Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Breastfeeding Disparities between Multiples and Singletons by NICU Discharge

Multiple pregnancy increases the risk of a range of adverse perinatal outcomes, including breastfeeding failure. However, studies on predictive factors of breastfeeding duration in preterm twin infants have a conflicting result. The purpose of this observational study was to compare feeding practices, at hospital discharge, of twin and singleton very low birth weight infants. The study is part of a prospective survey of a national Spanish cohort of very low birth weight infants (SEN1500) that includes 62 neonatal units. The study population comprised all infants registered in the network from 2002 to 2013. They were grouped into singletons and multiples. The explanatory variables were first analyzed using univariate models; subsequently, significant variables were analyzed simultaneously in a multiple stepwise backward model. During the twelve-year period, 32,770 very low birth weight infants were included in the database, of which 26.957 were discharged alive and included in this analysis. Nine thousand seven hundred and fifty-eight neonates were multiples, and 17,199 were singletons. At discharge, 31% of singleton infants were being exclusively breastfed, 43% were bottle-fed, and 26% were fed a combination of both. In comparison, at discharge, only 24% of multiple infants were exclusively breastfed, 43% were bottle-fed, and 33% were fed a combination of both (p < 0.001). On multivariable analysis, twin pregnancy had a statistically significant, but small effect, on cessation of breastfeeding before discharge (OR 1.10; 95% CI: 1.02, 1.19). Risks of early in-hospital breastfeeding cessation were also independently associated with multiple mother-infant stress factors, such as sepsis, intraventricular hemorrhage, retinopathy, necrotizing enterocolitis, intubation, and use of inotropes. Instead, antibiotic treatment at delivery, In vitro fertilization and prenatal steroids were associated with a decreased risk for shorter in-hospital breastfeeding duration. Multiple pregnancy, even in the absence of pathological conditions associated to very low birth weight twin infants, may be an impeding factor for in-hospital breastfeeding.
Retinal Ganglion Cell Death as a Late Remodeling Effect of Photoreceptor Degeneration

Inherited or acquired photoreceptor degenerations, one of the leading causes of irreversible blindness in the world, are a group of retinal disorders that initially affect rods and cones, situated in the outer retina. For many years it was assumed that these diseases did not spread to the inner retina. However, it is now known that photoreceptor loss leads to an unavoidable chain of events that cause neurovascular changes in the retina including migration of retinal pigment epithelium cells, formation of “subretinal vascular complexes”, vessel displacement, retinal ganglion cell (RGC) axonal strangulation by retinal vessels, axonal transport alteration and, ultimately, RGC death. These events are common to all photoreceptor degenerations regardless of the initial trigger and thus threaten the outcome of photoreceptor substitution as a therapeutic approach, because with a degenerating inner retina, the photoreceptor signal will not reach the brain. In conclusion, therapies should be applied early in the course of photoreceptor degeneration, before the remodeling process reaches the inner retina.
GSK-3β and ERK1/2 incongruously act in tau hyperphosphorylation in SPS-induced PTSD rats

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) manifests in neurocognitive deficits in association with increased tau deposition, which mainly consist of phosphorylated tau in Alzheimer disease (AD) brain. However, the exact mechanism of PTSD inducing tau hyperphosphorylation remains unclear and therefore no effective treatment options are currently available. We here show that employing single prolonged stress (SPS), as a consensus PTSD model, induced a typical anxiety and abnormal hyperphosphorylation of tau at Ser202/Thr205 (AT8) and Ser404 but not at Ser199 and Ser396 in the hippocampus compared to the control rats. Furthermore, there was a decrease in the level of inactivated phosphorylated GSK-3β at Ser9, an increase in the level of activated phosphorylated GSK-3β at Thr216 and an obvious decrease in the level of activated phosphorylated ERK1/2, but no alterations in CaMKII and PP2A in hippocampus of SPS rats. On the other hand, the levels of both phosphorylated AKT and total SGK1, stress- and GSK-3β/ERK1/2-related proteins, were down-regulated. Interestingly, Overexpression of SGK1 increased the level of phosphorylated ERK1/2 and led to tau hyperphosphorylation at Ser199 and Ser396. These findings suggest that SPS exposure results in differential tau phosphorylation at different sites probably due to incongruous action between AKT-related GSK-3β activation and SGK1-related ERK1/2 inactivation, suggesting a link between SPS-induced PTSD and AD-associated tau pathogenic mechanisms.
Building Solutions In Child Protective Services

How does one change the attitudes and practices of child protective services (CPS)-a statewide bureaucracy often overwhelmed and understaffed? First, take an outsider to the system, Insoo Kim Berg, who has a vision and a solution-focused model. Add an insider, Susan Kelly, who understands the system. Spend many hours with CPS workers in the field, learning from them and helping them make the shift from a deficit perspective to a collaborative model that emphasizes strengths and solutions. Envision and implement change throughout the system. Celebrate small successes on the way to building family self-sufficiency and integrity. This recipe for reforming child protective services is being followed in many public child welfare agencies, with growing success. In Building Solutions the authors explain how to conceptualize, implement, and sustain this hopeful and positive frame in a daily practice for dedicated frontline workers as well as for those in supervision, management, and administration. The book has two parts. In the first, the authors put child protective services in context, introducing the system and their new approach, giving a brief history of child protection in the United States, and setting the stage for change. In the second part, the authors walk readers through the nuts and bolts of implementation, from the first phone call to case closure-including discussions about placing a child out of the home. Berg and Kelly also discuss supervision, consultation, and ongoing training, as well as their vision of the future of CPS. This book is not a manual; it is a challenge to step out of the traditional CPS "box" and think differently-to create client-driven services that make sense. The authors challenge CPS administrators, supervisors, and workers to begin conversations about how the system can be more helpful and respectful to the families so that the parents can get what they need to care for their children. Building Solutions should have a place on the desk of everyone involved in child protective services.
Solution-Based Synthesis and Characterization of Cu2ZnSnS4 (CZTS) Thin Films

Cu2ZnSnS4 (CZTS) ink was synthesized from metal chloride precursors, sulfur, and oleylamine (OLA), as a ligand by a simple and low-cost hot-injection method. Thin films of CZTS were then prepared by spin coating, followed by thermal annealing. The effects of the fabrication parameters, such as ink concentration, spinning rate, and thermal treatment temperatures on the morphology and structural, optical, and electrical properties of the films were investigated. As expected, very thin films, for which the level of transmittance and band-gap values increase, can be obtained either by reducing the concentration of the inks or by increasing the rate of spinning. Moreover, the thermal treatment affects the phase formation and crystallinity of the film, as well as the electrical conductivity, which decreases at a higher temperature.
Comparison of Risk Factors for Postoperative Complications Across Age Groups in Patients Undergoing ORIF of the Ankle

Category: Ankle, Trauma Introduction/Purpose: Ankle fractures are commonly-seen orthopaedic injuries across all age groups, and often warrant operative management. Postoperative complications are particularly common among elderly patients, and can lead to a progressive culmination of negative outcomes. Although several studies have focused on the risk factors for and prevention of such complications in elderly patients, a paucity of literature exists addressing risk of postoperative complications in younger patient populations. The purpose of this study was to compare the incidence of and risk factors for various postoperative complications between younger and older patient populations. Methods: Patients who underwent open reduction and internal fixation for an ankle fracture at a single institution between the years 2008 and 2018 were retrospectively identified based on seven different Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) codes: 27829, 27784, 27822, 27814, 27769, 27792, and 27766. Patient charts were reviewed for demographic data and comorbid conditions. Patients with open fractures, pilon fractures, and polytraumatic injuries were excluded. The sample was stratified into two cohorts based on age in years: 18-49 (group 1), and 50 and older (group 2). Incidence of various postoperative complications—including infection, wound dehiscence, sepsis, DVT, implant failure, revision surgery, and non-union— was compared between groups. Secondary analysis was conducted to compare risk factors for these complications between ages 18- 49 and older than 50. Results: 881 patients were included. A significantly greater number of patients in group 2 experienced wound dehiscence (p = 0.033) and nonunion (p<0.001) postoperatively in comparison to those in group 1. Risk of infection was significantly increased among patients with hypertension, CHF, and CKD compared to patients without these comorbidities in both group 1 and group 2. Risk of wound dehiscence was significantly increased among patients using tobacco and illicit drugs in group 1 (RR=3.39, p=0.0223 and RR=3.07, p=0.0201 respectively), but not in group 2 (RR = 1.12, p = 0.8021 and RR = 1.77, p = 0.4203 respectively). Risk of implant failure was significantly increased among tobacco users in group 2 (RR=3.82, p = 0.0005), but not in group 1 (RR = 0.75, p=0.4709). Conclusion: Patients age 50 and older may be at significantly increased risk for postoperative wound dehiscence and nonunion in comparison to patients who are younger than 50. Additionally, younger patients who use tobacco and illicit drugs may be at increased risk of wound dehiscence, while tobacco use among patients 50 years and older may increase risk of implant failure. Understanding the risk factors associated with negative outcomes may help physicians to optimize individual patient care based on existing comorbidities and age.
Recurrent Neural Network for Inertial Gait User Recognition in Smartphones

In this article, a gait recognition algorithm is presented based on the information obtained from inertial sensors embedded in a smartphone, in particular, the accelerometers and gyroscopes typically embedded on them. The algorithm processes the signal by extracting gait cycles, which are then fed into a Recurrent Neural Network (RNN) to generate feature vectors. To optimize the accuracy of this algorithm, we apply a random grid hyperparameter selection process followed by a hand-tuning method to reach the final hyperparameter configuration. The different configurations are tested on a public database with 744 users and compared with other algorithms that were previously tested on the same database. After reaching the best-performing configuration for our algorithm, we obtain an equal error rate (EER) of 11.48% when training with only 20% of the users. Even better, when using 70% of the users for training, that value drops to 7.55%. The system manages to improve on state-of-the-art methods, but we believe the algorithm could reach a significantly better performance if it was trained with more visits per user. With a large enough database with several visits per user, the algorithm could improve substantially.
Hyperbaric Oxygen Treatment Ameliorates Hearing Loss and Auditory Cortex Injury in Noise Exposed Mice by Repressing Local Ceramide Accumulation

Noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) relates closely to auditory cortex (AC) injury, so countermeasures aiming at the AC recovery would be of benefit. In this work, the effect of hyperbaric oxygen treatment on NIHL was elucidated, which was imposed on mice before (HBOP), during (HBOD) or after (HBOA) noise exposure. Morphology of neurons was assayed by hematoxylin-eosin or Nissl staining. Ceramide (Cer) level was measured through immunohistochemistry analysis. Apoptotic neurons were counted using transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) staining. We demonstrated that the intense, broad band noise raised the threshold of auditory brainstem response, evoked neuronal degeneration or apoptosis and triggered the Cer accumulation in AC, all of which were restored significantly by HBOP, but not HBOD or HBOA. Cer over-generation reversed the advantages of HBOP significantly, while its curtailment recapitulated the effect. Next, noise exposure raised the superoxide or malondialdehyde (MDA) production which was blocked by HBOP or Cer repression. Oxidative control not only attenuated the hearing loss or neurodegeneration but, in turn, reduced the Cer formation significantly. In summary, mutual regulation between Cer and oxidative stress underlies the HBOP’s curative effect on hearing loss and neuronal damage in noise-exposed mice.
Parkinson’s disease-associated iPLA2-VIA/PLA2G6 regulates neuronal functions and α-synuclein stability through membrane remodeling

Significance The mechanisms of α-synuclein aggregation and subsequent Lewy body formation are a key pathogenesis of Parkinson’s disease (PD). PARK14-linked PD, which is caused by mutations of the iPLA2-VIA/PLA2G6 gene, exhibits a marked Lewy body pathology. iPLA2-VIA, which belongs to the phospholipase A2 family, is another causative gene of neurodegeneration with brain iron accumulation (NBIA). Here, we demonstrate that iPLA2-VIA loss results in acyl-chain shortening in phospholipids, which affects ER homeostasis and neurotransmission and promotes α-synuclein aggregation. The administration of linoleic acid or the overexpression of C19orf12, one of the NBIA-causative genes, also suppresses the acyl-chain shortening by iPLA2-VIA loss. The rescue of iPLA2-VIA phenotypes by C19orf12 provides significant molecular insight into the underlying common pathogenesis of PD and NBIA. Mutations in the iPLA2-VIA/PLA2G6 gene are responsible for PARK14-linked Parkinson’s disease (PD) with α-synucleinopathy. However, it is unclear how iPLA2-VIA mutations lead to α-synuclein (α-Syn) aggregation and dopaminergic (DA) neurodegeneration. Here, we report that iPLA2-VIA–deficient Drosophila exhibits defects in neurotransmission during early developmental stages and progressive cell loss throughout the brain, including degeneration of the DA neurons. Lipid analysis of brain tissues reveals that the acyl-chain length of phospholipids is shortened by iPLA2-VIA loss, which causes endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress through membrane lipid disequilibrium. The introduction of wild-type human iPLA2-VIA or the mitochondria–ER contact site-resident protein C19orf12 in iPLA2-VIA–deficient flies rescues the phenotypes associated with altered lipid composition, ER stress, and DA neurodegeneration, whereas the introduction of a disease-associated missense mutant, iPLA2-VIA A80T, fails to suppress these phenotypes. The acceleration of α-Syn aggregation by iPLA2-VIA loss is suppressed by the administration of linoleic acid, correcting the brain lipid composition. Our findings suggest that membrane remodeling by iPLA2-VIA is required for the survival of DA neurons and α-Syn stability.
Hypoallergenic and Low-Protein Ready-to-Feed (RTF) Infant Formula by High Pressure Pasteurization: A Novel Product

Infant milk formula (IMF) is designed to mimic the composition of human milk (9–11 g protein/L); however, the standard protein content of IMF (15 g/L) is still a matter of controversy. In contrast to breastfed infants, excessive protein in IMF is associated with overweight and symptoms of metabolic syndrome in formula-fed infants. Moreover, the beta-lactoglobulin (β-Lg) content in cow milk is 3–4 g/L, whereas it is not present in human milk. It is considered to be a major reason for cow milk allergy in infants. In this respect, to modify protein composition, increasing the ratio of alpha-lactalbumin (α-Lac) to β-Lg would be a pragmatic approach to develop a hypoallergenic IMF with low protein content. Such a formula would ensure the necessary balance of essential amino acids, as 123 and 162 amino acid residues are available in α-Lac and β-Lg, respectively. Hence, in this study, a pasteurized form of hypoallergenic and low-protein ready-to-feed (RTF) formula, a new product, is developed to retain heat-sensitive bioactives and other components. Therefore, the effects of high pressure processing (HPP) under 300–600 MPa at approximately 20–40 °C and HTST pasteurization (72 °C for 15 and 30 s) were investigated and compared. The highest ratio of α-Lac to β-Lg was achieved after HPP (600 MPa for 5 min applied at 40.4 °C), which potentially explains the synergistic effect of HPP and heat on substantial denaturation of β-Lg, with significant retention of α-Lac in reconstituted IMF. Industrial relevance: This investigation showed the potential production of a pasteurized RTF formula, a niche product, with a reduced amount of allergenic β-Lg.
Ca2+ Signaling in Cardiac Fibroblasts and Fibrosis-Associated Heart Diseases

Cardiac fibrosis is the excessive deposition of extracellular matrix proteins by cardiac fibroblasts and myofibroblasts, and is a hallmark feature of most heart diseases, including arrhythmia, hypertrophy, and heart failure. This maladaptive process occurs in response to a variety of stimuli, including myocardial injury, inflammation, and mechanical overload. There are multiple signaling pathways and various cell types that influence the fibrogenesis cascade. Fibroblasts and myofibroblasts are central effectors. Although it is clear that Ca2+ signaling plays a vital role in this pathological process, what contributes to Ca2+ signaling in fibroblasts and myofibroblasts is still not wholly understood, chiefly because of the large and diverse number of receptors, transporters, and ion channels that influence intracellular Ca2+ signaling. Intracellular Ca2+ signals are generated by Ca2+ release from intracellular Ca2+ stores and by Ca2+ entry through a multitude of Ca2+-permeable ion channels in the plasma membrane. Over the past decade, the transient receptor potential (TRP) channels have emerged as one of the most important families of ion channels mediating Ca2+ signaling in cardiac fibroblasts. TRP channels are a superfamily of non-voltage-gated, Ca2+-permeable non-selective cation channels. Their ability to respond to various stimulating cues makes TRP channels effective sensors of the many different pathophysiological events that stimulate cardiac fibrogenesis. This review focuses on the mechanisms of Ca2+ signaling in fibroblast differentiation and fibrosis-associated heart diseases and will highlight recent advances in the understanding of the roles that TRP and other Ca2+-permeable channels play in cardiac fibrosis.
Isolation, identification and characterization of Streptomyces metabolites as a potential bioherbicide

Bioactive herbicidal compounds produced by soil microorganisms might be used to creating a bioherbicide for biological weed control. A total of 1,300 bacterial strains were isolated and screened for herbicidal activity against grass and broadleaf weeds. Among primarily selected 102 strains, the herbicidal activity of bacterial fermentation broths from the following three isolates strain-101, strain-128, and strain-329 reduced the growth of D. sanguinalis by 66.7%, 78.3%, and 100%, respectively as compared with control. Phylogenetic analysis of 16S rRNA gene sequencing determined that the strain-329 has 99% similarity to Streptomyces anulatus (HBUM 174206). The potential bioherbicidal efficacy of Streptomyces strain-329 was tested on grass and broadleaf weeds for phytotoxic activity through pre- and post-emergence applications. At pre-emergence application, the phytotoxic efficacy to D. sanguinalis and S. bicolor on seed germination were 90.4% and 81.3%, respectively at the 2x concentration, whereas in the case of Solanum nigrum, 85.2% phytotoxic efficacy was observed at the 4x concentration. The efficacy of Streptomyces strain-329 was substantially higher at post-emergence application, presenting 100% control of grass and broadleaf weeds at the 1x concentration. Two herbicidal compounds coded as 329-C1 and 329-C3 were extracted and purified by column chromatography and high-performance liquid chromatography methods. The active compound 329-C3 slightly increased leaf electrolytic leakage and MDA production as concentration-dependent manner. These results suggest that new Streptomyces sp. strain-329 produced bioherbicidal metabolites and may provide a new lead molecule for production an efficient bioherbicide to regulate grass and broadleaf weeds.
A Qualitative Analysis of a USB Camera for AGV Control

The increasing use of Automated Guided Vehicles (AGV) in the industry points to a search for better techniques and technologies to adapt to market requirements. Proper position control and movement give an AGV greater movement accuracy and greater lateral oscillations stability and vibration. It leads to smaller corridors and leaner plants, to more relaxed shipment devices, and to greater safety in the transport of fragile loads, for instance. AGV control techniques are not new, but new sensors’ applications are possible, such as USB cameras. In this sense, it is necessary to ensure the sensor is adequate to control system requirements. This work addresses AGVs driven by passive floor demarcations. It presents a qualitative analysis of a USB camera as sensors for AGV control, not yet a common industrial application. We performed the experiments with a small AGV prototype on an eight-shaped lane, varying both camera parameters and AGV parameters, such as linear speed. The AGV uses a USB camera with different image processing settings—different morphological filters structuring elements shapes and sizes, and three different image resolutions—to analyze the factors that affect line detection and control processing. This paper’s main contribution is a qualitative and quantitative analysis for the different sensor configurations. In addition, it discusses the influence sources on camera image as a position sensor. Furthermore, the experiments confirm sensor pertinence for the proposed control system.