Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
T cell biology in neuromuscular disorders: a focus on Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis

Growing evidence demonstrates a continuous interaction between the immune system, the nerve and the muscle in neuromuscular disorders of different pathogenetic origins, such as Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), the focus of this review. Herein we highlight the complexity of the cellular and molecular interactions involving the immune system in neuromuscular disorders, as exemplified by DMD and ALS. We describe the distinct types of cell-mediated interactions, such as cytokine/chemokine production as well as cell-matrix and cell-cell interactions between T lymphocytes and other immune cells, which target cells of the muscular or nervous tissues. Most of these interactions occur independently of exogenous pathogens, through ligand-receptor binding and subsequent signal transduction cascades, at distinct levels of specificity. Although this issue reveals the complexity of the system, it can also be envisioned as a window of opportunity to design therapeutic strategies (including synthetic moieties, cell and gene therapy, as well as immunotherapy) by acting upon one or more targets. In this respect, we discuss ongoing clinical trials using VLA-4 inhibition in DMD, and in ALS, with a focus on regulatory T cells, both revealing promising results.
Improving the spatial representation of soil properties and hydrology using topographically derived initialization processes in the SWAT model

Topography exerts critical controls on many hydrologic, geomorphologic and biophysical processes. However, many watershed modelling systems use topographic data only to define basin boundaries and stream channels, neglecting opportunities to account for topographic controls on processes such as soil genesis, soil moisture distributions and hydrological response. Here, we demonstrate a method that uses topographic data to adjust spatial soil morphologic and hydrologic attributes: texture, depth to the C‐horizon, saturated conductivity, bulk density, porosity and the water capacities at field (33 kpa) and wilting point (1500 kpa) tensions. As a proof of concept and initial performance test, the values of the topographically adjusted soil parameters and those from the Soil Survey Geographic Database (SSURGO; available at 1 : 20 000 scale) were compared with measured soil pedon pit data in the Grasslands Soil and Water Research Lab watershed in Riesel, TX. The topographically adjusted soils were better correlated with the pit measurements than were the SSURGO values. We then incorporated the topographically adjusted soils into an initialization of the Soil and Water Assessment Tool model for 15 Riesel research watersheds to investigate how changes in soil properties influence modelled hydrological responses at the field scale. The results showed that the topographically adjusted soils produced better runoff predictions in 50% of the fields, with the SSURGO soils performing better in the remainder. In addition, the a priori adjusted soils result in fewer calibrated model parameters. These results indicate that adjusting soil properties based on topography can result in more accurate soil characterization and, in some cases, improve model performance. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Solid Waste Management and Willingness to Pay: An Analysis of Integrated Approach of Garbage Disposal in Multan Pakistan

Introduction: Rapid population growth in developing countries has accelerated urbanization, resulting in a slew of environmental issues. One such problem is the rapid rise in the quantities of solid waste. Pakistan's way of life, like the way of life in many other countries around the world, has changed. As a result of the utilisation arranged populace and ongoing utilisation driven development, squander age has increased dramatically in Pakistan. Removals are being used in an increasing number of food and non-food items. In Pakistan, solid waste management generally consists of flexible, elastic, metals, discarded food, discarded animals, glass, building material, and channel-removed material. Families, businesses, and projects all generate a lot of waste. Heavy waste is frequently generated by medical care facilities and hospitals. Objectives: The investigation of the sources and nature of solid waste generated in urban areas, analysis of current SWM practices, and examination of the socioeconomic, environmental, and health effects of solid waste management were the main goals of the study. Methodology: In this study, a quantitative research design has been chosen. The study's target population consisted of the households in a few Multan city colonies. From 385 respondent information was gathered from 4 colonies. Fitz Gibbon Table for determining the sample size was used. The study employs a stratified random sampling methodology. to evaluate the connection between paying and solid waste management. Questionnaires were used as the data collection tool. SPSS was used to analyze the data. Conclusion: The study's findings indicated that knowledge and home ownership have an impact on willingness to pay. Factors such as income, home ownership, and knowledge of solid waste management have a greater impact on willingness to pay. It was determined that there are some factors that influence a man's willingness to pay for garbage disposal.
The Impact of Alcohol and ADHD Medication Use on GPA, Mental Distress, and Perceived Stress among College Students

Medication for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is frequently abused and misused alongside alcohol on college campuses. The aim of the study was to assess the relationship between participants' alcohol use, mental distress, and academic performance in relation to their illicit use of ADHD medication. An anonymous cross-sectional survey administered online using Google Forms compiled 702 U.S. college students’ responses evaluating their drug usage, academic performance, and mental health. ADHD medication use had a positive association (p 0.05) (p 0.01) with hallmarks of mental distress and perceived stress. There was a negative association (p 0.05) (p 0.01) between alcohol use in the last 12 months and feelings of mental distress and perceived stress. There were negative associations (p 0.05) (p 0.01) found between illicit ADHD medication use and hallmarks of GPA. A positive association (p 0.05) was also found between alcohol use in the last 4 weeks and students’ positive perceptions of the effectiveness of illicit ADHD medication. These findings on the relationships between illicit usage of ADHD medication and usage of alcohol as it relates to mental health are important in broadening our understanding of some of the most important risk factors that illicit use of ADHD medication and alcohol usage can have on college students.
Systems to increase grazeable forage production in the Waikato: a progress report on the tall fescue and perennial ryegrass component of these systems.

grazed forage underpins the productivity and economic performance of new Zealand’s pastoral industries. This trial aimed to increase grazeable forage grown by 50% from 17 to 25 t DM/ha to meet industry targets. six treatments consisting of different combinations of pasture species were established in March 2008 with the objective of increasing grazeable forage production by using irrigation, phosphate fertiliser and nitrogen, standoff, new cultivars of ryegrass (‘alto’ perennial ryegrass containing ar1 endophyte) and alternative forages such as ‘advance’ tall fescue with Max P® endophyte, chicory (cv. ‘Choice’) or lucerne (cv. ‘P54Q53’). The yield of perennial ryegrass was greater than tall fescue in the winter of 2008 (year 1) and 2009 (year 2). Tall fescue tended to have a greater summer yield than perennial ryegrass, although this effect was inconsistent between years. irrigation increased the yield of tall fescue by 50% and perennial ryegrass by 13% in year 2. Mean yield of milksolids for the six treatments over 2 years was 1 371 for perennial ryegrass and 1 310 kg Ms/ha for tall fescue treatments.
A novel carboline derivative inhibits nitric oxide formation in macrophages independent of effects on TNF α and IL-1 β expression

Neuropathic pain is a maladaptive immune response to peripheral nerve injury that causes a chronic painful condition refractory to most analgesics. Nitric oxide (NO), which is produced by nitric oxide synthases (NOS), has been implicated as a key factor in the pathogenesis of neuropathic pain. β -Carbolines are a large group of natural and synthetic indole alkaloids some of which block activation of NF-kB, a predominant transcriptional regulator of NOS expression. Here, we characterize the inhibitory effects of a novel 6-chloro-8-(glycinyl)- amino-β -carboline (8-Gly carb) on NO formation and NF-kB activation in macrophages. 8-Gly carb was significantly more potent than the NOS inhibitor L-NAME in inhibiting constitutive and inducible NO formation in primary rat macrophages. 8-Gly carb interfered with NF-kB-mediated gene expression in differentiated THP1-XBlue cells, a human NF-kB reporter macrophage cell line, but only at concentrations several fold higher than needed to significantly inhibit NO production. 8-Gly carb also had no effect on TNF α -induced phosphorylation of p38 MAP kinase in differentiated THP1 cells, and did not inhibit LPS-or TNF α -stimulated expression of TNF α and IL-1 β . These data demonstrate that relative to other carbolines and pharmacologic inhibitors of NOS, 8-Gly carb exhibits a unique pharmacological profile by inhibiting constitutive and inducible NO formation independent of NF-kB activation and cytokine expression. Thus, this novel carboline derivative holds promise as a parent compound leading to therapeutic agents that prevent the development of neuropathic pain mediated by macrophage-derived NO without interfering with cytokine expression required for neural recovery following peripheral nerve injury.
Adolescents’ Perceptions of Sexuality: A Qualitative Study

Adolescents have a greater risk of acquiring sexually transmitted infections (STIs), which is a serious public health problem. Education is an effective strategy to improve adolescent sexual health outcomes. However, Spanish adolescents have a lack of sex education. The aim of this study was to explore the perceptions and opinions of a sample of adolescents regarding sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Photovoice is a research method that uses the search for images of everyday events with the intention of bringing about social change. An exploratory, descriptive design was used with a qualitative approach based on the Photovoice methodology. The sample consisted of 26 high school and baccalaureate students of Almería (Spain) selected through a convenience sample. The age of the participants ranged from 14 to 17 years, with a mean age of 15.31 years. Two main categories were extracted from the data analysis: ‘Towards a culture of preventing STIs and promoting healthy sexual practices’ and ‘Adolescents’ needs from their perspective’. In conclusion, numerous changes take place at the biopsychosocial level during adolescence that imply a need to explore their sexuality in depth. A lack of knowledge and a carefree attitude during sexual initiation can increase the risk of developing STIs. The study’s adolescents stated that they do not have adequate sex education to acquire sufficient knowledge about sexuality and sexual health, and therefore, request that the traditional format be modified in order to achieve better results.
Numerical analysis of ponded infiltration experiment under different experimental conditions.

One of the most important properties, affecting the flow regime in the soil profile, is the topsoil saturated hydraulic conductivity (Ks). The laboratory-determined Ks often fails to characterise properly the respective field value; the Ks lab estimation requires labour intensive sampling and fixing procedures, difficult to follow in highly structured and stony soils. Thus, simple singleor double-ring ponded infiltration experiments are frequently performed in situ to obtain the field scale information required. In the present study, several important factors, affecting the infiltration rate during the infiltration experiments, are analysed using three-dimensional axisymmetric finite-element model s2D. The examined factors include: (1) the diameter of the infiltration ring, (2) the depth of water in the ring, (3) the depth of the ring insertion under the soil surface, (4) the size and the shape of the finite-element mesh near the ring wall, and (5) the doublevs. single-ring setup. The analysis suggests that the depth of the ring insertion significantly influences the infiltration rate. The simulated infiltration rates also exhibit high sensitivity to the shape of the finite-element mesh near the ring wall. The steady-state infiltration rate, even when considering a double-ring experiment, is significantly higher than the topsoil saturated hydraulic conductivity. The change of the water depth in the outer ring has only a small impact on the infiltration rate in the inner ring.
Romantic love evolved by co-opting mother-infant bonding

For 25 years, the predominant evolutionary theory of romantic love has been Fisher’s theory of independent emotion systems. That theory suggests that sex drive, romantic attraction (romantic love), and attachment are associated with distinct neurobiological and endocrinological systems which evolved independently of each other. Psychological and neurobiological evidence, however, suggest that a competing theory requires attention. A theory of co-opting mother-infant bonding sometime in the recent evolutionary history of humans may partially account for the evolution of romantic love. I present a case for this theory and a new approach to the science of romantic love drawing on human psychological, neurobiological, and (neuro)endocrinological studies as well as animal studies. The hope is that this theoretical review, along with other publications, will generate debate in the literature about the merits of the theory of co-opting mother-infant bonding and a new evolutionary approach to the science of romantic love.
Effects of Zinc Supplementation on Inflammatory and Cognitive Parameters in Middle-Aged Women with Overweight or Obesity

Obesity has been linked to cognitive decline and adverse effects on brain health. Zinc (Zn) is a mineral with important metabolic functions that can modulate obesity-related neurological impairment. Thus, the present study aimed to evaluate the effects of 12 weeks of Zn supplementation on the inflammatory profile, cognitive function, and mood of overweight or obese women through a double-blind, placebo-controlled study. The study included 42 women aged between 40 and 60, randomly divided into two groups: Zn supplementation (30 mg/day) or placebo for 12 weeks. Data regarding sociodemographic, anthropometric, dietary, and physical activity were collected. Mini-mental state examination (MMSE), verbal fluency test, clock drawing test, and Stroop test were performed. Anxiety and depression symptoms were assessed using the Beck anxiety inventory and the BDI-II, respectively. Saliva samples were collected to evaluate IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α, insulin, nitrite, and Zn levels. Of the 42 participants (mean age 49.58 ± 6.46 years), 32 were included in the study analyses. Changes in body weight and macronutrient consumption were not different between placebo and Zn supplementation groups. Cognitive scores on the MMSE and Stroop tests were higher in the Zn supplementation group than in the placebo group. Salivary levels of IL-1b and Zn increased in the Zn group compared to placebo. There was no significant change in the adjusted means of the BDI-II and BECK scores between the zinc vs. placebo groups. Twelve weeks of Zn supplementation was able to partially improve the cognitive scores assessed in overweight or obese women, regardless of weight loss. These findings suggest that Zn supplementation can be considered an adjunct strategy to enhance cognitive health in overweight or obese women.
The Ability for Teaching Self-Efficacy by Clinical Preceptors in Diagnostic Medical Sonography

Objective: This study was designed to explore the teaching self-efficacy, by clinical preceptors instructing sonography students, in bachelor’s degree-accredited sonography programs. Materials and Methods: A survey was provided to sonography clinical preceptors, to gauge their level of teaching self-efficacy. The survey instrument, Sonography Preceptor Teaching Self-Efficacy Inventory (SPTSEI) was used. The intent of the survey was to gauge, holistically, sonography preceptors’ perceptions of influencing student learning, in a clinical setting. Results: The survey respondents suggested that they had a high level of confidence in their skill to transmit knowledge and abilities to students. However, it was found that preceptors who had received some type of professional development, as preceptor, had a statistically significant higher level of teaching self-efficacy than those who had not received any type of training. Conclusion: Clinical preceptors are skilled health care professionals in their chosen discipline but may have little to no teaching experience. If preceptors do not fully understand their role in the educational process, both they and their students may not attain educational goals. It is therefore critically important that proper training and education, to support clinical preceptors, be provided for them. This survey would suggest that clinical preceptors, with training, can better perform their educational roles and better handle any challenges that might arise, as a part of providing clinical education.
Geochemical Evidence for the History of Diagenesis and Fluid Migration: Brent Sandstone, Heather Field, North Sea

Abstract The diagenesis of Brent Group sandstones at Heather Field was studied to reconstruct time-dependent variations in reservoir quality, hydrodynamic history, and oil emplacement. Depositional facies, isotopic and trace-element composition of authigenic minerals, and present-day formation-water chemistry indicate several major changes in porewater chemistry related to both gravitational and compactional flow systems that significantly impacted diagenesis. Early cementation by calcite was related to influx of meteoric water and completely occludes porosity in certain areas of the Field, especially in lower reservoir zones. Geochemical, petrographic, and structural evidence indicate that average calcite precipitated at low to moderate temperature from reducing isotopically-depleted water having high levels of radiogenic Sr (40°–50°C, δ 18O = −4 to −6‰, 87Sr/86Sr > 0·71). A major period of kaolinite precipitation and feldspar dissolution followed calcite cementation. The isotopic composition of pore-filling kaolinite shows Field-wide uniformity (δ 18O average 13·8‰, δD average −53·2‰), suggesting thorough flushing of the reservoir by meteoric water and precipitation at low to moderate temperature (45°–60°C). Tectonic, burial, and thermal histories suggest that meteoric flushing occurred during the late-Cimmerian sea-level low, possibly in response to gravitational flow of meteoric water from exposed parts of the adjacent East Shetlands Platform. Illite and quartz diagenesis post-date kaolinite cementation, with illite K-Ar ages indicating precipitation through much of the Paleogene (55–27 Ma), coincident with migration of hydrocarbons from neighbouring sub-basins of the East Shetlands Basin. Illite stable isotopic data indicate precipitation in a system resulting from partial mixing of trapped meteoric pore-fluids with saline compaction water. The intensity of sandstone diagenesis is influenced by differences in the fluid migration history, content of detrital K-feldspar, and the time of hydrocarbon emplacement and results in spatial and temporal variations in reservoir quality.
Fear of a new pandemic: perception and prediction of monkeypox among the middle east general population

Background: Monkeypox is a zoonotic disease caused by the monkeypox virus, an Orthopox virus. The 2022 monkeypox outbreak provoked fear among the public. Public awareness about the disease could be an important factor in its control. The authors conducted this study to assess the perception and prediction of monkeypox among the Middle East public. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in August 2022. Data were conveniently collected from eight Middle Eastern countries using an online self-administered questionnaire distributed through educational and social media platforms. Statistical analysis was conducted using R software. Results: Approximately 11 016 individuals participated in this study. The participants’ overall knowledge score indicated poor knowledge about monkeypox. Most of the participants knew the causative organism (66.7%). However, numerous participants were not aware of the disease mode of transmission, symptoms, complications, and vaccination. Participants’ awareness was mostly gained from social media (61.8%). The majority predicted acquiring monkeypox when protective measures are not taken (72.7%), progression to a pandemic with economic consequences (50.8 and 52%, respectively), and the ability of the Ministry of Health to control the epidemic (51.5%). Conclusion: In the Middle East, public knowledge about monkeypox is poor. Raising awareness about monkeypox would be of benefit in controlling the epidemic. This study constitutes evidence upon which health education programs could be designed.
Cargoes of exosomes function as potential biomarkers for Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection

Exosomes as double-membrane vesicles contain various contents of lipids, proteins, mRNAs and non-coding RNAs, and involve in multiple physiological processes, for instance intercellular communication and immunomodulation. Currently, numerous studies found that the components of exosomal proteins, nucleic acids or lipids released from host cells are altered following infection with Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Exosomal contents provide excellent biomarkers for the auxiliary diagnosis, efficacy evaluation, and prognosis of tuberculosis. This study aimed to review the current literatures detailing the functions of exosomes in the procedure of M. tuberculosis infection, and determine the potential values of exosomes as biomarkers to assist in the diagnosis and monitoring of tuberculosis.