Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Antifungal Susceptibility Testing: Current Approaches

Although not as ubiquitous as antibacterial susceptibility testing, antifungal susceptibility testing (AFST) is a tool of increasing importance in clinical microbiology laboratories. The goal of AFST is to reliably produce MIC values that may be used to guide patient therapy, inform epidemiological studies, and track rates of antifungal drug resistance. There are three methods that have been standardized by standards development organizations: broth dilution, disk diffusion, and azole agar screening for Aspergillus. SUMMARY Although not as ubiquitous as antibacterial susceptibility testing, antifungal susceptibility testing (AFST) is a tool of increasing importance in clinical microbiology laboratories. The goal of AFST is to reliably produce MIC values that may be used to guide patient therapy, inform epidemiological studies, and track rates of antifungal drug resistance. There are three methods that have been standardized by standards development organizations: broth dilution, disk diffusion, and azole agar screening for Aspergillus. Other commonly used methods include gradient diffusion and the use of rapid automated instruments. Novel methodologies for susceptibility testing are in development. It is important for laboratories to consider not only the method of testing but also the interpretation (or lack thereof) of in vitro data.
Quadriceps Inhibition After Naturally Occurring Patellar Tendon Damage and Pain.

CONTEXT After knee-joint injury, pain, effusion, and mechanoreceptor damage alter afferent signaling, which can result in quadriceps inhibition and subsequent weakness. The individual contributions of each factor to inhibition remain unclear due to confounding knee-joint injuries and indirect experimental models. OBJECTIVE To characterize the influence of naturally occurring knee damage and pain on quadriceps neuromuscular function in individuals with patellar tendinopathy. DESIGN Cross-sectional study. SETTING Research laboratory. PATIENTS OR OTHER PARTICIPANTS Twenty participants who self-reported patellar tendinopathy (PT) and 10 healthy control individuals underwent ultrasonic tendon assessment. Injured participants were dichotomized by an orthopaedic surgeon into groups with (1) pain and structural tendon abnormality and (2) regional pain alone. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S) Quadriceps inhibition was assessed with the Hoffman reflex and the central activation ratio via the superimposed-burst technique. Normally distributed measures were analyzed using a 1-way analysis of variance and post hoc independent t tests. Kruskal-Wallis tests with post hoc Mann-Whitney U tests were used to analyze nonnormally distributed data. An a priori α level of P ≤ . 05 was set. RESULTS Control participants presented with more spinal-reflex excitability (0.37 ± 0.23) than the PT (0.10 ± 0.06; P = .03) and regional-pain (0.18 ± 0.05; P = .02) groups. Knee-extension strength was greater in the control (3.37 ± 0.59 Nm/kg) than in the PT (2.41 ± 0.67 Nm/kg; P = .01) group but not the regional-pain group (3.05 ± 0.66 Nm/kg; P = .24). Control individuals presented with more quadriceps activation (97.93% ± 3.12) than the PT (84.44% ± 16.98; P < .01) and regional-pain (91.17% ± 10.56; P = .01) groups. No differences were present for any measures between the PT and regional-pain groups (P values > .05). CONCLUSIONS Deficits in spinal-reflex excitability, quadriceps activation, and strength were present in both the PT and regional-pain groups. A combination of pain and structural damage appeared to have the greatest negative effect on quadriceps function, as only the PT group presented with neuromuscular outcomes that failed to meet clinical thresholds.
Impaired orthostatic heart rate recovery is associated with smaller thalamic volume: Results from The Irish Longitudinal Study on Aging (TILDA)

The thalamus is a central hub of the autonomic network and thalamic volume has been associated with high‐risk phenotypes for sudden cardiac death. Heart rate response to physiological stressors (e.g., standing) and the associated recovery patterns provide reliable indicators of both autonomic function and cardiovascular risk. Here we examine if thalamic volume may be a risk marker for impaired heart rate recovery in response to orthostatic challenge. The Irish Longitudinal Study on Aging involves a nationally representative sample of older individuals aged ≥50 years. Multimodal brain magnetic resonance imaging and orthostatic heart rate recovery were available for a cross‐sectional sample of 430 participants. Multivariable regression and linear mixed‐effects models were adjusted for head size, age, sex, education, body mass index, blood pressure, history of cardiovascular diseases and events, cardiovascular medication, diabetes mellitus, smoking, alcohol intake, timed up‐and‐go (a measure of physical frailty), physical exercise and depression. Smaller thalamic volume was associated with slower heart rate recovery (−1.4 bpm per 1 cm3 thalamic volume, 95% CI −2.01 to −0.82; p < .001). In multivariable analysis, participants with smaller thalamic volumes had a mean heart rate recovery −2.7 bpm slower than participants with larger thalamic volumes (95% CI −3.89 to −1.61; p < .001). Covariates associated with smaller thalamic volume included age, history of diabetes, and heavy alcohol consumption. Thalamic volume may be an indicator of the structural integrity of the central autonomic network. It may be a clinical biomarker for stratification of individuals at risk of autonomic dysfunction, cardiovascular events, and sudden cardiac death.
Wnt signaling in the mouse heart: a role for Wnt11 in cardiogenesis

Specification and early patterning of the vertebrate heart is dependent on both canonical and non-canonical wingless (Wnt) signal pathways, however, the impact of each Wnt pathway on the later stages of myocardial development and differentiation remains contentious. Here, we sought to define the respective roles of canonical and noncanonical Wnt signaling during mammalian cardiogenesis, specifically cardiomyocyte differentiation and maturation. The cellular components of both canonical and noncanonical Wnt pathways were present throughout murine cardiac development, yet canonical Wnt signaling had a restricted region of activity in the mouse heart, primarily in the non-myocardial regions including the outflow tract and semi-lunar valves. Conversely, elevated non-canonical Wntl 1 signaling was associated with expansion of the myocardium and de novo induction of cardiomyocyte differentiation. The promyogenic effect of Wntl 1 resulted in a direct inhibition of canonical Wnt/ß-catenin activity in Wntl 1 -treated progenitor cells suggesting that non-canonical signaling enhanced cardiogenesis through suppression of canonical Wnt pathways. Wntll stimulation suppressed canonical Wnt signaling by destabilizing full length ß-catenin, an effect that could be reversed by inhibiting caspase 3/8 activity. Stimulation of progenitor cells with Wntl 1 promoted the activation of caspase 3/8 and inhibition of either protease resulted in inhibition of cardiomyocyte differentiation. Taken together, our results suggest that non-canonical Wntl 1 signaling promotes cardiogenesis, in part, by caspasemediated suppression of canonical Wnt/ß-catenin activity.
Effects of Hydrolysable Tannins as Zinc Oxide Substitutes on Antioxidant Status, Immune Function, Intestinal Morphology, and Digestive Enzyme Activities in Weaned Piglets

Simple Summary Zinc oxide (ZnO) is generally used to control diarrhea and improve gut health in weaned piglets. To protect weaned pigs from intestinal injuries and to decrease environmental zinc load, it is essential to find an alternative to ZnO. In the present study, hydrolysable tannins (HT) showed decreased diarrhea rate and improving gut health via multiple pathways. Herein we demonstrate that HT supplementation may be a potential alternative of ZnO in weaned piglets. Abstract Zinc oxide (ZnO) has negative environmental effects and bioavailability in weaned piglets. Thus, finding safe and effective ZnO substitutes to improve intestinal health and to prevent diarrhea of weaned piglets is urgently required. Therefore, this experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of hydrolysable tannins (HT), ZnO and HT versus ZnO on growth performance, antioxidant status, serum immunity, intestinal morphology, and digestive enzyme activities in weaned pigs. A total of 144 piglets (28 d-old, initial body weight 7.81 ± 0.99 kg) were assigned to 4 treatments with 6 replicates of 6 piglets each. The experiment lasted 28 d (d 1 to 14 as for phase 1 and d 15 to 28 as for phase 2). The dietary treatments include a corn-soybean meal basal diet (CON); ZnO diet (CON + 2000 mg/kg ZnO in phase 1 and 137.5 mg/kg ZnO in phase 2); HT diet (CON + 1000 mg/kg HT in the overall period (d 1 to 28); HT + ZnO diet (CON + 2000 mg/kg ZnO + 1000 mg/kg HT in phase 1, and 137.5 mg/kg ZnO + 1000 mg/kg HT in phase 2). In phase 1, the incidence of diarrhea was lower (p < 0.05) in the HT + ZnO group than CON. Serum catalase (CAT) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) were increased (p < 0.01) and malondialdehyde (MDA) was decreased (p < 0.01) in the HT + ZnO group than CON. Compared with CON, immunoglobulin M (IgM), immunoglobulin A (IgA) were increased (p < 0.05) in the HT + ZnO group. In phase 2, both HT and HT + ZnO had a trend to improve (p < 0.10) daily gain. The concentration of total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC) and IgM in serum was higher (p < 0.01) in HT compared with CON. Supplementation of HT improved (p < 0.01) GSH-Px activities in ileum mucosa than the ZnO group. Compared with CON, trypsin, lipase activities, and villus height of jejunum were improved (p < 0.05) in HT and HT + ZnO. The ratio of villus height to crypt depth in the jejunum was improved (p < 0.05) in the HT + ZnO group and which also was increased (p < 0.05) in ileum in the HT group compared with CON. Propionic acid, butyric acid, and acetic acid concentrations in the colon were increased (p < 0.05) in the HT group than CON. Overall, HT + ZnO treatments could be used to replace ZnO for reducing diarrhea and improving antioxidant capacity, immunity, and digestive enzyme activities in weaned piglets.
Enhancement of Oil Palm Waste Nanoparticles on the Properties and Characterization of Hybrid Plywood Biocomposites

Using oil palm trunk (OPT) layered with empty fruit bunch (EFB), so-called hybrid plywood enhanced with palm oil ash nanoparticles, with phenol-formaldehyde (PF) resin as a binder, was produced in this study. The phenol-formaldehyde (PF) resins filled with different loading of oil palm ash (OPA) nanoparticles were prepared and used as glue for layers of the oil palm trunk (OPT) veneer and empty fruit bunch fibre mat. The resulting hybrid plywood produced was characterised. The physical, mechanical, thermal, and morphological properties of the hybrid plywood panels were investigated. The results obtained showed that the presence of OPA nanoparticles significantly affected the physical, mechanical, and thermal properties of the plywood panels. Significant improvements in dimension from water absorption and thickness swelling experiments were obtained for the plywood panels with the highest OPA nanoparticles loading in PF resin. The mechanical properties indicated that plywood composites showed improvement in flexural, shear, and impact properties until a certain loading of OPA nanoparticles in PF resin. Fracture surface morphology also showed the effectiveness of OPA nanoparticles in the reduction of layer breakage due to force and stress distribution. The thermal stability performance showed that PF filled OPA nanoparticles contributed to the thermal stability of the plywood panels. Therefore, the results obtained in this study showed that OPA nanoparticles certainly improved the characteristic of the hybrid plywood.
Flora Algale Dell'Isola Lachea (Golfo di Catania)

Abstract Observations on the seaweeds on the Island of Lachea. — Within the frame of the research on seaweeds in the Eastern part of Sicily which is being carried out at the Botanical Department of Catania University, the AA. have undertaken a study on the seaweeds to be found on the Island of Lachea. The material has been collected from the supralittoral to the infralittoral. One hundred and thirty-five species have been identified and data about the local distribution and habitat have been given. The following species are new to Sicily: Spatoglossum solierii (Chauv.) Kuetz. , Bonnemaisonia asparagoides (Woodw.) Ag. , Gelidiella ramellosa (Kuetz.) Feld. et Ham. , Antithamnion cruciatum (C. Ag.) Naeg. var. profundum G. Feld. , Antithamnion plumula var. bebbii (Reinsch) J. Feld. , Ceramium bertholdi Funk, Ceramium codii (Richards) G. Maz. , Spermothamnion repens (Dillw.) K. Ros. var. flagelliferum (De Not.) Feld. , Griffithsia barbata (Smith) C. Ag. , Polysiphonia biformis Zan. , Lophocladia lallemandi (Mont.) Schm.
Technition: When Tools Come Out of the Closet

People are ambivalently enthusiastic and anxious about how far technology can go. Therefore, understanding the neurocognitive bases of the human technical mind should be a major topic of the cognitive sciences. Surprisingly, however, scientists are not interested in this topic or address it only marginally in other mainstream domains (e.g., motor control, action observation, social cognition). In fact, this lack of interest may hinder our understanding of the necessary neurocognitive skills underlying our appetence for transforming our physical environment. Here, we develop the thesis that our technical mind originates in perhaps uniquely human neurocognitive skills, namely, technical-reasoning skills involving the area PF within the left inferior parietal lobe. This thesis creates an epistemological rupture with the state of the art that justifies the emergence of a new field in the cognitive sciences (i.e., technition) dedicated to the intelligence hidden behind tools and other forms of technologies, including constructions.
Prevalence and time trends of overweight, obesity and severe obesity in 447,925 Swedish adults, 1995–2017

Aims: The purpose of this research was to describe the current prevalence and historic trends in overweight, obesity and severe obesity in Sweden. Methods: Data on BMI, age, gender, education and geographic region were obtained in n=447,925 Swedish adults through a nationwide screening test (1995–2017). To account for sampling variations, we quantified prevalence estimates and time trends using standardized values (direct method) to all 18–74-year-old Swedes, using nationwide databases. Rates of overweight (BMI ⩾25 kg/m2), obesity (BMI ⩾30 kg/m2) and severe obesity (BMI ⩾35 kg/m2) were calculated across gender, age, education and geographic categories. Years were grouped into two-year sampling periods (except the first period where we used three years) for increased power. We used multivariable logistic regression to quantify independent associations between age, gender, education and region with obesity development and current prevalence rates. Results: In 2016/17 the unstandardized prevalence of overweight, obesity and severe obesity were 55.1%, 16.6% and 4.2%, respectively. Factors associated with a higher obesity prevalence were male gender, older age, lower education and residing in a rural region (all P<0.001). Between 1995 and 2017 the prevalence of severe obesity increased by 153%, compared to obesity (+86%) and overweight (+23%). While there were similar increases in obesity across gender and age groups, people with low education (vs high) and rural areas (vs urban) had a higher prevalence increase (both P<0.001). Conclusions: Rates of overweight, obesity and severe obesity have increased markedly in Swedish adults since 1995. Priority groups for prevention efforts include individuals with low education and those living in rural areas.
Italian Adaption of Self-Perceived Employability Scale: Psychometric Properties and Relations with the Career Adaptability and Well-Being

The recent transformation of the workplaces and labor market, characterized by rapid technological changes, social and economic instability, has greatly influenced the construction of people’s career paths. These paths cannot be viewed more as linear, but multifaceted and unstable. In organizational context, the psychological contract has changed from long term to short term. In this scenario, the construct of employability becomes central: people need to maintain and improve their ability to be attractive to the labor market to get or keep a job. The study presents the adaptation of the Self-Perceived Employability Scale to the Italian context. The participants are 660 Italian workers. The instruments used to verify the concurrent validity of the scale were the Employability Scale, the Flourishing Scale, the Satisfaction With Life Scale, the Organizational Satisfaction Questionnaire and the Career Adapt-Abilities Scale. Results showed good psychometric properties of the Italian version in terms of internal consistency, construct and concurrent validity, with significant correlations with all the other measures. The CFA highlights some dissimilarity in the scale’s structure compared to the UK version, probably due to cultural differences among the samples.
Survey Based Assessment of Burnout Rates Among US Plastic Surgery Residents

Purpose The purpose of this study was to analyze the rates of burnout and contributory factors among US plastic surgery residents. Methods The Maslach Burnout Inventory Human Services Survey was emailed to program coordinators of American College of Graduate Medical Education–accredited plastic surgery residencies. Scores are provided for 3 subscales: emotional exhaustion (EE), depersonalization (DP), and personal accomplishment. Normative scoring tables (low, average, high) were used for comparison. Residents were asked questions relating to their personal life (age, postgraduate year, marital status, and program characteristics). Results One hundred thirteen residents responded. The average age was 31.6 years (range, 25–43 years) and postgraduate year of 4.6 (range, 1–10). There were equal male and female respondents. Most were from integrated-only residencies (n = 59, 52.2%). On average, the majority reported working 50 to 80 hours per week (n = 93, 82.3%), spending the majority of time in tertiary referral centers (n = 107, 94.7%). Most received and took 3 weeks of vacation per year (n = 68, 60.7%). Furthermore, 65.5% met the definition of burnout by their scores from at least 1 subscale. The number of hours worked per week significantly correlated with increased scores in the EE and DP subscales. Residents who worked more than 80 hours per week had significantly higher scores in the EE and DP categories. Residents who had less than 2 weeks of vacation per year trended toward experiencing more EE (EE; 46.0, P = 0.077). The type of program (independent vs integrated), sex, having a significant other outside of the home, kids, and local family support did not significantly affect burnout scores for any subscales. Conclusions Burnout exists among plastic surgery residents especially in the DP subscale. Working longer hours and less vacation correlates with increased rates of burnout among residents.
Genetic Basis and Molecular Biology of Cardiac Arrhythmias in Cardiomyopathies.

Cardiac arrhythmias are common, often the first, and sometimes the life-threatening manifestations of hereditary cardiomyopathies. Pathogenic variants in several genes known to cause hereditary cardiac arrhythmias have also been identified in the sporadic cases and small families with cardiomyopathies. These findings suggest a shared genetic etiology of a subset of hereditary cardiomyopathies and cardiac arrhythmias. The concept of a shared genetic etiology is in accord with the complex and exquisite interplays that exist between the ion currents and cardiac mechanical function. However, neither the causal role of cardiac arrhythmias genes in cardiomyopathies is well established nor the causal role of cardiomyopathy genes in arrhythmias. To the contrary, secondary changes in ion currents, such as post-translational modifications, are common and contributors to the pathogenesis of arrhythmias in cardiomyopathies through altering biophysical and functional properties of the ion channels. Moreover, structural changes, such as cardiac hypertrophy, dilatation, and fibrosis provide a pro-arrhythmic substrate in hereditary cardiomyopathies. Genetic basis and molecular biology of cardiac arrhythmias in hereditary cardiomyopathies are discussed.
Meteorological risks are drivers of environmental innovation in agro-ecosystem management

Climate change has an influence on the frequency and the intensity of extreme weather events. These events are highly impacting agroecosystems. At the regional scale, agroecosystems are diverse in terms of ecological environments and farming practices. These intrinsic properties have an influence on their vulnerability to extreme weather events. The link between Our appoach has been developed in the framework of the Belgian BELSPO project MERINOVA (SD/RI/03A, 2012– 2016) F. M. Vanwindekens Walloon agricultural Research Centre, Agriculture and natural Environment Department, Farming Systems, Territory and Information Technologies Unit – Rue de Liroux, 9, B5030 Gembloux, Belgium Tel. : +32 81 626577 Fax: +32 81 626559 E-mail: f.vanwindekens@cra.wallonie. be A. Gobin Vlaamse Instelling voor Technologisch Onderzoek – Boeretang, 200, B-2400 Mol, Belgium Tel. : +32 14 335511 Fax: +32 14 335599 E-mail: anne.gobin@vito.be Y. Curnel Walloon agricultural Research Centre, Agriculture and natural Environment Department, Farming Systems, Territory and Information Technologies Unit – Rue de Liroux, 9, B5030 Gembloux, Belgium Tel. : +32 81 626561 Fax: +32 81 626559 E-mail: y.curnel@cra.wallonie. be V. Planchon Walloon agricultural Research Centre, Agriculture and natural Environment Department, Farming Systems, Territory and Information Technologies Unit – Rue de Liroux, 9, B5030 Gembloux, Belgium Tel. : +32 81 626571 Fax: +32 81 626559 E-mail: v.planchon@cra.wallonie. be extreme weather events and the vulnerability of agroecosystems is conceptualized by experts – including farmers, advisers, and agricultural scientists. Their knowledge is not easily taken into account in models. An transdisciplinary modelling approach was developed for combining Fuzzy Inference Systems and Geographical Information System tools for mapping vulnerability of agroecosystems based on experts’ knowledge. The developed approach was applied for vulnerability assessment to two major Belgian agroecosysems : (a) cropland vulnerability to heavy rain and (b) grassland vulnerability to drought. The approach is flexible and the vulnerable zones constitute relevant information for analysing potential adaptation and resilience of agroecosystems.