Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Breeding Buckwheat for Nutritional Quality in the Czech Republic

Buckwheat is a nutritionally valuable crop, an alternative to common cereals also usable in gluten-free diets. The selection of buckwheat genotypes suitable for further breeding requires the characterization and evaluation of genetic resources. The main objective of this work was to evaluate selected phenotypic and morphological traits using international buckwheat descriptors, including total phenolic content and antioxidant activity, on a unique set of 136 common buckwheat accessions grown in 2019–2020 under Czech Republic conditions. In addition, UHPLC-ESI- MS/MS was used to analyze a wide spectrum of 20 phenolic compounds in buckwheat seeds, including four flavanols, three phenolic acids, seven flavonols, four flavones, and two flavanones. Significant differences among years and genotypes were observed for morphological traits (plant height and 1000-seed weight) and antioxidant activity, as well as levels of observed chemical compounds. Antioxidant activity, crude protein content, plant height and rutin content were characterized by higher mean values in 2020 than in 2019 and vice versa for total polyphenol content and 1000-seed weight. Crude protein content was the most stable across years, while total polyphenol content and rutin content varied greatly from year to year. The most abundant phenolic compounds were rutin, hyperoside, epicatechin, catechin, vitexin, isovitexin, orientin and isoorientin. Protein content was negatively correlated with plant height, catechin and epicatechin content. On the other hand, AA and TPC were positively correlated with rutin, hyperoside and chlorogenic acid. Five accessions showed high stability of the evaluated traits under changing conditions within both years of observation. These materials can be used in breeding programmes aimed at improving buckwheat genotypes with emphasis on quality traits.
t i e S l e p A p e a a d C a r d i o v a s c u l a r D i s e a s e

trials demonstrate modest reduction of BP with continuous positive airway pres- sure (CPAP). (cid:1) Treatment of OSA with CPAP is necessary for proper management of atrial fibrillation and maintenance sinus rhythm. compared with the motion of the thorax (illustrated in box C). These findings indicate obstructive airflow. Oxygen satura- tion decreases from 99.7% to 91.8%. Immediately after this period is a sudden increase in airway movement on the nasal/oral tracing with concomitant arousal signals on the EEG tracings (illustrated in the box labeled A). The abdominal and thoracic movement tracings are now synchronized. Over the course of this polysomnography, 68 of these apneic epi- sodes were recorded.
Perspectives, Measurability and Effects of Non-Contact Biofield-Based Practices: A Narrative Review of Quantitative Research

Practices such as “Reiki”, therapeutic touch, healing touch, and external “Qigong” have been regarded as some form of “energy medicine” or “biofield therapy”. The biofield concept has been studied and debated by researchers of distinct areas of expertise, and although the phenomenon was sometimes described as physically related to electromagnetics, other factors such as “subtle energy” and focused intention might be involved. These nonconventional practices integrate contact and non-contact techniques, and those dealing with so-called distant healing interventions are perhaps the most difficult to understand and accept. Practitioners describe these so-called nonlocal interventions as involving intentional factors and particular states of consciousness. With a spiritual mindset and a particular state of awareness, compassion is said to work out as a catalyst to produce physiological and physical changes through mechanisms that are still unknown. At the body level, these vegetative changes might be related to individual self-perception variations as part of the body neurovegetative feedback system of regulation. Further mechanisms are difficult to document and measure, and might be more accessible to research by using physical signal detectors, chemical dynamics methods, detectors using biological materials, detectors using living sensors, and detectors using the human body. The growing interest in these practices and the considerable amount of research exploring their effects and clinical applications encouraged this narrative review, which aims to provide an easy to consult partial overview of the history, theory and findings of quantitative research strategies exploring non-contact biofield-based practices. This work also aims to stimulate the reader’s mind with the raised hypotheses, catalyzing further research on the subject to confirm or deny the reported outcomes.
COVID-19 and the Endocrine System: A Comprehensive Review on the Theme

Background and aim. The review aimed to summarize advances in the topic of endocrine diseases and coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Methods. Scientific and institutional websites and databases were searched and data were collected and organized, when plausible, to angle the discussion toward the following clinical issues. (1) Are patients with COVID-19 at higher risk of developing acute or late-onset endocrine diseases or dysfunction? (2) May the underlying endocrine diseases or dysfunctions be considered risk factors for poor prognosis once the infection has occurred? (3) Are there defined strategies to manage endocrine diseases despite pandemic-related constraints? Herein, the authors considered only relevant and more frequently observed endocrine diseases and disorders related to the hypothalamic-pituitary region, thyroid and parathyroid glands, calcium-phosphorus homeostasis and osteoporosis, adrenal glands, and gonads. Main. Data highlight the basis of some pathophysiological mechanisms and anatomical alterations of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)-induced endocrine dysfunctions. Some conditions, such as adrenal insufficiency and cortisol excess, may be risk factors of worse clinical progression once the infection has occurred. These at-risk populations may require adequate education to avoid the SARS-CoV-2 infection and adequately manage medical therapy during the pandemic, even in emergencies. Endocrine disease management underwent a palpable restraint, especially procedures requiring obligate access to healthcare facilities for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes. Strategies of clinical triage to prioritize medical consultations, laboratory, instrumental evaluations, and digital telehealth solutions should be implemented to better deal with this probably long-term situation.
Racial Differences in Incident Genitourinary Cancer Cases Captured in the National Cancer Database

Background and Objectives: The National Cancer Database (NCDB) captures nearly 70% of all new cancer diagnoses in the United States, but there exists significant variation in this capture rate based on primary tumor location and other patient demographic factors. Prostate cancer has the lowest coverage rate of all major cancers, and other genitourinary malignancies likewise fall below the average NCDB case coverage rate. We aimed to explore NCDB coverage rates for patients with genitourinary cancers as a function of race. Materials and Methods: We compared the incidence of cancer cases in the NCDB with contemporary United States Cancer Statistics data. Results: Across all malignancies, American Indian/Alaskan Natives subjects demonstrated the lowest capture rates, and Asian/Pacific Islander subjects exhibited the second-lowest capture rates. Between White and Black subjects, capture rates were significantly higher for White subjects overall and for prostate cancer and kidney cancer in White males, but significantly higher for bladder cancer in Black versus White females. No significant differences were observed in coverage rates for kidney cancer in females, bladder cancer in males, penile cancer, or testicular cancer in White versus Black patients. Conclusions: Differential access to Commission on Cancer-accredited treatment facilities for racial minorities with genitourinary cancer constitutes a unique avenue for health equity research.
Risk of severe clinical events after sustained virological response following direct‐acting antiviral therapy in HIV and hepatitis C virus coinfected participants

Sustained virological response (SVR) decreases the risk of hepatitis C virus (HCV)‐related events. Nevertheless, a substantial risk of events persists. We estimated incidences and identified factors associated with severe clinical events after SVR following treatment with a direct‐acting antiviral (DAA) in HIV/HCV‐coinfected patients.
What Drives the Food Safety Certification: A Qualitative Comparative Analysis of Food Companies in China

Food safety is related to health and quality of life. Therefore, the social responsibility of the food industry to ensure food safety has received increasing attention. Influencing factors and mechanisms of participation in food safety certification are important issues in this field. Existing studies on factors affecting food safety certification mainly focus on the impact of a single or few factors. In this study, listed Chinese food companies were selected, and the fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis method was utilized to explore the matching mode of various factors to encourage companies to obtain food safety certification. The following results were obtained. (1) State-owned companies tend to achieve food safety certification. (2) Companies with high media attention are inclined to achieve food safety certification. (3) In state-owned companies, when the company size is small, a higher degree of food safety concern in the mission statement can encourage the company to achieve food safety certification, and when the company size is large, higher media attention can encourage the company to achieve food safety certification. (4) In non-state-owned companies, when food safety concerns are highlighted in the mission statement and media attention is relatively high, the company will gain food safety certification. This study provides new perspectives on food safety-related research and suggestions for government and the public sector to supervise food safety issues in enterprises.
Increased salivary syndecan-1 level is associated with salivary gland function and inflammation in patients with Sjögren’s syndrome

Objective Syndecan-1 (SDC-1), a transmembrane heparin sulphate proteoglycan predominantly expressed on epithelial cells, also exists in a soluble form through ectodomain shedding. SDC-1 expression and shedding may be modulated in the inflammatory milieu of primary Sjögren’s syndrome (SS). We investigated SDC-1 expression in minor salivary glands (MSGs) and analysed the association between salivary or plasma levels of SDC-1 and clinical parameters in SS. Method We measured salivary and plasma SDC-1 levels via an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and assessed the salivary flow rates (SFRs) in 70 patients with SS and 35 healthy subjects. Disease activity indices, serological markers, salivary gland scintigraphy, and MSG biopsy were evaluated in patients with SS. Results SDC-1 expression was upregulated on ductal epithelial cells in inflamed salivary glands. Salivary SDC-1 levels in patients significantly exceeded those in healthy subjects [median (interquartile range) 49.0 (20.7–79.1) vs 3.7 (1.7–6.3) ng/mL, p < 0.001] and inversely correlated with SFRs (r = −0.358, p = 0.032) and ejection fractions of the parotid (r = −0.363, p = 0.027) and submandibular (r = −0.485, p = 0.002) glands in salivary gland scintigraphy. Plasma SDC-1 levels were significantly correlated with the EULAR Sjögren’s Syndrome Disease Activity Index (r = 0.507, p < 0.001) and EULAR Sjögren’s Syndrome Patient Reported Index (r = 0.267, p = 0.033). Focus scores were correlated with salivary SDC-1 levels (r = 0.551, p = 0.004). Conclusions Salivary and plasma SDC-1 levels may constitute potential biomarkers for salivary gland function and disease activity, respectively, in SS.
A Retrospective Longitudinal Treatment Review of Multidisciplinary Interventions in Nonsyndromic Robin Sequence With Cleft Palate

Objective: To document and analyze the overall longitudinal institutional treatment experience of children with nonsyndromic Robin sequence (RS) from infancy to early adulthood. Design: Retrospective longitudinal treatment review. Setting: A tertiary-care, referral, teaching hospital. Patients: Children with nonsyndromic RS and cleft palate (N = 117) born between December, 1985, and January, 2012. Interventions: Data regarding airway management, nutritional management, audiological interventions, orthodontic treatment, and surgical interventions were documented and analyzed in different growth/developmental stages. Comparative data from other international centers were collected from the literature. Results: Airway management during infancy involved prone positioning (92%), nasopharyngeal airway (6%), tracheostomy (2%), and mandibular distraction osteogenesis (1%). Feeding with nasogastric, gastrostomy, and/or gastrojejunostomy tubes was used in 44%, Haberman feeders in 53%, and Mead Johnson feeders in 3%. Gastroesophageal reflux disease was documented in 6% of the sample. During childhood and early adolescent years, pharyngeal flap surgery was carried out in 22% of the children, while 11% had secondary palatal surgery. Audiological management included the use of tympanostomy tubes in 62%, with several children needing multiple tube replacements. At least 18% were diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea. Adenoidectomy or adenotonsillectomy was undertaken in 4%. Analysis of data pertaining to middle childhood and adolescent years showed that orthodontic treatment was conducted for most children for crowding, tooth agenesis, and skeletal and/or dental dysplasia. Orthognathic surgery frequency (<18%) was low. Conclusions: Institutional treatment experience of children with nonsyndromic RS involves multidisciplinary care at different ages and stages of their development.
Factors Affecting Masticatory Satisfaction in Patients with Removable Partial Dentures

(1) Background: The degree of satisfaction with dental treatment varies among patients, and the discrepancy may exist between the patient’s subjective evaluation and the objective assessment. Further, the optimal methods for increasing patient satisfaction with mastication remain unclear. This study aimed to identify factors affecting masticatory satisfaction in patients with removable partial dentures. (2) Methods: A total of 132 participants (71.0 ± 9.0 years) were included. Masticatory satisfaction was assessed on a visual analog scale. An oral health survey was conducted to assess the number of functional teeth, missing tooth classification: Kennedy classification, occlusal support: Eichner classification, and removable partial dentures wearing jaw. Objective masticatory performance was assessed using gummy jelly, while subjective masticatory ability was assessed using food acceptance status and oral health-related quality of life. The associations of these factors with masticatory satisfaction were assessed. (3) Results: Masticatory satisfaction among removable partial denture wearers was not significantly associated with gender, age, denture wearing jaw, Kennedy classification, and occlusal support. The degree of masticatory satisfaction was significantly greater with higher levels of masticatory function: masticatory performance, food acceptance score, and OHIP-14 score. The OHIP-14 score was the only significant explanatory variable for masticatory satisfaction in the multiple regression analysis; the strongest associations were with the “psychological discomfort” and “physical disability” subscales (p = 0.02 and p = 0.005, respectively). (4) Conclusions: Masticatory satisfaction among removable partial denture wearers was strongly associated with oral health-related quality of life, in which the ability to eat meals comfortably with removable partial dentures is the most important determinant of masticatory satisfaction.
Molecular Biology of the WWOX Gene That Spans Chromosomal Fragile Site FRA16D

It is now more than 20 years since the FRA16D common chromosomal fragile site was characterised and the WWOX gene spanning this site was identified. In this time, much information has been discovered about its contribution to disease; however, the normal biological role of WWOX is not yet clear. Experiments leading to the identification of the WWOX gene are recounted, revealing enigmatic relationships between the fragile site, its gene and the encoded protein. We also highlight research mainly using the genetically tractable model organism Drosophila melanogaster that has shed light on the integral role of WWOX in metabolism. In addition to this role, there are some particularly outstanding questions that remain regarding WWOX, its gene and its chromosomal location. This review, therefore, also aims to highlight two unanswered questions. Firstly, what is the biological relationship between the WWOX gene and the FRA16D common chromosomal fragile site that is located within one of its very large introns? Secondly, what is the actual substrate and product of the WWOX enzyme activity? It is likely that understanding the normal role of WWOX and its relationship to chromosomal fragility are necessary in order to understand how the perturbation of these normal roles results in disease.
Finding Needles in a Haystack: Using Geo-References to Enhance the Selection and Utilization of Landraces in Breeding for Climate-Resilient Cultivars of Upland Cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.)

The genetic uniformity of cultivated cotton as a consequence of domestication and modern breeding makes it extremely vulnerable to abiotic challenges brought about by major climate shifts. To sustain productivity amidst worsening agro-environments, future breeding objectives need to seriously consider introducing new genetic variation from diverse resources into the current germplasm base of cotton. Landraces are genetically heterogeneous, population complexes that have been primarily selected for their adaptability to specific localized or regional environments. This makes them an invaluable genetic resource of novel allelic diversity that can be exploited to enhance the resilience of crops to marginal environments. The utilization of cotton landraces in breeding programs are constrained by the phenology of the plant and the lack of phenotypic information that can facilitate efficient selection of potential donor parents for breeding. In this review, the genetic value of cotton landraces and the major challenges in their utilization in breeding are discussed. Two strategies namely Focused Identification of Germplasm Strategy and Environmental Association Analysis that have been developed to effectively screen large germplasm collections for accessions with adaptive traits using geo-reference-based, mathematical modelling are highlighted. The potential applications of both approaches in mining available cotton landrace collections are also presented.
Nine Months of COVID-19 Pandemic in Europe: A Comparative Time Series Analysis of Cases and Fatalities in 35 Countries

(1) Background: to describe the dynamic of the pandemic across 35 European countries over a period of 9 months. (2) Methods: a three-phase time series model was fitted for 35 European countries, predicting deaths based on SARS-CoV-2 incidences. Hierarchical clustering resulted in three clusters of countries. A multiple regression model was developed predicting thresholds for COVID-19 incidences, coupled to death numbers. (3) Results: The model showed strongly connected deaths and incidences during the waves in spring and fall. The corrected case-fatality rates ranged from 2% to 20.7% in the first wave, and from 0.5% to 4.2% in the second wave. If the incidences stay below a threshold, predicted by the regression model (R2=85.0%), COVID-19 related deaths and incidences were not necessarily coupled. The clusters represented different regions in Europe, and the corrected case-fatality rates in each cluster flipped from high to low or vice versa. Severely and less severely affected countries flipped between the first and second wave. (4) Conclusions: COVID-19 incidences and related deaths were uncoupled during the summer but coupled during two waves. Once a country-specific threshold of infections is reached, death numbers will start to rise, allowing health care systems and countries to prepare.
Tumor Mutational Burden as a Potential Biomarker for Immunotherapy in Pancreatic Cancer: Systematic Review and Still-Open Questions

Simple Summary Tumor mutational burden (TMB) represents the number of mutations per megabase (muts/Mb) harbored by tumor cells in a given neoplasm, and can be determined with next-generation sequencing. High values are an indicator of potential response to immunotherapy. With this systematic review, we assessed its role in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). Our main findings can be summarized as: (i) high-TMB can be found in about 1% of PDAC; (ii) it is associated with mucinous/colloid and medullary histology; (iii) high-TMB PDAC frequently harbor other actionable alterations, with microsatellite instability as the most common; (iv) immunotherapy has shown promising results in high-TMB PDAC. Abstract Tumor mutational burden (TMB) is a numeric index that expresses the number of mutations per megabase (muts/Mb) harbored by tumor cells in a neoplasm. TMB can be determined using different approaches based on next-generation sequencing. In the case of high values, it indicates a potential response to immunotherapy. In this systematic review, we assessed the potential predictive role of high-TMB in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), as well as the histo-molecular features of high-TMB PDAC. High-TMB appeared as a rare but not-negligible molecular feature in PDAC, being present in about 1.1% of cases. This genetic condition was closely associated with mucinous/colloid and medullary histology (p < 0.01). PDAC with high-TMB frequently harbored other actionable alterations, with microsatellite instability/defective mismatch repair as the most common. Immunotherapy has shown promising results in high-TMB PDAC, but the sample size of high-TMB PDAC treated so far is quite small. This study highlights interesting peculiarities of PDAC harboring high-TMB and may represent a reliable starting point for the assessment of TMB in the clinical management of patients affected by pancreatic cancer.