Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Altered Antioxidant Status and Increased Lipid Per-Oxidation in Seminal Plasma of Tunisian Infertile Men

Human seminal plasma is a natural reservoir of antioxidants that protect spermatozoa from oxidative damages. There is evidence in literature supports the fact that impairments in seminal antioxidant and lipid per-oxidation status play important roles in the physiopathology of male infertility. Our present study forms the first one which was carried out in Tunisia. We evaluated the antioxidant status in the seminal plasma of 120 infertile men programmed to In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) for the first tentative. Patients were characterized by an idiopathic infertility. They were divided into three groups: normozoospermics who were considered as controls (n=40), asthenozoospermics (Astheno; n=45) and oligoasthenoteratozoospermics (OAT; n=35). Seminal activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GPX) and the levels of glutathione (GSH), zinc (Zn) and malondialdehyde (MDA) were measured. With the significant increase of the seminal activities of SOD and GPX in normozoospermics group, there were positive correlations observed between this enzymes and sperm quality. Also, significant elevated rates of seminal zinc and GSH were observed in control group, but there was contradictory associations reflecting the effects of these antioxidants on semen parameters. However, we noted significant increase of MDA levels in groups with abnormal seminogram. We showed negative associations between this per-oxidative marker and sperm parameters. These results obviously suggested that impairment on seminal antioxidants is an important risk factor for low sperm quality associated to idiopathic infertility and as a result can lead to poor IVF outcome.
Seasonal variation and abundance of Mysids in Auckland region, New Zealand

Over two years monthly monitoring, four mysid species were collected. Tenagomysis chiltoni and T. novaezealandiae were the most common species. Gastrosaccus australis and T. macropsis were rarely recorded. Tenagomysis novaezealandiae was the geographically widespread species, occurs in all sites, abundant in east coast. Tenagomysis chiltoni was most abundant in west coast. Seasonal patterns in abundance of T. novaezealandiae were less apparent and it differs among sites, it may be attributed to the sitespecific factors. Tenagomysis chiltoni showed a considerable seasonal fluctuation: greatest numbers occurring during winter to early summer; lowest abundance during summer to autumn may reflect small scale migration within the stream due to one or more factors. It was evident from correlation analysis the physical factors: site, width of the stream, marginal vegetation cover and soil condition of the substratum influence the abundance and distribution of mysid species. The chemical factors salinity and temperature also influence the species distribution. With the combinations of all these physical, chemical and biological factors influence the species distribution and abundance. Kakamatua Stream supported higher mysid abundance, compared to other sites. This sustained by the size of the water body and dense riparian vegetation bordering the stream, which providing suitable habitats for mysids.
Prudent Access Control Behavioral Intention: Instrument Development and Validation in a Healthcare Environment

This study examined a specific category of healthcare professionals’ prudent access control behavior using a model that integrates the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) and the Health Belief Model (HBM). Two additional variables information security awareness and perceived information security responsibility were incorporated into the model. This was a behavioral information security study, which utilized rigorous instrument construction and validation techniques. Data was analyzed using Partial Least Squares (PLS), a variance based Structural Equation Modeling technique. Results of the study indicate that the HBM and TPB constructs as well as the two additional constructs included in the model are indeed key determinants of healthcare professionals’ intention to engage in prudent access control behavior that mitigate security threats. This study addresses a significant gap in the availability of measures for key determinants of prudent information security behavior.
Dasatinib treatment of chronic-phase chronic myeloid leukemia: analysis of responses according to preexisting BCR-ABL mutations.

Dasatinib is a BCR-ABL inhibitor with 325-fold higher potency than imatinib against unmutated BCR-ABL in vitro. Imatinib failure is commonly caused by BCR-ABL mutations. Here, dasatinib efficacy was analyzed in patients recruited to phase 2/3 trials with chronic-phase chronic myeloid leukemia with or without BCR-ABL mutations after prior imatinib. Among 1043 patients, 39% had a preexisting BCR-ABL mutation, including 48% of 805 patients with imatinib resistance or suboptimal response. Sixty-threedifferent BCR-ABL mutations affecting 49 amino acids were detected at baseline, with G250, M351, M244, and F359 most frequently affected. After 2 years of follow-up, dasatinib treatment of imatinib-resistant patients with or without a mutation resulted in notable response rates (complete cytogenetic response: 43% vs 47%) and durable progression-free survival (70% vs 80%). High response rates were achieved with different mutations except T315I, including highly imatinib-resistant mutations in the P-loop region. Impaired responses were observed with some mutations with a dasatinib median inhibitory concentration (IC(50)) greater than 3nM; among patients with mutations with lower or unknown IC(50), efficacy was comparable with those with no mutation. Overall, dasatinib has durable efficacy in patients with or without BCR-ABL mutations. All trials were registered at http://www.clinicaltrials. gov as NCT00123474, NCT00101660, and NCT00103844.
Clinical Value of Prognostic Instruments to Identify Patients with an Increased Risk for Osteoporotic Fractures: Systematic Review

Background With the broad availability of effective medications, identifying individuals bearing a higher risk for osteoporotic fractures has become an issue of major concern in modern medicine. In recent years various prognostic instruments have become available showing conflicting results regarding estimated risks for individual patients. Objective To provide an overview of current evidence and of opportunities for further research. Methodology/Principal Findings Systematic Review: We identified studies describing the development of instruments and all subsequent validations in electronic databases and reference lists of included studies. We screened for inclusion, read full papers and extracted data on salient clinical features, performance characteristics and quality in duplicate. Searches retrieved 5,275 records of which full texts of 167 papers were obtained after screening titles and abstract. We included 35 studies enrolling a total of 609,969 patients (median 2546) reporting on 31 derivations and 12 validations after assessing full texts. Median follow-up time was 4.1 years (IQR 3 to 7.7). Only four studies validated an instrument that was developed by another group. None of the existing instruments was validated more than once. The five most frequent included variables in the final model were age, body mass index, bone mass index, past history of falls, and maternal history of fractures. The methodological quality of the studies was moderate. Conclusion There is a plethora of evidence available studying the association of risk profiles and the development of osteoporotic fractures. The small number of out-of-sample validations, the large variety of study characteristics, outcomes and follow-up periods impedes from deriving robust summaries and from conclusions regarding the clinical performance of many tools. First and foremost, future activity in this field should aim at reaching a consensus among clinical experts in respect to the existing instruments. Then we call for careful validations and expedient adaptations for local circumstances of the most promising candidates.
Study on Knowledge, Attitude and Practice of Health Workers of East Azerbaijan, Ilam and Khorasan Razavi Provinces about Leishmaniasis During 2015 - 2016: A Comparative Study Before and After Intervention

Background: Leishmaniasis is a parasitic infection caused by the Leishmania spp. and transmitted via the bite of infected female Phlebotomine sand flies. Health education is one of the important approaches to increasing knowledge and awareness of the community about leishmaniasis health issues. Objectives: The aim of this study was to assess the effect of health education on knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) of health volunteers about leishmaniasis in some areas endemic for cutaneous and visceral leishmaniasis. Methods: In this KAP study, 104 health workers (41 from East Azerbaijan, 41 from Khorasan Razavi and 21 from Ilam provinces) were participated in the study. For this purpose, a questionnaire containing 11 items on knowledge, 10 items on attitude and 13 items on practice was used before and after educational intervention. The results were analyzed by SPSS version 22 using Wilcoxon test, Kruskal-Wallis test, McNamar’s test, and Fisher’s exact test. Results: The results showed a significant difference between pre and post-educational intervention scores. These results were reported for each province and for total subjects. KAP among the studied population was at a moderate level before the intervention, and it increased to high levels after the intervention; this difference was statistically significant (P < 0.01). After the intervention, there was a significant difference between the provinces. After the intervention, the level of knowledge in Ilam was significantly higher than Khorasan Razavi and Azerbaijan provinces (P < 0.01). Attitude scores were significantly lower in Khorasan Razavi Province compared to Ilam and East Azerbaijan provinces (P < 0.01), and practice had improved more significantly in Khorasan Razavi province compared to Ilam province (P < 0.01). Conclusions: Health education can be considered as a simple and inexpensive approach to increasing KAP among health volunteers, and it can play an important role in the prevention of leishmaniasis.
Orbital implant infection by Corynebacterium amycolatum

ABSTRACT Corynebacterium amycolatum is a saprophyte gram-positive bacillus of the skin flora. It has been linked to diverse infections in immunocompromised patients and also of different types of prostheses. However, to our knowledge, there are no reports on its ability to produce ocular infections or to grow over alloplastic materials for orbital surgery. We present a case of orbital implant exposure including pure isolation of C. amycolatum. The patient was referred for discharge in his socket. After removal of the artificial eye, a large area of implant exposure and signs of chronic infection were observed. A microbiological sample was taken by rubbing the implant with a sterile swab. The sample was cultured and C. amycolatum was identified by phenotypical characterization. Other microbial species were not isolated. Besides being able to adhere to cardiac and joint devices, this case shows that C. amycolatum is a potential infectious agent of orbital prostheses. Pure isolation of C. amycolatum in an ocular sample is extremely rare and suggests an etiological role of this microorganism in an ocular or periocular infection.
Copatterns: programming infinite structures by observations

Inductive datatypes provide mechanisms to define finite data such as finite lists and trees via constructors and allow programmers to analyze and manipulate finite data via pattern matching. In this paper, we develop a dual approach for working with infinite data structures such as streams. Infinite data inhabits coinductive datatypes which denote greatest fixpoints. Unlike finite data which is defined by constructors we define infinite data by observations. Dual to pattern matching, a tool for analyzing finite data, we develop the concept of copattern matching, which allows us to synthesize infinite data. This leads to a symmetric language design where pattern matching on finite and infinite data can be mixed. We present a core language for programming with infinite structures by observations together with its operational semantics based on (co)pattern matching and describe coverage of copatterns. Our language naturally supports both call-by-name and call-by-value interpretations and can be seamlessly integrated into existing languages like Haskell and ML. We prove type soundness for our language and sketch how copatterns open new directions for solving problems in the interaction of coinductive and dependent types.
Lattice defects in microtubules: protofilament numbers vary within individual microtubules

We have used cryo-electron microscopy of vitrified specimens to study microtubules assembled both from three cycle purified tubulin (3x- tubulin) and in cell free extracts of Xenopus eggs. In vitro assembled 3x-tubulin samples have a majority of microtubules with 14 protofilaments whereas in cell extracts most microtubules have 13 protofilaments. Microtubule polymorphism was observed in both cases. The number of protofilaments can change abruptly along individual microtubules usually by single increments but double increments also occur. For 3x-tubulin, increasing the magnesium concentration decreases the proportion of 14 protofilament microtubules and decreases the average separation between transitions in these microtubules. Protofilament discontinuities may correspond to dislocation-like defects in the microtubule surface lattice.
Comparison study on native olive waste extract and its nano - particles effect on oxidative stress induced by aflatoxin B 1 in rat brain

The classic production of olive oil generates three phases and two wastes: olive oil (20 %), solid waste and aqueous liquor (50 %). The solid waste olive oil cake (OOC) or orujo ) is a combination of olive pulp and stones. (Niaounakis M, Halvadakis, 2004). annually, important quantities of olive residue are produced and may be the source of ecological damages. Like agricultural residues, which are abundant, renewable, low cost raw materials (Jeanne, 2013).
Inhibition of Human Cytochrome P450 3A4 by Cholesterol*

Cholesterol has been shown to be hydroxylated at the 4β-position by cytochrome P450 3A4, and the reaction occurs in vivo (Bodin, K., Andersson, U., Rystedt, E., Ellis, E., Norlin, M., Pikuleva, I., Eggertsen, G., Björkhem, I., and Diczfalusy, U. (2002) J. Biol. Chem. 277, 31534–31540). If cholesterol is a substrate of P450 3A4, then it follows that it should also be an inhibitor, particularly in light of the high concentrations found in liver. Heme perturbation spectra indicated a Kd value of 8 μm for the P450 3A4-cholesterol complex. Cholesterol inhibited the P450 3A4-catalyzed oxidations of nifedipine and quinidine, two prototypic substrates, in liver microsomes and a reconstituted enzyme system with Ki ∼ 10 μm in an apparently non-competitive manner. The concentration of cholesterol could be elevated 4–6-fold in cultured human hepatocytes by incubation with cholesterol; the level of P450 3A4 and cell viability were not altered under the conditions used. Nifedipine oxidation was inhibited when the cholesterol level was increased. We conclude that cholesterol is both a substrate and an inhibitor of P450 3A4, and a model is presented to explain the kinetic behavior. We propose that the endogenous cholesterol in hepatocytes should be considered in models of prediction of metabolism of drugs and steroids, even in the absence of changes in the concentrations of free cholesterol.
Effect of cycling cadence on contractile and neural properties of knee extensors.

PURPOSE This study investigated the effect of prior prolonged cycling exercise performed at different cadences on subsequent neuromuscular characteristics. METHODS Eight well-trained triathletes sustained 80% of their maximal aerobic power during 30 min at three cadences: the freely chosen cadence (FCC), FCC-20%, and FCC+20%. Maximal isometric and concentric (120 degrees x s(-1) and 240 degrees x s(-1)) torques were recorded before and after the exercise. Central activation, neural (M-wave), and contractile (isometric muscular twitch) parameters of quadriceps muscle were also analyzed by electrical stimulation of the femoral nerve. RESULTS Reductions in maximal isometric (P < 0.01) and concentric torques at 120 degrees x s(-1) (P < 0.05) were found after exercise. Central activation levels fell significantly (P < 0.05) by 13-16% depending on the pedaling rate. Although the M-wave did not significantly change after exercise, the ratio EMG RMS/M-wave amplitude decreased significantly (P < 0.01) on both vastus lateralis and vastus medialis muscles for FCC-20% and FCC but not for FCC+20%. Significant decreases in maximal twitch tension (P < 0.01), maximal rate of twitch development (P < 0.01), and time to half relaxation (P < 0.01) were observed postexercise with no effect of cadence. CONCLUSIONS These findings suggest that force reduction after prolonged cycling is attributable to both central and peripheral factors but is not influenced by the pedaling rate in a range of FCC +/- 20%.
Cardioprotective Potentials of Plant-Derived Small Molecules against Doxorubicin Associated Cardiotoxicity

Doxorubicin (DOX) is a potent and widely used anthracycline antibiotic for the treatment of several malignancies. Unfortunately, the clinical utility of DOX is often restricted due to the elicitation of organ toxicity. Particularly, the increased risk for the development of dilated cardiomyopathy by DOX among the cancer survivors warrants major attention from the physicians as well as researchers to develop adjuvant agents to neutralize the noxious effects of DOX on the healthy myocardium. Despite these pitfalls, the use of traditional cytotoxic drugs continues to be the mainstay treatment for several types of cancer. Recently, phytochemicals have gained attention for their anticancer, chemopreventive, and cardioprotective activities. The ideal cardioprotective agents should not compromise the clinical efficacy of DOX and should be devoid of cumulative or irreversible toxicity on the naïve tissues. Furthermore, adjuvants possessing synergistic anticancer activity and quelling of chemoresistance would significantly enhance the clinical utility in combating DOX-induced cardiotoxicity. The present review renders an overview of cardioprotective effects of plant-derived small molecules and their purported mechanisms against DOX-induced cardiotoxicity. Phytochemicals serve as the reservoirs of pharmacophore which can be utilized as templates for developing safe and potential novel cardioprotective agents in combating DOX-induced cardiotoxicity.
Comparative population genetic structure in a plant–pollinator/seed predator system

Comparative analyses of spatial genetic structure of populations of plants and the insects they interact with provide an indication of how gene flow, natural selection and genetic drift may jointly influence the distribution of genetic variation and potential for local co‐adaptation for interacting species. Here, we analysed the spatial scale of genetic structure within and among nine populations of an interacting species pair, the white campion Silene latifolia and the moth Hadena bicruris, along a latitudinal gradient across Northern/Central Europe. This dioecious, short‐lived perennial plant inhabits patchy, often disturbed environments. The moth H. bicruris acts both as its pollinator and specialist seed predator that reproduces by laying eggs in S. latifolia flowers. We used nine microsatellite markers for S. latifolia and eight newly developed markers for H. bicruris. We found high levels of inbreeding in most populations of both plant and pollinator/seed predator. Among populations, significant genetic structure was observed for S. latifolia but not for its pollinator/seed predator, suggesting that despite migration among populations of H. bicruris, pollen is not, or only rarely, carried over between populations, thus maintaining genetic structure among plant populations. There was a weak positive correlation between genetic distances of S. latifolia and H. bicruris. These results indicate that while significant structure of S. latifolia populations creates the potential for differentiation at traits relevant for the interaction with the pollinator/seed predator, substantial gene flow in H. bicruris may counteract this process in at least some populations.
Maternal Influence in Learning by Observation in Kittens

Kittens who observed their mothers perform a stimulus-controlled response (lever pressing to a visual stimulus for food) acquired and discriminated that response sooner than kittens who observed a strange female cat's performance. Kittens exposed to a trial and error condition never acquired the response. Initial differences in attentiveness to demonstrator performances disappeared by the second day. "Altruism" (food sharing) and other forms of social behavior were exhibited by both mother and stranger demonstrators.
Additional Evidence for Morpho-Dimensional Tooth Crown Variation in a New Indonesian H. erectus Sample from the Sangiran Dome (Central Java)

This contribution reports fifteen human fossil dental remains found during the last two decades in the Sangiran Dome area, in Central Java, Indonesia. Among this sample, only one of the specimens had already been briefly described, with the other fourteen remaining unreported. Seven of the fifteen isolated teeth were found in a secured stratigraphic context in the late Lower-early Middle Pleistocene Kabuh Formation. The remaining elements were surface finds which, based on coincidental sources of information, were inferred as coming from the Kabuh Formation. Mainly constituted of permanent molars, but also including one upper incisor and one upper premolar, this dental sample brings additional evidence for a marked degree of size variation and time-related structural reduction in Javanese H. erectus. This is notably expressed by a significant decrease of the mesiodistal diameter, frequently associated to the reduction or even loss of the lower molar distal cusp (hypoconulid) and to a more square occlusal outline. In addition to the hypoconulid reduction or loss, this new sample also exhibits a low frequency of the occlusal Y-groove pattern, with a dominance of the X and, to a lesser extent, of the+patterns. This combination is rare in the Lower and early Middle Pleistocene paleoanthropological record, including in the early Javanese dental assemblage from the Sangiran Dome. On the other hand, similar dental features are found in Chinese H. erectus and in H. heidelbergensis. As a whole, this new record confirms the complex nature of the intermittent exchanges that occurred between continental and insular Southeast Asia through the Pleistocene.
Labor Productivity and Foreign Direct Investment in Irish Manufacturing Industry: A Decomposition Analysis

Overall labour productivity in the Irish manufacturing sector increased by 158 per cent between 1991 and 1999. This paper examines the components of this labour productivity growth in the period 1991-1999, using a decomposition analysis based on plant level data. In order to account for the large presence of foreign plants we carry out our analysis separately for foreign and domestic plants, as well as for four ownership subgroups, four sectoral subgroups, and two time sub-periods. Our results show that although the main drivers of average labour productivity growth in all groups arise within plant and from plant entry, there are marked differences in the relative sizes of these effects across ownership/sector/time-period.