existed between CP surface roughness and tubule patency (p = 0.009).
    CONCLUSIONS: Dab-on with NaF and SnF2 or brushing with SnF2 reduces DH in eroded dentine with ongoing acid challenges. Contacting surface roughness measures indicate risk of DH.
    CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: Dab-on is a convenient supplementary method of dentifrice application to reduce DH; it beneficially avoids brushing post-erosion or overzealous brushing, enables re-establishment of an appropriate brushing regime post-DH and supports oral health. Significant modes of action of SnF2 in reducing DH are revealed. Finally, CP roughness measures provide indication of dentine lesions that may cause DH clinically.
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  • Article
    Sabour R, Harras MF, Mehany ABM.
    Bioorg Chem. 2020 01;94:103358.
    Recently, targeting survivin proved to be an attractive strategy for developing anticancer agents. Survivin overexpression is highly correlated with cancer aggressiveness, recurrence and resistance to chemotherapeutic treatment and radiotherapy. Additionally, survivin is overexpressed selectively in most cancer types with a very little expression in completely differentiated cells, which encouraged us to design and synthesize a novel series of 3-cyanopyridine derivatives targeting survivin. The newly synthesized compounds were evaluated for their cytotoxic activities against three cancer cell lines; PC-3, HepG2 and MDA-MB-231. Compounds 4a, 4b, 5c and 6c showed significant cytotoxic activities that were more potent than the reference drug, 5-FU. Hence, these compounds were selected to be further studied regarding their apoptotic potential in PC-3 cells. Interestingly, they decreased the level of Bcl-2 by 1.9-3.8 folds and increased the level of Bax by 6.1-8.8 folds compared to the control. Moreover, they elevated the level of active caspase-3 by 7.1-8.5 folds in comparison to the control. In order to estimate the cytotoxicity level of these compounds in non-tumorigenic cells, WI38 cells were treated with these compounds. They showed high IC50 values (148.57-193.64 µM), indicating selective cytotoxicity to the tumor cells, and much less toxic effect to the normal ones. Additional studies on the mechanism of 4a, the most active compound, revealed that it induced cell cycle arrest at the G2/M phase in addition to an increase in the percentage of pre-G1 apoptotic cells. Furthermore, western blotting was carried out using different concentrations of 4a. Results showed that 4a markedly suppressed survivin expression in PC-3 cells and caused a decrease in the caspase-7/cleaved caspase-7 ratio and in Bcl-2/Bax ratio, in addition to an increase in the level of the cleaved PARP. Finally, docking study of the most active compound in the active site (dimerization site) of survivin was in agreement with the in vitro survivin inhibitory activity.
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  • Article
    Zoungrana S.
    Health Place. 2024 Nov;90:103358.
    The practical interrelationships between the African environment and hygiene practices during a pandemic period is a topic of significant importance. Specifically, this research explores the intersection of cultural dynamics and hygiene practices in Burkina Faso, focusing on a recent example of distribution of hygiene materials. It highlights the negative reactions to these foreign interventions, perceived as patronizing and stigmatizing, which underscores the complexities of implementing health initiatives in diverse socio-cultural landscapes. These findings stress the importance of culturally sensitive approaches and greater engagement in public health initiatives like the latrine usage with specific designs for communities.
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  • Article
    Aubry A, Gonthier C, Bourdin B.
    Acta Psychol (Amst). 2021 Jul;218:103358.
    Intellectually gifted children tend to demonstrate especially high working memory capacity, an ability that holds a critical role in intellectual functioning. What could explain the differences in working memory performance between intellectually gifted and nongifted children? We investigated this issue by measuring working memory capacity with complex spans in a sample of 55 gifted and 55 nongifted children. Based on prior studies, we expected the higher working memory capacity of intellectually gifted children to be driven by more effective executive control, as measured using the Attention Network Test. The findings confirmed that intellectually gifted children had higher working memory capacity than typical children, as well as more effective executive attention. Surprisingly, however, working memory differences between groups were not mediated by differences in executive attention. Instead, it appears that gifted children resolve problems faster in the processing phase of the working memory task, which leaves them more time to refresh to-be-remembered items. This faster problem solving speed mediated their advantage in working memory capacity. Importantly, this effect was specific to speed on complex problems: low-level processing speed, as measured with the Attention Network Test, did not contribute to the higher working memory capacity of gifted children.
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  • Article
    Arowosegbe A, Guo Z, Vanderleeden E, Derr AG, Wang JP.
    J Autoimmun. 2025 Feb;151:103358.
    Numerous studies highlight the essential role of type I interferon (IFN) responses in type 1 diabetes. The absence of type I IFN signaling is associated with a partial reduction of autoimmune diabetes incidence in LEW.1WR1 rats. We sought to delineate type I IFN-independent mechanisms that drive diabetes using type I IFN α/β receptor (IFNAR) knockout rats. Rats were treated with polyinosinic:polycytidylic acid plus Kilham rat virus to induce diabetes. Single-cell RNA-sequencing of islets and cytokine measurements in blood and spleen from prediabetic Ifnar1-/- rats were employed to identify factors driving insulitis in the global absence of IFNAR signaling. Islet immune cells were enriched for Ccl4, Ccl5, and Ifng. In addition, interleukin-1 (IL-1) was increased in spleen, and IFN-γ was increased in serum from prediabetic Ifnar1-/- rats. Based on these findings, rats were treated with a C-C chemokine receptor type 5 inhibitor, an IL-1 receptor antagonist, or a nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-like receptor family pyrin-domain containing 3 inhibitor, none of which prevented diabetes. The Janus kinase inhibitor ruxolitinib, which blocks both type I and II interferon-driven signaling, completely prevented diabetes, but only when given for a sustained period starting from the time of induction. The tyrosine kinase 2 inhibitor deucravacitinib also prevented diabetes to a significant degree. We conclude that type I and II IFNs act in concert as the main drivers of autoimmune diabetes and that inhibition of downstream signaling events for both is required for disease prevention.
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  • Article
    Zhang J.
    Environ Toxicol Pharmacol. 2020 May;76:103358.
    Osteoporosis is a progressive systemic disease characterized by low bone mineral density and deterioration of bone microarchitecture. The current therapies are effective to prevent further bone loss and fractures but they are accompanied by undesirable side effects and cost issues. The discovery of Chinese herbal medicines with osteoprotective effects provides alternative treatments to prevent bone loss without causing severe side effects. Artemisinin (ARS) and its related compounds have been clinically used as antimalarial agents. Interestingly, their bioactivity is not limited to antimalarial treatment. Experimental evidences indicate that ARS compounds are a potential type of therapeutic alternative medicine for bone loss induced by accelerated osteoclastic bone resorption. The present review intends to summarize the current understandings of ARS compounds and their molecular mechanisms of actions in preventing bone loss. ARS compounds selectively inhibit osteoclast differentiation by downregulation of pathways involved in receptor activator of nuclear factor kappa-B ligand (RANKL) -induced osteoclastogenesis, and have no effect on osteogenic differentiation of osteoblasts. The exact mechanism of activation and action of these anti-resorption effects are not fully elucidated. Considering the characteristic of high levels of intracellular iron in osteoclasts, ARS compounds may inhibit osteoclast differentiation via mechanisms associated with intracellular iron, including the cleavage of endoperoxide bridge, oxidative damage and ferroptosis. The anti-resorptive effects of ARS compounds need to be further investigated in bone loss models caused by different factors, and to be under clinical development.
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  • Article
    Ball J, Pastor AO, Liou D, Dickey E.
    iScience. 2021 Nov 19;24(11):103358.
    Major infrastructure financiers will have to significantly decarbonize their investments to meet mounting promises to cut carbon emissions to "net-zero" by mid-century. We provide new details about those needed shifts. Using two World Bank databases of infrastructure projects throughout the developing world, and applying a methodology for imputing the projects' likely future carbon output, we assess the emissions profile of power-plant projects executed from 2018 through 2020 - the three years immediately preceding the spate of net-zero pledges. We find that approximately half the generation executed in those years is too carbon-intensive to align with keeping Earth's average temperature from exceeding 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels, largely because of the prevalence of new natural-gas-fired power plants. We also find new evidence of host countries' agency in shaping carbon trajectories: Much of the climate-misaligned financing is not foreign but domestic. And we find different institutions are financing infrastructure portfolios with significantly differing carbon intensities.
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  • Article
    Voigt I, Inojosa H, Wenk J, Akgün K, Ziemssen T.
    Autoimmun Rev. 2023 Aug;22(8):103358.
    Multiple sclerosis (MS) has a longitudinal and heterogeneous course, with an increasing number of therapy options and associated risk profiles, leading to a constant increase in the number of parameters to be monitored. Even though important clinical and subclinical data are being generated, treating neurologists may not always be able to use them adequately for MS management. In contrast to the monitoring of other diseases in different medical fields, no target-based approach for a standardized monitoring in MS has been established yet. Therefore, there is an urgent need for a standardized and structured monitoring as part of MS management that is adaptive, individualized, agile, and multimodal-integrative. We discuss the development of an MS monitoring matrix which can help facilitate data collection over time from different dimensions and perspectives to optimize the treatment of people with MS (pwMS). In doing so, we show how different measurement tools can combined to enhance MS treatment. We propose to apply the concept of patient pathways to disease and intervention monitoring, not losing track of their interrelation. We also discuss the use of artificial intelligence (AI) to improve the quality of processes, outcomes, and patient safety, as well as personalized and patient-centered care. Patient pathways allow us to track the patient's journey over time and can always change (e.g., when there is a switch in therapy). They therefore may assist us in the continuous improvement of monitoring in an iterative process. Improving the monitoring process means improving the care of pwMS.
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  • Article
    Scerri EML, Will M.
    J Hum Evol. 2023 06;179:103358.
    The behavioral origins of Homo sapiens can be traced back to the first material culture produced by our species in Africa, the Middle Stone Age (MSA). Beyond this broad consensus, the origins, patterns, and causes of behavioral complexity in modern humans remain debated. Here, we consider whether recent findings continue to support popular scenarios of: (1) a modern human 'package,' (2) a gradual and 'pan-African' emergence of behavioral complexity, and (3) a direct connection to changes in the human brain. Our geographically structured review shows that decades of scientific research have continuously failed to find a discrete threshold for a complete 'modernity package' and that the concept is theoretically obsolete. Instead of a continent-wide, gradual accumulation of complex material culture, the record exhibits a predominantly asynchronous presence and duration of many innovations across different regions of Africa. The emerging pattern of behavioral complexity from the MSA conforms to an intricate mosaic characterized by spatially discrete, temporally variable, and historically contingent trajectories. This archaeological record bears no direct relation to a simplistic shift in the human brain but rather reflects similar cognitive capacities that are variably manifested. The interaction of multiple causal factors constitutes the most parsimonious explanation driving the variable expression of complex behaviors, with demographic processes such as population structure, size, and connectivity playing a key role. While much emphasis has been given to innovation and variability in the MSA record, long periods of stasis and a lack of cumulative developments argue further against a strictly gradualistic nature in the record. Instead, we are confronted with humanity's deep, variegated roots in Africa, and a dynamic metapopulation that took many millennia to reach the critical mass capable of producing the ratchet effect commonly used to define contemporary human culture. Finally, we note a weakening link between 'modern' human biology and behavior from around 300 ka ago.
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  • Article
    Dong S, Cai Z, Hangel G, Bogner W, Widhalm G, Huang Y, Liang Q, You C, Kumaragamage C, Fulbright RK, Mahajan A, Karbasi A, Onofrey JA, de Graaf RA, Duncan JS.
    Med Image Anal. 2025 Jan;99:103358.
    Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopic Imaging (MRSI) is a non-invasive imaging technique for studying metabolism and has become a crucial tool for understanding neurological diseases, cancers and diabetes. High spatial resolution MRSI is needed to characterize lesions, but in practice MRSI is acquired at low resolution due to time and sensitivity restrictions caused by the low metabolite concentrations. Therefore, there is an imperative need for a post-processing approach to generate high-resolution MRSI from low-resolution data that can be acquired fast and with high sensitivity. Deep learning-based super-resolution methods provided promising results for improving the spatial resolution of MRSI, but they still have limited capability to generate accurate and high-quality images. Recently, diffusion models have demonstrated superior learning capability than other generative models in various tasks, but sampling from diffusion models requires iterating through a large number of diffusion steps, which is time-consuming. This work introduces a Flow-based Truncated Denoising Diffusion Model (FTDDM) for super-resolution MRSI, which shortens the diffusion process by truncating the diffusion chain, and the truncated steps are estimated using a normalizing flow-based network. The network is conditioned on upscaling factors to enable multi-scale super-resolution. To train and evaluate the deep learning models, we developed a 1H-MRSI dataset acquired from 25 high-grade glioma patients. We demonstrate that FTDDM outperforms existing generative models while speeding up the sampling process by over 9-fold compared to the baseline diffusion model. Neuroradiologists' evaluations confirmed the clinical advantages of our method, which also supports uncertainty estimation and sharpness adjustment, extending its potential clinical applications.
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  • Article
    Ha J, Park C, Park C, Park S.
    J Biomed Inform. 2020 02;102:103358.
    Recently, increasing evidence have reported that microRNAs (miRNAs) play key roles in a variety of biological processes. Therefore, the identification of novel miRNA-disease associations can shed new light on disease etiology and pathogenesis. Till now, various computational methods have been proposed to predict potential miRNA-disease associations by reducing the experimental costs and time consumption. However, most existing methods are highly dependent on known miRNA-disease associations. Therefore, the prediction of new miRNAs (i.e., miRNAs without known associated diseases) and new diseases (i.e., diseases without known associated miRNAs) has become challenging. In this paper, we present IMIPMF, a novel method for predicting miRNA-disease associations using probabilistic matrix factorization (PMF), which is a machine learning technique that is widely used in recommender systems. Predicting the rating scores that a user may assign to each item in a recommender system is analogous to predicting miRNA-disease associations. By applying PMF, our model not only identifies novel miRNA-disease associations, but also overcomes the common problem of incompatibility with miRNAs without any known associated disease, which was a limitation of most previous computational methods. We demonstrated that our proposed model achieved a high performance with a reliable AUC value of 0.891 by performing 5-fold cross-validation. Overall, IMIPMF is a high-performance machine-learning-based model for predicting miRNA-disease associations, although it only considers known miRNA-disease associations and miRNA expression data.
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  • Article
    Alawadhi EM.
    J Therm Biol. 2022 Dec;110:103358.
    Jogging trails have been constructed in residential areas in Kuwait City to encourage people to exercise in outdoor spaces. The weather is hot and arid for most of the year. To create a comfortable and healthy local microclimate condition, trails were constructed along a certain direction with respect to the direction of the main prevailing wind and shaded with trees. In this study, the combined effects of tree shading and trail direction on trail surface temperature and physiological equivalent temperature (PET) were investigated. The prime focus is on a PET thermal comfort range between 21.6 °C and 30.1 °C and the period between 5:00 p.m. and 10:00 p.m. The results indicate that the shade of trees effectively protects the trail surface if the shaded trail is along the N-S direction, but it is ineffective if the shaded trail is along the E-W direction. PET analyses indicate that tree shading is irrelevant to thermal comfort only in spring, during which the thermal comfort of all trials was neutral between 5:00 p.m. and 10:00 p.m. E-W is the most comfortable trail in winter and summer. The trees along the E-W direction trail slow down wind speed and increase the relative humidity, which is desirable in arid environments. The E-W trail is the most comfortable because the trees protect people from hot winds in the summer and cold winds in winter. The results of the present investigation provide information of interest for urban designers, who can attain comfortable and healthy local microclimate conditions by choosing the correct trail direction and considering tree shading.
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doi:10.1016/j.ebiom.2021.103358 doi:10.1016/j.nicl.2023.103358 doi:10.1016/j.dnarep.2022.103358 doi:10.1016/j.concog.2022.103358 doi:10.1016/j.apergo.2021.103358 doi:10.1016/j.fm.2019.103358 doi:10.1016/j.midw.2022.103358 doi:10.1016/j.redox.2024.103358 doi:10.1016/j.jdent.2020.103358 doi:10.1016/j.bioorg.2019.103358 doi:10.1016/j.healthplace.2024.103358 doi:10.1016/j.actpsy.2021.103358 doi:10.1016/j.jaut.2025.103358 doi:10.1016/j.etap.2020.103358 doi:10.1016/j.isci.2021.103358 doi:10.1016/j.autrev.2023.103358 doi:10.1016/j.jhevol.2023.103358 doi:10.1016/j.media.2024.103358 doi:10.1016/j.jbi.2019.103358 doi:10.1016/j.jtherbio.2022.103358