Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The associations of dispositional mindfulness, self-compassion, and reappraisal with symptoms of depression and anxiety among a sample of Indigenous students in Canada

Abstract Objective Depression and anxiety are major concerns among students. Unfortunately, there are disparities between the mental health of majority culture students (White; Judeo-Christian) and that of Indigenous students. Although mindfulness, self-compassion, and reappraisal are correlated with symptoms of psychopathology among White students, these relationships have never been examined among Indigenous students. Participants: Undergraduate Indigenous students recruited from a Canadian institution. Methods: We administered self-report measures of depression, anxiety, dispositional mindfulness, self-compassion, and emotion regulation strategies (cognitive reappraisal and emotional suppression). Results: 37.5% (n = 33) and 40.9% (n = 36) reported significant symptoms of depression or anxiety, respectively. Dispositional mindfulness and self-compassion were negatively and strongly associated with depression symptoms (r = −.58 and r = −.58, respectively). Further, both constructs were also negatively and strongly associated with anxiety symptoms (r = −.55 and r = −.53, respectively). We also found a negative correlation between reappraisal and depression and anxiety symptoms. Conclusions: Mindfulness, self-compassion, and reappraisal are associated with depression and anxiety symptoms among this sample of Indigenous students.
Top-down characterisation of denatured proteins and native protein complexes using electron capture dissociation implemented within a modified ion mobility-mass spectrometer.

Electron-based fragmentation methods have revolutionised biomolecular mass spectrometry, in particular native and top-down protein analysis. Here, we report the use of a new electromagnetostatic cell to perform electron capture dissociation (ECD) within a quadrupole/ion mobility/time-of-flight mass spectrometer. This cell was installed between the ion mobility and time-of-flight regions of the instrument, and fragmentation was fast enough to be compatible with mobility separation. The instrument was already fitted with electron transfer dissociation (ETD) between the quadrupole and mobility regions prior to modification. We show excellent fragmentation efficiency for denatured peptides and proteins, without the need to trap ions in the gas phase. Additionally, we demonstrate native top-down backbone fragmentation of noncovalent protein complexes, leading to comparable sequence coverage to what was achieved using the instrument's existing ETD capabilities. Limited collisional ion activation of the haemoglobin tetramer before ECD was reflected in the observed fragmentation pattern, and complementary ion mobility measurements prior to ECD provided orthogonal evidence of monomer unfolding within this complex. The approach demonstrated here provides a powerful platform for both top-down proteomics and mass spectrometry-based structural biology studies.
Variable selection via penalized generalized estimating equations for a marginal survival model

Clustered and multivariate survival times, such as times to recurrent events, commonly arise in biomedical and health research, and marginal survival models are often used to model such data. When a large number of predictors are available, variable selection is always an important issue when modeling such data with a survival model. We consider a Cox’s proportional hazards model for a marginal survival model. Under the sparsity assumption, we propose a penalized generalized estimating equation approach to select important variables and to estimate regression coefficients simultaneously in the marginal model. The proposed method explicitly models the correlation structure within clusters or correlated variables by using a prespecified working correlation matrix. The asymptotic properties of the estimators from the penalized generalized estimating equations are established and the number of candidate covariates is allowed to increase in the same order as the number of clusters does. We evaluate the performance of the proposed method through a simulation study and analyze two real datasets for the application.
D-4F, an ApoA-I mimetic peptide ameliorating TRPA1-mediated nocifensive behaviour in a model of neurogenic inflammation

Background High doses of capsaicin are recommended for the treatment of neuropathic pain. However, low doses evoke mechanical hypersensitivity. Activation of the capsaicin chemosensor transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 (TRPV1) induces neurogenic inflammation. In addition to the release of pro-inflammatory mediators, reactive oxygen species are produced. These highly reactive molecules generate oxidised phospholipids and 4-hydroxynonenal (4-HNE) which then directly activate TRP ankyrin 1 (TRPA1). The apolipoprotein A-I mimetic peptide D-4F neutralises oxidised phospholipids. Here, we asked whether D-4F ameliorates neurogenic hypersensitivity in rodents by targeting reactive oxygen species and 4-HNE in the capsaicin-evoked pain model. Results Co-application of D-4F ameliorated capsaicin-induced mechanical hypersensitivity and allodynia as well as persistent heat hypersensitivity measured by Randell–Selitto, von Frey and Hargreaves test, respectively. In addition, mechanical hypersensitivity was blocked after co-injection of D-4F with the reactive oxygen species analogue H2O2 or 4-HNE. In vitro studies on dorsal root ganglion neurons and stably transfected cell lines revealed a TRPA1-dependent inhibition of the calcium influx when agonists were pre-incubated with D-4F. The capsaicin-induced calcium influx in TRPV1-expressing cell lines and dorsal root ganglion neurons sustained in the presence of D-4F. Conclusions D-4F is a promising compound to ameliorate TRPA1-dependent hypersensitivity during neurogenic inflammation.
An overview of selected emerging outdoor airborne pollutants and air quality issues: The need to reduce uncertainty about environmental and human impacts

ABSTRACT According to the literature, it is estimated that outdoor air pollution is responsible for the premature death in a range from 3.7 to 8.9 million persons on an annual basis across the world. Although there is uncertainty on this figure, outdoor air pollution represents one of the greatest global risks to human health. In North America, the rapid evolution of technologies (e.g., nanotechnology, unconventional oil and gas rapid development, higher demand for fertilizers in agriculture) and growing demand for ground, marine and air transportation may result in significant increases of emissions of pollutants that have not been carefully studied so far. As a result, these atmospheric pollutants insufficiently addressed by science in Canada and elsewhere are becoming a growing issue with likely human and environmental impacts in the near future. Here, an emerging pollutant is defined as one that meets the following criteria: 1) potential or demonstrated risk for humans or the environment, 2) absence of Canada-wide national standard, 3) insufficient routine monitoring, 4) yearly emissions greater than one ton in Canada, 5) insufficient data concerning significant sources, fate, and detection limit, and 6) insufficiently addressed by epidemiological studies. A new methodology to rank emerging pollutants is proposed here based on weighting multiple criteria. Some selected emerging issues are also discussed here and include the growing concern of ultrafine or nanoparticles, growing ammonia emissions (due to rapid expansion of the agriculture), increased methane/ethane/propane emissions (due to the expanding hydraulic fracturing in the oil and gas sector) and the growing transportation sector. Finally, the interaction between biological and anthropogenic pollution has been found to be a double threat for public health. Here, a multidisciplinary and critical overview of selected emerging pollutants and related critical issues is presented with a focus in Canada. Implications: This overview paper provides a selection methodology for emerging pollutants in the atmospheric environment. It also provides a critical discussion of some related issues. The ultimate objective is to inform about the need to 1) address emerging issues through adequate surface monitoring and modeling in order to inform the development of regulations, 2) reduce uncertainties by geographically mapping emerging pollutants (e.g., through data fusion, data assimilation of observations into air quality models) which can improve the scientific support of epidemiological studies and policies. This review also highlights some of the difficulties with the management of these emerging pollutants, and the need for an integrated approach.
Effect of Nitrogen Fertilizer Rates on Physico-Chemical Characteristics of Onion Bulbs (Allium cepa L. var. cepa)

Onion is one of the most important vegetable bulb crops in the world. A field experiment was carried out at the experimental fields of the Agricultural Institute of Slovenia in 2017 with the aim to examine the effect of three nitrogen (N) fertilization rates on the physico-chemical characteristics of bulbs of five onion varieties. Three autochthonous and two hybrid onion varieties were evaluated. During the growth 0, 162 and 324 kg Nha-1 were applied. The number of fleshy scale leaves, bulb weight, height, diameter and firmness were determined on onion bulbs. In addition, the total soluble solids and total sugars were analysed. Both factors, i.e. variety and N fertilization rate, significantly affected the number of fleshy scale leaves, while N fertilisation rate also affected bulb firmness and the variety influenced the content of total soluble solids and bulb height. Hybrid varieties had lower total soluble solids compared to autochthonous varieties.
Phylogenetic relationships of Atractylodes lancea, A. chinensis and A. macrocephala, revealed by complete plastome and nuclear gene sequences

Atractylodes lancea, A. chinensis, and A. macrocephala are the three most widely used medicinal species of the Atractylodes genus. Their similar morphological features cause disagreement as whether they are three unique species, leading to their frequent misuses in medical products. Our study aimed to understand their relationships through both the complete plastome sequences and nuclear sequences, to identify molecular markers for their differentiation and explore the evolutionary relationships among three species. We sequenced, annotated, and analyzed the plastomes of these three species. The plastomes are 153,201, 153,258, and 153,265 bps in length for A. lancea, A. chinensis, and A. macrocephaly, respectively. Similar to other Asteraceae species, their plastomes exhibit typical quadripartite structures. Each plastome consists of 119 distinct genes, including 78 protein-coding, 37 tRNA, and 4 rRNA genes. Analyses of indels, single-nucleotide polymorphisms and simple sequence repeats, and comparison of plastomes showed high degree of conservation, leading to difficulty in the discovery of differentiating markers. We identified eleven potential molecular markers using an algorithm based on interspecific and intraspecific nucleotide diversity gaps. Validation experiments with fifty-five individuals from the three species collected from the botanical garden and fields confirmed that the marker cz11 could effectively distinguish samples from the three different species. Analysis of the several nuclear sequences suggests that the species of A. macrocephala may be a hybrid of A. lancea and A. chinensis. In summary, the results from this study highlight the complex relationships among of these three medicinal plants.
Postmortem examination protocol and systematic re-evaluation reduce the proportion of unexplained stillbirths

Abstract Background Stillbirth often remains unexplained, mostly due to a lack of any postmortem examination or one that is incomplete and misinterpreted. Methods This retrospective cohort study was conducted at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Helsinki University Hospital, Finland, and comprised 214 antepartum singleton stillbirths from 2003 to 2015. Maternal and fetal characteristics and the results of the systematic postmortem examination protocol were collected from medical records. Causes of death were divided into 10 specific categories. Re-evaluation of the postmortem examination results followed. Results Based on our systematic protocol, the cause of death was originally defined and reported as such to parents in 133 (62.1%) cases. Re-evaluation of the postmortem examination results revealed the cause of death in an additional 43 (20.1%) cases, with only 23 (10.7%) cases remaining truly unexplained. The most common cause of stillbirth was placental insufficiency in 56 (26.2%) cases. A higher proportion of stillbirths that occurred at ≥39 gestational weeks remained unexplained compared to those that occurred earlier (24.1% vs. 8.6%) (P = 0.02). Conclusion A standardized postmortem examination and a re-evaluation of the results reduced the rate of unexplained stillbirth. Better knowledge of causes of death may have a major impact on the follow-up and outcome of subsequent pregnancies. Also, closer examination and better interpretation of postmortem findings is time-consuming but well worth the effort in order to provide better counseling for the grieving parents.
Proportions of youth with visual impairments meeting 24-hr movement guidelines.

BACKGROUND Recent movement behaviour guidelines prescribe the optimal time spent in physical activity, screen time, and sleep across a 24-hr period. The proportion of youth with visual impairments meeting 0, 1, 2, or all 3 of these 24 movement guidelines is unknown. The primary purpose of this observational, cross-sectional analysis was to examine the proportions of youth with visual impairments in the United States who partially or fully meet the physical activity, screen time, and sleep duration guidelines. A secondary purpose of this analysis was to examine whether demographic variables were associated with the odds of youth with visual impairments meeting these guidelines. METHODS This study included 561 youth with visual impairments from the 2016 to 2017 National Survey of Children's Health (NSCH). Accounting for the NSCH sampling plan, Complex Samples was used to estimate the prevalence of meeting 24-hr movement guidelines, and a multinomial logistic regression analysis was conducted to examine the odds ratio of guidelines met across different demographic factors. RESULTS Of the participants in this study, 18.7%, 50.7%, and 73.2% met physical activity, sleep, and screen time guidelines, respectively. Just 5.8% of the sample met all three of the 24-hr movement guidelines, whereas 10.6% did not meet any of the three guidelines. CONCLUSIONS The proportion of the sample meeting of all three guidelines was low, thus depriving the majority of this population of the physiological and psychological health benefits of meeting each guideline. Moreover, the study identifies physical inactivity as a key risk factor that requires attention in this population.
Impact of difficult-to-treat resistance in gram-negative bacteremia on mortality: retrospective analysis of nationwide surveillance data.

BACKGROUND Clinically relevant categorization of antimicrobial resistance is critical to mitigating the threat it poses. Difficult-to-treat resistance (DTR) is a recently proposed category defined as non-susceptibility to all first-line antibiotic agents. METHODS A retrospective study was conducted with non-duplicate cases of gram-negative bloodstream infection (GNBSI) caused by four major taxa (Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Acinetobacter species) identified from a nationwide surveillance database. DTR was defined as non-susceptibility to all the β-lactams and fluoroquinolones tested. Patient characteristics and mortality were compared between DTR GNBSI and GNBSI caused by carbapenem-resistant (CR+/DTR-) and extended-spectrum cephalosporin-resistant (ESCR+/DTR-) isolates using CDC definitions. Adjusted odds ratios (aORs) for 30-day in-hospital mortality were examined for DTR in overall and in propensity score-matched cohorts. RESULTS A total of 1,167 episodes of monomicrobial GNBSI were identified, and 147 (12.6%) of the isolates were DTR. The majority of DTR isolates were Acinetobacter spp. (79.6%) and P. aeruginosa (17.7%). DTR infections were associated with previous antibiotic use, healthcare contact, ventilator use, and lower respiratory tract infection. Crude mortality for GNBSI caused by DTR was 50.3%. A multivariable model showed that only DTR, but not other categories, was significantly associated with mortality (aOR, 3.58; 95% CI, 1.27-10.19). DTR was also a significant predictor for mortality in the analysis of propensity score-matched cohorts (aOR, 3.48; 1.82-6.79). CONCLUSIONS In patients with GNBSI, DTR were associated with higher mortality than those in other resistance categories. Our findings suggest that DTR could be useful for surveillance and prognostication.
The impact of psychiatric symptoms on condom self-efficacy among people with serious mental illness.

OBJECTIVE To determine how psychiatric symptoms affect the self-efficacy of people with serious mental illness to protect themselves and their partners from HIV and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs) by using condoms. METHOD As part of a National Institute of Mental Health-Funded study, people with serious mental illness (N = 467) were recruited in public psychiatric outpatient clinics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil for an HIV prevention intervention. We examined the effects of psychiatric symptom severity on condom self-efficacy at baseline across 4 symptom clusters: affect, positive, negative, and activation. RESULTS Greater activation symptom severity (e.g., elated mood) was related to better condom self-efficacy, whereas greater negative symptom severity (e.g., blunted affect, emotional withdrawal) was related to worse condom self-efficacy. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE Our findings suggest that people living with serious mental illness who exhibit more severe negative symptoms are less likely to perceive themselves as capable of using condoms, condom negotiation, and/or condom acquisition, whereas those with more severe activation symptoms are more likely to express confidence in their capabilities. Interventions to prevent HIV and other STIs among people living with serious mental illness should take into account the effects of these symptom clusters on condom skills acquisition and perceptions of self-efficacy in carrying out needed protective behaviors. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).
A Multifactorial Approach to Overuse Running Injuries: A 1-Year Prospective Study

Background: Because of the complex and multifaceted nature of running injuries, a multifactorial approach when investigating running injuries is required. Hypothesis: Compared with uninjured runners, injured runners would exhibit different running biomechanics, display more fatigue changes, and would run a greater weekly running volume; more injured runners would also report having a previous injury. Study Design: Prospective cohort study. Level of Evidence: Level 4. Methods: At commencement of the study, data were collected on demographics, anthropometrics, training history, previous injury history, and center-of-mass accelerations during a long-distance overground run. Participants completed weekly training diaries and were monitored for 1 year for an injury. Results: A total of 76 runners completed the study, with 39 (22 male; 17 female) reporting an injury. Compared with male uninjured runners, male injured runners were heavier and ran a greater weekly distance. Male runners (injured and uninjured) exhibited increases in mediolateral center-of-mass accelerations during the run. Compared with female uninjured runners, female injured runners were heavier, ran with longer flight times and lower step frequencies, and more of them had reported an injury in the previous year and had increased speed training in the weeks prior to injury. Over 60% of male injured runners and over 50% of female injured runners had increased their weekly running distance by >30% between consecutive weeks at least once in the 4 weeks prior to injury. Conclusion: Factors that may be related to injury for male runners include being heavier, running a greater weekly distance, and exhibiting fatigue changes in mediolateral center-of-mass accelerations. Factors that may be related to injury for female runners include being heavier, having an injury in the previous year, running with longer flight times and lower step frequencies, and increasing speed training prior to injury. Increases in weekly running distance in 1 consecutive week (particularly >30%) needs to be monitored in training, and this along with the other factors found may have contributed to injury development. Clinical Relevance: This study found that multiple factors are related to running injuries and that some factors are sex specific. The findings can aid in injury prevention and management.
Molecular dynamics simulations reveal how the reticulon-homology domain of the autophagy receptor RETREG1/FAM134B remodels membranes for efficient selective reticulophagy

ABSTRACT The autophagy receptor for selective reticulophagy, RETREG1/FAM134B is essential for ER maintenance, and its dysfunction is associated with neuronal disorders, vascular dementia, or viral infections. The protein consists of the reticulon-homology domain (RHD) that is flanked at the N- and C-termini by an intrinsically disordered protein region (IDPR), where the C terminal IDPR carries the indispensable LC3-interacting region (LIR) motif for the interaction with LC3. The RHD of RETREG1 is presumed to play a role in membrane remodeling, but the absence of a known 3D structure of this domain so far prevented researchers from gaining mechanistic insights into how the RETREG1 RHD curves membranes, and thereby facilities reticulophagy. The recent study by Bhaskara et al., which is described in this editor’s corner article, used molecular dynamics (MD) simulations to create a structural model of the RETREG1 RHD. MD simulations along with in vitro liposome remodeling experiments reveal how the RHD domain acts on the ER membrane and, in concert with the C terminal IDPR, executes the function of RETREG1 in selective reticulophagy. Abbreviations: ER, endoplasmic reticulum; IDPR, intrinsically disordered protein region; LIR, LC3-interacting region; MD, molecular dynamics; RHD, reticulon-homology domain; TM, transmembrane
Microbial Transformation of Prenylquercetins by Mucor hiemalis

Quercetin, one of the most widely distributed flavonoids, has been found to show various biological activities including antioxidant, anticancer, and anti-inflammatory effects. It has been reported that bioactivity enhancement of flavonoids has often been closely associated with nuclear prenylation, as shown in 8-prenylquercetin and 5′-prenylquercetin. It has also been revealed in many studies that the biological activities of flavonoids could be improved after glucosylation. Three prenylated quercetins were prepared in this study, and microbial transformation was carried out in order to identify derivatives of prenylquercetins with increased water solubility and improved bioavailability. The fungus M. hiemalis was proved to be capable of converting prenylquercetins into more polar metabolites and was selected for preparative fermentation. Six novel glucosylated metabolites were obtained and their chemical structures were elucidated by NMR and mass spectrometric analyses. All the microbial metabolites showed improvement in water solubility.