Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Adult literacies from the perspective of practitioners and their learners. A case study from the north of England

This article is based on qualitative research with adult literacy practitioners and learners in the north of England. I draw on interview and focus group data to identify their perspectives on adult literacies and compare these with the understandings of literacy on which current policy-making for adult literacy in England is based. The research revealed a wide range of ways in which literacy is understood in practice, compared with a much narrower conceptualisation in current policy. The article concludes that teachers’ and learners’ perspectives on adult literacies reinforce the notion that literacy is not a fixed concept, but that its meanings and uses vary according to time and context. It argues, however, that a policy environment based on an understanding of literacy which emphasizes employability and economic outcomes creates challenges for teachers and learners to maintain their own perspectives in relation to what literacy constitutes and what is important in adult literacy education.
Structural Inflation and Real Exchange Rate Appreciation in Visegrad-4 Countries : Balassa-Samuelson or Something Else ?

development within the euro area have revived interest in significant differences between European economies, especially the catching-up economies' higher inflation rates. These differences are growing in importance as the recent pickup in inflation rates worldwide is hitting catching-up economies to a large extent. Fast growing economies like Spain and Ireland have exhibited above-average inflation rates over the last decade and Slovenia has been also struggling with high inflation rates since adopting the euro in 2007. According to conventional economic convergence theory and the view of many economists (see e.g. Daniel, 2008), this is due to the so-called Balassa-Samuelson effect that stems from productivity growth in non-tradable sectors lagging behind important productivity gains in the tradable sectors. However, drawing from an example of Visegrad-4 countries, i.e. the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, and Slovakia, the relevant literature over the past five years failed to quantify a sizable Balassa-Samuelson effect, with the average effect from 20 recent studies accounting at best for one-third of the actual real exchange rate appreciation of more than 30% from 1995 to 2006. Thus, against the background of the small empirical Balassa-Samuelson effect, commonly associated with structural convergence, the recent strong real exchange rate appreciation might be interpreted as a cyclical development that poses policy challenges (especially in relation to the euro area entry). The 'Traffic Light Analysis' recently heralded by Danske Bank (2007) associates recent economic developments in the majority of the new EU member states of central and eastern Europe with the first phase of a boom-bust cycle. This seems to be also suggested by some of the ECB executive board members, who emphasized the challenge of cyclical overheating for the region (Bini Smaghi, 2007). In this Policy Insight, we first summarize the arguments for the weak Balassa-Samuelson effect and further suggest that the strong real exchange rate appreciation in Visegrad-4 countries is likely not a sign of cyclical overheating but a structural phenomenon of a different kind not predicted by conventional economic convergence theory.
Role of Damage-Associated Molecular Patterns (DAMPs/Alarmins) in Severe Ocular Allergic Diseases

Severe ocular allergic diseases, such as atopic keratoconjunctivitis and vernal keratoconjunctivitis, cause severe allergic inflammation in the conjunctiva and corneal epithelial damage, resulting in visual disturbances. The involvement of damage (danger)-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs/alarmins) in the pathogenesis of these diseases has been recognized. Alarmins released from damaged corneal epithelial cells or eosinophils play a critical role in the induction of corneal lesions, vicious loop of corneal injury, and exacerbation of conjunctival allergic inflammation. Alarmins in the conjunctiva also play an essential role in the development of both allergic inflammation, based on the acquired immune system, and type 2 inflammation by innate immune responses in the ocular surface. Therefore, alarmins may be a potentially important therapeutic target in severe refractory ocular allergic diseases.
An evolutionary view of a biomedically important gene family

This manuscript [1] investigates the evolutionary history of the DAN gene family—a group of genes important for embryonic development of limbs, kidneys, and left-right axis speciation. This gene family has also been implicated in a number of diseases, including cancer and nephropathies. DAN genes have been associated with the inhibition of the bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) signaling pathway. Despite this detailed biochemical and functional knowledge and clear importance for development and disease, evolution of this gene family has remained understudied. The diversification of this gene family was investigated in all major groups of vertebrates. The monophyly of the gene members belonging to this gene family was confirmed. A total of five clades were delineated, and two novel lineages were discovered. The first lineage was only retained in cephalochordates (amphioxus), whereas the second one (GREM3) was retained by cartilaginous fish, holostean fish, and coelanth. Moreover, the patterns of chromosomal synteny in the chromosomal regions harboring DAN genes were investigated. Additionally, the authors reconstructed the ancestral gene repertoires and studied the differential retention/loss of individual gene members across the phylogeny. They concluded that the ancestor of gnathostome vertebrates possessed eight DAN genes that underwent differential retention during the evolutionary history of this group. During radiation of vertebrates, GREM1, GREM2, SOST, SOSTDC1, and NBL1 were retained in all major vertebrate groups. At the same time, GREM3, CER1, and DAND5 were differentially lost in some vertebrate lineages. At least two DAN genes were present in the common ancestor of vertebrates, and at least three DAN genes were present in the common ancestor of chordates. Therefore the patterns of retention and diversification in this gene family appear to be complex. Evolutionary slowdown for the DAN gene family was observed in mammals, suggesting selective constraints. Overall, this article puts the biomedical importance of the DAN family in the evolutionary perspective.
Hypothyroidism and Fertility: An Animal Model follows up in The Second-Generation

Objective Hypothyroidism is known as the most common endocrine disorder. The prevalence of hypothyroidism in the female and male population is 2% and 0.2%, respectively. Maternal hypothyroidism is a defect in the thyroid hormones transition from the mother to the fetus. The present study was conducted to find whether maternal hypothyroidism affects the fertility of the second generation. Materials and Methods In this experimental study, twelve adult female rats weighting 180-220 g were randomly divided into case and control groups. Hypothyroidism was induced by dissolving 0.1 g/L of 6-n-propyl-2-thiouracil in drinking water toward the end of pregnancy and lactation. At the end of the breastfeeding period, the blood samples of female children were collected. Six healthy, mature, female rats were selected and kept until they reached maturity, and were then mated with male rats. After observing the female rats’ delivery, blood samples were collected from their male and female newborns and the healthy rats were selected. Results There was a significant difference in the volume and size of ovarian as well as in the number of secondary follicles in comparison with the control group (P=0.025). However, there were no significant changes in the other parameters including the number of primary follicles, the number of Graafian follicles and sperm parameters. There was no significant decrease in the testicular volume and size, number of Leydig cells and seminiferous tubules diameter. Conclusion Maternal hypothyroidism has no significant effects on testicular tissue function, and sperm parameters in the second generation, but can significantly reduce the rate of secondary follicles in the second generation female rats.
Diversity of Neofusicoccum parvum for the Production of the Phytotoxic Metabolites (-)-Terremutin and (R)-Mellein

Two Neofusicoccum parvum isolates and a UV mutant were characterized for their phytotoxin production in vitro, their pathogenicity on grapevine, and their genome sequenced. The isolate Np-Bt67 produced high level of (-)-terremutin, but almost no (R)-mellein, and it was the most aggressive on grapevine, triggering apoplexy. Similar symptoms were not induced by purified (-)-terremutin. The isolate Bourgogne S-116 (Np-B) produced 3-fold less (-)-terremutin and high amounts of (R)-mellein, but it was less aggressive on grapevine than Np-Bt67. The UV9 mutant obtained from Np-B (NpB-UV9) no longer produced (-)-terremutin but overproduced (R)-mellein by 2.5-fold, and it was as pathogenic as its parent. NpB-UV9 differed from its parent by simple mutations in two genes (transcription factor UCR-NP2_6692, regulatory protein UCR-NP2_9007), not located neither near (R)-mellein, nor (-)-terremutin biosynthetic genes, but likely involved in the control of (-)-terremutin biosynthesis. Grapevine immunity was disturbed upon challenge with these pathogens or purified phytotoxins, leading to an upregulation of SA-dependent defenses, while (-)-terremutin interfered with host JA/ET-dependent defenses. Our results suggest that neither (-)-terremutin nor (R)-mellein alone is essential for the pathogenicity of N. parvum on grapevine, since isolate/mutant non-producing these toxins in vitro is pathogenic. However, these phytotoxins could play a quantitative role in the infection process.
Heritability of cardiovascular health across three generations in South Africa: the Birth to Twenty-Plus cohort

Objectives: Cardiovascular disease is increasing in many low-middle income countries, including those in Africa. To inform strategies for the prevention of cardiovascular disease in South Africa, we sought to determine the broad heritability of phenotypic markers of cardiovascular risk across three generations. Design: A cross-sectional study conducted in a longitudinal family cohort. Setting: Research unit within a tertiary hospital in a historically disadvantaged, large urban township of South Africa. Participants: 195 individuals from 65 biological families with all three generations including third generation children aged 4-10 years were recruited from the longest running intergenerational cohort study in Africa, the Birth to Twenty Plus cohort. All adults (grandparents and parents) were female, while children were male or female. Primary and secondary outcome measures: The primary outcome was heritability of blood pressure (BP, brachial and central pressures). Secondary outcomes were heritability of arterial stiffness (pulse wave velocity), carotid intima media thickness (cIMT), and left ventricular mass indexed to body surface area (LVMI). Results: While no significant intergenerational relationships of BP or arterial stiffness were found, there were significant relationships in LVMI across all three generations (p<0.04), and in cIMT between grandparents and parents (p=0.0166). Heritability estimates were 23-44% for cIMT and 21-39% for LVMI. Conclusions: Structural indicators of vascular health, which are strong markers of future clinical cardiovascular outcomes transmit between generations within African families. Identification of these markers in parents may be useful to trigger assessments of preventable risk factors for cardiovascular disease in offspring.
Evaluation of the Panbio COVID-19 Antigen Rapid Diagnostic Test in Subjects Infected with Omicron Using Different Specimens

This study showed that the antigen rapid test for COVID19 worked fine using nasal swabs when it was utilized in patients infected with the Omicron variant, showing a concordance with PCR in 93% of patients tested. The nasal swab yielded more reliable results than the oral swab when an antigen rapid diagnosis test (the Panbio COVID-19 antigen rapid diagnostic test) was used in patients infected with the Omicron variant. ABSTRACT Community testing is a crucial tool for the early identification of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection and transmission control. The emergence of the highly mutated Omicron variant (B.1.1.529) raised concerns about its primary site of replication, impacting sample collection and its detectability by rapid antigen tests. We tested the performance of the Panbio antigen rapid diagnostic test (Ag-RDT) using nasal and oral specimens for COVID-19 diagnosis in 192 symptomatic individuals, with quantitative reverse transcription-PCR (RT-qPCR) of nasopharyngeal samples as a control. Variant of concern (VOC) investigation was performed with the 4Plex SARS-CoV-2 screening kit. The SARS-CoV-2 positivity rate was 66.2%, with 99% of the positive samples showing an amplification profile consistent with that of the Omicron variant. Nasal Ag-RDT showed higher sensitivity (89%) than oral (12.6%) Ag-RDT. Our data showed good performance of the Ag-RDT in a pandemic scenario dominated by the Omicron VOC. Furthermore, our data also demonstrated that the Panbio COVID-19 antigen rapid diagnostic test does not provide good sensitivity with oral swabs for Omicron Ag-RDT detection. IMPORTANCE This study showed that the antigen rapid test for COVID19 worked fine using nasal swabs when it was utilized in patients infected with the Omicron variant, showing a concordance with PCR in 93% of patients tested. The nasal swab yielded more reliable results than the oral swab when an antigen rapid diagnosis test (the Panbio COVID-19 antigen rapid diagnostic test) was used in patients infected with the Omicron variant.
Association of Assisted Reproductive Technology With Offspring Growth and Adiposity From Infancy to Early Adulthood

Key Points Question Is conception by assisted reproductive technology associated with growth and adiposity from infancy to early adulthood? Findings In this cohort study of up to 158 066 infants, children, adolescents and young adults from Europe, Asia-Pacific, and Canada, those conceived using assisted reproductive technology (in vitro fertilization or intracytoplasmic sperm injection, plus embryo transfers) were shorter, lighter, and thinner by most estimates from infancy up to early adolescence compared with their naturally conceived peers; however, the differences were small across all ages and reduced with older age, with 95% CIs sometimes including the null. Meaning These findings suggest that parents conceiving or hoping to conceive through assisted reproductive technology and their offspring should be reassured that differences in early life growth and adiposity are small and no longer apparent by late adolescence.
New method for simultaneous determination of dissolved organic carbon and its stable carbon isotope ratio in liquid samples: environmental applications

ABSTRACT This study reports the development of an all-in-one elemental analyser isotope ratio mass spectrometry (EA-IRMS) system modified for simultaneous analysis of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentration and its stable carbon isotope footprint (δ 13CDOC) in aqueous samples. The method involves a quantitative oxidation of DOC in a 200 µL liquid sample to CO2, after sample acidification and stripping by nitrogen. The detection limit of the method for DOC quantification was 0.2 mg C/L with an analytical precision of 12 %. Uncertainty of stable isotope determinations was 2 % at 0.2 mg DOC/L, while decreasing to 0.3 % at 20 mg DOC/L. Quantitative oxidation of DOC in aqueous samples was validated by using ring test water samples and Deep Sea reference seawater. The method performances of isotope analysis were evaluated by analysing different isotopic standard solutions. The applicability of the method was tested through the analysis of different environmental types of water, showing that δ 13CDOC ranged from – 23.30 to –31.85 ‰, allowing to characterize samples of different environmental origin. The developed method offers several advantages including rapidity, use of small sample volumes and minimal sample pre-treatment, making it a valuable tool for routine DOC concentration measurements paired with isotopic characterization.
Chart Completion Time of Attending Physicians While Using Medical Scribes

Medical scribes have become a widely used strategy to optimize how providers document in the electronic health record. To date, literature regarding the impact of scribes on time to complete documentation is limited. We conducted a retrospective, descriptive study of chart completion time among providers using scribes at our organization. A total of 148,410 scribed encounters, across 55 different clinics, were analyzed to determine variations in chart completion time. There was a significant variance in completion time between specialty groups and clinics within each specialty. Additionally, chart completion time was highly variable between providers working in the same clinic. These patterns were observed across all specialties included in our analysis. Our results suggest a higher level of variability with respect to chart completion when utilizing scribes than previously anticipated.
The Relationships Among Health Literacy, Illness Perception, and Diabetes Self-Care in Korean-Speaking Immigrants With Diabetes

Diabetes self-care is explained as an illness-related coping behavior. Health literacy is an important predictor in self-care behaviors. However, little is known about their association with illness perception in Korean immigrants with diabetes. This study aimed to examine the relationships among health literacy, illness perception, and diabetes self-care in Korean-speaking immigrants with diabetes. This cross-sectional study was conducted in 2020. A convenience sample of 52 Korean adults with diabetes in Dallas-Fort Worth areas completed a survey. Data were analyzed using SPSS (version 25) with statistical significance at α < . 05. The mean of health literacy was high (11.1, SD = 1.1, ranges 0–12). There were no statistically significant associations between health literacy, illness perception, and diabetes self-care. Language barriers are considered a literacy issue, but health literacy and limited English proficiency must be approached differently by health care providers.
Calorimetry of extracellular vesicles fusion to single phospholipid membrane

Abstract Extracellular vesicles (EVs)-mediated communication relies not only on the delivery of complex molecular cargoes as lipids, proteins, genetic material, and metabolites to their target cells but also on the modification of the cell surface local properties induced by the eventual fusion of EVs’ membranes with the cells’ plasma membrane. Here we applied scanning calorimetry to study the phase transition of single phospholipid (DMPC) monolamellar vesicles, investigating the thermodynamical effects caused by the fusion of doping amounts of mesenchymal stem cells-derived EVs. Specifically, we studied EVs-induced consequences on the lipids distributed in the differently curved membrane leaflets, having different density and order. The effect of EV components was found to be not homogeneous in the two leaflets, the inner (more disordered one) being mainly affected. Fusion resulted in phospholipid membrane flattening associated with lipid ordering, while the transition cooperativity, linked to membrane domains’ coexistence during the transition process, was decreased. Our results open new horizons for the investigation of the peculiar effects of EVs of different origins on target cell membrane properties and functionality.
Genetically Determined Reproductive Aging and Coronary Heart Disease: A Bidirectional 2-sample Mendelian Randomization

Abstract Background Accelerated reproductive aging, in women indicated by early natural menopause, is associated with increased coronary heart disease (CHD) risk in observational studies. Conversely, an adverse CHD risk profile has been suggested to accelerate menopause. Objectives To study the direction and evidence for causality of the relationship between reproductive aging and (non-)fatal CHD and CHD risk factors in a bidirectional Mendelian randomization (MR) approach, using age at natural menopause (ANM) genetic variants as a measure for genetically determined reproductive aging in women. We also studied the association of these variants with CHD risk (factors) in men. Design Two-sample MR, using both cohort data as well as summary statistics, with 4 methods: simple and weighted median-based, standard inverse-variance weighted (IVW) regression, and MR-Egger regression. Participants Data from EPIC-CVD and summary statistics from UK Biobank and publicly available genome-wide association studies were pooled for the different analyses. Main Outcome Measures CHD, CHD risk factors, and ANM. Results Across different methods of MR, no association was found between genetically determined reproductive aging and CHD risk in women (relative risk estimateIVW = 0.99; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.97-1.01), or any of the CHD risk factors. Similarly, no associations were found in men. Neither did the reversed analyses show evidence for an association between CHD (risk factors) and reproductive aging. Conclusion Genetically determined reproductive aging is not causally associated with CHD risk (factors) in women, nor were the genetic variants associated in men. We found no evidence for a reverse association in a combined sample of women and men.
The role of species interactions for forest resilience to drought.

Increasing durations and frequencies of droughts under climate change endanger the sustainable functioning of forests worldwide. The admixture of species with complementary resource use may increase the resilience of forests towards drought; however, little is known about modifications of species interactions (i.e. facilitation and competition) by increasing drought severity in mixed forests. In particular, knowledge on the regulation of central ecohydrological processes, such as tree water fluxes, is lacking. Therefore, we conducted a literature review to assess the impact of species interactions on tree resilience (resistance + recovery) under increasing drought severity. The classification of studies into three drought classes suggested that beneficial species interactions, i.e. through improved water relations, were prevalent under mild droughts. However, with increasing drought, negative effects, such as interspecific competition, occurred. These negative interactions were prominent under extreme droughts, where even trees with complementary resource-use strategies competed for water resources. Fewer data are available on recovery of water fluxes. The limited evidence supported the patterns observed for drought resistance, with facilitation and complementarity of species in mixtures enhancing tree recovery after moderate droughts. However, after extreme droughts, competition effects and reduced recovery for some species were observed, which can strongly compromise tree resilience. While we acknowledge the importance of mixed forests for biodiversity, ecosystem services or pest resistance, we caution that beneficial species interactions may shift under extreme droughts. Thus, there is an urgent need to investigate species interaction effects on resilience in more depth to adapt forest trees to increasing drought stress.