Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Educational Needs Associated with the Level of Complication and Comparative Risk Perceptions in People with Type 2 Diabetes

Objectives This study aimed to identify the educational needs of people with type 2 diabetes according to risk perceptions and the level of severity of complications. Methods There were 177 study participants who were outpatients of the internal medicine department at a university hospital located in the Republic of Korea, who consented to participate in the survey from December 10, 2016 to February 10, 2017. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, ANOVA with post-hoc comparison, and multiple regression analysis. Type 2 diabetes complications were classified into 3 groups: no complications, common complications, and severe complications. Results There were statistically significant positive correlations between educational needs and comparative risk perceptions, and the level of complication and comparative risk perception. Multiple regression analysis revealed that the factor predicting educational needs of type 2 diabetes people was their comparative risk perceptions, rather than the severity of diabetes complications or sociodemographic variables. Conclusion Since risk perception is the factor that indicates the educational needs of people with type 2 diabetes, there is a need to explore factors which increase risk perception, in order to meet educational needs. The findings suggest that a more specific and individualized educational program, which focuses on each person's risk perceptions, should be developed.
Living deep-water Lophelia and Madrepora corals in Maltese waters (Strait of Sicily, Mediterranean sea)

Coraux vivants en eau profonde (Lophelia et Madrepora) dans les eaux maltaises (Detroit de Sicile, Mer Mediterranee). La presence de coraux vivants en eau profonde, Lophelia pertusa et Madrepora oculata, dans des stations a 21-42 kilometres loin de la cote au sud et au sud-ouest de Malte est signalee. Des fragments de grandes colonies vivantes des deux especes ainsi que de grandes parties du squelette de Lophelia ont ete recoltees a une profondeur de 390-617 metres, associees au corail solitaire Desmophyllum dianthus (= cristagalli). La faune environnante comprend la balane Pachylasma giganteum, le gasteropode Coralliophila richardi, les bivalves Asperarca nodulosa et Spondylus gussonii et le polychete Eunice norvegicus, tous generalement associes aux coraux vivants en eau profonde. La presence de la triade Lophelia-Madrepora-Desmophyllum et de grandes parties de coraux constitues principalement de polypes vivants ainsi que la faune associee suggerent que des assemblages de coraux sont presents dans au moins quelques-unes des localites etudiees plutot que des restes fragmentes ou des colonies isolees.
Nutrient Utilisation in Buffalo Bulls Fed Total Mixed Rations Supplemented with Exogenous Fibrolytic Enzymes

Four adult buffalo bulls (B. wt. - 361.43±29.41 kg) were randomly allotted to four dietary treatments in 4×4 Latin square design to evaluate the effect of exogenous fibrolytic enzyme (EFE) supplementation in total mixed rations (TMRs) on nutrient utilization. The animals in group T1 were fed TMR containing roughage: concentrate ratio of 60: 40 (Maize stover 60, maize grain 10.8, de-oiled rice bran 12, cottonseed cake 14, sunflower cake 2, mineral mixture 0.8 and salt 0.4 parts per 100 kg). The animals in group T2 were fed same TMR as in T1 supplemented with EFE @ 15 g/animal/day. The animals in group T3 were fed TMR-2 containing roughage to concentrate ratio of 70: 30 (Maize stover 70, maize grain 3, de-oiled rice bran 7.5, cottonseed cake 10.5, sunflower cake 8.1, mineral mixture 0.6 and salt 0.3 parts per 100 kg) and the animals in group T4 were fed the same ration as in T3 supplemented with EFE @ 15 g/animal/day. Supplementation of EFE in TMRs irrespective of roughage: concentrate ratio increased (P<0.01) the digestibility of CP, EE and CF while there was no effect on the digestibility of other nutrients. All the buffalo bulls were in positive nitrogen, calcium and phosphorus balance. Further, supplementation of EFE in TMRs also increased (P<0.01) DCP content while there was no effect on TDN content. The present study indicated improved nutrient digestibility due to EFE supplementation in TMRs irrespective of the roughage to concentrate ratio in the diet of adult bulls.
Nitrogen-release pattern from organic sources of different C : N ratios and lignin content, and their contribution to irrigated rice (Oryza sativa)

A field experiment was conducted on a clayey vertisol (Typic Pellustert) for 3 years (2001 -02 to 2003-04) dur- ing wet and dry seasons at Hyderabad to study the N-release pattern from three organic sources of different C:N ratios and lignin content, and their effect on rice (Oryza sativa L.) productivity. The three organic sources used were: paddy straw with C:N ratio 61.5 and lignin content 6.3%; greengram (Phaseolus aureus) with C:N ratio 19.5 and lignin content 8.7%; dhaincha (Sesbania aculeata) with C:N ratio 13.1 and lignin content 5.8%. These were used in different combinations along with inorganic fertilizers. The cumulative N released during the first month after planting was high in the plots receiving green-manure alone (106-319 mg Nlkg soil) and during the second month it was high in the plots receiving green-manure + paddy straw (301-414 mg Nlkg soil). Greengram with its medium C:N ratio as well as lignin content released N slowly and gradually for a longer period. Leaving a gap of 2 weeks after incorporation of green-manure like dhaincha resulted in higher release and loss of N in those 2 weeks, because of its succulence (low lignin) and very narrow C:N ratio. The grain yield was significantly higher in the treatments that received organics in place of inorganic fertilizers alone due to increase in the pro- ductive tillers (panicles) in the second and third year by 7-23%. The residual effect of organics added in the wet seson significantly increased grain yield in the second and third years in all the treatments that received organ- ics compared with inorganic fertilizers alone. Thus, organics with moderate C:N ratio and lignin content released N slowly and gradually for longer periods and led to higher productivity in rice-rice system.
The effects of blueberry anthocyanidins on antioxidant enzyme activity in human HepG2 cells

Anthocyanins are thought to have antioxidant effects in the body. The effects of two anthocyanidins, malvidin and delphinidin, on the activities of antioxidant enzymes, glutathione reductase (GR), glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and glutathione-S-transferase (GST), and other markers of oxidative stress were examined in HepG2 human hepatocellular carcinoma cells. In study one, cells were treated with anthocyanidins at concentrations of 0, 5 or 10 μmol/L for 24 h and 0 or 200 μmol/L tert-butyl hydroperoxide (t-BOOH) for 2 h. Study two used a combined dose of 10 μmol/L anthocyanidins and 0 or 200 μmol/L t-BOOH. Cell proliferation and GR activity were significantly increased by delphinidin; with 5 μmol/L having the greatest effect in oxidatively stressed cells. Malvidin also increased cell proliferation, but to a lesser extent than delphinidin. No effect of treatment was observed on GST and GPx activity. Finally, it appeared that combining these anthocyanidins had an antagonistic effect. INDEX WORDS: Anthocyanin, Antioxidant, Oxidative Stress, Glutathione Reductase, Glutathione Peroxidase, Glutathione S-Transferase THE EFFECTS OF BLUEBERRY ANTHOCYANIDINS ON ANTIOXIDANT ENZYME ACTIVITY IN HUMAN HEPG2 CELLS
Evidence that polyphenols do not inhibit the phospholipid scramblase TMEM16F

TMEM16 Ca2+-activated phospholipid scramblases (CaPLSases) mediate rapid transmembrane phospholipid flip-flop and as such play essential roles in various physiological and pathological processes such as blood coagulation, skeletal development, viral infection, cell-cell fusion, and ataxia. Pharmacological tools specifically targeting TMEM16 CaPLSases are urgently needed to understand these novel membrane transporters and their contributions to health and disease. Tannic acid (TA) and epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) were recently reported as promising TMEM16F CaPLSase inhibitors. However, our present study shows that TA and EGCG do not inhibit the phospholipid-scrambling or ion conduction activities of the dual-functional TMEM16F. Instead, we found that TA and EGCG mainly acted as fluorescence quenchers that rapidly suppress the fluorophores conjugated to annexin V, a phosphatidylserine-binding probe commonly used to report on TMEM16 CaPLSase activity. These data demonstrate the false positive effects of TA and EGCG on inhibiting TMEM16F phospholipid scrambling and discourage the use of these polyphenols as CaPLSase inhibitors. Appropriate controls as well as a combination of both fluorescence imaging and electrophysiological validation are necessary in future endeavors to develop TMEM16 CaPLSase inhibitors.
Sex-dependent effect of APOE on Alzheimer's disease and other age-related neurodegenerative disorders

ABSTRACT The importance of apolipoprotein E (APOE) in late-onset Alzheimer's disease (LOAD) has been firmly established, but the mechanisms through which it exerts its pathogenic effects remain elusive. In addition, the sex-dependent effects of APOE on LOAD risk and endophenotypes have yet to be explained. In this Review, we revisit the different aspects of APOE involvement in neurodegeneration and neurological diseases, with particular attention to sex differences in the contribution of APOE to LOAD susceptibility. We discuss the role of APOE in a broader range of age-related neurodegenerative diseases, and summarize the biological factors linking APOE to sex hormones, drawing on supportive findings from rodent models to identify major mechanistic themes underlying the exacerbation of LOAD-associated neurodegeneration and pathology in the female brain. Additionally, we list sex-by-genotype interactions identified across neurodegenerative diseases, proposing APOE variants as a shared etiology for sex differences in the manifestation of these diseases. Finally, we present recent advancements in ‘omics’ technologies, which provide a new platform for more in-depth investigations of how dysregulation of this gene affects the development and progression of neurodegenerative diseases. Collectively, the evidence summarized in this Review highlights the interplay between APOE and sex as a key factor in the etiology of LOAD and other age-related neurodegenerative diseases. We emphasize the importance of careful examination of sex as a contributing factor in studying the underpinning genetics of neurodegenerative diseases in general, but particularly for LOAD. Summary: The APOE ε4 allele and female sex are among the strongest risk factors for late-onset Alzheimer's disease. We explore how the interplay between these factors affects risk for this and other age-related neurodegenerative diseases.
Embedded Librarian as an Online Learning Innovation

This study aimed to know the impact of an embedded librarian on the development of meta-literacy skills and conceptual evolution in higher education students. The study took place inside two online education field courses and was framed into a mixed methods approach with self-developed questionnaires (pretestposttest) about conceptual evolution. Seeking to improving conceptual evolution, an online workshop based on the consolidated standards required to develop meta-literacy skills in higher education students was developed and students were invited to join voluntarily. The final sample was composed by 61 students from different Latinamerican countries. Findings demonstrated the relevance and favorable impact of having an embedded librarian in regular courses improving both aspects: metaliteracy skills development and conceptual evolution. It was also remarkable the importance of having a good sense of community and teamwork between teachers and librarians in order to succeed in this kind of strategies.
HLA-G Expressing Immune Cells in Immune Mediated Diseases

HLA-G is a HLA class Ib antigen that possesses immunomodulatory properties. HLA-G-expressing CD4+ and CD8+ T lymphocytes, NK cells, monocytes, and dendritic cells with immunoregulatory functions are present in small percentages of patients with physiologic conditions. Quantitative and qualitative derangements of HLA-G+ immune cells have been detected in several conditions in which the immune system plays an important role, such as infectious, neoplastic, and autoimmune diseases as well as in complications from transplants and pregnancy. These observations strongly support the hypothesis that HLA-G+ immune cells may be implicated in the complex mechanisms underlying the pathogenesis of these disorders.
Latitudinal Biogeographic Structuring in the Globally Distributed Moss Ceratodon purpureus

Biogeographic patterns of globally widespread species are expected to reflect regional structure, as well as connectivity caused by occasional long-distance dispersal. We assessed the level and drivers of population structure, connectivity, and timescales of population isolation in one of the most widespread and ruderal plants in the world — the common moss Ceratodon purpureus. We applied phylogenetic, population genetic, and molecular dating analyses to a global (n = 147) sampling data set, using three chloroplast loci and one nuclear locus. The plastid data revealed several distinct and geographically structured lineages, with connectivity patterns associated with worldwide, latitudinal “bands. ” These imply that connectivity is strongly influenced by global atmospheric circulation patterns, with dispersal and establishment beyond these latitudinal bands less common. Biogeographic patterns were less clear within the nuclear marker, with gene duplication likely hindering the detection of these. Divergence time analyses indicated that the current matrilineal population structure in C. purpureus has developed over the past six million years, with lineages diverging during the late Miocene, Pliocene, and Quaternary. Several colonization events in the Antarctic were apparent, as well as one old and distinct Antarctic clade, possibly isolated on the continent since the Pliocene. As C. purpureus is considered a model organism, the matrilineal biogeographic structure identified here provides a useful framework for future genetic and developmental studies on bryophytes. Our general findings may also be relevant to understanding global environmental influences on the biogeography of other organisms with microscopic propagules (e.g., spores) dispersed by wind.
Clinical Characteristics and Outcome of Patients With Hemorrhagic Transformation After Intravenous Thrombolysis in the WAKE-UP Trial

Background: Hemorrhagic transformation (HT) is an important complication of intravenous thrombolysis with alteplase. HT can show a wide range from petechiae to parenchymal hematoma with mass effect with varying clinical impact. We studied clinical and imaging characteristics of patients with HT and evaluated whether different types of HT are associated with functional outcome. Methods: We performed a post-hoc analysis of WAKE-UP, a multicenter, randomized, placebo-controlled trial of MRI-guided intravenous alteplase in unknown onset stroke. HT was assessed on follow-up MRI or CT and diagnosed as hemorrhagic infarction type 1 and type 2 (HI1 and HI2, combined as HI), and parenchymal hemorrhage type 1 and type 2 (PH1 and PH2, combined as PH). Severity of stroke symptoms was assessed using the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) at baseline. Stroke lesion volume was measured on baseline diffusion weighted imaging (DWI). Primary endpoint was a favorable outcome defined as a modified Rankin Scale score 0–1 at 90 days. Results: Of 483 patients included in the analysis, 95 (19.7%) showed HI and 21 (4.4%) had PH. Multiple logistic regression analysis identified treatment with alteplase (OR, 2.08 [95% CI, 1.28–3.40]), baseline NIHSS score (OR, 1.11 [95% CI, 1.05–1.17]), DWI lesion volume (OR, 1.03 [95% CI, 1.01–1.05]), baseline glucose levels (OR, 1.01 [95% CI, 1.00–1.01]) and atrial fibrillation (OR, 3.02 [95% CI, 1.57–5.80]) as predictors of any HT. The same parameters predicted HI. Predictors of PH were baseline NIHSS score (OR, 1.11 [95% CI, 1.01–1.22]) and as a trend treatment with alteplase (OR, 2.40 [95% CI, 0.93–6.96]). PH was associated with lower odds of favorable outcome (OR 0.25, 95% [CI 0.05–0.86]), while HI was not. Conclusion: Our results indicate that HI is associated with stroke severity, cardiovascular risk factors and thrombolysis. PH is a rare complication, more frequent in severe stroke and with thrombolysis. In contrast to HI, PH is associated with worse functional outcome. The impact of HT after MRI-guided intravenous alteplase for unknown onset stroke on clinical outcome is similar as in the trials of stroke thrombolysis within a known early time-window.
Low-Frequency Intrapulmonary Percussive Ventilation Increases Aerosol Penetration in a 2-Compartment Physical Model of Fibrotic Lung Disease

In patients with fibrotic pulmonary disease such as idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), inhaled aerosols deposit mostly in the less affected region of the lungs, resulting in suboptimal pharmacokinetics of airway-delivered treatments. Refinement of aerosol delivery technique requires new models to simulate the major alterations of lung physiology associated with IPF, i.e., heterogeneously reduced lung compliance and increased airway caliber. A novel physical model of the respiratory system was constructed to simulate aerosol drug delivery in spontaneously breathing (negative pressure ventilation) IPF patients. The model comprises upper (Alberta ideal throat) and lower airway (plastic tubing) models and branches into two compartments (Michigan lung models) which differ in compliance and caliber of conducting airway. The model was able to reproduce the heterogeneous, compliance-dependent reduction in ventilation and aerosol penetration (using NaF as a model aerosol) seen in fibrotic lung regions in IPF. Of note, intrapulmonary percussive ventilation induced a 2–3-fold increase in aerosol penetration in the low-compliance/high airway caliber compartment of the model, demonstrating the responsiveness of the model to therapeutic intervention.
Dendritic Spine Plasticity: Function and Mechanisms

Dendritic spines are small protrusions studding neuronal dendrites, first described in 1888 by Ramón y Cajal using his famous Golgi stainings. Around 50 years later the advance of electron microscopy (EM) confirmed Cajal’s intuition that spines constitute the postsynaptic site of most excitatory synapses in the mammalian brain. The finding that spine density decreases between young and adult ages in fixed tissues suggested that spines are dynamic. It is only a decade ago that two-photon microscopy (TPM) has unambiguously proven the dynamic nature of spines, through the repeated imaging of single spines in live animals. Spine dynamics comprise formation, disappearance, and stabilization of spines and are modulated by neuronal activity and developmental age. Here, we review several emerging concepts in the field that start to answer the following key questions: What are the external signals triggering spine dynamics and the molecular mechanisms involved? What is, in return, the role of spine dynamics in circuit-rewiring, learning, and neuropsychiatric disorders?
Urinary Exosomal MiRNA-4534 as a Novel Diagnostic Biomarker for Diabetic Kidney Disease

Urinary exosomal miRNAs can reflect the physiological and possibly pathophysiological state of cells lining the kidney and participate in the regulation of transcription and translation of proteins, which are playing an important role in the pathogenesis of diabetic kidney disease. In the present study, urine was collected from DM and DKD patients with a duration more than 10 years and urinary exosomal miRNA profiling was conducted in urinary exosomes obtained from three patients with type 2 diabetes (DM) and three patients with type 2 diabetic kidney disease (DKD) using Exiqon's microRNA arrays. In total, the expression of 14 miRNAs (miR-4491, miR-2117, miR-4507, miR-5088-5P, miR-1587, miR-219a-3p, miR-5091, miR-498, miR-4687-3p, miR-516b-5p, miR-4534, miR-1275, miR-5007-3p, and miR-4516) was up-regulated (>2-fold) in DKD patients compared to healthy controls and DM patients. We used qRT-PCR based analysis of these 14 miRNAs in urinary exosomes from 14 DKD to 14 DM patients in confirmation cohort, among which seven miRNAs were consistent with the microarray results. The expressions of miR-4534 and miR-516b-5p correlated with trace proteinuria levels in the confirmation cohort. In conclusion, it has been confirmed that the expression of urinary exosomal miRNA in patients with type 2 diabetes DKD has changed. Mir-4534 might affect the FoxO signaling pathway by targeting BNIP3, and is expected to become a new biomarker for the progression of type 2 DKD disease, which will provide further research on the pathogenesis of DKD.
A Time-Dependent Quantum Approach to Allostery and a Comparison With Light-Harvesting in Photosynthetic Phenomenon

The allosteric effect is one of the most important processes in regulating the function of proteins, and the elucidation of this phenomenon plays a significant role in understanding emergent behaviors in biological regulation. In this process, a perturbation, generated by a ligand in a part of the macromolecule (the allosteric site), moves along this system and reaches a specific (active) site, dozens of Ångströms away, with a great efficiency. The dynamics of this perturbation in the macromolecule can model precisely the allosteric process. In this article, we will be studying the general characteristics of allostery, using a time-dependent quantum approach to obtain rules that apply to this kind of process. Considering the perturbation as a wave that moves within the molecular system, we will characterize the allosteric process with three of the properties of this wave in the active site: (1) ta, the characteristic time for reaching that site, (2) Aa, the amplitude of the wave in this site, and (3) Ba, its corresponding spectral broadening. These three parameters, together with the process mechanism and the perturbation efficiency in the process, can describe the phenomenon. One of the main purposes of this paper is to link the parameters ta, Aa, and Ba and the perturbation efficiency to the characteristics of the system. There is another fundamental process for life that has some characteristics similar to allostery: the light-harvesting (LH) process in photosynthesis. Here, as in allostery, two distant macromolecular sites are involved—two sites dozens of Ångströms away. In both processes, it is particularly important that the perturbation is distributed efficiently without dissipating in the infinite degrees of freedom within the macromolecule. The importance of considering quantum effects in the LH process is well documented in literature, and the quantum coherences are experimentally proven by time-dependent spectroscopic techniques. Given the existing similarities between these two processes in macromolecules, in this work, we suggest using Quantum Mechanics (QM) to study allostery.