Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effects of exercises with a pelvic realignment device on low-back and pelvic girdle pain after childbirth: A randomized control study.

BACKGROUND To determine the effects of a pelvic realignment device-aided exercise programme after childbirth. Postpartum low-back pain and pelvic girdle pain often occur due to pregnancy and childbirth. Pelvic stabilization exercises are considered effective for reducing these symptoms. However, such exercise might be more effective if the sacro-iliac joints were held in optimal conformity. There is no published evidence regarding the use of a pelvic realignment device during stabilization exercises. METHODS This randomized controlled trial involved 2 interventions and a control group. Pregnant women were allocated randomly to: (i) exercises with a pelvic realignment device (group R, n = 25); (ii) stabilization exercise (group E, n = 25); or (3) a control group (group C, n = 25). Pain intensity (visual analogue scale) and limitations in activities of daily living (pelvic girdle questionnaire) were measured 11 times during the 3-month period after delivery. A Kruskal-Wallis test was used for statistical analyses. RESULTS Seventy-five pregnant women (mean age 31.2 years) participated in the study. At 13 weeks after delivery the pelvic girdle questionnaire score in both groups and visual analogue scale score in group R had decreased significantly. However, group E did not present with pain reduction at 13 weeks (p = 0.058). No significant differences were found between groups R and E (p = 0.66). The immediate and short-term effects of exercise with a pelvic realignment device showed greater improvements compared with pelvic stabilization exercises alone. CONCLUSION Standing exercises with a pelvic realignment device had immediate and short-term effects on improvement in pain within 4 weeks after delivery. The realignment device may be useful for reducing mechanical stress during exercises for postpartum low-back and pelvic girdle pain.
Climate-Related Limitations on Photosynthesis and Drought-Resistance Strategies of Ziziphus spina-christi

Current climatic changes are subjecting plants to increasing amounts of abiotic stress and intensifying desertification in many regions. The identification of tree species that can survive extremely limited water conditions may assist in limiting regional desertification processes and mitigating the greenhouse effect. Ziziphus spina-christi is a thermophilic tree from Sudan that is highly tolerant of heat and drought. In recent years, this tree has become more abundant in the Mediterranean region. In order to predict how a warm and dry climate influences the successful establishment of this species, we compared the seasonal photosynthesis of Z. spina-christi trees growing in a Mediterranean climate and a semi-arid climate. At each site, we measured the seasonal changes in gas exchange, chlorophyll fluorescence and stem water potential (Ψstem). We quantitatively compared the seasonality of factors that limit photosynthesis: stomatal conductance (gs), mesophyll conductance (gm) and maximal capacity for Rubisco carboxylation (Vcmax). Our results revealed differences in the seasonality of the trees’ photosynthetic capacities, as well as different drought avoidance and tolerance strategies at the two different sites. Trees grown at the Mediterranean-climate site exhibited high photosynthetic activity during winter-spring and summer, but significantly less photosynthetic activity during the fall drought. During periods of drought, the overall limitation of photosynthesis was mostly due to strong stomatal regulation. Trees in the Mediterranean sites compensate for their lower gs with a larger gm and high Vcmax. In contrast, at the semi-arid site, peak photosynthesis was observed in the spring and fall. The reduced photosynthesis during the summer drought and the period of low temperatures during the winter were associated with greater reduction in gm, as compared to gs, and increased investment in photoprotective mechanisms (NPQ and photorespiration). Relatively low midday Ψstem was observed at both sites during the driest period (>-2.2 MPa), revealing that this species employs drought-avoidance strategies. Our results demonstrate how Z. spina-christi could be an attractive tree for afforestation programs in semi-arid areas and how climate change may give it an ecological advantage that may lead to its becoming more widely distributed across this region in future decades.
Job stress and post-retirement health in the Hertfordshire Cohort Study.

Background Job demand-control (DC) and effort-reward imbalance (ERI) are two commonly used measures of work stress which are independently associated with health. Aims To test the hypothesis that DC and ERI have different and cumulative effects on health. Methods DC and ERI were assessed in the Hertfordshire Cohort Study. The characteristics and occupations of men and women reporting either or both work stresses were compared and the interaction of these with health status were explored. Results Complete data were available for 1021 men and 753 women, reporting on their most recent or current job. A total of 647 (63%) men and 444 (59%) women reported neither work stress, while 103 (10%) men and 78 (10%) women reported both. Patterns of ERI and DC, alone and in combination, were different by type of occupation and by gender. Men reporting both work stresses (as compared with neither) were more likely to be single. Reported ERI with DC in the most recent or current job was associated with: poorer SF-36 physical function scores (OR 2.3 [95% CI 1.5-3.7] for men; OR 2.0 [95% CI 1.2-3.6] for women) and mental health scores (OR 2.8 [95% CI 1.8-4.4] for men; OR 3.1 [95% CI 1.8-5.3] for women). Moreover, average grip strength was 1.7 kg (95% CI 0.2-3.3) lower among men who described both work stresses. Conclusion DC and ERI are two models of the psychosocial workplace environment which offer different but cumulative insight into the impacts of work on an individual's psychological and physical health, particularly in a population sample.
Organic and Peptidyl Constituents of Snake Venoms: The Picture Is Vastly More Complex Than We Imagined

Small metabolites and peptides in 17 snake venoms (Elapidae, Viperinae, and Crotalinae), were quantified using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. Each venom contains >900 metabolites and peptides. Many small organic compounds are present at levels that are probably significant in prey envenomation, given that their known pharmacologies are consistent with snake envenomation strategies. Metabolites included purine nucleosides and their bases, neurotransmitters, neuromodulators, guanidino compounds, carboxylic acids, amines, mono- and disaccharides, and amino acids. Peptides of 2–15 amino acids are also present in significant quantities, particularly in crotaline and viperine venoms. Some constituents are specific to individual taxa, while others are broadly distributed. Some of the latter appear to support high anabolic activity in the gland, rather than having toxic functions. Overall, the most abundant organic metabolite was citric acid, owing to its predominance in viperine and crotaline venoms, where it chelates divalent cations to prevent venom degradation by venom metalloproteases and damage to glandular tissue by phospholipases. However, in terms of their concentrations in individual venoms, adenosine, adenine, were most abundant, owing to their high titers in Dendroaspis polylepis venom, although hypoxanthine, guanosine, inosine, and guanine all numbered among the 50 most abundant organic constituents. A purine not previously reported in venoms, ethyl adenosine carboxylate, was discovered in D. polylepis venom, where it probably contributes to the profound hypotension caused by this venom. Acetylcholine was present in significant quantities only in this highly excitotoxic venom, while 4-guanidinobutyric acid and 5-guanidino-2-oxopentanoic acid were present in all venoms.
Unobtrusive Photoplethysmographic Monitoring Under the Foot Sole while in a Standing Posture

Photoplethysmography (PPG) of the foot sole could provide additional health-related information compared with traditional PPG of the finger or wrist. Previously, foot PPG required the procedural binding of a light-emitting diode (LED)-photodetector (PD) pair. We achieved PPG of the foot sole without binding any sensors to the foot while the participant stood in a natural standing position on the testing device. Foot PPG was performed using multiple LED-PD pairs to overcome motion artefacts caused by stabilization. We identified regions of the sole suitable for reliable sensor positioning with optimal LED-PD pairs on the basis of the estimated heart rate (HR) and signal quality index derived by dynamic time warping (wSQI). The first experiment included four participants with direct skin-to-sensor contact, and the results showed a mean HR estimation error of 0.01 beats/min and a wSQI of 0.909. The extended experiment with 53 participants, which involved including a gap between the skin and sensors to consider real-life applications, yielded a mean HR estimation error of 0.638 beats/min and a wSQI of 0.751. Based on the selection ratio of optimal LED-PD pairs, the best region of the sole for PPG was the midfoot, except the medial longitudinal arch. In conclusion, we confirmed that foot PPG using multiple LED-PD pairs is appropriate for HR evaluation and further applications.
The effect of a decontamination protocol on contaminated titanium dental implant surfaces with different surface topography in edentulous patients

Abstract Objectives: To investigate if it is possible to achieve complete decontamination of dental implant surfaces with different surface characteristics. Materials and methods: Twelve implant pieces with an Osseotite® surface and 12 implant pieces with a Ti-Unite® surface were attached on to the complete lower dentures of six patients and were allowed to accumulate plaque for 30 days. When retrieved, the implant decontamination protocol used, involved both mechanical (PeriBrush™) and chemical (3% H2O2) decontamination. The number of colony forming units per millilitre was determined and the dominant micro-organisms in selected samples was identified by 16s rRNA gene amplicon sequencing. The effect of the titanium brush on the implant surface was examined by SEM. Results: Complete decontamination was achieved in five out of 24 implants (four Osseotite® and one Ti-Unite®). The mean CFU/ml detected after decontamination were 464.48 for Osseotite® and 729.09 for Ti-Unite® implants. On the surface of the implants in which complete decontamination was not achieved, all of the predominant bacteria identified were streptococci except for one which was identified as micrococcus. SEM images revealed that the surface features of the decontaminated implants were not significantly altered. Conclusions: Mechanical decontamination using a titanium brush supplemented with chemical treatment for one minute (3% H2O2) can achieve complete decontamination of implant surfaces in edentulous patients.
Microbial Community and Metabolic Activity in Thiocyanate Degrading Low Temperature Microbial Fuel Cells

Thiocyanate is a toxic compound produced by the mining and metallurgy industries that needs to be remediated prior to its release into the environment. If the industry is situated at high altitudes or near the poles, economic factors require a low temperature treatment process. Microbial fuel cells are a developing technology that have the benefits of both removing such toxic compounds while recovering electrical energy. In this study, simultaneous thiocyanate degradation and electrical current generation was demonstrated and it was suggested that extracellular electron transfer to the anode occurred. Investigation of the microbial community by 16S rRNA metatranscriptome reads supported that the anode attached and planktonic anolyte consortia were dominated by a Thiobacillus-like population. Metatranscriptomic sequencing also suggested thiocyanate degradation primarily occurred via the ‘cyanate’ degradation pathway. The generated sulfide was metabolized via sulfite and ultimately to sulfate mediated by reverse dissimilatory sulfite reductase, APS reductase, and sulfate adenylyltransferase and the released electrons were potentially transferred to the anode via soluble electron shuttles. Finally, the ammonium from thiocyanate degradation was assimilated to glutamate as nitrogen source and carbon dioxide was fixed as carbon source. This study is one of the first to demonstrate a low temperature inorganic sulfur utilizing microbial fuel cell and the first to provide evidence for pathways of thiocyanate degradation coupled to electron transfer.
The Convergence of Sparsified Gradient Methods

Distributed training of massive machine learning models, in particular deep neural networks, via Stochastic Gradient Descent (SGD) is becoming commonplace. Several families of communication-reduction methods, such as quantization, large-batch methods, and gradient sparsification, have been proposed. To date, gradient sparsification methods - where each node sorts gradients by magnitude, and only communicates a subset of the components, accumulating the rest locally - are known to yield some of the largest practical gains. Such methods can reduce the amount of communication per step by up to three orders of magnitude, while preserving model accuracy. Yet, this family of methods currently has no theoretical justification. This is the question we address in this paper. We prove that, under analytic assumptions, sparsifying gradients by magnitude with local error correction provides convergence guarantees, for both convex and non-convex smooth objectives, for data-parallel SGD. The main insight is that sparsification methods implicitly maintain bounds on the maximum impact of stale updates, thanks to selection by magnitude. Our analysis and empirical validation also reveal that these methods do require analytical conditions to converge well, justifying existing heuristics.
The effectiveness of Realistic Mathematics Education approach: The role of mathematical representation as mediator between mathematical belief and problem solving

This study aims to identify the role of mathematical representation as a mediator between mathematical belief and problem solving. A quasi-experimental design was developed that included 426 Form 1 secondary school students. Respondents comprised 209 and 217 students in the treatment and control groups, respectively. SPSS 23.0, ANATES 4 and Amos 18 were used for data analysis. Findings indicated that mathematical representation plays a significant role as mediator between mathematical belief and arithmetic problem solving. The Realistic Mathematics Education (RME) approach successfully increased the arithmetic problem-solving ability of students.
Child and adult spinal tuberculosis at tertiary hospitals in the Western Cape, South Africa: 4-year burden and trend

Abstract The aim of this retrospective review was to assess the overall burden and trend in spinal tuberculosis (TB) at tertiary hospitals in the Western Cape Province of South Africa. All spinal TB cases seen at the province's three tertiary hospitals between 2012 and 2015 were identified and clinical records of each case assessed. Cases were subsequently classified as bacteriologically confirmed or clinically diagnosed and reported with accompanying clinical and demographic information. Odds ratios (OR) for severe spinal disease and corrective surgery in child vs. adult cases were calculated. A total of 393 cases were identified (319 adults, 74 children), of which 283 (72%) were bacteriologically confirmed. Adult cases decreased year-on-year (P = 0.04), however there was no clear trend in child cases. Kyphosis was present in 60/74 (81%) children and 243/315 (77%) adults with available imaging. Corrective spinal surgery was performed in 35/74 (47%) children and 80/319 (25%) adults (OR 2.7, 95% confidence interval 1.6–4.5, P = 0.0003). These findings suggest that Western Cape tertiary hospitals have experienced a substantial burden of spinal TB cases in recent years with a high proportion of severe presentation, particularly among children. Spinal TB remains a public health concern with increased vigilance required for earlier diagnosis, especially of child cases.
Dietary Supplementation of Selenoneine-Containing Tuna Dark Muscle Extract Effectively Reduces Pathology of Experimental Colorectal Cancers in Mice

Selenoneine is an ergothioneine analog with greater antioxidant activity and is the major form of organic selenium in the blood, muscles, and other tissues of tuna. The aim of this study was to determine whether a selenoneine-rich diet exerts antioxidant activities that can prevent carcinogenesis in two types of colorectal cancer model in mice. We administrated selenoneine-containing tuna dark muscle extract (STDME) to mice for one week and used azoxymethane (AOM) and dextran sodium sulfate (DSS) for inducing colorectal carcinogenesis. Next, we examined the incidence of macroscopic polyps and performed functional analysis of immune cells from the spleen. In the AOM/DSS-induced colitis-associated cancer (CAC) model, the oral administration of STDME significantly decreased tumor incidence and inhibited the accumulation of myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) while also inhibiting the downregulation of interferon-γ (IFN-γ) production during carcinogenesis. These results suggest that dietary STDME may be an effective agent for reducing colorectal tumor progression.
Lifetime Suicide-Related Behavior, Violent Victimization, and Behavioral Health Outcomes: Results From a Vulnerable Population Needs Assessment

This study is concerned with two risk factors that have been independently associated with poor behavioral health: (a) lifetime suicide-related behavior (SRB) and (b) interpersonal violence victimization experiences. The purpose of this article was to assess whether the combination of SRB (ideation, attempt) and violent victimization exacerbates behavioral health symptom risk. This pattern is examined across three vulnerable population samples: community-based adults, college students, and bondage and sadomasochism (BDSM) community members. Data from a community health and sexuality survey (n = 2,175) were collected as a health needs assessment in partnership with the National Coalition for Sexual Freedom; latent class analysis (LCA) was then employed to identify intersectionality. This paper builds on prior findings yielding two distinct violence-related classes: (a) SRB only and (b) violent victimization + SRB. Controlling for demographic covariates, analyses revealed a consistent pattern in which the violent victimization + SRB subgroup displayed significantly worse behavioral health outcomes, including symptoms of depression, anxiety, general distress, and posttraumatic stress. Membership in any of the three available samples did not moderate the latent class-behavioral health associations, suggesting the additive impact of lifetime victimization + SRB is equitable across samples. Results are consistent with social-ecological framing of shared suicide–interpersonal violence falling under the same category of public health concerns sharing risk factors and health outcomes.
Influenza Vaccination Coverage Among Health Care Personnel — United States, 2017–18 Influenza Season

The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommends that all health care personnel receive an annual influenza vaccination to reduce influenza-related morbidity and mortality among health care personnel and their patients and to reduce absenteeism among health care personnel (1-4). CDC conducted an opt-in Internet panel survey of 2,265 U.S. health care personnel to estimate influenza vaccination coverage among these persons during the 2017-18 influenza season. Overall, 78.4% of health care personnel reported receiving influenza vaccination during the 2017-18 season, similar to reported coverage in the previous four influenza seasons (5). As in previous seasons, coverage was highest among personnel who were required by their employer to be vaccinated (94.8%) and lowest among those working in settings where vaccination was not required, promoted, or offered on-site (47.6%). Health care personnel working in long-term care settings, the majority of whom work as assistants or aides, have lower influenza vaccination coverage than do health care personnel working in all other health care settings, which puts the elderly in long-term settings at increased risk for severe complications for influenza. Implementing workplace strategies shown to improve vaccination coverage among health care personnel, including vaccination requirements and active promotion of on-site vaccinations at no cost, can help ensure health care personnel and patients are protected against influenza (6). CDC's long-term care web-based toolkit* provides resources, strategies, and educational materials for increasing influenza vaccination among health care personnel in long-term care settings.
Altered Gut Microbiota Composition in Subjects Infected With Clonorchis sinensis

Clonorchiasis is an infectious disease caused by helminths of Clonorchis sinensis (C. sinensis). The adult parasite mainly inhabits the bile duct and gall bladder, and results in various complications to the hepatobiliary system. The amount of bile secreted into the intestine is reduced in cases of C. sinensis infection, which may alter the pH of the gut and decrease the amount of surfactant protein D released from the gallbladder. However, the impact of parasitic infection on the human gut microbiome remains unclear. To this end, we examined the gut microbiota composition in 47 modified Kato–Katz thick smear-positive (egg-positive) volunteers and 42 healthy controls from five rural communities. Subjects were grouped into four sub-populations based on age and infection status. High-throughput 16S rRNA gene sequencing revealed significant changes in alpha diversity between EP1 and EN1. The beta diversity showed alterations between C. sinensis-infected subjects and healthy controls. In C. sinensis infected patients, we found the significant reduction of certain taxa, such as Bacteroides and anti-inflammatory Bifidobacterium (P < 0.05). Bacteroides, a predominant gut bacteria in healthy populations, was negatively correlated with the number of C. sinensis eggs per gram (EPG, r = −0.37, P adjust < 0.01 in 20–60 years old group; r = −0.64, P adjust = 0.04 in the 60+ years old group). What’s more, the reduction in the abundance of Bifidobacterium, a common probiotic, was decreased particularly in the 60 + years old group (r = −0.50, P = 0.04). The abundance of Dorea, a potentially pro-inflammatory microbe, was higher in infected subjects than in healthy individuals (P < 0.05). Variovorax was a unique bacteria that was only detected in infected subjects. These results clearly demonstrate the significant influence of C. sinensis infection on the human gut microbiota and provided new insights into the control, prevention, diagnosis, and clinical study of clonorchiasis through the human gut microbiota.