Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Characterizing the Mechanism of Action of Double-Stranded RNA Activity against Western Corn Rootworm (Diabrotica virgifera virgifera LeConte)

RNA interference (RNAi) has previously been shown to be effective in western corn rootworm (WCR, Diabrotica virgifera virgifera LeConte) larvae via oral delivery of synthetic double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) in an artificial diet bioassay, as well as by ingestion of transgenic corn plant tissues engineered to express dsRNA. Although the RNAi machinery components appear to be conserved in Coleopteran insects, the key steps in this process have not been reported for WCR. Here we characterized the sequence of events that result in mortality after ingestion of a dsRNA designed against WCR larvae. We selected the Snf7 ortholog (DvSnf7) as the target mRNA, which encodes an essential protein involved in intracellular trafficking. Our results showed that dsRNAs greater than or equal to approximately 60 base-pairs (bp) are required for biological activity in artificial diet bioassays. Additionally, 240 bp dsRNAs containing a single 21 bp match to the target sequence were also efficacious, whereas 21 bp short interfering (si) RNAs matching the target sequence were not. This result was further investigated in WCR midgut tissues: uptake of 240 bp dsRNA was evident in WCR midgut cells while a 21 bp siRNA was not, supporting the size-activity relationship established in diet bioassays. DvSnf7 suppression was observed in a time-dependent manner with suppression at the mRNA level preceding suppression at the protein level when a 240 bp dsRNA was fed to WCR larvae. DvSnf7 suppression was shown to spread to tissues beyond the midgut within 24 h after dsRNA ingestion. These events (dsRNA uptake, target mRNA and protein suppression, systemic spreading, growth inhibition and eventual mortality) comprise the overall mechanism of action by which DvSnf7 dsRNA affects WCR via oral delivery and provides insights as to how targeted dsRNAs in general are active against insects.
Perceived stress and biological risk: is the link stronger in Russians than in Taiwanese and Americans?

Abstract Allostatic load theory implies a relationship between exposure to psychological stress and multi-system physiological dysregulation. We used data from population-based samples of men and women in Russia (Moscow; n = 1800; age, mean 68.6 years), Taiwan (n = 1036; 65.6 years) and the United States (US; n = 1054; 58.0 years) -- which are likely to vary widely with respect to levels of stress exposure and biological markers -- to determine the magnitude of the association between perceived stress and physiological dysregulation. The measure of overall dysregulation was based on 15 markers including standard cardiovascular/metabolic risk factors as well as markers of inflammation and neuroendocrine activity. Subjective psychological stress was measured by the perceived stress scale. Only the Moscow sample demonstrated a positive association with overall dysregulation in both sexes. In the US, we found an association among women but not men. Among the Taiwanese, who report the lowest perceived stress, there was no association in women but an unexpected inverse relationship in men. The effects also varied across system-level subscores: the association with perceived stress was most consistent for standard cardiovascular/metabolic factors. Perceived stress was associated with inflammation and neuroendocrine activity in some samples. Although the evidence that perceived stress is the primary source of physiological dysregulation is generally modest, it was stronger in Russia where the level of perceived stress was particularly high. For Russia only, we had information about heart function based on a 24 h ambulatory electrocardiogram; perceived stress was consistently associated with heart rate dysregulation in Russian men and women.
Identification of Ancient Irrigation Practices based on the Carbon Isotope Discrimination of Plant Seeds: a Case Study from the South-East Iberian Peninsula

Abstract This study presents the analysis of carbon isotope discrimination (Δ) in cereal and faba bean seeds from archaeological sites as a rapid method of evaluating the occurrence or otherwise of ancient irrigation in the Mediterranean basin. Further, application to the south-eastern Iberian Peninsula, one of the regions of the western Mediterranean basin in which advanced social structures first appeared, is reported. Currently there is a strong debate about when irrigation practices started in this region. It has been argued, on the basis of scattered, indirect evidence, that irrigation was already practiced during the Bronze Age (from 4400 bp ). However, this remains to be confirmed. Kernels of durum wheat, hulled and naked barley and faba bean grains from a set of archaeological sites in the south-eastern Iberian Peninsula were analysed. Samples ranged from late Neolithic (about 6500 bp ) to the Iron Age (2400 bp ). None of the results, apart from those of the faba bean, support the existence of irrigation practices during this period. Grains of faba bean showed consistently high values of Δ at all the archaeological sites studied. This could reflect not only growth habit, faba beans being less determined plants than cereals, but also selective irrigation of faba bean crops.
Comparative study of CH+ and SH+ absorption lines observed towards distant star-forming regions

Aims. The HIFI instrument onboard Herschel has allowed high spectral resolution and sensitive observations of ground-state transitions of three molecular ions: the methylidyne cation CH^+, its isotopologue ^(13)CH^+, and sulfanylium SH^+. Because of their unique chemical properties, a comparative analysis of these cations provides essential clues to the link between the chemistry and dynamics of the diffuse interstellar medium. Methods. The CH^+, ^(13)CH^+, and SH^+ lines are observed in absorption towards the distant high-mass star-forming regions (SFRs) DR21(OH), G34.3+0.1, W31C, W33A, W49N, and W51, and towards two sources close to the Galactic centre, SgrB2(N) and SgrA^*+50. All sight lines sample the diffuse interstellar matter along pathlengths of several kiloparsecs across the Galactic Plane. In order to compare the velocity structure of each species, the observed line profiles were deconvolved from the hyperfine structure of the SH^+ transition and the CH^+, ^(13)CH^+, and SH^+ spectra were independently decomposed into Gaussian velocity components. To analyse the chemical composition of the foreground gas, all spectra were divided, in a second step, into velocity intervals over which the CH^+, ^(13)CH^+, and SH^+ column densities and abundances were derived. Results. SH^+ is detected along all observed lines of sight, with a velocity structure close to that of CH^+ and ^(13)CH^+. The linewidth distributions of the CH^+, SH^+, and ^(13)CH^+ Gaussian components are found to be similar. These distributions have the same mean (⟨Δυ⟩ ~ 4.2 km s^(-1)) and standard deviation (σ(Δυ) ~ 1.5 km s^(-1)). This mean value is also close to that of the linewidth distribution of the CH^+ visible transitions detected in the solar neighbourhood. We show that the lack of absorption components narrower than 2 km s^(-1) is not an artefact caused by noise: the CH^+, ^(13)CH^+, and SH^+ line profiles are therefore statistically broader than those of most species detected in absorption in diffuse interstellar gas (e.g. HCO^+, CH, or CN). The SH^+/CH^+ column density ratio observed in the components located away from the Galactic centre spans two orders of magnitude and correlates with the CH^+ abundance. Conversely, the ratio observed in the components close to the Galactic centre varies over less than one order of magnitude with no apparent correlation with the CH^+ abundance. The observed dynamical and chemical properties of SH^+ and CH^+ are proposed to trace the ubiquitous process of turbulent dissipation, in shocks or shears, in the diffuse ISM and the specific environment of the Galactic centre regions.
2 How Costly Are Limited Liability Rules ?

We quantify the cost of limited liability rules in a traditional model of investment financing under moral hazard and risk aversion. Under limited liability, we show that external debt and the granting of absolute priority to debtholders are key (but not the unique) ingredients of the optimal financing package. Removing liability limits makes possible a superior contract that punishes the entrepreneur harshly for bad performance. We interpret these harsh penalties in terms of debtors’ prisons, and quantify the deadweight losses brought about by the judicial imposition of liability limits. For reasonable parametrizations, the losses are significant. Our results indicate that the costs associated with unlimited liability and debtors' prisons must be substantial to explain the ubiquity of limited liability rules in modern economies. JEL-Classification: G32, D82
Review and Characterization of Portuguese Theses, Dissertations, and Papers about Spirituality in Health

Research about spirituality has grown widely in the past decades and the interest in health care is also evident in Portugal. This literature review aims to identify and to characterize Portuguese theses, dissertations, and papers about spirituality in health, and to provide a systematic overview of the knowledge concerning this subject. The search was conducted in February 2017 and updated in January 2018. Four independent reviewers screened and analyzed all citations, and a total of 76 results were included. Publications started in 2002 and include master degree dissertations (n = 37), scientific papers (n = 31), and PhD theses (n = 8). Papers were published in 24 national and international journals. Most papers were psychology- and nursing-related and had a quantitative design (n = 55). Samples were mostly composed of patients living with a chronic disease (n = 20) or elderly (n = 11). The Spiritual Well-Being Questionnaire (SWBQ) was the most used tool. A multidisciplinary approach is regarded as foundational in implementing spirituality in the provision of health care and the results underline the interest on this topic from other disciplines rather than nursing. Further studies must provide a deeper understanding of spirituality in children, adolescents or families’ perspective bringing new insights to advanced health practice.
A flood risk oriented dynamic protection motivation framework to explain risk reduction behaviours

Abstract. Private risk reduction behaviours can significantly reduce the negative impacts of flooding and flash floods. Over the past decades, researchers have used various socio-cognitive models or threat/coping mechanisms to explain individual protective behaviours. However, these models ignore that people are not equally ready to act upon a danger and they give limited insights into the effectiveness of communication strategies to foster risk reduction behaviours. Therefore, we explored the current state of homeowner's readiness to undertake risk reduction behaviours in flood risk areas by applying a dynamic protection motivation framework. We conducted a survey in an Italian municipality that experienced severe flash flooding in September 2018. The results show that people are motivated by different factors in prompting risk reduction behaviour based on their type of protective measures. For example, people that undertook structural or avoidance measures are more likely to be motivated to protect themselves by increased perceptions of vulnerability and response efficacy, and are less worried about expected flood losses compared to people that undertook only basic emergency measures. In this paper, we argue how these new insights contribute to target flood risk communication strategies to groups of individuals characterized by different readiness stages and motivations to protect themselves.
Detection of H2D+ in a massive prestellar core in Orion B

Aims. The purpose of this study is to examine the prediction that the deuterated H3+ ion, H2D+, can be found exclusively in the coldest regions of molecular cloud cores. This is also a feasibility study for the detection of the ground-state line of ortho-H2D+ at 372 GHz with APEX. Methods. The 1(10)-1(11) transition of H2D+ at 372 GHz was searched towards selected positions in the massive star forming cloud OriB9, in the dark cloud L183, and in the low- to intermediate mass star-forming cloud R CrA. Results. The line was detected in cold, prestellar cores in the regions of OriB9 and L183, but only upper limits were obtained towards other locations which either have elevated temperatures or contain a newly born star. The H2D+ detection towards OriB9 is the first one in a massive star-forming region. The fractional ortho-H2D+ abundances (relative to H2) are estimated to be about 1.0E-10 in two cold cores in OriB9, and 3.0E-10 in the cold core of L183. Conclusions. The H2D+ detection in OriB9 shows that also massive star forming regions contain very cold prestellar cores which probably have reached matured chemical composition characterized, e.g., by a high degree of deuterium fractionation. Besides as a tracer of the interior parts of prestellar cores, H2D+ may therefore be used to put contraints on the timescales related to massive star formation.
Randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind study assessing the efficacy and safety of paliperidone palmitate in Asian patients with schizophrenia

Background This 13-week, double-blind study was conducted to confirm the efficacy and safety of paliperidone palmitate (PP), at dosing regimens approved in other countries, in Asian patients with schizophrenia. Methods Asian patients (aged ≥20 years) diagnosed with schizophrenia (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition-Text Revision criteria), and having a Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) total score of 60 to 120 were enrolled and randomized (1:1) to a PP or placebo group. Patients received PP intramuscularly at recommended doses: initiation dose 150 mg equivalent (eq) PP on day 1 and 100 mg eq PP on day 8 (deltoid); and a monthly maintenance dose of 75 mg eq PP on days 36 and 64 (deltoid or gluteal). The change from baseline to week 13 in PANSS total scores (primary endpoint), Clinical Global Impression-Severity (CGI-S) scores, and PANSS Marder factor scores and subscales, and responder rate at week 13 were evaluated. Safety was also assessed. Results The PANSS total score (P<0.0001, least-squares mean change from baseline to week 13: PP, −3.5; placebo, +6.2), CGI-S score (P<0.0001), and PANSS Marder factor scores (P≤0.0025) were significantly improved at week 13 in the PP group versus placebo. More treatment responders (≥30% decrease in PANSS total score) were in the PP group (22.8%) versus placebo (8.5%). Insomnia (PP 17.0% versus placebo 15.2%), injection site pain (13.2% versus 6.7%), nasopharyngitis (12.6% versus 6.1%), psychiatric symptoms (11.3% versus 26.2%), and extrapyramidal symptoms (10.1% versus 4.9%) were the most frequently occurring treatment-emergent adverse events. Conclusion PP is efficacious for Asian patients with schizophrenia at the dosing regimen approved in other countries, with a similar safety and tolerability profile.
Pediatric non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: Recent solutions, unresolved issues, and future research directions

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in children is becoming a major health concern. A “multiple-hit” pathogenetic model has been suggested to explain the progressive liver damage that occurs among children with NAFLD. In addition to the accumulation of fat in the liver, insulin resistance (IR) and oxidative stress due to genetic/epigenetic background, unfavorable lifestyles, gut microbiota and gut-liver axis dysfunction, and perturbations of trace element homeostasis have been shown to be critical for disease progression and the development of more severe inflammatory and fibrotic stages [non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH)]. Simple clinical and laboratory parameters, such as age, history, anthropometrical data (BMI and waist circumference percentiles), blood pressure, surrogate clinical markers of IR (acanthosis nigricans), abdominal ultrasounds, and serum transaminases, lipids and glucose/insulin profiles, allow a clinician to identify children with obesity and obesity-related conditions, including NAFLD and cardiovascular and metabolic risks. A liver biopsy (the “imperfect” gold standard) is required for a definitive NAFLD/NASH diagnosis, particularly to exclude other treatable conditions or when advanced liver disease is expected on clinical and laboratory grounds and preferably prior to any controlled trial of pharmacological/surgical treatments. However, a biopsy clearly cannot represent a screening procedure. Advancements in diagnostic serum and imaging tools, especially for the non-invasive differentiation between NAFLD and NASH, have shown promising results, e.g., magnetic resonance elastography. Weight loss and physical activity should be the first option of intervention. Effective pharmacological treatments are still under development; however, drugs targeting IR, oxidative stress, proinflammatory pathways, dyslipidemia, gut microbiota and gut liver axis dysfunction are an option for patients who are unable to comply with the recommended lifestyle changes. When morbid obesity prevails, bariatric surgery should be considered.
"Ageing in Place": The Views of Older Homeowners on Maintenance, Renovation and Adaptation

“Ageing in place” is favoured in policies on ageing and is the preferred option of many older people. For older homeowners, remaining at home may depend on their ability to keep their homes in good condition, safe, suitable and comfortable. This research illuminates the attitudes, opinions and preferences of some older New Zealanders with respect to their current and future housing circumstances. A considerable degree of self-sufficiency was found with respect to home maintenance, but fewer people were capable of doing their own renovation work, and there were clear gender differences. The respondents mostly shared a strong desire to remain living independently in the community for the rest of their lives. The most popular option for a new residence was a separate house, but one smaller and easier to manage than their family home. To this end, many had already moved to low-maintenance housing suited to ageing in place. Others had aspirations for such a move. Some of those who wished to remain in their long-term family homes were considering adaptations to make this possible, and some had already adapted their homes to cope with health issues. The study concludes that most of the respondents were resourceful people, who thought about the future, and planned for work to be done on their houses. They represented a common New Zealand ethos of independence and capacity, linked to homeownership as an aspiration.
Pharmacogenetic Association of the Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Insertion/Deletion Polymorphism on Blood Pressure and Cardiovascular Risk in Relation to Antihypertensive Treatment: The Genetics of Hypertension-Associated Treatment (GenHAT) Study

Background—Previous studies have reported that blood pressure response to antihypertensive medications is influenced by genetic variation in the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system, but no clinical trails have tested whether the ACE insertion/deletion (I/D) polymorphism modifies the association between the type of medication and multiple cardiovascular and renal phenotypes. Methods and Results—We used a double-blind, active-controlled randomized trial of antihypertensive treatment that included hypertensives ≥55 years of age with ≥1 risk factor for cardiovascular disease. ACE I/D genotypes were determined in 37 939 participants randomized to chlorthalidone, amlodipine, lisinopril, or doxazosin treatments and followed up for 4 to 8 years. Primary outcomes included fatal coronary heart disease (CHD) and/or nonfatal myocardial infarction. Secondary outcomes included stroke, all-cause mortality, combined CHD, and combined cardiovascular disease. Fatal and nonfatal CHD occurred in 3096 individuals during follow-up. The hazard rates for fatal and nonfatal CHD and the secondary outcomes were similar across antihypertensive treatments. ACE I/D genotype group was not associated with fatal and nonfatal CHD (relative risk of DD versus ID and II, 0.99; 95% CI, 0.91 to 1.07) or any secondary outcome. The 6-year hazard rate for fatal and nonfatal CHD in the DD genotype group was not statistically different from the ID and II genotype group by type of treatment. No secondary outcome measure was statistically different across antihypertensive treatment and ACE I/D genotype strata. Conclusions—ACE I/D genotype group was not a predictor of CHD, nor did it modify the response to antihypertensive treatment. We conclude that the ACE I/D polymorphism is not a useful marker to predict antihypertensive treatment response.
Automation in Multi-Image Spherical Photogrammetry for 3D Architectural Reconstructions

The derivation of 3D metric information from spherical images for interactive exploration and realistic 3D modeling is receiving great attention due to their high-resolution content, large field-of-view, lowcost, easiness, rapidity and completeness. We present a methodology for accurate 3D reconstruction from spherical (panoramic) images acquired by mosaicking separated frame images captured with a rotating head and a consumer grade or SLR digital camera. In particular we focus the attention on the orientation of the panoramas which is achieved by extracting the necessary tie points with a new fully automated procedure, based on feature matching and robust estimators. Results of the automated panorama orientations and 3D reconstructions of architectural scenes are presented and discussed.
Are Parkinson’s Disease with dementia and Dementia with lewy Bodies the Same Entity?

The diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease with dementia (PDD) or dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) is based on an arbitary distinction between the time of onset of motor and cognitive symptoms. These syndromes share many neurobiological similarities, but there are also differences. Deposition of beta-amyloid protein is more marked and more closely related to cognitive impairment in DLB than PDD, possibly contributing to dementia at onset. The relatively more severe executive impairment in DLB than PDD may relate to the loss of frontohippocampal projections in DLB. Visual hallucinations and delusions associate with more abundant Lewy body pathology in temporal cortex in DLB. The differential involvement of pathology in the striatum may account for the differences in parkinsonism. Longitudinal studies with neuropathological and neurochemical evaluations will be essential to enable more robust comparisons and determine pathological substrates contributing to the differences in cognitive, motor, and psychiatric symptoms. (J Geriatr Psychiatry Neurol 2004; 17:137-145)