Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Expression, Functional Polymorphism, and Diagnostic Values of MIAT rs2331291 and H19 rs217727 Long Non-Coding RNAs in Cerebral Ischemic Stroke Egyptian Patients

Cerebral ischemic stroke (CIS) is a severe cerebral vascular event. This research aimed to evaluate the role of single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of the lncRNAs MIAT rs2331291 and H19 rs217727 and epigenetic methylation in the expression patterns of serum lncRNA H19 in CIS Egyptian patients. It included 80 CIS cases and 40 healthy subjects. Serum MIAT expression levels decreased, whereas serum H19 expression levels increased among CIS compared to controls. For MIAT rs2331291, there were significant differences in the genotypic and allelic frequencies between the CIS and healthy subjects at p = 0.02 and p = 0.0001, respectively. Our findings illustrated a significantly increased MIAT T/T genotype frequency in hypertensive CIS compared to non-hypertensive CIS at p = 0.004. However, H19 rs217727 gene frequency C/C was not significantly higher in non-hypertensive CIS than in hypertensive CIS. The methylation of the H19 gene promoter was significantly higher in CIS patients compared to healthy subjects. The level of MIAT was positively correlated with serum H19 in CIS. Receiver operating characteristics (ROC) analysis revealed that serum MIAT and H19 have a high diagnostic potential for distinguishing CIS subjects from healthy ones. In conclusion, the MIAT-rs2331291 polymorphism might serve as a novel potential indicator of CIS.
Methylglyoxal-Derived Nucleoside Adducts Drive Vascular Dysfunction in a RAGE-Dependent Manner

Diabetic kidney disease (DKD) is a leading cause of death in patients with diabetes. An early precursor to DKD is endothelial cell dysfunction (ECD), which often precedes and exacerbates vascular disease progression. We previously discovered that covalent adducts formed on DNA, RNA, and proteins by the reactive metabolic by-product methylglyoxal (MG) predict DKD risk in patients with type 1 diabetes up to 16 years pre-diagnosis. However, the mechanisms by which MG adducts contribute to vascular disease onset and progression remain unclear. Here, we report that the most predominant MG-induced nucleoside adducts, N2-(1-carboxyethyl)-deoxyguanosine (CEdG) and N2-(1-carboxyethyl)-guanosine (CEG), drive endothelial dysfunction. Following CEdG or CEG exposure, primary human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) undergo endothelial dysfunction, resulting in enhanced monocyte adhesion, increased reactive oxygen species production, endothelial permeability, impaired endothelial homeostasis, and exhibit a dysfunctional transcriptomic signature. These effects were discovered to be mediated through the receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE), as an inhibitor for intracellular RAGE signaling diminished these dysfunctional phenotypes. Therefore, we found that not only are MG adducts biomarkers for DKD, but that they may also have a role as potential drivers of vascular disease onset and progression and a new therapeutic modality.
“We Are Not a Small Island, We Are the Ocean”. Becoming a Student in Mature Age. An Exploratory Analysis on Italy and Spain

The complexity underlying motivations and obstacles encountered by Mature Adults (MA; people over 45 years old) in their participation in educational activities, requires a thorough analysis to determine which factors are most salient for this social group. Under the project funded by the European Commission "IMAL: Innovations in Mature Adult Learning", a study through a questionnaire (n = 1.066) was conducted. From that sample, data for two of the participating countries, Spain (n s = 106) and Italy (n i = 460), have been drawn. The aim of the paper is to make an exploratory analysis of both samples in order to determine the most important motivational factors for MA in their educational participation, through descriptive and bivariate analysis (independent sample test), and to test how the sociodemographic variables influence these factors by an analysis through logistic regression. The results show great similarities between both samples. Lower levels of education and not being in working condition were found as risk factors for not undertaking learning activities. In both samples, the weight of “internal” motivations is very relevant. This evidence leads to interpret MA learning as a process addressed towards personal enrichment, thus claiming for a more holistic and learner centered vision in adult education.
Preference and daily intake of five East African grasses by zebras.

JOHN C. NGETHE Table 1. Dry weight of forage (g) consumed by three mature zebras per unit body weight (kg) during mid-February-mid-March period. Highlight: Three captive zebras were fed five common East African grasses-Themeda triandra, Eragrostis caespitosa, Cynodon dactylon, DiSpecies Zebra 1 Zebra 2 Zebra 3 Mean gitaria milanjiana, and Cymbopogan pospischilii--to determine rates of voluntary forage intake and species preference. Forage intake averaged 43 g dry matter per kg body weight (41 lb/l ,000 lb body weight). Digitaria milanjiana was the most preferred species.
Dementia Risk After Traumatic Brain Injury

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a condition that occurs as a result of uncontrolled pressure applied to the brain in situations such as falls, accidents, and sports, disrupting an individual's daily life. The severity of problems experienced varies depending on the levels of damage (mild, moderate, severe). Following the primary and secondary injury processes, the brain's recovery reactions can lead to cognitive impairments in the long term. The idea that the brain may not want to remember such traumas, resulting in the inability to recall certain memories for a short or long period, could lead to the conclusion that dementia is normal. However, this is not a sufficient basis. Therefore, examining scientific studies on this topic would be a more rational option. The purpose of this review is to acquire information from literature studies on the risk of TBIs causing dementia, possible mechanisms, and triggering factors.
Consolidated undrained capacity of shallow foundations subjected to self-weight and horizontal in-service loading

The effect of subsea infrastructure self-weight and pipeline in-service horizontal loading on the consolidated undrained capacity of deep-water shallow foundations was investigated by means of fully coupled three-dimensional finite-element analyses. The results show that the undrained uniaxial and combined capacity increase under horizontal preloading and over realistic in-field loading time regimes. The gain in undrained capacity is quantified through simple equations incorporating a critical state soil mechanics framework and is defined as a function of magnitude and duration of vertical and horizontal preload, foundation embedment ratio and soil–skirt interface roughness.
Do parent media habits contribute to child global development?

Background/objective Parents of preschoolers’ report using screen media frequently. More frequent screen use by parents may undermine child development by displacing time for foundational parent-child interactions. The objective of the present study is to examine the extent to which parent screen use contributes to child global development 1 year later. Methods Data are from a cohort of 315 preschoolers from Nova Scotia, Canada and their parents during the COVID-19 pandemic. Parents reported the number of hours per day they spent using screens, as well as child screen time and sex, and parent educational attainment. Our outcome is child global development scores, which combine assessments of communication, cognitive, personal-social, and motor skills measured at 4.5 using the Ages and Stages Questionnaire (ASQ) (N = 249, 79% retained). Results Parents in our sample spent on average 6.35 h per day using screen media outside of work (SD = 3.07) and children spent on average 3.43 h per/day using screens. Multivariate linear regression indicated that each 1-h increase in parents daily screen media use, corresponded to a 1.25 decrease in child global development scores, B = −1.25 p < 0.05, 95% CI between −2.37 and −0.13. Conclusion Our results indicate that parent screen use may represent a key component of children’s media ecology. Given the importance of global development in early childhood for later health and achievement, the present results suggest that interventions should include parent screen use habits in media wellness interventions.
Profitability and Constraints of Quail Egg Production in Southwestern Nigeria

The study was conducted in Southwestern Nigeria, to analyze the profitability and constraints of quail egg production in the study area. A multistage sampling technique was used in selecting 90 respondents used in the study. The data obtained were analyzed using descriptive statistics, likert scale and budgetary analysis. The result indicated that majority (66.7%) of the respondents fall below the age of 50 years, 70% were male, 81.1% of the respondents were married. Considerable number of the quail farmer had post secondary education (86.70%). The result further revealed that 56.7% used cage system of production and 48.9% had between 2-4 years of rearing experience this signify that quail farming is a new enterprise in the area. The result further stated that quails business was profitable with Operating expenses ratio, rate of return to investment, benefit cost ratio and profitability index to be 0.53, 0.84, 1.84 and 0.46 respectively. Constraints to quails farming in the study area includes: poor marketing, high cost of feeds, poor quality of day old chick/high mortality rate and others. The study recommended that any measures geared toward reducing the cost of feeds will increase their profit margin. Government on her part is advise to assist research institutes to come out with breed of quail that are prolific and disease resistant also a good system of marketing should be established.
Estructura de propiedad y desempeño de la firma: el caso chileno Ownership structure and firm performance: The Chilean case

This article studies the relation between ownership structure and performance of 204 Chilean firms for the period 1998-2007. In contrast to what was reported by Demsetz (1983), Demsetz and Lehn (1985) and Demsetz and Villalonga (2001), ownership structure is related to the performance of the firm. The empirical analysis shows a negative relation between ownership structure and performance, characterized by non linearity and it is statistically significant. In summary,
Nutritional Risk, Depression, and Physical Function in Older People Living Alone

This study investigated depression and physical function as factors associated with nutritional risk in older adults living alone. The study included 2896 people 65 years or older who lived alone. Data were collected in South Korea between September and November 2020. Descriptive statistics, a chi-squared test, independent samples t-test, weighted multiple regression analysis, and binary logistic regression analysis were performed using IBM SPSS for Windows ver. 23.0. In this study, 44.8% of participants were in the nutritional risk group. Furthermore, 60.9% of those at risk for depression, 75.1% of those with instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs) dependency, and 59.1% of those with chewing limitations were at nutritional risk. The factors that increased nutritional risk in the weighted multiple regression analysis were depression (β = 0.27, p < 0.001), chewing limitations (β = 0.12, p < 0.001), IADL dependency (β = 0.09, p < 0.001), and basic physical movement (β = 0.04, p = 0.020). Binary logistic regression analysis showed that those with IADL dependency had a 2.59 times higher nutritional risk than those with IADL non-dependency (p < 0.001). The nutritional risk group had a higher risk of depression (2.01 times higher [p < 0.001]), chewing limitations (1.76 times higher [p < 0.001]), and basic physical movement limitations (1.35 times higher [p = 0.009]) than the good nutritional group. Therefore, nutritional screening is required of older individuals living alone. To mitigate nutritional risks, it is necessary to assess depression and physical function, including IADL dependency.
Association between body weight perception and intuitive eating among undergraduate students in China: the mediating role of body image

Background The association between body weight perception and intuitive eating among undergraduate students in China remains insufficiently understood. In the present study, we were aimed to examine the correlation between body weight perception, body image, and intuitive eating and determine whether the link between body weight perception and intuitive eating was influenced by body image. Methods A total of 1,050 undergraduate students completed the survey. Participants provided self-reported demographic details and completed two structured scales. The Body Esteem Scale for Adolescents and Adults (BESAA) and the Intuitive Eating Scale-2 (IES-2) were employed to assess body image and intuitive eating. Analysis of the mediation model was conducted using version 4.1 of the PROCESS Macro. Results with a value of p less than 0.05 were deemed statistically significant. Results The average age of the participants was 20.08 years (SD = 1.64). Among the students, 837 (79.7%) were female, and 212 (20.3%) were male. Body image (r = −0.429, p < 0.001) and intuitive eating (r = −0.313, p < 0.001) exhibited significant negative associations with body weight perception. Furthermore, body image showed a significant positive correlation with intuitive eating (r = 0.318, p < 0.001). Significant mediating effects of body image were identified concerning intuitive eating and body weight perception in the right weight (95% bootstrap CI = 0.007, 0.040) and overweight groups (95% bootstrap CI = −0.048, −0.009). The indirect effects of body image constituted 12.19% and 15.33% of the total effects of intuitive eating in these two groups. Conclusion Although the indirect effects were not substantial, these outcomes shed light on the partial understanding of how body weight perception impacted intuitive eating via body image. Importantly, our findings emphasized the significance of body image and body weight perception, offering a novel insight for prospective interventions targeting undergraduate students.
Partial Epididymal Obstruction as a Cause of Idiopathic Oligozoospermia: A Reproductive Urologist’s Perspective Following 35 Years of Surgical and Clinical Experience

The role of partial epididymal obstruction as contributing to the development of oligozoospermia has been neglected for decades. In the early 1970s, however, Robert Schoysman, a gynecological surgeon devoted to the surgical and medical management of male factor infertility, dedicated many efforts to study such a pathology and its possible effects on male fertility. Following the studies of this pioneer in the field, we concentrated our attention to the patterns of partial and complete epididymal obstruction during surgical scrotal exploration, once made possible even in oligozoospermic men by diagnostic and therapeutic interventions, such as vasovesciculography or seminal tract washout test, at present considered obsolete and no longer feasible in light of the current guidelines. Interestingly, we found signs of partial epididymal obstruction in about 30% of oligozoospermic men with normal testicular volume and serum FSH level as well as normal spermatogenesis at testis biopsy. We, then, compared the findings of scrotal ultrasound with those of scrotal exploration and found that the ultrasound abnormalities of the epididymis were highly predictive of anatomic alteration of the gland. In the present study, we report our experience, together with a historical review of the literature, on this topic.
Growth of Endophytic Bacteria from Klutuk Banana Plant (Musa balbisiana Colla) with Inoculation Trial on Rice Plants (Oryza sativa)

Four potential bacteria have been isolated from Klutuk banana plant. They exhibited IAA production. Since the bacterial inoculation to plant should be performed in exponential phase of bacterial growth, information of the growth is crucial. This study aimed to analyze the growth rate of eight isolates and examine the effect of bacterial inoculation by initial trial on rice plants. For this purpose, four endophytic bacteria from Klutuk banana were cultured and examined using 600nm spectrophotometer. The growth of the isolates was calculated every two hours for 16 hours bacterial growth in the nutrient broth medium. The inoculation trial of bacteria to rice plants was conducted with three replicates. This inoculation was begun by germinating the rice seed and the radicle was observed. Then, the germinated rice seedlings were soaked in the bacterial suspension for 5 minutes in room temperature. The results showed that the exponential phase of all isolates was observed 6 hours after shaking. Inoculation using 6-hour-incubated K7 isolate significantly improved the length of root of rice plants. Additionally, this isolate improved the number of root and shoot length without significant difference. Thus, these results provide important information of the growth phase and inoculation effect new isolated endophytic and rhizosphere bacteria.
Plasma and convection reversal boundary motions in the high‐latitude ionosphere

In this paper we present a statistical study of the high‐latitude ionospheric plasma motion at the convection reversal boundary (CRB) and its dependence on the location of the CRB and the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) orientation by using the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP) F13 and F15 measurements over the period from 2000 to 2007. During periods of stable southward IMF, we find a smaller variability in plasma drifts across the CRB over a 4 h segment in magnetic local time (MLT) around dawn and dusk compared to that for variable IMF. Across these segments, the plasma motion at the CRB is directed poleward at local times closer to local noon and equatorward at local times closer to midnight on both the dawn and dusk sides with a total potential drop ~10 kV, suggesting that the CRB behaves much like an adiaroic line. For variable IMF with no stability constraint, we see a relatively narrow distribution of plasma drifts across the CRB only in the 6–7 h and 17–18 h MLT and equatorward/poleward motions of the CRB when the CRB is located at the highest/lowest latitudes. The smaller local time extent of the adiaroic line for variable IMF (~1 h) may be associated with rotation of the dayside merging gap in local time or local contractions and expansions of the polar cap boundary.
Advancements in Varicose Vein Treatment: Anatomy, Pathophysiology, Minimally Invasive Techniques, Sclerotherapy, Patient Satisfaction, and Future Directions

Varicose veins are a common vascular condition known for causing discomfort and cosmetic concerns. This comprehensive narrative review delves into their anatomy, pathophysiology, and modern treatment options, with a focus on endovenous techniques and sclerotherapy. The review starts by emphasizing the intricate anatomy of lower extremity venous circulation, underlining the significance of both superficial and deep venous networks in venous return. It also addresses how changes in the venous wall, including valvular insufficiency, contribute to the development of varicose veins. Endovenous techniques like endovenous laser ablation (EVLA), radiofrequency ablation (RFA), and mechanochemical endovenous ablation (MOCA) are explored in detail. These minimally invasive procedures have revolutionized varicose vein treatment, offering high success rates and quicker recovery compared to traditional surgery. The review also highlights their efficacy and safety profiles, aiding clinicians in informed decision-making. Sclerotherapy, a vital modality for varicose veins, is thoroughly examined, covering both liquid and foam sclerotherapy. Foam sclerotherapy, in particular, is recognized for its improved outcomes. The review provides a comprehensive comparison of these treatment modalities, highlighting differences in technical success, recurrence rates, and cost-effectiveness. Patient preferences and satisfaction play a significant role in choosing the right treatment. Safety and potential complications associated with these treatments are explored, with a focus on minor issues and rare adverse events. This review also emphasizes the positive impact of varicose vein interventions on patients' quality of life.
Modeling and observations of seasonal land-surface heat and water exchanges at local and catchment scales over Europe

The land surface plays an important role in the global climate system, because it interacts dynamically with the atmosphere through manifold feedback mechanisms on a wide range of spatial and temporal scales. While on the one hand, weather and climate are known to influence vegetation phenology and its geographical distribution, soil and vegetation actively control land surface heat, water, momentum and carbon exchanges, thus influencing boundary layer development and convection. Evapotranspiration and runoff, in particular, which are balanced by precipitation, constitute the land portion of the water cycle, which is known to be a main contributor to climate variability. Knowledge about these processes and the ability to realistically model them is therefore of central importance in climate research. Simulated climate (and variability) are indeed sensitive to land surface parameterizations. There is, however, a gap between the local scale, at which land surface models and parameters are usually developed and evaluated, and the larger scales at which they are applied. This scale-gap needs to be bridged so that the high spatial and temporal dynamics of the land surface water cycle becomes part of modeled climate. In order to help narrow the uncertainties in the modeling of seasonal-scale land-surface heat and water exchanges, local and catchment scale modeling experiments are performed in this study. Concurrently, different parameterizations are tested regarding their applicability in climate modeling, by exercising them on a wide range of climatic environments. All considered model formulations are embedded in a framework which includes ground and satellite remote sensing measurements, serving as an integration tool for the assessment of land surface processes. Satellite remote sensing is initially used to monitor vegetation state variables over Europe with a high temporal resolution, so that vegetation dynamics in land surface models can be prescribed with observed quantities. In a second stage local-scale measurements from FLUXNET are used for a process-based analysis of model results. Land surface models are applied at local scale using un-tuned large-scale and satellite-derived parameter sets. It is shown that soil storage processes play an important role in the seasonal heat and water fluxes and that vegetation biochemistry is a key component controlling the seasonal land surface water cycle. Finally, the Rhone-AGG initiative provides hydrological measurements on the catchment-scale, allowing for the exploration of scaling issues in the simulated water cycle. Catchment-scale simulations including lateral water fluxes, show that soil moisture drives runoff on the monthly timescale and is largely controlled by evapotranspiration. While evapotranspiration was not found to be overly sensitive to runoff processes, the use of subgrid-scale topography-driven runoff provides a good simulation of the timing and magnitude of runoff at the daily to seasonal scale.