Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Pregnancy-Related Complications in Women with Recurrent Pregnancy Loss: A Prospective Cohort Study

The aim of this prospective cohort study was to determine whether women with recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL) have an increased risk of pregnancy complications compared to normal pregnant women. A total of 1092 singleton pregnancies were followed, 431 in women with RPL and 661 in normal healthy women. The prevalence of the following complications was observed: threatened miscarriage, miscarriage, cervical insufficiency, chromosomal/genetic abnormalities, fetal anomalies, oligohydramnios, polyhydramnios, fetal growth restriction, intrauterine fetal death, gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), preeclampsia, placenta previa, abruptio placentae, pregnancy-related liver disorders, and preterm premature rupture of the membranes. The odds ratio and 95% CI for each pregnancy complication considered were determined by comparing women with RPL and normal healthy women. Women with RPL had an overall rate of pregnancy complications higher than normal women (OR = 4.37; 95% CI: 3.353–5.714; p < 0.0001). Their risk was increased for nearly all the conditions considered. They also had an increased risk of multiple concomitant pregnancy complications (OR = 4.64; 95% CI: 3.10–6.94, p < 0.0001). Considering only women with RPL, women with ≥3 losses had a higher risk of pregnancy complications than women with two losses (OR = 1.269; 95% CI: 1.112–2.386, p < 0.02). No differences were found in the overall risk of pregnancy complications according to the type, explained or unexplained, of RPL. Women with secondary RPL had an increased risk of GDM than women with primary RPL. Pregnancy in women with RPL should be considered at high risk.
Age at first childbirth as a predictor of health outcomes later in life among women.

M aternal age at first childbirth has been rising throughout the past five decades in the United States. The mean age of first-time mothers increased from 21.4 years in 1970 to 26.3 years in 2014. The number of first-time mothers aged 35 years or older at childbirth has also been increasing. From 2000 to 2014, the proportion of women aged 35 years or older at first childbirth increased by 23%. Educational and career pursuits have been reported as reasons for delaying childbearing. These shifting trends have led to a greater interest in understanding the relation of age at first childbirth to long-term health outcomes among women. In several studies among postmenopausal women, later age at first childbirth has been associated with favorable health outcomes. In a study among 20,248 postmenopausal women from the Women’s Health Initiative, the odds of survival to age 90 years were 11% (odds ratio [OR], 1.11; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.02-1.21) higher among women aged 25 years compared with <25 years at first childbirth. Among 4,779 postmenopausal women from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, women aged 19 years compared with >19 years at first childbirth had 61% higher odds of hypertension (OR, 1.61; 95% CI, 1.17-2.23). Further, the prevalence of hypertension was lowest among postmenopausal women aged 30 years (39.9%) at first childbirth and highest among those aged 19 years (58.4%) at first childbirth. In a separate cross-sectional study from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, younger age at first childbirth was associated with greater odds of metabolic syndrome (OR, 1.64; 95% CI, 1.32-2.04 for 20 vs 26 y), higher waist circumference (OR, 1.74; 95% CI, 1.41-2.13 for 20 vs 26 y), higher blood pressure (OR, 1.26; 95% CI, 1.02-1.57 for 20 vs 26 y), and lower high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (OR, 1.34; 95% CI,
Genetic Relationships in the Genus Uma (Iguanidae)

Electrophoretic analysis of the five species in the genus Uma reveals three distinct groups. U. exsul and U. paraphygas, the two Mexican species, are genetically divergent from one another and from the three Californian species, U. notata, U. inornata and U. scoparia, which cluster closely. The genetic distance between U. exsul and U. paraphygas (D = 0.25) is comparable to between-species distances for other lizards; the U. notata-U. inornata-U. scoparia group exhibits genetic distances (D = 0.02) similar to those between conspecific populations of other taxa. I consider the U. notata-U. inornata-U. scoparia group a single species. Heterozygosity levels are extremely low in Uma (1%) and are comparable to those of recently studied non-vagile fossorial species such as Bipes and Anniella.
Growth Characteristics of a Pyruvate Decarboxylase Mutant Strain of Zymomonas mobilis

Studies of the inactivation of a gene encoding pyruvate decarboxylase, pdc, in an ethanol-producing bacterium, Zymomonas mobilis, identified a mutant strain with 50% reduced PDC activity. To evaluate the possibility of a carbon-flux shift from an ethanol pathway toward higher value fermentation products, including pyruvate, succinate, and lactate, fermentation studies were carried out. Despite attempts to silence pdc expression in the wild-type strain ZM4 using cat-inserted pdc and pdc-deleted homologs by electroporation, the strain isolated showed partial gene activation. Fermentation experiments with the PDC mutant strain showed that the reduced expression level of PDC activity resulted in decreased rates of substrate uptake and ethanol production, together with increased pyruvate accumulation of 2.5 g l-1, although lactate and succinate concentrations were not significantly enhanced in these modified strains. Despite numerous attempts, no strains were isolated in which complete pdc inactivation occurred. This result indicates that the ethanol fermentation pathway of this bacterium is totally dependent on the activity of the PDC enzyme. To ensure a redox balance of intracellular NAD and NADH levels, other enzymes, such as lactate dehydrogenase for lactate, and enzymes involved in the production of succinic acid, such as pyruvate dehydrogenase (PDH) and malic enzymes, may be needed for their increased end-product production.
Information Seeking Behaviors and Intentions in Response to Environmental Health Risk Messages: A Test of A Reduced Risk Information Seeking Model

ABSTRACT This study tests the effects of environmental health risk messages on perceived risk, information needs and decisions to seek information, testing a reduced risk information seeking and processing model (R-RISP). Participants (N = 1,823) were randomized to one of three risk conditions (arsenic, bisphenol A [BPA] or volatile organic compounds [VOCs]) and one of the three message conditions (high threat, low threat or no message); participants in the high and low threat message conditions were also randomly assigned to a seeking cue to action condition (with or without seeking cue). Overall, the results support the R-RISP model, demonstrating the importance of current knowledge perceptions and informational subjective norms in information acquisition decisions. In addition, the results also provide initial evidence that environmental health risk messages can prompt information seeking and increase intentions to seek information in the future. Avenues for future research are discussed.
Nestedness of bird assemblages in the karst forest fragments of southwestern Guangxi, China

The limestone region in southwestern Guangxi contains the most typical karst landforms in the world. Due to their destruction, the original forests mainly survive in nature reserves in the form of fragmented areas. From June 2009 to September 2010 we conducted an investigation of 13 relatively isolated habitats or sites, selected from each of the 13 nature reserves in southwestern Guangxi, with the least amount of anthropological activity and the largest presence of the original vegetation, in order to study the distribution of birds on forest fragments. The distribution patterns of the birds and the factors which affect them were analyzed by using the “BINMATNEST” software and the Spearman’s rank correlation analysis, to determine: 1) whether nested patterns of birds in the karst area of southwestern Guangxi exist or not and 2) which factors are correlated with the nested patterns and the effect of these factors on forming nested patterns. The results show that the birds had statistically significant nested patterns in the karst area and the specificity of the habitat of the birds had a significant effect on the nested patterns. We suggest possible reasons for these results, based on the characteristics of the seasonal tropical rain forests in the study area and on neutral theory. We also urgently recommend that close attention be paid to the protection of the diversity of the environment for birds in all fragmented habitats.
Establishment of embryogenic cell suspensions and plant regeneration of the dessert banana ‘Williams’ (Musa AAA group)

Summary ‘Williams’ is one of the most important dessert banana cultivars in the World. Improvement through genetic engineering depends on the development of embryogenic cell suspension (ECS) cultures. Yellow, compact meristematic globules and yellow-whiteish, friable embryogenic calli were induced from scalps (i.e., the top layer of highly proliferating meristem cultures). About 10% of induced explants gave rise to embryogenic calli. Embryogenic calli were used subsequently to establish ECS cultures. After 3 months of selection and sub-culturing, homogeneous ECS cultures with a high regeneration capacity were obtained. More than 80% of the cell culture consisted of embryogenic cell aggregates. Regenerable somatic embryos emerged about 3 weeks after the ECS was plated onto regeneration medium. Their weight increased 4.8- to 13-fold after 8 weeks of culture. The number of somatic embryos regenerated per ml settled cell volume (SCV) of embryogenic cells (i.e., somatic embryo recovery frequency) ranged between 0.92 – 2.17 105, depending on incubation and regeneration conditions. The conversion frequency from somatic embryo to plant varied between 42.5 – 55.5%, and was independent of regeneration conditions.
The effects of dietary edible bird nest supplementation on learning and memory functions of multigenerational mice

Edible bird nest (EBN) is a natural food product produced from edible nest swiftlet's saliva which consists of glycoproteins as one of its main components; these glycoproteins contain an abundant of sialic acid. The dietary EBN supplementation has been reported to enhance brain functions in mammals and that the bioactivities and nutritional value of EBN are important during periods of rapid brain growth particularly for preterm infant. However, the effects of EBN in maternal on multigeneration learning and memory function still remain unclear. Thus, the present study aimed to determine the effects of maternal EBN supplementation on learning and memory function of their first (F1)‐ and second (F2)‐generation mice.
Impact of sedation on the Performance Indicator of Colonic Intubation

Abstract Background The Performance Indicator of Colonic Intubation (PICI) is a new measure of high-quality colonic intubation. Adequate PICI was defined as cecal intubation without significant discomfort and use of minimal sedation. This study assessed achievement of PICI within the Dutch colorectal cancer (CRC) screening program, and determined the association between PICI and adenoma detection rate (ADR). PICI achievement when using the Dutch median midazolam dose was also assessed. Methods This retrospective study was conducted within the Dutch fecal immunochemical test-based CRC screening program. Colonoscopy and pathology data were prospectively collected in a national database. Data between January 2016 through January 2018 were analyzed. Adequate PICI was defined as successful cecal intubation, Gloucester Comfort Scale (GCS) of 1 – 3, and use of ≤ 2.5 mg midazolam. Results 107 328 colonoscopies were performed during the study period. Adequate PICI was achieved in 49 500 colonoscopies (46.1 %). In colonoscopies with inadequate PICI, inadequacy was due to higher sedation doses in 87.8 %. Adequate PICI was associated with higher ADR (odds ratio 1.16, 95 % confidence interval 1.12 – 1.20). When using a cutoff of 5 mg midazolam, median dose in this Dutch population, adequate PICI was achieved in 95 410 colonoscopies (88.9 %). Conclusion PICI appeared to be heavily dependent on sedation practice. Because of wide variation in sedation practice between individual endoscopists and countries, the benefit of PICI as a quality indicator is limited.
First genetic characterization of sturgeon mimiviruses in Ukraine.

A group of pathogenic nucleocytoplasmic large DNA viruses (NCLDVs) related to the Mimiviridae family infect farmed sturgeons across Europe, causing mild-to-severe losses. One of these viruses, Acipenser iridovirus-European (AcIV-E), was identified in six sturgeon species. During the 2018-2019 period, nine sick Siberian (A. baerii) and Russian (A. gueldenstaedtii) sturgeons were sampled in Ukrainian farms and tested for the presence of AcIV-E using real-time PCR. The presence of AcIV-E was confirmed in some samples. High-resolution melting (HRM) assay and Sanger sequencing demonstrated the presence in three farms of two alleles of the major capsid protein (MCP) gene, called var1 and var2. Five samples carried both var1 and var2 at varying ratios, and the sixth sample was infected with only var1. These results constitute the first detection of AcIV-E in Ukraine and the first detection of a sample carrying only var1. The full-length sequences of the MCP genes confirmed the existence of two genetic lineages of AcIV-E, tentatively named V1 and V2, each displaying multiple substitutions in the MCP gene. Some of the MCP sequences showed a genetic relationship to both V1 and V2 lineages, depending on the fragment examined. Most likely, these sequences resulted from recombination events.
Evaluation of an Acute Osmotic Stress in European Sea Bass via Skin Mucus Biomarkers

Simple Summary Skin mucus biomarkers have become relevant indicators for studying fish physiological status and welfare. Here, we evaluated them in terms of the acute osmotic response of the sea bass. Change of mucus volume exuded and main stress-related metabolites explain the putative energy loss implied in a hyper/hypo-osmotic response. We demonstrated that skin mucus is a valuable tool, comparable to classical blood markers, for evaluating sea bass response to acute salinity challenges as well as some other potentially stressful situations. This technique will allow ecologists, physiologists, and aquafarmers to monitor fish welfare and to analyse endangered migrating species without affecting their vulnerable populations. Abstract European sea bass is a marine teleost which can inhabit a broad range of environmental salinities. So far, no research has studied the physiological response of this fish to salinity challenges using modifications in skin mucus as a potential biological matrix. Here, we used a skin mucus sampling technique to evaluate the response of sea bass to several acute osmotic challenges (for 3 h) from seawater (35‰) to two hypoosmotic environments, diluted brackish water (3‰) and estuarine waters (12‰), and to one hyperosmotic condition (50‰). For this, we recorded the volume of mucus exuded and compared the main stress-related biomarkers and osmosis-related parameters in skin mucus and plasma. Sea bass exuded the greatest volume of skin mucus with the highest total contents of cortisol, glucose, and protein under hypersalinity. This indicates an exacerbated acute stress response with possible energy losses if the condition is sustained over time. Under hyposalinity, the response depended on the magnitude of the osmotic change: shifting to 3‰ was an extreme salinity change, which affected fish aerobic metabolism by acutely modifying lactate exudation. All these data enhance the current scarce knowledge of skin mucus as a target through which to study environmental changes and fish status.
Peak Filtering, Peak Annotation, and Wildcard Search for Glycoproteomics.

Glycopeptides in peptide or digested protein samples pose a number of analytical and bioinformatics challenges beyond those posed by unmodified peptides or peptides with smaller posttranslational modifications. Exact structural elucidation of glycans is generally beyond the capability of a single mass spectrometry experiment, so a reasonable level of identification for tandem mass spectrometry, taken by several glycopeptide software tools, is that of peptide sequence and glycan composition, meaning the number of monosaccharides of each distinct mass, for example HexNAc(2)Hex(5) rather than man5. Even at this level, however, glycopeptide analysis poses challenges: finding glycopeptide spectra when they are a tiny fraction of the total spectra; assigning spectra with unanticipated glycans, not in the initial glycan database; and finding, scoring, and labeling diagnostic peaks in tandem mass spectra. Here we discuss recent improvements to Byonic, a glycoproteomics search program, that address these three issues. Byonic now supports filtering spectra by m/z peaks, so that the user can limit attention to spectra with diagnostic peaks, for example, at least two out of three of 204.087 for HexNAc, 274.092 for NeuAc (with water loss), and 366.139 for HexNAc-Hex, all within a set mass tolerance, for example, ± 0.01 Daltons. Also new is glycan "wildcard" search, which allows an unspecified mass within a user-set mass range to be applied to N- or O-linked glycans and enables assignment of spectra with unanticipated glycans. Finally the next release of Byonic supports user-specified peak annotations from user-defined posttranslational modifications. We demonstrate the utility of these new software features by finding previously unrecognized glycopeptides in publicly available data, including glycosylated neuropeptides from rat brain.
When pits fill up: Supply and demand for safe pit-emptying services in Kisumu, Kenya

Improving sanitation conditions in low-income communities is a major challenge for rapidly growing cities of the developing world. The expenses and logistical difficulties of extending sewerage infrastructure have focused increasing attention on the requirements for safe and cost-effective fecal sludge management services. These services, which are primarily provided by the private sector, include the collection and treatment of fecal waste from latrine pits and septic tanks. To determine the degree to which market forces can promote safe fecal sludge removal in low-income neighborhoods of Kisumu, Kenya, we compared household willingness-to-pay for formal pit emptying with the prices charged by service providers. Through surveys of 942 households and a real-money voucher trial with 646 households, we found that stated and revealed demand for formal emptying services were both low, with less than 20% of households willing to pay full market prices. Our results suggest that improving fecal sludge management in these neighborhoods via the private sector will require large subsides, ranging from 55.1–81.4 million KES (551,000–814,000 USD) annually, to address the gap between willingness-to-pay and market prices. Raising and administering subsidies of this scale will require the development of a city-wide sanitation master plan that includes investment, management, and regulatory procedures for fecal sludge management. In the absence of government investment and coordination, it is unlikely that the private sector will address safe sanitation needs in low-income areas of Kisumu.
Cancer patients' diagnosis and symptoms and their family caregivers' self-efficacy and social support are associated with different caregiver reactions.

OBJECTIVE To describe caregiver and patient characteristics that are associated with negative and positive reactions in family caregivers (FCs) of cancer outpatients. METHODS A total of 194 FCs completed the Caregiver Reaction Assessment (CRA) scale 6 months after start of new treatment in patients with breast, ovarian, colorectal, or head and neck cancer. Linear regression models were used to examine which caregiver characteristics (i.e. demographic, self-efficacy and social support) and patient characteristics (i.e. clinical, symptoms) were associated with each of the CRA subscales (caregiver esteem, lack of family support, and impact on health, schedule and finances). RESULTS Less social support was significantly associated with poorer scores on all subscales (B -0.01/0.01). Also, poorer scores on one or more of the CRA subscales were reported by FCs who had lower self-efficacy (B -0.02), a higher level of education (primary B 0.42, secondary B 0.22), more medical conditions (B 0.06), and were female (B 0.20), and by FCs of patients with colorectal (B 0.45) or head and neck cancer (B 0.27), and those who reported a higher symptom burden (B 0.28/0.49). CONCLUSION Both caregiver and patient factors were associated with reactions in FCs of cancer outpatients. This information can be used by healthcare personnel to identify FCs who need additional support (e.g. counselling), and to increase focus on strengths and assets within the caregivers (e.g. support groups).
The Role of Specific Components of a Plant-Based Diet in Management of Dyslipidemia and the Impact on Cardiovascular Risk

Convincing evidence supports the intake of specific food components, food groups, or whole dietary patterns to positively influence dyslipidemia and to lower risk of cardiovascular diseases (CVD). Specific macro- and micro-components of a predominantly plant-based dietary pattern are vegetable fats, dietary fibers, and phytonutrients such as phytosterols. This review summarizes the current knowledge regarding effects of these components on lowering blood lipids, i.e., low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and on reducing CVD risk. The beneficial role of a plant-based diet on cardiovascular (CV) health has increasingly been recognized. Plant-based dietary patterns include a Mediterranean and Nordic diet pattern, the dietary approaches to stop hypertension (DASH), and Portfolio diet, as well as vegetarian- or vegan-type diet patterns. These diets have all been found to lower CVD-related risk factors like blood LDL-C, and observational study evidence supports their role in lowering CVD risk. These diet patterns are not only beneficial for dyslipidemia management and prevention of CVD but further contribute to reducing the impact of food choices on environmental degradation. Hence, the CV health benefits of a predominantly plant-based diet as a healthy and environmentally sustainable eating pattern are today recommended by many food-based dietary as well as clinical practice guidelines.
Physicochemical Fingerprint of “Pera Rocha do Oeste”. A PDO Pear Native from Portugal

“Pera Rocha do Oeste” is a pear (Pyrus communis L.) variety native from Portugal with a Protected Designation of Origin (PDO). To supply the world market for almost all the year, the fruits are kept under controlled storage. This study aims to identify which classical physicochemical parameters (colour, total soluble solids (TSS), pH, acidity, ripening index, firmness, vitamin C, total phenols, protein, lipids, fibre, ash, other compounds including carbohydrates, and energy) could be fingerprint markers of PDO “Pera Rocha do Oeste”. For this purpose, a data set constituting fruits from the same size, harvested from three orchards of the most representative PDO locations and stored in refrigerated conditions for 2 or 5 months at atmospheric conditions or for 5 months under a modified atmosphere, were selected. To validate the fingerprint parameters selected with the first set, an external data set was used with pears from five PDO orchards stored under different refrigerated conditions. Near infrared (NIR) spectroscopy was used as a complementary tool to assess the global variability of the samples. The lightness of the pulp; the b* CIELab coordinate of the pulp and peel; and the pulp TSS, pH, firmness, and total phenols, due to their lower variability, are proposed as fingerprint markers of this pear.