Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Ozone Therapy: Overview of its Potential Utility in Male Reproduction

Ozone (O3), a highly water-soluble inorganic molecule, is a gas made of three atoms of oxygen (O) with a cyclic structure. Ozone can be produced by medical generators from pure oxygen after passing through a high voltage gradient. Ozone therapy (OT) can be given in medical practice via several routes that include transdermal, intramuscular, rectal, nasal, oral, vaginal, intravenous, intra-arterial, intraperitoneal, intra-pleural, topical, dental, intra-discal and by auto-hemotherapy. Because ozone, a highly reactive molecule, is a potent oxidant and anti-inflammatory agent, it has strong bactericidal, antiviral, anti-fungal and anti-protozoal actions as well as therapeutic effects on the immune system. With its multifaceted route of administration, OThas been used to treat several pathologies that involve the immune system such as cancers, sepsis, abscesses and chronic wounds, skin problems (such as eczema and psoriasis), HIV infection, asthma, arthritis, urologic problems, osteomyelitis and many others. The purpose of this review article is to evaluate the role of OT in the male reproductive system. We performed a review of all available basic science, experimental animal studies and clinical peer-reviewed articles published in PubMed and Google Scholar until November 2018. The literature so far retrieved shows that most studies pertaining to the effect of OT on male reproduction were performed in animals. Results to date show that OT, via improving the immune system, significantly protects testicular function in the setting of testicular torsion/ischemia, protects against the effect of gonadotoxic agents and treats bacterial infections in the semen. This article calls for a need for at least pilot studies in humans using OT in its safest route of administration, which is probably the transdermal one. This would be significant especially considering that male factor infertility constitutes up to one third of couple infertility and it is very common that poor semen parameters are irreversible with medical or surgical treatment, such as varicocele repair or vasectomy reversal.
Chronic intermittent ethanol and acute stress similarly modulate BNST CRF neuron activity via noradrenergic signaling

Relapse is a critical barrier to effective long-term treatment of alcoholism, and stress is often cited as a key trigger to relapse. Numerous studies suggest that stress-induced reinstatement to drug seeking behaviors is mediated by norepinephrine (NE) and corticotropin releasing factor (CRF) signaling interactions in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST), a brain region critical to many behavioral and physiologic responses to stressors. Here we sought to directly examine the effects of NE on BNST CRF neuron activity and determine if these effects may be modulated by chronic intermittent EtOH (CIE) exposure or a single restraint stress. Utilizing whole-cell patch clamp electrophysiological techniques in CRF-tomato reporter mice, we found that NE depolarized BNST CRF neurons in naïve mice in a β-adrenergic receptor (AR) dependent mechanism. CRF neurons from CIE or stress-exposed mice had significantly elevated basal resting membrane potential compared to naïve mice. Furthermore, CIE and stress individually disrupted the ability of NE to depolarize CRF neurons, suggesting that both stress and CIE utilize β-AR signaling to modulate BNST CRF neurons. Neither stress nor CIE altered the ability of exogenous NE to inhibit evoked glutamatergic transmission onto BNST CRF neurons, a mechanism previously shown to be α-AR dependent. Altogether these findings suggest that stress and CIE interact with β-AR signaling to modulate BNST CRF neuron activity, potentially disrupting the α/β-AR balance of BNST CRF neuronal excitability. Restoration of α/β-AR balance may lead to novel therapies for the alleviation of many stress-related disorders.
Orbital tuning of Cenomanian marly chalk successions: towards a Milankovitch time-scale for the Late Cretaceous

Outcrops of Cenomanian marly chalks in the Crimea (Ukraine) and SE England (UK), 2600 km apart, display conspicuous decimetre–scale rhythmicity and can be correlated by using 12 biostratigraphical events. Closely spaced samples from the two sections were used to generate long time–series of digitally captured grey–scale reflectance data. Spectral analysis of these data demonstrates that if the rhythmicity is assumed to be driven by precession (bedding cycles; mode at 20 ka), it is seen to be modulated by the short eccentricity cycle (100 ka bundles). The latter signal is expressed in the sediments by the occurrence of dark marls at precession minima occurring at eccentricity maxima. Although identified in the spectra, tilt (38 ka) and the long eccentricity cycle (400 ka) are not strongly expressed. Comparison of age modelled, unfiltered grey–scale data between the two sections reveals strikingly similar patterns, and enables the identification of a 80 ka hiatus in the UK chalks.
Characterization of risk factors and timing of venous thromboembolism in patients with uterine carcinosarcoma

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the timing and risk factors associated with venous thromboembolism in women with uterine carcinosarcoma in a racially and ethnically diverse urban population. Methods: A retrospective cohort study was performed with all women diagnosed with carcinosarcoma from 2005– 2018 at Montefiore Medical Center in Bronx, NY. Data regarding patient demographics, medical comorbidities, treatment course, Khorana score and timing of thromboembolic events were abstracted. A Cox proportional hazards model which included time-dependent covariates for treatment course variables was estimated to examine the association between patient-related variables and the incidence and timing of venous thromboembolism. Results: Forty (31%) of 130 included patients developed venous thromboembolism and there were no significant associations between patient demographics, medical comorbidities, or cancer treatment with thromboembolic events. Being within 6 weeks of surgery was associated with a higher hazard of venous thromboembolism (HR 3.8, 95% CI [1.09– 13.50], P = 0.04). Thirty-two (80%) patients who developed venous thromboembolism did so outside of the perioperative window. Patients receiving chemotherapy with a Khorana score ≥2 had a significantly increased risk of developing venous thromboembolism (HR 3.5, 95% CI [1.30–9.23], P = 0.01). Conclusions: Patients with uterine carcinosarcoma have a high risk of thromboembolic events throughout the entire disease course and were found to be at greatest risk during the 6 weeks following surgery. Although no patient or treatment-related factors were associated with an increased risk of venous thromboembolism, we found that the Khorana score may be helpful in identifying patients who may benefit from thromboprophylaxis while receiving chemotherapy.
Nematode communities in pine forests are shaped by environmental filtering of habitat conditions

ABSTRACT Soil nematodes are involved in nutrient cycles through feeding on microorganisms, and the extent of their functioning is affected by subtle environmental changes and by biological interactions. Considering these features, soil nematodes can serve as bio-indicators reflecting environmental changes in a given ecosystem. However, the mechanism of shaping community structures of nematodes is not well understood due to the complex biological interactions in forest ecosystems. The aim of this study was to clarify the nematode communities and their determinant factors in both coastal and inland Pinus thunbergii forests of central Japan under contrasting environmental conditions. For this purpose, nematodes retrieved from soil samples were morphologically identified at generic levels and discriminated into trophic groups. We also determined whether nematode community structures varied with coastal or inland locations based on non-metric multidimensional scaling. Our results showed that generic richness of nematode at inland habitats (16.2 ± 0.7, mean ± SE) was significantly greater than that at coastal habitats (12.4 ± 0.4). Moreover, the non-metric multidimensional scaling scatter-plot showed nematode communities clustered significantly within their respective coastal and inland habitats. These clusterings were further significantly influenced by surrounding environmental factors; soil water content, soil temperature, litter layer thickness, pH, total both N and C concentrations and C:N ratio. For characteristic trophic groups, microbial-feeding nematodes were represented in coastal forests while predaceous ones were dominated in inland forests. Our study provided fundamental knowledge on the formation of nematode community structures that were shaped by environmental filtering.
The evolution of infanticide by females in mammals

In most mammalian species, females regularly interact with kin, and it may thus be difficult to understand the evolution of some aggressive and harmful competitive behaviour among females, such as infanticide. Here, we investigate the evolutionary determinants of infanticide by females by combining a quantitative analysis of the taxonomic distribution of infanticide with a qualitative synthesis of the circumstances of infanticidal attacks in published reports. Our results show that female infanticide is widespread across mammals and varies in relation to social organization and life-history, being more frequent where females breed in groups and have intense bouts of high reproductive output. Specifically, female infanticide occurs where the proximity of conspecific offspring directly threatens the killer’s reproductive success by limiting access to critical resources for her dependent progeny, including food, shelters, care or a social position. In contrast, infanticide is not immediately modulated by the degree of kinship among females, and females occasionally sacrifice closely related juveniles. Our findings suggest that the potential direct fitness rewards of gaining access to reproductive resources have a stronger influence on the expression of female aggression than the indirect fitness costs of competing against kin.
The relationship between mental well-being and dysregulated gaming: a specification curve analysis of core and peripheral criteria in five gaming disorder scales

Gaming disorder (also known as dysregulated gaming) has received significant research and policy attention based on concerns that certain patterns of play are associated with decreased mental well-being and/or functional impairment. In this study, we use specification curve analysis to examine analytical flexibility and the strength of the relationship between dysregulated gaming and well-being in the form of general mental health, depressive mood and life satisfaction. Dutch and Flemish gamers (n = 424) completed an online survey containing five unique dysregulated gaming measures (covering nine scale variants) and three well-being measures. We find a consistent negative relationship; across 972 justifiable regression models, the median standardized regression coefficient was −0.39 (min: −0.54, max: −0.19). Data show that the majority of dysregulated gaming operationalizations converge upon highly similar estimates of well-being. However, variance is introduced by the choice of well-being measure; results indicate that dysregulated gaming is more strongly associated with depressive mood than with life satisfaction. Weekly game time accounted for little to no unique variance in well-being in the sample. We argue that research on this topic should compare a broad range of psychosocial well-being outcomes and explore possible simplifications of the DSM-5 gaming disorder criteria. Given somewhat minute differences between dysregulated gaming scales when used in survey-based studies and largely equivalent relationships with mental health indicators, harmonization of measurement should be a priority.
Effectiveness of combined use of rectal misoprostol and oxytocin for prevention of postpartum hemorrhage after cesarean section

Nirmala Maniachari1, Sathish Kumar Sure*2, Priyanka Jagadeesh1, Lavanya Agamudi1, Usha Brindhini3 1Department of Pharmacy Practice, Krishna Teja Pharmacy College, Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh, India 2Department of Pharmacy Practice, Raghavendra Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, Anantapur, Andhra Pradesh, India 3Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Sri Venkateswara Institute of Medical Sciences, Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh, India
Social information impairs reward learning in depressive subjects: behavioral and computational characterization

Depression is characterized by a marked decrease in social interactions and blunted sensitivity to rewards. Surprisingly, despite the importance of social deficits in depression, non-social aspects have been disproportionally investigated. As a consequence, the cognitive mechanisms underlying atypical decision-making in social contexts in depression are poorly understood. In the present study, we investigate whether deficits in reward processing interact with the social context and how this interaction is affected by self-reported depression and anxiety symptoms. Two cohorts of subjects (discovery and replication sample: N = 50 each) took part in a task involving reward learning in a social context with different levels of social information (absent, partial and complete). Behavioral analyses revealed a specific detrimental effect of depressive symptoms – but not anxiety – on behavioral performance in the presence of social information, i.e. when participants were informed about the choices of another player. Model-based analyses further characterized the computational nature of this deficit as a negative audience effect, rather than a deficit in the way others’ choices and rewards are integrated in decision making. To conclude, our results shed light on the cognitive and computational mechanisms underlying the interaction between social cognition, reward learning and decision-making in depressive disorders.
Drosophila melanogaster as a model to study ciliogenesis

Cilia are microtubule-based extensions of the cell membrane that extend from a mature centriole. Primary (non-motile) cilia are present on most human cells and have important roles in signalling pathways. At the base of the cilium is a selective barrier known as the transition zone (TZ). Defects in the TZ are associated with human congenital diseases such as Meckel-Gruber syndrome (MKS) and Nephronophthisis (NPHP). The TZ is formed by three protein complexes, the MKS, NPHP and Cep290 modules, although the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster appears to lack the core components of the NPHP module. Results presented in this thesis shows that MKS proteins are spatially separated from Cep290 at the TZ in Drosophila spermatocyte cilia. The TZ of the spermatocyte cilia is perturbed in flies mutant for MKS1 (MKS1Δ1) and fails to recruit key TZ proteins, although Cep290 and Chibby are recruited normally. Male fertility, however, is unaffected. Similarly, while there are substantial abnormalities in microtubule and membrane organisation in developing MKS1Δ1 mutant cilia, defects in mature MKS1Δ1 mutant cilia are limited to subtle changes in IFT and a membrane surrounded volume within the cilium. The function of sensory neurons is not negatively affected by the MKS1Δ1 mutation. Evidently, given enough developmental time, ciliary defects can be largely rescued in flies and the localisation of MKS module proteins to the cilia or flagella is not essential for viability or fertility in Drosophila.
The Importance of HLA-DRB1 Alleles in Patients with Lupus Nephritis

1Nephrology Division of Internal Medicine Department in Dr. Saiful Anwar General Hospital, Malang, Indonesia 2Clinical Pathology Department of Dr. Saiful Anwar General Hospital, Malang, Indonesia 3Rheumatology Division of Internal Medicine Department in Dr. Saiful Anwar General Hospital, Malang, Indonesia 4Pathology Departement in Dr. Saiful Anwar General Hospital, Malang, Indonesia 5Pathology and Forensic Departement in Universitas Hasanuddin, Makassar, Indonesia 6Physiology Department in Universitas Brawijaya, Malang, Indonesia 7Internal Medicine Department in Universitas Brawijaya Hospital, Malang, Indonesia 8Tropical Diseases and infections Division of Internal Medicine in Dr. Saiful Anwar General Hospital, Malang, Indonesia
Welch’s ANOVA: Heteroskedastic skew-t error terms

Abstract In analysis of variance (ANOVA) models, it is generally assumed that the distribution of the error terms is normal with mean zero and constant variance Traditionally, a least square (LS) method is used for estimating the unknown parameters and testing the null hypothesis. It is known that, when the normality assumption is not satisfied, LS estimators of the parameters and the test statistics based on them lose their efficiency, see Tukey. On the other hand, a non constant variance problem which is called heteroskedasticity is another serious issue for LS estimators. The LS estimators still remain unbiased but the estimated standard error (SE) is wrong. Because of this, confidence intervals and hypotheses tests cannot be relied on. Welch’s ANOVA is the most popular method to solve this problem. In this paper, we assume that the distribution of the error terms is skew-t with non constant variance in one-way ANOVA. We also propose a new test statistics based on the maximum likelihood (ML) estimators of skew-t distribution. A Monte Carlo simulation study is performed to compare traditional LS and Welch’s method with the proposed method in terms of Type I errors and the powers. At the end of this study, an example is given for the illustration of the methods.
Scoured or suffocated: Urban stream ecosystems oscillate between hydrologic and dissolved oxygen extremes

Headwater streams draining urbanized watersheds are subject to frequent and intense storm flows. These floods can disrupt metabolic processes occurring in benthic biofilms via the removal of biomass (i.e., scouring flows, bed mobilization) or light attenuation due to turbidity. Furthermore, channel incision caused by frequent hydraulic disturbance alters the geomorphology of streams, indirectly changing the flow and light regimes experienced by benthic biofilms. We measured dissolved oxygen (DO) and modeled whole‐stream metabolism for 18 months in six urban headwater streams in the North Carolina Piedmont, U.S.A. All streams were heterotrophic and had low rates of productivity despite relatively high streamwater nutrient concentrations. Light availability at the channel surface explained more of the day to day variation in gross primary productivity within each stream than did hydrologic disturbance. Yet among streams, the explanatory power of light declined with increasing hydrologic flashiness. We found a surprisingly wide range in DO regimes, which ranged from frequent hypoxia to near constant saturation. Hypoxia was more common in streams with lower channel gradients where bedrock outcroppings and culverts create rapid slope transitions between pools. We hypothesize this geomorphic change increases the susceptibility of benthic biota to perturbation during storms and the mean water residence time during baseflow. Increased water residence times together with elevated organic matter and nutrient inputs can set up ideal conditions for hypoxia at baseflows punctuated by frequent scouring storm flows. As a result, benthic biota are caught between hydrologic and chemical extremes that constrain their productivity.
Detection of oral spirochete (Treponema denticola) by modified Fontana staining technique from sub-gingival plaques of patients suffering from periodontal disease and to analyse the morphology of spirochetes with respect to the disease’s status

Background: Infections pertaining to mankind particularly those affecting the periodontal tissues are of serious concerns worldwide and are increasing on a global scale particularly in the tropical and subtropical countries like India. The clinical presentation, though very typical of periodontal infection, is often confused with other oral infection, making laboratory diagnosis and confirmation necessary. The management of periodontal infections needs personal hygiene, awareness of infection, proper diagnosis and medication. The present study was undertaken to demonstrate the oral spirochete ( Treponema denticola ) from periodontal pathogens suffering from periodontal disease. Methods: A total of 55 clinically diagnosed selected patients of periodontal infection attending the outpatient Department of Periodontics, V. K. Institute of Dental Science, KLE University, Belgaum were studied. Dental plaque was taken as specimens from the patients were processed by modified Fontana staining and observed in microscope. Results: A total number of 55 plaque samples were stained by modified Fontana staining technique. 30 cases were positive and 25 cases were negative. Males were affected more as compared to the females and the age group ranging from 15 to 65. Farmers were more affected compared to other occupation. Conclusions: Microscopic method by modified silver nitrate staining can be a very useful screening method for evaluation of oral spirochetes in a clinical setting if used judiciously keeping in mind the variables that can affect the results.
Do good things come in pairs? How personality traits help explain individuals' simultaneous pursuit of a healthy lifestyle and financially responsible behavior

Both a healthy lifestyle and financially responsible behavior contribute to individual wellbeing and benefit society. Motivated by the fact that both types of behavior involve short‐term sacrifices in exchange for uncertain long‐term benefits and require self‐control, we examine individuals' consistency in behavior across the health and financial domains. Using a large‐scale data set of 3,752 employed Australians, we find that the majority of individuals behave in a consistently beneficial or detrimental way across both domains. This behavioral consistency relates to fundamental life outcomes, including physical and mental health, financial prosperity, and life satisfaction. In a new contribution to the literature, we show how personality traits—Locus of Control, the Big Five, Achievement Motivation—have a meaningful role in explaining the simultaneous pursuit of a healthy lifestyle and financially responsible behavior. These behavioral insights can guide policymakers in developing more effective strategies to steer individuals towards beneficial health and financial outcomes.