Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
High-fat-diet impaired mitochondrial function of cumulus cells but improved the efficiency of parthenogenetic embryonic quality in mice

ABSTRACT Global human health has been compromised by high-fat diets. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between a high-fat diet and parthenogenetic embryo quality. Mice fed a high-fat or a normal diet was used as treated or control groups, respectively. Estradiol (E2), total cholesterol (TC) and total triglyceride (TG) were detected by Enzyme-Linked ImmunoSorbent Assay (ELISA). Cumulus-oocyte complexes (COCs) were collected from the mice in the treated and control groups. The ultrastructure of COCs, the expression level of genes involved in mitochondrial and nuclear functions in cumulus cells and oocytes quality were evaluated with transmission electron microscopy, real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and artificial parthenogenesis, respectively. The results showed that the efficiency of parthenogenetic embryonic development in vitro was significantly higher in the treated group than in the control group (p < .05). The expression level of genes involved in mitochondrial function was lower in cumulus cells from the treated group than that from the control group (p < .05). The estradiol and cholesterol level in the serum and the expression level of P450 arom were higher in the treated group than the control group (p < .05). The reactive oxygen species (ROS) level was higher in culumus cells from the treated group than the control group, while the mitochondrial membrane potential was lower in cumulus cells from the treated group (p < .05). Accumulation of lipid droplets was only in cumulus but in oocyte, the results demonstrated that mitochondrial functions were impaired by a high-fat diet, but parthenogenetic embryonic development in vitro was improved, in controllable range of damage for the body.
The Assessment of Cerebrovascular Response to a Language Task from the Addenbrooke’s Cognitive Examination in Cognitive Impairment: A Feasibility Functional Transcranial Doppler Ultrasonography Study

Background: The incidence of dementia is predicted to rise rapidly, but sensitive diagnostic tests remain elusive. Changes in cerebral blood flow velocity (CBFv) can occur at an early stage of cognitive decline, and can be measured by transcranial Doppler ultrasonography (TCD). Objective: The aim of this study was to characterize the CBFv changes that occur in healthy older adults (HC), mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and Alzheimer’s disease (AD), in response to a language task from the Addenbrooke’s cognitive examination (ACE-III). Methods: Participants underwent bilateral TCD, continuous heart rate (ECG), end-tidal CO2 (capnography, ETCO2), and beat-to-beat blood pressure (Finometer, MAP), monitoring, during a 5-minute baseline, followed by cognitive tasks from the ACE-III. Data are presented for a language task (repeating words and phrases aloud), as peak percentage change in CBFv, HR, MAP, and ETCO2 from a normalized baseline. Results: 30 participants (mean age 73.2 years, 20% female) were recruited; HC (n = 10), MCI (n = 10), AD (n = 10). Language scores did not differ between groups (p = 0.16). Peak percentage change in CBFv differed between groups with the language task (HC: 15.9 (7.5)%, MCI: 6.7 (4.5)%, AD: 0.1 (7.1)%; p < 0.005). However, changes in MAP (HC: 7.9 (4.6)%, MCI: –0.1 (0.9)%, AD: 0.9 (4.4)%; p < 0.005), HR (HC: 8.8 (8.2)%, MCI: 0.7 (4.3)%, AD: –0.5 (5.6)%; p = 0.005), and ETCO2 (HC: –0.9 (3.2)%, MCI: 0.9 (3.2)%, AD: –5.2 (5.7)%; p = 0.006), also occurred. Conclusions: TCD measured CBFv changes to a language task from the ACE-III was feasible in a cognitively impaired population, further work is required in a larger population.
Repeat Interruptions Modify Age at Onset in Myotonic Dystrophy Type 1 by Stabilizing DMPK Expansions in Somatic Cells

CTG expansions in DMPK gene, causing myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1), are characterized by pronounced somatic instability. A large proportion of variability of somatic instability is explained by expansion size and patient’s age at sampling, while individual-specific differences are attributed to additional factors. The age at onset is extremely variable in DM1, and inversely correlates with the expansion size and individual-specific differences in somatic instability. Three to five percent of DM1 patients carry repeat interruptions and some appear with later age at onset than expected for corresponding expansion size. Herein, we characterized somatic instability of interrupted DMPK expansions and the effect on age at onset in our previously described patients. Repeat-primed PCR showed stable structures of different types and patterns of repeat interruptions in blood cells over time and buccal cells. Single-molecule small-pool PCR quantification of somatic instability and mathematical modeling showed that interrupted expansions were characterized by lower level of somatic instability accompanied by slower progression over time. Mathematical modeling demonstrated that individual-specific differences in somatic instability had greater influence on age at onset in patients with interrupted expansions. Therefore, repeat interruptions have clinical importance for disease course in DM1 patients due to stabilizing effect on DMPK expansions in somatic cells.
[Socioeconomic health inequalities in the Catalan population aged 50+ during the last economic crisis].

OBJECTIVE The short- and medium-term consequences of the economic crisis since 2008 has become a cause of concern for population health. The study's objective was to analyse health inequalities according to the socioeconomic profile of the Catalan population aged 50 year and older. METHODS Cross-sectional study using data from the Catalan Health Survey (ESCA) for the periods 2006 (N=6667), 2010-12 (N=4458) y 2013-15 (N=5469). The dependent variables were self-perceived health, mental health, medication intake and sedentary lifestyle and the independent variables: labour force activity status, educational level, health care coverage, household social class and household monthly income. On each dependent variable multivariate logistic analysis was conducted using Stata 14, adjusting for the remaining socioeconomic factors and other demographic variables, and estimating the average marginal effects for each socioeconomic category in the three observation moments. RESULTS Between 2006 and 2013-15 the difference in the probability of having less than good self-perceived health among the population with or without double health coverage reduced from 0.06 to 0.04; between the most and least educated from 0.12 to 0.08; but did not reduce between workers and non-workers. The gap according to employment status, educational levels and income in the risk of poor mental health increased between 2006 and 2010-12 from 0.08 to 0.10, from 0.10 to 0.12 and from 0.10 to 0.13, although subsequently, inequality decreased. Difference in medication intake increased by employment status (from 0.07 to 0.10) and educational level (from -0.01 to 0.03) and in sedentary lifestyles between workers and non-workers (from 0, 05 to 0.06). Socioeconomic conditions had more impact on 50-64 year olds, especially women, while social inequality declined among men. CONCLUSIONS Despite the crisis health generally improved, while socioeconomic health inequalities remained or reduced, barring few exceptions.
EnResNet: ResNet Ensemble via the Feynman-Kac Formalism

We propose a simple yet powerful ResNet ensemble algorithm which consists of two components: First, we modify the base ResNet by adding variance specified Gaussian noise to the output of each original residual mapping. Second, we average over the production of multiple parallel and jointly trained modified ResNets to get the final prediction. Heuristically, these two simple steps give an approximation to the well-known Feynman-Kac formula for representing the solution of a transport equation with viscosity, or a convection-diffusion equation. This simple ensemble algorithm improves neural nets' generalizability and robustness towards adversarial attack. In particular, for the CIFAR10 benchmark, with the projected gradient descent adversarial training, we show that even an ensemble of two ResNet20 leads to a 5$\%$ higher accuracy towards the strongest iterative fast gradient sign attack than the state-of-the-art adversarial defense algorithm.
Transparency or Stimulating Meaningfulness and Self-Regulation? A Case Study About a Programmatic Approach to Transparency of Assessment Criteria

This exploratory case study focused on fostering meaning making of assessment criteria and standards at the module level and the course/programme level (the entire study plan), and the role of self-regulation in this meaning making process. The research questions that guided this study are: (1) How can students’ meaning making of assessment criteria at the module level be fostered, (2) How can students’ meaning making of assessment criteria at the programme level be fostered, and (3) How can self-regulation contribute to students’ meaning making process? We explored the design and implementation of a rather new Master’s programme in The Netherlands: The Master’s Expert Teacher of Vocational Education (METVE). Interviews with three developers, three teachers, and ten students of the METVE were analyzed. For each research question, several themes were derived from the data. Results indicate that meaning making takes place at the module level by using holistic assessment criteria and evaluative experiences, which allow students to make choices within the boundaries set by the assessment criteria. Meaning making at the programme level is experienced as much more difficult by students as well as teachers. The design of the METVE programme fosters meaning making at the programme level, but METVE teachers also express difficulties supporting this. Finally, we found that students perceive self-regulation as something extra for which they don’t have enough time. Self-regulation at the programme level was not explicitly addressed and supported in the METVE, which makes it more difficult for some students to steer their learning process towards the role they are aiming for in professional practice after completing the Master’s programme.
EmojiGrid: A 2D Pictorial Scale for the Assessment of Food Elicited Emotions

Research on food experience is typically challenged by the way questions are worded. We therefore developed the EmojiGrid: a graphical (language-independent) intuitive self-report tool to measure food-related valence and arousal. In a first experiment participants rated the valence and the arousing quality of 60 food images, using either the EmojiGrid or two independent visual analog scales (VAS). The valence ratings obtained with both tools strongly agree. However, the arousal ratings only agree for pleasant food items, but not for unpleasant ones. Furthermore, the results obtained with the EmojiGrid show the typical universal U-shaped relation between the mean valence and arousal that is commonly observed for a wide range of (visual, auditory, tactile, olfactory) affective stimuli, while the VAS tool yields a positive linear association between valence and arousal. We hypothesized that this disagreement reflects a lack of proper understanding of the arousal concept in the VAS condition. In a second experiment we attempted to clarify the arousal concept by asking participants to rate the valence and intensity of the taste associated with the perceived food items. After this adjustment the VAS and EmojiGrid yielded similar valence and arousal ratings (both showing the universal U-shaped relation between the valence and arousal). A comparison with the results from the first experiment showed that VAS arousal ratings strongly depended on the actual wording used, while EmojiGrid ratings were not affected by the framing of the associated question. This suggests that the EmojiGrid is largely self-explaining and intuitive. To test this hypothesis, we performed a third experiment in which participants rated food images using the EmojiGrid without an associated question, and we compared the results to those of the first two experiments. The EmojiGrid ratings obtained in all three experiments closely agree. We conclude that the EmojiGrid appears to be a valid and intuitive affective self-report tool that does not rely on written instructions and that can efficiently be used to measure food-related emotions.
Health inequalities among migrant and native-born populations in Greece in times of crisis: the MIGHEAL study.

Abstract This article presents the MIGHEAL study, which was developed in parallel with the European Social Survey (ESS) Round 7 (2014). Conducted in Greece in 2016 by the National Centre for Social Research, the study was specifically designed to further our understanding of how health varies by social status, focusing particularly on migrant status. In the current article, we report results on health status (non-communicable diseases, self-reported health and depressive symptoms) and health determinants (risky health behaviours, social determinants and access to health care) in Greece, among migrants and native-born. Estimates for the Greek overall population are compared with the European ones (using the ESS 2014 data) and discussed with reference to the ongoing economic and social crisis in Greece. The study provides evidence of social inequalities in health, complementing the pan-European documentation, and supports prior research, which has identified negative health consequences of the crisis.
Part 2: The feasibility of utilising photovoice method and the World Health Organization Quality of Life instrument in evaluating the Community-Based Rehabilitation programme in Namibia: A pilot study

Background Evaluation of Community-Based Rehabilitation (CBR) programmes in Namibia has been primarily quantitative, focusing mainly on outputs, including numbers of persons with disabilities served, referrals made and activities implemented. Little or no evidence is available on experiences and quality of life of persons with disabilities, despite the CBR programme being operational for more than 20 years. The 2011 World Report on Disability recommended the use of appropriate tools to fill the research gap by integrating the experiences of persons with disabilities and their quality of life. Objectives The overall objective of the larger cohort study is to develop a monitoring and evaluation tool that can measure and integrate the experiences of persons with disabilities and their quality of life within the context of the CBR Programme in Namibia. Method An adapted photovoice process was conducted with six purposively selected participants over a period of 1 month. The World Health Organization Community-Based Rehabilitation (WHO CBR) Matrix was used to identify the themes and subthemes. Participants were requested to complete the World Health Organization Quality of Life (abbreviated version) (WHOQOL-BREF) instrument at the end of the photovoice process to determine their quality of life. Results Administering the WHOQOL-BREF instrument at the end of the photovoice process measured both the quality of life of persons with disabilities and at the same time indicated the convergence and divergence in the two data collection methods. The study demonstrated a stronger convergence than divergence of the two methods. A feasibility criterion was mapped for future studies. Conclusion This study demonstrated that photovoice is a flexible method that can be used with a variety of disabilities and has the potential of being combined with the WHOQOL-BREF assessment form. A larger cohort study may consider implementing photovoice and WHOQOL-BREF on multiple study sites and be able to compare results, considering geographical and demographic variables. The feasibility of utilising each method alone and in combination offered valuable insights on future conceptual framing of CBR programme evaluation. This conceptual framing will allow CBR practitioners to appreciate how these two methods contribute to a rigorous process of CBR programme evaluation.
A Survey on Hybrid Beamforming Techniques in 5G: Architecture and System Model Perspectives

The increasing wireless data traffic demands have driven the need to explore suitable spectrum regions for meeting the projected requirements. In the light of this, millimeter wave (mmWave) communication has received considerable attention from the research community. Typically, in fifth generation (5G) wireless networks, mmWave massive multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) communications is realized by the hybrid transceivers which combine high dimensional analog phase shifters and power amplifiers with lower-dimensional digital signal processing units. This hybrid beamforming design reduces the cost and power consumption which is aligned with an energy-efficient design vision of 5G. In this paper, we track the progress in hybrid beamforming for massive MIMO communications in the context of system models of the hybrid transceivers’ structures, the digital and analog beamforming matrices with the possible antenna configuration scenarios and the hybrid beamforming in heterogeneous wireless networks. We extend the scope of the discussion by including resource management issues in hybrid beamforming. We explore the suitability of hybrid beamforming methods, both, existing and proposed till first quarter of 2017, and identify the exciting future challenges in this domain.
Experimental verification of a strategy for impact control

The authors present experimental results from a strategy for stable hard-on-hard impacts of a robot manipulator, and show how this method fits into the framework of force control. Previously proposed methods of impact control are reviewed, and their inadequacies are revealed. A fourth-order model of an arm/sensor/environment system is reviewed. It is pointed out how proportional gain force control with feedforward and impedance control are equivalent when the environment is stiff. An analysis of the model and the controllers shows the gain selection that provides the best impact response. Extensive experimental results confirm the correctness of the model, the equivalence of the controllers, and the efficacy of this impact control strategy. <<ETX>>
A New Directional Canopy Emissivity Model Based on Spectral Invariants

A new directional canopy emissivity model (CE-P) based on spectral invariants is proposed in this paper. First, we prove the existence of the spectral invariant properties in the thermal infrared (TIR) band using a Monte Carlo model. Based on it, the equation of the new model is derived from the perspective of absorption. In this expression, single-scattering and multiscattering effects are separated analytically in the TIR band. We find that the overall contribution of multiple scatterings is less than 0.005 when the component emissivities are over 0.90, and the overall contribution decreases with increasing leaf or soil emissivity. Furthermore, the new model can avoid the logical difficulty encountered when using the traditional cavity effect factor to simulate the emissivity of a sparse vegetation canopy. The results of 4SAIL and Discrete Anisotropic Radiative Transfer (DART) are selected to do cross validation. The CE-P can achieve a high accuracy compared with 4SAIL and DART, with an absolute bias less than 0.002 when the leaf (soil) emissivity is equal to 0.98 (0.94). Four widely used analytical models are selected for comparison. The resulting accuracies of these models are ordered from CE-P to REN15, FR97, FR02, and VALOR96 with the most serious error up to 0.002, 0.002, 0.007, 0.013, and 0.014, respectively. Three main conclusions are obtained through the sensitivity analysis: the multiscattering between vegetation and the background can be ignored when the leaf (soil) emissivity is no less than 0.94 (0.90), the second and higher order scattering within the vegetation can also be ignored when the leaf (soil) emissivity is no less than 0.94 (0.90), and the single-scattering effect within the canopy should be considered which can be calculated using three view factors.
Examining the unresolved conundrum of Traditional Birth Attendants’ involvement in maternal and child health care delivery in Ghana

Abstract Traditional Birth Attendants (TBAs) have been a critical human resource in maternal health care delivery in Ghana. However, following the World Health Organization’s directive for countries to discontinue using TBAs, the government of Ghana has since emphasized the use of skilled birth attendants. This policy shift created tensions between TBAs and Community Health Nurses. We examine this conundrum in this paper. We find that despite the ban, TBAs still attend a significant number of births – a situation which has produced intense contestations and continuous jostling for “functioning space” and clients between TBAs and nurses. We recommend a consensus-based partnership approach that promotes cultural competence and is sensitive to contextual cultural practices that underpin pregnancy and childbirth.
Whole-genome characterization of Shewanella algae strain SYT3 isolated from seawater reveals insight into hemolysis.

AIM To describe the genomic characteristics of seawater-borne hemolytic Shewanella algae and its resistance genes. MATERIALS & METHODS Whole genome sequence of S. algae SYT3 was determined using llumina MiSeq platform. Multiple-database-based analysis was performed to identify the genetic background of its hemolytic activity and the antibiotic resistance genes. RESULTS S. algae SYT3 possesses a homolog of the hly operon involved in the synthesis of hemolysin. We also identified candidate genes associated with resistance to β-lactam antibiotics (bla OXA-55) and fluoroquinolone (qnrA3). CONCLUSION The study provides an insight into the hemolytic activity of S. algae. Our findings also suggested S. algae as a potential reservoir of antimicrobial resistance determinants.
Ameliorating Effects of Moxifloxacin on Endotoxin-Induced Acute Lung Injury in Rats

The immunomodulating effects of moxifloxacin seem to be effective in downregulating inflammatory reactions. This presumed effect was tested in endotoxin (ETX)-induced acute lung injury (ALI) in rats. After moxifloxacin treatment (10 ㎎/㎏) of ETX-given rats, lung myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity, bronchoalveolar-lavage (BAL) protein, and the number of neutrophils in the BAL cells were measured. Light and electron microscopic structures were also examined. Electron microscopic CeCl₃ histochemistry for the detection of hydrogen peroxide in the lungs and immunohistochemistry of cytosolic phospholipase A2 (cPLA2) in the lung tissues and BAL cells were performed. To examine the expression of TNFα in the lungs, western blotting was carried out with the lung tissues. ETX had accumulated neutrophils in the lungs, which was followed by lung leak. Oxidative stress occurred, and increased expression of cPLA2 in the lung tissues and BAL cells was observed in the ETX-given rats. Simultaneously, the expression of TNFα was enhanced by ETX. Moxifloxacin, however, decreased all these parameters, indicating that ALI may have been ameliorated. Moxifloxacin appears to ameliorate ETX-induced ALI partially through the suppression of cPLA2 in the lungs of rats.