Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Intention to donate via social network sites (SNSs): A comparison study between Malaysian and South Korean users

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the differences in the external factors influencing intention to donate via social network sites (SNSs), and the online donation knowledge and awareness effect on the willingness to donate via SNS in the future between Malaysian and South Korean users. Design/methodology/approach In total, 288 samples’ data obtained from online survey using the snowball technique were analyzed through using cross-tabulation with χ2 tests and multiple regression analysis. Findings The results show that there is no significant difference between those countries regarding the online donation knowledge and awareness. However, the online donation knowledge and awareness significantly affect the willingness to donate via SNSs for South Korean, but not for Malaysian. As for Malaysian, the results reveal that only SNS features factor does significantly influence the attitude toward online donations. As for South Korean, the charity project and internet technology features factor significantly influence the attitude toward online donations. The attitude toward online donations of both countries influences on their intention to donate via SNS. Research limitations/implications The sample was gathered from certain regions in Malaysia and South Korea, and had slightly unbalanced characteristics (i.e. age), limiting the generalizability to the general population of both countries. Practical implications The findings suggest that non-profit organizations should consider the culture context in planning their future SNS donation program and focus on how to deal with the internet issues (e.g. trust, security), SNS features and charity project. As for Malaysian, promoting the internet and online donation awareness should be the priority before engaging in SNS donation program. Originality/value Whilst research on culture context in donation area is plentiful, the area of SNS donation remains underexplored. This paper offers an in-depth understanding of what influences SNS donation related to the identified culture context.
Serotype-specific immunity explains the incidence of diseases caused by human enteroviruses

Hidden truths of enteroviruses Enteroviruses are important drivers of global health, but few countries undertake enterovirus surveillance. Pons-Salort and Grassly used Japanese surveillance data to model the interplay between the ratio of susceptible and immune individuals, accounting for declining birth and death rates, incomplete surveillance, and seasonality of infection (see the Perspective by Nikolay and Cauchemez). Enteroviruses have highly predictable yet highly nonlinear dynamics. The model also reveals signatures of increased pathogenicity and of antigenic change and transmissibility. Science, this issue p. 800; see also p. 755 A transmission model and data on acquired serotype-specific immunity explain the complex patterns of disease caused by human enteroviruses. Human enteroviruses are a major cause of neurological and other diseases. More than 100 serotypes are known that exhibit unexplained complex patterns of incidence, from regular cycles to more irregular patterns, and new emergences. Using 15 years of surveillance data from Japan (2000–2014) and a stochastic transmission model with accurate demography, we show that acquired serotype-specific immunity can explain the diverse patterns of 18 of the 20 most common serotypes (including Coxsackieviruses, Echoviruses, and Enterovirus-A71). The remaining two serotypes required a change in viral characteristics, including an increase in pathogenicity for Coxsackievirus-A6, which is consistent with its recent global rise in incidence. On the basis of our findings, we are able to predict outbreaks 2 years ahead of time (2015–2016). These results have implications for the impact of vaccines under development.
Best practice guidelines for studies of parasite community ecology

Abstract In recent decades, parasite community ecology has produced hundreds of studies on an ever-growing number of host species, and developed into an active sub-discipline of parasitology. However, this growth has been characterized by a lack of standards in the practices used by researchers, with many common approaches being flawed, unjustified or misleading. Here, in the hope of promoting advances in the study of parasite community ecology, I identify some of the most common errors or weaknesses in past studies, and propose ten simple rules for best practice in the field. They cover issues including, among others, taxonomic resolution, proper and justifiable analytical methods, higher-level replication, controlling for sampling effort or species richness, accounting for spatial distances, using experimental approaches, and placing raw data in the public domain. While knowledge of parasite communities has expanded in breadth, with more and more host species being studied, true progress has been very limited with respect to our understanding of fundamental general processes shaping these communities. It is hoped that the guidelines presented here can direct researchers away from the entrenched use of certain approaches flawed in design, analysis or interpretation, by offering a more rigorous and standardized set of practices, and, hopefully, a way forward.
Role of Short Chain Fatty Acids in Controlling Tregs and Immunopathology During Mucosal Infection

Interactions between mucosal tissues and commensal microbes control appropriate host immune responses and inflammation, but very little is known about these interactions. Here we show that the depletion of resident bacteria using antibiotics (Abx) causes oral and gut immunopathology during oropharyngeal candidiasis (OPC) infection. Antibiotic treatment causes reduction in the frequency of Foxp3+ regulatory cells (Tregs) and IL-17A producers, with a concomitant increase in oral tissue pathology. While C. albicans (CA) is usually controlled in the oral cavity, antibiotic treatment led to CA dependent oral and gut inflammation. A combination of short chain fatty acids (SCFA) controlled the pathology in Abx treated mice, correlating to an increase in the frequency of Foxp3+, IL-17A+, and Foxp3+IL-17A+ double positive (Treg17) cells in tongue and oral draining lymph nodes. However, SCFA treatment did not fully reverse the gut inflammation suggesting that resident microbiota have SCFA independent homeostatic mechanisms in gut mucosa. We also found that SCFA potently induce Foxp3 and IL-17A expression in CD4+ T cells, depending on the cytokine milieu in vitro. Depletion of Tregs alone in FDTR mice recapitulated oral inflammation in CA infected mice, showing that Abx mediated reduction of Tregs was involved in infection induced pathology. SCFA did not control inflammation in Treg depleted mice in CA infected FDTR mice, showing that Foxp3+ T cell induction was required for the protective effect mediated by SCFA. Taken together, our data reveal that SCFA derived from resident bacteria play a critical role in controlling immunopathology by regulating T cell cytokines during mucosal infections. This study has broader implications on protective effects of resident microbiota in regulating pathological infections.
Structure of the 30S ribosomal decoding complex at ambient temperature

The ribosome translates nucleotide sequences of messenger RNA to proteins through selection of cognate transfer RNA according to the genetic code. To date, structural studies of ribosomal decoding complexes yielding high-resolution data have predominantly relied on experiments performed at cryogenic temperatures. New lightsources like the X-ray free electron laser (XFEL) have enabled data collection from macromolecular crystals at ambient temperature. Here, we report an X-ray crystal structure of the Thermus thermophilus 30S ribosomal subunit decoding complex to 3.45 Å resolution using data obtained at ambient temperature at the Linac Coherent Light Source (LCLS). We find that this ambient-temperature structure is largely consistent with existing cryogenic-temperature crystal structures, with key residues of the decoding complex exhibiting similar conformations, including adenosine residues 1492 and 1493. Minor variations were observed, namely an alternate conformation of cytosine 1397 near the mRNA channel and the A-site. Our serial crystallography experiment illustrates the amenability of ribosomal microcrystals to routine structural studies at ambient temperature, thus overcoming a long-standing experimental limitation.
Pituitary metastasis: a rare condition

Tumor metastasis to the pituitary gland is a rare, not well-documented and life-threatening condition associated with a shortened life span. A better understanding of its clinical manifestations could lead to earlier diagnosis, appropriate therapy and potentially improving quality of life. Therefore, we retrospectively studied the charts of patients with pituitary metastases who were treated at the City of Hope National Medical Center (Duarte, CA) from 1984 to 2018. We reviewed and analyzed tumor origin, primary pituitary clinical manifestation, duration between primary tumor diagnosis and pituitary metastasis, type of treatment and patient survival. A total of 11 patients were identified with a mean age of 59.2 years and median survival following the diagnosis of metastasis of 10 months. Breast cancer and lymphoma were the most common primary origins in these cases, and diabetes insipidus and panhypopituitarism were the most common clinical manifestations of their metastasis. We also compared our results with reports in the literature published between 1957 and 2018. A total 289 patients with pituitary metastasis have been reported in the literature. Breast cancer was the most frequent primary origin of the metastasis, and visual symptoms were the most common primary manifestation. The posterior part of the pituitary is more susceptible than the anterior to metastasis. Pituitary metastasis may occur as a consequence of successful primary tumor treatment prolonging the chance of seeding. Future studies are needed to determine the molecular mechanism of metastasis to the pituitary.
Item Distribution in the Berg Balance Scale: A Problem for Use With Community-Living Older Adults.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE The Berg Balance Scale (BBS) is a commonly used clinical test measure to determine balance performance and fall risk. However, a ceiling effect of the BBS has been reported in studies of older adults with relatively higher levels of physical performance. The underlying reason for this ceiling effect may be that the task items in the BBS are insufficiently challenging to discriminate individuals with less severe balance limitations. The purpose of this study was to investigate the unidimensional construct, item difficulty hierarchy, and item distribution of the BBS in order to determine its usefulness among community-living older adults (CLOAs). METHODS CLOA volunteers (N = 112; 34 men, 78 women), mean age 82.4 years (SD = 7.9) (range, 65-99 years), were tested with the BBS by physical therapy faculty and students from Drexel University. Rasch principal component analysis (PCA) was used to investigate the dimensionality of the BBS, and the Rasch rating scale model was used to determine the item difficulty hierarchy and distribution. RESULTS Rasch PCA confirmed the unidimensional construct of the BBS as a balance ability test. Two items failed to fit the Rasch model, "sitting unsupported" and "standing unsupported with eyes closed. " Item difficulty hierarchy indicated that the most difficult test item was "stand on one leg" and the easiest was "sitting unsupported. " Item and person measures ranged from -4.35 to 2.66 and -1.77 to 6.58 logits, respectively. Person and item separation indexes were 2.10 and 6.41 (reliabilities of 0.82 and 0.98, respectively). CONCLUSIONS Comparing the item difficulty and person ability, the balance ability of the CLOAs exceeded the difficulty of the test items, rendering it less useful for detecting balance ability and fall risk in CLOAs. More challenging test items, or selection of a different balance test, are recommended for use with this population.
Knowledge of Colorectal Cancer Symptoms and Risk Factors in the Kingdom of Bahrain: a Cross- Sectional Study

Background: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is second in incidence rates in both genders in the Kingdom of Bahrain, with the number of new CRC cases sharply increasing in the last two decades. This study aimed to assess the levels of knowledge regarding CRC among people living in the Kingdom. Methods: A cross-sectional survey design was used to recruit a convenient sample of 505 adults aged 25 years or above. Face to face structured interviews were conducted to supplement data gained from the questionnaire. Results: The mean age of participants was 37 (±10.43) years. Changes in bowel habits were the most commonly identified symptoms (46%) followed by lower abdominal pain (44%). Family history was the most commonly identified risk factor (38%) followed by smoking (28%). The overall score of knowledge of CRC was 56 (±18.4). The scores for symptoms and risk factors were 59 (±26.2) and 53 (±17.5) respectively. It was found that female participants had better knowledge 59 (±17) than males 54 (±19) (P = .001). Participants with high levels of education had better knowledge (63%) compared with other groups, although this was not statistically significant (P = .067). Conclusion: This study indicates poor knowledge among people living in Bahrain regarding CRC symptoms and risk factors. Strategies and educational initiatives need to be implemented to enhance the general public’s awareness in this respect.
PREVALENCE OF BACTERIOBILIA IN PATIENTS UNDERGOING ELECTIVE COLECYSTECTOMY

ABSTRACT Background: Cholelithiasis is one of the diseases with greater surgical indication. Currently, laparoscopic cholecystectomy is the gold standard in the treatment of cholelithiasis. Aim: To analyze the culture of bile from patients with cholelithiasis, mainly in the occurrence of brown and mixed stones. Methods: Was carried out a prospective study with 246 cases with biliary lithiasis who underwent elective laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Bile culture was performed in all. During anesthetic induction the patients received a single dose of intravenous cefazolin 1 g. At the end of the surgery, the gallbladder was punctured, its contents extracted and immediately placed in a sterile 20 ml propylene flask and promptly sent to bacterioscopy with Maconkey and blood agars. Incubation at 37° C for 24 h was carried out. A protocol was elaborated to include the main factors potentially related to cholelithiasis and the possible presence of associated bacterial infection. Results: Of the 246 patients, 201 had negative bile culture and 45 positive. Of the 45 patients with bacteriobilia, 34 had growth of a single type of bacterium in bile culture and 11 more than one. Conclusions: It was observed a relationship between bacteriobilia and age, suggesting that age is a risk factor for bacteriobilia. The use of antibiotic prophylaxis in the elderly is therefore recommended.
Guilt by association: intestinal metaplasia does not progress to gastric cancer

Purpose of review This review integrates the new thinking about relationships between gastric cancer and intestinal metaplasia/pseudopyloric metaplasia (SPEM). We address whether recent studies have closed or widened the knowledge gap regarding gastric cancer pathogenesis in mice or humans. Recent findings Recent studies in mouse models have provided a variety of new insights into the cellular origin and progression of events resulting in gastric cancer. Many suggest a direct transformation from intestinal metaplasia/pseudopyloric metaplasia/SPEM to gastric cancer. However, results from different investigator and models are conflicting and often describe events not present in studies in humans. Summary Both Helicobacter pylori-associated and autoimmune gastritis may produce gastric atrophy with extensive intestinal metaplasia and an abnormal gastric microbiome. However, only H. pylori gastritis carries a risk for adenocarcinoma. The differences reported with mouse models can best be explained as the results of different models of regeneration and repair rather than as models of gastric cancer. Overall, the data remains consistent with the original hypothesis that gastric cancer results from increased genetic instability of gastric stem cells rather than a direct transition from metaplasia to cancer. Intestinal metaplasia, pseudopyloric metaplasia, and SPEM have all been falsely accused based on guilt by association.
Trends in gambling participation and gambling severity among Finnish men and women: cross-sectional population surveys in 2007, 2010 and 2015

Objective The aim of this study is to evaluate trends in past-year gambling participation and gambling severity among Finnish men and women from 2007 to 2015. Design Cross-sectional population surveys from years 2007, 2011 and 2015. Setting Data were drawn from the population register and collected using computer-assisted telephone interviews. Participants Representative random samples of Finns aged 15–74 were drawn in the study in 2007 (n=5008), 2011 (n=4484) and 2015 (n=4515) with response rates of 58%, 40% and 62%, respectively. Outcome measures The outcome measures were gambling versatility, type of games, gambling intensity and gambling severity. Significance (p) between time points was determined using χ2 tests. All temporal comparisons between 2007–2011, 2011–2015 and 2007–2015 were performed separately for all respondents aged 15–74 and for women and men. Results Gambling participation overall showed a rising trend (6.6 percentage points, 95% CI 4.9 to 8.3) from 2007 to 2015. In 2007–2011 women’s gambling participation increased more (7.8 percentage points, 95% CI 5.5 to 10.4) than men’s (5.4 percentage points, 95% CI 3.2 to 7.6). The most popular game types since 2007 have been lottery games, scratch cards and electronic gaming machines (EGMs). EGM gambling, on the other hand, has decreased since 2007. Online gambling has increased significantly from 2007 to 2015 in both genders. Men’s at-risk gambling decreased from 2007 to 2011, while women’s at-risk gambling and problem gambling increased from 2011 to 2015. Conclusions Women’s increasing gambling participation is causing gender differences in gambling behaviour to narrow. The article concludes with a discussion of the need for gender-specific interventions aimed at preventing gambling-related harm and ultimately at protecting the most vulnerable groups.
Viability RT-qPCR to Distinguish Between HEV and HAV With Intact and Altered Capsids

The hepatitis E virus (HEV) is an emerging pathogen showing a considerable increase in the number of reported cases in Europe mainly related to the ingestion of contaminated food. As with other relevant viral foodborne pathogens, real-time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) is the gold standard for HEV detection in clinical, food, and environmental samples, but these procedures cannot discriminate between inactivated and potentially infectious viruses. Thus, the aim of this study was to develop a viability PCR method to discriminate between native, heat-, and high-pressure processing (HPP)-treated HEV using the hepatitis A virus (HAV) as a cultivable surrogate. To this end, different concentrations of viability markers (PMAxx and platinum chloride, PtCl4) were screened firstly on purified viral RNA using different RT-qPCR assays. Reductions of HEV RNA signals of >17.5, >15.0, and >15.5 quantification cycles (Cq) were reported for PtCl4 and 1.6, 2.9, and 8.4 Cq for PMAxx, clearly indicating a better performance of PtCl4 than PMAxx irrespective of the RT-qPCR assay used. The most efficient viability pretreatment (500 μM PtCl4 incubated at 5°C for 30 min) was then assessed on native, heat-, and HPP-treated HEV suspension. The optimized viability RT-qPCR discriminated successfully between native, heat-, and HPP-treated HEV, to different extents depending on the experimental conditions. In particular, approximately 2-log10 reduction was reported by PtCl4-RT-qPCR at both 72 and 95°C compared to the control. Additionally, both viability pretreatments were tested for HPP-treated HAV without success, while PtCl4-RT-qPCR completely eliminated (>5.6-log10 reduction) the RT-qPCR signals of HPP-treated HEV. Although this viability procedure may still overestimate infectivity, the PtCl4 pretreatment represents progress to better interpreting the quantification of intact HEV, and it could be included in molecular procedures used to quantify enteric viruses in food and environmental samples.
High AGR2 protein is a feature of low grade endometrial cancer cells

Background Biomarkers for identification of endometrial cancers (ECs) with high risk of recurrence are required to reduce the rising EC-related mortality. AGR2 is a prognostic marker in several hormonally-regulated cancers. Aim To assess the utility of AGR2 as a prognostic marker in EC. Methods AGR2 immunoexpression was evaluated in 163 human endometrial samples. Change in AGR2 mRNA levels in response to oestrogen and dihydrotestosterone was studied in vitro. Results Upregulation of AGR2 (protein and mRNA) was seen in low grade EC, compared to the postmenopausal endometrium (P = 0.013) and to the high-grade EC (P < 0.0001). Elevated AGR2 protein expression-scores were associated with a high expression of estrogen alpha (ERα), progesterone, androgen receptors and early clinical stages. Metastatic lesions maintained higher AGR2 expression relative to matched-primary tumors. High-AGR2 protein levels were associated with better overall survival (P = 0.02) in all ECs, but in highly-ERα-expressing ECs, AGR2 associated with unfavourable patient outcome. Androgen through its receptor, downregulated AGR2 mRNA in the Ishikawa cells. Conclusions AGR2 is overexpressed in low grade ECs and positively associated with hormone receptors. The association between high AGR2 and progressive disease within the high-ERα-expressing ECs suggests that in this group of patients, AGR2 might be a potential biomarker of poor prognosis.
Corticosteroids as an adjunct to tuberculosis therapy

ABSTRACT Introduction: Inflammation, or the prolonged resolution of inflammation, contributes to death from tuberculosis. Interest in inflammatory mechanisms and the prospect of beneficial immune modulation as an adjunct to antibacterial therapy has revived and the concept of host directed therapies has been advanced. Such renewed attention has however, overlooked the experience of such therapy with corticosteroids. Areas covered: The authors conducted literature searches and evaluated randomized clinical trials, systematic reviews and current guidelines and summarize these findings. They found evidence of benefit in meningeal and pericardial tuberculosis in HIV-1 uninfected persons, but less so in those HIV-1 coinfected and evidence of harm in the form of opportunist malignancy in those not prescribed antiretroviral therapy. Adjunctive corticosteroids are however of benefit in the treatment and prevention of paradoxical HIV-tuberculosis immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome. Expert commentary: Further high-quality clinical trials and experimental medicine studies are warranted and analysis of materials arising from such studies could illuminate ways to improve corticosteroid efficacy or identify novel pathways for more specific intervention.