Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Chronic Stress, Executive Functioning, and Real-Life Self-Control: An Experience Sampling Study.

OBJECTIVE To test the hypothesis that chronic stress impairs the use of cognitive control for self-control, we examined how chronic stress affects the relation between individual differences in general executive functioning (GEF) and self-control in real-life situations. METHOD 338 young adults with varying degrees of chronic stress underwent experience sampling of real-life self-control for seven days and completed a battery of nine executive function tasks from which a latent variable representing individual differences in general executive functioning (GEF) was derived. RESULTS Structural equation models showed that higher levels of chronic stress were associated with stronger desires and a less negative relationship between GEF and desire strength. Chronic stress and GEF did not predict desire enactment in situations where effortful resistance was attempted. CONCLUSION These findings suggest that chronic stress may impair self-control by reducing the use of cognitive control for "early" desire regulation strategies while leaving "late" resistance strategies unaffected. That relationships between executive functioning and real-life self-control can be moderated by third factors such as chronic stress may to some extent explain the common finding of weak or missing associations between laboratory measures of executive functioning and real-life self-control.
Knowledge and attitude towards COVID-19 and associated factors among health care providers in Northwest Ethiopia

Background COVID-19 has a devastating effect on social, economic, and political crises that will leave deep pockmarks on victims of the virus. Having poor knowledge and attitude of the disease among health care providers could bring in impeded effect in the supportive treatment and, it increases the spread of the pandemic. Objective The study aims to assess the knowledge and attitude towards COVID-19, and associated factors among health care providers in Northwest Ethiopia in 2020. Methods Institution based cross-sectional study was conducted from the mid of March to the end of April 2020 among 408 participants who were selected by a simple random sampling technique. Pretested and structured self-administered questionnaire was used to collect data. The data were entered using EPI-info v. 7, and were exported to SPSS version 20 for further analysis. Bivariate and multivariable logistic regression analyses were used to identify factors associated with Knowledge and Attitude towards COVID-19. Variables having p-value < 0.05 were taken as variables which were significantly associated with the dependent variable. Result A total of 408(97.1%) participants have participated in the study. Most of the participants (67.3%) were males. One-third (35.5%) of the participants were nurses. About 62% of the health care providers were Bachelor degree holders. The prevalence of Knowledge and attitude towards COVID-19 found to be 73.8% (95%CI: 69.9, 77.9) and 65.7% (95%CI: 61.5, 70.1) respectively. Master degree level of education (AOR = 2.85; 95% CI: 1.25, 6.00) was associated with knowledge of the participants. Similarly, having good knowledge (AOR = 3.17; 95%CI: 1.97, 5.06) was positively associated with the attitude of health care providers towards COVID-19. Conclusion and recommendation Health care providers found to have good knowledge and attitude towards COVID-19. Being Master’s Degree holder and having good knowledge are associated with the knowledge and attitude of the respondents towards COVID-19 respectively. Thus, improving awareness through health education is a significant approach to address the global agenda of COVID-19 Pandemic.
Novel CAPN1 mutations extend the phenotypic heterogeneity in combined spastic paraplegia and ataxia

Recessive mutations in the CAPN1 gene have recently been identified in spastic paraplegia 76 (SPG76), a complex hereditary spastic paraplegia (HSP) that is combined with cerebellar ataxia, resulting in an ataxia‐spasticity disease spectrum. This study aims to assess the influence of CAPN1 variants on the occurrence of SPG76 and identify factors potentially contributing to phenotypic heterogeneity.
Interleukin-6 -174 G/C polymorphism is associated with the risk of basal cell carcinoma in a Chinese Han population

To explore the association between the IL-6 -174 G/C polymorphism and the risk of basal cell carcinoma (BCC) in a Chinese population, we performed a case-control study involving 265 BCC patients and 341 controls. Genotyping was performed using polymerase chain reaction with sequence-specific primers. The data showed that the GG+CG and GG genotypes were associated with an increased risk of BCC. The G allele increased the risk of BCC. Moreover, stratified analyses indicated the risk was higher in males, smokers, drinkers, and those aged ≥ 60 years. Cross-over analysis confirmed that the combined effects of the GG or CG genotype and environmental factors (smoking and alcohol consumption) contribute to an increased risk of BCC. In addition, the IL-6 -174 G/C polymorphism was related to larger tumors and multiple lesions. These findings indicate that the IL-6 -174 G/C polymorphism is associated with an increased risk of BCC in a Chinese population. This locus is thus a potential diagnostic marker for predicting susceptibility to BCC.
Certified Nursing Assistants' Barriers and Facilitators to Accessing and Using Worksite Health Promotion Programs.

OBJECTIVE Certified nursing assistants (CNAs) are low-wage healthcare workers who provide direct care to nursing home residents, yet who experience significant health disparities. However, limited research has been conducted on CNAs' perceived barriers and facilitators to workplace health promotion (WHP) participation. METHOD Informed by the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR), 24 CNA semi-structured, in-depth interview were conducted in two Chicagoland nursing homes. RESULTS Key barriers were time-constraints and lack of staffing, lack of access to WHP programs, and limited organizational and employer support. Facilitators included the availability of WHP programs, breaks, and other workplace benefits, and enhanced leadership and familial support CONCLUSION:: An effective WHP program must attempt to minimize the work-related, organizational, and environmental barriers while supporting high motivation of CNAs in health promotion. We offer some suggestions for enhancing CNAs' WHP access and utilization.
Acute brain inflammation, white matter oxidative stress, and myelin deficiency in a model of neonatal intraventricular hemorrhage.

OBJECTIVE Neonatal intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH) leads to posthemorrhagic hydrocephalus (PHH), brain injury, and long-term disability. Current therapy for IVH is based on treating PHH but does not address the underlying brain injury. In order to develop pharmacological treatment for IVH, there must be a better understanding of the underlying pathology of this disease. This study was designed to determine the time course of the acute inflammation and oxidative stress that may underlie the progressive pathology of IVH. The authors sought to understand the temporal relationships among inflammation, oxidative stress, and white matter pathology in a rat model of IVH. METHODS A rat model of IVH consisting of hemoglobin injection into the lateral ventricle was used. Tissue was analyzed via biochemical and histological methods to map the spatiotemporal distribution of innate immune activation and oxidative stress. White matter was quantified using both immunohistochemistry and Western blot for myelin basic protein (MBP) in the corpus callosum. RESULTS IVH led to acute induction of inflammatory cytokines, followed by oxidative stress. Oxidative stress was concentrated in white matter, adjacent to the lateral ventricles. Animals with IVH initially gained weight at a lower rate than control animals and had larger ventricles and less MBP than control animals. CONCLUSIONS Experimental IVH induces global inflammation throughout the brain and oxidative stress concentrated in the white matter. Both of these phenomena occur early after IVH. This has implications for human neonates with immature white matter that is exquisitely sensitive to inflammation and oxidative stress. Antiinflammatory or antioxidant therapy for IVH may need to be initiated early in order to protect developing white matter.
Growth of duck bills

We analyzed growth in length and width of bill in Mallards (Anas platyrhynchos), Pekin (Anus platyrhynchos f. domestica) and Muscovy (Cairina moschata f. domestica) Ducks with growth curve analysis. Bill growth is characterized by a relatively high proportion of growth realized prehatching and early posthatching points of inflection. Individual variability of bill measurements limits its value for estimating age. Bill width is already further developed at hatching than length, a difference that is maintained throughout the posthatching period. Consequently, bill width has a lower allometric exponent than length. This delay in development of length vs. width probably reflects overall development of the skull. Skull development is in turn closely related to brain growth, thus bill dimensions correlated with brain mass with coefficients of determination of ca. 0.9.
Microclimate of Tree Cavities Used by Great Tits (Parus Major) in a Primeval Forest

Altricial birds nesting in places with a favourable microclimate would be able to maintain the proper temperature of eggs or nestlings with less effort and thus reproduce more successfully. Tree cavities provide relatively safe nesting sites, but their microclimate is hardly known. Here we present the first data on air temperature and humidity in natural cavities used by Great Tits nesting in protected primeval forest in the Białowieża National Park (Eastern Poland). We checked what microclimatic conditions existed in cavities selected by Great Tits, how the construction of a nest changed the microclimate in a cavity and to what extent cavity localisation and cavity dimensions modified the microclimate of the breeding cavities. Great Tits used cavities in the living trees which were characterised by cool but relatively stable temperatures and very high relative humidity. Such conditions appear to be typical for cavities in living trees in general. Cavities with Great Tit broods were warmer and drier that the unused ones. The microclimate did not appear to constitute the major factor determining Great Tit usage of cavities in living trees, but it could exert a modifying effect on the pattern of cavity use by them. By choosing cavities of appropriate dimensions and placing the nest at an appropriate distance from the entrance, Great Tits could modify the cavity microclimate. However, their options were probably constrained by necessity to meet other important requirements, such as nest safety and illumination.
Place of Residence and Marital Status as Variables Differentiating a Sense of Self-Efficacy in the Elderly—A Descriptive Cross-Sectional Survey

Background: Studies on the self-efficacy of the elderly are still being conducted to a very limited extent. Nevertheless, they can provide relevant information for specialists to use in many disciplines of science, as well as for practitioners, especially gerontologists, geriatricians, psychologists and other people associated with prophylaxis and health promotion. The aim of the study is to assess the impact of the place of residence and marital status on the self-efficacy in the elderly. Methods: A diagnostic survey method was used for the study and within the method, the authors’ sociodemographic data questionnaire and the generalized self-efficacy scale (GSES) were applied. The study was carried out in a group of 171 females and 130 males under nursing care in the home environment or in nursing-home care in Poland. Results: The average level of generalized sense of self-efficacy in the research cohort was M = 26.69, SD = 8.49. A relatively high percentage of the group (48.9%) showed a sense of self-efficacy at a high level. The level of a sense of self-efficacy was low in 38.2% of the cohort, while its average intensity in the remaining ones constituted 12.9% of the total. A statistically significant impact of a place of residence (Z = −2.940; p = 0.003) and marital status (H = 12.000; p = 0.007) on the sense of efficacy in the research cohort was proven in favor of those from the rural environment and the respondents having spouses. Conclusions: On the scale of the studied group, the results of a sense of self-efficacy are optimistic, as older people with high levels predominated. However, the results of the cohort whose self-efficacy is insufficient to cope with their old age should be considered carefully, especially in the case of lonely people living in the urban environment and NHC (nursing-home care) residents.
Fasting Plasma Glucose Variability and Gastric Cancer Risk in Individuals Without Diabetes Mellitus: A Nationwide Population-Based Cohort Study

INTRODUCTION: Long-term glycemic variability is associated with various adverse health outcomes in patients with diabetes mellitus (DM). However, the relationship between glycemic variability and gastric cancer remains unclear. We aimed to investigate the association between glycemic variability and gastric cancer incidence in individuals without DM. METHODS: We used the Korean National Health Insurance Service data sets of claims and health checkups and included 202,562 individuals without DM. Fasting plasma glucose (FPG) variability was measured using the variability independent of the mean (VIM), coefficient of variation, SD, and average successive variability. The association between FPG variability and gastric cancer incidence was analyzed using Cox regression adjusting for age, sex, body mass index, smoking status, alcohol consumption, regular exercise, income level, family history of cancer, mean FPG level, and number/mean interval of FPG measurements. RESULTS: In total, 1,920 patients developed gastric cancer (0.95%) within a median follow-up of 5.6 (5.3, 6.4) years. The fully adjusted hazard ratio and 95% confidence interval for gastric cancer were 1.26 and 1.18–1.34, respectively, in the highest quartile of FPG variability assessed by VIM compared with that in the lowest quartile. Similar results were obtained in the normal and impaired fasting glucose groups and when using the variability indexes, including coefficient of variation, SD, and average successive variability. There was a sequential increase in the incidence of gastric cancer according to the increase in the deciles of FPG variability (P for linear trend <0.001). A 1-SD increase in FPG variability assessed by VIM was significantly associated with a 10.0% increase in gastric cancer risk in the fully adjusted model. DISCUSSION: In a DM-free population, high variability in visit-to-visit FPG levels was independently associated with an increased risk of gastric cancer.
T Cell Immunity to Bacterial Pathogens: Mechanisms of Immune Control and Bacterial Evasion

The human body frequently encounters harmful bacterial pathogens and employs immune defense mechanisms designed to counteract such pathogenic assault. In the adaptive immune system, major histocompatibility complex (MHC)-restricted αβ T cells, along with unconventional αβ or γδ T cells, respond to bacterial antigens to orchestrate persisting protective immune responses and generate immunological memory. Research in the past ten years accelerated our knowledge of how T cells recognize bacterial antigens and how many bacterial species have evolved mechanisms to evade host antimicrobial immune responses. Such escape mechanisms act to corrupt the crosstalk between innate and adaptive immunity, potentially tipping the balance of host immune responses toward pathological rather than protective. This review examines the latest developments in our knowledge of how T cell immunity responds to bacterial pathogens and evaluates some of the mechanisms that pathogenic bacteria use to evade such T cell immunosurveillance, to promote virulence and survival in the host.
Birnessite: A New Oxidant for Green Rust Formation

Iron and manganese are ubiquitous in the natural environment. FeII-FeIII layered double hydroxide, commonly called green rust (GR), and MnIII-MnIV birnessite (Bir) are also well known to be reactive solid compounds. Therefore, studying the chemical interactions between Fe and Mn species could contribute to understanding the interactions between their respective biogeochemical cycles. Moreover, ferromanganese solid compounds are potentially interesting materials for water treatment. Here, a {Fe(OH)2, FeIIaq} mixture was oxidized by Bir in sulphated aqueous media in the presence or absence of dissolved O2. In oxic conditions for an initial FeII/OH− ratio of 0.6, a single GR phase was obtained in a first step; the oxidation kinetics being faster than without Bir. In a second step, GR was oxidised into various final products, mainly in a spinel structure. A partial substitution of Fe by Mn species was suspected in both GR and the spinel. In anoxic condition, GR was also observed but other by-products were concomitantly formed. All the oxidation products were characterized by XRD, XPS, and Mössbauer spectroscopy. Hence, oxidation of FeII species by Bir can be considered as a new chemical pathway for producing ferromanganese spinels. Furthermore, these results suggest that Bir may participate in the formation of GR minerals.
Understanding pregnant women's adherence-related beliefs about Nicotine Replacement Therapy for smoking cessation: A qualitative study.

INTRODUCTION Reducing smoking during pregnancy is a public health priority. Nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) is offered routinely to pregnant women who smoke in the United Kingdom. However, evidence of treatment efficacy in this population is weak, most likely due to poor adherence. Guided by the Necessity-Concerns Framework, we conducted a qualitative study to better understand pregnant women's perceived needs and concerns regarding NRT use, with consideration of combination NRT. METHODS Semi-structured interviews were conducted by telephone with 18 pregnant or recently pregnant women in England and Wales, purposively sampled for different NRT-related experiences. Participants were recruited online via Facebook adverts and through a Stop Smoking Service. A hybrid approach of deductive and inductive thematic coding was used for analysis. RESULTS Findings were organized around three themes: 1) the role of motivation to stop smoking; 2) necessity beliefs about using NRT; and 3) concerns about NRT. Some women reported fluctuating motivation for stopping smoking which undermined their NRT use. Others used NRT to cut down the number of cigarettes they smoked. Reasons for low NRT necessity beliefs included a preference for quitting unassisted, low or unrealistic expectations of efficacy, and overconfidence in achieving cessation (necessity testing). Concerns included safety, particularly around increased nicotine exposure with combination NRT, addictiveness, side effects, and capability to use. CONCLUSION Pregnant women have multiple necessity beliefs and concerns that influence their use of NRT. Targeting these, alongside increasing and maintaining motivation to quit smoking, will likely help optimize NRT use in pregnancy and improve quit rates.
Tumor Infiltrating Lymphocytes Signature as a New Pan-Cancer Predictive Biomarker of Anti PD-1/PD-L1 Efficacy

Tumor immune infiltrates are associated with tumor prognosis in many cancer types. However, their capacity to predict the efficacy of checkpoint inhibitors is poorly documented. We generate three signatures that evaluate in different ways these infiltrates: lymphoid- and myeloid-alone signatures, and a combined signature of both named the TIL (tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte) transcriptomic signature. We evaluate these signatures in The Cancer Genome Atlas Program (TCGA) Pan-Cancer cohort and four cohorts comprising patients with melanoma, lung, and head and neck cancer treated with anti-PD-1 or anti-CTLA-4 therapies. We observe using TCGA Pan-Cancer cohort that this TIL or lymphoid-alone signature accurately estimates prognosis in most cancer types and outperforms histological TIL evaluation or myeloid signature alone. Both TIL and lymphoid signatures are correlated with response rate to immunotherapy. Combining lymphoid signature or TIL with tumor mutational burden generates a score that is highly efficient in predicting response to immunotherapy. In different series of patients treated with checkpoint inhibitors for non-small cell lung cancer, head and neck cancer, and melanoma, we observed that TIL or lymphoid signature were associated with outcome. These data demonstrate that a simple TIL or lymphoid signature could be used as a Pan-Cancer prognostic and predictive biomarker to estimate patient survival under checkpoint inhibitors.
Body Composition, Physical Activity, and Convenience Food Consumption among Asian American Youth: 2011–2018 NHANES

The primary purpose of this study was to describe obesity, body composition, convenience food consumption, physical activity, and muscle strength among Asian American youth compared to other racial/ethnic groups. The secondary purpose was to examine whether obesity, body composition, convenience food consumption, physical activity, and muscle strength differed by acculturation levels among Asian American youth. A secondary analysis was conducted using data from 12,763 children aged 2 to 17 years that participated in the 2011–2018 US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). In the NHANES interview, acculturation, dietary behavior, and physical activity questionnaires were administered. The acculturation level was indicated by the language spoken at home. In the NHANES examination, anthropometry, dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA), and muscle strength assessments were conducted. Compared to non-Hispanic White American boys, Asian American boys had similar levels of obesity, central obesity, and fat mass. Among the five racial/ethnic groups examined, lean body mass, muscle mass, convenience food consumption, and daily physical activity were the lowest in the Asian group. More acculturated Asian American boys, but not girls, were more likely to be obese (OR = 3.28 (1.63, 6.60)). More acculturated Asian American youth more frequently consumed convenience food (1.4 more meals/month (1.2, 1.6)). This study highlights the obesity problem among Asian American boys, which worsens with acculturation to America. The study results also suggest that although Asian American youth consume less convenience food overall than non-Hispanic White American youth, increasing acculturation may negatively influence food choices.
Phlorotannins as HIV Vpu inhibitors, an in silico virtual screening study of marine natural products

The importance of new effective treatment methodologies for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is undeniable for the medical society. Viral protein U (Vpu), one of the disparaged accessory proteins of HIV, is responsible for the dissemination of viral particles, and HIV mutants lacking Vpu protein have remarkably reduced pathogenicity. Here, we explored the marine natural products to find the leading structures which can potentially inhibit the activity of Vpu in silico. To fulfill this goal, we set up a virtual screening based on molecular docking to evaluate the binding capacity of different marine products to Vpu. For validation, we used molecular dynamics simulation and monitored the root mean square deviation value and binding interactions. The results were intriguing when we realized that the hit compounds (phlorotannins) had previously been identified as reverse transcriptase and HIV protease inhibitors. This research inaugurates a new road to combat HIV by multifaceted mode of action of these marine natural products without putting the normal cells in jeopardy (with their safe toxicological profile).