Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS OF THE SALOUM. GENDER CHALLENGES FOR SOCIO-ECONOMIC INNOVATION

This anthropological and economic study, combines quantitative approaches with a qualitative investigation for the analysis of training needs, as well as material or cultural obstacles to female entrepreneurship in the Saloum (Kaolack and Kaffrine Senegalese regions). The reflection on the transformation of "traditional" gender balances reflects a various and complex panorama, where the factors of social innovation (although not internalised) can play an important role on an ecological and cultural level. The trans-generational transmission of models and the institutional support of local and international cooperation bodies will determine the change or the renegotiation of gender balances. Lo studio, di matrice antropologica ed economica, affianca approcci quantitativi ad un'indagine qualitativa per l'analisi dei fabbisogni formativi e degli ostacoli materiali e culturali presenti nel contesto dell'imprenditoria femminile del Saloum (regioni di Kaolack e Kaffrine). La riflessione sulla trasformazione degli equilibri "tradizionali" di genere restituisce un panorama variegato e complesso, dove i fattori di innovazione sociale (sebbene non interiorizzati) possono giocare un ruolo importante in chiave ecologica e culturale. La trasmissione trans-generazionale di modelli e l'appoggio istituzionale degli enti locali o di cooperazione internazionale determineranno il mutamento o la rinegoziazione degli equilibri di genere.
Cross-cultural adaptation and measurement properties of the Malay Shoulder Pain and Disability Index

Objective The purpose of this study is to cross-culturally adapt the Shoulder Pain and Disability Index from English to Malay, and to evaluate the measurement properties of the Malay version among Malay speakers with shoulder pain. Methods Cross-cultural adaptation of the Malay version of Shoulder Pain and Disability Index (M-SPADI) was conducted according to international guidelines. 260 participants (Shoulder pain = 130, No shoulder pain = 130) completed the M-SPADI, the Numerical Rating Scale (NRS), and measurement of shoulder active range of motion (AROM). 54 participants repeated M-SPADI within a mean of 9.2 days. Results Cross-cultural adaptation of M-SPADI had no major issues. The M-SPADI had good face validity; item and scale content validity indexes (I-CVI, S-CVI) were >0.79 except for Disability Item 3 (I-CVI = 0.75), and exploratory factor analysis showed that M-SPADI had a bidimensional structure. There was a strong positive correlation between M-SPADI and NRS (rPain = 0.845, rDisability = 0.722, rTotal = 0.795, p <0.001) and a negative correlation between M-SPADI and shoulder AROM with the following correlation ranges (rPain = -0.316 to -0.637, rDisability = -0.419 to -0.708, rTotal = -0404 to -0.697, p<0.001). M-SPADI’s total score was higher in participants with shoulder pain (Mdn: 33.8, IQR = 37.3) compared to no shoulder pain (Mdn:0, IQR = 0.8) and the difference was statistically significant (U = 238.5, z = -13.89, p<0.001). M-SPADI had no floor or ceiling effects (floor/ceiling <15%), high internal consistency (Cronbach’s αPain = 0.914, Cronbach’s αDisability = 0.945) and good to excellent test-retest reliability (ICCPain = 0.922, ICCDisability = 0.859, ICCTotal = 0.895). Conclusion M-SPADI has a bi-dimensional structure with no floor or ceiling effects, established face, content and construct validity, internal consistency, and test-retest reliability. M-SPADI is a reliable and valid tool for assessing Malay-speaking individuals with shoulder pain in clinical and research settings.
‘You’re on the waiting list’: An interpretive phenomenological analysis of young adults’ experiences of waiting lists within mental health services in the UK

Waiting lists in mental health services are currently considered too long. Lengthy waits of up to 18 weeks are commonly reported in the UK. Waiting lists have long been associated with a variety of negative psychological responses, however there is little understanding behind young adults’ personal experiences of such delays within mental health services. The current study aimed to explore young adults’ experiences of waiting lists in mental healthcare in the UK. Seven young adults were interviewed in the current study (aged 19–22). Interpretive phenomenological analysis was utilised to explore participant accounts. Three super-ordinate themes were generated: Reliance on Alternative Methods of Support; Inability to Function Sufficiently; and Emergence of Negative Beliefs, Emotions and Thoughts. Participants primarily reported a variety of negative psychological and behavioural consequences associated with waiting lists in mental health services, as well as exacerbated existing physical and psychological health issues. In accordance with the limited number of previous studies, waiting lists are considered by patients to be barriers to mental health support and intervention. Future direction is advised.
Impact of social distancing in response to COVID-19 on hospitalizations for laryngitis, tracheitis, otitis media, and mastoiditis in children aged 0 to 9 years in Brazil

ABSTRACT Objective The objective of this study is to evaluate the impact of social distancing resulting from COVID-19 in hospitalizations for infections of the upper airways (URTI), such as acute laryngitis, tracheitis, and otitis media in children aged 0 to 9 years in Brazil, considering that they share the same forms of transmission. Methods Data on hospitalizations for acute airway changes and their complications in children <9 years old were obtained from the Database of the Brazilian Department of Public Health Informatics for the period 2015 to 2020. These data were also analyzed by macroregions of Brazil (North, Northeast, Southeast, South, and Midwest). The effect of the social distancing strategy on the increase of acute laryngitis, tracheitis, otitis media, and mastitis, as absolute and relative reductions, was calculated by analyzing the annual calculation of 2015-2019 vs 2020. Results All the hospitalizations compared in the Unified Health System (SUS) for laryngitis and acute tracheitis and otitis media decreased, considering all states of Brazil. The largest reduction in hospitalization reduction was in the North, with -94% in 2015-2019 vs 2020 in cases of laryngitis and acute tracheitis, and in the Midwest, with - 85% in 2015-2019 vs 2020 in cases of otitis media. Conclusion Hospitalizations for laryngitis, acute tracheitis, and acute otitis media in children <9 years old decreased between March and July 2020 in Brazil, when social distancing measures were adopted due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Promoting mechanism of serum amyloid a family expression in mouse intestinal epithelial cells

Serum amyloid A (SAA) is an acute phase inflammatory protein that we previously described as a robust biomarker of colorectal inflammation in patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) in clinical remission. However, what induces SAA expression in UC remains unclear. This study demonstrates that SAA is significantly expressed in the intestinal tract of UC mouse models when compared with C-reactive protein, another inflammatory biomarker. Moreover, interleukin-6 and tumor necrosis factor-α were found to promote SAA1 expression, as were Toll-like receptor ligands flagellin and lipopolysaccharide. Furthermore, results suggested that the nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) pathway may be involved in the promotion of SAA1 expression by flagellin, which was inhibited by treatment with 5-aminosalicylic acid (5-ASA). Therefore, the flagellin/NF-κB/SAA1 axis may represent one of the mechanisms by which 5-ASA suppresses intestinal inflammation.
Externalizing personality characteristics define clinically relevant subgroups of alcohol use disorder

Aims Higher levels of externalizing characteristics, i.e. impulsivity, novelty seeking and aggression, could contribute to the development, progression and severity of alcohol use disorder (AUD). The present study aims to explore whether these externalizing characteristics together have a potential group-forming role in AUD using latent profile analysis (LPA). Methods Externalizing characteristics of 102 AUD patients were analyzed using LPA to explore the group-forming role of externalizing symptoms; groups were compared in terms of demographic and alcohol-related variables, indices of psychopathological, depressive and anxiety symptom severity. Results LPA revealed and supported a two-group model based on externalizing symptoms. The group with higher levels of externalizing symptoms showed significantly elevated levels of alcohol-related and anxio-depressive symptoms. Conclusions Externalizing characteristics converge and have a group-forming role in chronic AUD, and are associated with a more severe form of AUD. By making the diagnostic category less heterogeneous, these different subtypes within AUD may provide aid in tailoring treatments to patients’ specific needs.
A Bayesian network meta-analysis of the primary definitive therapies for locoregionally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma: IC+CCRT, CCRT+AC, and CCRT alone

Background The major aim of this Bayesian network analysis was to determine the optimal treatment strategy for locoregionally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma (LANPC). Method We systematically searched databases and extracted data from randomized clinical trials involving LANPC patients randomly assigned to receive induction chemotherapy followed by concurrent chemoradiotherapy (IC+CCRT), CCRT followed by adjuvant chemotherapy (CCRT+AC), or CCRT. Results In the network analysis, IC+CCRT was significantly better than CCRT alone for 5-year FFS (odds ratio [OR]: 1.63, 95% credible interval [CrI] 1.16–2.29), DMFS (OR: 1.56, 95% CrI 1.08–2.22), and LFRS (OR: 1.62, 95% CrI 1.02–2.59), but not OS (OR: 1.35, 95% CrI 0.92–2.00). Rank probabilities showed that IC+CCRT was ranked the best followed by CCRT+AC and CCRT for all 5-year outcomes. Although compared to IC+CCRT and CCRT, CCRT+AC did not significantly improve survival but had the highest 5-year survival rates. Conclusions IC+CCRT could be recommended as a front-preferred primary definitive therapy for patients with LANPC.
Assessment of lifestyle changes during coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic in Gondar town, Northwest Ethiopia

Background Coronavirus disease 2019 has had a global effect on people’s lifestyles. Many people have developed irregular eating patterns and become physically inactive, which leads to an aggravation of lifestyle-related diseases and unhealthier lifestyles; these, subsequently raise the severity of coronavirus disease 2019. This study aimed to assess lifestyle changes during coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic in Gondar town, North West, Ethiopia. Method Community-based cross-sectional study design was conducted among households at Gondar town from June to August 2021. The study participants were selected by a systematic random sampling technique from proportionally allocated kebeles. Data were collected using face-to-face interview techniques and were entered and analyzed by using a statistical package for the social sciences version 24; P-values < 0.05 were considered as statistically significant. Result Overall, 348 study participants were included in the study. Among those respondents, 52.3% (182) were female study participants and the mean age of the respondents was 30.95±14.4. In this study, there was a significant decrement in non-homemade food from 20.4% to 13.4% at (P = <0.001). Concerning water intake, 11.5% (40) of respondents consumed ≥8 cups/day before the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic, and the percentage increased to 14.7% (51) during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic (p = 0.01). Of the participants, 46% participants were reported never engaging in any physical activity before the coronavirus pandemic, and the percentage decreased to 29.9% during the pandemic (P = 0.002). The respondents also exhibited increment tension in large from 4.9% to 22.7% before and during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic, respectively. Furthermore, about 6.3% of the study participants slept badly before the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemics and the effects of sleeping badly and restlessly increased to 25.9% during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic (P = <0.001). Conclusion The current study demonstrates that there is a noticeable alteration in food consumption, food choices, regular mealtime, sleeping habits, mental exhaustion, and practice of physical activity.
Sustained reduction in numbers of Australian fur seal pups: Implications for future population monitoring

Fur seal populations in the Southern Hemisphere were plundered in the late 1700s and early 1800s to provide fur for a clothing industry. Millions of seals were killed resulting in potentially major ecosystem changes across the Southern Hemisphere, the consequences of which are unknown today. Following more than a century of population suppression, partly through on-going harvesting, many of the fur seal populations started to recover in the late 1900s. Australian fur seals (Arctocephalus pusillus doriferus), one of the most geographically constrained fur seal species, followed this trend. From the 1940s to 1986, pup production remained at approximately 10,000 per year, then significant growth commenced. By 2007, live pup abundance had recovered to approximately 21,400 per year and recovery was expected to continue However, a species-wide survey in 2013 recorded a 20% decline, to approximately 16,500 live pups. It was not known if this decline was due to 2013 being a poor breeding year or a true population reduction. Here we report the results of a population-wide survey conducted in 2017 and annual monitoring at the most productive colony, Seal Rocks, Victoria that recorded a large decline in live pup abundance (-28%). Sustained lower pup numbers at Seal Rocks from annual counts between 2012–2017 (mean = 2908 ± 372 SD), as well as the population-wide estimate of 16,903 live pups in 2017, suggest that the pup numbers for the total population have remained at the lower level observed in 2013 and that the 5-yearly census results are not anomalies or representative of poor breeding seasons. Potential reasons for the decline, which did not occur range-wide but predominantly in the most populated and long-standing breeding sites, are discussed. To enhance adaptive management of this species, methods for future monitoring of the population are also presented. Australian fur seals occupy several distinct regions influenced by different currents and upwellings: range-wide pup abundance monitoring enables comparisons of ecosystem status across these regions. Forces driving change in Australian fur seal pup numbers are likely to play across other marine ecosystems, particularly in the Southern Hemisphere where most fur seals live.
When Mindfulness Becomes a Mental Health Risk: The Relevance of Emotion Regulation Difficulties and Need Frustration

Abstract Although a great deal of research has shown the positive effects of mindfulness on mental health, some studies have provided evidence that mindfulness can have negative consequences. However, not much is known about the conditions that can account for such negative effects. We examined the moderating roles of difficulties in emotion regulation and basic psychological need frustration in the relationship between mindfulness and psychological ill-being. Longitudinal data were collected at three points in time during a 6-month period from two adult samples in Turkey and Germany. Self-report measures were used to measure ill-being, mindfulness, emotion regulation difficulties, and need frustration. In the German sample, difficulties in emotion regulation and need frustration were related to ill-being, but there were no significant interactions. In the Turkish sample, need frustration predicted ill-being, and the interaction between mindfulness and difficulties in emotion regulation also predicted ill-being. Mindfulness was a protective factor among people with no major difficulties in emotion regulation, whereas it was a risk factor among those with emotion regulation difficulties. The findings suggest that the relationship between mindfulness and ill-being may be more complex than previously thought.
Caught in the ACTS: Defining Abstract Cognitive Task Sequences as an Independent Process

Abstract Cognitive neuroscience currently conflates the study of serial responses (e.g., delay match to sample/nonsample, n-back) with the study of sequential operations. In this essay, our goal is to define and disentangle the latter, termed abstract cognitive task sequences (ACTS). Existing literatures address tasks requiring serial events, including procedural learning of implicit motor responses, statistical learning of predictive relationships, and judgments of attributes. These findings do not describe the behavior and underlying mechanism required to succeed at remembering to evaluate color, then shape; or to multiply, then add. A new literature is needed to characterize these sorts of second-order cognitive demands of studying a sequence of operations. Our second goal is to characterize gaps in knowledge related to ACTS that merit further investigation. In the following sections, we define more precisely what we mean by ACTS and suggest research questions that further investigation would be positioned to address.
Spotlight on the Left Frontal Cortex: No Evidence for Response Inhibition from Cathodal High-Definition transcranial Direct Current Stimulation over Left Inferior Frontal Gyrus or Left Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex

Abstract Inhibitory control functions draw on a fronto-basal network with central cortical hubs at the right inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) and the pre-SMA. However, few neuropsychological studies investigated the role of brain regions in the left frontal cortex and some previous evidence from bilateral studies remained inconclusive. This study presents a systematic investigation with high-definition transcranial direct current stimulation (HD tDCS) in a focal 4 × 1 configuration, which was used to target the left IFG or the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) with 1-mA active or sham cathodal HD tDCS. Healthy participants were randomized into three groups. We analyzed performance in an adaptive stop-signal task to quantify inhibitory control before (baseline), during cathodal HD tDCS (on-line), and after cathodal HD tDCS (off-line) to either left IFG, left DLPFC, or sham. Results from 67 participants and Bayesian analyses indicated moderate evidence against an effect of cathodal tDCS (left DLPFC and left IFG compared with sham) regardless of timing, that is, on-line or off-line cathodal HD tDCS. The study results are examined in view of previous neuropsychological and neurostimulation studies with bilateral and unilateral cathodal tDCS in healthy and patient samples. Theoretically, our results are compatible with a right-lateralization of response inhibition functions and suggest a negligible role of the left frontal hemisphere in healthy participants, but more stimulation parameters can be still explored in the left hemisphere. In line with previous studies, right inferior frontal gyrus seems a more promising target to investigate or alleviate response inhibition with tDCS.
Comparative transcriptomics reveals altered species interaction between the bioeroding sponge Cliona varians and the coral Porites furcata under ocean acidification

Bioeroding sponges interact and compete with corals on tropical reefs. Experimental studies have shown global change alters this biotic interaction, often in favour of the sponge. Ocean acidification in particular increases sponge bioerosion and reduces coral calcification, yet little is known about the molecular basis of these changes. We used RNA‐Seq data to understand how acidification impacts the interaction between the bioeroding sponge, Cliona varians, and the coral, Porites furcata, at the transcriptomic level. Replicate sponge and coral genets were exposed to ambient (8.1 pH) and acidified (7.6 pH) conditions in isolation and in treatments where they were joined for 48 h. The coral had a small gene expression response (tens of transcripts) to the sponge, suggesting it does little at the transcriptomic level to deter sponge overgrowth. By contrast, the sponge differentially expressed 7320 transcripts in response to the coral under ambient conditions and 3707 transcripts in response to acidification. Overlap in the responses to acidification and the coral, 2500 transcripts expressed under both treatments, suggests a similar physiological response to both cues. The sponge expressed 50× fewer transcripts in response to the coral under acidification, suggesting energetic costs of bioerosion, and other cellular processes, are lower for sponges under acidification. Our results suggest how acidification drives ecosystem‐level changes in the accretion/bioerosion balance on coral reefs. This shift is not only the result of changes to the thermodynamic balance of these chemical reactions but also the result of active physiological responses of organisms to each other and their abiotic environment.
On the efficiency of three schemes of enchytraeid wet funnel extraction

We compare the extraction efficiency of three modifications of the wet funnel extraction of enchytraeids from soil: O'Connor's original method and its adaptations by Chalupský (soil samples not fully covered by water) and by Graefe (prolonged extraction, no heating). The testing was conducted with soil samples taken on three sites twice a year: a fallow, a mature beech stand (both cambisol on flysch) and a hardwood floodplain forest (fluvisol). The non-parametric tests for tied samples applied did not reveal any significant differences in the extraction efficiency. Particularly O'Connor's method and its modification by Chalupský yielded very similar results, while the results indicated a somewhat higher efficiency of the Graefe method (six days proved as fully sufficient for cold extraction). Number and size of sample units in connection with generally low enchytraeid densities encountered had probably a negative impact on the outcome of this study.
Single-Cell Phenotypic and Molecular Characterization of Circulating Tumor Cells Isolated from Cryopreserved Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells of Patients with Lung Cancer and Sarcoma.

BACKGROUND The isolation of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) requires rapid processing of the collected blood due to their inherent fragility. The ability to recover CTCs from peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) preserved from cancer patients could allow for retrospective analyses or multicenter CTC studies. METHODS We compared the efficacy of CTC recovery and characterization using cryopreserved PMBCs vs fresh whole blood from patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC; n = 8) and sarcoma (n = 6). Two epithelial cellular adhesion molecule (EpCAM)-independent strategies for CTC enrichment, based on Parsortix® technology or immunomagnetic depletion of blood cells (AutoMACS®) were tested, followed by DEPArray™ single-cell isolation. Phenotype and genotype, assessed by copy number alterations analysis, were evaluated at a single-cell level. Detection of target mutations in CTC-enriched samples from frozen NSCLC PBMCs was also evaluated by digital PCR (dPCR). RESULTS The use of cryopreserved PBMCs from cancer patients allowed for the retrospective enumeration of CTCs and their molecular characterization, using both EpCAM-independent strategies that performed equally in capturing CTC. Cells isolated from frozen PBMCs were representative of whole blood-derived CTCs in terms of number, phenotype, and copy number aberration profile/target mutations. Long-term storage (≥3 years) did not affect the efficacy of CTC recovery. Detection of target mutations was also feasible by dPCR in CTC-enriched samples derived from stored PBMCs. CONCLUSIONS Isolating CTCs from longitudinally collected PBMCs using an unbiased selection strategy can offer a wider range of retrospective genomic/phenotypic analyses to guide patients' personalized therapy, paving the way for sample sharing in multicenter studies.