Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Last European Varanid: Demise and Extinction of Monitor Lizards (Squamata, Varanidae) from Europe

ABSTRACT Remains of a varanid lizard from the middle Pleistocene of the Tourkobounia 5 locality near Athens, Greece are described. The new material comprises cranial elements only (one maxilla, one dentary, and one tooth) and is attributed to Varanus, the genus to which all European Neogene varanid occurrences have been assigned. Previously, the youngest undisputed varanid from Europe had been recovered from upper Pliocene sediments. The new Greek fossils therefore constitute the youngest records of this clade from the continent. Despite being fragmentary, this new material enhances our understanding of the cranial anatomy of the last European monitor lizards and is clearly not referable to the extant Varanus griseus or Varanus niloticus, the only species that could be taken into consideration on a present-day geographic basis. However, these fossils could represent a survivor of the monitor lizards of Asian origin that inhabited Europe during the Neogene.
Intimate Partner Violence Among Women of Reproductive Age in Nicaragua: Results From a Nationwide Survey

This article aims to identify the factors associated with intimate partner violence (IPV) using data from the latest available nationwide survey in Nicaragua. A secondary analysis of the 2011–2012 Nicaraguan Demography and Health Survey (ENDESA 2011–2012) was conducted. A total of 12,605 women aged 15–49 years who had reported being married or united were included. IPV (yes/no) was defined as the outcome variable, and it was considered if a woman suffered verbal, psychological, physical, or sexual violence during the previous 12 months. Crude and adjusted odds ratios with 95% CI were calculated using a bivariate and multivariate logistic regression model. A p value <. 05 was considered statistically significant and did not correct p values for multiple testing. The overall prevalence of IPV was 17.5%. Women living in urban setting (AOR: 1.51, 95% CI: 1.26–1.80), women who self-identify as native (AOR: 1.34, 95% CI: 1.34–1.61) or women who have a history of abuse as a child (AOR: 1.96, 95% CI: 1.69–2.27) were more likely to suffer IPV compared to their counterparts. Age was found to be a protective factor for IPV. Variables such as educational level and wealth index, do not report any association with IPV. Our findings shows that IPV in Nicaragua continues to be a frequent event. The results provide evidence of drivers for IPV at a national level. These findings are useful for the design of intervention policies and strategies for the prevention of IPV.
Giant Vertical Magnetization Shift Caused by Field-Induced Ferromagnetic Spin Reconfiguration in Ni50Mn36Ga14 Alloy

Vertical magnetization shift (VMS) is a special type of exchange bias effect that may lead to a revolution in future ultrahigh-density magnetic recording technology. However, there are very few reports focusing on the performance of VMS due to the unclear mechanism. In this paper, a giant vertical magnetization shift (ME) of 6.34 emu/g is reported in the Ni50Mn36Ga14 alloy. The VMS can be attributed to small ferromagnetic ordered regions formed by spin reconfiguration after field cooling, which are embedded in an antiferromagnetic matrix. The strong cooling-field dependence, temperature dependence, and training effect all corroborate the presence of spin reconfiguration and its role in the VMS. This work can enrich VMS research and increase its potential in practical applications as well.
Aripiprazole reduces liver cell division

Effects of aripiprazole on dopamine regulation are being tested as a treatment for patients with a dual diagnosis of schizophrenia and addictions, often cocaine dependence. Aripiprazole has one of the fewest side-effects among the second-generation antipsychotics. Nevertheless, severe aripiprazole hepatotoxicity was reported in persons with a history of cocaine and alcohol abuse. Here we report that therapeutically relevant aripiprazole concentrations, equal to laboratory alert levels in patients’ serum, reduce the rate of hepatocytes’ division. This could be an underlying mechanism of severe liver injury development in the patients with a history of alcohol and cocaine abuse, the two hepatotoxic agents that require increased ability of liver self-regeneration. Monitoring liver functions is, therefore, important in the cases when aripiprazole is co-prescribed or used with drugs with potential hepatotoxic effects.
Horizontal genetic exchange of chromosomally encoded markers between Campylobacter jejuni cells

Many epidemiological studies provide us with the evidence of horizontal gene transfer (HGT) contributing to the bacterial genomic diversity that benefits the bacterial populations with increased ability to adapt to the dynamic environments. Campylobacter jejuni, a major cause of acute enteritis in the U.S., often linked with severe post-infection neuropathies, has been reported to exhibit a non-clonal population structure and comparatively higher strain-level genetic variation. In this study, we provide evidence of the HGT of chromosomally encoded genetic markers between C. jejuni cells in the biphasic MH medium. We used two C. jejuni NCTC-11168 mutants harbouring distinct antibiotic-resistance genes [chloramphenicol (Cm) and kanamycin (Km)] present at two different neutral genomic loci. Cultures of both marker strains were mixed together and incubated for 5 hrs, then plated on MH agar plates supplemented with both antibiotics. The recombinant cells with double antibiotic markers were generated at the frequency of 0.02811 ± 0.0035% of the parental strains. PCR assays using locus-specific primers confirmed that transfer of the antibiotic-resistance genes was through homologous recombination. Also, the addition of chicken cecal content increased the recombination efficiency approximately up to 10-fold as compared to the biphasic MH medium (control) at P < 0.05. Furthermore, treating the co-culture with DNase I decreased the available DNA, which in turn significantly reduced recombination efficiency by 99.92% (P < 0.05). We used the cell-free supernatant of 16 hrs-culture of Wild-type C. jejuni as a template for PCR and found DNA sequences from six different genomic regions were easily amplified, indicating the presence of released chromosomal DNA in the culture supernatant. Our findings suggest that HGT in C. jejuni is facilitated in the chicken gut environment contributing to in vivo genomic diversity. Additionally, C. jejuni might have an active mechanism to release its chromosomal DNA into the extracellular environment, further expediting HGT in C. jejuni populations.
Rapid Changes in Microbial Community Structures along a Meandering River

Streams and rivers convey freshwater from lands to the oceans, transporting various organic particles, minerals, and living organisms. Microbial communities are key components of freshwater food webs and take up, utilize, and transform this material. However, there are still important gaps in our understanding of the dynamic of these organisms along the river channels. Using high-throughput 16S and 18S rRNA gene sequencing and quantitative PCR on a 11-km long transect of the Saint-Charles River (Quebec, CA), starting from its main source, the Saint-Charles Lake, we show that bacterial and protist community structures in the river drifted quickly but progressively downstream of its source. The dominant Operational Taxonomic Units (OTUs) of the lake, notably related to Cyanobacteria, decreased in proportions, whereas relative proportions of other OTUs, such as a Pseudarcicella OTU, increased along the river course, becoming quickly predominant in the river system. Both prokaryotic and protist communities changed along the river transect, suggesting a strong impact of the shift from a stratified lake ecosystem to a continuously mixed river environment. This might reflect the cumulative effects of the increasing water turbulence, fluctuations of physicochemical conditions, differential predation pressure in the river, especially in the lake outlet by benthic filter feeders, or the relocation of microorganisms, through flocculation, sedimentation, resuspension, or inoculation from the watershed. Our study reveals that the transit of water in a river system can greatly impact both bacterial and micro-eukaryotic community composition, even over a short distance, and, potentially, the transformation of materials in the water column.
Independent Validation of a Tissue Systems Pathology Assay to Predict Future Progression in Nondysplastic Barrett's Esophagus: A Spatial-Temporal Analysis

INTRODUCTION: An automated risk prediction assay has previously been shown to objectively identify patients with nondysplastic Barrett's esophagus (NDBE) who are at increased risk of malignant progression. To evaluate the predictive performance of the assay in 76 patients with NDBE of which 38 progressed to high-grade dysplasia/esophageal adenocarcinoma (progressors) and 38 did not (nonprogressors) and to determine whether assessment of additional (spatial) levels per endoscopy and/or multiple (temporal) time points improves assay performance. METHODS: In a blinded, nested case-control cohort, progressors and nonprogressors were matched (age, sex, and Barrett's esophagus length). All random biopsy levels from the baseline endoscopy (spatial samples) and all available previous endoscopies back to 10 years before progression (temporal samples) were assayed. Because the 1:1 ratio of progressors to nonprogressors does not reflect the real-world Barrett's population, negative and positive predictive values were adjusted for prevalence. RESULTS: Seventy-six patients (58 men), mean age of 63 ± 9 years, were studied. A high-risk score was associated with a prevalence-adjusted annual progression rate of 6.9%. The assay identified 31% of progressors when assessing a single biopsy level from the baseline endoscopy. Sensitivity increased to 50% and 69% in spatial and temporal analyses, respectively, while specificity remained at 95%. DISCUSSION: The assay identified a significant subset of NDBE patients who progress at a rate comparable with published estimates for expert-confirmed low-grade dysplasia. Assessing additional spatial and temporal biopsies increased the predictive accuracy, allowing for identification of most future progressors. Additional studies will evaluate the predictive performance of the assay in low-prevalence settings.
Mesh Complication Rates Following Pelvic Radiation Therapy in Women With History of Synthetic Midurethral Sling Implantation.

OBJECTIVE To estimate the risk of mesh complications in women with and without subsequent pelvic and abdominal radiation therapy (RT). METHODS We identified women within a large health care organization who underwent mesh-augmented surgery for pelvic floor disorders between 2008 and 2014 and subsequently received RT prior to 2018. We compared them to a randomly selected group of women who underwent similar mesh-augmented pelvic reconstructive surgery without RT in a 1:4 ratio. Mesh complications were identified through chart review corroborated with the ninth and tenth revisions of the International Classification of Diseases and Current Procedural Terminology codes for mesh complications. Mesh complications between groups were compared using survival analysis and Cox proportional hazards models. RESULTS We identified 36 women with RT and compared them with 144 women without RT. Indications for mesh implantation and concomitant vaginal procedures were similar between the groups. The majority of mesh implants (94.4%) were midurethral slings. Twelve mesh complications (6.7%) were identified, with similar rates in the RT (8.3%) and no-RT (6.2%) groups (P = 0.65). The risk of mesh complications did not differ between groups when compared using the Cox proportional hazards model, controlling for age, body mass index, diabetes, menopausal status, and smoking (hazard ratio, 1.19; 95% confidence interval, 0.802-1.787). CONCLUSIONS There was no difference in the occurrence of mesh-related complications between women with and without RT. Abdominopelvic RT may not substantially increase the risk of mesh complications following placement of a synthetic sling for stress urinary incontinence. The need for future RT may only be a minor factor in counseling patients on the risks of mesh implants for pelvic floor disorders.
Phase 2 study of ruxolitinib and decitabine in patients with myeloproliferative neoplasm in accelerated and blast phase.

Myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPN) that have evolved into accelerated or blast phase disease (MPN-AP/BP) have poor outcomes with limited treatment options and therefore represent an urgent unmet need. We have previously demonstrated in a multicenter, phase 1 trial conducted through the Myeloproliferative Neoplasms Research Consortium that the combination of ruxolitinib and decitabine is safe and tolerable and is associated with a favorable overall survival (OS). In this phase 2 trial, 25 patients with MPN-AP/BP were treated at the recommended phase 2 dose of ruxolitinib 25 mg twice daily for the induction cycle followed by 10 mg twice daily for subsequent cycles in combination with decitabine 20 mg/m2 for 5 consecutive days in a 28-day cycle. Nineteen patients died during the study follow-up. The median OS for all patients on study was 9.5 months (95% confidence interval, 4.3-12.0). Overall response rate (complete remission + incomplete platelet recovery + partial remission) was 11/25 (44%) and response was not associated with improved survival. We conclude that the combination of decitabine and ruxolitinib was well tolerated, demonstrated favorable OS, and represents a therapeutic option for this high-risk patient population. This trial was registered at www.clinicaltrials. gov as #NCT02076191.
Predictors of High Psychosocial Functioning in Bipolar Disorder

Abstract The aim of this study was to identify predictors of high psychosocial functioning in patients with bipolar disorder (BD). One hundred forty-five outpatients with BD and 50 healthy controls were included. Patients were categorized as having high psychosocial functioning if they concomitantly met three conditions: a) General Assessment of Functioning greater than 90, b) full-time employment, and c) full functional recovery. Clinical, demographical, and neurocognitive variables were assessed and considered as potential predictors of high functioning in regression models. We found that 22.8% (n = 33) of patients exhibited high psychosocial functioning. BD type II, higher educational level, and better performance in verbal memory, attention, and executive functions were independent predictors of high psychosocial functioning. Our results provide evidence that functional outcomes are heterogeneous in BD, including a percentage of patients who maintain good to excellent psychosocial functioning despite their illness. Neurocognitive functioning could be one of the most influential factors to explain this heterogeneity.
Trait Complementarity Enhances Native Plant Restoration in an Invaded Urban Landscape

Developing strategies to reintroduce native species in invaded landscapes is a major challenge for ecological restoration, particularly in urban areas. Although complete eradication of invasive exotics is a common restoration goal, an emerging approach in heavily invaded landscapes is to plant native species likely to persist, even in the presence of exotic competition. Functional traits may be used to inform restoration strategies by indicating whether native and exotic species are likely to occupy different niches (i.e., dissimilar traits indicate different resource strategies). We adopted a functional trait approach to test whether planting species with dissimilar, as opposed to similar, traits to exotic species enhanced native species cover and diversity for an urban restoration project that is heavily invaded by Hedera helix (English ivy) and Hedera canariensis (canary ivy). We conducted a trait screening of Hedera and 37 candidate native understory plants and used trait values to select three species that were functionally dissimilar and three that were functionally similar to Hedera. We then tested their survival and growth when planted in and out of competition with Hedera over two years. Species with dissimilar traits to Hedera had high survival and growth across time and competitive environments, whereas species with similar traits to Hedera had significantly reduced survival when in competition with Hedera. Our results suggest that, in heavily invaded landscapes, restoration projects that plant species with complementary resource strategies to exotics may be most successful and that functional traits are a useful tool to select these species.
Enhanced functional connectivity between insular subregions correlates with the efficacy of music and instruction-guided relaxation in depression

Supplemental Digital Content is available in the text. Music and instruction-guided relaxation (MIGR) is a complementary therapeutic tool used in the treatment of the major depressive disorder (MDD). However, the neural mechanism that underlies the effect of MIGR on MDD patients is not known. Twenty-three right-handed MDD patients and 23 age-, sex-, handedness-, and educational level-matched healthy controls were enrolled. Resting-state functional MRI data were acquired from patients before and after MIGR and from healthy controls. The relationships between insular subregion-based functional connectivity and Hamilton Depression Rating Scale, Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAM-A), Automatic Thoughts Questionnaire, and Ruminative Responses Scale scores were examined. One-way analysis of variance exhibited significant differences among the three groups in functional connectivity between the left dorsal anterior insula (dAI) and left superior medial frontal gyrus (SMFG), left dAI and left precuneus, left posterior insula and left gyrus rectus, right ventral anterior insula (vAI) and left posterior cingulate cortex (PCC), right vAI and right inferior frontal gyrus (R-IFG). Further comparisons in regions of interest showed that MDD patients before MIGR showed decreased functional connectivity between the left dAI and left SMFG, left dAI and left precuneus, left posterior insula, and left gyrus rectus, right vAI and left PCC, right vAI and R-IFG relative to those in healthy controls. The strength of functional connectivity between the right dAI and left putamen also exhibited a negative correlation with the HAM-A score in MDD cases before MIGR. MIGR may result in enhanced functional connectivity in insular subregions, thereby potentially increasing the regulatory influence of cognitive reappraisal.
The association between decision‐making skills and subjective decision outcomes among administrative officers in the Swedish Social Insurance Agency

Abstract Social insurance administrative officers’ decision‐making skills influence their efficiency at work and their general well‐being. At work their tasks are characterised by complexity and a need for order and accountability. Moreover, cases should usually be handled and finalised within the imposed time frames. We investigated skills related to decision‐making success among social insurance officers. In total, 118 administrative officers at the Swedish Social Insurance Agency (66% response rate) responded to questions on scales and measures relating to cognitive‐rational, socio‐emotional and time approach features of decision‐making skill. In addition, they responded to questions on three scales pertaining to outcomes of everyday decisions in terms of subjective everyday difficulties, tendencies to burnout and depressive symptoms. The results showed that cognitive‐rational competence was associated with lower reports of subjective everyday difficulties and depressive symptoms and thereby contributed to the explained variance in decision outcomes. Furthermore, socio‐emotional and time approach features of decision‐making skills contributed to the explanation for subjective everyday difficulties, tendencies to burnout and depressive symptoms. The results corroborate the basic assumption and usefulness of a broad approach in the definition and assessment of decision‐making skills in human service professions in general, and of administrative officers in social insurance agencies in particular. Recommendations for future research and the implications of the results are discussed.
Sociodemographic inequalities in eating practices and concerns

Abstract Objective: To evaluate associations between selected dietary concerns and eating practices and determine the association of these concerns/practices with demographic and socio-economic characteristics in a population from a large Brazilian city. Design: Population-based cross-sectional study. We investigated concerns regarding salt intake, the use of highly processed seasoning and the custom of reading the Na content on food labels. We also analysed concerns regarding the use of pesticides on food products and the practice of consuming organic foods. These variables were analysed according to sex, age group, schooling and income. Multivariate Poisson regression analysis was performed for the estimation of prevalence ratios. Setting: Campinas, state of São Paulo, Brazil. Participants: The representative sample consisted of 1710 adults and seniors. Results: A total 62·3 % of the population were concerned with salt intake, 34·7 % did not use highly processed seasoning and 10·6 % checked the Na content on food labels; 27·5 % were concerned with pesticides and 26·5 % consumed organic foods. The practices analysed were associated with the respective concerns. Women and seniors had a better profile, except for reading Na content in both groups and the consumption of organic foods among seniors. The frequency of checking the Na content and consuming organic foods increased with the level of schooling. The higher income group had a better profile, except for concern with salt intake. Conclusions: Considerable social differences were found regarding the dietary practices, and the practices were associated with concerns. The present findings underscore the need for different dietary counseling strategies targeting specific groups.