Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Linkage between Neighborhood Social Cohesion and BMI of South Asians in the Masala Study

Introduction South Asians in the United States have a high prevalence of obesity and an elevated risk for cardiometabolic diseases. Yet, little is known about how aspects of neighborhood environment influence cardiometabolic risk factors such as body mass index (BMI) in this rapidly growing population. We aimed to investigate the association between perceived neighborhood social cohesion and BMI among South Asians. Methods We utilized cross-sectional data from the MASALA study, a prospective community-based cohort of 906 South Asian men and women from the San Francisco Bay area and the greater Chicago area. Multivariable linear regression models, stratified by sex, were used to examine the association between perceived level of neighborhood social cohesion and individual BMI after adjusting for sociodemographics. Results Participants were 54% male, with an average age of 55 years, 88% had at least a bachelor's degree, and the average BMI was 26.0 kg/m2. South Asian women living in neighborhoods with the lowest social cohesion had a significantly higher BMI than women living in neighborhoods with the highest cohesion (β coefficient = 1.48, 95% CI 0.46–2.51, p=0.02); however, the association was not statistically significant after adjusting for sociodemographic factors (β coefficient = 1.06, 95% CI −0.01–2.13, p=0.05). There was no association between level of neighborhood social cohesion and BMI in South Asian men. Conclusion Perceived neighborhood social cohesion was not significantly associated with BMI among South Asians in our study sample. Further research is recommended to explore whether other neighborhood characteristics may be associated with BMI and other health outcomes in South Asians and the mechanisms through which neighborhood may influence health.
Double-Stranded RNAs in Plant Protection Against Pathogenic Organisms and Viruses in Agriculture

Recent studies have shown that plants are able to express the artificial genes responsible for the synthesis of double-stranded RNAs (dsRNAs) and hairpin double-stranded RNAs (hpRNAs), as well as uptake and process exogenous dsRNAs and hpRNAs to suppress the gene expression of plant pathogenic viruses, fungi, or insects. Both endogenous and exogenous dsRNAs are processed into small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) that can spread locally and systemically through the plant, enter pathogenic microorganisms, and induce RNA interference-mediated pathogen resistance in plants. There are numerous examples of the development of new biotechnological approaches to plant protection using transgenic plants and exogenous dsRNAs. This review summarizes new data on the use of transgenes and exogenous dsRNAs for the suppression of fungal and insect virulence genes, as well as viruses to increase the resistance of plants to these pathogens. We also analyzed the current ideas about the mechanisms of dsRNA processing and transport in plants.
Morbidity pattern, social safety net, and drug adherence level among geriatric patients attending in a health-care facility: A cross-sectional study

INTRODUCTION: Financial support system available to geriatric populations affects their adherence level to the prescribed treatment leading to a rise in chronic disease burden. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to ascertain the disease pattern, health expenditure, and adherence to the prescriptions among geriatric patients reporting to a hospital in North India. METHODOLOGY: This descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted from July 2017 to June 2018. Patients who were 60 or above years in age, already diagnosed and were on treatment for more than 3 months were included in the study. A total of 310 patients were selected using convenient sampling method. Data were collected by a pretested and validated questionnaire. RESULTS: The mean age of the patients was 66.16 years ± 5.37 years (54.8% males). Monthly average family income was Rs. 15202.97 ± 1134.63. Overall, 25% of the treatment cost was met through various social schemes (52% = pension scheme, 32% of patients had no such schemes and only 2% through health insurance schemes). Rest was out-of-pocket expenditure. Common diseases were hypertension (60.64%), diabetes mellitus (35.8%), cancer (28.38%), and coronary artery disease (22.58%). More than half (52.9%) of the patients had two or more illnesses; about 35.8% of them were taking treatment for 1–5 years. Moderate adherence was observed among the majority of the patients. Statistically significant (P < 0.05) difference in treatment adherence to the prescriptions was observed. CONCLUSION: Geriatric patients had many chronic morbidities. They had high out-of-pocket expenditure and suboptimal financial support affecting their level of adherence to the prescriptions.
Physical and oxidative stability of chicken oil‐in‐water emulsion stabilized by chicken protein hydrolysates

Abstract The emulsifying and antioxidant properties of chicken protein hydrolysates for the physical and oxidative stabilization of chicken oil‐in‐water emulsion were investigated. The chicken protein pepsin hydrolysates obtained at reaction temperature of 33℃, 1.8% enzyme addition, liquid–solid ratio of 5:1, and reaction time of 4h, showed the DPPH radical scavenging rate of 92.12% and emulsion stability index of 0.07. The hydrolysate exerted significantly improved antioxidant activity and emulsion ability compared to the native chicken protein. The amino acid composition analysis indicated that the contents of hydrophobic amino acids including tyrosine, phenylalanine, and tryptophan were increased after hydrolysis, which contributed to the higher hydrophobicity and antioxidant activity of chicken hydrolysates. The results suggested that the chicken protein hydrolysates could be used as an alternative protein emulsifier for the production of oxidatively stable chicken oil‐in‐water emulsion.
Relationship of amyloid-β1–42 in blood and brain amyloid: Ginkgo Evaluation of Memory Study

Abstract A blood test that predicts the extent of amyloid plaques in the brain and risk of Alzheimer’s disease would have important benefits for the early identification of higher risk of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease and the evaluation of new preventative therapies. The goal of this study was to determine whether plasma levels of amyloid-β1–42, 1–40 and the amyloid-β1–42/1–40 ratio among participants in the Pittsburgh centre of the Ginkgo Evaluation of Memory Study were related to the extent of brain fibrillar amyloid plaques measured in 2009 using Pittsburgh compound-B PET imaging, hippocampal volume, cortical thickness in the temporal lobe and white matter lesions. There were 194 participants who had Pittsburgh compound-B measurements in 2009 with the mean age of 85 years; 96% were white and 60% men. Pittsburgh compound-B positivity was defined as a standardized uptake value ratio of ≥1.57. Amyloid-β in blood was measured using a sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay developed by Eli Lilly and modified at the University of Vermont. All participants were nondemented as of 2008 at the time of study close out. The study sample included 160 with blood samples drawn in 2000–02 and 133 from 2009 and also had brain amyloid measured in 2009. All blood samples were analysed at the same time in 2009. Plasma amyloid-β1–42 was inversely related to the percent Pittsburgh compound-B positive (standardized uptake value ratio ≥1.57), β −0.04, P = 0.005. Practically all participants who were apolipoprotein-E4 positive at older ages were also Pittsburgh compound-B positive for fibrillar amyloid. Among apolipoprotein-E4-negative participants, quartiles of amyloid-β1–42 were inversely related to Pittsburgh compound-B positivity. In multiple regression models, plasma amyloid-β1–42 measured in 2000–02 or 2009 were significantly and inversely related to Pittsburgh compound-B positivity as was the amyloid-β1–42/1–40 ratio. There was a 4-fold increase in the odds ratio for the presence of Pittsburgh compound-B positivity in the brain in 2009 for the first quartile of amyloid-β1–42 as compared with the fourth quartile in the multiple logistic model. This is one of the first longitudinal studies to evaluate the relationship between amyloid-β1–42 in the blood and the extent of brain amyloid deposition measured by PET imaging using Pittsburgh compound-B. Our findings showed that remote and recent low plasma amyloid-β1–42 levels were inversely associated with brain amyloid deposition in cognitively normal individuals. However, changes in plasma amyloid-β1–42 over time (8 years) were small and not related to the amount of Pittsburgh compound-B.
A new Megophrys Kuhl & Van Hasselt (Amphibia, Megophryidae) from southeastern China

Abstract A new species of the genus Megophrys from Zhejiang Province, China is described. Molecular phylogenetic analyses supported the new taxon as an independent clade nested into the Megophrys clade and sister to M. lishuiensis. The new species could be distinguished from its congeners by a combination of the following morphological characteristics: (1) small size (SVL 31.0–36.3 mm in male and 41.6 mm in female); (2) vomerine ridge present and vomerine teeth absent; (3) tongue not notched behind; (4) a small horn-like tubercle at the edge of each upper eyelid; (5) tympanum distinctly visible, rounded; (6) two metacarpal tubercles in hand; (7) relative finger lengths: II < I < IV < III; (8) toes with rudimentary webbing at bases; (9) heels overlapping when thighs are positioned at right angles to the body; (10) tibiotarsal articulation reaching tympanum to eye when leg stretched forward; (11) an internal single subgular vocal sac in male; (12) in breeding male, the nuptial pads with black nuptial spines on the dorsal bases of the first and second fingers.
Clinical characteristics of malignant melanoma in central China and predictors of metastasis

Cutaneous malignant melanoma (MM) is the most malignant type of all skin neoplasms. There is wide variability in the characteristics of MM between patients of different races. The aim of the present study was to investigate the clinicopathological characteristics of patients with MM in central China and to assess the value of specific hematological and biochemical indices for predicting metastasis. The data of 167 patients with MM from the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University (Henan, China) were retrospectively analyzed and compared with the data of patients with MM available from cBioPortal for Cancer Genomics. Following analysis of the clinicopathological characteristics of the 167 patients, the median overall survival time was 50 months, and the median disease-free survival time was 35 months. Albumin/D-dimer prognosis score (ADPS), lactate dehydrogenase, sex, T stage, tumor-node-metastasis stage, Breslow thickness, Clark level, histological type, growth phase, ulceration and metastasis were all significantly associated with prognosis. An ADPS of <341.01 was identified as an independent predictor of metastasis. The trial registration no. is 2018-LW-037 and this clinical trial was registered in the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University Clinical Trial Registry in March 1, 2018.
Prey density affects predator foraging strategy in an Antarctic ecosystem

Abstract Studying the effects of prey distribution on predator behavior is complex in systems where there are multiple prey species. The role of prey density in predator behavior is rarely studied in closed ecosystems of one predator species and one prey species, despite these being an ideal opportunity to test these hypotheses. In this study, we investigate the effect of prey density on the foraging behavior of a predatory species in an isolated Antarctic ecosystem of effectively a single predatory species and a single prey species. We use resource selection models to compare prey density in areas utilized by predators (obtained from fine‐scale GPS telemetry data) to prey density at randomly generated points (pseudoabsences) throughout the available area. We demonstrate that prey density of breeding Antarctic petrels (Thalassoica antarctica) is negatively associated with the probability of habitat use in its only predator, the south polar skua (Catharacta maccormicki). Skuas are less likely to utilize habitats with higher petrel densities, reducing predation in these areas, but these effects are present during chick rearing only and not during incubation. We suggest that this might be caused by successful group defense strategies employed by petrel chicks, primarily spitting oil at predators.
TRANSPARENT TESTA GLABRA 1 participates in flowering time regulation in Arabidopsis thaliana

Pleiotropic regulatory factors mediate concerted responses of the plant’s trait network to endogenous and exogenous cues. TRANSPARENT TESTA GLABRA 1 (TTG1) is such a factor that has been predominantly described as a regulator of early developmental traits. Although its closest homologs LIGHT-REGULATED WD1 (LWD1) and LWD2 affect photoperiodic flowering, a role of TTG1 in flowering time regulation has not been reported. Here we reveal that TTG1 is a regulator of flowering time in Arabidopsis thaliana and changes transcript levels of different targets within the flowering time regulatory pathway. TTG1 mutants flower early and TTG1 overexpression lines flower late at long-day conditions. Consistently, TTG1 can suppress the transcript levels of the floral integrators FLOWERING LOCUS T and SUPPRESSOR OF OVEREXPRESSION OF CO1 and can act as an activator of circadian clock components. Moreover, TTG1 might form feedback loops at the protein level. The TTG1 protein interacts with PSEUDO RESPONSE REGULATOR (PRR)s and basic HELIX-LOOP-HELIX 92 (bHLH92) in yeast. In planta, the respective pairs exhibit interesting patterns of localization including a recruitment of TTG1 by PRR5 to subnuclear foci. This mechanism proposes additional layers of regulation by TTG1 and might aid to specify the function of bHLH92. Within another branch of the pathway, TTG1 can elevate FLOWERING LOCUS C (FLC) transcript levels. FLC mediates signals from the vernalization, ambient temperature and autonomous pathway and the circadian clock is pivotal for the plant to synchronize with diurnal cycles of environmental stimuli like light and temperature. Our results suggest an unexpected positioning of TTG1 upstream of FLC and upstream of the circadian clock. In this light, this points to an adaptive value of the role of TTG1 in respect to flowering time regulation.
Triangular correlation (TrC) between cancer aggressiveness, cell uptake capability, and cell deformability

Phagocytosis level is an indicator of cancer aggressiveness since both are related to mechanical deformability of the cells. The malignancy potential is correlated with the mechanical deformability of the cancer cells. However, mechanical tests for clinical applications are limited. We present here a Triangular Correlation (TrC) between cell deformability, phagocytic capacity, and cancer aggressiveness, suggesting that phagocytic measurements can be a mechanical surrogate marker of malignancy. The TrC was proved in human prostate cancer cells with different malignancy potential, and in human bladder cancer and melanoma cells that were sorted into subpopulations based solely on their phagocytic capacity. The more phagocytic subpopulations showed elevated aggressiveness ex vivo and in vivo. The uptake potential was preserved, and differences in gene expression and in epigenetic signature were detected. In all cases, enhanced phagocytic and aggressiveness phenotypes were correlated with greater cell deformability and predicted by a computational model. Our multidisciplinary study provides the proof of concept that phagocytic measurements can be applied for cancer diagnostics and precision medicine.
Seventeen new microsatellites for Tamarix gallica and cross‐amplification in Tamarix species

Premise Microsatellite markers were developed for the western Mediterranean tree Tamarix gallica (Tamaricaceae) as part of a study of its genetic diversity and structure. Methods and Results Seventeen microsatellite markers were developed for T. gallica, 14 of which were polymorphic. These microsatellites have di‐, tri‐, and tetranucleotide repeats with 1–13 alleles per locus and population. Levels of observed and expected heterozygosity ranged from 0.000 to 0.900 and from 0.000 to 0.863, respectively. Six microsatellites showed significant deviations from Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium in at least one population. Cross‐amplification in 19 Tamarix species showed a wide transferability to other species of the genus. Conclusions The 14 new polymorphic microsatellite markers will be used to assess the genetic diversity and population genetic structure of T. gallica. Additionally, the successful cross‐species amplification suggests their potential usefulness for investigating species delimitation and population genetics in the genus Tamarix.
Production technology, nutritional, and microbiological investigation of traditionally fermented mare milk (Chigee) from Xilin Gol in China

Abstract Mare milk originated from female horses, known as mares, to feed their foals during lactation. The health‐promoting characteristics of traditionally fermented mare milk (Chigee) are well known for the function of clinic treatment in the traditional Mongolian medicine. This study was conducted to investigate the production technology of Chigee and to evaluate the nutritional and microbiological characteristics of mare milk and Chigee based on 188 samples. The nutritional analysis of mare milk and Chigee indicated that lactose significantly decreased from 6.95 ± 0.45% to 2.82 ± 1.65% and acidity and alcoholic content significantly increased to 136.72 ± 57.88°T and 1.22 ± 0.7%, respectively, after spontaneous fermentation of mare milk. The microbiological analysis of Chigee showed that the total lactic acid bacteria (LAB) count varied from 5.32 to 8.56 log cfu/ml and total yeast count varied from 2.41 to 6.98 log cfu/ml. Moreover, the acidity of Chigee rose with the increase in LAB count within limits, and high acidity (≥178°T) inhibited the growth of coliforms. These findings provide an understanding of traditional production technology, nutrition, and microbiology that is fundamental for establishing the food standard of Chigee in China and will contribute to standardize the fermentation process for the industrial production of Chigee in the future.
Tracking the evolution of circulating exosomal-PD-L1 to monitor melanoma patients

ABSTRACT In the era of immunotherapies there is an urgent need to implement the use of circulating biomarkers in clinical practice to facilitate personalized therapy and to predict treatment response. We conducted a prospective study to evaluate the usefulness of circulating exosomal-PD-L1 in melanoma patients’ follow-up. We studied the dynamics of exosomal-PD-L1 from 100 melanoma patients by using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. We found that PD-L1 was secreted through exosomes by melanoma cells. Exosomes carrying PD-L1 had immunosuppressive properties since they were as efficient as the cancer cell from which they derive at inhibiting T-cell activation. In plasma from melanoma patients, the level of PD-L1 (n= 30, median 64.26 pg/mL) was significantly higher in exosomes compared to soluble PD-L1 (n= 30, 0.1 pg/mL). Furthermore, exosomal-PD-L1 was detected in all patients whereas only 67% of tumour biopsies were PD-L1 positive. Although baseline exosomal-PD-L1 levels were not associated with clinic-pathologic characteristics, their variations after the cures (ΔExoPD-L1) correlated with the tumour response to treatment. A ΔExoPD-L1 cut-off of> 100 was defined, yielding an 83% sensitivity, a 70% specificity, a 91% positive predictive value and 54% negative predictive values for disease progression. The use of the cut-off allowed stratification in two groups of patients statistically different concerning overall survival and progression-free survival. PD-L1 levels in circulating exosomes seem to be a more reliable marker than PD-L1 expression in tumour biopsies. Monitoring of circulating exosomal-PD-L1 may be useful to predict the tumour response to treatment and clinical outcome.
Quantitative Evaluation of Articular Involvement of Posterior Malleolus Associated with Operative Indication: A Comparative Study of Six Methods Based on Radiography and CT

The aim of this study was to compare the values of six methods in measuring the involvement of posterior malleolus and to demonstrate the reliability and reproducibility of each method. Three independent orthopaedic surgeons, retrospectively, measured 106 cases. The difference between the six methods was analyzed using Bonferroni-corrected paired t-tests after one-way ANOVA. The agreement between the six methods was analyzed using Bland–Altman analysis. The intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) was used to assess intraobserver reproducibility and interobserver reliability. Significant differences were observed between values of any two of the six measurement methods (P < 0.0033), except between any two of the plane radiograph linear, axial CT linear, sagittal CT linear, and 3D CT linear. The Bland–Altman plots demonstrated poor agreement between values of any two of the six methods. The lowest intraobserver reproducibility was 0.46 (moderate) for resident surgeon using plain radiographs. The intraobserver reproducibility for three surgeons using two-dimensional (2D) and 3D images was almost perfect (ICC, 0.82–0.96). The lowest interobserver reliability was 0.41 (moderate) between chief and attending surgeon using plain radiographs, and it improved to almost perfect (ICC, 0.81–0.95) with the use of 3D CT images. The standard error of measurement showed almost the same results as ICC values. The existing operative indications which were determined based on plain radiography are neither reliable nor suitable for other measurement methods. Both 3D linear and 3D surface measurement methods are reliable and reproducible in measuring posterior fragment involvement, and experience is not so crucial. Operative indications for posterior malleolar fractures need to be redefined based on the 3D measurement method.
World-class as a provincial construct: Historicizing planning in Colombo and Delhi

South Asia’s bourgeoning agglomerations are argued to derive their imageries from the abstracted northern notions of the urban, partially captured by the umbrella phrase – world-class. This article unpacks the notion of world-class using planning exercises in Colombo and Delhi. I argue that world-class cannot be seen in isolation to read the violence of urbanization, but when planning is historicized, visions like world-class present themselves as a subsequent logical step. Therefore, for any radical opposition to exclusionary planning, we need to look at the possibility of an epistemological rupture in the planning discourse rather than to critique the notion of world-class.