Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Correlation of DNA damage in type 2 diabetes to glycemic control

Background: Diabetes is associated with excessive production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) which can damage cellular macromolecules. The aim of the study was to detect oxidative DNA damage in type 2 diabetic patients and to correlate it with glycemic control. Aim of work: to assess the percentage of DNA damage in patients with type 2 diabetes and the relation with glycemic control and lipid profile. Patients and methods: The present work included 28 diabetic patients as well as 25 age and sex matched healthy volunteers served as control. Single cell gel electrophoresis (SCGE) was used to assess DNA damage in 28 patients with type 2 diabetes and 25 age and sex matched healthy controls. Moreover, glycemic as well as lipid profiles were also estimated in those subjects. Results: The percent of DNA damage of peripheral blood mononuclear cells was higher in diabetic patients (45.1±9.2) compared to healthy controls (3.70± 0.85) (p<0.001). The percent of DNA damage correlated positively with BMI, fasting blood glucose, HbA1C, serum cholesterol, serum triglycerides, HDL cholesterol and LDL cholesterol (p<0.001) . However, there was no significant difference in percent of DNA damage between hypertensive patients (36.2 ±4.6) and non hypertensive patients (37.2±4.6). Pearson correlation analysis showed a significant positive correlation between DNA damage and body mass index, glycated hemoglobin, total cholesterol, triglycerides and low density lipoprotein cholesterol. Conclusion: Type 2 diabetic patients have more oxidative DNA damage than normal controls and this damage increase with poor diabetic control, obesity and hyperlipidemia. Thus, DNA damage in the peripheral blood of diabetic patients assessed by comet assay can be applied as a new and non expensive technique for monitoring patients with type-2 diabetes.
Alternative splicing of coq-2 controls the levels of rhodoquinone in animals

Parasitic helminths use two benzoquinones as electron carriers in the electron transport chain. In normoxia, they use ubiquinone (UQ), but in anaerobic conditions inside the host, they require rhodoquinone (RQ) and greatly increase RQ levels. We previously showed the switch from UQ to RQ synthesis is driven by a change of substrates by the polyprenyltransferase COQ-2 (Del Borrello et al., 2019; Roberts Buceta et al., 2019); however, the mechanism of substrate selection is not known. Here, we show helminths synthesize two coq-2 splice forms, coq-2a and coq-2e, and the coq-2e-specific exon is only found in species that synthesize RQ. We show that in Caenorhabditis elegans COQ-2e is required for efficient RQ synthesis and survival in cyanide. Importantly, parasites switch from COQ-2a to COQ-2e as they transit into anaerobic environments. We conclude helminths switch from UQ to RQ synthesis principally via changes in the alternative splicing of coq-2.
The Views of Patients and Partners Toward Patient-Delivered Partner Therapy for Chlamydia: A Systematic Review

A systematic review of patient and partner views toward patient-delivered partner therapy for treating chlamydia yielded mixed results in factors associated with acceptance and use. Supplemental digital content is available in the text. Background The majority of research on patient-delivered partner therapy (PDPT) has focused on its impact on reinfections. This study aimed to systematically review the evidence regarding the acceptability of PDPT by patients and partners for chlamydia infection. Methods Three electronic databases were searched in March 2019 using terms related to PDPT. Studies were included if they reported on patient or partner acceptance of PDPT for chlamydia and were conducted in high-income countries. Actual and perceived acceptabilities of PDPT were assessed. Results Thirty-three studies were included: 24 quantitative, 3 qualitative, and 6 mixed methods. Most were clinic based. Quantitative data showed that participants' perceived willingness to give PDPT to their partner(s) ranged from 44.7% to 96.3% (median, 84%), and 24% to 71% (median, 65%) of people who offered PDPT for their partner(s) accepted it. Partners' perceived willingness to accept ranged from 42.7% to 67% (median, 62%), and actual acceptance ranged from 44.7% to 80% (median, 77%). Those in longer-term relationships were generally more likely to accept PDPT; however, beyond this, we identified few clear trends. Qualitative studies found that convenience of PDPT and assurance of partner treatment were benefits, whereas partners not seeing a health care professional was viewed as a downside. Packaging that appeared legitimate and coaching on delivering PDPT were facilitators. Conclusions Because patients bear responsibility for the success of PDPT, this information is crucial in clinical settings. Acceptance, perceived and real, of PDPT was generally high. Patients are best placed to determine whether PDPT is appropriate for them, and it should be offered as an option.
Unmanned aerial vehicle

The utility model provides an unmanned aerial vehicle, the reciprocating impact tunnel drilling machine comprises a machine body, the fuselage is inside to be equipped with microcontroller and power, still includes the follow a plurality of wings that the fuselage peripherad extends, a plurality of wings are followed fuselage circumference evenly distributed, the end of every wing all is equipped with air multiplier, every all be equipped with a plurality of inlet ports on the wing, on inlet port and the same wing be connected with inlet channel between the air multiplier, the inside of wing is equipped with turbofan and first motor, the turbofan is located in the inlet channel, the turbofan with first motor links to each other, first motor with microcontroller links to each other. The utility model discloses simple structure, the modern design, convenient to use adopts the air multiplier to replace the mode of traditional screw in order to provide unmanned aerial vehicle flight thrust for unmanned aerial vehicle flight is reliable, the sound construction, and personnel can accidentally not injured to the flight in -process.
Predictive capacity of triglyceride-glucose (TyG) index for insulin resistance and cardiometabolic risk in children and adolescents: a systematic review

Abstract Insulin resistance (IR) in childhood plays a key role in the development of metabolic changes in adulthood, therefore, it is important to diagnose it early. We aimed to investigate studies that evaluated the TyG index for prediction of IR risk and other cardiometabolic risk factors, as well as, the proposed cutoff points in childhood and adolescence. This is a systematic review elaborated according to the recommendations of the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyzes (PRISMA). The search was performed in Lilacs, PubMed and CAPES Journal Portal, using the terms “TyG index OR triglyceride-glucose index OR triglyceride and glucose index AND children OR adolescent*”. Eight articles were included in this review. All were cross-sectional studies with individuals aged ≥2 and ≤20 years old, from the United States, Korea, Mexico, Brazil, and Iran. We concluded that the TyG index was positively associated with other IR prediction methods and appears to be advantageous for predicting IR risk and other cardiometabolic risk factors in children and adolescents (review registration: PROSPERO CRD42018100726).
Inflammatory mediators in the adipo-renal axis: leptin, adiponectin, and sICAM-1.

BACKGROUND A lower 24-h urine pH (24h-pH), i.e., a higher renal excretion of free protons, at a given acid load to the body, denotes a reduction in the kidney's capacity for net acid excretion (NAE). There is increasing evidence - not only for type 2 diabetes patients, but also for healthy individuals - that higher body fatness or waist circumference (WC) negatively impact on renal function to excrete acids (NAE). We hypothesized that adiposity-related inflammation molecules may mediate this relation between adiposity and renal acid excretion function. METHODS Twelve biomarkers of inflammation were measured in fasting blood samples from 162 adult participants (18-25y) of the DONALD study, who had undergone anthropometric measurements and collected 24-h urine samples. Both Baron and Kenny's steps (B&Ks) to test mediation and causal mediation analysis were conducted to examine the potential mediatory roles of biomarkers of inflammation in the WC-24h-pH relationship after strictly controlling for lab-measured NAE. RESULTS In B&Ks mediation analysis, leptin, soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (sICAM-1), and adiponectin significantly associated with the outcome 24h-pH and attenuated the WC-pH relation. In agreement herewith, causal mediation analysis estimated the "natural indirect effects" of WC on 24h-pH via leptin (P=0.01) and adiponectin (P=0.03) to be significant with a trend for sICAM-1 (P=0.09). The calculated proportions mediated by leptin, adiponectin and sICAM-1 were 64%, 23%, and 12%, respectively. CONCLUSION Both mediation analyses identified an inflammatory (leptin) and an anti-inflammatory (adiponectin) cytokine along with sICAM-1 as being potentially involved in mediating adiposity-related influences on renal acid excretion capacity.
PATHWAYS OF CELLULAR MORPHOGENESIS

Evidence is presented to show that a given change in cell form or size may generally be brought about by a variety of patterns of local surface distortion and expansion. Structural and chemical features of the cell which are important in morphogenesis may thus be expected to relate not to form per se but to the kinetics of surface behavior which establish form. These kinetics evaluate both the rate at which local regions of cell surface expand and the directed character (anisotropy) of this expansion. These variables have been studied in model systems and, through marking experiments, in growing cells of various shapes in Phycomyces, Clypeaster, and particularly Nitella. In the latter plant, prominent "giant internodes" display a well defined longitudinal anisotropic expansion devoid of sizeable gradients in expansion rate. These cells have their origin, however, in apical cells which have a pronounced gradient in area expansion rate (maximal at the tip). The great part of the expansion in the apical cell is apparently isotropic (equal in all directions), but the basal region often shows predominant expansion laterally. This transverse stretching in the apical cell could align cell wall texture and possibly fibrous cytoplasmic constituents, such as microtubules, into configurations significant in later morphogenetic stages, including the elongation of the internodes.
The Role of Relational Qualifiers in Attribute Conditioning: Does Disliking an Athletic Person Make You Unathletic?

In attribute conditioning (AC), neutral stimuli (CSs) acquire specific attributes through mere pairings with other stimuli possessing that attribute (USs). For example, if a neutral person “Neal” is paired with athletic “Wade,” participants judge Neal as more athletic compared with when Wade would be unathletic. Building on Evaluative Conditioning research, we introduced relational qualifiers between CS and US to probe the contribution of propositional processes to the AC effect. Concretely, CSs either liked or disliked USs. Four experiments (total n = 1,002) showed that these relations moderate AC effects for athleticism (“athletic” vs. “unathletic”; Experiments 1–3) and relationship status (“single” vs. “in a relationship”; Experiment 4); for example, when Neal disliked athletic Wade, he was judged as unathletic. We discuss how these findings constrain process theories of AC.
Prevalence of underweight, overweight and obesity among children and adolescents in Germany. KiGGS Wave 2 results according to international reference systems

In Germany, the reference system according to Kromeyer-Hauschild is usually used to define underweight, overweight and obesity in children and adolescents. International classification systems to describe prevalence are the reference systems of the World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Obesity Task Force (IOTF). This article reports underweight, overweight and obesity prevalences among children and adolescents according to WHO and IOTF criteria using data from the second wave of the German Health Interview and Examination Survey for Children and Adolescents (KiGGS Wave 2, 2014-2017). According to the WHO reference system, the prevalence of underweight among 5- to 17-year-olds is 1.6%, the prevalence of overweight is 26.3% (including obesity) and the prevalence of obesity is 8.8%. According to IOTF, the prevalence of underweight among 3- to 17-year-olds is 10.0%. The prevalence of overweight (including obesity) is 19.3% and the prevalence of obesity is 4.7%. From a public health point of view, underweight as an indicator of malnutrition plays a rather minor role in Germany. The prevalence of overweight according to WHO is three quarters higher and one quarter higher according to IOTF than the national reference. When comparing the international reference systems, the WHO prevalence is one third higher than IOTF prevalence. According to national and international reference systems, no further increase in the prevalence of overweight and obesity is observed, but the prevalence remain at a high level.
Use of space by the marsupial Micoureus demerarae in small Atlantic Forest fragments in south-eastern Brazil

The spatial patterns presented by the marsupial Micoureus demerarae were studied through capture–mark–recapture in two small Atlantic Forest fragments (areas 7.1 and 8.8 ha). The study took place from March 1995 to August 1997. Considering all captures of each individual, males did not have larger home ranges within the fragments than did females. A negative correlation was found between home range sizes and population densities. For males, home ranges overlapped often, and were larger during the breeding season. For females, home ranges did not overlap except for a short period when there were many individuals present, and home range sizes were not significantly larger in the breeding season. Five movements between the two forest fragments were detected, across 300 m of open vegetation. All the movements were performed by males during the reproductive season. M. demerarae in the small fragments therefore displays a metapopulation structure, although possibly an atypical one where only males disperse.
Natural History, Morphology, Evolution, and Taxonomic Status of the Earthcreeper Upucerthia saturatior (Furnariidae) from the Patagonian Forests of South America

abstract The Patagonian Forest Earthcreeper (Upucerthia saturatior) is a distinctive furnariid that inhabits the Patagonian forests of central-western Argentina and adjacent Chile within the Nothofagus Center of Endemism. After its description as a species in 1900, U. saturatior was quickly subsumed, without comment or study, as a subspecies of the Scale-throated Earthcreeper (U. dumetaria), a treatment followed by most subsequent authors. On the basis of an apparent geographical cline within U. dumetaria and a reanalysis of the morphology and plumage of reported intergrades between U. dumetaria and U. saturatior, there is no evidence of intergradation between these taxa. Upucerthia saturatior differs from U. dumetaria by its song (“p-p-tirik-tirik-tirik-tirik-tirik-tiruk” vs. “pli-pli-pli-pli-pli . . .”), which is also three times faster in dumetaria, call (“pep” vs. “keep”), morphology (smaller and darker with a short black bill vs. larger and paler with a long brown bill), distinctive tail pattern, breeding habitat (forest borders vs. shrubby steppe and open highland habitats), and migration patterns (trans-Andean vs. north-south). These differences exceed those between U. jelskii and U. albigula and are far greater than those between U. jelskii and U. validirostris; they overwhelmingly support ranking U. saturatior as a full species. The existence of a forest-dwelling species of Upucerthia parapatric to an open-country Upucerthia provides an opportunity for testing the role of habitat shift between dry exposed habitats and forest habitats (and vice versa) during speciation.
Cystic Fibrosis-Related Liver Disease: The Next Challenge.

Up to 40% of individuals with cystic fibrosis have Cystic Fibrosis-Related Liver Disease (CFLD); however, only 5-10% will have clinically evident disease. With the introduction of powerful cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) enhancers effective treatment for cystic fibrosis is available. The role of CFTR enhancers in liver disease is unknown at this time. The traditionally accepted theory of the pathogenesis of CFLD is being questioned. A different pathogenesis may lead to new ways to treat CFLD. The way that CFLD is diagnosed and monitored is evolving as new imaging technology become available.
Outdoor Scene Classification Using Multiple SVM

This paper presents a hierarchical two-stage outdoor scene classification method using multi-classes of Support Vector Machine (SVM). In this proposed method, the gist feature of all the images in the database is extracted first to obtain the feature vectors. The image of database is classified into eight outdoor scenes classes, four manmade scenes and four natural scenes. Second, a hierarchical classification is applied, where the first stage classifies all manmade scene classes against all natural scene classes, while the second stage of a hierarchical classification classifies the outputs of first stage into either one of the four manmade scene classes or natural scene classes. Binary SVM and multi-classes SVMs are employed in the first and second stage of a hierarchical classification respectively. The proposed method is designed also to compare and find the most suitable multi-classes SVMs approach and the kernel function for classification task, where their performances are analyzed based on experimental results. The multi-classes SVMs used in this paper are One-versus-All (OvA) and One-versus-One (OvO), while the kernel functions used are linear kernel, Radius Basis Function (RBF) kernel and Polynomial kernel. Experimental results indicate that OvO classifier provides better performance than OvA classifier. The results, also show that the Polynomial kernel function is superior to others kernel function.
Nutrient effect on maximum photosynthesis in arctic plants

The effect of a 1976 nitrogen, phosphorus, and nitrogen-phosphorus-potassium fertilization at Eagle Creek, Alaska, on photosynthetic rates was investigated in 1978 in eight vascular and three nonvascular plant species. While NPK fertilization increased the growth rate of shoots of most vascular plant species, this treatment depressed photosynthetic rates in all vascular species. Therefore, it appears that nutrient limitation of growth is a direct limitation and not mediated through nutrient effect on carbon uptake rates and levels of available photosynthate. The reason for the reduction in photosynthetic rates with fertilization is not known. It is speculated that increases in growth with fertilization causes a dilution of other nutrients or factors, the effect of which is to depress photosynthesis. Moss photosynthesis is stimulated with fertilization, High NPK fertilizer levels stimulate photosynthesis more than low NPK fertilizer levels. This may indicate basic differences in the ecology or physiology of the two growth forms. It is not yet known if the growth of mosses in this area is stimulated by NPK fertilization.
The microflora of Tilsit cheese. Part 1. Variability of the smear flora

The microflora of 25 Tilsit cheeses from 2 cheese plants was analysed. Debaryomyces hansenii was found to be the predominant yeast in all stages of ripening. 75–95% of the bacterial flora consisted of coryneform bacteria. Several of the isolates were identified as Arthrobacter. Brevibacterium linens was found at 0-15%. In all cheeses tested, 5-15% of total cell counts were made up by staphylococci. They were determined as being not Staphylococcus aureus or other pathogenic staphylococci since all isolates were negative with respect to thermo-nuclease, clumping, coagulase, and hemagglutination. Most of the isolates were hemolysis negative. By genetical analysis, several selected isolates were classified as Staphylococcus equorum, one isolate as S. sciuri. Contamination of cheeses with Fusarium moulds indicated the influence of the smearing strategy on spreading of undesirable microorganisms. In plant A, old cheeses were smeared first, then young cheeses were smeared with the same smear liquid. Fusarium contamination could be detected in all stages of ripening. In plant B, young cheeses (0-3 weeks) were smeared with a commercial surface starter cocktail. In all cheeses of this age, problems with Penicillium contaminations were observed. Older cheeses (>3 weeks) were smeared according to the strategy applied in plant A. Consequently, Fusarium moulds were detected in cheeses 4-8 weeks of age.
Continuous Electroencephalographic Training for Neuroscience Intensive Care Unit Nurses: A Feasibility Study

Supplemental digital content is available in the text. ABSTRACT BACKGROUND: Use of continuous electroencephalographic (cEEG) monitoring has more than doubled at our institution for the last 4 years. Although intensive care unit cEEG is reviewed remotely by board-certified epileptologists every 4 to 6 hours, there are inherent delays between occurrence, recognition, and treatment of epileptiform activity. Neuroscience intensive care unit (NSICU) nurses are uniquely positioned to monitor cEEG in real time yet do not receive formal training. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of an education program to teach nurses to monitor cEEG, identify a burst suppression pattern, and measure the duration of suppression. METHODS: We performed a retrospective analysis of pretest and posttest data. All NSICU nurses (40) were invited to complete the pretest (PT-0), with 25 participating. Learning style/preference, demographics, comfort with cEEG, and knowledge of EEG fundamentals were assessed. A convenience cohort of NSICU nurses (13) were selected to undergo EEG training. Posttests evaluating EEG fundamental knowledge were completed immediately after training (PT-1), at 3 months (PT-3), and at 6 months (PT-6). The cohort also completed a burst suppression module after the training, which assessed ability to quantify the duration of suppression. RESULTS: Mean cohort test scores significantly improved after the training (P < .001). All nurses showed improvement in test scores, and 76.9% passed PT-1 (a score of 80% or higher). Reported mean comfort level with EEG also significantly improved after the training (P = .001). There was no significant difference between mean cohort scores between PT-1, PT-3, and PT-6 (all 88.6%; P = 1.000). Mean cohort score from the bust suppression module was 73%, with test scores ranging from 31% to 93%. CONCLUSIONS: NSICU nurses can be taught fundamentals of cEEG, to identify a burst suppression pattern, and to quantify the duration of suppression. Further research is needed to determine whether this knowledge can be translated into clinical competency and affect patient care.