Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Comprehensive Study of the Enzymatic Catalysis of the Electrochemical Oxygen Reduction Reaction (ORR) by Immobilized Copper Efflux Oxidase (CueO) From Escherichia coli

In recent years, enzymatic fuel cells have experienced a great development promoted by the availability of novel biological techniques that allow the access to a large number of enzymatic catalysts. One of the most important aspects in this area is the development of biocatalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). Laccases from the group of enzymes called blue multi-cooper oxidases have received considerable attention because of their ability to catalyze the electrochemical oxygen reduction reaction to water when immobilized on metallic or carbonaceous electrode materials. In this paper we report a comprehensive study of the electrocatalytic activity of the enzyme Copper efflux oxidase (CueO) from Escherichia coli immobilized on different electrode materials. The influence of the electrode substrate employed for protein immobilization was evaluated using glassy carbon, gold or platinum electrodes. Gold and platinum electrodes were modified using different self-assembled monolayers (SAM) able to tune the electrostatic interaction between the protein and the substrate, depending on the nature of the terminal functional group in the SAM. The effects of protein immobilization time, electrode potential, solution pH and temperature, protein and O2 concentration have been carefully investigated. Finally, direct electron transfer (DET) was investigated in the presence of the following inhibitors: fluoride (F−), chloride (Cl−) and azide (N3-).
THE EFFECT OF CHEMISTRY LEARNING BASED ON ANALOGY ON HIGHER ORDER THINKING SKILLS OF SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS IN EQUILIBRIUM CONCEPTS

The objective of the research is to investigate the difference on Higher Order Thinking Skills (HOTS) between the application of the chemistry learning based on analogy and without analogy. The type of the research was used to the quasi-experimental, while the design of research was non-equivalent control group design with posttest only. The sample in this study was students of class XI IPA (Natural Science) which consisted of two groups. The experimental group (34 students) was taught with chemistry learning based on analogy and the control group (32 students) was taught with chemistry learning without analogy. Nine analogies were used in experimental group. The instrument test consisting of 8 essay questions was applied to both groups. The data from both groups was compared with the independent sample t-test. The results of the research show that there is a significance differences between the experimental group and the control group. Students in the experimental group much better in HOTS than the control group. In conclusion, the chemistry learning based on analogy has positive impact on students’ HOTS. Article visualizations:
Effect of Pre-Emptive Paracetamol Infusion on Postoperative Analgesic Consumption in Children Undergoing Elective Herniorrhaphy.

Objective Studies have suggested that pre-emptive analgesia may decrease postoperative pain and opioid consumption. This study was undertaken to determine whether pre-emptive analgesia reduces postoperative pain and total paracetamol and opioid consumption in children undergoing herniorrhaphy. Methods In this retrospective study, medical records were analysed before and after the pre-emptive analgesia regimen was introduced. Demographic data, perioperative drug consumption and discharge time were recorded. In the first group, no pre-emptive analgesia (NA; year, 2011; n=60) was given and in the second group, the pre-emptive analgesia (PA) paracetamol 10-15 mg kg-1 was given intravenously in the surgical ward at least 1 h before the surgical procedure (year 2013; n=60). Postoperative pain determining supplemental pain medications was scored using a Faces Pain Scale or visual analogue scale. Total paracetamol and opioid consumption during 24 perioperative hours was registered for all patients. The statistical analysis was performed using t test and Chi-square test. Results The mean age of children was 69.6±49.9 and 58.7±32.4 months (p=0.157), and the mean body mass index (BMI) was 18.3±8.8 kg m-2 and 16.4±3.7 kg m-2 (p=0.125) in the NA and PA groups, respectively. Total paracetamol consumption was 1157.8±908.8 mg vs. 983.0±536.4 mg (p=0.202), and the total opioid consumption was 5.8±4.7 in the NA group and 7.0±4.6 morphine equivalents in the PA group (p=0.160). No differences in the discharge time between the groups were observed (2.1±0.3 vs. 2.0±0.3 days, p=0.13). Conclusion PA was proven to be efficient in the terms of postoperative pain control but did not reduce the overall analgesic drug consumption in the children undergoing elective herniorrhaphy. Multimodal pain treatment may decrease the consumption of analgesic drugs.
Uromodulin regulates renal magnesium homeostasis through the ion channel transient receptor potential melastatin 6 (TRPM6)

Up to 15% of the population have mild to moderate chronic hypomagnesemia, which is associated with type 2 diabetes mellitus, hypertension, metabolic syndrome, and chronic kidney disease. The kidney is the key organ for magnesium homeostasis, but our understanding of renal magnesium regulation is very limited. Uromodulin (UMOD) is the most abundant urinary protein in humans, and here we report that UMOD has a role in renal magnesium homeostasis. Umod-knockout (Umod−/−) mice excreted more urinary magnesium than WT mice and displayed up-regulation of genes promoting magnesium absorption. The majority of magnesium is absorbed in the thick ascending limb. However, both mouse strains responded similarly to the diuretic agent furosemide, indicating appropriate function of the thick ascending limb in the Umod−/− mice. Magnesium absorption is fine-tuned in the distal convoluted tubule (DCT) via the apical magnesium channel transient receptor potential melastatin 6 (TRPM6). We observed decreased apical Trpm6 staining in the DCT of Umod−/− mice. Applying biotinylation assays and whole-cell patch-clamp recordings, we found that UMOD enhances TRPM6 cell-surface abundance and current density from the extracellular space. UMOD physically interacted with TRPM6 and thereby impaired dynamin-dependent TRPM6 endocytosis. WT mice fed a low-magnesium diet had an increased urinary UMOD secretion compared with the same mice on a regular diet. Our results suggest that increased urinary UMOD secretion in low-magnesium states reduces TRPM6 endocytosis and thereby up-regulates TRPM6 cell-surface abundance to defend against further urinary magnesium losses.
Sensory and decision-making processes underlying perceptual adaptation

Perceptual systems adapt to their inputs. As a result, prolonged exposure to particular stimuli alters judgments about subsequent stimuli. This phenomenon is commonly assumed to be sensory in origin. Changes in the decision-making process, however, may also be a component of adaptation. Here, we quantify sensory and decision-making contributions to adaptation in a facial expression paradigm. As expected, exposure to happy or sad expressions shifts the psychometric function toward the adaptor. More surprisingly, response times show both an overall decline and an asymmetry, with faster responses opposite the adapting category, implicating a substantial change in the decision-making process. Specifically, we infer that sensory changes from adaptation are accompanied by changes in how much sensory information is accumulated for the two choices. We speculate that adaptation influences implicit expectations about the stimuli one will encounter, causing modifications in the decision-making process as part of a normative response to a change in context.
Facebook and Moodle Integration into Instructional Media Design Courses: A Comparative Analysis of Students’ Learning Experiences using the Community of Inquiry (CoI) Model

ABSTRACT Despite the educational potential of Facebook and Moodle, there are still unanswered questions about their impact on the student learning experience in a well-defined instructional design framework. This study aimed to compare the learning experiences of students who used Moodle (control group) and Facebook (experimental group), in terms of Community of Inquiry (CoI) model presence indicators, that is, cognitive, teaching, and social presence. Several learning activities for the development of learning environments were carried out by ninety-seven (n = 97) students who were enrolled in instructional media design courses in higher education. Findings from quantitative and qualitative analysis indicated that students using either Moodle or Facebook as their learning platform had similar perceptions of teaching and cognitive presence; however, Facebook users had a better social presence using the CoI model than their Moodle counterparts. Another point worth noting is that the experimental group’s female participants had better teaching presence, cognitive presence, and overall learning experience than their male peers.
The predictive factors of primary head and neck cancer stage at presentation and survival in a developing nation’s tertiary hospital

Background: Stage of head and neck cancers at presentation is a strong determinant of outcomes. Objective: To evaluate predictors of stage of head and neck cancers at presentation and survival in a Nigerian tertiary hospital. Patients and methods: Health records that met the inclusion criteria for head and neck cancers were retrieved using the International Classification of Diseases, 10th revision and analyzed with associations between variables modeled using logistic regression analysis. Results: From a record of 487 head and neck neoplasms, 129 (26.5%) were malignant of which 122 health records met the criteria for analysis consisting of 83 (68.0%) males and 39 (32.0%) females aged 13–85 years (mean = 51 years; standard deviation = ±16 years). Alcohol (odds ratio = 1.99; 95% confidence interval = 1.08–3.69; p = 0.02) and tobacco exposure (odds ratio = 3.07; 95% confidence interval = 1.32–7.16; p = 0.01) were associated with increased odds for advanced tumor stage at presentation. Stage IV cancer (hazard ratio = 1.44; 95% confidence interval = 1.80–2.59), alcohol (hazard ratio = 2.19; 95% confidence interval = 1.18–4.10) and tobacco use (hazard ratio = 3.40; 95% confidence interval = 1.22–8.74) were associated with increased hazards for death. Conclusion: Alcohol, tobacco use and smoke from cooking wood are predictive factors for advanced HNC stage at presentation. Stage IV cancer, alcohol and tobacco use were associated with an increased hazard for death.
Violations of health information privacy: The role of attributions and anticipated regret in shaping whistle‐blowing intentions

We examine the role of attributions, the seriousness of wrongdoing, and emotion in shaping individuals' whistle‐blowing intentions in the context of health information privacy violations. Based on 3 studies in which the intentionality of wrongdoing and the stability of wrongdoing were manipulated independently, we found consistent evidence that the intentionality of wrongdoing affects anticipated regret about remaining silent. The findings regarding the effect of stability, however, were mixed. In study 1, the stability of wrongdoing was found to affect anticipated regret about remaining silent, and in studies 2 and 3, stability was found to have a direct effect on whistle‐blowing intention but no effect on anticipated regret about remaining silent. In the 3 studies, the seriousness of wrongdoing was found to have an effect on whistle‐blowing intentions, but this effect was mediated by anticipated regret about remaining silent. Implications for research and practice are discussed.
Effectiveness of psychotherapy for treatment-resistant depression: a meta-analysis and meta-regression

Abstract Despite substantial advances in treatment and management strategies for major depression, less than 50% of patients respond to first-line antidepressant treatment or psychotherapy. Given the growing number of controlled studies of psychotherapy for treatment-resistant depression (TRD) and the preference for psychotherapy of depressed subjects as a treatment option, we conducted a meta-analysis and meta-regression analysis to investigate the effectiveness of psychotherapy for TRD. Seven different psychotherapies were studied in 21 trials that included a total of 25 comparisons. In three comparisons of psychotherapy v. treatment as usual (TAU) we found no evidence to conclude that there is a significant benefit of psychotherapy as compared with TAU. In 22 comparisons of add-on psychotherapy plus TAU v. TAU only, we found a moderate general effect size of 0.42 (95% CI 0.29–0.54) in favor of psychotherapy plus TAU. The meta-regression provided evidence for a positive association between baseline severity as well as group v. individual therapy format with the treatment effect. There was no evidence for publication bias. Most frequent investigated treatments were cognitive behavior therapy, interpersonal psychotherapy, mindfulness-based cognitive therapy, and cognitive behavioral analysis system of psychotherapy. Our meta-analysis provides evidence that, in addition to pharmacological and neurostimulatory treatments, the inclusion of add-on of psychotherapy to TAU in guidelines for the treatment of TRD is justified and will provide better outcomes for this difficult-to-treat population.
Low Peripheral T Follicular Helper Cells in Perinatally HIV-Infected Children Correlate With Advancing HIV Disease

Background T follicular helper (Tfh) cells are crucial for B cell differentiation and antigen-specific antibody production. Dysregulation of Tfh-mediated B cell help weakens B cell responses in HIV infection. Moreover, Tfh cells in the lymph node and peripheral blood comprise a significant portion of the latent HIV reservoir. There is limited data on the effects of perinatal HIV infection on Tfh cells in children. We examined peripheral Tfh (pTfh) cell frequencies and phenotype in HIV-infected children and their associations with disease progression, immune activation, and B cell differentiation. Methods In a Kenyan cohort of 76 perinatally HIV-infected children, comprised of 43 treatment-naïve (ART−) and 33 on antiretroviral therapy (ART+), and 42 healthy controls (HIV−), we identified memory pTfh cells, T cell activation markers, and B cell differentiation states using multi-parameter flow cytometry. Soluble CD163 and intestinal fatty acid-binding protein plasma levels were quantified by ELISA. Results ART− children had reduced levels of pTfh cells compared with HIV− children that increased with antiretroviral therapy. HIV+ children had higher programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) expression on pTfh cells, regardless of treatment status. Low memory pTfh cells with elevated PD-1 levels correlated with advancing HIV disease status, indicated by increasing HIV viral loads and T cell and monocyte activation, and decreasing %CD4 and CD4:CD8 ratios. Antiretroviral treatment, particularly when started at younger ages, restored pTfh cell frequency and eliminated correlations with disease progression, but failed to lower PD-1 levels on pTfh cells and their associations with CD4 T cell percentages and activation. Altered B cell subsets, with decreased naïve and resting memory B cells and increased activated and tissue-like memory B cells in HIV+ children, correlated with low memory pTfh cell frequencies. Last, HIV+ children had decreased proportions of CXCR5+ CD8 T cells that associated with low %CD4 and CD4:CD8 ratios. Conclusion Low memory pTfh cell frequencies with high PD-1 expression in HIV+ children correlate with worsening disease status and an activated and differentiated B cell profile. This perturbed memory pTfh cell population may contribute to weak vaccine and HIV-specific antibody responses in HIV+ children. Restoring Tfh cell capacity may be important for novel pediatric HIV cure and vaccine strategies.
Steganalysis into the Wild: How to Define a Source?

It is now well known that practical steganalysis using machine learning techniques can be strongly biased by the problem of Cover Source Mismatch. Such a phenomenon usually occurs in machine learning when the training and the testing sets are drawn from different sources, i.e. when they do not share the same statistical properties. In the field of steganalysis however, due to the small power of the signal targeted by steganalysis methods, it can drastically lower their performance. This paper aims to define through practical experiments what is a source in steganalysis. By assuming that two cover datasets coming from a common source should provide comparable performances in steganalysis, it is shown that the definition of a source is more related with the processing pipeline of the RAW images than with the sensor or the acquisition setup of the pictures. In order to measure the discrepancy between sources, this paper introduces the concept of consistency between sources, that quantifies how much two sources are subject to Cover Source Mismatch. We show that by adopting "training de-sign", we can increase the consistency between the training set and the testing set. To measure how much image processing operation may help the steganographers this paper also introduces the intrinsic difficulty of a source. It is observed that some processes such as JPEG quan-tization tables or the development pipeline can dramatically increase or decrease the performance of steganalysis methods and that other parameters such as the ISO sensitivity or the sensor model have minor impact on the performance.
Effect of 2- vs. 3-Minute Interrepetition Rest Period on Maximal Clean Technique and Performance.

Ammar, A, Riemann, BL, Abdelkarim, O, Driss, T, and Hökelmann, A. Effect of 2- vs. 3-minute interrepetition rest period on maximal clean technique and performance. J Strength Cond Res XX(X): 000-000, 2018-Currently, it is widely accepted that adopting a long rest period (3-5 minutes) during maximal strength and power exercise is of importance in reducing acute fatigue and maintaining power and technique proficiency. However, despite the fact that weightlifting is an example of maximal strength exercise, only 2 minutes are officially allowed when athletes attempt 2 successive lifts. The purpose of this study was to compare 3- vs. 2-minute intermaximal repetition rest periods (IMRRPs) on performance, rate of perceived exertion (RPE), technical efficiency, and power production during 2 successive maximal repetitions of clean & jerk (C&J). Nine elite weightlifters (age: 24.4 ± 3.6 years, body mass: 77.2 ± 7.1 kg, height 176.0 ± 6.4 cm, and 1 repetition maximum C&J: 170.0 ± 5.0 kg) performed 2 separate testing sessions using 2-minute IMRRP (IMRRP-2) and 3-minute IMRRP (IMRRP-3), in a randomized order, while barbell kinematics and kinetics were recorded. Results showed that the longer IMRRP-3 minutes led to the maintenance of clean technique (from the first to the second repetition) evidenced by a 1.86% lower decline in peak vertical displacement (p = 0.03) and attenuation of increased peak horizontal displacements with a 1.74% (p = 0.03) less backward movement during the first pull, a 3.89% (p = 0.008) less forward movement during the second pull, and a 4.7% (p = 0.005) less backward movement during the catch phase. In addition, attenuation of peak velocity (2.22%; p = 0.02), peak vertical ground reaction force (1.70%; p = 0.03), and peak power (2.14%; p = 0.02) declines were shown using IMRRP-3 compared with IMRRP-2. Increasing IMRRP from 2 to 3 minutes was also shown to decrease RPE values (8.02%; p = 0.008) and to enhance supramaximal C&J performance (1.55%; p = 0.003). The results of this study suggest 3 minutes to be the most advantageous IMRRP in terms of maintaining technical efficiency, power output, reducing fatigue perception, and enhancing performance in elite weightlifters.
Main Risk Factors Association with Proto-Oncogene Mutations in Colorectal Cancer

Objective: Although several factors have been shown to have etiological roles in colorectal cancer, few investigations have addressed how and to what extent these factors affect the genetics and pathology of the disease. Precise relationships with specific genetic mutations that could alter signaling pathways involved in colorectal cancer remain unknown. We therefore aimed to investigate possible links between lifestyle, dietary habits, and socioeconomic factors and specific mutations that are common in colorectal cancers. Methods: Data were retrieved from a baseline survey of lifestyle factors, dietary behavior, and SES, as well as anthropometric evaluations during a physical examination, for 100 confirmed primary sporadic colorectal cancer patients from Northwest Iran. Results: High socioeconomic status was significantly associated with higher likelihood of a KRAS gene mutation (P < 0.05) (odds ratio: 3.01; 95% CI: 0.69–13.02). Consuming carbohydrates and alcohol, working less, and having a sedentary lifestyle also increased the odds of having a KRAS mutation. Conclusion: Although research has not yet described the exact relationships among genetic mutations with different known risk factors in colorectal cancer, examples of the latter may have an impact on KRAS gene mutations.
Embedding parts in shape grammars using a parallel particle swarm optimization method on graphics processing units

Abstract Embedding emergent parts in shape grammars is computationally challenging. The first challenge is the representation of shapes, which needs to enable reinterpretation of parts regardless of the creation history of the shapes. The second challenge is the relevant part searching algorithm that provides an extensive exploration of the design space–time efficiently. In this work, we propose a novel method to solve both problems; we treat shapes as they are and use a parallel particle swarm optimization-based algorithm to compute emergent parts. The execution time of the proposed method is improved substantially by dividing the search space into small parts and carrying out searches in each part concurrently using a graphics processing unit. The experiments show that the proposed implementation detects emergent parts accurately and time efficiently.
Cryotherapy Reduces Muscle Spasticity But Does Not Affect Proprioception in Ischemic Stroke: A Randomized Sham-Controlled Crossover Study

Objective The aim of the study was to evaluate the immediate effects of cryotherapy (using an ice pack) on ankle joint position sense and the degree of spasticity after chronic hemiparetic stroke. Design We used a sham-controlled crossover design. Sixteen chronic hemiparetic patients were randomly assigned to two groups: (1) those who received cryotherapy followed by a control intervention 15 days later (cryotherapy group) and (2) those who received the control intervention followed by cryotherapy 15 days later (control intervention group). Ankle joint position sense was measured on the paretic side using a Biodex Multi-joint System 3 dynamometer before and after 20 mins of either application on the calf muscles. Lower absolute error scores were calculated for data analyses and were used to determine joint position sense. The degree of spasticity of the plantar flexor muscles was scored according to the Modified Ashworth Scale. Results Sixteen patients completed the crossover experiment; however, data analysis was successfully conducted in 15 participants. Cryotherapy reduced the degree of spasticity of the plantar flexor muscles without altering ankle joint position sense. Conclusions Cryotherapy (using an ice pack) may reduce plantar flexor spasticity without influencing proprioception.