Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Serum Malondialdehyde is Associated with Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver and Related Liver Damage Differentially in Men and Women

Background: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and steatohepatitis (NASH) are associated with increased oxidative stress and lipid peroxidation, but large studies are lacking. The aim was to test the association of malondialdehyde (MDA), as a marker of oxidative damage of lipids, with NAFLD and liver damage markers, and to test the association between dietary vitamins E and C intake and MDA levels. Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out among subjects who underwent blood tests including FibroMax for non-invasive assessment of NASH and fibrosis. MDA was evaluated by reaction with Thiobarbituric acid and HPLC-fluorescence detection method. NAFLD was diagnosed by abdominal ultrasound. Findings: MDA measurements were available for 394 subjects. In multivariate analysis, the odds for NAFLD were higher with the rise of MDA levels in a dose–response manner, adjusting for age, gender, BMI, and lifestyle factors. Only among men, higher serum MDA was associated of higher odds for NAFLD and NASH and/or fibrosis (OR = 2.59, 95% CI 1.33–5.07, P = 0.005; OR = 2.04, 1.02–4.06, P = 0.043, respectively). Higher vitamin E intake was associated with lower odds of high serum MDA level (OR = 0.28 95% CI 0.13–0.62, P = 0.002). In conclusion, serum MDA is associated with NAFLD and markers of NASH or fibrosis among men. Dietary vitamin E may be protective among women.
Nano Ellagic Acid Counteracts Cisplatin-Induced Upregulation in OAT1 and OAT3: A Possible Nephroprotection Mechanism

Cisplatin is an anticancer drug commonly used for solid tumors. However, it causes nephrotoxicity. OAT1 and OAT3 are organic anion transporters known to contribute to the uptake of cisplatin into renal tubular cells. The present study was designed to examine the protective role of ellagic acid nanoformulation (ellagic acid nano) on cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity in rats, and the role of OAT1/OAT3 in this effect. Four groups of male Wistar rats were used (n = 6): (1) control, (2) cisplatin (7.5 mg/kg single dose, intraperitoneal), (3) cisplatin + ellagic acid nano (1 mg/kg), and (4) cisplatin + ellagic acid nano (2 mg/kg). Nephrotoxic rats treated with ellagic acid nano exhibited a significant reduction in elevated serum creatinine, urea, and oxidative stress marker, malondialdehyde (MDA). Additionally, ellagic acid nano restored renal glutathione (GSH), superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and glutathione peroxidase (GPx). Ellagic acid nano improved the histopathological changes induced by cisplatin, such as tubular dilatation, necrosis, and degeneration. Interestingly, OAT1 and OAT3 showed significantly lower expression at both mRNA and protein levels following ellagic acid nano treatment relative to the cisplatin-exposed group. These findings reveal a potential inhibitory role of ellagic acid antioxidant on OAT1 and OAT3 expression and thus explains its nephroprotective effect against cisplatin nephrotoxicity.
Natural History and Prognostic Factors at First Relapse in Multiple Myeloma

The prognosis of multiple myeloma has considerably improved due to the introduction of novel agents in the upfront setting. However, the great majority of patients ultimately relapse, and choosing a salvage treatment at first relapse remains challenging. The natural history of first relapsed disease in the current era is also not well described. We retrospectively studied 300 patients with first relapsed myeloma seen between 2004 and 2019 from two institutes in Singapore. The median duration from diagnosis to first relapse was 22.7 months (1.1–97.0 months). Most patients received novel agent-based induction therapy, and 41.3% underwent autologous stem cell transplant. A very good partial response (VGPR) or better was achieved in 48.6%. Regarding first relapse, 50.5% were symptomatic and 19.0% received newer agent-containing regimens. Nearly a third of patients (31.7%) had a VGPR or better response. The median progression free and overall survival from first relapse was 12.0 and 44.8 months, respectively. Based on a randomized sample splitting, we first identified non-hyperdiploid karyotype at diagnosis, clinical relapse, and treatment sequence as impacting survival independently from a testing cohort, and we then further demonstrated their significance in a validation cohort. This study provides a real-world picture of first relapsed myeloma and highlights the prognostic importance of the treatment sequence.
Negative content enhances stimulus‐specific cerebral activity during free viewing of pictures, faces, and words

Negative visual stimuli have been found to elicit stronger brain activation than do neutral stimuli. Such emotion effects have been shown for pictures, faces, and words alike, but the literature suggests stimulus‐specific differences regarding locus and lateralization of the activity. In the current functional magnetic resonance imaging study, we directly compared brain responses to passively viewed negative and neutral pictures of complex scenes, faces, and words (nouns) in 43 healthy participants (21 males) varying in age and demographic background. Both negative pictures and faces activated the extrastriate visual cortices of both hemispheres more strongly than neutral ones, but effects were larger and extended more dorsally for pictures, whereas negative faces additionally activated the superior temporal sulci. Negative words differentially activated typical higher‐level language processing areas such as the left inferior frontal and angular gyrus. There were small emotion effects in the amygdala for faces and words, which were both lateralized to the left hemisphere. Although pictures elicited overall the strongest amygdala activity, amygdala response to negative pictures was not significantly stronger than to neutral ones. Across stimulus types, emotion effects converged in the left anterior insula. No gender effects were apparent, but age had a small, stimulus‐specific impact on emotion processing. Our study specifies similarities and differences in effects of negative emotional content on the processing of different types of stimuli, indicating that brain response to negative stimuli is specifically enhanced in areas involved in processing of the respective stimulus type in general and converges across stimuli in the left anterior insula.
Accuracy of Pulse Wave Velocity Predicting Cardiovascular and All-Cause Mortality. A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Increased arterial stiffness has been associated with an increased risk of developing cardiovascular diseases and all-cause mortality. Pulse wave velocity (PWV) is an innovative and affordable measurement of arterial stiffness which may be an accessible tool to estimate mortality risk; however, no meta-analysis has estimated its predictive performance for cardiovascular and all-cause mortality. Moreover, reference values for PWV have only been established by consensus for healthy populations. The aim of this review was to estimate PWV and especially carotid femoral PWV performance predicting cardiovascular and all-cause mortality as well as comparing the resulting cfPWV thresholds with already established values in order to increase its validity. Original studies measuring PWV thresholds and its association with cardiovascular and all-cause mortality were systematically searched. The DerSimonian and Laird method was used to compute pooled estimates of diagnostic odds ratio (dOR), and overall test performances were summarized in hierarchical summary receiver operating characteristic curves (HSROC). Six studies were included in the meta-analysis. The pooled dOR values for the predictive performance of cfPWV were 11.23 (95 % CI, 7.29–1.29) for cardiovascular mortality and 6.52 (95% CI, 4.03–10.55) for all-cause mortality. The area under the HSROC curve for cfPWV was 0.75 (95% CI, 0.69–0.81) for cardiovascular mortality and 0.78 (95% CI, 0.74–0.83) for all-cause mortality, where the closest cut-off point to the summary point was 10.7 and 11.5, respectively. This systematic review and meta-analysis demonstrates that cfPWV is a useful and accurate cardiovascular mortality predictor and that its previously estimated reference values for estimating risk may be used in high-risk populations.
Seagrass losses since mid‐20th century fuelled CO2 emissions from soil carbon stocks

Seagrass meadows store globally significant organic carbon (Corg) stocks which, if disturbed, can lead to CO2 emissions, contributing to climate change. Eutrophication and thermal stress continue to be a major cause of seagrass decline worldwide, but the associated CO2 emissions remain poorly understood. This study presents comprehensive estimates of seagrass soil Corg erosion following eutrophication‐driven seagrass loss in Cockburn Sound (23 km2 between 1960s and 1990s) and identifies the main drivers. We estimate that shallow seagrass meadows (<5 m depth) had significantly higher Corg stocks in 50 cm thick soils (4.5 ± 0.7 kg Corg/m2) than previously vegetated counterparts (0.5 ± 0.1 kg Corg/m2). In deeper areas (>5 m), however, soil Corg stocks in seagrass and bare but previously vegetated areas were not significantly different (2.6 ± 0.3 and 3.0 ± 0.6 kg Corg/m2, respectively). The soil Corg sequestration capacity prevailed in shallow and deep vegetated areas (55 ± 11 and 21 ± 7 g Corg m−2 year−1, respectively), but was lost in bare areas. We identified that seagrass canopy loss alone does not necessarily drive changes in soil Corg but, when combined with high hydrodynamic energy, significant erosion occurred. Our estimates point at ~0.20 m/s as the critical shear velocity threshold causing soil Corg erosion. We estimate, from field studies and satellite imagery, that soil Corg erosion (within the top 50 cm) following seagrass loss likely resulted in cumulative emissions of 0.06–0.14 Tg CO2‐eq over the last 40 years in Cockburn Sound. We estimated that indirect impacts (i.e. eutrophication, thermal stress and light stress) causing the loss of ~161,150 ha of seagrasses in Australia, likely resulted in the release of 11–21 Tg CO2‐eq since the 1950s, increasing cumulative CO2 emissions from land‐use change in Australia by 1.1%–2.3% per annum. The patterns described serve as a baseline to estimate potential CO2 emissions following disturbance of seagrass meadows.
Two ecotypes of hyperaccumulators and accumulators affect cadmium accumulation in cherry seedlings by intercropping

The appropriate hyperaccumulator intercropping can reduce heavy metals accumulation in crop. In the current study, two ecotypes (Mining ecotype and Farmland ecotype) of Conyza canadensis (L.) Cronq. (cadmium accumulator), Solanum nigrum L. (cadmium hyperaccumulator), and Digitaria sanguinalis (L.) Scop. (cadmium and plumbum accumulator) were collected from plumbum‐zinc mine and non‐heavy metal contaminated farmland, respectively. They affected cadmium accumulation in cherry seedlings by intercropping. The cadmium accumulation in cherry seedlings was reduced by hyperaccumulators and accumulators. The contents of cadmium in cherry shoots were: monoculture > intercropping with D. sanguinalis (farmland) > intercropping with D. sanguinalis (mining) > intercropping with C. canadensis (farmland) > intercropping with C. canadensis (mining) > intercropping with S. nigrum (farmland) > intercropping with S. nigrum (mining). Moreover, intercropping with mining ecotype of hyperaccumulators or accumulators, the cadmium accumulation in cherry shoots was less than that intercropping with farmland ecotype. Therefore, all of hyperaccumulators and accumulators in this study could be used for remedying the cadmium contaminated cherry orchard, with mining ecotype of S. nigrum as the best material. © 2014 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Environ Prog, 33: 1251–1257, 2014
Two-Day Cardiopulmonary Exercise Testing in Females with a Severe Grade of Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: Comparison with Patients with Mild and Moderate Disease

Introduction: Effort intolerance along with a prolonged recovery from exercise and post-exertional exacerbation of symptoms are characteristic features of myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS). The gold standard to measure the degree of physical activity intolerance is cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET). Multiple studies have shown that peak oxygen consumption is reduced in the majority of ME/CFS patients, and that a 2-day CPET protocol further discriminates between ME/CFS patients and sedentary controls. Limited information is present on ME/CFS patients with a severe form of the disease. Therefore, the aim of this study was to compare the effects of a 2-day CPET protocol in female ME/CFS patients with a severe grade of the disease to mildly and moderately affected ME/CFS patients. Methods and results: We studied 82 female patients who had undergone a 2-day CPET protocol. Measures of oxygen consumption (VO2), heart rate (HR) and workload both at peak exercise and at the ventilatory threshold (VT) were collected. ME/CFS disease severity was graded according to the International Consensus Criteria. Thirty-one patients were clinically graded as having mild disease, 31 with moderate and 20 with severe disease. Baseline characteristics did not differ between the 3 groups. Within each severity group, all analyzed CPET parameters (peak VO2, VO2 at VT, peak workload and the workload at VT) decreased significantly from day-1 to day-2 (p-Value between 0.003 and <0.0001). The magnitude of the change in CPET parameters from day-1 to day-2 was similar between mild, moderate, and severe groups, except for the difference in peak workload between mild and severe patients (p = 0.019). The peak workload decreases from day-1 to day-2 was largest in the severe ME/CFS group (−19 (11) %). Conclusion: This relatively large 2-day CPET protocol study confirms previous findings of the reduction of various exercise variables in ME/CFS patients on day-2 testing. This is the first study to demonstrate that disease severity negatively influences exercise capacity in female ME/CFS patients. Finally, this study shows that the deterioration in peak workload from day-1 to day-2 is largest in the severe ME/CFS patient group.
Adjustments in municipal fiscal crises. Are they different according to the gender of the mayor?

ABSTRACT The literature on gender has attempted to explain the differences between the public outcome depending on whether the ruler is male or female, on the basis that men and women have different preferences. This scientific research has not yet examined issues related to fiscal crises, and our research aims to fill this gap. In a context of generalised economic crisis, our research examines if the gender of the mayor affected the fiscal adjustment policies carried out by municipalities with fiscal deficits in the Spanish region of Galicia. Our paper suggests that although gender of the mayor does not seem to have affected the level of adjustment in total current expenditure, it does seem to have influenced the way in which social and non-social spending were adjusted. Our study also highlights that female mayors are associated with lower levels of tax revenues and this could slow the adjustment processes of fiscal imbalances.
Life-history Responses of Ageneotettix deorum (Scudder) (Orthoptera: Acrididae) to Host Plant Availability and Population Density

Abstract The effects of variation in host plant availability and population densities on reproductive allocation in grasshoppers have received relatively little attention. The effect of increased host plant availability and population density on survival and reproductive allocation were examined in a widely distributed grasshopper, Ageneotettix deorum (Scudder). The experimental treatments consisted of ambient-level and fertilized vegetation with two A. deorum density treatments in a 2 × 2 factorial design. Both food plant availability and population density played important roles in the observed life history variation. Although the rate of egg pod production was not density-dependent, density-dependence was evident in the number of eggs per pod. Average survival did not respond to food plant availability, but reproduction was limited by host plant availability in the ambient-level treatment. Food limited A. deorum with ambient-level resources produced egg pods more slowly and with fewer eggs per pod. The rate of egg pod production averaged 64% higher with fertilized vegetation than with ambient vegetation. The availability of higher protein host plants may have been the primary limiting factor for egg production. The effects of food availability and grasshopper density acted in an additive manner on reproductive allocation. As a result, the per capita availability of nutrients was likely the limiting factor for reproduction in both resource and density treatments. Variation in host plant availability had a much larger effect on recruitment and population dynamics than would be predicted based on survivorship alone.
The treatment and follow‐up of ‘recurrence’ with discharged COVID‐19 patients: data from Guizhou, China

Summary We reported 20 cases of discharged COVID‐19 patients whose RT‐PCR test results showed ‘re‐positive’. After finding ‘re‐positive’, these patients were admitted to hospital for the second time and were followed up until the end of May 2020. We recorded detailed treatment and follow‐up process, and collected relevant data. The possible causes and potential clinical significance of this phenomenon are discussed.
Predicting outcome of repair of medial meniscus posterior root tear with early osteoarthritis using bone single-photon emission computed tomography/computed tomography

Abstract Repair of medial meniscus posterior root tear (MMPRT) is considered as an effective early intervention strategy for osteoarthritis. We aimed at evaluating whether or not single-photon emission computed tomography/computed tomography (SPECT/CT) could predict the treatment outcome. Eleven patients with MMPRT who underwent preoperative SPECT/CT were retrospectively enrolled. Clinical symptoms were evaluated based on the knee injury and osteoarthritis outcome score (KOOS) and visual analogue scale (VAS) for pain. The uptake pattern of the medial tibial plateau (MTP) on SPECT/CT was visually assessed. Additionally, the maximum lesion-to-cortical counts ratio (LCRmax) for the anterior and posterior aspects of MTP and anterior-posterior MTP ratio (APR) were quantitatively assessed. Spearman correlation analyses were performed between the change in clinical symptom scores and preoperative SPECT/CT patterns. All patients showed increased radiotracer uptake in MTP. Among them, 8 (73%) showed dominant uptake in the anterior aspect of MTP. The rest 3 (27%) showed posterior-dominant uptake. Patients with anterior-dominant patterns tended to show better outcomes in terms of the postoperative KOOS score (P = .07). Anterior MTP LCRmax showed a negative correlation with the change in VAS (ρ = −0.664, P < .03). APR showed a correlation with the change in the KOOS score (ρ = 0.655, P < .03). Patients with MMPRT with relatively higher uptake in the anterior aspect of MTP could have better clinical outcomes after the repair. The preoperative SPECT/CT pattern may have a predictive value in selecting patients with good postoperative outcomes.
Effects of Dietary Sodium Bicarbonate Supplementation on Eggshell Quality and Hatchability in Thai Native Hens

An investigation was conducted on Thai native hens to determine the effects of dietary sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3) supplementation on egg production, egg and eggshell quality, fecal moisture content, plasma sodium, and hatchability performance. Two hundred and forty of 24 wk-old hens were used in this study. The birds were housed in individual cage and received 1 of 3 experimental diets. The 3 experimental diets were control layer diet, the control diet added with 1% NaHCO 3, and the control diet added with 1.5% NaHCO3. The experiment was conducted for 24 weeks. There were no significant differences in feed consumption, egg weight, yolk weight, albumen weight, Haugh units or fecal moisture content among the three bird groups throughout the experimental period. However, the birds in the two groups having received the diet supplemented with NaHCO3 gave a significantly higher level of yolk color, shell weight, and shell thickness than the control hens transiently (P 0.05). The results indicated that at moderate temperatures eggshell quality of Thai native hens could be improved by dietary supplementation with 1.5% NaHCO3. This suggested that the response was associated to bicarbonate intakes. However, the beneficial effect was transient that would be resulted from the hens having no access to feed during the dark period, irrespective of bicarbonate content, the time during which eggshell formation occured. Hatchability and viability of chicken embryos were not evident.
Insect galls from Atlantic Forest areas of Santa Teresa, Espírito Santo, Brazil: characterization and occurrence.

Galhas de insetos de areas de Mata Atlântica de Santa Teresa, Espirito Santo, Brasil: caracterizacao e ocorrencia. Tres areas protegidas de Mata atlântica foram investigadas em Santa Teresa, Espirito Santo, de junho de 2007 a agosto de 2009: Estacao Biologica de Santa Lucia, Reserva Biologica Augusto Ruschi e Parque Natural Municipal Sao Lourenco. A vegetacao local foi examinada a procura de galhas de insetos. Foram encontrados 265 morfotipos de galhas em 141 especies de plantas (104 generos e 49 familias). Asteraceae, Fabaceae, Myrtaceae, Melastomataceae e Rubiaceae foram as familias de planta com maior riqueza de galhas. Os generos super-hospedeiros foram Mikania Willd. (Asteraceae), Myrcia DC. ex. Guill. (Myrtaceae) e Inga Mill. (Fabaceae). A especie super-hospedeira foi Guapira opposita (Vell.) Reitz. (Nyctaginaceae). As galhas foram encontradas em folhas, caules, botoes, raizes e gavinhas. As folhas foram o orgao vegetal mais galhado, seguidas pelos caules e botoes. Os indutores pertencem a quatro ordens de insetos: Diptera, Lepidoptera, Hemiptera e Thysanoptera, sendo Cecidomyiidae (Diptera) os mais frequentes e diversificados galhadores. Inquilinos foram obtidos de seis morfotipos de galhas, estando representados por Cecidomyiidae and Muscomorpha. Nove species galhadoras sao registradas pela primeira vez no Estado do Espirito Santo, e Cordiamyia globosa Maia, 1996 e assinalada pela primeira vez para o municipio de Santa Teresa. O presente estudo indica Santa Teresa (ES) como a area de Mata Atlântica com maior riqueza de galhas de insetos.