Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
eHealth Intervention to Improve Health Habits in the Adolescent Population: Mixed Methods Study

Background Technology has provided a new way of life for the adolescent population. Indeed, strategies aimed at improving health-related behaviors through digital platforms can offer promising results. However, since it has been shown that peers are capable of modifying behaviors related to food and physical exercise, it is important to study whether digital interventions based on peer influence are capable of improving the weight status of adolescents. Objective The purpose of this study was to assess the effectiveness of an eHealth app in an adolescent population in terms of improvements in their age- and sex-adjusted BMI percentiles. Other goals of the study were to examine the social relationships of adolescents pre- and postintervention, and to identify the group leaders and study their profiles, eating and physical activity habits, and use of the web app. Methods The BMI percentiles were calculated in accordance with the reference guidelines of the World Health Organization. Participants’ diets and levels of physical activity were assessed using the Mediterranean Diet Quality Index (KIDMED) questionnaire and the Physical Activity Questionnaire for Adolescents (PAQ-A), respectively. The variables related to social networks were analyzed using the social network analysis (SNA) methodology. In this respect, peer relationships that were considered reciprocal friendships were used to compute the “degree” measure, which was used as an indicative parameter of centrality. Results The sample population comprised 210 individuals in the intervention group (IG) and 91 individuals in the control group (CG). A participation rate of 60.1% (301/501) was obtained. After checking for homogeneity between the IG and the CG, it was found that adolescents in the IG at BMI percentiles both below and above the 50th percentile (P50) modified their BMI to approach this reference value (with a significance of P<.001 among individuals with an initial BMI below the P50 and P=.04 for those with an initial BMI above the P50). The diet was also improved in the IG compared with the CG (P<.001). After verifying that the social network had increased postintervention, it was seen that the group leaders (according to the degree SNA measure) were also leaders in physical activity performed (P=.002) and use of the app. Conclusions The eHealth app was able to modify behaviors related to P50 compliance and exert a positive influence in relation to diet and physical exercise. Digital interventions in the adolescent population, based on the improvement in behaviors related to healthy habits and optimizing the social network, can offer promising results that help in the fight against obesity.
Displacement of the Na+/K+ pump’s transmembrane domains demonstrates conserved conformational changes in P-type 2 ATPases

Significance The P-type 2 ATPase subfamily includes several essential primary active ion transporters like the Na+/K+, H+/K+, and SERCA pumps. These transporters are thought to act by a conserved mechanism. However, major conformational changes seen in the transmembrane domains in crystal structures of SERCA and also proposed to occur in H+/K+ pumps are absent in available Na+/K+-pump structures. Here we use cross-linking of engineered cysteines and voltage clamp fluorometry (VCF) to show that the movements of transmembrane segments conserved in other pumps, which are absent in Na+/K+ pump crystal structures, occur in functional Na+/K+ pumps. In addition, we illustrate a twist to the usual VCF approach that may help in future studies using this technique with other membrane proteins. Cellular survival requires the ion gradients built by the Na+/K+ pump, an ATPase that alternates between two major conformations (E1 and E2). Here we use state-specific engineered-disulfide cross-linking to demonstrate that transmembrane segment 2 (M2) of the pump’s α-subunit moves in directions that are inconsistent with distances observed in existing crystal structures of the Na+/K+ pump in E1 and E2. We characterize this movement with voltage-clamp fluorometry in single-cysteine mutants. Most mutants in the M1–M2 loop produced state-dependent fluorescence changes upon labeling with tetramethylrhodamine-6-maleimide (TMRM), which were due to quenching by multiple endogenous tryptophans. To avoid complications arising from multiple potential quenchers, we analyzed quenching of TMRM conjugated to R977C (in the static M9–M10 loop) by tryptophans introduced, one at a time, in M1–M2. This approach showed that tryptophans introduced in M2 quench TMRM only in E2, with D126W and L130W on the same helix producing the largest fluorescence changes. These observations indicate that M2 moves outward as Na+ is deoccluded from the E1 conformation, a mechanism consistent with cross-linking results and with proposals for other P-type 2 ATPases.
Unpacking the energy implications of distributed water infrastructure: how are rainwater systems performing?

Drought and concern over climate change has led to the increased use of distributed water systems in Australia to supplement centralised supply systems. A literature review carried out by the Institute for Sustainable Futures (ISF) into the energy consumption of water infrastructure found that very little data on energy consumption exists, particularly for distributed systems. This paper reviews the findings of the literature review and presents results from a preliminary monitoring study on the energy implications of household rainwater systems. Typical household systems that are currently being installed in ouses cross Australia use approximately 1.5 kWh/kL.
On the emergence, spread and resistance of Candida auris: host, pathogen and environmental tipping points

Over a decade ago, a multidrug-resistant nosocomial fungus Candida auris emerged worldwide and has since become a significant challenge for clinicians and microbiologists across the globe. A resilient pathogen, C. auris survives harsh disinfectants, desiccation and high-saline environments. It readily colonizes the inanimate environment, susceptible patients and causes invasive infections that exact a high toll. Prone to misidentification by conventional microbiology techniques, C. auris rapidly acquires multiple genetic determinants that confer multidrug resistance. Whole-genome sequencing has identified four distinct clades of C. auris, and possibly a fifth one, in circulation. Even as our understanding of this formidable pathogen grows, the nearly simultaneous emergence of its distinct clades in different parts of the world, followed by their rapid global spread, remains largely unexplained. We contend that certain host–pathogen–environmental factors have been evolving along adverse trajectories for the last few decades, especially in regions where C. auris originally appeared, until these factors possibly reached a tipping point to compel the evolution, emergence and spread of C. auris. Comparative genomics has helped identify several resistance mechanisms in C. auris that are analogous to those seen in other Candida species, but they fail to fully explain how high-level resistance rapidly develops in this yeast. A better understanding of these unresolved aspects is essential not only for the effective management of C. auris patients, hospital outbreaks and its global spread but also for forecasting and tackling novel resistant pathogens that might emerge in the future. In this review, we discuss the emergence, spread and resistance of C. auris, and propose future investigations to tackle this resilient pathogen.
Differences in Motor Control Strategies of Jumping Tasks, as Revealed by Group and Individual Analysis

Abstract The aim of this study was to investigate the motor control strategies adopted when performing two jumping tasks with different task demands when analysed at an individual and group level. Twenty-two healthy individuals performed two jumping tasks: jumping without the use of an arm swing (CMJnas) and jumping starting in a plantar flexed position with the use of an arm swing (PF). Principal component analysis (PCA) was performed using hip, knee and ankle joint moment data on individual (PCAi) and group data (PCAc). The results demonstrate that a greater number of PCs are required to explain the majority of variance within the dataset in the PF condition at both an individual and group level, compared to CMJnas condition. Although common control strategies were observed between the two jumping conditions, differences in the organisation of the movement (PC loading coefficients) were observed. Results from the group analysis did not completely reflect the individual strategies used to perform each jumping task and highlight the value in performing individual analysis to determine emergent control strategies.
Obesity and COVID-19 in Adult Patients With Diabetes

Obesity has caused wide concerns due to its high prevalence in patients with severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Coexistence of diabetes and obesity could cause an even higher risk of severe outcomes due to immunity dysfunction. We conducted a retrospective study in 1,637 adult patients who were admitted into an acute hospital in Wuhan, China. Propensity score–matched logistic regression was used to estimate the risks of severe pneumonia and requiring in-hospital oxygen therapy associated with obesity. After adjustment for age, sex, and comorbidities, obesity was significantly associated with higher odds of severe pneumonia (odds ratio [OR] 1.47 [95% CI 1.15–1.88]; P = 0.002) and oxygen therapy (OR 1.40 [95% CI 1.10–1.79]; P = 0.007). Higher ORs of severe pneumonia due to obesity were observed in men, older adults, and those with diabetes. Among patients with diabetes, overweight increased the odds of requiring in-hospital oxygen therapy by 0.68 times (P = 0.014) and obesity increased the odds by 1.06 times (P = 0.028). A linear dose-response curve between BMI and severe outcomes was observed in all patients, whereas a U-shaped curve was observed in those with diabetes. Our findings provide important evidence to support obesity as an independent risk factor for severe outcomes of COVID-19 infection in the early phase of the ongoing pandemic.
Oxygen content and electrochemical activity of LiCoMnO4−δ

LiCoMnO4−δ is one of the materials first reported as a 5 V cathode in prototype lithium batteries, but as-prepared material has a residual 4 V plateau in addition to the main 5 V plateau. A combination of thermogravimetry on samples prepared under various conditions, high temperature X-ray powder diffraction and electrochemical testing, shows the 4 V plateau to depend on the extent of oxygen deficiency, δ, and to, therefore, correlate with the Mn3+ content. A complex reaction sequence occurs upon oxygen loss, including formation of oxygen-deficient spinel, precipitation of Li2MnO3 and change in cation composition of the spinel but remarkably, these reactions show a high degree of reversibility upon oxygen uptake.
In vivo characterization of physiological and metabolic changes related to isocitrate dehydrogenase 1 mutation expcression by multiparametric MRI and MRS in a rat model with orthotopically grafted human‐derived glioblastoma cell lines

The physiological mechanism induced by the isocitrate dehydrogenase 1 (IDH1) mutation, associated with better treatment response in gliomas, remains unknown. The aim of this preclinical study was to characterize the IDH1 mutation through in vivo multiparametric MRI and MRS. Multiparametric MRI, including the measurement of blood flow, vascularity, oxygenation, permeability, and in vivo MRS, was performed on a 4.7 T animal MRI system in rat brains grafted with human‐derived glioblastoma U87 cell lines expressing or not the IDH1 mutation by the CRISPR/Cas9 method, and secondarily characterized with additional ex vivo HR‐MAS and histological analyses. In univariate analyses, compared with IDH1−, IDH1+ tumors exhibited higher vascular density (p < 0.01) and better perfusion (p = 0.02 for cerebral blood flow), but lower vessel permeability (p < 0.01 for time to peak (TTP), p = 0.04 for contrast enhancement) and decreased T1 map values (p = 0.02). Using linear discriminant analysis, vascular density and TTP values were found to be independent MRI parameters for characterizing the IDH1 mutation (p < 0.01). In vivo MRS and ex vivo HR‐MAS analysis showed lower metabolites of tumor aggressiveness for IDH1+ tumors (p < 0.01). Overall, the IDH1 mutation exhibited a higher vascularity on MRI, a lower permeability, and a less aggressive metabolic profile. These MRI features may prove helpful to better pinpoint the physiological mechanisms induced by this mutation.
Effect of a brief motivational intervention in the immediate postpartum period on breastfeeding self-efficacy: Randomized controlled trial.

Brief motivational intervention (bMI) is a therapeutic approach that encourages self-efficacy and may have a positive effect on breastfeeding self-efficacy (BSE). The purpose of this study was to analyze the effectiveness of a bMI in increasing BSE in women who started breastfeeding in the immediate postpartum period and to explore the roles of general self-efficacy and other baseline variables in this relationship. A randomized, parallel-group clinical trial was carried out. A bMI was compared with an educational session on breastfeeding. Changes in BSE and its dimensions and the interaction and mediation/moderation of general self-efficacy and other variables were analyzed. BSE increased in the bMI group from a mean baseline score of 59.14 (±9.35) to 64.62 (±7.91) at 1st month (p < 0.001). An interaction was found in that only women with higher education had an improvement in BSE during the follow-up period that was attributable to the bMI (mean difference between the bMI and the attention control group: 18.25 (95% confidence interval: 5.86-30.19; p = 0.006). This interaction was not found for the changes produced in the intrapersonal thoughts dimension of BSE, whose scores were higher in the bMI group at 3 and 6 months. General self-efficacy exerted a moderating effect on the association of bMI with BSE change. The effect of bMI was no longer significant when the general self-efficacy score was above 84. Thus, bMI is effective in increasing BSE. This effectiveness was limited by the mother's educational level and moderated by baseline general self-efficacy.
Nuclear trafficking of bacterial effector proteins

Bacterial pathogens can subvert host responses by producing effector proteins that directly target the nucleus of eukaryotic cells in animals and plants. Nuclear‐targeting proteins are categorised as either: “nucleomodulins,” which have epigenetic‐modulating activities; or “cyclomodulins,” which specifically interfere with the host cell cycle. Bacteria can deliver these effector proteins to eukaryotic cells via a range of strategies. Despite an increasing number of reports describing the effects of bacterial effector proteins on nuclear processes in host cells, the intracellular pathways used by these proteins to traffic to the nucleus have yet to be fully elucidated. This review will describe current knowledge about how nucleomodulins and cyclomodulins enter eukaryotic cells, exploit endocytic pathways and translocate to the nucleus. We will also discuss the secretion of nuclear‐targeting proteins or their release in bacterial membrane vesicles and the trafficking pathways employed by each of these forms. Besides their importance for bacterial pathogenesis, some nuclear‐targeting proteins have been implicated in the development of chronic diseases and even cancer. A greater understanding of nuclear‐targeting proteins and their actions will provide new insights into the pathogenesis of infectious diseases, as well as contribute to advances in the development of novel therapies against bacterial infections and possibly cancer.
Identification of two novel pathovars of Pantoea stewartii subsp. indologenes affecting Allium sp. and millets.

Pantoea stewartii subsp. indologenes is a causative agent of leafspot of foxtail millet and pearl millet; however, novel strains were recently identified that are pathogenic on onion. We phenotypically and genotypically characterized seventeen Pantoea stewartii subsp. indologenes strains from onion and other sources (pearl millet, foxtail millet, guar pulse, verbena and corn). Based on the host range evaluation, we propose two pathovars P. stewartii subsp. indologenes pv. cepacicola pv. nov. and P. stewartii subsp. indologenes pv. setariae pv. nov. Pantoea stewartii subsp. indologenes pv. cepacicola pv. nov. causes symptoms on Allium species (leek, onion, chive and Japanese bunching onion) and also on foxtail millet, pearl millet and oat. However, P. stewartii subsp. indologenes pv. setariae pv. nov can only infect the members of Poaceae (foxtail millet, pearl millet and oat). Our study also showed that P. stewartii subsp. indologenes pathovars and P. stewartii subsp. stewartii share high genotypic relatedness and cannot be differentiated by dDDH and ANI values. Although, the newly proposed pathovars are not clearly distinguishable by their fatty acid and methyl esterase profiles, and substrate utilization patterns, a fatty acid (unknown with retention time: 10.9525) and few metabolites (3 methyl glucose, Na butyrate and fusidic acid) can be potentially used to distinguish them. We also report the distribution of previously known pathogenicity (HiVir, hrcC) and virulence (alt) factors of Pantoea sp. in the new pathovars. The impact of these new pathovars in the center rot pathosystem of onion is yet to be determined.
Mobile-Phase Buffers, Part I — The Interpretation of pH in Partially Aqueous Mobile Phases

If liquid chromatography (LC) was performed exclusively in dilute aqueous solutions, analysts would only need an elementary understanding of pH to select and prepare buffers for mobile phases. The temptation is to apply these simple concepts to partially aqueous mobile phases, which leads to questions such as, “Why does the pH of the mobile phase change when I add methanol? Which pH is correct? What pH do I need to use? ” The interpretation of pH in partially aqueous solutions is different and more complicated than it is in dilute aqueous solutions. To understand buffers in partially aqueous or non-aqueous mobile phases, chromatographers must first understand the meaning of pH in these solutions.
Field-relevant New Sources of Resistance to Anthracnose caused by Colletotrichum truncatum in a Mungbean Mini-core Collection.

Anthracnose is a prevalent disease of mungbean in Asian countries and Sub-Saharan Africa. It is caused by multiple Colletotrichum species. The high levels of anthracnose resistance in mungbean have not been studied in depth in India, but genetic resistance is desired. In this study, we identified the causal agent of mungbean anthracnose in two regions of India as C. truncatum through morphological and molecular methods. A set of 296 mungbean mini-core accessions developed by WorldVeg was screened under a natural disease pressure, from July to September (kharif season), in 2016, 2017, and 2018 in Hyderabad (a hot spot for anthracnose), to identify anthracnose resistance. Based on disease severity scores, twenty-two accessions were consistently anthracnose resistance under the categories of immune, highly resistant, and resistant with scores ranged from ≥1.0 to ≤ 3.0 during the period of study. Furthermore, based on the agronomic performance, anthracnose resistance in Hyderabad, and other desirable traits a subset of 74 mungbean accessions was selected from 296 mini-core accessions. These accessions were evaluated under natural disease pressure from July to September in y 2018 and 2019 in Palampur (another hot spot for anthracnose) to determine the variation in anthracnose resistance. Out of the 74 accessions, two accessions were resistant in 2018, and in 2019, one was immune, nine were highly resistant, and 15 were resistant. Combined analysis of variance of 65 accessions common in Hyderabad and Palampur revealed highly significant effects of environment, genotype (accessions), and genotype × environment interaction on the disease severity. The combined GGE biplot analysis of data across years and locations confirmed that the seven accessions MC-24, MC-51, MC-75, MC-127, MC-207, MC-208, and MC-292 were resistant during 2016 to 2018 in Hyderabad, and only in 2019 in Palampur, and the same accessions were moderately resistant in 2018 in Palampur. The seven resistant accessions identified from both test locations could be used as potential donors in the anthracnose resistance breeding program.
Determinants of psychological and social well-being among youth in Canada: investigating associations with sociodemographic factors, psychosocial context and substance use.

INTRODUCTION Positive mental health is an essential part of youth's healthy development. For instance, positive mental health is associated with greater self-reported physical health, closer relationships and fewer conduct problems in youth. As positive mental health promotion is a public health priority, examining its potential determinants is important. METHODS We analyzed data from students in Grades 7-12 (secondary I-V in Quebec), from nine Canadian provinces, who participated in the 2016/2017 Canadian Student Tobacco, Alcohol and Drugs Survey. Psychological and social well-being (PSWB) was assessed using the Children's Intrinsic Needs Satisfaction Scale (CINSS). We conducted linear regression analyses to determine associations of sociodemographic, psychosocial and substance use variables with overall CINSS scores (n = 37 897). RESULTS In general, youth in Canada reported fairly high PSWB. After adjusting for all included variables, being in a higher grade, being bullied, bullying others, reporting more behavioural problems and using cigarettes, e-cigarettes or cannabis at least once in the past 30 days were associated with lower overall CINSS scores for both male and female students. Reporting more prosocial behaviours was associated with higher overall scores for both sexes. CONCLUSION A number of sociodemographic, psychosocial and substance use factors are associated with PSWB among youth in Canada. Prospective longitudinal and intervention studies could examine whether changes in these potential risk/protective factors are accompanied by changes in positive mental health.