Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Prochlorococcus, a Marine Photosynthetic Prokaryote of Global Significance

SUMMARY The minute photosynthetic prokaryote Prochlorococcus, which was discovered about 10 years ago, has proven exceptional from several standpoints. Its tiny size (0.5 to 0.7 μm in diameter) makes it the smallest known photosynthetic organism. Its ubiquity within the 40°S to 40°N latitudinal band of oceans and its occurrence at high density from the surface down to depths of 200 m make it presumably the most abundant photosynthetic organism on Earth. Prochlorococcus typically divides once a day in the subsurface layer of oligotrophic areas, where it dominates the photosynthetic biomass. It also possesses a remarkable pigment complement which includes divinyl derivatives of chlorophyll a (Chl a) and Chl b, the so-called Chl a2 and Chl b2, and, in some strains, small amounts of a new type of phycoerythrin. Phylogenetically, Prochlorococcus has also proven fascinating. Recent studies suggest that it evolved from an ancestral cyanobacterium by reducing its cell and genome sizes and by recruiting a protein originally synthesized under conditions of iron depletion to build a reduced antenna system as a replacement for large phycobilisomes. Environmental constraints clearly played a predominant role in Prochlorococcus evolution. Its tiny size is an advantage for its adaptation to nutrient-deprived environments. Furthermore, genetically distinct ecotypes, with different antenna systems and ecophysiological characteristics, are present at depth and in surface waters. This vertical species variation has allowed Prochlorococcus to adapt to the natural light gradient occurring in the upper layer of oceans. The present review critically assesses the basic knowledge acquired about Prochlorococcus both in the ocean and in the laboratory.
The Relationship between the Number of Manic Episodes and Oxidative Stress Indicators in Bipolar Disorder

Objective Bipolar disorder (BD) is a chronic mood disorder characterized by recurrent episodes that has a lifetime prevalence of 0.4–5.5%. The neurochemical mechanism of BD is not fully understood. Oxidative stress in neurons causes lipid peroxidation in proteins associated with neuronal membranes and intracellular enzymes and it may lead to dysfunction in neurotransmitter reuptake and enzyme activities. These pathological processes are thought to occur in brain regions associated with affective functions and emotions in BD. The relationship between the number of manic episodes and total oxidant-antioxidant capacity was investigated in this study. Methods Eighty-two BD patients hospitalized due to manic symptoms and with no episodes of depression were enrolled in the study. Thirty of the 82 patients had had their first episode of mania, and the other 52 patients had had two or more manic episodes. The control group included 45 socio-demographically matched healthy individuals. Serum total antioxidant capacity (TAC) and total oxidant capacity (TOC) measurements of the participants were performed. The oxidative stress index (OSI) was calculated by TOC/TAC. Results There were no significant differences in OSI scores between BD patients with first-episode mania and BD patients with more than one manic episode. However, OSI scores in both groups were significantly higher than in the control group. TOC levels of BD patients with first-episode mania were found to be significantly higher than TOC levels of BD patients with more than one manic episode and healthy controls. There were no significant differences in TAC levels between BD patients with first-episode mania and BD patients with more than one manic episode. TAC levels in both groups were significantly higher than in the control group. Conclusion Significant changes in oxidative stress indicators were observed in this study, confirming previous studies. Increased levels of oxidants were shown with increased disease severity rather than with the number of manic episodes. Systematic studies, including of each period of the disorder, are needed for using the findings indicating deterioration of oxidative parameters.
Duration and setting of rural immersion during the medical degree relates to rural work outcomes

Providing year‐long rural immersion as part of the medical degree is commonly used to increase the number of doctors with an interest in rural practice. However, the optimal duration and setting of immersion has not been fully established. This paper explores associations between various durations and settings of rural immersion during the medical degree and whether doctors work in rural areas after graduation.
Assessing Households Preparedness for Earthquakes: An Exploratory Study in the Development of a Valid and Reliable Persian-version Tool

Introduction: Iran is placed among countries suffering from the highest number of earthquake casualties. Household preparedness, as one component of risk reduction efforts, is often supported in quake-prone areas. In Iran, lack of a valid and reliable household preparedness tool was reported by previous disaster studies. This study is aimed to fill this gap by developing a valid and reliable tool for assessing household preparedness in the event of an earthquake. Methods: This survey was conducted through three phases including literature review and focus group discussions with the participation of eight key informants, validity measurements and reliability measurements. Field investigation was completed with the participation of 450 households within three provinces of Iran. Content validity, construct validity, the use of factor analysis; internal consistency using Cronbach's alpha coefficient, and test-retest reliability were carried out to develop the tool. Results: Based on the CVIs, ranging from 0.80 to 0.100, and exploratory factor analysis with factor loading of more than 0.5, all items were valid. The amount of Cronbach's alpha (0.7) and test-retest examination by Spearman correlations indicated that the scale was also reliable. The final instrument consisted of six categories and 18 questions including actions at the time of earthquakes, nonstructural safety, structural safety, hazard map, communications, drill, and safety skills. Conclusion: Using a Persian-version tool that is adjusted to the socio-cultural determinants and native language may result in more trustful information on earthquake preparedness. It is suggested that disaster managers and researchers apply this tool in their future household preparedness projects. Further research is needed to make effective policies and plans for transforming preparedness knowledge into behavior.
A Preliminary Evaluation of the Physiological Mechanisms of Action for Sleep Restriction Therapy

Our objective was to investigate the physiological mechanisms involved in the sleep restriction treatment of insomnia. A multiple baseline across subjects design was used. Sleep of five participants suffering from insomnia was assessed throughout the experimentation by sleep diaries and actigraphy. Ten nights of polysomnography were conducted over five occasions. The first two-night assessment served to screen for sleep disorders and to establish a baseline for dependent measures. Three assessments were undertaken across the treatment interval, with the fifth and last one coming at follow-up. Daily cortisol assays were obtained. Sleep restriction therapy was applied in-lab for the first two nights of treatment and was subsequently supervised weekly. Interrupted time series analyses were computed on sleep diary data and showed a significantly decreased wake time, increased sleep efficiency, and decreased total sleep time. Sleepiness at night seems positively related to sleep variables, polysomnography data suggest objective changes mainly for stage 2, and power spectral analysis shows a decrease in beta-1 and -2 powers for the second night of treatment. Cortisol levels seem to be lower during treatment. These preliminary results confirm part of the proposed physiological mechanisms and suggest that sleep restriction contributes to a rapid decrease in hyperarousal insomnia.
Why Don't they Minimize their Tax? An Experimental Approach to Cross Border Hybrid Finance

International tax law allows, under certain circumstances, to considerably reduce the group average tax rate. In some cases, even the tax-free repatriation of yields on intragroup finance is possible, in particular when using hybrid finance. These cases are normally connected to complex questions of foreign, domestic, and bilateral tax law as well as to uncertainty on whether the intended tax consequences will be upheld by the fiscs in future years. We experimentally investigate the two key variables, legal uncertainty and tax complexity while controlling for decision makers’ risk attitude. Results show that overall tax complexity has a negative effect on the probability to choose a hybrid finance instrument, while legal uncertainty has not. The impact of the two factors is moderated by decision makers’ risk attitudes.
Seroepidemiologic Study of Chlamydia pneumoniae in Infarct Patients, Yazd, Iran

Myocardial Infarction (MI) is one of the leading causes of death in the world. Today, it is well known that some bacteria and viruses play a vital role in MI manifestation. C. Pneumoniae is considered to be one such bacterium. The general purpose of this cross-sectional study was to determine the correlation between MI and C. Pneumoniae infection. 103 infarcted patients along with 75 healthy people as control with similar demographic status were selected for this study. Initially, IgG and IgM titres were done using ELISA technique for detecting antibodies against C. Pneumoniae and then the serum was further examined for determination of sugar, CRP, cholesterol and triglyceride levels. Simultaneously, demographic features such as blood pressure, family history and addiction to smoking were recorded. Results showed that 92 (89.3%) of serum samples from patients and 58 (77.2%) of controls were positive for IgG, whereas only 2 patient's serum samples and none of the controls were positive for IgM. Relation of IgG levels with sex was statistically insignificant, but this relationship with age was significant (p=0.03). History of blood pressure in patients was recorded and had no significant relationship with IgG levels. Although the number of cases studied was limited, it can be concluded that C. Pneumoniae infection is prevalent in Yazd and this silent infection could be the causative factor of acute M I.
Gait profile score and movement analysis profile in patients with Parkinson's disease during concurrent cognitive load

Background: Gait disorders are common in individuals with Parkinson's Disease (PD) and the concurrent performance of motor and cognitive tasks can have marked effects on gait. The Gait Profile Score (GPS) and the Movement Analysis Profile (MAP) were developed in order to summarize the data of kinematics and facilitate understanding of the results of gait analysis. Objective: To investigate the effectiveness of the GPS and MAP in the quantification of changes in gait during a concurrent cognitive load while walking in adults with and without PD. Method: Fourteen patients with idiopathic PD and nine healthy subjects participated in the study. All subjects performed single and dual walking tasks. The GPS/MAP was computed from three-dimensional gait analysis data. Results: Differences were found between tasks for GPS (P<0.05) and Gait Variable Score (GVS) (pelvic rotation, knee flexion-extension and ankle dorsiflexion-plantarflexion) (P<0.05) in the PD group. An interaction between task and group was observed for GPS (P<0.01) for the right side (Cohen's ¯d=0.99), left side (Cohen's ¯d=0.91), and overall (Cohen's ¯d=0.88). No interaction was observed only for hip internal-external rotation and foot internal-external progression GVS variables in the PD group. Conclusions: The results showed gait impairment during the dual task and suggest that GPS/MAP may be used to evaluate the effects of concurrent cognitive load while walking in patients with PD.
Privacy Issues in the Development of a Virtual Mental Health Clinic for University Students: A Qualitative Study

Background There is a growing need to develop online services for university students with the capacity to complement existing services and efficiently address student mental health problems. Previous research examining the development and acceptability of online interventions has revealed that issues such as privacy critically impact user willingness to engage with these services. Objective To explore university student perspectives on privacy issues related to using an online mental health service within the context of the development of an online, university-based virtual mental health clinic. Methods There were two stages of data collection. The first stage consisted of four 1.5-hour focus groups conducted with university students (n=19; 10 female, 9 male, mean age = 21.6 years) to determine their ideas about the virtual clinic including privacy issues. The second stage comprised three 1-hour prototype testing sessions conducted with university students (n=6; 3 male, 3 female, mean age = 21.2 years) using participatory design methods to develop and refine a service model for the virtual clinic and determine student views on privacy within this context. Results The students raised a number of issues related to privacy in relation to the development of the university virtual clinic. Major topics included the types of personal information they would be willing to provide (minimal information and optional mental health data), concern about potential access to their personal data by the university, the perceived stigma associated with registering for the service, and privacy and anonymity concerns related to online forums contained within the virtual clinic. Conclusions Students would be more comfortable providing personal information and engaging with the virtual clinic if they trust the privacy and security of the service. Implications of this study include building the clinic in a flexible way to accommodate user preferences.
Sulfur mustard triggers oxidative stress through glutathione depletion and altered expression of glutathione-related enzymes in human airways

Abstract Context: Sulfur mustard (SM) is a lipophilic and reactive chemical compound that targets human airway system. Objective: Glutathione (GSH) depletion, oxidative stress (OS) status, and changes in expression of GSH-dependent antioxidant enzymes were considered in human mustard lungs. Materials and methods: Lung biopsies and bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) were collected from non-exposed (n = 10) individuals and SM-exposed patients (n = 12). Alterations in expression of GSH-dependent enzymes were studied using RT2 Profiler™ PCR array. OS was evaluated by determining BAL fluid levels of total antioxidant capacity (TAC), malondialdehyde (MDA), and GSH. Results: Mean TAC (0.142 ± 0.027 µmol/l) and GSH (4.98 ± 1.02 nmol/l) in BAL fluids of control group was significantly higher (p < .05) than those in SM-exposed patients (TAC = 0.095 ± 0.018 µmol/l and GSH= 3.09 ± 1.02 nmol/l), while MDA level in BAL fluids of these patients (0.71 ± 0.06 nmol/l) was significantly (p = .001) higher than that in controls (0.49 ± 0.048 nmol/l). Glutathione peroxidases (GPXs), glutathione-s-transferases (GSTs), and glutathione synthetase (GSS) enzymes were overexpressed in mustard lung biopsies, while glutathione reductase (GSR) was significantly downregulated (14.95-fold). Conclusions: GSH depletion induced by GSR downregulation may be a major mechanism of SM toxicity on human lung. Despite overexpression of GSTs and GPXs genes, GSH depletion may decline the productivity of these enzymes and total antioxidants capacity, which is associated with OS.
The more the merrier? Adjusting fertility to weather shocks

Despite the worldwide decrease in fertility rates, Sub-Saharan Africa is still an exception, showing an almost non-declining trend over the past 50 years. In a high child mortality context parents might prefer a larger number of children, anticipating the risk of child mortality. This paper tests the short-term impact of an exogenous decrease in child mortality on household fertility. By exploiting positive exogenous weather shocks together with household panel data, I find that abundant rainfall increases child survival in the Nigerian context. Large households are the ones who benefit the most from this, and they are also the ones who respond by decreasing their fertility the most. Conversely, small households only slightly benefit from a decrease in child mortality and they continue to increase their birth rate. For a household with the average number of three children, mortality decreases by 0.013 while fertility increases by 0.046 children. When positive shocks occur, households get on average larger, as more children survive and parents only partially reduce their fertility. Consistent with such partial adjustment, household food security and children's anthropometric measures deteriorate. This matches the predictions of the theoretical framework, which shows that the magnitude of the fertility adjustment depends on the number of children alive at the moment of the shock. The empirical analysis tests this prediction, by using the gender of the first-born as instrument for the initial number of children.
Interactions between neurotropic pathogens, neuroinflammatory pathways, and autophagic neural cell death

In recent times, there has been a significant increase in studies focusing on immunological functions of autophagy, however, knowledge of its roles and regulations in the central nervous system remains unclear. Present reviews highlight the molecular cross talk between host cell autophagy with inflammatory pathways in the context of neuro-infections. Intracellular pathogens might have an ability to manipulate the autophagy regulation process. An augmented autophagy and inflammation at the site of infection is traditionally considered host protective. Moreover, host cell autophagy might also facilitate pathogen survivability and multiplication in the brain environment. Consequently, an excessive autophagy and neuroinflammatory process do put surrounding healthy brain tissue at risk of pathogen invasion. The question arises, whether there are any known direct interactions of intracellular neurotropic pathogens with this degradative pathway that favour intracerebral pathogen survival and growth? It is worth exploring any such cooperation between pathogen factors and altered immune pathways that modulate autophagy regulatory genes causing massive neuronal damage. A detailed understanding of molecular mechanisms in microbial pathogenesis, neuroinflammatory and neuronal autophagy pathways might identify novel therapeutic targets and diagnostic biomarkers.
SPrank

In most real-world scenarios, the ultimate goal of recommender system applications is to suggest a short ranked list of items, namely top-N recommendations, that will appeal to the end user. Often, the problem of computing top-N recommendations is mainly tackled with a two-step approach. The system focuses first on predicting the unknown ratings, which are eventually used to generate a ranked recommendation list. Actually, the top-N recommendation task can be directly seen as a ranking problem where the main goal is not to accurately predict ratings but to directly find the best-ranked list of items to recommend. In this article we present SPrank, a novel hybrid recommendation algorithm able to compute top-N recommendations exploiting freely available knowledge in the Web of Data. In particular, we employ DBpedia, a well-known encyclopedic knowledge base in the Linked Open Data cloud, to extract semantic path-based features and to eventually compute top-N recommendations in a learning-to-rank fashion. Experiments with three datasets related to different domains (books, music, and movies) prove the effectiveness of our approach compared to state-of-the-art recommendation algorithms.
Engineering models of high speed penetration into geological shields

The survey is dedicated to approximate empirical and analytical models which were suggested for describing high-speed penetration into geological shields. This review differs from the previously published reviews on this topic in the following respects: (i) includes a large number of models; (ii) describes models suggested during recent years; (iii) much attention is given to models which have been originally published in Russian and are not well known in the West. References list includes 81 items.
HEXANIC FRACTION OF TURMERIC POWDER ATTENUATES MURINE MODEL OF INDUCEDNOCICEPTION AND ITS POSSIBLE MECHANISMS OF ACTION

Background: The current study was conducted to further examine the antinociceptive activity of hexane fraction of turmeric powder (HFTP) and to elucidate the possible mechanisms of action underlying its antinociceptive activity in various experimental models of chemical- and thermal-induced nociception. Materials and Methods: Acetic acid-induced abdominal constriction, hot-plate, formalin-, capsaicin- and glutamate-induced paw licking tests in mice were employed in the antinociceptive investigation of HFTP. In all experiments, HFTP was administered intraperitoneally at the doses of 0.1, 0.5, 1.0 and 5.0 mg/kg. In a separate group of experiments, the possible sedative and toxic effects of HFTP were tested in rota rod and preliminary acute toxicity tests, respectively. Results: It was demonstrated that HFTP exerted significant dose-dependent antinociceptive responses in the acetic acid-induced abdominal constriction, hot-plate, formalin-, capsaicin- and glutamate-induced paw licking tests. It was also demonstrated that pretreatment with naloxone, produced no significant effect on the antinociception induced by HFTP. Moreover, administration of HFTP shows no significant interference in locomotor activity of the rota rod test, and in the preliminary acute toxicity test, neither abnormal behaviours nor mortality were observed. Conclusion: Together, these results indicated that HFTP-induced antinociceptive activity at doses devoid of any detectable toxicity and sedative effects exerts pronounced peripheral and central antinociceptive effects, with no involvement of opioidergic system but possibly related to its ability to interact with TRPV1 receptors and the glutamatergic system.