Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Comparison of plantar pressure distribution in underweight, normal, overweight, and obese adolescents: A cross-sectional study evaluation of plantar pressure in adolescents

Background: Repeated overload by body weight in the adolescents affects the foot structure. Objective: This study aimed to evaluate plantar pressure distribution in adolescents with different body mass indices during gait and standing. Study design: This is a randomized, cross-sectional study. Methods: One hundred eighty-six adolescents between the ages of 8 and 15 years were included. The individuals were divided into groups according to body mass index (BMI). Plantar pressure distributions were examined during gait and standing. Surface areas, plantar pressures, forefoot-hindfoot load, surface amounts, and foot angles of the individuals were determined during gait and standing. Results: Significant differences were detected in left-right surfaces, maximum load quantities, average pressures, forefoot-hindfoot surface areas between static and dynamic plantar pressure distributions of underweight, normal, overweight, and obese adolescents (P < 001). Maximum, average pressure, right forefoot foot load, and foot angles increased in the obese group during standing as BMI increased; total surface areas, and loads in forefoot, hindfoot surface areas in right and left feet also increased in maximum and average pressures during gait (P < .05). No differences were detected between groups in foot angles during standing and gait (P > .05). Conclusions: This study show that increased BMI causes increased plantar pressures during gait and standing, and weight gain would cause problems in adolescents.
Pharmacological Potential of Lathyrane-Type Diterpenoids from Phytochemical Sources

Lathyrane diterpenoids are one of the primary types of secondary metabolites present in the genus Euphorbia and one of the largest groups of diterpenes. They are characterized by having a highly oxygenated tricyclic system of 5, 11 and 3 members. These natural products and some synthetic derivatives have shown numerous interesting biological activities with clinical potential against various diseases, such as cytotoxic activity against cancer cell lines, multi-drug resistance reversal, antiviral properties, anti-inflammatory activity and their capability to induce proliferation or differentiation into neurons of neural progenitor cells. The structure of the lathyrane skeleton could be considered privileged because its framework is able to direct functional groups in a well-defined space. The favorable arrangement of these makes interaction possible with more than one target. This review aims to highlight the evidence of lathyranes as privileged structures in medicinal chemistry. Chemical structures of bioactive compounds, the evaluation of biological properties of natural and semisynthetic derivatives, and the exploration of the mechanisms of action as well as target identification and some aspects of their targeted delivery are discussed.
The Prevalence and Implications of Olfactory/Gustatory Dysfunctions among Adult COVID-19 Patients: A Retrospective Cohort Multiethnic Populations Study

(1) Background: Olfactory and gustatory dysfunctions (OGDs) was found in COVID-19 patients. Only a few studies looked into the prevalence of OGDs in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The purpose of this study was to estimate the prevalence OGDs among multiethnic COVID-19 patients in the UAE, and its association to patients’ characteristics and disease outcomes; (2) Methods: There were 1785 COVID-19 patients included in our cohort; (3) Results: Males made up most of the study participants (86.3%). A total of 11.7% of the participants reported OGDs. Female gender and ethnicity had significantly higher symptom prevalence (p < 0.001). COVID-19 severity had a strong inverse association with OGDs (p = 0.007). Other illness outcomes, such as ICU admission, pneumonia development, and mortality, showed no correlation. Males, Asians, and patients with comorbidities all had statistically significantly lower prevalence odds. On the other hand, Emirati, Arab, and Iranian patients had a higher prevalence. COVID-19 patients with OGDs had a considerably shorter time until viral clearance than those without the symptom; (4) Conclusions: in nonsevere COVID-19, olfactory/gustatory dysfunction is common. As a result, it could be applied as a predictive sign for early disease diagnosis and prognosis.
Comparative evaluation of dexamethasone and clonidine as an adjuvant to ropivacaine in supraclavicular block

Background/Aim: Enhancing the intensity of block by using adjuvant is the mainstay now a days in various regional block for surgery. Our primary objective was to compare the dexamethasone and clonidine as adjuvant to ropivacaine in supraclavicular block. Supraclavicular brachial plexus block provides excellent perioperative analgesia in upper extremity surgeries. Various adjuvants can be added to local anesthetics to enhance the effect of block. The main objective in the management of postoperative pain is minimizing the dose of analgesic to reduce side effects and provide adequate analgesia, shorten hospital stay, reduce hospital cost, and increase patient satisfaction. Methodology: One hundred twenty patients going for elective upper limb surgery of ASA grade I & ASA II in the age group 18 – 60 years were divided in the two groups of 60 each. Groups 1 were given Ropivacaine 0.5% 30 ml with 8 mg Dexamethasone, and Groups II were given Ropivacaine 0.5% 30 ml with 75 mcg Clonidine for supraclavicular block using peripheral nerve stimulator. Onset of sensory and motor block, duration of motor block, duration of analgesia, number of rescue analgesia, sedation score, post-operative pain and adverse effects were observed.
Novelty and scope of process innovation: The role of related and unrelated manufacturing experience

The accumulation of experience that occurs with production is likely to impact an organization's ability to develop manufacturing process innovations. However, how different types of manufacturing experience relate to the characteristics of an organization's process innovation output is an open question. In this study, we investigate how a firm's accumulated related and unrelated manufacturing experiences are associated with this firm's ability to innovate its production methods. To characterize firms' process innovation output, we observe their portfolios of patented manufacturing inventions, which we qualitatively evaluate over time, through a unique collaboration with expert patent attorneys, along two critical dimensions: novelty and scope. We argue that related manufacturing experience leads to a better understanding of parts of the focal product's technological landscape that will allow the development of inventions of broader scope. However, it may also contribute to inertia in that it might restrict the firm's innovative activity to more familiar regions of the landscape, thereby limiting inventions' novelty. Conversely, manufacturing experience with products that are unrelated to the focal product is expected to stimulate and support a broader search that includes more distant regions of the focal product's technological landscape, which would lead to more novel manufacturing inventions. Yet, the application of this unrelated experience to the production of the focal product is likely to require additional exploratory effort in a not‐well‐understood region of the focal product's landscape, likely resulting in inventions of limited scope. In line with our hypotheses, we find that related (unrelated) manufacturing experience is positively (negatively) associated with inventions' scope, and negatively (positively) associated with inventions' novelty. In addition to supporting the relevance of a multidimensional evaluation of innovations, our findings provide practical guidance regarding the strategic implications of a firm's knowledge management.
Assessing the Heat Tolerance of Meiosis in Spanish Landraces of Tetraploid Wheat Triticum turgidum

Heat stress alters the number and distribution of meiotic crossovers in wild and cultivated plant species. Hence, global warming may have a negative impact on meiosis, fertility, and crop productions. Assessment of germplasm collections to identify heat-tolerant genotypes is a priority for future crop improvement. Durum wheat, Triticum turgidum, is an important cultivated cereal worldwide and given the genetic diversity of the durum wheat Spanish landraces core collection, we decided to analyse the heat stress effect on chiasma formation in a sample of 16 landraces of T. turgidum ssp. turgidum and T. turgidum ssp. durum, from localities with variable climate conditions. Plants of each landrace were grown at 18–22 °C and at 30 °C during the premeiotic temperature-sensitive stage. The number of chiasmata was not affected by heat stress in three genotypes, but decreased by 0.3–2 chiasmata in ten genotypes and more than two chiasmata in the remaining three ones. Both thermotolerant and temperature-sensitive genotypes were found in the two subspecies, and in some of the agroecological zones studied, which supports that genotypes conferring a heat tolerant meiotic phenotype are not dependent on subspecies or geographical origin. Implications of heat adaptive genotypes in future research and breeding are discussed.
Designing for Confidence: The Impact of Visualizing Artificial Intelligence Decisions

Explainable artificial intelligence aims to bring transparency to artificial intelligence (AI) systems by translating, simplifying, and visualizing its decisions. While society remains skeptical about AI systems, studies show that transparent and explainable AI systems can help improve the Human-AI trust relationship. This manuscript presents two studies that assess three AI decision visualization attribution models that manipulate morphological clarity (MC) and two information presentation-order methods to determine each visualization’s impact on the Human-AI trust relationship through increased confidence and cognitive fit (CF). The first study, N = 206 (Avg. age = 37.87 ± 10.51, Male = 123), utilized information presentation methods and visualizations delivered through an online experiment to explore trust in AI by asking participants to complete a visual decision-making task. The second study, N = 19 (24.9 ± 8.3 years old, Male = 10), utilized eye-tracking technology and the same stimuli presentation methods to investigate if cognitive load, inferred through pupillometry measures, mediated the confidence-trust relationship. The results indicate that low MC positively impacts Human-AI trust and that the presentation order of information within an interface in terms of adjacency further influences user trust in AI. We conclude that while adjacency and MC significantly affect cognitive load, cognitive load alone does not mediate the confidence-trust relationship. Our findings interpreted through a combination of CF, situation awareness, and ecological interface design have implications for the design of future AI systems, which may facilitate better collaboration between humans and AI-based decision agents.
Phase diagrams of incommensurate ferroelectric NH 4 HSeO 4 : phenomenological treatment

The phenomenological analysis of the pressure-temperature (P −T ) phase diagram of NH4HSeO4 crystals is presented. It is shown that the disagree- ment between the experimental results and the theory may be removed assuming that the coefficient of the Landau free-energy expansionat the gradient term (dq/dz)(dq � /dz) changes the sign in the experimental range of pressures. According to the present model the triple point observed in NH4HSeO4 at PK ≈ 455 MPa, TK ≈ 236 K may be considered as artificial points which result from the limitation of experimental resolution. There- fore, even above PK there still exist two very close (unresolved) lines of the incommensurate phase transitions.
Pre- and Post-Operative Relationship between Radiological Measures and Clinical Outcomes in Women with Hallux Valgus

The surgical correction of a hallux valgus (HV) deformity improves radiological parameters and clinical outcomes. However, it is not known how these improvements are related between themselves. In this retrospective study, 73 women were assessed preoperatively and 60 months after HV surgical correction. Several radiological parameters were measured: the hallux valgus angle (HVA), I–II intermetatarsal angle (IMA) and sesamoid position. The functional outcomes were assessed using the American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) Hallux Metatarsophalangeal-Interphalangeal (HMI) scale, and patient-reported outcomes (PROMs) were recorded with the Manchester–Oxford Foot Questionnaire (MOXFQ). A pre–post-surgery comparison of radiological and clinical values was performed, the correlation among them was studied and the differences pre–post-surgery in the radiological measurements compared with those for the clinical outcomes were studied. The results show that all the radiological parameters, functional outcomes and PROMs improved significantly from their pre-operative values to the follow-up values. Multivariate regression analysis showed a significant relationship (p < 0.001) between the differential pre–post-surgery AOFAS scoring only with two sesamoid position differential pre–post-surgery measures: position of medial sesamoid (PMS) and translation of the first metatarsal head (TMH). However, no significant association was observed between the pre–post-surgery radiological differences and the pre–post-surgery MOXFQ scoring.
Wavefield Migration Imaging of Moho Geometry and Upper Mantle Structure Beneath Southern New England

The crust and upper mantle beneath the New England Appalachians exhibit a large offset of the Moho across the boundary between Laurentia and accreted terranes and several dipping discontinuities, which reflect Paleozoic or younger tectonic movements. We apply scattered wavefield migration to the SEISConn array deployed across northern Connecticut and obtain insights not previously available from receiver function studies. We resolve a doubled Moho at a previously imaged Moho offset, which may reflect westward thrusting of rifted Grenville crust. The migration image suggests laterally variable velocity contrasts across the Moho, perhaps reflecting mafic underplating during continental rifting. A west‐dipping feature in the lithospheric mantle is further constrained to have a slab‐like geometry, representing a relict slab subducted during an Appalachian orogenic event. Localized low seismic velocities in the upper mantle beneath the eastern portion of the array may indicate that the Northern Appalachian Anomaly extends relatively far to the south.
Vaccination and Government Stringent Control as Effective Strategies in Preventing SARS-CoV-2 Infections: A Global Perspective

With the rapid implementation of global vaccination against the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), the threat posed by the disease has been mitigated, yet it remains a major global public health concern. Few studies have estimated the effects of vaccination and government stringent control measures on the disease transmission from a global perspective. To address this, we collected 216 countries' data on COVID-19 daily reported cases, daily vaccinations, daily government stringency indexes (GSIs), and the human development index (HDI) from the dataset of the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Our World in Data COVID-19 (OWID). We utilized the interrupted time series (ITS) model to examine how the incidence was affected by the vaccination and GSI at continental and country levels from 22 January 2020 to 13 February 2022. We found that the effectiveness of vaccination was better in Europe, North America, and Africa than in Asia, South America, and Oceania. The long-term effects outperformed the short-term effects in most cases. Countries with a high HDI usually had a high vaccination coverage, resulting in better vaccination effects. Nonetheless, some countries with high vaccination coverage did not receive a relatively low incidence due to the weaker GSI. The results suggest that in addition to increasing population vaccination coverage, it is crucial to maintain a certain level of government stringent measures to prevent and control the disease. The strategy is particularly appropriate for countries with low vaccination coverage at present.
Morphoanatomical characterization of Brassavola tuberculata Hook´s (Orchidaceae) leaf and root upon the rocky outcrop

Orchids have morphological and anatomical adaptations that make them able to occupy the most different environments with the most varied conditions. These adaptations, together with the physiological attributes are essential for the establishment, growth, reproduction, and colonization of orchids. Therefore, this study was developed to describe the leaf and root anatomy of Brassavola tuberculata Hook found in a phorophyte located on a rocky outcrop in Campestre, southern Minas Gerais. The collected leaf and root samples were freehand cut and stained with astra blue and safranin. The histochemical tests applied wer: sudan III for lipids and lugol for starch. The leaves are subulate, succulent and grooved containing a continuous longitudinal cannula. The epidermis has a thick cuticle, stomata with a suprastomatal chamber on both leaf faces and the mesophyll is homogeneous with aquifer parenchyma in the central portion. In the root, the velamen and cortical tissue are composed of several cell layers that allow it to store water. There were starch grains in the leaf and root. These xeromorphic characters found allow to the species to survive in the restricted conditions found in the phorophyte on rocky outcrops.
Sowerby’s Beaked Whales (Mesoplodon bidens) in the Skagerrak and Adjacent Waters: Historical Records and Recent Post-Mortem Findings

In contrast to sparse historical observational records, five Sowerby’s beaked whales (SBW) stranded and died in Swedish waters between 2015 and 2020. Here we summarize historical records of SBWs in the Skagerrak basin and adjacent waters. The three recent stranding events from Sweden are described, and the post-mortem findings, including diet analysis, from the five SBWs are presented. Of 30 historical records of SBWs observations since 1869, 13 (43%) were documented between 2010 and 2021, and records between July and November were the most frequent. The recent stranding events occurred in October 2015 (n = 1), August 2019 (n = 3) and July 2020 (n = 1). Four of the SBWs were examined through necropsy, and one was sampled in the field. They were all sub-adults and included a single female and four males. The causes of death were emaciation, euthanasia due to traumatic injury, and live stranding of undetermined cause. Two SBWs each had a focal bone lesion consistent with osteomyelitis. Other findings included pox-like dermatitis, trauma, focal granulomas in a lymph node and intestine, and ulceration of the stomach. CT scans were performed on the heads of two animals, with inconclusive results. Three SBWs had hard parts in the gastrointestinal tract that mainly consisted of otoliths from several fish species. An eDNA-analysis confirmed and supplemented the diet analysis, revealing 17 fish species in total, including species not previously described as prey for SBW, such as Pleuronectidae spp. The apparent increase in observational records since 2010 may indicate a shift in SBW distribution or changing threats to these animals. Our results support and expand theories on SBW movements and provide data on the biology and health of this poorly known species, which are valuable for conservation and legislation efforts.
Features and Colonization Strategies of Enterococcus faecalis in the Gut of Bombyx mori

The complex gut microbiome is a malleable microbial community that can undergo remodeling in response to many factors, including the gut environment and microbial properties. Enterococcus has emerged as one of the predominant gut commensal bacterial and plays a fundamental role in the host physiology and health of the major economic agricultural insect, Bombyx mori. Although extensive research on gut structure and microbiome diversity has been carried out, how these microbial consortia are established in multifarious niches within the gut has not been well characterized to date. Here, an Enterococcus species that was stably associated with its host, the model organism B. mori, was identified in the larval gut. GFP–tagged E. faecalis LX10 was constructed as a model bacterium to track the colonization mechanism in the intestine of B. mori. The results revealed that the minimum and optimum colonization results were obtained by feeding at doses of 105 CFU/silkworm and 107 CFU/silkworm, respectively, as confirmed by bioassays and fluorescence-activated cell sorting analyses (FACS). Furthermore, a comprehensive genome-wide exploration of signal sequences provided insight into the relevant colonization properties of E. faecalis LX10. E. faecalis LX10 grew well under alkaline conditions and stably reduced the intestinal pH through lactic acid production. Additionally, the genomic features responsible for lactic acid fermentation were characterized. We further expressed and purified E. faecalis bacteriocin and found that it was particularly effective against other gut bacteria, including Enterococcus casselifavus, Enterococcus mundtii, Serratia marcescens, Bacillus amyloliquefaciens, and Escherichia coli. In addition, the successful colonization of E. faecalis LX10 led to drastically increased expression of all adhesion genes (znuA, lepB, hssA, adhE, EbpA, and Lap), defense genes (cspp, tagF, and esp), regulation gene (BfmRS), secretion gene (prkC) and immune evasion genes (patA and patB), while the expression of iron acquisition genes (ddpD and metN) was largely unchanged or decreased. This work establishes an unprecedented conceptual model for understanding B. mori–gut microbiota interactions in an ecological context. Moreover, these results shed light on the molecular mechanisms of gut microbiota proliferation and colonization in the intestinal tract of this insect.