Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Plasma flow measurements based on charge exchange recombination spectroscopy in the Wendelstein 7-X stellarator

The initial operation of neutral beams in Wendelstein 7-X enabled the first measurements of carbon (C6+) temperature and rotation with a multi-chord charge exchange recombination spectroscopy system. In this article we analyse the velocity measurements obtained with this system to infer the profiles of radial electric field, E r, and net parallel velocity of fully stripped carbon ions, V ‖. We include a general treatment of the flow geometry and the velocity corrections due to the energy dependence of the charge exchange cross section. The inverted profiles are compared with neoclassical calculations for various plasma conditions and two magnetic configurations. It is found that both the E r and V ‖ experimental profiles agree in sign and order of magnitude with the neoclassical expectations and reproduce the expected dependencies on plasma parameters and magnetic configuration, within the reduced dataset presented. However, quantitative differences with respect to the neoclassical profiles are observed above the estimated errors in various conditions.
Hitting time for quantum walks on the hypercube (8 pages)

Hitting times for discrete quantum walks on graphs give an average time before the walk reaches an ending condition. To be analogous to the hitting time for a classical walk, the quantum hitting time must involve repeated measurements as well as unitary evolution. We derive an expression for hitting time using superoperators, and numerically evaluate it for the discrete walk on the hypercube. The values found are compared to other analogs of hitting time suggested in earlier work. The dependence of hitting times on the type of unitary 'coin' is examined, and we give an example of an initial state and coin which gives an infinite hitting time for a quantum walk. Such infinite hitting times require destructive interference, and are not observed classically. Finally, we look at distortions of the hypercube, and observe that a loss of symmetry in the hypercube increases the hitting time. Symmetry seems to play an important role in both dramatic speed-ups and slow-downs of quantum walks.
Polygenic Contributions to Suicidal Thoughts and Behaviors in a Sample Ascertained for Alcohol Use Disorders

Introduction: Suicidal thoughts and behaviors have partially distinct genetic etiologies. Methods: We used PRS-CS to create polygenic risk scores (PRSs) from GWAS of non-suicidal self-injury, broad-sense self-harm ideation, nonfatal suicide attempt, death by suicide, and depression. Using mixed-effect models, we estimated whether these PRSs were associated with a range of suicidal thoughts and behaviors in the Collaborative Study on the Genetics of Alcoholism (N = 7,526). Results: All PRSs were significantly associated with suicidal ideation and suicide attempt (betas = 0.08–0.44, false discovery rate [FDR] <0.023). All PRSs except non-suicidal self-injury PRS were associated with active suicidal ideation (betas = 0.14–0.22, FDR <0.003). Several associations remained significant in models where all significant PRSs were included as simultaneous predictors, and when all PRSs predicted suicide attempt, the PRS together explained 6.2% of the variance in suicide attempt. Significant associations were also observed between some PRSs and persistent suicidal ideation, non-suicidal self-injury, compounded suicide attempt, and desire to die. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that PRS for depression does not explain the entirety of the variance in suicidal thoughts and behaviors, with PRS specifically for suicidal thoughts and behaviors making additional and sometimes unique contributions.
Liver Shape is Associated with Disease and Anthropometric Traits

Morphometric image analysis enables the quantification of differences in the shape and size of organs between individuals. Here we have applied morphometric methods to the study of the liver by constructing surface meshes from liver segmentations from abdominal MRI images in 33,434 participants in the UK Biobank. Based on these three dimensional mesh vertices, we evaluated local shape variations and modelled their association with anthropometric, phenotypic and disease traits, including liver disease and type-2 diabetes. We found that age, body mass index, hepatic fat and iron content, as well as, health traits were significantly associated with regional liver shape and size. Interaction models in disease groups showed that the presence of type-2 diabetes accelerates age-related changes in the liver, while presence of liver fat further increased shape variation in both type-2 diabetes and liver disease. The results suggest that this novel approach may greatly benefit studies aiming at better categorisation of pathologies associated with acute and chronic liver conditions.
Prevalence of non-communicable diseases risk factors and their determinants in Malawi: Evidence from 2017 WHO STEPwise Survey

Introduction: By 2030, the non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are expected to overtake communicable, maternal, neonatal, and nutritional (CMNN) diseases combined as the leading cause of mortality in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). With the increasing trend in NCDs, the NCD risk factors (NCDRF) need to be understood at local level in order to guide NCD risk mitigation efforts. Therefore, we provide a detailed analysis of some modifiable NCDRF and their determinants in Malawi using the 2017 Stepwise survey (STEPS). Methods: This is a secondary analysis of the Malawi 2017 STEPS. Data was analysed using frequencies, proportions, odds ratios (OR) and their associated 95% confidence intervals (95%CI). We fitted multiple logistic regression of the NCD risk factors on the explanatory variables using likelihood ratio test. The level of statistical significance was set at P< 0.05. Results: Of the 4187 persons, 9% were current smokers, 1% were taking alcohol, 16% had high salt intake, 64% had insufficient fruit intake, 21% had low physical activity, 25% had high blood sugar, and 11% had high blood pressure. Smoking odds increased with age but decreased with level of education. Females had lower odds of engaging in harmful alcohol use than males (AOR=0.04, 95%CI: 0.01-0.17, P<0.001). Females had lower odds of high salt uptake than the males (AOR=0.70, 95%CI: 0.58-0.84, P=0.0001). Persons in non-paid jobs had higher odds of salt uptake than those employed (AOR=1.70, 95%CI: 1.03-2.79, P=0.04). Females were 22% more likely to have insufficient fruit uptake compared to males (AOR=1.22, 95%CI: 1.06-1.41, P=0.007). Conclusion: The high prevalence of physical inactivity, high salt consumption, insufficient fruit intake, raised blood glucose and high relatively blood pressure calls for a sound public health approach. The Malawi Ministry of Health should devise multi-sectoral approaches that minimize exposure to modifiable NCD risk factors at population and individual levels.
Assessing the general health, increase in mental and physical workload among administrative staff of the University of Nigeria due to the COVID-19 pandemic

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has changed the global workloads and general well-being of employees, especially in the university system. The object of this study is to evaluate the mental health and effect of increase in workload on the general well-being of the administrative staff of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, on the resumption of academic activities after the lockdown due to COVID-19. A total of 73 randomly selected administrative staff were involved in the study. Three sets of instruments, the demographic questionnaire, National Aeronautics and Space Administration-Task Load Index, and General Health Questionnaire, were used to obtain information on the demographic characteristics, workload, and level of mental disorder among the respondents due to COVID-19. The generalized linear regression model, 1-way analysis of variance, independent samples t test, and contingency coefficient were used to analyze the data. The results revealed that high workload is significantly associated with high risk of mental and general health disorders among the respondents. The married, divorced, widowed, older, and females staff with >2 children are the most vulnerable to mental disorder, physical workload, frustration, and general health challenges. The younger staff, those with at most 2 children, and those who are still single experience lower mental and general health disorder and are more resilient. Significant and comprehensive health and administrative support should be provided for the overall well-being of the staff.
Proteomic analysis of the effect of high-fat-diet and voluntary physical activity on mouse liver

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NALFD), characterized by an abnormal accumulation of triglycerides in hepatocytes, is closely linked to insulin resistance, metabolic syndrome, and changes in lipogenesis in the liver. The accumulation of hepatic lipids can lead to a range of pathologies from mild steatosis to severe cirrhosis. Endurance exercise is known to ameliorate the adverse health effects of NAFLD. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the effect of voluntary wheel running (VWR) on the metabolic changes in the livers of high-fat diet (HFD)-induced NAFLD mice and used LC-MS/MS (Liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry) to determine whether the tested intervention affected the protein expression profiles of the mouse livers. Male C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into three groups: control (CON), high-fat diet sedentary group (HFD), high-fat diet VWR group (HFX). HFX group performed voluntary wheel running into individually cages, given a high-fat diet for 12 weeks. Food consumption, body weight, and running distance were measured every week. Using 2D (2-dimensional)-gel electrophoresis, we detected and quantitatively analyzed the protein expression with >2.0-fold change in the livers of HFD-fed mice, HFD-fed exercise (HFX) mice, and chow-fed mice. Body weight was significantly increased in HFD compared to CON (P < 0.05). The 2D-gel electrophoresis analysis indicated that there was a difference between CON and HFD groups, showing 31 increased and 27 decreased spots in the total 302 paired spots in the HFD group compared to CON. The analysis showed 43 increased and 17 decreased spots in the total 258 spots in the HFX group compared to CON. Moreover, 12 weeks of VWR showed an increase of 35 and a decrease of 8 spots in a total of 264 paired spots between HFD and HFX. LC-MS/MS of HFD group revealed that proteins involved in ketogenesis, lipid metabolism, and the metabolism of drugs and xenobiotics were upregulated, whereas detoxifying proteins, mitochondrial precursors, transport proteins, proteasomes, and proteins involved in amino acid metabolism were downregulated. On the other hand, VWR counteracted the protein expression profile of HFD-fed mice by upregulating molecular chaperones, gluconeogenesis-, detoxification-, proteasome-, and energy metabolism-related proteins. This study provided a molecular understanding of the HFD- and exercise-induced protein marker expression and presented the beneficial effects of exercise during pathophysiological conditions.
Geometry of anisotropic CO outflows. [In regions of active star formation]

A simple geometrical model for the space motions of the bipolar high-velocity CO outflows in regions of recent, active star formation is proposed. It is assumed that the velocity field of the neutral gas component can be represented by large-scale uniform motions. From observations of the spatial distribution and from the characteristics of the line shape of the high-velocity molecular gas emission the geometry of the line-emitting regions can be inferred, i.e., the direction in space and the collimating angle of the flow. The model has been applied to regions where a check on presently obtained results is provided by independent optical determinations of the motions of Herbig-Haro objects associated with the CO flows. These two methods are in good agreement and, furthermore, the results obtained provide convincingly strong evidence for the physical association of CO outflows and Herbig-Haro objects. This also supports the common view that a young stellar central source is responsible for the active phenomena observed in its environmental neighborhood. It is noteworthy that within the framework of the model the determination of the flow geometry of the high-velocity gas from CO measurements is independent of the distance to the source and, furthermore, can be done atmore » relatively low spatial resolution. 32 references. « less
Within-host diversity of SARS-CoV-2 lineages and effect of vaccination

Viral and host factors can shape SARS-CoV-2 within-host viral diversity and virus evolution. However, little is known about lineage-specific and vaccination-specific mutations that occur within individuals. Here we analysed deep sequencing data from 2,146 SARS-CoV-2 samples with different viral lineages to describe the patterns of within-host diversity in different conditions, including vaccine-breakthrough infections. Variant of Concern (VOC) Alpha, Delta, and Omicron samples were found to have higher within-host nucleotide diversity while being under weaker purifying selection at full genome level compared to non-VOC SARS-CoV-2 viruses. Breakthrough Delta and Omicron infections in Comirnaty and CoronaVac vaccinated individuals appeared to have higher within-host purifying selection at the full-genome and/or Spike gene levels. Vaccine-induced antibody or T cell responses did not appear to have significant impact on within-host SARS-CoV-2 evolution. Our findings suggest that vaccination does not increase SARS-CoV-2 protein sequence space and may not facilitate emergence of more viral variants.
A systematic review of evidence on employment transitions and weight change by gender in ageing populations

Background Becoming unemployed is associated with poorer health, including weight gain. Middle- and older-age adults are a growing segment of workforces globally, but they are also more vulnerable to changes to employment status, especially during economic shocks. Expected workforce exits over the next decade may exacerbate both the obesity epidemic and the economic burden of obesity. This review extends current knowledge on economic correlates of health to assess whether employment transitions impact body weight by sex/gender among middle-aged and older adults. Methods Eight bibliometric databases were searched between June and July 2021, supplemented by hand-searches, with no restriction on publication date or country. Longitudinal studies, or reviews, were eligible when examining body weight as a function of employment status change in adults ≥50 years. Data extraction and quality appraisal used predefined criteria; reported findings were analysed by narrative synthesis. Results We screened 6,001 unique abstracts and identified 12 articles that met inclusion criteria. All studies examined retirement; of which two also examined job-loss. Overall, studies showed that retirement led to weight gain or no difference in weight change compared to non-retirees; however, reported effects were not consistent for either women or men across studies or for both women and men within a study. Reported effects also differed by occupation: weight gain was more commonly observed among retirees from physical occupations but not among retirees from sedentary occupations. Few studies assessed the role of health behaviours; sleep was the least studied. Most studies were medium quality. Conclusions Existing studies do not provide a clear enough picture of how employment transitions affect body weight. Firm conclusions on the impact of employment transitions on weight cannot be made without further high-quality evidence that considers the role of gender, job-type, other health behaviours, and other transitions, like job-loss.
Understanding the Spectrum of Residential Energy-Saving Behaviours: French Evidence Using Disaggregated Data

Analysing household energy-saving behaviours is crucial to improve energy consumption predictions and energy policy making. How should we quantitatively measure them ? What are their determinants ? This study explores the main factors influencing residential energy-saving behaviours based on a bottom-up multivariate statistical approach using data from the recent French PHEBUS survey. Firstly, we assess energy-saving behaviours on a one-dimension scale using IRT. Secondly, we use linear regression with an innovative variable selection method via adaptive lasso to tease out the effects of both macro and micro factors on the behavioural score. The results highlight the impact of five main attributes incentivizing energy-saving behaviours based on cross-variable analyses : energy price, household income, education level, age of head of household and dwelling energy performance. In addition, our results suggest that the analysis of the inverted U-shape impact of age enables the expansion of the energy consumption life cycle theory to energy-saving behaviours.
Discovery of positive and purifying selection in metagenomic time series of hypermutator microbial populations

A general method to infer both positive and purifying selection during the real-time evolution of hypermutator pathogens would be broadly useful. To this end, we introduce a simple test to infer mode of selection (STIMS) from metagenomic time series of evolving microbial populations. We test STIMS on metagenomic data generated by simulations of bacterial evolution, and on metagenomic data spanning 62,750 generations of Lenski’s long-term evolution experiment with Escherichia coli (LTEE). In both cases, STIMS recovers signals of positive and purifying selection on gold standard sets of genes. Using STIMS, we find strong evidence of ongoing positive selection on key regulators of the E. coli gene regulatory network, even in some hypermutator populations. STIMS also detects positive selection on regulatory genes in hypermutator populations of Pseudomonas aeruginosa that adapted to subinhibitory concentrations of colistin – an antibiotic of last resort – for just twenty-six days of laboratory evolution. Our results show that the fine-tuning of gene regulatory networks is a general mechanism for rapid and ongoing adaptation. The simplicity of STIMS, together with its intuitive visual interpretation, make it a useful test for positive and purifying selection in metagenomic data sets that track the evolution of hypermutator populations in real-time.
Alopecia and colon ulcers following azathioprine use in a patient with myasthenia gravis: A case report

Rationale: Azathioprine is a purine analog (PA) used to treat myasthenia gravis (MG). However, some patients are sensitive to azathioprine and develop severe side effects, such as leukopenia, alopecia, and diarrhea soon after using the medication. Pharmacogenetics plays a crucial role in such intolerance. Patient concerns: A 16-year-old woman with MG developed hair loss, pancytopenia, bloody diarrhea, and fever shortly after azathioprine treatment. Diagnosis: Pharmacogenetic analysis revealed compound heterozygosity of the nudix hydrolase 15 (NUDT15) gene, which led to suppressed NUDT15 function. Colonoscopy revealed large ulcers with polypoid lesions in the terminal ileum, cecum, ascending colon, and rectum. These are the characteristics of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Interventions: Sanger sequencing of NUDT15 gene and colonoscopy for bloody stool evaluation. Outcomes: The patient recovered completely from this acute episode after discontinuation of azathioprine treatment. Her hemogram turned back to normal range. There was also no blood in stool during follow-up. Lessons: Pharmacogenetic effects should be considered when prescribing PA medication. The possibility of secondary or concomitant autoimmune diseases must always be considered in patients with MG.
The effect of orthodontic treatment on facial attractiveness: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND Facial and smile attractiveness are significant motivating factor for patients to seek orthodontic treatment. Although there is a general belief that orthodontic treatment improves facial appearance, this has yet not been systematically evaluated. OBJECTIVE The objective of this study was to assess the current evidence on the effect of orthodontic treatment on facial attractiveness. SEARCH METHODS Systematic and unrestricted search of nine databases were performed up to January 2022. SELECTION CRITERIA Studies evaluating facial attractiveness before and after orthodontic treatment. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS Extracted data included study design and setting, sample size and demographics, malocclusion type, treatment modality, and method for outcome assessment. Risk of bias was assessed with the ROBINS-I tool for non-randomized studies and with RoB-2 for randomized controlled trials (RCTs). Random-effects meta-analyses of mean differences and their 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were performed. RESULTS Twenty studies were included in data synthesis; three randomized controlled clinical trials and 17 non-randomized clinical studies of retrospective or prospective design. One of the RCTs was found to have low risk of bias, one presented some concerns and the third showed a high risk of bias. All non-randomized studies showed either unclear or high risk of bias. Data syntheses showed that orthodontic treatment improved facial attractiveness ratings by 9% when compared with untreated controls (MD: 9.05/95% CI: 4.71; 13.39). A combination of orthodontics and orthognathic surgery also showed a positive effect of 5.5% (MD: 5.51/95% CI: 1.55; 9.47) when compared with orthodontic treatment alone. There was no difference in effect between extraction and non-extraction treatments (MD: -0.89/ 95% CI: -8.72; 6.94) or between different types of Class II correctors (MD: 2.21/95% CI: -16.51; 20.93). LIMITATIONS With the exception of two RCTs, included studies were of unclear or low quality. CONCLUSIONS Orthodontic treatment has a clinically weak effect on facial attractiveness when compared to no treatment. The same is true when a combined orthodontic/surgical treatment is compared to orthodontics alone. REGISTRATION PROSPERO #: CRD42020169904.
The Long-Term Efficacy of Deferiprone in Thalassemia Patients With Iron Overload: Real-World Data from the Registry Database

Abstract Deferiprone (DFP) is an oral iron-chelating agent that is widely used in thalassemia patients with iron overload. This study aimed to investigate the long-term efficacy of DFP monotherapy on serum ferritin (SF) and adverse events. All thalassemia patients aged 15 years or older who received DFP monotherapy were identified from the thalassemia registry database between November 2008 and October 2019. After treatment, patients who achieved a target SF level, defined as <1000.0 ng/mL in transfusion-dependent thalassemia (TDT) and <800.0 ng/mL in non-TDT (NTDT) for two consecutive visits, were categorized as the achievable group. We used multivariate analysis to identify factors that contribute to differences between groups. One hundred and five patients were enrolled in the study with a median age of 28 (19–41) years and median initial SF level of 1399.0 (1141.0–2169.0) ng/mL. Of these, 61.0% carried Hb E (HBB: c.79G>A)/β-thalassemia (β-thal) and 60.0% were TDT patients. The median DFP dose was 63 (47–73) mg/kg/d and the median follow-up duration of treatment was 36 (20–54) months. A total of 58 (55.24%) patients were in the achievable group. The initial SF level <1350.0 ng/mL was significantly associated with achieving a targeted SF level (p = 0.002). Ten adverse events resulted in withholding DFP. The most common was gastrointestinal irritation in four patients and three patients with agranulocytosis. In conclusion, DFP is an effective iron chelator in thalassemia patients. Slightly more than half the patients (55.0%) achieved a target SF level. Lower SF levels at the beginning were an important factor.