Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effect of Age on Attentional Control in Dual-Tasking

Background/Study Context: The age-related differences in divided attention and attentional control have been associated with several negative outcomes later in life. However, numerous questions remain unanswered regarding the nature of these age differences and the role of attentional control abilities in dual-tasking. The aim of this study was to evaluate the sources for age differences in dual-tasking and more specifically: (1) whether they occur because of differences in attentional control skills, or (2) whether the age-related decrement in dual-tasking is due to a general resource reduction that would affect the ability to complete any demanding task. Methods: In two experiments, young and older adults were required to combine an auditory digit span task and a visuospatial tracking task, for which performance was individually adjusted on each task. In Experiment 1, attentional control skills were measured by instructing participants to deliberately vary attentional priority between the two tasks. In Experiment 2, resource availability was measured by varying the level of difficulty of the visuospatial tracking task in a parametric manner by increasing the speed of the target to be tracked. Results: Both experiments confirmed the presence of a larger dual-task cost in older adults than in young adults. In Experiment 1, older participants were unable to vary their performance according to task instructions compared with younger adults. Experiment 2 showed that the age-related difference in dual-task cost was not amplified by a variation in difficulty. Conclusion: A marked age-related difference was found in the ability to control attentional focus in response to task instructions. However, increasing resource demand in a parametric manner does not increase the age-related differences in dual-tasking, suggesting that the difficulties experienced by older adults cannot be entirely accounted for by an increased competition for resources. A reduction in attentional control skills is proposed to account for the divided attention deficit reported in aging.
Production and Quality Evaluation of Pringles from Composite Flour of Cocoyam and Wheat Flour

: Work assessed “Pringles” as an imitate snack produced from composite flour of cocoyam and wheat. This was carried out in order to exploit the nutritional and aesthetic value of cocoyam ( Colocasia escullenta Var.) to improve the overall quality of the Pringles as against its production from potato and wheat composite flour. Composite flour (100%:0%, 90%:10%, 80%:20%, 70%:30%, 60%:40% and 50%:50%) of cocoyam and wheat respectively as the major raw materials were adopted and used for the production of the Pringles. Physicochemical analysis (pH, water absorption capacity (WAC), bulk density (BD) and swelling capacity (SC)); proximate analysis (protein, fats, ash, moisture and carbohydrate content) and sensory evaluation (colour, texture, taste and overall acceptability) were carried out on the samples produced using standard methods. Physicochemical analysis showed the pH of 5.48 to 6.61, WAC (12.00 to 17.50), BD (1.43 to 1.56) and SW (1.03 to 1.38). However, sample with 10% cocoyam and 90% wheat composite flour gave the best physicochemical properties of pH (5.98), WAC (14.00), BD (1.56) and SC (1.38). The proximate analysis showed that carbohydrate content ranging between 53.36 to 61.12, and protein content (8.17 to 12.29), fat content (16.67 to 23.97), ash content (3.49 to 45.53), fiber content (1.71 to 2.83) and moisture content (8.76 to 14.54). Sample B equally gave the nutrient proximate combination of appreciable percentage on the average. The result of the sensory evaluation showed that there is no significant difference between the samples produced in terms of aroma. There is a significant different between samples A, B and the remaining samples in terms of colour and taste. On the overall acceptability, samples A, C and D showed no significant difference but the highest mean score was found with sample B. Conclusively, acceptable snack (Pringles) can be produced from cocoyam and wheat in ratio 90%:10%, respectively.
Experiences of non-specialist nurses caring for patients and their significant others undergoing transitions during palliative end-of-life cancer care: a systematic review

Background Non-specialist nurses, who are providing palliative end-of-life cancer care to patients and significant others undergoing psychosocial and existential transitions, may experience dissatisfaction, frustration and sorrow. On the other hand, they may also experience happiness, increased knowledge and personal growth. Objective/question What are non-specialist nurses’ experiences when providing palliative end-of-life cancer care that involves the psychosocial and existential transitions of their patients and significant others? Inclusion criteria Types of participants The current review considered studies that included a description of the experiences of non-specialist trained registered nurses (RNs) working in non-specialist wards. Phenomena of interest The current review considered studies that investigated experiences of RNs when providing palliative end-of-life cancer care that involves the psychosocial and existential transitions of their patients and significant others. Context The contact and care for patients and their significant others during palliative end-of-life cancer care. Types of studies The current review considered studies that focused on qualitative data including, but not limited to, designs such as phenomenology, grounded theory, ethnography, action research and feminist research. Search strategy The search aimed at finding both published and unpublished studies in English, Danish, Norwegian, Swedish and German, and was unrestricted by time. Eleven electronic databases and seven websites were searched. Methodological quality Methodological validity of the qualitative papers was assessed independently by two reviewers using the standardized critical appraisal instruments from the Joanna Briggs Institute Qualitative Assessment and Review Instrument (JBI-QARI). Data extraction Data were extracted from papers included in the review using the standardized data extraction tool from the JBI-QARI. Data synthesis Qualitative research findings were synthesized using the JBI-QARI. Results A total of 81 findings were extracted from the three studies and allocated to five categories and merged into a meta-synthesis with the overarching synthesized finding related to the challenges that non-specialist nurses faced when providing palliative end-of-life cancer care. The summary of findings is illustrated below. Conclusion The studies in this review provided useful and credible statements from non-specialist nurses working in non-specialist wards about their challenges when providing palliative end-of-life cancer care to patients and their significant others undergoing psychosocial and existential transitions.
Attribute-Driven Community Search

Recently, community search over graphs has gained significant interest. In applications such as analysis of protein-protein interaction (PPI) networks, citation graphs, and collaboration networks, nodes tend to have attributes. Unfortunately, most previous community search algorithms ignore attributes and result in communities with poor cohesion w.r. t. their node attributes. In this paper, we study the problem of attribute-driven community search, that is, given an undirected graph G where nodes are associated with attributes, and an input query Q consisting of nodes V q and attributes W q , find the communities containing V q , in which most community members are densely inter-connected and have similar attributes. We formulate this problem as finding attributed truss communities (ATC), i.e., finding connected and close k-truss subgraphs containing V q , with the largest attribute relevance score. We design a framework of desirable properties that good score function should satisfy. We show that the problem is NP-hard. However, we develop an efficient greedy algorithmic framework to iteratively remove nodes with the least popular attributes, and shrink the graph into an ATC. In addition, we also build an elegant index to maintain k -truss structure and attribute information, and propose efficient query processing algorithms. Extensive experiments on large real-world networks with ground-truth communities show that our algorithms significantly outperform the state of the art and demonstrates their efficiency and effectiveness.
Malnutrition associated with unfavorable outcome and death among South African MDR-TB and HIV co-infected children.

SETTING Pediatric multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) is complicated by difficult diagnosis, complex treatment, and high mortality. In South Africa, these challenges are amplified by human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) co-infection; however, evidence on treatment outcomes among co-infected children is limited. OBJECTIVE Using conventional and new pediatric definitions, to describe treatment outcomes and identify risk factors for unfavorable outcome and mortality in children aged <15 years with MDR-TB or extensively drug-resistant TB (XDR-TB) in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. DESIGN Retrospective cohort study in a regional TB referral hospital. RESULTS From January 2009 to June 2010, 84 children (median age 8 years, IQR 4-12) with MDR-TB (n = 78) or XDR-TB (n = 6) initiated treatment. Sixty-four (77%) were HIV-positive and 62 (97%) received antiretroviral therapy. Sixty-six (79%) achieved favorable treatment outcomes. Overall mortality was 11% (n = 9) at 18 months after initiation of treatment. Malnutrition (aOR 27.4, 95%CI 2.7-278.7) and severe radiographic findings (aOR 4.68, 95%CI 1.01-21.9) were associated with unfavorable outcome. New pediatric outcome definitions increased the proportion classified as cured. CONCLUSION It is possible to successfully treat pediatric MDR-TB-HIV even in resource-poor settings. Malnutrition is a marker for severe TB-HIV disease, and is a potential target for future interventions in these patients.
An extracellular matrix signature in leukemia precursor cells and acute myeloid leukemia

Despite major therapeutic advancements, worldwide death rates of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) remain high, with approximately 20,830 people diagnosed in the USA in 2015, 10,460 (50.21%) of whom were estimated to die from the disease. [1][1] Several studies have shown that leukemia stem cells (LSCs),
Inositol polyphosphate multikinase promotes Toll-like receptor–induced inflammation by stabilizing TRAF6

Inositol polyphosphate multikinase acts as a key determinant of inflammation by stabilizing the signaling adaptor TRAF6. Toll-like receptor (TLR) signaling is tightly controlled to protect hosts from microorganisms while simultaneously preventing uncontrolled immune responses. Tumor necrosis factor receptor–associated factor 6 (TRAF6) is a critical mediator of TLR signaling, but the precise mechanism of how TRAF6 protein stability is strictly controlled still remains obscure. We show that myeloid-specific deletion of inositol polyphosphate multikinase (IPMK), which has both inositol polyphosphate kinase activities and noncatalytic signaling functions, protects mice against polymicrobial sepsis and lipopolysaccharide-induced systemic inflammation. IPMK depletion in macrophages results in decreased levels of TRAF6 protein, thereby dampening TLR-induced signaling and proinflammatory cytokine production. Mechanistically, the regulatory role of IPMK is independent of its catalytic function, instead reflecting its direct binding to TRAF6. This interaction stabilizes TRAF6 by blocking its K48-linked ubiquitination and subsequent degradation by the proteasome. Thus, these findings identify IPMK as a key determinant of TRAF6 stability and elucidate the physiological function of IPMK in TLR-induced innate immunity.
Evaluation of Heavy Metals Uptake and Risk Assessment of Vegetables Grown in Yargalma of Northern Nigeria

The presence of heavy metals in our environment (soil, water and air) and in food (vegetables, beverages, drinks and so on) is not a new phenomenon. The uptake of these metals by humans via consumption of such produce has been reported by many authors from different parts of the world. This work evaluated the HM uptake of vegetables grown in Yargalma in northern Nigeria and assessed risks involved in consumption of such vegetables were assessed. The results revealed the trend in soil metals concentration is Al > Fe > Mn > Mg > Zn > Pb > Ni > Cr > Co > Cu > Cd and for the plant the trend is Fe > Mn > Mg > Zn > Al > Co > Ni > Pb > Cr > Cu > Cd. The transfer pattern for metals from soil to plant is Co > Cu > Cd > Mg > Ni > Zn > Mn > Fe > Pb > Cr > Al. The trend of the DIM value was Fe > Mn > Mg > Zn > Al > Co > Ni > Pb > Cr > Cu > Cd. The trend in DDI was found to be slightly different to the one above, such that it followed the trend Al > Fe > Mn > Mg > Zn > Pb > Ni > Cr > Co > Cu > Cd. The result showed very high HRI values for Cd (65.38), Zn (11.48) and Cu (2.09) while the THQ was similar to the HRI. This confirmed that the soil and vegetables in the area were contaminated with the assayed metals.
Time-lapse microscopic observation of non-dividing cells in cultured human osteosarcoma MG-63 cell line

ABSTRACT Cancer stem cells resemble normal tissue-specific stem cells in many aspects, such as self-renewal and plasticity. Like their non-malignant counterparts, cancer stem cells are suggested to exhibit a relative quiescence. The established cancer cell lines reportedly harbor slow-proliferating cells that are positive for some cancer stem cells markers. However, the fate of these cells and their progeny remains unknown. We used time-lapse microscopy and the contrast-based segmentation algorithm to identify and monitor actively dividing and non-dividing cells in human osteosarcoma MG-63 cell line. Within the monitored field of view the non-dividing cells were represented by three cells that never divided, and one cell that attempted to divide, but failed cytokinesis, and later, after significantly prolonged division, produced the progeny with enlarged segmented nuclei, thus pointing to a possible mitotic catastrophe. Together, these cells initially constituted about 6.2% of the total number of seeded cells, yet only 0.02% of all cells at the end of the observation period when cells became confluent. Non-dividing cells were characterized by rounded shape, dark nuclei, random cytoplasmic streaming and subtle oscillatory movement, however, they did not migrate and rarely formed cell-cell contacts as compared to actively dividing cells. Our data indicate that the observed non-dividing MG-63 cells do not have a growth advantage over other cells and, therefore, they do not contribute to the cancer stem cells pool.
Hearing aid fitting and developmental outcomes of children fit according to either the NAL or DSL prescription: fit-to-target, audibility, speech and language abilities

Abstract Objective: This study examined the influence of prescription on hearing aid (HA) fitting characteristics and 5-year developmental outcomes of children. Design: A randomised controlled trial implemented as part of a population-based study on Longitudinal Outcomes of Children with Hearing Impairment (LOCHI). Study sample: Two-hundred and thirty-two children that were fit according to either the National Acoustic Laboratories (NAL) or Desired Sensation Level (DSL) prescription. Results: Deviation from targets and root-mean-square error in HA fitting revealed no significant difference between fitting prescriptions. Aided audibility quantified by using the Speech Intelligibility Index (SII) model showed that DSL provided higher audibility than NAL at low and medium input levels but not at high input level. After allowing for hearing loss desensitisation, differences in audibility between prescription groups were significant only at low input level. The randomised trial of prescription that was implemented for 163 children revealed no significant between-group differences in speech production, perception, and language; but parent-rated functional performance was higher for the DSL than for the NAL group. Conclusions: Proximity to prescriptive targets was similar between fitting prescriptions. The randomised trial revealed differences in aided audibility at low input level between prescription groups, but no significant differences in speech and language abilities.
Elucidating the role of Cyclooxygenase‐2 in the pathogenesis of oral lichen planus – an immunohistochemical study with supportive histochemical analysis

OBJECTIVE Oral lichen planus (OLP) is a chronic, inflammatory disorder that affects the oral mucous membrane. During an inflammatory response, several chemokines and cytokines are released by the cells of the immune system. Activation of MMPs, along with mast cell-derived chymase and tryptase, degrades the basement membrane structural proteins, resulting in basement membrane breaks. AIM To investigate the association between the COX-2 expressions, presence of intact or degranulating mast cells within the connective tissue and the extent of basement membrane discontinuity in OLP cases. METHODS This study included a total of 50 formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded specimens (FFPE) of histologically confirmed cases of idiopathic oral lichen planus. A retrospective cross-sectional analysis was carried out by immunohistochemistry to study the epithelial expression of COX-2 and by the use of special stains such as toluidine blue and periodic acid-Schiff (PAS) to study the mast cell count and basement membrane changes in the oral mucosal tissue, respectively. RESULTS There was a significant (P = 0.03) association between the COX-2 expressions and mast cell count. As the intensity of COX-2 expression increased from mild to moderate or severe, the number of mast cell count almost doubled. CONCLUSION Interaction between upregulation of COX-2, mast cell and basement membrane sets a vicious cycle which relates to the chronic nature of the disease. Inhibitors of COX-2 may reduce the inflammatory process preceding the immune dysregulation in OLP.
Utility and reliability of non‐invasive muscle function tests in high‐fat‐fed mice

What is the central question of this study? Non‐invasive muscle function tests have not been validated for use in the study of muscle performance in high‐fat‐fed mice. What is the main finding and its importance? This study shows that grip strength, hang wire and four‐limb hanging tests are able to discriminate the muscle performance between chow‐fed and high‐fat‐fed mice at different time points, with grip strength being reliable after 5, 10 and 20 weeks of dietary intervention.
Male smokers’ experiences of an appearance-focused facial-ageing intervention

This study investigated 30 male smokers’ experiences of an appearance-focused, facial-ageing intervention. Individual interviews (n = 21) and three focus groups (n = 9) were conducted. Transcripts were analysed using thematic analysis. Male smokers explained that viewing the impacts of smoking on their own faces was the most effective part of the intervention and 22 men (73%) said that they intended quitting smoking or reducing number of cigarettes smoked post-intervention. It is recommended that designers of appearance-focused interventions target men in the future as the current findings demonstrated that the majority of men engaged well with the intervention.
Exploring Function Prediction in Protein Interaction Networks via Clustering Methods

Complex networks have recently become the focus of research in many fields. Their structure reveals crucial information for the nodes, how they connect and share information. In our work we analyze protein interaction networks as complex networks for their functional modular structure and later use that information in the functional annotation of proteins within the network. We propose several graph representations for the protein interaction network, each having different level of complexity and inclusion of the annotation information within the graph. We aim to explore what the benefits and the drawbacks of these proposed graphs are, when they are used in the function prediction process via clustering methods. For making this cluster based prediction, we adopt well established approaches for cluster detection in complex networks using most recent representative algorithms that have been proven as efficient in the task at hand. The experiments are performed using a purified and reliable Saccharomyces cerevisiae protein interaction network, which is then used to generate the different graph representations. Each of the graph representations is later analysed in combination with each of the clustering algorithms, which have been possibly modified and implemented to fit the specific graph. We evaluate results in regards of biological validity and function prediction performance. Our results indicate that the novel ways of presenting the complex graph improve the prediction process, although the computational complexity should be taken into account when deciding on a particular approach.
C-Reactive Protein Concentration Can Help to Identify Bacteremia in Children Visiting the Emergency Department: A Single Medical Center Experience

Background For febrile children who are evaluated in a pediatric emergency department (PED), blood culture can be considered the laboratory criterion standard to detect bacteremia. However, high rates of negative, false-positive, or contaminated blood cultures in children often result in this testing being noncontributory. This study determined the factors associated with true-positive blood cultures in children. Methods This retrospective study was conducted at a tertiary medical center's PED. The blood culture use reports were prepared by an infectious disease specialist and were classified as bacteremia, nonbacteremia, and contamination. Results We registered a total of 239,459 PED visits during the 8-year period, and 21,841 blood culture samples were taken. Of the laboratory test studies, higher C-reactive protein (CRP) levels and lower hemoglobin levels were observed in the bacteremia group compared with other groups (all P < 0.001). The cut-off value calculated for each age group was adjusted for better clinical usage and significantly improved the blood culture clinical utility documented in the following age groups: 0 to 1 years (CRP level = 30 mg/L, odds ratio [OR] = 5.4, P < 0.001), 1 to 3 years (CRP level = 45 mg/L, OR = 3.7, P < 0.001), and 12 to 18 years (CRP level = 50 mg/L, OR = 6.3, P = 0.006). Using the CRP cut-off value established in this study, we could reduce the blood culture samples in the PED by 14,108 (64.6%). Conclusions This study provides new evidence that CRP may be a useful indicator for blood culture sampling in certain age groups and may help improve the efficiency of blood culture in the PED.
Behavioral Associations with Overweight in Low-Income Children

Food reinforcement (relative reinforcement value [RRV]), self‐control (the ability to delay gratification [ATDG]), and eating outside of homeostatic need (eating in the absence of hunger [EAH]) are associated with overweight/obesity. These constructs have typically been studied in isolation in children, and little is known about how they interrelate and whether these associations differ by sex. The objective of this study is to investigate these associations by sex.