Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Viral hepatitis in patients on hemodialysis

Hepatitis B and hepatitis C (HCV) prevalence are higher in people on hemodialysis (HD) than the general population. Through implementation of prevention interventions including vaccines, serologic screening, and post‐exposure management, transmissions linked to HD have decreased dramatically. In this manuscript, we review epidemiology of viral hepatitis, summarize current screening and vaccine recommendations, and appraise the available data about efforts to decrease incidence within HD facilities, including isolation of people with viral hepatitis within HD units. Also included is a discussion of the highly effective all‐oral HCV treatment options and treatment for HCV in people awaiting kidney transplant.
The ideal free distribution when the resource is variable

On the basis of the ideal free distribution (IFD) model, two stochastic models that incorporate the uncertainty of the information used for decision making were considered to investigate the effects of the variability in the resource supply rate on the IFD under continuous input conditions. In the uncertain-information model, competitors cannot trace the variation of the supply rate and use the expectation of the supply rate or previous payoffs for decision making. Both submodels predict matching of means, in which the average number of competitors for each patch is proportional to the average supply rate in the patch. In the perfect-information model, competitors continuously know and trace the environment conditions. Numerical predictions depend on the relative size of the resource variance between patches. When the resource variance in the good patch is sufficiently larger than that in the poor patch, it predicts undermatching of means; when the variance of the supply rate for each patch is small and proportional to the average of the supply rate in the patch, it predicts matching of means; and when the resource variance in the poor patch is larger than (or equal to) that in the good patch, it predicts overmatching of means. These results indicate the importance of clarifying the assumption on the uncertainty in information for decision making and the type of the resource variance for the test of the IFD under conditions where the resource supply rate is stochastic. Copyright 2003.
Stored RBC metabolism as a function of caffeine levels

Coffee consumption is extremely common in the United States. Coffee is rich with caffeine, a psychoactive, purinergic antagonist of adenosine receptors, which regulate red blood cell energy and redox metabolism. Since red blood cell (purine) metabolism is a critical component to the red cell storage lesion, here we set out to investigate whether caffeine levels correlated with alterations of energy and redox metabolism in stored red blood cells.
Thymoquinone is a protective agent that reduces the negative effects of doxorubicin in rat testis

Background: Doxorubicin (DOX) is used for treatment of many cancer types. Thymoquinone (THQ) is a powerful antioxidant agent used for reducing side effects of several drugs. The aim of this study is to determine possible therapeutic effects of THQ on doxorubicin-induced testicular toxicity in rats. Methods: Rats were divided into five groups (n = 8): control, THQ, olive oil, DOX (a single dose of 15 mg/kg intraperitoneally (i.p.) on seventh day of the experiment), and DOX + THQ (10 mg/kg THQ per day and 15 mg/kg DOX i.p. on seventh day). Animals were euthanized, and testis tissues were evaluated histopathologically. Caspase 3 and HSP90 immunostaining were performed to determine the expression levels of these proteins among groups. Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase 2′-deoxyuridine, 5′-triphosphate nick-end labeling method was used for evaluation of apoptotic index. Moreover, serum testosterone levels and total antioxidant status (TAS) and total oxidant status (TOS) in testicular tissue were measured by ELISA assay. Results: The DOX group had histopathological deterioration compared to the control group. There was an increase in apoptotic index, caspase 3 and HSP90 expressions in the DOX group. While TAS level of the DOX group decreased, TOS level increased when compared with the other groups. Serum testosterone levels in the DOX group decreased compared to the control group. However, there was improvement in testicular tissue in DOX + THQ group compared to the DOX group. There was a decrease in apoptotic index, caspase 3, and HSP90 expressions in DOX + THQ group compared to the DOX group. Testosterone level of DOX + THQ significantly increased compared to the DOX group. Conclusion: We suggest that THQ can be used as a protective agent to reduce the toxic effects of DOX.
Ecological Energetics of Rainbow Smelt in the Laurentian Great Lakes: An Interlake Comparison

Abstract We developed an energetics model for rainbow smelt Osmerus mordax to quantify its role as a producer and a predator in Great Lakes ecosystems. We measured the weight (W, g) and temperature (T °C) dependences of routine metabolism: R (cal·g–1·h–1) = 0.3646·W –0.216. e 0.036·T. We evaluated seasonal and ontogenetic patterns of rainbow smelt energy density. Seasonal and size-dependent diet composition was estimated based on an extensive analysis of smelt diets in Lakes Michigan and Ontario and a synthesis of published diet data for all of the Great Lakes. For each lake, we employed lake-specific temperature regimes, growth rates, mortality rates, and abundance estimates. Model simulations for the average individual rainbow smelt in the various lakes revealed gross food conversion efficiencies (GCE) of 13.8–15.8% averaged over all age-classes. For the youngest age-class, GCE was usually close to 20% and two or three times greater than for age-classes 4 and 5. An empirical estimate of daily ration in .
Large-scale flow structures and stability in shallow flows

Shallow turbulent flows occurring in wide rivers, estuaries, lakes or coastal regions, as well as the atmosphere, are readily susceptible to transverse disturbances that lead to two-dimensional coherent structures. The shallow jet, the shallow wake, and the shallow mixing layer are examples of such flow patterns. A linear stability analysis incorporating the effects of bottom friction and viscosity is applied to these flows to determine the criteria for absolute and convective instability and for stabilization of the flow. All three flow types exhibit instabilities within the range of natural flows. Three mechanisms for large-scale instability generation, namely topographic forcing, transverse velocity shear, and secondary instabilities of the base flow, are compared to the stability calculations. Based on the results, topographic forcing, and to a lesser extent, transverse shear are expected to have both absolute and convective instabilities; whereas, secondary instabilities of the base flow are expected.
Prevalence of residual inflammatory risk and associated clinical variables in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Residual inflammatory risk (RIR) is defined as persistent circulating levels of high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) > 2 mg/L despite an optimal (<70 mg/dL) control of LDL cholesterol (C) and represents an emerging risk factor for the development of cardiovascular events in patients at high-risk for atherosclerosis. Few data are available regarding the prevalence of RIR in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and the clinical variables associated with hs-CRP elevation. Here, we report data from a well characterized cohort of patients with T2DM (n = 511) stratified for statin use, LDL-C goal attainment, and prevalent T2DM complications. Statin use and having at-target LDL-C partially affect the number of patients with inflammatory risk when compared to the whole T2DM population, with a RIR prevalence of 39,2%. Among the spectra of complications, only patients with nephropathy had a higher prevalence of inflammatory risk. Total-C, non-HDL-C, triglycerides, BMI, and waist-hip ratio were associated with hs-CRP, with an increased magnitude in at-target patients. Conversely, glucose-related parameters were strongly associated with hs-CRP only in at-target patients, overall suggesting glycaemic control, insulin resistance, non-LDL-C lipid parameters, and especially central obesity as possible contributors to RIR in patients with T2DM and LDL-C < 70 mg/dL. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Imidacloprid, Thiacloprid, and Their Imine Derivatives Up-Regulate the α4β2 Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor in M10 Cells

Abstract Neonicotinoids are the most important new class of insecticides of the last decade. They act as nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (AChR) agonists. This investigation tests the hypothesis for the first time that neonicotinoid insecticides and their imine derivatives up-regulate the α4β2 nicotinic AChR subtype, which represents >90% of the high-affinity [ 3 H]nicotine binding sites in mammalian brain. The α4β2 receptor stably expressed in mouse fibroblast M10 cells was assayed after 3 days' exposure to the test compound, as [ 3 H]nicotine binding following immunoisolation by monoclonal antibody (mAb 299) or as [ 125 I]mAb 299 labeling for cell surface receptors. We found that imidacloprid (IMI) (one of the most important insecticides) and thiacloprid (THIA) increased [ 3 H]nicotine binding levels (up-regulation of the α4β2 AChRs) by five- to eightfold with EC50s of ∼70,000 and 19,000 nM, respectively, compared with 760 nM for (−)-nicotine. In contrast, two imine analogs [the desnitro metabolite of IMI (DNIMI) and the descyano derivative of THIA] gave up-regulation by eightfold and EC50s of 870 and 500 nM, respectively. The potency order for up-regulation by the five aforementioned compounds was correlated with their in vitro IC50s for inhibiting [ 3 H]nicotine binding ( r 2 = 0.99, n = 5), indicating that binding to the α4β2 receptor initiates the up-regulation. A potent olefin derivative of the THIA imine up-regulated with an EC50 of 22 nM. DNIMI-induced up-regulation mainly occurred intracellularly rather than at the cell surface. These findings in α4β2-expressing M10 cells indicate the possibility that some neonicotinoid insecticides or their metabolites, on accidental human exposure or when used for flea control on dogs, may also up-regulate the receptor in mammals.
A case of Takotsubo cardiomyopathy with COVID 19

A 71-year-old woman was admitted to our hospital after fainting. Her past medical history included arterial hypertension, hypercholesterolaemia, and normotensive hydrocephalus treated with a ventriculoperitoneal shunt. She was taking amlodipine and rosuvastatin. She was dyspnoeic at rest, afebrile, with a heart rate of 75 b.p.m. and a blood pressure of 119/76 mmHg. Hypoxaemia was present (PaO2 of 56 mmHg) despite a 100% O2 nonrebreathing mask. The patient was put on mechanical ventilation. Contrast-enhanced brain CT was negative. The chest CT showed ground glass opacity involving 10– 20% of the lungs (Panel A). Blood tests showed elevated troponin T (412.7 ng/L, normal <14). The ECG showed sinus rhythm with prolonged QT interval (QTc 521 ms) (Panel B). The nasopharyngeal swab PCR test was positive for a SARSCoV2 infection. The patient underwent a coronary angiogram showing significant lesions on the proximal LAD and the first diagonal arteries. Two drugeluting stents were successfully placed. The ventriculogram showed regional wall motion abnormality unrelated to the coronary lesions, compatible with a median Takotsubo. (Panels C and D; Supplementary material online, Video 1). To our knowledge, this is the first description of median Takotsubo syndrome in a patient with COVID-19. This case stresses the importance of the differential diagnosis of troponin elevation as other causes such as Takotsubo syndrome might be found in SARS-Cov2 infection.
Genetic progress in wheat yield and nitrogen use efficiency under four nitrogen rates

The adaptation and performance of CIMMYT's bread wheat germplasm (Triticum aestivum L.) under conditions of low N fertility have been questioned because they were developed under medium-high levels of N fertility. The objectives of this research were to (i) compare the performance of a set of tall vs. semidwarf cultivars developed by CIMMYT that were widely grown by farmers in the Yaqui Valley of Mexico at low and high N fertility, (ii) measure the genetic progress in grain yield and N use efficiency (NUE), and (iii) evaluate the contribution of N uptake efficiency (UPE) and utilization efficiency (UTE) to NUE. Ten wheat cultivars, two tall and eight semidwarf, produced by CIMMYT and released in the Yaqui Valley of Sonora, by the Mexican government from 1950 to 1985 were grown with 0, 75, 150, or 300 kg N ha -1 in a 3-yr field study at Ciudad Obregon, Sonora, Mexico. Genetic gains in both grain yield and NUE during 1950 to 1985 were 1.1, 1.0, 1.2, and 1.9% yr -1 on a relative basis or 32, 43, 59, and 89 kg ha -1 yr -1 on an absolute basis, when provided 0, 75, 150, and 300 kg ha -1 N, respectively. Progress in NUE resulted in an improvement of both UPE and UTE. However, the relative importance of these two components was affected by the level of applied N. These results contradict the belief that modern semidwarf cultivars require more N than older cultivars. Instead, they respond more to N, which translates into higher economic rates and higher returns when N fertilizer is available.
Current status of heart failure: global and Korea

Heart failure (HF) is a condition in which the heart is unable to pump enough blood to meet the body’s needs for blood and oxygen. Thus, HF is a grave disease with high morbidity and mortality. Because the prevalence of and exposure to the risk factors for HF increase with age, the prevalence of HF has been increasing in an aging society, including Korea. The vast advancement of medical and device therapy has improved the outcomes of HF, but significant residual risk still exists, and the benefit is confined to patients with reduced ejection fraction. Finding effective treatment for HF with preserved ejection fraction and identification of groups who benefit from drug and device therapy remain challenging. In this review, we illustrate the epidemiology, temporal trends, and current status of medical and device therapy, including heart transplantation, as well as emerging treatments for HF in Korea and worldwide.
Feeding Behavior and Future Fecundity in Drosophila

The Drosophila larvae that occur within a single fruit or mushroom are often siblings (Jaenike and Selander 1979; Hoffmann and Nielsen 1985). For instance, I once bred 86 individuals of D. falleni from a single Amanita muscaria mushroom, and of 10 individuals studied electrophoretically, 7 were homozygous for an esterase allele whose frequency in the local population was 0.18. In this case, it is not unreasonable to suppose that a single female laid over 50 eggs on that mushroom. More generally, Hoffmann and Nielsen (1985) estimated that an effective number of only two or three females of D. melanogaster oviposit on individual apples in the field. In both of these drosophilids, then, it is apparent that females lay eggs in batches; they must, therefore, spend a considerable amount of time in association with an individual breeding site. Such extended associations can affect both a female's future tendency to settle at a particular type of food (Hoffmann 1985; Jaenike 1985) and her probability of ovipositing on a similar resource in the future (Jaenike 1982, 1983; Prokopy et al. 1982; Hoffmann 1985). During their sojourns at natural breeding sites, females feed as well as oviposit; and because the diet of an adult fly can affect its fecundity (Sang 1949; Sang and King 1961), an extended association with a given food type may affect subsequent egg production as well as oviposition-site preference. The present experiments were designed to assess these effects in a laboratory environment.
A Novel Supertwisting Zeroing Neural Network With Application to Mobile Robot Manipulators

Various zeroing neural network (ZNN) models have been investigated to address the tracking control of robot manipulators for the capacity of parallel processing and nonlinearity handling. However, two limitations occur in the existing ZNN models. The first one is the convergence time that tends to be infinitely large. The second one is the research of robustness that remains in the analyses of stability and asymptotic convergence. To simultaneously enhance the convergence performance and robustness, this article proposes a new ZNN model by using a supertwisting (ST) algorithm, termed STZNN model, for the tracking control of mobile robot manipulators. The proposed STZNN model inherently possesses the advantages of finite-time convergence and robustness making the control process fast and robust. The bridge from the sliding mode control to the ZNN is built, and the essential connection between the ST algorithm and ZNN is explored by constructing a unified design process. Theorems and proofs about global stability, finite-time convergence, and robustness are provided. Finally, path-tracking applications, comparisons, and tests substantiate the effectiveness and superiority of the STZNN model for the tracking control handling of mobile robot manipulators.
Effectiveness of a Theory-Based mHealth Intervention for High-Risk Drinking in College Students

Abstract Background: College students are among the most vulnerable groups to problems associated with high-risk drinking consequences such as illness, injury, sexual abuse, and death. Promising mobile health (mHealth) approaches, such as smartphone (SP) apps, can be used in interventions to address or prevent excessive drinking. Method: The aim of the investigation was to examine the efficacy of a theoretically based mHealth SP app for alcohol intervention in two independent samples (N = 379): Mandated participants (Study 1) and voluntary participants (Study 2). Study 1 included a controlled trial with Mandated participants randomized into either an in-person Brief Motivational Interviewing BMI (n = 70) or BMI + SP app intervention (n = 71). Study 2 included Voluntary participants who participated in either a Control group (n = 157) or the BMI + SP app intervention (n = 81). Participants in both studies completed baseline and 6-week assessments. Results: In Study 1, peak Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) of participants in the in-person BMI group had increased slightly at six weeks, while it had decreased for the app-based BMI + SP group. Study 2 participants using the BMI + SP app reported significant reductions in drinking and consequences; there were no changes in the (AO) Control group. Conclusions: The BMI + SP app was effective with both Mandated and Voluntary participants. Future testing with the BMI + SP app is needed to assess whether reach, adoptability, portability, and sustainability are greater with the mHealth smartphone app for alcohol intervention than in-person approaches.
Pulmonary hypertension – prevalence, risk factors, and its association with vascular calcification in chronic kidney disease and hemodialysis patients

Pulmonary hypertension (PHTN) is a recently recognized complication in dialysis and it is associated with a poor outcome. We estimated the prevalence of PHTN and its association with vascular calcification in chronic kidney disease (CKD) and hemodialysis (HD) patients. One hundred and thirteen adult CKD patients were included in this study, of which 56 (49.6%) were on conservative treatment (nondialysis group) and 57 (50.4%) were on maintenance HD (dialysis group). Demographic, clinical, and biochemical parameters were collected and compared between the groups. Thirty-nine (69.6%) and 33 (57.8%) males were included in nondialysis and dialysis group, respectively. Mean age was 47.5 ± 13.7 in nondialysis group and 52.8 ± 13.9 in the dialysis group. PHTN was estimated using Doppler echocardiography and peripheral vascular calcification by lateral lumbar X-ray with aortic calcification scoring. Patients with and without PHTN and vascular calcification in dialysis and nondialysis group were compared. PHTN was found in 55 patients (48.7%) and it was high in patients on dialysis compared to nondialysis(59.6% vs. 37.5%, P <0.019). Abdominal aortic calcification was present in 35 patients (30.9%), dialysis versus nondialysis group was 22.8% and 39.3%. Increased left atrial diameter was significantly associated with PHTN (P <0.003), whereas peripheral artery calcification was not related to PHT (P = 0.248). The prevalence of PHTN in CKD was 48.7% which was higher in dialysis group than non dialysis group. Increased left atrial (LA) diameter was associated with PHTN but not peripheral arterial calcification.
Comparative genetic diversity of wild and released populations of Pacific abalone Haliotis discus discus in Jeju, Korea, based on cross-species microsatellite markers including two novel loci

Abstract Pacific abalone Haliotis discus discus is an important fisheries resource in Jeju, Korea. For basic information about its current genetic status in relation to stock enhancement, the level and distribution of genetic variation between wild and released stocks of Pacific abalone in Jeju were examined at nine cross-species microsatellite markers including the use of two novel primers. High levels of polymorphism were observed between the two populations. A total of 146 different alleles were found at all loci, with some alleles being unique. The allelic variability ranged from five to 27 in the wild population and from four to 16 in the released sample. The average observed and expected heterozygosities were estimated to be 0.74 and 0.84 in the wild sample and 0.70 and 0.78 in the released sample, respectively. Although a considerable loss of rare alleles was observed in the released sample, no statistically significant reductions were found in heterozygosity or allelic diversity in the released sample compared to the wild population. Low but significant genetic differentiation was found between the wild and released populations. These results suggest that the intensive breeding practices for stock enhancement may have resulted in a further decrease in genetic diversity, and that the cross-species microsatellite markers used in this study represent a potentially efficient means for further genetic studies, providing beneficial information for the protection and management of H. discus discus.
Muscle–Organ Crosstalk: The Emerging Roles of Myokines

Abstract Physical activity decreases the risk of a network of diseases, and exercise may be prescribed as medicine for lifestyle-related disorders such as type 2 diabetes, dementia, cardiovascular diseases, and cancer. During the past couple of decades, it has been apparent that skeletal muscle works as an endocrine organ, which can produce and secrete hundreds of myokines that exert their effects in either autocrine, paracrine, or endocrine manners. Recent advances show that skeletal muscle produces myokines in response to exercise, which allow for crosstalk between the muscle and other organs, including brain, adipose tissue, bone, liver, gut, pancreas, vascular bed, and skin, as well as communication within the muscle itself. Although only few myokines have been allocated to a specific function in humans, it has been identified that the biological roles of myokines include effects on, for example, cognition, lipid and glucose metabolism, browning of white fat, bone formation, endothelial cell function, hypertrophy, skin structure, and tumor growth. This suggests that myokines may be useful biomarkers for monitoring exercise prescription for people with, for example, cancer, diabetes, or neurodegenerative diseases.