Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Iron Tug-of-War between Bacterial Siderophores and Innate Immunity

Iron is necessary for the survival of almost all aerobic organisms. In the mammalian host, iron is a required cofactor for the assembly of functional iron-sulfur (Fe-S) cluster proteins, heme-binding proteins and ribonucleotide reductases that regulate various functions, including heme synthesis, oxygen transport and DNA synthesis. However, the bioavailability of iron is low due to its insolubility under aerobic conditions. Moreover, the host coordinates a nutritional immune response to restrict the accessibility of iron against potential pathogens. To counter nutritional immunity, most commensal and pathogenic bacteria synthesize and secrete small iron chelators termed siderophores. Siderophores have potent affinity for iron, which allows them to seize the essential metal from the host iron-binding proteins. To safeguard against iron thievery, the host relies upon the innate immune protein, lipocalin 2 (Lcn2), which could sequester catecholate-type siderophores and thus impede bacterial growth. However, certain bacteria are capable of outmaneuvering the host by either producing “stealth” siderophores or by expressing competitive antagonists that bind Lcn2 in lieu of siderophores. In this review, we summarize the mechanisms underlying the complex iron tug-of-war between host and bacteria with an emphasis on how host innate immunity responds to siderophores.
Tropical forests can maintain hyperdiversity because of enemies

Significance Biologists have long sought to explain how tropical forests can support as many as 1,000 tree species at a single site. Such high diversity presents a paradox in that two well-documented mechanisms, competition and drift, both erode diversity over time. Much imagination has gone into the quest to find a countervailing force of sufficient strength to counterbalance competition and drift. We show here that the 48-year-old Janzen−Connell mechanism, in which natural enemies restrict tree recruitment near conspecific adults, is capable of maintaining high levels of diversity indefinitely via a stabilizing mechanism that favors rare species and hinders common ones. Diversity maintenance requires only a small zone around conspecific adults in which saplings fail to recruit. Explaining the maintenance of tropical forest diversity under the countervailing forces of drift and competition poses a major challenge to ecological theory. Janzen−Connell effects, in which host-specific natural enemies restrict the recruitment of juveniles near conspecific adults, provide a potential mechanism. Janzen−Connell is strongly supported empirically, but existing theory does not address the stable coexistence of hundreds of species. Here we use high-performance computing and analytical models to demonstrate that tropical forest diversity can be maintained nearly indefinitely in a prolonged state of transient dynamics due to distance-responsive natural enemies. Further, we show that Janzen−Connell effects lead to community regulation of diversity by imposing a diversity-dependent cost to commonness and benefit to rarity. The resulting species−area and rank−abundance relationships are consistent with empirical results. Diversity maintenance over long time spans does not require dispersal from an external metacommunity, speciation, or resource niche partitioning, only a small zone around conspecific adults in which saplings fail to recruit. We conclude that the Janzen−Connell mechanism can explain the maintenance of tropical tree diversity while not precluding the operation of other niche-based mechanisms such as resource partitioning.
Organizational Factors Associated With Quality Perinatal Care

Perinatal care has been recognized as an integral part of ensuring quality health care in hospitals, and the focus on perinatal care quality is increasing. The previous hospital literature has focused much attention on measuring and improving quality of care generally, but recently there has been a call for a more comprehensive approach to measuring quality in the perinatal care setting. The perinatal literature is limited in addressing the association between organizational factors and perinatal quality. Using chart audit data for more than 10 000 maternity patients, we used multiple regression analysis to examine the association of organizational factors and perinatal quality of care. Findings show that ownership, setting (location), and hospital policy on infant feeding were statistically significant. Findings suggest that it is important that hospital boards and leaders develop and implement organizational policies to enhance perinatal quality of care.
Vertical flow constructed wetland planted with Heliconia psittacorum used as decentralized post-treatment of anaerobic effluent in Southern Brazil

Abstract In order to investigate the potential of vertical flow constructed wetlands (VFCWs), a 24.5 m2 surface area filled with gravel and planted with Heliconia psittacorum, was implemented as an experimental system for domestic wastewater treatment in southern Brazil. The aims of the study were to (i) evaluate the performance of a full scale system septic tank (ST) and VFCW for decentralized domestic wastewater treatment, and (ii) identify the influence of Heliconia for hydraulic characteristics and consequent performance of the VFCW. The applied load rates in the VFCW were, on average, 10 g biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) m−2 day−1, 4 g NH4+-N m−2 day−1 and a hydraulic loading rate (HLR) of 60 mm day−1. Physicochemical analyses of wastewater treatment were carried out through grab sample methodology, for 5 months. Additionally, hydrodynamic tests were performed during plant development using rhodamine. The study demonstrated the viability of the system for decentralized wastewater treatment in Brazil, with average removal efficiencies of 78% for chemical oxygen demand (COD) and 84% for total suspended solids (TSS), according to national effluent discharge regulations. In spite of media’s large size, the VFCW achieved good average removal efficiencies. The tracer test results showed that the VFCW average hydraulic detention time increased as plants grew. This may have occurred due to interception of wastewater applied on the macrophyte’s leaves as well as a reduction in filter media permeability caused by the spread of roots and rhizomes. These results indicate that the plants played an important role in increasing wastewater contact time in wetlands with high hydraulic conductivity such as a gravel VFCW.
Insatisfação corporal em adolescentes de municípios de pequeno porte

Devido as mudancas fisicas e psicossociais que ocorrem na adolescencia, muitos jovens podem sofrer insatisfacao com sua imagem corporal, influenciada por fatores biologicos e socioculturais. Por isso, este estudo buscou analisar a incidencia de insatisfacao corporal de adolescentes que vivem em cidades de pequeno porte, bem como a influencia da idade, do sexo e do estado nutricional na insatisfacao com o corpo. Realizou-se uma pesquisa epidemiologica do tipo transversal com escolares de 15 a 19 anos, moradores de cidades com ate 5.000 habitantes, localizadas na Zona da Mata mineira, em um raio de 70 km de Juiz de Fora, MG. Foram encontradas 9 cidades com 1.015 alunos matriculados no ensino medio, em 4 cidades, selecionadas de forma aleatoria simples. Em cada uma, foi feito um censo com todos os alunos elegiveis para se alcancar um numero de jovens relevante, sendo a amostra composta por 413 escolares. A insatisfacao corporal foi avaliada pelo Body Shape Questionnaire e pela Escala Evaluacion de Insatisfacion Corporal para Adolescentes, ambos validados para a populacao adolescente brasileira. A idade, o sexo e o estado nutricional foram as variaveis independentes selecionadas para verificar a relacao dos escolares com a insatisfacao corporal. Foi usado o software SPSS v.17. 0 para fazer analise descritiva das variaveis e os testes estatisticos para verificar a relacao das variaveis biologicas com a insatisfacao corporal, usando nivel de significância de 5%. O teste de normalidade de Komolgorov Smirnov, o teste de variância de Kruskall-Wallis com post hoc Bonferroni e o teste de Mann-Whitney foram usados para analisar a relacao das variaveis independentes com a insatisfacao corporal. A media de idade foi de 16,6±1,4 anos, sendo 178 do sexo masculino (41,3%) e 235 do sexo feminino (56,9%). A maioria dos adolescentes, 71,9%, foi classificada com indice de Massa Corporal normal. As medias gerais de insatisfacao corporal foram 66,78±29,63 pontos no Body Shape Questionnaire, sendo que 73,6% dos adolescentes mostraram-se livres de insatisfacao Corporal pela analise desse instrumento. Ja a Escala de Avaliacao da Insatisfacao corporal para Adolescentes obteve 17,96±11,74 pontos de media de insatisfacao. Nas cidades pesquisadas, houve diferenca significativa de insatisfacao (p<0,05) e observou-se que as meninas estavam, significativamente, mais insatisfeitas que os meninos. Os jovens que apresentaram IMC acima do normal estavam mais insatisfeitos. Concluiu-se que a insatisfacao nao teve alta incidencia entre os adolescentes das cidades pequenas pesquisadas, contudo percebeu-se que algumas variaveis, como o estado nutricional e o sexo, sao fatores que contribuem para insatisfacao corporal. Estudos epidemiologicos sao importantes para avaliar a relacao da imagem corporal com a insatisfacao corporal entre os adolescentes de regioes com contextos sociodemograficos diferentes. Alem disso, servem para detectar quais sao os principais fatores que influenciam no aumento da insatisfacao dos jovens com o proprio corpo.
Meaning Reconstruction in Bereaved Family Caregivers of Person’s With Alzheimer’s Disease: A Mixed-Methods Study

The purpose of this descriptive study was to identify whether meaning reconstruction was associated with indicators of bereavement adaptation in 66 spouses and adult child caregivers of person’s with Alzheimer’s disease. A cross-sectional mixed-methods design was used. Hierarchical regression models were used to examine whether meaning making predicted grief, depression, and positive and states of mind in the sample. Qualitative interviews were conducted to gain further knowledge about ways in which Alzheimer’s disease caregivers construct meaning during bereavement. The majority of participants reported experiencing positive aspects of meaning reconstruction. Benefit-finding and identity change contributed to reductions in grief, and benefit-finding contributed to positive states of mind. Being a spouse and female gender contributed to increased grief and depression. Bereaved caregivers who are at risk for high levels of grief should be targeted for grief therapy interventions that foster meaning making.
The Short-Term Effects of Ambient Air Pollutants on Childhood Asthma Hospitalization in Taiwan: A National Study

This investigation determined the effects of air pollution on childhood asthma hospitalization in regions with differing air pollution levels in Taiwan over a long time period. Data of childhood hospital admissions for asthma in patients aged 0–18 years and air quality in eight regions for the period 2001–2012 in Taiwan were collected. Poisson generalized linear regression analysis was employed to identify the relative risks of hospitalization due to asthma in children associated with exposure to varying levels of air pollutants with a change in the interquartile range after adjusting for temperature and relative humidity. Particulate matter ≤2.5 μm (PM2.5), particulate matter ≤10 μm (PM10), ozone (O3), sulfur dioxide (SO2), and nitrogen dioxide (NO2), were positively associated with childhood asthma hospitalization, while O3 was negatively associated with childhood asthma hospitalization. SO2 was identified as the most significant risk factor. The relative risks for asthma hospitalization associated with air pollutants were higher among children aged 0–5 years than aged 6–18 years and were higher among males than females. The effects of air pollution on childhood asthma were greater in the higher-level air pollution regions, while no association was observed in the lower-level air pollution regions. These findings may prove important for policymakers involved in implementing policies to reduce air pollution.
Solubility of Mn in ZnO Crystallites Synthesized Using Solid State Techniques

Solubility of Mn in ZnO Crystallites Synthesized Using Solid State Techniques Esau Nii Abekah Akwetey Armah , Martin Egblewogbe, Hubert Azoda Koffi, Alfred Ato Yankson , Francis Kofi Ampong, Francis Boakye, Josef Kwaku Ametefee Amuzu, Robert Kwame Nkum 1 Department of Physics, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Ghana 2 Department of Physics, LG 63, University of Ghana, Legon, Accra, Ghana 3 Foundation Department, Lancaster University Ghana, P. O. Box CT9823, Cantonments, Accra, Ghana * Corresponding author email: akweteyniiabekah@gmail.com
Upregulation of stanniocalcin‐1 inhibits the development of osteoarthritis by inhibiting survival and inflammation of fibroblast‐like synovial cells

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a progressive and disabling disorder, characterized by synovial inflammation and joint effusion. This study aimed to explore the role of stanniocalcin‐1 (STC1) in the development of OA by regulating the survival and inflammation of fibroblast‐like synovial (FLS) cells.
Role of Insulin-Mediated Antinatriuresis in Sodium Homeostasis and Hypertension.

Until recently, there has been virtually no direct experimental evidence demonstrating a physiological or pathophysiologic role for the antinatriuretic action of insulin. This is surprising. It is well-established that insulin can stimulate sodium transport all along the nephron: proximal tubule, thick ascending limb, and distal tubule/collecting duct. Hyperinsulinemia also correlates with salt retention and hypertension in metabolic syndrome and obesity. However, the primary cause-and-effect experimental evidence that chronic hyperinsulinemia can cause hypertension is from studies in rats, and those studies do not provide evidence of significant sodium retention. In addition, a role for insulin-mediated sodium retention in normal daily physiology, in normal, healthy subjects, has not been demonstrated. Therefore, the acute effect of insulin to stimulate renal tubular sodium transport, although tantalizing as a potential mechanism to explain salt retention in conditions associated with hyperinsulinemia, has been without direct experimental evidence that it has a significant physiological or chronic pathophysiologic role. This review discusses new evidence that the antinatriuretic effect of insulin may play a role in physiological maintenance of sodium homeostasis. This potential action is reconciled with earlier evidence for insulin-induced hypertension to hypothesize potential conditions under which physiological actions of insulin could contribute to the pathology of hypertension in obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus.
ARL13B, a Joubert Syndrome-Associated Protein, Is Critical for Retinogenesis and Elaboration of Mouse Photoreceptor Outer Segments

Mutations in the Joubert syndrome-associated small GTPase ARL13B are linked to photoreceptor impairment and vision loss. To determine the role of ARL13B in the development, function, and maintenance of ciliated photoreceptors, we generated a pan-retina knock-out (Six3-Cre) and a rod photoreceptor-specific inducible conditional knock-out (Pde6g-CreERT2) of ARL13B using murine models. Embryonic deletion of ARL13B led to defects in retinal development with reduced cell proliferation. In the absence of ARL13B, photoreceptors failed to develop outer segment (OS) membranous discs and axonemes, resulting in loss of function and rapid degeneration. Additionally, the majority of photoreceptor basal bodies did not dock properly at the apical edge of the inner segments. The removal of ARL13B in adult rod photoreceptor cells after maturation of OS resulted in loss of photoresponse and vesiculation in the OS. Before changes in photoresponse, removal of ARL13B led to mislocalization of rhodopsin, prenylated phosphodiesterase-6 (PDE6), and intraflagellar transport protein-88 (IFT88). Our findings show that ARL13B is required at multiple stages of retinogenesis, including early postnatal proliferation of retinal progenitor cells, development of photoreceptor cilia, and morphogenesis of photoreceptor OS discs regardless of sex. Last, our results establish a need for ARL13B in photoreceptor maintenance and protein trafficking. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT The normal development of photoreceptor cilia is essential to create functional, organized outer segments with stacked membrane discs that house the phototransduction proteins necessary for sight. Our study identifies a complex role for ARL13B, a small GTPase linked to Joubert syndrome and visual impairment, at various stages of photoreceptor development. Loss of ARL13B led to defects in retinal proliferation, altered placement of basal bodies crucial for components of the cilium (transition zone) to emanate, and absence of photoreceptor-stacked discs. These defects led to extinguished visual response and dysregulated protein trafficking. Our findings show the complex role ARL13B plays in photoreceptor development, viability, and function. Our study accounts for the severe retinal impairment observed in ARL13B-linked Joubert syndrome patients.
The Role of Fathers’ Versus Mothers’ Parenting in Emotion-Regulation Development From Mid–Late Adolescence: Disentangling Between-Family Differences From Within-Family Effects

This 4-year, multi-informant longitudinal study (N = 480, initial age: 15) investigated the interplay between parental support, behavioral and psychological control, and adolescents’ emotion regulation development. We examined reciprocal effects between parents and children, mothers’ versus fathers’ unique roles in emotion regulation development, and sex differences. Multi-informant data allowed us to compare effects of adolescent-perceived and parent-reported parenting. Finally, innovative analyses allowed us to disentangle between-family differences from within-family predictive processes. Parenting and emotion regulation were associated at the between-family and within-family levels, especially according to adolescent reports. Support primarily played a role between mothers and adolescents, and perceived behavioral control between fathers and adolescents. Sex moderation revealed that support played a more prominent role in mother–daughter than mother–son relationships, and that daughters experienced greater behavioral control. Child effects outnumbered parent effects, which might reflect the increasing equality of adolescent–parent relationships. Finally, adolescent-perceived parenting was a stronger correlate of emotion regulation than parent-reports, suggesting that adolescents’ perceptions are a relevant source of information for research and practice. Consistent with the self-determination theory perspective on parenting, emotion regulation flourished when adolescents felt like mothers provided support, and fathers loosened behavioral control. These results are in line with the notion that mother–child relationships are supportive attachment relationships, whereas fathers provide “activation” relationships, challenging adolescents to regulate emotions autonomously by providing less explicit structure.
Cold dry air provocation is a reliable diagnostic tool in nonallergic rhinitis.

BACKGROUND No diagnostic criteria have been available for nonallergic rhinitis (NAR) to this point in time. Nonspecific nasal hyperresponsiveness (NHR), which could be efficiently assessed by cold dry air (CDA) provocation, is an essential feature of NAR. Thus, this study's purpose was to assess the diagnostic value of CDA provocation in discriminating patients with NAR from healthy individuals. METHODS CDA provocation was performed among 13 healthy volunteers and 15 NAR patients. Nasal symptom scores, total nasal volume (TNV), total nasal resistance (TNR) and minimal cross-sectional area (MCA) were checked before and after the provocation. Non-paramedic tests and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were used in data evaluation. RESULTS Subjects in the NAR group showed significantly larger changes after CDA provocation in total nasal symptom score (TNSS) and nasal congestion score compared with healthy volunteers, while the change for rhinorrhea score was comparable. Similarly, significant differences in the change of MCA and TNV were witnessed between both groups. We built a predictive model for NAR, Y = minus 3.285 plus 2.520 times the difference of TNR (%) plus 1.027 times the difference of TNSS minus 6.542 times the difference of TNV (%), whose area under curve was 0.93. According to the Youden index, the criterion was set to be Y greater than -0.52, when its sensitivity and specificity were 93.3% and 84.6%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS With superior patient-friendliness, safety and efficacy, we successfully performed the first NAR predictive model in the Chinese population, based on a short protocol of CDA provocation, by means of both subjective scores and objective tests (acoustic rhinometry and rhinomanometry).
Investigating predictive tools for refinery effluent hazard assessment using stream mesocosms

Hazard assessment of refinery effluents is challenging because of their compositional complexity. Therefore, a weight‐of‐evidence approach using a combination of tools is often required. Previous research has focused on several predictive tools for sophisticated chemical analyses: biomimetic extraction to quantify the potentially bioaccumulative substances, 2‐dimensional gas chromatography, modeling approaches to link oil composition to toxicity (PETROTOX), and whole‐effluent toxicity assessments using bioassays. The present study investigated the value of these tools by comparing predicted effects to actual effects observed in stream mesocosm toxicity studies with refinery effluents. Three different effluent samples, with and without fortification by neat petroleum substances, were tested in experimental freshwater streams. The results indicate that the biological community shifted at higher exposure levels, consistent with chronic toxicity effects predicted by both modeled toxic units and potentially bioaccumulative substance measurements. The present study has demonstrated the potential of the predictive tools and the robustness of the stream mesocosm design to improve our understanding of the environmental hazards posed by refinery effluents. Environ Toxicol Chem 2019;38:650–659. © 2018 SETAC