Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Association of Uric Acid in Serum and Urine with Arterial Stiffness: Hanzhong Adolescent Hypertension Study

Background Hyperuricemia has long been associated with increased cardiovascular risk, and arterial stiffness is proposed as a mediator. The present study is aimed at examining the associations of uric acid (UA) in blood and urine with arterial stiffness in a Chinese cohort. Methods A total of 2296 participants (mean age: 43.0 years) from our previously established cohort of Hanzhong Adolescent Hypertension Study were included. The participants were classified as subjects with or without arterial stiffness, which was defined as brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV) ≥ 1400 cm/s and/or carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) ≥ 0.9 mm. Multivariate regression analyses were used to examine the relationship between serum and urinary UA and the risk of arterial stiffness after adjusting for age, gender, systolic blood pressure, fasting glucose, BMI, heart rate, total cholesterol, and triglycerides. Results baPWV was positively correlated with urinary uric acid/creatinine ratio (uUA/Cre) (β = 0.061, P < 0.001), while CIMT was correlated with uUA/Cre (β = 0.085, P < 0.001) and fractional excretion of uric acid (FEUA) (β = 0.044, P = 0.033) in all subjects. In addition, uUA/Cre was significantly associated with the risk of high baPWV [1.032 (1.019-1.045)] and arterial stiffness [1.028 (1.016-1.040)]. Conclusion Our study showed that urinary UA excretion was significantly associated with the risk of arterial stiffness in Chinese adults. These findings suggest that UA, especially urinary UA, may be used as a simple, noninvasive marker for early detection of arterial stiffness in otherwise healthy subjects.
Does food competition from red fox (Vulpes vulpes) influence the breeding density of goshawk (Accipiter gentilis)? Evidence from a natural experiment

The impact of food competition from the red fox Vulpes vulpes on the breeding density of the goshawk Accipiter gentilis was studied in a 650 km2 area in southern Norway by investigating the density of goshawks and their grouse prey before, during, and after a period when the red fox population was low because of an epizootic of sarcoptic mange Sarcoptes scabiei. The number of goshawk pairs per 100 km2 was approximately nine/year in the 1950s, three/year in 1972–75 and in 1980–85, and four/year in 1988–91. In each of these periods, nesting territories of goshawks were regularly spaced. There was a positive correlation between the breeding density of goshawk and the population size of grouse. Both grouse numbers and goshawk breeding density increased at the same time that fox populations declined in the 1980s, while the re-establishment of the fox population in the 1990s was associated with decreases in grouse and goshawk numbers. During the partial absence of red foxes, there was a continuously high grouse population. It is concluded that the red fox may influence the goshawk breeding density negatively by limiting the numbers of grouse.
Evolutionary history of a Scottish harbour seal population

Efforts to conserve marine mammals are often constrained by uncertainty over their population history. Here, we examine the evolutionary history of a harbour seal (Phoca vitulina) population in the Moray Firth, northeast Scotland using genetic tools and microsatellite markers to explore population change. Previous fine-scale analysis of UK harbour seal populations revealed three clusters in the UK, with a northeastern cluster that included our Moray Firth study population. Our analysis revealed that the Moray Firth cluster is an independent genetic group, with similar levels of genetic diversity across each of the localities sampled. These samples were used to assess historic abundance and demographic events in the Moray Firth population. Estimates of current genetic diversity and effective population size were low, but the results indicated that this population has remained at broadly similar levels following the population bottleneck that occurred after post-glacial recolonization of the area.
Impact of the SARS-CoV-2 epidemic on tuberculosis treatment outcome in Northern Italy

We read with interest the letters by Tadolini et al. [1] and Stochino et al. [2] in a recent issue of the European Respiratory Journal, which summarise the first available evidence on tuberculosis (TB) and coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) [3]. It is important to recognise the impact of COVID-19 on TB care to mitigate its consequences. TB services have an urgent need to identify novel strategies to ensure the continuum of TB care at the time of the coronavirus pandemic. https://bit.ly/2OIKnwL
Identity of the ailanthus webworm moth (Lepidoptera, Yponomeutidae), a complex of two species: evidence from DNA barcoding, morphology and ecology

During extensive ongoing campaigns to inventory moths of North America and Area de Conservacion Guanacaste (ACG), northwestern Costa Rica, we discovered that morphologically similar yponomeutid moths were assigned two diff erent names, Atteva ergatica Walsingham in Costa Rica and A. punctella (Stoll) in North America, but had identical DNA barcodes. Combining DNA barcoding, morphology and food plant records also revealed a complex of two sympatric species that are diagnosable by their DNA barcodes and their facies in Costa Rica. However, neither of the names could be correctly applied to either species, as A. ergatica is a junior synonym and A. punctella a junior homonym. By linking our specimens to type material through morphology and DNA barcoding, we determined that the ACG dry forest species, distributed from Costa Rica to southern Quebec and Ontario, should be called A. aurea, whereas the similar and marginally sympatric ACG rain forest species found in Central America should be called A. pustulella. Neotypes are designated for Phalaena Tinea punctella Stoll, 1781 and Deiopeia aurea Fitch, 1857. Atteva fl has identical barcodes to A. aurea and provisionally maintained as a synonym.
First report of begomoviruses infecting Cucumis sativus L. in North America and identification of a proposed new begomovirus species

Background Members of the Begomovirus genus are phytopathogens that infect dicotyledonous plants, producing economic losses in tropical and subtropical regions. To date, only seven species of begomoviruses (BGVs) infecting cucumber have been described. Most cucumber infections were reported in South Asia. In the Americas, begomoviral infections affecting cucumber are scarce; just one report of begomovirus has been described in South America. The presence of whitefly and typical symptoms of viral infections observed in a cucumber field in Colima, Mexico, suggested that plants in this field were affected by BGVs. Methods To identify the BGVs infecting cucumber, we performed a high-throughput sequencing and compared the assembled contigs against the GenBank nucleic acid sequence database. To confirm the presence of viruses in cucumber samples, we performed a PCR detection using specific oligonucleotides. We cloned and sequenced by Sanger method the complete genome of a potential new begomovirus. Begomovirus species demarcation was performed according to the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses. The evolutionary relationship of the new virus was inferred using phylogenetic and recombination analyses. Results We identified five species of begomovirus infecting plants in a field. None of these have been previously reported infecting cucumber. One of the five species of viruses here reported is a new begomovirus species. Cucumber chlorotic leaf virus, the new species, is a bipartite begomovirus that has distinctive features of viruses belonging to the squash leaf curl virus clade. Conclusions The findings here described represent the first report of begomoviral infection affecting cucumber plants in North America. Previous to this report, only seven begomovirus species have been reported in the world, here we found five species infecting cucumber plants in a small sample suggesting that cucumber is vulnerable to BGVs. One of these viruses is a new species of begomovirus which is the first begomovirus originally isolated from the cucumber. The findings of this report could help to develop strategies to fight the begomoviral infections that affect cucumber crops.
Genome-Wide Identification and Analysis of Variants in Domestic and Wild Bactrian Camels Using Whole-Genome Sequencing Data

The population size of Bactrian camels is smaller than dromedary, and they are distributed in cold and mountain regions and are also at the risk of extinction in some countries such as Iran. To identify and investigate the genome-wide variations, whole-genome sequencing of two Iranian Bactrian camels were performed with 37.4- and 42.6-fold coverage for the first time. Along with Iranian Bactrian camels, sequencing data from two Mongolian domestic and two wild Bactrian camels deposited in the NCBI were reanalyzed. The analysis eventuated to the identification of 4,908,998, 4,485,725, and 4,706,654 SNPs for Iranian, Mongolian domestic, and wild Bactrian camels, respectively. Also, INDEL variations ranged from 358,311 to 533,188 in all six camels. Results of variants annotation in all samples revealed that more than 88 percent of SNPs and INDELs were located in the intergenic and intronic regions. We found that 800,530 SNPs were common among all studied camels, containing 4,046 missense variants that affected 2,428 genes. Investigation of common genes among all camels containing the missense SNPs showed that there are 98 zinc finger and 4 fertility-related genes (ZP1, ZP2, ZP4, and ZPBP) in this set.
The Occurrence of Richter's Syndrome during Treatment with Obinutuzumab and Chlorambucil

Chronic lymphocytic leukaemia is a slow-growing leukaemia of developing B-lymphocytes, which may transform to an aggressive lymphoma known as Richter's syndrome. While Richter's syndrome can present in untreated or relapsed-refractory cases, it may occur upon the commencement of less intensity treatment regimens. We present a case of Richter's syndrome following treatment with chlorambucil and obinutuzumab and review of available literature on the topic.
Students under lockdown: Comparisons of students’ social networks and mental health before and during the COVID-19 crisis in Switzerland

This study investigates students’ social networks and mental health before and at the time of the COVID-19 pandemic in April 2020, using longitudinal data collected since 2018. We analyze change on multiple dimensions of social networks (interaction, friendship, social support, co-studying) and mental health indicators (depression, anxiety, stress, loneliness) within two cohorts of Swiss undergraduate students experiencing the crisis (N = 212), and make additional comparisons to an earlier cohort which did not experience the crisis (N = 54). In within-person comparisons we find that interaction and co-studying networks had become sparser, and more students were studying alone. Furthermore, students’ levels of stress, anxiety, loneliness, and depressive symptoms got worse, compared to measures before the crisis. Stressors shifted from fears of missing out on social life to worries about health, family, friends, and their future. Exploratory analyses suggest that COVID-19 specific worries, isolation in social networks, lack of interaction and emotional support, and physical isolation were associated with negative mental health trajectories. Female students appeared to have worse mental health trajectories when controlling for different levels of social integration and COVID-19 related stressors. As universities and researchers discuss future strategies on how to combine on-site teaching with online courses, our results indicate the importance of considering social contacts in students’ mental health and offer starting points to identify and support students at higher risk of social isolation and negative psychological effects during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Avaliação da atividade antioxidante do ácido fítico de germe de milho

The obtained corn germ phytic acid (CGPA) antioxidant potential was evaluated through the deoxyribose, bathophenanthroline (BPS) and DPPH• assays. In the concentration of 130.5 μM of CGPA the hydroxyl radical maximum sequestering antioxidant activity was 29.3% while standard phytic acid (SPA) presented this maximum activity of 18.2% in the concentration of 33.2 μM of SPA. The BPS assays revealed that the chelation activity towards Fe2+ increased concurrently with the increase of CGPA concentration and its Fe2+ contact time. Finally, DPPH• assay showed that CGPA and SPA did not present electron-donating capacity to DPPH•.
Disponibilidade de matéria seca, composição química e consumo de forragem em pastagem de capim-elefante nas estações do ano

The study was carried out on elephantgrass (Pennisetum purpureum Schum.) pasture, from February 1999 to November 2001, in order to evaluate the dry matter (DM) availability, observing the height of the stubble; chemical composition; in vitro dry matter digestibility (IVDMD), and dry matter intake (DMI), using Holstein x Zebu lactating cows, during different seasons of the year. The paddocks were managed in a rotational grazing system, with 30 days of resting period and three days of occupation. Nutritive value and DM availability were monthly evaluated and the DMI was measured ten times during the experimental period. During dry season, cows were supplemented with corn silage during the milking intervals. The highest DM availability was estimated in December (3,402kg/ha). From May to September, values ranged from 558 to 1,122kg/ha, showing the strong seasonality on DM production. Means of crude protein and IVDMD did not differ among summer, autumn, and spring, but were lower during the winter. Means of neutral detergent fiber were lower in summer, autumn, and spring and higher during the winter. The pasture DMI were higher in summer, autumn, and spring and lower in the winter, due to low availability of elephantgrass. However, total DMI did not differ among seasons due to the corn silage supplementation during the winter season.
Suicidal behaviours among in-school adolescents in Mozambique: Cross-sectional evidence of the prevalence and predictors using the Global School-Based Health Survey data

Introduction Despite interventions by low and middle-income countries toward the achievement of the global Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) on promoting mental health and well-being of their populace by the year 2030, suicidal behaviours continue to be major causes of premature mortality, especially among young people. This study examined the prevalence and predictors of suicidal behaviours among in-school adolescents in Mozambique. Materials and methods This was a cross-sectional study of 1918 in-school adolescents using data from the 2015 Global School-based Health Survey (GSHS) of Mozambique. The outcome variables (suicidal ideation, suicidal plan, and suicidal attempt) were measured with single items in the survey. Both bivariate and multivariate analyses were performed using chi-square test of independence and binary logistic regression respectively. Results are presented as Adjusted Odds Ratios for the binary logistic regression analysis. Statistical significance was set at p<0.05. Results The prevalence of suicidal behaviours 12 months prior to the survey were 17.7%, 19.6% and 18.5% for suicidal ideation, suicidal plan, and suicidal attempt respectively. Adolescents who experienced anxiety had higher odds of suicidal ideation [AOR = 1.616, 95%CI = 1.148–2.275], suicidal plan [AOR = 1.507, 95%CI = 1.077–2.108], and suicidal attempt [AOR = 1.740, 95%CI = 1.228–2.467]. Adolescents who were physically attacked in school were also more likely to ideate [AOR = 1.463, 95%CI = 1.115–1.921], plan [AOR = 1.328, 95%CI = 1.020–1.728], and attempt [AOR = 1.701, 95%CI = 1.306–2.215] suicide. Having close friends was, however, an important protective factor against suicidal ideation [AOR = 0.694, 95%CI = 0.496–0.971], plan [AOR = 0.625, 95%CI = 0.455–0.860], and attempt [AOR = 0.529, 95%CI = 0.384–0.729]. Peer support also reduced the risk of suicidal ideation [AOR = 0.704, 95%CI = 0.538,0.920] and plan [AOR = 0.743, 95%CI = 0.572,0.966] among the in-school adolescents. Conclusion Suicidal behaviours constitute major public health challenges among in-school adolescents in Mozambique. The behaviours are predominant among adolescents who are physically attacked and those who experience anxiety. Conversely, having close friends serves as a protective factor against suicidal behaviours. To ensure that Mozambique meets the SDG target of promoting the mental health of all by the year 2030, the Government of Mozambique and educational authorities should urgently design and implement innovative interventions and strengthen existing ones that seek to address physical attacks and anxiety among in-school adolescents. School administrations should also incorporate programmes that seek to congregate students and offer platforms for social interaction and cohesion.
Effectiveness and Safety of Herbal Medicine for Atopic Dermatitis: An Overview of Systematic Reviews

Objectives Herbal medicine (HM) is attracting attention for treating atopic dermatitis (AD). This overview was conducted to summarize and critically evaluate the current systematic reviews (SRs) on HM for the treatment of AD. Methods Through comprehensive searches, all relevant SRs on HM for AD published until May 2020 were included. The quality of included SRs was assessed using the AMSTAR-2 tool. Moreover, original randomized controlled trials (RCTs) included in the SRs were resynthesized to investigate the efficacy and safety of oral HM for AD. The quality of evidence for the main findings was evaluated using the GRADE approach. Results Nine SRs were included in this overview. HM showed significantly better efficacy in terms of total effective rate (TER), itching and sleep symptom scores, quality of life, and the dose of topical treatment used compared with placebo. HM as a monotherapy and/or an adjunctive therapy to conventional medication (CM) showed significantly better results on the efficacy, symptom relief, and some laboratory parameters related to the inflammatory response. The methodological quality was generally low. When 58 original RCTs were reanalyzed, HM showed significantly lower SCORing Atopic Dermatitis (SCORAD) score and higher TER than the placebo or CM. In terms of the safety profile, HM was not significantly different from the placebo and was better than CM. The quality of evidence ranged from “moderate” to “very low. ” Conclusion The results suggested that HM as a monotherapy or an adjunctive therapy is promising for the treatment of AD. However, due to low methodological quality and low quality of evidence, further rigorous, well-designed, high-quality SRs, and RCTs are needed to make clinical recommendations on HM use.
Angiosperm Fleshy Fruits and Seed Dispersers: A Comparative Analysis of Adaptation and Constraints in Plant-Animal Interactions

Variation in phenotypic traits of angiosperm fleshy fruits has been explained as the result of adaptations to their mutualistic seed dispersers. By analyzing the information available on fleshy fruit characteristics of 910 angiosperm species, I assess the hypothesis of evolutionary association between fruit phenotypic traits and type of seed disperser (birds, mammals, and mixed dispersers) and address explicitly and quantitatively alternative null hypotheses about phylogenetic effects. Phylogenetic affinity among plant taxa is accounted for by comparative methods including nested ANOVA, phylogenetic autocorrelation, and independent contrasts. Averaging over the 16 fruit traits examined, phylogenetic effects down to genus level explain 61% of total variance. Phylogenetic autocorrelations are strong among close relatives, reaching significance for 11 of the 16 fruit traits examined. When assessed by independent contrast methods, correlated evolution between type of disperser and fruit traits is confined to fruit diameter. Differences among dispersal syndromes in other traits vanish after accounting for phylogenetic effects. These analyses reveal that seed dispersal syndromes are not entirely interpretable as current adaptations to seed dispersers. Their status as exaptations can be assessed by combining experimental studies of natural selection on fruit size and rigorous comparative and cladistic tests of adaptational hypotheses.
In vitro antifungal activities of 26 plant extracts on mycelial growth of Phytophthora infestans (Mont.) de Bary

Antifungal activities of 26 plant extracts were tested against Phytophthora infestans using radial growth technique. While all tested plant extracts produced some antifungal activities Xanthium strumarium , Lauris nobilis , Salvia officinalis and Styrax officinalis were the most active plants that showed potent antifungal activity. They totally inhibited the mycelial growth of P. infestans . The other tested plant extracts exhibited moderate activity and average daily radial growth of fungus varied from 0.8 to 5.0 mm/day which were significantly lower than the control. The lowest antifungal activity was observed on Cynodon dactylon extract. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of the extracts ranged between 2 and 8% (w/v). X. strumarium extract produced the lowest MIC value of 2% which was lower than the standard fungicide Ridomil Gold mz 68 WP. Further studies on isolation and characterization of the active (antifungal) compound is needed before the possible use of the tested extracts in control strategies of this fungus. Keywords: Plant extracts, Phytophthora infestans , antifungal, minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC)
Hardening Classifiers against Evasion: the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

Machine learning is widely used in security applications, particularly in the form of statistical classification aimed at distinguishing benign from malicious entities. Recent research has shown that such classifiers are often vulnerable to evasion attacks, whereby adversaries change behavior to be categorized as benign while preserving malicious functionality. Research into evasion attacks has followed two paradigms: attacks in problem space, where the actual malicious instance, such as the PDF file, is modified, and attacks in feature space, where the evasion attack is abstracted into directly modifying numerical features corresponding to malicious instances, rather than instances themselves. The feature space abstraction facilitates elegant mathematical modeling and analysis of evasion attacks, and has been the prevalent framework for designing evasion-robust classifiers. However, there exists no prior validation of the effectiveness of feature space threat models in representing real evasion attacks. We make several contributions to address this gap, using PDF malware detection as a case study, with four PDF malware detectors. First, we use iterative retraining to create a baseline for evasion-robust PDF malware detection by using an automated problem space attack generator in the retraining loop. Second, we use this baseline to demonstrate that replacing problem space attacks with feature space attacks may significantly reduce the robustness of the resulting classifier. Third, we demonstrate the existence of conserved (or invariant) features, show how these can be leveraged to design evasion-robust classifiers that are nearly as effective as those relying on the problem space attack, and present an approach for automatically identifying conserved features of PDF malware detectors. Finally, we evaluate generalizability of evasion defense through retraining by considering two additional evasion attacks. We show, surprisingly, that feature space retraining with conserved features can be dramatically more robust to the new attacks than classifiers retrained with the problem space model. This suggesting that when we properly account for conserved features, hardening classifiers with abstract feature space models of evasion can yield more generalizable evasion robustness than using specific problem space evasion attacks.