Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Traits of Orthorexia Nervosa and the Determinants of These Behaviors in Elite Athletes

Background: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the traits of orthorexia nervosa (ON) and its relation to body composition and anthropometric indices among elite athletes. Methods: We studied 273 (125 female, 148 male) competitive athletes. ON was assessed with the self-administered ORTO-15 questionnaire. Total body composition was determined using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA). Results: The ORTO-15 score was independent of sex, type of effort or age. The ORTO-15 score was related to: total body mass (TBM) (p = 0.037; R = 0.170), body mass index (BMI) (p = 0.022; R = 0.187), bone mineral content (BMC) (p = 0.035; R = 0.172), lean soft tissue (p = 0.026; R = 0.182) and visceral adipose tissue (VAT) (p = 0.007; R = 0.255) in the male; BMI (p = 0.045; R = 0.412) and BMC (p = 0.012; R = 0.506) in weight-dependent male athletes. There was no relationship between ORTO-15 score and body composition in the total study group and subgroup of female athletes. In female athletes, ON tendencies were related to the weekly training time (p = 0.039), but in sprint and high-intensity intermittent efforts subgroup exclusively. Conclusions: Factors related to ON tendencies concerned exclusively BMI and body composition in male, and the weekly training time in female athletes. The results from this study demonstrate that a significant percentage of athletes, irrespective of sex, age, type of sport or hours of training per week, may manifest traits of orthorexia nervosa.
Measuring aggregates, self-association, and weak interactions in concentrated therapeutic antibody solutions

ABSTRACT Monoclonal antibodies are a class of biotherapeutics used for an increasing variety of disorders, including cancer, autoimmune, neurodegenerative, and viral diseases. Besides their antigen specificity, therapeutic use also mandates control of their solution interactions and colloidal properties in order to achieve a stable, efficacious, non-immunogenic, and low viscosity antibody solution at concentrations in the range of 50–150 mg/mL. This requires characterization of their reversible self-association, aggregation, and weak attractive and repulsive interactions governing macromolecular distance distributions in solution. Simultaneous measurement of these properties, however, has been hampered by solution nonideality. Based on a recently introduced sedimentation velocity method for measuring macromolecular size distributions in a mean-field approximation for hydrodynamic interactions, we demonstrate simultaneous measurement of polydispersity and weak and strong solution interactions in a panel of antibodies with concentrations up to 45 mg/mL. By allowing approximately an order of magnitude higher concentrations than previously possible in sedimentation velocity size distribution analysis, this approach can substantially improve efficiency and sensitivity for characterizing polydispersity and interactions of therapeutic antibodies at or close to formulation conditions.
Barriers and facilitators to successful management of type 2 diabetes mellitus in Latin America and the Caribbean: A systematic review

Background Given that most evidence-based recommendations for managing type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) are generated in high-income settings, significant challenges for their implementation exist in Latin America and the Caribbean region (LAC), where the rates of T2DM and related mortality are increasing. The aim of this study is to identify the facilitators and barriers to successful management of T2DM in LAC, from the perspectives of patients, their families or caregivers, healthcare professionals, and/or other stakeholders. Methods We conducted a systematic review in MEDLINE, Web of Science, SciELO, and LILACS. We included studies of disease management, prevention of complications and risk factor management. We qualitatively synthesized the verbatim text referring to barriers and/or facilitators of diabetes management according to the Theoretical Domain Framework and described their relative frequencies. Findings We included 60 studies from 1,595 records identified. 54 studies (90%) identified factors related to the environmental context and resources, highlighting the importance of questions related to health care access or lack of resources in the health system, and the environmental context and living conditions of the patients. Issues related to “social influences” (40 studies) and “social/professional role and identity” (37 studies) were also frequently addressed, indicating the negative impact of lack of support from family and friends and clinicians’ paternalistic attitude. 25 studies identified patients beliefs as important barriers, identifying issues such as a lack of patients’ trust in the effectiveness of the medication and/or the doctor’s advice, or preferences for alternative therapies. Conclusions Successful diabetes management in LAC is highly dependent on factors that are beyond the control of the individual patients. Successful disease control will require emphasis on public policies to reinforce health care access and resources, the promotion of a patient-centred care approach, and health promoting infrastructures at environmental level.
Restriction analysis of internal transcribed spacers and the small subunit gene of ribosomal DNA among four Gaeumannomyces species

The 18S rDNA and the region spanning the two internal transcribed spacers (ITS), which in- cludes the 5.8S rDNA, from 36 isolates of four species of Gaeumannomyces (G. graminis, G. incrustans, G. cylindrosporous, and G. leptosporous) were amplified using the polymerase chain reaction. The amplified products were subjected to restriction enzyme diges- tion. The restriction patterns in the ITS regions sep- arated both the species of Gaeumannomyces and the three varieties of G. graminis. Specific variation in restriction patterns of the ITS regions was observed within the isolates of G. g. var. graminis. Physical maps of the restriction sites in the ITS region were constructed. Variation among isolates of G. g. var. tri- tici and G. g. var. avenae was minimal. The 3' end and 5' end of the 18S rDNA are conserved among
Pharmacotherapeutic Strategies for Treating Cocaine Use Disorder - What Do We Have to Offer?

BACKGROUND Cocaine use continues to be a significant public health problem worldwide. However, despite substantial research efforts, no pharmacotherapies are approved for the treatment of cocaine use disorder (CUD). ARGUMENT/ANALYSIS Studies have identified positive signals for a range of medications for treating CUD. These include long-acting amphetamine formulations, modafinil, topiramate, doxazosin, and combined topiramate and mixed amphetamine salts extended-release (MAS-ER). However, valid conclusions about a medication's clinical efficacy require nuanced approaches that take into account behavioural phenotypes of the target population (frequency of use, co-abuse of cocaine and other substances, genetic subgroups, psychiatric comorbidity), variables related to the medication (dose, short-/long-acting formulations, titration speed, medication adherence), and other factors that may affect treatment outcomes. Meta-analyses frequently do not account for these co-varying factors, which contributes to a rather nihilistic view on pharmacotherapeutic options for CUD. In addition, the predominant focus on abstinence, which is difficult for most patients to achieve, may overshadow more nuanced therapeutic signals. CONCLUSION While there is an emphasis on finding new medications with novel mechanisms of action for treating CUD, currently available medications deserve further investigation based on the existing literature. Evaluating refined metrics of treatment success in well-defined subgroups of patients, and further exploring combination therapies and their synergy with behavioural/psychosocial interventions, are promising avenues to establishing effective therapies for CUD.
Hydrogenases and the Role of Molecular Hydrogen in Plants

Molecular hydrogen (H2) has been suggested to be a beneficial treatment for a range of species, from humans to plants. Hydrogenases catalyze the reversible oxidation of H2, and are found in many organisms, including plants. One of the cellular effects of H2 is the selective removal of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reactive nitrogen species (RNS), specifically hydroxyl radicals and peroxynitrite. Therefore, the function of hydrogenases and the action of H2 needs to be reviewed in the context of the signalling roles of a range of redox active compounds. Enzymes can be controlled by the covalent modification of thiol groups, and although motifs targeted by nitric oxide (NO) can be predicted in hydrogenases sequences it is likely that the metal prosthetic groups are the target of inhibition. Here, a selection of hydrogenases, and the possibility of their control by molecules involved in redox signalling are investigated using a bioinformatics approach. Methods of treating plants with H2 along with the role of H2 in plants is also briefly reviewed. It is clear that studies report significant effects of H2 on plants, improving growth and stress responses, and therefore future work needs to focus on the molecular mechanisms involved.
Regulation of DELLA Proteins by Post-translational Modifications

Abstract DELLA proteins are the negative regulators of the gibberellin (GA) signaling pathway. GAs have a pervasive effect on plant physiology, influencing processes that span the entire life cycle of the plant. All the information encoded by GAs, either environmental or developmental in origin, is canalized through DELLAs, which modulate the activity of many transcription factors and transcriptional regulators. GAs unlock the signaling pathway by triggering DELLA polyubiquitination and degradation by the 26S proteasome. Recent reports indicate, however, that there are other pathways that trigger DELLA polyubiquitination and degradation independently of GAs. Moreover, results gathered during recent years indicate that other post-translational modifications (PTMs), namely phosphorylation, SUMOylation and glycosylation, modulate DELLA function. The convergence of several PTMs in DELLA therefore highlights the strict regulation to which these proteins are subject. In this review, we summarize these discoveries and discuss DELLA PTMs from an evolutionary perspective and examine the possibilities these and other post-translational regulations offer to improve DELLA-dependent agronomic traits.
Toxin Production by Stachybotrys chartarum Genotype S on Different Culture Media

Stachybotrys (S.) chartarum had been linked to severe health problems in humans and animals, which occur after exposure to the toxic secondary metabolites of this mold. S. chartarum had been isolated from different environmental sources, ranging from culinary herbs and improperly stored fodder to damp building materials. To access the pathogenic potential of isolates, it is essential to analyze them under defined conditions that allow for the production of their toxic metabolites. All Stachybotrys species are assumed to produce the immunosuppressive phenylspirodrimanes, but the highly cytotoxic macrocyclic trichothecenes are exclusively generated by the genotype S of S. chartarum. In this study, we have analyzed four genotype S strains initially isolated from three different habitats. We grew them on five commonly used media (malt-extract-agar, glucose-yeast-peptone-agar, potato-dextrose-agar, cellulose-agar, Sabouraud-dextrose-agar) to identify conditions that promote mycotoxin production. Using LC-MS/MS, we have quantified stachybotrylactam and all S-type specific macrocyclic trichothecenes (satratoxin G, H, F, roridin E, L-2, verrucarin J). All five media supported a comparable fungal growth and sporulation at 25 °C in the dark. The highest concentrations of macrocyclic trichothecenes were detected on potato-dextrose-agar or cellulose-agar. Malt-extract-agar let to an intermediate and glucose-yeast-peptone-agar and Sabouraud-dextrose-agar to a poor mycotoxin production. These data demonstrate that the mycotoxin production clearly depends on the composition of the respective medium. Our findings provide a starting point for further studies in order to identify individual components that either support or repress the production of mycotoxins in S. chartarum.
Alcohol Increases Exosome Release from Microglia to Promote Complement C1q-Induced Cellular Death of Proopiomelanocortin Neurons in the Hypothalamus in a Rat Model of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders

Microglia, a type of CNS immune cell, have been shown to contribute to ethanol-activated neuronal death of the stress regulatory proopiomelanocortin (POMC) neuron-producing β-endorphin peptides in the hypothalamus in a postnatal rat model of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders. We determined whether the microglial extracellular vesicle exosome is involved in the ethanol-induced neuronal death of the β-endorphin neuron. Extracellular vesicles were prepared from hypothalamic tissues collected from postnatal rats (both males and females) fed daily with 2.5 mg/kg ethanol or control milk formula for 5 d or from hypothalamic microglia cells obtained from postnatal rats, grown in cultures for several days, and then challenged with ethanol or vehicle for 24 h. Nanoparticle tracking analysis and transmission electron microscopy indicated that these vesicles had the size range and shape of exosomes. Ethanol treatments increased the number and the β-endorphin neuronal killing activity of microglial exosomes both in vivo and in vitro. Proteomics analyses of exosomes of cultured microglial cells identified a large number of proteins, including various complements, which were elevated following ethanol treatment. Proteomics data involving complements were reconfirmed using quantitative protein assays. Ethanol treatments also increased deposition of the complement protein C1q in β-endorphin neuronal cells in both in vitro and in vivo systems. Recombinant C1q protein increased while C1q blockers reduced ethanol-induced C3a/b, C4, and membrane attack complex/C5b9 formations; ROS production; and ultimately cellular death of β-endorphin neurons. These data suggest that the complement system involving C1q-C3-C4-membrane attack complex and ROS regulates exosome-mediated, ethanol-induced β-endorphin neuronal death. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Neurotoxic action of alcohol during the developmental period is recognized for its involvement in fetal alcohol spectrum disorders, but the lack of clear understanding of the mechanism of alcohol action has delayed the progress in therapeutic intervention of this disease. Proopiomelanocortin neurons known to regulate stress, energy homeostasis, and immune functions are reported to be killed by developmental alcohol exposure because of activation of microglial immune cells in the brain. While microglia are known to use extracellular vesicles to communicate with neurons for maintaining homeostasis, we show here that ethanol exposure during the developmental period hijacks this system to spread apoptotic factors, including complement protein C1q, to induce the membrane attack complex and reactive super-oxygen species for proopiomelanocortin neuronal killing.
Children’s Temperament: A Bridge between Mothers’ Parenting and Aggression

Childhood aggression is important to acknowledge due to its social impact and importance in predicting future problems. The temperament of a child and parental socialization have been essential in explaining behavioral problems, particularly in the case of childhood aggression. The aim of this study is to examine—from the parents’ perspective—the role of childhood temperament in the dynamic by which mothers’ reactions socialize their children’s aggression. We also explore how children’s gender and age differences affect these relationships. The sample was composed of 904 participants between 1 and 6 years old. The Early Childhood Behavior Questionnaire and the Children’s Behavior Questionnaire were used to evaluate children’s negative affect and effortful control. The Parent–Child Relationship Inventory Maternal was used to assess maternal communication and discipline, and child aggression was assessed using the Children’s Behavior Checklist. The results supported the mediating role of temperament in the processes by which perceived mothers’ reactions socialize their children’s aggression and suggested that maternal behaviors may not have the same consequences for girls and boys. Specifically, the aggressiveness of girls is dependent on a negative affect throughout toddlerhood and early childhood, while for boys, the duration of the negative affect’s contribution is shorter, and aggressiveness is more sensitive to the maternal behaviors of discipline and communication.
FGF9 is a downstream target of SRY and sufficient to determine male sex fate in ex vivo XX gonad culture

Abstract Fibroblast growth factor 9 (FGF9) is an autocrine/paracrine growth factor that plays critical roles in embryonic and organ developments and is involved in diverse physiological events. Loss of function of FGF9 exhibits male-to-female sex reversal in the transgenic mouse model and gain of FGF9 copy number was found in human 46, XX sex reversal patient with disorders of sex development. These results suggested that FGF9 plays a vital role in male sex development. Nevertheless, how FGF9/Fgf9 expression is regulated during testis determination remains unclear. In this study, we demonstrated that human and mouse SRY bind to –833 to –821 of human FGF9 and –1010 to –998 of mouse Fgf9, respectively, and control FGF9/Fgf9 mRNA expression. Interestingly, we showed that mouse SRY cooperates with SF1 to regulate Fgf9 expression, whereas human SRY-mediated FGF9 expression is SF1 independent. Furthermore, using an ex vivo gonadal culture system, we showed that FGF9 expression is sufficient to switch cell fate from female to male sex development in 12–16 tail somite XX mouse gonads. Taken together, our findings provide evidence to support the SRY-dependent, fate-determining role of FGF9 in male sex development. Summary Sentence FGF9 shows a fate-determining role within 6-h time windows during male sex development and SRY directly regulates FGF9/Fgf9 mRNA expression through binding to the SRY-responsive elements in the FGF9/Fgf9 promoter region. Graphical Abstract
Integration of Additive Manufacturing, Parametric Design, and Optimization of Parts Obtained by Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM). A Methodological Approach

The use of current computer tools in both manufacturing and design stages breaks with the traditional conception of productive process, including successive stages of projection, representation, and manufacturing. Designs can be programmed as problems to be solved by using computational tools based on complex algorithms to optimize and produce more effective solutions. Additive manufacturing technologies enhance these possibilities by providing great geometric freedom to the materialization phase. This work presents a design methodology for the optimization of parts produced by additive manufacturing and explores the synergies between additive manufacturing, parametric design, and optimization processes to guide their integration into the proposed methodology. By using Grasshopper, a visual programming application, a continuous data flow for parts optimization is defined. Parametric design tools support the structural optimization of the general geometry, the infill, and the shell structure to obtain lightweight designs. Thus, the final shapes are obtained as a result of the optimization process which starts from basic geometries, not from an initial design. The infill does not correspond to pre-established patterns, and its elements are sized in a non-uniform manner throughout the piece to respond to different local loads. Mass customization and Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) systems represent contexts of special potential for this methodology.
PEG-Delivered CRISPR-Cas9 Ribonucleoproteins System for Gene-Editing Screening of Maize Protoplasts

Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)-Cas9 technology allows the modification of DNA sequences in vivo at the location of interest. Although CRISPR-Cas9 can produce genomic changes that do not require DNA vector carriers, the use of transgenesis for the stable integration of DNA coding for gene-editing tools into plant genomes is still the most used approach. However, it can generate unintended transgenic integrations, while Cas9 prolonged-expression can increase cleavage at off-target sites. In addition, the selection of genetically modified cells from millions of treated ones, especially plant cells, is still challenging. In a protoplast system, previous studies claimed that such pitfalls would be averted by delivering pre-assembled ribonucleoprotein complexes (RNPs) composed of purified recombinant Cas9 enzyme and in vitro transcribed guide RNA (gRNA) molecules. We, therefore, aimed to develop the first DNA-free protocol for gene-editing in maize and introduced RNPs into their protoplasts with polyethylene glycol (PEG) 4000. We performed an effective transformation of maize protoplasts using different gRNAs sequences targeting the inositol phosphate kinase gene, and by applying two different exposure times to RNPs. Using a low-cost Sanger sequencing protocol, we observed an efficiency rate of 0.85 up to 5.85%, which is equivalent to DNA-free protocols used in other plant species. A positive correlation was displayed between the exposure time and mutation frequency. The mutation frequency was gRNA sequence- and exposure time-dependent. In the present study, we demonstrated that the suitability of RNP transfection was proven as an effective screening platform for gene-editing in maize. This efficient and relatively easy assay method for the selection of gRNA suitable for the editing of the gene of interest will be highly useful for genome editing in maize, since the genome size and GC-content are large and high in the maize genome, respectively. Nevertheless, the large amplitude of mutations at the target site require scrutiny when checking mutations at off-target sites and potential safety concerns.