Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Cytoplasmic Maturity Revealed by the Structural Changes in Incorporated Spermatozoon during the Course of Starfish Oocyte Maturation

Immature oocytes of the starfish, Asterina pectinifera, are polyspermic. Spermatozoa can enter immature oocytes upon insemination, but the changes associated with the fertilization process in oocytes matured with 1‐methyladenine (1‐MeAde), such as the formation of aster and pronucleus, were not observed. After immature oocytes, previously inseminated, were matured with 1‐MeAde, the formation of the sperm monaster was observed during germinal vesicle breakdown (GVBD). Amphiasters and pronuclei were formed after the formation of the second polar body. The acquisition by oocytes of the capacity to undergo the normal process of fertilization, therefore, occurs during the course of oocyte maturation. After injection of the cytoplasm of maturing oocytes into inseminated immature oocytes, the formation of aster and pronucleus was observed, suggesting that maturation‐promoting factor (MPF) may be involved in establishing the cytoplasmic conditions (cytoplasmic maturity) necessary for the fertilization process to occur. In contrast, when enucleated, inseminated halves of immature oocytes were treated with 1‐MeAde, only monasters were formed, while in the nucleated halves both amphiasters and sperm pronuclei were formed. Thus, germinal vesicle material is required for the formation of amphiaster and sperm pronucleus but not for the formation of monaster. It is possible that the amount of MPF produced in enucleated halves was sufficient only for the formation of the monaster but not for the formation of the amphiaster and pronucleus, since it has been previously established that germinal vesicle material is necessary for the amplification of MPF. The formation of the monaster in the enucleated halves at a time corresponding to GVBD in nucleated controls suggests that the amount of MPF needed for this event is rather small. For the induction of subsequent fertilization process, large amounts of MPF may be required to establish the necessary cytoplasmic conditions, although other possible role of nuclear material is not excluded.
Early and delayed puberty among Iranian children with obesity.

BACKGROUND It has been hypothesized that puberty onset is disturbed, as the children gain more weight. This study aims to investigate the prevalence and risk factors of the puberty disturbances among children with obesity in Tehran. METHODS This study was performed as a cross-sectional study, investigating 168 children with obesity from Tehran. Iran from March 2018 to February 2019. BMI percentile more than 95% was considered as the inclusion criteria. RESULTS 78 (46.4%) of the assessed children were females. The mean weight, height, BMI were 89.65(+11.01) kg, 169.88 (+8.32) centimeters and 31.13(+3.8) kg/m2, respectively. There was no difference between males and females regarding the early puberty (p-value= 0.098) but delayed puberty was significantly higher among males (p-value= 0.029). Our results indicated higher birth weight is associated with earlier onset of obesity in children (p-value= 0.044). CONCLUSIONS Our study demonstrated no association between obesity and early puberty in girls; however, boys with obesity had delayed puberty. We also found higher birth weight is associated with earlier onset of obesity, putting light on the importance of preventive interventions.
Sleep problems and depressive symptoms in toddlers and 8‐year‐old children: A longitudinal study

Sleep and depression are interlinked throughout the lifespan, but very few studies have examined the directionality of the sleep–depression link in children. The aim of the current study was to prospectively examine the bidirectional association between sleep problems and internalizing problems and depressive symptoms in toddlers and children aged 1.5 and 8 years. Data stem from the large ongoing population‐based longitudinal study, the Norwegian Mother, Father and Child Cohort Study, recruited from October 1999 to July 2009. A total of 35,075 children were included. Information on sleep duration, nocturnal awakenings and internalizing problems (Child Behaviour Checklist) was provided by the mothers at 1.5 years, whereas data on sleep duration and depressive symptoms (Short Mood and Feelings Questionnaire) were provided by the mothers when the children were 8 years old. Odds ratios (ORs) were calculated using logistic regression analyses. After accounting for previous internalizing problems, short sleep duration (≤10 hr) and frequent (≥3) nightly awakenings at 1.5 years predicted the development of depressive symptoms at 8 years of age (adjusted OR = 1.28; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.08–1.51, and adjusted OR = 1.27, 95% CI 1.08–1.50, respectively). Also, internalizing problems at 1.5 years predicted onset of later short sleep duration (adjusted OR = 1.83, 95% CI 1.32–2.54) after accounting for early sleep problems. This prospective study demonstrated a bidirectional association between sleep and internalizing/depressive symptoms from toddlerhood to middle childhood. Intervention studies are needed to examine whether targeting either of these problems at this early age may prevent onset of the other.
Experimental Studies of Open Rotor Installation Effects

Open rotor propulsion technologies offer an opportunity for reducing fuel burn due to the very high effective bypass ratio that results in increased propulsive efficiency. Open rotor effective bypass ratio can be 25 or higher and represents a potential advantage over even advanced ultra high bypass ratio turbofan engines. At the same time, great challenges arise from this radically different engine architecture in terms of aircraft system integration. The propulsion airframe aeroacoustic (PAA) effects of integration are one of those key challenges. Total installed noise, open rotor noise including integration effects, can be impacted by angle of attack, spacing between rotors and airframe elements, flow effects from wake ingestion or distortion from the airframe elements and several other parameters that generally depend on the aircraft configuration. In general, these effects increase noise compared to that of an isolated open rotor. This inter-relationship of the aerodynamic and aeroacoustic system integration effects is particularly important to enable future application. Furthermore, innovative integration and advanced technology may also offer the possibility of mitigating these usually negative aeroacoustic effects for a total aircraft system noise reduction. Understanding of these installation effects is essential to be able to assess the aircraft system benefits and to develop technology and approaches to achieve the best aircraft system benefits possible. An extensive model scale test campaign was conducted to investigate a broad range of these open rotor installation effects for both a conventional and an unconventional airframe. The conventional airframe was patterned after a modern twinengine aircraft configuration. The unconventional airframe was a hybrid wing body aircraft concept. The contra-rotating, eight by eight, open rotor used in this experiment was legacy technology from the 1980s flight test project. The experimental campaign was conducted in the Boeing Low Speed Aeroacoustic Facility (LSAF), shown in Figure 1. A 9 by 12 ft open jet is used to produce the forward flight simulation with a maximum Mach number of 0.25 for this experimental setup. Figure 1 shows the basic setup for this campaign with the airframe attached from the overhead structure and the open rotor rig attached on a strut from below the open jet. LSAF installed specially designed modifications for efficient positioning of the airframe relative to the open rotor. The airframe was traversed remotely relative to the fixed open rotor rig providing for the investigation of a large number of installation positions. Eight positions around the main wing of the conventional airframe and eleven positions above the hybrid wing body airframe were documented. Figure 2 shows a typical spectrum of the open rotor. In this case, the forward and aft blade rows were run intentionally at slightly different speeds. This allows the engine 3rd AIAA Atmospheric Space Environments Conference 27 30 June 2011, Honolulu, Hawaii AIAA 2011-4047
Motor abilities and relative age effect of adolescents

The present study examined the relative age effects (RAE) of adolescents from Bosnia and Herzegovina. The purposes of this study were to evaluate motor performances of adolescent students (boys and girls), and to examine the effects of relative age among relatively older and relatively younger boys, and between relatively older and relatively younger girls, respectively. Motor skills were assessed by the Eurofit battery of motor tests. A one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was applied to examine the differences between the groups. Normality of distribution was determined with Kolmogorov-Smirnov test and skewness and kurtosis. If the assumption of a normal distribution for the data was violated, the Mann-Whitney U test. The results indicated significant differences in motor performance boys RAE groups in two measures, while there were no differences between the relatively older and relatively younger girls. The results indicate that the RAE is less evident in mid-adolescence in both, girls and boys. These findings may be useful for physical education (PE) teachers in PE lessons planning.
Impact of Ozonated Water on the Quality and Shelf-life of Fresh Citrus Fruit, Stone Fruit, and Table Grapes

Abstract Spores of fungi that cause postharvest decay of fresh fruit die rapidly in ozonated water. We determined the impact of sporocidal or higher O3 doses on fruit shelf-life and quality. Green mold and sour rot on citrus fruit, caused by Penicillium digitatum and Geotrichum citri-aurantii, respectively, were not reduced by 20 min immersion in 10 ppm O3. These fungi infect through wounds; their spores were placed in shallow wounds (l mm wide by 2 mm deep) 24 hr before treatment. On five peach varieties, the average natural incidence of brown rot, caused by Monilinia fructicola, was reduced from 10.9 to 5.4% by 1 min immersion in 1.5 ppm O3. A treatment of 15 min with 5 ppm O3 further reduced decay to 1.7%, but consistent control of brown rot was associated only with this severe treatment and it caused shallow pits on the fruit. Brown rot caused by spores placed in wounds before treatment was not controlled. Immersion for 1 or 5 min in 5 ppm O3 reduced natural aerobic bacteria populations by 1.1 and 1.6 log10 units, respectively, and yeast and filamentous fungal populations by 0.7 and 1.3 log10 units, respectively. Spores of Botrytis cinerea, cause of gray mold, were sprayed on table grape clusters, the clusters were dried, and then immersed for 1 to 6 min in 10 ppm O3. In two tests, immersion for 1 min in O3 reduced gray mold from 35% among untreated grapes to about 10%, while in two other tests the incidence was only reduced from 35 to 26%. Minor injury to the rachis of grape clusters occurred at high O3 rates. Immersion in ozonated water did not control postharvest decay of citrus fruit, injured peaches and nectarines at doses that reliably controlled decay, and on table grapes control was irregular and caused minor rachis injury at high rates.
Implementing Publicly Funded Noninvasive Prenatal Testing for Fetal Aneuploidy in Ontario, Canada: Clinician Experiences With a Disruptive Technology

The last decade has experienced unprecedented uptake of noninvasive prenatal testing (NIPT), creating significant changes in the way prenatal clinicians provide services. Through the lens of social shaping of technology, we examine the effects of the introduction of this technology on the health care system in Ontario, Canada. Using a qualitative descriptive approach, we conducted a cross-sectional study investigating clinicians’ perspectives of NIPT in 2014, 2016, and 2018. Through in-depth interviews (n = 37), we explored their perspectives on the impact of NIPT on their referral practices, workload, coordination of testing modalities, education and counseling, and elicited their views on recent expansions of the test. Findings suggest that the introduction of NIPT has created unintended consequences with respect to clinician workload and wellness, clinician education, equity of access, and public system resources. Responsiveness from decision makers is key to ensuring the responsible use of NIPT in the health care system.
Association of −308 TNF‐α promoter polymorphism with type 1 diabetes in North Indians

Tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF-a) is a pleiotropic cytokine with a potent immunomodulatory activity. In humans, TNF-α gene is located on chromosome 6p21.31 in the region of highly polymorphic human leucocyte antigen (HLA) gene complex, hence the genetic variability of TNF-a has been widely implicated in the altered expression of the gene leading to different inflammatory conditions and autoimmune diseases including type 1 diabetes. We assessed the association of TNF-a promoter polymorphisms at-308 and -238 sites with type 1 diabetes and correlated it with TNF-a production in the serum and by the lipopolysaccharide-activated peripheral blood mononuclear cells in North Indian subjects. Genotyping was performed on 130 patients and 133 normal subjects by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis using NcoI and BglII restriction endonucleases. The frequency of A allele and AG genotype at -308 site was significantly higher in patients with type 1 diabetes than that of the controls (P c = 0.000248 and 0.000438, respectively) while no significant difference was observed at -238 site between the two groups. The frequency of A allele at -238 site was very rare (< 2%) among the patients and was absent in the control group. The AG genotype at -308 site was associated with relatively higher production of TNF-a in the peripheral blood (P < 0.001), as well as by the peripheral blood mononuclear cells both at the basal level (P < 0.05) and after stimulation with lipopolysaccharide as compared to the -308 GG genotype. The results of the present study suggest that higher frequency of A allele at the -308 promoter site may be related to higher expression of TNF-a gene consequently leading to increased susceptibility to type 1 diabetes in North Indians.
An update on sarcoidosis-associated pulmonary hypertension.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW Pulmonary hypertension in sarcoidosis is a well known entity. Sarcoidosis-associated pulmonary hypertension (SAPH) incurs substantial morbidity and mortality. This review examines recent literatures published on epidemiology, prognosis and therapeutic management in SAPH. RECENT FINDINGS Several registries have been published between 2017 and 2020. The consensus conclusion - SAPH is a harbinger for poor prognosis. Several factors were noted for predicting adverse outcome in SAPH like reduced 6-min walk distance and diffusing capacity for carbon monoxide. Given its adverse outcome, experts have now focused on methods for early screening of SAPH in sarcoid patients. The exploration of pulmonary vasodilator drugs in SAPH is ongoing. In recent times, trials have been published utilizing Macitentan and parenteral prostacyclin in severe SAPH. Although these trials show encouraging results, the evidence from these studies are limited to approve these agents as preferred drugs for treating SAPH. A large multicentric trial of drugs used for pulmonary arterial hypertension with meaningful, yet feasible, event driven endpoint is still lacking. Lately, interventional treatment by pulmonary artery balloon pulmonary angioplasty and stenting has gained traction for treating pulmonary artery stenosis and chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension. However, the conclusion is still based on small cohorts or case series. SUMMARY Several registries have highlighted SAPH portends an unfavorable consequence. On the contrary, no published guideline exists to treat SAPH. The precise role of immunosuppressive agents is unclear. The limited evidence favoring use of pulmonary vasodilators arise from small retrospective case series and/or single-center nonrandomized observational studies. Further multicenter randomized research is warranted to better define patient population to treat and how best to treat them.
The application of starch‐based ingredients in flavor encapsulation

Flavors are of great importance in consumer satisfaction and affect further consumptions of food products. The preservation of aromatic additives is often a top concern of food manufacturers because aromatics are usually expensive, volatile, delicate and hard to handle. Encapsulation provides an effective approach to protect flavors against evaporation and undesirable reactions during storage by coating them with protective carrier materials. Starch has been considered as an excellent wall material for flavor encapsulation over the years. There has been an increasing demand for starches in flavor encapsulation attributed to their significant benefits, as they are fully biodegradable, widely available, inexpensive, and can be easily modified into derivatives with various properties. This paper intends to give a clear overview of the application of four commonly used starch-based ingredients, i.e., cyclodextrins, hydrolyzed starches, octenyl succinic anhydride starches and porous starches in flavor encapsulation. This review allows a better understanding of the properties of these starch derivatives, as well as their functions and problems in application of food flavor encapsulation. Future perspectives of starch application in flavor encapsulation are suggested.
Preliminary development and technical evaluation of a belt-actuated robotic rehabilitation platform

BACKGROUND: To provide effective rehabilitation in the early post-injury stage, a novel robotic rehabilitation platform is proposed, which provides full-body arm-leg rehabilitation via belt actuation to severely disabled patients who are restricted to bed rest. OBJECTIVE: To design and technically evaluate the preliminary development of the rehabilitation platform, with focus on the generation of various leg movements. METHODS: Two computer models were developed by importing the components from SolidWorks into Simscape Multibody in MATLAB. This allowed simulation of various stepping movements in supine-lying and side-lying positions. Two belt-actuated test rigs were manufactured and automatic control programs were developed in TIA Portal. Finally, the functionality of the test rigs was technically evaluated. RESULTS: Computer simulation yielded target positions for the generation of various stepping movements in the experimental platforms. The control system enabled the two-drive test rig to provide three modes of stepping in a supine position. In addition, the four-drive test rig produced walking-like stepping in a side-lying position. CONCLUSIONS: This work confirmed the feasibility of the mechanical development and control system of the test rigs, which are deemed applicable for further development of the overall novel robotic rehabilitation platform.
Exploring the effectiveness of adopting anchor-based game learning materials to support flipped classroom activities for senior high school students

ABSTRACT In this study, a flipped classroom strategy was integrated into a comparative experiment to report on the performance of classical Chinese learning in two learning scenarios, using both game-based and animated story materials or only animated story materials as pre-course preview supports. A total of 75 senior high school students participated in the experiment. Overall, the findings showed that integrating e-learning materials with physical activities fostered flipped classroom learning, and learners had a deep impression of the targeted classical Chinese. The use of the game-based learning materials for preview triggered the students, especially the low-achievement students, to become active learners. It was found that the game-based learning materials helped the students to have a whole view of the article quickly, so it would be beneficial to provide learners with game-based learning materials at the beginning of introducing new classical Chinese units to arouse their learning motivation. Meanwhile, the animated-story materials were helpful for enhancing learners’ concepts of important classical Chinese sentences and wording, and could be provided to learners according to the schedule of the course. The issues of how to run a flipped classroom with e-learning materials and further research directions are also discussed.
British Obesity and Metabolic Surgery Society Guidelines on perioperative and postoperative biochemical monitoring and micronutrient replacement for patients undergoing bariatric surgery—2020 update

Bariatric surgery is recognized as the most clinically and cost‐effective treatment for people with severe and complex obesity. Many people presenting for surgery have pre‐existing low vitamin and mineral concentrations. The incidence of these may increase after bariatric surgery as all procedures potentially cause clinically significant micronutrient deficiencies. Therefore, preparation for surgery and long‐term nutritional monitoring and follow‐up are essential components of bariatric surgical care. These guidelines update the 2014 British Obesity and Metabolic Surgery Society nutritional guidelines. Since the 2014 guidelines, the working group has been expanded to include healthcare professionals working in specialist and non‐specialist care as well as patient representatives. In addition, in these updated guidelines, the current evidence has been systematically reviewed for adults and adolescents undergoing the following procedures: adjustable gastric band, sleeve gastrectomy, Roux‐en‐Y gastric bypass and biliopancreatic diversion/duodenal switch. Using methods based on Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network methodology, the levels of evidence and recommendations have been graded. These guidelines are comprehensive, encompassing preoperative and postoperative biochemical monitoring, vitamin and mineral supplementation and correction of nutrition deficiencies before, and following bariatric surgery, and make recommendations for safe clinical practice in the U.K. setting.
Pulmonary adverse events of low-dose methotrexate in the randomized double-blind placebo-controlled Card.

OBJECTIVE We previously reported that low-dose methotrexate (LD-MTX) was associated with increased risk of pulmonary adverse events (AEs) in a large placebo-controlled randomized trial. Herein, we report details on predictors and severity of pulmonary AEs. METHODS This was a pre-specified analysis of pulmonary AEs in the Cardiovascular Inflammation Reduction Trial. Adults with known cardiovascular disease and diabetes/metabolic syndrome were randomly allocated to LD-MTX (target dose 15-20 mg/week) or placebo after 6-8 weeks of open-label run-in with LD-MTX. Individuals with systemic inflammatory diseases were excluded. Pulmonary AEs were blindly adjudicated. We described severe pulmonary AEs and examined associations of baseline characteristics with pulmonary AEs of LD-MTX. RESULTS A total of 2,391 subjects were randomized to LD-MTX and 2,395 to placebo. There were 13 severe pulmonary AEs (0.5%) and seven (0.3%) cases of possible pneumonitis in the LD-MTX group, compared to eight (0.3%) and one (<0.1%), respectively, in the placebo group. Among those randomized to LD-MTX, risk factors for any pulmonary AE included: female sex (HR 1.69, 95%CI 1.16. 2.45 vs. male), White race (HR 2.35, 95%CI 1.03-5.36 vs. others) and insulin use (HR 1.60, 95%CI 1.11-2.30 vs. non-use). Risk factors for severe pulmonary AEs included only older baseline age (HR 1.09 per increasing year, 95%CI 1.02-1.16). CONCLUSION In this large placebo-controlled trial, pulmonary AEs, including possible pneumonitis, were uncommon but were more likely to occur in those randomized to LD-MTX. White race, older age, male sex, and insulin use were associated with increased risk of pulmonary AE of LD-MTX.