Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Orange juice intake and anthropometric changes in children and adolescents

Abstract Objective: Evaluate associations between orange juice (OJ) consumption and anthropometric parameters. Design: Prospective cohort study assessing the association between OJ intake and changes in BMI and height-for-age Z-score (HAZ) using mixed linear regression. Setting: 2004–2008, USA. Participants: Children from the Growing Up Today Study II (n 7301), aged 9–16 years at enrollment. Results: OJ consumption was positively associated with 2-year change in HAZ in girls (mean (se)): 0·03 (0·01) for non-consumers, 0·03 (0·02) for 1–3 glasses/month, 0·06 (0·01) for 1–6 glasses/week and 0·09 (0·02) for ≥1 glass/d after full adjustment (P trend = 0·02). However, OJ consumption was not associated with 2-year change in BMI percentile (kg/m2, mean (se)): –0·44 (0·36) for non-consumers, 0·20 (0·41) for 1–3 glasses/month, –0·04 (0·34) for 1–6 glasses/week and –0·77 (0·62) for ≥1 glass/d in girls, P trend = 0·81; –0·94 (0·53) for non-consumers, –1·68 (0·52) for 1–3 glasses/month, –0·81 (0·38) for 1–6 glasses per week and –1·12 (0·61) for ≥1 glass/d in boys, P trend = 0·49. Conclusion: OJ consumption was favourably associated with height growth but unrelated to excess weight gain. OJ may be a useful alternative to whole fruit in the event that whole fruit intake is insufficient.
Ticagrelor as an Alternative Antiplatelet Therapy in Cardiac Patients Non-Sensitive to Aspirin

Background and Objectives: Aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid—ASA) is a first-line antiplatelet therapy provided to patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). However, it has been demonstrated that 20–30% of these patients are non-sensitive to their ASA therapy. ASA non-sensitivity is a phenomenon where low-dose ASA (81–325 mg) does not completely inhibit arachidonic-acid-induced platelet aggregation, putting patients at risk of adverse cardio-thrombotic events. Ticagrelor is a P2Y12 receptor inhibitor and alternative antiplatelet that has been approved to reduce the risk of stroke, myocardial infarction, and overall cardiovascular-related death. In this study, we aimed to identify ASA non-sensitive patients and evaluate if they would be sensitive to ticagrelor. Materials and Methods: For this pilot study, thirty-eight patients with CAD taking 81 mg ASA were recruited. Blood samples were collected from each patient and platelet rich plasma (PRP) from each sample was isolated. Light-transmission aggregometry (LTA) was used to determine baseline ASA sensitivity in each patient using 0.5 mg/mL arachidonic acid as a platelet agonist. Patients with ≥20% maximal platelet aggregation after activation were considered ASA non-sensitive. Fresh PRP samples from all patients were then spiked with a clinical dosage of ticagrelor (3 μM—approximately equivalent to a loading dose of 180 mg ticagrelor). Sensitivity was determined using LTA and 5 μM ADP as a platelet agonist. Patients with ≥46% maximal platelet aggregation were considered ticagrelor non-sensitive. Results: Of the 38 CAD patients taking 81 mg ASA, 32% (12/38) were non-sensitive to their 81 mg ASA therapy. All 38 of the recruited patients (100%) were sensitive to ticagrelor ex vivo. In conclusion, we were able to identify ASA non-sensitivity using LTA and determine that ASA non-sensitive patients were sensitive to ticagrelor. Conclusions: Our results suggest that ticagrelor is a promising alternative therapy for patients who are non-sensitive to ASA.
Assessing the stress-buffering effects of social support for exercise on physical activity, sitting time, and blood lipid profiles

Abstract Objective This study tested the hypothesized stress-buffering effects of social support on physical activity, sitting time, and blood lipid profiles. Participants 537 college students. Methods College students volunteered to self-report stress, social support for exercise, physical activity and sitting time, and provided blood samples to assess lipid profiles in this cross-sectional study. Results Lower stress was associated with higher vigorous physical activity (β = −0.1, t = −2.9, p = .004). Higher social support was associated with higher moderate (β = 0.2, t = 2.0, p = .042), vigorous (β = 0.5, t = 5.4, p < .001), and total (β = 0.1, t = 3.2, p = .001) physical activity, and lower sitting time on weekdays (β = −0.1, t = −3.3, p = .001) and weekends (β = −0.2, t = −3.6, p < .001). Social support moderated the association between stress and sitting time on weekdays. Conclusions Stress reduction and fostering social support may be important strategies for promoting physical activity and reducing sedentary behaviors in college students. Additional strategies are needed to buffer the deleterious effects of stress.
Association between prehospital time and outcome of trauma patients in 4 Asian countries: A cross-national, multicenter cohort study

Background Whether rapid transportation can benefit patients with trauma remains controversial. We determined the association between prehospital time and outcome to explore the concept of the “golden hour” for injured patients. Methods and findings We conducted a retrospective cohort study of trauma patients transported from the scene to hospitals by emergency medical service (EMS) from January 1, 2016, to November 30, 2018, using data from the Pan-Asia Trauma Outcomes Study (PATOS) database. Prehospital time intervals were categorized into response time (RT), scene to hospital time (SH), and total prehospital time (TPT). The outcomes were 30-day mortality and functional status at hospital discharge. Multivariable logistic regression was used to investigate the association of prehospital time and outcomes to adjust for factors including age, sex, mechanism and type of injury, Injury Severity Score (ISS), Revised Trauma Score (RTS), and prehospital interventions. Overall, 24,365 patients from 4 countries (645 patients from Japan, 16,476 patients from Korea, 5,358 patients from Malaysia, and 1,886 patients from Taiwan) were included in the analysis. Among included patients, the median age was 45 years (lower quartile [Q1]–upper quartile [Q3]: 25–62), and 15,498 (63.6%) patients were male. Median (Q1–Q3) RT, SH, and TPT were 20 (Q1–Q3: 12–39), 21 (Q1–Q3: 16–29), and 47 (Q1–Q3: 32–60) minutes, respectively. In all, 280 patients (1.1%) died within 30 days after injury. Prehospital time intervals were not associated with 30-day mortality. The adjusted odds ratios (aORs) per 10 minutes of RT, SH, and TPT were 0.99 (95% CI 0.92–1.06, p = 0.740), 1.08 (95% CI 1.00–1.17, p = 0.065), and 1.03 (95% CI 0.98–1.09, p = 0.236), respectively. However, long prehospital time was detrimental to functional survival. The aORs of RT, SH, and TPT per 10-minute delay were 1.06 (95% CI 1.04–1.08, p < 0.001), 1.05 (95% CI 1.01–1.08, p = 0.007), and 1.06 (95% CI 1.04–1.08, p < 0.001), respectively. The key limitation of our study is the missing data inherent to the retrospective design. Another major limitation is the aggregate nature of the data from different countries and unaccounted confounders such as in-hospital management. Conclusions Longer prehospital time was not associated with an increased risk of 30-day mortality, but it may be associated with increased risk of poor functional outcomes in injured patients. This finding supports the concept of the “golden hour” for trauma patients during prehospital care in the countries studied.
Mini-Invasive Endoscopic Approaches to the Maxillary Sinus Floor: A Comparative Anatomical Study

Background While middle antrostomy (MA) is the most common approach to the maxillary sinus (MS), it is known for not allowing to fully inspect the whole MS, especially in its inferior and anterior portions. To overcome this limitation, alternative approaches have been proposed, such as inferior antrotomy (IA) and canine fossa accesses (CFA). Objective Given the lack of studies on the MS floor visualization with different accesses, our study aims, in a cadaver lab setting, to systematically compare three different approaches (MA, IA and CFA) in these regards. Methods Eight cadaver heads, previously submitted to CTscan, were prepared inserting fixtures corresponding to teeth 2, 4, 6, 11, 13 and 15 and into the canine fossae. Three approaches were prepared: a wide MA, an IM and a CFA. We endoscopically evaluated, for each specimen, side, access type and scope angle (0°, 30°, 45°, and 70°), which fixtures were visible on the maxillary sinus floor and whether the canine fossa fixture was visible (MA and IA only). Results IA allowed to visualize all fixtures in nearly all cases (14/16 with 70° endoscope), while MA showed poor visualization results (3/16 with 70° endoscope); CFA failed to gain full visualization in most specimens (7/16 with 70°endoscope). Such difference was statistically significant. MA proved unable to visualize the canine fossa fixture in most cases while IA showed excellent possibilities. All differences were statistically significant (p < .001, Mcnemar’s test). Conclusions Our data show that the IA grants a statistically significant superior surgical field vision when compared to MA and CFA, though in vivo validation of these results is still required.
Genome-scale metabolic models highlight stage-specific differences in essential metabolic pathways in Trypanosoma cruzi

Chagas disease is a neglected tropical disease and a leading cause of heart failure in Latin America caused by a protozoan called Trypanosoma cruzi. This parasite presents a complex multi-stage life cycle. Anti-Chagas drugs currently available are limited to benznidazole and nifurtimox, both with severe side effects. Thus, there is a need for alternative and more efficient drugs. Genome-scale metabolic models (GEMs) can accurately predict metabolic capabilities and aid in drug discovery in metabolic genes. This work developed an extended GEM, hereafter referred to as iIS312, of the published and validated T. cruzi core metabolism model. From iIS312, we then built three stage-specific models through transcriptomics data integration, and showed that epimastigotes present the most active metabolism among the stages (see S1–S4 GEMs). Stage-specific models predicted significant metabolic differences among stages, including variations in flux distribution in core metabolism. Moreover, the gene essentiality predictions suggest potential drug targets, among which some have been previously proven lethal, including glutamate dehydrogenase, glucokinase and hexokinase. To validate the models, we measured the activity of enzymes in the core metabolism of the parasite at different stages, and showed the results were consistent with model predictions. Our results represent a potential step forward towards the improvement of Chagas disease treatment. To our knowledge, these stage-specific models are the first GEMs built for the stages Amastigote and Trypomastigote. This work is also the first to present an in silico GEM comparison among different stages in the T. cruzi life cycle.
Flashing in-curb LEDs and beacons at unsignalized crosswalks and driver’s visual attention to pedestrians during nighttime

Abstract Driver’s visual attention (eye movements) and driving behaviour (kinematic data) were assessed when approaching an experimental crosswalk that included flashing white in-curb LED strips, flashing orange beacons, backlit ‘Yield here to pedestrians’ vertical signs, and enhanced lighting when a staged pedestrian attempted to cross. An experimental condition in which all devices were active was compared with a control condition in which only enhanced lighting and backlit vertical signs were active. The results showed a significant increase of motorists’ yielding compliance, distance of first fixation to the pedestrian area, standard deviation for horizontal eye movements in the experimental condition. The introduction of flashing in-curb LED strips and flashing orange beacons proved to be very effective in increasing the night-time safety of the pedestrian crossing. Practitioner summary: The study investigated the effects of flashing in-curb LED strips and beacons on driver’s visual attention (eye movements) and speed when approaching a crosswalk during night-time. The results showed that the combination of these flashing devices significantly increased yielding compliance and the distance of pedestrian detection. Abbreviations: ANOVA: analysis of variance; EU: European Union; HAWK: high intensity activated crosswalk system; LED: light-emitting diode; PHB: pedestrian hybrid beacons; ROI: region of interest; RRFB: rectangular rapid flashing beacons; UK: United Kingdom; US: United States
Development and evolution of the notarium in Pterosauria

The notarium is the structure formed by fusion of the dorsal vertebrae which occurred independently in pterosaurs and birds. This ankylosis usually involves two to six elements and in many cases, also includes the last cervical vertebra. Fusion can occur in different degrees, uniting the vertebral centra, the neural spines, the transverse processes, the ventral processes, or a combination of these sites. A detailed assessment of the fusion process of pterosaur dorsal vertebrae is still lacking. Here we identify the fusion sequence of pterosaur notarial elements, demonstrating the order of ossification in vertebral bodies and neural spines based on fossils and extant birds. In both Pterosauria and Aves, the notarium generally develops in a antero‐posterior direction, but the actual order of each fusion locus may present slight variations. Based on our data, we were able to identify seven developmental stages in the notarium formation, with broad implications for the prediction of ontogenetic stages for the Pterosauria. In addition, we report the occurrence of a notarium in Ardeadactylus longicollum (Kimmeridgian, Southern Germany), the oldest occurrence of this structure in pterosaurs.
Antimicrobial resistance and virulence genes profiles of Arcobacter butzleri strains isolated from back yard chickens and retail poultry meat in Chile

This research aims to investigate the presence and pathogenic potential of Arcobacter in poultry meat samples purchased in the retail market of Valdivia (South of Chile) as well as in faecal samples from backyard chickens from rural areas around this city. The isolates obtained were identified by molecular methods. Furthermore, putative virulence genes were assessed by PCR and the antimicrobial resistance was tested by phenotypic methods. Arcobacter was present in 41·6% of the samples, with the highest value in retail poultry meat (55·7%) followed by backyard production (28·0%). Arcobacter butzleri was the most prevalent species (75·6%) followed by Arcobacter skirrowii (14·8%) and Arcobacter cryaerophilus (9·6%). An 8·5% of A. butzleri strains from meat were resistant to both ciprofloxacin and tetracycline and 6·1% were resistant to erythromycin, while none was resistant to gentamycin, unlike strains from domestic chickens, which showed no resistance. Furthermore, A. butzleri strains from chicken meat presented a higher prevalence of virulence genes than strains from domestic chickens. In fact, in this last group, some genes (hecA, hecB and irgA) were completely absent. Therefore, this study provides insight on the epidemiology of Arcobacter in Chilean poultry and suggests that under traditional breeding conditions strains are, apparently, less pathogenic and drug resistant.
Effects of herbivory and its timing on reproductive success of a tropical deciduous tree.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS The implications of herbivory for plant reproduction have been widely studied; however, the relationship of defoliation and reproductive success is not linear, as there are many interacting factors that may influence reproductive responses to herbivore damage. In this study we aimed to disentangle how the timing of foliar damage impacts both male and female components of fitness, and to assess when it has greater impacts on plant reproductive success. METHODS We measured herbivore damage and its effects on floral production, male and female floral attributes as well as fruit yield in three different phenological phases of Casearia nitida (Salicaceae) over the course of two consecutive years. Then we tested two models of multiple causal links among herbivory and reproductive success using piecewise structural equation models. KEY RESULTS The effects of leaf damage differed between reproductive seasons and between male and female components of fitness. Moreover, the impact of herbivory extended beyond the year when it was exerted. The previous season's cumulated foliar damage had the largest impact on reproductive characters, in particular a negative effect on the numbers of inflorescences, flowers and pollen grains, indirectly affecting the numbers of infructescences and fruits, and a positive one on the amount of foliar damage during flowering. CONCLUSIONS For perennial and proleptic species, the dynamics of resource acquisition and allocation patterns for reproduction promote and extend the effects of herbivore damage to longer periods than a single reproductive event and growing season, through the interactions among different components of female and male fitness.
Hierarchical Surface Texturing of Hydroxyapatite Ceramics: Influence on the Adhesive Bonding Strength of Polymeric Polycaprolactone

The tailored manipulation of ceramic surfaces gained recent interest to optimize the performance and lifetime of composite materials used as implants. In this work, a hierarchical surface texturing of hydroxyapatite (HAp) ceramics was developed to improve the poor adhesive bonding strength in hydroxyapatite and polycaprolactone (HAp/PCL) composites. Four different types of periodic surface morphologies (grooves, cylindric pits, linear waves and Gaussian hills) were realized by a ceramic micro-transfer molding technique in the submillimeter range. A subsequent surface roughening and functionalization on a micron to nanometer scale was obtained by two different etchings with hydrochloric and tartaric acid. An ensuing silane coupling with 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTES) enhanced the chemical adhesion between the HAp surface and PCL on the nanometer scale by the formation of dipole–dipole interactions and covalent bonds. The adhesive bonding strengths of the individual and combined surface texturings were investigated by performing single-lap compressive shear tests. All individual texturing types (macro, micro and nano) showed significantly improved HAp/PCL interface strengths compared to the non-textured HAp reference, based on an enhanced mechanical, physical and chemical adhesion. The independent effect mechanisms allow the deliberately hierarchical combination of all texturing types without negative influences. The hierarchical surface-textured HAp showed a 6.5 times higher adhesive bonding strength (7.7 ± 1.5 MPa) than the non-textured reference, proving that surface texturing is an attractive method to optimize the component adhesion in composites for potential medical implants.
Correlating the Performance of a Fire-Retardant Coating across Different Scales of Testing

Material-scale tests involving milligrams of samples are used to optimize fire-retardant coating formulations, but actual applications of these coatings require them to be assessed with structural-scale fire tests. This significant difference in the scale of testing (milligrams to kilograms of sample) raises many questions on the relations between the inherent flammability and thermal characteristics of the coating materials and their “performance” at the structural scale. Moreover, the expected “performance” requirements and the definition of “performance” varies at different scales. In this regard, the pathway is not established when designing and formulating fire-retardant coatings for structural steel sections or members. This manuscript explores the fundamental relationships across different scales of testing with the help of a fire-protective system based on acrylic resin with a typical combination of intumescent additives, viz. ammonium polyphosphate, pentaerythritol, and expandable graphite. One of the main outcomes of this work dictates that higher heat release rate values and larger amounts of material participating in the pyrolysis process per unit time will result in a rapid rise in steel substrate temperature. This information is very useful in the design and development of generic fire-retardant coatings.
Risk for SARS-CoV-2 Infection in Healthcare Workers, Turin, Italy

We measured severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 spike protein subunits S1/S2 antibodies by using capillary electrophoresis and a chemiluminescence immunoassay for 5,444 active healthcare workers in Italy. Seroprevalence was 6.9% and higher among participants having contact with patients. Seroconversion was not observed in 37/213 previously infected participants.
Single-cell Study of Two Rat Models of Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension Reveals Connections to Human Pathobiology and Drug Repositioning.

RATIONALE The cellular and molecular landscape and translational value of commonly used models of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) are poorly understood. Single-cell transcriptomics can enhance molecular understanding of preclinical models and facilitate their rational use and interpretation. OBJECTIVES We aim to determine and prioritize dysregulated genes, pathways, and cell types in lungs of PAH rat models to assess relevance to human PAH and identify drug repositioning candidates. METHODS Single-cell RNA-seq was performed on the lungs of monocrotaline, Sugen-hypoxia, and control rats to identify altered genes and cell types, followed by validation using flow-sorted cells, RNA in situ hybridization, and immunofluorescence. Relevance to human PAH was assessed by histology of lungs from patients and via integration with human PAH genetic loci and known disease genes. Candidate drugs were predicted using Connectivity Map. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS Distinct changes in genes and pathways in numerous cell types were identified in Sugen-hypoxia and monocrotaline lungs. Widespread upregulation of NF-κB signaling and downregulation of interferon signaling was observed across cell types. Sugen-hypoxia non-classical monocytes and monocrotaline conventional dendritic cells showed particularly strong NF-κB pathway activation. Genes altered in Sugen-hypoxia non-classical monocytes were significantly enriched for PAH-associated genes and genetic variants, and candidate drugs predicted to reverse the changes were identified. An open-access online platform was developed to share single-cell data and drug candidates (http://mergeomics. RESEARCH idre.ucla.edu/PVDSingleCell/). CONCLUSIONS Our study revealed the distinct and shared dysregulation of genes and pathways in two commonly used PAH models for the first time at single-cell resolution and demonstrated their relevance to human PAH and utility for drug repositioning.
Psychometric Properties of the Sluggish Cognitive Tempo Scale in a Turkish Sample of Children and Adolescents

Sluggish Cognitive Tempo (SCT) has been proposed as a serious problem of attention, however there no validated psychometric measures for its evaluation in Turkish in a community sample. The present study aimed to examine the psychometric characteristics of the first SCT scale in Turkish in children and adolescents. A total of 418 children and adolescents between the ages of 6-18 years (9.83±2.8) were recruited. The data was obtained from parents using Sluggish Cognitive Tempo Scale and Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. The SCT scale-Turkish form demonstrated very good internal homogeneity (Cronbach’s α = .90), good test-retest reliability (r = .98), good concurrent validity (r range = .35- .65) and good construct validity. Goodness of fit indices were found to be acceptable and statistically significant associations were found between SDQ and SCT scales. The SCT scale is a valid and reliable instrument in Turkish children and adolescents.