Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Baicalin Protects Broilers against Avian Coronavirus Infection via Regulating Respiratory Tract Microbiota and Amino Acid Metabolism

An increasing amount of evidence indicates that Baicalin (Bai, a natural glycosyloxyflavone compound) exhibits an antiviral effect against avian viruses. However, it remains unclear if the antiviral effect of Bai against infectious bronchitis virus (IBV) is exerted indirectly by modulating respiratory tract microbiota and/or their metabolites. In this study, we investigated the protection efficacy of Bai in protecting cell cultures and broilers from IBV infection and assessed modulation of respiratory tract microbiota and metabolites during infection. Bai was administered orally to broilers by being mixed in with drinking water for seven days. Ultimately, broilers were challenged with live IBV. The results showed that Bai treatment reduced respiratory tract symptoms, improved weight gain, slowed histopathological damage, reduced virus loads and decreased pro-inflammation cytokines production. Western blot analysis demonstrated that Bai treatment significantly inhibited Toll-like receptor 7 (TLR7), myeloid differentiation factor 88 (MyD88) and nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-κB) expression both in cell culture and cells of the trachea. Bai treatment reversed respiratory tract microbiota dysbiosis, as shown by 16S rDNA sequencing in the group of broilers inoculated with IBV. Indeed, we observed a decrease in Proteobacteria abundance and an increase in Firmicutes abundance. Metabolomics results suggest that the pentose phosphate pathway, amino acid and nicotinamide metabolism are linked to the protection conferred by Bai against IBV infection. In conclusion, these results indicated that further assessment of anti-IBV strategies based on Bai would likely result in the development of antiviral molecule(s) which can be administered by being mixed with feed or water.
Ultrasound Evaluation of Sarcopenia in Patients with Hepatocellular Carcinoma: A Faster and Easier Way to Detect Patients at Risk

The condition of sarcopenia, defined as a progressive loss of musculoskeletal mass and muscular strength, is very common in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and presents a remarkable association with its prognosis. Thus, the early identification of sarcopenic patients represents one of the potential new approaches in the global assessment of HCC, and there is increasing interest regarding the potential therapeutic implications of this condition. The gold standard for the quantification of muscle mass is magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or computed tomography (CT), but these techniques are not always feasible because of the high-cost equipment needed. A new possibility in sarcopenia identification could be muscle ultrasound examination. The measurement of specific parameters such as the muscle thickness, muscular fascicles length or pennation angle has shown a good correlation with CT or MRI values and a good diagnostic accuracy in the detection of sarcopenia. Recently, these results were also confirmed specifically in patients with chronic liver disease. This review summarizes the role of imaging for the diagnosis of sarcopenia in patients with HCC, focusing on the advantages and disadvantages of the diagnostic techniques currently validated for this aim and the future perspectives for the identification of this condition.
PERFORMING COMMUNITY: THE PLACE OF MUSIC, RA CE AND GENDER IN PRODUCING APPALACHIAN SPACE

OF DISSERTATION PERFORMING COMMUNITY: THE PLACE OF MUSIC, RACE AND GENDER IN PRODUCING APPALACHIAN SPACE Traditional, participatory music is a powerful medium through which people express and shape their ideas about identity, mobility, social relations, and belonging, and through which people are in turn shaped. The everyday cultural practices of playing, sharing, and dancing to traditional music, as well as discussions about the nature of traditional music and production of events involving traditional music, all work to construct the region called Appalachia. Through this dissertation, I seek to answer some simple questions that have complicated answers involving place, identity, power, and social relations, with economic, social, and emotional ramifications: Who gets to be an Appalachian musician? How is this accomplished? Who gets to decide? Using a social constructionist theoretical base and drawing on such literatures as cultural geography, music geography, musicology and ethnomusicology, Appalachian studies, and critical regionalism, I employ ethnographic techniques, including participant observation, semi-structured interviews, and discourse analysis to understand the workings of old time music and the self-understanding of musicians that play and sing traditional music in eastern Kentucky, a core area of Appalachia. This dissertation shows that vernacular roots music in eastern Kentucky is both an inclusive and a contested phenomenon. In describing and analyzing the spaces for music in Appalachia, the old-time community in eastern Kentucky, the dynamics of festival hiring negotiations, and interviews with white and African American musicians, both male and female, I show how Appalachian space is produced simultaneously on many different scales. This construction is a dialectical process, articulating between the power expressed on a micro scale between individuals and the power used by individuals and institutions to define the region through representation. This dissertation demonstrates two main processes: how Appalachian space is negotiated and produced through interactions at jam sessions and other events, and how the musicians perform community in these interstitial moments. Contributions of this dissertation include attention to micro scale interactions and embodiment as a key component of spatial production, participant observation as a research method in music geography, and increased understanding of the performance of race and gender in cultural and spatial production.
Information Provision to Farmers in Africa: The Library- Extension Service Linkage

Abstract The role of extension service in increasing agricultural productivity cannot be overemphasised especially in the African setting, where a majority of the inhabitants are involved in agricultural production and are largely illiterate. They are therefore incapacitated of benefiting from information in print word, which is the most effective way of disseminating information to various agricultural information users, especially farmers. Regular and appropriate information need to be regularly made available to them. The extension worker in a typical African setting performs the role of disseminating agricultural information to farmers through physical contact. Unfortunately, the ratio of extension workers to farmers in Africa is abysmally low. Thus, many farmers are not supplied information by extension workers in Africa. This is where the public libraries in Africa come in. The public libraries are near the farmers since a large number of public libraries are now being located in many rural areas in Africa. Given the fact that both information professionals and extension workers are concerned mainly with information, a linkage becomes important between the two agencies for the dissemination of agricultural information to farmers. This paper proposes a model of library-extension service linkage. In the model, it is expected that extension agents would make information in the form of audiocassettes, video-cassettes and posters available to the public library.
Incorporation of Prosopis cineraria Extract Improved the Mechanical, Barrier and Antioxidant Properties but Not the Antibacterial Activity of Tigertooth croaker Fish Scale Gelatin Film

Scale gelatin films derived from croaker fish and infused with Prosopis (Prosopis cineraria) extract (PE) at concentrations of 0.3% and 0.7% were produced. A control film, void of extract, was employed for comparative purposes. The thickness of each film was found to be statistically insignificant (p > 0.05). The results show that the highest solubility (78.57 ± 3.57%) was found for the glycerol film, and the least permeability was found for the water vapor (0.74 ± 0.09 ×10−10g s−1m−1Pa−1); however, the water vapor permeability (WVP) and water solubility (WS) of the films that contained PE were considerably lower than those of the control film (p < 0.05). In contrast to the control film, those infused with 0.7% PE exhibited exceptional UV-barrier properties (>99%) and favorable thermal characteristics. The highest and lowest antioxidant activities were found for the 7% Prosopis cineraria extract (56.96 ± 2.6%) and the glycerol film (40.66 ± 2.46%), respectively. No antibacterial activity was observed in these films. Microscopic pictures showed that all three films had a uniform and plain surface. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy–attenuated total reflectance (FTIR–ATR) analysis revealed distinct amide bands and protein–polyphenol interactions within the films that contained the extract.
Fractional flow reserve measurements and long-term mortality—results from the FLORIDA study

Background Randomized evidence suggested improved outcomes in fractional flow reserve (FFR) guidance of coronary revascularization compared to medical therapy in well-defined patient cohorts. However, the impact of FFR-guided revascularization on long-term outcomes of unselected patients with chronic or acute coronary syndromes (ACS) is unknown. Aims The FLORIDA (Fractional FLOw Reserve In cardiovascular DiseAses) study sought to investigate outcomes of FFR-guided vs. angiography-guided treatment strategies in a large, real-world cohort. Methods This study included patients enrolled into the German InGef Research Database. Patients undergoing coronary angiography between January 2014 and December 2015 were included in the analysis. Eligible patients had at least one inpatient coronary angiogram for suspected coronary artery disease between January 2014 and December 2015. Patients were stratified into FFR arm if a coronary angiography with adjunctive FFR measurement was performed, otherwise into the angiography-only arm. Matching was applied to ensure a balanced distribution of baseline characteristics in the study cohort. Patients were followed for 3 years after index date and primary endpoint was all-cause mortality. Results In the matched population, mortality at 3 years was 9.6% in the FFR-assessed group and 12.6% in the angiography-only group (p = 0.002), corresponding to a 24% relative risk reduction with use of FFR. This effect was most pronounced in patients in whom revascularization was deferred based on FFR (8.7% vs. 12.3%, p = 0.04) and in high-risk subgroups including patients aged ≥75 years (14.9% vs. 20.1%, p < 0.01) and those presenting with ACS (10.2% vs. 14.0%, p = 0.04). Conclusions FFR-based revascularization strategy was associated with reduced mortality at 3 years. These findings further support the use of FFR in everyday clinical practice.
Vegetation and Climate Reconstruction Based on a ∼4 ka Pollen Record from North Chhattisgarh, Central India

ABSTRACT We present pollen proxy records of the variability in the Indian Summer Monsoon (ISM) precipitation during the last ∼4ka (ka = thousand years ago; Late Holocene) from a lacustrine area of Koriya District in Chhattisgarh (C'garh), (central Indian core monsoon zone [CMZ]), India. The results show that open, mixed tropical, deciduous forest occupied the region under a warm and moderately humid climate probably indicative of moderate monsoon precipitation between ∼3796 and ∼2428 cal yr BP. Subsequently, between ∼2428 and ∼1431 cal yr BP, the forest became dense and succeeded the open, mixed tropical, deciduous forest owing to the prevalence of a warm and relatively more humid climate with increased monsoon precipitation. The forest became less diversified from ∼1431cal yr BP to Present under the regime of a warm and relatively less humid climate with decreased monsoon precipitation.
The influence of Cross Cultural Training on European expatriate assignment at the National Oil Corporation in Libya

As a result of increasing globalisation expatriation in the oil and gas industry has become a common practice. In order to be on the foreground in such a competitive market, it is vital for a corporation like the National Oil Corporation in Libya to make certain that operational international recruitment and expatriate assignments are in place. As a member of OPEC and as an owner of the foremost oil reserves in Africa, the NOC in Libya attracts international investment from a varied array of countries. The focus of this study was on the Libyan oil industry as it is an ideal platform of the influence of globalization and alterations in economic, political and cultural mixing on the current business setting. Libya has a different culture, social and business custom to the west. To achieve business goals and avoid cultural misunderstandings, large organisations such as the NOC in Libya must be culturally aware and have the ability to stimulate creativeness and inspiration through flexible management for this reason the NOC in Libya was selected. This study examines the influence of cross cultural training on European expatriate’s assignment at the National Oil Corporation in Libya. The respondents used for this research were European expatriates working at the NOC in Libya. European expatriates represent one of the largest ethnic groups working at the NOC. In 2015, 542 European expatriates, were employed by the NOC. Europeans expatriates were selected to symbolise the Western culture and Libya has been chosen to symbolise the non-Western culture. As this research centres on one corporation and in-depth data is required, the decision of selecting a case study was an expected choice. The data in this research is of qualitative nature, making direct interviews the selected research design. The findings show that cross cultural training was not offered to the European expatriates working at the NOC in Libya. This, in turn, had a negative influence on their international assignment and on their ability to form positive relations with the local Libyan employees, to achieve the objectives of the international assignment and, consequently, their job performance.
Heights across the Last 2,000 Years in England

This chapter uses a dataset of heights calculated from the femurs of skeletal remains to explore the development of stature in England across the last two millennia. We find that heights increased during the Roman period and then steadily fell during the “Dark Ages” in the early medieval period. At the turn of the first millennium, heights grew rapidly, but after 1200 they started to decline coinciding with the agricultural depression, the Great Famine, and the Black Death. Then they recovered to reach a plateau which they maintained for almost 300 years, before falling on the eve of industrialization. The data show that average heights in England in the early nineteenth century were comparable to those in Roman times, and that average heights reported between 1400 and 1700 were similar to those of the twentieth century. This chapter also discusses the association of heights across time with some potential determinants and correlates (real wages, inequality, food supply, climate change, and expectation of life), showing that in the long run heights change with these variables, and that in certain periods, notably the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries, the associations are observable over the shorter run as well. We also examine potential biases surrounding the use of skeletal remains.
Continuous Laser Versus Micropulse Laser in the Treatment of Central Serous Chorioretinopathy: A Retrospective Study

Background: Central serous chorioretinopathy (CSCR) is a retinal disorder characterized by complex mechanisms leading to abnormal fluid accumulation under the retina. While management remains controversial, laser therapy has been successfully used. This study compares the efficacy of continuous laser (CL) and micropulse laser (ML) therapy in treating CSCR, focusing on reduction in macular thickness and improvement in visual acuity. Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted, including patients with CSCR treated with either CL or ML. The primary outcome measured was the reduction in average macular thickness (AMT), alongside secondary outcomes like changes in best corrected visual acuity (BCVA), subfoveal choroidal thickness (SFCT), and resolution of subretinal fluid (SRF). Results: The study evaluated 121 patients with CSCR, treated either with CL or ML. The primary outcome showed that the mean reduction in AMT was 51.14 µm (±20) in the CL group and 29.88 µm (±22) in the ML group, without a statistically significant difference (p=0.10). For the secondary outcomes, the improvement in BCVA was comparable in both groups, with CL at 0.15 (±0.1) and ML at 0.12 (±0.1) and no significant difference (p=0.41). However, in SFCT reduction, CL showed greater efficacy with a mean reduction of 32.19 µm (±15) compared to ML's 4.85 µm (±18), which was statistically significant (p=0.0004). The degree of SRF resolution showed no significant difference between the treatments (p=0.065). Conclusions: Both CL and ML are effective in the management of CSCR, with CL being more effective in reducing SFCT. These findings suggest the need for personalized treatment strategies based on individual patient characteristics and underline the complexity of CSCR management.
Impact of electronic health services on patient satisfaction in primary health care centers in Southwestern Saudi Arabia

ABSTRACT Background: Electronic health service (EHS) offers computerized medical knowledge, electronic patients’ information, and telecommunications. The field of EHS has grown exponentially in the last decade, especially during and after the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic; therefore, it is important to evaluate its impact on patient satisfaction. Study Aim: To evaluate the effect of EHS on patient satisfaction at the primary care centers (PHCCs) in Abha, southwestern Saudi Arabia. Materials and Methods: This study was a questionnaire-based analytical cross-sectional study that was conducted in PHCCs, Abha city, southwestern Saudi Arabia. The study used an adapted questionnaire to assess patient satisfaction of EHS. We used the Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 26 for data entry, scoring, and analysis. Results: The study included 249 participants, of whom 53% were males. Married participants comprised 69.5% of respondents. The most frequent electronic application used is Sehhaty (88.8%), and most of the applicants preferred it as well (73.5%). The majority of participants agree that they are satisfied with the care they received during the visit (71.5%). Females showed greater satisfaction levels, but the holders of higher educational degrees are less satisfied with EHS. Conclusion: In conclusion, the study results suggest that the implementation of EHS in PHCCs located in the southwestern region of Saudi Arabia can lead to an increase in patient satisfaction. Thus, it is recommended that health care providers encourage the use of EHS as a means to enhance patient satisfaction and alleviate issues related to physical visits. More studies are needed to evaluate the impact of electronic health services on other levels of health care across the kingdom and to specific populations as well.
The effect of human PBMCs immobilization on their Аβ42 aggregates-dependent proinflammatory state on a cellular model of Alzheimer’s disease

The leading pathological mechanisms of Alzheimer’s disease are amyloidosis and inflammation. The presented work was aimed to study the effect of human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (hPBMcs) cells-matrix adhesion on their pro-inflammatory state in vitro. Although direct interaction of Аβ42 to PBMC is not a cellular model of Alzheimer’s disease, PBMCs may serve as test cells to detect Аβ42-dependent molecular effects in monitoring disease progression. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) are used to assess changes in cytokines released in response to diseases or Alzheimer’s disease-specific cytotoxic molecules such as Aβ42. The effect of recombinant amyloid β-peptide rАβ42 on the concentration of endogenous amyloid β-peptide Aβ40 and pro-inflammatory cytokines TNFα and IL-1β in human peripheral blood mononuclear cells that were cultured in suspension and immobilized in alginate microcarriers for 24 h were investigated. The localization and accumulation of Aβ40 and rAβ42 peptides in cells, as well as quantitative determination of the concentration of Aβ40 peptide, TNFα and IL-1β cytokines, was performed by intravital fluorescence imaging. The results were qualitatively similar for both cell models. It was determined that the content of TNFα and Aβ40 in the absence of rAβ42 in the incubation medium did not change for 24 h after incubation, and the content of IL-1β was lower compared to the cells that were not incubated. Incubation of cells in vitro with exogenous rAβ42 led to an increase in the intracellular content of TNFα and Aβ40, and no accumulation of IL-1β in cells was observed. The accumulation of Aβ40 in the cytoplasm was accompanied by the aggregation of rAβ42 on the outer surface of the cell plasma membrane. It was shown that the basic levels of indicators and the intensity of the response of immobilized cells to an exogenous stimulus were significantly greater than those of cells in suspension. To explore whether non-neuronal cells effects in alginate microcarriers were cell-matrix adhesion mediated, we tested the effect of blocking β1 integrins on proamyloidogenic and proinflammation cellular state. Immobilization within alginate hydrogels after incubation with the β1 integrins blocking antibodies showed a remarkable inhibition of TNFα and Aβ40 accumulation in rAβ42-treated cells. It can be concluded that activation of signal transduction and synthesizing activity of a portion of mononuclear cells of human peripheral blood is possible (can significantly increase) in the presence of cell-matrix adhesion.
Causal association between the peripheral immunity and the risk and disease severity of multiple sclerosis

Background Growing evidence links immunological responses to Multiple sclerosis (MS), but specific immune factors are still unclear. Methods Mendelian randomization (MR) was performed to investigate the association between peripheral hematological traits, MS risk, and its severity. Then, further subgroup analysis of immune counts and circulating cytokines and growth factors were performed. Results MR revealed higher white blood cell count (OR [95%CI] = 1.26 [1.10,1.44], P = 1.12E-03, P adjust = 3.35E-03) and lymphocyte count (OR [95%CI] = 1.31 [1.15,1.50], P = 5.37E-05, P adjust = 3.22E-04) increased the risk of MS. In further analysis, higher T cell absolute count (OR [95%CI] = 2.04 [1.36,3.08], P = 6.37E-04, P adjust = 2.19E-02) and CD4+ T cell absolute count (OR [95%CI] = 2.11 [1.37,3.24], P = 6.37E-04, P adjust = 2.19E-02), could increase MS risk. While increasing CD25++CD4+ T cell absolute count (OR [95%CI] = 0.75 [0.66,0.86], P = 2.12E-05, P adjust = 1.72E-03), CD25++CD4+ T cell in T cell (OR [95%CI] = 0.79[0.70,0.89], P = 8.54E-05, P adjust = 5.29E-03), CD25++CD4+ T cell in CD4+ T cell (OR [95%CI] = 0.80[0.72,0.89], P = 1.85E-05, P adjust = 1.72E-03), and CD25++CD8+ T cell in T cell (OR [95%CI] = 0.68[0.57,0.81], P = 2.22E-05, P adjust = 1.72E-03), were proved to be causally defensive for MS. For the disease severity, the suggestive association between some traits related to CD4+ T cell, Tregs and MS severity were demonstrated. Moreover, elevated levels of IL-2Ra had a detrimental effect on the risk of MS (OR [95%CI] = 1.22 [1.12,1.32], P = 3.20E-06, P adjust = 1.34E-04). Conclusions This study demonstrated a genetically predicted causal relationship between elevated peripheral immune cell counts and MS. Subgroup analysis revealed a specific contribution of peripheral immune cells, holding potential for further investigations into the underlying mechanisms of MS and its severity.