Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Predictive factors of non-adherence to secondary preventative medication after stroke or transient ischaemic attack: A systematic review and meta-analyses

Purpose Non-adherence to secondary preventative medications after stroke is relatively common and associated with poorer outcomes. Non-adherence can be due to a number of patient, disease, medication or institutional factors. The aim of this review was to identify factors associated with non-adherence after stroke. Method We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of studies reporting factors associated with medication adherence after stroke. We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, PsycINFO, CENTRAL and Web of Knowledge. We followed PRISMA guidance. We assessed risk of bias of included studies using a pre-specified tool based on Cochrane guidance and the Newcastle–Ottawa scales. Where data allowed, we evaluated summary prevalence of non-adherence and association of factors commonly reported with medication adherence in included studies using random-effects model meta-analysis. Findings From 12,237 titles, we included 29 studies in our review. These included 69,137 patients. The majority of included studies (27/29) were considered to be at high risk of bias mainly due to performance bias. Non-adherence rate to secondary preventative medication reported by included studies was 30.9% (95% CI 26.8%–35.3%). Although many factors were reported as related to adherence in individual studies, on meta-analysis, absent history of atrial fibrillation (OR 1.02, 95% CI 0.72–1.5), disability (OR 1.27, 95% CI 0.93–1.72), polypharmacy (OR 1.29, 95% CI 0.9–1.9) and age (OR 1.04, 95% CI 0.96–1.14) were not associated with adherence. Discussion This review identified many factors related to adherence to preventative medications after stroke of which many are modifiable. Commonly reported factors included concerns about treatment, lack of support with medication intake, polypharmacy, increased disability and having more severe stroke. Conclusion Understanding factors associated with medication taking could inform strategies to improve adherence. Further research should assess whether interventions to promote adherence also improve outcomes.
Indole Alkaloids from Fischerella Inhibit Vertebrate Development in the Zebrafish (Danio rerio) Embryo Model

Cyanobacteria are recognized producers of toxic or otherwise bioactive metabolite associated, in particular, with so-called “harmful algal blooms” (HABs) and eutrophication of freshwater systems. In the present study, two apparently teratogenic indole alkaloids from a freshwater strain of the widespread cyanobacterial genus, Fischerella (Stigonemataceae), were isolated by bioassay-guided fractionation, specifically using the zebrafish (Danio rerio) embryo, as a model of vertebrate development. The two alkaloids include the previously known 12-epi-hapalindole H isonitrile (1), and a new nitrile-containing variant, 12-epi-ambiguine B nitrile (2). Although both compounds were toxic to developing embryos, the former compound was shown to be relatively more potent, and to correlate best with the observed embryo toxicity. Related indole alkaloids from Fischerella, and other genera in the Stigonemataceae, have been widely reported as antimicrobial compounds, specifically in association with apparent allelopathy. However, this is the first report of their vertebrate toxicity, and the observed teratogenicity of these alkaloids supports a possible contribution to the toxicity of this widespread cyanobacterial family, particularly in relation to freshwater HABs and eutrophication.
Accumulation of De-Icing Salt and Leaching in Spanish Soils Surrounding Roadways

The environmental implications of soil salinity caused by accumulation of de-icing salt and leaching in soils of northeastern Spain were examined. For this purpose, the concentrations of ions associated with diagnosing and managing this problem were evaluated from several measurements performed over one year along a road. This analysis demonstrated a higher concentration of soluble Na+ in the soil 3 m from a road in the northernmost part of the study area in February, which made the soil saline-sodic. Data from the rest of the study period (during the spring and summer) demonstrated that the de-icing salt moved to areas farther south by runoff water, which caused environmental impacts by modifying soil characteristics. These results suggest that leaching of Ca2+ and Mg2+ cations occurred faster in the studied systems in sodic soils. Leaching of these cations may affect plant yield, and results in environmental impacts within 3–30 m from the road. Awareness of this impact will be useful for developing future strategies for evaluating and reporting these complex relationships within Spain’s transport system and environment.
Transcriptomics of aged Drosophila motor neurons reveals a matrix metalloproteinase that impairs motor function

The neuromuscular junction (NMJ) is responsible for transforming nervous system signals into motor behavior and locomotion. In the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster, an age‐dependent decline in motor function occurs, analogous to the decline experienced in mice, humans, and other mammals. The molecular and cellular underpinnings of this decline are still poorly understood. By specifically profiling the transcriptome of Drosophila motor neurons across age using custom microarrays, we found that the expression of the matrix metalloproteinase 1 (dMMP1) gene reproducibly increased in motor neurons in an age‐dependent manner. Modulation of physiological aging also altered the rate of dMMP1 expression, validating dMMP1 expression as a bona fide aging biomarker for motor neurons. Temporally controlled overexpression of dMMP1 specifically in motor neurons was sufficient to induce deficits in climbing behavior and cause a decrease in neurotransmitter release at neuromuscular synapses. These deficits were reversible if the dMMP1 expression was shut off again immediately after the onset of motor dysfunction. Additionally, repression of dMMP1 enzymatic activity via overexpression of a tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases delayed the onset of age‐dependent motor dysfunction. MMPs are required for proper tissue architecture during development. Our results support the idea that matrix metalloproteinase 1 is acting as a downstream effector of antagonistic pleiotropy in motor neurons and is necessary for proper development, but deleterious when reactivated at an advanced age.
The Contribution of Large and Small Employers to Job Creation in Times of High and Low Unemployment

We document a negative correlation, at business cycle frequencies, between the net job creation rate of large employers and the level of aggregate unemployment that is much stronger than for small employers. The differential growth rate of employment between initially large and small employers has an unconditional correlation of -0.5 with the unemployment rate, and varies by about 5 percent over the business cycle. We exploit several datasets from the United States, Denmark, and France, both repeated cross sections and job flows with employer longitudinal information, spanning the last four decades and several business cycles. We discuss implications for theories of factor demand. (JEL D22, E23, E32, J23, L25)
Biomarkers in Nile Tilapia Oreochromis niloticus niloticus (Linnaeus, 1758) to Assess the Impacts of River Nile Pollution: Bioaccumulation, Biochemical and Tissues Biomarkers

The use of biomarkers has become an important tool for modern environmental assessment as they can help to predict pollutants involved in the monitoring program. Here I present data on bioaccumulation, biochemical and tissues biomarkers in Nile tilapia as early warning indicators of river Nile pollution. Nile tilapia sampled from downstream sites accumulated higher levels of all the detected heavy metals than those collected from upstream sites. Heavy metal residues in the tissues of Nile tilapia exhibited different patterns of accumulation and distribution among the selected tissues. Remarkable alterations in the activities of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PDH) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) in the tissues of Nile tilapia were detected. These alterations were followed, in the present study, by the occurrence of histological lesions in liver and gill tissues of fish collected from the same sites. Alterations in bioaccumulation patterns, in enzyme activities and in histology go in parallel with the elevation in the levels of water chemical parameters detected in the downstream sites as a result of pollution stress in these areas. These results provide evidence that bioaccumulation, biochemical and tissues biomarkers can be sensitive indicators of exposure to mixed pollutants in surface waters.
Responsivity and resonant properties of dipole, bowtie, and spiral Seebeck nanoantennas

Abstract. Seebeck nanoantennas, which are based on the thermoelectric effect, have been proposed for electromagnetic energy harvesting and infrared detection. The responsivity and frequency dependence of three types of Seebeck nanoantennas is obtained by electromagnetic simulation for different materials. Results show that the square spiral antenna has the widest bandwidth and the highest induced current of the three analyzed geometries. However, the geometry that presented the highest temperature gradient was the bowtie antenna, which favors the thermoelectric effect in a Seebeck nanoantenna. The results also show that these types of devices can present a voltage responsivity as high as 36 μV/W for titanium–nickel dipoles resonant at far-infrared wavelengths.
Iron bioavailability from iron-fortified Guatemalan meals based on corn tortillas and black bean paste.

BACKGROUND Corn masa flour is widely consumed in Central America and is therefore a potentially useful vehicle for iron fortification. OBJECTIVE The goal was to evaluate the bioavailability of iron from meals based on corn tortillas and black bean paste that were fortified with ferrous fumarate, ferrous sulfate, or NaFeEDTA and to investigate the potential of Na(2)EDTA to increase the bioavailability of iron from ferrous fumarate. DESIGN With use of a crossover study design, iron bioavailability was measured in Guatemalan girls aged 12-13 y by a stable-isotope technique based on erythrocyte incorporation 14 d after intake. RESULTS Geometric mean iron bioavailability from test meals fortified with ferrous fumarate was 5.5-6.2% and was not improved significantly by the addition of Na(2)EDTA at molar ratios of 1:1 relative to fortification iron or to the total iron content of the fortified corn masa flour. Geometric mean iron bioavailability from test meals fortified with ferrous sulfate was 5.5% and was significantly higher in test meals fortified with NaFeEDTA (9.0%; P = 0.009, paired t test). CONCLUSIONS The bioavailability of iron from ferrous fumarate was not improved by the addition of Na(2)EDTA, contrary to what was previously shown for ferrous sulfate in other cereal-based meals. However, the bioavailability of iron from the test meal was significantly enhanced when NaFeEDTA replaced ferrous sulfate. These results support the use of NaFeEDTA in the fortification of inhibitory staple foods such as corn masa flour.
Temporally dynamic habitat suitability predicts genetic relatedness among caribou

Landscape heterogeneity plays a central role in shaping ecological and evolutionary processes. While species utilization of the landscape is usually viewed as constant within a year, the spatial distribution of individuals is likely to vary in time in relation to particular seasonal needs. Understanding temporal variation in landscape use and genetic connectivity has direct conservation implications. Here, we modelled the daily use of the landscape by caribou in Quebec and Labrador, Canada and tested its ability to explain the genetic relatedness among individuals. We assessed habitat selection using locations of collared individuals in migratory herds and static occurrences from sedentary groups. Connectivity models based on habitat use outperformed a baseline isolation-by-distance model in explaining genetic relatedness, suggesting that variations in landscape features such as snow, vegetation productivity and land use modulate connectivity among populations. Connectivity surfaces derived from habitat use were the best predictors of genetic relatedness. The relationship between connectivity surface and genetic relatedness varied in time and peaked during the rutting period. Landscape permeability in the period of mate searching is especially important to allow gene flow among populations. Our study highlights the importance of considering temporal variations in habitat selection for optimizing connectivity across heterogeneous landscape and counter habitat fragmentation.
The impaired growth induced by zinc deficiency in rats is associated with decreased expression of the hepatic insulin-like growth factor I and growth hormone receptor genes.

This study was conducted to determine whether dietary zinc status affects the expression of the insulin-like growth factor I and growth hormone receptor/growth hormone binding protein genes in the liver of growing rats. Weanling male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly allotted to zinc-deficient, pair-fed or ad libitum-fed dietary treatments and fed diets containing no added zinc for 14 d. Zinc acetate was added to the deionized, distilled water (30 mg/L) provided to pair-fed and ad libitum-fed rats. As expected, zinc deficiency significantly reduced growth rate by 60% and was associated with a significantly lower serum insulin-like growth factor I concentration (46 and 67% lower than pair-fed and ad libitum-fed rats, respectively). The reduction in serum insulin-like growth factor I concentration was associated with a decrease in insulin-like growth factor I gene expression. The abundance of the 7.5-kb insulin-like growth factor I mRNA transcript in zinc-deficient and pair-fed rats was 14 and 31% that of the ad libitum-fed rats. The 0.8-1.2-kb insulin-like growth factor I transcript also was significantly lower in the zinc-deficient and pair-fed rats. In contrast, the abundance of the 1.8-kb insulin-like growth factor I transcript was unaffected by zinc deficiency. The growth hormone receptor mRNA levels of zinc-deficient and pair-fed rats were 17 and 50% and their growth hormone binding protein mRNA levels were 46 and 65% those of the ad libitum-fed rats. In summary, zinc deficiency markedly decreases expression of the insulin-like growth factor I and growth hormone receptor genes. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Influence of glycemic load on HDL cholesterol in youth.

BACKGROUND The influence of dietary carbohydrate glycemic index on blood lipids has not been well studied. Assessment of glycemic load is not usually included in a standard dietary analysis. OBJECTIVE The purpose of the present study was to examine relations between diet and blood lipids in youth with a broad range of cholesterol values and carbohydrate, fat, and protein intakes. DESIGN Relations between blood lipids and dietary constituents were examined in 32 healthy males and females aged 11-25 y. Subjects exhibited a range of LDL-cholesterol values (1.71-6.67 mmol/L) and body mass index z scores (-1.18 to 2.64). Dietary constituents were assessed from 3-d food diaries. RESULTS The only significant correlations evident were negative correlations between HDL cholesterol and glycemic load (in relation to white bread), percentage carbohydrate, total dietary sugar, total carbohydrate, and fructose. On stepwise multiple regression analysis, glycemic load accounted for 21.1% of the variation in HDL cholesterol. CONCLUSIONS Glycemic load appears to be an important independent predictor of HDL cholesterol in youth. This relation is of concern and suggests that dietary restrictions without attention to a possible resulting increase in glycemic load may result in an unfavorable influence on blood lipids.
Calcium and dairy food intakes are inversely associated with colorectal cancer risk in the Cohort of Swedish Men.

BACKGROUND Recent epidemiologic studies have generally reported a modest inverse association between calcium intake and the risk of colorectal cancer. However, findings pertaining to specific subsites in the colorectum have been conflicting. OBJECTIVE Our objective was to prospectively examine the relations between intakes of calcium and dairy foods and the risk of colorectal cancer, overall and by anatomic subsite, in men from the Cohort of Swedish Men. DESIGN In 1997, 45 306 men aged 45-79 y and without a history of cancer completed a food-frequency questionnaire. The men were followed through 31 December 2004. RESULTS During a mean follow-up of 6.7 y, we ascertained 449 incident cases of colorectal cancer. After adjustment for age and other known or potential risk factors, the multivariate rate ratio (RR) of colorectal cancer for men in the highest quartile of total calcium intake compared with those in the lowest quartile was 0.68 (95% CI: 0.51, 0.91; P for trend = 0.01). A high consumption of dairy foods was also associated with a lower risk of colorectal cancer. The multivariate RR of colorectal cancer for > or = 7 servings/d of total dairy foods compared with <2 servings/d was 0.46 (0.30, 0.71; P for trend = 0.01). For cancer subsites, the corresponding RRs were 0.37 (0.16, 0.88) for proximal colon, 0.43 (0.20, 0.93) for distal colon, and 0.48 (0.23, 0.99) for rectum. CONCLUSION Our findings provide support for inverse associations between intakes of calcium and dairy foods and the risk of colorectal cancer.
Boosting Majorana Zero Modes

constant velocity. We exploit an effective Lorentz invariance of the Hamiltonian to obtain an exact solution of the associated quasiparticle spectrum and wave functions for arbitrary velocities. Essential features of the solution have a natural interpretation in terms of the familiar relativistic effects of Lorentz contraction and time dilation. We find that the Majorana zero modes remain stable as long as the domain wall moves at subluminal velocities with respect to the effective speed of light of the system. However, the Majoranaboundstatedissolvesintoacontinuousquasiparticlespectrumafterthedomainwallpropagatesat luminal or even superluminal velocities. This relativistic catastrophe implies that there is an upper limit for possible braiding frequencies even in a perfectly clean system with an arbitrarily large topological gap. We also exploit our exact solution to consider domain walls moving past static impurities present in the system.
Cortical Processing of Dynamic Sound Envelope Transitions

Slow envelope fluctuations in the range of 2–20 Hz provide important segmental cues for processing communication sounds. For a successful segmentation, a neural processor must capture envelope features associated with the rise and fall of signal energy, a process that is often challenged by the interference of background noise. This study investigated the neural representations of slowly varying envelopes in quiet and in background noise in the primary auditory cortex (A1) of awake marmoset monkeys. We characterized envelope features based on the local average and rate of change of sound level in envelope waveforms and identified envelope features to which neurons were selective by reverse correlation. Our results showed that envelope feature selectivity of A1 neurons was correlated with the degree of nonmonotonicity in their static rate-level functions. Nonmonotonic neurons exhibited greater feature selectivity than monotonic neurons in quiet and in background noise. The diverse envelope feature selectivity decreased spike-timing correlation among A1 neurons in response to the same envelope waveforms. As a result, the variability, but not the average, of the ensemble responses of A1 neurons represented more faithfully the dynamic transitions in low-frequency sound envelopes both in quiet and in background noise.
White Matter Abnormalities and Correlation With Severity in Normal Tension Glaucoma: A Whole Brain Atlas-Based Diffusion Tensor Study.

Purpose To detect injury of whole brain white matter (WM) in normal tension glaucoma (NTG) patients by using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and to analyze the correlations between DTI parameters and glaucoma indices. Methods Twenty mild, 17 moderate, and 18 severe NTG patients as well as 25 normal subjects were enrolled in this study. Atlas-based diffusion tensor analysis was performed to measure the fractional anisotropy (FA), mean diffusivity (MD), axial diffusivity (AD), and radial diffusivity (RD). One-way analyses of variance were used for comparisons of DTI parameters between NTG subgroups and normal control (NC) group. The relationships between DTI parameters and glaucoma indices were also assessed by Pearson's correlation and "broken-stick" analyses. Results As compared with NC subjects, significantly decreased FA and AD and increased MD and RD were observed in the bilateral posterior thalamic radiation, bilateral sagittal stratum, bilateral cingulum-hippocampus, and bilateral fornix/stria terminalis in NTG patients. The DTI parameters of these WM regions correlated with the mean deviation of visual field (MDVF) and retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness. Additionally, there was a tipping point between MDVF and DTI parameters as well as between MDVF and RNFL thickness. Conclusions Atlas-based DTI analysis was capable of indicating WM damage in the four regions associated with visual and visual-related functions in NTG patients, and it could also be used for investigating disease progression and pathologic changes. In addition, WM impairment and RNFL thinning occurred before patients showed detectable visual field loss.
Unwinding of the C-Terminal Residues of Neuropeptide Y is critical for Y₂ Receptor Binding and Activation.

Despite recent breakthroughs in the structural characterization of G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), there is only sparse data on how GPCRs recognize larger peptide ligands. NMR spectroscopy, molecular modeling, and double-cycle mutagenesis studies were integrated to obtain a structural model of the peptide hormone neuropeptide Y (NPY) bound to its human G-protein-coupled Y2 receptor (Y2R). Solid-state NMR measurements of specific isotope-labeled NPY in complex with in vitro folded Y2R reconstituted into phospholipid bicelles provided the bioactive structure of the peptide. Guided by solution NMR experiments, it could be shown that the ligand is tethered to the second extracellular loop by hydrophobic contacts. The C-terminal α-helix of NPY, which is formed in a membrane environment in the absence of the receptor, is unwound starting at T(32) to provide optimal contacts in a deep binding pocket within the transmembrane bundle of the Y2R.
Geometric characterization of nodal domains: the area-to-perimeter ratio

In an attempt to characterize the distribution of forms and shapes of nodal domains in wavefunctions, we define a geometric parameter, the ratio ρ between the area of a domain and its perimeter, measured in units of the wavelength . We show that the distribution function can distinguish between domains in which the classical dynamics is regular or chaotic. For separable surfaces, we compute the limiting distribution and show that it is supported on a compact interval, which is independent of the properties of the surface. In systems which are chaotic, or in random waves, the area-to-perimeter distribution has substantially different features which we study numerically. We compare the features of the distribution for chaotic wavefunctions with the predictions of the percolation model to find agreement, but only for nodal domains which are big with respect to the wavelength scale. This work is also closely related to and provides a new point of view on isoperimetric inequalities.