Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Water retention in a peatland with organic matter in different decomposition stages

Turfeiras sao ecossistemas formados por sucessivos processos pedogeneticos, resultando em acumulo em sucessao de restos vegetais em locais que apresentam condicoes que inibem a atividade da maioria dos microrganismos decompositores. Em Diamantina - MG, uma turfeira de 81,7 ha e encontrada em uma area de 1.366 m de altitude, com litologia predominantemente quartzitica e vegetacao tipica de campo umido. Para a realizacao deste estudo, a area da turfeira foi dividida em 12 transectos e, dentro destes, a cada 20 m, foi feita uma coleta de solo (90 amostras). Em todas as amostras, foram analisados os teores de fibras esfregadas (FE), densidade do solo (Ds), material mineral (MM), materia orgânica (MO), umidade (Um) e capacidade maxima de retencao de agua (CMRA). Em tres perfis, foram coletadas amostras de solo a cada 27 cm, ate a profundidade de 216 cm. Nessas amostras, foi determinada, adicionalmente, a umidade apos drenagem sob tensao de 10 kPa (U10) e 1.500 kPa (U1500), em extrator de Richards, e foi feito o fracionamento da materia orgânica. O grau de decomposicao da materia orgânica da turfeira aumenta com o aumento da profundidade. A Um e a CMRA sao mais elevadas em camadas com estadio menos avancado de decomposicao da MO. Os maiores teores de humina estao relacionados com as camadas que apresentam estadio menos avancado de decomposicao da materia orgânica e com a maior retencao de agua na CMRA e U10. Os maiores teores de acidos humicos estao relacionados com as camadas que apresentam estadio intermediario de decomposicao da materia orgânica e com as menores retencoes de agua na CMRA, U10 e U1500.
Pilates for Overweight or Obesity: A Meta-Analysis

Background: Evidence for the efficacy of Pilates for the modulation of body weight and body composition is unclear. Objective: This meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the effects of Pilates on body weight and body composition in adults with overweight or obesity. Data Sources: The PubMed, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), and EMBASE databases were systematically searched from the inception dates to 12 November 2020 for relevant randomized controlled trials (RCTs). Study Selection: Randomized controlled trials comparing Pilates with other physical exercises or without any intervention were included. Data Extraction and Synthesis: Three reviewers independently performed the data extraction and assessed study quality. The mean differences (MDs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for pooled data were calculated. Main Outcomes and Measures: Outcome measures were body weight, body mass index (BMI), body fat percentage, lean body mass, and waist circumference. Results: Eleven RCTs with 393 subjects were included. This study revealed that Pilates dramatically reduces body weight (MD = −2.40, 95% CI: [−4.04, −0.77], P = 0.004, I2 = 51%), BMI (MD = −1.17, 95% CI: [−1.85, −0.50], P = 0.0006, I2 = 61%), and body fat percentage (MD = −4.22, 95% CI: [−6.44, −2.01], P = 0.0002, I2 = 88%) in adults with overweight or obesity. The reduction in body weight and body fat percentage appears to be more pronounced in studies including participants with obesity only, and the efficacy of Pilates for the improvement of body weight and BMI appears to be more evident in longer intervention duration. However, Pilates has no significant effect on waist circumference (MD = −2.65, 95% CI: [−6.84, 1.55], P = 0.22, I2 = 0%) and lean body mass (MD = −0.00, 95% CI: [−1.40, 1.40], P = 1.00, I2 = 23%). Conclusions: Pilates dramatically reduces body weight, BMI, and body fat percentage in adults with overweight or obesity. Large-scale and well-designed RCTs with improved methodology and reporting are urgently needed to further confirm these results.
Serum Uric Acid Levels Predict Mortality Risk in Male Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Patients

Objective: To explore the associations between serum uric acid levels with survival in male and female ALS patients. Methods: A longitudinal cohort study was carried out including 313 sporadic and 16 familial ALS patients with repeated serum uric acid measurements. Multivariate Cox regression models were used to evaluate the survival-related factors. Results: There were 207 male and 122 female, and the mean age of onset was 55.7 ± 11.2 years old. The male patients had significantly higher baseline uric acid levels than that in female patients (342.4 ± 91.4 vs. 279.3 ± 71.4 μmol/L; p < 0.0001). The uric acid levels were inversely associated with the decline rate of ALSFRS-R per month (ΔALSFRS-R). After multivariate Cox regression analysis, a survival advantage was found in male, but not female, with higher serum uric acid levels. In males, a shorter diagnostic delay (≤10 m), lower BMI at baseline (≤18.70 kg/m2), faster disease progression (ΔALSFRS-R > 0.63), and lower baseline uric acid levels (≤292 μmol/L, HR: 1.936; 95% CI: 1.334–2.810) were associated with a shorter survival. During follow-up, the serum uric acid levels were not significantly altered over time. Conclusion: There is an inverse correlation between baseline serum uric acid levels and risk of death, prominently in male ALS patients.
Previous History of American Tegumentary Leishmaniasis Alters Susceptibility and Immune Response Against Schistosoma mansoni Infection in Humans

Schistosomiasis and Leishmaniasis are chronic parasitic diseases with high prevalence in some tropical regions and, due to their wide distribution, a risk of co-infections is present in some areas. Nevertheless, the impact of this interaction on human populations is still poorly understood. Thus, the current study evaluated the effect of previous American Tegumentary Leishmaniasis (ATL) on the susceptibility and immune response to Schistosoma mansoni infection in residents from a rural community in Northern of Minas Gerais state, Brazil, an area endemic for both parasitic infections. The participants answered a socioeconomic questionnaire and provided stool and blood samples for parasitological and immunological evaluations. Stool samples were examined by a combination of parasitological techniques to identify helminth infections, especially S. mansoni eggs. Blood samples were used for hemograms and to measure the serum levels of cytokines and chemokines. Reports on previous ATL were obtained through interviews, clinical evaluation forms, and medical records. S. mansoni infection was the most prevalent parasitic infection in the study population (46%), and the majority of the infected individuals had a very low parasite burden. In the same population, 93 individuals (36.2%) reported previous ATL, and the prevalence of S. mansoni infection among these individuals was significantly higher than among individuals with no ATL history. A multiple logistic regression model revealed that S. mansoni infection was positively associated with higher levels of CCL3 and CCL17, and a higher frequency of IL-17 responders. Moreover, this model demonstrated that individuals with an ATL history had a 2-fold higher probability to be infected with S. mansoni (OR = 2.0; 95% CI 1.04–3.68). Among S. mansoni-infected individuals, the logistic regression demonstrated that a previous ATL history was negatively associated with the frequency of IL-17 responders and CXCL10 higher responders, but positively associated with higher IL-27 responders. Altogether, our data suggest that previous ATL may alter the susceptibility and the immune response in S. mansoni-infected individuals, which may likely affect the outcome of schistosomiasis and the severity of the disease in humans.
Altitude Cardiomyopathy Is Associated With Impaired Stress Electrocardiogram and Increased Circulating Inflammation Makers

Many sea-level residents suffer from acute mountain sickness (AMS) when first visiting altitudes above 4,000 m. Exercise tolerance also decreases as altitude increases. We observed exercise capacity at sea level and under a simulated hypobaric hypoxia condition (SHHC) to explore whether the response to exercise intensity represented by physiological variables could predict AMS development in young men. Eighty young men from a military academy underwent a standard treadmill exercise test (TET) and biochemical blood test at sea level, SHHC, and 4,000-m altitude, sequentially, between December 2015 and March 2016. Exercise-related variables and 12-lead electrocardiogram parameters were obtained. Exercise intensity and AMS development were investigated. After exposure to high altitude, the count of white blood cells, alkaline phosphatase and serum albumin were increased (P < 0.05). There were no significant differences in exercise time and metabolic equivalents (METs) between SHHC and high-altitude exposures (7.05 ± 1.02 vs. 7.22 ± 0.96 min, P = 0.235; 9.62 ± 1.11 vs. 9.38 ± 1.12, P = 0.126, respectively). However, these variables were relatively higher at sea level (8.03 ± 0.24 min, P < 0.01; 10.05 ± 0.31, P < 0.01, respectively). Thus, subjects displayed an equivalent exercise tolerance upon acute exposure to high altitude and to SHHC. The trends of cardiovascular hemodynamics during exercise under the three different conditions were similar. However, both systolic blood pressure and the rate–pressure product at every TET stage were higher at high altitude and under the SHHC than at sea level. After acute exposure to high altitude, 19 (23.8%) subjects developed AMS. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that METs under the SHHC {odds ratio (OR) 0.355 per unit increment [95% confidence intervals (CI) 0.159−0.793], P = 0.011}, diastolic blood pressure (DBP) at rest under SHHC [OR 0.893 per mmHg (95%CI 0.805−0.991), P = 0.030], and recovery DBP 3 min after exercise at sea level [OR 1.179 per mmHg (95%CI 1.043−1.333), P = 0.008] were independently associated with AMS. The predictive model had an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.886 (95%CI 0.803−0.969, P < 0.001). Thus, young men have similar exercise tolerance in acute exposure to high altitude and to SHHC. Moreover, AMS can be predicted with superior accuracy using characteristics easily obtainable with TET.
Fungicides With Contrasting Mode of Action Differentially Affect Hyphal Healing Mechanism in Gigaspora sp. and Rhizophagus irregularis

Fungicides are widely used in conventional agriculture to control fungal diseases, but may also affect non-target microorganisms such as arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi. These root symbionts develop extended mycelial networks within the soil via mechanisms such as anastomosis that indistinctly concerns intact and damaged hyphae, the latter being named hyphal healing mechanism (HHM). The HHM differs between Glomeraceae and Gigasporaceae. However, the effects of fungicides on this mechanism in unknown. Here, the impact of azoxystrobin, pencycuron, flutolanil, and fenpropimorph at 0.02 and 2 mg L–1 were tested in vitro on the HHM of Gigaspora sp. MUCL 52331 and Rhizophagus irregularis MUCL 41833, and repair events visualized carefully under a dissecting bright-field light microscope. Azoxystrobin was the more detrimental for both AM fungi at 2 mg L–1, while fenpropimorph impacted only R. irregularis (stimulating at low and inhibiting at high concentration). Conversely, flutolanil and pencycuron did not impact any of the two AM fungi. The mechanisms involved remains to be elucidated, but perturbation in the still-to-be firmly demonstrated spitzenkörper or in sterols content as well as a process of hormesis are possible avenues that deserve to be explored in view of a rationale management of chemicals to control fungal pathogens without harming the beneficial AM fungi.
“What If We Get Sick?”: Spanish Adaptation and Validation of the Fear of Illness and Virus Evaluation Scale in a Non-clinical Sample Exposed to the COVID-19 Pandemic

Distinct sources of stress have emerged during the COVID-19 pandemic. Particularly, fear is expected to generate significant psychological burden on individuals and influence on either unsafe behavior that may hinder recovery efforts or virus-mitigating behaviors. However, little is known about the properties of measures to capture them in research and clinical settings. To resolve this gap, we evaluated the psychometric properties of a novel measure of fear of illness and viruses and tested its predictive value for future development of distress. We extracted a random sample of 450 Chilean adult participants from a large cross-sectional survey panel and invited to participate in this intensive longitudinal study for 35 days. Of these, 163 ended up enrolling in the study after the demanding nature of the measurement schedule was clearly explained to them. For this final sample, we calculated different Confirmatory Factor Analyses (CFA) to evaluate the preliminary proposed structure for the instrument. Complementarily, we conducted a content analysis of the items to qualitatively extract its latent structure, which was also subject to empirical test via CFA. Results indicated that the original structure did not fit the data well; however, the new proposed structure based on the content analysis did. Overall, the modified instrument showed good reliability through all subscales both by its internal consistency with Cronbach’s alphas ranging from 0.814 to 0.913, and with test–retest correlations ranging from 0.715 to 0.804. Regarding its convergent validity, individuals who scored higher in fears tended to also score higher in depressive and posttraumatic stress symptoms at baseline. Furthermore, higher fears at baseline predicted a higher score in posttraumatic stress symptomatology 7 days later. These results provide evidence for the validity, reliability, and predictive performance of the scale. As the scale is free and multidimensional potentially not circumscribed to COVID-19, it might work as a step toward understanding the psychological impact of current and future pandemics, or further life-threatening health situations of similar characteristics. Limitations, practical implications, and future directions for research are discussed.
Targeting Macrophage Migration Inhibitory Factor in Acute Pancreatitis and Pancreatic Cancer

Macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) is a pleiotropic cytokine implicated in the pathogenesis of inflammation and cancer. It is produced by various cells and circulating MIF has been identified as a biomarker for a range of diseases. Extracellular MIF mainly binds to the cluster of differentiation 74 (CD74)/CD44 to activate downstream signaling pathways. These in turn activate immune responses, enhance inflammation and can promote cancer cell proliferation and invasion. Extracellular MIF also binds to the C-X-C chemokine receptors cooperating with or without CD74 to activate chemokine response. Intracellular MIF is involved in Toll-like receptor and inflammasome-mediated inflammatory response. Pharmacological inhibition of MIF has been shown to hold great promise in treating inflammatory diseases and cancer, including small molecule MIF inhibitors targeting the tautomerase active site of MIF and antibodies that neutralize MIF. In the current review, we discuss the role of MIF signaling pathways in inflammation and cancer and summarize the recent advances of the role of MIF in experimental and clinical exocrine pancreatic diseases. We expect to provide insights into clinical translation of MIF antagonism as a strategy for treating acute pancreatitis and pancreatic cancer.
A Study on Traditional Teaching Method Transferring to E-Learning Under the Covid-19 Pandemic: From Chinese Students' Perspectives

In response to the Covid-19 pandemic, online learning has been carried out in many countries with different types of online learning models being promoted and implemented. In the global pandemic continues, the education environment is forced to change from traditional classroom or blended teaching mode to online learning teaching model. With the outbreak of COVID-19, China was the first to announce that online courses are to be implemented in February 2020. In China, whether online learning can replace traditional offline teaching has become a topic worth discussing. Therefore, this study investigates university students in China by questionnaires and discussions of this topic. The study is based on the Push–Pull Mooring model. Based on 854 valid responses collected from an online survey questionnaire, structural equation modeling was employed to examine the research model. The results show that push effects (Perceived security risk, Learning convenience, and Service quality), pull effects (Usefulness, Ease of use, Teacher's Teaching Attitude, Task-technology Fit), and mooring effects (habit) all significantly influence users' switching intentions from offline to online learning platform. Finally, this study explores whether push–pull–mooring can be a reference for promoting and implementing online learning courses in Chinese colleges and universities in the future after the pandemic.
Environmental Risk Factors and Congenital Heart Disease: An Umbrella Review of 165 Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses With More Than 120 Million Participants

Background: The etiology of congenital heart disease (CHD) has been extensively studied in the past decades. Therefore, it is critical to clarify clear hierarchies of evidence between types of environmental factors and CHD. Methods: Electronic searches in PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Cochrane database were conducted from inception to April 20, 2020 for meta-analyses investigating the aforementioned topic. Results: Overall, 41 studies including a total of 165 meta-analyses of different environmental factors and CHD were examined, covering a wide range of risk factors. The summary random effects estimates were significant at P < 0.05 in 63 meta-analyses (38%), and 15 associations (9%) were significant at P < 10−6. Of these meta-analyses, eventually one risk factor (severe obesity; relative risk: 1.38, 95% confidence interval: 1.30–1.47) had significant summary associations at P < 10−6, included more than 1,000 cases, had 95% prediction intervals excluding the null value, and were not suggestive of large heterogeneity (I2 < 50%), small-study effects (P-value for Egger's test > 0.10), or excess significance (P > 0.10). Eight associations (5%) (including maternal lithium exposure, maternal obesity, maternal alcohol consumption, and maternal fever) had results that were significant at P < 10−6, included more than 1,000 cases, and had 95% prediction intervals excluding the null value (highly suggestive). Conclusion: This umbrella review shows that many environmental factors have substantial evidence in relation to the risk of developing CHD. More and better-designed studies are needed to establish robust evidence between environmental factors and CHD. Systematic Review Registration: [PROSPERO], identifier [CRD42020193381].
The Impact of Global Dynamic Capabilities on Governance Structure Choice of Partnership: The Moderating Effect of Ambidexterity

Research on multinational inter-organizational relationships has demonstrated that the capabilities of small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) can be developed via partnerships, but at present, we lack studies that relate the development of such capabilities to the management of business governance structure. This study provides a new perspective on internationalized SME marketing strategies in the global context. Using a dynamic capability view of firms, the study develops hierarchical regression models linking global dynamic capabilities and governance structure. This study empirically verifies the research framework from 206 internationalized SME Taiwanese firms. The results confirm previous studies that indicate positive correlations between market orientation, learning orientation, and global dynamic capabilities. The results also indicate that the development of global dynamic capabilities impacts the choice of governance structure in firms. Our study suggests that internationalized SMEs strategically manage their autonomy and strategic options by choosing combinations of different relationship types while they decide to develop global marketing capabilities and global design capability, or both. The study also found that market orientation and learning orientation act as enabling mechanisms for building global dynamic capabilities.
Decomposing Acute Symptom Severity in Large Vessel Occlusion Stroke: Association With Multiparametric CT Imaging and Clinical Parameters

Background and Purpose: Acute ischemic stroke of the anterior circulation due to large vessel occlusion (LVO) is a multifactorial process, which causes neurologic symptoms of different degree. Our aim was to examine the impact of neuromorphologic and vascular correlates as well as clinical factors on acute symptom severity in LVO stroke. Methods: We selected LVO stroke patients with known onset time from a consecutive cohort which underwent multiparametric CT including non-contrast CT, CT angiography and CT perfusion (CTP) before thrombectomy. Software-based quantification was used to calculate CTP total ischemic and ischemic core volume. Symptom severity was assessed using the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) upon admission. Multivariable regression analysis was performed to determine independent associations of admission NIHSS with imaging and clinical parameters. Receiver operating characteristics (ROC) analyses were used to examine performance of imaging parameters to classify symptom severity. Results: We included 142 patients. Linear and ordinal regression analyses for NIHSS and NIHSS severity groups identified significant associations for total ischemic volume [β = 0.31, p = 0.01; Odds ratio (OR) = 1.11, 95%-confidence-interval (CI): 1.02–1.19], clot burden score (β = −0.28, p = 0.01; OR = 0.76, 95%-CI: 0.64–0.90) and age (β = 0.17, p = 0.04). No association was found for ischemic core volume, stroke side, collaterals and time from onset. Stroke topography according to the Alberta Stroke Program CT Score template did not display significant influence after correction for multiple comparisons. AUC for classification of the NIHSS threshold ≥6 by total ischemic volume was 0.81 (p < 0.001). Conclusions: We determined total ischemic volume, clot burden and age as relevant drivers for baseline NIHSS in acute LVO stroke. This suggests that not only mere volume but also degree of occlusion influences symptom severity. Use of imaging parameters as surrogate for baseline NIHSS reached limited performance underlining the need for combined clinical and imaging assessment in acute stroke management.