Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Biodiversity and functional metagenomic profiling of microbial communities in Tasik Kenyir, Terengganu

Tasik Kenyir located in the state of Terengganu is the largest artificial lake in Southeast Asia with mean-depth of 37 m. This lake plays an important role in maintaining the biodiversity in the surrounding environment. Microbial communities in the lake are important, as most of the nutrients are recycled through the “microbial loop”. Thus, understanding the connection between the diversity composition and functional role of aquatic microbial community is crucial for proper lake management. This study aims to determine the diversity and functions of microbial assemblages in Tasik Kenyir by means of shotgun metagenomics analysis. Briefly, water samples were collected from pristine and disturbed areas. Metagenome DNA were then extracted directly and subjected to clone-independent sequencing. Data sequences of all samples were analyzed and functional annotated using bioinformatics software MEGAN6. Analysis showed up to 41 phyla that had been detected from the water samples with the presence of dominant bacterial populations of more than 90% in all samples. Proteobacteria was the most dominant phylum, representing more than 70% of the microbiome in all samples. Other taxa such as Bacteriodetes, Terrabacteria group, Verrucomicrobia, Planctomycetes and Chloroflexi were also found as part of the microbial communities. The first sample from the disturbed area, TKSA1 had 3% of total contigs read assigned to genera Pseudomonas while the other samples appeared to be more homogeneous. The lake also appeared to contain a mixture of autotrophs and heterotrophs capable of performing main biogeochemical cycles. Findings of the present study has provided us valuable information on the microbial diversity structures and their functions in the nutrient processing pathways that occurred in the Tasik Kenyir environment and thus sheds light on the importance of freshwater microbial communities for ecosystem and human health.
Implementação de um sistema esteganográfico para inserção de textos em sinais de áudio

of Dissertation presented to UFPE as a partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master in Electrical Engineering. STEGANOGRAPHIC SYSTEM IMPLEMENTATION TO INSERT TEXTS IN AUDIO SIGNALS Jinnett Pamela Carrión Casierra March/2009 Supervisor(s): Hélio Magalhães de Oliveira, Docteur. Ricardo Menezes Campello de Souza, PhD. Area of Concentration: Communications.
Got Volunteers? The Selection, Training, Roles, and Impact of Hospice Palliative Care Volunteers in Canada’s Community-Based Volunteer Programs

This article provides a brief overview of the selection, training, roles, and impact on family caregivers of community-based hospice palliative care volunteers in Canada. In many Canadian communities, carefully selected and well-trained volunteers are available to provide emotional support, companionship, practical assistance, and other kinds of help and comfort to dying persons and their families, mostly at home. Unfortunately, these services are often underutilized. Anecdotal and empirical evidence suggests that lack of awareness and/or understanding of this beneficial community resource is a major reason for the underutilization of volunteers. Education is the key to promoting awareness. Hopefully, this article will serve to inform both the general public and health care professionals about the volunteers’ background, preparation, roles, and impact on patients and family caregivers.
Evolutionary forces on different flavors of intrinsic disorder in the human proteome

In this study, we perform a systematic analysis of evolutionary forces (i.e., mutational bias and natural selection) that shape the codon usage bias of human genes encoding for different structural and functional variants of proteins. Well-structured proteins are expected to be more under control by natural selection than intrinsically disordered proteins because one or few mutations (even synonymous) in the genes can result in a protein that no longer folds correctly. On the contrary, intrinsically disordered proteins are generally thought to evolve more rapidly than well-folded proteins, primarily attributed to relaxed purifying natural selection due to the lack of structural constraints. Using different genetic tools, we find compelling evidence that intrinsically disordered proteins are the variant of human proteins on which both mutational bias and natural selection act more effectively, corroborating their essential role for evolutionary adaptability and protein evolvability. We speculate that intrinsically disordered proteins have a high tolerance to mutations (both neutral and adaptive) but also a selective propensity to preserve their structural disorder, i.e., flexibility and conformational dynamics under physiological conditions. Additionally, we confirm not only that intrinsically disordered proteins are preferentially encoded by GC-rich genes, but also that they are characterized by the highest fraction of CpG-sites in the sequences, implying a higher susceptibility to methylation resulting in C-T transition mutations. Our results provide new insight about protein evolution and human genetic diseases identifying intrinsically disordered proteins as reservoirs for evolutionary innovations.
A single centre, parallel group pilot study to investigate the effect of opioids on immunomarkers using gene expression profiling

Background: The effects of morphine on immune cells include reduced NK cell cytotoxicity and reduced lymphocyte proliferation but human prospective in vivo clinical research has been inconclusive. This study aims to define the changes in intraoperative lymphocyte gene expression in patients receiving morphine. Methods: mRNA gene expression was analysed in CD4+, CD8+ and NK cells from 40 patients undergoing gynaecological laparotomies, using the 3’ Affymetrix microarray. Patients matched by BMI, age, operation duration and pain levels received morphine or control analgesia. Genes demonstrating differential expression (fold change≥±2; p-value≤0.05) following ANOVA were further investigated. Gene expression analysis was confirmed functionally through investigation of serum cytokine concentration (cytometric bead array), serum cortisol concentration (ELISA) and NK cell cytotoxicity (NK cell degranulation assay). Finally, statistical analyses were performed to evaluate the relative importance of individual genes highlighted
Winter Annual Grass Weed Control in Italian Ryegrass with Ethofumesate

Ethofumesate (2-ethoxy-2,3-dihydro-3,3-dimethyl-5-benzofuranyl methanesulfonate) applied preemergence or early postemergence at 0.8 to 4.5 kg/ha eliminated annual bluegrass (Poa annua L.) in Italian ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum Lam.) seed fields. Rattail fescue (Festuca myuros L.) was more difficult to control. The 0.8 kg/ha rate controlled only 55% of the rattail fescue. Rates of 1.1 to 1.7 kg/ha controlled 72 to 95% and rates of 2.2 to 4.5 kg/ha eliminated rattail fescue. All ethofumesate treatments except one, 2.2 kg/ha applied postemergence in Experiment 7, reduced weed competition enough so that ryegrass seed yields were increased. At 4.5 kg/ha, a rate double that required to eliminate rattail fescue, seed yields were as high or higher than at 2.2 kg/ha rate, indicating that ethofumesate has at least a twofold safety margin on Italian ryegrass. The germination of ryegrass seed harvested from plots treated with ethofumesate at 0, 2.2, and 4.5 kg/ha was not affected by the treatments.
Tolerance of Cotton to Diuron, Fluometuron, Norea, and Prometryne

The phytotoxicity of 3-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-1,1-dimethylurea (diuron), 1,1-dimethyl-3-(α,α,α-trifluoro-m-tolyl)urea (fluometuron), 3-(hexahydro-4,7-,methanoindan-5-yl)-1,1-dimethylurea (norea), and 2,4-bis(isopropylamino)-6-(methylthio)-s-triazine (prometryne) to cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L., var. Acala 4-42) was compared. Warburg experiments indicated that fluometuron and norea inhibited photosynthesis in isolated leaf disks to a much smaller extent than did diuron and prometryne. When the plants were grown in solution culture, diuron and prometryne were much more phytotoxic to cotton than fluometuron and norea, whereas when grown in soil, prometryne was the least phytotoxic, followed by norea, fluometuron, and diuron. Results of experiments on root vs. shoot uptake showed that all four herbicides entered the cotton seedlings through the roots, and no injury occurred to cotton when the compounds were applied to the shoot zone only. Norea and fluometuron were much more leachable than prometryne and diuron. These results indicate that depth protection in the soil, in addition to translocation and metabolism, might account partially for the tolerance of cotton to preemergence application of the tested herbicides.
Human Cytomegalovirus Infection: Biological Features, Transmission, Symptoms, Diagnosis, and Treatment

Human cytomegalovirus (CMV), a member of the human herpesviruses, is a deoxyribonucleic acid virus that is ubiquitous in the world. After primary infection, CMV develops a latent state; however, when the defense of the immune system decreases in a host, it can reactivate. Human cytomegalovirus infections are acquired via several ways. CMV is spread through contact with infected bodily fluids in humans, whereas it occurs in pregnant women through close contact with young children or through sexual transmission. The clinical manifestations consist of non-specific symptoms or clinical findings. However, the patients with acute CMV infections are generally asymptomatic. Congenital CMV infection (present at birth) occurs via intrauterine transmission of the virus that is thought to be transferred to the developing fetus. The common clinical manifestations of congenital CMV infection are sensorineural hearing loss, petechiae, jaundice at birth, and hepatosplenomegaly. The vast majority of healthy children and adolescents infected with CMV infections are most often asymptomatic. Treatment is recommended to initiate to the infants who have a symptomatic infection or primary immunodeficiency or asymptomatic infection with an isolated hearing loss. The diagnosis of congenital CMV infections should be considered when it is detected in the newborns with signs and symptoms consistent with congenital CMV disease or with abnormal neuroimaging consistent with CMV or newborns who have documented sensorineural hearing loss.
Collecting the home in different ways: SAMDOK's ethnographic method compared to other approaches

Many museums collect contemporary objects, stories, images and sounds. But reasoned policies and procedures are very often lacking. And – given the uniquely detailed record of contemporary life recorded by today's ubiquitous media – how best are museums to record and present contemporary life in their collections? This chapter discusses different approaches to collecting, recording and documenting the home. It considers methods in museums and methods used in the subject areas known as Everyday Life Studies and Material Culture Studies.
Increasing Rural Special Education Teacher Candidates' Ability to Implement Evidence-Based Practices: A Program Description of the Boise State University TATERS Program

The Technology Accentuated Teacher Education for Rural Specialists (TATERS) program aimed to: (a) prepare highly qualified special education teachers across a state comprised of more than 70% rural districts, (b) develop a system of support through a mentor network and institutions of higher education collaboration to address the needs of teacher candidates in rural areas, (c) ground special education teachers in the use of evidence-based practices to improve the instructional services that students with disabilities in Idaho receive, and (d) develop a mechanism to evaluate and provide feedback on teacher candidates' implementation of evidence-based practices. This article describes the application of a special education teacher evaluation system to a teacher preparation program designed to improve special education teachers' ability to implement evidence-based practices for students with disabilities in rural areas. Key program components are described and future directions for continuous improvement are highlighted.
Effects of Exercise Training on Endothelial Function, Arterial Structure, and Physical Conditioning in Patients with Systemic Autoimmune Myopathies: A Case Series Study

Introduction. Exercise training has been effective in improving endothelial function and decreasing arterial stiffness in several systemic autoimmune diseases. However, to date, no studies have assessed patients with systemic autoimmune myopathies (SAM). Methods. Five female patients with definite SAM (3 dermatomyositis and 2 polymyositis) who underwent a 12-week, twice-a-week, exercise training program were assessed prospectively. The following parameters were assessed: endothelial function measured by flow-mediated dilatation (FMD), carotid femoral by pulse wave velocity (PWV), disease status by International Myositis Assessment & Clinical Studies Group (IMACS) set score, the ventilatory anaerobic threefold (VAT), respiratory compensation point (RCP), maximum effort (ME), maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max) measured by ergospyrometer, and strength and muscle function. Results. Mean age of the patients and duration of disease were 43.9 and 10.5 years, respectively. The median FMD and PWV were 10.2% and 7.1 m/s. After exercise training, important FMD reduction was observed in 4 out of 5 patients, whereas the PWV parameters decreased in only 2 out of 5 patients. The exercise training was safe, without clinical intercurrences or disease relapses. Moreover, an increase in strength and functionality was observed. Concerning aerobic capacity, there was a decrease in the VAT and an increase in ME, without al-terations in the maximum oxygen consumption. Conclusions. In general, exercise training does not alter endothelial function and PWV values, but improves muscle strength and function and also, does not lead to disease reactivation (Clinical Trials (NCT03092167)).
Cardiac Activity Assessed in vivo and in Vitro in Rats Treated with Propiltiouracil (PTU)

Thyroid hormones interfere with cardiovascular functions causing morphofunctional changes in cardiomyocytes, evidenced by electrophysiological activities and hemodynamics. This study examined the implications of hypothyroidism on cardiac electrical activity in Wistar rats under experimental conditions in vivo and in vitro. It was approved by the animal ethics committee (CEUAUniversity of Gurupi-TO, Brazil), using 20 rats (male and / or female), randomly subdivided into 10 control rats (treated with water + aspartame) and 10 experimental rats (treated with water + aspartame + PTU) for 4 weeks. On the 31st day, in thestudies in vivo, the electrocardiographic tracings (ECG DL 660 Delta Life) were obtained with the anesthetized animals and, in the Langendorff preparation, the hearts were isolated and perfused in a chamber with electrodes (Ag / AgCl) connected to the ECG and recorded cardiac electrophysiological activity. In both protocols the analyzed variables were: heart rate (BPM), amplitudes (mV) of P, QRS and T deflections and intervals (ms) PR, QRS and QT. The results obtained were bradycardia, prolongation of the PR interval, QRS and QT interval in bothprotocols in vivoin and in vitro rats treated with Propylthiouracil (PTU). In theexperiment in vitro there was a reduction of P wave amplitude and no significant change in ventricular contractility compared to the control group. It is concluded that the deficit of thyroid hormones alters the functions of cardiac chronotropism and dromotropism evidenced by bradycardia and stretching of PR, QT and QRS intervals. Keywords— Hypothyroidism. Cardiac Evaluation. Langendorff. Propylthiouracil. Epidemiology.
Rapid response systems in Korea

The inpatient treatment process is becoming more and more complicated with advanced treatments, aging of the patient population, and multiple comorbidities. During the process, patients often experience unexpected deterioration, about half of which might be preventable. Early identification of patient deterioration and the proper response are priorities in most healthcare facilities. A rapid response system (RRS) is a safety net to identify antecedents of these adverse events and to respond in a timely manner. The RRS has become an essential part of the medical system worldwide, supported by all major quality improvement organizations. An RRS consists of a trigger system and response team and needs constant assessment and process improvement. Although the effectiveness and cost-benefit of RRS remain controversial, according to previous studies, it may be beneficial by decreasing in-hospital cardiac arrest and mortality. Since the first implementation of RRS in Korea in 2008, it has been developed in over 15 medical centers and continues to expand. Recent accreditation standards and an RRS pilot program by the Korean government will promote the proliferation of RRSs in Korea.
Stiffness in human joints

Articular stiffness is an important symptom in most arthritic diseases and appears to be a useful marker of disease activity in rheumatoid arthritis. Attempts to obtain a reliable objective measure of articular stiffness span the last 30 years but a meaningful measure of this symptom remains elusive. A number of reasons have been suggested to explain the discrepancy between objective and subjective stiffness in arthritis and these can be summarised as: a semeiological confusion, aberrant mechano-receptor thresholds and concurrent muscle wasting. This thesis examines each of these hypotheses. Some patients may confuse pain and stiffness or may wish to use other words to describe their joint symptoms. A questionnaire was developed which enabled patients to express their joint symptomatology using a wide range of descriptors. No differences were found between health professionals and patients in their definition of each of the descriptors. The questionnaire discriminated clearly between groups of patients with rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis and non-articular rheumatism. Movement perception threshold was measured in the finger but it was found that subjects relied on cutaneous information. Vibration perception threshold was used as an alternative measure of mechano-receptor thresholds: no abnormalities were found in 50 patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Muscle cross-sectional area was calculated from anthropometric data and the results compared with measurements obtained from computed tomographic scans. A significant decrease in forearm muscle cross-sectional area was found in rheumatoid arthritis but the decrease was not sufficient to explain the reduction in grip strength observed, some of the variation being explained by deformity and pain in the joints. From this study it was possible to make a correction for muscle wasting in previously published stiffness data, revealing significant increases in metacarpo-phalangeal joint stiffness in rheumatoid arthritis. This result was confirmed in new data based on the resonant frequency of the wrist. Further data on the qualitative aspects of muscle were obtained by relating dynamic angular wrist stiffness to level of contraction of forearm muscles. Although arthritic subjects differed significantly from normals at maximum activation, when the results were expressed in terms of absolute grip strength no differences were found, suggesting inhibition of muscle activation in rheumatoid arthritis. It is concluded that symptomatic stiffness is objectively quantifiable in arthritis providing measurements are made in relationship to the equilibrium position of the joint and providing a correction is made for muscle wasting.
A Short Introduction to Text-to- Speech Synthesis

I try to give here a short but comprehensive introduction to state-of-the-art Text-To-Speech (TTS) synthesis by highlighting its Digital Signal Processing (DSP) and Natural Language Processing (NLP) components. As a matter of fact, since very few people associate a good knowledge of DSP with a comprehensive insight into NLP, synthesis mostly remains unclear, even for people working in either research area. After a brief definition of a general TTS system and of its commercial applications, in Section 1, the paper is basically divided into two parts. Section 2.1 begins with a presentation of the many practical NLP problems which have to be solved by a TTS system. I then examine, in Section 2.2, how synthetic speech can be obtained by simply concatenating elementary speech units, and what choices have to be made for this operation to yield high quality. I finaly give a word on existing TTS solutions, with special emphasis on the computational and economical constraints which have to be kept in mind when designing TTS systems.
Attention-deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Symptoms and Conduct Problems in Children and Adolescents with Obesity

Objectives: Recent studies focus on the potential factors that increase the potantial risks of obesity in children and adolescents. According to research for the past years, one of the factors that increases the risk of obesity may be attention- deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). We hypothesized that overweight/obese children and adolescents that apply to pediatric endocrinology for treatment would be at higher risk for ADHD symptoms. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, the sample consisted of 55 children and adolescents aged between 6-14 years with body mass index greater than 95th percentile and 37 nonobese control group. Sociodemographic form, Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire and The Turgay Diagnostic and Statistical Manuel of Mental Disorders Based Child and Adolescent Behavior Disorders Screening and Rating Scale has been used. Results: The rates of inattentive subtype, hyperactivity/impulsivity subtype, and the combined type in the subject group were 10.9%, 3.6% and 7.3%, respectively. The rates of inattentive subtype, hyperactivity/impulsivity subtype were 5.4%, 2.7%, respectively, in the nonobese group. In terms of SDQ scores, peer problems subscale scores were significantly higher in the subject group than the control group (5.13±1.24 vs 4.32±1.18, p=0.003). According to the binary regression analysis, having peer problems was found to be significantly related to being obese (Exp B (OR): 3.3, p=0.04). Conclusion: Our findings show that obese children and adolescents have higher rates of ADHD symptoms and problems in peer relations. Underestimation of ADHD might be a risk factor for treatment failure in obesity since ADHD symptoms cause a lack of motivation and compliance.