Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Trajectories of Lung Function in Infants and Children: Setting a Course for Lifelong Lung Health

Perinatal factors including prematurity can alter lung function trajectories and lifelong lung health. Approaches to maximize early lung function are needed to optimize function in adulthood. For healthy individuals, it is increasingly accepted that lung function follows along an individual percentile established early in life and that the level of maximal function reached as a young adult can affect the subsequent development of lung disease that occurs with the normal aging process. This emphasizes the need to maximize early lung function. The trajectories of lung function are at least partially established by perinatal factors, including prematurity and in utero exposures (tobacco exposure, nutrition, inflammation, etc), although they can also be affected by a variety of additional factors and exposures throughout the life span. Whether lung function trajectories can be impacted or reset if established under suboptimal conditions is an unanswered question, offering new avenues for research. In this review, we will summarize important articles outlining lung function trajectories and linking pediatric lung function tests to adult lung function tests decades later. We will focus on perinatal factors and outline progress and opportunities for further investigation into the potential ability to reset trajectories to impact long-term lung health.
The Antarctic Oscillation index as an environmental parameter for predicting catches of the Argentine shortfin squid (Illex argentinus) Cephalopoda: Ommastrephidae) in southwest Atlantic waters

The views and opinions expressed or implied in this article are those of the author (or authors) and do not necessarily reflect the position of the National Marine Fisheries Service, NOAA. Abstract—With data from Taiwanese jiggers that targeted the Argentine shortfin squid (Illex argentinus) in the southwest Atlantic between 1986 and 2010, we used log-transformed catch per unit of effort (logU) as an index of the abundance of this squid to explore squid recruitment strength in response to environmental conditions. The logU was negatively correlated with subsurface seawater temperature (at a depth of 5 m) observed during February and April on the southern Patagonian shelf during the fishing season. The logU was also correlated with the Antarctic Oscillation (AAO), positively correlated in December of the fishing season and in March and May of the previous 2 years, and negatively correlated in November and December of the previous 2 years. A generalized linear model selected 4 environmental variables as predictors of annual catches that accounted for 83% catch variation: AAOs in November and March of the previous 2 years and subsurface seawater temperatures in March of the current and previous year in the southern location. The AAO would not directly affect the squid abundance more than 1 year later and biotic and abiotic linkages between atmospheric circulation patterns and stock fluctuations are not understood. The Argentine shortfin squid (Illex argentinus) occurs on the Patagonian shelf and slope (22–55°S) in the southwest Atlantic (Jereb and Roper, 2010). Commercial harvesting of this squid species extends almost throughout its distributional range, particularly along the shelf break (Beddington et al., 1990; Haimovici et al. 1998; Laptikhovsky et al.1). Concentrations of Argentine shortfin squid are found between 45° and 46°S in January and February, and then gradually migrate southward toward the Falkland Islands, where they grow rapidly (Basson et al., 1996; Haimovici et al., 1998). The catch is high between March and May in the Falkland Interim Conser-
Ultra–high‐frequency ultrasound imaging of sural nerve: A comparative study with nerve biopsy in progressive neuropathies

Introduction: Nerve ultrasound has been used increasingly in clinical practice as a complementary test for diagnostic assessment of neuropathies, but nerve biopsy remains invaluable in certain cases. The aim of this study was to compare ultra–high‐frequency ultrasound (UHF‐US) to histologic findings in progressive polyneuropathies. Methods: Ten patients with severe, progressive neuropathies underwent ultrasound evaluation of the sural nerve before nerve biopsy. Ultrasound data were compared with histologic results in a retrospective manner. Results: Sural nerves were easily identified on UHF‐US. Nerve hyperechogenicity correlated with inflammatory infiltrates on biopsy. Nerve fascicles could be identified and measured on ultrasound in the majority of patients. Discussion: Hyperechogenicity on UHF‐US may be a marker of nerve inflammation in neuropathies. Furthermore, the UHF‐US probe allows for evaluation of sensory nerves in spite of their small size, providing valuable information on their size and on their internal structure.
Promoting Green Product Development Performance via Leader Green Transformationality and Employee Green Self-Efficacy: The Moderating Role of Environmental Regulation

By integrating internal green self-efficacy and external environmental regulation, this research investigates the relationship between green transformational leadership and green product development performance. Taking 23 new energy vehicle enterprises in China as samples, we collected 298 valid questionnaires and verified the hypotheses through structural equation modeling. The results show that both green transformational leadership and green self-efficacy can promote green product development performance; green self-efficacy mediates the positive relationship between green transformational leadership and green product development performance, while environmental regulation positively moderates the mediating effect of green self-efficacy. Furthermore, environmental regulation and green self-efficacy interact to promote green product development performance. Our research provides a new perspective to understand how green transformational leadership is related to green product development performance and how this relationship is molded by contextual antecedents. Enterprises need to comprehensively consider the green influence of transformational leadership, green driving of employees themselves, and green linkage among organizations (macro policy guidance, passive market incentives, and self-issued actions) to improve green product development performance. Limitations and future scope are discussed.
The Prescription of Vitamin K Antagonists in a Very Old Population: A Cross-Sectional Study of 8696 Ambulatory Subjects Aged Over 85 Years

We compared very elderly people taking vitamin K antagonists (VKA) and those not taking VKA (noVKA). Individuals were included in the noVKA group if there was no VKA on their reimbursed prescriptions during the study period. We also compared three subgroups, constituted by VKA type (fluindione, warfarin, or acenocoumarol). We included individuals aged over 85 years, affiliated to Mutualité Sociale Agricole of Burgundy, who were refunded for prescribed VKA in September 2017. The VKA and noVKA groups were compared in terms of demographic conditions, registered chronic diseases (RCD), number of drugs per prescription and cardiovascular medications. The three VKA subgroups were compared for the same items plus laboratory monitoring, novel and refill VKA prescriptions, and prescriber specialty. Of the 8696 included individuals, 1157 (13.30%) were prescribed VKA. Mean age was 90 years. The noVKA group had fewer women (53.67 vs 66.08%), more RCD (93.43 vs. 71.96%) and more drugs per prescription (6.65 vs. 5.18) than the VKA group (all p < 0.01). Except for direct oral anticoagulants and platelet aggregation inhibitors, the VKA group took significantly more cardiovascular medications. The most commonly prescribed VKA was fluindione (59.46%). Mean age was higher in the warfarin (90.42) than in the acenocoumarol (89.83) or fluindione (89.71) subgroups (p < 0.01). No differences were observed for sex (women were predominant) or RCD. 13% of subjects in this population had a VKA prescription. Fluindione was the most commonly prescribed VKA.
The Effect of Multiple-Brooding on Age Ratios of Quail

Multiple-brooding in quail was once thought to occur rarely, if at all, and interpretations of recruitment were based on the assumption of single-brooding. Recent research on northern bobwhites (Colinus virginianus) indicates double- and triple-brooding occur in widely separated geographic areas. We developed time-free and time-based models of multiple-brooding to explore the role of this behavior in recruitment as indexed by autumn age ratios. Using empirical data on northern bobwhites, we found second and third broods contribute little to age ratios under a typical probability of nest success (0.3). Production is similar whether a hen quits laying after the first successful attempt, given 3 attempts, or whether a hen uses all 3 attempts. The time-based models suggest hatching phenologies obtained by backdating from wing molt may be biased (peak hatch is earlier than predicted by backdating). Management goals for high quail production should be to maximize the proportion of hens that lay, the probability of nest success, and the number of days in the laying season.
Changes of leukocytes, neutrophils, and lymphocytes count and dependent variables in pregnant women with coronavirus disease 2019 before and after cesarean delivery

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has become an emergency which has caused an emergent situation. 1 A recent cross-sectional study has shown a prevalence of 15.4% (n=33/215) for SARS-CoV-2 infection (via reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction or RT-PCR) among pregnant women who delivered their babies in NewYork which is a notable prevalence. 2 This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Individual dynamics of delta-beta coupling: using a multilevel framework to examine inter- and intraindividual differences in relation to social anxiety and behavioral inhibition.

BACKGROUND Variation in EEG-derived delta-beta coupling has recently emerged as a potential neural marker of emotion regulation, providing a novel and noninvasive method for assessing a risk factor for anxiety. However, our understanding of delta-beta coupling has been limited to group-level comparisons, which provide limited information about an individual's neural dynamics. METHODS The present study used multilevel modeling to map second-by-second coupling patterns between delta and beta power. Specifically, we examined how inter- and intraindividual delta-beta coupling patterns changed as a function of social anxiety symptoms and temperamental behavioral inhibition (BI). RESULTS We found that stronger inter- and intraindividual delta-beta coupling were both associated with social anxiety. In contrast, the high-BI group showed weaker coupling relative to the non-BI group, a pattern that did not emerge when analyzing continuous scores of BI. CONCLUSIONS In characterizing inter- and intraindividual coupling across the sample, we illustrate the utility of examining neural processes across levels of analysis in relation to psychopathology to create multilevel assessments of functioning and risk.
Social Distancing to Mitigate COVID-19 Risks Is Associated With COVID-19 Discriminatory Attitudes Among People Living with HIV

Abstract Background Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, is an emerging pandemic with heightened concerns for people with compromised immune systems, including people living with HIV. Purpose In the absence of a vaccine, public health messaging to mitigate risks for COVID-19 primarily focuses on social distancing. Because people living with HIV commonly experience mistreatment associated with HIV, their response to social distancing may be complicated by psychosocial attitudes associated with COVID-19. Methods To evaluate these relationships, we conducted a rapid-response, cross-sectional survey with people living with HIV (N = 149) to assess social distancing practices, COVID-19 discriminatory attitudes, COVID-19 xenophobic attitudes, HIV microaggressions, and concern over contracting COVID-19. Data were collected from participants enrolled in a larger ongoing study between March 30, 2020 and April 17, 2020. Results Results indicated that choosing to socially distance to reduce COVID-19 exposure was associated with COVID-19 discriminatory attitudes, concerns of contracting COVID-19, and identifying as transgender. Likewise, social distancing imposed by others (e.g., cancelations and restrictions) was associated with concerns of contracting COVID-19. Conclusions Findings demonstrate that social distancing measures are related to concerns of contracting the virus and discriminatory attitudes toward those who are presumed to be living with COVID-19. These potentially negative psychosocial attitudes toward people perceived to have COVID-19 echo the discriminatory actions and attitudes that we continue to observe in HIV social sciences research.
Serum lactate dehydrogenase is a possible predictor of platinum resistance in ovarian cancer

Objective The need for tailoring ovarian cancer treatments to individual patients is increasing. This study aimed to evaluate the prognostic value of pretreatment laboratory test data for predicting the response and survival outcomes of platinum-based chemotherapy in ovarian cancer. Methods We enrolled 270 patients with ovarian cancer diagnosed at the Kyoto Medical Center (n=120; group A) and Kyoto University (n=150; group B). Data on 9 blood parameters (neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio [NLR], platelet to lymphocyte rate [PLR], C-reactive protein, lactate dehydrogenase [LDH], glucose, total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein [HDL], low-density lipoprotein, and triglyceride levels), cancer pathology, cancer stage, cytoreduction outcomes, serum cancer antigen 125 levels, platinum-free interval (PFI), disease-free survival (DFS), and overall survival were assessed retrospectively. Results NLR, PLR, LDH, and HDL were significantly different in advanced stage patients (P<0.001, <0.001, 0.029, and <0.001, respectively). The Kaplan-Meier curves revealed that high LDH level (≥250 U/L) was associated with reduced PFI (P=0.037 and 0.012) and DFS (P=0.007 and 0.002) in groups A and B, respectively. High NLR (≥4) was associated with reduced DFS in both groups (P=0.036 and 0.005, respectively). LDH showed higher area under the curve (AUC) values in predicting platinum resistance with a PFI of less than 6 months and 12 months (AUC=0.606 and 0.646, respectively) than NLR. In the multivariate analysis, LDH remained significant (P=0.019) after adjusting for the 9 blood parameters. Conclusion Serum LDH level may possibly predict platinum resistance and prognosis in ovarian cancer and may be useful when developing precision medicine for individual patients.
Mediator Subunit MED25 Physically Interacts with PHYTOCHROME INTERACTING FACTOR4 to Regulate Shade-Induced Hypocotyl Elongation in Tomato1[OPEN]

A Mediator subunit creates a direct bridge for communication between a phytochrome interacting factor and the general transcriptional machinery to regulate shade-induced hypocotyl elongation in tomato. Shade triggers important adaptive responses such as the shade-avoidance syndrome, which enable plants to respond to the depletion of photosynthetically active light. The basic helix-loop-helix transcription factors PHYTOCHROME INTERACTING FACTORS (PIFs) play a key role in the shade-avoidance syndrome network by regulating the biosynthesis of multiple phytohormones and the expression of cell expansion-related genes. Although much has been learned about the regulation of PIFs in response to shade at the protein level, relatively little is known about the PIF-dependent transcriptional regulation of shade-responsive genes. Mediator is an evolutionarily conserved transcriptional coactivator complex that bridges gene-specific transcription factors with the RNA polymerase II (Pol II) machinery to regulate gene transcription. Here, we report that tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) PIF4 plays an important role in shade-induced hypocotyl elongation by regulating the expression of genes that encode auxin biosynthesis and auxin signaling proteins. During this process, Mediator subunit25 (MED25) physically interacts with PIF4 at the promoter regions of PIF4 target genes and also recruits Pol II to induce gene transcription. Thus, MED25 directly bridges the communication between PIF4 and Pol II general transcriptional machinery to regulate shade-induced hypocotyl elongation. Overall, our results reveal a novel role of MED25 in PIF4-mediated transcriptional regulation under shade.
The 'New Species Syndrome' in Sri Lankan herpetology: a cautionary note

Following a decline in the wake of Independence from Great Britain in 1948 (Pethiyagoda, 2007), the past decade has seen an acceleration in the pace of biodiversity exploration in Sri Lanka (Pethiyagoda, 2005). Herpetology in the island has been a particular beneficiary of this trend, with dozens of new species of amphibians and reptiles being discovered and des cribed during this period. These descriptions have, for the most part, been of great value and have in many cases already contributed to the national conservation-planning and IUCN Red-Listing processes. While this work has been mostly of high quality, the last few years have also witnessed a number of publications by authors unfamiliar with taxonomic methodology and in particular, the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature (ICZN, 1999: hereafter, ‘the Code’), resulting in the establishment of several unnecessary new names and the invalid designation of a number of new types. These actions are likely to cause considerable confusion among the increasing number of workers in the biodiversity sciences in Sri Lanka, many of whom lack specialized taxonomic training. They will also require future taxonomists to invest considerable effort to resolve the plethora of nomenclatural errors and incorrect typifications resulting from these works. Manamendra-Arachchi et al. (2007) and Manamen dra-Arachchi & Pethiyagoda (2007) have drawn attention to three papers—on the gekkonid genus Cnemaspis and the colubrid genus Boiga—that have contributed to this confusion and seek to resolve some of the nomenclatural problems resulting from Samarawickrama et al. (2006), Wickramasinghe (2006) and Wickramasinghe & Munindradasa (2007). Here I address the issue of invalid typification in these three works and comment on nomenclatural questions arising also from De Alwis et al. (2006). I also comment on several matters surrounding the gratuitous description of new species in Sri Lankan herpetology; call for improved editorial standards in the journals publishing such works; and recommend the adoption of higher ethical standards among authors publishing in the taxonomic literature. This is not the first time a critique of this nature has been published in relation to South Asian taxonomy. Fraser-Jenkins (1997) provided an excellent Rohan Pethiyagoda *
C-Terminal Extensions of Ku70 and Ku80 Differentially Influence DNA End Binding Properties

The Ku70/80 heterodimer binds to DNA ends and attracts other proteins involved in the non-homologous end-joining (NHEJ) pathway of DNA double-strand break repair. We developed a novel assay to measure DNA binding and release kinetics using differences in Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) of the ECFP-Ku70/EYFP-Ku80 heterodimer in soluble and DNA end bound states. We confirmed that the relative binding efficiencies of various DNA substrates (blunt, 3 nucleotide 5′ extension, and DNA hairpin) measured in the FRET assay reflected affinities obtained from direct measurements using surface plasmon resonance. The FRET assay was subsequently used to investigate Ku70/80 behavior in the context of a DNA-dependent kinase (DNA-PK) holocomplex. As expected, this complex was much more stable than Ku70/80 alone, and its stability was influenced by DNA-PK phosphorylation status. Interestingly, the Ku80 C-terminal extension contributed to DNA-PK complex stability but was not absolutely required for its formation. The Ku70 C-terminal SAP domain, on the other hand, was required for the stable association of Ku70/80 to DNA ends, but this effect was abrogated in DNA-PK holocomplexes. We conclude that FRET measurements can be used to determine Ku70/80 binding kinetics. The ability to do this in complex mixtures makes this assay particularly useful to study larger NHEJ protein complexes on DNA ends.
The role of landscape composition and heterogeneity on the taxonomical and functional diversity of Mediterranean plant communities in agricultural landscapes

The expansion of agriculture is a major driver of biodiversity loss worldwide, through changes generated in the landscape. Despite this, very little is still known about the complex relationships between landscape composition and heterogeneity and plant taxonomical and functional diversity in Mediterranean ecosystems that have been extensively managed during millennia. Although according to the Intermediate Disturbance Hypothesis (IDH) plant richness might peak at intermediate disturbance levels, functional diversity might increase with landscape heterogeneity and decrease with the intensity of disturbance. Here, we evaluated the associations of landscape composition (percentage of crops) and heterogeneity (diversity of land-cover classes) with plant taxonomical diversity (richness, diversity, evenness), local contribution to beta diversity, and functional diversity (functional richness, evenness, divergence and dispersion) in 20 wild Olea europaea communities appearing within agricultural landscapes of Mallorca Island (Western Mediterranean Basin). In accordance with the IDH, we found that overall plant richness peaked at intermediate levels of crops in the landscape, whereas plant evenness showed the opposite pattern, because richness peak was mainly related to an increase in scarce ruderal species. Plant communities surrounded by very heterogeneous landscapes were those contributing the most to beta diversity and showing the highest functional richness and evenness, likely because diverse landscapes favour the colonization of new species and traits into the communities. In addition, landscape heterogeneity decreased functional divergence (i.e., increased trait overlap of dominant species) which may enhance community resilience against disturbances through a higher functional redundancy. However, a large extent of agriculture in the landscape might reduce such resilience, as this disturbance acted as an environmental filter that decreased functional dispersion (i.e, remaining species shared similar traits). Overall, our study highlights the importance of considering several indices of taxonomical and functional diversity to deeply understand the complex relationships between ecosystems functions and landscape context.