Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Correlates of older adult inpatients’ personal care provision to people with functional difficulties in Ghana

Introduction Most research depicts older adults as needing personal care, with limited research on older adults’ contributions in the lives of others in developing countries like Ghana. The purpose of the study was to examine the personal care provision and socio-demographic correlates of personal care provision by older adult inpatients in Ghana. Materials and methods A hospital-based survey was conducted among 400 consecutively surveyed older adult inpatients at Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital in southern Ghana. Stata 15 was used to analyse the data. The relationship between personal care and older adult inpatients’ socio-demographic characteristics were analysed using the chi-square test. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was employed. Results Overall, 28% of older adult inpatients provided personal care. Participants were mostly females, married or cohabiting, completed at most junior high school, Christians, urban residents, not working and living with their immediate family. Primarily, most participants provided personal care to one person, once a week, and one-hour duration. Nearly three-quarters of participants provided personal care to someone who lives with them. After adjustment, male older adults were 50% less likely to and urban residents were 83% more likely to provide personal care. Being single, separated or divorced was statistically significantly associated with personal care provision, however, were not statistically significant after adjusting for sex and residence. A post hoc analysis testing for interaction revealed no relationship existing between sex and marital status concerning personal care provision (p = 0.106). Conclusion Female and urban resident older adult inpatients in Ghana are not just passive receivers of care but also provide personal care to others with functional difficulties, independent on age. It further draws attention to the need for policies and programs that can support older adults, particularly females and urban residents, to be productive in the later life.
Aspirin and the risk of nondigestive tract cancers: An updated meta‐analysis to 2019

Aspirin has been associated with a reduced risk of colorectal and other selected digestive tract cancers, but the evidence for other neoplasms is still controversial. To provide an up‐to‐date quantification of the role of aspirin on lung, breast, endometrium, ovary, prostate, bladder, and kidney cancer, we conducted a systematic review and meta‐analysis of all observational studies published up to March 2019. We estimated pooled relative risk (RR) of cancer or cancer death for regular aspirin use vs non‐use by using random‐effects models, and, whenever possible, we investigated dose‐ and duration‐risk relations. A total of 148 studies were considered. Regular aspirin use was associated to a reduced risk of lung (RR = 0.88, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.79‐0.98), breast (RR = 0.90, 95% CI = 0.85‐0.95), endometrial (RR = 0.91, 95% CI = 0.84‐0.98), ovarian (RR = 0.91, 95% CI = 0.85‐0.97) and prostate (RR = 0.93, 95% CI = 0.89‐0.96) cancer. However, for most neoplasms, nonsignificant risk reductions were reported in cohort and nested case‐control studies and there was between‐study heterogeneity. No association was reported for bladder and kidney cancer. No duration‐risk relations were observed for most neoplasms, except for an inverse duration‐risk relation for prostate cancer. The present meta‐analysis confirms the absence of appreciable effect of regular aspirin use on cancers of the bladder and kidney and quantifies small and heterogeneous inverse associations for other cancers considered.
Influence of hydrogen peroxide foliar applications on in vitro antimicrobial activity in Capsicum chinense Jacq.

Abstract The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of foliar applications of hydrogen peroxide on the antimicrobial activity of Capsicum chinense Jacq. methanolic extracts. The effects of hydrogen peroxide application on metabolites accumulation of C. chinense var. Jaguar and var. Chichen Itza were evaluated. Total flavonoid and phenolic contents, as well as HPLC quantification of capsaicin and dihidrocapsaicin were carried out. Methanolic extracts were microbiologically tested against Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Streptococcus mutants, Salmonella thompson, Listeria monocytogenes, Streptococcus faecalis, and Candida albicans. Total phenolics, flavonoids, and capsaicinoids contents in both varieties treated with hydrogen peroxide were found significantly higher as compared to control. The antibacterial activity of chili extracts was observed against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria as well as anti-yeast. The results of in vitro antibacterial activity showed that hydrogen peroxide application increases the inhibitory effect against the pathogenic micro-organisms. Methanolic extracts of var. Jaguar, were the most active against S. aureus, S. Thompson, and C. albicans, while var. Chichen Itza was most potent against E. faecalis and E. coli. Thus, this study confirmed that metabolite-induced factors (MIFs) as hydrogen peroxide, increased secondary metabolites accumulation in C. chinense methanolic extracts and augmented their antimicrobial activity.
Effect of overstorey trees on understorey vegetation in California (USA) ponderosa pine plantations

Understorey vegetation plays a significant role in the structure and function of forest ecosystems. Controlling understorey vegetation has proven to be an effective tool in increasing tree growth and overstorey development. However, a long-term consequence of the practice on plant diversity is not fully understood. Here, we analysed early development of overstorey and understorey vegetation of four ponderosa pine plantations established decades ago in northern California, USA. These experiments were intended to examine the effect of understorey control on tree growth, including additional effects of tree density or fertilization. Over the years, trees and understorey vegetation were measured repeatedly for height and crown width. We found that responses of understorey vegetation to overstorey varied at different developmental stages. First, understorey cover increased with overstorey cover until it peaked at a certain age or overstorey height and cover, which varied with site quality. Second, herbaceous species reached their peak earlier than shrubs; shrubs subsequently suppressed herbaceous species. Fertilizer effects on plant species diversity were site specific, and density effects were non-significant except at the highest density. These results demonstrate that both fertilization and density manipulation influenced understorey cover and diversity. Such differences are relevant in vegetation management planning efforts.
Trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole Versus Azithromycin for the Treatment of Undifferentiated Febrile Illness in Nepal: A Double-blind, Randomized, Placebo-controlled Trial

Abstract Background Azithromycin and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (SXT) are widely used to treat undifferentiated febrile illness (UFI). We hypothesized that azithromycin is superior to SXT for UFI treatment, but the drugs are noninferior to each other for culture-confirmed enteric fever treatment. Methods We conducted a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial of azithromycin (20 mg/kg/day) or SXT (trimethoprim 10 mg/kg/day plus sulfamethoxazole 50 mg/kg/day) orally for 7 days for UFI treatment in Nepal. We enrolled patients >2 years and <65 years of age presenting to 2 Kathmandu hospitals with temperature ≥38.0°C for ≥4 days without localizing signs. The primary endpoint was fever clearance time (FCT); secondary endpoints were treatment failure and adverse events. Results From June 2016 to May 2019, we randomized 326 participants (163 in each arm); 87 (26.7%) had blood culture–confirmed enteric fever. In all participants, the median FCT was 2.7 days (95% confidence interval [CI], 2.6–3.3 days) in the SXT arm and 2.1 days (95% CI, 1.6–3.2 days) in the azithromycin arm (hazard ratio [HR], 1.25 [95% CI, .99–1.58]; P = .059). The HR of treatment failures by 28 days between azithromycin and SXT was 0.62 (95% CI, .37–1.05; P = .073). Planned subgroup analysis showed that azithromycin resulted in faster FCT in those with sterile blood cultures and fewer relapses in culture-confirmed enteric fever. Nausea, vomiting, constipation, and headache were more common in the SXT arm. Conclusions Despite similar FCT and treatment failure in the 2 arms, significantly fewer complications and relapses make azithromycin a better choice for empirical treatment of UFI in Nepal. Clinical Trials Registration NCT02773407.
Innate Immunity Effector Cells as Inflammatory Drivers of Cardiac Fibrosis

Despite relevant advances made in therapies for cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), they still represent the first cause of death worldwide. Cardiac fibrosis and excessive extracellular matrix (ECM) remodeling are common end-organ features in diseased hearts, leading to tissue stiffness, impaired myocardial functional, and progression to heart failure. Although fibrosis has been largely recognized to accompany and complicate various CVDs, events and mechanisms driving and governing fibrosis are still not entirely elucidated, and clinical interventions targeting cardiac fibrosis are not yet available. Immune cell types, both from innate and adaptive immunity, are involved not just in the classical response to pathogens, but they take an active part in “sterile” inflammation, in response to ischemia and other forms of injury. In this context, different cell types infiltrate the injured heart and release distinct pro-inflammatory cytokines that initiate the fibrotic response by triggering myofibroblast activation. The complex interplay between immune cells, fibroblasts, and other non-immune/host-derived cells is now considered as the major driving force of cardiac fibrosis. Here, we review and discuss the contribution of inflammatory cells of innate immunity, including neutrophils, macrophages, natural killer cells, eosinophils and mast cells, in modulating the myocardial microenvironment, by orchestrating the fibrogenic process in response to tissue injury. A better understanding of the time frame, sequences of events during immune cells infiltration, and their action in the injured inflammatory heart environment, may provide a rationale to design new and more efficacious therapeutic interventions to reduce cardiac fibrosis.
Transcriptome Analysis of Non-Human Primate Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell-Derived Cardiomyocytes in 2D Monolayer Culture versus 3D Engineered Heart Tissue.

AIMS Stem cell therapy has shown promise for treating myocardial infarction (MI) via re-muscularization and paracrine signaling in both small and large animals. Non-human primates (NHPs), such as rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta), are primarily utilized in preclinical trials due to their similarity to humans, both genetically and physiologically. Currently, induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (iPSC-CMs) are delivered into the infarcted myocardium by either direct cell injection or an engineered tissue patch. Although both approaches have advantages in terms of sample preparation, cell-host interaction, and engraftment, how the iPSC-CMs respond to ischemic conditions in the infarcted heart under these two different delivery approaches remain unclear. Here we aim to gain a better understanding of the effects of hypoxia on iPSC-CMs at the transcriptome level. METHODS AND RESULTS NHP iPSC-CMs in both monolayer culture (2 D) and engineered heart tissue (EHT) (3 D) format were exposed to hypoxic conditions to serve as surrogates of direct cell injection and tissue implantation in vivo, respectively. Outcomes were compared at the transcriptome level. We found the 3 D EHT model was more sensitive to ischemic conditions and similar to the native in vivo myocardium in terms of cell-extracellular matrix/cell-cell interactions, energy metabolism, and paracrine signaling. CONCLUSIONS By exposing NHP iPSC-CMs to different culture conditions, transcriptome profiling improves our understanding of the mechanism of ischemic injury. TRANSLATIONAL PERSPECTIVE Stem cell therapy has shown promise for treating ischemic heart tissue. However, how stem cells respond following different delivery method is unclear. Here hypoxic conditioning was applied to non-human primate iPSC-CMs in 2 D monolayer culture and 3 D engineered heart tissue to model cell injection versus patch implantation, respectively, in an ischemic milieu. The differential transcriptome of hypoxic effects on iPSC-CMs show upregulation of ECM-cell/cell-cell interactions (COL9A1, ITGB6, CTSV, and EPHA1), energy metabolism/hypoxia (ALDOC, ENO2, PFKFB4, CA3, and CA9), and paracrine signaling (WNT, PDGF, FGFR, EGFR, PI3K, and VEGF) in the 3 D format, which suggest engineered heart tissue as more suitable model for evaluating cardiac regenerative therapy.
Motivation in the return to work process: a self-determination cluster approach

Abstract Purpose Motivation may predict return to work (RTW), yet the measurement of motivation needs more scientific evidence. We adopt a dimensional approach, based on the self-determination theory (SDT), distinguishing between amotivation, controlled and autonomous motivation. We seek to explore the presence of these dimensions in sick-disabled patients, and are interested in associations with quality of life, depression, patient’s predictions of RTW, and health care provider estimations of patient’s motivation. Materials and methods A cross-sectional study in 336 patients was conducted. Motivation was assessed using the Motivation at Work Scale (MAWS) and examined in relation to patient outcomes, patient’s prediction of RTW, and health care provider estimations of patients’ motivation. A cluster analysis was performed, and differential associations between motivational profiles were explored. Results Cluster analysis revealed four profiles. Highly controlled profiles were most prevalent, reported poorer mental quality of life, and expected a longer time before RTW, regardless of the level of autonomous motivation. Interestingly, the health care provider’s estimation was not related to controlled motivation. Conclusions Our results show that SDT may help to differentiate people with a work disability regarding their motivation to RTW. Most notably, the devastating consequences of controlled motivation are discussed, and clinical implications are provided. Implications for Rehabilitation Assessing the different dimensions of motivation in the context of RTW will be a significant advance as the self-report measures appear to be viable tools. Controlled motivation, which indicates that people are motivated to RTW but only because they “have to”, has negative consequences yet a high prevalence and should therefore be addressed by the practitioner. Practitioners should keep in mind that employees are motivated by several motives at the same time, with some being more beneficial than others. Controlled motivation can be converted into autonomous (i.e., good quality) motivation by supporting autonomy of the patient, by supporting their relationships with colleagues, managers, and health care providers and by supporting their feeling of competence in the RTW process.
Towards free-standing graphane: atomic hydrogen and deuterium bonding to nano-porous graphene

Graphane is formed by bonding hydrogen (and deuterium) atoms to carbon atoms in the graphene mesh, with modification from the pure planar sp2 bonding towards an sp3 configuration. Atomic hydrogen (H) and deuterium (D) bonding with C atoms in fully free-standing nano porous graphene (NPG) is achieved, by exploiting low-energy proton (or deuteron) non-destructive irradiation, with unprecedented minimal introduction of defects, as determined by Raman spectroscopy and by the C 1s core level lineshape analysis. Evidence of the H- (or D-) NPG bond formation is obtained by bringing to light the emergence of a H- (or D-) related sp3-distorted component in the C 1s core level, clear fingerprint of H–C (or D–C) covalent bonding. The H (or D) bonding with the C atoms of free-standing graphene reaches more than 1/4 (or 1/3) at% coverage. This non-destructive H-NPG (or D-NPG) chemisorption is very stable at high temperatures up to about 800 K, as monitored by Raman and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, with complete healing and restoring of clean graphene above 920 K. The excellent chemical and temperature stability of H- (and D-) NPG opens the way not only towards the formation of semiconducting graphane on large-scale samples, but also to stable graphene functionalisation enabling futuristic applications in advanced detectors for the β-spectrum analysis.
On some hydroids (Cnidaria, Hydrozoa) from the Okinawa Islands, Japan

: This paper gives a systematic account of 32 hydroid species identi ﬁ ed in a small collection originating from the Okinawa Islands. While most species are well-known from Japanese waters, three new species and ﬁ ve new records for Japan were found. Some not well known species are redescribed. Taxonomically important features of nearly all species are depicted. The new species are: Schizotricha longinema new spec. , Cladocarpus unilateralis new spec. , and Macrorynchia crestata new spec. Zygophylax paci ﬁ ca Stechow, 1920 is recognised as a new synonym of Zygophylax cyathifera (Allman, 1888). New records for Japanese waters are: Lytocarpia delicatula , Macrorhynchia fulva , Caminothujaria molukkana, Zygophylax rufa , Thyroscyphus fruticosus. The presence of Zygophylax cervicornis and Aglaophenia cupressina in Japanese waters are con ﬁ rmed by new, fertile material.
IL-6 Induced by Periodontal Inflammation Causes Neuroinflammation and Disrupts the Blood–Brain Barrier

Background: Periodontal disease (PD) is a risk factor for systemic diseases, including neurodegenerative diseases. The role of the local and systemic inflammation induced by PD in neuroinflammation currently remains unclear. The present study investigated the involvement of periodontal inflammation in neuroinflammation and blood–brain barrier (BBB) disruption. Methods: To induce PD in mice (c57/BL6), a ligature was placed around the second maxillary molar. Periodontal, systemic, and neuroinflammation were assessed based on the inflammatory cytokine mRNA or protein levels using qPCR and ELISA. The BBB permeability was evaluated by the mRNA levels and protein levels of tight junction-related proteins in the hippocampus using qPCR and immunofluorescence. Dextran tracing in the hippocampus was also conducted to examine the role of periodontal inflammation in BBB disruption. Results: The TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6 levels markedly increased in gingival tissue 1 week after ligation. The IL-6 serum levels were also increased by ligature-induced PD. In the hippocampus, the IL-1β mRNA expression levels were significantly increased by ligature-induced PD through serum IL-6. The ligature-induced PD decreased the claudin 5 expression levels in the hippocampus, and the neutralization of IL-6 restored its levels. The extravascular 3-kDa dextran levels were increased by ligature-induced PD. Conclusions: These results suggest that the periodontal inflammation-induced expression of IL-6 is related to neuroinflammation and BBB disruption in the hippocampus, ultimately leading to cognitive impairment. Periodontal therapy may protect against neurodegenerative diseases.
Evaluation of the Nutritional Quality of Processed Foods in Honduras: Comparison of Three Nutrient Profiles

Obesity is considered a global pandemic. Different countries have worked to implement front-of-package (FOP) labeling systems that define thresholds for critical nutrients (CN) as part of their public health policies. The objective of this study is to identify the proportion of Processed (PF) and Ultra-Processed (UPF) Foods marketed in Honduras, which meet or fall short of the criteria of three Nutrient Profile Models (NPM): PAHO (2016), Chile (2017) and the Central American Technical Regulation Proposal-Nutritional Warning Front Labeling (CATRP-NWFL 2017). This study is descriptive; 1009 products from 206 brands were collected nationwide. Descriptive statistics were performed. The mean CN compliance with the three models was 49.3% for sodium, 30.6% for sugars, 63.1% and 96% for saturated and trans fats. The PAHO and Chilean (NPM) similarly concentrated on the lower compliance with the established criteria, unlike the CATRP, which has less stringent criteria. This is the first assessment of CN content in PF and UPF in Honduras under three different NPMs. We highlight the importance of defining or adopting criteria for the implementation of NWFL as information for the consumer and thereby contribute to reducing the risks of obesity and related diseases.
Adherence to the Mediterranean diet according to occupation-based social classifications and gender

Abstract Background The link between the dietary pattern known as the Mediterranean diet (MedDiet) and lower morbidity/mortality is well known, and its efficacy in the primary prevention of cardiovascular diseases has been proven in recent years. However, adherence to the MedDiet seems to be related to socioeconomic status. The objective was to analyze whether their adherence to the MedDiet differs from the rest of the working population. Material and methods: A transversal study was carried out on adherence to the MedDiet. One thousand six hundred nine workers were studied, of whom 626 belonged to the group of workers at risk of social exclusion. Results: It was found that 43.9% of the permanent staff had a high adherence, compared to the figure of 20.9% for the population at risk of exclusion (p < .01). No differences were evident between men and women in the same category of workers (41.7% vs. 47.9% in permanent staff and 22.5% vs. 40.5% in workers at risk of social exclusion). The lowest adherence to the MedDiet (11.4%) was found in the group of young women at risk of social exclusion. Their consumption of healthy foods was significantly lower than the group of older women, while their consumption of less healthy foods (cakes/pastries, butter and fizzy drinks) was higher. Conclusions: It is difficult to draw conclusions about whether it is the most expensive foods contained in the MedDiet which cause this difference in adherence, since, there is also a higher expenditure on non-essential products such as cakes/pastries, fizzy drinks and tobacco. Key messages People at risk of social exclusion and specially the younger women have a lower adherence to the Mediterranean diet than other occupational social classes. The higher consumption of butter, fizzy drinks and cakes/pastries is the dietary habit which most affects adherence to the Mediterranean diet in the group of people at risk of exclusion. It is not possible to ensure that the higher cost of any foods included in the Mediterranean diet, such as fish and fruit, is the main cause of this difference in adherence.