Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effects of Radio-Climatic Variables on Signal Propagation in Kebbi State

This study presents the effects of Radio-climatic variables on signal propagation in Kebbi State of Nigeria. The primary Radio-climatic data used in the study include temperature, pressure and relative humidity. The analysis was focused on the study area in question which spans across all major signal propagation in the study area. The measurements of the average monthly primary variables (temperature, relative humidity and air pressure) were made from January 2016 to December 2016. In this work, mathematical model were used using an excel spread sheet to compute the secondary radio-climatic variables which also include graphical representation (Surface Refractivity, Refractive Index (n), and Effective Earth Radius (k-factor). The results obtained shows seasonal variation of the temperature and relative humidity. The k-factor calculated has a value which ranges from 1.77 to 2.33 in the Months of January and April respectively. The higher the value of k-factor greater than 1.33 is an indicator of possible causes of signal interference in the study area. The correlation between the primary and secondary radio-climatic variables were not affected except for the refractive index (n) which increases to a maximum value of 1.0005 slightly greater than the recommended value as the temperature increases. The results compared well with other literature.
Changes of Inertial Focusing Position in a Triangular Channel Depending on Droplet Deformability and Size

Studies on cell separation with inertial microfluidics are often carried out with solid particles initially. When this condition is applied for actual cell separations, the efficiency typically becomes lower because of the polydispersity and deformability of cells. Therefore, the understanding of deformability-induced lift force is essential to achieve highly efficient cell separation. We investigate the inertial focusing positions of viscous droplets in a triangular channel while varying Re, deformability, and droplet size. With increasing Re and decreasing droplet size, the top focusing position splits and shifts along the sidewalls. The threshold size of the focusing position splitting increases for droplets with larger deformability. The overall path of the focusing position shifts with increasing Re also has a strong dependency on deformability. Consequently, droplets of the same size can have different focusing positions depending on their deformability. The feasibility of deformability-based cell separation is shown by different focusing positions of MCF10a and MCF7 cells.
National tuberculosis prevalence surveys in Africa, 2008–2016: an overview of results and lessons learned

Worldwide, tuberculosis (TB) is the leading cause of death from a single infectious agent. In many countries, national TB prevalence surveys are the only way to reliably measure the burden of TB disease and can also provide other evidence to inform national efforts to improve TB detection and treatment. Our objective was to synthesise the results and lessons learned from national surveys completed in Africa between 2008 and 2016, to complement a previous review for Asia.
Stability and acceleration of phenotypic evolution in spiny rats (Trinomys, Echimyidae) across different environments

Trinomys is a very diverse mammalian genus of eastern Brazil, comprising ten species. Eight of them have remained in their original biome, the Atlantic Forest, while two others occupy the semi-arid Caatinga. One of the species from the Atlantic Forest, T. eliasi, also inhabits adjacent restingas, an open vegetation ecosystem on sandy sediments of marine origin. Here we assess the impact of colonization of very different environments on the rates of phenotypic change in Trinomys. Multivariate analyses showed that species that had remained in the Atlantic Forest maintained a strong cohesion in skull shape and size. By contrast, colonization of the Caatinga was associated with remarkable differentiation and a strong increase in the rates of phenotypic change, 7–17 times higher than in the Atlantic Forest. Trinomys eliasi from restinga differed from forest samples and other species by a recent change in morphology. Our findings showed that occupation of remarkably different ecosystems had a significant impact in the phenotypic evolution of Trinomys.
Types of Cognitive Appraisal and Undertaken Coping Strategies during Sport Competitions

The main aim of the research was to distinguish different types of sport competition appraisals and verify if athletes’ interpretation of a stressful situation changed their choice of coping methods. Athletes change their perception during competitions; thus, we assumed that configuration of different ways of interpreting stressful events is more important for coping than one particular appraisal. In total, 193 athletes filled out The Stress Appraisal Questionnaire and The Sport Stress-Coping Strategies Questionnaire to describe their stress appraisals and undertaken coping strategies during a remembered competition that took place within a month before the study. The athletes most often appraised stressful competitions as a challenge. They preferred the coping strategy of being determined to accomplish the established goal. The athletes hardly applied techniques that constituted the basis of mental training. The cluster analysis of the competitors determined three types of sport competition appraisals: positive, negative, and active. An ANOVA with post hoc comparisons showed that participants who revealed positive appraisals undertook the highest number of actions aimed at reaching goals and least frequently sought support. Athletes should be taught not only specific strategies for coping with stress, but also more frequent use of positive judgments of sports competitions.
Prevalence of human papillomavirus 6 and 11 variants in recurrent respiratory papillomatosis

Human papillomavirus (HPV) types 6 and 11 are the etiological agents of recurrent respiratory papillomatosis (RRP). We examined the prevalence and distribution of HPVs 6 and 11 genetic variants in juvenile onset (JORRP) and adult onset (AORRP) laryngeal papillomas. Cases of JORRP and AORRP were collected, retrospectively. HPV detection and genotyping were accessed by polymerase chain reaction‐sequencing in 67 RRP samples. Overall, the most prevalent HPV‐6 variants were from B1 (55.8%) and B3 (27.9%) sublineages, whereas among HPV‐11 positive samples A2 (62.5%) variants were predominant. A higher prevalence of HPV‐6 B1 was observed in JORRP (83.3% B1 and 16.7% B3), compared with AORRP cases (58.3% B1 and 41.7% B3). HPV‐11 A2 variants were more prevalent both in JORRP (57.2%) and in AORRP cases (70.0%). Nevertheless, with the exception that HPV‐6 B1 were significantly less likely to recur, there was a lack of association between any particular HPVs 6 or 11 variant and clinicopathological features. Our data do not support an association between HPVs 6 and 11 variability and RRP.
Pro-Aging Effects of Xanthine Oxidoreductase Products

The senescence process is the result of a series of factors that start from the genetic constitution interacting with epigenetic modifications induced by endogenous and environmental causes and that lead to a progressive deterioration at the cellular and functional levels. One of the main causes of aging is oxidative stress deriving from the imbalance between the production of reactive oxygen (ROS) and nitrogen (RNS) species and their scavenging through antioxidants. Xanthine oxidoreductase (XOR) activities produce uric acid, as well as reactive oxygen and nitrogen species, which all may be relevant to such equilibrium. This review analyzes XOR activity through in vitro experiments, animal studies and clinical reports, which highlight the pro-aging effects of XOR products. However, XOR activity contributes to a regular level of ROS and RNS, which appears essential for the proper functioning of many physiological pathways. This discourages the use of therapies with XOR inhibitors, unless symptomatic hyperuricemia is present.
Immunohistochemical localization and functional characterization of somatostatin receptor subtypes in a CRH-secreting adrenal phaeochromocytoma: review of the literature and report of a case

Somastostatin receptors are frequently expressed in phaeochromocytoma but data on somatostatin receptor subtyping are scanty and the functional response to the somatostatin analogue octretide is still debated. We report an unusual case of pheochromocytoma, causing ectopic Cushing’s syndrome due to CRH production by the tumour cells, in a 50-yrold woman. Abdominal computed tomography revealed an inhomogeneous, 9-cm mass in the right adrenal gland, and [ 111 In-DTPA 0 ] octreotide scintigraphy showed an abnormal uptake of the radiotracer in the right perirenal region, corresponding to the adrenal mass. The patient underwent laparoscopic surgery and formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded samples were studied. The tumour was extensively characterized by immunohistochemistry and somatostatin receptor (SSTRs) subtypes expression was analyzed. Histological and immunohistochemical examination of the surgical specimens displayed a typical pheochromocytoma, which was found to be immunoreative to S-100, chromogranin A and neurofilaments. Immunostaining for SSTR subtypes showed a positive reaction for SSTR1, SSTR2A, SSTR2B, sst1, sst2a, sst2b antisera on tumour cells. The intense and diffuse immunostaining for Corticotropin Releasing Hormone (CRH) antiserum indicated that Cushing’s disease was dependent on CRH overproduction by the pheochromocytoma, in which no immunostaining for adrenocorticotropic hormone was found. Our report confirms the heterogeneity of the pattern of SSTR expression in pheochromocytomas, and provide further evidence for functional SSTR subtype SSTR2a in a subgroup of pheochromocytomas, suggesting that these tumours may represent potential target for octreotide treatment.
Screening Algorithms in Dense Breasts: AJR Expert Panel Narrative Review.

Screening mammography reduces breast cancer mortality; however, performance and resulting benefits are reduced in dense breasts. Increased breast density also represents an independent risk factor for breast cancer. Digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT), ultrasound (US), MRI, molecular breast imaging (MBI) and contrast-enhanced mammography (CEM) each have demonstrated improved cancer detection in dense breasts compared to 2D-digital mammography (DM). Producing simultaneous reduction of recalls, DBT is the preferred mammographic technique. US further increases cancer detection after DM or DBT and reduces interval cancers, but results in substantial additional false positive findings. MBI improves cancer detection with effective radiation dose about four-fold that of DM or DBT, but still within accepted limits. MRI provides the greatest increase in cancer detection and decreases interval cancers and late-stage disease; abbreviated techniques will reduce cost and improve availability. CEM appears to offer performance similar to MRI, but further validation is needed. Dense breast notification will soon be the national standard: understanding performance of mammography and supplemental modalities is necessary to optimize screening for women with dense breasts.
The parental effects of body size on developmental phenotype in Harmonia axyridis

Abstract Body size is a trait with many potential impacts on fitness. Adult body size can affect the strength of condition-dependent parental effects that determine offspring phenotypes, with potentially important transgenerational consequences. In a preliminary experiment, larval food deprivation (30 min daily access) created Harmonia axyridis Pallas (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) females that weighed <50% of controls reared on ad libitum food (eggs of Ephestia kuehniella Zeller). Although only 1/3 of larvae survived to adulthood in the 30 min treatment, adult pairs produced eggs that were not significantly different in size from those of pairs fed ad libitum as larvae. Less extreme larval food deprivation (4 h daily access) was used to create a cohort of H. axyridis that weighed <60% of controls reared on ad libitum food. Small couples had lower 20-day fecundities and reduced egg fertility relative to large couples. Both egg and pupal periods were shortest when both parents were small, and longest when both parents were large, with reciprocal crosses intermediate. There were no consistent effects of parental body size on larval development time, but the progeny of small females mated to large males pupated later than other treatments. Progeny of large pairs had the heaviest adult weights at emergence, and progeny of small pairs, the lightest, with the progeny of reciprocal crosses intermediate. Small females produced the lightest female offspring, whereas small males sired the lightest male offspring, suggesting stronger responses to epigenetic signals from parents of the same sex. These results indicate that H. axyridis cohorts maturing with abundant food will produce progeny with larger potential body size and fitness, whereas those experiencing food limitation will confer size and fitness limitations to the subsequent generation, with potentially important implications for short-term population dynamics.
Fetal Exposure to MR Imaging: Long-Term Neurodevelopmental Outcome

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Very few studies have investigated long-term neurodevelopment of children exposed to MR imaging antenatally. Thus, the purpose of our study was to evaluate long-term neurodevelopmental outcomes of children exposed to MR imaging during pregnancy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We conducted a historical prospective cohort study in a single tertiary medical center. Women exposed to 1.5T noncontrast MR imaging for maternal or fetal indications were matched to unexposed controls. Long-term neurodevelopmental outcomes were evaluated of their children, 2.5 to 6 years of age, according to the Vineland-II Adaptive Behavior Scale. The Vineland-II Adaptive Behavior Scale assesses communication, daily living skills, socialization, and motor skills. A composite score summarizes these 4 domains. RESULTS: A total of 131 exposed women matched our inclusion criteria and were included in the study group, and 771 unexposed women, in the control group. No difference was identified in the Vineland-II Adaptive Behavior Scale composite score between the children of the study and control groups (mean, 110.79 versus 108.18; P = .098). Differences were also not observed between the children of the 2 groups in 3 of the 4 questionnaire domains: communication (108.84 versus 109.10; P = .888), daily living skills (109.51 versus 108.28; P = .437), and motor skills (105.09 versus 104.42; P = .642). However, the socialization score was favorable for the study group (112.98 versus 106.47; P < .001). CONCLUSIONS: Exposure to 1.5T noncontrast MR imaging during pregnancy had no harmful effects on long-term neurodevelopmental outcomes. This study contributes to understanding the safety of MR imaging during pregnancy.
Workplace Sedentary Behavior and Productivity: A Cross-Sectional Study

Reducing sedentary behavior in the workplace has become an important public health priority; however, some employers have expressed concerns regarding the potential for reduced productivity if employees are not seated while at work. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine the relationship between workplace sedentary behavior (sitting time) and work productivity among full-time office-based employees, and further to investigate other potential factors associated with productivity. A 19-item online self-report survey was completed by 2068 government employees in Kansas. The survey assessed workplace sedentary behavior, work productivity, job satisfaction, and fatigue. Overall, office workers reported high levels of sedentary time (mean > 78%). The primary results indicated that sitting time was not significantly associated with productivity (β = 0.013, p = 0.519), but job satisfaction and fatigue were positively (β = 0.473, p < 0.001) and negatively (β = −0.047, p = 0.023) associated with productivity, respectively. Furthermore, participants with the highest level of sitting time (>91% of the time) reported lower job satisfaction and greater fatigue as compared with the lowest level of sitting time (<75% of the time). Taken together, these results offer promising support that less sitting time is associated with positive outcomes that do not seem to come at the expense of productivity.
Trick or Treat: Does a Microfinance Loan Induce or Reduce the Chances of Spousal Violence against Women? Answers from India

It is a common belief that microfinance plays a dual role of poverty alleviation and socioeconomic upliftment of its women participants. However, there are enough researches that negates the positive impact of microfinance loans on spousal violence. Recognized as one of the most predominant social evils, violence against women is not only a violation of their human rights but also an act of exploitation and denial of freedom. In the present study, we have tried to investigate if microfinance loan takers experience more spousal violence as compared to their counterparts by analyzing the National Family Health Survey IV, 2015–16. Our results indicate that 40.8% of women microfinance participants experience spousal violence. Additionally, the likelihood of microfinance participants to experience spousal violence is much higher than the non-microfinance participants (odds ratio = 1.35, p value = .000). Microfinance programs are designed to increase the individual agencies of women participants, which, in turn, reduce the chances of them becoming victims of spousal violence. However, if the credit program participation induces the woman to be a victim of spousal violence together with becoming financially autonomous, then such hidden costs need to be taken into account while evaluating the effectiveness of the gendered policy design.
Factors Influencing Walnut Blight Symptoms Emergence and Development

Walnut blight, due to Xanthomonas arboricola pv. juglandis (Xaj), is one of the most important diseases of walnut trees (Juglans regia). It is responsible for significant crop losses which can reach more than 50% of nut drops. In south western France, disease management has relied upon 3 to 4 copper compound sprays applied from bud break to female flowering. However, this strategy is often ineffective and no other solution has yet been found. Moreover, there is a lack of knowledge on disease development. Thus, we tried to better understand the different factors which could influence the development of walnut blight. We compared two orchards, one with a high sensitivity to walnut blight, and one with a low sensitivity. The results confirm that difference. The 2008 climatic conditions, quite similar in the two orchards, do not seem to be the most influencing factor of the disease development. Similarly, water stress did not affect the emergence and development of symptoms. Xaj populations were higher in the sensitive orchard but do not explain the difference of walnut blight sensitivity between orchards. Finally, soil and crop management, seem to have a huge influence. These factors must also play a role in the production of phenolic compounds (Flavonoids and HCA) which was higher in the low sensitive orchard. That confirms their protective role against external diseases attacks.
Excess mortality: the gold standard in measuring the impact of COVID-19 worldwide?

Thomas Beaney, Jonathan M Clarke, Vageesh Jain, Amelia Kataria Golestaneh, Gemma Lyons, David Salman and Azeem Majeed Department of Primary Care and Public Health, Imperial College London W6 8RP, UK Institute of Global Health Innovation, Imperial College London SW7 2NA, UK North East North Central London Health Protection Team, Public Health England, London EC4Y 8AE, UK Institute for Global Health, University College London WC1N 1EH, UK Public Health Department, London Borough of Newham, London E16 2QU, UK Corresponding author: Thomas Beaney. Email: thomas.beaney@imperial.ac. uk
Immune response and blood–brain barrier dysfunction during viral neuroinvasion

The blood-brain barrier (BBB), which protects the CNS from pathogens, is composed of specialized brain microvascular endothelial cells (BMECs) joined by tight junctions and ensheathed by pericytes and astrocyte endfeet. The stability of the BBB structure and function is of great significance for the maintenance of brain homeostasis. When a neurotropic virus invades the CNS via a hematogenous or non-hematogenous route, it may cause structural and functional disorders of the BBB, and also activate the BBB anti-inflammatory or pro-inflammatory innate immune response. This article focuses on the structural and functional changes that occur in the three main components of the BBB (endothelial cells, astrocytes, and pericytes) in response to infection with neurotropic viruses transmitted by hematogenous routes, and also briefly describes the supportive effect of three cells on the BBB under normal physiological conditions. For example, all three types of cells express several PRRs, which can quickly sense the virus and make corresponding immune responses. The pro-inflammatory immune response will exacerbate the destruction of the BBB, while the anti-inflammatory immune response, based on type I IFN, consolidates the stability of the BBB. Exploring the details of the interaction between the host and the pathogen at the BBB during neurotropic virus infection will help to propose new treatments for viral encephalitis. Enhancing the defense function of the BBB, maintaining the integrity of the BBB, and suppressing the pro-inflammatory immune response of the BBB provide more ideas for limiting the neuroinvasion of neurotropic viruses. In the future, these new treatments are expected to cooperate with traditional antiviral methods to improve the therapeutic effect of viral encephalitis.
The anti-Mullerian hormone as a predictor of early pregnancy loss in subfertile women

ABSTRACT The aim of this study was to evaluate the predictive value of the anti-Mullerian hormone (AMH) level for early pregnancy loss and to compare the significance of AMH level to age as prognostic factors of pregnancy loss in subfertile women. The outcome of 848 subfertile patients confirmed with intrauterine pregnancies by ultrasound within 1 year of measuring serum AMH level were retrospectively analyzed. Among 848 patients, 206 women were diagnosed with early pregnancy loss. The mean age of the 848 patients was 35.66 ± 3.61 years (range: 26–46 years), and the mean AMH level was 2.95 ± 1.89 (range: 0.14–8.82 ng/mL). There were no significant differences in gravidity, parity, body mass index (BMI), and previous abortion history depending on early pregnancy loss. However, multivariable logistic regression analysis confirmed that the probability of early pregnancy loss is significantly affected by age (odd ratio, 1.079: 1.025–1.135, P = 0.004) and AMH (odd ratio, 0.885: 0.797–0.982, p = 0.022). According to this study, AMH level and age are both powerful predictors of early pregnancy loss. While chronological age is already well known as a factor related to early pregnancy loss, AMH was also considered when individualizing risk prediction for early pregnancy loss.